May "No Spend" Month

I am challenging myself to do some thing really ambitious in May. We have a HUGE family vacation coming up in August and after looking over our budget with my husband last night, I realized that if we limit our spending to just bills, tithes, a lower food and misc. budget; the ENTIRE vacation fund can be saved in 1 month. I have made a vacation budget and plan to use the money wisely. Here are some rules for myself in May:

Pay Bills
$200 food budget-May
$55 fun/dining
$150 Misc
Save $860 for entire vacation
Besides church, drive 2 days or less Tithes Continue to add to reg. savings accounts No visits to Target I am going to pray and ask the Lord to give me strength; it'll be tough, but with GOD,a ll things are possible!

April FREE Money............

Ok, in my last post, I commented on how a few ways I earn FREE money and the progress I was making. I always try to find a way to "make money" from the money I have to spend. One way to do that is to have a rewards card at each store you shop at regularly or a debit/credit card that has a rewards program attached. I have rewards cards for Babies R US, Starbucks, Panera Bread, many supermarkets, Hertz rental car, Best Buy, children's place, etc.

Here are this month's FREEBIES!

$25 Target GC – Credit Union Rewards Earned

$20 Best Buy Gift Cert – Best Buy Rewards Earned

$5 Best Buy Gift Cert – Best Buy Rewards Earned

$10 Old Navy GC - Mypoints

$10 Starbucks GC - Mypoints

$10 Applebees GC

$5 check Homeowner Consoling survey

Free day rental at Hertz Rental Car-Rewards Program

$25 check Peco Rebate Program – Purchased a dishwasher

$5 Amazon Gift GC – Swag Bucks

Rewards Certificate for 50% OFF a nights stay at Wyndham Hotels

$25 Acme GC (for getting prescription transferred to them)

$15 Target GC for buying Olay lotion & Facial cleanser

$10 Target GC-Transferring Prescription