Shelftember

We have survived the summer months and enjoyed eating out a few times and such but now that September is here it's time to buckle down and eat more from our own fridge, freezer and pantry stash.

Yup, we're only spending $50 on groceries this month for milk and fresh fruit in order to dig through our freezer and see what tonight's surprise dinner will be! Chris is quite good at cooking this way and so I have no worries about starving to death as autumn begins.

Tonight's dinner will be chicken kebabs with rice and a spring roll. Mmmm! Sounds delicious to me! I always love his rice... He throws in a little salsa with some spices and it tastes great! I find it wakes up my tastes buds a little more than simply soya sauce over white rice.

So, when I heard Sister Page was doing her Shelftember month as school was beginning for her kiddos I just had to jump on board as well. Honestly, it's something we'd had planned months ago and it's just an awesome way to kick start a new season and a new focus for the end of the year. (Here's Sister Jordan Page's website -- chalk full of great ideas for budgeting and productivity! Fun, Cheap or Free)

This is such an important month for us as some major changes may be in the works soon. This means we'll be saving a little more money as we make focused purchases that will not break our budget -- or our stride forward to follow our dream.

So, does the idea of Shelftember -- eating from your stock at home -- scare you? Think about doing it for a half a month, just 15 days if a whole month overwhelms you. You can do this! If cooking for yourself or family just sounds exhausting at the end of your workday, cook multiple meals over the weekend for the next week and then all you need to do is pull it out of the fridge or freezer and heat it up.

Having a reason, a goal, a dream that's bigger than this week or this month -- something for a brighter future will inspire you to keep pushing the envelope towards saving more than spending.

Our dream? Well... we might be buying a house soon.... *grins*

Staying in the black!

So, since June, and our debt has been paid off. We've made a few improvements to our daily lives. Just a few a little things that I knew would happen once we became debt-free.

1. New bras! Yup, I'm getting down to the serious stuff first! It's been probably about 10 years since I bought a new bra. Well, now I have a few new ones! Whoo-hoo!
2. New underwear, too! Although it's been much more recently that new underwear was
purchased it was still time for a new set again!
3. I bought an iPad for myself and let me tell you, I LOVE IT! I've been wanting an iPad for about 5 years or so...maybe longer... It's my new baby... So much easier and quicker to do what I need to do online.
4. New TV for Chris! Yay for Chris! (and cable) He's a happy guy, and he does so much for us so I did buy him a TV for Father's Day.

5. A new set of pots and pans. There were needed and significantly reduced for a sale price. (Yes, I'm still a budgeter so I couldn't buy them without a sale!)
6. New recliner for me. Mine is literally starting to fall apart. One whole side of it is loose and we can't tighten it any further. It's being replaced this weekend.
7. New coffee table, side table and console table. All bought on a yard sale type site for a really reduced price and the guy was able to deliver the items. To counter the purchased we are in the midst of selling the furniture the new pieces have replaced. So, although we won't quite break even, it's pretty close.

Everything has been paid for with cash and we're very much in the black. We just need to replace things that were completely worn out and the TV and the iPad were little extra bonuses. We don't regret this one bit and we're pretty much not spending money on major purchases again for another year or two at least so...

The next big purchase will be the car, which we've already started to save for. In about a year or so we'll have some wheels! I'm so excited!

Paying cash or using what money we already have in our accounts has changed on lives for the better! I recommend this whole-heartedly! Any chance you get to avoid using credit DO IT! Be willing to sacrifice, save and build your own personal wealth! It'll feel sooo much better!

We still may not be where we want to be, but we've definitely made some amazing strides forward. Now, the goal of a vehicle is more obtainable and we're still debating a little bit about how to go about that, but in the meantime, we're saving up our money and trying our best to meet our financial "stay in the black!" goals every month.

A big purchase...almost!

We almost bought our condo. Yup, we just moved in here less than six months ago and we have been happily renting our unit from some great landlords, but then one day the phone rang...

Our Landlords were thinking about buying another unit in the building, a unit that was on a higher floor (ironically the unit right below my best friend who lives in the building as well). Well, we were given the option of either buying our current unit from them or moving in and renting the new unit once it was fixed up.

The thing was the new unit needed a huge amount of work done to it. It was completely trashed and smelling of urine. An older couple had lived there for many years and nothing had ever been maintained or upgraded within the unit.

