Giveaway: $25 Starbucks Gift Card
POSTED BY Amy at 8:50 AM
It is time for another
bloggy giveaway carnival and I am going take the plunge and participate again. Because I am oh-so-unoriginal and always think you shouldn't mess with a good thing, I am sponsoring the same exact giveaway as I did last time.. $25 Starbucks Gift Card! The
last contest was such a roaring success that I want to replicate that again. Yeah, I know...boring and unoriginal.
To enter, please
tell me one issue you struggle with when it comes to your family finances. I will use your questions as material for my site. It can be anything, anything at all. The more original the better.
The winner will be picked on
Friday at 8PM! Make sure your name is clickable or that you leave me your email address so I can contact you!
********************************************
ParentsConnect is sponsoring a fabulous giveaway on our site. They are offering gift packs with a Nickelodeon umbrella, t-shirt, and a Barnyard Book for
two of our lucky readers. To enter, please submit a comment
HERE and tell us
one of your best parenting tips. Entries are
due by April 29th (Tuesday) at 8 PM Eastern Time. I am sorry but this contest is only open to US Residents (including PR and CAN).
Labels: giveaway
378Comments:
Jennifer
"My biggest area of struggle is impulse buying. We have a Super Target and they have the cheapest grocery prices but... IT'S TARGET for heaven's sake!! There is always some cute new thing that I must have.
I think I need to just pray more BEFORE I go in so that I have more self-control. But any other ideas would be great too!
Jennifer
jennifer@wgustavus.com"
Andria and Co.
"I have "guilt" spending. If Ailane has had a bad week at school or whatever, I will buy her a toy, clothes, etc."
Jenny
"My biggest issue is buying for the house. We just built a new house and I want it to be completely decorated now, but I need to just take my time and buy a piece here and there after I've set the money aside.
Jenny M., AL
jennymaddox99@gmail.com"
The Mommy
"My biggest struggle is saving enough to feel like I've done enough."
daisy
"Keeping my checkbook balanced. I just keep putting it off. Using the Visa check card is just too easy, and then I don't want to take the time to deduct it. So I save my receipts and do them all in one batch. But sometimes I lose them, and THEN I get myself into trouble. :(
But on the bright side, with a Starbucks card, I don't have to use the check card, so I don't have to keep track of anything. Yay!
Thanks for the chance to win it!"
Tracey
"My biggest struggle is not over spending on groceries....also I want to invest but there is so much out there that I don't know who to trust and what to invest in!!!"
Gray Matters
"I am a SAHM - my husband and I go back in forth over the best way to organize our finances. We have tried me having an allowance and just getting money on a needs only basis. We can't seem to figure out a solution."
CP
"Aside from managing the number of times I go to Starbucks, it would probably be the mid month grocery trips that are $15 here, $20 there...you know how it goes!"
Sarah's Savings
"One of our families impulse struggles is drinks. Not the bad kind. Just the expensive kind :( We love a good Frappacino. Or we've found another restaurant in town that makes an iced coffee that tastes JUST LIKE my beloved Canadian "Tim Horton's Iced Capp". And Chai Tea from a local caffe... The list goes on. We like our drinks. (I didn't choose this struggle based on the contest. It's just honest, but it is kind of humouring!)"
Courtney
"My biggest area of struggle is groceries. I always have a problem getting enough groceries for our budgeted amount. I read about others who feed more people on less money and I am baffled!
Courtney
coramdeopena(at)hotmail.com"
Julie
"It is the little shopping trips that get me also. We are out of milk so I run to the store to pick some up. I end up spending $15-$20 when we really only needed milk."
Don and Lisa Osborn
"No need to apologize about being "un-original." This is a great prize!!!
Money...One area I struggle with is giving tasteful gifts to friends that don't break the budget--especially at Christmas. I would like to know how to pull that off better.
Thanks for the chance to win.
Lisa
hianded[at]earthlink[dot]net"
"my biggest struugle is not having enough money. my hubby got out of the army and went back to college, and now we are on a fixed income and paying for tuition + books. we have 3 kids. so it's been a big struggle
bwalleshauser AT yahoo DOT com"
witchypoo
"I dream of being able to have fancy cuts of organic meat and all organic vegetables and fruit.
And lobster.
yourgrace2001ca at hotmail dot com"
"Grocery shopping is hard for us too. No stores in our area offer the double coupon deals so its really hard to score some of the great finds I hear others talking about.
Thanks,
Kristi
myraggdyann@yahoo.com"
"My biggest problem is getting to an agreement with my husband. We are on two totally different pages when it comes to money, and that causes some difficult times. I think it is probably a problem that a lot of people have. I'm a worrier, and he's a "everything will work out" kinda guy.
alice"
Linz
"I struggle with buying fabric. Especially when its on sale. I get these creative thoughts about what can be done with it and then I HAVE to have it!"
Moviegirl20
"An issue that I struggle with is guilt. My husband and I share a home with my parents and brother and I make more than the rest of my family. Sometimes I feel guilty that we aren't in as much debt and are able to save for emergencies. We split the bills in the house and I collect food and cable money but hate to ask for it since I know that everyone else struggles a bit to get by. We did agree on the amount we share, but it is still difficult for me sometimes."
Ali
"having patience. i was never taught patience as a child..and i def. see the effects as an adult. it is a daily struggle to save and not spend."
Tam
"Just going to town and looking does not work for me because I am an impulse buyer. I end up with stuff I never use because I got it on clearance at Target. Target is one of those places that I have the hardest time with. I can not enter that store and leave under a 100.00 or more dollars. I also let my kids get a toy every single time we go shopping....ooo this is so very very bad. The expect something now everytime we get in the car."
