Grow Your Fund is a daily post that gives you a chance to win prizes by checking in on all the various challenges you are participating in. You can choose to participate in one, two or even all of the challenges giving you even more opportunities to Grow Your Fund!
The Challenges
No Dining Out: The concept is simple, lower your family’s dining out bill and add the money you save to your fund.
Minniemizing for the Mouse: Get in shape for your trip to Disney by walking at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week. The average person walks 8 or more miles a day at Disney World. Your feet will thank you!
Not going to Disney? Don’t worry. You can participate too. Just commit to working out at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week!
Budget Challenge: Can your family stay on budget this month for groceries, entertainment, dining, etc? Do you think you could even challenge yourself not to spend a dime 5 days this month? Be sure to report on your spending vs your budget every day. The goal is to be able to add the extra money saved at the end of the month to your fund!
*If you haven’t set a budget yet, you might want to check out this post.
Decluttering Challenge: Is your stuff starting to overtake your house? Do you feel like your kids room is full of too much junk and not enough fun? If so, I challenge you to find a new home for just 25 items a day for the next 30 days. This could be 25 articles of clothing, 25 books you no longer read, 25 toys your kids ignore. Have a box for items to donations, a box for items to sell and throw the rest away! At the end of the challenge, have a yard sale and add the earnings to your fund!
The prizes
At the end of each month, I will pick FOUR winners who will each receive $25 to add to their fund. Look for the winners to be announced on the 3rd of each month.
How to enter
Leave a comment with the title of the challenges it is for. You can participate in one, two, three or even all four challenges. There will be one winner per challenge, and winners can win multiple times! It’s all done by using Random.org, so if your number comes up and you are eligible, you win! In order to be eligible to win, you must actively participate in the challenge for at least FIVE calendar days.
Click below for even more details on each challenge…
No Dining
- Take a look at your current dining out budget. How much did you spend last month going out to eat? That is money that could have gone into your fund instead! Try cutting your out to eat costs this month and adding the difference to your fund.
- Set a weekly dining out budget, if you resist going out to eat, add that amount to your fund instead.
- If you were seriously about to go out to eat (like had your coat on and was going out the door or pulled into the drive thru and then pulled back out), add the amount you would have spent to your fund.
- Going out to eat and using a coupon or paying with a gift card? You could add that amount to your fund too. For example… if you had a $25 gift card to Cracker Barrel and you used it, you could take $25 cash out of your budget and add it to the fund. Or if you used a $10 coupon, you could take $10 cash out of the budget and add it to the fund.
- You must challenge yourself. Try to spend less than you spend now. If you don’t go out to eat at all, challenge yourself to try new meals this month. As long as you are challenging yourself when it comes to your family’s eating habits, you can participate!
- You are allowed 1 freebie meal that you don’t have to count or report back to us about. Please report on everything else though so we can encourage and support one another!
- Free meals do not count against you. This is a challenge to spend less money going out to eat than you usually spend. If someone else is paying for the meal or you have a coupon to make it free, great!
- At the end of the month, you will need to comment on the very last post to be entered to win. I will choose the winner from that post and verify that you have commented on at least 5 days worth of posts. The comments must of occurred on 5 DIFFERENT days. Meaning if on the 30th, you commented on that post and then went back and commented on 4 days worth of posts, you would be disqualified. You must comment on 5 different posts on 5 different days.
Minniemizing for the Mouse
- I need to get fit for the mouse. My feet hurt so bad from all that walking and for once I’d love to experience Disney without being in pain. We are going in November, so I am hoping to make a big lifestyle change between now and then. I can’t do it alone and so I need the help from all of you!
- Check in each day and report on your progress. The goal is to exercise for at least 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week. For those of us going to Disney, walking for those 20 minutes is a great way to not only get in shape, but prepare our feet.
- It really doesn’t matter what you do as long as you are moving!
- At the end of the month, you will need to comment on the very last post to be entered to win. I will choose the winner from that post and verify that you have commented on at least 5 days worth of posts. The comments must of occurred on 5 DIFFERENT days. Meaning if on the 30th, you commented on that post and then went back and commented on 4 days worth of posts, you would be disqualified. You must comment on 5 different posts on 5 different days.
Budget Challenge
- Everyone needs a budget. Budgets will help you to be in control of your money without your money being in control of you. You dictate where your money goes and how it is spent.
- Don’t have a budget? I’ve written a few articles that should help you set one… How to Set a Budget and How to Set a Grocery Budget. You’ll find even more helpful advice under Getting Started Couponing and Your Fund.
