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Money Saving Mom

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Saving Families Money Since 2007

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Shared Jan 20, 2018 comment

Slow Day: Week 3

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Slow Day: Week 3

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 Saturday, 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!

Links to Items Shown in the Post:

Shared Jan 20, 2018 comment

Brigette’s $67 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

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Brigette’s $67 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

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

Aldi

2 big bags Red Grapes (4.63lbs @ $0.89/lb) – $4.12

2 pkgs Baby Carrots – $1.58

1 10-lb bag Russet Potatoes – $3.19

1 bunch Bananas (3.03lbs @ $0.33/lb) – $1.00

1 Pineapple – $0.89

1 head Cauliflower – $1.79

1 16-oz bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.59

1 bag Fresh Green Beans – $1.39

2 bags Radishes – $0.98

1 pkg Mushrooms – $0.49

1 pkg Romaine Hearts – $1.59

1 large tub Organic Spring Mix – $3.49

2 pkgs String Cheese – $3.98

1 pkg Turkey Bacon – $1.89

1 64-oz carton Cashew Milk – $2.49

2 gallons Whole Milk – $3.12

1 64-oz carton Orange Juice – $1.59

2 dozen Eggs – $1.98

1 5-lb bag Flour – $1.19

1 bag Nacho Tortilla Chips – $0.75

1 bag Pretzels – $0.85

2 16-oz bags Shredded Cheddar Cheese – $4.30

2 12-oz bags Shredded Italian Cheese – $3.18

1 can Parmesan Cheese – $2.29

1 32-oz box Spaghetti Noodles – $1.09

1 can Baking Cocoa – $1.89

1 pkg Sliced Pepperoni – $1.95

2 loaves Sandwich Bread – $1.35

Total: $55.99

Lidl

So after I went to Aldi, I stopped by the brand-new Lidl that was just opened down the street from Aldi. I didn’t actually *need* anything, but I spent quite a while shopping and price-comparing. I’ve got to say – I was pleasantly surprised! This European-based discount grocery store has a lot to offer, and the prices are mostly comparable to Aldi. It is bigger than Aldi – so more selections – and it has an app that you can download and clip coupons! I went ahead and picked up a few things since I was there, and I will definitely be going back in the future. 🙂 Do any of you shop at Lidl?

2 huge bags of frozen Green Beans (35.3oz each) – $3.78

1 large can Chicken Breast – $1.55 (I buy canned chicken at Aldi to use on salads – but this price was significantly cheaper. I only bought one can so I could try it before buying a bunch)

1 pkg Hot Dog Buns – $0.59

1 12-oz bag 2% Mozzarella Cheese – $1.59

1 pkg Gluten-Free Baking Mix (Super excited to find a mix with only a few ingredients, all of which I can actually have right now in the middle of an elimination diet!) – $3.99

Total: $11.50

Grocery Total for the Week: $67.49

Weekly Menu Plan

(For those who don’t regularly follow my posts: I buy my chicken and beef in bulk from Zaycon. I usually only place/pick-up an order every few months. I have several orders coming up in the next 6 weeks, so if you want to see these bulk purchases – keep reading!  Also, my husband is a hunter and generally gets 4 deer each hunting season. We eat a lot of venison. 🙂 All of the meat in my meal plan this week – other than the bacon – will come from the stash in my freezer.)

Breakfasts

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

Cold Cereal, Fruit, Oatmeal, Toast, Fried/Scrambled/Boiled Eggs

Lunches

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Grapes, Carrots x 2

Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Fresh Veggies and Dip x 2

Snacky Lunch: Pretzels with Peanut butter, Cheese Sticks, Grapes, Cucumber Slices

Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Spaghetti Carbonara (I use a family recipe, but it is similar to this one without the onions and white wine), French Bread, Green Beans, Tossed Salad

Venison Hash (this was given, already made, to us by a friend and we need to use it up!) over Rice, Fruit Salad, Steamed Buttered Carrots

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza, Breadsticks with Marinara Sauce, Tossed Salad

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Baked Chicken Thighs, Easy Whole Wheat Muffins, Roasted Cauliflower

Taco Salad, Spanish Rice

Leftovers

MoviePass is a frugal movie lover's DREAM come true! It'll save you HUNDREDS of dollars on movies at the theater!
Shared Jan 19, 2018 comment

Our Completely Honest Experience With MoviePass

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Our Completely Honest Experience With MoviePass

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

MoviePass is a frugal movie lover's DREAM come true! It'll save you HUNDREDS of dollars on movies at the theater!

 

Important Update from August 2018: Due to some disappointing changes in MoviePass, we cancelled our subscription. Read why here.

Have you heard of MoviePass? It’s a movie subscription service that costs $10 per month and you get access to one movie per day at participating theaters!

Yes, you read that right. $10 per month for basically unlimited movies! (Well, 30 to 31 movies — or 28 or 29, if it’s February — to be exact. Depending upon how many days there are in any given month! ;))

We love going to movies, but we rarely go because of the price tag. So when I read about MoviePass in the fall, I was all WHAT?? And I immediately started looking into it because I wanted to surprise Jesse with a membership for Christmas.

However, being the skeptic I am, I figured there had to be a catch.

