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Shared Aug 6, 2014 comment

Ask the Readers: Is a home warranty worth the cost?

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 6, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s questions is from Michele:

We are purchasing a home built in the early 80’s. Most of the appliances are more than 5 years old, but it has a new roof and new furnace.

I’m wondering if it’s worth the $400-$600 to buy a home warranty? I know that with a warranty, we might be tied to certain repair companies, be required to pay a flat fee for repair visits, and aren’t guaranteed replacements unless it’s completely unfixable. -Michele

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Shared Aug 5, 2014 comment

Six Things My Grandpas Taught Me About Financial Success

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 5, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

{Both of my grandpas with me as a young girl on Easter.}

TIAA-CREF recently surveyed a number of grandparents and grandchildren across the country. I was interested to read that this was one of the findings from their survey:

We discovered that grandchildren not only want to talk to grandparents about money and savings, but also that they view their grandparents as positive role models when it comes to the importance and ability to save money.

Read more here.

I so agreed with this, because I attribute much of my own personal financial success to my grandparents — my grandpas especially. My parents were highly, highly instrumental in shaping my thoughts on finances, debt, spending, and saving, but it was my grandparents who first laid the foundation for them.

There is so much I could share about how my grandparents impacted me. My grandmas taught me so much and set such great examples for me in many areas. But when it comes to finances, it’s hard to think of anyone who has impacted me more than my grandpas.

Here are six things my grandpas taught me about financial success:

1) Be a Disciplined and Diligent Person

Both of my grandpas have lived lives of productivity.

My dad’s dad (whom we affectionately call “Pop”) was one of the hardest working men I’ve met — right up until he passed away. He was usually up before 6 a.m. and he’d go out and walk and then start in on his day. Even after he retired, he never stopped working. He was always fixing things, building things, and looking for people to help.

My mom’s dad, Grandpa Duane, is still going strong. He keeps everything in their home and in his shop in meticulous order. He cares for his wife, my step-grandma, and is always thinking of others. It amazes me how much he does, even in his eighties! In fact, just recently, he was out on my parents’ property flying one of his planes. I hope that I’m still as active and driven as he is when I’m a great-grandma!

{Pop helping me with a present I’d just opened for my birthday while my older sister, Brigette, looks on.}

2) Save Your Money Carefully

I can’t think of any time I’ve seen either of my grandpas spend money frivolously or extravagantly. Every purchase they’ve made has been made carefully. Time and time again, I’ve seen them wait to buy something they wanted until they had saved up for it and were sure they were getting a good deal.

At the same time, I’ve also seen them be generous with their wives, their children and their grandchildren. I truly believe that the thought and intention they put into wisely managing their money gave them the opportunity to be able to bless others more.

3) Never Pay Full Price for Anything

I remember when Pop passed away and we were going through his house, we found multiple brand-new pairs of the same kind of shoe he always wore. We were curious what this was about until we realized that he’d found a great sale on them (they still had the clearance prices on them), so he’d bought extra for the coming years.

Not only do I love this story because it shows his wisdom in always planning ahead, but I also love it because it shows how simple he liked to keep things. He always wore the same kinds of clothes and shoes and once he found a brand/make that worked well and held up, he just stuck with that.

We’d often tease Pop about how he would buy extra of items like peanut butter if they were on a great sale. Looking back, I’m pretty sure he’s somewhat to blame for my bargain-shopping nature. And I’m incredibly grateful for the example he set and all the money he’s inspired me to save over the years!

{Grandpa Duane with my brother, Dustin, my sister, Brigette, and me — yup, fingers in my mouth and all! ;)}

4) Think Through Purchases

I’ve observed both of my grandpas purchase a house in my lifetime. In both cases, I saw them think through the purchases very carefully.

They took their time. They asked for counsel of others. They considered their options.

And they didn’t just run ahead and get something because it looked like a great option. They wanted to make sure it was the best option. And in each case, the time and thought they put into these big purchases turned out to serve them well.

5) Use It Up, Wear It Out

My grandpas were experts at this! Why buy something new when the old one will do just as well? They took very good care of all of their possessions and made them last as long as they could. And it’s amazing how long they could make something last!

We would often joke with Pop about the fact that maybe he should replace his hole-y sweat pants or t-shirts, but he’d keep wearing them until they were completely and 100% worn out. While I haven’t quite gone this far, I do wear and wear and wear my clothes and shoes, usually until they are very well-worn. And this not only simplifies my life, but it saves us a lot of money.

{My dad’s mom holding me for the first time while Pop looks on and holds my older sister, Brigette.}

6) Don’t Go Into Debt — Except for a House

One thing that Pop ingrained in my dad was that you should never go into debt for anything except a house. From the beginning of my parents’ marriage, they followed this principle.

