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Finding Sixteen Dollars! More ideas from our members...
"If we would look at the food that goes into the trash as money, we would never throw it away again." - FlyLady
Wow! I couldn't stop at just posting your tips for saving $16.00 this month! So many of you sent in wonderful testimonials about how your are, or have conquered your financial CHAOS.
I wish I could have posted them all!
A few points before we start: several of you mention reading Suze Orman's books, especially the "Nine Steps to Financial Freedom" and "The Courage to be Rich". Yes! These are among FlyLady's favorite books. Now, do you need to run out and buy one? Hee Hee! No, most libraries have these books. Go there first. We try to only buy books that we have previewed at the library, and then want permanently on my bookshelf. - FlyCrew
Second point: Many of you have provided tips about combining credit cards, moving balances from one card to the next, using credit bureaus, credit councillors, etc. Please tread cautiously and do your homework first! Suze Orman has information about this in her books. Also, call your bank or credit card company if you need to learn more. That fine print on some of those "deals" can get you in deeper than you expected!
Third point: There are lots of credit cards being cut up this month! Wahoo! BUT REMEMBER... you may need to call the store, bank, etc. and find out how to completely CLOSE THE ACCOUNT. Some institutions will require this in writing. Set your timer... it will only take you minutes to call the store, bank, or credit card company, and find out exactly what you need to do to close the account. The peace of mind is worth those few minutes on the phone! Never be afraid to call someone and ask the simple questions. FACE your finances. You can do it!
Last point: Due to your many requests...The Surprises are back! Throughout this list of tips and ideas, I have slipped in some mini-surprises for those of you who have been procrastination about their menu planning.... Have fun and thanks to everyone who sent in their ideas. I wish I could have posted them all!
From our members...
- Because I have spent the last few months getting my routines in order and
working on my zones, I decided to cancel our cleaning service that I've had
for six years. That's $200 a month saved which we can apply to our credit
cards and the house never looked this good with the service.
Thanks!
Flybaby in Iowa
- I wasn't sure where to send this, but I wanted to share an idea. I got together with two other couples from church who have children my DD & DS's ages and formed a babysitting coop. To keep it as simple as possible we are just going to just use the coop on 3 Saturday nights a month, from 5:30-8:30. Two Saturdays a month I will get to have a date with DH and my children will play with friends and one Saturday a month we will have the kids at our home for 3 hours. This will save us $30 a month by not paying for a babysitter and will lock in some quality time for just my hubby and me while my children are developing social skills and friendships.
- I paid my mortgage in two chunks this month. 1/2 of it 2 weeks early and
1/2 of it on time. After talking to the banker, I understand this will save
me much money in interest if I keep it up. AND it doesn't cost me extra, I
only have to plan better.
- We took our cable service down to the bare minimum…just the main channels. It only costs us $10 a month. We were paying $50 a month. DS & DD still have PBS to watch. I love that there are not cartoons on 24 hours a day and they don't ask me for all the things the used to see on the commercials. Our huge collection of children's videos are actually being used now, and it's easier to get them to turn off the TV. DH sometimes misses the sports channels, but overall no one in the house has complained. Both of us have gone back to reading books most evenings, something we hadn't done in years. And now I don't get sucked in to those Lifetime movies and Soap Net, which always left me neglecting my family and home!
- I did two things yesterday to help save $16.00. First,
when I went into the scrapbook store I put $15.00 in my
pocket and left my purse in the car. I had to put
something back when I got to the register, but I only
spent my planned amount. If I'd had my checkbook, I would
have gotten the extra item and told myself it's only $2.17
over your budget. Secondly, last night I didn't stop for a
pizza on my way home (a frequent Monday habit) - I knew
that I had bought everything I needed at the grocery to
make meals for 7 days so I drove right by the pizzeria and
save $6.53. That's $8.70 in one day that I would have
spent without thinking about it before.
I have decided to give up financial irresponsibility for
lent this year, but I started early thanks to you!
a TN Flybaby
- Largely due to FLYingFreeSupport I have quit smoking - for good this time!!
In the 31 days from March 3 to April 3 I will save AUD$279.00. I'll be on
top of my Credit Debt in not time! Thanks FLYTeam. I couldn't have done it
without your support!
Great Big Purple Hugs,
FLYBaby in Melbourne, Australia
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FlyingFreeSupport/
- 18 months ago, when we refinanced our house, I divided our new monthly
mortgage payment (principle and interest + taxes, insurance etc... the
WHOLE payment) by 12. This equaled $56.00. By adding this extra $56 to
the total mortgage payment each month (right from the beginning of our
new 30 yr mortgage... its painless!), we are applying an ENTIRE month's
mortgage payment to PRINCIPLE every year! By spending this $56 every
month, we will pay off our 30 year mortgage in 14 years! Less than HALF
the time! Truly amazing... and empowering!
FLYing in Kennewick, Washington
- I turned down the temperature on my hot water tank. It came set at 140
degrees (which can burn you in 5 seconds) to 125 degrees, so now it's safe
for my triplet toddlers and (singleton) preschooler and believe me, you
don't need the water that hot anyway. I don't know how much it's saving,
but I think it's more than $16.00 per month. I also am planning to
purchase a temperature regulator that makes sure the thermostat goes down
to 61 degrees when we are out of the house or sleeping and puts it back up
to 68 degrees when we are at home and awake. The month that I changed the
thermostat myself, every time we left the house and went to sleep, the
hydro bill was about $50 less.
