Note from Crystal: One of the most exciting things about having this blog is the opportunity to hear from readers. Your kind and encouraging emails brighten my days. And while what is shared on this blog is the combined effort of hours of work from many different bloggers and readers who take the time to find and share the deals with me so I can post them, I am honored and humbled to have a little part in helping families to live on less than they make so they can save more and give more.
I hope Jill's testimonial below of how MoneySavingMom.com has impacted their family and the changes they've made as a result is an encouragement to you today–wherever you are in your financial journey.
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Guest post by Jill
Prior to early July 2008, I never gave any thought to my purchases. If we
needed something, I bought it. If we wanted something chances are we
bought that, too. I always rationalized that I was a working mom so we could afford those extras.
Then one day, on a parenting message board I
frequent, there was a topic of what websites you visited daily.
Someone responded with MoneySavingMom.com. I clicked the link and the rest, as they say, is history.
Originally, my thought was that I'd try to save what the higher fuel
costs were costing our family. That was easily achieved just by
entering the world of CVS shopping.
I was proud of myself and my new found
frugalness. Oddly enough, I
found the deal finding, coupon clipping, and deal shopping strangely
entertaining. Suddenly, in addition to the weekly savings I was
accumulating at CVS, I was also saving in entertainment budgeting because my
new entertainment was saving money!
Somewhere along the line, I came across a blog about questioning your
purchases. What stuck with me was the question, "How can I do this for
less?". It was a life-changing concept.
It didn't say that I should
necessarily go without my desires, just that I should search for a way
to do it cheaper. Eureka!
I quickly started adopting that idea as
part or my daily mantra. Recently, for example, my husband and I
wanted to get our children the John Deere Gator ride-on toy. In the
time where we paid for shampoo and toothpaste (that's how I refer to our pre-CVS days!), we'd go to the toy store and spend the
$350. This time was different.
I sat with the idea of wanting it; I
knew we didn't need it right then, so I waited. Then, one day I found
one on ebay and we won it for $36–just under a 90% savings! You know
what? My kids are just as excited as if it were brand new.
I've found there are two ways to think about being frugal. There is
the "Wow, I saved $95.23!" approach and there is the "Wow, I only spent
$5.32!" approach.
When I first started this journey, I was amazed by
how much money I was saving and didn't focus on how little I was
spending. It wasn't until I checked my bank account recently, that my
eyes were truly opened. Our account was rapidly growing and it wasn't
because we were putting more money in, we were just taking less money
out.
Being frugal, shouldn't be about how much you save, it should be
about how little you spend. Some days I could rack up great savings on
products I don't truly need, but I have to focus on spending less, not
saving more.
Throughout this journey, the economy has continued to decline and my job
has become less stable. Back when we paid for shampoo and toothpaste,
the thought of being unemployed would have terrified me. Now, we are
actively planning for me to become a stay-at-home mom. Yes, our
spending has changed so dramatically, that it not only negates the
raise in gas prices, it would also balance my loss of income (along
with the savings in childcare and work-related expenses).
We've
watched our savings account rise, our cupboards and freezer fill, and
our heart rest easy in knowing God's provision for our family. What amazes me is that while we are spending significantly less money
each month, we aren't sacrificing more. We are still eating the same
foods, buying the same products, and living a life with extras. We are
just being a lot more mindful of the sales, asking ourselves "How can
we do this for less?", and stockpiling a bit when there are good deals
on products we regularly use.
MoneySavingMom.com hasn't just provided me with a few good deals; it has provided me the
opportunity to have a sense of peace in a worrisome economy. We'll be
okay, it will work out, and if all else fails, we have enough Kashi, Chex
Mix, and Johnson's Buddies to see us through the rough patches!
