Debt Challenge #7

Debt Challenge #7
Cash only week- This week only buy your things with cash. This is a bit challenging, but it will help you to see just how much money you spend each week. It seems a little harder to let go of cash too when you see it disapear from your hands. Good luck this week!

 

 

 

University Teaches Personal Finance

BYU teaches a personal finance course. Here are some tips on understanding your personal finance plan.

Understand The Requirements for Your Personal Financial Plan

Your Personal Financial Plan (PFP) is a document that accounts for all critical areas of your personal financial life. It is your individual and personal roadmap for achieving your personal and family goals... It requires you to think through what you want, determine where you are now, set goals for where you want to be, develop a plan to get you there, and then implement and revise the plan as needed.
I recommend a six-step process in putting together your Personal Financial Plan:

Step 1: Decide What You Want
Deciding what you want establishes what is important to you. It expresses your core values and beliefs. Think through the things that you need to decide. What is truly important to you? What do you feel Heavenly Father wants you to do or be? How would you like to be remembered when you leave this life? What do you want to accomplish with your life? These are probably the most important questions you will ever ask and answer.

Step 2: Evaluate Your Financial Health
Evaluating your financial health helps you determine where you are financially. When I graduated from college, I was scared to balance my checkbook because I thought I would find out how bad of shape I was in financially. But it is a critical part of your financial plan. If you don't know where you are, how can you determine how to get to where you need to be? To evaluate your financial health, develop a balance sheet, income statement, and budget, and calculate your financial ratios. Determine where you are financially right now. Are you financially healthy? Are you solvent (which means do you have sufficient cash in your wallet or in your checking account to pay your bills)? How much debt do you have? How much are you saving each month and year?

Step 3: Define your Personal and Financial Goals
Once you know what is important to you and where you are financially, it is critical to define your personal goals. You will achieve what you set your mind to; you will hit what you aim for; you will accomplish the goals that are important to you.
Write your goals down. Attach a cost to each goal. Remember that there are more costs than just financial costs. What are the true costs of your goals, in terms of time, money, and effort?
It is also important to determine potential obstacles. By identifying the obstacles early in the analysis, you increase your ability to plan for and to avoid or overcome those obstacles.
Set a date for when your goals are to be completed. By when or in what time-frame can the goal be reasonably accomplished? Make your goals SMART: Specific, measurable, achievable, reportable, and time-bound. Then share them with others.

Step 4: Develop a Plan of Action
Know what you should work on and when. Your plan should be:

• Flexible—It should be able to change as your situation in life changes.
• Liquid—It should have the ability to convert non-cash assets into cash with relative ease and without excessive costs.
• Protective—It should be able to meet unexpected large expenses without difficulty for the inevitable challenges that will come.
• Tax efficient—It should pay Uncle Sam all that is owed and not a penny more.

Think long-term, and consider future needs. Develop a spending plan (also called a budget), and use it wisely. Plan for big-ticket purchases, such as houses and cars. Plan for managing debt and remember that "debt is the enemy to growth." Plan for insurance and protect yourself. Determine and write your investment plan and investment strategies and follow that plan. Plan for the expenses of children, missions, and college. Plan for retirement and your later years. Most importly, plan your financial future early; then live your plan.

Step 5: Implement Your Plan
Once you have your plan, implement it. Use common sense and moderation in the things you do. Set wise goals and work toward them each day.
Use wisdom in your plan, and stay positive. Remember that your plan is a goal to set your sights on, not a stick to beat yourself with. Realize that detours will come, but stay on track after the detours. We all encounter detours, but good things come to those who hang in there!

Step 6: Revise Your Plan as Necessary
Revision is an important part of your plan. Remember that people and goals change—you need to account for this. Review your goals annually at a minimum, and make sure your plan still matches your goals. If necessary, fine tune your plan. Remember your plan is etched in paper, not in stone.
Much of your plan is personal and challenging as you try to understand yourself, your family, and the things you want to accomplish. The purpose of this website is to help you identify critical areas and make important decisions. In this section, we will work on Steps 1- 4:

Step 1: Decide what you want out of life.
Step 2: Evaluate your financial health.
Step 3: Define your personal and financial goals.
Step 4: Develop a plan of action and start living your plan today.
 

