~Our Disney World Plan~

We decided back in August that we would take a trip rather than exchanging gifts this Christmas. We have all been excited for months about our trip to Disney World! I have been getting very creative with ways to save for this trip. My goal was to not use any of our savings money, but to 100% pay for this vacation with the extra money that I've been earning. I was inspired to do this by my friend, Christy, that I wrote about HERE. That was a CHALLENGE! Whew!

What I've learned through it all?
If you want something bad enough, write it down! I posted a Disney World Savings Fund sheet on my pantry door for us to look at everyday. I put down every dollar (even cent) that we save. On that same sheet I wrote the breakdown of exactly how much everything would cost. Of course, the food category was not exact. However, we had a very close idea of what it would cost.

This process did not seem like such a huge leap by writing it all down. It has been wonderful to see my daughter bring me pennies that she has found. She has loved contributing to the fund. That was my goal! I wanted her to feel like she was part of us getting there too. I believe that she will have a great appreciation for something that she knows that we worked together as a family for. Yes, I realize she is young. However, this is a great lesson at any age.

It is never too early to start teaching your children the value of money and teamwork...Two things that they will need great knowledge of the rest of their lives.

In this series I will be writing about ways that I saved the money for Disney World and how we saved money once we were there. Literally, we saved HUNDREDS by doing a few simple things!

Wednesday Blessings~
SHO

~The Fast is in Full Force!~

Wow, 2012 is here! Is everyone making goals for the year? Have you kept them thus far? I sure hope so. Setting goals and hitting them is such a fantastic feeling!

My hunky hubs and I are on day #4 of a fast. This year we are fasting more than we ever have. It is tough, but wonderful at the same time. We have cut out television, sugar, caffeine, red meat, processed foods, eating out, etc. Basically, we are only eating what grows from the earth (fruit, veggies, whole grains, beans, etc). Which cuts out pretty much everything that we enjoy!

Why do a fast?
We have been doing a January fast for years now. We believe it is the best way to start off a new year. We believe that cleansing our bodies, minds & souls will bring us closer to God. Trust me, it works! Sometimes I wish we fasted all the time. It is so peaceful to spend time in God's word and to not have the interruptions of life. Sadly, you realize how out of alignment your life really was when you do a fast.

Benefits of a fast?
For us it is to feel closer and to hear from God. Just yesterday I got a word "DISCIPLINE" after praying specifically for a situation. It takes discipline in all areas of our life to succeed. We must be disciplined to stay on budget, keep our goals, to not be obese, you get my point. Everything comes down to discipline. So, yes this is one of my "words for the year".

Okay, I'm fully aware this post may be strange for some of you to read. It was not at all what I had intended to write today! Oh well. Just rolling with it in 2012 ;)

Coming up this week...my goals for 2012! Get ready, they are ambitious!

Happy Wednesday!
SHO

~Happy 2012!~

Happy 2012!

2011 has been a strange year. I can't really put my finger on exactly why, but it has been different than the past. 2011 was full of extreme highs and some extreme lows. It didn't seem like there were many days that were just normal. Don't get me wrong, I was loving the extreme highs. However, the lows were just that...LOW.

Honestly, I try my best to stay positive and to treat others the way in which I would like to be treated. However, it just didn't always work out that way.

This year has also been the busiest of my life. I have felt like I have been running (sprinting) trying to catch up with my life and I'm always one step behind. Do you feel like that?

I do my best to prepare, plan and create a nice home. However, I've had to loosen up a bit to stay sane this year. I've had to become okay with a little clutter and to be okay with things not in their place. I don't want to miss out on my life because I was so hung up on the need to not have dust on the furnishings. This has been a struggle for me.

We started a fast on January 1st and I am really going to try to re-calibrate my life during these 21 days. I need to re-evaluate and prioritize things. I'm believing that 2012 is going to be a fabulous year!

I pray health, healing, increase and abundant blessings for you and your family. Thank you for being a loyal reader. I pray that you take away something from this blog each time you read. I pray that I'm providing you with a way to save money that you may not have tried before.

Happy New Year!
SHO

~Goals!~

Goals...

Never before in life did I really set specific goals. Sure, I wanted to lose 5 lbs my entire life (who doesn't). However, I never set a goal on paper and did anything about it. UNTIL, I became a mom and got serious about things! I knew that we needed a plan and FAST in order for me to quit my full-time job and stay home with my miracle baby girl.
I was at the point that I was willing to sacrifice most anything in order for that to happen. In my case that meant selling my "dream home" and making some major life changes. Let me just say that I don't regret a second of those choices. After all, life really is all about "choices"...Isn't it?
Was it hard? Well, at times it has been. However, I would not ever give up a moment that I've had with my daughter. Stuff is just stuff. Fads will fade, but time won't stand still.

I encourage to not be afraid to set goals and get a plan of action for your financial life. You can do it, I promise!

