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Meet the Shaw Family

In the 21 years that Jim and Cheryl Shaw have been married, they have always felt burdened by debt. The past two decades have seen the birth of their two children – Cassidy, 17, and Jack, 11 – and quite a few financial ups and downs. “We’ve never been able to conquer this [debt] problem,” Jim says, “and we feel the time has come to do this permanently.”

Jim, a professional video producer/editor, lost his job last year due to budget cuts by his employer. That certainly didn’t improve their family financial situation; since then, he’s had to take a position making $15,000 less annually. Cassidy will be leaving for college soon, though, and Jim and Cheryl will each be reaching retirement age before long. The time has never been better to learn to live FIT.

Blog

"Fritter Finder Flunkie"

09/02/2010 11:27 am

It's amazing!! I shouldn't be surprised but on the first day of using the Fritter Finder I spent more money in one day than I have in weeks. You'd think that since I was planning on keeping track of all my expenses that I'd be very careful NOT to spend any money. HA!

Why are we like that? You get a little extra money in your account and all of a sudden you're at Starbucks buying a venti or maybe you find yourself at Chick-fil-a buying some chicken nuggets. I didn't do that last week. I didn't do that the week before. Why now?

There's something about the thought of having some money in the bank. Just seeing that money sitting there, even though there are bills to pay, loans and debt to pay off. If the numbers are not in the negative, you figure, "So what's $1.50 for a drink?" or "So what's one coffee?" But as you refer to my last blog, this is exactly what MY problem is!! It's the "Fix the Leak" syndrome. The little purchases here and there that we feel can't possibly do any damage. We think that at least we're not at a furniture store making a big purchase, or out buying new shoes or something with a big price tag. Right? NO! It's stopping those little things. Frittering our money away on disposable purchases. I'm a prime candidate for the effective use and need of the Fritter Finder. (see, www.balancepro.net or www.floridacommerce.org)

My hope is that by knowing that I'm going to be writing everything I purchase down on paper that it will hold me accountable and help me stop from making a lot of those unnecessary purchases. Please help me with this by praying. :)

Again, we are so very grateful for the outstanding support we've received throughout this challenge. Please continue to support us in prayer and with your votes. Please tell others too. Anyone can vote that has an email account. Just register at the website, www.welivefitchallenge.com

Voting begins September 13th and goes through September 24th. You can vote once each hour throughout the elimination period.

Thank you,

Jim and the Shaw family

"STOP THE LEAK!"

08/25/2010 11:28 am

"STOP THE LEAK!" YES, I'M YELLING!!

NO! I'M NOT YELLING AT YOU SO EXCUSE MY RAISED VOICE BUT IT'S THE ONLY WAY I KNOW TO GET MY OWN ATTENTION.

I've got a leak. For the past month or more I've walked into my bathroom and the faucet is leaking. You can barely see it so it would be easy not to notice it right away. But unless you really push on the faucet handle the water will continue to leak. When I see that I see money down the drain.

That's the same thing that's happening to our money each month. Maybe some of you can relate to this issue. We've laid out our budget for the past several months, thanks to www.weliveFITchallenge.com, and each time we've laid it out we've come up with some extra money. Well then, what's the problem, you may say. The problem is that even though it shows up on the paper, it never seems to show up in our bank account. :(

THERE'S A LEAK! And just like our faucet leak, unless we pay particular attention to it we won't notice it so we're going to have to bear down on it to "STOP THE LEAK".

What that means in a practical sense is that we need to make use of the Fritter Finder and document all of our spending each day. Here's where that paying particular attention needs to take place. Writing down all of our spending will let us see where each penny is going. Even if we just give this our undivided attention for one month it'll enable us to find the leaks and how we can stop those pennies from disappearing down the drain. A little spending here and a little spending there amounts to a lot of spending and that's our little extra that we find in our budget each month that should be going into our savings or towards our debt. We're robbing ourselves by letting it go little by little.

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!! It really makes me scream when I think of the money that we've lost because of the little leaks.

And that reminds me... I need to fix that bathroom faucet too. :)

Thanks for supporting us in this challenge.

The Shaw family

Voting starts Sept. 6th through Sept. 17th. Please vote for the Shaw family.

"Learning To Breathe"

08/15/2010 05:12 pm

Holy Cow! It's the middle of August already!

Honestly, I don't remember even beginning this month. The last thing I remember was that the kids went to camp for a week and Cheryl went to help her mom prepare to move while I stayed home and worked. Before I knew it, I was being wheeled into an operating room and now I'm home recovering and it's the middle of August. HOLY COW!! What just happened?

Well, let's see... the kids had a great time at the camp. It was my son's first time at an extended away camp and he had a blast! We saw pictures posted of some of the activities and it was no wonder that we didn't hear from them because it looked like an incredibly good time.

Then my wife was at her mom's and helping to prepare it to be spruced up to be sold. She got the walls ready for fresh paint. But unfortunately, her nights on sleeping on some patio furniture cushions led to an achy body and absolutely no sleep. She came home exhausted but has recovered well.

Now for myself, yes, I've had a procedure done surgically to help me to breathe through my nose much better. So far, it's been an ordeal which has involved a lot of pain killers, saline rinse and boxes and boxes of tissues. Final results of the surgery will be more conclusive on Thursday with a follow up visit to the doctor's office.

In the meantime, my wife has been diligent organizing her coupons and since I'm laid up at least I'm not out spending money. But then again, I'm not able to follow up on some part time job prospects that I've been looking into also. Once back on my feet, a part time job will be priority number one. There is no other option. It's a necessity since my full time job did not come through with what it promised when I was hired. I've got to make some income another way. I just hope it's not too late for us to stay in the challenge.
So as I learn to breathe a new way I'm hopeful that it'll breathe some new life into our finances too.

