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Today is the final day for us to have everything in.  It was a life learning experience.  For us it was more of an emotional journey, than a financial one. We were at the end of or rope when God answered our prayers.  My cousin Jamie was the one who told me days before the entrance deadline, that this contest was looking for its contestants.  I was so exited when we were chosen, and we knew this would be the beginning of the last day of our struggles.  Well,,, we may still struggle, but it Will not be because of lack of knowledge or effort.  I can not thank Heather enough.  She is the most honest, and supportive financial adviser ever.  I plan on continuing seeking advice from her.  Her and I have plans after the contest to further decrease financial bindings.  We will be looking to refinance our house, or what ever we can do to hopefully save it from the bank, and we will be working on Jess's and my student loans.  We have already began trying to figure out ways to lower our car payment, and hopefully that will happen here shortly.  I must say, I have never been so excited to see my new credit score, until now.  I am thankful that Heather will still be my financial shoulder to lean on, even after this contest.  I will miss Jane.  She has a great personality, and made us feel so at ease.  On camera she is the Anchor for krem2, but in person she is a down to earth, jokingly cool, beautiful person.  I must say as well, I never met a camera man I did not like.  They were all great, funny, and kind.  I instantly felt a friendship with all of the krem family.   I also want to thank Cynthia Pace, and whoever else helped her choose the contestants.  I sent tons of emails anxiously awaiting United Health Service Credit Unions decisions in choosing the contestants.  I am glad she helped pick our family, and will forever be grateful to her and her aiding staff.  I can not explain how much I enjoy being frugal, and I believe I will only continue to mature in my saving and financial ways.  After this contest, we will still be living the same.  If we win, we will not be able to spend the 5,000, but it will be used to help us pay or mortgage for a year.  It just so happens that the amount will be able to last a year if we pull the same amount from it every month.  No matter what happens, I am grateful.  This contest has helped me become a stronger person.  I find more creative ways to survive, and have fun.  My words can not express how much this opportunity has meant for us.  To us, this really was not a contest, it was more of a gift.  We will still be living pay check to pay check, but I have money in savings for emergencies, and we are not behind.  Just being able to be on top of situations is a relief.  I hope the next family is blessed like ours was.  I hope they too, have much to gain, and find the life changing experience we found.  Thanks to all that supported us, Thanks to our church Family Worship Center that prayed for us, God for loving and blessing us, Parents that supported us, Heather that guided us and listened to my issues, Jane for just being a wonderful Anchor, and the people that watched and read our stuff.  My heart goes out to the ones that are struggling, and I want to make it my goal to reach out any way I can, and help others that are at the end of their ropes.  We are so grateful, and I am confident this contest was not wasted, we will use all the tools we learned and continue our journey to become a more successfully debt free, financially healthy family.

Thanks the Sifford Family..
 
Here are my web sites for coupons and savings I used, hope they are useful to others.
 
GROUPON
http://www.groupon.com/spokane-coeur-dalene/?utm_campaign=UserReferral&utm_medium=affiliate_link&utm_source=uu8332840
 
KRAZY COUPN LADY
http://thekrazycouponlady.com/

SHOP AT HOME

http://www.shopathome.com/discounts_and_coupons/default-brand.aspx?refer=76025&src=SEPDSE&vendor=google&Distribution=Search&keyword=shop%20at%20home&MatchType=Exact&AdId=4059270711&placement=&gclid=COuZq9i0yaUCFRhCgwod2BlOZw

Down to the punch line, and I am excited. We have been figuring things out, and cutting back on a lot of things. I hope that what I have learned from this can pass to the kids. Since this all started my daughter Brianna has saved up $63. She is paying for her own things, and learning that if she spends all her money, there will be none left. Dillon, my son, has a natural obsession with finding money and wanting to put it into his piggy bank. He also loves to count his money over and over again. I will drive all my knowledge into their brains. I will strive to make sure they don't make the mistakes we as parents have made. I hope that we can also teach them that money does not buy happiness; being a family and doing stuff does. I noticed on Sunday when we went to church at Family Worship Center in Hayden, that they may be doing some financial guidance stuff. I would love to get involved in that. I want to take my experience and pass it on to others. I would love to lend a hand, and share so that I may help a family in trouble, like this contest helped us.