Flybaby in Canada.
- We just made the last payment on our car!!!! Since we have been used to not having that $240 to spend each month, we've decided to apply that amount ( in addition to the minimum payment) to our credit cards. We also decided to put our entire tax refund on the credit card bills instead of going on vacation this year. Lookout debt - we're leaving you! 2003 is the year we become fiscally fit. Ohio Flybaby
- I am going to use up what I have before I buy anything new in two
specific areas - home schooling and books. As a home schooling parent of
four I find it very easy to justify purchases of curriculum materials.
Every time I hear about a new program or curriculum product I often
manage to convince myself that I need to get it to give my kids the best
education I can. Well no more! We can probably keep busy for at least
two years with what I already have.
My other high spending area is books - on personal finance, exercise and
fitness, weight loss, parenting, education and so on. I hear a book
recommended on tv or an email list that sounds interesting and decide I
just have to read it. I do check the library first, but if I can't get
it there, I often buy it. Most of these I have not even had a chance to
read yet. So I am going to make my way through every book in my house
before I buy more. Eliminating spending in these two areas will save at
least $1000 this year.
This idea came from the member who is a quilter and can't resist new
quilting fabric and accessories. I will make this a challenge for anyone
else who has a hobby/spending vice and has accumulated extra materials
to use up what you have before buying anything new.
- An Ontario flybaby.
- When one credit card or loan is paid off (we have one that's done in
two more payments) don't roll that amount back into your available
spending money - take it instead and apply to another credit card or
debt - it will probably be a lot more than $16, and will pay it down
quicker.
-
FlyBaby in MA
- I was a QVC-aholic. January I had a $300 bill. This month $24.
I am working to get it down to nothing. The flings have helped me see how much money I was wasting. I'm keeping my money.
I don't need to give it to them.
Surprise from FlyCrew
For the past couple weeks, FlyLady and Leanne Ely have been sending out tips to save in the kitchen. Why? Because there is a fortune in our kitchens. And a fortune to be saved! Now, here is the first FlyCrew Surprise: put on your parka, toque, and mitts, HEE HEE! Grab a piece of paper and a pencil, we are heading down to the freezer! Brrrr! Now, I know there are a lot of weird items lurking in your freezers (you tell me about them during the Clutter Super Fling Boogies LOL). It is inventory time! Draw three columns on your paper and put the following headings along the top: 1) Meats, 2) Side Foods, 3) Complete Meals. Now, set your timer for 15 minutes. We are going to find out what is hiding in that freezer and write it down on your list. Any turkey (cooked or raw), ground beef, soup bones, round steak, pork, fish, etc. gets listed under MEATS. Any bags of corn, carrots, beets, perogies, hash browns, etc get listed under SIDE FOODS. Any casseroles, leftovers, lasagne, pizzas, etc get listed under COMPLETE MEALS. That's it for now. Just make the list. AND.... if you find anything not edible (like the goldfish waiting for a funeral or expressed milk that has been there for 5 years), please feel free to FLING it now LOL (laugh out loud). You won't be alone. Let me know when you have done your inventory, send an email to FlyCrew@flylady.net and put "I did it! Freezer!" in the subject line. |
- By cutting out my morning run through McDonald's drive-thru for a biscuit & coke, I'll save $2.84 per day & $59.64 this month!! Also, if I cut out my daily coke from the vending machine at work, that's another $21. Instead, I have a water bottle that I'll refill from the water cooler (no cost!!)
I also bought a water filter for my kitchen sink. It cost me $40, but I'll save about $3.50 each week from buying a 6-pack of bottled water (not to mention the number of bottles I pick up somewhere when I'm out). Total savings, probably around $25 a month.... which is half the cost of the filter right there!
Without even trying, I'll save about $100 this month!!
FlyBaby in MS
- I'm very fortunate that I learned early from my parents about budgets and
finances. I have no credit card debt although I do use my credit cards
extensively. I earn frequent flyer miles so my husband and I charge nearly
all our purchases but we also pay them off each and every month. If we
need a major item (and I'm defining that as anything not in our normal
monthly budget), we save the money first before we purchase it. To be sure
we'll on target, we write down each charge on a pad on the kitchen desk and
keep a running total. Since we live by a budget, we know right away if we
are doing okay. We can then judge if we can afford that meal out or that
concert ticket or that extra DVD.To facilitate budgeting, our checks are
direct deposited among our checking and savings accounts. The money in our
savings account accumulates and we use that to pay those quarterly or
annual bills and any items we've been saving for.
We try to keep expenses to a minimum by not subscribing to magazines,
having only basic cable service and telephone services (no caller ID or
other extras that can really run up the cost.), shopping twice monthly and
trying to eliminate unnecessary billls. We are blessed to have two
incomes, our children are grown and we can spend out money on our priorites
like traveling and saving for our retirement.
It's a struggle but living without debt and having money in your savings
account is so freeing!
- Yahoo! We did it! We finished filling out our tax form on the computer, and
sent it this weekend! No more worries about that - and we found out we owe
the taxman a little LESS than we had in our heads - and our savings account.
We won't be much help in the Financial Fling Boogie when it comes to paying
extra on our credit card bills - we use our cards so little, we always pay
them in full.
I'm still saving money left and right.