Is MoviePass Really Legit?

So I researched and read reviews, I Googled high and low looking for people who were complaining about the service or who were saying it wasn’t legit or that it was a scam.

To my surprise, all I found out online was that it was really and truly a legitimate deal.

It really is only $10 per month (well, actually $9.95 per month — and Costco is currently offering an even better deal). And there are no blackout dates. As a MoviePass member, you can see up to one standard 2D film per calendar day.

And I found a few friends who had signed up for it and they could only rave about it. So I took the plunge and bought a MoviePass membership for both Jesse and me for Christmas.

(Okay, I admit, I may have sort of really wanted it myself, too. So it was kind of like me buying myself a Christmas present! ;))

Jesse thought it was a really great idea and was thrilled with the gift, mostly because it would mean that we’d be much more excited and motivated to regularly go to movies together! (Something we love doing but rarely make happen, mostly because of the cost involved.)

But he was also a little cynical. As was everyone else we talked to about it.

I’m here to happily report that, a few weeks and multiple movies later, we are S-O-L-D on this MoviePass thing. It is basically a frugal movie and theater lovers dream come true!

If you haven’t jumped on the MoviePass bandwagon yet and you’ve been the skeptic on the sidelines, too, I wanted to do a full-fledged review of the service in this post to help answer many of the questions we had about how this service actually works.

(Please note: MoviePass is not sponsoring this post. We paid out of pocket for our membership and we have no affiliation with them. Though if they wanted to affiliate themselves with me, I’d be all over that because we have become raving fans of this service! ;))

How to Get MoviePass Set Up

1. Head MoviePass.com and type in your zipcode to see if there are theaters in your area that accept the MoviePass cards. (There are over 4,000 theaters currently accepting the cards. I am guessing they will continue to add new theaters as their service grows.)

2. If there are theaters close to you, sign up for the MoviePass subscription. It’s $9.95 per month. OR, you can purchase an annual subscription at a discounted rate through Costco.

3. Your MoviePass cards will arrive in the mail within 8-10 business days. Please note that your account will be charged when you purchase the subscription, but your subscription dates will be adjusted to reflect the date you actually activate your card (so you’re not paying for a subscription for the 8-10 days while you wait for your card to arrive).

4. Once your card arrives, download the MoviePass app to your phone and connect it to your MoviePass card. (This just basically involves signing in with MoviePass login info and typing in the last 4 digits of your card.)

5. You can then start using your card to get in to a movie every single day! That’s it!

When I posted about MoviePass on Instagram and Facebook last week, there were a LOT of questions about how it works when you go to see a movie. We had the same questions when we signed up and had to figure out a lot of things by trial and error. So I wanted to give you a thorough tutorial on how it works. (Note: They also have video tutorials on their site that are pretty helpful, too.)

How to Use Your MoviePass Card to See a Movie

1. Go to the movie theater and pull up the MoviePass app. (You have to be within 100 yards of the theater to check-in.)

2. Select the theater you’re at and then find the movie you want to watch. Click on the showing time you want to buy a ticket for and check-in. (This does not guarantee your ticket, this just gives your MoviePass card the ability to be used at that theater within the next 30 minutes to buy a ticket.)

3. Go into the theater and go to the self-serve kiosk or the ticketing desk. Ask to purchase a ticket for the movie you checked in for. (Your tickets are not reserved; you need to go in and buy your ticket just like you would usually buy a movie ticket.)

4. Pay for the ticket with your MoviePass card. So long as you buy the ticket within 30 minutes of checking in at the theater, your MoviePass card should work and should cover the entire cost of the movie ticket. (It’s a MasterCard.)

5. Go enjoy your movie and then repeat this same scenario above as many days per month as you would like! 😉

A Few Drawbacks of MoviePass

You cannot reserve your tickets ahead of time. Well, you could go to the theater earlier in the day of and check-in and purchase the tickets and then use them later in the day (we have friends who live close to the theater who do this). But otherwise, unless your theater offers e-ticketing, you can’t login online and reserve your ticket. This means that sometimes, you could show up to the theater and a movie is sold out.

You can’t reserve your seat ahead of time. If your theater has reserved seating and other movie-goers can reserve tickets/seats online ahead of time, you’ll be left with whatever seats are left when you go to get your tickets.

You have to have two separate devices. Your card is device specific, so you cannot use one device to check-in on multiple accounts.

They currently do not issue cards to kids under the age of 18 (because the MoviePass card is a MasterCard). They are supposedly working on a family pass and I hope they offer that in the not-too-distant future!

You can’t see non 2D movies. Per their site, “MoviePass cannot support (in part or entirety) any enhanced or special screenings that involve an upcharge at the theater. Examples of those would include 3D, IMAX, Fathom Events, DBOX, ETX/RPX, film festival screenings, etc.”


As you can see above, it’s a little bit more complicated to use MoviePass than it would be to just buy tickets online or at the theater. But considering the price point, if you see even 2-3 movies per month, it’s totally worth a little extra hassle.