Today we took the kids sledding, and then we came home and built snowmen and igloos.  Except for the gas, it was free.  We did however eat out, but bought off of the dollar menu and shared drinks.  When we go out, we have found that not ordering drinks, and just drinking water save between $5 and $10 depending on the place.  That is one tip we learned early on.  At fast food, we order one meal, go big, and split it.  That’s another way to save.  I did my black Friday shopping, and spent half on almost everything I bought.  It was great, the store let us begin early, and there was no line or crowding.  Super excited, cant wait to find out how we did.

I love the winter, almost as much as I love the summer.  Just like summer, we are finding family fun things to do for cheap or free.  There are several local places. Two that I know of are "cherry hill" in Coeur d’Alene and a certain street in Worley  where families can sled for free.  I am a chicken, but I love to watch my kids and husband.  Sledding is fairly cheap, and free if you already have equipment.  I believe the most expensive basic sledding gear is $10 and can drop all the way down to $1.  After sledding, going home and making hot cocoa is about .10 cents a pack.  Snowball fights are free, and so is building snowmen.  My son and I built a mini snowman yesterday.  This year I would like to ice fish, which is cheap to do.  Licenses are about 25 for the year I think, and tackle is cheap depending on where you go.  The huts are not so cheap, but I may find one to borrow or buy used.  Putting up decorations is a fun family tradition, and driving around looking at lights is a day get-together,  This costs gas so mapping out a plan is good.  There are many parades that we go to, and we can walk around the Coeur d Alene resort and check out all the Christmas stuff from the shore.  Right now we have not got to do much of this because Hunting season is here, and any one that hunts knows hunting season comes first...LOL...  I call it " the time when husbands disappear." Still the meat from it saves us money and makes up for the cost of a tag.  This is also our prime time to receive taxidermy work.  We just have so much to do in the winter, and so much fun.  Last year I was a little sad about the snow situation.  It’s a fun change that I didn't get to welcome, and even my kids were bummed.  This year I want to get the family involved in more free things to enjoy.  I would like us to volunteer at local shelters or anywhere, and I want to Christmas carol.  I think caroling would be so much fun for us to do.  Another great free thing to do is getting involved in our local church " Family Worship Center," in Hayden.  Most local churches have a list of activities to get involved in during this time of the year.  Plays, projects, and my desired caroling can be found in many church agendas.  Since it is God who has helped and looked after us,  I would like to dedicate more of my time to his cause after this contest.  I understand the church ideas may not be for all, but the other ones are cheap or free as well.  I am so excited about the opportunities the snow brings, for the economy and for the family.

A quick not for thanksgiving.  Hopefully this gets posted before the big Turkey day.  I wish all a good day, and for all that have been following us, I hope your holiday is filled with frugaleness and love.  I also want to encourage people to donate to Toms Turkey Drive, or any food donation.  At a time when money is tight, every little bit helps for those that cant afford food.  For years we have been donating, and that's one expense worth paying.  I hope people get there 5 dollar turkeys from Albertsons or Safeway before Wed... and Now is the time to stock up  on baking items.  Huge sales are going on for flour, sugar, canned goods and other baking items.  Gearing up for Black Friday.. I don't want to spend but i know the presents I have to buy will be cheapest new on black Friday.  Have a Safe shopping trip. 

