Get Your Own Website!

I cannot recommend highly enough that you invest in your own website. It is one of the most important things that a writer can do. It is like a “home” on the web for you! Invest in that “cyber-real estate” today! Here are some pointers that will make your website all it can be…

–>    Invest today at MINIMUM in your own web address—buy YOUR NAME. If your own name is available, invest in it today—even if you are not building the website immediately.  For years, I wrestled with a vision for my website. In that time, I did NOTHING! For real!  When I decided that I wanted to move forward, I was blessed with some of the best advice ever from a dear friend. I was advised to set up my website with MY NAME as the web address—for real: www.CindyRushton.com. I felt SO awkward in doing so. It just seemed a bit self-promoting—exactly!  If you are a writer, you MUST promote yourself. You have to get beyond the fears and trepidations. Think for a minute. If you wanted to find me on the web, what would you look for? I have now written over 100 books, would my website be titled under one of them? I produce 6 ezines? Would my website be best set up under one of those? What about my business name? We have three businesses at this time and we are considering expanding into a couple of others? Which one would you look for? Do you even know their names? Yes, the most reasonable name for all I do is MY OWN NAME—  www.CindyRushton.com. It tells who I am today…and tomorrow! And…yours will too! Invest in YOUR name as your website!

–>    Create a HOME on the Web. Don’t just make it a website with information about products—I HATE THOSE! Don’t you? They give NOTHING for the reader to enjoy today or to come back for later. If they do not buy the product at that time, you lose them. Rather, make a website that is a HOME on the web! Make your website a reflection of YOU! Include your articles/poems/tip sheets. Include fresh material through an Ezine or a Blog. Set up your website with a sampling of who you are and what you love to write on. Then, you will create a successful website that makes your readers want to buy your work as it comes out in print.

–>    Set up an Ezine and a Blog. Have fresh new material on a regular basis. Reach your readers regularly through an Ezine—that is emailed to them each time you send it out, and through a blog—that they can visit regularly. Set up both through your website today.

–>    Begin to Develop your Mailing List. One last thing! Don’t lose those that come by your website. Be sure to set up a form for capturing their addresses. Make it easy to use. Offer them something for free—a subscription to your e-zine…a free e-book…a free bonus. Just adding a form on your website or blog will capture hundreds of people who are interested in following you through the years. Begin yours TODAY!

A website may seem very intimidating, but you can do it! Find a company with easy templates or find a neat web designer who can help you get started. Set it up to be a reflection of who YOU are. You will find it to be your favorite tool as a writer!

So, want to be a writer? There is NO better place to begin than at our Ultimate Writer’s Expo! Join us TODAY! AND, pre-order your entire expo audio set today!

http://www.Ultimate-Writers-Expo.com

Amazing Speakers!
Workshops that WILL help!
Mastermind with the Masters!
An event that will help you UPLEVEL!

* Spicy Cinnamon Sticks…Gather a bunch of extra long cinnamon sticks and tie with a holiday ribbon and a sprig of holly or baby’s breath.  Cute to hang on the tree, sit around, and place on gifts instead of a bow!

* Painted Wooden Ornaments… Purchase pre-cut wooden Christmas cutouts that are pre-painted.  Tie with gold, green, or red thread and use on the tree or as necklaces.  Hot glue a pin on the back to wear as a holiday pin!

* Cookie Cutter Ornaments…Purchase metal cookie cutters and tie bright holiday ribbon through the top!  Easy, Inexpensive, and Precious Gift!

* Recipe Book…It could be just holiday ideas like this one or it could be a collections of all the treasured family recipes.  It could be a collection from all relatives’ submissions.  Be imaginative!  Be sure to keep a copy for your daughters!

* Pictures…Frame a special drawing from the children!  This is sure to be a hit!

* Books…Try your hand at creating books complete with your own original story and illustrations…This is an EXCELLENT school activity!

* Handprint Wallhanging or Sweatshirt…Place bright paint in pie pans (acrylic for burlap wallhanging or fabric paints for sweatshirt).  Have each child put his handprint on material.  The following verse can be painted or attached:

Although we are sorta small
And leave our fingerprints on the wall,
This will help you remember the way
Our fingerprints looked on Christmas Day!