1. For the past 2 weeks, I have checked my pantry and my husbands schedule,
made a grocery list before going shopping - and stuck to the list! This will
bring me more than up to date with our grocery budget (I usually 'borrowed' a
couple $$$'s from next months budget), and I have so much space in my kitchen
cupboards! We're also eating much more fruit, while I used to not buy so much
fruit because it's expensive. When you stop wasting money on junk, you have
plenty to take care of your health!
2. I am saving $3 per day on NOT getting coffee at the train station. When
I'm thristy it's really water I want, anyway, so I've started filling my 16oz
bottle before I leave the house/office, and water's free!
3. Instead of chucking leftovers in the bin or in my stomach, I put them in
the freezer, for those nights when dh gets home late. Saves me frustration
over chucking food or binging, and money on pizzas.
- Dear Flylady and friends: I clicked on that sell your stuff button on Amazon.com. Sold my reference books for work and made $132.00. (I'm a SAHM now and couldn't bring myself to fling them because they were so expensive and would have sat on a shelf at the thrift shop.) Its all going to the credit card where it got charged! Fluttering in Minnesota (Note from FlyCrew: If you are going to sell excess clutter, make sure you have it packaged up and ready to ship to a customer BEFORE you put it up for sale. We are SHE's afterall - we get sidetracked on the followup!)
- Called up my credit union today and was able to refinance my car from 8% to
4.7%!! And it was so easy!!! They approved everything over the phone,
faxed me the form to fill out (all I had to do was sign and date) and I will
turn it in to the bank on the way home from work.. they will tell me then
how much I save by refinancing..The money saved each month from that will go
toward my credit card debt--which I have been dilegently paying down since I
graduated from college as an engineer last year at age 38!! I am also brown
bagging lunch and grocery shopping from a list... will give an update end of
March on how much money I saved but easily over $100.... :) - Flybaby Engineer in Utah
- I have been able to plan ahead with a girlfriend before going to Costco (or any other warehouse food store) to buy large food purchases together that I wouldn't normally buy there for my family (e.g., some of the larger frozen food items or fresh vegies or fruit, etc.). Since we're a family of 3 and we don't own a large freezer for storage, I usually wouldn't be able to buy these items in bulk and so would pay higher prices for the smaller size at the grocery store. However, when I split the purchase and the cost with a friend, we each save our families $3-$20 per visit, depending on how much we buy. -- Stepping Out in Seattle
- I hadn't paid attention to the interest rate of our home equity loan. Then I remembered Suze Orman saying to treat your money like your children. Be aware of where they are at all times. In July we refinanced our equity line. In November I looked at the statement and found the rate to be 3/4% more than we applied for. It took closing and reopening the account to stop the bleeding. Then another 2 months to get someone to agree with me that we had indeed been paying too much. The bank has just deposited $496.51 into our checking account. I was tenacious, and it paid off. We're applying that towards credit card debt! Yeah!
Fluttering in St. Paul
- We just filed our income tax return today and most of it is going to pay off
2 HUGE debts! We are freeing up over $350.00 A MONTH just by paying off
these two bills! :) Nice raise! :)
FLyBaby in Roy, Utah
- Just wanted to tell you that my husband and I have paid off over $10,000.00 in credit card debt in less than 1 year! We had to make some serious adjustments to do this but we did.
Before we had our child, we had 2 separate checking accounts and we both spent what we made however we wanted to. After having a child and some serious back problems from the resulting C-section, I had to quit work for a year to recover. We absolutely could not catch up.
In order for me to be able to go back to work, we asked both our mothers if they would be willing to watch our son on alternating days so he could always be with someone who loved him and so it wouldn't be too overwhelming for either of them. That also saved us the expense and worry of day care. We're fortunate that my mother doesn't work in an office and that my MIL works at home as she wants.
We then eliminated EVERY extra item of spending we could find:
- We let the maid go (and with both of our allergies and my back problems, that was a real sacrifice)
- We cancelled our wine club subscription (yeah, I know, a couple of spoiled yuppies).
- I stopped buying books by mail and at the store. If I want to read something, I borrow from the library or a friend or family member.
- I stopped ALL magazine subscriptions.
- I stopped the newspaper. We were only getting it on weekends but with the baby, I didn't even have time to read that.
- We stopped going out to eat in the evenings (and we used to eat out ALOT).
- We stopped going out for lunch. I went to Wal-Mart on the weekends before the baby was up and bought frozen dinners for $2.88ea or less and we brought our lunch every day. BIG savings in money AND calories!
- We also severely cut back on gift spending for each other and for family members. We just explained to them that we were trying to dig out of debt and that we appreciated their understanding.
- We also didn't buy clothes for quite a while. It was difficult but well worth it.
Since we had been paying the mortgage payments and household expenses with DH's paycheck, when my paycheck came in, the ENTIRE check went to the credit card company. Our credit card and bank are the same company so all we had to do is go online and transfer the money directly to them, and we did this every time I got paid.
We have also now refinanced our mortgage loan to a lower rate with a shorter term and structured it so that we deleted mortgage insurance.
We are now kind of coasting and just relaxing for a little bit. But soon, we are planning on going into a new phase. We are going to send most of our extra money (after 401 and savings) to pay off DH's car since the interest on that is not tax-deductible.
After that, we plan on consulting a Certified Financial Planner to begin structuring our retirement plan and our son's college education. A year ago, we could not have conceived of being at this stage but with a little sacrifice, we have a tremendous stress off our shoulders and off our marriage!
Also, I just wanted to let you know a few of the side benefits of our cost-cutting:
- Our house is cleaner now following Flylady's little baby-steps than it ever was with the maid coming once a week.