Jill is a working mom of three who is eternally
thankful her mother-in-law's paper route nets her multiple copies
of the ads each week.
photo by Darren Hester
Jill, thanks for the great guest post! I’m new to being frugal, and your distinction between focusing on how much you save and focusing on how little you spend really hit home with me. I know I sometimes find myself combing the ads for a great deal, but if it’s something I don’t really need and that won’t benefit my family, it’s not a great deal. I’m looking forward to seeing our bank account grow as we become more conscious of what we spend and work on ways to get the things we need and want more inexpensively.
I am in full agreement with Jill! I have alwasy been frugal but my approach used to alwasy be how much I saved and my husband would always say “great, you spent $50 to save $15” but being a stay home mother and wishing to stay that way I must now focus on how little I spend. Thanks for all the wealth of information you share each day. I don’t believe you have a Fresh and Easy where you live but if you did, you would love it!
Absolutely, it’s not how much you’re saving, it is that you spend less, so the money coming in keeps growing! Here are some of the easy savings wins I just accomplished:
Cancelled HBO, which we hardly watch anymore ($10 month / $120 year)
Switched our phone and Internet to Comcast ($40 month / $480 year!)
Reduced our childcare by 3 hours per week ($150 month / $1,800 year!)
If you think about it, to buy something for $100 you really have to make $120 since the Govt takes about 20% of every dollar earned. Saving money is is pre govt, pre tax and is very worth while. Thanks for the encouragement.
I agree whole heartedly with everything Jill said. Saving is an addiction, a challenge, and it can completely change your mindset and life.
Ironically, I know Jill. We have posted on the same message board for years, however we’ve never talked about Money Saving Mom, and I had no idea she came here. As I was reading this, I thought to myself “This girl’s name is Jill, and she sounds like Jill.” When I got to the end, I realized it WAS the Jill I knew!”. I guess it is a small world after all, eh? I said all that to say, even though Jill is a saver, Jill is one of the most generous people you have ever met. She has more than once offered things to me, not really knowing my IRL, and never expected a thing back in return.
Two thumbs up to MSM, and Jill!
well-written! this is exactly how i feel… thanks to you both! 🙂
There is no way I could have said it any better. I too joined you on your journey in April…….I have enjoyed EVERY MINUTE of it!
Thank you for all you do and God bless you and your family!
I agree!!! I started couponing around the same time as you and found this site a few months later. Between this site, other blogs and the NC based forum, savvydollar.org that started me down this amazing path, I have saved thousands and spent so much less!
We did our daughters Christmas for under $100 (Target 75%-90% off toy sale in August) and she had so many toys that I ended up pulling out about 5 to save for her birthday in April. So for under $100 I took care of Christmas and Birthday and she got more toys than if we had just done the normal spending full price!
I also agree that I no longer really *worry* about what will happen if my job is suddenly no longer there. Between the stockpile I have and the way I know how to shop now, we would be ok for awhile.
Great post! I’ve always been frugal by nature, but it’s fun to read testimony of someone who has changed her ways! Way to go!
Jill and Crystal I do so agree. When I clicked on a link that someone posted on one of my adoption boards to Crystal’s website here. Our lives changed in a matter of a couple of weeks. Thanks for you post Jill it was almost like reading my own thoughts. Thanks to you Crystal for sharing in all the ways that you do. May both of you and your families be blesssed this year.
Thank you so much for this. When I first started “saving” I too was too focused on how much I saved and now how much I spent and would buy things we didn’t need which was just as wasteful as I was before. I am now much better at watching what I’m spending instead.
Thank you for sharing this with us. I totally agree with you on this subject. It’s definitely agree “How can I spend less?” is the question to ask yourself. I have had the same experience with our savings. We have only one income and two children and once I started couponing(since may) I started to see a change in our savings. I no longer live pay check to paycheck. Nothing is better than being 19 with no debt and able have the life of a young adult and still be a responsible mom.
Awesome post! My dh was working almost 2 full time jobs “back when we paid for tooth paste and toilet paper”! We save sooo much being frugal. And it has spilled over into all areas of our lives. We live 10 times better than others with our income!
