This year is going to be a turning year for me. Here's my list and plan to really work on it for the next two days

1. NO NEW DEBT. Pay off what I have in about 9 months.
2. CASH ONLY. No Debit card. Set up budget envelopes.
3. Get Life insurance and look into disability insurance.
4. Bump DH 401K to 10%, and adjust the other bills around it.
5. Shop only on a needs basis, not want. Use up what I have in the house already. I should be only on this for a few months, except for grocery shopping. But planning a menu for that.
6. Coupon as much as possibile and simplify our eating to healthier meals.
7. Start paying back the kids. Yes I had to borrow from the kids' savings in the last few months and I owe them 1600, so I want to get that back to them. Also, open up a ING account for them.
8. Start putting 10% in savings every week.

Wow, now this is alot to accomplish, but I think once I have a plan of action and everything in writing, it might come to life.

Health:
I have wanted to become a vegaterian for a really long time. I've tried it in the past and for whatever reason haven't been able to keep up with it. This time, I think I will be able to do it. I love animals, how can I say that and then bite them! I'm going to start off slowly working veggie dishes into my meal plan. Soon, I hope I can find enough things that everyone will like to make this work. My little guy will be the hardest, he's really picky! But I know that we will feel much better and I won't feel so guilty everytime I cook.

I'm going to try to set aside a half hour each morning to do some kind of exercise. I deserve to have that much time to myself per day.

Money:
We are going to need a new roof within a year or two. I want to make consistant deposits to our savings account to cover this without having to get a loan.

One of our truck payments will be finished at the end of this year. I want to take that money and the money from the other truck payment that will paid the following year and get our credit cards completely clear. And obviously, stop using the card.

I want to try to stop using my debit card at the grocery store. I love grocery shopping and feel like I have a free pass to buy anything I want because I know I have my debit card to cover it.

Charity:
I am concidering volunteering at our local animal shelter. I am a little afraid to do it because I know how I am and I will fall in love with them and want to bring them home. But, if I can direct my feelings into getting out the word that there are beautiful animals there just looking for homes, maybe I can do some good.

Home:
I have to declutter. I am a terrible pack rat. I am sentimental about everything. I swear if a named a dustbunny, I'd keep it forever. This has got to stop. I'm working on a schedule to go through the areas that need weeding out before summer.

Well, that should keep me busy enough.

Hey this is my very first post! I enjoy reading all of your wonderful goals for 2007 but my husband and I ...(with one on they way) have HUGE changes to make before the baby. Arriving sometime in July....
We rent, have two car payments.... and are often late on our bills....
The only good things we want to KEEP doing in 2007 is payng off our ccard debt.... we should be done by Feb. totally out of ccard debt!

I have a few questions for you wonderfully frugal moms from a new ammatur that wants to change for 2007.
How do you start?
Where do you find all these copons for food?
How do you pay the essentials (bills etc) first and worry about food etc.. second?

BOY I have sooo much to learn..... any advice will help!!!!
THANK YOU SOOO MUCh

"In Love With The Thought Of Being A Mommy"

Hi and welcome!! You might want to start a new thread for this topic as you are about to get a million posts of advice! heha!!

How do you start? JUMP RIGHT IN, HEAD FIRST! LOL Thats how!

I find all my coupons in the papers, sometimes in products I buy. I don't buy the paper, but I have people save coupons for me that do.

The best way to make sure your essential bills are getting paid, and still have money for food is to set a budget you can live with and stick to it. I set it up that all the big bills get paid first (house, car, insurance, lights, water, oil), then I budget out so much for food. Add up what you bring in monthy and subtract the amount you feel comfortable with to start. It will require a lot of tweaking at first to get it right.

Of course the best way to buy food is to follow sales, use coupons and stockpile when possible. You will find that to be most helpful.

__________________
~Missy~Mommy
Meghan7.Samantha6,Cameron4

Back together!! Sept 28th Boston TDCenter!! Woohooooo!

You can get coupons in the insert that comes with your newspaper, through a coupon chain (here on the board) or buy them from a coupon clipping service, such as The Coupon Clippers. My choice is the coupon clippers, as my paper coupons suck and I'm trying to stockpile things with multiple coupons at time of current sales. It has been WELL worth my investment, saving me hundreds of dollars in my trips to the grocery store, and giving me a nice stockpile of product to draw from throughout the month. I just go shopping in my closet instead of running out for a pkg of toilet paper or jar of spaghetti sauce (for example).

How do you pay the essentials (bills etc) first and worry about food etc.. second? stockpiling, shopping sales with coupons, helps you not be so tight b'c you're saving so much $. we eat according to what we have left after our essential bills.. if it's spaghetti, eggs, ramen noodles, hotdogs, cereal.. so be it. it's just food - it gets digested and sent along its way. if you have to eat cheap for a week or two, you won't die from it.. it may not be as pleasant as you'd wish, but you'll survive. WIC program helps too (if you have child/ren under 5 and are within an income requirement) -- saves me over $40 a month on milk, eggs, cereal, juice, peanut butter & cheese. check it out. also, there is Angel Food Ministries - a church non-profit ministry that gives a huge box of food for $25, no income stipulations. if you dont have a local site (they are listed on the website), your church or one near you can start up with them. they give good food - i've not gotten anything unworthy or gross - that can supplement or be the bulk of your groceries for the month. check it out - it's helped A LOT of people.

BOY I have sooo much to learn..... any advice will help!!!! there are TONS of tips, tricks and advice on here -- surf the pages and you'll find a lot of help!

__________________
~~Amanda~~ Mommy to one Little Man (3 1/2 yrs old), TTC #2

Thanks Ladies... with some of your tips I was able to jump start already. I sat down this afternoon and took a hard... and quite confusing look at my financial situation and what I found SHOCKED me. I had no idea what we were spending our money on besides our bills. When I wrote down what we pay each month on each bill plus added a little extra to each bill so that it was a high month. I found that we had some extra money being wasted every month on LORD KNOWS WHAT... (and I am sure he is the only one who knows). I am going to get extremley dedicated to tracking where every dollar of our money is going....

By the way I searched the site and you mommy's are wonderful... such interesting neat ideas I NEVER thought of or heard of before.... AMAZING

*I Still have alot to learn*

"In Love With The Thought Of Being A Mommy"

We plan on becoming home owners this year! This is our major financial goal. Also we'd like to put money towards bills like rent or mortgae in the form of money orders and mail it before it's due. We'd like to get ahead on rent /mortgage as much as possible.