- I don't have time to read anyway but I don't really need the escape anymore since I'm closer to not living in CHAOS!
- I like my own cooking better than most restaurants we go to nowadays and I don't usually overeat because I serve normal portions as opposed to the truck driver portions we usually get a restaurants. I've also lost 20 pounds!
- Since we cut back on spending, I don't feel like I need as much. I don't feel like my DH OWES me a present. I have enough jewelry, cut flowers are too expensive and die too quickly (I'd rather a potted plant or seeds!) and I don't need any more junk to clutter the house and to have to dust!
- Since I've lost weight, I now enjoy buying some nice basic clothes to supplement my wardrobe and don't feel guilty about it cause I'm not just spending to soothe myself and get away from the CHAOS in my home and my life.
Thank you, Flylady and crew, for everything you do. You have certainly saved my sanity and maybe even my marriage. God bless you all!
Surprise from FlyCrew
OK, we did the freezer, now we are going into the pantry, pasta, and canned food stash! Same thing, take a piece of paper and make three columns 1) Meats, 2) Side Dishes, and 3) Complete Meals. Under meats, list all the canned ham, tuna, etc. Under side dishes, list the pastas and pasta helpers, canned veggies, canned fruits, etc. Under the complete meals, list the soups, canned pasta meals, etc. It is amazing how much food many of us actually have in our homes! I have been known to buy many, many cans of brown beans, only to find out I already had 12 cans in the cupboard. Don't worry about listing baking supplies at this time. Just write down the things that you can use up for lunches and suppers. Let us know when you have done your inventory, send an email to FlyCrew@flylady.net and put "I did it! Pantry!" in the subject line. |
- Swap videos with family or friends instead
of renting them. This does add up.
Cut your guys hair instead of going to the
barber/beauty shop.
27 fling boogie. You get into the habit of
tossing instead of buying.
Go to the grocery store once a week.
You save on gas, especially if you have
to drive a ways to go to the store.
- OK this may sound crazy but I found almost 20 dollars this month I could have saved in late fees alone! (electric, water, phone, house payment, school tuition ) A dollar here and there doesn't sound like much until you add them all up. Next month I will try to pay them on time. Since I don't have any credit cards the money may get to go towards....ME! No one will notice the extra and I won't feel guilty about buying something for me.
- My hint falls into the 'ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure' category. Having been there, done that with credit card debt I went for 10 years without using any credit cards. I now have a credit card. My commitment to myself is ongoing: I will not purchase anything that I cannot put the cash aside that very day to pay the entire ballance off when the statement comes in. This means that either I have saved for something or I have the money available to make the purchase. I have had the card for three years now and have kept my commitment.
A FlyBaby in San Antonio, Tx.
- Thanks so much for all you do. I hope sharing these ideas will help another flybaby along the road to peace--financial and otherwise. I'm a flybaby who can, and does, pay off credit card balances every month. But, simply being able to pay those bills doesn't mean that the money was spent wisely.
A number of years ago, I looked carefully at a year's worth of credit card statements and discovered that I had spent about $2400 at a particular discount drug store. (That would probably be worth twice as much in today's dollars!!) I went to this store every week ON MY WAY to do the regular grocery shopping. I thought I was "consolidating" my shopping trips, and considered my purchases "bargains." But the stack of credit card statements told another tale--I was stopping there out of habit, and it was costing plenty! I decided to eliminate that "stop," and I didn't miss a thing by doing so.
Also, Flylady is urging us to grocery shop only once a week AND to create a well-stocked pantry. In fact, with a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator, I have been able make the intervals between shopping trips even longer than a week. I realized that I was being conditioned to shop weekly by those advertised "loss leader" items, and my desire to use the coupons I had clipped. I have been able to extend the time between grocery store trips from seven days to ten days, thus eliminating one weekly shopping trip a month. This has turned out to be a big money-saver. Sometimes I am even able to extend this interval to fourteen days and only shop twice a month. But, accomplishing this depends on that good old "pantry organization!" - Best wishes, Flybaby in Utah
- One way that our family saves money is to pack lunches. If we are going to be in the car going anywhere, even shopping at the mall, during the lunch hour, I make each person a sandwich, pack each one a piece of fruit and a drink and take along napkins and a bag of cookies. It's convenient, cheaper than eating fast food and much, much healthier. It also gives children something to do for awhile in the car and doesn't waste travel time in drive-through lines. We almost always pack lunches for work and school instead of buying cafeteria or fast food. On weeklong car-based vacations, we keep a cooler with drinks and lunch fixings in the car all the time. With many motels now offering free continental breakfasts, we're only eating restaurant food at dinnertime.
The other way to save LOTS of money every week is to eat what is on sale at the grocery store. When I sit down to make out my weekly menus, I keep the store newspaper ads next to me along with my box of coupons. Using my mental catalog of family favorite recipes, I try to base my meals on featured in-season produce and meats that are on sale. My favorite items are ones that are on half-price sale that I also have a coupon for. It really helps if your family is does not have strong brand loyalties so that you can buy whatever spaghetti sauce, bread, cereal, syrup, laundry detergent, etc. is featured. Other than a few basic items (bagels, bananas, apples, broccoli) that I buy every week regardless of price, I try very hard not to buy anything at the store that is not on sale. I compare prices at the store and buy store brands if they are a better value than a name brand on sale. I also try not to use very many pre-prepared whole meals. Those are really budget-busters! Since we have pretty large family and a not-very-big refrigerator, I have to shop twice a week to have enough fresh fruit and milk. I go to one grocery store on Tuesday and a different one on Friday. The list for each store consists mostly of what's on sale at that store. Between the two stores, I rarely pay regular price for anything. And the lists keep me on track so I don't pick up items on impulse. Non-perishable items that we eat often, I stock up on (slightly!!!) to have them on hand until the next time they go on sale. But since we don't have a very big pantry either, I try not to buy more than we would eat up in 3 or 4 weeks. I've never calculated how much I save each week, I'm sure it is at least $40.
