I felt frustrated because no one seemed to understand what I was going through. I was all stressed out trying to figure out how to pay the bills on my own each payday. It wasn't helping anyone because no one knew what I was upset about. I cried in private, and I wondered how I would ever get my debt under control.

When talking to parents, a big worry that they have is that changing their finances will impact their kids.

I look back over the last four and a half years on my debt management plan and think about the things that became significant that in my past were not:

Whether you want to become a neurosurgeon, get out of debt, run a marathon, or just lose 15 pounds, you need to exercise some willpower. It pays to know a bit about how the brain musters willpower, and how you can build up your own.

This experiment was quite an eye-opener.  The best way to keep our grocery costs down is not only to stick to a pre-made grocery shopping list, but to eat within the bounds of the food planned and purchased for the week. 

For many people, there is no more important form of that communication than what goes on within their own families and with their closest friends. Are you getting what you should from these relationships? And are you giving as much as you should to cultivate them?

What's the first thing you'll do once you've completed your debt relief plan?

He understands the value of a dollar. I think this is because we have employed a cost sharing system with him since he was little.

While the following 5 actions won't fix all your money problems immediately, taking action - and then sticking with it - will help you begin to improve your financial fitness:

I don't know about you, but I hear a lot about how much I'm supposed to get out and exercise, or exercises I can do to keep my mind nimble, or how I should really exercise some restraint before I open my big mouth. 

So that leads me to explain our latest "dilemma."  We have two cars that will both be paid off this year.  My car has been our more reliable "go to car."  My husband is a little tougher on his car, and therefore it is not really the vehicle that screams family day out. 

When used properly, they can help you organize your finances, stave off impulse spending, save money easily, and earn more money with your savings.

Our emergency fund had enough in it to cover the cost, but I was hesitant to do the repair immediately. We had just started building up our emergency fund recently, and spending $350 for brake pads would leave it dangerously short should we incur another unexpected expense. 

Now that I'm on the LONG road to being debt free, I'm becoming ever more aware of how I spend my money.  When I was using credit cards, it was all pretty easy; I just got what I wanted or needed when I thought I needed it.  Paying on credit didn't impact my checking account that much, so I lulled myself into thinking that I really wasn't' spending that much. 

The information presented in the blogs really got me thinking.  So, I decided to do some impromptu organization in and around our home. 

I have talked about how using my notebook, Quicken, and Excel is a juggling act each paycheck. I am afraid I will miss a bill, think I paid something that I did not, or forget that an automatic payment is coming through.

I wanted to make more than just one payment a month to my credit card. Not that I had any extra money, I'd already sent all I had, but waiting a whole month to see the balance go down again was painful. 　

We've all heard the hype; student debt is surpassing credit card debt and it is not just affecting recent college graduates anymore. Student debt is had by young and old alike.  Want a peek at just how high the number of outstanding student loan debt is? 

Paying off over $50,000 of debt is one thing, but for me, it is the fact that I paid my debt. That was really important to me. I wanted to take responsibility for my actions and pay off this money that I so eagerly spent.  And I did. 

The report shows that the 50+ crowd carried an average credit card balance of $8,278 in 2012 compared to those under 50, averaging $6,258.  

I'm talking about the person in the family that eats all the leftovers and uses all the products that everyone else has grown tired of, or has thrown in the trash convinced the container is empty.

Think about it: we get handed a lot of ideas about what achievement is supposed to look like. Our parents and teachers and spouses and the media tell us that astronauts are achievers, as are surgeons and Olympic athletes and CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. And, sure, those are all great things to pursue -- but they're not for everybody.

Do you ever teach your kids any lessons about how to manage money?

So, the good news is my husband is working again!  Whoo hoo!  Talk about a weight off our shoulders! The bad news is we have a little digging out to do after about three months living on only one income.

I have found that having my bills paid automatically through my main checking account is very convenient.  I no longer need to worry about forgetting to pay a bill. I also know exactly where I sit financially every month after the bills have gone through.