- Each day, check in and let us know how much you spent the day before and if you stayed under budget or not. We aren’t here to critique your budget (unless you ask!), but we are here to support you in staying on track!
- Also feel free to include bargain brags. Did you find a great deal or do something creative to save money, be sure to share it with all of us!
- At the end of the month, you will need to comment on the very last post to be entered to win. I will choose the winner from that post and verify that you have commented on at least 5 days worth of posts. The comments must of occurred on 5 DIFFERENT days. Meaning if on the 30th, you commented on that post and then went back and commented on 4 days worth of posts, you would be disqualified. You must comment on 5 different posts on 5 different days.
Decluttering Challenge
- It doesn’t take long for the stuff to start taking over your home. The kids rooms start overflowing with broken, neglected and just plain weird no idea where they came from toys. Your stockpile starts to spread from the kitchen, to the hall, to your bathtub. You start finding that the home for more and more items is the middle of your living room floor. Etc!
- It can be overwhelming to take on the task of decluttering your home, but the end rewards are so worth the effort. To make the process easy, I challenge you to find just 25 items every day to find a new home for. Get a box labeled donations, one labeled to sell, and one for trash. Go through 25 items a day and either put it in one of the 3 boxes or find a new permanent place for it.
- At the end of 30 days, you will have an organized home and you can have a yard sale to add more money to your fund!
- Be sure to post every day that you have gone through your 25 items and found a new home for them. Don’t just put them back where they don’t belong.
- At the end of the month, you will need to comment on the very last post to be entered to win. I will choose the winner from that post and verify that you have commented on at least 5 days worth of posts. The comments must of occurred on 5 DIFFERENT days. Meaning if on the 30th, you commented on that post and then went back and commented on 4 days worth of posts, you would be disqualified. You must comment on 5 different posts on 5 different days.
Good luck!
Kerry says
Dining Out: so far, not that great :) Pizza with my daughter yesterday and Arby’s on my way to work this afternoon. And there is the fair tonight….
Sica aka: Veloci Raptor says
I didn’t have internet for the past few days, so I’m getting caught up on things today at work. I hope it is okay for me to post this late. =o\
Dining Out: Well, my daughter had a doctor’s appointment, so I took her to McDonalds for behaving & having to deal with doctors. Last time she went – they had to draw blood from her 4 times and use a catheter on her… it was horrible.. so, I’m really glad she didn’t panic at the doctors! BUT, we ate dinner at home!
Budget: Other than McD’s & gas – I didn’t spend anything. <3 So, I did splurge a bit for the McD's.. but.. it was worth it for my girl!
Minnie: walking around the doctor's was crazy and then after naptime, we played pretend and that took us all over the place! Not really typical workouts but it sure worked me out!
Declutter: Didn't do much of any of this. Spent so much time at the doctor and wanted to do playtime instead of declutter time. I only get to spend one full day with my daughter a week [except every few weekends, I get her on Saturday as well], this was that day – so I really wanted to focus on her.
Jennifer says
Budget – no money spent!
Dining – no dining out!
Karie says
No Dining Out – Ate out last night. Fridge is acting up (again) and we had to throw some things out.
Budget – Still catching up from our staycation – but we’ll get there! We are having are 2 sons’ birthday party this weekend but keeping on budget there.
Minniemizing – blah
Decluttering – I’m keeping up with laundry. Which is quite the task right now. My hubby is working outside in 100+ heat this week and is going through a couple outfits each day. I will get back to my garage sale organizing when this week is over.
Angela N says
No dining – We were in Dallas for my daughter’s last doctor’s appt and my Mom treated us to Panera bread
Budget – Money spent on gas today about $65.
Declutter – Nothing done. Busy week.
Julie says
Felt sick all day – so my minniemize is eating very light and getting over 12000 steps today!!
Budget is doing better than expected. Got reimbursed $20 for driving to a meeting, so it is in my Disney fund! Put the Disney fund in the bank. Got $718 in the account gaining interest! We started saving in March of 2011!! NOT Bad at all!
Declutter gave away some dishes for a college student today. Felt good and cleaned out our extras too!
No dining out – no dining out for me. feeling horrible the past two days. Hubby ate lunch from home, no breakfast and made dinner for him and the kids!
Kerry says
I would like to start the No Eating Out challenge. We eat out AT LEAST 5x per week so this could be difficult. Even if I make some headway, it will be saving $$$ :)
Krista says
minimize – 25 min jog. day 7 of no sugar!
Kayte says
No Dining Out — Did bad with this one, kids and I went to a drive-thru for lunch. At least it was under $10.
