Saving Families Money Since 2007
I’m so excited about how many of you are joining us for the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge! If you missed Friday’s assignment, you can find it here.
Friday’s assignment was to clean your computer. This was a quick and easy assignment for me — but one that I really needed to do!
How you do on Assignment #15? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.
(I normally never shop at this local grocery store but I wanted to take advantage of the Purex deal. I was glad I stopped in because I was able to get a few other great deals!)
2 Westpac Frozen Vegetables – $0.88 each, used 2 $0.35/1 coupon from the 12/8 SmartSource insert (doubled) – $0.18 each after coupons
2 Apple Juice – $0.98 each
1 bag Malt O Meal Cereal – $2.99 (This is one of my husband’s favorite kinds of cereal. He had requested that I buy him cereal this week so I was excited to see this price on the Malt O Meal cereals!)
3 Purex Laundry Detergent – $1.98, used 3 $1/1 printable (no longer available) – $0.98 each after coupon
1.77 lbs Fuji Apples @ $0.88/lb – $1.56
4 pkg Strawberries (2 lbs each) – Marked down to $1.49 each (I was SO thrilled to find these! I froze most of them for smoothies.)
Total before coupons and sales: $28.77
Total with tax ($1.39) after coupons and sales: $17.16
1 Pineapple – $1.29
2 pints Blueberries – $1.29 each (Will get $0.25 back from Checkout 51.)
1 loaf Bread – $0.99
1 can Kidney Beans – $0.59
1 bag Marshmallows – $0.89
1 canister Raisins – $2.89
1 lb Butter – $2.49
1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $1.19
1 bag Brown Sugar – $1.19
1 pkg Roma Tomatoes – $0.99
1 dozen Eggs – $1.15 (Will get $0.50 back from Checkout 51.)
1 gallon Milk – $2.68
1 Cucumber – $0.59 (not pictured)
Total with tax ($1.39): $20.90
2.22 lbs Bananas @ $0.59/lb – $1.31, used $0.50/1 printable (no longer available) – $0.81 after coupon
3 Navel Oranges – $0.69 each
0.58 lbs Broccoli @ $1.59/lb – $0.92
1 can Kroger Green Chilies – $0.89
1 bag Kroger Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – $6.99
1 Romaine Lettuce – $0.99
Items a part of the Mega Sale (Buy 5, Get $5 off instantly):
2 Post Great Grains Cereal – $1.88 each, used $1/2 coupon from the January All You magazine – $1.38 each after coupon
2 Kraft Chunk Cheese – $1.99 each, used $1/2 coupon from the 3/9 SmartSource insert – $1.49 each after coupon
1 Kraft Shredded Cheese – $1.99, used $0.75/1 printable (no longer available) – $1.24 after coupon
2 Lady Speed Stick Deodorant – $1.09 each, used 2 $1/1 coupon from the 3/9 SmartSource insert – $0.09 each after coupons
1 Speed Stick Gear Deodorant – $2.49, used $2/1 printable – $0.49 after coupon
2 Cascadian Farms Cereal – $1.99, used 2 $0.75/1 printable – $1.24 each after coupon
4 Yoplait Go-Gurt – $1.49 each, used 4 $1/1 printable (no longer available) – $0.49 each after coupons
1 Smuckers Jelly – $0.99
1 Imagine Broth – $1.49, used $1/1 printable – $0.49 after coupon
2 Green Mountain Coffee K-Cups – $5.99 each, used $2/2 catalina coupon – $4.99 each after coupon (I ran out of this coffee a few weeks ago and have been waiting for a sale. This is my favorite coffee so I’m so happy to finally have it back in stock at my house!)
