downwithdebt

After getting my last pair of glasses (nothing special) at the local big box retailer for 300.00 I decided to look online to see if there were any alternatives.  I ordered my contacts online for years, but never any prescription glasses. 

I was extremely suprised at what I found, there were two sites that caught my eye.

http://www.eyebuydirect.com/

http://zennioptical.com/

I thought I would try a cheap pair of glasses, it would cost 15,00 shipped to my door.  Sceptical, I placed my order, I ordered from Zenni.  In two weeks I received my glasses, and I have since ordered 2 additional pair, and a pair of prescription bi-focals fot my Dad.

My Dad was also impressed!  I have heard conflicting stories about there customer service, but I myself have never used it.

Remember when you were a teenager, a long, long, time ago? OK, that sounds harsh but that is what my kids would say.

What did your parents give you? Did they give you a car and pay for your insurance or did you have to work and pay for it? Did you have the newest electronic gadgets?

We
all grew up without cable TV, I-pods, cell-phones, I Mac, internet
access, our own dvd players, laptops, our own TV in our own room, and
guess what, we are still here.

Many of these items we have grown to consider them necessities, even though they were not 20 years ago. Are these items really necessities? Many of them come with monthly service contracts that deplete us of our incomes continuously.

I am not
saying you should live in a cave but look seriously at these items and
make some choices if they are really necessary, in some cases they can
actually be a financial drain and provide no benefit. You need to weigh the costs of these items. Maybe
you don’t want to completely get rid of everything but you can probably
reduce the costs of these items by sitting down and going over and
cutting out things that you do not use.

Get your kids in on this to, that way they do not expect these things to be given to them. Tell them why you are making these choices. Maybe
not watching Nickelodeon can be good to!! I am not totally against
television however I do believe it can be an extreme waste of time if
it is not managed correctly. I got tired of playing TV police in my house and I eliminated the cable.

It is hard to
cut back but I have found that my kids find other more productive
things to do and I probably have been the one that feels the most
deprived!

I am a recovering Diet Pepsi fanatic, I drank so much of this stuff I think I am preserved for life!  I have tried several times to quite drinking soda, and I keep going back to it.  I know that this stuff is really bad for me, but I love it, I would drink 4-6 cans a day.

I know that really sounds crazy, but it was like I am almost addicted to this stuff.

It has been a week without, and I am hoping this time I have kicked my soda habit for life.  What is so addicting about this stuff!  Is it the carbonation or the artificial sweeteners?

Soda ate a huge whole in our family budget, after I figured out what we were spending just on drinks, 30-40 dollars a week, crazy! (This includes milk to, but I spent about 15-25 dollars a week on soda, yes that equals about 3-4 cases) As part of my frugality and debt pay down venture I knew I would have to give it up.  I noticed my kids also preferring pop over any other kind of beverage, not something I want them to get started on either. 

A little bit of help has been since the price of soda has gone up I have refused to buy it.  There is no benefit to drinking this stuff; it is bad for your waistline and wallet!

I could really use some words of inspiration for anyone else that may have gone through this also.  Or maybe some tricks on how you stayed on track and kicked the habit for good!

In my pursuit of paying back my debt and frugality I have tried to come up with ways to save money.  One of the largest ways I have found to save is by shopping less at the grocery store and cooking.  I like to buy enough groceries to last a month. 

Obviously you can’t do this with Milk and items like that.  I find that milk is cheaper at my local convenience store any how so I pick up my milk there when I fill up my car.  As far as fresh produce or fruit I have a garden, and a few apple and apricot trees as well as a raspberry patch.  I do freeze and can these items for use in the winter months.  Produce has really gone crazy at the local grocery store, I would say in cost it has gotten to be just as expensive as meat or maybe even more expensive for some items.

I like to have enough groceries and supplies in my house to last three months just in case there was an illness or a job loss.  This is my general rule of thumb; it is kind of a mini emergency fund.

I keep a supply of shampoo, toilet paper, dish soap, laundry soap, bar soap, on hand enough to last 3-6 months.

I also have enough canned items to last about 6 months, I only buy items that my family will eat and I try to get them when they are on sale (Please note: buy only what you will use! A good deal is not a good deal if it spoils or you have to throw it out because it spoiled!).  I also buy these staples:

Flour

Sugar

Oatmeal

Rice

Beans

Barley

Dried milk

Instant Yeast (I like to buy this at Sam’s Club you get about 4 pnds for less than 5 bucks. You add this yeast to your dry ingredients.) It lasts a long time and comes in a bag and does not have to be refrigerated.

 I look at what I have weekly and plan my meals according to what I have available.  Obviously I use up any fresh items first, towards the end of the month I end up relying more on canned and frozen items.  Then I make out a list of items that I am running low on and will need to stock back up on.  I would say this has saved me an average of 300.00 a month to throw at my debt, or put in to savings. 

If it came down to a job loss or an illness I know my family would have enough to meet there basic needs for three months or maybe even more.

The beauty of all this, no one in my family really noticed any difference!

I think some people really cringe when they hear the word Frugal.  Frugal is a way of simple living that is a choice.  I think most people confuse frugal living for being a hoarder. They think cool whip containers, washing out baggies, and bread and water.

There is a difference between hording and frugality. 

I need to be careful with this, it reminds me of my mother in laws house.  Cupboards overflowing with cool whip containers, peanut butter jars, washed out used soda bottles and various jars, everything. Countertops that have so much stuff stacked on them there not visible or even usable. A garage so full of stuff you can not park your vehicle in it.

My definition of hoarding is:

• Keeping clothing that no longer fits, are the wrong size, or no one has worn in years. 
• Your dresser drawers don’t shut because there full of items that you have not worn in years.  Matter in fact you can’t even see the top of your dresser.
• Keeping boxes, or various containers, items which are free or easily replaceable.
• Keeping items that you have not used in years, and can’t bear the thought of getting rid of them even though they are not used.
• You can not see or use your counter space
• You could not fit another item in your closet, cupboard or attic if you wanted to.
• Keeping food items that are after there prime and trying to find ways to use them or disguise the fact they are spoiled. (Super yuck I have seen this!) Someone who is frugal never let the stuff spoil!

Some one who is frugal use less, have what they need, and donate or give items they no longer use to others who can use them.  Frugality means living within your means and using what you have.   Not being wasteful.  Having the peace of mind that if there are needs that do come up, you have the resources to meet them.  This comes with applying yourself, saving and reducing ALL debt, which I am in the process of doing. 

It is hard to keep on track when you are surrounded with thoughts of doing without and clutter.  This is how hording works and makes you feel. Hording makes you feel tired and hopeless. 

Frugality opens up a world of wealth, by setting your mind free of clutter and letting yourself know that you have what you need.