Lola
"My biggest budget buster is forgetting something at the store. I do shop with a list, but it is inevitable, I always forget something that was on the list or that wasn't marked on the list. Then when I go back to the store, it takes all of my willpower to just get the "missing" items and not all sorts of other goodies!"
jskell911
"Our biggest issue is gas. We both are well paid, but our jobs entail an hour commute each way."
Lizardbreath
"I struggle with trusting God that He is in control and that my car's frequent need of repairs is in His hands. It's not easy."
Bethany
"One thing I always struggle with is how to maintain the budget during "off" times. Like after I've had a baby, or after we go on vacation, etc.. I'm good at being consistent day-to-day, but when something unexpected (or expected) happens, it's difficult for me to maintain the consistency."
kelly jeanie
"The hardest thing for me is knowing when to stop. I don't have a hard time finding a bargain, but then I keep finding bargain after bargain, and of course it adds up!"
hetz-junk
"I am tring to buy local and organic and sometimes pay so much more then conventional. But I try to justify it in my head."
Julie
"Impulse buying and the feeling that we need to 'treat' ourselves. I feel like I have had a hard day, Starbucks here I come. I need to PUT DOWN THE COFFEE and save some cash."
lifeasamama
"my biggest struggle is actually feeling comfortable financially for the first time in a long time... and then overspending as a result. i was dirt poor when i was single, and married a man with a good and stable job. we don't have to worry about month-to-month, and we have so much savings (he's so good about that!) that there really isn't any worry for the future.
but it's not an unlimited supply! he doesn't make THAT much! my problem is that i get stuck in the "oh, we can afford this" rut, and it starts adding up over the course of the month..."
amanda.
"My biggest struggle is boredom spending. I'm a SAHM and end up going to the mall "just to walk around" when I get really bored. I almost always end up finding something that I must have right then."
Ginger Jager
"We are lucky that our combined income is enough to keep us comfortable. But because I don't have "time" to balance the checkbook or really track our purchases, I'm sure there are areas where we could spend less and save more for the future. I have tried computer software but it doesn't work for me for some reason. I need to get on top of that so our future is more financially secure."
Julie and Ben
"eating out is my biggest struggle!!"
Mary Beth
"ME... I don't ever want to cook! I would rather run and grab a bite... or just eat cereal for dinner. I KNOW... so unhealthy and SO not financially savvy.
I need new inspiration and tools. I collect all of your wonderful recipes and they are just that... a collection.
I need to easy, yummy recipes to fix quickly so to save money on eating out... and so my family WANTS to eat what I cook. That is a challenge too. :D NOT my gift!"
Natalie
"I struggle with spending money on food that we don't need. Like I won't feel like cooking and we'll go out to eat. We don't really have money for that.
scblog at hotmail dot com"
Jenny B.
"We've got things pretty well in hand, but with a large family, I'd say groceries are always a struggle. It's a delicate balance between "It's so much cheaper to make it from scratch." and "I do not have all the time in the world!""
Genesis
"Our family has the big things under control: mortgage, cars, no credit card debt. However, when I start adding up the little things like mid-morning trips to STARBUCKS to get away from work for 10 minutes, it really adds up. However, lately I've been wondering if you can really put a price tag on sanity/happiness. If those $4 honey lattes keep me sane & happy while I'm at work, who am I to argue?"
imadramamama
"My biggest thing is that I have a really bad habit of buying something new instead of fixing what we've got..."
Kacie
"Thanks for the chance to win! I haven't had Starbucks in ages.
The biggest thing I struggle with is keeping patient. My husband is paid once per month. My side income rolls in, but it's pretty small.
It's frustrating because sometimes it feels like our progress is so slow!"
Cathy Jo
"My biggest struggle is with buying stuff for my children. I just love buying them cute clothes and toys...but I know it is the "leaky hole" in our budget."
Theresa Marie
"my biggest struggle when it comes to finances is the little things spending... something on sale at wal-mart for my girls that's "only" $5 or getting a starbucks for myself because I worked "so hard" that day, etc. every little bit adds up, but it's hard for me to see that until the end of the month!
Theresa
theresamarie@goonies.info
http://theresamariegoon.blogspot.com"
Sarah
"biggest struggle is a certain spouse who keeps using the credit cards!!
sdyjak@gmail.com"
laura
"My biggest struggle is that I hold on to things/ideas too long. We have a house we should have sold before the housing bust, but I emotionally wasn't ready to part with it (even though we dont live there anymore). I need to look at the bigger finance picture and advantages to certain changes, vs. making snap emotional decisions.
Thanks for the great giveaway!
laurachilton {at} hotmail {dot} com"
Melissa
"My biggest struggle is all the random expenses that pop up - doctor visits, speeding tickets (why can't I get rid of my lead foot?!), Secretary's Day, etc.
I just never seem to budget enough money for the extras.
Melissa
0307champs@gmail.com"
Tami
"My biggest issue is not working. I don't feel I'm contributing to the household even though I save lots of money clipping coupons and getting freebies. My husband says I contribute because now that I am not working, I have time to plan and cook and shop more efficiently. So I feel guilty if I spend money to get my nails done or hair cut or whatever."
Tuesday Girl
"Impulse buying is bad for me especially when I am alone!"
Kathryn
"I struggle with keeping the grocery budget on track. Its easy to go for one item and come home with $70 of stuff."
Kelly
"Groceries are definitely my biggest struggle! Our grocery store has a huge baby section that I need to avoid more often!"
Shalee
"Oh, that would be trying to get the last $40 K of student loans paid off.
