Saving Families Money Since 2007
Mary Ellen over at Whisk Together has a very informative and detailed post on how she lost 33 pounds and has kept it off for 3 years. To do so, she only spent $30 extra out of pocket.
Visit her blog for all the details on the plan she put together and how she made it work, even when she has young children.
Target Shopping Trip
Transaction #1
We were almost out of Advil so I had to take advantage of the deal going on this week. I decided to use my gift card on a few other deals going on as well.
3 Advil (24 ct) – $3.49 each, used 3 $1/1 coupon from the 6/29 RedPlum insert – $2.49 each after coupon
Total with tax ($0.39): $7.86, Received $5 Target gift card (for buying 3 Advil)
Transaction #2
2 Rice Krispies Treats Blasted – $2.04 each, used 50% off Cartwheel coupon – $1.04 each after coupon (My hubby was more than thrilled about this purchase!)
1 Up&Up Hydrogen Peroxide – $0.97, used $1/1 Target mobile coupon (text OFFERS to 827438) – Free after coupon
1 Peroxi-Clear Contact Solution – $5.21, used 60% off Cartwheel coupon AND $1.50/1 coupon from the 6/15 SmartSource insert – $0.58 after coupons
2 Up&Up Bath and Body Wash – $1.50 each, used $2/2 Target printable – $0.50 each after coupon (We go through this stuff SO fast at our house!)
Used $5 Target gift card from Transaction #1
Total with tax: $0.00 (and I still have $1.01 left on my gift card!)
Total for both transactions before coupons and gift card: $25.11
Total for both transactions after coupons and gift card: $7.86, plus $1.01 left on gift card
Looking for some new Busy Bag ideas? Check out this round-up of 8 different ideas over on Mother’s Niche.
Find more Busy Bag ideas here.
Not too long ago, I posted this picture on Instagram of my friend, Tam, and me. Here’s what I posted with the picture:
This is my new dear friend and neighbor @tamhodge — she and her family have been direct gifts from God to our family as we settle in TN. They’ve loved on us, brought us food, watched our kids, made us cookies, listened to us, made us salsa, laughed with us, prayed for us, introduced us to many of their friends, and been the hands and feet of Jesus in this big transition. We had fun going to get manicures today with a gift card I had! It’s amazing how close you can feel to someone you just met last month! #humblyblessed
There was so much beauty in this picture to me. Not only was it a fun memory together, but the gift of friendship that this woman has been to me just made my heart feel like it might burst with gratitude and joy.
And then, within a few minutes after I’d posted the picture, someone I didn’t know posted a comment on the picture asking, “Do you bite your fingernails?”
Immediately, it felt like the wind had been knocked out of my sails. Because, you see, I have been biting my fingernails. And I was ashamed.
I’ve mostly kicked my childhood nail-biting habit, but it creeps up again when I’m going through an anxious period in my life.
While the move to TN has been so good, there have been some hard parts about it, too. And all this processing and adjusting has brought on anxiety and, yes, my nail-biting habit.
For years, I’ve been embarrassed not only of my nail-biting habit, but also that I struggle with anxiety at times. I wish I didn’t have what feels like silly fears and dumb habits. Why can’t I just get my act together already?
I’ve often beat myself up and felt like a loser and a failure in these areas. And while I’ll commit to breaking a habit or not feeling anxious over things, my best-laid plans don’t always pan out.
So when that commenter asked, “Do you bite your fingernails?”, I felt like someone had just called me out for being a loser.*
And it bothered me a lot.
All of a sudden, I couldn’t see any of the beautiful things about that beautiful picture with Tam. All I could see were my too-short nails and the fact that I had this bad habit I couldn’t break.
Truthfully, I wanted to delete the photo from Instagram. But I went to talk to my husband about it instead.
I told him I was sure I was being ridiculous, but the comment stung hard.
As we talked about it more, though, I started realizing what it was: I don’t like people drawing attention to my weaknesses and struggles. It makes me feel less-than and not enough.
But yet, we all have weaknesses… that’s what makes us uniquely us. I can cover up my weaknesses and try to pretend that they don’t exist or I can be honest about them and work on them.
As I told you earlier this week, I really want to be authentic here. I don’t want you to think that I have it all figured out or that I have all my ducks in a row. Because I don’t.
We’re all in this together. We’re all learning and growing. We all have struggles. We all have habits we need to break. Pretending we don’t have messes or struggles only does a disservice to ourselves — and to others.
So I left the picture on Instagram and even posted it in a blog post. Because I don’t want to wear a badge of shame over my short-comings.
