Talking Expenses + A Family of 6

We have had such a stressful but exciting month! Last time, we were talking about all the expenses that come up in July with birthdays and sports registrations. We also had some unexpected things happen (which is normal around here!) John John broke his toe which required additional medical payments that had to be made, but with cutting down on unnecessary spending, we were able to pay those copays with no hesitation.

As we mentioned in our vlog, the kiddos have really jumped on board with saving money and finding different ways to generate income. They are happy to have new savings accounts with PenAir and have started an internal competition of who can save the most. We are excited to see that financial knowledge and confidence grow within the kiddos. Mazin has even mentioned wanting to start saving for his first car (thank goodness!).

For August, we all know the back-to-school expenses can be stressful. This year, our family took a different stance for back-to-school supplies and clothes. At the end of the school year, all the kids left over supplies were sent home and I saved them! I was happy to see that I only had to spend about 100.00 on back-to-school supplies since we had so much saved from last year! Also, the kiddos helped me cull through their clothes and realized how many things they had that they had never worn and will be wearing those this school year! One good thing about having multiple kiddos at different ages, is, if you save the clothes, they can be passed down and seem new when pulled out of storage!

Seeing the debt go down and the savings go up, has been a motivator for John and me. It has not been easy, it requires discipline, but we are happy that we have joined the NOW program and hope that our children are seeing and learning from the example we are showing them.

All the support from our friends and family has been awesome to see. Social media comments on our videos are really helping to reduce that stigma around “not talking about finances!” I cannot tell you how many times we have been asked what we are doing to save, generate additional income, and stick to our budget. It’s been fun having those conversations openly!