God's blessing,

the Shaw family

"Silence Is Not Golden"

08/02/2010 01:35 am

Whoever coined the phrase, "Silence is golden", wasn't involved in the We Live FIT Challenge that's for sure.

After the first elimination, most of you thought that we had won it all. I've had many people ask me, "Did you win it?" I sure wish we did win already but we still have another elimination vote coming which starts September 6th. We're still pressing on but I've got to say, it's been too quiet.

As we gratefully made it though the first elimination I think summer came like an anvil that fell out of the sky hitting me right on the head. Having the kids out of school has created several unpredictable expenses as well as some unexpected trips. Here it is August and most of you may be thinking that summer's over but this will be the hardest month for us so far.

With about 3 weeks before school starts, please allow me to vent.

1. Cheryl has to travel back down to her mom's place to assist in getting her mom's home ready to sell because the family is moving her to live closer to her son in St. Pete Beach. Not really a planned trip but a very necessary one understandably. (btw.. anyone interested in a beach loft condo in Melbourne Bch?)

2. The kids have been looking forward to the one summer camp they get to go to all summer and here it is in August. The estimated cost... $600 (ouch!) Once again, not totally prepared financially for this but it's an important week for the kids.

3. I'll be getting surgery performed this month also. Oh joy! It's not terribly urgent but it is necessary. So besides the cost of the surgery which is unknown at this point, it will have me laid out for about a week.

So maybe I did get hit on the head with that anvil. This summer has had me spinning but not getting anywhere financially it feels. As much as I've tried to get part time work, it hasn't happened. Cheryl even applied to a few places and nothing. Adding another job to life is really a challenge in itself. I'm sure many of you know the demands that are already put on your time. The sacrifice of adding another job is almost inconceivable but not impossible.

But we've got hope.

We hope to sell a few things on Craigslist before the month is over. We have a couple televisions, an entertainment center and a dresser. And then..get ready for the big news! Get ready... are you ready?

We're going to have another YARD SALE!!! Yippee!! (..and you know how much I love yard sales) So we hope that we'll have a final sprint to the next elimination that will get us through to December.

Thanks for letting me vent. Now let's "MAKE SOME NOISE!!!!"

"Fun for Free"

07/23/2010 04:59 pm

Boy, it's the simple things in life that sometimes bring the most joy!

I have to share with you all a couple of free "joy-filled" moments from this week. I'm not sure if I've shared this before, I can't imagine that I haven't, but I'm a fan of coffee. :) In particular, I'm a fan of Starbucks, and unfortunately, they didn't just pay me to say that. :( But, in these days of cutting cost on every little thing, it's nice to get some freebies with the things you enjoy.

So earlier this week I spent some time perusing through Borders and then took advantage of their free wifi while sipping on a free coffee I got from a coupon. That was rather nice especially considering that I left there without spending a single cent. Yippee!

Then today, I had a visit from a gracious friend, who gave me their empty bag of Starbucks coffee. Why would she give me an empty bag of coffee? How cruel and ungracious, you may be saying! But no, I was able to take my bagged lunch along with that empty Starbucks bag and enjoy my lunch break at the mall while sipping on a free cup of Starbucks coffee. Yum!

Yes, with an empty bag of Starbucks coffee you receive a free tall coffee. Since I've got a registered card with them I also was able to receive a free refill before returning to work. :D

And again it was especially rewarding since I left the mall without spending a single cent! HaHa!!

Thank you for letting me share a few of the simple joys while trying to live FIT! (Financially Independent Today)

The Shaw family

p.s. Go back through my post and count the number of times you see the word free. It's perfect!

Our Welivefit Successes and Challenges

07/19/2010 11:00 am

When we started the challenge we were in really bad shape and the worst part was that we didn't have a good plan to turn things around. I remember filling out our application for the Welivefit challenge and feeling desperate and needing direction and guidance. We were so excited to learn that we had been selected and sat down with the kids so that we would all be on the same page. We weren't so sure about baring it all, but were excited about the possibilities of being debt free and saving money.

In the last few months we have:

*Cut out our cell phones which was really hard to do, but we had to face the fact we just couldn't afford them right now. (We do feel this is temporary and will one day be cellular again). Our teenage daughter does have a pay as you go phone for emergencies and trips.

*Reduced our cable to local channels and a very few extra. We have kind of gotten used to this one and have resorted to viewing some of our missed shows on the computer. (Loading...)

*Had yet another dreaded yard sale in the heat of summer. We made a little extra money that we put into savings and plan another one in the near future. It's hard work, but you accomplish two things: reduce clutter and debt! I hate clutter!!

*Started couponing to save at the grocery store. This is a challenge for me. I have met some friends lately who are really good at it and I have gained knowledge from them. I even took a class offered at church to offer money saving and coupon strategies. Still, I am a novice and am learning daily.

*Started a real savings account. One that isn't simply there to catch overdrafts and bank fees. It feels good to to have a little bit of a cushion. We plan to see this grow each month. We have even applied for part time jobs since our salaries will only go so far to increase savings and reduce debt!

*Learned the difference between a want and a need. It's different to all of us, but we support each other when we are weak. We avoid the mall, but when we have to go, we really have to be on guard against temptation. The other day (and Jim said I could share this) we had to go to the mall and exchange a broken video game that he received as a gift. While there, Cassidy and I went to a clothing store where she had a gift card. When we came back to the video store, Jim had an arm full of games that were "on sale." I simply said, "They are not in the budget." He was a little upset at first, but realized that it was true. Then, he treated Cassidy and I to Starbucks (with a birthday gift card of course).

*Researched auto insurance companies for cheaper rates. Ours is the best deal at this point.

*Consolidated all of our credit card and other bills into one bank loan. This has not only helped us to save money each month, it has also helped us to avoid late fees and reduced added frustration. Thanks to our great coach, Kelley!