For wallhanging, put a thin dowel rod across the top.  Tie yarn as a hanger.  Fringe the bottom, and you have a fun, sweet gift!

Don’t Miss Our Christ-Centered Christmas E-Bundle!
http://www.cindyrushton.com/Christ-CenteredChristmasBundle.html
(You can order with a friend too!)  Did you peek? CHECK IT OUT! It is only $15 for EVERYTHING! AND, if you already have the book, you can get the whole bundle for only $7.50. Don’t miss it!

Between high gas prices and consumers’ fears of a financial squeeze, it seems as if a nice Christmas is out of the picture this year. Not so says Tawra Kellam, editor of Living-on-a-Dime.com. To prove it, here are a few of her ideas from to help make Christmas memorable without breaking the bank!
Go Potluck! You buy the turkey — Have everyone else bring the side dishes and drinks. Turkeys in our area are .39/lb this time of year. If you buy just the turkey, it will only cost you about $5-$10 to feed everyone for a large family gathering.

Celebrate Christmas the week after Christmas. Take advantage of the after Christmas sales and plan your large extended family gathering for the week after Christmas. Besides being less expensive, it is unlikely to interfere with anyone else’s Christmas plans.

Don’t give gifts or give inexpensive gifts to hairstylists, babysitters, teachers and others. I found several wonderful small scented jar candles on clearance for .25 each. I will put three of them in a small basket (purchased at the thrift store for .25) with some tissue paper, ribbon and nice note. A great gift for $1.25!

Break up gift sets. If you find an item that comes in a gift set at Christmas, give parts of it to different recipients. This is great for bath or perfume sets.

Yard sales and thrift stores equal great savings. You can find a lot of new or nearly new items for pennies on the dollar.  For our son, we found a working telescope in the box. It cost $1.00, so we saved $24!  He got what he wanted and we didn’t have to take out a home equity loan!

Make memories, not more junk. Most kids get more than plenty for Christmas from grandparents, aunts and uncles. If you can only afford one gift for your child, make it a memory! Wrap a note in a box with instructions for a treasure hunt. Send your child all over the house with clues and then have the real gift sitting under the tree when they return. Simple, but a great memory for them!

My favorite book!

NOW AN EBOOK! AND ON SALE!!!

Dining On A Dime Cookbook: Eat Better, Spend Less! (e-Book version) $19.95 - Sale! $10.00 (this week–click here!)

Without cutting coupons! Unbelievable? It really is possible!

The award winning Dining on a Dime is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies.

-
Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of Living-on-a-dime.com/. As a single mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income. Tawra and Jill teach thousands of readers each month how to save money on their grocery bill and get out of debt.

There is one problem — What happens when everyone rolls away from the table? You stand there in the shadows of mounds of leftovers and the guilt sets in. You really can’t wedge in another bite, but you can’t bring yourself to throw away all that good food. You know that there are people starving in Bangladesh, but you can’t afford the shipping cost to send it to them… What do you do with it?

Here are some ideas from Living-on-a-Dime.com to help you put those leftovers to good use and keep your clean conscience!

1. Mix gravy, cubed turkey and leftover vegetables into a casserole dish. Top with refrigerator biscuits, leftover pie crust or crescent rolls (unbaked). Bake at 350 degrees until the dough is cooked and golden brown.

2. When making pies on Thanksgiving Day, save the extra dough or make extra to use to make pasties.  Roll out discs of dough in whatever size you want and fill with meat, vegetables and leftover potatoes.

3. Don’t forget to use your leftover relish dish. Chop and use in salads, soups or casseroles. If you’re really sick of the vegetables, chop and freeze to use later.

4. Use leftover mashed potatoes to thicken soups and stews.

5. Make potato pancakes: Add 1 egg and 2 Tbsp. flour to 2 cups mashed potatoes. Make into patties and fry in a pan with margarine.

Pasties

Filling
1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped
1 Tbsp. water
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine
2 chicken bouillon cubes
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2-1 lb. ground beef, turkey or chicken, cooked
salt and pepper (to taste)

Dough
Use leftover pie crust or use the following recipe:

1 cup shortening
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups flour
6 Tbsp. water

In a saucepan, simmer the carrots in the water, butter, and chicken bouillon cubes. Add potatoes, onion, meat and salt and pepper. Divide into fourths.  Mix dough ingredients and roll into four 10-inch circles. Put the meat mixture on one side of the dough. Fold the other half of the dough over and seal with fingers or a fork.  Bake 1 hour at 375 degrees.  Serves 4-6.

