The Baby Steps to our Better Future

"Live like no one else now so later you can live like no one else." -Dave Ramsey

This is one of my favorite quotes when it comes to money!  It is so so accurate.   

Money.. many find it extremely hard to talk about it. But if it's an issue at all in your relationship or family then you need to talk about it that much more!!

I do need to preface this post with our money background.  David and I were both extremely blessed by being raised by money conscious, money smart, frugal, and caring parents.  Caring?  Well yeah, as in they were tight.. but we always had a roof over our heads, we always had clothes that fit, and we never went without a NEED.  Now don't get me wrong.. we went WITHOUT.  Trust me. 

I can remember many days, especially Saturdays after 4:30 mass begging mom and dad to go out to dinner- and the answer always being no.  And when I was younger it ended with me in tears.. I just didn't understand.  It wasn't fair!  I have many memories of my parents saying "No".  Whether it was the electric barbie car that we begged for, the new clothes we'd whine for, or the Europe trip that got cancelled due to my dad's being laid off-- we went without.  My parents are a great example of Dave Ramsey's quote.  And I can see that now (my nephew, got an electric SUV for Christmas... talk about not fair! :) ) 

Things didn't change in our household as I went up through school- they got even tougher on me when it came to money.  I was blessed enough to get a truck to drive passed from my uncle to my grandparents and then to me.. but the kicker was- I paid for gas, insurance, and anything else car related.  I also started paying for my cellphone bill in high school. And if I went over my minutes (can you believe that, minutes!) in junior high then I had to pay up to my parents.  I paid for homecoming and prom dresses, movies with friends, graduation announcements and senior pictures.  Talk about learning how to budget and pinch pennies early.  It wasn't all fun then but I am now so thankful for my parents "training" me for the real world.  

Now I know we can't help how our parents "money raise" us so let me get off my tangent.  So when Dave and I got married- we were one, and our finances became one.  We received a "wedding gift" the fall of our first year of marriage from my parents. It was to attend financial peace university at a neighborhood church.  "Gee, thanks guys!  You really shouldn't have".  But we're so glad they did!

https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/tired-of-keeping-up-with-the-joneses

So we attended the class- boy do I have stories about some that were in the class with us.  But again.. that's another rabbit hole.  Dave Ramsey's class can start you from scratch (like many in our class) or can guide those like David and I who have finances a solid financial background.  First, I'd recommend checking out his website or checking out the class. It is God based.. so there is a lesson on tithing.. but whether that's for you or not- the rest is applicable to all! If not, check out his 7 baby steps at least. 

• Baby Step 1 – $1,000 to start an Emergency Fund
• Baby Step 2 – Pay off all debt using the Debt Snowball
• Baby Step 3 – 3 to 6 months of expenses in savings
• Baby Step 4 – Invest 15% of household income into Roth IRAs and pre-tax retirement
• Baby Step 5 – College funding for children
• Baby Step 6 – Pay off home early
• Baby Step 7 – Build wealth and give!

We all think no way will we have an emergency-- think again!  And especially if you're a homeowner.. it's always one crisis after another.  If you've already got that $1.000 untouchable emergency fund-- YAY!

Step 2- IS HUGE!!! And we will be completing our debt snowball this DECEMBER and we couldn't be more excited!! If anything check out his info on debt snowball!  When we first got married we had- 2 federal loans, a loan to david's dad, a loan to my dad, (yes we did those to ourselves.. because we chose expensive Otterbein, but without it, we wouldn't have met) his car payment, a hot tub payment, and soon after a house payment. That may seem small or big depending on who you are. Thankfully we were blessed to not have any credit card debt ever.  

We are not perfect "Dave Ramsey examples". He advocates for cash envelopes.  We tried it it a couple years ago right after completing the class but carrying cash was not realistic for us and we love that we get our 5, 3, and 1 % cash back on our Mastercard.  He also advocates for only purchasing things you can actually BUY. We couldn't really buy either of our cars outright.. but we did get the shortest loan time and we overpay every single month.  And mine was paid off in less than a year.  

