Tuesday, December 8, 2009

I DID IT - Finally.

So, I've been following Dave Ramsey's program for almost two years now. It took awhile just to get the idea of doing this get-out-of-debt thing. It took a few months to get a budget and make it work. And granted, DH isn't really on board with the whole plan.
But, the thing is, I want to be debt free. I'm tired of having a huge portion of my paycheck go to someone else. I want to be the one that benefits from working. I want my money!!
So, I've sacrificed, I've sold, I've worked extra, I've quit doing some very stupid things.
And slowly, very slowly, I've been crawling out of this whole that I've dug.
And today?
Today, Dave Ramsey is offering FPU for $89.00! I've been saving money for Christmas, and still have money left...so, I bought myself an early Christmas present! I am so excited! I even got free shipping and did not have to pay tax!!
I cannot wait to receive it.
I cannot wait to continue on this journey.
I cannot wait to be debt free!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Still Plinking Away...

So, here it is just a few short weeks away from Christmas...have you finished your shopping??
I'm almost done. I have a few quick gifts that I need to get...and then I will be done. So far, I am under my budget. Also, I have found some great resources to help me in getting good deals, or at least benefit me in the future.
One site, an all-time favorite, is www.mypoints.com. You simply sign up, and shop online through their site. When you have completed a purchase, you will get points back, which in turn can be used to earn gift cards to various stores. You can also increase your earnings by participating in short surveys, clicking on e-mails, and using their printable coupons.
Another site that I just recently found, www.shopathome.com. You sign up, shop through their site, which offers coupon codes for discounts and free shipping, and when you have completed your transaction, a percentage goes back to you!! You can easily cash out at $20.00, AND, you can earn $5.00 for referring someone once they register and make a purchase. I've already earned a rebate back!
www.ebates.com is similar to shopathome, however, I have found that shopathome gives you a higher percentage back at the stores that I prefer.
Granted, the point of these sites are to shop. Which means, you have to have money. I have budgeted my spending per person for Christmas. I made lists and have looked for great deals. The point is to save as much money as possible so I can throw that back at my debt...which I am struggling to not increase. So, any little bit that comes back to me, is great. Gift cards? Can easily be used at my favorite retailers to buy toiletries, printer ink, dog food, etc. Cash back? Can be thrown into my snowball.
Will be back later with pictures of some cards and projects that I have been working on - see you soon!