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!
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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).
i struggle w/ getting receipts to my hubbie in a timely matter.
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My biggest problem is the extra trips to pick up one or two things. I always come out with more than I was supposed to get which really adds up.
cherierjatyahoo.com
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The biggest financial problem in my family is not making enough money! Ok, well, maybe it is the fact that my husband and I aren’t on the same page with our budget. Sounds worse in writing than it really is…
Thank you for doing this giveaway.
Tiffany Rosson
tiffanyannrosson AT yahoo DOT com
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My husband doesn’t get steady paychecks which makes budgeting very hard.
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Our struggles have to do with eating out. I love to go out and it eats up too much of our budget!!
Thanks for the great giveaway!
mnatherson at comcast dot net
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The area where I stuggle most is eating out and yes little bit impulse buying . But what to do!!!
Thanks
Mani
kr.manid@gmail.com
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Honestly, I have a hard time keeping the completely clean. I wish I could afford a house keeper.
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My biggest struggle is those cute outfits. But I have been doing better by keeping to a list. katie_mmartin (at) yahoo [dot] com
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My husband and I are really on track with our budget. We have a plan for getting out of debt (no credit card debt, but we have a house note, a car note, and rather substantial student loan debt).
Our problem is maintaining. It can be discouraging to realize that you just have to keep plugging away (diligently!)for the next 15 years until it is gone!
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The biggest area we struggle in is unforeseen expenses. It always throws our budget out of whack.
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Finding time/patience to comparison shop, go to the resale store, etc. With 4 children 4 and under, both are in short supply!
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I think we drive way too much and the price of gas will eventually eat us alive. I’d love tips on conserving gas in suburbia where the closest thing other than other houses is more than two miles away and we have no public transportation.
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We struggle with trying to save anything at all. The minute we have a little saved up something seems to happen. Something breaks, One of the children get sick. Its just so hard to put anything back for a rainy day
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Well, I would like to sell our house and move into a smaller apartment so we’d have more money to be generous with. He wants to stay here because it’s a great home to raise a family in- great location, great schools, etc.
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GREAT giveaway!
I think blogger may have eaten my first post, in case it did here is my answer.
The one thing that really strains are finances are bills. HA I get one paid off and another replaces it. It seems like they are never under 100 bucks either. More like 300! Help mmeeeeeee
Hey, if you have a chance, please stop by and visit my contest page too!
http://weirdstuffinmydesk.com/?p=41
my email is:
racoo.smith at gmail dot com
Thanks and have a lovely day!
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Our family’s struggle is that one of us is a spender and one is a saver. Dave Ramsey and the envelope system help a LOT!
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My problem is budgeting… I just don’t get it. I mean, I get the concept, but I can’t seem to get it into practice. Too many impulse purchases (like Starbucks!). This gift card will help a little with that!
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The biggest issue I have is the extras that happen in. Or the money that does not come when it should etc.
peggie dot loden at gmail dot com
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Finding money for a vacation! It’s been way too long since we took a trip.
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If there is any area that puts a strain on finances is that teenagers eat a LOT of food. No one told me this ahead of time. Kids start off so tiny and small, they fool you with their food intake in the beginning and then bam! They start sucking your food budget dry
Great giveaway, thanks!
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We struggle with our education loans being the same amount as our mortgage…no one reminded us when we were in school how much we’d have to pay each month to pay them off!!
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My biggest struggle is our grocery budget, trying to balance between eating healthy-ish, convenience/time, and what I’m spending. I feel like something always has to give, sometimes two of the three.
Thanks for doing the giveaway!
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My biggest issue is eating out. I get so tired of sandwiches and mac n’ cheese that I eat out way too much! Plus when you are out running around and it comes to lunch time, what other choice do you have?
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Our biggest struggle is eating out too much
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I’m a recent SAHM (we have a 3 month old) and it’s hard suddenly being down to one income, when we were used to so much more.
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I think one of our biggest struggles is figuring out how to balance a healthy lifestyle with a reasonable food budget.
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Our biggest struggle is paying for our girls to go to a private Christian school, but we feel like we would rather struggle than to put them in the school they are zoned for. Our oldest will be going into public high school three years, so we’re just trying to hold out that long. We also eat out too much. Thanks for the chance to win!