When they told me the news over the telephone, I was stunned. I never thought this was possible and certainly not five and a half months after moved in!

We prayed about it, talked endlessly and eventually decided to contact our local branch location to see what option we may have. Unfortunately, the representative at the bank was rude, pushy and didn't have a clue what an "annuity" was nor how they operate.

Chris just happened to mention to our accountant what we were looking into and she mentioned that their company also has a mortgage brokerage component to the business and yes, of course, they knew more about my finances than anyone on the planet -- other than myself!

We ran the numbers and it all looked great! Actually, better than I thought it would. Yay!

Then, the bad news: Our landlords didn't get the higher floor condo! Another offer was accepted! Boo! So the money we had begun to save for closing costs will be saved for another purchase.

For now, we will continue to rent since we're still in our lease until November, technically. But if another option to buy comes up they'll let us know. Otherwise, we plan to buy in the near future within the building.

I gotta say, going through the process actually did me good. It made me realize that had we had this kind of opportunity two years ago, Chris and I would've failed miserably wanting to buy but being financially unable to. When all this came about we were still in debt, but just at the end of it (and we had no idea, literally four days later we'd be debt-free). This debt-free sprint we've been on has been worth it. It gives us the option to buy and buy soon if we so choose to.

It's amazing the opportunities The Lord continues to provide for us. So, even though we didn't get to buy this wonderful two-bedroom, two bath 1153 square foot condo that we've fallen in love with, we've learned a lot about ourselves in this process of number-crunching. All that hard work for 25 months, has paid off. The future looks bright and we have so many options!

Chris loves this building, the location and the condo itself. His more married to this place than even I am. (I still get nostalgic and want an actual house with a yard every other week!)

I must say though, if I had to live in a condo (which is more practical for us long-term) this would be the one I'd want to live in. I even get a little craft/office corner in the solarium.

Thankfully, every unit in this building is the same type of layout so it's not like we're completely out of luck for our future.

Thanks be to God for how far we've come and how far we still have to go. Every trial and tribulation in this life is for our benefit.

Debt Paid off before Forty!!!

Chris keeps calling me "Mrs Debt-Free" and kissing me afterwards every single time. It's the cutest thing!

Over the weekend, something completely unexpected happened. We received a tax return in my name. Uhm..... what??? This was NOT supposed to happen.

Our accountant for the last two years has told us how much our taxes will now be with the annuity renegotiated since May 2016. We have planned for that amount in taxes every year and now we have a tax return... Yeah... completely unexpected!

We think this is Heavenly Father at work because we were set to pay off debt much later than this. We thought our debt was more and that it wouldn't be paid off until February. Well, the numbers were wrong and here we are! Debt paid off and feeling quite giddy!

I'm 39 years old and 11 months and just barely squeezed this in before my 40th birthday! Here I thought I'd have a low-key birthday but not anymore! I'm celebrating, Baby!

Chris is supposed to pay something towards CRA for previous taxes owed. We don't have the numbers for what that amount is yet. (They're still working on that on their end.) So, in the meantime, we're saving up some money between now and the fall so that if he is given a bill to pay we'll have money for it. After October we'll be able to start saving for a larger emergency fund, car and adoption. We've already looked at those numbers as well.

We still have a plan and just because we're done paying off debt doesn't mean we're not going to work this plan. It's important to still have goals and a direction. Everything we're doing is done with a prayer and humble heart.

We feel in awe of what has been done to allow this day to come in this timing. On Saturday, when we received the news about the tax return, I sat here dumbfounded for over twenty minutes just unable to speak full sentences. Chris did start giggling at me... I must have been a funny sight to see!

Today we slogged through the rain and cold wind to haul our butts by bus all the way to the dental office. We arrived there soaked to the bone so that we could pay off the remaining dental debt for my implant procedure. This was to be paid with instalments until October, but this was the last debt and I wasn't willing to just pay it off in smaller instalments anymore. The two receptionists who were present when we arrived were shocked by our dedication to pay it off early. Not only that, when they heard what we were doing, paying off almost $48,000 in 25 months they had so many questions for us! The main question was, "HOW?!" I have no idea if they'll remember this day, but I know we will. It felt awesome to leave their office -- still soaking wet -- and grab a celebration ice cream cone at Baskin Robbins before heading off to finish our errands. That ice cream never tasted so sweet!

