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Money Saving Mom

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Saving Families Money Since 2007

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Shared May 17, 2018 comment

My $32 ALDI Shopping Trip + Homemade Crinkle Fries & an easy way to earn $0.50!

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My $32 ALDI Shopping Trip + Homemade Crinkle Fries & an easy way to earn $0.50!

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m currently challenging myself to stick with a $70 grocery budget for our family of five. This includes almost all of our breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners + most household products (toiletries, laundry soap, etc.).

For live updates, be sure to follow my Instagram Stories.

Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and we will be compensated if you click through and sign up. Read our disclosure policy here.

I had planned to do a full Freezer Cooking Day on Tuesday, but I only ended up making a double batch of Turkey Meatballs and 4 pans of Baked Oatmeal.

I’m planning to make a double batch of Southwest Rollups tomorrow and then I’ll share more about my freezer cooking this week in tomorrow’s post (and show you an update on how our freezer is filling up!)

Remember those potatoes I got marked down? I turned half a bag of them into Oven-Baked Crinkle Fries — which we all LOVED! I made them similar to my Sweet Potato Fries recipe, only I used Olive Oil and then sprinkled them with salt and garlic pepper.

(My friend, Melissa, gave me this Crinkle Cutter and it is the best EVER. It makes chopping and eating veggies and fruits so much more fun and interesting!)

Thursday’s ALDI Shopping Trip — $32.42

  • 1 gallon water –$0.79
  • 3 lb. boneless chicken breasts — $5.99
  • 2 cans refried beans — $0.75 each
  • 1 bag onions — $0.99
  • Iceberg lettuce — $0.85
  • 1 bag of mini cucumbers — $1.99
  • Milk — $2.69
  • 2 bags of frozen peas — $0.95
  • Baby lettuce — $1.89
  • Baby carrots — $0.99
  • Radishes — $0.49
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil — $2.99
  • 2 bags frozen broccoli — $1.19 each
  • Pasta Sauce — $0.99
  • 1 can black beans — $0.55
  • 1 can diced tomatoes — $0.45
  • 3 boxes of Mac & Cheese — $0.33 each
  • Pure Cane Sugar — $1.95
  • Total with tax — $32.42

Total spent so far this week: $68.60

Want to hear more of why I shop at Kroger more often than ALDI + all sorts of other interesting tidbits, including what I do when a troll shows up on FB live? Watch the video above.

Make $0.50 in a Minute!

READER TIP: “Just wanted to give you a heads up. You might already know this but every Thursday there is a video you can watch to receive money for on Checkout 51. Today there were two. The videos are usually at the very bottom along with rebates for Sam’s club. I watched mine and remembered that one time I didn’t and I missed the rebate. You’ll get $0.25 for each video today. – a reader” Sign up for Checkout 51 here. (I just did this and it totally worked!)

Curious what we’re eating this week? Check out this week’s $70 Menu Plan here.

New mom on a budget? Save money with these 5 simple tips!
Shared May 16, 2018 comment

5 Easy Ways to Save Money as a New Mom

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5 Easy Ways to Save Money as a New Mom

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

New mom on a budget? Save money with these 5 simple tips!

Guest post from Heather of Happy Humble Home:

Becoming a mom is exciting for so many reasons. You created a person! Life doesn’t get much more amazing than that.

But being a new mom can also be challenging for your finances.

There’s a new person in your family. And that person is going to need some stuff! Between diapers, nursery supplies, and all the adorable baby outfits, the cost of your new bundle of joy can really add up.

These 5 easy ways to save money as a new mom will help you to stop stressing about costs and focus on the important things – like snuggling with your little one!

1. Graciously accept hand-me-downs.

Hand-me-downs are a win-win for everyone involved.

Moms love to pass their gently used baby stuff on to new moms. They have paid for baby items that may have only been used a few times and they love for those things to get used again for another child in their lives. And the mom receiving the hand-me-downs gets free baby stuff!

Except for a few special outfits, all of my 5 month old’s clothes are hand-me-down. Some close friends of ours were moving away and gave us all of their baby boy clothes from newborn to 2T. The clothes were beautiful and barely used! I was so excited that I was raving to a friend about it and that reminded her that she had a bunch of baby clothes she was hanging on to and she offered me hers too.

Another close friend of mine passed down her Ergo 360! That saved me $180 that I was able to spend on something else I needed for my little guy.

This doesn’t mean that you have to go around asking your friends and family for their leftover baby goods. Just casually mention that you’re so grateful for the hand-me-downs you’ve received and I’ll bet you end up with a closet full of previously-loved baby loot.

2. Buy used.

If you aren’t able to collect enough hand-me-down baby clothes, buying used is the next best thing. There are many consignment and thrift stores dedicated to recycling baby items. Even if you don’t generally buy used in other areas of your life, used baby clothes are the way to go!

Just think about how quickly babies outgrown their clothing. Many outfits only get worn once or twice. So, many of the clothes in these second-hand stores are really almost new.

You will probably find a ton of other hardly-used treasures in your local thrift stores as well. From baby carriers to strollers, or even baby swings, the possibilities are endless!

3. Buy in bulk

Think about all those baby things that you feel like you’re using a million of. Those are the things you should be buying in bulk.

Diapers, wipes, and formula are a good place to start. But don’t stop there! Think about household supplies that you use every day and go through quickly, like laundry detergent, too.

There is a larger upfront cost to buy the bulk sized item but over time you’ll have significant savings.

Buying in bulk will also mean less shopping trips, which is always a big perk for a new mama who is adjusting to shopping with baby in tow.

4. Take advantage of rewards programs

There are so many rewards programs out there! From diapers to formula, and even baby clothes, there is a rewards program for just about everything you buy for baby.

Huggies and Pampers both have rewards programs that let you earn you free diapers just for entering a little code that comes inside your diaper box.

Similac and Enfamil both send you free boxes of formula in the mail when you sign up for their rewards, plus you get great money saving coupons in the mail.

There are several baby clothing stores that offer valuable rewards programs too. Carter’s, Gymboree, and The Children’s Place all over rewards once you spend a certain amount.

If you’re buying all those baby supplies without participating in the rewards program, you are missing out on free baby stuff that could save you tons!

5. Think long-term.

When you’re deciding on those big-ticket baby items, think about how you will repurpose to reuse them in the future.

If you’re planning to have more children, you want to be able to keep using those big items again for all your future little ones.

So, aim to purchase quality products in gender neutral designs.

Of course, there’s no rule that says you can’t use a pink crib for a boy. But you are much more likely to actually reuse things that are gender neutral.

Stick with grey, white, aqua, red, or yellow. These colors usually work regardless of the child’s gender.

You also want to consider ways that you can reuse a baby product for the same child.

Many baby products are convertible and can grow with your child, like cribs, strollers, and car seats. The initial investment in these items is a little higher, but they’ll save you in the long run when you don’t have to replace something that your child has quickly grown out of.

Now start saving!