I totally love the comment, “Being frugal, shouldn’t be about how much you save, it should be about how little you spend.” How easily we can forget that and only focus on the “today you saved” on our receipts. And we will be living on Chex Mix, Kashi and Johnson’s Buddies right along with you! 🙂
Fantastic post!! I too find the whole deal thing exciting, and even a little TOO addictive. But you are right, it’s a different mindset entirely. I can’t quite get my husband on the need vs. want bandwagon, but truly he’s not too far out of line. I think he sees how hard I work both at a job and to save when I grocery shop that he realizes it’s silly to go wild on other things. With a little planning and patience, deals seem to pop up out of nowhere.
Great post-I could have written it myself. I love this site!
What a fantastic post – Thanks !
Amen to Jill’s comments. Through your blog I too have become more interested in spending less. I have come to the same realization that Jill has. As a new mom who has given up her job this not only helps out with the lost income, but also gives me something to work at. Thank you so much!
This is so well-put! It echoes what my husband has been saying all along, “I hear you say you are saving money, but are you spending LESS?” When I started stockpiling with the sales this summer, every time I got home he’d shake his head and wonder if I was really spending LESS to get more, or if I was spending MORE to get more. At the end of the year when we finished balancing our finances and could compare our spending, we saw that our spending had indeed gone down, while our stockpile had grown substantially!
I could have written the same exact letter! (Well, minus the part about kids…)
After discovering this website (and from it, others) this past summer, my life has really taken a turn for the better. In this kind of economy, it’s good to know we don’t have to pay for toothpaste and shampoo, isn’t it? : )
I just wanted to say, that I feel the same way, only I started in August of this year and can’t believe how much we are able to save! Thank you!
This is me! I felt like I was reading something I had written. Thank you for the post! I frequently teach others how to change their shopping/spending habits. Couponing, MoneysavingMom & CVS are all answers to my financial prayers! It is my new “way-of-life.”
Great post – thank you for sharing that!
Wow.. what an awesome post! I am new to the CVS shopping and coupon clipping, and it is LIFE CHANGING! and fun!
Thanks so much, Jill! It’s so easy to get caught up in the “game” of saving and forget what you are spending. I appreciate your story because it motivates me to change my perspective. Thanks again!
Fantastic post! Since I started with Money Saving Mom last January, I am amazed at the bounty that we have and the stress that has been taken off our bank account! It has been so nice to not have to spend so much on essentials and to be able to focus our funds on long-term goals and family fun. I echo your sentiments 100%!
Congratulations Jill !!! I wish more people would or could realize the life lessons you’ve shared today !! I ‘ve spoke with so many moms about couponing & how it can change their lives ( just like you contemplating being a stay at home mom ), only to be countered with ” I don’t know how” or “that takes too much time”. I wish they could understand how empowering & life changing it can be , not to mention how very easy it is ! So… GOOD JOB !!!! Thanks for sharing !! Good luck on your journey !
What an amazing story. I couldn’t have written that better…Jill is an amazing writer. I think she says it for a lot of us. I went from being the ‘extra’ income check to being the ‘only’ check. Luckily, I learned of your site ahead of time and managed to have all these gift baskets loaded with free and almost free stuff from all the cvs/walgreens deals that you help with…and all the other bloggers. Christmas was saved! Well, the gifts anyway. It was nice to be able to give. Our bills have decreased and our income increased dramatically.
I have invited about 50 people to this site who are needing a kick in the pants by Dave Ramsey…:) They are really starting to fall in love with being frugal. This is the best site for just that whether they are beginners or just looking for more ways to save.
Thanks so very much for all you do,
The Vasquez Fam
*standing and applauding*
Way to go! 🙂
MSM is truly a blessing to us all!
I still can’t believe I actually paid for toiletries for 34 yrs…Ughh! As the economy takes a turn for the worst I can honestly say things are looking great financially for our family. I’ve always been a bargain shopper but MSM has really helped me see my spending habits in a new light. Now…I must get back to making my 2009 goals list!!!
I concur that MONEYSAVINGMOM has also saved my family a bundle and we are giving more and have family members who are “shopping” from our stash. This is a great site and has been a great blessing to us.