To read more about BYU's Finance Course and get free helpful tips click here. 

Debt Challenge #6

Debt Challenge #6-
Write a Budget- This is the week to write a budget. You have already made a list of all your spending, so use that when you make your budget. Budget in everything from groceries, eating out, utilities, gas, savings, play money and whatever else you spend money on each week/month. This will give you a better idea of how much money you need each month to survive, how much you can cut back on and how much you can save. 

 

Suze Orman's Wants vs Needs

Suze Orman tells us how she really feels about wants vs needs spending!

Debt Challenge #5

Debt Challenge #5
Only buy necessities- This week take a look back at your needs and wants list that you made on Debt Challenge #2. Only buy things that are on your needs list this week. I know it won't be the easiest task, but that's why it's called a challenge. You can do it!! You will find how easily we get distracted with wants in our life. Good luck this week and leave us a comment to tell us how you did at the end of the week.

 

 

Friday's Success Story: Adrianne

Today's success story comes from Adrianne.  She tells us how being debt free has given her freedom and protection from unexpected events.  Let her story inspire you to find a way to bring some extra income into your home.  Adrianne also blogs over at The Tutor House.  Thanks Adrianne!

Reasons to Give I.T. Up!

What is your I.T. that you had to give up this week?  (I.T. stands for Indulgent Thing) Was it soda or coffee?  After last weeks challenge of giving up one of your wants, we thought it would be good to look at little things that can add up like soda or coffee. 

Here is a break down of how much money I would save if I gave it up for good.

$1.50 per day for a soda.

$1.50 X 7 = $10.50

$10.50 X 52 = $546

Whoa!  That is a huge savings.  I have been wishing for a couple of fun items that seem too steep to justify, but looking at these numbers...I could just cut out the soda and save that money up for my splurges.

We all know soda is harmful and definitely not good for you either.  Tips for giving it up all together?  Take it from the OZ:

Follow Link Here to View the Video

Debt Challenge #4

Debt Challenge #4

NO purchasing soda/coffee- This week may be a challenge for those who love some caffeine to get you through the day. Buying soda and a daily specialty coffee each day adds up. You may be surprised at how much money you can save by just cutting these two things out of your daily diet.

Good luck this week and hopefully this little challenge doesn't put you over the edge! Let us know how you did on Saturday and Sunday.

 

Delaying that instant gratification...

Dave Ramsey Quote
{Source}

So as we work at our challenge this week and really let go of what we once thought was a NEED and accept it only as a WANT, I wanted to inspire you with a story of someone that recently has gone through the debt free experience.  She is very open with how hard it is and some of her tips about how she got through it.  They paid off $125,000 in 9 months.  Isn't that insane?!

Thrift Decor Chick is such an inspiration to all of us!  Notice how she talks about wanting to get her nails done and hair done...but she does it herself now.  Those types of things really add up!

{Source}

I have a confession to make.  Every single year around April-ish...I get this itch...to sell our house.  I torture myself by looking at houses and day dreaming.  But the honest truth is, I LOVE my house.  When it comes down to finding something that works for us without hurting us financially and keeping within the the rule of "no more than 25% of your take home pay"...I just can't justify it. 

What is one thing that constantly nags at you?  That is really a WANT and not a NEED. 

Debt Challenge #3

Debt Challenge #3-

Live without one of your needs- This week choose one of your needs from the list you made last week and live without it this week. Whether that's eating out, shopping for new designer clothes, or that Starbucks you love; go without it this week. Let's see if you can give up one of your needs this week. Don't forget to tell us how you did on Saturday or Sunday.

Friday's Success Story

 

Dave Ramsey's Secret to Saving $

What is the secret to saving?

 

Saving money is not a matter of math. You will not save money when you get that next raise. You will not save money when that car is paid off. You will not save money when the kids are grown. You will only save money when it becomes an emotional priority.
 