We can now look forward, to a brighter future and a more obtainable hope of a family... Maybe just maybe this will lead us to another step towards our son or daughter.

Every step on this journey is not taken alone. We know we walk with Jesus Christ, our Saviour through it all. We're so thankful and feel quite in awe this evening. No words can describe just how sweet this victory is. All for His glory and His timing...

Dancing like a goofy fool

As we approach the end of the month of May typically I reflect back on our month's progress. Instead, I received some amazing news today that made me celebrate someone else's moment of happiness in their debt-free journey.

A friend of mine contacted me to let me know they had paid off another debt! They have been dedicated and consistent in their journey and another step of progress was reached. We did a happy dance of celebration together, even though we were not actually together for the dancing. It was a goofy crazy moment of dancing all alone in our separate locations, but the shared joy was palpable and felt.

I'm thrilled to dance with another person on this journey. Every moment of absolute success spurs me on to press forward and give this thing a renewed burst of energy to just keep trying.

We cannot forget the little successes along the way, for the little moments of success build one atop another until they become a vision of success that can inspire you and others.

Lead by example and you will become your own example -- even for yourself!

In that vein, Chris and I will be doing a "half-spending freeze" for the month of June. We have surmised we have more than enough groceries to get us through the next month. So we've only put aside $50 for grocery money (fresh milk, fruit and eggs) but our remaining grocery budget money of $250 will go straight towards savings. (I'll tell you what large item we may be saving for in a future post!)

Normally I'd throw that extra money at debt and we thought we were going to, but something has come up on our radar, something entirely unexpected and potentially exciting! More happy dancing ensues!

In the meantime, I'll leave you all in suspense and just say celebrate those little victories. Anytime you make a budgeting plan and stick to it -- celebrate that! Eventually that goofy once a month success dancing will be a debt pay off dance -- like my dear friend! So exciting!

Choosing the Hard Right

I was a big blubbery mess. I mean I was beyond consolable. It feels almost silly now to talk about it but at that moment I wanted to just throw up my hands and stomp my feet with stubborn defiance. The answer was a definite, "NO!" from me.

I was not going to pay a tithe. I wasn't doing it while we were in debt. I didn't think it was fair or right or.... well.... darn it I was just so close to getting all the debt pay off, so no I wasn't going to do it!

Then I realized what the real issue behind the tantrum was. Fear. I was afraid; afraid to let go of a small amount of money and give it back to God because our entire income and controlling it gave me a sense of security. Y'see financial security is very important to me. For so long I didn't have that kind of security. I lived month to month just waiting for another letter from CRA in the mail telling me I needed to give up thousands of dollars to our government. (I will admit CRA mail always gives me that kind of anxiety, even now.) My palms sweat and my heart will race a bit more but I don't have a choice, do I? I always have to pay whatever it is they say I owe.

So, Heavenly Father asking for 10% of our income in tithing was like another authority figure saying, "You don't have a choice. Hand it over now, or else!" I resented that commandment and stubbornly held on to the knowledge that I needed to get out of debt before we talked about tithing.

Then something happened and I realized I didn't have enough faith in Heavenly Father to still guide us through this time of debt pay off while tithing. Trusting in His plan more than my own. You see, I had it all worked out. We had crunched the numbers to death; so much so that we knew down to the exact day when we would be debt-free. I trusted the numbers more than I trusted in The Lord.

So, I was reading through the scriptures and came across these passages in Proverbs chapter three, which I know the majority of us are at least somewhat familiar with, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the firstfruits of all thine increase. " (v. 5,6 & 9)

I don't know why these verses resonated with me so clearly at that moment. I've read those passages many times before, but this time I felt a stirring in my heart about my struggle at hand. I prayed on it and didn't dismiss the prompting but decided to ruminate on it overnight just a little longer.

The next morning, Chris and I sat down for our morning scripture reading on the couch. We read through a few things and then turned to read the Proverbs scripture for the day. It was the same Proverbs from the night before!  I told Chris what had transpired last night and felt we needed to revisit the tithing subject immediately after finishing our reading. He agreed and together we knew we were making a financial change to tithe but the bigger change was trusting God with what this change meant for our future.

