I have a confession to make: I am having a really hard time ignoring the messages alerting me to the “LOWEST PRICES OF THE SEASON!” Or, even better, “WE’VE NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE!” But the one that gets me every single time is, “OFFER GOOD FOR THE NEXT 12 HOURS ONLY! BUY NOW!!!!” Ugh – it’s rough being a debt warrior on Black Friday. But I’m keeping my head down, my focus sharp, and my goals in mind: I will pay off all of my credit cards by the end of 2020 (if not sooner).

My co-worker, Butch, recently shared a startling statistic with me: 48 million Americans are still paying off credit card debt from last year’s holiday season. Let that sink in for a second…48 million Americans is roughly the population of Tokyo, New York City, and Los Angeles COMBINED. Here’s another scary fact: some consumers will be paying more than twice what those gifts originally cost. No wonder they call it “Black Friday.”

I’ve decided to flip the script on this year’s holiday spending. I refuse to go deeper into debt. I’ll let somebody else stimulate the economy. I’m stimulating enough on my own. Here’s how I’m turning this Black Friday into a Green Friday:

1. I’m being very open about my goal of paying off all of my credit card debt by the end of 2020. At first, I really thought it would be a good idea if I kept my goal of paying off my debt to myself. Afterall, money issues are supposed to be private, right? I’ve learned that when I’m honest with others about my goals, my friends and family are super supportive. In fact, by being honest about my debt issues, I’ve been able to enlist others in my War On Debt.
2. I’ve made a conscious decision to not turn on my laptop over the weekend. I know that I’m susceptible to messaging that encourages me to spend and it can be hard not to fall into old patterns. So the fewer temptations, the better. Plus, it’s going to be a nice weekend where I live, so I’m going to go out and enjoy the 100% FREE fresh air!
3. Come Saturday, my family is going to be tired of turkey leftovers. Knowing this, I did my meal planning for the weekend that uses some of the ingredients used in our holiday meal. One dish that my family absolutely loves is my mom’s Sausage Bean Chowder recipe. And I just happen to have all of the ingredients on hand. Chances are you do, too. As my Green Friday gift to you, I’m sharing this recipe with you!

This is an incredible recipe. It makes plenty, so you can easily feed a family of 4 with one batch. It also freezes really well. And get this – it’s one of those recipes that magically gets better the longer it sits. So, don’t be surprised if you get requests for leftovers!

If you’re interested in waging your own War On Debt, but not sure where to start, I encourage you to check out Dani’s 10 Step War On Debt Battle Plan. This is a step-by-step plan to help get your finances under control, stop going further into debt, and never carry around the burden of debt again. Check it out.

Here’s to your continued good health – both physical and financial!

Laura
Danijohnson.com