We all know we need to save, but most people don't save like they know they need to save. Why? Because we have competing goals. The goal to save isn't a high enough priority to delay that purchase of the pizza, the DVD player, the new computer, or the china cabinet. So we purchase, buy, consume all our dollars away or, worse yet, go into debt to buy these things. That debt means monthly payments that control our paychecks and make us say things like, "We just don't make enough to save any money." Wrong, wrong, wrong!!! We DO make enough to save money; we just aren't willing to quit spoiling ourselves with our little projects or pleasures to have enough left to save. I don't care what you make; you can save money. It just has to become a big enough priority to you.
 

If a doctor told you that your child was dying and could only be saved with a $15,000 operation that your insurance would not cover and could only be performed nine months from today, could you save $15,000? The answer is yes! Of course you could! You would sell things. You would stop any spending that wasn't required to survive. You would become a saving madman (or madwoman). You would give up virtually anything to accomplish that $15,000 goal. SAVING WOULD BECOME A PRIORITY.
 

The secret to saving? FOCUSED EMOTION. The secret to saving money is to make it a priority, and that is done ONLY when you get some healthy anger or fear and then focus that emotion on your personal decisions. Harnessing that emotion will make you move yourself to the top of your creditor list. Then ask yourself, "Which bill is the most important? After tithing, who should I pay first this month?" The answer is, YOU! Until you pay God first, then yourself, then everyone and everything else, you will never save money.
 

The advertisers and marketing community are affecting our emotions every day and taking every dollar we have by making us see our WANTS as NEEDS. It is time for this to stop. Emotions make great slaves, but they are lousy masters. No matter how educated or sophisticated we are, if we are not saving all we should be, we are being ruled by emotions, not harnessing them as financial planning slaves.

Source: Daveramsey.com

 

 

Wants and Needs

Yeah for Debt Challenge #2! This week we are taking a look at our wants and needs. We all know that a want is something that we don't need to survive. Wants are what make life fun and interesting and what we like to spoil each other with. A  need is something we have to have in order to function and survive. Writing a list of both things will help you be more aware of what really is a necessity when it comes to spending money. In case you are having a tough time figuring out what goes in each column, here is a list to help get you rolling.


Wants:
Soda/Coffee
Chips
Candy
Ice-cream
Fast Food
Cable TV
Netflix
Satellite
Data phone plans
High Speed Internet
Designer clothes
Video Games
Toys


Need:
Water
Healthy Food
Soap/toiletries
A place to live
Safe shoes
Transportation

You are probably thinking, "these guys are crazy". We are not asking you to get rid of all your wants this week...we'll get to that later! :) Making a list will get you thinking what is really important.

Debt Challenge #2

Debt Challenge #2

List your Wants and your Needs- This week make a list of all your wants and all your needs. I think you can see where this is headed. Make a list with 2 columns, one for your wants and one for your needs. Needs are things you need to survive on like: water, basic foods, toiletries etc. Wants are luxeries we love to have like: ice-cream, soda, chips, new clothes and other fun stuff like that.

Stay tuned  later in the week for tips about your wants and needs. Good luck and report back on Saturday or Sunday and tell us how you did this week.

 

Friday...It's Friday!

Yeah for Friday!! How are all of you doing on your debt challenge this week? Come back tomorrow or Sunday and leave a comment on how you did! Don't forget to leave a comment so we can enter you into our monthly giveaway.

Also, stay tuned for our Friday Successes.  Each Friday you can visit our site and hear a real success story. We are excited to start next Friday and show you people that we know who have had success with making extra income and working to get out of debt. We hope their stories can help inspire and encourage you to do the same! Happy Friday, and here's to getting out of debt!

Tracking Money Tips

How are you doing with the debt challenge this week? To help you track all your expenses, here are some helpful apps that make it easier for you. These apps are a great way to make sure you are tracking your expenses on the go! Don't forget to track all your expenses everyday. Then, let us know how you did and leave a comment on Saturday or Sunday!

Here are those awesome apps:

Itunes app
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/xpensetracker-expense-tracker/id290874373?mt=8

Android app
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gbizapps.money&hl=en

Iphone app
http://www.moneyunder30.com/best-15-financial-iphone-apps

Why Is It Important To Track Expenses?