These money-saving strategies can definitely bring you huge savings – but only if you actually use them! Soon, you’ll be enjoy being a new mom without having to stress over how much it costs.

Heather is the founder of Happy Humble Home, where she helps women take control of their finances and have fun being frugal. Heather struggled financially for years before she finally learned how to save money without suffering. Now, she is passionate about sharing her frugal tips with women who need them.

photo source

This $70 grocery budget challenge is SO inspiring! And they even menu plan and eat healthy while sticking to their budget each week!
Shared May 15, 2018 comment

This Week’s $70 Menu Plan & Monday’s “HUGE” Grocery Shopping Trip

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This Week’s $70 Menu Plan & Monday’s “HUGE” Grocery Shopping Trip

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This $70 grocery budget challenge is SO inspiring! And they even menu plan and eat healthy while sticking to their budget each week!

I’m currently challenging myself to stick with a $70 grocery budget for our family of five. This includes almost all of our breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners + most household products (toiletries, laundry soap, etc.).

For live updates, be sure to follow my Instagram Stories.

Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and we will be compensated if you click through and sign up. Read our disclosure policy here.

It’s Week 4 of my $70 Grocery Budget Challenge and I’m excited to see how this week goes! I’m loving hearing from so many of you who are sharing how this challenge is motivating you to look for ways you can cut your grocery bill, too! That makes me so happy!

By the way, in case you’re interested, I spent $68.36 on groceries last week. And here was our menu last week.

I got these fantastic coupons in the mail from Kroger — including coupons for FREE bacon, FREE cereal, and $10 off any $40 purchase! (If you have a Kroger store, make sure that your address is correct in your account and hopefully you’ll get great coupons like this!)

Here’s what I bought at Kroger yesterday:

Monday Kroger Shopping Trip — $36.18

I wanted to be able to use the $10 off $40 purchase coupon + I hadn’t gone shopping on Saturday or Sunday, so I knew that I could spend extra and have a larger shopping trip (I allot $10 per day — though I don’t always go to the store every day, since it doesn’t always work out in my schedule or we don’t need anything or I’m not going to be driving by a store that day and have time to stop!)

But I have to admit that when my total rang up (before I swiped my card and my discounts and coupons had come off), I was a little scared to see such a high number showing on the screen. It said that my total was $76!!!

I know that’s not a huge amount, but since most of my shopping trips have been more like $10 or $15 each, this felt like some crazy ridiculous amount! 🙂

However, I was super happy that after the discounts and coupons, my total came down to $36.18. Much, much better!

Here’s what I bought:

  • 2 16-oz. blocks of cheese — $2.49 when you buy 4 participating items
  • 2 Skintimate Shave Creams — $1.99 each when you buy 4 participating items, used 2 $1/1 Skintimate Shave Gel or Cream printable, $0.99 each after coupons
  • 2 dozen Simple Truth eggs — $2.50 each
  • 3 packages of Salad Pockets — marked down to $1.29 each
  • 2 bags of produce — marked down to $0.99 each
  • 1 bag of Kroger rice — $1.69
  • 1 carton of Simple Truth egg yolks — marked down to $1.29
  • 2 pounds of Simple Truth Ground Turkey — marked down to $2.79 each
  • 1 package of Bacon — used FREE coupon that Kroger sent to me (see above)
  • 2 Simple Truth yogurts — marked down to $0.39 each
  • 2 tubs of Hillshire Farms Honey Ham — marked down to $2.39 each
  • 3 Suave Professionals Shampoo/Conditioner — $1.99 each when you buy 4 participating items, used 2 $1/1 Suave Professionals Wash and Care Product printable and used $1/1 Kroger Digital coupon — $0.99 each after coupons
  • 1 Stayfree Pads — $1.79 when you buy 4 participating items, used $1/1 Kroger Digital coupon — $0.79 after coupon
  • 4 packages of Goldfish crackers — $0.99 each when you buy 4 participating items
  • Kroger Raisin Bran — used FREE coupon that Kroger sent me (see above)
  • 2 boxes of Capri Sun (for lunches) — $2.49 each, used $1.40/2 coupon that Kroger sent to me (see above) — $1.79 each after coupon
  • Used $10/$40 that Kroger sent to me (see above)
  • Total with tax: $36.18

I was so excited about the salad pockets. I love to use them for quick sandwiches for myself. But in my excitement, I forgot to thoroughly check them before putting them in my cart.

And while two of them were great, one looked like this…

YUCK! Word to the wise: Always carefully check items that are marked down before buying them!

I used the liquid whole eggs to make some French Toast “batter” for that night’s dinner.

I love this cookbook, if you couldn’t tell! 🙂

It might seem weird for me to take the time in the morning to mix up the “batter” for French Toast, but I try to do as much prep as possible for dinner as early in the day as possible, because I’m often not super energetic or inspired at dinner time. So having dinner as done as much as I can, makes it so much easier!

Last night, Silas had a double-header Flag Football Game (his team won!), so being able to whip up French Toast in just a few minutes was such a help for getting out the door!

This Week’s Super Simple Menu Plan

This menu is subject to change a little if I find some great deals or markdowns! ?

Breakfasts

Cereal, Baked Oatmeal, Eggs, Fruit, Toast

Lunches

Ham & Cheese Sandwiches, Chips, Fruit, Veggies, Capri Sun, Banana Bread, Cream Cheese Blueberry Muffins, (for the kids) Leftovers, Chorizo Breakfast Burritos (for Jesse) Leftovers, Eggs, Pita Pocket Sandwiches, Salad (for me)

Dinners

Monday — French Toast, Bacon, Oranges
Tuesday — Southwest Rollups, Fruit, Rice
Wednesday — Meatballs, Corn on the Cob, Homemade French Fries
Thursday — Haystacks
Friday — Steak (We had some in the freezer that I need to use up!), Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Saturday — Dinner Out
Sunday — Snack-y Dinner (fend for yourself — cereal, leftovers, etc.)

Total spent so far this week: $36.18

Total left to spend: $33.82

Shared May 14, 2018 comment

A Peek Into Our Life Last Week (+ an update on my goals for 2018)

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A Peek Into Our Life Last Week (+ an update on my goals for 2018)

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to my weekly post I share a peek into our lives, talk about things I’m loving, share links to interesting articles or helpful ideas I’ve collected throughout the past week, and just talk about whatever is on my heart! ?

(Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and we will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking through our links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

This week was full of freezer cooking…

Helping Silas finish up his 4th quarter project and speech for Presentation Day…

(There’s the happy boy who is done with his speech and with school for the year!)

Getting our library finished… (and realizing that I can totally not be such a minimalist about books now that we have space for them!!!)

Reading this book while sipping on a Decaf Chai Latte…

Ordering photos for our living room frames… (they’ve only been sitting there empty for 2.5 months… I’m pretty proud of myself for getting this crossed off my list because these types of projects usually take me forever to actually follow through with — even though it’s something that literally took me maybe 3 minutes to actually do! Why do I procrastinate on this stuff??)