When I was a little girl till even now, I grew up watching "Roseanne."  I find my self more and more like that show everyday.  Sometimes I feel like a certain episode, even more so now that im in this contest.  There was one show where Roseanne was teaching the High School Girls how to bargain shop at the market.  During this she utterly embarrassed One of her girls, and slipped out a secret that the cereal they all had been eating, out of the name brand box, was indeed not name brand.  Roseanne was re-using the box and filling it with the off brand cereal.  I believe the daughter was Darleen, and she was mad and ashamed.  When I first watched that episode i was much younger and I remember thinking," how embarrassing I would never let my parents pull that off."  LOL, now I am that parent.  Luckily, my children are still young enough that name brand has not affected them, and my bargain shopping still goes unnoticed but the day will come.  My parents use to tell me, " one day GILLIAN, you will have to buy your own groceries, and then you will understand!"  All I have to say to that  phrase that still haunts my brain is,,, AMEN!!!  I just wish I would have realized it before we got into debt, or maybe i knew better all along, i just wanted to fit in.  I didn't want to be less, or made fun off.  Even as an Adult, I wanted to have better things, and expensive things. I know that  Humiliation is a big part of being frugal.  I feel embarrassed when I am holding up a line at the market with all my coupons and add matches.  One day, I know my kids will NOT want to shop with me, and may even dislike me for my frugality, or try and hide it from their friends.  I know their friends will make fun of me because my friends made fun of my dad, the voice in my head.  My dad was so humiliating, that I would hang my head.  My dad used to walk up and down the middle divider on highway 101, wearing an orange vest from his county road maintenance job, picking up aluminum cans and Marlboro miles that people throw out of their cars.  He would collect anything he could to help us get by.  He would walk miles and miles everyday collecting others trash, pull over on the road for a quarter, and save a buck wherever her could.  People I knew, friends driving that highway would say all the time..." ha ha gill, I saw your dad today picking up trash, walking." or my girlfriends would tell me things like, " Your dad is so cheap'"  He did everything he could to save or gather money.  He turned cans in for money, ordered Marlboro items for free, and he never let on that he cared what others thought.  I wish I would have learned from his behavior rather than shying away from it because I couldn't stand others jokes.  That is frugal braveness that I want to have one day.  It is not emotional easy to be this way.  But life is so much better when I live through humility.  Righting every week about my problems is just as Humbling and humiliating.  Still I do it, because I have figured out that through my embarrassment, I can better my life and others.  The other day some one asked me about my competition, and I felt shy and kind of  humiliated.  I didn't think that particular person would watch krem at 6, but then i shook off my emotions and found out that they are truly interested in what I had to say.  It has taken allot to put aside my inhibitions and do this.  I Knew everyone who who knew me would judge how much weight I gained when they saw me on tv.  I knew my life would be an open book and some would figure out what a financial screw up I was, the one that made her family homeless for awhile, and I knew when I started doing coupons that people would whisper about me in line.  Still, I would not trade any of this for the world.  I am glad that I have to face my insecurities, because when you have to face things for what they are, you cant run from them.  I hope to one day be like my Dad.  The master of frugalness, a money pinching, trash collecting, pull over on the side of the road for a quarter, no credit card, savings account, buy cheap kind of guy, who never let the world interrupt what was right,,, his unappreciated efforts and striving to provide for his family.    

Here we are nearing the end of the competition I just can not believe how much our lives have changed and of course in a very positive way.  The things that we did before this contest started now seem so foolish and expensive.  All the things that we used to do on a very regular basis like eating out became normal and now are a really nice treat when we do it.  Not going out for dinner has not only saved us money but also created more family conversation time at home around the dinner table (which is not always possible in certain restaurant environments) and we tend to enjoy it more now that it is not the norm.  If only I knew just how much money we wasted by going out to eat all the time, no I really don’t want to know it would probably make me sick. 

Before this contest if you were to tell me I didn’t need some certain things I would argue that fact.  I thought we had to have cable TV shoot we haven’t had it in about 5 months and I tell you what I don’t even really miss it.  Another one is movies, we used to go out to the movies and rent movies quite often.  We still go to the theatre on occasions and rent movies but we are a lot smarter and frugal about it.  We now rent movies from Red Box which is only $1 a day and when we go to the theatre Gill always has coupons and free popcorn or beverage tickets so it really isn’t such a huge ding in the pocket book (man she is awesome).  I can tell you one thing; all of the things that we have cut or sacrificed have only brought my family closer and stronger.  We are better now than we have ever been financially and emotionally it is such a great feeling. 