- A Frugal FLYbaby in Maryland
- Some ways to find 16$ to save:
Well, 1 can of soda (at 60 cents a can) every workday (Mon-Fri) equals $12
a month. By changing over to water, I am saving the $12 a month (wow!
that's $144 a year, just to have a can of soda at work!), not to mention
44,200 calories (that's equivalent to more than 12 pounds to lose in a
year!) Wow!! I am REALLY looking forward to this!
Wow - usually I get a soda & a danish - just figured the math on that one,
too! $455 bucks a year! (and another 23 pounds worth of annual
calories!!!) This is just mind-blowing!!
For the first time in my life, I am actually looking forward to Financial
Awareness!
Thanks for all ya'll do!!
Flygirl in Pfafftown
- Thank God over a year ago, I eliminated credit card debt. It was never big, but I would let the balance go from month to month and would pay the finance charges. But somewhat over a year ago I decided to make sure I paid the balance in full every month and I have stuck to that. It is especially important because DH is self-employed and his income varies. We could all too easily get into an unmanageable situation if we didn't pay it off each month and watch how we use it.
So, I will be sending an extra $20 on the principle of the mortgage in honor of the financial fling. Here is my suggestion on finding that extra money: I figure that if I had a $20 bill in my pocket and I lost it, it wouldn't be the end of the world. So I'm going to "lose it" on the mortgage.
Flying in Ohio
- My husband is a savy saver and a frugal spender and has taught me to be the same. Fortunately we are able to pay our credit card balance off each month. One way we get "extra "money is by saving spare change. I have an empty peanut jar, which I cleaned, on my dresser. When we pay cash for something we put the change in our pocket. At the end of the day my husband and I clean out our pockets and put the change in the jar. You'd be surprised how quickly the pennies, nickels and dimes add up. When the jar gets full, we count up the change and take it to the bank. This could easily add up to extra money to pay off debt. Last year I used the money to buy Christmas presents!
- A flybaby in Virginia
- This month we paid at least sixteen dollars more than usual, plus about 3,000 dollars more!
First, the 16. I was trying to find an extra sixteen dollars, I looked first at everything I was spending. I cancelled all of the automatic payments so I would have to conciously write a check for each thing I bought. The first thing I was able to eliminate was all of the automatic, unwanted, shipments from mail-order book and cd clubs. Since they no longer had my credit card to charge them too, I was easily able to reutrn the unwanted, unopened packages without worrying about getting them credited back to my account. I fufilled my membership requirements and cancelled the accounts. Now I have over 30 dollars more in my account each month and don't even miss the books and CDs I no longer get or wanted in the first place.
Now the 3,000. I followed flylady's advice about getting my income taxes done early. So early in fact, I had them in the mail the first week of Feb. I kept each W-2 as it came in the mail, and as soon as I knew we had all the docs we needed (they all get mailed by Jan 31 anyway, why do we wait so long?) I did the taxes. 30 minutes of paper work revealed we had a 3,700 refund coming! Another bonus for filing early is they take much less time returning your check. I sat down with DH to decide what to spend it on. We had a lists of wants a mile long, everything from trips to relocating, and of course, lots of stuff. Finally, we decided to pay off all of our credit cards instead. We set aside a little for a trip across the country to DH's family so our toddler DD could finally meet her relatives, but everything else is going straight to the collectors! We are able to pay off all of our credit cards, computer finace loans, and dept store cards. This has saved us $200+ each month in payments, plus unknown hundreds n intrest payments over the years it would take us to pay off the debts individually. We still have a car loan and some student loans to pay off, but this is a huge leap forward, thanks in part to motivation from flylady! Thank you! - Flying higher without credit card debt in Utah
- As I was cleaning out some of my paperwork today while writing all my bills in my control journal (Yeah for me!) I came across a gift certificate I received for Christmas in 2001. It was for a nice salon, but I'd never used it because the last time I went in their they were really snooty to me (I'm only 21 and look about 14). I called the owner and asked if I could get the money back for it because there was no way I was going in there again. She is mailing out a check for 100 dollars today and I am sending in an additional $100 payment to my Famous Barr card which if I could do that just a few more times will finally be paid off!!! I am so excited!! Every time I saw the gift certificate before I felt guilty because it was a very sweet gift from my dh. Now I know he will be as excited as I am that the money isn't going to be thrown in the garbage because I won't use the gift certificate.
~Financially FLYing in Illinois
- Wow! What a wonderful theme for a SUPER FLING BOOGIE!!! I have sent in my
taxes and I'm getting a HUGE refund!!! That will help me get rid of one card
completely! But I thought, why not look at the van loan or the home equity we
took out to add on to our home? Sixteen extra dollars a month on at least one
of these payments? Well...if I FLING my soda habit that's sure to add up to
more than sixteen dollars a month! Plus the health benefits!!!! Here
goes.....I have a HUGE sweet tooth....wish me luck!! LOL!! Thank you for all
you do!!