Admiring these amazing flowers that Jesse got me for Mother’s Day… (Did you know that if you put a penny at the bottom of a vase of tulips it will make them stand up and not droop?? I just learned this from a reader this past week!)

Listening to this song on repeat…

Laughing at this that a friend sent to me…

How was YOUR week last week?

2018 Goals Update

Personal Goals

1. Read 100 non-self-help books that will build me up/encourage me/inspire me/recharge me. (Fiction/story-driven/biographies/inspirational living books/devotionals.) See the list of 44 books I plan to read this year.

**Progress: 21 books read so far this year

2. Read through the entire Bible.

**Progress: I’m using the Robert Murray M’Cheyne plan and am all caught up— yay!

3. Write one handwritten note to someone every week.

**Progress: 23 notes written so far this year

4. Run 500 miles.

**Progress: 168 miles run so far

Marriage Goal

5. Go on an overnight trip with Jesse without the kids.Jesse and I went to NYC together in January.

Family Goals

6. Read 10 books aloud with the kids.

**Progress: I’ve finished one book so far.

7. Take the kids to South Africa.

**Progress: We bought our tickets!

8. Go on a family road trip.

**Progress: We’ve been researching and planning for some road trips we want to take this summer. Stay tuned!

Financial Goals

9. Save up to pay cash to finish off an office for me and workout room for Jesse and me in the basement in our new house.

**Progress: We started finishing out the workout room this past week.

10. Replenish our Emergency Fund (we dipped into it to replace my car when it got totaled because of the carpet beetle infestation.)

Business Goals

11. Increase our gross income from the business by 8%.

12. Launch 5 new courses.

**Progress: We launched 4 Weeks to a More Productive Life launched in January, Content Creation 101 in February, 4-Week Blog Coaching Program in March, Email List Setup 101 in March, and Make Over Your Mornings LIVE in April.

Shared May 14, 2018 comment

What I Read & Watched This Past Week

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What I Read & Watched This Past Week

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to my weekly Book-ish post where I share what I’ve been reading and watching recently. If you missed it, you can see my Reading Goals for 2018 and 44 Books I Plan to Read This Year. 

(Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and we will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking through our links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

 

We really enjoyed Timeless: Season 1, so this past week we’ve been watching Season 2 of Timeless. We all love history and mystery and this show does a great job of weaving enough history into things to not make it super sci-fi, but to also keep you intrigued and guessing.

Note: I’d say that this show is in between PG and PG-13. Silas is a little young for it, but the girls really enjoy it — but we also have let them watch quite a few PG-13 movies with us based upon their maturity level and because they aren’t highly sensitive. As always, do what is best for you, your family, and your kids.

This past week, I finished In the Middle of the Mess and found it had a lot of inspirational sections. It’s the story of Sheila Walsh — a well-known Christian author and speaker. Her honesty and vulnerability in this book is so encouraging.

If you’ve ever struggled with depression, suicidal thoughts, or just felt like you were so broken and were probably the only person who felt these things, I think you’ll be really encouraged with this book.

When I Find Time to Read

People are always asking me how I find time to read. Honestly, it’s because I love to read, because I’ve chosen to prioritize it, because I don’t have a lot of other hobbies, and because I can’t not read. Also, when you love something, you usually can find ways to get creative to find time to fit it in — even if it’s in the little nooks and crannies of life.

I wrote a post on 3 ways to find more time to read — even when life is busy. And here are 7 more ways to find time to read.

What did you read and watch this past week? Any books or movies or shows you really think I need to read or watch?

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

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Shared May 14, 2018 comment

Get over $5800 of blogging resources + $487 of bonuses for just $97 total!

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Get over $5800 of blogging resources + $487 of bonuses for just $97 total!

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Do you want to grow as a blogger, increase your income, and achieve your blogging dreams? Do you wish you had access to more resources, tutorials, and skill sets?

If so, the Genius Blogger’s Toolkit is for you! 

This bundle is back by popular demand — for just two days only! It’s crammed full of brilliant tools to help you grow your blog, work smarter, and increase income.

This bundle includes the best resources on ALL the topics that matter most to bloggers — like mastering social media, monetization, creating and selling products, time management and productivity, growing an email list, and so much more!

Through Tuesday night, May 15th, you can get this HUGE Genius Blogger’s Toolkit for just $97!

In this toolkit, you will find 89 eResources — including eBooks, eCourses, printables, workbooks, and more — aimed to help you grow as a blogger. Here’s what you’ll get:

Beyond Blogging

  • Blogger to Author: How I Went from Hobby Blogger to Getting Two Book Deals With A Major Publisher by Erin Odom ($30.00)
  • Flipping Blogs for Profit by Jenn Leach ($27.00)
  • Monetize Your Blog With Freelance Writing: Learn How to Make $2K/month Using Your Blog Writing Skills! by Sagan Morrow ($39.00)
  • Side Hustle Blueprint: How to Make an Extra $1000 per month Writing eBooks by Lise Cartwright ($17.00)

Blog-Life Balance

  • Sweetly Blended: The Ultimate Guilt-Free, 4-Step Recipe for Building a Wildly Profitable Business Without Missing out on Family Time, Burning Out or Watching Money Flow Down the Proverbial Drain! by Prerna Malik ($69.00)
  • The Bliss-Filled Mama’s 3 Month Biz Plan: Your Step by Step Process to Designing Your Most Blissful Biz Season Yet! by Kathy Stowell ($47.00)
  • Your Business Personality Assessment: Manage and Grow Your Business with Ease by Melissa Llado ($28.95)

Branding

  • Brand Intimate: The Essentials of Your Purposeful, Profitable Brand by Vanessa Ryan ($27.00)
  • Brand Yourself Like A Creative Hustler by Steven Picanza ($397.00)
  • The Blogger’s Guide to Rebranding by Cori George ($14.99)

Content Creation

  • 1200 Blog Post Ideas by Rachael Wynn ($7.80)
  • Creative Sparks for Business: 31 Business Ideas for Bloggers by Jennie Moraitis ($10.99)
  • Food Photography Tips & Tricks: The Ultimate Guide 2nd Edition by Christina Peters ($19.95)
  • hope*writers 3-month membership by hope*writers ($66.00)
  • Make Your Old Content New Again: Six Steps to Getting More Traffic, Money and Followers By Updating Your Existing Posts by Katy Widrick ($14.99)
  • Never Run Out of Blog Subjects Again by Max Kuivenhoven ($7.00)
  • The Effective Writer by Jeff Goins ($197.00)
  • Webinar Essentials: The No-Brainer Guide to Delivering Your First Webinar in 7 Days by Julie Harris & Razwana Wahid ($57.00)

