The 7 Baby Steps are listed below.

1. $1,000 in an Emergency Fund
2. Pay Off All Debt with the Debt Snowball
3. 3 To 6 Months Expenses in Savings
4. Invest 15% of Income into Roth IRAs and Pre-Tax Retirement Plans
5. College Funding
6. Pay Off Your Home Early
7. Build Wealth and Give!

Dave explains the details of each baby step in his book, The Total Money Makeover and if you would like more in-depth study, you can sign up to attend Financial Peace University (FPU). There you will learn more about budgeting and household finances via a video series of powerful lessons taught by Dave! After the video, attendees usually participate in a facilitated group discussion.

I attended FPU at my church and was so inspired that I purchased the videos so I could view them at home and share the message with my family and friends. It seriously changed the way I look at debt and household finances.

Now, not only am I motivated to get out of debt, I am just as fired up to share this powerful information with others! Check out this printable version of Dave Ramsey’s 7 Baby Steps. Make several copies and pass on the knowledge with someone else today!

• well established site so quality articles with the right keywords have the potential to be ranked high in search engines
• great article and earnings tracking
• offers contests and promotions where you can earn extra money if you are featured on the front page
• easy to build community of friends and groups

• easy format for posting articles…you can include external links in your content
• articles don’t have to be in “how to format”
• earnings are based on page views
• you can earn money from building a network (click here if you would like to join my Bukisa network)

With both Bukisa and eHow you can receive a payout as soon as you reach $10 in earnings.

You can join eHow, Bukisa or both!

There are also a number of other places online where you can get paid to create content. Just keep in mind that it’s a good idea not to duplicate your content across sites. When I first started out (I joined eHow, Bukisa and started my blog within months of each other) I put similar content on all three. 

Do as I say and not as I do…

If you would like your content to have higher page ranks in search engines, avoid duplicating your content. Create unique material for revenue sharing sites as well as your blog or website.

In an effort to manage your expectations, you probably won’t make big bucks from Bukisa when you first start out -especially if you have no one in your network. However, it is a lot of fun to see your content online and pretty cool if you can make some spare change while doing it. 

Right now, I belong to 2 online writing forums. It’s free to sign up on either one. Check out my article ehow vs. Bukisa to see how the two compare.

So tell your friends about it, grow your network and have fun! And, oh by the way, if you are interested in writing for Buskia and would like to be a part of my network, you can sign up here!  

Check out my articles on Bukisa below. Once you sign up and create content, you can get a nifty little widget like this one.

It’s free to sign up and can become quite addictive. As with other online writing forums, you’ll want to manage your expectations when you first get started. Since I was eager to join, I quickly wrote a series of articles.

eHow even provides tips to help you write great articles, drive traffic to those articles and generate buzz. There are also ebooks written by top earners on ehow which may help you get off to the right start. One such book Earn Passive Income on ehow.com (affiliate link) provides ehow writers with the following:

• A step-by-step method to build passive income online
• Screen shots and proof of the author’s (WriterGig’s) online content earnings
• Links to online tools and sites that will help you make the most of your efforts as well as SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Tips

eHow also has great community features. You can join various groups or even start your own. You can also build a network of friends which is great because you can rate and comment on each others articles. One of my eHow friends has even received freelance writing opportunities as a result of her career articles on ehow and one of her posts was also cited in a  New York Times article!

You can check out my ehow profile here. Since joining eHow I also joined another online writing forum by the name of Bukisa. Be sure to check out my post on ehow vs. Bukisa to see which one is right for you.

I have been able to save money on energy and essentially cut my utility bills in half by implementing three simple tips.

I save money on meat products by planning meals and shopping at wholesale clubs. I typically purchase enough meat to last at least 3 weeks. After I finish shopping, I divide the meat into gallon size plastic zip bags then freeze it until I am ready to prepare a meal. If you are looking to save money on meat products here are a few easy tips you can follow at home and during your next grocery shopping trip.