Surprise from FlyCrew
Mix and Match Time! Grab your calendar and plan one week's worth of meals using as much of the foods you already have in your freezer and pantry. For example, if you found ground beef, put it down on Monday, put the fish on Tuesday, I always do leftovers on Wednesday, put the pizza you found on Thursday, and try the soup bones on Friday. Whatever works for your schedule and your family. Then add the side dishes you found. The frozen carrots and peas can go with the ground beef, the hash browns with the fish, etc. Did you find a cassarole or some other complete meal? Bonus! Mark it down for Saturday, family fun day! You get the idea. Let your kids join in the mixing and matching. Some of the meals might seem weird, but who says you have to cook like your mom did LOL? Right now, you are using up meats and vegetables that could be on their way to freezer burn and their expiry dates. Remember to look in your fridge. Chop up the fresh veggies and use those too. Let me know when you have done your one week simple menu, send an email to FlyCrew@flylady.net and put "I did it! Menu!" in the subject line. |
- I will save around $50 *plus* a couple hundred calories a day *plus* about ten minutes every morning by foregoing my morning commute latte from an espresso shop in favor of a cup of home-brewed plain coffee!
- I am going to clean out my CD colleciton. The local Hastings has a program where they buy back used good condition cd's.
- I'm so excited for the Financial Boogie! I'm currently on my way to financial freedom... yay! Here's what I plan to do to make the extra money for my credit cards (as I have been doing every week for 2 months now!):
Our special treat for our family is watching New Release movies everyone is talking about. Our movie rental place has $.99 movie day (Monday) on ALL movies and they can be kept until Friday morning. We treat ourselves every Monday to 4 movies and pay $4! We used to rent movies at the last minute on a chaotic Friday night and end up paying $16 for those same movies! Savings=$12
With my shopping list along, I buy all of my pantry items needed at Wal-Mart and buy as many of the "Sam's Choice" or other generics as I can! The savings our TRULY unbelieveable and the food is just as good. I mean, a loaf of bread is $.50 there! And it's good! Once I discovered Wal-Mart and MADE myself set aside the extra money that I normally would've spent on the same items at our grocery store, our debt is slowly coming off! Savings=$25
My mother-in-law is always wanting to spend time with our kids, but our schedules always seem to clash. So whenever we need a babysitter (which we ALWAYS wait until the last minute to find!), my mother-in-law is unable to watch the kids and we then have to hire a pricey babysitter. So, in order to be able to have a set date night with my husband, I sat down with my mother-in-law and asked her what night of the week she is free and if she'd be willing to watch the kids for us for FOUR hours on the same night every week. She was thrilled and we now have a guaranteed date night every Wednesday! The kids love it, grandma loves it, and my husband & I definitely love it! Babysitter SAVINGS=$20
There you go! Just like that we have saved $56 in one week! And we do this every week and ACTUALLY set aside that extra money, because we were spending it before needlessly!
- Hi FlyCrew. I wanted to share how I will be finding the money to fling some of my credit card debt. One day a week is going to be "sacrifice for financial freedom" day in my house. We will all drink only water, eat peanut butter & jelly and pasta, and stay home (except for my hubby going to work). Between the lower cost of food & drinks and saving gas, we will save at least $8 by my calculations. That's $32 a month to put on our credit card debt.... and it's really not much of a sacrifice we're making!
Before FlyLady I would have never given an $8 a week savings a second thought. My attitude would have been that $8 was not very much so why bother. But, with a babysteps mentality, I now realize that it adds up. $8 a week is $416 a year off my debt and I'm that much closer at the end of the year to paying it off entirely - not to mention the interest charges I'll save!!
Thanks for the motivation.
FlyBaby in MD
- I canceled my tv cable subscription! Now I'll have more time to spend
playing board games and reading to my kids because I'll be wasting less
time watching tv AND I'll be saving about $30 per month which I can put
against my outstanding credit card debts.
Flying (with 3 stations) in Barrie, ON
- Hi FlyCrew! I've already started doing this a few weeks
ago since my kitchen, shopping trips, and time
management in the morning have started to come
together. However, I just now figured out the minimum
of how much money this is saving me.
I'm a payroll SHE and I almost NEVER brought my lunch
to work. Instead when I had cash, I would go to a
fast food place and buy items off the .99 cent menu,
usually spending $3.21 per day. Sometimes I would get
sick of the same old things and splurge on their
special sandwich combo meal, which comes to over
$5.00. And this one really makes me cringe.... when I
had no cash, I would go to a nearby diner and use my
credit card! With a tip, lunch is typically $7 or $8!
Since my shopping trips are more effective now, and I
have time in the morning to make a lunch (the clutter
in my home had me depressed, although I didn't realize
it, so that I wouldn't get out of bed in the morning
until the last possible moment) I have been regularly
bringing my lunch to work. Not only is it cheaper, it
is SO much healthier. I bring a peanut butter sandwich
on whole wheat-9 grain bread, a yogurt, 2 bananas and
an orange, water to drink. Estimated cost per day
$1.96. The difference between that and the cheapest
fast food lunch is $1.25 per day, $6.25 for 5 days,
and $25.00 a month minimum!
WOW! It's another one of those things that you know
logically, it is cheaper and healthier to bring a
lunch, but I never had the POWER to do it. Hee, hee,
and I can actually feel my ribs now when I cross my
arms in front of me and tuck my hands under my arms!