*Started an account with Craig's list to sell various household items.

*Taken several of the Balance courses online through Florida Commerce Credit Union. These are really helpful and informative and we plan to take several more in the near future.

Overall, we have mainly changed our attitude toward money. Seeing it as a tool to use and not be used by it.

This is really a fight to win back financial freedom . We are finally moving in the direction toward gaining control of our financial future. Another quote from Dave Ramsey says, "Live like no one else, so you can live like no one else." We are trying to do just that.

Thank you to all of you who have supported us in this challenge! We couldn't have done this without your help!

Don't forget to vote for us in September so that we can continue in the competition!

Cheryl Shaw and the family

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!"

07/16/2010 11:17 am

After racing around the track in this competition, it's become apparent that we needed a pit stop. You know... check the tires, the oil, refuel and rehydrate. So we're back in the saddle after regrouping, reorganizing and setting some new goals.

Yes, don't count us out! We're in it to win it!

The Shaw's have found some new life and we're ready to press on. Coming through the first elimination was an amazing accomplishment and we have those who have committed themselves to supporting us to thank. We've heard so many people tell us about how dedicated they've been voting for us that it has totally blown us away. We have truly been so encouraged by the community and how they've rallied behind us so far. Incredible!!!

Now we're more focused, more determined and more aware of how much work we've got to do to really take this challenge all the way. We sat down last night with all our current numbers from the bank, our budget we got from Balance, http://www.balancepro.net/ (the free financial service offered by Florida Commerce Credit Union) and our bills. It's probably one of the things in life I dislike the most. Thanks to my wonderfully patient and intelligent wife we were able to be very productive as we assessed where we are and where we're going. It's a very tight budget. Imagine trying to get through the most dense crowd, like at a concert trying to get to the front of the stage or a massive exiting out of DisneyWorld on their most popular day. Think of it as if you're working your way through that crowd with the urgency of getting to see your favorite act on stage or being the first to get out of that crowded parking lot at Disney or even more urgent, like trying to find your lost child in that crowd.

Yes, that's the image I get when I think of how tight our budget is and the urgency of getting through it and out to the other side with my whole family intact. That motivates me to be persistent daily to stay on task with our budget, to be more dedicated to get free of this debt knowing that my family will be so much better off mentally, physically and spiritually on the other side of it.

Again, thank you to all who are supporting us on our journey out of debt. I pray that you too are finding some motivation, some realization that it's possible to get out from under your debt. Let us know how we can help in any way possible. We'll be glad to share anything we've learned or direct you to those that are helping us.

Get back on the track to being debt free. We'll all win in that race!!

The Shaw family

www.weliveFITchallenge.com

"I've fallen and I need to get up!"

07/08/2010 04:46 pm

I hope all the other families in this Challenge have a wonderful summer and are able to get away for an extended stay with their family.

Now some of you might be thinking, "Isn't that nice of him to say that about the other families!" Well,.. I've got to confess... I don't mean it in a good way.

Let me explain.

We just got back from bringing my mother-in-law back to her home in Melbourne Beach and I feel like we've fallen into financial quicksand. Once you get out of your element that you're use to and the things that you feel you can control, it's a whole new ball game. We were able to stay with her which saved us a tremendous amount on hotel cost but it's so easy to fall into the eating out routine when you're not at home. And then there's all those different stores and since it's a beach community, you've got the whole beach culture that can be enticing.

We got home Tuesday night and I'm still afraid to look at the damages that hit our bank account. I have the feeling that our account went through some warfare and now we've got to do some triage.

So, as I was saying... "All you WLF families, go on and take your family out of town for a nice summer vacation. You all deserve it! Have some fun and send us a postcard or two."

Love from the Shaw's,

Jim, Cheryl, Cassidy and Jack

"Red, White, Blue and Green?"

07/01/2010 05:04 pm

Independence Day is all about our freedom. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness is something we celebrate on the 4th of July.

Soon, I hope, we'll be able to celebrate our own personal Independence Day, free from the tyranny of debt and it's oppressive ways. Then, once we claim that freedom, we'll have a better Life enjoying our Liberty and, more likely, we'll be Happier.

But, as we approach this holiday, with it's colorful red, white and blue, I'm seeing more green than I want to due to the fact that we're headed out of town. And what I mean by green, of course, is that evil money!! Yes, as we all probably have experienced, when it's time to go out of town, you better have a full wallet. These days, the thought of breaking out of our daily routine makes us cringe. We're trying so hard to stick to our budget and save our money that anything out of the ordinary is really not possible.

Here's the exception. My mother-in-law came to town last weekend for her grand-daughter's wedding. She came with her oldest son and stayed with us for this past week. Now we're going to bring her back home over the holiday weekend. I'm happy that we've had her with us and it'll be nice to get away for a bit. The kids will enjoy a change of scenery too since this will probably be their only "summer trip".

But how sad that such a trip has to be clouded with watching every penny knowing that we don't have it in the first place. Oh, how freeing it truly will be when we're out of debt and have a savings to cover trips like this one. Imagine the difference that will make for everyone.

Even in your own life, can you relate to this somehow? Can you imagine what it would be like to take a trip, plan a special night out, buy a new outfit or some clothes for you or your children without worrying if you have the money? Or imagine just buying some food, paying your bills without using your credit cards that you can't payoff. Imagine the freedom and the security to not owe anyone.

Here's a verse I really like from the Bible:

"Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you."

Slavery could very easily be debt because, as you may be experiencing like we are, debt can really restrict you and cause a lot of pain in your life. So be free!! Join us in our challenge to get out from underneath that enslaving debt! I look forward to next 4th of July when we'll be waving our flags knowing financial freedom! We hope you are too!