I’m not, nor will I ever be, proud that I have a nail-biting habit. And I’m still holding out hope that someday I can break it once and for all.
But in the mean time, I’m grateful that I’m learning that it’s okay to be honest about my struggles and short-comings. In fact, it’s not just okay; it’s good.
The truth is: I’d rather be honest and authentic and disappoint some people, than to exhaust myself trying to keep up a facade of perfection.
*Please Note: This post is not about judging an individual who left a comment, but about lessons I learned from that comment. I don’t know what the intent of the commenter was and they probably didn’t mean it in any way to shame or call attention to my short-comings. It was probably just a question they asked out of curiosity. However, I deleted the comment in order to protect the commenter’s identity. (Also: I don’t even remember what the person’s name was, so if it was you, know that I have absolutely zero hard feelings against you! :))
Do you have any tips for saving money on food when you’re never home? I’m spending too much on food while I’m out! -a reader
I was asked the above question on Twitter recently and I thought it was an excellent question — and there was no way I could respond to it in 140 characters. So I promised the reader I’d respond in a post.
Here are some of my thoughts:
This might seem like an unnecessary step, but I think it’s very important to consider. Are you always gone because you have to be (i.e. you have a very demanding job or multiple jobs that you need to have in order to pay the bills) or are you always gone because you choose to be (you’ve accepted a lot of extra commitments and responsibilities you don’t have to do, but you want to do or you feel like you have to do out of a sense of obligation or guilt)?
These are vital questions to ask ourselves. Do you love your life? If not, what small steps can you take to start changing it so you have more breathing room, more down time, and more time to be at home?
Could you downsize your home and lifestyle and work hard to pay off all your debt so that you could lower your expenses and take a less demanding job? Could you cut out a few of your extra commitments or scale back in some other way?
In most cases, we have more control over our situation than we realize. But we have to be willing to say no, to make sacrifices, and to set clear boundaries. And then we have to abide by these things, even when it’s tough. In the long run, it will be worth it!
It would be fantastic if you could plan a weekly menu at the beginning of each week, but if your schedule is constantly changing and you’re not sure how the week will pan out, get into the habit of making a daily menu plan instead.
At the start of each day, look at your calendar and to-do list and make a simple plan for what you’re going to eat that day. Then, while you eat breakfast or before you leave for the day, take a few minutes to gather up a few snack items to take with you on the road, make a cup of coffee for yourself for the road, make a sandwich or two for your lunch and dinner, and fill up a big bottle with ice water or iced tea.
Taking 10-15 minutes to put together a plan and then putting together some food and drink items could easily save you $10 to $20 or more each day… and I think that’s well worth the 10 or 15 minutes of time it will take! As an added benefit, you’ll probably end up eating a little healthier, too.
On the weekends or any time during the week when you have an extra 30 minutes, invest that time into making some on-the-go meals and snacks. Here are a few ideas, most that can be prepped ahead of time:
The drive-thru lane is quick, easy, and expensive. It’s also usually not a very healthful option.
If you’re out and about and you really need something to eat and didn’t have a chance to plan ahead, consider going to the grocery store instead. If you have access to a refrigerator and kitchen at your workplace, you could buy a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and a jar of jelly or buy a bag of salad greens and a rotisserie chicken from the deli.
Buying groceries might cost you a little more than it would cost you to go through the drive-thru lane once, but they’d give you enough food for lunch for at least 3-4 days. Just store the leftovers in the fridge at work and you’ll have lunch for the next few days.
I also encourage you to plan ahead: buy some items you can keep in your desk drawer or fridge at work. Stock your purse and glove compartment of your car with snacks. Keep a cooler with some snack foods in the fridge at home that you can just grab on your way out the door if you end up needing to run out unexpectedly for a few hours.
It takes a little bit of time to plan ahead like this, but when you calculate how much you’ll save in dollars and calories, it will make that little bit of time investment every bit worth it!
Readers: what are your tips and suggestions for this reader? How do those of you who aren’t home a lot save money on food? I’d love to hear!
Aldi
1 Cantaloupe – $1.49
1 pkg Carrots – $0.99
1 Vegetable Oil – $2.29
3 Cucumbers – $0.59 each
2 pkg Strawberries – $0.99 each
1 pkg Cherries – $1.49
1 pkg Cream Cheese – $1.29
1 pkg Celery – $1.19
1 pkg Rice Cakes – $1.29
1 pkg Blueberries – $1.49
Total (with tax): $16.36
Walmart
I rarely shop at Walmart but couldn’t resist the price of these fabric softeners.