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I’m just plain irresponsible and don’t keep track of my balance because I know overdraft protection kicks in.
A HORRIBLE habit!!
Thanks for the chance to win this…one of my vices for sure
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Our biggest struggle is probably impulse spending. It’s on sale. It’s only a dollar. It’s our day off. The kids were good. I’m hungry. Whatever the reason, it’s not so good.
hellerfam(at)yahoo(dot)com
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our biggest struggle is convienience stores i.e. 7 Eleven. My husband tends to frequent them before heading out to work since all of his co-workers do the same. All of those little charges add up! Drinks and snacks are overly priced in those stores. I pack his lunch, but often he just goes in because his co-workers are too.
Naomi nachuck2003@yahoo.com
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I tend to forget what I’ve already spent. Kind of blows the “budget”. Oops!
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My biggest spending struggle is impulse buying–shopping at Costco doesn’t save much money if I’m buying large quantities of things we didn’t necessarily need in the first place…
Thanks!
f dot chen at comcast dot net
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it’s hard just to make it for the food and groceries! we do eat out a lot and that doesn’t help.
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my biggest struggle is over-spending. if my dh gives me $20, I spend $25
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Buying things we don’t “need”!!!
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Thanks for the great giveaway!
I think my hardest struggle is just not spending so thriftily all of the time. I don’t remember the last time I got something for me.
sarahmarie dot pemberton at gmail dot com
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how awesome! thank you!
our biggest struggle is communication. My hubby spends a dollar here and there everywhere and i dont know so my mental registry is never right lol
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We tend to spend until we run out, and then are surprised, because we haven’t kept track. Surely we didn’t spend THAT much?!?
Yes, we did.
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Thanks for the giveaway, I would love to win! nw_wife(at)hotmail(dot)com I have the hardest time saving money. I do great in the grocery and household budgets, but my “fun” spending money sure disapears fast!
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Yum – Starbucks!! My biggest financial struggle is paying bills on time – even when there is plenty of money in the account I forget to log in and pay or drop something in the mail, etc.
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One of the biggest areas of struggle for us as a family is that there is just to much month at the end of the money and our need for coffee doesn’t help matters.
JOYfully in Him,
Kelli
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My biggest issue is buying for my girls. I didn’t have a lot growing up so I want to make sure my girls have all that they can. I don’t want them made fun of for their clothes or because they couldn’t go on a field trip with their class. I go overboard with this but I can’t stop. lol
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Public vs. Private school. We want to send my daughter to private school but that means we have to change our lifestyle.
kailani
anislandlife at gmail dot com
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Buying things I really don’t need “because they are on sale.”
digicat@sbcglobal.net
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never have enough $ to cover everything
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I biggest struggle is to not buy the kids toys all the time. There are so many neat things out there that I know they would love. I have trouble not buying them all. I know it’s not good ofr them, but I love seeing them enjoy themselves
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This is awesome. Thanks for the chance.
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My biggest struggle is balancing buying healthy food and not spending a fortune. “Bad” food is just so much cheaper! I have been cooking/baking a lot from scratch to try to fight this. Thanks for the giveaway!
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My financial burden is my husbands father and grandmother come over to our home nearly everyday to eat dinner. Suddenly our food budget for 2 people jumped to 4 + people. His dad eats enough for 2 to 3 people. In this economy we just do not have the money. How do I get them to chip in more for the groceries?
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My biggest issue I have with my finances is the fact that my husbands check don’t always come in when their suppose too. He is a contractor so he gets paid when he gets paid that makes it hard to do a budget and stick to it.
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My biggest struggle is staying on budget
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Thank you for the generous giveaway! Nothing boring about Starbucks!
The biggest problem I have is using a store credit card when they’re offering a deal, like 10% off your total purchase! I know I should just pay cash and that the interest charges will get me in the end, but I can never resist!
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I don’t know if this is what you’re looking for, but our biggest financial challenge is keeping on top of the legal expenses that are involved with defending ourselves against my husband’s vindictive ex-wife. Nothing you can help with, though, I’m sure.