You can also add other vegetables. This is a good way to use those leftovers, so be creative!

My favorite book!

NOW AN EBOOK!

Dining On A Dime Cookbook: Eat Better, Spend Less! (e-Book version) $19.95  (Click here!)

Without cutting coupons! Unbelievable? It really is possible!

The award winning Dining on a Dime is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies.

-
Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of Living-on-a-Dime.com/. As a single mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income. Tawra and Jill teach thousands of readers each month how to save money on their grocery bill and get out of debt.

Other Uses:
~When you have a partially eaten apple, save the good part and chop into pieces. Place in a microwave safe dish. Blend together 1 tsp.
each brown sugar, flour, oatmeal and margarine and a dash of cinnamon.  Top the apple with the topping and microwave until tender.
~Core and slice apples very thin. Dehydrate and use in granolas, eat alone or soften in warm water to use in recipes.
~Slice and use in Pancakes or waffles.
~Freeze. Peel, slice and core and then store in 2 cups portions in freezer bags.
~Use soft apples in cooking.
~Cut into small pieces and add to salads with a fruit based dressing.

Apple Butter

9 to 10 apples, cored, peeled and chopped
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. salt

Place everything into a crockpot.  Stir, cover and cook on high 1 hour.  Cook on low for 9-11 hours or until thick and dark brown. Stir occasionally. Uncover and cook on low 1 hour longer. Stir with whisk until smooth. Refrigerate or Freeze. Makes 2 pints.
Apple Pie Filling

9 cups baking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
5 cups water
2 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Toss apples with lemon juice and set aside. Combine the rest of the ingredients in Dutch oven and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add apples and return to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until apples are tender (6-10 minutes). Cool for 30 minutes.  Then ladle into freezer containers or bake immediately.  Makes two 9- inch pies.

Fried Apples

4 large apples, cored and sliced
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Cut apples into 1/4 inch slices.  Heat butter in a large skillet. Put the apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon in the skillet and cover. Over medium-low heat, cook apple slices 7-10 minutes or until they begin to soften and the syrup thickens.  Serve coated with excess syrup on top. Serves 4.

Baked Apples

apples, cored
raisins (optional)
1 tsp. margarine
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 Tbsp. honey or brown sugar
(These amounts are per apple.)

For each person use 1 apple. Fill the center of the apple with all the ingredients. Bake at 350 degrees until tender or put in a Dutch oven on top of stove and simmer on very low until tender.
Apple Snack

2 qts. apples, peeled, cored and halved

Coarsely grate apples.  Place on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 225  degrees until dry.  Remove from cookie sheet and break into pieces.   Store in an airtight container.

Apple Crisp

6 apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon and/or nutmeg
1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange apples in well-greased baking dish. Blend all remaining ingredients except water. Spread evenly over top of apples. Pour water over the topping. Bake 45 minutes until apples are tender and top is crisp. Serves 6.

Peach Crisp
Use peaches in place of apples.

~When you have a partially eaten apple, save the good part and chop into pieces. Place in a microwave-safe dish. Blend together 1 tsp.  each brown sugar, flour, oatmeal and margarine and a dash of cinnamon.  Top the apple with the topping and microwave until tender.

My favorite book!

NOW AN EBOOK!

Dining On A Dime Cookbook: Eat Better, Spend Less! (e-Book version) $19.95  (Click here!)

Without cutting coupons! Unbelievable? It really is possible!

The award winning Dining on a Dime is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies.

-
Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of Living-on-a-Dime.com/. As a single mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income. Tawra and Jill teach thousands of readers each month how to save money on their grocery bill and get out of debt.

I do something that most people think they can’t do today. I feed my family of 5 for $300 a month. Most people say that’s an impossible feat, but what boggles minds even more is that I do it without using coupons.

How do I do it? First, I use what I have. If I don’t have milk in the house, I don’t make a special trip to the store for it. The kids won’t die from malnutrition if they miss drinking milk for a day or two. If I’m out of bread, I’ll make some cornbread or muffins. If I’m out of fresh veggies, I will use canned or frozen instead. Stop going to the store for one or two things. I shop for food 2-3 times a month and that’s it. You’d be amazed how much this saves on the cost of gas.