Source

You may be wondering why we are asking you to track your expenses. It may sound too easy or may not sound that important of a thing to do, but there are some major key benefits for tracking your expenses.
One great benefit to tracking your money is total finacial awareness. Tracking every penny helps you to know where your money is going. Are you going into debt because you don't know how much you are spending on day to day things or do you have money left over each month that you could be putting away in savings? If you aren't tracking all your spending, then you may not know where you stand financially each month.

Once you know how much you are spending, you can start to develop better spending habits. If you know how you spend each penny, then you will be more aware the next time you grab a few extra things at the gas station. With more awareness comes more savings and better spending habits.

After a month or two you will better understand how much you make, how much you spend and where you can put more money back into your budget. Knowing these key things will help you to spend a little less and save a little more.

Stay tuned for Debt Challenge #2 next Monday. Follow us on a debt challenge journey to help get you out of debt and save up for the future!

Debt Free Challenge 1

We are so excited to announce our very first Debt Challenge! Each Monday we will give you a challenge and on Saturday or Sunday you can tell us how you did!

Debt Challenge #1-

Track all of your spending! This week we want you to track every cent that you spend. This will set you up for our future challenges as well as give you and idea of what you are spending your money on. You may be surprised at how much you spend on silly things.

 

A Little Debt Humor

HA! Even hamsters get into debt! Thanks to Ugly Hamsters for this great and all too true sketch!

Let's Get The Debt Free Party Started!

Sherrie and Adrianne

Welcome everyone!  We are passionate about getting out of debt.  Why should you be debt free?  The most simple answer is this:  Freedom!  When you are debt free, emergencies are lighter, life is lighter, your shoulders are lighter...I think you're getting the point. 

Maybe you've just thought about it and don't know where to begin.  Take a look at our suggested reading over in the right side bar.  If you are working on baby steps (Dave Ramsey terminology), then this is a great place to be!  We are trying to make working at being debt free fun.  Having support and shoulders to lean on when it gets hard can be found right here with us. 

Each Monday we will be giving you debt challenges for you to work on for the week. These challenges will include ways to help you reduce your debt and put money back into your budget.  Challenges are meant to stretch your thinking and ability to make choices that seem like they have little effect on your finances, but the truth is they do!

Each Saturday and/or Sunday you can pop in and leave a comment on how you did on the debt challenge. As you leave comments each week, we will enter you into a drawing for a monthly giveaway. WooHoo!! Join the debt free challenge and work to get you and your family out of debt!

Make sure to follow us with the widget or by email so that you get the latest challenges.  Thanks for doing this with us.  We all need a little motivation to do what we should be doing every day.  Don't forget to watch the video on the side bar too...we have a little bit of a sense of humor about it-you should too!

Sherrie and Adrianne

DIY Baby Food (Green Beans)

Do you have a little one at home who eats baby food? Here is another great way to save money and feed your baby some healthy food. DIY baby food is pretty easy to prepare and it is cheap...win-win!

Here I took some bottled green beans we had from a few years ago. You can used canned beans if you don't have bottled beans.

1. Drain a little juice out of the jar first, then dump contents into the blender. 
2. Blend for 2-3 minutes. Make sure it is completely blended  before stopping.
3. With green beans, you have to strain out the strings after it is blended. Take a small strainer and tap in on a cup to sift out all the strings.
4. Pour baby food into small containers. I have some old baby food containers left over from a trip we took that I use along with small empty fruit cups. For smaller portions, pour into ice cube trays.
5. Put trays or containers in the freezer and freeze.
6. Remove and put in a freezer safe bag.
7. When it's time to eat, take one ice cube portion, or 1 container cube portion (however much your baby eats) and heat it up for your baby to enjoy.

Business Ideas

Do you have the desire to make extra income, but are having a hard time coming up with an idea? Take a look at what you love to do or what you are good at, write them down and find a way to market it. You may be surprised that your great delicious desserts could turn into a successful business. If you still need a little extra help coming up with an idea, here are some to get you rolling.