Plan your meals around what’s on sale. Purchase your local Sunday paper (or the Saturday preview) to view in store promotions. When shopping, take advantage of meat products “reduced for quick sale”. Prepare or freeze these bargains the day of purchase. Stock up when you find really great deals on items your family enjoys the most.

Buy in bulk. Compare the price of smaller packages of meat at your local grocery store with those at warehouse stores like Costco, Sam’s Club, BJ’s, etc. For example, you might be better off purchasing a 10lbs. bag of frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast once a month versus purchasing smaller, more expensive packages weekly.

Serve meat less often. Serve meat 2-3 times a week instead of daily and serve only “fist size” portions. Prepare other dishes like baked potatoes, salad, pizza, pasta, etc. as a main course on the days when meat is not on the menu. Instead of serving meat as the star of the meal include it as an added ingredient. For example, chop up 2-3 chicken breasts in soup versus preparing chicken breasts for each individual.

 Avoid purchasing pre-packaged or pre-sliced meat. Make your own ground beef or ground turkey patties instead of buying the patties pre-packaged. Slice steak into strips for stir fry or cut beef into cubes for stew. Cut chicken into strips for chicken fingers or into chunks for nuggets.

I generally only use coupons for groceries when I can find items that are on sale.  Otherwise, the store brand version of a product is usually good enough for me. Here are a few tips to use coupons the smart way when shopping for groceries.

Pick up the Sunday paper. There are many savings to be found leafing through the Sunday paper (or the Saturday preview) with scissors in hand. Look at supermarket inserts and take advantage of “value” days, “buy one get one free” deals, and other promotions. Apply coupons to already discounted items and watch your savings double or even triple.

Search for coupons via other sources. In addition to the local newspaper, there are now a number of places online where you can find coupons for groceries and download them for free. You should also check your shopping receipt for coupons that print from the register. Look on the packaging of products that you’ve purchased and search coupon mailers and magazines for additional ways to save.

Get organized. Purchase a coupon organizer or use a small plastic file sorter. Most office supply stores and places like Walmart carry them. Categorize and label each tab (ex. breakfast items, snacks, household items, toiletries, cleaning supplies, etc.) They are easy to carry and can also hold other items such as your grocery shopping list, a small calculator, pen/pencil and a small notepad.

Contact your local supermarket. Visit the store website or call your nearest grocery stores to find out if they double coupons. Some will double up to a certain amount while others only offer this service to their customers on specific days.

Pile extra savings into your cart. Use the coupons you bring with you along with the coupons you find in the grocery store aisles. Remember, the best way to save money using coupons for groceries is to use them when an item is on sale.

Don’t forget about rebates. Some stores also have rebate centers which are another great way to save. While you are in the store, sign up to receive the key chain swipe card and reap the benefits of your grocery store’s value savings program.

TIP

Match the coupons you’ve clipped or downloaded with the items on your grocery list. Take only the matching coupons with you to the store. This will help you refrain from buying an item that you don’t need just because you have a coupon.

More grocery savings tips…

Review past receipts. Before you make your grocery list for the week, review the receipt(s) from your last shopping trip. This will help you quickly identify impulse purchases and areas where you might need to cut back.

Highlight budget busting purchases. Highlight items on your grocery list purchased on impulse (items that you did not intend to purchase before you entered the store) then highlight junk food that you purchased (potatoes chips, donuts, soda, etc.). If you can live without these items, you are well on your way to reducing your bill. Add the remaining items to your list for next week.

Create a basic list. Type your normal shopping list. Add to it any essentials you would normally need when trying to stock up. Save the list on the computer and print it out. Bring a pen/pencil with you to the store. As you put items in the shopping cart, write the aisle number next to each product on your list.

Update the list. Before your next trip to the store, update the list to include the aisle numbers in the grocery store. Add the names of any products that may have been missing from your original list. Include a category for “Other” with a few blank lines for the times when you want to purchase a special treat. Save the file and print out several copies for future use.

Post the list. Use a magnet to post your grocery shopping list to the refrigerator door or tack it to a bulletin board. Add asterisks next to items with a coupon. Keep one coupon attached to the list so that you don’t forget to take them with you.

More grocery savings tips…