Shelly Young
5 No Spend Month Tips and Tricks

I remember going to my husband years ago with a 12 credit cards confession. Honey, I have $25k in credit card debt. Not the thing you want to hear around Christmas time, but it was the truth, and I had hid it from him. You see, in my depression and anxiety, I would spend money to make myself feel better, only putting our family in a pit of financial despair. It was a December, and the next January started my journey to debt freedom! So I started it with a no spend month, and it changed my life. It set the tone for the rest of the year. That month I paid off 2-3 credit cards just by intentionally ONLY spending on what we agreed upon! And now friend, we are starting the New Year with only 1 credit card left! In just 2 years, we have paid off over $20k in debt! WOoohoo! And I share that story because no matter where you are in your finance journey, IT IS POSSIBLE! So how do you do a no spend month?

5 No Spend Month Tips and Tricks
Shelly Young
5 Tips to Traveling Cheaply with Kids

So this week, I decided to take a Homeschool Fall Break! We have been busy with sports and restaurants and all the things, and I knew that we needed a break as a family. We’ve been saving tons and paying off debt tons, so we had a good cushion to take a trip! We save weekly on groceries, doing my own nails and hair, making my own coffee at home ($130 savings just this month by not going to Starbucks), and so many other ways! So I took the trip instead of putting it on debt because as a family we needed it, and making memories is a core value for us! So here’s my 5 tips to traveling cheaply with kids!

5 Tips to Traveling Cheaply with Kids
Shelly Young
5 Tips to Digital Minimalism

So minimalism is a very newer concept to me! I’ve been decluttering for years now, but the idea of minimalism really intrigued me as a family of 6, sports, and all of the things. I felt like we were accumulating all of these things, and it was bringing me so much anxiety. My household was no longer was sanctuary, but a place I found overwhelming because it was no longer a space of peace, but a space of…..well….clutter. So I went on this journey to minimize our things, and after months of minimizing, I’ve become so much more happy with our spaces. I’ll share more on that soon! So what is digital minimalism? For me, digital minimalism is getting rid of the things digitally that don’t bring you joy and really leaning into the things that do bring you joy and help you create the amazing life that you want.

5 Tips to Digital Minimalism
Shelly Young
Taco Night Mom Fail: 5 Ways to Get through this ...

Tonight I bombed. I cooked a healthy taco meal that no one ate! Haha. It was a vegan fish taco in lettuce wraps, and I may have challenged one kid to take one bite, while another smelled it and ran! Haha! Luckily, I cooked a backup meal for my family (I’m stricter than most of them eating mostly vegan), and I don’t expect all of them to eat vegan especially Air Fried Heart of Palms from Tabitha Brown’s Instagram video! What is a heart of palm even! I mean what was I thinking! It was a weekday! I don’t cook new meals during the weekdays! I know better. My kitchen is a wreck and the heart of palms is starting at me AND even the dog won’t eat it! When a piece fell on the floor, she didn’t even eat it! Oh boy! But it’s ok! Because my kids are a bit older, we have meal time rules, and they complied with them, and it was great! Taco Night bombed. But we survived and laughed about it! But it hasn’t always been this way! Before, I did not love motherhood. I had 3 kids, 3 and under, and one older one and a traveling husband. It was hard. I felt isolated, depressed and alone, and most days I felt like a failure. That’s how I felt years ago, and with this pandemic, I know some of you may be feeling the same way I felt! The pressure of virtual learning, being home non-stop, and juggling work and e-learning. You will get through this time! So here are 5 ways to get through this pandemic, e-learning, working, or homeschooling with your sanity!

Taco Night Mom Fail: 5 Ways to Get through this Pandemic with your Sanity!
Shelly Young
How to Start a Chore System and $$$ with Kids!

I was burned out! I was doing all the things while my sweet husband was traveling 5-6 days per week, not getting home until 10pm most nights if he wasn’t having an overnight stay. He wanted to help, but his job back then took him away from our city more often than not. And I was tired, experienced postpartum depression, and I just felt like I was drowning under homeschooling, nursing babies, and well... Life. And I remember meeting with one of my mentors, and she said, “What chores are your children responsible for.” And that conversation changed my life. Now years later, I finally feel as if we have a good system that works for us.

How to Start a Chore System and $$$ with Kids!