So what does it mean, you're wondering. Well, it will mean we're a few months further out in our debt pay off journey than we initially bargained for. The debt we'll be paid off by February 2019 now, instead of December -- which is fine and not the end of the world. Not the date I wanted but....still....okay fine...

The bigger thing to give up was the idea that this sets our entire journey back significantly after debts are paid off. Since we are now a tithing family that will mean more money will not be going towards things like the fully-funded emergency fund, the future family vehicle or the very hopeful....private adoption...

We've given up on the private adoption dream.... and I'll go into that more another time but Chris and I have come to realize it's just not going to happen for us -- maybe we'll still be able to think about public adoption, but not private.... deep breath in, deep breath out... and that's okay. Really, it is...

It was a dream we had to give up and move on to other dreams; other hopes for our future and family. We actually feel our burden has been made light with this new decision. We are a family that is willing to steward our money well and to us, that will mean tithing; giving back to others without direct benefit to ourselves. It's an important lesson to learn and it took us awhile to get there, but I'm glad we did.

I hope those out there reading this may consider giving in there own ways, even while you're going through the debt pay off journey. If you don't tithe consider praying on the subject, as I did. God will meet you where you and help you through the difficult subject. It's not an easy road to walk, but it's always the right road when we choose to follow Him.

Our Favourite Day of the Month has Arrived!!!

In our home, we love the first day of every month. It's like Christmas all over again! We get to sit down and take action on the budget we've set up for this current month. Chris and I will go through the bills, pay them and set aside money in our sinking funds for things we're saving for in the near future. I know it sounds odd, but it's just such a great high to see things getting paid in a timely manner!

We always have to wait for about the 5th of the month to pay the line of credit as that's the day the bill comes out, but thankfully it's not too long to wait for that one.

Also, I always take a moment and look back on the previous month's budget and see how we faired. I LOVED the month of April! Chris and I were able to make even more sacrifices than usual and put a larger portion of money towards our debt pay off. $1,710.01!!! Yay!!! It felt amazing!!! Like a real big accomplishment.

So, what did we sacrifice? Well, things like, miscellaneous money, a bit of my fun pocket money and we got a credit back on an Airbnb that fell through on the owners' end when Chris went down to visit his dad for his birthday in April.  The majority of that went towards debt as well. 

We are now officially in the $5,000s for our line of credit and our $600 payments are really knocking out the dental debt quickly, too.

Chris and I are staying humble and thankful but we are also really proud of ourselves, too. Every effort and stride forward we make is making a difference. We all have setbacks and things that come up that are completely unexpected but if we just get back up and keep trying again eventually we'll get there. I'm thankful for that. I'm thankful for the blessings we have to do this and the progress we've made.

I know paying off debt isn't easy, guys. Sometimes it gets overwhelming and it's just easier to enjoy the moment. You're tired, you've had a long day at work, another bill has arrived for you to pay and you still have to make dinner for you and the husband. Who gives a flying crap about paying off debt! Who cares, because the debt will NEVER go away, right? We'll always have some sort of debt. Well, look at us. We're doing it and we're sacrificing some major stuff in order to do it. I'm not saying we're perfect at it, and we may be doing it faster then some and slower than other people out there, but we are doing it. Don't compare yourself too much to others and who you do decide to compare yourself too, make sure that person or couple has great morals and ethics to emulate. It's not about who has the nicer stuff, or the prettier house. Heck, it's not about the vacation you can't afford to take or the car you drive. No, it's about if you're really living the life you're meant to live or you're wasting your time here on earth. 

Don't waste that time paying the debt for the rest of your life. Pay it off, save a little, and by that car or vacation you need with CASH! It'll feel different, trust me it really and truly will. 

I'll admit it, I get a high when I pay off my debt every month. Every cent I can put towards it just make me want to shout with absolute joy and thankfulness. I never thought we'd get here. I never thought I would get here. I can see the future; y'know that debt-free future. I want it so bad; more than anything else right now I'm able to do with my life. There are so many more possibilities with debt-freedom. Can you imagine what our life would be like if we didn't have debt at all? Wow, now that's something to think on! 

Pork, the other white meat

Last week Chris saw an amazing sale at Loblaws grocery store on pork. Remember when he did that a few years ago? Yup, well it happened again!