Teach Piano Lessons
Teach Art Lessons
Teach Guitar Lessons
Be a Tutor
Start a Food Blog

Source: Google Images

Write a Cook BookSell Paparazzi Jewelry
Teach Pre-school from home
Teach Private Swimming Lessons
Mow Lawns or do Yard Work
Wood Working
Sew and sell items online
Make Sewing Patterns
Seasonal Sprinkler Blowouts
Christmas Light Hanging
Summer Kids Camp
Babysitting
Photographer
A How To Blog
DIY Blog

Choosing the Right Business for You

Choosing the Right Business for You

Source: Google Images

We've given you some ideas for how to save money, now may be the time for you to think about bringing in a little extra income. There are lots of people that work out of their home now to bring in some extra cash for the family. Watching your spending, along with bringing in some extra income can get you out of debt even faster. Having a new business is very exciting and can seem a little overwhelming at first, but don't let that scare you away!

As you are searching for a business that you can do to bring in extra income, think long and hard at what you like to do. If you love taking pictures, then maybe being a photographer is right up your alley. If you love to bake, maybe selling your yummy desserts is just what you should do. Remember, just because you are good at something, doesn't mean you should do it for work. If you hate sewing, but you are good at it, maybe this is not a good enough reason to start a seamstress business. Just because something you are good at could potentially make you a ton of money, this is not the only reason to do it.When you work day in and day out, it helps to have a passion for it and to love doing it each day. Some days you may not feel like working, but when you have something you love to do, it makes it easier to work on it.

Remember you are your own boss, so nobody will be holding you accountable each day. It will be essential to write up a daily schedule for you to follow. It may be hard at first to be motivated enough to work on it each day, but the more you practice at it, the more it will become a habit. You know you are on the track when all you can think about is your potential new business. I have lost many hours of sleep thinking about posts to write, books to read, affiliates to consider and people to talk to. It's exciting when you start losing sleep, then you know you are on to something.

Join the Debt Challenge

Each Monday we will be giving you debt challenges for you to work on for the week. These challenges will include ways to help you reduce your debt and put money back into your budget.  Each Saturday and/or Sunday you can pop in and leave a comment on how you did on the debt challenge. As you leave comments each week, we will enter you into a drawing for a monthly giveaway. WooHoo!! Join the debt free challenge and work to get you and your family out of debt!

Dave Ramsey's Summer Money-Saving Tips

 Summer Money-Saving Tips

Create opportunities for a very fun summer!

from daveramsey.com

The summer season is notorious for being a time of great spending. Chances are you've experienced the effects of this! Family vacations, sending the kids to camp, updating the wardrobe ... the list could go on and on. You know what? It's okay to spend money! Money's fun ... if you got some.

So in an effort to help you save some money this summer, here are some ideas. They may not seem like huge changes in your daily life, but keep in mind that every little thing adds up and you could save a significant amount of money. A little research and minor alterations can create opportunities for a very fun summer.

Ditch the car.

Don't worry, we're not suggesting you go sell your car and walk 20 miles a day. Think of the places you frequent. Could you walk, bike or carpool more often? At first it might be an adjustment and slightly inconvenient, but you won't be complaining when you realize the exercise, conversations and outdoor enjoyment you'll experience in addition to saving money on gas.

Brown-bag lunches.

Making your own meals the majority of the time is healthier and more cost efficient than dining out. Plan some brown-bag lunches with some friends at work instead of going to a restaurant every lunch hour. Organize a potluck meal for your office or small group twice a month. Pack lunches in a cooler when you're off to the pool, park or on a road trip.

Experience your town for free.

Why travel 1,000 miles away for fun and relaxation when there's stuff to do right around the corner? Be proactive about finding free activities around your town. Not all of them will be highly publicized, but with a little investigation, you could find the hidden gem that could be the highlight of your summer. A town nearby possibly has free outdoor movie nights, museum days, greenways, libraries, festivals and so much more. Invite the neighbors or your group of friends along as well.

Get out of the house!

Take advantage of the longer days and sunny weather by getting outside to experience it. If it will help you, get rid of the cable and gym membership for now. Both can confine you indoors and soak up your time and money. Consider renting movies from the library and exercising at home and outside instead.

Organize your money.

