The CareOne mobile app lets you check your progress and manage your debt relief plan with your smartphone.

The financial repercussions are pretty obvious. Most people can't afford all new stuff (including my friend above), and yet many of us participate in this trend regardless, to some extent. Have you ever replaced a cell phone, item of clothing, or television even though what you had still worked (or could easily be repaired)?

Most personal finance bloggers don't have a degree in finance, special certifications or formalized training. Despite that, I think that personal finance bloggers are the real experts when it comes to personal finance. These bloggers have firsthand knowledge and experience with financial struggles.  Personal finance bloggers have lived the challenges and provide time tested tips and tricks to help the average Joe become a financial rock star. 

If you've read the famous book Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, you know that people typically do their best work -- and have the most fun doing it -- when they achieve a "flow state." This is also commonly known as being "in the zone," or just losing all track of time because you were enjoying yourself so much with whatever you were doing. 

Therefore, we decided to capitalize on our respective savvy spending powers. I would do the grocery shopping, since this was an area she did not save well in, and she would do the clothing shopping. 

If you want to get ahead this year, why not start now to plan for the end of the year holidays? I know you say it every year, but do you actually do it?

Cash is boring. Especially these days with ridiculously low interest rates. Still, cash is king because of the flexibility it provides. Without cash, where do you go for unexpected emergencies or unexpected opportunities? Credit cards, Home Equity Loans, sell something on eBay?

One of the difficulties that many families run into is that they reach the end of their money before they reach the end of the month. As a result, some of the items they most enjoy have to be put on hold, since there just isn't the money for it. 

At CareOne we believe knowledge is power and everyone should know that it's okay to talk about your finances, in fact, we encourage it!

As a result, I have been forced to get super creative with family activities and finding ways to keep my kids entertained. Here are some tricks that have worked for me and I hope that they will work for you!

This week's mantra -- "Eat your vegetables" -- is a reminder that we often have to do things that aren't initially pleasant to get what we really want out of life. 

The task of shopping for children regardless of their age or grade can become overwhelming, not to mention expensive.

These are hard times and we all have to cut corners while maintaining some sort of sanity. Playing such "games" takes the stress out of saving, makes me and my friends smile, and we keep at it.

About 5 years ago I became so troubled by this debt crisis in my own life that I started to think deeply about the root causes of this epidemic of poor financial choices.

We are placing the spotlight on some of the familiar members you see engaging in the Community or entering the Share the Wealth contest on the CareOne website. These people are taking the time to share their perspective, tips and inspiration about life on a debt relief plan. 

If I look at the cup as half full, getting out of debt launched me into a new career as a money-saving and personal finance expert. I didn't realize the multiplied benefits I'd experience by getting out of debt until I'd done it.

Putting a smile on your face -- I mean just physically manufacturing a smile -- can actually change your state of mind. The short explanation for this is that our facial expressions and our neurological moods seem to be pretty tightly linked, and while it's obvious that certain emotions produce certain facial expressions, the cause-and-effect linkage also runs in the other direction. 

So, here are a few ideas of how you can spend your money the smart way.

Learning to be a savvy spender takes time and skill. Like most young women, I learned a lot tips from my mother. But I also learned a few skills from being resourceful and educating myself through trial and error.

Earlier this summer, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) launched a tool to help students learn how to avoid falling further behind. 

Nearly 10 years ago, I declared personal bankruptcy. The process was not fun and I do not wish that upon anyone. When my husband and I realized we had accrued some debt, we decided to make a change and worked hard to pay down our debt and have been debt free (other than our mortgage) since February 2012.

Conscious spending is an acute awareness of where every penny goes, and a comfort with how you spend.

You don't have to be a miser, a tightwad, or a cheapskate to be a savvy saver. Did I say that correctly? I think I should have said . . . to be a savvy spender. Either way, knowing when to spend and how much to spend is vitally important in order to build solid financial habits.

For the past month I've been using this space to talk about mantras -- words or little phrases that we can use to focus ourselves on what's really important. This week's mantra needs a little space to work, so seclude yourself in a quiet place before you get going

One of things I did not think of was the cost on an individual level. I would soon find out for myself and also find ways to save even in the midst of a storm.