Could you explain to me how multiple copies of the weekly ads are an advantage? Do you mean coupons? And, if so, I need an explanation there, too. How does she obtain multiple sets of coupons if she’s simply delivering the paper?
I scratch my head when I hear people spend $350 and over every other week – I haven’t paid full price for shampoo toothpaste, you name it, in years – it takes a little work -but hey, you learned it can be fun!! Be proud of your accomplishment – I am!
Thanks for sharing your story!
What a great article! I love how the savings are being put to such a wonderful use: enabling a mom to stay home with her kids. As a SAHM myself, I treasure every day and think it’s worth whatever sacrifices we have to make to live on one (teacher’s) income. Enjoy, Jill!
Very well put, Jill. Thank for sharing your story. I too, hope to live on less this year.
I really enjoyed this post. Thanks for sharing it!
This story is incredible. I grew up with a single parent so being frugal was just a way of life that I naturally carried over to my own. However; I love to hear stories of other people’s eyes being opened to a frugal life. The best part is that they were willing to try it… so many never make it that far. Congratulations… may God bless you abundantly!
Thank you for posting this article! Our 2009 goal is to keep our budget (grocery, household, personal care) budget to $125 or less for a family of four. We love reading your blog!
Great guest post!!
That is exactly how I have felt for the last few months and then I broke me wrist and my hubby started doing all the shopping. While he “saves” money too, after looking at our checkbook, it is no where near what we spent while I could clip and shop .. I am 3 months from full recovery and another surgery, but he even says we need to get back to clipping. I will also say that clipping before allowed us to have the money to spend since Ihave been injured.
Wow….with every paragraph, the tears in my eyes grew. Because of this blog, and a wonderful grocery savings message board I frequent, my family’s lives have taken a 180 degree change. We no longer worry about having enough to eat, if the bills will be paid on time and when will the next over-drawn fee will be issued to our checking account.
Thank you Jill for sharing this with us. We are all with you….this blog is very much a God-Send.
Yeah, I don’t exactly care how much I “save” either. I just care how little I have to spend. Plus, as I have seen some people doing recently, calculating that you saved $2.99 by getting a free tube of toothpaste at CVS when you would normally buy a $.99 tube of toothpaste is a little misleading.
Great way to look at being frugal!
I totally agree. Money Saving Mom has made my transition from full time worker to SAHM so much easier than I ever could have imagined. I am spending significantly less than I did when I worked. I don’t feel like I am having to make the big financial sacrifices that I was afraid of when I quit my job in April. I tell all my friends about this site because we could all use some money saving tips in this economy.
Ditto that almost completely for me- except I’ve been a stay at home/ homeschool mom through out the process- this site has changed our world as well as all of my “referrals” to this page. 🙂 I owe so much to Crystal and her fellow posting friends- I thank the Lord who is so awesome for the daily strength and wisdom that he provides these women, who in turn helps provide hope, financial peace and comfort to other families in a world that seems to be so out of control! THANKS SO MUCH Crystal!
I have found it amazing at how much my thought process has changed about spending since I stumbled onto this website, also. It has been a blessing to our family. Jill proves that even when a wife, mother & working mother, one can still take the time to play the coupon-game!
Loved your post!!!! So very true.
This was an excellent post that I could really identify with, I too started saving this year and at first it was like oohhh look I can buy all this stuff for very little money… but now more and more I ask myself do I really need it and if I do how can I do it for cheaper (or even free!). Thank you!
Jill is a close friend of mine and I am very thankful of her learning about this site. This summer while I was 9 months pregnant, she got me hooked on this also. I never cut coupons or even would think to shop at Walgreeens or CVS, now thanks to your website and my good friend Jill I am doing well at saving money by using coupons. I also joined the ranks of a stay home mom to two beautiful boys in June 2008.My husbands calls Jill and I thives because when I go shopping with her I come home with so many things ( JIll is still the coupon queen in my eyes) for such a little cost. Thank you to your website and my awesome friend Jill for being able to share her great finds…
Reading that post, I thought, I could have been writing it myself. I found Money Saving Mom in August and have been hooked to this game ever since. I am glad to hear that someone else finds this all entertaining. If you don’t mind, I think I am going to adopt the phrase, “Back when I paid for toothpaste and shampoo.” LOL Thanks for the great post.