Shopping the clearance sections, I regularly find milk on clearance for $1.20 a gallon. My store marks the milk down a few days before the “sell by” date. The great part is that milk stays fresh for 1 week after it’s opened. I generally only buy the milk when it’s marked down and I buy enough to last until the next time I find a great deal on it. I throw several in the freezer and then I don’t have to make a special trip for milk (or pay the premium price). Just thaw, shake and serve.

Purchase meat only on sale or on clearance. Again, butchers mark down their meat a day or two before the “sell by” date. Generally, meat is good for 3-4 days after the “sell by” date in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer.

I never buy meat unless it’s on sale for $1.99 or less a pound. If it’s not on sale, we don’t eat it. (Even so, we never have a shortage of meat in our house.) You can get some great unadvertised deals just by watching the meat counter’s clearance items. I found 5 lb. rolls of hamburger for $2.95 each just the other day. Of course, I stocked up and will have enough hamburger to last the next 6 months.

I can get “soup bones” with enough meat on them to make a great vegetable stew for under $2.00 for the entire family! Add some rolls and you have a complete meal for 5 for less than $3.00. When chicken is on sale for $1.66 per pound, I stock up. I do this with all my meats. This way we can always have a variety of meats.”

Another important tip: Ask. Most people are intimidated by asking, but I regularly ask when things will go on sale or be marked down. By asking, I’ve found out that bananas, milk and meat are marked down each morning. I try to shop in the mornings to get the best deals. When we lived in Texas, the stores marked things down in the evening, so we made it a point to go shopping in the evening. Adjust your shopping times to find the best deals.

Serve your family proper portions of food. Most parents give their kids way too much milk, juice and soda. My kids get soda on special occasions only. They eat milk with their cereal. For snacks, they eat a piece of string cheese, fruit or one or two cookies. The kids don’t sip on milk or juice all day long. They drink water and are just fine with it.

As a general rule, I try to give them one vegetable and one fruit for lunch and dinner and then a piece of fruit with cookies or cheese as a snack. This way, they get their “five a day” in very easily. Stop letting kids just “graze” on chips and other snack food all day. My kids get one small “bowl” of chips (1/2 cup to 1 cup depending on the size of the chips) a day and that’s it.

So what do we eat? Here are some of our menus:

Slow cooked roast, brown gravy, onions, carrots, potatoes, buttermilk muffins and a fruit plate

(The next day, the leftovers from the roast are used as barbecue beef along with potato salad, green beans and strawberries or grapes.)

Pizza (homemade), tossed salad and fruit

Maple glazed chicken, scalloped potatoes, glazed carrots, applesauce and dinner rolls

Sloppy Joes, cucumbers and tomatoes

Tacos, refried beans, green beans, sliced apples and tortilla chips w/ honey

With savvy shopping, you to can cut your grocery bill even when prices are going up!

My favorite book!

NOW AN EBOOK! AND ON SALE!!!

Dining On A Dime Cookbook: Eat Better, Spend Less! (e-Book version) $19.95 – Sale! $10.00 (this week–click here!)

Without cutting coupons! Unbelievable? It really is possible!

The award winning Dining on a Dime is packed with over 1,200 money saving recipes and tips, kids tips and snack ideas, gift baskets, menus, food storage directions, Cleaning Cents and Pretty for Pennies.

-
Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of Living-on-a-Dime.com/. As a single mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income. Tawra and Jill teach thousands of readers each month how to save money on their grocery bill and get out of debt.

Here are few tips from LivingOnADime to cut the costs of the drinks in your home and find some extra money to pay of your credit cards.

• Find out how much milk is actually needed for your child. The USDA recommends that children under 5 get three to four servings of dairy per day. That is 2 cups of milk OR one serving equals one slice of cheese OR ½ container of yogurt. Don’t forget milk added to cereal

• Juice is just sugar water. Eat the whole fruit instead and give one glass of juice as a treat for breakfast or snack

• Limit the number of glasses of milk or juice given a day. After the allotted amount they get nothing else but water. If they are used to drinking it for meals, either give them one glass (1/2 cup) and when it’s gone they drink water or have them drink water first and then milk after they finish their meal.

