And Now For Day Five

Okay, so this post got out a little bit late. The time has rolled now to five days and no grocery shopping. It turned out that milk did not need to be purchased, so the spending for grocery in the past five days stands at zero ($0.00). The savings so far has added up to $41.67. And we are 1/6th of the way through.

Some may be wondering why the infatuation with food. Food is one this that everybody has to have to survive. Most people eat every day whether they are rich or poor. You probably ate today. While everyone has to have food, food represents the one area that savings can be realized from. Name brand food is definitely more expensive that the store brand, but, if it is used as an ingredient (like in a pot of soup or a stew), chances are that you will not notice the difference. Save a buck here, a buck there, and soon you have found the extra money that you need to pay down your credit card debt. If you need more free information, you can always sign up here.

Another reason is that it is easier to maintain a good weight eating things that cost less. It is definitely cheaper to eat at home rather than picking up food at the drive through. It is healthier for you as well. Take the 30 day challenge and see how much money you can free up. This is now money that can be used to pay down debt, save for the future, fund some put-off medical expenses...whatever your heart desires.

To have more money, you simply need to spend less than you make. You can either save money or make more. For ideas, you can always go to my website or even click here.

Here is to your success!

Batter Up!

It’s baseball season and all of your favorite teams are geared up (or are in the process). Are you ready for some financial fitness? When you are on the journey to eliminate your credit card debt, why not make it a game? Yesterday’s blog (Here’s A Game To Play) outlined my quest to clean out my pantry and only shop for perishables. So far, so good (ok, ok, it has only been one day).

Seriously, I look to have an extra $150 to pay down my credit card debt and get me closer to being free, and what a feeling that will be! Don’t you believe that you deserve that same feeling? I truly believe that everybody can achieve that state in your financial life. No longer do you need to be held captive by the pirates of penalties and the icons of interest. The key is to TAKE ACTION and TAKE ACTION NOW to eliminate credit card debt. It doesn’t have to be a start from standing still to running a marathon, but it has to start somewhere. Sure you could swing for the fences and hit a homerun, but perhaps you should start by hitting singles.

The key to success in any plan is to simply begin. TAKE ACTION TODAY!

The "B" Word

One of the things that really kept me from succeeding financially was a lack of budget. It wasn't like the "old days" in which people played "beat the bank" with deposits and check writing (this is where you write a check on an account that doesn't have the money in it at the time, but you know that you will be able to deposit into your account before the check that you wrote will go through the clearinghouse), but it was similar. I used my checking account to pay the major bills like rent/mortgage, utilities, car payments, etc., but nowhere did I have a written plan to ensure that I wasn't living beyond my means. This lifestyle gives credence to the adage that if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.

During my first round with credit card debt, I sought the help of Consumer Credit Counseling, a not-for-profit organization that negotiated terms with your credit cards. They would schedule an appointment with you for you to go over what you spend each month, and let me tell you, they were extremely thorough in expenses. When I had completed my survey of what I usually spent my money on, they worked with me to set up a budget. Included in that budget was an amount that I sent them each month to pay down my debt for me...more information can be found here