Creating & Selling Products

  • Creating and Formatting e-Books: Convert Your Word File to Kindle by Susan K Stewart ($180.00)
  • Epic Instructor Lab: Unique Content to Help You Easily Create Your First Online Course by Kari Sayers ($37.00)
  • Launch It Right! Bundle: Plan Out and Execute your First Profitable Course or Digital Product Launch by Summer Tannhauser ($29.00)
  • Love Plus Color’s eBook InDesign Template by Jessica Safko ($32.00)
  • Sales Page Success by Chelsea Damon ($30.00)
  • Sign Up To Sold Course: 3 Proven Steps for Turning Strangers Into Customers by Caressa Thompson ($97.00)
  • Write, Publish & Market Your Kindle Book In 4 Weeks by Ling Wong ($97.00)

Email Marketing

  • ConvertKit Masterclass: The Exact Formula I Used to Grow My Email List to Over 14K in Under a Year by Monica Froese ($47.00)
  • Email Lists Made Easy for Writers and Bloggers by Kirsten Oliphant ($4.99)
  • How to Create Your First Opt-in Freebie by Angie Nelson ($29.00)
  • List Building Mania: Build Your List, Save Time and Grow Your Business in 7 Days by Lindsay Maloney ($87.00)
  • Problem to Promotion: A Training on Creating the Perfect Opt-in by Kristie McCollum ($39.00)

Getting Organized

  • Blog Content Creator Kit by Kaitlyn Kessler ($16.00)
  • Blogging Binder by Sarah Titus ($47.00)
  • Free Your Mind Blog Planner: Dream Bigger, Organize Your Tasks and Achieve Your Dream Life by Mom’s Small Victories ($17.00)
  • Printable Blog Planner by Gemma Bonham-Carter ($14.95)

Getting Started

  • BECOME by Dollie Freeman ($99.00)
  • Blog by Number: Every Busy Mom’s Ultimate Guide to Starting a Blog by Suzi Whitford ($47.00)
  • Choosing Your Perfect Niche: The Key to Launching a Successful Blog by Abby Lawson ($10.00)
  • How to Master Google Analytics from the Beginning: A Beginner’s Guide to Customizing Google Analytics for Your Blog by Dawn Aldridge ($6.99)
  • My 14-Point Blog Startup Checklist by Bob Lotich ($19.00)
  • Profitable Blogging For Beginners: The 4 Week Online Class by Tanya Peterson ($97.00)
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Increase Traffic

  • Blog Traffic Bootcamp by Lena Gott ($37.00)
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  • Blog and Be Legal: The Start to Finish Guide to Starting Your Blog & Online Biz Legally by Jackie Jade ($297.00)
  • Copyright Infringement Workbooks by Dana Bucy Miller ($40.00)
  • The Blogger’s Simple Guide to Taxes: A Guide to Saving Time and Money by Sarah Korhnak ($3.99)

Monetization

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  • Closing Strong: Create Campaign Reports that WOW Your Clients by Danielle Liss ($49.00)
  • Core Affiliate Strategy Guide by Rosemarie Groner ($64.00)
  • How To Make Money From Blogging: The Ultimate Guide To Earning A Five Figure Income From Your Blog by Sharon Gourlay ($24.99)
  • Make Money Blogging at ANY Level by Victoria Pruett ($20.00)
  • Media Kit Smash: Increase Your Earning Potential with Professional Media Kit Using Canva by Melissa Culbertson ($87.00)
  • Passive Income Planner: Stop Trading Time for Money by Chantal Arnett ($19.00)
  • Small Blog, Big Income: Advanced Ninja Tricks for Profitable Blogging by Carol Tice ($3.99)
  • The Brand Magnet by Jeni Elliott ($59.00)

Podcasting

  • Start Your Podcast: From Idea to First Episode by Jacey Verdicchio ($39.00)
  • Turn Your Podcast Into Your Business by Joe Pardo ($197.00)

Productivity

  • Automation Education by Amber Temerity ($49.00)
  • Biz Boost Workbook by Tonia Kendrick ($29.00)
  • BlogWise: How to Do More with Less by Darren Rowse ($19.99)
  • Creative Biz Plan Workshop: Using Smart Strategies to Run Your Biz Without it Running You by Kayleigh Hannon ($47.00)
  • Don’t Eat That Frog! A Liberating Look at Time Management Strategies by Stacy Farrell ($14.95)
  • Inbox Hero: Learn to Conquer Your Inbox and Be More Productive Every Single Day by Désirée Fawn ($35.00)
  • Organize Your Entire Business Like a CEO by Laura Smith ($49.00)
  • Piece of Cake: 42 Simple Systems For Your Business by Melissa Smith ($29.00)
  • Productivity Freedom by Elizabeth Masarik ($47.00)
  • Spend Less Work Less by Loralee Hutton ($99.00)

Professional Blogging

  • ACTIVATE: EBA Live Conference Video Package by Ruth Soukup/Elite Blog Academy ($297.00)
  • Blogging to Win: Modern Blogging Strategies for the Busy Woman by Allison Lindstrom ($179.00)
  • Fall In Love with Blogging: From Passion to Plan to Profit by Dwainia Grey ($17.00)
  • Turn Your Dreams Into Money: How to Build a Six Figure Blog and Live the Life You Want by Emma Drew ($250.00)

Social Media

  • 10 Super Common Facebook Strategies That Do More Harm Than Good by Brittany Ann ($15.00)
  • Conquer YouTube by Kallie Branciforte ($375.00)
  • Crush It with Facebook Groups: The Ultimate Guide for Bloggers and Creative Entrepreneurs by Lindsey Aleson ($15.00)
  • Group Board Master: Unlock the Key to Massive Pinterest Growth! by Caroline Vencil ($97.00)
  • Instagram Unlocked: How to Gain Followers and Engagement that Lasts by Helene Sula ($57.00)
  • Own It: Amplify Your Influence & Build the Online Tribe of Your Dreams by Chakayla J. Taylor ($75.00)
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Shared May 13, 2018 comment

Slow Day: Week 19

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Slow Day: Week 19

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to my weekly Slow Day post, inspired by Monica from The Homespun Heart. My Word for 2018 is Slow and, in the spirit of that word, I’m taking one day each week (Wednesday) off — I’ll be unplugged and offline and plan to move at a slower pace, take time to do things that refresh me, and just really focus on being present and savoring the moment.

Each week, I’ll be sharing a photographic peek into my Slow Day — and I’ll let the pictures almost 100% speak for themselves, instead of giving many explanations. Enjoy a little peek into our lives!

(Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and we will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking through our links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

I started the morning by cleaning the kitchen.

A clean kitchen makes me so happy!

This book is really making me think.

Taking a leisurely bath with soaking salts is one of my favorite things!

I thawed the frozen buttermilk to use for the waffles for dinner.

Lunch — made entirely with markdowns I got at Kroger!

 

And then I headed to my hair appointment.

One of my favorite things about getting my hair done? Having uninterrupted time to read! I enjoyed this book.

When I came home, I got to do a little more reading (in bed!) before it was time to focus on afternoon projects and making dinner

Silas and I had made waffles for dinner.