And if you really love movies and have the wiggle room in your schedule, you could see up to 31 movies in a month — making the price per movie ridiculously inexpensive! 🙂

Jesse and I are planning to go to a movie every Wednesday on my offline day. And we also might hit a movie a few times per month in the evenings, too. At the price of $10 per person per month, that makes for some very inexpensive dates! We also convinced some of our friends to get their own MoviePass so we can do some double dates to the movies.

(Note: We rarely ever buy any food/drinks at the theater because it’s just so pricey and it kind of ruins the frugal aspect of a MoviePass date! We did discover that AMC sometimes prints out a survey with the tickets at the self-serve kiosk and if you fill it out, you get a coupon for a free popcorn! So we’ll definitely be doing that whenever that prints out!)

Important Update from August 2018: Due to some disappointing changes in MoviePass, we cancelled our subscription. Read why here.

Have you tried MoviePass? I’d love to hear your thoughts on it if you have!

Shared Jan 19, 2018 comment

I’m co-hosting a FREE class on becoming a virtual assistant!

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I’m co-hosting a FREE class on becoming a virtual assistant!

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

Need some extra $$ in your budget? Want to learn how to earn an income from home — without selling anything?

Carlee and Victoria are two busy moms who needed to earn an income from home in the margins of their days. Neither of them had time for sales parties or the cash on hand for minimum orders, and they both needed flexible hours that allowed them to keep staying home with their precious kiddos.

And they found it!

What Carlee and Victoria discovered (and what I know to be so true, too!) is that there are lots of small business owners who need help running day-to-day operations of their businesses. From posting to social media to writing emails and handling customer service, Virtual Assistants (or VAs) do it all.

And they do it from home.

During nap time, school time, early mornings or after bedtime, these moms work on their computers from the comfort of their homes – and earn an income doing it.

Carlee and Victoria got so many questions about their jobs that they couldn’t even answer them all. So they’ve put together a free class all about what they do, how they do it, and how you can join in, called Moms Work Hard: Earn an Income from Home Without Selling a Thing!

Their desire is empower moms to use skills they already have to work from home for years to come, changing the financial future of their families. They teach methods that not only have been proven by experience, but they also set up VAs and the business owners with support for sustainable, long-term growth.

Would you like to learn more about becoming a virtual assistant? Join us on Tuesday evening (January 23, 2018) at 8 p.m. CT/9 p.m. EST for a free class on how to earn an income from home as a virtual assistant.

In this class, they’ll teach you:

  • How to find margins in your busy days to work from home
  • How to discover the skills you ALREADY have that you can use right away
  • 3 strategies to finding your first work-at-home job
  • How to get on track to positively change your family’s future

Plus, the three of us will host a live Q&A at the end to answer your burning questions! I hope you can join us!

Sign up for this free class on becoming a virtual assistant here.

P.S. If you can’t make it live to the class, you’ll get a link to the replay if you sign up!

Shared Jan 18, 2018 comment

World’s Best Breakfast Casserole

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World’s Best Breakfast Casserole

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

Looking for a quick and easy breakfast recipe? This simple Breakfast Casserole one is one we’ve loved for years.

This Easy Breakfast Casserole sparks nostalgia!

My mom used to make a Breakfast Casserole at Christmastime that we always looked forward to. Her breakfast casserole recipe had a few more ingredients in it, but this version still brings back memories of those Christmas brunches.

This pared down version of my mom’s Breakfast Casserole is one we ate often in our lean law school days. Any time I found a really amazing deal on cubed ham, I’d buy it up and package it in little baggies in the freezer to make this recipe. Then, I’d look for a deal on eggs and cheese and I had the makings of this casserole.

We didn’t eat a lot of meat in those days, so this felt like a really extravagant meal, but it was one I could make for $3 or less per pan by shopping sales and it would make enough for us to get three dinners from. We’d serve it with whatever fruit I’d gotten on sale that week and it’d be a special dinner for us!

My target price for dinners in those days was to shoot for $0.50 to $1 per meal per person and this meal fit that bill. We had such fond memories of it — and it’s one we still make today, even though we’ve raised our grocery budget quite a bit!

Ingredients you’ll need for this Quick and Easy Breakfast

  • 6-8 eggs
  • 1/2 to 1 pound meat (ham, sausage, bacon, etc.), browned and chopped
  • 3 slices bread (any kind — and day old bread works great!), cubed or torn
  • 8 oz. cheddar cheese (or cheese of your choice), shredded

How to make an Easy Breakfast Egg Casserole

1. Lightly grease an 8×8 pan.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the bread cubes, meat, and half of the cheese and dump into prepared pan.

3. In the same bowl, beat eggs and pour over meat/cheese mixture.

4. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Bake at 350º for 20 to 30 minutes, until casserole is golden brown.

Easy Breakfast Casserole Recipe Variations

I love that this recipe is so versatile! You can add in chopped onions or peppers or spices to jazz it up. If your family likes spicier foods, you can serve it with salsa or hot sauce.

If you’re gluten-free, you can use gluten-free bread. If you’re dairy-free, well, I can’t help you there. I’m just sorry that you have to live in a world without cheese!

Serving this Easy Egg Breakfast Casserole

This recipes serves 4-6 people, depending on how hungry they are and what other foods are being served.

This casserole is very satisfying on its own, but pairs well with any type of fresh fruit and/or muffins.