It doesn't help that I really like McD's french fries at a moment's notice..."
MelissaStuff
"I just quit my job and began staying home with my two small boys. We cut our income in more than half when we made this decision so EVERYTHING is a struggle for us right now. We really are trying to do the best we can, but we've gotten used to certain luxuries we can't afford anymroe - like Starbucks!"
MelissaStuff
"Oh, wait, I forgot to mention on top of our regular issues, our freezer and refrigerator went out this week and we lost all of the food in them!"
prairiemama
"Our biggest struggle is running out of grocery money before the month is done. It is SO frustrating. We have enough budgeted (or so we think), and we don't buy things we don't need (seriously, no candy, chips, soda, cupcakes, nothing!). But, we run out of grocery money by the 3rd week of the month, every month! We really can't put more into our budget or we would not be able to save anything. It is SO frustrating!"
Kimberly
"Our biggest financial issue is lack there of. I'm a stay at home mom. We don't have anyone to watch our kids for us. It's just us. So I would have to get a job in the evening and on the weekends so that someone is with our kids 24/7, but my husband doesn't want me working nights or weekends. So we struggle to live off of his salary. We are a family of four in a tiny one bedroom condo (we also have four cats and a dog). My "bedroom" is the living room, playroom, family room and my office all rolled into one. I sleep on a day bed in my living room and my husband has the pop up trundle. The kids share the room (my son and daughter). I also have a car with no working AC and the motor died so the windows don't roll down and I feel like it's going to be a death trap in the summer. BUT... we have to make due with what we have. At least we know that one of us is here with the kids 24/7 no matter what. And that is what is most important.
I can be reached at teh URL associated with my name. THANKS"
Azul
"My biggest struggle is small (say under $10) purchases. It doesn't seem like much, and it's easy for it to snowball, especially when I use my debit card.
I'm trying to solve this my only using my DC for groceries and gas, and forcing myself to use cash for any other purchases. It's quite a wake up call when I'm spending the last $2 or $3 of the $40 it just pulled from the ATM two days ago.
Thanks for sponsoring such a fun contest!"
Rachel
"Our biggest problem is any time we come into bit more money than normal, we see dollar signs and want to blow it on things we don't *really* need. I think our second biggest problem is my husband spending small amounts, every day, without realizing how much it's all adding up to.
wiredalive at hotmail dot com"
"My struggle is trying to stay on a grocery budget. When I was working too, I just bought whatever. Now that I am counting pennies it doesn't work that way. Also, I am having a hard time getting money into savings these days.
mokimedic@yahoo.com"
Smilingsal
"My husband and I used to struggle with our finances, but after we decided to keep track of our spending, we were able to better control impulse spending. The plan is to write down every single penny spent and tally it up at the end of each month. We enter it on the computer and can go back seven years!
smilingsal 55 at yahoo dot com"
nathansmom
"My big financial struggle is medical bills, including presciptions. We have good medical insurance coverage thru DH's work, but co-pays for doctor visits and prescriptions still add up. An unavoidable expense that is hard to be frugal with.
Brenda
brenda.stull@verizon.net"
Tisha
"Oh, great question. We are close to being out of debt, but when things come up unexpected I have a hard time staying focused. I get discouraged that we'll NEVER get out of debt. :)"
Genesis
"In our family we have the big things under control: the mortgage, no car payments, no credit card debt. However, the mid-morning trips to STARBUCKS really add up! A year's worth of $4 lattes is a hefty chunk in the IRA, especially if you start calculating the compound interest (sheesh).
Lately, though, I've wondered if you can really put a price on sanity/happiness. Those Starbucks trips give me a much-needed 10-minute reprieve from work so that I don't lose it with my coworkers. I may not have quite as much socked away for retirement, but when I finally reach that age, I don't want to be too loony to appreciate it!"
Tammy
"Currently, my husband and I are dealing with unplanned medical expenses. We had no other choice but to get a 0% interest rate card and put all charges on that. I hate doing it, but what other option is there?
Thanks for the great blog, and the contest. :)"
Autumn
"Our biggest area of struggle is keeping within our fun money spending limits. We have a set amount we agreed to set aside, but we never seem to stick to it."
krista
"our biggest struggle is that my husband is 100% commission....it is so hard to not be able to have a budget! i never know how much i can or should be spending..."
Kathleen W.
"Our biggest struggle is over buying higher quality items verses cheaper ones that don't last as long. We sometimes don't want to spend more on better things, but in the long run it is worth it. This also applies to organic foods and natural products, which are usually more pricey but better for us."
We are THAT Family
"Impulse-definitely all things sweet. I'm sippin a sweet tea right now, while I'm typing, cause I'm co-ordinated that way."
"Our biggest struggle is putting money into or savings account. And then when we have a good amount to put it back into our house, because it needs work but we never know what to do first. We need to make a list a prioritize."
dolphin lady
"My biggest area of struggle is savings. For years we have been unable to put anything aside in savings. Now, for a while, we have some extra so we are beginning to put money into savings. But that has always been a struggle for us."
michelle
"The one thing I struggle with the most with finances is that I know it is expensive to go out to eat, but sometimes I just want something different that I can't make at home, or am too tired, or whatever. We have cut back on eating out a lot, but it still bothers me that it even has that hold on me. I would love to be entered in your giveaway.
Michelle
www.northofthe49.com
michelle (at) northofthe49 (dot) com"
Niffer
"My biggest struggle is telling myself "NO!" I've finished my grocery shopping for the next two weeks, and I just keep finding GREAT deals! I have to just clip the coupons and hope the sale will repeat! Really hard to do!