I cut up some marked down oranges that needed to be used up.

And then we made bacon to go with the waffles and oranges for dinner.

I headed out after dinner to meet my Discipleship Small Group. We’re meeting almost every Wednesday evening over the summer just because we love hanging out!

Jesse helped Silas with his 4th quarter project and they finished the Paris cityscape while I was gone.

And Kaitlynn learned how to make these beautiful paper flowers!

Freezer Cooking on a $70 weekly grocery budget. This is SO impressive and inspiring!! Check out everything she made in just a couple hours!
Shared May 12, 2018 comment

Freezer Cooking Day: Crockpot Sausage & Peppers, Slab Apple Pie, Apple Pie Filling, Muffins, Ziti, and Taco Meat

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Freezer Cooking Day: Crockpot Sausage & Peppers, Slab Apple Pie, Apple Pie Filling, Muffins, Ziti, and Taco Meat

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Freezer Cooking on a $70 weekly grocery budget. This is SO impressive and inspiring!! Check out everything she made in just a couple hours!

Our garage freezer was almost empty 2 weeks ago. I decided to challenge myself to see if I could slowly fill it up — on our $70/week grocery budget.

This is one way you can save SO much money. Buy ahead when things are on a low, low price and you’ll rarely ever pay full price for anything. Then, use what you already have on hand in the freezer/fridge/pantry as the basis for your meals and freezer cooking.

I did an impromptu freezer cooking day on Tuesday and here’s what I made (well, “freezer cooking day” might be a bit of an overstatement since I actually only spent a little over two hours on this cooking and the clean up! But hey, “freezer cooking day” sounds better so we’ll go with it!)

We had a bunch of peppers and some onions that I had gotten marked down, so I combined them with some sausage I had gotten for $1.99 per package plus a little celery I had left in the fridge to make sausage and peppers in the Crock-pot. I cooked this on low most of the day. We ate half for dinner (served over rice) and I froze the rest for another day.

I had a bunch of apples that I’d gotten marked down at Kroger over the past few weeks and turned them into one of our favorite recipes — Slab Apple Pie! I baked it and we froze it to have on hand for quick desserts in the next two months when hosting guests!

I had enough apples left over to make a bag of Apple Pie Filling (sliced apples with lemon juice and cinnamon/sugar).

I used some marked down bananas I had gotten recently and stuck in the freezer to make some amazing Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.

I used our favorite Banana Bread recipe and just added some chocolate chips to the batter. My kids love these in their lunches and they also make great snacks. We store them in the freezer and then just pull them out as we need them!

We had some cream cheese that needed to be used up and some blueberries in the freezer, so I searched online for recipe ideas and found this one.

I taste-tested one and it was delicious! I stuck these in a freezer bag and put them in freezer fit quick snacks!

The Final Results of My Freezer Cooking Day:

And I did a little bit more freezer cooking on Thursday and Friday, too…

We had frozen cottage cheese and browned sausage I had gotten marked down + pasta sauce in the fridge that needed to be used up and pasta I’d gotten for $0.49/box, so I found a deal on mozzarella cheese and made 3 pans of Ziti. One for dinner that night and two for the freezer.

I found ground turkey marked down to $1.99 per pound, so I bought 2 pounds and browned them with homemade taco seasoning and stuck two bags of taco meat in the freezer.

It makes me so happy to see that our garage freezer is starting to fill up a little bit! I’m going to keep challenging myself to add more deals and freezer meals to our garage freezer every week without spending more than our $70 grocery budget.

We’ll see how long it takes to fill it up! (And of course, we’ll be eating some what’s in this freezer every week, upping the challenge even more!)

I love looking at saving money as a fun challenge! This makes my competitive side come out in a good way AND (in our super lean years) it kept me from feeling trapped!

Instead of saying, “Ugh! This is all the $$ we have to spend!” Change your perspective and say, “How well can we do on this small amount?!”

Have you done any freezer cooking recently? What are your favorite recipes to stick in the freezer? Any suggestions on recipes I should try soon?

P.S. See my previous Freezer Cooking Sessions here.

Shared May 12, 2018 comment

Does Healthy Food Really Cost More?

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Does Healthy Food Really Cost More?

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you feel frustrated that you can’t eat a nutritious, wholesome diet on a budget, you’ll definitely want to check out this super interesting post that Laura from Heavenly Homemakers put together!

In it, she sets out to prove that healthy food actually does NOT cost more than processed food! And she uses goldfish crackers to prove it!

Shared May 12, 2018 comment

Brigette’s $58 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

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Brigette’s $58 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

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Aldi

2 64-oz cartons Orange Juice – $3.38

1 gallon Whole Milk – $1.36

1 16-oz carton Whipping Cream – $1.55

1 5-lb bag All-Purpose Flour – $1.15

1 5-lb bag Self-Rising Flour – $1.25 (I wrote “bread flour” on the list, and this is what my husband came home with.🙂 Oh well, we will use it!)

1 box Pure and Simple Bars – $3.99

2 boxes Macaroni and Cheese – $0.50

1 canister Parmesan Cheese – $2.29

1 pkg Taco Mix Seasoning – $0.35

1 jar Organic Apple Cider Vinegar – $1.99 (35.06)

1 16-oz bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.69

1 3-lb bag Pink Lady Apples – $3.39

1 pkg Baby Lettuce – $1.79

1 3-ct pk Multi-Colored Peppers – $2.49

2 pkgs Baby Carrots – $1.58

2 1-lb pkg Asparagus – $2.98

1 head Cauliflower – $1.95

1 pkg Radishes – $0.49

1 pkg Zucchini – $1.45

1 16-oz pkg Medjool Dates – $3.99

1 pkg Broccoli Crowns – $1.45

1 jar Green Olives – $0.95

1 large tub Organic Spring Mix – $3.79

1 bag Lemons – $2.75

1 32-oz pkg Spaghetti – $1.09

1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.65

1 pkg Hot Dog Buns – $0.59

Total: $50.88

Harris Teeter

All of the things in the picture were bought earlier in the week when Harris Teeter was running a 3-day Double Dollar Coupon event, so these deals are no longer available. I wasn’t able to make it to the store until the final day of the sale, so they were out of many of the freebies, but I still was happy with what I got (especially the free Sola ice cream and ice cream bars ;))!