And then they took it one step further.

When I was around six years old, my parents decided to do something radical and work hard to pay off their house. They then saved up everything they could.

When I was ten years old, we sold that house and bought land out in the country. My dad bought an old single-wide trailer for a few thousand dollars and moved it to the land.

The trailer didn’t have an oven, didn’t have heat or air conditioning, leaked crazily every time it rained, had a bad mice problem, and was in fairly disgusting shape when we got it. But after days of elbow grease, we got it in livable shape, moved most of our possessions into a storage unit, and moved the basic necessities into that trailer.

We spent seven months in that trailer while we were building our house. I could write a book of stories from that experience. But most all of the memories are very happy memories and I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world.

At the end of seven months, our new house was finished enough that we could move into it. And it was a huge celebration to make it to that day… and for my parents to have realized their dream of building a house debt-free.

Let me tell you: Pop’s encouragement to my dad to never go into debt except for a house and then seeing my parents take that advice and go even further with it, well, that has a profound effect on you as a child. Especially when you then see your parents go on and be in position to be able to give generously because they worked so hard to no longer have a house payment.

Truly, my husband and I owe so much to our parents and grandparents. I know beyond any shadow of a doubt that we would never be in the position we are in financially nor would we have paid cash for our first house were it not for my grandparents influence and examples. And we are eternally grateful.

Want to start a conversation between your kids and their grandparents about money and finances? Or are you a grandparent who would love to know how to talk to your grandkids about money? Check out these free downloadable resources for tips and ideas to start the conversation.

{Note: This post was underwritten by TIAA-CREF. See my disclosure policy here.}

Shared Aug 5, 2014 comment

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Online Summer Book Study

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 5, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I honored that Jami at Young Wife’s Guide has been hosting an Online Summer Book Study on my book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode! Here’s a little of what she had to say about my book:

This Spring, I started reading a book that has had a profound influence on my homemaking and my life. It has greatly impacted how I view responsibility, priorities, and managing my home.

I decided that since this book is so packed full of practical exercises and hands on challenges, I needed to go through it slowly and with purpose. Will you join me this Summer as I work my way through: Say Goodbye to Survival Mode?

If you’d like to get in on the discussion, or see what’s been discussed already, click here to sign up for Jami’s Summer Online Book Study.

Shared Aug 4, 2014 comment

When you feel awkward and out of place

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 4, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Last week, a local blogger graciously invited me to go to a local Wine & Dine Event being hosted by StitchFix.

I’ve wanted to get to know more about StitchFix ever since a number of friends started raving about the service the past year and it sounded like a great way to get to meet some local bloggers, so I accepted the invitation.

And then I realized what I’d done.

What was I thinking?? Introverted me accepting an invitation to spend all evening with a bunch of people I don’t know??

And not only that, but did I mention that StitchFix is a company that sends you a box of clothing/jewelry based upon your fashion preferences?!? When I realized that, I wasn’t just stressed about being in tight quarters all evening with people I didn’t know at all, but then I started panicking over what on earth I would wear!!

Knowing the kind of event it was and who was hosting it, I was sure everyone would probably wear cute cocktail dresses and adorable jewelry. They probably dress like that most all the time and wouldn’t even think twice about what they were going to wear.

Me, on the other hand? I pretty much only wear jeans, t-shirts, maxi dresses, and yoga pants. {Yup, I SUCH a fashionista. Gulp.}

So yeah, I was kind of concerned about what I was going to wear. Adding to the anxiety was the fact that we’d just gotten home from our trip to the SheSpeaks conference the night before and basically everything in my current “cute clothing” repertoire needed to be washed.

{There are blessings and curses to having a minimalist wardrobe! :)}

I realized all of this right before I was supposed to leave… which is never a good thing.

After about 30 minutes of effort, I finally pulled an outfit together that I was happy with, got dressed, fixed my hair, and jumped into the car.

I looked at the time and looked at Google Maps and realized I would just barely make it on time.

Whew! Crisis averted.

I took a deep breath and then saw the gas gauge.

Yikes! I only had enough gas left in the tank to get a few miles. Never mind on getting there right on time, now I was going to have to stop and get gas.

I started to feel all uptight again. And then it got worse as I realized I’ve never gotten gas in either vehicle since we’ve lived here in TN and I had no clue where the best/nearest gas station was.

{I know that might seem really absurd. But want to know a random fact about me? I basically never ever put gas in our vehicles. Jesse always does it for me because he loves to! Yes, I’m spoiled!}

In the process of being so intensely focused on trying to remember where the nearest gas station is to our house here in TN, I made a wrong turn and got stuck in rush hour traffic.

