Walmart Thanksgiving Dinner for $20

You prepare your own meal. All the fixing make for a $20 meal. Some food for thought you may want to bless another family with this Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving dinner for 8 at Walmart $20. A deal my mama would be proud of since we are cooking!

Here is what is on the menu:

• One 12-pound Grade A turkey*
• Three 11 to 15.5-ounce cans Green Giant vegetables
• Two 14-ounce cans Ocean Spray cranberry sauce
• Three 6-ounce boxes of Stove Top stuffing
• One 5-pound bag of red potatoes
• One 12-count package of Sara Lee dinner rolls
• One 22-ounce pumpkin roll cake

This is all possible because *the turkeys are 40¢ a pound. For more info you can visit Walmart press release.

Have a blessed day, candy

Make a Tradition

I have noticed lately that my babies are growing up. I know as a mom this is what we want for our children. I think if you would asked any mom or dad what they want for their children it would be for them to be responsible, happy and to be better off then you were (if you would ask Randy it is to be remain Lutheran). I haven’t always taught them about money as I should have. My children have seen us struggle and live more frugally then most. My mom would always tell me “oh, Candy they didn’t ask to be frugal” but I see my oldest in her new home, going to school and working. I am amazed what she is doing at her young age passing on things because she can’t afford it, looking for deals and the best part is making it on her own. I see my youngest daughter working and saving for a car. I have to say she really hasn’t complained. I think we are making a tradition granted a frugal tradition but that’s fine by me.

Have a blessed weekend, Candy

Christmas is coming….oh my!

I don’t know why every year I am shocked when I look at the calendar in November and think Christmas is coming, I always think next year is going to be different and it never really is.

Here are some ideas:

• Christmas club- My mom is so wise, every year she starts a christmas club and in October she gets the money to start her Christmas shopping.
• Homemade Christmas- One year on my husband family decided we could only give handmade things (we had to make them ourselves). I have to say it was wonderful and  I now have a stuffed snowman my sister-in-law Barb made before she passed away.
• Theme Christmas- A friend from work told me she has 10 brothers and sisters so they have a gift exchange. One year’s theme; wrap and bring a tool, she received a cool hammer just her size.
• White Elephant- Randy’s family now does a white elephant. A price limit is set and you pick out whatever gift you would like open it and the next person can steal from you or pick another gift.

What is your family doing to for Christmas? I would love to hear your ideas. Have a blessed day, Candy

A Pleasant Surprise!

Yesterday, I received a text from my friend Sue “Are you going to be at church tonight?  I have something for you”  Well, lately I am at church a lot. When she arrived at church she had 3 roses bushes, flower bulbs with the design planned for my yard and well let me show you a picture:

Isn’t it beautiful! Her neighbor gave her a bunch of apples. Sue and her husband, Brian make pies together he peels the apples and she makes the crust. I am impressed with the lattice-work, I wish the picture did it justice.  Sue made a pie for her family and mine. I was touched and it lasted long enough for these pictures and then the whole family enjoyed. What a pleasant surprise!

Hope you can find and give a pleasant surprise today, Candy

Credit Sharks defense

Sunday in our Financial Peace Class we talked about “credit card sharks in suits”  Here are a few of the key points we learned.

• Always set your priorities by your “four walls”

1. Food                                     2. Shelter

3. Clothing                           4. Transportation

Ramsey said when you have food, shelter and transportation you don’t feel so broke and are in a better place to pay down debt.

1. Debt collectors can only call you between the hours of 8am – 9pm.
2. If they are calling you at work you need to send them a letter stating your employer prohibits it.
3. Ramsey also said don’t be afraid to answer the phone. Let the creditor know you will talk to them and you want to pay your bill and are working on a plan.
4. The creditor only job is to get money from you and rightly so, you do owe the money. One tactic is to make you mad so you will just pay it off. This has happened to me. When Randy and I were first married he had a student loan and they called and I don’t even remember what they said, but I remember being ticked and paying it off with an inheritance from my grandpa. What I could have done with they money if  I would have had the right tools. It would have been paid off by now and I could still have my little nest egg!

• What if you can’t make the minimum payments on you credit cards? A Pro-Rata plan is when you figure how much debt and pay a percent to each bill with the money you have left over. Dave said to sent the creditor a letter with a copy of your budget and let the creditor know what you are doing.
• You need to organize! I have my budget, folder for bills as they come in, and when they are paid. We even got the great idea today to have a folder for paid off bills, then we can calculate exactly how much debt we have paid off. The creditor may not be happy with the amount, but it is something and they won’t take you to court.
• Get a copy of your credit report from Annual credit report.com (This is the free one once a year)  Dave commented that you can get one from each agency once a year. BEWARE of Freecreditreport.com, If you have heard the jingle about free credit report.com telling you it is a  free credit report, turns out it  isn’t free they trick you into paying for an extra service so it isn’t free. Another Valuable Lesson!
• Some debt collectors will take a settlement for less than you owe. Always get it in writing and hang on to the agreement and never give them you banking information because you may find they have taken out the total amount and not your settlement amount.
• We have really been trying to stay with the program, but I wish I could pay off things more quickly. I know it takes time and we have to “live like no one else do we can live like no one else!”

Have a blessed day, Candy

 

Halloween Costumes to the rescue ….again!