Thanks, FLYlady, Kelly and all! - FLYbaby, Rochester, NY
- I'm unemployed, and though my husband's income is keeping us afloat, I have dropped my own spending drastically. I'm *so* glad I didn't buy the socks I "needed" before the Laundry Challenge! Well, I just pulled over $7 in change out of my purse, pockets, a little pile that came out of my husband's pockets, and a bunch of our favorite hot spots... without leaving this room. Oh, look, I can see another penny on another flat surface I hadn't checked. Well, that got me inspired, so I walked into the guest room next door, and in a "catch-all" thing (SHEs shouldn't!), I had a $2 roll of nickels, drowning in dust. So I'm more than halfway to that $16! (This wouldn't work for those FLYkids who've gotten a little farther down the decluttering path, but for those of us who are "working at our own pace," so to speak, this can be more rewarding than you'd think.)
Not quite to blastoff, but so grateful to be in motion...
- Since the beginning of the year (around the time I joined FLYlady), I have
been writing down every penny that I spend. Not only does this 'keep me
honest' as far as what I'm spending where, it also makes me think twice
before spending 'small' amounts of money on stupid stuff. Like, I am just
too ashamed to write down "$7 -- latte and brownie," so I don't buy it! I
mean, $7 is a lot of money, especially when you don't spend it! :D
Because of this, and because I've been planning meals, eating out less, and
only going to the grocery store once a week, I have finally got an idea of
how much money I have at any given moment, and I'm able to make better
decisions on what to do with it. For my craft business, I was just able to
buy a piece of equipment that will shave a half an hour off the time it
takes me to make each item I sell. This will pay for itself within a month
or two. AND because I'm not shopping like a maniac, drowning myself in more
bad debt, and feeling guilty all the time, I was able to use my tax return
to pay off my last credit card bill instead of blowing it on fancy shoes,
bath stuff, and clothes as I've done in years past.
This is an enormous relief to me, and I am *so* proud, cause I come from a
family where no one knows how to manage money. So I just never thought about
it, I just spent whatever was in my account. But now that I have been
putting some thought into my finances, I realize what I'm making is more
than enough for me to do what I really want to do ... which is go to New
Zealand and tour around all the places where they made the Lord of the Rings
movies! :D I've started saving up to do this already.
Yay me! Yay FLYlady.net for helping me get on the path to living with
attention to all the details, without freaking out about them.
Love,
Pittsburgh FLYgirl
- I'm going to spend 2 weeks eating from the freezer and
pantry. Only buying milk and fresh fruit and try baking our
own bread (I already have all the supplies on hand and if
that doesn't work out, I'll try getting bread at the
surplus store since it runs between 39 and 79 cent a loaf).
,br>
But to make the most of the extra money I'm going to look
at my credit card balances and interest rates. And pick the
one that is the highest in both and add all my extra money
there to make the most of my savings by reducing the
interest I would have had to pay. (Except for a small part
which will go towards paying off another card in full so I
can close it at the end of March--one less bill to worry
with.)
- I'm a payroll SHE and am going to eat breakfast at home 3 mornings a week
instead of buying my $2.25 egg and bagel breakfast at work. Total savings
$27 and I still get to "treat myself" two days a week.
Fla Flybaby
- Some ways to find $16 let you de-clutter at the same time! For instance, taking back all the bottles, cans etc. that have a deposit will, where I live, return 10 cents per item. Cancelling the daily newspaper and getting Saturday-only delivery will save a few dollars a week and reduce the paper influx. Checking the pockets of coats, jackets, etc. not worn recently often turns up a few dollars at our house. And of course Kelly's ever-popular sofa diving is usually good for a dollar or two!
- I took to heart the essay about menu planning, and went through all my
kitchen cupboards taking stock. I made a list of all the ingredients I
had that I need to use up - things that were getting close to their use
by date and things I had that aren't a part of my usual recipes. For
example, I bought some polenta ages ago for a particular recipe I tried,
but I haven't used up the rest of the packet. Then I planned a menu
using all those things up. My food shopping bill this week is much lower
than usual because we already have most of the ingredients, so that
money saved could be put towards our credit card payment. Another
benefit is that by the end of this week, my kitchen cupboards should
have some extra space. And finally, we are having an interesting week
eating things that aren't the same old usual favourites.
Surprise from FlyCrew
Now for the recipes and a shopping list. Go grab your TWO favorite cookbooks (no more than that). Set your timer for 15 minutes and find the recipes you are going to use with the foods you have written on your calendar. Keep it simple this week. If you notice a ingredient that you are missing, write it down immediately on your shopping list. If it is some exotic new spice or sauce, look for a different recipe. We are trying to use up what is in the pantry, not bring home more LOL. Here is a tip: we write the name of the cookbook and the page number of the recipe on the calendar with the meal. That way, other family members can cook the meal! Let me know when you have picked your recipes, send an email to FlyCrew@flylady.net and put "I did it! recipes!" in the subject line. |
- Although I use my credit card frequently, each time I charge a purchase I immediately enter and deduct the amount from my checking account balance. That way I have the funds available to pay the full balance each month when the bill arrives, and never pay any interest or finance charges.
You don't have to be wealthy to do this, you just have to make prudent economic decisions when shopping by prioritizing your needs and "wants". I am retired and living on Social Security, but can still enjoy the convenience of using my credit card, knowing the balance will be paid in full when my bill arrives.