But God: From Unemployment to Restaurant Ownership Part 1

But God: From Unemployment to Restaurant Ownership Part 1

Restaurant number two opens in just a few days! Wooohooo! We are so humbled by God to be right where He wants us to be, using our gifts to serve our family, community, local church and beyond, but goodness it has taken a lot for us to get here! Tons of tears! Tons of therapy! Tons of mentoring sessions with people who poured into us when we had no clue if we were coming or going! There were some hard days! Some unemployment days! Some financial despair days, but FINALLY YALL! We are days away from opening our 2nd restaurant! WOW! My husband, our partners, and our amazing team and your prayers have made this possible, with God, and we could not be more thrilled about what God has done through Eggs Up Grill Killian and Eggs Up Grill Camden! But let’s back up a bit! Let’s chat about how we got here!

My Top 5 Favorite Tools to Help Pay Off Debt!

My Top 5 Favorite Tools to Help Pay Off Debt!

So there are so many resources and products out there! But as a busy, homeschooling mom of four, who runs a business, blog, restaurant owner with my husband, I need simple, quick, and practical tools in my debt free journey! To be honest, I did not think we would be in this debt-free journey again. We had paid off $40,000 worth of debt years ago, but somehow got right back into debt (well I did). And I’ll share that in another post! So over the last 5 years, I have learned some tools and tricks that have helped me along the way! Last year, we buckled down, got honest, and paid off 9 out of 12 credit cards! Wooohoo! And you can too! How do you attack debt? Bit by bit! Slow and steady wins the race!

5 Ways To Save More Money This Month!

We are back in the swing of things post holidays, and one of our new year goals this year is to pay off debt and SAVE during our debt payoff process. Some would say you should not save while paying off debt, BUT Dave Ramsey does recommend putting money aside in sinking funds for tires, Home Owner Association fees, birthdays, taxes, etc. (I talk more about Sinking Funds here). For me, it is super important to save because as a former FREE SPIRIT spender, setting money aside

  1. Cut the Subscriptions!

Five Ways to Get Your Grocery Bill Under Control

Five Ways to Get Your Grocery Bill Under Control

So it’s no surprise that we have been really focusing on our spending habits over the last year if you’ve been following us! Last year, we were able to pay off 9 credit cards, and we only have 3 more to go before we tackle our car notes! So during this process of paying off debt, we learned that we had to get our grocery bill under control! We are a family of 6, and it was much easier when my husband’s job paid for his meals FOR YEARS! Because years ago, his company paid for his meals, that was a big chunk of savings (that we didn’t save haha).

How Sinking Funds will Change your Finances in 2020

How Sinking Funds will Change your Finances in 2020

Years ago, we were hit with the once a year letter that our Home Owner Association dues were due. You would think that after the first year we would have learned, but between nursing littles and homeschooling tons of kids, saving for home owner association fees were not on my radar. Back then, my husband was traveling all over the state, gone 4 to 5 days a week, and somehow our HOA fees always got “lost in translation.” You know those bills or things that come every year that hit you when you least expect them ONLY you know they are coming because hello? They come every year! Like Christmas, car taxes, new tires, HOA’s, birthdays, and so much more!

How to Save $500 on Groceries!

Happy New Year y’all!

We’ve been busy prepping for the restaurant opening in just a few short weeks! We had a few setback with the timeline of the opening, but God’s timing is perfect!

So if you’ve been around us a little bit, you know we are on our debt-free journey. We started it again January 2019, and have since paid off 9, yes 9 credit cards! You can check out my previous post to see more. BUT part of the reason we were able to pay off more than $12,000 in debt is because we really got serious about our grocery budget. We are a family of six, WITH 3 pets, so we really have to be wise when it comes to grocery spending or we could go off the rails a bit!

About 3-4 years ago, we were able to pay off $40,000 worth of debt, using the cash envelope system AND Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, so we knew we could do it again! No we should not have gone back into debt, but that’s for another post! So how in the world do you save $500 or more on groceries per month?

Part of my grocery haul today!

  1. Track how much you spend for 1 month! Write down every single grocery purchase for one month! Need a tracking printable! Head to our shop for our grocery printable!

  2. Create a grocery budget! After tracking your grocery spending for one month, add up your grocery spending. Now take that number, and create a grocery budget based on that. SO if you spent $700 on groceries last month, try to challenge yourself to maybe $650 for groceries this month.