The Shaw family

www.weliveFITchallenge.com

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing :)

06/29/2010 10:42 am

(Hey it's Cassidy and I've finally got an account I can blog in so here it goes!)

So here we are, sitting in a room with all the other families waiting, anticipating...and I think I hear some teeth chattering...all waiting for the results and wishing it could just be the end already! :) Well, soon we will find out and all I can do is pray it's not us that gets eliminated!! Thanks to everyone for their votes and well wishes! We seriously could not do this without all of you!! Keep your fingers crossed and watch channel 27 at 12:00 today for the results!!!

"Waiting on the Numbers"

06/28/2010 12:35 am

In this challenge, it's all about the numbers.

So many phenomenal people took the time out of their lives to go to the website, www.weliveFITchallenge.com and voted for the Shaw family. We are so overwhelmed with gratitude for the dedication and commitment that so many people made to help us in this Challenge.

But it's not over yet.

On Tuesday, there will be a press conference which will be taped by the local abc affiliate, WTXL News Channel 27, and will air on their 6 o'clock news broadcast. During the press conference they will announce the six families that will be continuing in the competition. Three families will no longer be in the challenge. Many have asked questions about the criteria for judging this competition. Let me see if I can explain some things about the "We Live FIT Challenge".

First of all, FIT stands for, Financially Independent Today. It's not a weight loss challenge.

The Challenge will end in December of 2010, the end of this year.

There will be another voting period in September which will eliminate 3 more families and the remaining 3 families will move on until the final in December.

The Community Vote doesn't guarantee that you'll continue in the Challenge. The judging also involves Debt-Reduction, Increased Savings, Better FICO Scores and Family Participation. All those criteria, along with the Community Voting, weigh in equally to determine which families will continue in the Challenge.

So like I said, it's all about the numbers. And as much as the Shaw family is so appreciative of the community, friends and family that voted constantly for us, we realize that the majority of the responsibility is on us to get the numbers right. We're working hard to adjust our lifestyle so that we can increase our savings, totally eradicate our debt and ultimately get our FICO score to reflect our hard work by skyrocketing upward. In order for us to do that, we're making the necessary changes to our lives that will correct the damages and also, and very importantly, teach us new ways to manage our money and to teach our children from our mistakes.

I have one last thought that we could use your help with also. Aside from supporting us with your votes, please consider helping in a few other ways, such as any suggestions you may have that would help us get our numbers better. We would more than welcome any ideas that you wouldn't mind sharing to help us in those other areas too. As well as any money making suggesting you might have since increasing the flow of money in would certainly help us to put more towards our debt and to be able to put more into our savings. Cheryl and I are both looking to add part-time jobs to our lives to help add income to this matter, so thank you.

But my last request, and even more supportive than anything, is I kindly ask for you to pray for us in this endeavor. As you can probably relate, to be challenged financially in these day, we all could use Godly help. Please consider us as you pray.

Thank you again, sincerely,

The Shaw family

(Jim, Cheryl, Cassidy and Jack)

"Gimme Shelter"

06/25/2010 10:00 am

Some of you may be familiar with a band called, The Rolling Stones, or you may of heard of a singer, Mick Jagger. I ask that because as I get older, some of the older bands just aren't a part of younger peoples lives the way they were in mine. I actually owned The Rolling Stones very first american album on vinyl. The looked like another version of The Beatles. (Mick Jagger, pre-wringles)

Anyways, they performed a song called, "Gimme Shelter", which was also performed by another favorite band of mine, Grand Funk Railroad.

The opening lyrics go like this:

"Oh, a storm is threat'ning
My very life today
If I don't get some shelter
Oh yeah, I'm gonna fade away"

My mind started thinking about that song the other day as I was thinking about my financial situation. Let me tell you, I'm thinking a lot about that these day. I'm glad that I am too because it certainly is making me pay attention to the details and that's something I haven't been good at when it came to money matters.

Here's where my thoughts went in general. I'm quite aware too that there are many of you in our community and around the world that have a better handle on your money than I do, obviously. But as I think about it, I am so motivated these days to be out from underneath debt, any debt. I get the feeling that the less I am in debt to anyone, and the more I can become self sufficient with my finances, the better off I'll be and the better off everyone would be as we move forward with these bad economic times.

How freeing it will be to not have any threat against us because of debt. Freeing to take away any leverage someone or some company, business or even some government authority would have over us because of debt. Debt is a heavy, relentless task master and we are it's slave. The Bible says, "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender". Proverbs 22:7 TNIV Oh, how true and how sad!

The Shaw family is even more resolved and committed to this challenge. But we are not just committed to the challenge itself but to the lifestyle of being without debt. What a difference it will make in our lives, in the lives of our children, our community and quite possible, a few ripple effects will even go further.

Keep on rockin' Mick!

The Shaw family

...And to the community, thank you for your continued support for us in this challenge. www.welivefitchallenge.com

"Win or Lose"

06/19/2010 05:56 pm

Win or lose, there are 8 families represented in this challenge that are really awesome!

In a get together held by Todd Middleton's business, we all took the gloves off and just hung out. I'm just so blessed to be in the company of some very pleasant and kind families. I feel as though I've known them longer but that's only due to the fact that they're all such friendly folks.

Florida Commerce Credit Union has done an incredible job in their application process for the WeLiveFIT Challenge. For the bank to have arranged such a splendid group of families makes this competition all that harder. In competition, is would seem, that it would be kind of easier if your opponents were unlikeable in someway. Then you may bear down harder in your ways to take out the ones you're up against. Gee-wiz! They've made it harder to compete with such nice people in this challenge. Way to go, FCCU. : /

And as the competition continues and we approach the first elimination period of the WeLiveFIT Challenge, it becomes more than just a competition. Getting to know the families and many of the issues that have us all here in the first place, causes us to hope and pray for the best for each family no matter what the outcome.