This was not going well.

I finally made it to the gas station only to realize that I’d left my debit card at home. I rarely ever swipe my debit card (I’m a cash-only gal as much as is humanly possible… which is pretty much all the time!), so I didn’t even think to bring it.

But now not having it was going to add even extra time to my already-running-quite-late ticker. Argh!

I ran up to the kiosk to pay, hurriedly plunked down two $20 bills, and waited impatiently for the cashier to finish ringing up my pre-pay gas purchase. Then he looked at me and asked puzzled, “Did you mess with the gas pump? Because the one you’re pulled up to looks like something’s messed up with it and it’s not working.”

For real? I didn’t know whether to cry or shriek at this point. But I held it together while he sent a mechanic out to fix the gas pump.

He was able to fix it quickly, I got the tank filled up, and finally, finally, finally, I was on my way again — by now running almost 20 minutes late.

Truthfully, I sincerely considered texting my friend to back out of the event. I hated to walk in so late — especially because I had no idea what the set-up would be and knew that walking in 20 minutes late could be really rude.

But at the same time, I had already worked so hard to get out the door and on the road, I figured it was too late to turn back now. So instead, I took many deep breaths, prayed for God to go before me and prayed that it would all work out and not be conspicuous for me to walk in late, and then I texted my friend to let her know I was going to be running late.

She was so gracious and told me that it was no big deal at all. I took more deep breaths, prayed some more, found the venue where the event was being hosted, and gathered up my courage to walk in the door, and pretend I’m not an introvert.

The evening was nothing like I expected. Yes, there were many cute dresses and adorable jewelry all around. Yes, the room was packed with mostly people whom I didn’t know at all. And yes, it seemed like everyone else knew most of the others and felt completely in their comfort zone.

In the past, any one of these things would have been enough to cause me to hyperventilate and feel completely awkward and out of place. And at first, that’s exactly how I felt.

But then I remembered my new mantra of fully embracing life, so I forced myself to tune out the voices of insecurity and doubt in my head telling me all sorts of lies about I didn’t fit in this group or that I was an outsider. Instead, I decided to look for someone to bless and encourage.

Guess what? I ended up having a great time! The evening was filled with meeting new people, in-depth heart-to-heart conversations, great food, and lots of laughter. And when the event was winding down, I didn’t want to leave.

I’m so glad I didn’t say no to the invitation, even though it was out of my comfort zone. I’m so glad I didn’t turn around and chicken out when I was running so behind. And I’m so glad I got over myself and my own silly insecurities and awkwardness and chose to focus on other people instead.

I would have missed out on a beautiful and fun evening. Also? The success of how the experience turned out gives me courage to continue to keep stepping outside my comfort zone, to continue to tune out the voices or insecurity, and to remember to focus on other people the next time I feel awkward and out of place.

Shared Aug 4, 2014 comment

9 Time-Saving School Lunch Hacks

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 4, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I was honored to be featured on SheKnows.com today sharing a tip about freezing peanut butter & jelly sandwiches as part of their Time-Saving School Lunch Hacks article.

If you’re looking for some great tips and advice for making school lunches easier, be sure to check out the article.

Note: Here’s my post on how I freeze peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Aug 4, 2014 comment

How to Make 25 Gluten-Free Meals for under $150 at ALDI

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 4, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I Am That Lady shows you how to make 25 Gluten-Free Meals for under $150 with ingredients purchased at ALDI.

Visit her site for the recipe links and shopping list. You can also purchase a detailed printable menu plan, if you prefer.

Shared Aug 2, 2014 comment

Quick & Easy Fried Rice

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 2, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Aliesha of Feathers in Our Nest

Restaurant-style fried rice is easy to make at home! It’s a frugal recipe to serve for lunch (or alongside some homemade Asian food) and it is great for incorporating sale produce or using up veggies in your fridge that are about to go bad.

This recipe is very flexible – just use what you have on hand and adapt it to your family’s taste preferences. We like to make it using leftover rice from another meal, but you can definitely cook rice specifically for this recipe.

Quick & Easy Fried Rice

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. coconut oil
1 onion, diced
1-2 cups vegetables, cut in small pieces (such as carrots, broccoli, peas, mushrooms, etc.)
4 cups cooked rice (white or brown)
4 Tbsp. soy sauce (more or less to taste)
2 eggs
1 cup leftover cooked chicken (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Heat coconut oil in a wok over medium-high heat.Add diced onion and the veggies that take longer to cook (like carrots). Sauté for a few minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon.

Add in the other veggies and sauté. Add rice and stir thoroughly and quickly. Pour some soy sauce in and stir. Add more soy sauce until desired flavor is achieved.

