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 $50 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: I had a good day yesterday.  I went to the dental suite at Ro’s work for a FREE teeth cleaning.  They don’t even charge you a copay, it’s totally free - ya gotta love that.  They also have a car wash on campus, so I was able to wash the van for free while I was there.  I didn’t have any cavities either, so that was nice.  I also got a call back from my doctor regarding the thyroid testing I had done a few weeks ago.  There are currently no cold nodules, which is great because they are an indicator of malignancy.  I fully admit that I cried from the relief.  I’ve been handling the whole thyroid thing pretty well, but it has been on my mind.  Now I just have to go for ultrasounds every 6 to 12 months for the time being. Whew, so happy and feeling blessed !

I went over to my parents and brought the fixings for lunch and dinner.  I had my mom make her own sandwich for lunch.  It was much easier for her than it was last time.  I made chicken fajitas for my family and my parents.  I had my mom cut up some of the chicken and veggies.  I think she was exhausted by the time I left because she got lots of exercise for her weaker hand.  I also heard several words during my visit, which was very encouraging. It was great because dinner was made before the girls came home from school, so I could concentrate on their homework and so on…  I made Jell-O for dessert and got a few free samples in the mail.  We also got a few free samples. 

I paid some bills yesterday.  I paid our Discover bill in full, which was challenging because we had extra expenses with Ro’s truck and some other things in the past few months.  I feel like I’m still playing catch up with the bills.  I do feel blessed that at least we are able to pay our bills with all that has happened the last few months.  I’ll just keep plugging away. Yesterday was the first day where the kids were in school all day and Ro was at work.  I felt like I worked all day long, but when I looked around the house before Ro came home, it didn’t look like I did much - ha ha.  Don’t you hate that ? 

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the September winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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: I had a pretty good day yesterday, but I didn’t feel as productive as I’d hoped.   Ro was off and we did go to our favorite diner for the $1.79 special breakfast, which included 2 eggs, hash browns and toast- not a bad deal.  After breakfast I came home and made dinner (believe it or not).  I wanted to take a portion of it over to my parents for their dinner.  I did just that and visited for a few hours.  I came home and had lunch with Ro at the house.  We also made dinner at home.  It was nice to have extra time together since the girls went back to school.  I did have to run out to pick up Olivia and Kayla’s gym shoes.  I ended up getting a 10% twin discount and a 10% discount for ordering for their school.  It ended up costing $62, which was pretty good for 2 pairs of the required shoes.

After I tucked in the girls Ro ran out to pick up a white bookcase that I found on Craigslist.  I’ve been looking for one for forever and ended up only spending $15 for a solid wood white bookcase.  I thought that was a really good deal.  My girlies are readers and they want a little reading area in their room.  They share a room and there isn’t a ton of space, but we’ll make it work.  Kayla went to a friend’s house for a play date last week and came home saying “Wow, she has a desk and a chair in her room” to which I replied “Do you know what you have instead of a desk and a chair ? - an Olivia - ha ha !  I can’t believe that at 6 they have friends taking horseback riding lessons, using cell phones, playing with elaborate gaming systems, with iPods and iPads and HUGE houses.  Luckily I feel NO need to keep up with the Jones’.  It’s a beautiful thing to be content isn’t it ? What a blessing.

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the September winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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:  Yesterday was a NO spend day.  We went out for a ride in the morning, but we didn’t stop anywhere.  It rained off and on all day long, so that was free water for the garden.  We ate breakfast and lunch at home, but went to my parent’s house for a few hours at dinner.  My dad threw a few hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill.  After dinner, we went to my sister’s house for an hour so that the cousins could see one another because they haven’t seen on another for awhile.  I got the girls home and in bed by 8:30.  I had  bunch of forms to fill out for their school, so I filled them out.  I packed lunches and did everything I could last night to get ready for today.  I guess the homework starts today. 

