One of the biggest reasons for creating MommyLuvs2save was to create a community of moms and dads who want to help their family save money when buying essentials in order to free up money for debt repayment. My own family has paid off over $111,500 in consumer debt including credit cards, student loan debt and 2 vehicles. I am a teacher at heart. I want to use the skills that I have learned to help YOU ditch debt. I want to encourage each of you in your efforts so that one day you can feel the freedom of being debt free. I’m not quite there yet either (we still have a mortgage) so I need encouragement as well 
It can be very difficult to pay down debt. There are many temptations to spend money. We live in a culture that encourages debt and spending. In addition, expenses come up and there never seems to be any extra money for paying down debt. I want to urge each of you to participate in a challenge. Just leave a comment about one positive step you’ve taken for your family each day. Did you eat in instead of going out? Did you save money at the grocery store? Did you pay extra on your credit card? Leave a comment below and we will cheer one another on every day and every step of the way.
The challenge is to leave a comment about what YOU have done to work on getting debt free each day. One winner will be chosen to win a $25 Amazon gift card at the end of each month. To participate in the challenge you must comment on at least 10 posts during the month.
* I will also be sharing my progress from the day prior.
My Progress: It was SO cold here yesterday (and will be again today). It was 1 degree for most of the morning not counting the wind chill factor. I left the faucet in our bathroom on a teensy trickle just to make sure that the pipes didn’t freeze again. I had to do it again last night because it was really cold again. I took the girls to school after I dressed them in several layers. I always tell them “it’s time to winterize…go! and they run and get most of their stuff on. Then I just have to add whatever they forgot. Anyway, our heat bill is likely to be high this month. We’ve been using our fireplace to offset some of the cost. Add to that the little extra water from leaving it run a trickle all night. I guess you can subtract for the day and night that we didn’t have water because of frozen pipes, right ?! Hey, a girl can hope.
I had a few items come from Amazon that I ordered with a credit over the weekend. Some of what I got will save us money in the long run. I got 2 motion sensor lights (one for the bathroom and one for the hall closet). They were each $15, but free with a credit. My neighbor across the street is going to put them in for me. He said it should only take a few minutes each. This will save us money because I am constantly turning the lights off around here. I need help – ha ha. The mail just included junk.
I started my day (after taking the girls to school) with a green smoothie and the elliptical. Again, I can only do an embarrassing amount of time on the elliptical, but it’s a start. I’m trying to add 1 minute every day or two. On that note, I made breakfast and dinner at home. I actually made everyone else’s lunch (packed), but I ate lunch out with my parents. I asked for a separate check, but my dad told that waitress NO while I was in the bathroom. I usually ask for my own check because I don’t want to cost them money, but I guess it was ok this one time :). I made chicken parmesan and salad for dinner. It was great. I earned some Swagbucks and cashed in for a gift card before falling into bed.
What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it You could make 2014 your year. Who will the January winner be ? We’ll see…
I am a mom who has paid off $111,500 in debt in less than 4 years by saving money at the stores and putting all of our extra $ on debt. Subscribe to 
Didn’t get the driveway plowed again until late last night, so I was home all day. Took a walk down the driveway to check for mail and in some high drift areas, the snow was mid-thigh deep. No mail and on the way back to the house, I seriously questioned my sanity of even bothering to check. Cabin fever, for sure! Earned some swag, entered coke points (given to me from a friend) and renewed my CPR online.
Added coke points and got 4 coupons for a free 12 pk in the mail as rewards. Made a crockpot of soup for dinner, froze the leftovers for another day. Scheduled visa payment in full. No other spending.
Waiting on my December commission check. It’s normally the best one of the year so I’m hoping for the best. Then it drops way off until may or so. I’ll put it in savings- trying to beef that up.
All meals were made and eaten at home (leftovers for lunch and minestrone soup for dinner). I did not leave the house because it was cold here again. I earned some SB and took a couple of surveys.
Didn’t leave the house so no money spent. All meals at home. I to went to the mailbox because I just couldn’t set there any longer. I did get a free magazine. Paid a few bills. Cleaned the oldest boys bedroom. Boys can be gross. Lol. Already had to get gas today. I think we need to adjust our budget a little. They say it takes about 3 months to get it going. We will see.E
No spend day here. All meals made at home and given the fact that my hubby worked late last night his paycheck should have some extra next week…always looking to the bright side…lol. Big kids are finally starting to feel better…baby girl seems to be back to normal, like she was never sick….but momma is starting to feel it. Blah! Not excited…I have things to do and I just wanna crawl back in bed.
Went to Office Depot store closing sale and got a few things, spent $7. Took my lunch to work and made dinner with enough leftovers for tonight. I have a few more weeks of my long-term subbing job left. It was 39 here in Florida this morning but looking forward to 80 by Saturday!
And here I was excited that our temps were going to be above zero. 80 degrees…..I’m jealous!
Y’all are making me shiver. Wow, thigh high snow. Praying for no more problems with the house in Colorado with this cold weather.
Now that Im in warm/moist climate, my ear got infected again. In pain all day. Stopped by the grocery store, texted the kids in the car to bring me my coupon binder.. they handed it to me and said, “Sorry half the coupons fell out, we tried to grab some of them in the parking lot” Don’t ya just love kids?
Made beans and rice for dinner, ordered items on Amazon with gift card., took survey for free lunch item.
Kiddos are slightly better. Thanks for all the ptayers. All meals home.
Received a few sample in the mail today. No money spent and cooked all meals at home.
Kids home again yesterday. More money spent on babysitter when they should be in school. Boo. A few swagbucks and coke rewards Swapping books with friends now – saving money on that!