The best way for us to save money on groceries is to hunt through the flyers and buy what's on sale. So, if there is an amazing deal on pork, we buy it -- and buy a lot! Thankfully we have a five cubic foot freezer where we can stock up on meat and other things to freeze and so that sure helps our savings, but I gotta tell you, what we paid for the darn freezer wasn't a great savings!

We were stupid once, too y'know. Chris and I didn't know about the whole Dave Ramsey plan back and in the day, and so we saw one of those rent to own furniture places and thought we could buy a freezer through them. Well, yeah we could buy a freezer at their store, but it turned out we spent three times more money buying this darn freezer than if we had just saved up the money ourselves! Never again! Nope, nuh uh....!

Thankfully, we've moved on from such dumb mistakes, and we're utilizing this very expensive little freezer to its fullest by saving up big time when it comes to freezing food in the darn thing.

Last time we saw a sale like this we bought pork shoulders. Humongous pork shoulders! I remember that meat just lasted forever and this time is really no different with this pork. It might not be the shoulder of the pig but we still have some amazing top quality meat.

When Chris was cutting the pork chops down to size he really examined the quality of the meat and said it was a really good cut. Nothing cheap and at only $2/lbs (CDN) it was SO worth it! Yes, we got $70 worth of meat, but it'll last us at least a year with 109 pork chops! (That's 35 lbs of meat! That Chris carried home in his backpack on the bus! What a trooper that guy is!)

So, my challenge to you is to search those flyers and be willing to use a little of your food budget for the latest great sale. If it's something you know you or your family will eat, don't hesitate to stock up and freeze it.

Chris and I have decided that once we're debt-free we plan to put $20 extra aside every month just for food sales like these. Eventually having an extra $100 once or twice a year to buy an exceptional sale will save us a ton of money!

Taxes are paid!

Well, our taxes were filed two weeks ago. It was nice to get it all done in time. This year was our first full year just having our annuity income as the only source of income at all, so it was a guessing game about just how much taxes we would have to pay.

We had been paying our taxes every month, as I made an estimate as to what they would be based on discussions with our accountant and her boss. Our estimates were pretty spot on. We ended up paying, $8,573.66. You're thinking, "Holy cow that's a lot of money, Rosie!" Actually, it's not, really. I used to have to pay more than double that with the way the annuity was set up. When we renegotiated the annuity they were able to bring up our income and bring down the income taxes I'd have to pay.

Although annuities now are no longer taxable, thanks to a law change, my annuity isn't included in that law change that happened more than 25 years ago. It's very frustrating that I'm taxed, but I feel that solving the annuity is a greater blessing and so I don't complain much about the tax. It's better to count your blessings than to complain.

So, here government of Canada, take your money and I know you're not going to spend it the way I see fit. *shrugs* Hahaha...

I do hope everyone else was able to file their taxes on time. Spring is always a time for eternal renewal and hope, but yes, tax season is part of it as well. I'm not always pleased about that part and I hear many other people grumble about it as well. Just be thankful for the country we live in and that the majority of us get a tax return. Enjoy those tax returns for me! :D Hey, why don't you put your return towards debt this year? Make some big payment towards your debt and do the debt pay off dance for me!

Findings little ways to save can make big long-term changes

I've been out of sorts lately, and so I haven't posted recently. There's some medical stuff going on that's sort of taking priority in my life. It's difficult to deal with and time-consuming but the great thing is it isn't affecting us financially very much -- at least not yet.

I do know if I was still working full-time I would've had to use sick leave or quit my job, but thankfully with our income, this isn't a problem. Although that thought led me to think about all the people out there that do struggle with medical difficulties that require time away from their job and resting at home or going to doctor's appointments continuously. It made me feel so thankful and blessed by what The Lord has given me.

It reminds me how important to is to be good stewards of the money we are entrusted with. You know, whether you work for your money (like the majority of society) or have an annuity/pension (like myself) God has entrusted you to use your money wisely and not spend frivolously.

Looking back at March, we put $1,350 towards our debt. Every chance we can throw money at the debt means we're another step towards debt-freedom.

I cannot wait until that day comes.  Can...not....wait.

