We Are Debt Free!

So that picture is the result of a two year journey.  Two years ago we realized that our finances were out of control and decided that the best way to fix it was to try Financial Peace University.  It was life changing.  We started with $39K in car and student loan debt and a snowball (monthly debt payment) of less than $200.  It seemed so impossible and overwhelming.

But like a snowball rolling downhill, it grew. It kept going until every month, it was $1000-$2000 and before you knew it, we had done it!  It was amazing and God did all the heavy lifting and to Him be the honor and glory.  We put every "3rd paycheck", tax refund, and any other windfall into this to get it done.  We skipped vacationing, cut down on extras and eating out.  YNAB also was an incredible tool that managed our budget every month.  We learned so much in the process about self-control and knowing God's will and I'm so thankful for the journey but even more thankful it is done.  So now what?  We finished Baby Step 2 (paying off consumer debt) in April and went to Tennessee in August to do our live debt free scream.  Now, we are almost done with Baby Step 3 which is 3-6 months expenses.  It has taken us exactly 6 months which is mind blowing.  

Regarding knowing God's will, my husband had the revelation early on that if we didn't have the cash for something you could pretty much reason that it wasn't God's will for you to have that object you desired.  So that was our litmus test of every "want" that came up.  Do we have the cash?  Can we sell something or find the money?  If no, then the answer was to wait.  Most of the time, the desire went away or it worked itself out.

One of the main goals in this was not only to get financially healthy for just the basic reason that it is the smart thing to do but to ultimately take the next step of faith we feel God is calling us to. More to come..but just to confirm what you are all thinking: yes, the treats in Martha's Place are really that good.  Nothing like a salted caramel cupcake to celebrate!

1 Roast, 2 Amazing meals

So I love saving money and time on dinner while making things still delicious.  Here is a super easy way to make one roast into two yummy dinners.

First, start with one of the easiest slow cooker recipes ever.  Take a roast, a three pounder would be great.  Put it in the slow cooker and liberally cover with some garlic powder.  Then pour in half to a whole jar of these:

Sliced Peperoncinis/banana peppers.  I used a half jar with juice this time because I don't want it too spicy for my kids.  It really wasn't spicy at all using half the jar.

Now cook for 8 hours on low and then shred...that part will be easy.

First meal-Italian Beef Sandwiches:  I use hoagie rolls and fill them full of this shredded roast goodness, top with some provolone cheese and toast in the oven on about 400 degrees for 5 minutes.  Top with mayo, tomatoes, etc.  Serve with a salad and oven fries.  I "borrowed" the pic above from this blog where she shows making a very similar version of my sandwiches.

Second meal-Street Tacos: Use the leftover shredded roast in warm corn tortillas and top with avocado, pico de gallo and cheese and serve with rice and beans.

Best part?  All of this can be purchased very inexpensively from Aldi!  I have never had a bad roast from their meat department.

The best software I have ever purchased!

Other than Photoshop of course!

YNAB!  Youneedabudget.com is the most user-friendly software I have ever used!  It is like a checkbook register that works with a budget you set up.  They offer free webinars and even have a free book you can read to really maximize your usage.  I have tried mint.com and other online methods but this has been the best way to really use and keep a budget I have ever found.  Give it a try!  They have a free trial for over 30 days so you can tinker around before you commit.

I also like giving my money to a small business.  The developers came up with this software based on the concept of spending last month's money so this month's is in the bank.  You build up your buffer until you are at this point.  It really helps us because a lot of our expenses are on the 1st of the month (mortgage, etc) so we need that buffer.  It really works well with the concepts we learned from Dave Ramsey.

Money Saving tip for Pet Owners

As many of you have heard, Wal-mart is now selling a generic version of Frontline called PetArmor.  I'm sure it is cheaper than buying Frontline throught the vet but there is another way to save money and keep those pesky buggers off your furry kids if they are smaller dogs or cats.  They charge you the same amount whether you are buying a three month supply for a Chihuahua or a Great Dane but the amount per dose is very different.  So I buy the biggest bottle designed for the biggest dogs for our Schnorkie (who only weighs 10 lbs) and just repackage and dose out exactly how much she needs.  I found an old Mylicon bottle that actually shows 0.6mL which is perfect because the proper dosing for a small dog is 0.67mL, so I just go a little over the 0.6mL line on the dropper.  I marked out the label for safety and keep the bottle inside the PetArmor box so there is no confusion.
Here is the dosing by weight as shown on an eBay seller's site who sells the larger bottles.  This is how I used to buy it before Wal-Mart began selling PetArmor.  This will help the boxes go a lot longer and ensure your furbaby is flea-free for cheap!