Introduction: Why are challenging ourselves to save money?

Who are we?  Well we are an average couple living smack dab in the middle of the United States.   We are proactive do-it-yourselfers who enjoy a bit of frugality.  We decided we don't like having a mortgage payment and that our money is more useful in investments.  We don't like giving our hard earned dollars to the bank each month and seeing only a small portion go towards principle.  We have played with amortization schedules and realize it is going to take us longer to pay off the mortgage than originally estimated (mostly due to investing more).  So in order to pay more on the mortgage we have to earn more or spend less.  Thus, we have decided to challenge ourselves each month with different ways to save money. 

We thought it might be fun to extend our challenge to others as well.  So join in on the fun or sit back and watch us each month as we chip away at our mortgage.  Not every challenge will fit into everyone's lifestyle.  If you don't like a certain challenge that is no reason to quit for a month, chose a previous challenge and keep going.  The more you participate the stronger your frugality muscle becomes so that over time you naturally save more money.

If you are new here don't wait until the beginning of the next month to start a challenge, do it today!  Even if it's only for 5 days!  Why wait when you can create a positive life changing habit today?  It is the same reason I don't make new year's resolutions.  If it's March and I decide I want to change my life I'd have to wait 9 months.  I'll be much happier and so will you if we set a goal today and follow it until completed.  Then in January we'll be 9 months ahead of all those people who waited to make a new year's resolution and we can laugh in there faces when they quit two weeks later and we are still going strong.

If you've read this far, that means you're interested in participating.  First step is complete.  You didn't even know it, but half the process is just deciding that you want to save money.  The other half is setting a goal.  Saving money will be pointless if you don't have a plan on how to use it.  Comment below on how you will use your money saved.  Debt?  Down payment on a house?  Retirement?  Tune in each month, you'll be surprised how much money can be saved.

Now with all that out of the way just a few bits of technical jargon remain:

• There are no official prizes, just the satisfaction of knowing how much money you are able to keep in your wallet or put towards your bills. 
• We encourage you to leave comments.  However, while we believe that everyone is entitled to free speech, we will not tolerate nonsense.  If you don't like it, tough!  This is our blog.  Create you own and you say whatever you want there.
• We are not a replacement for financial advisors, doctors, lawyers, tax professionals, or basic commonsense.   We are just average people who like to live a frugal lifestyle and want to encourage others to do the same.  Any challenge you participate in is at your own risk.  Do your own research and weigh the benefits against the risk.
• While we'd like to be as transparent as possible, you don't need to know the exact figures of our income, budget, or savings.  When it comes to budgeting/saving ratios are more applicable.  Everyone's situation is different and $50 may be small potatoes to some while at the same time others may have difficulty finding $5 leftover at the end of the month.  We will try to use percentages when we share our own part of the adventure.