It’s that time of year again!
The weather’s getting warmer, the kids will be out of school soon (if they’re not already), and garage sales are popping up in every neighborhood.
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Free Web-Based Workout Videos
Sometimes when your life falls apart financially it falls apart in other ways too. When my life hit what seemed to be a financial brick wall, I was also at my heaviest and least healthy. Of course, part of that was because I was depressed from being unable to reach financial stability. Another part of it was being unable to afford to pay for my gym membership.
What I learned during this time was that to find the stability of any kind you’ve got to work with what you have at that moment. For me, that meant finding cheaper ways to work out and get in shape (both mentally and physically).
That was two years and 78 pounds ago. While I’ve expanded my workout routine greatly, my initial success was largely due to some of the awesome workout videos listed below.
Free Web-Based Workout Videos
Plenty of people participate in group fitness classes, like Zumba or even Spin Class, and pay an extraordinary amount of money. You don’t need to though. In fact, there are plenty of free workout videos and sites out you can utilize.
It should be noted that for most of these you’ll need internet connection and space to perform the activity. (I usually just cleared out the room in front of the TV.)
BodyRock.tv
Body Rock has a wide variety of different workouts. Some are 30-day workout plans, other may go for longer (or shorter). The site also offers challenges, HIIT workouts, and yoga. Each workout gives you step-by-step instructions on how to perform each exercise as well as video so that you can see how the exercise should flow. The best part is each of Body Rock’s workout requires no equipment so you can do them absolutely free at home.
DoYogaWithMe.com
If you love to do yoga (or want to learn how) DoYogaWithMe is a great place to start. The site offers free videos for a beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. Depending on your overall goal for the yoga session, you can pick-and-choose between a plethora of yoga videos. Many people love the site so much that they even subscribe ($10 per month) to get bonus yoga videos and other special materials. However, paying the monthly fee isn’t necessary. You’ll be able to access plenty of free videos without a subscription.
BeFit on YouTube
YouTube is another great resource for web-based workout videos like the ones mentioned above. BeFit is one of the best fitness YouTube channels out there. The channel offers various videos from different trainers. It offers videos on stretching, workouts and the channel even offers up fitness challenges from time-to-time. In addition to these videos, BeFit also posts videos about health and wellness.
HomeFitnessTV on YouTube
HomeFitnessTV is a YouTube channel hosted by Joey Atlas. Atlas shows viewers ways to get fit and workout at home. Many of his workouts include some equipment. However, many of his videos use only bodyweight or bands. This makes performing the workouts on HomeFitnessTV practically free (like the other programs mentioned above).
No matter what financial situation you may be in, it is always important to take care of your health. If you can’t afford (or make it to) the gym, find other ways to get fit. Once you are taking better care of yourself, your finances and other parts of your life will improve as well.
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Our Monthly Debt Freedom Progress Report — May 2015
Each month I bring you a recap of the previous month’s progress on paying off our debt.
This serves two purposes — to keep my husband Mike and me accountable to our financial goals and to give you a look behind the scenes of our strategy for paying off our debt.
[Read more…]
Homemade Dog Food
The Cost of Dog Food
If your dog is eating a 30-pound bag of dry food every month to two months, you’ll spend about $250 a year on dog food. Upgrade that to “holistic” dry food and you’ll be spending nearly $400 a year on dog food. Some dogs can’t eat dry food and require canned or raw frozen food. If that is the case you may spend up to $1,000 a year on dog food alone.
One way to trim down on that cost is to simply feed your pup what you are eating at home.
Homemade Dog Food
Yes! You can feed the dog table food and it is absolutely fine. In some cases, it can actually improve their health. For instance, my pup has a scrambled egg a couple times a week as a treat. This not only helps his coat come in nicely, it can also help me trim down on my overall food cost for my pup.
Similarly, after dinner, he also gets a portion of whatever meat and veggie we had (and sometimes a little potato or brown rice if he’s had no grain that day). This “extra” bit isn’t costing me anything. In fact, it is normally the leftovers that would have gotten left in the fridge for five days and tossed out anyway.