You could even bake this recipe the night before and reheat in the morning for breakfast.

Easy Breakfast Casserole with Bread storage

Any leftovers can be refrigerated in a tightly sealed food storage container and reheated for a quick breakfast or lunch later in the week.

You can also freeze single-serving-size portions to defrost later (it reheats REALLY well!)

Recipe

Easy Breakfast Casserole with Bread


Author Crystal Paine
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 8 eggs
  • 1 pound breakfast meat ham, sausage, bacon, etc., browned and chopped
  • 3 slices bread cubed or torn
  • 8 oz. cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

  • Lightly grease an 8×8 pan.
  • In a medium bowl, mix the bread cubes, meat, and half of the cheese and dump into prepared pan.
  • In the same bowl, beat eggs and pour over meat/cheese mixture.
  • Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  • Bake at 350º for 20 to 30 minutes, until casserole is golden brown.

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 506kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 310mg | Sodium: 878mg | Potassium: 317mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 753IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 324mg | Iron: 2mg

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Shared Jan 17, 2018 comment

My Amazing $20 Thrift Store Haul

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My Amazing $20 Thrift Store Haul

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

Guest post from Jennifer

I love thrift stores!

I’m not ashamed of the fact that I love to save money and get incredible deals. Better than Black Friday or any clearance sale there out there, thrift stores are the end-all be-all of bargain shopping.

To me, there is nothing better than a good thrift store haul.

I’ve been “thrifting” for years, and never plan to stop. Where else can you find clothes for the whole family, toys, furniture (our dining room chairs were a thrift store find) electronics, books, bikes, and everything you could need for your home for up to 90% off retail prices?

A good thrift store can be your one stop shop for pretty much anything, and you never know what you’re going to find.

I could go on and on about the thrill of finding a North Face coat for $7.00 or a pair of brand new Keen sandals for $6.00 and Toms for $4.00. I could talk to you for hours about how thrift store shopping helped us during our lean years and continues to help us put more money into our savings.

But right now I will talk about what I got for about $20.00 at my local Salvation Army on a Wednesday in December.

On this particular trip I had my two older boys with me (6 and 8), and we were on a quick trip just to get us out of the house during Christmas break.

We were looking for toys (always), shoes, workout T-shirts me, workout pants for dad and dresses for Maggie (age 3).

Here’s what we got – ALL for only $21.68!!

  • 1 Girls coat
  • 2 Sets of pajamas (one night gown, one footsie PJ’s)
  • 8 T-shirts (2 for me, and 6 for the kiddos)
  • 1 Pair of black leggings
  • 1 Hoodie
  • 1 Dance leotard
  • 1 Dress
  • 1 Pair men’s workout pants
  • 1 Minnie mouse outfit (skirt and top!)
  • 1 Batman helicopter
  • 1 Iron man figure

The Highlights

The black leggings :: I thought I was getting a pair of workout pants for myself (they were in the sweat pant section) but upon further investigation I found out that the pants were actually thick leggings. I found the exact item on the Dillard’s website selling for $37.00!

The Missouri Home Shirt :: I have been wanting one of these shirts for a while so I was so excited to find this gem. This shirt retails for about $16.00!

The boys Nike performance shirt :: My older boys love “slicky” shirts and I love the quality of name brands so when we found this one for only $1.00 we couldn’t pass it up!

The grey hoodie :: This is the most comfortable sweatshirt I have ever owned. Its a bit frumpy but it’s perfect for lazy winter days.

The girls coat :: We needed a casual coat for Maggie and this one was her size and still had the zippered hood attached (that’s a bonus for thrift store coats).

The Minnie Mouse outfit :: It’s just the cutest!! Maggie is a skirt wearing girl and who doesn’t love Minnie? This outfit was $1.00!

The toys :: The Batman helicopter alone is selling on Amazon for $29.00 and the Iron Man figure retails for $10.00. We paid $4.00 for both!

This was just a normal day at my local thrift store! I wasn’t planning on writing about this shopping trip, but once I realized how many great items we found, I couldn’t resist.

Go check out your local thrift stores, there are bargains to be had and deals just waiting to be found.

Seriously, go!

No one will judge you — the only people that will even see you there are fellow thrift store shoppers. Just remember, not every trip is a success, but you never know what you can find.

I love thrift stores!

I’m Jennifer and I live in Blue Springs Missouri. I’ve been married for 11 years to an amazing man. I’m blessed to be a stay at home mom of 4 kids (Henry-8 Charlie-6 Maggie-3 James-3). I love to watch TV, craft, bake/cook, thrift shop (obviously) and hang out with my family.

Shared Jan 17, 2018 comment

Did you sign up for the free Photography Class?

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Did you sign up for the free Photography Class?

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

Just a reminder! This class is tomorrow! Have you signed up yet?

Have you always wished you could learn how to take better photos? Do you wish you could figure out how to get your camera out of auto mode?

If so, I want to invite you to join me for a free LIVE Photography Class I’ll be hosting with Courtney of Click It Up a Notch. Courtney is the force behind Click it Up a Notch which was named by the Huffington Post as one of the Top 5 Blogs for Momtographers. She helps over 50,000 photographers each week learn how to capture their life, beautifully.