Thanks
Jennifer
craigDOTjenniferATcomcastDOTnet"
Bonita
"Now that we have two teenagers it seems we are forever doling out small money amounts that weren't in the budget: a youth trip here, a friend's birthday there, money to eat out when one participates in a field trip or service project, a hamburger at the concession stand when either one is playing ball..."
Elizabeth
"My struggle is buying things for my kiddos on an impulse.
elizfaris@hotmail.com"
phoward336
"My biggest area of struggle is healthy food - I know I should be eating steel oats, whole grains, organics, etc. but they are so much more expensive!!!"
BlondeMomBlog (Jamie)
"I love your boring and unoriginal prize! ;)
I really struggle with a grocery budget. As in, it might help if I actually made one and stuck with it. I also need to do a better job with creating a weekly dinner menu.
I also have some shopaholic tendencies and we just do not have the extra money to fritter away on impulse purchases. It's very difficult for me to walk away from a "deal." I can justify just about any purchase for me or my girls. ;)"
Lisa Sharp
"First off I have Fibromyalgia and so I take TONS of vitamins and herbs and I can't find most of them in town so I have to order them and it's not cheap...
The other thing is we eat organic for the most part so that costs more.
Also I just got in to card making and I find myself wanting to buy pretty paper and stickers all the time lol."
amy f.
"I struggle with sticking to a list while grocery shopping at stores like Meijer and Wal-Mart. We inevitably wander to other areas of the store and purchase something or just buy other impulse groceries that sound good!"
Gina
"one issue you struggle with when it comes to your family finances...
Our biggest issue is saving money and spending it. It's really hard to just not buy FUN things all the time instead of saving the money. I need to learn some control. If we have extra money one month, instead of saving it, I'm thinking of things I can go buy with it.
Thanks for the entry!"
corrie71
"My biggest struggle is getting my hubby on board with couponing. He finds it too complex and I think he's embarrassed to use coupons at the stores. Silly man!"
Jen
"impulse buying. my husband can go in the store witha list of three things nad come out withhree things. i go in and come out with a whole cart full."
Rachel
"My biggest struggle is trying to pay things off too quickly - sounds crazy I know, but I feel like if I can make an extra housepayment now (and have no extra money left over for incidentals) then that's what I need to do. Then of course incidentals come up and there's no money to cover."
Melissa
"Just one, just one...probably the biggest trouble is that neither my husband nor I are making changes to our spending. We both agree that we need to, but then the weekend comes and we hit Target and Home Depot...and the money is gone again!"
alexis
"Our biggest issue is not planning. We end up spending more money on things... going out to eat more... paying lates fees, etc."
"For me, it's deciding if I should get my emergency fund in place before I pay off my credit cards. I've heard both ways of doing it but I constantly wonder what's best in my situation."
Lynette
"Hi, I am lynette and I just found your blog, it is great! I think that my biggest finance delima is budgeting in the children's clothes. A change of season will happen and they need clothes and we have no money budgeted for that so we end up scrambling to get them their clothes. I would like to budget it in all year and then have the cash on hand to go purchase it when needed. Does that make sense??"
LynnMarie
"My biggest struggle is gas for the car. The cost just keeps going up and up. I plan my trips, work the plan, keep the car well maintained, full tires and all. Combine trips and so on but I work a 20 minute drive from home and there are no stores within walking distance from me so what is a girl to do?? Boy I need coffee right now - but Starbucks is another 5 miles from me so that is not happening."
Momala
"My biggest struggle is unexpected expences. And with 4 kids, 3 of which are teens, we have a lot of unexpected expences! Right now 2 of the kids need new gym shoes and I wasn't planning on buying them new shoes again until the fall. These are the types of things that wreck our budget."
fortyb4forty
"Our biggest struggle is trying to help our children understand some of the financial choices we make. They are young but we've already started trying to help them understand that there isn't an unending supply of money at the bank."
Dooneybug
"My biggest issue is shopping for clothes for my kids. I only buy clearance items and garage sales but I do so much of it that I'm running out of places to put the clothes! I even forget sometimes what I've bought and end up over buying a certain item (like long sleeved shirts) but then not enough of something else (like pajamas)."
Jennifer
"Unoriginal? I think it's fantastic! My son and I love to go to Starbucks as a special treat every now and then - just something special he and I do together.
Struggle - well mine is actually a tie between 2 things - clothes/shoes for my daughter (even though I try to buy on sale/clearance and get the best deals possible) I have a hard time not buying all the cute outfits!
And scrapbooking/stamping stuff...I have a serious weakness here - but at least now I AM trying to MAKE money by selling some of the things I create!"
Jean
"Our biggest struggle is when we go get a good chunk of money from Hubs job incentives we blow it within weeks. We definitly need a better savings strategy."
Tara
"We're just struggling in general right now because my husband has been laid off since January 18th, the day we had our fifth, and before that he was laid off for about six months last year.
But overall, I'd say our biggest problem is too much take out. It's just so much easier and simpler to make a pizza or McDonald's run. We have really been working on this lately, though."
Lindsey
"Eating out is such a black hole for money in our house! It's a hobby for us, though, and a way to get out of the house."
Fresh Girl
"My big issue is impulse buying brought on by peer pressure! I hear a friend talk about how great something is that she got and I go look and "Wow, it IS great!" and before I know it, I'm buy it. :-/"
JessieLeigh
"I struggle with feeling like I'm not "entitled" to spend any money ever since making the decision to be a SAHM. And it is totally MY issue. My husband has unending respect for what I do and never acts as though it's "his" money. I do not buy anything for myself unless it's with "birthday money" from my parents or some such thing... it's ridiculous, really..."