I did a few surveys and earned some Swagbucks before bed.   I requested a check from one of my survey companies.  I also found a few more items for the Ebay pile.  I found a really nice bookcase for the girls on Craigslist.  I’m waiting to hear back about it.  It is exactly what I’ve been looking for and the price is right.  I just hope it’s still available.  Ro is off today because he worked a shift over the weekend.  We have some errands to run.  We may go over to our favorite diner for a $1.79 breakfast. 

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the September winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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:  We had a very low key day yesterday.  Ro was pretty tired from working until midnight the night before.  We mostly hung out at home.  All meals were made at home.  I went over to spend a few hours with my parents. I got their dinner started in a crockpot before I left so they could just eat when it was done.  My mom fell on Saturday night.  She sprained her ankle and has to use a crutch on top of everything else.  My poor dad is more nervous than ever.  Please say a little prayer of healing for them.  I am continuing to see progress every day, so I am very grateful for that !

I packed up items that sold on Ebay in the past few days.  The total was $223.64. It will go in savings.  I plan to ship them out on Tuesday when the post office reopens after the holiday.  The girls and I had fun yesterday.  We read lots of books.  I hope you all have a fabulous Labor Day.  We may go to Applebees for lunch because ours has FREE kid’s meals and I have a $25 gift card from a survey company to pay for our meals. 

I earned 61 Swagbucks and I completed 3 surveys after the girls (and Ro) went to bed.  I am plotting my grocery deals for this week.  One of my local stores has chicken for 40% off and a decent deal on ground beef.  I think I’m going to stock up.  I bought some good bags to separate the meat.

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the September winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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:  I spent too much money yesterday eating out.  The girls and I met my parents for breakfast.  It’s good for them to get out, but my dad still wants someone there in case of a problem.  Everything went well.  I split the bill with my dad.  Our part was $15.  I came home and cleaned a little until lunch and then Ro announced that he really wanted to go to Subway for lunch. Since he had to work 4-12 last night I couldn’t say no.  Lunch was more expensive that breakfast, but he enjoyed it so I was okay with it.  We also had a $5 gift card to put towards it that I earned somewhere. 

I took the twins to the library yesterday. We got some great books for them and one for me.  I love the library.  Kayla was on a cleaning kick yesterday and she helped me by cleaning the glass sliding doors.  She also cleaned off the front of the fridge.  It’s stainless steel and it’s so hard to get the smudges off of it.  Anyone know any good tricks ?   We spent some time in the garden.  We were able to pick a few cantaloupes, some green peppers and some more corn on the cob.  I love gardening.  I’ve been derailed a little this summer because of my mom’s stroke, but I’m trying to make the most of what we have left.

I got all of the store circulars in the mail so I planned out my deals for next week.  I also posted all of the drugstore deals for all of us.  I picked up a box of stuff that someone on Freecycle.org was giving away.  It was filled with all kinds of cleaning products.  Most are new and there were a few packs of new sponges etc…  I’m sure Kayla and I will put it all to good use.  Ro worked last night, so we got a lot done while he was gone.  Ahhh, it feels good because I can relax today.   

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the September winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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:  I tried to take the girls swimming yesterday, but the YMCA pool was closed unfortunately. I ended up bringing them home and letting them play in the bathtub for an hour.  It worked out fine.  We were invited out for lunch and they insisted on treating us, which was really nice. After lunch I ran into CVS to do a few deals.  I stocked my parents up on paper towels and toothpaste.  I don’t want to see them pay full price right now when I know how get some things on the cheap.  The hospital bills are starting to roll in and they need to watch their pennies.  I also got a few deals for us.

I made breakfast and dinner and I baked a few loaves of banana bread.  I don’t like it, but everyone in my family does and I had a few bananas to use up, so it worked out.  I brought Olivia and Kayla with me to see my mom.  They gave her a bunch of hugs.  She seemed upset again.  We’re at the stage where she is getting frustrated about the lack of communication.  I ended up getting it. She is wanting one of her dogs to get groomed.  I feel for my dad because he tries so hard.  I went to Kmart and bought a photo album.  I’m going to put some pictures in it of her favorite things and some other things that may help her avoid frustration. 