1. Use small juice glasses. They give the appearance of more.
2. Don’t fill their sippy cups with juice or milk. Give them water instead.
3. If you put some milk in a cup and they don’t drink it all, put it in the fridge until later.
4. Limit sodas to a treat once or twice a week.
5. Don’t dilute your juice with extra water. Not only does this not taste very well but by “stretching” the juice you teach your kids bad eating habits by giving into their demands for juice instead of giving them water

• Keep water in the fridge. After water has set, the chlorine evaporates and the water tastes better cold

• Add a small amount of lemon juice to your water if you don’t like the taste

• Be careful to shop wisely. Sometimes buying name brand flavored or specialty coffees on sale costs less than making your own

• Use powdered milk instead of creamer in coffee or tea or try mixing your creamer half and half with dry milk.

• After making coffee save the coffee filter and the coffee grounds in the maker. Add your coffee for the next day on top of the old grounds. This way you can use each filter 2 or 3 times. Buy a reusable coffee filter. They last for years.

• If you run out of coffee filters use a paper towel until you can get to the store to buy more

• You don’t always have to make a full pot of coffee. Just make one or 2 cups at time.

• Save extra coffee in a thermos instead of making a new batch or buy a smaller coffee maker.

• To make flavored tea add a package of flavored drink mix to each pot of tea.

• For leftover soda – Combine 2 cups of flat soda with 1 package of unflavored or same flavored gelatin to make a rich flavored gelatin. This is particularly good with root beer, orange and grape sodas.

Creamy Orange Shake (like Orange Julius)
1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup milk
5-6 ice cubes
1/4 cup sugar
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup water (optional)

Combine ingredients in blender until smooth. Can be kept in the refrigerator 1 day. Serves 4.

Cafe Vienna
1/2 cup instant coffee
2/3 tsp. cinnamon
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. dried orange peel
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk (optional)

Stir ingredients together. Process in a blender until powdered. Makes 1 1/3 cups mix.

*Attach this note to the jar if making a jar mix:
Use 2 teaspoons to 1 cup of hot water.

Swiss Mocha
1/2 cup instant coffee
2 Tbsp. cocoa
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1 cup nonfat dry milk

Stir ingredients together. Process in a blender until powdered. Makes 2 cups mix.

*Attach this note to the jar if making a jar mix:
Use 1 cup of hot water and 2 tablespoons of coffee mix for each cup of coffee.

About Jill and Tawra…

Jill Cooper and Tawra Kellam are frugal living experts and the editors of Living-on-a-Dime.com/. As a single mother of two, Jill Cooper started her own business without any capital and paid off $35,000 debt in 5 years on $1,000 a month income. Tawra and her husband paid off $20,000 debt in 5 years on $22,000 a year income.

Need more help? Join us for our Debt Seminar!

==> Cut eating out! Even eating out as frugally ast you can adds up. If you must be out, take sandwiches or snacks along. Otherwise, make a commitment to be home for meals.

==> Cut soft-drinks and juice! Drink water! No only is it better for your health. It is much better for your pocket-book.

==> Got room for a flower bed? Flower pot? Grow a mini-garden! Grow a few vegetables. Not only is it yummy and more healthy, but it will help your budget.

==> You may not LIKE It… but, hang out your clothes instead of using the dryer. Save electricity drying the clothes and cooling the house…and get the laundry done faster too. Don’t have a clothes line? Have a deck? Yep! Hang them out–in just a bit they will be dry and ready to put away!

==> Simplify meals! Cindy has always helped with our budget by making hearty dishes that go far like red beans and rice, homemade chili with red beans and turtle beans, spaghetti, soups, etc. I really like those foods better than eating out. It has been amazing to watch her spread a package of meat for a whole week in dishes like that. Not only is she spreading the meat, she is spreading our finances further as well.

==> Contrary to popular belief.. You don’t HAVE TO HAVE a cell phone…or cable TV…or a phone. Buy a pre-paid phone. Cindy only spent $49.99 on her phone and only tops it up every month-two months with $20.00. Her phone bill went from $100.00 per month to minimal amounts. Cringe over the TV thing? We don’t do without entertainment. If you want entertainment, check out your library. Ours has videos that can be checked out for free. Get movies at the library and plan a movie night with your family. Or…read more!