Ingredients to Avoid
If you want to make your own homemade dog food you’ll want to know what foods you should avoid. While dogs are omnivorous, meaning they enjoy meat, fruits, veggies, and grains, there are some foods we can have that they cannot. For example, grapes can be poisonous for pups. Chocolate is also a well-known no-no for dogs. Here is a list of other foods to avoid giving your pup if you’re thinking about switching to a homemade diet:
- Fats and fatty meats (this includes bacon). While bacon is delicious and your dog may even enjoy it, it is bad for them. They can actually cause pancreatitis in your dog. So, avoid feeding your dog fat from your food or bacon.
- Similarly, salty foods should be avoided as well. This is the reason popcorn and pretzels have always been on the no-no list. The salt can cause sodium ion poisoning in your dog and it can also cause excessive thirst and urination. If you’re going to make homemade dog food, be sure to separate your dog’s portion before adding salt and other seasonings.
- Skip the garlic and onions, too. Even though it will spice your meal up significantly, your pup doesn’t need the extra flavor. In dogs, onions and garlic can destroy red blood cells and, ultimately, lead to anemia.
- Dairy. Although you may slip your dog a piece of cheese here and there, you should not allow mass amounts of dairy into their diets. Many dogs are actually lactose intolerant so placing dairy into their diet can cause severe gastrointestinal issues.
- Raw meat. IF YOU WOULDN’T EAT IT, NEITHER SHOULD YOUR DOG. Don’t feed your pet raw pet. Even though their bodies are more able to process it than yours, they are still prone to E.coli and other diseases transferred through raw meat.
- Candy and some peanut butter. Many baked goods, candies and some peanut butter have an ingredient called xylitol. Xylitol causes an insane insulin surge in dogs that leads to a drop in blood sugar. If you want to share a cookie, baked treat or even peanut butter with your pooch check and make sure it is xylitol-free. (You should avoid most sugary foods with your pets.)
- Avocado. In large amounts, avocado can be poisonous to dogs. Avoid using it in any food you are preparing for them.
In addition to some of these larger mentions, you should also avoid sharing the following with your dog: uncooked yeast dough, seeds/pits from fruit, raw potato, bones, apple cores, alcohol, caffeine, and human medicine.
Start Slow
If you’re thinking about switching to a homemade dog food plan, great! It saved me a ton of money. We buy dog food every once in a while (when we go out of town and when he needs a new bag, which is not very often).
It is recommended anytime you change your dog’s diet that you start slowly. So, continue to feed your dog their dry food with some of your food (plain meat and veggies) on top. Then, each night, put a little less dry food and more of the homemade food into his/her bowl.
It should also be noted that you should not try to convert a very young or very old dog into a completely homemade diet. Many times, dogs that are not healthy adults have different dietary needs. Of course, if you have any trouble with your dog’s diet you can always reach out to your veterinarian for advice.
Have you switched your dog to a homemade dog food plan? Have you saved?
5 More Ways to Sell Your Stuff
You hosted a successful garage sale.
With only a day or two of work, you made some quick cash that you can use to pay off your debt or work toward your next financial goal.
Awesome!
But what now?
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Get Community to Get out of Debt
Everyone that has ever been on the road of becoming debt free, knows that you have to be “weird,” like Dave Ramsey says. There are a lot of sacrifices you and your family must make in order to live a frugal lifestyle so 
you can throw every penny toward your debt. We’ve all experienced that moment when [Read more…]
One Week Aldi Meal Plan
It sounds crazy but I’ve been put-off of Aldi for some time. While I know it has been PROVEN to save families money, it has been hard for me to depart with my local grocer. This isn’t because I am snobby or think I’m too good for Aldi. I’ve truly come to enjoy going to the grocery store near my house. The same people are there, they are friendly and helpful, and it’s less than a mile from my home. However, this week, I took the plunge and headed to Aldi for our weekly grocery trip.