Naomi
"In my opinion, the one thing my husband and I don't allow ourselves enough of is spending money on outings. We are busy, and get to do all sorts of free activities together. We don't do things often that cost money which is a good thing. But I hate feeling like I'm being such a tightwad that my little daughter never gets to do the stuff that costs money."
365 Mommy
"I'm bad about buying little stuff - a pack of gum here, a coffee there, etc. I nickel and dime us to death sometimes."
Jamie
"2 of biggest struggle is
1) buying activities for my children (since I'm not crafty) 2)going out to eat...it's easier when my schedule is full and busy!"
jessicasheets.com
"I'm a stay-at-home mom and a youth pastor's wife. We have a two-year old and live in the parsonage. We started this hardcore budgeting back in December (yeah, our daughter still has no clue that none of her Christmas gifts came from us or that we had nothing to open on Christmas day--so thankful we are starting this before she is aware). Sorry, I digress. My biggest struggle is wanting to be a good hostess when teens or adults come over. I love to bake and always had the stuff on hand to do it before Ella was born (when I was still teaching), but now, it's hard to keep my pantry stocked with that kind of stuff and still get all that we need for the month. I sometimes would rather buy chocolate chips than a pound of meat--isn't that terrible? So, instead,I am trying to be as creative as possible to make yummy things out of nothing so that our weekly scheduled and unscheduled guests feel welcome (and I feel like I tried my best)."
Playful Professional
"My biggest issue is remembering to budget for all the incidental expenses like speeding tickets (oops), parking, and all of those other things you just can't put into a budget."
jessicasheets.com
"I forgot to leave my e-mail address: jess@stevansheets.com
Thanks,
jessicasheets.com"
Karen
"My husband wants to buy thing for the kids to expand and explore their horizons. I have a hard time saying no when I know there is less expensive ways to do it."
Jennifer
"Not planning for dinner and then either ordering pizza or running out for subs. When trying to feed a family of 6 it kills the budget.
Smiles!"
Lisa
"ad for spending anything not strictly necessary."
Niki
"Ya know what costs us lots of extra money throughout the year? My son's allergies! He is allergic to soy and dairy and so we are always buying him his own special foods and lots of medicine and extra trips to the doctor for us.
Why does specialty food have to be so darn pricey?!?
:(
ndisilvio at gmail dot com"
Cricket
"I love your giveaway idea so don't apologize to me!
This is going to sound stupid but it is my reality. My biggest struggle is buying something for myself without feeling guilty about it. I am not an impulse shopper and I can stick to a budget. The problem I have is that I always put everything back when it comes to getting something for myself and end up buying things for my daughter or husband. I think I learned this from my mother as a child and I know that I always felt like she should treat herself to something nice but always sacrificed for us kids. I work hard for a living as does my husband but I just can't seem to shake that feeling of guilt. What is wrong with me??? I generally only buy something for myself when I absolutely need it. Ugh...how do you get over something like this?"
Carol
"Seems when we are about to get ahead something breaks down and needs fixing which costs lots of money, it seems to never end. I would love to win this, be nice to take us and the kids out for coffee one Sunday afternoon. Thank you.
actsmAThotmail.com"
Ginny
"Our biggest financial struggle is seeing stuff we "need" that are expensive. We do use them, but they're not worth the expense"
Ernie & Michelle
"My biggest struggle is in the area of groceries (even when I plan a menu I feel like I struggle to stay w/in our budget, especially now that I have to buy diapers, wipes, etc. for our little one). We have been unemployed for quite some time, so it's been even more difficult to tighten what was already tight! I appreciate your blogs! Thanks, Michelle
sunkistmas[at]gmail[dot]com"
laura519
"Our big problems are my husband spending money on cigarettes and energy drinks. He works for a landscaping company and needs to rehydrate a lot but it is challenging for him to have to carry around a big cooler with him all day. I've tried convincing him to switch to Gatoraide or even the fountain drinks...but he hasn't yet..."
bren j.
"Biggest struggle is finding money to pay to heat our house! Good thing spring is finally here!"
"My biggest problem is not being realistic in my budgeting. I think that things are going to cost less than they do and then I get thrown off."
Cara
"Being a stay at home mom, I don't get to spend much money on myself. Which I had to adjust but it is will worth it being with my daughter every 24 hours."
MommySecrets
"Teaching young children (3 and 6) the value of money. The conversation tips for explaining why we don't spend money at the bubble gum machines..."
Christie
"If a $25 Starbucks card is boring and unoriginal... I want to be boring and unoriginal!!! :)
My biggest struggle is trying to spend the least amount possible on groceries while still feeding my family a relatively healthy diet!"
Carol Van Rooy
"Biggest struggle: The money tree I planted never seems to bear fruit.
daldak01@yahoo.ca"
kari
"One of my biggest problems is not being able to save money. We have a lot of trouble sticking to a budget. I look forward to reading more of your blog."
Mandy
"My biggest struggle is buying clothes for the girls. I really want shop at garage sales, but it is so much easier for me to pick up a few things while I'm at Target. That is my goal for this summer."
claire
"We're not very savvy about investing. Since we have some school loans to pay off, we're not sure if we should work on those first, or start saving for a rainy day, or invest!
claireroach81(at)hotmail(dot)com"
Jessica
"My biggest struggle is actually sticking to the budget b/c everything looks sooooo great in the grocery and on the mannequin, etc. Any tips on how to cure this!"
Merry
"My biggest problem: I can't ever stick to a list! I'll go to the grocery store to pick up some milk and end up with a cart full of items. Item X may be on sale, but if I wasn't going to buy it anyway, it's not much of a bargain, is it?"