June 29th is the elimination day, E-Day, and it will be aired on the local ABC affiliate, WTXL Channel 27. Pray for all of us, whether we continue in the challenge or not, each of us want to live debt free and to learn to live daily within our means financially. Thanks to Florida Commerce Credit Union for helping us each with this enormous challenge.

God's blessing,

The Shaw family

(Jim, Cheryl, Cassidy and Jack)

www.welivefitchallenge.com

Vote Shaw Family!

"Not Another Yard Sale!!!"

06/18/2010 09:50 pm

Oh, the things we do to get out of debt. Yes, yard sales. Yuck!

I asked my son Jack if he knew how much I disliked yard sales. I asked him to think of the worst thing he could imagine and I'd rather do that than have another yard sale. He told me the worst thing was getting attacked by a monster.... Bring on the monster!! Please!!

But after it is all said and done (and I'm totally worn out), yard sales are usually a good thing because you win by making a little money and you win by cleaning out the stuff in your life that you don't need anyway.

So if anyone is thinking of doing a little yard sale shopping, then come on by the Shaw's house in Killearn Lakes and pick something up. You can't miss us because we'll be the ones with the "WeLiveFITChallenge" T-shirts on. So feel free to ask us all about our adventures in this amazing challenge.

Thanks in advance.

the Shaw family

e-mealz

06/16/2010 12:04 pm

I recently went to the e-mealz website and learned more about it. The idea is that you choose a store where you usually shop and sign up for that meal plan for 2 or 4 people, etc. It costs $15 a month and they do the meal plan based on that week's sales. (They even offer special diet plans).

It gives you recipes and a shopping list with the prices listed. They even have a coupon section on their website to help you double up on savings.

Well, I just signed up today, so we'll see how it goes...I'll keep you posted.

"How Did We Get Here?"

06/13/2010 03:03 pm

We're one of 9 families competing for $10,000 dollars. It's an online challenge sponsored by my bank. The challenge is to get out of more debt than the other families and to save more money too. The winning family will be announced in December of this year but first they'll have 2 elimination votes and 3 families will be eliminated from the competition each time. The first elimination vote is next week, June 14th running until midnight on June 25th. You can vote every hour at www.weliveFITchallenge.com

But how did we get here?

Eleven years ago, in September of 1998, my wife Cheryl and I along with our 5 year old daughter, bought our first home. It was newly built and in the cul-de-sac of a new development on a corner lot. It's neighborhood was adjacent to a very exclusive gated community. We were so very blessed to have such a beautiful home and with our son's birth one week after we moved in, it was like a dream.

Move ahead to 2003, we had to sell that beautiful first home because we were in so much debt it was our only way out. So, debt free, other than our student loans, we decide to rent for about a year and then planned to buy another home. This is about the time I was privileged to get hired on by FSU at Seminole Productions.

Last year, we're back in the same debt again, still renting 7 years later and then I lose my job due to the economy. We heard about this challenge and remembered the bank sponsoring it the previous year. They were accepting applications for this years challenge so we applied. We realized how poorly we had managed any money we had, even in good times too. It's not how much money you make but what you do with the money. We didn't know what we were doing with our money. We needed to learn how to manage our money and Florida Commerce Credit Union was offering us that opportunity along with the chance to win $10,000 dollars. The prize of winning the money is certainly an amazing bonus but the process of learning how to better manage what money we had is invaluable to us.

You. If you're reading this please consider doing 2 things.

1) For you, I would recommend going to the Florida Commerce Credit Union website and take advantage of the resources they have available to anyone. Call them if you'd like and speak with someone regarding you're situation and how they could help you. We're all in different financial situations but I'm confident that they could help you with your money questions. I would recommend our financial coach, Kelley Dettmer.

2) For us. We're learning so much from this experience. It has already been a great benefit to us and has increased our financial knowledge. But, we want to win. Maybe it's just my competitive nature, but our family wants to take this challenge all the way. There is still so much for us to gain from this experience. Having failed twice before financially, I don't want my family to experience that again. I want this third attempt to be the one that knocks it out of the park. We're in this to win but we're also in this for a lifestyle change. Whether we do win or not, we'll continue on this course that we've set to live a life free of the enslavement that debt has had on our lives. The enslavement that has destroyed the past 11 years of our financial life. We look back but not to repeat but only to move forward differently.

We need your help. Please vote for our family, the Shaw's, so we're not eliminated. Vote as often as you can June 14th through June 25th. They will allow each person to vote once each hour.

How do you vote? www.weliveFITchallenge.com

You can also follow us on Facebook, just search "Shaw Family".

Thank you very much for your time.

The Shaw Family (Jim, Cheryl, Cassidy and Jack)

"All We Have"

06/11/2010 08:43 am

What's it going to take to stay in this competition? Are the Shaw's giving all we have?

Well, I'm going to tell you it's like running in the dark. We run with all we've got but we never know if it's good enough because we run blind. We don't know how others are in their race and we never know what sprinkler head or rock will catch us on the toe. OUCH!

The one factor that does help in this challenge is knowing we have the community supporting us. Knowing that the community, friends and family are with us and willing to do what they can to make us winners, that makes the difference.

Now here it is, the first elimination period and the voting will begin Monday, June 14th. Will our support be there for us? Will the community take the time to vote at www.welivefitchallenge.com? Voting will be available Monday, June 14th through June 25th and YOU can vote once EACH HOUR. That means we have 288 potential votes per supporter for the Shaw Family!!! WOW!!

I'm excited and I hope you are too! Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. The Shaw's want to make you proud supporters and see this through to the end. Thank you again for your prayers and encouragement.

The Shaw Family

Jim, Cheryl, Cassidy and Jack

The Measure of Success

06/08/2010 09:38 am

"AND THE WINNER IS...."