Flying in Minneapolis
- I already found my $16.
Early yesterday morning, 2/27/03, thanks to flylady, I took care of a couple of phonecalls related to some unpaid bills that I had received in the mail. One of them was from a mail order prescription pharmacy associated with my health insurance. On the back of the bill (in the notes section), it showed that in addition to the charge for my medication, there was a $16 debit to my account on 2/11/03. I questioned the debit and was informed immediately that it must have been an error, because the debit had been reversed on 2/26/03.
My check to pay for my medication is going out in the mail today without the $16 debit amount. Yippee!!!
- Thank you FlyCrew and Flylady. I found my $16 by paying my property tax yesterday-almost a month early!!! At Christmas (we pay twice a year, December and March) I paid late and by credit card (electronic fund transfers are just to complicated the way my city does them). $15 for the credit card and $40 for late fee. Not this time. It was on my calendar, I saw it when I did my check ahead, and I wrote and mailed the payment a few weeks early!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Flying and flinging here in the San Fernando Valley.
- I'm sure that thousands of other flybabies will send you the same thing but just cutting out ONE eat out will be over $16 right there.
- in NC
- I am going to stick to my evening routine of setting up the coffee pot before I go to bed. That way, coffee is ready in the morning, and I'm not stopping to buy it on the way to work!
- I am emptying the change jar, all the extra change from my purse (forgot
last week's purse challenge). Next week I'm doing a 'No Spend' week. I
won't buy anything except gas to get to work. I will do weekly food
shopping this weekend, so that I only go once and avoid the impulse
buying of multiple trips. Kids can have thier allowance. I will have
to pay bills, but they are scheduled and known payments. I'm just
stopping the discretionary spending. Flytoddler from Mass.
- To find $16.00 go to all your old purses and hiding spots and coat pockets. I did a hot spot the other day. In a purse where I keep the budget and my system there surprise was $100.00 bill.
Surprise from FlyCrew
Finishing off the shopping list. By now, you should have your meals planned for one week (using up as much food as you have in the house already), and the start of a shopping list. To round out the shopping list, take a quick look in the pantry and fridge. Is there enough for one week's worth of breakfasts? Need milk, cereal, eggs, etc. Or do you have hot oatmeal mixes or plenty of cereal in the pantry? How about lunches? Are there loaves of bread, pitas, bagels, buns, etc. in the freezer? How about sandwich meat and cheese in the freezer? Or do you have cans of tuna or salmon in the pantry. Again, try to Mix and Match what you already have in the freezer and pantry to plan your breakfasts and lunches. Add any missing foods to your list. Let me know when you have done your list, send an email to FlyCrew@flylady.net and put "I did it! List!" in the subject line. |
- I've been doing this for the last year or two, and God-willing, we will be credit card debt-free in June!
I have set a weekly limit on the amount I can spend on groceries, gas, eating out, clothes, gifts, medical, vet, savings, and "miscellaneous." (Obviously, this is separate from mortgage/utility/insurance costs which are fixed, the same every month, and not much I can do to change) I purposely include fun things I want to do, like eating out once a week and being able to buy gifts. Any income above those set amounts goes to paying off the credit card. I often write more than one check per month to the credit card, because if I leave the funds in the checkbook, I'm tempted to spend it!
I use a cash system for the weekly expenses, and one of those inexpensive coupon holders to keep it straight. If there is no money in the "clothes" section, then I know not to go to the mall! I haven't used a rigid or overly restrictive budget, but this helps me avoid impulse buying while still giving me freedom.
I expect to be able to put close to $400 over the minimum on my credit card this month, and my husband is on unemployment!
I'm still fluttering in my housework, but I'm FLYING financially, and the load gets lighter every month!
- Wow - you guys must be reading my mind! I had already started a major
spring cleaning when the Super Fling Boogie started. Now, for the past two
weeks I have been preparing our financial strategy for eliminating our
credit card debt this year and starting our retirement funds. Here's how
we're whittling down our credit card debt: IRS refund, sold a truck, dh
got a new (better paying, less commuting) job, my horse is up for sale, and
we are continuing to be frugal in all our shopping. The amount dh makes
over and above his old income is all slated for the credit cards until they
are paid off. Only after that can it be allocated elsewhere.
Here are some other ideas: Change the oil in your car yourself instead of
going to a lube place. Cut meat out of one meal a week. Turn your water
heater off except for just before showers.
Flybaby in Midpines, CA
- I have rejoined 3 x now & am still flapping around alone out here since Yahoo booted my e-mail from you guys, but I do look at the website & have a few suggestions. I don't know about the rest of you she's, but I have quite a few little piles or containers here & there full of coins.(I'm working on it)! In the laundry room, in the bedroom, wherever someone takes it all off. Add em up, it really will surprise you. Also, I live in Western Washington, home of the Latte (coffee with flavor & milk, for those unschooled in such delights), they can certainly add up if I buy many of them, both the dollars and the pounds. I think I can fix myself a nice cup of tea in the morning instead & put those dollars to good use.
Last Note from FlyCrew
Eating out of your pantry and freezer every once in awhile can be a great money saver. You have already spent the money, why spend more? Eventually you will have to restock the cupboards. Re-read FlyLady's and Leanne's essays about menu planning and shopping. When you go to the store with a plan and a list you will always save money! And the bonus? You may get lucky and find family members who want to start cooking. Be sure to let them plan their menus, mark it on the calendars, and add their ingredients to the shopping list. |
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