Jenny
"I try to do a good job of planning meals in advance, but it seems like we still eat out way more than we should. Many times my meal includes something in the freezer that I have frozen (meats) and by the time I realize what I have on the menu it is too late to thaw it and prepare it in time for dinner."
cdziuba
"My biggest struggle is my grocery bill. I try very hard to keep it down, but it's so hard with 4 kids. Hope I win !!! cdziuba@aol.com"
Lori
"We struggle with our food budget - both eating out and groceries. I love to eat out! It's really hard to kick the habit."
Melissa
"My biggest struggle is gifts--budgeting for Christmas and all of the other myriad of gifts from kids' friends' birthday parties to Mother's Day to Graduation to everything else. It's a huge struggle."
Hillary
"I struggle with eating out. It's my weakness."
JL
"I struggle with buying too many clothes for my daughter and buying baby stuff (on clearance, of course). My daughter has enough clothes for 2 kids her age!
Julie
3cookieday[at]gmail[dot]com"
Adventures In Babywearing
"I like Starbucks! : )
The biggest thing we struggle with is setting a budget. Or maybe NOT setting a budget. : (
Steph"
Julie
"unoriginal is great when it means a Starbucks gift card!! I love Starbucks.
I guess one of my areas of struggle is eating out. Since our 4th child was born, I don't feel like cooking (or cleaning) so i try to get a break whenever I can.. Once our tax refund is used up though, we will be in trouble. :)
Julie
www.xanga.com/parresia"
Linds
"My biggest area of struggle with finances is when it comes to the grocery budget. Buying nutritious and wholesome food for our family but not overspending. If we weren't on a budget it'd be easier to eat even healthier, but we're giving it the best shot we have for now."
Moochymom
"My biggest struggle is sharing the checkbook. My husband is an impulse buyer and he has very poor budgetary skills and when he had access to the checkbook and money card, he would impulse spend and then we would not have enough for bills. I want to know how to come up with a system that we can both live by and one that will give him access to money that he can spend as he wants, but that will not blow our budget. I also need to know how to make a budget when the income is never the same week to week."
shiloh
"My biggest struggle is wanting to eat out all the time. Sometimes it is just easier to go out and not have to cook!"
Robyn
"1) My biggest issue is guilt/time to buy what I need for myself. My daughter has way more outfits that fit and look cute than I do. =) I recently lost 25 lbs so I have been in need of a new wardrobe. I have been wearing mostly big stuff or whatever I had 5 years ago in this size that is out of style! However I have been collecting "points" from my bank into Macy's gift cards whenever possible. That's about $50 every 3 months.
2) Even if we cut in ALL areas, like internet and cable, we still tend to spend fixing up our house. IT's not a ton of money (we get good deals and do our own labor) but it still adds up. I always wonder about the people I know who do NOTHING and are OK with it. Sometimes I want to be OK with it too."
pinkgingham
"Thanks for the fun giveaway!
My biggest issue is wanting to eat out... it is SO expensive but SO EASY!"
Kristenkj
"Hmmmm. Finances. Well, my husband and I have a pretty good handle on our finances, but there are always issues, aren't there? I think the most difficult area for us is getting our spending to balance with our budget. We just can't seem to estimate correctly. We tend to spend too much on groceries, gifts and doctor bills! No matter how much we budget...never enough."
Stephanie
"Why mess with a good thing?! Maybe unoriginal but delish none the less!
Progress on debt is our biggest struggle. I feel that we have cut spending about as far as possible, but our income is small so progress is slow. It all can be so frustrating!"
MoziEsmé
"Eating out is an issue! Food just tastes so much better if someone else makes it!
The other one - how to balance emergency funds vs. paying down debt - e.g. house mortgage. How much should you keep on hand for the unexpected?"
Chrisanna
"Emotional eating. While depression sucks every ability to properly be a homemaker, it somehow motivates me to go get fast food or worse: go to the Hostess snack store and buy cupcakes and a Dr. Pepper.
cjsime007@gmail.com"
sam
"My biggest issue would be buying things for people. I love to send boxes of surprises to my far-away family and friends and all those little dodads really add up!"
Toystory
"I know you are going to think this one isn't an issue but it is. I don't like to spend anything on myself. I will give away money to someone who needs it or save it, rather than something I really need (personal need, like sneakers, underwear, etc)."
"My biggest struggle is walking away from a sale when I don't have the money to buy. I need to continually remind myself that "there will always be another sale!"
Kristy, KS
akwallace4@yahoo.com"
Lesha
"Our biggest struggle are the astounding gas prices. :("
Lori - Queen of Dirty Laundry
"I have to wholeheartedly agree with those who have said that impulse buying is their biggest challenge.
We have a budget, we just don't stick to it!"
Alysia
"My biggest financial struggle is eating out. I'm not a great cook and although I'm a great planner, I'm not great at planning meals. That leads to a lot of temptation to eat fast food."
kevnjacks
"Mine is for me to keep within the budget, even though we have plenty in savings and hubby will be earning more in a few months. It's an issue of self-control, I believe, after all, I had set the budget! LOL!"
Jenny 865-53oh9
"For us, just about the time we have our grocery budget down pat, one of the boys will go through another eating/growing spurt and can't get enough food in his mouth....there goes our budget!"
"Ok, maybe I'm wierd! I don't enjoy shopping! Therefore, I'd rather go and get it if I need it instead of waiting for it to go on sale.
~eunice
rsmile2u (at) dejazzd(dot) com"
Shannon
"I am the mom to a preemie and we struggle now that I am a sahm and don't have my extra income also.