Hearing that statement with our name at the end of it would be incredible! We would be so very thankful.

But in order to even come near at all to that possibility we need to enjoy the little successes along the way. The simple steps in the process that get us closer to that big prize.

What are those steps?

1) Planning out a monthly budget and sticking to it.

Not dreading it but knowing that by doing that you are gaining your freedom. It's the path to financial freedom even though so many see a budget as a negative, restrictive type of lifestyle.

2) Celebrate the little financial victories.

Finding a sale on something you need but didn't expect to find. Having your daughter suggest going to Goodwill to shop for a dress for a wedding to save money. Friends treating you to lunch. Someone paying your fees to a Couples Retreat at your church. Nodding at your desk when a co-worker offers to buy you a coffee. :D

3) Don't sweat the small stuff. (a quote from my sister)

There are some things that are more important than money and of course we would all agree one of those things is our family. So when it comes time for some rewards for their efforts at school, for example, or some outstanding deeds or successes, it may require to reward them financially. It may cost us more than we feel we can afford but really it's probably one of the best investments we could ever make.

So no matter where anybody is financially, there are little successes that you should enjoy and find encouragement in as you strive to the goal of being Financially Independent Today!!

God bless you,

The Shaw Family

Where Are All My "Peeps"?

06/03/2010 10:44 pm

So here's where we stand...

By now you know that there's going to be an elimination happening in June, the voting period is June 14th - 25th. How that works is that all you supporters of the Shaw Family, (and everyone else you know, ;-) , will need to go to the website and register to get username and password access. This is how they'll be able to keep track of the voting. You'll be able to vote once a day through the voting period, once again, June 14th thru June 25th.

This is the voting website: www.weliveFITchallenge.com

So please register at the website, bookmark the page and prepare to vote daily.

Now here's something else to know...

Each month, Florida Commerce Credit Union, my wonderful bank and the sponsors of this great competition, declare a mini-challenge each month among the families. Examples of the mini-challenges so far have been a yard sale which the family that made the most money won the mini-challenge. Another one was last month and it was to see who could get the most fans to their Facebook page. The winner got an ad on Facebook and cash! We didn't win that even though so many of you became fans on our Facebook page. Thank you.

Well, this month, actually it's going on NOW, the mini-challenge is to see who can get the most comments on the website's "Discuss" page. The mini-challenge will go thru June 7th. My topic of discussion is, "Who will win the Challenge?" The title of my topic is called, "AND THE WINNER IS...."

Please register at www.weliveFITchallenge.com and click on the Discuss tab and comment on my topic. If you don't mind, tell others in you house, apartment, dorm room, mansion, castle or wherever you can find others to sign on and add more comments to my topic.

One last thing...

Some people had some troubles registering at the website but I've been told those issues have been resolved. So please, go, go now, to the website and register because we really need your support throughout this process. Once again, the website is: www.weliveFITchallenge.com

Oh.. did I not tell you, the winner in December gets $10,000 dollars. Can you imagine winning that much money? Well, we want to make that reality so please considering helping us become the 2010 WeLiveFITChallenge Champions!!

Sincerely and With Our Appreciation,

The Shaw Family

The Next Level

05/31/2010 11:55 pm

Just when you think you've done the hard part, you're on the next level and it's even harder.

Before we entered the WeLiveFITChallenge, our family, struggling with debt, not even making it paycheck to paycheck, knew we had to make some tough changes. If you keep doing the same things and expect different results, I think they call that "insanity". Well, we were on the verge of insanity so changes had to be made. So here's a few things we did prior to our acceptance into the competition:

1. A few years back we called Balance, the outstanding financial counseling program that is a free service to Florida Commerce Credit Union members. We found out about it from some literature at the bank. We called and they took on a handful of our credit debts and a loan to lower the interest rates. We arranged to have them take out an amount from our account each month which paid on those debts.

2. I called our bundled phone/internet/tv provider to cancel the phone and the tv. Well, I had good intentions at least. We didn't cancel but they were willing to take $5 off each month on my internet, switched our home phone to just make and receive calls only (very basic) and we stripped our television down to the local channels and some other channels that nobody else watches. It's really, really basic, like no sports channels at all. :(

3. We said good-bye to our cell phones and then screamed and cried for days. I still go through withdraws even now and I have dreams of having a cell phone again someday. I even feel something vibrate on me occasionally and think it's my phone. haha

4. "Man cannot live on bread alone." Well, I'm trying to live on peanut butter & jelly sandwiches but we've done without our bottled water. For years we'd buy bottled water. It's convenient to have a bottle of water with you. Just opening the frig and grabbing a bottle is nice and it keeps you hydrated. But we figured we could save almost $100 dollars every couple of months by buying a water purifier for our kitchen faucet. It takes a little more time to get a drink of water but I hear the coins dropping in the savings each time I pour it from the faucet instead of grabbing a bottle.

So as hard as those things were to commit to and to live with, now it's even harder. We've got to take it to the next level. Fortunately we've got the support of friends, family and Florida Commerce Credit Union to see us through. Our finance coach, Kelley, is making us take a fine tooth comb to our finances and try and squeeze out every last penny. This is exactly what we need but it's not going to be easy. You know what they say, "No Pain, No Gain". We are setting our eyes on the prize, and that means so much more to us than just the money, but we're pressing on and not looking back until we cross the finish line... WINNERS!!

"Gettin' Down to Business"

05/28/2010 04:05 pm

We're moving right along...I thought.

I got the feeling the other day that we were walking in place. It's a bad feeling when you think you're getting somewhere and then you realize you haven't really moved that far. Well this challenge kind of gave me that feeling. :(

So what I did was basically the equivalent of screaming for help. I think I literally screamed!! But it resulted in an email to my incredible "FITness Coach", Kelley Dittmer, who's at the Blairstone Offices of Florida Commerce Credit Union, (plug, plug). Give her a visit!