Great post Jill! I look forward to utilizing your tips to save money! As a mom of three, who works from home I have to cut corners any time I can and often find myself telling my hubby that we can not buy those “extras” right now so maybe if I Can save with your tips, he can get his extras he works so hard to deserve! Thank you!
Wonderful post. I really enjoy reading the success stories, as it gives inspiration to us newbie frugals.
GREAT post! I know I have to be careful not to buy things I don’t need or even really want because it is a good deal…it isn’t a good deal if I wouldn’t have been buying it anyway!
MSM and all fellow frugal bloggers: I appreciate you so much. Your encouragement and sharing have helped me transition into frugality without any pain! (((hugs)))
Thank you so much for the timely post, especially during this week of amazing store deals. It’s important to not get so caught up in the thrill of getting freebies that we thoughtlessly pay tax and make space for an item we don’t need. Saving lots of money is wonderful, but not when you’re spending needlessly to do so. Thanks, again–love the blog!
Jill-
I really appreicated your post, it made me laugh out loud (the last sentence), shake my head in agreement, (spending less is as(if not more) impt as saving), and encouraged me to continue to find ways to save money. Thanks for sharing.
Beautifully said…you have articulated exactly the direction my focus has been taking as well!! I am so glad you shared this Jill!! Thanks again!!
Fantastic post. Thanks. I am glad I’m not the only one who thinks saving money is entertaining. 🙂 A friend and I are garage sale buddies. We would much rather bargain hunt on Saturday mornings and get things we need than spend the same amount of money on movie tickets or something… especially since we get to talk while we shop! And our local library has a great selection of DVDs anyway.
I started off looking at how much money I was saving, and it’s still neat to see, but now I focus on how much I am spending, and I think about whether I really need something. Sometimes a great deal isn’t truly a great deal (or a necessary expenditure) unless I give the item or a like item away.
I so appreciate this blog and this guest post. Thank you, Crystal!
What a wonderful post!
I learned something and I’ve been at this “frugal living” for a long time now.
Thank you.
Wonderful post! What a great point. I, too, have recently come to see that spending less should be the point, not saving more. Thank you!
Jill – I feel the same way. It’s amazing how much money I was spending on groceries but I always had an empty pantry. Now they are packed full and I could probably feed my family for two months or longer on what we already have. Not to mention how long it will be before I need more toothpaste! Plus, I can afford to share with others…and it makes me feel good to do it.
Great post! It’s all in how you look at it, isn’t it. I too used to be the one to buy things when we needed it. I would’ve checked around for a deal on the John Deer toy because I’ve never been one to pay that much for any one item without price shopping. But beyond that we were much the same.
I’m happy to say I’ve been couponing and sale shopping for over 2 yrs and the savings are still fun and exciting! I now find myself looking forward to some of the deals I’ve seen in previous years that come in cycles and have an idea when to look for them.
Have fun saving!
I started finding these websites about the same time last summer. I had a friend who was talking about making money at Walgreens when she bought diapers and was curious. I started by just going and getting the Free After Rebate items, but then realized what other great deals there were at other stores as well.
One thing I’ve really had to make myself be conscious of is not buying things simply b/c they’re on sale, but because they are on sale and they are items that my family will use. I never thought about passing up on great deals as spending less, not saving more…I love that idea and am going to keep that in the back of my mind when I go to the store from now on.
Thanks.
This is very encouraging for me. We are finally working on a budget & though the numbers don’t add up, I have to realize that God is in control and ultimately our provider. I do need to rethink my purchases as not how much I saved, but how little I spent. What an important concept!