Its very hard for us to live on only one parent working these days. We struggle just to make a car payment and we only have one vehicle because we can't afford a second one!
palmersf(at)bellsouth(dot)net"
"I need to stay away from the Dollar Tree. I will go in for just one thing and come out with 50 things. I tell myself while I am shopping there, "Oh, this is so cute. And it's only a dollar. It would look great in...." And when I have my 12 year old daughter with me she does the same thing. It's not good. I am definately an impulsive buyer.
Jodi"
"Right now my biggest challenge is medical/dental bills. They're taking about 40% of my net income. However bad that is, my real dilemma is buying a new/newer car. It looks like gas prices are going to continue to rise until it starts putting a real hurt on the US economy and us as individuals. $6 or $7 per gallon is fairly realistic. My thoughts are to buy a nice car for show and family outings, and then in addition, buy a motor scooter for work and alone trips to the store and other personal events. Where do you think gas prices are going and how do you plan to cope?
Movieman"
Tim Appleton (Applehead)
"boring and unoriginal or not... count me in!"
Tim Appleton (Applehead)
"Oh the insanity. buying something when I stop to get gas. it is killing me."
Beth
"I struggle with making sure I leave enough money each month to pay off my credit card. I try not to charge much but it seems I always spend more than I thought I did. I need to work on budgeting myself better."
"ditto everyone that said groceries. it SHOULD be simple, but at least for me, it's not.
sunriseiz at yahoo.com"
Jodie
"I am a spender, my hubs is a saver. I'm an impulse shopper - I really like stuff, so I struggle! :)
Thanks for the great prize.
Check out my giveaway, too!"
gigere
"Right now, my biggest struggle is wanting to buy so much for our new baby who is due in June!"
kartoone76
"Our finances don't look too bad at first glance, but they are very tight and one big problem seems to pop up each month to keep us from making any dent in paying off the debt (plumbing/car issues/lots of doctor's co-pays, etc)."
Jen
"I have a hard time buying great deals on projects that I'm going to get to someday. It will be great once I get it done...and it is such a great deal! The problem is that most of the time it doesn't get done, so that is money wasted, good deal, or not. :)"
Mommys World
"I struggle with eating out too much. I'm a sahm and when the weather is bad and we need to get out we usually head to a McDonald's or Burger King that has an indoor play area and end up eating lunch there. Of course during the winter time that's a lot."
Lalycairn
"Ha! My biggest area of struggling with money is my Latte habit. LOL!!!"
CC
"We really struggle with having enough food at the end of the month with our grocery budget as tight as it is."
Suz
"My biggest struggle is eating out too often and spending too much money doing so."
Marilyn@Mixed Bouquet
"My struggle is purchasing too many items to work with my special needs guy. I just keeping wanting more. sigh...
Thanks for the giveaway!"
Lissete
"My biggest issue is buying stuff that we don't necessarily need, but we might need someday, just because it's a a great price."
Josie
"Our biggest struggle is going out to eat. We try not to but it's so easy to just pop into a restaurant or grab some takeout..."
Kim
"We do pretty well with our budget except in one area: BOOKS. We can't help ourselves. We buy them at bookstores, online, garage sales, library sales... Somebody stop us! Not really :-)
Our favorite 'date' place is Barnes & Noble where we like to kick back with some Starbucks coffee and look at books and magazines.
So this giveaway would be great to win!"
Nise'
"Keeping to the budget that we have agreed on together."
Karen
"Impulse buying gets us every time -- and we're both guilty of it...."
Amanda
"Our biggest (me and my hubby) struggle when it comes to finances is being able to split our income between paying off our debt and maintaining a standard of living that is physically acceptable. Amanda
amandadblevins@gmail.com"
Katie
"I would say the nickel and dime-ing from a cup of coffee here, a snack there, forgot lunch so run through the drive through.
When I add it all up at the end of the month I usually blow a fuse ;-)
This gift card would be wonderful for my husband so that he'll use THAT to pay for his coffees :-)"
Brooke Lorren
"Our biggest area that we struggle with is income. It's supposed to go up over time, right? But instead we make 1/2 of what we made last year, and 1/4 of what we made 5 years ago. We're down to making less than $21,000 a year now. I am very careful with our spending.
Well, that and our house catching on fire and forcing us to move hasn't helped much either."
Chloe Devlin
"Impulse buying and not being able to say no to myself.
Chloe
chloedevlin at sbcglobal dot net"
christel
"My biggest issue is not saving. Every pay period I say I'm going to put some of it away and never do. There's always something that "I need.""
Lee
"oh income...??? But also wanting to give my kids "opportunities" I never had... gym lessons, ballet, swimming lessons, preschool"
Lady in Waiting
"My biggest area of struggle?? Not getting all the receipts for our debit card - that really throws me off!!! Thanks for the giveaway!!!"
Jan
"I love to go out to lunch with friends."
emerzim
"We struggle most with eating out. No matter how much I seem to plan we still can't resist the impulse...
PS - I read your blog every day. Love it!"
PsychMamma
"What a great giveaway! Our biggest expenses are for ongoing medical costs for our 2 y/o daughter who was born with an intestinal birth defect, plus my grad school loans. This (and the fact that I stay at home with her) means that money is tight, but I still struggle w/frivolous impulse purchases for her. Somehow, even though I can limit purchases for myself based on NEED and not WANT, I seem to find lots of ways to rationalize purchases for her.
Dawn
dawndetweiler@hotmail.com"
Andrea
"Thanks for offering a giveaway, Amy! We don't really struggle, because I think we have a strategy to deal with our finance issues, but we're working on achieving our financial goals and sometimes that's a struggle."