Budget — Spent slightly less than $10 at drive-thru mentioned above. In line I thought about how this was a lack of planning on my part. Must. Do. Better.
Minniemize — swam with kids for a couple hours. For some of the time, I was attached to a raft, but who’s telling….
Declutter — Set aside 1/2 a bag of clutter to donate to goodwill. Didn’t know i had so much “stuff” until I began this challenge!
heather h says
I went to Del Taco after we played ourselves out at the splash park, $4 to feed 4 of us a nice snack.
Amy W says
No dining out:
No dining out yesterday! Leftovers for lunch, and I made shake-n-bake shrimp, mashed potatoes, and baby lima beans for us for supper :)
Minniemizing:
Walked 3 miles and stayed under my calorie budget!
Decluttering:
Nothing in this department yesterday, but I have to do this in the next few days because I’m hosting a baby shower on Saturday!
Budget:
Spent no money yesterday.
Janelle says
No Dining Out – It has been so incredibly hot that my husband and I have not felt like eating dinner all week. The kids are away so all we have been eating is popcorn – healthy right? But we have not been dining out and I have been taking lunch to work – while cleaning out the refriderator.
MM – Again, there has been a heat index of over 110 for the past two weeks, so way to hot to go walking. Instead, I have been trying to work out in some fashion for 30 minutes everyday.
Budget – We’ve done a pretty good job stickng to our budget – I know I will have to increase it when the kids get back, but I have been stocking items when things go on sale.
Declutter – Oh my, this isn’t going as well as planned. However, the husband is going to be gone tonight and tomorrow night, so hopefully I can actually get some work done. For some reason, things just don’t get done when he’s home :)
Taylor says
ND: Made all meals…homemade…so good! No money spent :)
MM: Did my 3 walks around my work campus in 10 minute intervals. Felt so good but so hot out.
BC: I spent $40 total on supplies for my jewerly party and wedding festivities that I had budgeted $50 for! Sweet deals.
DC: Decluttered 25 things from my car! Whoa. Didnt know I had that much in there…but now completed with a air freshner…so clean and smells so good!
Mary S says
Budget:
School clothing – My 7th grader knows we are couponing to Disney and told me yesterday that I don’t need to buy any school clothing or PE uniforms. He said he only needs new shoes. This coming from a kid that always wants new clothes. I think posting our Disney Fund on fridge helps. Their friends that come over inquire about it! I do need to buy uniforms for my 8 year old since she is moving to a new school. But hey, it’s better than having to buy uniforms for two!
Minniemizing: No candy eaten today. Especially chocolate!
Declutter: Decluttered my car and steam cleaned the carpet.
Kerry says
Hello!
Can you tell me how you have your Disney Fund posted on the fridge? I think that would be a good visual for my six-year-old.
Thanks!
Kristen D. says
No Dining Out: We went out for dinner- but it was planned at least- no last minute run out to grab somethings :D.
Minniemize: No snacking yesterday! :D
Declutter: Have a few things ready to be kicked out the door. Yay!
Budget: Spent $6 I wasn’t planning on spending…
Jennifer in GA says
NDO: we ate at home again last night~ We each brought leftovers for lunch.
Minniemize: walked on the treadmill for an hour and drank all my water. Didn’t do that great with food choices though.
Declutter: just continued working on getting my stockpile organized, and made a pile of things to donate.
Budget: spent nothing yesterday! YAY!~
Julie H says
No Dining Out – we ate out for dinner but I was able to eat lunch in the house before all the painting started. So just dinner out
Budget – no household money spent yesterday
Sharon says
MM: So sore from day before!
DC: We have company so just trying to keep the chaos of 2 toddlers to a minimum!
NDO: Made a yummy chicken pasta, homemade breadsticks, and cheesecake for dessert. Much cheaper than Olive Garden and ALMOST as good!
Budget: Oh so many bills! Forgot about the vet….that’s ANOTHER unexpected expense! Glad my pantry is full!
Tonya says
No dining out: I fixed veggie mac-n-cheese, pinto beans, green beans and sliced tomatoes for supper. Hubby took leftovers for lunch.
Minniemize me: Water, green tea, portion control, worked in garden.
Budget: Hubby bought kiddo 2 birthday cakes yesterday. Not in the budget!! Tsk..tsk. Forgot to get eggs when we got back from the beach and I couldn’t make one at home like I usually do.
Ellen says
Decluttering: Yesterday I sent a bunch of toys my daugher has brought home from Grandma’s back to her house…I can see the floor in her room again!