Determined to be debt free

USE IT UP, WEAR IT OUT, MAKE IT DO OR DO WITHOUT...very wise words from yesteryear.

I am back on the frugal bandwagon after a time of falling off and hitting the ground hard. It pays to pick who you surround yourself wisely, as the Bible says in 1 Cor. 15:33 Do not be deceived:"Evil company corrupts good habits." I am determined to be totally debt free within the next three years. I would like it to be sooner, so it may not take quite as long if my motivation stays high. The two biggest things being the mortgage and the automobile payment. Here are some things I'm doing to help achieve the debt free life.....

***turned off the air conditioner since mid July. Even for Missouri,when it gets down in the 50s at night the house stays cool with just the use of fans.

***stopped using the clothes dryer. I had gotten out of this habit and just needed to get back into it. Clothes defintely last alot longer this way too.

***use cash to pay for everything other than routine bills or things that need a receipt. This was hard to get into, it's so easy to just write a check, but I hate to part with cold hard cash so it makes it easier not to spend using cash.

***make a grocery list and only shop once a week. Going to the store everyday really zapped my finances in a hurry with spontaneous spending. This makes planning ahead and being organized a very important habit.

***retraining my thinking. When I think I need something new I ask myself "Do I already have something else that will work instead?" So far I have always come up with alternatives to buying another widget,gadget or whatsit. Just this morning I was running out of clothespins (I think there is a clothespin monster lurking in the basement- ha!). I was debating on going to the store to buy more pins, but I didn't want to and I didn't think that the $3 I had in my purse would cover it. Then I remembered my mom saying she had extras. I called her up and she just so happened to have gotten them out yesterday. God is always at work paving the way. :)

I have more ideas that I will post later.