Pros of Aldi
The number one perk of shopping at Aldi is obviously saving money. It has been reported that switching to Aldi can save shoppers up to 40% of their grocery bill, and maybe more in some cases. For instance, if you are willing to cut things from your diet or change up your weekly meal plan, you may be able to save even more by heading to Aldi instead of your traditional grocer.
Another Aldi perk is the fact that you’re minimizing your biological footprint a little bit. Aldi requires you to purchase bags or bring your own reusable bags. Oftentimes, people just put the loose food right into their car. Getting rid of bags reduces the environmental impact a bit and it also helps Aldi offer the low prices it does.
Cons of Aldi
Not everything about Aldi is great though. In some cases, Aldi may be difficult to find. The traditional grocery store is only one mile away, while Aldi is 5+ miles away. Most people find the drive to be worth it though. And, with Aldi opening new stores every year, there are likely to be new stores popping up in your area.
Additionally, it can be a bit of a pain to shop at Aldi. There are extra things you wouldn’t normally think about. Most people have a hard enough time remembering to bring their grocery shopping list, never mind your own bags and a quarter for the cart. However, if you’re going to become an Aldi regular, you can always keep these things in your car for last-minute shopping or “just in case.”
My One Week Aldi Meal Plan
Not everyone will be able to pull off a $50/week meal plan. The following items and meals are meant to feed two people for seven days.
- Eggs (12) $2.49
- Milk (we use skim) $2.79
- Bread (white loaf) $0.89
- Shredded cheese (larger bags than in the traditional grocer) $1.89
- Ground beef $6.42
- Bacon $4.19
- Fresh chicken breast $6.60
- Canned chicken breast (4) $1.69 each
- Stuffing Mix (2) $0.79 each
- Cream of chicken soup (2) $0.49 each
- Salad Mix (2) $1.99 each
- Peppers (3) $1.19 for 3
- BBQ sauce $2.19
- Seasonings (2, based on need) $1.19 each
- Sugar-Free Fudge Pops $1.49
- Coffee $2.89
Total: $48.68 before tax
Some of these items get switched out, depending on need. Next week, for example, we probably won’t need new seasonings but we will need butter. Thankfully, the prices are so low that little swaps like that barely make a difference and you’re able to manage to keep your grocery budget low (ours is about $50 per week).
Obviously having a grocery list with no planned meals is kind of useless. So, what did we make with these ingredients?
Breakfast Options (with coffee and milk):
- Eggs and bacon
- Breakfast sandwiches
- Omelette with cheese and peppers
- Eggs and toast
Lunch Options:
- Salad (we get the remade Caesar Salad kit)
- Chicken salad sandwich (you’ll need mayo, which is less than $1 at Aldi if you don’t already have some)
- Grilled cheese
- Leftovers
Dinner:
- Bacon cheeseburgers
- Shredded BBQ chicken (crockpot)
- Chicken Stuffing Casserole
- Meatloaf
With this meal plan, you will have some repeat meals. For instance, we ate all of our dinners twice, except for meatloaf. However, it is something that has helped us save money ($200 a month is a ton).
The plan is to use the additional savings to put towards my student loan repayment and savings. I can’t wait to see how much we are able to save!
Want one of the recipes mentioned above? Reach out to [email protected].
How Alice and Scott Paid Off $200,000 of Student Loans in Less Than 7 Years
Today I have the honor to share with you the debt free journey of one of my closest friends!
Alice and I met during our sophomore year in college back in the year 2000.
Even back then I saw how determined and focused Alice was when she set her mind on accomplishing a goal.
I am so excited to share with you how she and her husband paid off almost $200,000 of student loans in less than 7 years!
In this interview, Alice shares why they worked so hard to pay off their student loan debt and how they remained focused on their goal for so long.
Here is the interview:
ME: Thank you for sharing your story with Our Debt Free Family! Please introduce yourself so our readers can get to know you.