Thanks for the chance to win my favorite thing in the world — a Starbuck’s card!
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I think our biggest struggle is agreeing on priorities – down payment for a new house, pay off car, pay off school loans? Dave Ramsey says the car loan first, but we’re gonna need a bigger house in a few months and we can’t really afford a bigger house without relying heavily on my part-time-from-home salary (which could be difficult given the reason for needing a bigger house).
The standard “this is the way to get out of debt” model isn’t really working for us at this moment, so we’re not sure what to do.
$25 at Starbucks would gve us some time to think about it!
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Probably eating out too much ~ I’m trying to do better, but I tend to use this as a reward for myself and for my children.
Thanks for the contest!
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I would have to say where we struggle is that I have a huge heart. I tend to listen to every story and always help others out, thus leaving us in a bind. My dh gets so mad at me for this.
Thanks
M
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I think our biggest struggle is we are constantly spending more that we should on food…mostly because we’re lazy. Or I’m lazy. I just don’t want to make dinner, so we eat out instead. Even with fast food, that adds up fast! My email address is in my Blogger profile, just in case I win!
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The biggest challenge in our house is literally finding a time (consistently) for my hubby and I to look over our finances together.
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One issue we have with our family finances is saving money.
What a wonderful giveaway you are doing here.
Have fun with your giveaway. Don’t forget to head on over to my blog and enter mine!
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My biggest area of struggle is making a budget and sticking to it. I can always find a way to justify extras – “Oh, it’s something we can use,” “we can store that until later, it won’t go to waste”, and on and on.
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My biggest struggle with family finances is the lack of money we have in the first place.
Thank you for the giveaway!
themonkinme(at)gmail(dot)com
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I have the most trouble with grocery shopping. Coupons escape me, the kids are whining, and I’m usually hungry. My email addy is in my blogger profile, in case I win!
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The biggest struggle that we have is saving. It feels like we are hardly putting away any money.
Thanks for the giveaway.
my e-mail is steen11@gmail.com
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My biggest stuggle is overbuying for the children! Thanks for a chance to win Starbucks!
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My biggest struggle is getting too uptight about the finances! Sometimes I need to just take a breather!
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I’d have to say making sure we get enough back into savings. I tend to leave some in checking at month’s end, and though that’s not as bad as spending it, the temptation to spend is always there. :0)
Thanks so much!
meg.wilson@gmail.com
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Those stupid end caps right before the registers!! Especially if anything is on sale or clearance. And it’s horrible if I have all five kids with me. I can spend more there than throughout the whole store.
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The $ I spend on groceries–trying to buy organic and healthy on a budget!
Also,paying off cc debt and putting money into savings.
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Our/my biggest struggle is sticking to a budget, actually sticking to it.. I try and try each month, but something always comes up.. What are we to do, going without is soo hard when you grew up that way and you want everything you can have..
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My trouble is on-line auctions. I get caught up just like in a live auction and always pay more than I should.
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Our biggest struggle is probably saving money. It’s hard with the bills to put as much aside as we’d like.
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I am hoping I am not too late…maybe you are in a different time zone!
My biggest struggle is with groceries! I am just starting to learn how to do better in that area through coupons and sales.
Thanks for doing this!
Blessings,
Kimberly
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My biggest struggle is Costco. I go in for one thing and spend $100!
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A husband who is a “spendthrift” + a wife who is a “tightwad” = major financial frustration!
Thanks for offering Starbucks – mmm!
Tamara (AK)
mrshuntinak AT msn DOT com
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sometimes buying a bargain isn’t a bargain for your family – so even though you may be getting a rebate back – it still ties up your family’s money. I’m still getting the hang of this bargain thing…..
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I struggle with impulse buying…
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Oh that’s easy. I’m pretty good about not spending too much. I’ve never bounced a check and have just paid off the cc (woohoo!) but we’re pretty low income now and I’ve been needing to make an actual budget for a loooong time and keep messing up the first step- you know, where you actually keep track of where your money is going. I have receipts stashed EVERYWHERE but never remember to enter them, and end up throwing them away because I’m so overwhelmed with months of random tiny bits of paper. Oy!
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My biggest struggle is the grocery budget. It seems spend way too much each week!
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