==> Get rid of those car payments! Making car payments? Talk about a noose! Sell those cars! Get a $2-3,000.00 car. I have been all across the country in my $2,000 truck. No monthly payments. I save money every time I crank it up with its gas efficiency. Plus! Every month, I save on my insurance since I do not have to have comprehensive insurance to make a bank happy.

==> Kids and teens can save too! Don’t make this just a “parent-thing” in your family! Kids can save too! They don’t have to have a cell phone–in fact, going back to pre-paid cell phones, they are actually safer for your children. We bought the least expensive model for each member of our family. They do not take pictures or send/receive pictures. Yes, our teens are surviving this! Actually, Cindy was in a Bible study at church when she learned that several teenagers in the church were upset about a friend who had let a young boy take a picture of her nude. The first thing the boy did with the picture was forward that picture to all of his friends. Think YOUR children aren’t doing this? Won’t ever see anything like this? Well, Matthew was in charge of some teens at a church event several months ago. He caught several of his teen boys were sharing porn pics from the internet. Long story short, you not only SAVE their purity, you also save on your budget. Also, keep those teens HOME! Bring their friends into your home with video nights…game nights…paintball in your yard…food. Also, give them great ideas for inexpensive outings with their friends. Let them be a part of your attack on debt!

==> Cut going! Each trip for our family to town costs us at least 2 gallons of gas–that does not count going a lot around town in traffic. We already have several commitments in town per week with church and business. We have cut any extra going and limited it to only the times that are on our schedule. Not only does this save our precious time with our family, but it helps our budget drastically each month.

==> Be accountable! Write down your budget and chart all expenses on paper. Let the whole family see it. There is just nothing quite like seeing the little “foxes” that steal from the budget. Our teens would much rather have a regular family treat than drink soft drinks. They would rather see us invest in big expenses than drink a soft drink or chit-chat on the phone. Also, it helps us make better decisions when we know that we have to show our children what we are spending our money on–hard to buy junk when they are sacrificing at the same time! Not only that, it is also an amazing testimony for our children to see God’s blessing upon our finances in meeting our needs and also shocking us with the desires of our heart. They have a “history” with God that has been charted through their childhood. Hopefully it will build a legacy for them and their children and their children’s children.

==> What’s in Your Hand? Yep! What do you have in your hand to battle that debt with? Do you have a skill? Do you have stuff? Do you have a product? Do you have equipment? Want your dreams to come true? Well, offer up those “fish and bread” in your hand to the Great Provider. Watch Him do a miracle! He may ask you to use your skill of cleaning to begin an office cleaning business–talk about a great business model with a very limited investment. Maybe you have tons of old books that are just collecting dust–hear the call to sell on Ebay? What about those purses that you make…or books that you have written…or even parts from that junk car in the yard–sell it on Ebay! What about that lawn mower…or that bobcat? Put that ad in the paper and offer up what you have in your hand. Watch God bless!

==> Stop the Leaks! If your money bucket is leaking quicker than you are filling it up, stop everything right now. Find a way to stop the leak! Write down every penny you spend for a week. Shock you? Little things will make a HUGE difference. Just cutting out soft drinks for our family of four saved us hundreds of dollars. Don’t believe it? Just do a bit of math–

Family of 4 drinking 2 soft drinks per day–1.25 each–$10.00
Hummm..7 days a week all month—$310.00
JUST ON SOFT DRINKS! That doesn’t count the calories or the health problems!

==> MAKE a budget and LIVE the budget! First, write down all of your necessary expenses–tithing, housing, utilities, gas, food, financial commitments. Decide which part of the month you will need to pay each. Next, look at all of the other things that you spend money on– Find any of the leaks on your budget and apply the money from those leaks to get rid of debts one-by-one. Not enough money for all of the month? Take a look again at what is in your hand–what can you do to make more money? Nothing? How about looking around you for an extra job–we can truly testify that we always need help with our businesses but few people genuinely want to work hard for money. Debt hurt bad enough? It only takes a little while to catch back up and be free. Find that extra job. Or get rid of of those extras for a little while. There may be things that have to be set aside until the debt is retired. More than likely just using a budget will help to give the accountability needed to get rid of most debt and debt problems. My favorite resources for figuring up a budget (and all of the incidentals) can be found here: Dave Ramsey’s Website or at Living On a Dime’s Website.