I think we've really begun to utilize the grocery bus service which I get every two weeks more effectively now. I pay a fee $11/trip to have a ride to and from the grocery store. We budget for this expense every month and that allows me to get out of the house regularly even in winter, icy weather which helps stave off things like depression and cabin-fever. This is the first year in over 20 years I feel more happy and productive. I think that is a small price to pay for such a significant emotional change in my daily life. It's a service primarily for the elderly. There's a big disabled services bus that come drives over from the retirement home nearby and picks me up, along with some other people in our area. We all get transported to the local grocery store (which has a chain of other stores in the same walking area to shop at) We have an hour or so window of time to do our shopping and then our driver takes us all home again. It's great!

We have a set budget for groceries at $300/mth and an "Other" category of $150/mth Chris and I then break that down into how many bus trips per month we'll be getting. From there, we know our amount of groceries and household/other things to spend and look at the Metro flyer to see what's on sale that week. We shop by sales and that's a huge savings.

Chris will occasionally go out on his own a buy a few things we also need, but we still stay in budget. If we do go over (which is rare anymore) we always make sure to take cash from somewhere else. We NEVER live on credit; ever.

Last month was a great month for shopping and I think April will be similar. We don't buy the best of everything and I can't wait to be debt-free in order to buy a few more luxury items at the grocery store, but for now, this way of budgeting and saving allows us to get debt-free as quickly as we can. I wouldn't have it any other way.

So, I encourage you to look at your flyers, shop by the sales, but most important set up your grocery/other budgets! For those who have no idea how to even come up with that number a good rule of thumb for groceries is $100 per person in the house, but with a minimum of $300 for the entire household. So, for example, if you're a family of two (like Chris and me) that's $300. If you're family of three, still that's $300. If you're family of 5, that'll be $500. You don't think you can do it. I know! I know, what you're thinking, "That's just not enough money, Rosie!" Yes, yes it is.....it really is because the more sacrifices you make in the grocery store on little things that really don't matter, the more money you can either save for future more important expenses or the more money you can throw at your debt, the more life you'll be able to live and enjoy. Seriously, it's the small insignificant changes like spending less on groceries, that actually begin to add up over time.

(As far as your household budget, look back and receipts or bill invoices, see what you bought for the house for last 3 months and it'll give you an average. We find $150/mth tight, but if we increase it too much, we just end up spending more. Being a little tight and frugal is actually a good challenge and allows us to really think about the price of laundry soap or whether we can wait another month to buy more Lysol wipes, etc.)

Before you dismiss me completely and go on to the next task in your day, think about how much debt Chris and I have paid off in the last 22 months -- and counting! It's about $50,000 now. What have you paid off in the last two years? Are you close to
getting that credit card, student loan debt, car lease debt paid off? It's life changing when you get just one major debt paid off. You can see the possibilities of your future radically change in a new way!

So try it, just try it for a week. Set your grocery budget by the week, instead of the month, and challenge yourself to only spend that amount of money for the next seven days. I believe in you! You can do it! :D Let me know how it goes! Email me! Whoo-hoo!

Saving $$$ in the Kitchen

We all like ways of saving money, right? Some of those ways are really big, giant changes that are mind blowing and other ways are really simple like...well....making bread at home.

I know! I never thought making bread at home could be so inexpensive and simple! Well, I'm here to tell you it is and it's a lot of fun, too!

Chris and I bought a bread maker, second-hand about 2 years ago. Back when we were superintendents of an apartment complex we had an elderly tenant who was moving out and selling a bunch of her stuff. We bought this brand new bread maker from her for $20 and it turned out to be a Wolfgang Puck name brand. Okay, yep.... cool!

We stuffed into the back of a kitchen cabinet and knew one day we'd get a chance to use it. Well...to be honest, two years have gone by and I still had not used it. Back then it was because our job was just so busy we barely had a chance to grocery shop and think about things like saving money and making homemade bread.

But that was over two years ago! Life just got away from us and we did almost get rid of the bread maker a few times as I just hate having things kickin' around and not being used. I didn't get rid of though, I made Chris hold onto it and knew that someday I'd use it.

Now, I'll never go back to store-bought bread! Ohmygosh homemade bread is delicious and so easy to make! We've made three loaves in the month of March and each has looked a little prettier and this last loaf just looked beautiful, if I do say so myself!