Using the wooden spoon, make a “hole” in the center of the fried rice, exposing the bottom of the wok. Crack in 2 eggs (depending on the amount of fried rice you’re making) and stir quickly to scramble.

Mix in scrambled eggs with the rest of the fried rice. If desired, mix in leftover cooked chicken as well. Taste, and add more soy sauce if desired!

Aliesha is a stay-at-home wife and mom with three precious blessings ages three and under. Her blog home is Feathers in Our Nest, where she writes about family, ministry, food, and frugal living. Aliesha loves to read, shop thrift stores, drink coffee, and cook for her “foodie” husband.

Shared Aug 1, 2014 comment

5 Keys to Have a Strong Marriage — Even During the Storms of Life

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 1, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Since we’ve moved to Tennessee and restructured the way we do life, I will be honest and tell you that it’s been a challenge for our marriage. It’s brought a lot of new issues to the surface and we’ve had many long, hard talks (and yes, some out-and-out arguments) as a result.

As we’ve struggled through together, our marriage has grown and it’s been good. Not easy, mind you, but good. And I know our marriage is going to come out stronger as a result.

Working through these things and not giving up until we find resolution and oneness has made me appreciate our marriage even more. Some days, we might be at odds and frustrated with each other, but because we are both committed to our marriage “till death do us part”, these storms are making us stronger instead of ripping us apart.

If you’re going through a tough time in your lives right now, I wanted to share five keys that have helped us to have a strong marriage — even during the recent storms of life:

1. Stop Coasting

A good marriage doesn’t just happen; it requires a LOT of work and time and effort. Just like you couldn’t expect to build a muscular body without putting in a lot of time weight-lifting, so you can’t expect to have a strong marriage if you’re not constantly building it up.

Make time for your spouse. Go throughout your day looking for ways to build up your spouse, encourage your spouse, and love your spouse. If you’re too busy to invest in your marriage, you’re just plain too busy.

2. Don’t Keep It G-Rated

Seriously, people. You are supposed to be lovers, not roommates. Act like it. 🙂

Look for ways to keep the spark alive. Flirt with your spouse. Whisper sweet-nothings. Think about what you used to do when you were dating, engaged, and newlyweds and bring some of that romance back into your marriage.

Truly, what happens in the bedroom will affect just about every other area of your life. In most cases, if you make romance a priority, it will clear up a host of other problems and issues.

Need some encouragement and practical advice in this area? I highly recommend reading Sheet Music, Red Hot Monogamy, and Rekindling the Romance.

3. Find the Good and Praise It

There are always a host of things we can point out, pick at, nag, and criticize. If we spend all our time focused on that, we’ll be frustrated with how far short our spouse is falling from where we want them to be.

On the flip side, there are always, always, always good things to praise. Become a noticer of the good.

Go throughout your day looking for things to be thankful for about your spouse. These could be little, everyday things or big, major things. The more you focus on the good, the more good you’ll probably see.

4. Ask Forgiveness Often

A good marriage is built around a lot of humility and the ability to say, “I was wrong, will you forgive me?” Those are hard words to say, but they are necessary.

We all make mistakes. We all say words we shouldn’t say. We all respond in anger at times. When that happens, be willing to admit you are wrong.

Don’t stuff things and just try to be extra nice to make up for your short-comings. In addition, don’t blame your spouse. Owning our own mistakes and apologizing for them is the first step in restoration.

5. Learn Their Love Language

While I don’t like to box people into specific categories, every person has a unique love language — the way they feel most loved.

If you’re unfamiliar with the five love languages, they are: Words of Affirmation, Acts of Service, Receiving Gifts, Quality Time, and Physical Touch. In many cases, you’ll be a mix of a few of these, but you’ll almost always have one that is dominant. If you’re not sure what you love language is, you can take this quiz here (and be sure to have your spouse take it, too!)

Once you know what someone else’s love language is, it really helps you to be able to demonstrate love in a manner that means the most to them. For instance, my dominant love language is Words of Affirmation. It means the world to me when Jesse tells me how much he appreciates me and how proud he is of me. This speaks love to me much more than buying something for me does.

Jesse’s love language is quality time. It’s very important to him that we spend time together and just be together — without me acting rushed or like I’m busy. As a Type A person who does not have the love language of quality time, it’s been a learning experience for me to figure out that just being with him is extremely meaningful to him.

It’s taken us years to figure these things out about each other, but as we’ve put forth effort to learn each other’s love language and to be intentional about expressing it, our marriage has grown much stronger. And it’s been every bit worth the effort!

What are some ways that you have found help keep your marriage strong?