We just refinanced our 4 bedroom house last week after being in it less than 3 years  to move to a better interest rate and to switch to a 15 year loan.  Our goal is when we move again one day, we want to have it paid off!  (talk about a large chunk for our next down payment) P.S. --> go for it, buy the house instead of rent!  It's just a better financial choice. 

So how did we do it..? Just after 3 years will we be "debt free" (minus our mortgage) and we're darn proud of it being only 25 and 26 years old.  And this year, I landed a position in my dream district so I went from full time to part time teaching... so things got even more serious when it came to budgeting. 

• We have a budget meeting every month.  We sit down, talk about the last month, calendar and identify where the bulk of our money will be going in the upcoming month.  We PINCH!  We use coupons all the time.  We use gift cards with coupons. We split meals when we go out (helps wallet and waist size!)  If I'm drinking a peppermint hot chocolate- I'd bet you our savings account that it was paid for with a gift card.  
• We go where the DEALS are.  If we ever see a movie- it's on $5 night.  If we go out, we aim for happy hour.  We now only go to our secret Mexican place with $8.99 margarita pitchers instead of the big chains, we take the surveys on the bottom of receipts to earn free things or discounts on our next visit
• We have a white board on the fridge that gets updated daily (if not, we do it on Sunday nights when my alarm goes off at 8pm)  Check out our white board- these are the things that waiver.  Our electric bill, phone bill, water bill, and mortgage payments are pretty static so they're not on the white board. 
  
• We have INDIVIDUAL money and can't say anything about the others' money.  I just bought a new pair of shoes. (I have a shoe problem)  But David can't say anything about it if I'm within my $100.  If he goes golfing.. it comes out of his money.  If I get my nails done.. it comes out of my money for the month.  There is no "gray" area in our budget.  It used to be $50 a month until recently and let me tell you, that was hard! If I want to save up for something big then I can do that by accumulating money from various months. 
• We meal calendar weekly to know exactly what we're going to eat throughout the week.  This means we don't just aimlessly grocery shop and we can download coupons for things we are buying.  
• We are on a zero based budget (check out the website for more specifics) but this is a life saver!  David made it on excel and we keep it on the fridge so it's easy to update as we spend. 

As many are still in the mood for making 2018 better- I challenge you to learn, dig deeper, have the conversations with your loved ones, and get started.  It's amazing how big your smile is when you get the notification that something is PAID OFF or that you have 5 figures in your savings account!

Check out my next post for our top EASY ways to save money and stop overspending!

Check out the class that led us to success:

Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and you can take it online as well and have access to materials throughout your financial journey! And I'd be happy to advise you in any way I can! 

leave the "eh", the debt, the stress, and the fights behind and find peace in your finances!

hugs, abi 

HELLO fresh!

Of course it's reasonable to be skeptical of fresh food getting dropped off, in perfect baggies, ready to go, with an easy and simple recipe. Sounds too perfect, right!?

I would absolutely recommend 'Hello Fresh'.  I was really unsure but I figured.. might as well give it a try!  (you can cancel your subscription at anytime or you can skip weeks super easily) If you're in for a try.. use my promo code at the end of this post to get $40 off your first order!  (which is 2 nights of meals for two FOR FREE!)

So what did it look like?  This awesome package showed up at my door the day I chose. 

And yes, the meat was still cold and they were divided into each meal and each recipe had its own card.   

  

So the first meal we went for was the toasted rice and shrimp bowl. 

 First of all.. I'm obsessed with the packaging and the recipe cards!  You can bet I'm keeping every single recipe card to use again. And when you open the box.. there are all your ingredients- just smiling at you! 

So we got to cooking!  Following the recipe card step by step. The instructions are clear, the pictures are exactly what ours looked like, and the ingredients were clearly labelled. 

   

oh!  And a margarita is always a plus when cooking and went great with this recipe.  

  

These are some photos from the steps throughout the recipe.  The kitchen smelled amazing and cooking with someone else is always fun! 