2 Final Touch Fabric Softeners – $2.48 each, used 2 $2/1 printable (no longer available) – $0.48 each after coupons
Total with tax ($0.06): $1.02
DillonsItems a part of the Mega Sale:
2 Breyers Ice Cream – $2.99 each, used 2 $1.50/1 printable (no longer available) – $1.49 each after coupons
4 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Pasta – $0.49 each, used 2 $1/2 printable – Free after coupons
4 Hefty Storage Bags – $0.99 each, used 2 $1/2 printable – $0.49 each after coupon
2 Kraft Cheese – $2.29, used $2/2 catalina coupon – $1.29 each after coupon
Other Items:
1 Lettuce – $0.99
2 lbs Ground Beef – $1.99 each
1 Green Pepper – $0.99
1.53 lbs Bananas @ $0.59/lb – $0.90
0.67 lbs Broccoli @ $1.59/lb – $1.07
Total before coupons and sales: $46.66
Total with tax ($1.75) after coupons and sales: $17.16
Total for all items: $34.54
Cereal, Toast, Smoothies, French Toast Roll-Ups (Don’t these look amazing?!? I saw the recipe on Pinterest and knew immediately I had to try it.)
Peanut Butter & Jelly on Rice Cakes, Tuna Sandwiches, Tossed Salad, Fruit/Veggies/Cheese, Baked Potatoes and Steamed Broccoli
Salad Bar, Sliced Cantaloupe
Hamburgers (My parents gave us a huge box of frozen hamburger patties last week!), Homemade French Fries, Green Beans, Grapes
Savory Crescent Chicken Pockets, Tossed Salad
Grilled Pizza, Steamed Broccoli
Meat Potato Quiche, Biscuits, Fruit Salad
Pancakes, Eggs, Sliced Cantaloupe
Double Date Night with our friends 🙂
Last night, we were getting ready to leave for our weekly Meaty Mondays get-together (a local gathering here of 6-8 families — each family brings meat for the grill and side or dessert to share). We were planning to bring corn on the cob and Jesse was going to roast it in the oven (he makes this delicious recipe that everyone loves!).
Well, he pulled the corn on the cob out and realized that some of it was moldy. Yuck!
So I quickly scanned the fridge looking for a Plan B. I saw we had a package of cream cheese I’d purchased for another recipe a few weeks back that I hadn’t ended up making. And I saw we had peanut butter and two bags of apples that we’d just bought at the store this week.
That’s when I remembered this yummy Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Apple Dip that I used to make way back when. For a few years, it was one of our go-to recipes when we hosted guests or needed to bring a side dish somewhere.
I’m not sure when the recipe sort of fell by the wayside at our house, but I figured it was high time I resurrected it. Especially since I needed a side dish in a jiffy last night and wasn’t coming up with a lot of other quick and easy options.
It ended up being the hit recipe last night… and I decided I’ll likely be making it a lot more often. I love that it’s fairly inexpensive (all the ingredients can be purchased at ALDI — which is always a plus!), serves a crowd, and always gets rave reviews.
Plus, the recipe is very forgiving. Last night, I didn’t measure at all. I just dumped some ingredients in a bowl, stirred, taste-tested, and added a few more ingredients until it was “just right”.
Here’s the basic recipe I work from:
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl with beaters until smooth. Add more milk or sugar, if needed.
Serve with sliced apples… or just eat it plain. 😉
Oh and I just have to share this picture from last night. My friend, Tam, was getting her food while I was getting mine. And then she looked at our plates and just started laughing. Yup… we might just have a teeny bit of different tastes in food. 😉
Guest post from Deanna of From this Kitchen Table
I live in Oklahoma. Our summers can be pretty miserable, but my children aren’t happy with spending the hottest months of the year cooped up in the house.
In an effort to save my sanity, I have 10 free ways to beat the heat with kids during those hot months:
Take your kids to Story Time which often includes a few songs and a craft, and then let them check out a pile of new (to them) books and maybe a movie or two. Not only will you kill a couple hours, you come home with supplies that will keep them entertained.
Our library also shows a movie once a week and has special performances for kids during the summer! Call and ask what they have going on or pick up a printed calendar.
Okay, I know sitting outside in the 100 degree heat isn’t high on your list of fun. It isn’t on mine either. Avoid the hottest times of the day and let your kids enjoy the water while you sit and read a book on the covered benches.
You can’t really beat air conditioning and space to run! When you need to get out of the house during the hottest time of the day, turn to indoor recreation. Let your kids climb and slide without worrying about sun burn.
Once again, I know it’s summer and it’s hot — but go early early in the day. Have a breakfast picnic at the park and let your kids swing and play before the sun heats up the play structure. An added bonus is that you’ll usually miss most of the crowds.