2 Huggies Baby Wipes – $0.99 each, used 2 $0.50/1 coupon from the 2/23 SmartSource insert – $0.49 each after coupons
Total before coupons and sales: $93.14
Total with tax after coupons and sales: $40.93
Total for all grocery items: $78.99
Homemade Granola, Cereal, Toast, Eggs
Cheese Quesadillas, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Fruit/Veggies/Cheese, Leftovers, Baked Potatoes with Steamed Broccoli
Chimichangas with toppings, Sliced Oranges
Oven Fried Chicken, Texas Roadhouse CopyCat Rolls, Tossed Salad
Spaghetti Pie, Green Beans, Steamed Cauliflower
French Toast, Scrambled Eggs, Fruit Salad
Chicken Broccoli Quiche, Tossed Salad
Taco Casserole, Sliced Veggies
Are you joining us for the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge? If so, it’s Friday and guess what that means? It’s time for our weekly check-in to post our progress.
We’re focusing on developing the habit of drinking more water in March. I encourage you to set a simple and doable goal for drinking more water and to stick with it.
New to this challenge? Read more details on the plan for this year here.
My Water Intake Goal for March
My goal for March is to drink at least 8 glasses of water every day. I’m also hoping to keep up with January’s habit of doing exercising at least 4-5 times every week and February’s habit of eating six big salads every week.
I hit my goal of drinking 8 glasses of water each day 6 days this week — that’s a little progress over last week! Yay! I also hit my exercise goals, as well as my salad goals.
How Are YOU Doing?
Leave a comment telling us how you did on your exercise goals this past week. If you’re blogging about this challenge, leave the direct link to your blog post about the challenge below. Are you on social media? You can also share your progress on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter by using hashtag #12MonthstoaHealthierYou.
I’ve set aside the month of March to really focus on organization in my home and life. And I’d love for you to join me!
Day 15 Assignment
::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life!}
::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.
::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}
::Clean your computer.Wipe down the screen and keys with a damp cloth, organize files, delete emails, etc.
::Set the timer for at least 15 minutes and do something you really enjoy and that relaxes and rejuvenates you. If you need ideas, here are a few: read, write, call a friend, pray, exercise, bake, play with your children, laugh with your husband, stop by the bookstore and browse the book selection, work in the garden, or take a nap! Take some time to just stop and enjoy life today!
::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.
Note: If you work outside the home or have a really busy week with little time for extra projects, just do the bolded project above.
I put together an ebook with encouraging articles, all the daily assignments, plus printable checklists so you can know exactly what’s planned for the month and to allow you to work at your own pace, if you’d like.
To grab your free ebook so you can participate in this challenge, just fill out the form below with your name and email address. You’ll need to confirm your email address and then your free ebook will be sent to you instantly.
I’m so excited about how many of you are joining us for the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge! If you missed today’s assignment, you can find it here.
Ah, the utensil drawer… as is obvious, mine needed some serious help!
I pulled everything out and wiped it out.
Much, much better!
I found a few utensil that were extras and that I no longer needed. I also found two sweaters to stick in the Goodwill pile.
How you do on Assignment #14? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.
I’m honored to be guest-posting over on Andrea Dekker’s blog today sharing 5 Tips for Better Time Management. Here’s a snippet of the post:
Time…
It’s something we all have the same amount of, but something that very few of us feel like we have enough of.
With three children and a successful (and ever-growing) home business, I’ve learned quite a few different tips and tricks that have helped me to be more productive and efficient over the years.
Here are five of my top tips for better time management:
1. Create a Prioritized List
A few years ago, I set up a time budget for my daily activities. This has been revolutionary for me!
I include everything on this plan — from showering to making dinner to homeschooling to work projects. I try to cover all of the bases and leave 2 hours of margin time for those inevitable interruptions.
I just realized I forgot to post about my recent Freezer Cooking in an Hour session! As happens often, I had a very willing and eager helper! 🙂
We mixed up the Cornmeal Pancakes together. I was surprised that the recipe didn’t call for any sweetener! Despite that, I thought these turned out really well. They were beautiful pancakes with a great texture.