Yes,  you have read it correctly. Last night was our big rivalry game Maumee Vs. Perrysburg. Our team did great and we kept the ding-dong for another year. We were in great spirits and glad to get home. When we got home at 10:30 pm our oldest son, Jacob said “Dad can I borrow your suit jacket?” Randy said why do you need my jacket? Jacob said “tomorrow I have a Speech and Debate competition and if I don’t wear a suit I am disqualified” I said Jake why wouldn’t you tell us this before now?  he said “oh, I forgot” Randy said “well I guess you are disqualified and I was thinking you can’t let your team down.

Randy’s suit was giant,  to give you a mental picture Randy out weighs Jake by 120#. Randy said “I know you want to try to find one you better get going. ” In case you are ever in this situation Meijer and Walmart doesn’t sell suit jackets….I am trying to save you the  late  night trip. When we found out at Walmart they didn’t sell them Jacob said “I’m screwed!”   As we were driving home I was thinking where can I find him a suit jacket at midnight. There isn’t an all night suit place. We had a suit Ben wore a few years ago for his SAW costume, well I went to work and lengthened the sleeves. They are still a little short but do-able.

I can laugh now, but a mom’s got to do what a mom’s got to do…. Happy Halloween!

What would Dave say?

This week has been great and now we are in full swing of our financial Peace. We had to stop by the grocery store last night and I wanted a few extra’s not on our list when Randy said “what would Dave say?” We laughed, but knew we have to stick with the our plan if we truly would like to be debt free.

1. $1000 in Emergency fund √ – we now have our emergency fund. When you have an emergency fund you have the security knowing if something breaks down you can take care of it and not use a charge card.
2. Debt snowball- This paycheck we are paying off our son’s cello and Kohl’s =$188.52

Use cash- Did you ever notice when you use cash you think a little more about your purchase. I usually buy less when paying with cash because I don’t want to go over my amount – saving embarrassment at the checkout. Now that most of use debit cards we are spending more. In our class it was stated McDonald’s is taking debit and credit and their average bill has went up from just over $4 to $9. Smart thinking on McDonald’s part, but now people charge their dollar meals. Something has to change!

My parents had their own business when I was a kid and the income wasn’t always steady. My mom had an envelope system, she would stick cash for bills and when they came due she would have the money. I asked her, how did you not use it for other things? she said “I just didn’t”  My mom always found a way for her family… she still does. Randy and I are also starting to use the envelope system.

Randy said yesterday it is funny now that we have a plan he doesn’t want to spend except for debt reduction and he wishes he would have listen to me sooner. The thing I am realizing about Dave Ramsey is he is teaching me things I know or have seen before, but just never put into practice. What was I thinking? I guess I wasn’t, but now I am!

God’s blessings on you day, Candy

Crossing Off Debt!

You may think I am a little crazy when I tell you this, but I am getting excited for our bills to come in. Now that we have a plan I am excited to go on our debt diet. In our class we were told the average person is out of debt in 18-24 months. Yesterday I spent the morning listing all our bills and due dates on a calendar and organize my file box. What a great feeling taking the time to do it.

I have said it before but will again for those who are new to the site. Our debt was small we have always been pretty frugal and I have only asked my dad for help once when Randy was out of work. The debt we have acquired  is from our closed business and we are  “holding the bag”  another valuable lesson learned. Many have said “just walk away from the business debt” It would have been easy to do that, but it wouldn’t be the right thing to do. We are slowing digging out.

The Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University teaches using baby steps and we are only on #2

1. Start a $1000 emergency plans- If you make under 20,000 a year start a $500 emergency fund. Put what you can in the bank.  How wonderful knowing you have a little in the bank. We would always think about starting a savings and just never really did it. I would tease Randy and say savings what is that? Well now we are and so can you!
2. Start your debt snowball plan- Like we talked about yesterday. Start with you smallest bill, when paid put the money you would have paid on the paid off bill on the next bill along with what you pay on that bill and work you way up. Crossing off debt…crossing over into a debt free life!

Normal is broke?…

Tonight, Randy and I went to our Dave Ramsey class. We talked how debt is the norm for many of us.  Our great grandparents debt was thought to be a sin and they never really did credit. Credit came into play with the diner club cards and has never stopped to look back. We have been programmed to believe we need credit and have a “we deserve it attitude” I know I have had it. In this day in age we want now what our parents have worked a lifetime to obtain.

This week our goal was to sit together and plan out our budget. It was stressful trying to find the time, but we did and have a goal. I wanted to say that there is an amazing feeling when you and your spouse are on the same page. When you spread out your bills and you see in front of you how much you are really paying for things. When we totaled up everything and looked at each other and said “I thought it was going to be worse. We can do this!”

Debt snowball is our goal  and what it is paying your smallest debt and when paid use that amount on the next debt plus what you are already paying and get rid of the debt. Sounds easy right and we have to do it. Here is a post on the Dave Ramsey site about Debt Snowball

Live like NO one else, so you can live-like NO one else – Dave Ramsey

I don’t want to be normal anymore…. I just want to be debt free!

Yesterday, was our church spaghetti dinner. I am always surprised the food we receive and eat well and cheap. I was finishing up with my daily cleaning at the church when a lady sitting in a chair just outside the dinner asked “do you go to church here?” I said I sure do and she said  “well I was told there was a dinner here and I want to know if your church has a pantry because I am starving and I need food”  The lady at the ticket booth bought her a food ticket for the dinner. I asked her name and she hesitated and said well they call me Lisa. I told her about food for thought downtown in Toledo and I went to get her some food in our office. I handed her a bag of food and was surprised she didn’t want food she just wanted me to give her money or drive her to the store to buy what she wanted.

My question today….If I didn’t give her money or drive her to the store am I a bad christian?