During the summer, our local theater has free showings of a film for kids one day a week. What a cheap way for your kids to experience going to a theater. You could even use it for a testing ground to see if you’d want to go to a paid movie with your toddler.
Our local bookstore is one of my 3-year-old’s favorite places! We normally have to pry her away when it’s time to leave. Not only do they have tons of books (including used ones), they also have a great toy selection and a train table set up for kids to use.
Again, plan your visit for first thing in the morning or shortly before dusk. To make it even more fun, you could plan for a breakfast picnic or eat dessert on your beach towels watching the sun set.
Check your city’s calendar for community events. Many places will have free family activities periodically. Our County Fair has no fee for admission and the local Christian radio station puts on a big event for kids every summer.
Occasionally, you’ll find restaurants that have freebies. You can print off a coupon for each person in your family, if they are required, load up the car and head to the drive thru or inside of the restaurant.
I’ve seen coupons for free ice cream cones, French fries, pancakes, and onion rings. A&W gives away free floats on National Root Beer Float Day and Chick-Fil-A has Cow Appreciation Day.
Home Depot has a Kids’ Workshop once a month and Lowe’s has Kids’ Clinics twice a month. It’s a fun way to spend a Saturday morning and your children will come away with a wood project they are proud to have hammered and put together.
What are your favorite free things to do in the summer?
Deanna, a wife and mother, attempts to balance frugality, (semi) natural living, lack of time and sleep while trying to follow what the Lord wants for her life. She enjoys dark chocolate, BBC mini series, good books, and spending weekends at home. She blogs at From this Kitchen Table.
I read Carry On, Warrior over the weekend. It was laugh-out-loud funny and also gut-honest. While I can’t really highly recommend it because I disagreed a great deal with Glennon’s theology on life and religion, it really challenged me in my writing as a blogger.
You see, I’ve not been dishonest as a blogger, but I’ve held back a LOT over the past few years. And it was 100% out of fear.
As this blog has grown, so have the critics. While you can definitely grow thicker skin, that doesn’t keep you from being human and being hurt by the negativity.
Everyday, there are negative comments and emails from people who are disgruntled with me, with this blog, and with my life in general. It’s the sad reality of today’s online world.
Three and a half years ago the negativity escalated to a point where I wanted to shut the blog completely down and go dark.
What happened? Well, two people whom I considered to be long-time friends and with whom I had shared personal things, posted very hurtful things about me and my family in a public forum.
Since they did so anonymously, at first, I didn’t know who they were. I just knew (based upon the details they shared) that these people knew me personally.
And let me tell you, that’s hard. It’s difficult when you wonder if it’s your friend at church, a relative, someone in your neighborhood. When you don’t know, it’s hard not to hold everyone up as suspect.
As time marched on and they continued to publicly criticize, I slowly narrowed it down until I knew exactly who the two people were. But they didn’t know I knew… and they still continued to act like my friends in our personal interactions.
Which put me in a really awkward place. And also caused me to feel scared in every relationship. Was this person just pretending to be my friend so she could then go and criticize me behind my back to someone else or somewhere online? Did I even have any true friends?
It was a lonely time in my life. It hurt a lot. And it made me seriously reconsider blogging.
It’s one thing to be criticized by a nameless, faceless person who leaves an anonymous comment. It’s another thing entirely to have someone you thought was your friend mocking and criticizing you in a public forum.
Why was it that this blog that I love so much also opens up the door for every part of my life to be publicly scrutinized? Why can’t people just focus on bettering their lives instead of picking apart other people’s lives?
I wanted to run from it. I wanted to pack it all up, take it down, and go hide somewhere far away from everyone but my family. I wish I were stronger than that and could just let it all roll off my back, but I wasn’t.
Thanks to my husband and my mom’s encouragement and the grace of God, I kept blogging. But I kind of went into a shell. I stopped sharing a lot of personal details about our life. I stopped feeling free to share my heart.
I held back out of fear. Fear of criticism. Fear of ridicule. Fear of what others would think.
Reading Glennon’s book really challenged me. In the past two years, I’ve been working hard at being authentic in my real-life relationships and it’s been a beautiful thing. I’ve experienced much deeper and real friendships — and have been so blessed by it!
I want to be real and authentic and honest as a blogger, too. I’ve been so encouraged by your response to me recently bringing back more personal posts. And you’ve encouraged me to be brave and open up even more in the coming weeks and months.
No longer do I want to hold back from sharing things on my heart because of fear of being criticized or what people will think. It’s exhausting and unfulfilling!