In this class, she’ll teach you:

  • What you should be asking yourself each time you pick up your camera
  • The one piece of equipment she wishes she hadn’t wasted her money on (and what you should buy instead)
  • The #1 composition mistake that will kill your photo & what to do instead
  • One simple tip that can take your photo from flat to fabulous
  • 3 simple things you need to do EACH time you pick up your camera
  • How forgetting to take this one shot can impact the story you are telling

This online class will be at 12 p.m. CT/1 p.m. EST on Thursday, January 18th. Go here to read more and sign up.

Y’all. I cannot wait for this class because I have so much to learn when it comes to photography. And whether you want to take better photos for your blog or social media, or whether you are considering photography as a side business down the road, or whether you just want to learn to capture the every day moments with your kids, I think you’ll love this free class.

Click here to sign up for this free class on 5 ACTIONABLE tips to better blog photos.

P.S. Because we know the importance of investing in yourself, we want to encourage you to show up live. We will be doing a fun giveaway for live attendees only as an extra incentive to make it a priority to show up live! Sign up here.

Shared Jan 16, 2018 comment

Gretchen’s $57 Grocery Shopping Trip & Menu Plan

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Gretchen’s $57 Grocery Shopping Trip & Menu Plan

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

Aldi

1 gallon Milk – $2.08

1 dozen Eggs – $1.59

2 pkg Blackberries – $0.89 each

2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup – $0.49 each

1 pkg Yeast – $0.89

1 bag (3 lbs) Grapefruit – $1.99

1 pkg Green Peppers – $0.99

1 bag Spinach – $1.29

1 bag (3 lbs) Apples – $3.19

2.09 lbs Bananas – $0.92

1 loaf Bread – $0.89

1 pkg Crackers – $1.49

1 pkg Baby Carrots – $0.99

1 can Tuna – $0.70

1 jar Spaghetti Sauce – $0.99

3 Cucumbers – $0.49 each

1 bag Frozen Broccoli – $1.19

1 bag Frozen Chicken Breasts – $5.99

1 lb Butter – $2.55

1 Sour Cream – $1.19

Total: $33.15

Dillons

I did a Clicklist order this week so I could use my free coupons before they expired. 🙂 

2 pkg Blueberries – $2 each

1 Larabar Bites – $2.99, used $1/1 e-coupon AND $1/1 SavingStar.com rebate – $0.99 after coupon and rebate

1 Arla Cream Cheese – $2.99 (I had a free e-coupon for this but it didn’t come off. I didn’t realize it until I was already home.) 🙁

1 Chobani Yogurt – $3.99, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

1 gallon Milk – $1.89 (This was cheaper than Aldi, so I went ahead and bought another gallon.)

1 dozen Eggs – $1.69

1 Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bites – $3.29, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

1 Hormel Bacon – $5.49, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

1 Kool Aid Jammers – $1.79, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

1 Kroger Mayonnaise – $1.69, used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate – $1.44 after rebate

1 Kroger Spaghetti Sauce – $0.99

1 Kroger Instant Oatmeal – $1.49

1 Mott Fruit Snacks – $2.19, used Free e-coupon AND $0.50/1 SavingStar.com rebate – Free plus overage after coupon and rebate

1 Philly Bagel Chips & Cream Cheese Dip – $1.67 each, used Buy One Get One Free e-coupon – $0.83 each after coupon

1 loaf Sara Lee Bread – $3.29, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

1 Simple Truth Turkey Breast – $3.49, used $1/1 e-coupon – $2.49 after coupon

1 Simple Truth Kettle Corn – $2, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Simple Truth Ketchup – $1.69, used $0.30/1 e-coupon – $1.39 after coupon

1 Tropicana Orange Juice – $2.99, used $2/1 e-coupon – $0.99 after coupon

1 Zone Kids Bars – $4.29, used Free e-coupon AND $1.50/1 Checkout 51 rebate – Free plus overage after coupon and rebate

Used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate for any receipt

Clicklist Fee: $4.95

Total after coupons and rebates: $24.72

Total for both stores: $57.87

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Eggs, Toast, Grapefruit x 5

Cereal

French Toast, Bacon, Orange Juice

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks, Apples x 2

Tuna Salad Sandwiches, Cucumbers, Blackberries

Cheese Quesadillas, Apples, Blackberries

Turkey Sandwiches, Sliced Veggies

Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Homemade Cheese Pizza, Breadsticks, Spinach Salad

Venison Stew, Blueberry Muffins

Slow Cooker Ritz Chicken, Steamed Peas, Blueberry Muffins

Venison Burgers (using buns from the freezer), Chips, Spinach Salad

Spaghetti, Homemade Bread, Steamed Broccoli

Slow Cooker Cheesy Chicken Penne, Fruit Salad

Out to eat

Shared Jan 15, 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.

What I Read Last Week

Last week, I read And It Was Beautiful. This book is written by the late Kara Tippetts — a blogger who passed away from cancer a few years ago. It’s beautifully written, moving, and inspiring.

It really challenged me in how I mother. Am I embracing the everyday, ordinary moments? So much of the time, I think that I miss a lot of moments because I’m not not slowing down enough to see them.