Note: This post was written for couples who are in healthy relationships where both parties love each other and want to work on issues together and personally. If your spouse is abusive, please, please, please don’t hide the abuse out of fear or let your spouse convince you it’s your fault. Get help immediately.

Shared Aug 1, 2014 comment

Brigette’s $27 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

Published: by Brigette on August 1, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We are going to be traveling some over the next couple of weeks, so my grocery spending was lower this week because we won’t be eating every meal at home. This gives us some wiggle room to eat out when we’re on the road.

And… to be perfectly honest, I am guessing there will be at least one impromptu grocery shopping trip made by my husband and children at some point before we leave to buy “necessities” for our vacation. That kind of grocery trip is funded straight from the “splurge” fund, and my husband has strict instructions to put the receipt somewhere that I will never, EVER see it. 🙂

Fresh Produce from a Friend’s Garden — Free!

Harris Teeter

1 gallon milk – $2.97

2 16-oz packages Mueller’s Pot-Sized Spaghetti (B1G1 @ $1.75) – $1.75, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – FREE after coupons (I actually got overage, making these a $1.25 MM, but that was because the coupons beeped and my cashier manually entered them in!)

2 Head & Shoulders Shampoo (@$5.00 each) – $10.00, used $5/2 Head & Shoulders Full Size Product, exp. 8/10/14 (P&G 07/27/14), plus $5/2 Harris Teeter evic – FREE after coupons

2 16-oz Kraft Salad Dressings (@$2.00 each) – $4.00, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled), plus $1.00/2 Harris Teeter evic – FREE after coupons

2 boxes Kelloggs Rice Krispies cereal (@$1.99 each) – $3.98, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) from Kellogg’s Family Rewards – $0.49 each after coupons

4 cans Ortega Green Chilies (@4/$3.00) – $3.00, used 2 $1.00/2 printable – $0.25 each after coupons

9 cans Chicken of the Sea Light Tuna (B1G1 @ $1.29) – $5.80, used 3 $0.75/3 printables (doubled) from here and here – $1.30/9 cans after coupons

2 8-oz containers Land O’ Lakes Butter with Canola Oil (@$1.50 each) – $3.00, used 2 $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $0.50 each after coupons

Total after Sales, Tax and Coupons: $6.70

Aldi

2 bags Carrots (@$0.69/each) – $1.38

1 pint Blueberries -$1.49

I package Sweet Mini Peppers -$2.29

2 packages Mushrooms (@$0.79/each) – $1.58

1 package Romaine Hearts – $1.99

1 head Cabbage – $1.29

1 package Zucchini – $1.29

1 carton Egg Whites – $1.99

1 bunch Bananas (@$0.49/lb) – $1.63

1 package (32-oz) Brown Rice – $1.29

Total: $16.22

CVS

1 Dawn Dish Detergent – $0.99, used a $1.00 off any 9-oz Dawn CVS email I received – FREE after coupon

3 jars Ragu Spaghetti Sauce (@3/$5.00) – $5.00, used $0.40/2 Ragu Product, exp. 8/24/14 (RP 07/27/14 #2) – $4.60/3, plus receive $3 ECB

2 bottles Seltzer Water (@$1.00 each) – $2.00

used $3 ECB from a previous shopping trip, plus $3 complimentary ECB sent to me from CVS Beauty Rewards Club for my birthday

Total after Sales, Tax and Coupons: $0.60, plus receive $3 ECB back

Farm Market

1 head Reduced Cauliflower – $0.99

Fresh Local Peaches (@$0.99/lb) – $3.14

Total: $4.13

Weekly Total: $27.65

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Eggs and Toast, Smoothies (using frozen fruit), Veggie Omelettes

Lunches

Tuna Sandwiches/Bananas/Carrot Sticks; Cheese Quesadillas/Cucumber Slices/Cantaloupe; Macaroni and Cheese/Peaches; Build-Your-Own-Salad Bar; Stir-Fry Veggies and Rice; PB&J Sandwiches/Blueberries/Pepper Slices

Dinners

Burritos (using homemade tortillas and ground venison for the taco meat), Green Rice, Sliced Peaches

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Baked Potatoes, Steamed Carrots, Easy Whole Wheat Muffins

Easy Tuna Noodle Casserole, Sauteed Zucchini, Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Breakfast for Dinner: Best Ever Blueberry Muffins, Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Hashbrowns

Spaghetti, Dill Bread, Tossed Salad, Green Beans

Leftovers

Shared Jul 31, 2014 comment

Do It Yourself: Homemade Petticoat

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 31, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Marie-Madeline Studio shows you how to make a homemade child’s petticoat.

Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

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

Click here to download!