Total after Coupons and Rebates: $7.25

Grocery Total for the Week: $58.13

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfast. Choices include:

Cereal, Oatmeal, Fruit, Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins (recipe from a church cookbook), Scrambled/Fried/Boiled Eggs, Veggie Omelets, Toast (Easy Whole Wheat Bread)

Lunches

Refried Bean with Cheese, Cucumbers, Apples x 2

Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter, Peppers, Applesauce x 2

Pasta with Cheese, Carrots, Applesauce

Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Three Cheese Spaghetti Bake, Make Ahead Butterhorns, Tossed Salad, Roasted Broccoli, Chocolate Sheet Cake, Ice cream (Mother’s Day)

Italian Chicken, Tossed Salad, Simple Strawberry Muffins

Grilled Hamburgers (I’ll use a combo of ground venison and ground turkey since we still have plenty of both in our freezer stash), Baked French Fries, Steamed Cauliflower, Pineapple (leftover from last week)

Pan-Fried Fish (My guys are going fishing this weekend!), Macaroni and Cheese, Asparagus

Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes with Ham (I will follow the recipe but add diced ham), Asparagus, French Breakfast Puffs

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Green Beans, Baked Potatoes, Buttered Steamed Carrots

Leftovers, Roasted Parmesan Zucchini

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

Click here to download!
Shared May 11, 2018 comment

I spent $68.36 on groceries this week!

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I spent $68.36 on groceries this week!

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m currently challenging myself to stick with a $70 grocery budget for our family of five. This includes almost all of our breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners + most household products (toiletries, laundry soap, etc.). 

You can see all of my $70 Grocery Budget Update posts here. For live updates, be sure to follow my Instagram Stories.

Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and we will be compensated if you click through and sign up. Read our disclosure policy here.

One of the things I’m loving about this $70 Grocery Budget Challenge is that it’s inspiring me to look through our cupboards and freezers and find odds and ends of items that I forgot we had.

For instance, I found this half bag of Great Northern Beans last night in one of our cupboards. I had planned that we were going to go out to dinner tonight, but when I saw that bag of beans, I decided to take a raincheck on the eating out plans and make sausage and beans in the Crockpot instead.

I used this recipe for inspiration and cooked the beans for three hours and then chopped up the sausage and mixed it in. I already taste-tested it and it’s super yummy!

Another thing I’m loving about this challenge is that it’s encouraging me to think outside my usual box. As you all know, I drink a gallon of lemon water every day. And that means that I go through a LOT of lemon juice — to the tune of one 32-oz. bottle every 8-10 days.

A few of my readers told me that Dollar Tree has lemon juice… why had I never thought to look there?? Sure enough, Jesse was there last night with Kaitlynn and I had him check and they had 32-oz. bottles for $1. Woot!

I had been buying lemon juice for $2.49 at Kroger, so I was thrilled to discover this much cheaper option! And I realized that this one simple change will save me at least $40+ over the next year!!

You guys! Never stop looking for creative ways to stretch your grocery budget further and save on those things you buy all the time. The savings can really add up!

Dollar Tree Shopping Trip — $2.20

2 bottles lemon juice — $1 each + tax

I ran by Kroger this morning and was excited to find a few deals to round out my grocery spending for this week (I allot $70 per week and my weeks run Saturday to Friday). I didn’t need to buy anything, but I still had $13+ to spend, so I wanted to go ahead and spend it on some snack items and other things that were on a great deal that we could use over the next 1-3 weeks.

(By the way, this is one way that we save a LOT — I try to always be buying ahead when items are on great deals. Even though it means my grocery purchases don’t necessarily match what we’re eating that week, it means that we have a variety of items to base our menus on and it means that we are rarely paying full price for most items!)

Friday Kroger Shopping Trip — $12.33

  • 2 bags of Goldfish Crackers — $0.99 each when you buy 4 participating items
  • 3 bags of Quaker Rice Snacks — $0.67 each when you buy 4 participating items
  • Lindt chocolate — Free Friday Download coupon
  • 2 boxes of Barbara’s cereals — on sale for $1.99 when you buy 4 participating items, used $1 off coupons = $0.99 each after coupon and sale
  • 1 bag of apples –marked down to $0.99
  • 2 pounds of ground turkey — marked down to $1.99 each
  • Huggies wipes — $0.99 when you buy 4 participating items, used $0.50/1 Kroger Digital coupon, $0.49 after sale and coupon
  • Total with tax: $12.33

I made some DIY Taco Seasoning and browned the ground turkey with it.

And then I let it cool and stuck them into two freezer bags and froze them — and two more dinners are in the freezer!

Our garage freezer was almost empty after we moved and I’m excited to slowly be filling it back up with freezer meals. We now have Chorizo burritos, 2 pans of lasagna, 2 bags of Taco Meat, and 1 bag of sausage/onions/peppers to serve over rice.

My Grocery Total For This Week: $68.36

Cash back: $0.25 from Ibotta for submitting my receipt, $1.50 from Ibotta for buy 2 cups of Fage yogurt, and $1 from Ibotta for buying Bubly, and $0.25 from Checkout 51 for buying Tortilla Chips last week, another $0.25 from Ibotta for submitting my receipt, $3 from Ibotta for buying 3 boxes of Kroger Ibuprofen = $6.25 in cash back!

To see all of the grocery shopping I did this week + what I spent and what we ate, be sure to check out all of my $70 Grocery Budget posts.

Want to virtually “have coffee with me” and see me talk about my grocery savings today? Watch the video above. 🙂

Shared May 10, 2018 comment

Freezer Cooking, $0.50 Romaine, Toilet Paper Stock-up!

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Freezer Cooking, $0.50 Romaine, Toilet Paper Stock-up!

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m currently challenging myself to stick with a $70 grocery budget for our family of five. This includes almost all of our breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners + most household products (toiletries, laundry soap, etc.). 

You can see all of my $70 Grocery Budget Update posts here. For live updates, be sure to follow my Instagram Stories.

Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and we will be compensated if you click through and sign up. Read our disclosure policy here.

I’ve been having so much fun challenging myself with this $70 Grocery Budget! I forgot just how much I loved being creative like this — and it’s inspiring me to bring out a lot of my “old” tricks, like freezer cooking!

I did a completely impromptu freezer cooking day on Tuesday and am planning a comprehensive post about it tomorrow — along with links to the recipes and our thoughts on how the recipes turned out.

So many of you have been begging for me to bring back the freezer cooking posts, so I’m hopeful that this is something that I’ll be doing more of around here. I’m not sure if it will be a weekly thing or a twice a month thing. No promises yet, but just know that I’m going to attempt to bring more of those back!

(And THANK YOU for your many, many emails and direct messages and comments telling me how much you are loving the fact that I’ve been going back to “old school” blogging here. Honestly, I’m having a blast doing it… so the fact that you all are loving it makes me thrilled! It just feels right for right now. I have no idea what the future holds, but I know that this is how I’m supposed to be blogging right now since it’s giving me so much life and seems to be bringing a lot of value to you all! I love it when things are a win-win like that!)

Many of you have been pretty surprised to discover that our “grocery budget” includes non-food items like toilet paper. I don’t think there are any hard and fast rules as to what a grocery budget should include. We’ve just always included household products and hygiene products and things like toilet paper in our grocery budget because we buy them at the grocery store.

And well, it’s mostly because I’m all about efficiency… and the thought of having to try to keep multiple budgets straight when I’m buying stuff from the same store just feels so complicated to me.