I’m also slowly reading — and absolutely loving — Mom Set Free. I love it so much that I asked a new friend if she’d be interested in doing a book study on it together. We start that on Saturday and I’m really excited about it!

What I Watched Last Week

Paddington 2 — Silas and I went to see Paddington 2 together and he really loved it. He said it was interesting and sad. I thought there were some really beautiful parts of it… especially the encouragement to be kind and nice to everyone. We definitely need all the reminders of that that we can!

The Darkest Hour — Jesse and I went to this on our anniversary and Jesse loved it. I thought it was interesting, but definitely not my favorite movie. In fact, I may have fallen asleep for a few minutes during parts of it (we were in the theater with recliner seats!)

By the way, we got MoviePasses for Christmas and we have fallen in love with them. You just can’t beat $10 per month to be able to see one movie of your choice every single day. I’ll be doing a really in-depth review of it on Friday.

We also loved watching the next episode of This is Us and Designated Survivor — two of our favorite shows.

How 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 you really think I need to read or watch?

Shared Jan 15, 2018 comment

I’m co-hosting a free Photography Class on Thursday!

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I’m co-hosting a free Photography Class on Thursday!

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

Have you always wished you could learn how to take better photos? Do you wish you could figure out how to get your camera out of auto mode?

If so, I want to invite you to join me for a free LIVE Photography Class I’ll be hosting with Courtney of Click It Up a Notch. Courtney is the force behind Click it Up a Notch which was named by the Huffington Post as one of the Top 5 Blogs for Momtographers. She helps over 50,000 photographers each week learn how to capture their life, beautifully.

In this class, she’ll teach you:

  • What you should be asking yourself each time you pick up your camera
  • The one piece of equipment she wishes she hadn’t wasted her money on (and what you should buy instead)
  • The #1 composition mistake that will kill your photo & what to do instead
  • One simple tip that can take your photo from flat to fabulous
  • 3 simple things you need to do EACH time you pick up your camera
  • How forgetting to take this one shot can impact the story you are telling

This online class will be at 12 p.m. CT/1 p.m. EST on Thursday, January 18th. Go here to read more and sign up.

Y’all. I cannot wait for this class because I have so much to learn when it comes to photography. And whether you want to take better photos for your blog or social media, or whether you are considering photography as a side business down the road, or whether you just want to learn to capture the every day moments with your kids, I think you’ll love this free class.

Click here to sign up for this free class on 5 ACTIONABLE tips to better blog photos.

P.S. Because we know the importance of investing in yourself, we want to encourage you to show up live. We will be doing a fun giveaway for live attendees only as an extra incentive to make it a priority to show up live! Sign up here.

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

Click here to download!
Shared Jan 14, 2018 comment

A Peek Into Our Lives This Past Week

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A Peek Into Our Lives This Past Week

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We celebrated 15 years of marriage this past week. 15 YEARS, people!

There were many times (especially around year 5-6) when I never thought we’d make it. It was just too hard — and I threatened to leave many times.

There are still days when it isn’t easy. In fact, on one of those days recently, I told a good friend, “I love my husband so much, I just don’t like him very much right now.”

Love isn’t about how you feel or how he makes you feel. Love is a choice. It’s getting up every day — on the good days and on the rough days — and saying, “I choose you.”

Jesse, I didn’t know the wild ride I was in for when I married you at 21. I couldn’t have dreamed of some of the high highs and low lows we’d experience. I couldn’t have imagined how challenging and yet how amazing marriage would be. Thank you for sticking with me, believing in me, never giving up on me, and always choosing me. Thank you for being my very best friend and loving me on my best days and my worst days. I chose you on our wedding day and I still choose you today. I love you! ❤️

Jesse and I were privileged to get to go to this Meeting of the Masters evening event and morning mastermind put on by the folks from the Ziglar team. We got to hear from Zig Ziglar’s son, from Kevin Harrington (one of the original sharks on Shark Tank), and Michael Jr. (he’s a comedian who packs a punch — we laughed until we cried and also felt invigorated to use our lives well).

At the Mastermind, we all went around and shared the one thing we want to accomplish in 2018. (Mine? To invest in the lives of women in my local community in 2018 and build more intentional face-to-face relationships.)

It was moving, stirring, and very inspiring and we were honored to get to be there. One of the beautiful souls I loved meeting there was Lady J.

The first two days of this past week, I was kind of a hot mess. I felt high strung, frazzled, overwhelmed, and irritated.

And my attitude seeped out to pretty much everyone close to me. I snipped at my kids. I yelled at Jesse. I got frustrated at one of my employees.

I realized that I didn’t have grace to extend to others because I wasn’t accepting the grace God was extending to me.

I was feeling like I needed to control every little thing in my life — and it wasn’t working. And I was beating myself up for it and feeling guilt and shame about it. This translated into all the stress I was feeling.

So I gave up — on trying to micromanage and instead let myself rest in the grace my Heavenly Father was extending to me.

Let me tell you, fully resting there made me breathe a big sigh of relief and I’ve been a whole lot happier as a wife and mom and employer since then.