Tell your money where to go. Make a plan. Write it down. If you've never done this, now is a fabulous time to start because before you know it, you'll be shopping for new school clothes, Halloween costumes, and Christmas gifts. How great would it be to be prepared for these events beforehand? If you're a veteran budgeter, now's a great time to refine your plan and still look to cut costs in everyday life. Get started budgeting with Dave's quick tips and resources.

By following these simple steps, there's no limit as to how much money you could keep and debt you could avoid during the summer months. If you keep it up the next month, then the next, and the next, the savings will keep going up!

Get other fun summer money-saving ideas and share your own in Dave's online community.

Source

Business Opportunity

In reducing our debt, we also decided to also bring in extra income. We decided we were going to sell Paparazzi Jewelry. It has been a great little gig to bring in some extra money and help us build up a bigger savings. You can check out our jewelry site here.

What is Paparazzi?

Misty Kirby acted on a lifelong desire to buy, design, and sell jewelry and fashion accessories. What started as a way to earn extra money for a family trip to the happiest place on earth became Paparazzi.

When the affects of the economy began creeping in all around and affecting their friends and family Paparazzi became a way to help them earn money to “pay the bills”. Paparazzi has never pushed or encouraged people to become consultants. The exciting product and the opportunity it provides are all that has been needed to spark a burning desire in people to become involved and share with their friends and family.

As the success of our first consultants continued to increase and their enthusiasm for the product grew, a push to expand the business was inevitable. Within six months, Paparazzi had grown by over 900 percent. This growth continues today, as people decide the American dream is for them, and not just the lucky few.

We love what we do at here. We love our products and more importantly, we love how it makes people feel. By entering the direct selling market we hope to allow everyone from all over to share in our fun. “Accessorize-Invite-Become” (The Paparazzi Slogan) but whatever you do, have fun doing it. Experience Paparazzi!


How do I order?

These fabulous products are easy to order and for a great low cost. Just browse our store, add what you like to your shopping cart, and then check out. To take a look around our store now and order some of your very own accessories, just click here.

How do I get involved?

If you love fun fashion, try your hand at a Paparazzi party yourself. It’s easy and affordable – simply invite people over to experience trendy accessories that sell themselves. You determine the who, where, and when. You set up the product and a party atmosphere. Best of all, when you sell, you keep the 45% commission.

There’s no pressure. No gimmicks. No party games or sales presentations. Becoming a Paparazzi Consultant is straightforward and simple:

• Consultants Buy your inventory up front
• Earn immediate cash with a 45% commission
• No catalogs or customer orders to mess with
• Sell where and when you want
• Get additional compensation when others become
• Have parties to fund a vacation, or for serious income
• No long-term commitment
• Have fun showing and selling products women love

It works because it’s fun and affordable for both you and your potential customers. Paparazzi has a look for everyone, and at $5 a piece, who can resist?

How do I become a Paparazzi Consultant?

To learn how to become a consultant, click here .

A Little About Us

Welcome to Debt Free You

We're just two friends looking for a way to save a buck and keep it together!

Sherrie and Adrianne met just a little over two years ago at church and quickly discovered that they have a lot in common. Not only are they both laid back, goal oriented, and fun to be around-they are business minded-techno savvy ladies!

Sherrie spent years traveling around the world and grew to love Guatemala. She currently runs a non-profit called Guatemala Embrace Effort. Their mission is to help underfunded schools get much needed supplies and buildings. She's also wildly creative and a talented artist! Sherrie and her husband are always dreaming up business ideas and thinking of how they can help more people.

Adrianne runs a little tutoring business and authors another blog called The Tutor House where she shares tips and business ideas with other tutors. She has fallen in love with tutoring and the blogging world. At times though, she would wish that she had time to write about other passions of hers too like organization, crafts, art, and more. Her husband patiently supports her as she takes leaps of faith into new adventures.

Another shared trait between us is our passion to be DEBT FREE.  It brings us such joy to be free of financial burdens and we want to help other learn how to do that!  But we have to make it a little bit fun too.  We'll be doing weekly challenges (more on that to come).  So make sure to follow us and get all the latest up dates. 