We probably spent no more than $0.75 making this loaf of bread. (Initially, we thought it was about a buck, but no, it's probably $0.50 to $0.75, including Hydro cost). That's significant savings compared to the store bought loaves if you really think about it and here we don't add preservatives, fillers or extras that are just not needed.

We are both just thrilled and I plan to make a cinnamon raisin loaf very soon just to see how that'll turn out.

So, sometimes if there's a garage sale bread maker available you may just want to see about purchasing it for $20 or less. It could be worth it to save a little money in the long run. In about 27 loaves our bread maker will have paid for itself.

Also, as a side note, the smell of baked bread on Sunday afternoon after church is just divine... Oh, what a blessing!

So, if you'd like to stop by for a warm slice of bread along with Sunday dinner just let us know. We have plenty to go around. You're always more than welcome at our table and our doors are always open for family and friends.

Two to One

There seemed to be only three major events in February in regards to budgeting. Two of them were awesome moments and one well, not so much...

Last month, we were able to put over $1,700 towards our debt! I know, I'm
thrilled about it, too! It was a lot of fun to see where we could cut back a little and move a bit of money around in order to throw more at that debt. Usually, our debt pay off number is great, but seventeen hundred is just amazing. It gave us such a thrill and made us dance with a little in the kitchen.

Then late one night, I took a look at my phone and saw I had an email from Canada Revenue Agency. groans "What do they want now?" I thought to myself. I vowed that no matter what they wanted from me, I'd do my best to see it through. That next morning, I open the letter, from the CRA website, and saw my installment reminder notice had arrived. This made me internally groan a second time. I expected this installment reminder in January but it never arrived. Here it comes, a month late, I am just dreading opening the letter up. Finally, after another fervent prayer, I open it up and read.......

Nil.

What?

Eh?

I do not owe any installment payments for the first and second quarters. Uh.......that's never happened before. Like....ever... I have to admit I sat here

stunned for a moment and had to read the letter again. No.....there it is the three letter word again.......Nil. Nothing......nada........zilch.....

Well, whoopee!!!! I think Chris and I did another kitchen slow dance for that one that day as well. Good news always makes Chris want to slow dance in the kitchen, which always makes me giggle in his arms.

We are still saving for taxes every month, just in case, it's needed for 2018 taxes next year. The annuity amount is brand new and 2017 taxes will be the first full year where we just have these payments as our own source of income, so we've already paid up for 2017 taxes and saving in advance for 2018. It's better to safe than sorry.

Okay well, two pieces of good news! Whoo-hoo! We were really on a role by this point, but then that bad news hits. Apparently, another unknown debt has cropped up on our radar. Chris had a debt he wasn't aware of, due to some very unusual circumstances. We'll be saving up a bit for this debt in a month or two and get it taken care of. Thankfully, this seems to be the last of it, but it's nice that we'll get it resolved soon and then it'll stop hurting his credit.

I have admit, both of us were blindsided by this issue. Chris had no idea that there was anything owing and had never had services with this company. In a weird set of circumstances the charges are technically legitimate but not really.....Unfortunately, we just have no way to prove they are not 100% accurate. Oh well, chalk it up to a learning curve and move on...

No one is perfect and everyone requires grace. This is why we talked it through, found a plan of action and plan to take care of it ASAP.

I will say all and all February was a great month and we even had a little Valentine's Day celebration. Nothing too fancy and extravagant but lots of laughter and fun.

Now on to March and already budgeting has been coasting along nicely. It seems the second half of the month always puts a bump in the road, so we'll just have to see what happens from here, but all and all, The Lord has given us the means to find solutions at every curve that's been thrown at us. We'll be fine. We're in this together and with daily tracking, budgeting, and financial fitness we'll get there... We'll kick this debt's butt!

Every ride has a few bumps and some amazing curves

Well, the first month of the new year went pretty well. As I look back at January I have to say I'm pretty impressed that we're spending such a significantly lower amount on our grocery bill. $250 for two people.

Now, that may not sound like a big accomplishment but hear me out. Statistics show most people spend $250 per person a month on groceries. We were able to get away with spending that same amount for two people.

How did we do that? By shopping from our own pantry and freezer first. Really Chris is quite creative with the dinner menu. He has a knack for coming up with inventive recipes for barely anything and making our food taste delicious. He's a great cook and I have to give him full credit for continuing to keep our grocery budget low month after month with his ability to use what we have to its full extent.