Kayla was motivated to help me clean and get rid of clutter yesterday.  I swear the older I get, the less I can stand clutter.  Don’t get me wrong, the house still gets cluttered, it just  gets on my nerves more - ha ha.  I’m really making an effort to keep on top of it.  It feels so much better.  My sister and her boyfriend came over for a quick visit last night.  I served banana bread and coffee.  She helped me cover the rest of the girl’s school books - bonus !  I can’t believe it’s the last day of the month.  Come on September ! I LOVE Fall !

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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:   I had a decent day yesterday.  I spent a little money at the grocery store.  I spent just under $30 and got lunch meat, food for a few meals, a few loaves of bread, snacks, 4 huge boxes of cereal, baby carrots for lunches and a few other items.  I also did the Sparkle paper towel deal at Family Dollar.  I got two 6 packs for only $2.90 + tax.  That should tide us over for awhile.  My last stop was Toys R Us for the $.25 Crayola crayons. I got 8 packs for $2 + tax.  I have some other deals to do before the week is out, but at least I did a few of them.

I brought stuff to make sandwiches over to my mom’s house.  I was going to have her make her sandwich for practice, but she was so tired because she didn’t sleep well.  I ended up making each of us a sandwich.  We had a nice visit and my dad got to run out and pick up some things at the grocery store.  Our mail was pretty boring.  I got a few FREE magazines, but that’s it.  We get paid today, so I am hoping to make a tuition payment.  The girls love school so far, but homework hasn’t started yet.  They are off today and Monday for Labor Day.  I may take them swimming at the YMCA today. 

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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’s official ! I now have twin first graders !  Ro and I took them to school and it was so adorable because some of the teachers and aides were lined up in costume along the walkway to the school.  They were dressed as pencils, crayons, apples, cheerleaders and in the school uniform.  It was so cute. The girls could hardly sleep the night before.  You would have thought it was Christmas Eve around here. I hope the enthusiasm continues when the homework starts.  They will have it every day now.  In Kindergarten we got a packet on Monday and had the week to do it at our leisure.  We just had to turn it in on Friday each week.

I spent the day hanging out with my mom so my dad could go to work.  My dad is an computer programmer and can work from home most days, but has to go in once a week.  My mom and I had fun watching all of her shows on TV.  I brought us each a turkey and cheese sandwich for lunch, which she loved.  I made dinner at home, but Ro and I did go to our favorite diner for breakfast after dropping of the girls at school.  Each breakfast was only $1.79 and Ro got water to drink, so it was a cheap date.

I caught up on surveys after the girls went to bed.  They’re going to bed at 8 now, so it gives me an extra hour to get stuff done.  I got a few FREE samples and a $20 rebate check in the mail.  I also got some grocery items from Amazon that I paid for with a credit. I bought a daily deal for air vent cleaning.  It was really inexpensive after a small credit I had.  We haven’t had vents before moving to this house and they haven’t been cleaned since we moved in, so I’m thinking it was a good purchase.

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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: I had a bunch to do yesterday to get ready for Olivia and Kayla’s first day of school today.  I had to double check that they had all of the requested supplies and that their names were on everything.  We went to get gym shoes, but apparently their feet have grown 3 sizes in just one year and the store was out of their size.  As a matter of fact, they are supposed to wear Velcro until 3rd grade and they don’t make Velcro in the size they need (3.5).  I guess I have to let the school know they’ll be getting tie shoes 2 grades early - ha ha.  I guess since Ro is 6 ft.11 and wears a size 19 we’re bound to run into these problems.  We special ordered their shoes and they should be in by next Tuesday (gym day).

We went and hung out with my mom and dad for awhile.  It was kind of upsetting because my mom was pretty upset when we got there and she couldn’t tell us why.  I think we  figured it out after a bit and she seemed much happier.  It’s so hard for my dad too.  Hopefully it will get easier for her.  I hate to see her sad.  All meals were made at home. I made a big pot of spaghetti for dinner.  That should feed us for a few nights anyway.  I went and picked up 4 cases of drinks that someone was giving away on Freecycle.  I was super excited about that. I also got a $5 gift card for Sam’s Club in the mail !

