Blogging Away Debt Blogging Away Debt follows real people on their journey to debt freedom — with tips on the debt snowball, budgeting, cutting expenses, and staying motivated.

by Hope

I have to admit…No Spend January is wearing on me a little bit. I think the big thing is the dishwashing! I am really missing have a dishwasher right now. With all the cooking (and the fact that we’ve run out of paper plates,) cleaning the kitchen has felt a bit overwhelming.

So…would a meal out if I don’t spend any cash be cheating? See I have 4 “free” entree coupons to our local Chick Fil A (just opened this past fall in the next town over.)

Breakfast at Chick Fil A, cheating?

And over the past year or so, I have accumulated over 1195 points by using their app. And we can use these points to purchase things off their menu, no money needed!

I also have $20 still on that app to spend. (I know the date says January 20th, but this money has been there for months. We stopped going that direction when Gymnast stopped going to gymnastics back in October.)

My thoughts are that since tomorrow is MLK Day and the kids are out of school. I might invite them to all get out of bed early (you know how teenagers/young adults are) and join me for a breakfast out. It will be a great way to kick start the day, be some good family time and give me a break from kitchen duty.

So back to my question…would this be cheating as it relates to No Spend January?

I’m not sure when I’ve been so excited about a breakfast out…a meal out for that matter. But I will say, we have had some amazing meals as I’ve been really trying hard to spice up our menu these days with items we have on hand. Tonight Sea Cadet is going to try cooking an Asian inspired meal using regular pasta since we don’t have any Asian noodles on hand, it should be interesting.

One of the favorite new menu items so far was found on Facebook. I thought I would share.

Creamy Burrito Casserole

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 pepper chopped (I did 1/2 a red pepper and 1/2 a yellow)
1 package taco seasoning
6 large flour tortillas
1 can refried beans
2 -3 cups shredded taco cheese or cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
4 ounces sour cream

Hope

Hope is a resourceful, solutions-driven online business manager with over two decades of experience helping clients streamline operations, manage projects, and grow their businesses through digital marketing and technology.

But life has a way of rewriting your plans.

A year ago, Hope made the decision to move in with her aging parents full time – a season she wouldn’t trade, even as it came with its own financial and emotional weight. Earlier this year, she lost her mother, and is now walking the tender, disorienting path of grief while learning what “forward” looks like from here.

Hope came to the Blogging Away Debt community in 2015 as a single mom raising five foster and adoptive children. She’s written through job changes, financial setbacks, and the bittersweet transition to an empty nest. Her kids are finding their footing in the world now – and so is she.

Rooted in faith and fueled by the same perseverance she’s brought to every hard season, Hope is ready to face her finances with fresh eyes and an honest pen. She believes that clarity, courage, and community can change the trajectory of anyone’s story including her own.

She lives in Austin, TX with her dad, loves adventures with her dog Addie, and is figuring out, one step at a time, what this next chapter is meant to be.