My name is Alice, and I’m 33 years old. I’m happily married to my best friend, Scott. We have one son, and we just celebrated his first birthday. We live in Oregon.
ME: Thanks, Alice! What made you decide to focus on becoming debt free?
I came from a poor upbringing, and my family never taught me how to manage my finances.
During college I opened up a credit card and ended up with about $10,000 in credit card debt. The only way I could pay the minimum balance was by doing cash advances from that same credit card. It was the most awful feeling in the world, and I felt like I didn’t have any control over my life.
Fortunately, after my first summer internship in grad school, I was able to pay off that debt. I never wanted to put myself in that situation again.
The only debt I felt was justified were school loans and a mortgage. I didn’t initially plan to pay off my school loans so quickly. However, when I found out that my husband and I were unable to write off the interest on our school loans for taxes, we made it our goal to pay them off quickly.
We also wanted to make sure we were debt free (besides our mortgage) by the time we had kids. 
ME: How much debt did you pay off, and how long did it take you?
Our student loans totaled about $200,000, and we paid them off in about 6.5 years.
ME: That’s awesome! What did you do for work while you were paying off your debt and about how much did you earn during that time?
My husband and I are both pharmacists. Our total annual income is over $100,000.
ME: What sacrifices did you make to reach your goal?
I don’t feel like we really made any sacrifices. I never had much growing up, and I’ve kept that mentality to live a more minimalistic lifestyle. We never felt the need to buy luxuries like expensive cars, jewelry, or electronics.
ME: What are your best money-saving tips?
Max out your retirement if you can.
In addition to that, automatically put a percentage of your paycheck into a separate account that you know you won’t touch so you never see that money to begin with. Then you won’t have the urge to spend it, and you can use it for your next financial goal.
ME: That’s a smart strategy! What would you say to someone considering starting their own debt free journey?
The journey is tough, but once you’re debt free, the feeling is so rewarding – this huge weight is lifted. Also, when you get your paycheck, that money is truly yours.
ME: Mike and I can’t wait to experience that feeling! Have you made any big purchases with cash? If so, how long did it take you to save for those items?
We saved for about half a year for the car. For our vacations, it usually just took us a few months to save. For our wedding, we saved for about half a year. For our down payment for our house, it took us about two years to save.
ME: Amazing! You did all of that while you were paying off your debt! What has been the best part about your debt free journey?
Both my husband and I have the same mindset when it comes to finances, which has made our journey so much easier.
We never felt like we weren’t able to enjoy what we loved doing, which was to travel. To ensure we were still able to do that and pay off our debt simultaneously, we just reprioritized where our money went.
You can be frugal and still have fun.
I want to thank Alice and Scott for agreeing to share their story with us.
While they are both pharmacists and they earn a healthy living now, that wasn’t always the case.
Alice and I spoke after the interview, and she agreed to let me share a little more about her story.
She mentioned her poor upbringing, but Alice had more challenges during her childhood than her family’s financial situation.
When she was little, she was part of a family of five that included her grandma, her younger brother, and her parents. Her dad was the sole income-producer for the family, working as a cook at a Chinese restaurant.
Her mother never worked because she had mental disabilities so Alice took on the cooking and the cleaning for the family.
When her mother’s disabilities grew worse, she became violent, and eventually, Alice’s little brother and her grandma moved to live with her uncle in another state.
Alice decided to stay with her parents and lied to avoid being placed in foster care. Her dad tried to escape from the problems at home and developed a gambling addiction, losing most of the little money that he earned for the family.
Alice started bussing tables at the age of 14 because she constantly feared that she and her parents would be out on the street at any moment.
Throughout all this, she clung to the idea that if she worked hard in school, she could create a better life for herself and her family.
She earned straight As in high school and college and put herself through graduate school (where she met Scott) so that she could provide financial stability for her own family one day.
So this is more than just a story of how two pharmacists paid off their student loans.