“Lord, let me rest in your abundant grace today — in the middle of the real and raw and messy and interruptions of everyday life. Let me relinquish my need to control all the details to You, the Ultimate Controller of all things. Let me accept Your invitation to rest in Your abundant love for me. Let me soak in your grace and let it seep out to everyone I come in contact with today.”

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: 3 books read so far (look for a book update coming tomorrow)

2. Read through the entire Bible.

**Progress: I’m using the Robert Murray M’Cheyne plan and am on Day 14 — yay!

3. Write one handwritten note to someone every week.

**Progress: 3 notes written this past week

4. Run 500 miles.

**Progress: 20.5 miles run so far

Marriage Goal

5. Go on an overnight trip with Jesse without the kids.

Family Goals

6. Read 10 books aloud with the kids.

7. Take the kids to South Africa.

8. Go on a family road trip.

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.

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: 4 Weeks to a More Productive Life launched this in January and we’re currently working on finishing Content Creation 101 — a new YourBloggingUniversity course!

Shared Jan 13, 2018 comment

Slow Day: Week 2

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Slow Day: Week 2

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 Saturday, 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!

(It looks like I really need to clean the cover of my Discipleship Group curriculum — yikes!!)

Shown in the Pictures:

Shared Jan 13, 2018 comment

Brigette’s $68 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

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Brigette’s $68 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

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Aldi

1 box Honey Nut Oats – $1.15

1 box Frosty Flakes – $1.49

1 pkg Gluten-Free Spaghetti Noodles – $1.19

2 boxes Organic Bean Pasts – $6.98

1 pkg Premium Bacon – $2.89

2 pkgs Taco Seasoning Mix – $0.70

1 2-lb bag Black Beans – $2.49

1 gallon Whole Milk – $1.56

1 16-oz carton Heavy Whipping Cream – $1.55

1 pkg String Cheese – $1.99

1 jar Cashews – $2.89

2 pkgs Rice Cakes – $2.38

1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.59

1 large Eggs – $0.99

1 6-ct box Pure and Simple Bars – $3.99

1 large tub Organic Spring Mix – $3.49

1 pkg Baby Carrots – $0.79

1 pint Grape Tomatoes – $1.29

1 head Cauliflower – $1.79

1 pkg Strawberries – $1.49

2 3-lb bags Honey Crisp Apples – $6.98

1 3-ct pkg Green Peppers – $0.89

1 bag Zucchini – $0.99

1 5-lb bag Grapefruit – $2.49

1 head Cabbage – $1.19

Total: $54.22

Harris Teeter

3 boxes Corn Pops – $5.00, used $1.00/3 Kellogg’s Froot Loops, Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Honey Smacks, Krave, Frosted Mini Wheats Little Bites or Frosted Flakes Cereals – 1-7-18 RP; Includes 8.7 oz or Larger Only (exp. 02/18/18) (doubled) – $3.00/3 after coupon

1 bottle Garnier Whole Blends Conditioner – $3.50, used $2.00/1 Garnier Whole Blends Shampoo, Conditioner, Or Treatment – 1-7-18 RP; Excludes 3 oz and Care Creams (exp. 02/03/18) (doubled) – FREE after coupon

2 bottles Suave for Men Shampoo – $3.00, used $1.00/1 Suave Men Hair Care Product – 1-7-18 RP; Excludes Trial and Travel Size; Maximum of 2 Identical Coupons Per Household Per Day (exp. 01/21/18) (doubled) – FREE after coupons

2 bottles Suave Professionals Shampoo – $3.00, used 2 $1.00/1 Suave Professionals Gold Or Silver Hair Care Product – 1-7-18 RP; Excludes 2 oz and Twin Packs; Excludes Trial and Travel Size; Maximum of 2 Identical Coupons Per Household Per Day (exp. 01/21/18) (doubled) – FREE after coupons

3 pkgs Blackberries – $2.64

1 pkg Mushrooms, reduced – $1.00

1 pkg Corn Tortillas – $2.49

1 pkg Whole Earth Natural Sweetener – $3.49, used $1.50/1 insert coupon (I’m not sure which insert/date this one was from) (doubled) – $0.49 after coupon

2 jars Polaner All-Fruit Jam – $4.00

Total after Coupons and Tax – $14.20

Grocery Total for the Week: $68.42

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

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

Cereal, Oatmeal or Cream of Wheat, Toast, Fruit, Fried/Boiled/Scrambled Eggs or Veggie Omelets

Lunches

Peanut Butter and Jelly on Rice Cakes, Peppers, Fruit x 2

Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Roasted Cauliflower, Apples

Leftovers x 4

Dinners

Hamburger Vegetable Soup, Easy Whole Wheat Bread

Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Vegetables, Easy Whole Wheat Bread

Pasta with Sauce (I’m going to make a red sauce with meat, and try a Vegan Alfredo Sauce as well), Tossed Salad, Homemade French Bread

Tostadas, Spanish Rice, Fruit

Dinner Out With Friends

Breakfast for Dinner: Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon

Hamburgers on the Grill, Seasoned Potato Wedges, Tossed Salad

Shared Jan 8, 2018 comment

15 Books I Want to Read to My Kids in 2018

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15 Books I Want to Read to My Kids in 2018

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

Last week, I posted about 44 Books I Plan to Read in 2018 and talked about my own personal reading plans for 2018. This week, for our weekly book post, I wanted to share about my plans for reading aloud to my kids.

