About

Melody Hansen
Kennewick, WA

My husband and I started Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover back in early 2007. We wanted to have kids, but we just didn’t feel comfortable with the amount of debt we had, mostly in student loans. We argued about money a LOT. We had both been raised very differently in terms of budgeting and finances and could just not get on the same page. We truthfully weren’t under crippling debt, but we were just spinning our wheels with no end in sight.

A friend of mine let me borrow her copy of Dave’s book and the rest is history. Fast forward to today: Two healthy boys, NO DEBT except our mortgage and a very happy marriage. I am able to stay home with our kids and we feel set for just about anything that could come our way. Compared to the “fly by the seat of our pants” lifestyle we used to live, this is a wonderful feeling.

Along with paying off our debt came learning how to live on a budget. One of the most flexible areas of our budget was our grocery bill. I knew there had to be a way to spend less! My best friend started sending me deals she found and names of blogs she followed. After about a year of deal shopping and couponing, I was able to significantly reduce our budget in all areas, not just our grocery bill. I was inspired to learn how to cut costs on our fixed expenses (cable, phone, utilities), I slashed the amount we were spending on holiday gifts and eating out.

This lifestyle truly changed our marriage and our lives. The reason I decided to start this blog was because I wanted to share what I had learned with others, as it is something that everyone can do. Whether you are learning how to shop with coupons or trying to make a dramatic change in your budget, I hope that I can offer you some encouragement and support. I am passionate about helping others change their lives for the better!

A little about me and my family:

We LOVE sports and are huge Mariners, Seahawks and WSU Cougar fans. Besides couponing and deal shopping, I love hanging out with my kids and my friends, reading, cooking, attempting to learn to garden, going to MOPS, exercising and trying out new things to make our lives easier, more efficient and healthier. We love going away and visiting new places. My favorite thing in the world is watching my kids grow and learn and experience the world around them.

I hope you enjoy following our family through our successes and failures. We recently (March 2010) paid off our last interest-carrying bill and are DEBT FREE except for our mortgage! We have a few things to save for before we continue on with Dave’s plan. I’m really enjoying sharing our journey and keeping myself accountable, while passing along what we have learned along the way.