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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: I had a good day yesterday.  I spent some time organizing my deals and coupons for deals this week.  The girls go back to school tomorrow and I am ready to get my stockpile back in gear.  I will miss my little summer sidekicks though.  I took them for a hair cut.  They have such thick hair that I have to get it thinned out every 2-3 months.  It just makes it easier for all 3 of us in the mornings.  I had a coupon, which made each cut only $8.95 + tip.  What a great deal.  We tried on all of their school and gym uniforms.  It looks like they only need new gym uniforms to start the year.  I should be able to get them new jumpers at a uniform exchange when the time comes.  I also bagged up their requested school supplies.  Most were free or as low as $.01 at the office supply stores.  I just have to get 2 tubs of disinfecting wipes (one for each).  The school asks parents to bring a few things for the classroom.

I made all meals at home and then I brought dinner over for my parents.  I also made chocolate pudding for dessert thanks to the $.08 Dollar General deal.  I did a bunch of organizing yesterday.  Thankfully we don’t need puppy gates any longer, so the house can go back to normal.  I went through and purged lots of clutter including store circulars, newspapers, junk mail and on and on…  There will be a new round of clutter when the girls start school tomorrow, so I want to start with a clean slate.  I always feel like I’m drowning in paperwork once the school year starts, don’t you ?

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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: I had a decent day yesterday.  I ran over to Dollar General to do the JELLO pudding deal.  I got 15 boxes of chocolate pudding for $1.25.  You can’t beat that.  The kids love it and we were running out from the last time DG had the same deal a few months ago.  I made all meals at home.  I also went over and visited with my parents and made them dinner as well. My mom was in good spirits and was happy to do some hand exercises with me.  I took my mom’s dog Dolly back to her yesterday.  I really miss her, but I know my mom was ready to have her back.  I tried to talk her into shared custody, but I got a solid “no” headshake - LOL. 

After my parent’s house I ran to Petco to get a harness for Rudy.  My parents have a great one for their dog and they had the same one on clearance for only $9 because someone had opened it (reg.  $32.99).  I was so excited.  I also got a mat for under his food/water bowl.  It was also on clearance.  It was weird to only have one dog to take care of last night.  I’m sure Rudy and Dolly will miss one another.  They are brother and sister after all.   I used an Amazon credit to buy a few grocery necessities.  I also listed a few things on Ebay.

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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: Ro and I took the kids to a few yard sales in the morning.  They really haven’t been to many, so it was fun. We gave them each a $5 limit and it was fun to see them make their selection.  Olivia chose a Razor scooter for $5 and Kayla chose a big hot pink mirror for her room.  It’s so funny how their purchases reflect their personalities.  I was looking for a bookcase, but no such luck yesterday.  We came home and they read a few more books for their TD reading program.  They have to read 10 books this summer and they will each get $10 added to their Little Saver accounts.  I’m hoping we can go on Monday to turn in our forms.  Kayla is done, but Olivia still has to read 2 books.

I went to my parent’s house to do some OT work with my mom while my dad mowed the grass.  We did a bunch of work with her right hand and then I made dinner for them.  I had her mix the macaroni and cheese and transfer it to a serving dish.  She was really proud of herself.  I don’t know, I figure she’s been cooking for almost 48 years and it probably feels good to do some of it.  I wouldn’t let her pick up a pot of boiling water at this point, but there’s things she can do for sure !  After I left my parent’s house I ran in Aldi’s and got 4 bags of groceries for $11.90.  It was a great trip.  Next I ran to redeem gas points because they expired last night.  I saved $1.90/gallon, so I only spent $1.70 per gallon, which was so awesome !