This is the end product and let me tell you- it was awesome!  (and remember, I'm a picky eater, very picky eater!)  And did I mention this recipe is ONLY 550 calories a serving (which is plenty, we were both full) 

So what's so great... you could make this on your own right?  Yes.  But let me tell you avoiding the grocery line, not ending up with extra of the "random ingredients" needed for a recipe, actually coming up with a recipe, and coming up with one that's actually good for you--- forget all of that!  Hello Fresh takes care of all those things for you!  It's a no brainer!  If you have the budget where you could do it every week.. go for it!  If not, you can skip weeks as you wish with one simple click!  For me and Dave spring is just absolutely crazy with both of us coaching so this is a great answer for us!  And remember you can cancel at any time. 

But wait... you have kids (possibly picky eaters) or you're a vegetarian!  No excuses!  They have a classic plan, family plan, and veggie plan. 

Interested in giving it a try?!  Click here to receive $40 off! with my personal code. 

Plexus- Slim

Plexus Slim... maybe you've heard of it.  Or even heard of it as the "Pink Drink!" 

If you find yourself reaching for multiple cups of coffee, Mountain Dew, or you always hit that 2:00 or 9 pm craving or crash.. this might just be for you!

Let me tell you.. at first I was so hesitant to try Slim.  Being a powder that was supposed to taste "great" in just water, I was extremely skeptical.  Having been someone that used Shakeology and had a miserable experience trying to force it down, I was afraid that would be the same in this case.  But wrong I was!  Slim tastes GREAT!  And I mean, great.  Like you're drinking the best pink juice you could ever find!  I actually look forward to drinking it in the morning.

As for benefits.. I noticed my cravings at 10 am were no longer.  I wasn't rummaging in the cabinet at work for a snack.  The pink drink cuts cravings and I found myself when reaching for a snack going for a healthier option.  

With the pink drink there's no need for those 3 cups of coffee and getting your caffeine fix.  I felt energized from the moment I took my first sip each morning!  And with a 20 minute drive.. it was easily gone before I even pulled into the work parking lot.  And no, I don't crash around 2:00 after it "wearing off".  It gave me balanced energy throughout the day and enough to continue going after work.  I'd happily hit the gym and didn't need to worry about grabbing some afternoon caffeine or feeling sluggish.  

So what's the negative?  I wouldn't really call it a negative.. just poor branding.  The name is "slim" so you'd expect it to work on weight loss.  It can be beneficial to weight loss.. but when used with other products in the Plexus line.  So if I could change anything... it'd be the branding.  It's a great product but I'm sure some consumers may be upset when they just assume based on the name and then don't see those expected results.  

So check it out if you're looking for an alternative to coffee, mountain dew, or if you're tired of the cravings, or just need to balance your blood sugar!  And feel free to contact my sister-in-law, Katrina Robinson if you're interested or have any questions about this product or any Plexus products. 

Katrina's Facebook Page       Katrina's Online Plexus Shop

leave the "eh" behind for you and your body!

hugs,

abi

Sushi Bazooka!

This thing is an absolute yes!  What is it? A sushi bazooka. And it's absolutely amazing. 

Do you need to have a high level of cooking skill?  Or be a sushi feen?  Absolutely not! Dave asked for it for Christmas and it was ordered off amazon.  (I'd check out Amazon, ebay, or Walmart)

You can really put anything in it you want.. below are the toppings we used for our first time using it.  You can get yum yum sauce at your local store if you don't want to make it! 

First cook your rice. Once done, you place it into both sides of the bazooka.  (we clearly cooked way too much rice!..see left picture) Once your rice is covering both sides you take the rod and smush the rice onto the mold.  

Then start putting your ingredients on each bed of rice.  And then close it up!  (there are three latches that will actually lock closed.  

Then you will place it over your plate, insert the rod and push out your sushi roll!

We topped ours with some yum yum sauce, soy sauce, and crunchy onions.  Mine is below (remember, I said I'm a picky eater)  

But if you're a lover of all food or a lover of sushi like my husband then the one below could be yours! 

Microderm-Amazing!