==> “Live like no one else today so you can live like no one else tomorrow!” Anyone know who says that one? Yep! My favorite writer and speaker, Dave Ramsey. Dave is SO right! If we will just tighten our belts for a little while, in only a little while, we can have our dreams! I don’t know about all of you, but I cannot stand being in captivity to the debt taskmasters. I want to go for all that God can give me in this life. I cannot do that if I am serving the master of debt too. I remember the day that Harold and I with our children decided that we would commit to live like no one else for a period of time so we could live like no one else later. The dream of having daddy home with us is worth it! The dream of having a business that our children can have as a heritage is worth it! And…it really only takes a little while!

==> Don’t presume upon the future. This is one HUGE lesson that God spoke to my heart about my debt. He let me go through a period of not having “enough” to pay off the debts that I owed. It was a long, stressful, frustrating time. At any time, He could have removed that “thorn” from me. Yet, He didn’t. He left me in the wilderness–in the heat of the journey. Talk about one I do not EVER care to go through again! If He spoke this word to my heart once, He spoke it a million times–no exaggeration there! Really any debt is presuming about our future. It assumes that we will have another heartbeat–we will have another chance. It assumes that the check will be here. It assumes that the needs for tomorrow will be less than the needs of today–unlikely! Boy! That will bite us! There are no guarantees. Even when people owe us money, there are no guarantees that *they* will be able to pay us–not even employers. We just cannot commit to spend tomorrow’s money until it gets here and God gives us a clearance to spend that money. God is so very faithful. I have not finished my study through the entire Bible on money and debt (that is what I am studying right now). However, the very first thing that I remembered being taught as a little girl was to pray that God would give us our daily bread. Remember that? Jesus taught us to pray that request. However, it was not to pray for next year’s daily bread so we could have extras today. That is just not how it works. We have to learn to use great self-control with our finances. Every single need will truly be provided faithfully by our Heavenly Father. Plus…watch out! Faithfulness also brings His lavish blessings upon our household. He is certainly our good Master!

==> Hit Debt Bit-by-Bit! Got debt? Want out, but have no idea how to begin? Beloved, first know that it won’t take but a little while! Hate the debt and hit that debt! In a little while you are going to be free from the shackles. True Freedom! Get started by stopping the leaks to your finances. If you are going further and further in debt each month, take a long hard look at your finances. Are there things that really need to go? Soft drinks? Eating out? Lessons for the kids? Cable TV/Satellite? Cell phones? Telephones? Those car notes (sell and buy a cheap, good vehicle)? Going too much? Cut those extras! Add up how much all of those things are costing you. For a season, fast from those things. It won’t take long and your debt can truly be mastered. Also, simplify everything! Cook meals in bulk–we always save tons with crock pot meals, staples like red beans and rice or soups, and eating sandwiches. We also save on entertainment by checking out videos for free from our library rather than renting, paying extra for cable/satellite, or going out to the movies. Really those things are great money savers, but they also save the family life–you can make sweeter memories with your family all together. What a perk! Finally, also write it all down–be accountable on paper. Every single penny should be logged. Let the whole family see the expenses. Talk about accountability! The kids have helped me to see the waste in Latte’s and how much nicer it is to be able to exercise and afford regular family memories every single month with that one commitment!

==> Get God’s Vision! Lastly, we want to encourage you to look past the debt for a little bit. Look past the hard times and the struggles to get past this desert in your life. Think about the joy set before you! Can you imagine the difference in your family life? Can you see Daddy coming home for his dream business? Can you see that monthly income without all of the envelopes and threat letters in piles? Can you imagine the joy of seeing your children build their own homes and have their families without all of the debt? Can you see your children’s children walking in freedom and liberty? Yes! It is worth it today! This is truly only a small period of time for you. It will be the thing that will make tomorrow a joy and delight. Read Deuteronomy lately? I have been camping there myself this past few months. I have been studying several things in depth in that book. One thing that is an underlying theme of that book of the Bible is God’s plans for us financially. They are good plans! He wants to lavish us with blessings. He wants for us to pass on a legacy to our children that distinguishes them among our culture. He wants for us to be the lenders and givers to those who are in need–not to be the ones in need. He has chosen us to be His precious children–ruling and reigning in dominion over the world we are in. And…great news! He has a wonderful plan, complete with how-to’s for how we are to get there! So, grasp for His best! Get a vision of all He desires and go for it! You have treasures awaiting you!