  3. Shop sales and what’s in season! So during one month, we had 18 boxes of cereal! Why? Because cereal was buy one get one free at Bi-lo or Publix, so I stocked up on the cereals that my kids love! And you know what? We ended up going through those boxes in the following months! So when a sale hits, stock up! Freeze meats! Store cereals! Buy what you’re going to eventually use! By shopping sales items, we have saved over $123 just this month! This week La Croix is buy one get one free! So I purchased 4, and I plan to get more next week before the sale ends! Buy more of what you are going to use.

  4. Take an inventory of what you have, and buy ONLY what you need! So today, I looked at my fridge and saw we have a ton of breakfast food items, BUT we do not have a ton of dinner items. So instead of buying a ton of groceries today, I only purchased what we needed for the next few days! I buy groceries 2-3 times per week (we use a delivery service), and I buy what we need for that week OR for the next few days. For us, it works so that we are not wasting food! We use to waste so much food, so now, we only buy for 3-4 days at a time! Do an inventory check in your pantry, cabinets, fridge, and freezer. What items do you need? Buy only what you need! Can you get by without grocery shopping for a week or two and get creative by cooking what you have? We have saved over $300 by skipping shopping for a few weeks and only cooking what we have during certain seasons! Why? Because we want to pay off debt faster, so for us, the sacrifice was well worth it!

  5. Use Instacart delivery service or Walmart Pickup, or a service that allows you to pick up and stay in budget! By allowing someone else to shop for you, you save so much money by NOT putting items in your basket that you don’t need! We have used Instacart for almost a year, and it has been a game changer for us! We pay 9.99 per month, but we have saved SO MUCH MONEY! Here’s a $10 off coupon if you want to try it!

  6. Eat meatless for a week! It’s no surprise that we eat meatless if you’ve been around us the last few months in person or virtually. My husband and I went meatless last fall, BUT our children do still eat meat. Before we went plant based, we often went a week or two without buying meat. By eating meatless meals, you can save $100 plus dollars. You can do meals like chili and rice, spaghetti, tacos with beans and cheese and chips and salsa! There are tons of meatless options AND you can save $100 plus dollars on your grocery bill by going meatless for a week or 2 depending on how much meat you buy! Need some meatless options, head to the shop, I have a vegan meal plan available!

  7. Pay cash for items! Studies show if you pay cash for items, you spend less! Try the cash envelope system for groceries and challenge yourself to save what you don’t spend! Years ago, we had a grocery cash envelope, and we saved so much money! Try it, and see if it works for you!

  8. Grow your own veggies! Last year was the first year that I did not have a garden in years! We grew our own veggies for years, and I loved it! We saved $75 plus dollars every month, just by growing cucumbers, kale, onions, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and so much more! We loved our little garden and saved so much money! And the kids loved going out back and picking strawberries! It was such a nice treat for the family! I think I’ll get back into it now that our restaurant Eggs Up is up and running!

  9. Meal Plan!!! It goes without saying that if you don’t plan, you plan to fail! Or however the saying goes! Plan out your weekly meals so that you have a plan going into every week, and not scrambling to find dinner! We have saved hundreds by meal planning each month!

  10. Skip the dairy, wine and treats! So confession! I love wine! No really, I love the taste of it and everything about it! Guys, this month, I gave up wine and alcohol! My beloved wine! And you’re not going to believe how much we have saved just this week! God really impressed on me leaning into Him when I want wine, leaning into Him when I want sugar, leaning into Him when I’m craving or wanting “escape” instead of running to Jesus! It’s been such a process if I’m honest especially because sometimes I just want a Reese’s! You know how much we were spending on average for my expensive habit? $78-100 bucks a month at least on alcohol. At the very least! When we had a wine subscription, we spent even more! So skip the wine for a month, or dairy, or chips and treats, and watch your savings grow! Now I know it seems like I’m losing my mind, BUT friend, trust me. I’ve tried it, and goodness it works!