Shared Jul 30, 2014 comment

A Beginner’s Guide to a Successful Yard Sale

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 30, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Yvie of Road-Schooling Gypsies

I was privileged to have a mother who shopped garage sales long before it was trendy. Hand-me-downs were no big deal — they were new to us!

We learned that, except food and toiletries, pretty much anything we needed could be bought secondhand. It’s a legacy that I began passing on to my children as soon as they understood what a quarter was.

Would you like to clean out your house and make a little egg money? Here are a few of my tips to help you have a successful yard sale:

What to Do Before the Sale:

The more stuff you have, the more traffic you’ll get — so ask your friends to join in on your yard sale, and make it a party.

Don’t pick a holiday weekend (or a weekend where there is a big, local event happening). Also, aim for the first of the month, right after folks get paid or get their SSI checks.

Check to see if you need a permit, or if there are area restrictions.

Advertise! Use your newspaper, Craigslist, Facebook groups, and put up signs. Make sure that your signs are legible, and large enough to be read by cars going past at 50mph.

Decide whether you’re selling stuff to make money, or to get rid of it. Price everything, and price accordingly.

Use bags to contain sets, puzzle pieces, etc. and then label the bags.

In the months prior, throw all your yard sale items together, so that you’re not trying to find it all the week of the sale.

A couple days before the sale, get cash: you’ll want a roll of quarters, a stack of at least twenty-five $1 bills, and a few $5 bills. Keep your money with you (fannypack?) at all times — don’t leave the cashbox sitting around.

If you are having a group sale, make sure to have a ledger to keep track of how much money goes to each person.

Stage your items just like they would stage them in a store. Place like items together, set those big items out front to draw customers, and cross-sell your items. If you have books, use a bookshelf to display them. If you have clothes, find a hanging rack. Show that you took care of your items, and they’ll be more likely to sell.

Have an extension cord handy in case someone asks to test an electrical item.

Use sheets to cover anything left in the garage that is NOT for sale. Otherwise, you’ll be fielding questions all day about what that is and how much you’d take for it.

After it’s staged, walk through your sale like a customer. It is easy to navigate? Are the prices reasonable?

What to Do the Day of Your Sale:

Turn on some background music — avoiding anything offensive.

Be friendly and greet people. If they want to chat, chat. Otherwise, leave them be. And don’t hover.

Be prepared for folks to bargain, but be less flexible at the beginning of the sale. Also remember that you don’t have to accept their offer.

Set up a big box with toys in the middle, this way moms can shop the perimeter while keeping an eye on kids that are being entertained. (If the toys are breakable/expensive, don’t put them in this pile.)

Keep your cash with you at all times, and keep an eye on your items as well. Shoplifting happens, even at garage sales.

Set up a free box, and fill it with things that you just want gone. Everyone likes free stuff.

Run that lemonade stand, especially if it’s a hot day. Better yet, let your children run it. They’re cuter than you are, and people will be more likely to buy from them.

Consider doing “stuff-a-bag” or “half-price” for the second day. This will depend on how much you want stuff gone.

Have a plan for after the sale is done (see below) so that your stuff doesn’t all come back into your home.

What to Do After the Sale:

Use the ledger to divide up your money.

Consider having an impromptu “swap” amongst your friends. (Assuming you haven’t already spent the last two days shopping each others’ items.)

As you break down the sale, divide leftover items into categories such as: 1. used bookstore 2. consignment store 3. donate boxes, and 4. Craigslist/Ebay. The first 3 groups should never come back into the house — and if you’re going to sell anything on Craigslist or Ebay, make a plan to do that ASAP!

What are your best tips to host a successful yard sale?

Yvie is a homeschooling mother of two boys, who has been perfecting the art of frugality since childhood. Find her on Facebook at Road-Schooling Gypsies.

photo source

Shared Jul 30, 2014 comment

How to Prep 16 Crockpot Freezer Meals in Just an Hour

Published: by MSM Team on July 30, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Lauren from Midget Momma shows you how to Prepare 16 Crockpot Freezer Meals in about an hour.

Shared Jul 30, 2014 comment

Ask the Readers: How can I save on college expenses?

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 30, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s question is from Dorothy:

I am a married, 27-year-old who works full-time and has no kids.

I have decided that the time is right for me to go back to school and finally complete my bachelor’s degree online. I will be continuing to work full-time, as will my husband, so all of our typical expenses (rent, bills, groceries, etc.) will still be covered. However, I am worried about the cost of returning to school (tuition, books, supplies, etc.).