The mail was boring ! I did get a letter saying I’ve won a trip for 2 and that they’ve been trying to reach me, blah blah blah, but I’m thinking it’s a scam.  I’m skeptical about those things.  I made all meals at home.  I had just finished making lunch and bragging to Ro about how much better, tastier, easier… it is to make lunch at home instead of eating out when I went to grab a huge container of mayonnaise to put it away.  It slipped and dropped out of my hands and mayo went flying EVERYWHERE including all over me, the floor, the dog (it even got in his eye).  Ro just sat there looking at me and said “you were saying it’s easier ??!!” - Grrrr !

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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: We had to be up and out of the house super early yesterday.  I took the girls for their 6 month dental checkup.  Ro’s work has a dental suite available at no charge to employees and their families, which is an awesome benefit.  Olivia and Kayla got their teeth cleaned (no cavities, thank goodness) and chose a toothbrush, floss, toothpaste and prizes.  I also made an appointment for me once the girls go back to school.

I dropped them off at their BFF’s house after the dentist (around 11).   They were invited to an all day play date, which included swimming in a hot tub and pool, mini-golf, go carts, lunch, dinner, night swimming and a campfire.  I’m surprised they even wanted to come home after all of that ha ha.  They didn’t get home until almost 11pm and they literally fell into bed.  I didn’t know what to do with myself all day.  I ended up going over and hanging out with my parents for most of the day.  Ro and I splurged and went out for dinner.  It was such a luxury to go out for a meal together without our girlies, although we talked about them most of the time.  Isn’t that always the way ?

I did manage to get some surveys done before the girls came home.  I also earned 23 Swagbucks.  I got the grocery store circulars and started planning my menu and shopping for next week.  I printed some really awesome coupons to go with the deals.  My mom proudly gave me the coupons she cut for me.  They are great coupons and cutting them was great for her weaker hand = bonus !  I went to the thrift store in search of a small bookcase.  No luck this time, but I’ll keep looking.

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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: Yesterday was a decent day.  I took the girls over to Kmart to get flip flops because Rudy chewed their flip flops up when we weren’t watching closely enough.  Luckily they were on a 70% off sale although there wasn’t a great selection.  They each found a pair they were happy with.  Next, we went and picked up a few things that someone was giving away on Freecycle.org.  One person was giving away 5 white craft birdhouses.  Olivia’s been trying to make a birdhouse with paper, so she is thrilled to be able to paint them.  She is such a little animal lover.  

I made all meals at home.  I also made a delicious chocolate cake ! I brought my mom over some coupons to cut for me.  It’s great exercise for her right hand.  She went for a recheck at the neurologist.  She cried most of the way there.  I think she’s done with doctors for awhile.  Anyway, they were AMAZED at her progress.  They said they never have patients have so much progress so soon.  My dad and sister surprised her by taking her to the casino for a bit afterwards.  She loves the casino.  She’s still not able to speak and her hand is much weaker, but she is walking without a limp.  She gets tired and off balance quickly, but she is doing great !!

I’ve been feeling a little overwhelmed with money lately.  There’s a certain amount I like to have in the emergency fund and with buying extra stuff for my mom, Ro’s truck issues, tuition for the girls (which I still owe 3 payments for the upcoming school year) and so on, it’s just not there.  I’m trying not to stress about it, but it’s hard.  I also have so many little expenses for the girls to go back to school. I know you all have the same kind of stuff going on.  I’m just venting to my peeps !  

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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: I had the final part of my thyroid study yesterday morning.  My nieces watched the girls for a few hours for me.  I should get the results of the test by Friday.  After I finished at the hospital I went to my parent’s house to spend a few hours with my mom.  I have been going every day to do some therapy with her.  We did some occupational therapy and some speech therapy.  She is trying SO hard and she is making progress every day.  I’m so proud of her determination.  She has a follow up doctor’s appointment today and when we told her she started crying real bad.  She was fine once we reassured her that she wasn’t going for a test or procedure.  It must be so frustrating not to be able to ask questions or tell people how you feel.  She is getting better at getting her point across and we are getting better at understanding, but it’s still hard for her.