So I emailed Kelley and she had us come in and gave us a pep talk and got us moving again. We need that kind of personal coaching. Cheryl and I are ones who need someone to be tough on us with our finances, redirect or refocus us and give us a push start again. Kelley's doing that for us. I gotta give a shout out to her Branch Manager, Michelle, because she's given us a much needed boost also and that has really helped us with this challenge too.

The folks at Florida Commerce have been really supportive.. and I'm not kissin' up, I'm just saying that because that is exactly what my family needs, that supportive help right now. They are there for us.

Thank you, Florida Commerce Credit Union!!

Saving on groceries

05/24/2010 01:39 pm

I began by clipping coupons that I found at local stores. (Our church now has a coupon sharing box. So, I clipped even the ones I didn't want in hopes to trade them for some I can use.) I also found coupon websites (couponmom and southernsaver). I have a huge list to go through and I will update you on the ones I find most helpful. These websites have teaching tutorials to show you how to best utilize their services. (I had no idea!)

Another tool that I learned from the semionar I went to was to start an inventory of what you buy over and over each week or month. The best way to start is to go over your receipts. This helps you to see patterns in what you buy and how often you need them. You can also keep record of what you paid, if it was on sale, and if you used a coupon. This will begin to show you what you spend and how much you save. I already saw a few patterns in prices on things I buy all of the time. (I've only looked at May receipts so far).

Thanks for reading and happy saving!

Cheryl

P.S. VOTE SHAW! Coming in June!

Learning To Save Big With Coupons and Store Discounts

05/18/2010 02:07 pm

I recently attended a seminar at our church that involved ideas to save money at the grocery store. I can always use help in this area and the main problem is organization and discipline. (Theses areas seem to keep creeping up in everything these days).

There were a lot of nuggets of information given but the number one was doing your homework each week. First, find out the most convenient places for you to shop (closest with the best prices) and look at their weekly flyers online. Next, make a list of the most common items that you continually buy each week or month. Then, find weekly deals at your local store and try to match them up with manufacture and store coupons. The trick is to double up the savings whenever possible. (Match up sales with coupons). Another strategy is to keep a chart of prices of common items that you buy and update it regularly. For example, find out what your favorite cereal regularly costs at a few different stores, then you will know if a sale is really a great deal or not.

I am just starting the process, so I will let you know how it works for me and keep you updated on new ideas as I find them. Happy bargain hunting!

"Up, Up and Away"

05/17/2010 09:10 am

This is it! The website is officially online and ready to reveal all the deep dark secrets that will totally embarrass and humiliate us. Yeehaw!!

Bring it!

We, "The Shaw Family", are ready to do what it take to win this competition. We still have several hurdles to get over but we've got a plan that will help bring us to the finish line in first place. Slow and steady will win the race but we've got a few modifications we're planning to give that statement a little help.

Thanks again to all our supporters! Please contact us with any advice you have to help us save money and take down our debt. We truly appreciate your help.

...and away we go!!

The Shaw Family

Slammin' On The Brakes

05/14/2010 05:54 pm

"So, how was your weekend?" "Pretty good", I said as I entered work. But now it's Monday.

Ah yes, the wonderful weekend! My son and I went on a scout outing and spent the night on the U.S.S. Alabama battleship. Thanks to my kind friend, Eric, the trip was very inexpensive. Since I'm counting all pennies these day that is important. This "WeLiveFit Challenge" has me and my family on a very short leash financially so outings are limited. But it was a fun adventure and everyone enjoyed it.

Coming home Sunday we were all prepared for the special day... Mother's Day. Jack and I had gone to Home Depot last week and built a small chair out of wood that held a single plant. Before we left for our overnight stay Jack sanded it down and stained the wood so it was all ready for Mom on Sunday. I printed out a card that Jack picked on the computer and we packaged it all with a handmade craft Jack made at school. He had all these special and personal gifts for his mom and it didn't really cost anything. It made it all even extra special.

Well, the part of the weekend that I failed to mention was that before leaving to go out of town on Saturday I had to drop my car off at my mechanics. Yep, car trouble hit me. Before I even knew what it was going to cost I was saying, "ouch".

So that brings us to Monday. I get that call, the mechanics number shows up on the caller ID.

"Uh.. h...hello?"  "Waawaa, Waah Waah Waawaa Waah."  "It's gonna cost how much???!!!"  "Waah Waah wa Wa." ($$$$$$)  (silence)  "Waawaa?"  "Um... o...ok."  (click)

Now you've got to remember, we're tightening up the purse strings, putting a lock on the piggy bank and eating beans and rice and rice and beans. So when I asked how much it was going to cost my mind started running numbers through it. "Please say... $50, or... $70 or maybe just $100. No, no not even that much!" When she spoke, all I heard was, "It's gonna cost two hundred and ...waawaa waa."

After getting that news the first thing I did was went online looking for a part time job. Now here comes the pain. "Ouch!"

Dumb, Dumb, Stupid Stupid

05/14/2010 05:52 pm

So can you guess what I did that was completely brainless??

Here's what happened; so you know we're watching every penny and eating beans and rice to try and win this competition we're in called the "WeLiveFIT Challenge".

It was Tuesday and after work I have friends that get together and play some volleyball. I didn't eat before volleyball so I started driving home and I realize how hungry I was and I thought about what I'd like to eat. Well, since we've cut a lot out of our budget we don't have cell phones anymore. Let me tell you, if you have a cell phone, you better not get rid of it, because living without one once you've had it is extremely hard. So here I am driving home and thinking, "I wonder if Cheryl made any dinner?" And I'm thinking if I should pick something up or just go home. So I decided to stop at Wing Stop. I asked them if I could use their phone figuring if Cheryl didn't make anything then I'll order up some wings and chow down.