So let’s total potential savings for you this month! By growing your own veggies you can save $75 dollars (at least in a month), paying cash for groceries you can save at least $25 or more, eating meatless one week $65 in a month, using Instacart or Walmart Pick Up, says we have saved around $85 in a month, by buying only what you need you can save up to $100 at the very least, more if you get very disciplined and committed! By buying sales items and what’s in season, you can save at least $200 in a month! By creating a grocery budget to begin with, you are saving your family so much money! You are creating a habit to create a financial legacy for your family! And that in itself is huge! What about by giving up wine, alcohol, treats, and dairy? Another $100 savings? Over $500 in savings IF you’re willing to commit to getting serious about where your money is going, commit to the sacrifices and time it may take to shop sales, BUT it will be worth it friend! You can do this! If you need more, check out our DEBT CRUSHING MAMA VISION SHEETS to take control of your finances in 2020! And be on the look out for our DEBT CRUSHING WORKBOOK coming soon! You got this beautiful! Let’s go out and be the amazing women God created us to be! And it starts today!

Until next time friend!

Shelly

Goodbye Debt: 5 Ways To Pay Off Debt In 2020

Goodbye Debt: 5 Ways To Pay Off Debt In 2020

Yes we own a restaurant, but our goal is to be debt free including our mortgage, so we hustled! And guys, I reviewed it today, guys, we paid off 9 credit cards, and over $12k in debt! Of course we shouldn’t even have credit cards, AND I still have 3 to pay off before we tackle our car notes! But guys, 9 credit cards in our first year back on our debt free journey! Come on God! And can I tell you my why!? Our why!? Our four children, we want to leave them with a financial legacy for generations to come! We want to help others break generational curses of financial despair and poverty and show others that financial prosperity is possible! And that you can make mistakes, BUT God is bigger! That you can hit rock bottom, but God is stronger! That you can even be unemployed for 9 months, and come back to own a restaurant less than 2 years later! Come on God! Your financial mistakes are no match for God’s power!

5 Practical Ways to Help Someone Whose Grieving This Holiday Season

5 Practical Ways to Help Someone Whose Grieving This Holiday Season

The loneliest time of year is around the holiday season. So many people are alone, lonely, and feeling the weight of not having a loved one to share it with! Go sit with them, be with them if you can! Jesus is great! He is my homeboy, but certain people don’t have family, don’t have a husband, or feel the sting of loss in the pit of their stomachs, and they just need to be loved on this holiday season!

8 Secrets to Publishing Your First Book

8 Secrets to Publishing Your First Book

I knew I was called to be a writer and speaker, but it terrified me so I sat on my dream. It took decades for me to finally publish my first book, and I don’t want that for you, friend. If you feel called to write, write! If you feel called to speak, speak. If you feel called to lead a bible study, lead one. Don’t sit on the things placed in your heart, friend. You were created for more! Write the book! Start the business. Learn a new language! Create the amazing life that God has for you, and stop wishing for it!

5 Ways to Save $1000 for Christmas

5 Ways to Save $1000 for Christmas

It’s hard to believe Christmas is right around the corner! We try to save all year for Christmas and festivities, and years ago, we went into so much debt for the one coveted day! Instead of focusing on Jesus, making memories, and enjoying the holidays with family and friends, we were so focused on stuff and buying all the new cool gadgets for our kids. Admittedly, years ago, I walked into a Dave Ramsey financial peace class, and said, “Hello, I’m Shelly. I’m a shopaholic” as if there should be some shopaholic anonymous support group just for me! That class, Financial Peace University, was life changing, and because of it and God, we were able to pay off about $40,000 in debt.

Five Secrets to Writing Your First Book

Five Secrets to Writing Your First Book

Kanye West just put out his first Christian album, “Jesus is King,” and whether you agree with him or not, one thing remains.  Kanye could have “waited” to feel ready to put out the album.  Kanye could have waited to feel ready or more “mature” in his faith.  Kanye could have thought about what people would think and the judgment and backlash he would get from the Christian community.  But you know what?  He put out the album, and those who don’t know Jesus are running to the arms of our Savior because of the power of God and Kanye’s decision to say “Yes!” That’s worth celebrating.  Goodness, Jesus saving Kanye is no different than God saving you or me.  I don’t know about you, but I was a hot mess before Jesus and even after Jesus.  Yes, I was cleaned up a bit more post Jesus, but the process of loving God, receiving His love, and loving others was a process for me.  It was not overnight experience for me.  So what’s so different about Kanye?  He has a much bigger platform to share HIs testimony, and what God has done in His life, and He is getting so much backlash from who?  Christians?  Really?  Did you see you back in the day?  Your former self before Jesus?  I digress.   We all need Jesus each and every day and Kanye needs Jesus just as much as me and you!  But you know what Kanye is doing that we are not?  Sharing his story of hope!   You’re never going to be “ready”, but like Kanye, you have a story to tell and other people are waiting for you to share.  People need to hear your testimony!  