We are now getting to a point where we don't have to watch as closely on how we spend our money as we're able to trust the numbers that we set out for ourselves. We may go over a little here in there, but we have a bit of a buffer built in our budget and as long as we stay within that buffer it's just smooth sailing.

Are we perfect? No, we're not and we never will be nor do we ever claim to be perfect but we do take some solace that we're making an amazing headway in setting up realistic financial goals for ourselves and being able to meet them consistently.

On a more frustrating note, we still don't have clear information for Canada Revenue Agency about Chris' previous taxes as well as the outstanding balance of $1,500. We recently contacted them with questions and received very few answers in return. Thankfully, Chris is meeting with our accountant again and I'm sure soon enough we'll have a more concrete idea of what's going on. In meantime, we're just in a wait and see mode. It's not a huge deal and we're doing what we can to get it resolved ASAP.

Having said all that, I think the best part of 2018 so far (and we've only just begun!) was our chance at a little holiday. We went away for a week and hung out with family -- for FREE! I've never laughed so much over rounds of Rummy 500 or eaten apple pie that tasted so good!

We're so thankful to have been invited to a little getaway. This was the first major holiday Chris and I have had since we've been married. It felt like a little slice of heaven. So blessed.... and that helped us refocus our energies on finishing this year of debt pay off strong.

One more year; one more year and Baby Step #2 should be DONE. No more consumer debt! It's been a heck of a ride but I know we can finish it. With every curve in the road, we'll shave off another bit of that debt. Slowly, watching the numbers go down....it's such a thrill ride! The adrenaline is almost intoxicating! I highly recommend THIS type of high! Ha! ;)  I cannot wait to get the line of credit under $5,000. I'm going to do the goofy Elaine dance when that happens! We're so close! Just a few more months away from that marker, I think.

We had a goal to be done by my 40th birthday. That may not happen since I now have the dental debt for my implant, but we can still finish by December 1st -- if not before. We keep finding little ways to shave off the debt just a bit more here or there that we didn't see at the beginning of the month and every dollar we put towards our last two debts is a huge step in progress.

I only hope you guys are taking some baby steps of your own. I want to see everyone succeed in this fight against consumer debt so badly! Oh, it's like a new lease on life when you finally get it! Let me know how it's going and if there are any wins to celebrate in your life! God bless you all!

Resistant Spouses

Budgeting is hard work and it can be even harder if you have a partner that isn't willing or wanting to participate in those talks about money matters. It's never easy to make a big change, like budgeting or paying off debt, if you're trying to do it alone or if you feel like you're dragging your spouse along behind you like a reluctant teenager while you're trying to stay chipper about it all.

I remember when I first read Dave Ramsey's book "Total Money Makeover" there was a burning in my heart to follow his plan. I knew I had found the template for our financial present and future. I was hooked! I was inspired! Chris, on the other hand, just thought I was going through a phase, a crazy phase and quickly all this enthusiasm for paying off debt would fade away.

For the first 2.5 months or so he reluctantly listened to me talk about what Dave Ramsey says... I'm sure there were moments he was ready to throttle me. I was blessed though, I continued to pursue our dream and Chris, thankfully, got the fever, too. Ever since then Chris has been hooked on this journey were are on just as much as I am -- sometimes he's even more enthusiastic than I am. It's amazing the turn he's taken!

Unfortunately, that's not always the case with so many marriages out there though. There are wives who contact me who ask me how I did it. How I "persuaded" Chris to join me on this journey of debt pay off. I really don't have those answers, but thankfully a wonderful You Tuber and blogger, Brittany, whom I admire posted a video on this very subject! 11 Tips to Instantly Increase Your Success When Talking About Money With Your Spouse

I encourage you to watch it and perhaps see if you're spouse is willing to watch it with you. Working together to budget is such an important part of every marriage. I don't think our household would be as successful in our debt pay off journey if Chris and I didn't do this together. We lift each other up and encourage one another and this has been such a huge help when one of us feels like we're struggling a bit.

Also, if you need to talk I'm always here to listen. Sometimes, just having a friend pray with you, listen to your concerns can be enough. :)

Love you all, and know that you're not on this journey alone. We will all become debt-free and have a more financially sound future. The journey is not over. Keep enduring to the end!