Then, I supervised while Silas helped make some of his own pancake creations. He had so much fun — and he kept excitedly telling me what shape each one was. It cracked me up what he came up with — from a rocket to an elephant and more!
Oh, how I love this boy! He is not only so precious, but he guarantees that there’s never a dull moment at our house. 🙂
I also mixed up a batch of our favorite Homemade Pizza Dough. This is SUCH a great recipe. If you’ve not tried it before, you must. The best part about it is that it freezes so well!
The Cinnamon Sugar Oven Pancake was sadly disappointing. It just didn’t taste all that delicious. I guess that’s maybe because I much prefer traditional pancakes?
Have you done any freezer cooking or baking ahead recently? Have you discovered any fantastic new recipes recently? Tell us in the comments!
2 Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste – $2.99 each (Buy 1, Get $2 ECBs)
Used 2 $0.75/1 coupon from the 3/2 P&G insert
1 Wet & Wild Lipstick – $0.99
Used $1/1 coupon from the 3/9 RedPlum insert
Used $4 ECBs from previous shopping trip
Total before coupons, ECBs and sales: $9.47
Total with tax ($0.50) after coupons, ECBs and sales: $0.97, Plus received $4 ECBs
I’ve set aside the month of March to really focus on organization in my home and life. And I’d love for you to join me!
Day 14 Assignment
::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life!}
::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.
::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}
::Set the timer for 15 minutes and clean the mirrors and glass doors in your house.
::Clean out your utensil drawer(s) (those with serving spoons, ladles, spatulas, etc.) in the kitchen and your junk drawer(s). Take everything out, throw out the trash, get rid of extra clutter, wipe out the drawers, and re-organize the contents as you put them back in.
::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.
Note: If you work outside the home or have a really busy week with little time for extra projects, just do the bolded project above.
I put together an ebook with encouraging articles, all the daily assignments, plus printable checklists so you can know exactly what’s planned for the month and to allow you to work at your own pace, if you’d like.
To grab your free ebook so you can participate in this challenge, just fill out the form below with your name and email address. You’ll need to confirm your email address and then your free ebook will be sent to you instantly.
I’m so excited about how many of you are joining us for the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge! If you missed today’s assignment, you can find it here.
For yesterday’s assignment, I cleaned the tops of the kitchen cupboards. Even though I haven’t done this chore for almost a year, I was really encouraged to notice that they weren’t too dusty.
I found this pile of what I thought was crumbs and was wondering where on earth it came from… until I realized that it was pieces of the ceiling. Hmm, maybe that was from splattering that pot of food on the ceiling not too long ago and trying to wipe it up?
Yes, don’t ask how I manage to splatter food on the ceiling. I’m talented like that. 😉
The top of the refrigerator wasn’t too bad. Since I’m short, I can’t see up there without jumping up to take a peek or standing on a stepstool or chair, so I wasn’t sure what I’d find. Ah, the joys of being vertically challenged! 🙂
Ick! I did end up finding quite a bit of dirt… so glad to have that all wiped off!
The pile of stuff from the kitchen cupboards I found to get rid of/pass on.
How you do on Assignment #13? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.
How do you kindly say “no” to social outings with friends and keep a positive attitude? I find we can’t go out to most of our friends’ events because we can’t afford to. I am tired of explaining that we just “don’t have the money.” -Christa
Oh, Christa! How I can relate to this!
I well remember the days when Jesse was in law school and it seemed like we couldn’t go to so many different social outings because we didn’t have any money to spend. It was discouraging — and sometimes embarrassing.
So, first off, I just want to encourage you that you’re not alone in this struggle. Many of us have been there or are currently there.
When explaining your situation to your friends, be sure to be incredibly gracious. Let them know that you’d love to come but it’s just not in the budget right now.
Make sure you say it in a way that doesn’t condemn them for choices they are making. True friends will understand and will not make you feel guilty or less than just because you can’t afford something.