However, that said, there are some items that we don’t buy at the grocery store if I can get a better deal on them from Amazon! Toilet paper is one such item. I’ve heard that Costco has great deals on toilet paper, but since we don’t have a Costco membership, I resort to Amazon instead (and I’ve heard that the prices are pretty similar!)

I try to look for deals that make the toilet paper $0.35 per double roll or less. So when I saw this deal, I jumped on it. We typically will see these types of deals a few times per month. So if you want to stock up on toilet paper, be sure you’re subscribed to our email newsletter and check it daily when it lands in your inbox and then jump on the next toilet paper deal when it comes around!

I’m hoping that this will last us at least 5-6 weeks. We’ll see!

By the way, I use my Swagbucks credit to earn free Amazon gift cards to use toward purchases like this. It’s pretty easy to earn at least $20 to $25 in free Amazon gift cards every month, just by doing simple activities every day. You don’t need to refer anyone to earn this amount. However, if you have friends who would be interested in earning free gift cards from Swagbucks gift, be sure to use your referral link to invite them so you can earn even more!

That said, even though I did use free Amazon gift cards to purchase this toilet paper, I’m still subtracting the amount I “paid” from my $70 Grocery Budget total. The reason is that I want to keep this as relatable and doable as possible for you all. I don’t want anyone to feel frustrated that I can stick with a low grocery budget, but the reason I can is because I’m a blogger and get more referral credit to companies as a result. 🙂

So, with that said, here are the $$ totals for this purchase:

Amazon Toilet Paper Purchase: $16.94

I love putting together lunches entirely from mark downs! Marked down bread, marked down ham, marked down bell peppers, and marked down yogurt. Boom!

We made waffles, bacon (from the freezer that I picked up on that great sale a few weeks back), and clementines that I got marked down a few weeks back.

We learned how to cook bacon in the oven a few years ago and it is the best ever.

By the way, I always keep oranges and citrus fruit to use up last when I get mark downs because they keep for much longer than most other fruit. I think we’ve had these for at least 3-4 weeks?

When I was at Kroger, I spotted this deal on Mom Best Cereals — you can get them for $1.29 per box, without coupons. Which is a good deal on these. I actually didn’t buy any because I got cereal for $0.99 per box with coupons (see below). But this would be a pretty good deal if you didn’t want to mess with coupons.

Thursday Kroger Shopping Trip — $23.44

  • Romaine Hearts — marked down $0.50 each
  • 2 boxes of Barbara’s cereals — on sale for $1.99 when you buy 4 participating items, used $1 off coupons = $0.99 each after coupon and sale
  • Capri Sun — $2.49 (treat for school lunches)
  • 5 Kroger Greek Yogurt cups — marked down to $0.29 each
  • 1 bag of potatoes — marked down to $1.25
  • 1 bag of red potatoes — marked down $1
  • 1 bottle of lemon juice (for my gallon of lemon water per day habit!) — $2.49 (someone told me that Dollar Tree has 32-oz. bottles for just $1! I’m totally checking that out since I go through a bottle almost every 8-9 days!)
  • 1 bag of 4 avocados — marked down to $0.99
  • 1 gallon of milk — $2.79
  • 2 packages of Oscar Mayer hot dogs — priced at just $0.99 when you buy 4 participating items, used 2$0.55/1 Oscar Mayer Hot Dog Product printable = $0.44 per package
  • 1 package mozzarella cheese (16 oz.) — $2.49 when you buy 4 participating items
  • 3 boxes of Kroger Ibuprofen — priced at just $0.99 when you buy 4 participating items, get $1 box back from Ibotta
  • Total with tax: $23.44

I made Baked Ziti for dinner — inspired by the fact that I got all those boxes of pasta for $0.49 per box recently.

I also had a jar of pasta sauce in the fridge that needed to be used up (I had bought it a few weeks back and we had only used a little bit of it!), cottage cheese in the freezer, sausage in the freezer, and then I picked up mozzarella at a great price today.

I ended up having enough to make one pan of Ziti for dinner and two to stick in the freezer (one was pretty small so it will be for a night when not everyone is eating dinner). Oh and I just wing it when I make Ziti — I don’t use a recipe. 🙂

{In case you wonder how I can stretch an 8×8 pan to feed our family of five: I usually don’t eat much of the main dish when it has white/enriched flour in it (I’ll have a big salad with some other protein + a little ziti on the side) and then one of our kids usually only eats a few bites of the main dish (unless it’s one of their 2-3 main dishes that they like. Yes, they are the picky child and we only require that they eat a few bites of the main dish if it’s not something that they like.) We also encourage everyone to fill up on veggies/fruit and bread or whatever the sides are. :)}

Kathrynne used some of the marked down avocados to make homemade guac — yum!

She ate it for a snack with the tortilla chips we got last week for $0.99!

My Grocery Totals For This Week So Far

Total spent so far this week: $53.83
Total left to spend: $$16.17

Cash back so far: $0.25 from Ibotta for submitting my receipt, $1.50 from Ibotta for buy 2 cups of Fage yogurt, and $1 from Ibotta for buying Bubly, and $0.25 from Checkout 51 for buying Tortilla Chips last week, another $0.25 from Ibotta for submitting my receipt, $3 from Ibotta for buying 3 boxes of Kroger Ibuprofen = $6.25 in cashback!

I did a super casual live video this morning about today’s shopping trip and what I was planning to make for dinner. If you want to hang out with me like we’re having coffee, you can click above to watch it! 🙂

Shared May 9, 2018 comment

This Week’s $70 Grocery Budget & Menu Plan

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This Week’s $70 Grocery Budget & Menu Plan

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m currently challenging myself to stick with a $70 grocery budget for our family of five. This includes almost all of our breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners + most household products (toiletries, laundry soap, etc.). 

You can see all of my $70 Grocery Budget Update posts here. For live updates, be sure to follow my Instagram Stories.

Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and we will be compensated if you click through and sign up. Read our disclosure policy here.

Remember the Chorizo I bought recently that I said I wasn’t sure what to do with since I’d never purchased it before? Well, you all gave me LOTS of great ideas! And I ended up making Breakfast Burritos with it.

I used the eggs that I had gotten marked down and scrambled with the Chorizo.

Then I topped them with cheese.

And I rolled them up in the tortillas that I got last week for $0.49! I love it when I come up with creative ideas that are made pretty much entirely with ingredients that I’ve gotten on a great deal!

I had some extra burritos, so I froze them for quick lunches for Jesse. I thought the burritos were so-so, the kids weren’t really into them, but Jesse loved them!

Saturday Kroger Shopping Trip — $13.45

    • Club Soda — $0.69
    • Salad blend — marked down to $1.79
    • Fage yogurt — marked down to $0.49 each, got $0.75 Ibotta rebate per cup
    • Bubly Sparkling Water — on sale for $1.99 when you purchase 4 participating items, used $2/2 peelie coupons, plus submitted for $1/2 Ibotta rebate
    • Chocolate Birthday Cake (for Silas’ Birthday) — $5
    • Total with tax: $13.45

Silas turned 9 this past week and he came up with a really creative idea for an inexpensive birthday party.