We didn’t have $20,000 debt when we were married. My husband had $3,000 in credit card debts at the time. Over the 5 years we made 2 major moves, killed 3 cars, and our daughter was born and placed in Neonatal Intensive Care (the insurance paid all but $7,000 of her bills) Click here to see the list of debts and payments

During the 5 years we have been married, our income averaged $22,000 a year. The first year we earned $13,000 and steadily went up to $28,000 in 1999. We paid off $10,000 in debt and medical bills in 1999, so half of the debt was paid off when we were earning the most money. You may wish to see our budget from 1999 (before my husband was laid off). Our basic living expenses were $18,000 in 1999 and we put the rest on debt. We also used any extra money we received like income tax returns (usually a few hundred dollars) gifts of money, etcetera to pay off debt rather than splurging on things we wanted.

What it boils down to is we nickel and dimed our way out of debt. First we made up our minds that it had to be done. There never has been another option for us — we HAD to figure out a way to do it. (I am disabled with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome so I can’t work a regular job even if I wanted to.)

One of the ways that helped us the most to pay off the cards was to transfer to other credit cards with a low interest rate. I transferred every six months (or whenever the good rate expired.) I only paid 9.9% for 3 months once in 5 years. Otherwise I have never paid more than 6.9% and the last 2 years (1998-99) were 2.9% and 3.9%. We went from paying $100 a month in interest to $15 a month in interest. Then we paid the other $85 that we saved each month to pay down the principle. We kept paying the same payment, which was then more than the minimum but we had a lot more money going to principle.

We don’t eat out a lot. I spend $250 a month on groceries and I don’t buy my kids a treat every time I go to the store. We don’t go to a lot of movies and we don’t buy a lot of things. We drive 10-12 year old cars. All the kids clothes and toys are from garage sales (and we still get many Baby Gap and Baby Osh Kosh). Many garage sale kids’ clothes have only been worn once or twice. It is a lot of work finding the best ones, but worth it for the savings. We also purchase most of the kids’ Christmas and birthday presents at garage sales. Right now they don’t care, but when they are older we plan to get them one new present and then fill in with garage sale finds.

Paying off debt or saving money is all a matter of priorities. You decide what is more important to you. Some people use disposable diapers. I use cloth. It is more important to me to pay off my debts and house than to have the convenience of disposable diapers. (Personally, we don’t mind using cloth. In fact we like them.)

We all choose how to spend our money. We choose to go out to eat, we choose to have cable, we choose how many and what kind of gifts to buy our kids, we choose how we buy groceries and we choose if both spouses will work (and the added expense that goes along with both working.) It’s not the big things so much as all the little things that add up. See how it adds up: CLICK HERE. If we want to go to a movie we do occasionally and we do go out to eat for birthdays but these are TREATS, not the norm.

I almost always figure how many hours my husband will have to work in order to pay for something. I would rather save money and have him home then to have him gone to pay for things we don’t need. An example would be if it costs $100 for an item, is it worth him working 12 hours to pay for that item? If the answer is yes, then great but if it’s no then we don’t purchase it.

The trick is you have to figure out how to live on less than you earn. There is no magic bullet that will make your debt go away overnight or your savings rise like a wild day on the stock market. It is a long process of nickel and diming your way to savings. How quickly you get out of debt depends on how many extras you are willing to give up. The thing is that some people don’t want to give up those things. When the stress of having debt or no savings is more than the stress of giving up the things that you want then it will motivate you to pay off debt or save money in these ways. If it is more important for you to save money than to spend it you will find a way.

Amazingly enough, when you really get into it, you find that many of the things you “needed” yesterday aren’t quite as important today. Even my self proclaimed “formerly spendthrift” husband says I have ruined him because now he can’t bring himself to spend his Christmas money from the family on this or that because he might find something else of greater value to him later.

-Tawra

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