So, Sherrie and Adrianne decided to team up and write a blog together! We're not perfect nor claim to be experts on anything we write, but we're just two moms trying to keep it together. We'll share our little finds and snippet's along the way. We also decided to sell Paparazzi Jewelry because it's amazing stuff and such a deal at just $5.00.

If you need to contact us, please email us at:

debtfreeyou@hotmail.com

Don't Buy Stuff You Can't Afford

As silly as this may sound, don't buy things that you can't afford! This is one of the main tips that helped us (Sherrie and Adrianne) get out of debt quickly. It's amazing how quick you can lessen bills if you aren't spending money that you don't have. When you save money until you have enough to buy what you want, then you don't have the credit card nightmares to deal with. It takes discipline and time to get what you want, but there's nothing quite like paying for a large purchase with cash in hand.  Enjoy this funny SNL video that simply states, "don't buy stuff you cannot afford!"

10 Daily Debt Reducers



Source

10 Daily Debt Reducers

Are you needing more money put back into your budget, but you just don't know where to cut costs" Here are 10 simple tips to help you reduce your monthly debt. They won't all be easy to do and you may not be able to do all of them at once, but if you can apply these 10 tips, then you will definitely see more money in your account at the end of each month.

1. Drinking soda- If you have to have one or more soda drinks a day, think about lessening your consumption. If you really want to cut costs, cut soda out all together. Your body with thank you and so will your bank account.
2. Eating Out- Eating out for each meal everydat really adds up. If you can cut out a few trips to a restaurant you will be surprised how much you can save each week.
3. Cable/Satellite Packages- Okay, now you are probably thinking I am crazy, but if you can get a cheaper cable package or cut it all together this is more money you can put back into your budget. Would it be terrible to spend more time doing something else besides surfing hundreds of channels?
4. Gym Membership- How often do you use that gym membership? If you think you can grab a friend and go running outside in the fresh air and lift a few weights at home, this may save you a big chunk of money each week. In the Summer you can hop on your bike and enjoy the outdoors.
5. Cell Phone Plan- Cell phones are pretty much a necessity these days, and I am not asking you to get rid of it. But, do you need as big of a cell phone plan as you have? Can you do without a data plan and just use the internet at home? Trim down your monthly minutes and see how much money you can save each month just without talking as much.
6. Electricity- Do you leave the lights on when you leave a room? Try keeping your house lights off during the day and keep them off if you aren't in the room. If you leave also turn down your air and make sure it's not running full blast when nobody is home. You can even turn it off at night, run fans and open windows if you are in a safe and quiet neighborhood. Paying less each month on your electricity bill will be a nice break.
7. Store Brands/Sales- When going grocery shopping or buying other things you need, try only buying the things that are on sale or the cheapest. Typically store brands, (no-name brands) are cheapest, so go with those to shave pennies off your grocery bill.
8. Buy Necessities- It is fun to stuff your cart with yummy treats at the grocery store, but if you can remember to buy what you need and leave the junk food out, your grocery bill will signigically shrink. This will take some will power, but you can do it! You can also make homemade treats instead to save some cash.
9. DIY- Do you hire out when something breaks in your house or on your car? Try and looking it up on You Tube or on the internet to see if you could fix it yourself. Or, find a talented friend that can help you fix things for free or much cheaper than a handyman or car dealer. This can save a ton of money if you shop around or do it yourself.
10. Carpool- If you have errands to run or you drive to work each day, try finding someone to carpool with and share the cost of gas. You can't be the only person you know going to work or to that particular store each week. Gas is expensive so this can really save you a lot of money.

Although these tips probably aren't anything new to you, hopefully they will inspire you to cut costs in your budget and put a little more money back into your account. Stay tuned in the weeks to come for debt challenges based around these tips to help you have more money at the end of each month!

Welcome to Debt Free You

Thanks for stopping by Debt Free You. We are here to bring you ideas and tips to help you reduce your debt and eventually become debt free. We started this to help others do what we did and get out from under that heavy burden of bills, bills, bills. There are many ways to go about reducing your debt and our hope is to give direction so you can cut down on your bills. Stay tuned each week for Debt Challenges you can participate in and read real stories, from real people and follow their success.  From saving money, to extra income, we hope we can give you some ideas to lessen your daily financial burdens.