You all know I’m a big fan of reading aloud to my kids! It’s something I’ve done since the time they were newborn and I am so grateful that I have. In fact, just the other day, Kathrynne (almost 13), was talking about how so much of what she knows she’s learned through books I’ve read to her, books she’s read, and audiobooks and audio drama she’s listened to. That made me so happy!

As the kids are older and in school, we have to be more intentional about making reading time happen. Recently, we’ve found that reading at dinner time works well. We usually just read for 10-15 minutes right now. We don’t fly through books at that rate, but my goal is to at least get through 10 books this year as a family. I chose 15 to give us options and also to encourage us to see if we can actually read all 15! 🙂

15 Books I Want to Read Aloud to My Kids This Year

What are some of your family’s favorite read alouds? I’d love to hear!

Shared Jan 7, 2018 comment

A Peek Into Our Life This Past Week (+ 2018 goal update #1)

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A Peek Into Our Life This Past Week (+ 2018 goal update #1)

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

Welcome to my weekly post where we take a break from money-related posts and I share about what I’m loving right now and give you a little peek into our life from the past week.


My friend, Bekah, made this for me as a reminder of my word of the year. Oh and I just have to say, that I am loving this word choice. It is already impacting me in big ways!

We rang in the new year with a bang… or more like, we stayed home and watched the ball drop on TV and made S’mores. Yes, we really know how to party! 😉

Quill has been becoming more and more accustomed to us and seems to enjoy interacting with us more and more. It’s been fun for him to start acting like he enjoys being held!  (Hedgehogs typically take a long time to warm up to people.)

One of my big hopes for 2018 was that I would get brave enough to stop waiting for the invitations, and start being the initiator.

Initiation is way out of my comfort zone and there are a lot of fears involved for me. But I’m tired of sitting on the sidelines of community and missing out on beautiful relationships. I’m ready to start reaching out, initiating, and opening the door of my heart and home more — despite the awkwardness and fear that is there for me.

With this in mind, I set the goal of exercising hospitality at least once per week. This might mean inviting a friend out for coffee, offering to host someone, offering to babysit a friends’ kids, having a family over for dinner, opening our home to host an event. Just setting this goal has made me intentionally look for opportunities to practice hospitality… and I’ve discovered they are ALL around me!

(Note: I didn’t put this on my goal list, because I don’t want anyone to feel like they are a to do that I am checking off my list — it’s more that I want to have a hospitality mindset and I want to SLOW down more to make more time to savor relationships. So making it a once-a-week goal makes me more focused on making it happen and following through with it.)

Psst! If you live in the Nashville area and are craving intentional relationships with other women, be sure to read this post.

Kathrynne started at her new school on Wednesday. She was really nervous about starting over again, not really knowing anyone, and not knowing what it was going to be like. But she faced her fears and it’s turned out to already seem like it’s going to be a great change for her. We’re so grateful!

What I Read This Past Week

Since I’ll be sharing 15 Books I Want to Read Aloud to my kids as my book post tomorrow, I wanted to share what books I’ve been reading recently in today’s post (I’ll usually share what I’ve been reading in Monday’s posts in 2018).

I’m finishing up reading The Story of the World and we’re also reading The Journey Back (note: this one has some language that I’m editing out as I read it aloud). We’ve been reading for just 10 minutes or so at dinner and that’s been a fun touchpoint in our day together.

I read Destination Simple and The Lucky Few this week. Destination Simple was a very quick read and a good reminder of ways to slow down and simplify. It was perfect for my Year of Slow.

The Lucky Few was a book that the publisher sent to me back in March when it was released. It sat on my shelf untouched since then and I almost got rid of it since I didn’t know anything about the authors.

I’m SO glad that I decided to add it to my list of 44 Books I Plan to Read This Year because it was such a heart-warming read. If you’ve ever considered adoption, if you’ve struggled with infertility, or if you’ve been called to a road that you would have never planned or really thought you wanted, I think this book’s story will encourage you.

What I Watched This Past Week

We didn’t watch any movies or TV shows this past week, but we did watch the Facebook live of the live implosion of the Lifeway building in downtown Nashville. It was kind of crazy to see — especially since I’ve been in that building multiple times!

We also watched a LOT of ice skating because the U.S. Figure Skating Championships were being held and they were choosing the 2018 Olympic figure skaters to represent the U.S. after the championships. We got to go to the Figure Skating Championships last year, so that made it even more fun to watch this year. I cannot WAIT for the Olympics!!!

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: 2 books read so far

2. Read through the entire Bible.

**Progress: I’m using the Robert Murray M’Cheyne plan and am on Day 7 — yay!

3. Write one handwritten note to someone every week.

**Progress: 2 notes written this past week

4. Run 500 miles.

**Progress: 10.5 miles run so far

Marriage Goal

5. Go on an overnight trip with Jesse without the kids.

Family Goals

6. Read 10 books aloud with the kids.

7. Take the kids to South Africa.

8. Go on a family road trip.

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.

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: 4 Weeks to a More Productive Life launched this past week!

Links You Should Check Out