Andrea
"I do good with not spending really. However I always feel guilty if I DO buy something... like this should go towards the house or something. I'd love to win this for my sis."
Jes
"we have a hard time sticking to a budget!
Jes (at) beautyfromchaos (dot) com"
LaMaman
"My biggest issue is how to save on gas now that it is close to $4 a gallon (in Michigan). How can I get all of the groceries home on the bike this summer?! This takes such a chunk out of budget."
elaine@bloginmyeye
"I can relate to many of the comments. I too have trouble being able to put money in savings in this season of life after necessities and tithe since I am a SAHM. Also, we have difficulty saving up money to do needed home repairs and other unexpected expenses."
Small Town Frugal Mom
"Amy - Thanks for the opportunity!! My biggest struggle is keeping the grocery bill down! It seems like everything is going up every time I go!!!
THANKS AGAIN!!!
smalltownfrugalmommy at gmail dot com"
ella'smom
"Ours is eating out when we are too tired to cook. And saving for the future, college funds and retirement funds."
Barb
"My biggest struggle is my husband's midlife crisis (to be kind) and his inability to hold a full time job. I went from a stay at home mom to the main wage earner. Needless to say after being home for years and years I wasn't able to get a job that pays as well as if I had stayed in the workforce. I would suggest to EVERYWOMAN to not stay home full time.
bc"
Hélène
"My biggest issue is eating out. I have a lot of picky eaters so I like to go out and order something that *I* want to eat, but the price adds up."
MamaGeek
"Holy comments. I'm CERTAINLY not going to win but will enter anyways. Our biggest financial caveat would be that I spend more at the beginning of a budget cycle than at the end - I need to learn to better smooth the curve!"
The Trendy Mommy Spot
"Honestly, my biggest problem w/ our finances is that I spend too much time looking at them! I'm all about using quicken and upload transactions multiple times a day - even when I know no transactions have happened! So I need some self control to just LET GO!"
glamorous girl
"My family struggles with eating out...we waste soooo much money each month with dinners at restaurants. I've tried to be better with planning my meals at home each week and trying to go grocery shopping at the beginning of the week. It's a hard balance with two working parents!
julieturnergrubb at hotmail.com"
leigh
"i like to go out to dinner too much"
"My biggest struggle is my husband saying that he is going to start taking his lunches to work and then giving me a list to buy at the store. I buy his multiple items on the list, throws me out of my grocery budget, but I do it because I am so happy that he wants to try and save money. He gets his cooler out and gets everything ready, only to come Monday morning and the cooler is still sitting exactly where he left it on the counter at home -- empty -- same thing next day too. Me and my son inevitably end up eating the food. What is funny is he has done this more than one time. So, I guess you can say my husband is my "biggest area of struggle." :)
rjtorzewski@comcast.net"
Nicol
"My problem is keeping on a budget. I can make things look great on paper but it never turns out that way.
Would love the gc, perfect for a day like today!"
Amanda
"We struggle with eating out. My husband and I both love to socialize and spend time with friends, and so we always want to go out to eat with others, and we end up spending way too much money!"
Mountain Mama
"My husband and I have different philosophies regarding using credit cards, so we often argue about that!"
MamaFeelgood
"Biggest area of struggle has to be controlling what I spend on food. I do tend to cook most of our meals at home but I always have way too much food left at the end of the week. I really need to use what I already have."
bethany
"My biggest problem is when I don't menu plan-I end up buying TONS at the grocery store!!"
Mrs. Pear
"Why mess with what works! This is a great giveaway!
When I think about the biggest struggle in our budget, it has changed over the years, but keeping our "general spending" in check is always tough. Although lately it has been getting harder to make the grocery budget work.
mrs.pear (at) cox.net"
Alisa
"I think our biggest struggle is how to spend over time money. My husband thinks of it as free money... where as I think of it as catch up money."
Emily
"My most difficult financial item is eating out rather than just cooking something simple and staying home. It's the one area that we tend to go "over budget" the most each month. Thanks for offering it!
princesslimey(at)gmail(dot)com"
Lori
"Ooh-- my biggest struggle is going over budget on groceries every month. I have to buy fruit & eat healthy, nutritious foods... but I can't figure out how to do that & still stay more frugal! And I'm a bargain shopper... so that's a problem. Tips would be appreciated.
Thanks for entering me in for the gift card!
lorifrost1@gmail.com"
Cathy
"I am working on curbing my impulse to buy something just because it's a great deal and it *might* come in handy. I'm also working on buying the kids fewer toys ...
Thanks for a fun giveaway, Amy!
Cathy
cfoblog [at] gmail [dot] com"
seven
"I totally struggle with having a budget. I have no idea how to do it. If I have money, I spend it. It's a crappy system, and I wish I could fix it."
Sandra
"We eat out too much and it is expensive and sometimes is bad for our health. Things just seem to be so busy around our house and it seems so difficult to pack a lunch that satisfies both myself and my son (he comes to work with me) that it just doesn't seem worth it some days. It isn't that we eat a lot of unhealthy restaurant meals...but the cost does add up.
I would love to be entered in your giveaway!
owatz (AT) telus (DOT)net"
It is time for another bloggy giveaway carnival and I am going take the plunge and participate again. Because I am oh-so-unoriginal and always think you shouldn't mess with a good thing, I am sponsoring the same exact giveaway as I did last time.. $25 Starbucks Gift Card! The last contest was such a roaring success that I want to replicate that again. Yeah, I know...boring and unoriginal.
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It's DELICIOUS
I think I need to just pray more BEFORE I go in so that I have more self-control. But any other ideas would be great too!
Jennifer
jennifer@wgustavus.com"