I had a busy week.  My coupon knowledge is advancing.  I am not only price matching at walmart, i am also starting to do the coupons, Catalina's, and price match all together thing.  The other day I found a great deal at Albertsons.  I bought over a hundred dollars worth of groceries for 80 dollars and got two movie tickets plus 10$ for popcorn and pop.  I used the adds, plus I used manufacturer coupons, and together they kicked out a bonus from the Catalina machine.  I belong to several coupon websites where I download many coupons that can be used on top of the store deals.  I also belong to sites like the Coupon Lady, where they not only find coupons but give advice.  Coupons and deals are my thing, and I never buy name brand unless it is cheaper.  Believe it or not, with a little work name brand usually wins.  I research and find tons of deals.  Another place I get my deals is at groupon, and Zbest.  I just scored my mom 500 dollars worth of spa treatment for only 100$ off of groupon.  It feels so good when I find other people deals on what they want.  Since the beginning of this competition, I also make my food from scratch, and my cleaners from scratch.  I have the best recipes for taking out stains, and making caked on oven food effortless to remove.  I pay no more than $3 every three months on making cleaners with basic house hold items.  I know none of this has ever been explained on tv, but I can still blog about the ways I save.  I have found that being a stay at home mom, I have become crafty when it comes to saving.  I’m sure tons of people all over find ways as well, but living on one income and paying out over $380 in child support makes it even more imperative to become thrifty.  Other than being an almost professional coupon and add-matcher lady (lol), and a proficient cleaner maker, I have also become a thrifty money pinching mom.  I am the embarrassing mom that saves anything free or extra.  We just had a party at Raptor Reef and I made sure that they gave us all the gift bags, even if it was for an adult.  I have six extra gift bags that I now can give away at my next Birthday Party.  I re-used decorations, and made the cake from scratch.  I also made sure to save and salvage any extra material like bags, and paper.  I am set for a long time.  Another example… like my competitor (Wendy), we have also been working on our car. Although both of our cars may as well be lemons, we still have saved tons by changing our own brakes, and fixing other things ourselves.  Saving money is not something I just do, it is a job.   Saving is time consuming but worth the financial savings.  I think though, where it matters most is when we don’t buy unless we need.  I am so proud that we have learned to live without, and I think that is the lesson I really want to gain.

Wow has it really been 5 months already?  It has gone so fast its not even funny.  Well Elk hunting season is over and no elk meat is in the freezer darn it anyway, but deer season is open and going good.  Maybe I can get a deer and put a little meat in the freezer.  So about my bad habits; I am still chewing tobacco which I really wanted to quit before the end of the challenge and my chance is almost over.  My gas station visits have slowed down considerably but still tend to buy a pop or candy when I pick up my chew.  Wow if only I could quit chewing my two bad habits would end completely.  If I didn’t have to get chew I wouldn’t buy the other junk. 
I have got to brag a little bit about my wife Gillian she is doing such an amazing job.  I think in the past month she has spent maybe $2 at a gas station and it was only because our son was hungry when she was running errands awhile back.  She does such an awesome job saving us money on our groceries.  She spends a couple hours a week to save us seriously hundreds of dollars a month. 
If you remember in my last blog I was struggling with the amount of overtime I was working for this challenge, well I have scaled it back to just a straight 40 hours and it sure fells good.  Yea it is nice to see those big healthy paychecks coming in but it is not worth missing out on life.  I will still work a little overtime here and there but not like I was. 

As I take a step back and look at how far we have come in the past 5 months all I can say is wow!! We have paid off a $3,000 credit card paid off almost another and well I cant tell you everything else because that would spoil all the fun of staying tuned to the end.  This has been such a great challenge, but great is not the only word that comes to mind; frustrating, hard, emotional, learning, helpful but must of all rewarding.  I am forever grateful to United Health Services Credit Union and Krem 2 they have truly changed our lives.  I know have the tools to stay focused and on the right track and can someday teach my kids the same thing in hopes that they never made the same mistakes that I made to get us into this situation.  I would also like to thank everyone who has read these blogs and watched on the news and I hope you all have taken at least something away from this experience.

These last couple of weeks have been stressful.  We are scrounging to work overtime and sell things for the contest.  I am also budgeting for a birthday party, and Christmas.  Another hard hit, is we have to move back into our house.  Our renters have decided to buy somewhere else.  This will set us back about $350 a month.  It is a hard hit, and the rental market is different now.  There are so many homes for rent that are newer and bigger for the same price that we need.  We are trying to come up with a strategy for this upcoming life change.  I am so great-full for this competition.  I am a little worried about the future circumstance, but i know in my heart that if we fail this time it will not be because we did not try, or were irresponsible.  I am already working with Heather to continue on my financial fit journey in the future.  Here is something that most people might like to know.  If you belong to certain banks (or maybe all banks), a financial adviser is made available to you as a free service.  The benefits I get are offered by banks.  My recommendation is Heather, and my loyalty will be with her always, but nevertheless, ask your banks.  A financial Adviser can help answer questions, and move people forward in their finances.  The community that is following me and my story is reading my words to relate and find ways to better themselves.  This advantage I have, you can have to! All one has to do is just ask.  I will always utilize this gift, even after this contest.