Do you or any of your readers have any ideas on how to keep my costs low so I will need as few student loans as possible? -Dorothy

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Shared Jul 29, 2014 comment

Peek Into Our Week: FlameFest Ball, New Hairstyles, Growing My Nails Out, SheSpeaks Conference, Family Roadtrip, and Homemade Latte!

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 29, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s been a full two weeks and I’m finally getting a chance to do a recap post… and wow is there a lot to recap!

I went to IL to speak at a Firefighter Wives’ Event called Flamefest. It was held at the Hyatt Lodge at the McDonald’s Campus (the McD headquarters, I guess?) Guess what kind of coffee they served at the hotel? Cracked me up to drink McDonald’s coffee from a McDonald’s cup — at a HYATT no less! 🙂

I was the keynote speaker at the Flamefest Ball on Friday evening, so I had fun getting dressed up for the occasion. 🙂 And I also learned a really powerful lesson about courage that night. Read it here.

I flew home Saturday morning. I was supposed to get in before lunch, but after multiple flight delays, I ended up getting back into town about three hours later than planned. But that’s just life sometimes, isn’t it?! I’m learning to roll with the punches… or at least I’m trying to! 🙂

On Saturday evening, we went to hang out with our good friends and neighbors, the Hodges. We spent the evening talking, laughing, sharing, and eating delicious homemade salsa and fresh-baked cookies.

While we were there, other friends dropped by to bring us all boxes of cookies and stayed to regale us with hilarious stories. Have I mentioned how much we are loving and being blessed by the community here??

Kaitlynn found a tutorial on YouTube for making homemade lip gloss with crayons and coconut oil and just had to try it. She made it almost entirely by herself — and it turned out really well!

This girl constantly impresses and inspires me… and I’m so grateful for the beauty and creativity she adds to our home and life!

Move over, Starbucks! I am so excited that I finally learned how to make her own DIY Breve Latte — without a Latte Machine. And it is delicious!! Get the recipe here.

It was cloudy and overcast one day… Perfect for snuggling up on the bed and reading chapter after chapter aloud together while the kids created with Legos. I love quiet, at-home days!

You know what warms my heart so much? It’s amazing young people like Kass Hodge who love on our kids.

We had another fun neighborhood get together at the Hodges house and while we were at their house, Kass gave Kaitlynn a makeover. You can imagine little fashionista Kaitlynn thought was the best thing ever!

I hope both of my daughters grow up to be as generous, kind, and warm as Kass is!

I began last week feeling a wee bit overwhelmed with everything that needed to be done, so I took a deep breath, made some Good Girl Moonshine and painted my now-growing-out nails.

It might seem weird to stop and do something like that when I had a long to-do list to tackle, but I’ve found that sometimes, when you feel like there’s too much to do, making yourself stop and breathe for 20 minutes is the best thing you can do. At least it’s definitely much better than hyperventilating! 🙂

{Also? I think I’ve discovered the secret to growing my nails out!! Not only does it involve keeping them painted in cute colors, but it also involves publicly blogging about your nail-biting habit. Somehow, going public with it, has made me much more disciplined about actually letting them grow out. And every time I look down at my longish nails, it makes me so very happy! So anyway, thank you all!}

We left six hours earlier than planned on Wednesday morning to head to North Carolina for me to attend the SheSpeaks Conference. There were storm clouds and rain much of the drive — which is my favorite weather to drive in!

I spent the drive wrapped up in this favorite blanket of mine, reading a good book, having discussions as a family, and getting in some blogging work since I was able to get good wi-fi in the car through my phone’s hotspot.

It’s really impossible for me to put into words just how blessed, refreshed, and filled up I was by being at SheSpeaks.

Spending time with these two women was one of the biggest highlights. Not only did we have deep conversations about heart things and struggles, but we also did a whole lot of laughing since both Edie and Ruth are hilarious — especially when you get them both together!

I think I’m sore from all the laughing we did, but it was so very worth it! We only wished that Edie could have stayed longer than just one day!

Lookee whose book just came out in paperback?!?! I’m so stinkin’ proud of my girl, Ruth Soukup, and all the amazing things she’s doing!!

Her book, How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul, is truly the BEST blogging book I’ve ever read.

It’s available as an ebook on Amazon or the new and expanded paperback version should be available on Amazon next week.

It was so fun to get to spend a little time with the amazing A.J. Gregory! She ghost-edited my last book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, and I’m so honored to be working with her again for my next book.

We’ve been mulling over the next book’s concept for months and are so excited to finally be ready to jump in and start the intensive writing process together. I think you’re going to LOVE the topic — or at least *I’m* super stoked about it! 🙂

Our plan is to have the manuscript finished by December 1 of this year and, if all goes according to plan, it should be in bookstores by the beginning of November 2015!