Well, after several attempts at getting through on the home phone without an answer I bailed out of there and headed home. I figured if there wasn't anything at the house I could always just go back out. Cheryl had made some chicken and rice and had it warmed in the oven waiting for me. What a great wife!

So the next day, I'm at work and I can't find my debit card. Oh boy! I called Cheryl at home in the afternoon and she's looking throughout the house not finding it anywhere. Panic begins to eat away from the inside out. But then, guess who calls and says they have my debit card?? No, not Wing Stop and no, not your common criminal who could of had it and used it and wiped our bank clean out of all our money. No, it was the bank that called us to tell us they had it and someone found it at Wing Stop and returned it to Florida Commerce Credit Union. Holy Cow! Having that happen is rare in these days and we are so very grateful. Especially in the midst of this competition we're involved in, because it would of really set us back. But we had to chuckle at the fact that the very bank that's sponsoring the competition was the ones who called with our card.

Happy, happy, joy, joy!!

Give me 20 push-ups and then run a mile!

05/14/2010 05:50 pm

This week we had our first meeting with our financial coach, Kelley. I think Cheryl had some reservations about this first meeting but it turned out really good. What helped was the email that we got from Kelley telling us that she had a plan for us that would save us some money and relieve us of a lot of our monthly expenses. This definitely got our attention so we were excited to have this meeting.

We came prepared with all our bills and statements but we weren’t so prepared when Kelley said, “Are you ready to cut ups all your credit cards?” Haha

It wasn’t like Cheryl and I are big users of tons of credit cards but the fact that we have them causes us to use them. So Kelley pulled out the big scissors and we dug through our bags and pockets to find any credit cards we were carrying. I think we were surprised to find so many cards. But we cut them up one by one and even had our son, Jack, participate. I think he just liked the idea of destroying something. If you want to see the cutting fun we documented it in our videos. Check it out and maybe it’ll inspire you to do the same.

Thanks again for supporting the Shaw Family.

Debt Down, Motivation Up

05/14/2010 05:47 pm

So here’s the first challenge, .. a yard sale. YUCK! I am not a fan of yard sales. You can ask my wife and she’ll tell you that I could live the rest of my life without another yard sale. On the other hand, my wife, once she’s in her yard sale mode, there’s no stopping her. It seems she’s always collecting things and finding things that she’ll pile in the garage for her next yard sale.

So here’s the first challenge… a yard sale. Here we are the night before the big day standing in our garage with piles of stuff to organize, price and move out to the yard sale location at the bank. I’m looking at my wife, Cheryl, and she is having a meltdown right before my eyes. In the midst of this big event with all the implications that it carries, and my yard selling wife is melting down. AAAAHHHHH!!!!

Then it happened. It’s one of those moments that you can’t plan or script out yourself because it never works out the way you think. It was a God moment.

I was on the phone with a friend, Eric, as I watched my wife sink lower and lower and maybe it was something in my voice or just that my friend sensed what was happening but he responded. In less than an hour he pulled up to the house in his van and jumped into action. It was just the thing my wife and I needed to get over that enormous mountain that we saw before us. Our friend injected the right amount of organization and order to motivate us on this task.

That was just one example among many of how friends carried us through this task.

Our first challenge was a huge success for us. The day started around 5am, Eric arriving with a coffee in one hand a bagel in the other. Our vans were loaded the night before so we were off to get set up for the day, and what a day it was!

With overcast skies it kept the temperatures down but sure enough, we got hit with some rain. It hit us hard and fast but moved on out and the yard sale continued. We were very happy to see friends drop in to lend support by turning in their $5 vouchers and purchasing something from us… and only us!! I know for some friends it was hard to pass up a huge yard sale like that so I appreciate it that they showed such great restraint.

We were visited by the photographer, Mike Ewen, from the Tallahassee Democrat as well as went on the air with live radio with Joe Bullard on 96.1fm. A press conference which aired on the nightly news was taped at the end of the yard sale and then we, the Shaw Family, looking all weary and worn like yards sales will do to you, were asked to be interviewed for the WeLiveFIT Challenge. We put on a happy face and did the best we could.

What a day!

GO Team Shaw!

05/14/2010 05:45 pm

Oh my goodness!! We are in for quite a year.

Our family has been accepted to compete in a challenge sponsored by our bank, the Florida Commerce Credit Union. This is the second year that they've sponsored such a competition. It's kind of like the tv show, The Biggest Loser, but instead of losing weight we lose debt and increase our savings. The challenge is called "WeLiveFIT", FIT meaning Financially Independent Today. We are so desperate to be better managers of our money that we are just so excited to be in this competition. Just to be in the process of this challenge is such a blessing.

Let me explain a little about the process.

There are 9 families in the competition. Each family has chosen a financial coach that will assist them throughout the challenge which will end in December. An element that was added to this years challenge is that of voting for your favorite family. There will be 2 voting periods. One voting period will be in September and the first one will be in June. After each voting period, sadly, 3 families will be out of the competition. I pray that we get the support of our family, friends, community and even the world to help us win this competition.

Speaking of winning, the winner will receive $10,000 dollars. YES! Winning that money would be so insane and amazing!! But, as I said earlier, the process of being in this challenge is such a reward in itself. Not to take away from our desire to win the whole thing but we hope to learn better management in the process so we will live day to day knowing we're better stewards of what God has given us.

Please follow us at the website www.welivefitchallenge.com and become a fan on our Facebook page (search "Shaw Family").

The website will be up and running about mid-May. It will post videos and blogs about each of the families. About June 14th they'll start the first voting period. Please support us through this challenge and give us your vote so we may complete this challenge and "Live FIT" as we turn the page into 2011. What a year that will be!!

Vote "Team SHAW!"

Thank you.