There’s no need to come up with lame explanations and leave your friends wondering if they’ve done something to offend you and that’s why you don’t want to get together with them. Instead, just be honest. Let them know you’re struggling financially, or on a tight budget, or trying to pay off your debt, or whatever it is that is keeping you from being able to afford the outing they’ve invited you to.
Don’t apologize or make excuses. Don’t guilt them into feeling like they need to help cover your costs. Just be straightforward about it and let them know you’re working really hard to get to a place where you’ll have wiggle room in your budget for such an outing, but for now, you’re going to have to decline the invitation.
Whenever possible, instead of just saying no, come up with an alternative that you can afford. Offer to host everyone for desserts or snacks at your house if you can’t afford to eat out at the expensive restaurant they want to go to. Invite them to come over for games, a movie, and finger foods instead of going to the theater.
Or, see if there’s a compromise you could propose. For instance, when Jesse was in law school and some of his friends were having a party, the host asked if everyone could pay $4 each to cover the costs of the party. We didn’t have $8 extra in our budget for both of us to attend, so I emailed the host to ask if I could bring snacks and drinks (that I’d gotten for free or almost-free with coupons) instead. She was so gracious to say “yes” to my offer — and we had a fantastic time at the party!
Saying “no” is hard. It can be uncomfortable. It can make you feel discouraged. It can wear you down.
Constantly remind yourself why you are doing this. What is the purpose behind your short-term sacrifices. Think of the benefits you are going to reap in the long-run by sticking with your budget and staying the course with your goals.
Keep this at the forefront of your mind every time you have to say no. It will help you stay resolved to make the right decision, even when it’s hard.
Find Some Frugal Friends
If most all your friends are constantly inviting you to do extravagant things that you can’t afford to do, it’s probably time to find some frugal friends — people who “get” your weird desire to stick with your budget and live beneath your means.
Think about it: if everyone you associate with it spending money pretty extravagantly and telling you that you “deserve” this, that, and the other — even if you can’t afford it — it’s going to be hard to stick with your resolve to live frugally. On the other hand, if many of your friends are living frugally and simply, if they are content and understand when you talk about buying something secondhand or saving up to pay cash for things, it will be a lot easier to keep on your slow and steady journey toward debt-freedom or achieving your other financial goals.
In addition, when you hang out with frugal friends, you are inspired with new money-saving ideas, you are motivated to not give up, and you can laugh at all the crazy things you do in order to stay on budget.
If you don’t know a single frugal friend, don’t despair. Start looking for them at your local library, mom’s groups, church, thrift store, used book sale, or gardening club. You just never know where you’ll find an amazing frugal friend, but if you keep your eyes open, I’m sure there are some other frugal folks who live in your area!
In the mean time, read money-saving books and blogs to help you stay motivated and inspired. They aren’t the same as real-life friends, but they will still help you stay motivated. And if you have trouble finding local friends, see if you can find some good accountability partners online — maybe even people that you meet in the comments section here on MoneySavingMom.com.
I’ve set aside the month of March to really focus on organization in my home and life. And I’d love for you to join me!
Day 13 Assignment
::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life!}
::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.
::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}
::Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your bathroom. Need specific directions? Read this article on How to Clean Your Bathroom in 15 Minutes.
::Clean the top of your kitchen cupboards (if there is space between them and the ceiling) and the top of your refrigerator. If you have clutter on the top of your refrigerator, go through it and see if you can get rid of it or find a new home for it. Wipe down the outside of your kitchen cupboard doors.
::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.
I put together an ebook with encouraging articles, all the daily assignments, plus printable checklists so you can know exactly what’s planned for the month and to allow you to work at your own pace, if you’d like.
To grab your free ebook so you can participate in this challenge, just fill out the form below with your name and email address. You’ll need to confirm your email address and then your free ebook will be sent to you instantly.
I’m so excited about how many of you are joining us for the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge! If you missed today’s assignment, you can find it here.