Listening to Michele is always a huge inspiration to me. I love her to pieces! If you’ve not had the chance to listen to her speak before, you are majorly missing out!

I won’t lie: the reason I went to SheSpeaks was because Ruth was speaking. So yes, I may have been having trouble containing my pride and excitement while she was up on the stage.

A few months ago, Ruth and I were talking on the phone. I was celebrating with her that she was going to be speaking at the SheSpeaks conference — a real honor to be asked to be apart of, but one Ruth was wholly deserving of.

Then she said something that I totally hadn’t considered, “You should come, too.”

Since I try to limit my traveling to only a few speaking/business trips per month, I didn’t think it would work out. However, my husband knows just how much Ruth’s friendship means to me and he concocted a plan to make it work, because he’s amazing like that. Truly.

His idea: we turned the trip into a family roadtrip/visit with my sister and her family who live nearby in South Carolina. While I was at the conference, he did fun activities with the kids and spent time with my sister’s husband and her kids.

These are some of the beautiful ladies I had the chance to get to know better at SheSpeaks. Courtney (who created the adorable Scripture cards above) is just a doll. Ruth and I instantly loved her! {Photo credit: Courtney}

{And notice my Cents of Style tee in the picture? I bought it during the last sale they ran on their t-shirt line and I absolutely adore it!}

One of the highlights of the conference was getting to see my dear friend, Renee, kill it in her morning keynote. I can’t tell you how blessed I am to know this woman in real-life.

This was my first opportunity to hear her speak in front of an audience, so I had to try to keep it together so I didn’t bust out with loud proclamations like, “Isn’t she AMAZING?!?!?” 🙂

I just LOVE these girls! Each one is a true gift in my life! Oh the laughter, memories, stories, deep conversations, love, heart-to-heart talks, cups of coffee, and experiences we shared at SheSpeaks! We may not have gotten much sleep, but it was so very worth it!!

We capped off the conference with a late night (and into the wee hours of the early morning) PJ party in a hotel suite most of us had shared together during the conference. It was a blast.

The above picture makes my heart feel like it just might burst. These women are some of the dearest women I know and we are committed to walking alongside one another in this journey and adventure of life. Their friendship is a true gift.

My family re-joined me at the hotel on Sunday and we spent the day sleeping and taking it easy before we drove over to meet up with my sister and her family.

All the cousins had a fantastic time being together. They are old enough now where they mostly play together really well and it’s so fun to observe them!

The dads took all the kids on Monday evening and Brigette and I went out shopping with a few gift cards we had. We tried to see how much we could get without spending any money out of pocket. We got some great deals, had a lot of fun, and only went a few dollars over the gift card amount at one store. Score!

Afterwards, we came back to their house, put all the kids to bed, made snacks, and then stayed up way too late watching a movie. I knew we could all sleep in in the morning, so it was worth the late night. 🙂

We got up late this morning, took our time getting around, and left for home around noon.

It was a mostly uneventful and relaxing 8-hour drive home: rocking my first messy bun (thanks, YouTube!), enjoying some yummy and fairly healthful snacks (who says the gas station only sells candy bars and soda pop??), listening to my favorite playlist on repeat, knocking out some blog projects thanks to more good wi-fi in the car, and soaking up the beautiful scenery.

All in all, was a great trip, but it’s also so good to be HOME!

We’re happy to be back for the rest of this week so we can spend time with friends here and catch up on laundry and sleep before we leave again for a trip to Arkansas and Missouri next week. 🙂

How was YOUR last week (or two!)? Anything interesting or exciting happen at your house?

Shared Jul 29, 2014 comment

How to Find Great Kindle Ebook Deals

Published: by Crystal Paine on July 29, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Modern Mrs. Darcy has a helpful post up on How to Find Great Kindle Ebook Deals.

2hr Cleaning Checklist

2hr Cleaning Checklist

FREE DOWNLOAD: 2-Hour Cleaning Checklist!

1) Be a Disciplined and Diligent Person

2) Save Your Money Carefully

3) Never Pay Full Price for Anything

4) Think Through Purchases

5) Use It Up, Wear It Out

6) Don’t Go Into Debt — Except for a House

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

Quick & Easy Fried Rice

1. Stop Coasting

2. Don’t Keep It G-Rated

3. Find the Good and Praise It

4. Ask Forgiveness Often

5. Learn Their Love Language

What are some ways that you have found help keep your marriage strong?

Harris Teeter

Aldi

CVS

Farm Market

Weekly Total: $27.65

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

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

What to Do Before the Sale:

What to Do the Day of Your Sale:

What to Do After the Sale:

How was YOUR last week (or two!)? Anything interesting or exciting happen at your house?

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