Saving Families Money Since 2007
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?
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 12 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 vacuum the main living areas of your home.
::Clean your microwave, stove top, and/or oven.
::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.
I was so excited to open up our silverware drawer and discover that it wasn’t at all as messy as I’d expected it to be. I have been trying to stay on top of it more and had recently cleaned the crumbs out of it, so it’s encouraging to realize that those little habits of keeping on top of dirt and clutter are making a difference!
It didn’t take long and it looked great!
And I cleaned out the cupboard above the stove and discovered a pile of stuff to get rid of. I was really surprised that all of that stuff was up there!
How you do on Assignment #11? 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.
(Homemade cards made by Amanda.)
Every week for 52 weeks, I’m sharing a different way you can save $100 this year. If you do all of these things, you’ll be able to save over $5,000 this year alone! Many of these things will likely be things you’re already doing, but hopefully all of you will pick up at least a few new ideas or some inspiration from this series.
You can spend a lot of money buying Hallmark cards… possibly as much as $100 per year, or more. For instance, if you typically spend $4 per card and you purchase 25 cards per year for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other occasions — that’s $100 per year you’re spending on something that will most likely just be thrown out after it’s received.
Instead of having that money go straight into the trash can, save yourself a nice chunk of change by making your own homemade cards. Not only is it a fun way to exercise your creativity, it also will often be a lot more meaningful.
There are so many different ways to make your own homemade cards. If you have some magazines, cardstock, and glue, you can get creative making collage cards with cut-out words, phrases, and pictures that remind you of the card’s recipient.
Mixed Molly has some fantastic ideas for recycling last year’s Christmas cards into new Christmas cards for this year. You could use this same idea for cards for other occasions, too.
It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money or take a lot of time to make a homemade card. You probably have supplies on hand that could work. However, if you want to, you can come up some really amazing homemade card ideas, too.
Maybe you feel like you’re not crafty and creative at all. Never fear! You don’t have to pull out the glue gun and glitter. Write a meaningful letter, instead!
Here’s an idea from Victoria who blogs at Snail Pace Transformations:
I don’t remember the exact Mother’s day. I don’t remember even why I picked that Mother’s day to give this gift, but I have been forever touched by it’s impact.
That year I grabbed a dollar store card, and in it, I placed a simple list written on plain paper. Little did I realize how much my mother would cherish that list. Perhaps if I did, I would have chosen nicer paper. Perhaps I would have used my best handwriting, but then again, I doubt that would have changed the cord it struck in my mother’s heart.
On the list, written with the ink of a inexpensive dollar store pen, were 10 things my mom held dear.
What were those 10 things? What was that list? Why did it touch my mother’s heart so?
The title read “10 Reasons Why I am Glad You Are My Mother”.
Each point I thought about, some were simple “I love your habit of backwards dinners” some were more deep “thanks for providing the best you could for me with what you had”.
Never was a thank you said, never was the list even mentioned until one year when my mom knew her time on earth was coming to an end. She said, “honey, the best Mother’s day gift you ever gave me was that list. In fact, I still have it an read it often”.
Words (not things) have lasting power.
Do you have any quick, easy, and inexpensive homemade card ideas? I’d love to hear about them — and feel free to share links to your blog post(s) or other ideas online, too!
Last Week’s Goals:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1.
Read 3 chapters of A Big Year for Lily to the girls. Finish reading Jungle Doctor’s Fables. Read a few picture books with Silas.2.
Write a love note to Jesse.3.
Blog about the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge.Personal Goals
4. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-28.
5.
Exercise four times.6. Finish reading
The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriagesand I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t)7. Drink 8 glasses of water every day.
Blog/Business Goals
8.
Practice my talks for the Hearts At Home Conference.9.
Work on my talks for the Teach Them Diligently Nashville Conference.10. Write three content pieces for my blog.
This Week’s Goals:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1. 
2. Write a love note to Jesse.
3. Blog about the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge.
4. Have an at-home movie date with Jesse.
Personal Goals
5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-28.
6. Exercise four times.
7. Finish reading I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t), The Antelope in the Living Room, Fifteen Minutes, Debt-Free Living in a Debt-Filled World, and In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day.
8. Drink 8 glasses of water every day.
Blog/Business Goals.
9. Finish tweaking my talks for the Teach Them Diligently Nashville Conference.
10. Write three content pieces for my blog.
How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives! You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.
Graciously Saved shows us how to make 12 Easy Paleo-ish Crock Pot Meals in just 3 hours!
For more Crockpot Freezer Cooking ideas, check out the following links:
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 11 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 and make a list of weekly goals. I’ll post my goals for this week later 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 quickly pick up your house and put things back into order after the weekend. If your house looks like mine, you might need to spend longer than 15 minutes.
::Clean out your silverware drawer. Remove all items, vacuum out the crumbs with your vacuum’s attachment, wipe down the drawer with a damp cloth, get rid of anything you don’t need or no longer use, and then put everything you’re keeping back into the drawer in an organized manner.
::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.
It was a great day at the Hearts at Home conference! I loved getting to meet many of you there — and can’t wait to meet many more of you tomorrow.
Here are a few pictures from when I did the Assignment #10 projects earlier this week…
Cleaning the ceiling fans…
…and the light fixtures.
And the final batch of items from our homeschooling bins to get rid of.
How you do on Assignment #10? 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.