This is a story of how Alice chose to overcome the challenges in her childhood through consistent focus, determination, and hard work, and now, she and Scott are well on their way to achieving true financial freedom.
Where To Go From Here
If you are struggling with your student loans, know that there are options available to help you out. One thing that a lot of people with large debts often don’t consider is balancing their payoff planning with refinancing. If you do owe a ton, consider going with an outfit like Social Finance (SoFi) and refinancing. If you owe more than 10% interest it might be worth your time. Click the link here or go with the banner below to contact them.
More Loan Options
If you have federal student loans, you can look into income-driven repayment plans that can limit your monthly payments to a percentage of your income. If you have a good job and credit score, you may be eligible for student loan refinancing. In this case, a lender will pay off your old loans and issue you a new one with either a lower interest rate or lower monthly payment. To learn more about refinancing, check out this resource.
For more of our great articles, consider reading these:
How To Pay Off Debt When You’re Behind On Your Bills
How Lauren Greutman, The Recovering Spender, Paid Off $40,000 of Debt
Learn About How Ron and Thu Paid Off 137,000 in 7 Years
Easily Save Money With Paribus
Frustrated With Great Lakes
Walmart Savings Catcher Phone Number
8 Ways to Donate Your Stuff to Help Those in Need
You’re on a mission.
You’ve searched your house from top to bottom, closet to garage, storage box to storage shed. You pulled out everything that you wouldn’t mind parting with so that you could make some extra money.
You’re motivated to declutter and simplify your finances… and your stuff.
[Read more…]
My Guilty Pleasure (Plus How Much I Spend on It Every Month)
Every girl has her “thing.” Some ladies like to get their nails done every week or every other week. Others like to have their hair professional cut and dyed. Me? I really just like books. Like every “guilty pleasure” though, it costs us money. So, I decided to sit down and see exactly how much I spend on books every month.
My “Clever” Husband Noted My Books in a Recent Post
If you didn’t know, my husband is the Clever Dude. Recently, he posted a blog about how much hobbies cost and mentioned my “book habit.” Here’s what he had to say…
She’d happily run away with the beast from Beauty and the Beast just for a chance to get a minute in that library.
Folks, he’s not wrong. I really do love books. There is a line in my budget for Audible/Amazon/books. However, as with anyone trying to improve their finances, I read my husband’s post and decided to take a look at how much my book addiction costs me annually. Drew estimated the cost to be about $100 total, which would mean I’m spending $1,200 per year on books.
As great as that sounds, I don’t have a book collection surrounding me in my office right now. So, how much am I really spending on books?
So, How Much Does My Book Habit Really Cost?
Honestly, it varies from month to month so much. Sure, there have been months where I spent more than others. I’ll come home with a stack of books from the store one month and only use my Audible credit the next. When it comes to solid monthly costs I spend $25 monthly on Amazon book services (Audible and Kindle Unlimited). That equates to about $300 per year on digital books alone.
When it comes to physical books on my shelf, I have plenty. But, as Ariel from The Little Mermaid sang at the top of her lungs, I WANT MORE! Most of my collection is paperback, so they don’t cost as much as their hardcover counterparts. I also buy all of my books secondhand using ThriftBooks or the fantastic used bookstores around me. There are people that will buy a book new, read it once, and sell it back to the store. Most of the reads on my shelf cost between $3 and $25.
At the end of the day, my annual spending on books probably lands closer to $1,000 in total. Of course, I have others hobbies, but most of them are relatively frugal. I have a lot of plants in my home, but most were gifts and caring for them isn’t too expensive. Yoga, hiking, and kayaking are all things I’m passionate about too. Each of these things doesn’t cost a ton of money though.
When you combine all of those activities, I probably am spending about $900 annually. There are some folks in the debt-free community that wouldn’t spend a penny on new books until their debt is paid off. I think life is worth living, experiencing, and enjoying though. So, there will always be a line in my budget for my hobbies.
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