I made all meals at home.  I made sandwiches for lunch and tacos with rice for dinner.  All meals were a hit.  We’ve been having a terrible problem with fruit flies.  I looked up solutions and watched a few YouTube videos.  I was able to come up with a free solution using stuff we had on hand.  I went through all of the utilities and found a way to cut $60 from our total monthly utility bills.  That should help out.  Ro’s job offers FREE car washes.  He finally got the code to the car wash so we can get free ones whenever we want.  He washed his truck yesterday and will probably take the van before the week is done. We are trying to make use of all of the benefits that are available with his job.

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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:  Sorry for the lack of posts yesterday.  I had my thyroid scan.  I had to go at 10 am for the radioactive iodine capsule. The lady who gave it to me told me that I shouldn’t really be around the kids all day.  That threw me for a loop as I hadn’t planned on that.  I had to scramble for babysitting for the girls.  I had planned to come home and do my regular blogging.  I went back at 3:30 for the nuclear imaging.  I have to go again this morning for the final scan, but it will be a quick appointment. I can be around the girls again as of this morning.  It was a little upsetting not to be able to hug and kiss my girlies, but I had to follow the recommendations.  When I went back and spoke to the second technician, she thought I’d be ok around the girls, but better safe than sorry I guess. 

A local restaurant has BOGO ovals (kind of like an oval pizza with tons of topping options) right now.  I picked up a few for dinner for Ro and the kids since I couldn’t stick around to made them dinner.  It was actually pretty inexpensive.  I also went to the grocery store to get more $1 Kraft cheese.  I spent the majority of the day with my mom since I was in exile (LOL).  She is still making progress.  She looked at me and said “hi” when I came and said “Ok” when I told her I was leaving and would see her today.  She was shocked when it came out the way she intended.  I’d call that progress

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it  You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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:  Yesterday was a very expensive day.  Ro’s truck got new tires, brakes and an alignment to the tune of about $1,000.  We paid cash from the emergency fund and I guess it was good we had one to pull from, but eeeek, it still stunk.  Every time I build it up, something happens.  I can’t complain too much though because Ro’s truck has been pretty good to us and it’s been paid off for a few years, so it’s all good. 

My mom and dad actually came over to visit yesterday instead of me going to their house.  My dad wanted to get my mom out of the house for a bit.  She got to visit with her dog for awhile. Ro and I will probably bring Dolly back to her in a week or so.  I just wanted to give my dad some time to get used to his new responsibilities before adding the dog into the mix.  She is a sweet dog though and I know they miss one another. We ate all meals at home, which is really good for us on the weekend.  Ro really wanted to go out and get lunch, but I made him 2 sandwiches with fresh lunchmeat and he was happy.  

I ran into a new (to me) grocery store.  I got some good deals including ground beef for $2/lb and Kraft shredded cheese for $1/bag.  I didn’t get much, but what I did get was a great price.  I watched a few episodes of ‘Til Debt Do Us Part.  I haven’t seen it in awhile, so it was fun to watch.  Other than the truck stuff we didn’t spend much money this weekend except for some grocery money.  It was a decent weekend I guess.  I am really excited about deal shopping this week. I can’t wait to get this stockpile back up and running.  

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…

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 $50 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: Whew, another expensive day  I took Ro’s truck in to get a new tire since he blew one out last week.  While I was checking out they let me know that his front tires are just about to blow and that his rear brakes will need to be done as well.  Altogether it will be about $1,000 worth of work. I’m not happy about it, but we don’t have a car payment and his truck has been pretty good for awhile now, so I guess we’re due.  Uggghh, when will I be able to get this emergency fund back together.  It seems like every time I think we’re getting it back together, something always happens.

I went to see my mom for a few hours and we did some occupational activities for her right hand.  I had her fold some clothes, practice writing her first and last name (with a model), practice opening candle jars and lids and a few other activities I made up.  She did a nice job and was quite proud of herself when we were done.  My dad made us BLT’s while we worked-bonus.  Ro and I took the kids to Jake’s Wayback Burgers for dinner.  We had a Restaurant.com certificate, so it only cost $10 !  

What did you do? Leave a comment We’d love to hear about it You could make 2013 your year. Who will the August winner be ? We’ll see…