Happy Wednesday!
SHO

~3 Principles We Live By~

Hello Sassy Savers!

Hope everyone is having a great Friday! Boy, has this been a crazy busy week. All of my freezer cooking meals paid off big time this week. I didn't spend more than 20 minutes on any meal and we ate at home. I've found that if I have something that I can whip up in around 20-30 minutes, we will eat at home. After all, it takes about that long to go get takeout. Plus, you have to spend your precious money on fuel. No fun! Anytime we eat at home my hunky hubs calls it a "prepaid meal". In our house those meals are wonderful! Especially, since we are saving for Disney World!!!


Part of the reason that I started this blog was to encourage people. I'm asked all the time how we live off a teacher's salary. People are beyond curious. My answer is that we don't just "live", but we live in the "overflow blessings". Honestly, we live better now than we did with 2 full-time salaries. Part of the reason is that I'm not constantly worrying about money. Now that we live on such a strict budget, I know where the money is going. It is amazing the peace that I have felt since living on a written budget (of course, sticking to it is key).


3 principles we live by:

1) We are good stewards with our money (started using coupons). Started to think and plan ahead before every purchase. We were amazed at what we can talk ourselves out of! (Example: BMW 3 series...yes, it is my dream car...yes, we test drove several of them...yes, we put in offers...THEN we came back to a normal state of mind and decided that we have other goals that come before us driving a pretty BMW. After all, it will be even prettier when we get it AFTER we pay CASH for our home!)

2) We live within a budget. A very detailed budget is key for us! I keep track of where every dollar goes each month on a spreadsheet. That has really kept us on track. We have a game plan every month to make sure that we stay focused and are able to hit our savings goal.

3) Most importantly we HONOR GOD with our TITHE. We believe that God blesses the 90% that we keep and multiplies it. We have seen it in our finances!
Another thing is giving to those in need. I encourage you to pray and see if God is leading you to help someone. I promise, it is the BEST feeling knowing that you are truly helping someone in need. You will be so rewarded.


When we started combining those 3 things we were amazed at how God truly blessed us.
I want to encourage you today that whatever your financial situation is, you can start making changes today. You can get out of debt. You can live in the "overflow blessings". You can leave your children a legacy of financial freedom! Get excited! Change can be a wonderful thing. Change is uncomfortable, but so is living with debt looming over your head. Look forward to the finish line and never lose sight of your goals!

Be Blessed~
SHO

~Menu Wednesday + Meal Prices!~

Summer is almost here! Well, it already feels like it is here outside. We enjoyed a nice & relaxing Memorial Day weekend. I got together with my cute Coach and planned our menu. It is so nice when he helps with the menu. I know he is going to be excited about what I'm making each night! The goal this week is to not go to the grocery store at all and to not eat out until Saturday.

I'm going to show you how much (roughly) each meal cost to make. This will make you rethink eating out when you see just how inexpensive eating at home can be!

Chicken, baked potatoes, fresh green beans & yeast rolls = Less than $3
Grilled burgers, grilled corn on the cob (.75) & beans (.49)= Less than $3
Chicken, noodles & broccoli = Less than $2
Baked Ziti, spinach salad & yeast rolls = Less than $3
Nachos (used leftover chicken & fajita meat)= Less than $2

As you can see, we will be eating a variety of food and never spent more than $3 per meal for a family of 3. We even had several leftovers! The baked ziti makes enough for 2 full meals for us.
Do you ever figure out how much each meal costs to make? Try it, you will be inspired to cook more often...I promise!


Wednesday Blessings~
SHO

~Getting Excited About the New Year!~

Hope everyone had a blessed Christmas! We sure did. We have had company on and off for a week. We spent Christmas day at home by ourselves. It was peaceful and relaxing. We curled up on the sofa and watched Christmas movies, ate a nice meal and had a Happy Birthday Jesus party! It was a great day!


Previously, I would put my Christmas tree up on October 31st. This year we were so busy and it didn't happen until mid November. Today I looked around and all I saw was clutter. Clutter sort of makes me crazy! So, we took down all of the Christmas decor, cleaned, re-arranged furniture, changed out the wreath and everything. It feels so good to have my house back :) I love Christmas decor, but when the holiday is over, I'm ready to put it up!


I've never put my tree up so late or taken it down so early. Felt like I needed a change. Anyone else feeling that way right now? We have such big hopes and dreams for 2011 and I'm just excited to get it started! We are making changes in our home, our activities, our schedules, our diets, our workouts and our attitudes. 2011 is going to be a year of change. I'm ready to dream new dreams, set new goals and achieve great things. I'm ready to see what God has in store for me!

I hope that you all are setting goals, making changes and getting excited along with me! My hunky hubs and I will be celebrating 10 years of marriage in 2011 also! We are already island dreaming :)
2011 is going to be great!

Monday Blessings~
SHO