"Touch my face, touch it, it feels like heaven!" These were my exact words to Dave the last 3 weeks.  I'd just beg him to touch my face because the results of this micro-dermabrasion paste are AMAZING! I've never really been one to "treat" my face or skin.. between face masks, toner, exfoliation.. I was just too lazy.  Face wash and makeup were my go-to if anything. Well that's not the case anymore!

I could feel the difference and start to see the difference after just one use!  It's so simple too!  I'm always a skeptic of products; as humans it's in our nature.  So let me tell you, if you've been thinking about solutions to any skin issues or just want to improve what you've got going on, Rodan and Fields is for you!  My friend Jenn, has absolutely incredibly results with their products and her acne.  No ache? No sun spots or aging?  It's never too early to be preventative and everyone can use softer, even skin tone or longer lashes, am I right?!

How easy?  You simply massage the paste onto clean skin for 30-60 seconds.  Then wash it off and pat dry.  I can seriously do it in under 4 minutes!! And then you'll hear me running through the house finding Dave to touch my face.  Not only is the result amazing to touch but amazing to see.  Just after 3 or 4 times I noticed a difference in the tone of my face.  Foundation what?!  Some small, rough patches are no longer something I hide.  My face looks and feels so much better!  Forget about those masks that almost have you crying or having to keep something on for 20 minutes. 

Check it out!  Whether you're interested in the micro-dermabrasion paste or interested in another product, my friend Jenn would love to help you out.  She's extremely knowledgeable, not pushy, and has amazing results herself!  And I wouldn't trust just anyone with my face.. I've known Jenn for over 9 years.  This is us in 2008, she's second row center left and I'm right next to her.  (Everyday I'm thankful for the friendships my sports helped have!)

She'd love to help you fall back in love with your skin again!

Feel free to just check out her Rodan and Fields Website and if you're interested, she'd be happy to help you out! 

leave the "eh" behind 

hugs,

abi 

Veggetti or Spaghetti?

Carbs!  We all love them, especially a good bowl of pasta.  But who wants to give up a favorite dish to loose a couple inches!  From a girl that swam over her half her life, between the pasta parties and my own personal "carbo loading"  I was not ready to give up pasta.  Not only do I love a bowl of pasta but the great things that go with it-- bread, salad, and wine.. my favorite things!

And not only do I love pasta but I HATE veggies.. my parents tried everything and David tries everyday.. I'm the girl that eats a lot of salad, corn, and some celery with my peanut butter.  So call me a major skeptic.. but how in the world would I want to pick this over a good ol' fettucini or penne noodle? (I figured if anything, David could use the Veggetti when I was out of town)

Dave and I received the Veggetti for Christmas and it's probably (don't tell) one of our favorite gifts!  We use it now at least once a week and I couldn't tell you the last time I bought pasta.

Check out the Veggett pro infomercial- Veggetti Ad Not the best commercial I've ever seen but they make their point.


Ignore the chicken, the messy kitchen, and my attire.  We've been using zucchini squash.. depending on how hungry we are we either use 2 or 3 to put through the Veggetti and we don't have to feel guilty about it!  You just cut off the ends, insert the handle into the end and start turning it once it's on the blade.

What's even better.. the "yuck" stuff (whatever it is) just simply comes out the left side, separated from your veggie noodles.

Once you have your pile of noodles, simply add them to boiling water.  4 minutes seems to be the trick for us.  Anything more and they get a bit soggy.  While the noodles are in the boiling water you can be sure to have your sauce ready, or cut up chicken and any other ingredients.  Of course you can cut more "bad" things if you make your own sauce!  Once 4 minutes is up, drain your Veggetti and go from there.  We choose to put it back in the pot and add our sauce and protein into the pot to heat those up and give it some time to thicken.

So we tried it.. and let me tell you... I LOVE IT!  Who knew cutting over 500 calories, cutting a bit of carbs, and adding veggies to your lifestyle was so easy!  I choose this over pasta every week now.  (And remember major veggie hater over here)  You really don't need to get the pro.. we love this little thing since it's easy to store.  And either way you go, don't forget to snag a Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupon for 20% off and go get your Veggetti! Don't forget to sprinkle some fresh Parmesan on top!

So according to abi- the Veggetti is "Must Have"!