Can We Be Friends?

Can We Be Friends?

Can we be peeps? 

A few months ago, I met some fabulous ladies at a speaking event when one of my friends brought her friends. She had not told them what they were doing or what it was...just what time to be ready. They came early. Sat in the front row, and showed up BIG! She invited, they not only said yes with their mouth...but they said yes with their hearts, and weren’t afraid to just be open and crazy and come to the event! I mean guys, they had no idea what they were even getting themselves into! 

10 Money Tips To Get You Through The Holiday Season Debt Free

10 Money Tips To Get You Through The Holiday Season Debt Free

So confession, every Christmas we use to swear by the credit card. We would see all of these amazing toys and such for our kids and each other, and instead of making a plan for our money back then, we would spend like crazy and think about the consequences later. Sorry mom and dad. We love you, but we made some crazy mistakes back then. Then we took Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University (FPU), and it really taught us so much about money and telling it where to go. It took us at least three times of taking FPU to really apply the principles, but once we did, we really were able to budget, pay off debt, and learn to save. After failing to plan and going into debt every Christmas, we may have learned our lesson, so here are our 10 Money Tips to Get You Through The Holiday Season Debt Free:

5 Ways to Fight For Your Marriage

5 Ways to Fight For Your Marriage

So I looked over my cup, shook my head, and rolled my mascara laden eyes, “I think you got this marriage thing wrong,” I told my friend after a month of marriage. It was not working. We hated each other. We were fighting. And I thought, THIS CANNOT BE the rest of my life! There had to be more to this marriage thing or else I was doomed. That was almost 10 years ago.

I Almost Turned A Blind Eye

I Almost Turned A Blind Eye

Dear Mom at Edventure,

I'm sorry I had to call the cops on you. I hated every second of it. But you know what I hate even more? You kicking and punching your three year old son. I tried to stand by silently, but my heart ripped out of my chest the moment you cocked your fist up at an innocent, defenseless boy. I tried to stay silent while you smashed his head against the car. I shook because I was paralyzed with fear and anger, and asking you to stop would not have helped him because I'm sure he gets worse at home. I should've stepped in sooner, but I was so shocked by it all! I couldn't believe my eyes! Honestly, I tried to stay silent as tears welled up in my eyes when he seemed very "used" to this behavior and abuse. I tried to stay silent....but once you walked away as if nothing happ

5 Practical Ways to Help Someone Struggling with Depression

5 Practical Ways to Help Someone Struggling with Depression

I remember laying there in my little one bedroom apartment, feeling like a big fat whale, blinds closed. In the darkness, I felt movement underneath my snug shirt. A baby. My baby girl. There was life growing inside me. I should’ve been thrilled. I was thrilled kinda. Only I didn’t want to live, and therefore I did not want my baby to live. Suicide was an option. A very real option, and I wanted it for US!

DO IT SCARED!

DO IT SCARED!

There I stood, a piercing high pitched squeal filled the air, and my stomach dropped. Something was wrong. Something was very very wrong. I scanned the massive hiking crowd for his big brown eyes, long eyelashes, and seconds rolled by. It felt like eternity. His eyes found mine. My eyes locked on his, and I took an audible sigh of relief for a brief second until I saw the big tears that filled his eyes waiting to pour down his beautiful skin. And my heart sank.

I'm Not Ready, But God!

I'm Not Ready, But God!

There I was ready to ball my eyes out, and he said, “Bye mommy!” He no longer needed me. He was no longer clinging to my leg. He was no longer attached to my hip. My babies were growing up, and I was not ready for it. Actually, I wanted to turn right back around, and pull them out of school. They could wait til next year, I thought. I just wasn’t ready for this!

I Turned My Husband Away

I Turned My Husband Away

I laid there in complete silence, eyes gazing above to the dark ceiling in our master bedroom. It was probably 4am, and with our new restaurant Eggs Up Grill, it wasn’t unusual for my husband to be awake. He reached out and touched my hand or arm, or something, and you know how you just know your spouse is in the mood just by how they “reach” for you. He reached for me, and I TURNED MY HUSBAND AWAY!