He invited a few of his friends to come to Home Depot to their free Kid’s Workshop on Saturday morning. (This was 100% his idea!)

The kids loved it and they had a fun project they had made (windmill planters) to bring home. Then they came back to our house for lunch and cake (that I got at Kroger for $5!) and playing together.

I also took Silas out to Baskin-Robbins for a birthday treat (you can get a FREE scoop on your birthday!) for our traditional mother-child Birthday Date that all the kids look forward to!

Check out this list for over 60 different freebies you can get on your birthday.

This Week’s Super Simple Menu Plan

This menu is subject to change a little if I find some great deals or markdowns! ?

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Eggs, Fruit, Toast

Lunches

Ham & Cheese Sandwiches, Chips, Fruit, Veggies, Capri Sun, Banana Bread, Cream Cheese Blueberry Muffins, (for the kids)

Leftovers, Chorizo Breakfast Burritos (for Jesse)

Leftovers, Salad (for me)

Dinners

Monday — Meatballs, Roasted Broccoli, Oranges
Tuesday — Sausage/Peppers/Onions in the Crockpot, Brown Rice, Rolls
Wednesday — Waffles, Bacon, Fruit
Thursday — Baked Ziti, Peas, Fruit
Friday — Dinner Out
Saturday — French Toast, Sausage, Fruit
Sunday — Snack-y Dinner (fend for yourself — cereal, popcorn, etc.)

Total spent so far this week:  $13.45

Total left to spend: $56.55

Cash back so far: $0.25 from Ibotta for submitting my receipt, $1.50 from Ibotta for buy 2 cups of Fage yogurt, and $1 from Ibotta for buying Bubly, and $0.25 from Checkout 51 for buying Tortilla Chips last week.

In case you missed it, I spent $67.08 on groceries last week. And here was our menu for last week.

Want to bless others, but you're on a tight budget? Read this post for inspiration and practical ideas!
Shared May 9, 2018 comment

8 Ways to Bless Others On a Budget

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8 Ways to Bless Others On a Budget

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Want to bless others, but you're on a tight budget? Read this post for inspiration and practical ideas!

Guest post from Angela of AngelaMillsBooks.com:

When we’re busy and on a tight budget, it’s easy to think we don’t have the time or money to bless others. But I’ve learned over the years that no matter how little I have, there is always a way to brighten someone else’s day, and in taking the focus off of myself, I end up feeling better, too.

Here are 8 different ways you could bless others… even on a tight budget!

1. Create an Envelope for Blessings

When my husband and I were following the envelope style of budgeting, I started an envelope titled Blessings. Sometimes, I’d put five or ten dollars in the envelope. Other times, we could afford more than that.

Besides the practical aspect of setting the money aside, the discipline of doing this caused me to be more aware of the needs of those around me as I looked for opportunities to bless others.

2. Give Food Gifts

I have such fond memories of my parents bringing us brown bags of groceries when I was a young, single mom… and I’ve found that most people love to be blessed in this way!

If you’re on a tight budget, the best way to give food gifts is to take a little from what you already have.

Here are a few ideas:

  • Next time you make a batch of cookies, wrap up one dozen to bring to an elderly neighbor or a teacher.
  • Tithe your grocery budget and bring a bag of groceries or a grocery card to someone who needs it.
  • When you go out for coffee, get a cheaper drink for yourself and bring a friend an unexpected coffee.
  • When you get restaurant gift cards, use them to bless others — invite a friend to lunch, surprise your husband with a date, or give it to a couple and offer to babysit their kids so they can enjoy a night out.
  • Eat a cheap dinner of noodles and take the meal you would have had to a family that could use it.
  • Share the harvest of your garden.

3. Meet a Need

There are so many basic needs that many of us are able to replenish without a second thought. However, for a low-income family, or an elderly person living on social security, these items may be a huge stress on their budget. Why not lighten their load and provide them with the occasional little gift of necessities?

When you find a great deal, buy an extra for someone that needs it.

If you’re worried about hurting the receiving family’s pride, pass the items on anonymously through a mutual friend. Or, just share that you saw a great deal and picked up some extra items with them in mind.

A few things to keep an eye out for:

  • Diapers
  • Baby food
  • Tissues
  • Paper Goods
  • School Supplies

4. Be Thoughtful

When you see something that makes you think of someone, go ahead and get it if you can afford it. If you can’t afford it, let the item inspire you to reach out to them with the thought in another way, like with a phone call or text.

Affordable ideas for thoughtful gifts:

  • Socks for someone in the hospital or about to have surgery.
  • A kindle book someone might like (ask them for their kindle address and send it their way — anyone can read it in the kindle app!)
  • A jar of honey or jam for a friend who has been extra sweet.

5. Don’t Forget About Cash

While thoughtful gifts are always fun, sometimes a little bit of cash can really turn things around for someone.

One time at church, someone anonymously put a $100 bill in my Bible during worship.

If you’re on a tight budget, $100 might not be possible, but $10 might be, and that can make a world of difference to someone who needs gas or a gallon of milk to make it through the next few days.

6. Speak Kind Words

This totally FREE way of blessing others is something we too often overlook. I know I’m guilty of thinking nice things about someone, but forgetting to mention it, or feeling too awkward to say the words. In this case, practicing going outside of your comfort zone is the only way to improve.

Next time you think something nice about someone, force yourself to say it out loud. Does a friend have a cute new haircut? Tell her. Is there a Sunday School teacher that your kid really looks forward to seeing each week? Tell them and thank them for a job well done. Did someone’s advice ring true and encourage you? Let them know.

7. Become a Note Writer

Whether via text or handwritten, everyone loves to receive encouraging notes. Send thank you notes, encouraging scriptures, or just because notes.

Because postal mail is so much rarer these days, handwritten notes are extra special. And if you use paper you already have at home, all it costs you is the price of a stamp!

8. Give Your Time

With everyone seeming so busy these days, the gift of time is more precious than ever — and always appreciated!

Here are a few ways you can bless others with your time

  • Call up a friend and say, “Let’s go get a dollar ice cream and watch the kids play at a fast food restaurant.” Don’t be afraid to be honest and let them know you’re on a tight budget.
  • Invite the “new person” in one of your groups to a park and get to know them while the kids play.
  • Invite someone over and don’t worry about how your house looks.
  • Visit someone in the hospital or at home — I still remember each person that visited me when I was hospitalized eight years ago!
  • Call someone who might be lonely and have a long chat with them.
  • Make plans to volunteer with a friend you haven’t seen in a while. Catch up while serving others.

How has someone blessed you lately?

Angela Mills is an author and homeschool mom who loves finding ways to bless others. Her book, Bless Your Husband, Creative Ways to Encourage and Love Your Man, comes out October 16. Find Angela at angelamillsbooks.com.

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