Today’s assignment was to clean the stove top, microwave, and oven. My stove top and microwave were pretty clean. But then I opened up my oven…
…And it was in dire need of some cleaning help!
I scrubbed and scrubbed all sorts of black stuff up off the bottom of the oven and the oven door.
And it looked so much better after all that elbow grease!
I also cleaned out some random cupboards and found 7 more things to get rid of.
How you do on Assignment #12? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.
Guest post by Sarah of Little Bus on the Prairie
Four months ago my husband and I were in a deep slump.
There wasn’t anything terribly wrong, per se, and there was a lot that was right with our lives: we had three beautiful children, a roof over our heads, a steady income, and a great marriage. We even owned a piece of property that we had plans to build a house on. However, our efforts to get that project underway had drained our savings and left us with nothing concrete to show for our efforts.
We both felt “stuck,” like our wheels were spinning but we weren’t getting anywhere we wanted to be.
Then, one day in January, as I was leaving to pick my oldest up from school, I opened up a piece of mail from our landlord. Annoyed, I assumed it was a rent increase. Instead it was a 60-day notice to leave the premises because they were selling the house we were renting.
I found myself immediately gripped with anxiety. We had been living in our rental for close to four years and were nowhere near where we wanted to be with our plans for building our future home.
It looked like we would have to find another rental that would probably cost more, not to mention the expense and effort that moving requires, and take further resources from being put toward our goal.
I sent my husband a text with the news and he reminded me that we had another option. We had recently purchased a 1970 International double-decker school bus conversion off Craigslist for $1000. It had been sitting for a decade and was a mess inside. There were vague plans of living in it once we had building permits for the house, but we had since regretted the purchase as the behemoth languished in our driveway untouched and building permits seemed such a long way off.
Now we had a new impetus to work at making it livable.
It was the spark that lit a fire beneath us and, with a lot of help from family and friends, we were able to completely update the bus in just a few weeks! We will now be able to live on our land, rent-free while we save money to put toward our dream house.
The past two months have been exhausting and full of hard work, but it’s like we have a brand new lease on life. Something that could have been a terrible blow, and pushed us further from reaching our goal, has instead been turned into a fantastic opportunity to achieve it even more quickly than we had hoped.
We feel more than ready to accept the risks and meet the challenges in our path as we start out on this adventure.
Have you ever done something that seemed “extreme” to meet a goal? I’d love to hear about it!
Sarah is a wife and mom to three living in North County San Diego. She coupons, homeschools and is otherwise completely normal (aside from the whole living in a bus thing). She’s a voracious reader and is always looking for great book recommendations. You can follow along with her family’s journey into full-time bus-living and house-building at Little Bus on the Prairie.
Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Mindy:
I have been an avid Swagbucks user for years now, and have always cashed my Swagbucks in for Amazon gift cards. I usually bought textbooks for college, or treated myself to clothes or phone accessories. All that changed when I found out that I was expecting a baby last fall.
I used the next nine months to score all the Swagbucks I could.
Since I was not going out as much and was on bed rest by the end of my pregnancy, I was easily racking up Swagbucks. I would simply use Swagbucks search, Swagbucks TV, and watch & earn offers to redeem one or two $5 Amazon gift cards a week.
Along with signing up for Amazon Mom to save 20% on baby gear and get free 2-day shipping, I started my newborn shopping.
I used Swagbucks to purchase a fetal heart rate monitor at the beginning of pregnancy. I bought everything from my Boppy pillow to diapers and wipes to my bottle brush. I started my cloth diaper stock pile using my Swagbucks as well… and I even had enough Amazon gift card credit left over to purchase a book that I gave to my significant other from the baby.
I love Swagbucks, and continue to buy my diapers and wipes for free with my Amazon gift cards!
Mindy: Could you email me so I could send you your Amazon gift card as a thank you for sharing your story?