Yes, not everything needs to be shared online and some things are better left unsaid, but I’m committing to you, my readers, that I am no longer going to hold back from posting something or sharing something just because I’m scared a few people might criticize it.
I’m done with living under the bondage of being a people-pleaser and ready to start living with boldness and bravery! Today.
One of my goals for 2014 is to focus on my health. It’s easy to let our health take a back burner to everything else on our to-do list. But as I share in my new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, I’ve experienced what happens when you put your health last… and it’s not pretty!
With this in mind, I’m committed to making my health even more of a priority this year. And I’d love to have you join me for the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge.
We’re be focusing on one challenge area each month — all with the goal of being in a healthier place as a person by the end of next year. My hope is that as we work on instilling one new healthy habit each month, they won’t just be month-long challenges, but lifelong changes.
12 Months to a Healthier You Focus Areas for 2014
Here are the focus areas I’ve planned out for 2014:
January: Exercise Regularly
February: Eat More Fresh Fruits & Veggies
March: Drink More Water
April: Cut Back on Sugar
May: Get More Rest
June: Create a Morning Routine
July: Read More
August: Go to Bed Earlier
September: Declutter Your Home
October: Cut Back on Caffeine
November: Keep a Gratitude Journal
December: Simplify & Say No
At the beginning of the month, I’ll introduce the focus area and encourage you to set a small goal for that specific area and I’ll share my goals.
Then, every Friday, I’ll have a check-in post where I’ll encourage you to share your progress & struggles and I’ll share mine, as well. If you want to blog about your progress, I’ll include a link-up at the end of the post so you can share your blog posts on this challenge.
In addition to the Friday check-ins, I’ll also probably share a few posts and guest posts on the monthly topics each month, along with sharing about related books, resources, or websites that I’ve found helpful.
Are you on social media? You can also share your progress on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter by using hashtag #12MonthstoaHealthierYou.
My Goals for Reading More in July
I grow and learn so much through the books I read — which is why I included this as part of the 12 Months to a Healthier You challenge. I think filling our mind with good things can transform our whole life — from the inside out.
My goal in July is to read at least 20 books. I really want to hit my goal of 150 books read this year — and I’m only at 50 books read so far, so I really need to step up my game if I’m going to hit that goal. I looked at my schedule and decided in July I was going to try an experiment: I’m going to try keeping my computer completely off from 2 p.m. until at least after dinner time and use that afternoon time for doing fun things with my kids, reading to my kids, catching up on laundry/housework, and getting in some reading. We’ll see how this goes. 🙂
I’m also hoping to keep up with January’s habit of exercising at least 4-5 times every week, February’s goal of eating a big salad at least six times a week, March’s goal of drinking 8 glasses of water a day, April’s goal of cutting back on sugar, and May’s goal of getting at least 7.5 hours of sleep every night, and June’s goal of having a more consistent morning routine.
Will you be joining me for this July Challenge? If so, leave a comment letting us know you’re planning to join and what your Reading More goal will be for this month.
Good morning! After a restful and invigorating five days back in Kansas celebrating the Fourth of July and time with both of our extended families, I’m glad to be home and back to regular blogging again.
It’s always nice to take a break… but I miss you all so much when I’m offline. In fact, my brain feels like it just might explode with post ideas. So expect to see lots of writing from me over the next week! 🙂
I’m headed to Chicago later this week to speak at FlameFest. I’m especially excited because I’ll be keynoting the Friday evening FlameFest Ball. How fun is that?! I’ll try to get a few pictures to share with you next week.
Because we just got back from being out of town for most of last week and because I’m leaving again on Thursday through Saturday, I’m keeping this week simple again and just sticking with six goals.
Last week’s goals:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1. Start a new read-aloud with the kids.
2. Have a movie night with Jesse.Personal Goals
3. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-32.
4. Exercise 4 times.
5. Go to bed by 10:30 p.m. every week night.
6. Finish reading Breathe, I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t),
The Measure of Success,The Nesting Place,Carry On, Warrior,After the Boxes Are Unpacked, and The Traitor’s Wife.
This Week’s Goals:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1. Start a new read-aloud with the kids.
2. Have a movie night with Jesse.
Personal Goals
3. Exercise 4 times.
4. Go to bed by 10:30 p.m. every week night.
5. Finish reading Breathe, I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t), and The Traitor’s Wife.
Business Goals
6. Tweak my presentations/slides for FlameFest.
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.
Guest post from Jennifer from Multicultural Marriage
My husband and I welcomed our first child last year. One of the best things we did beforehand was to consider how we’d save money on all the new expenses while still providing the best possible care for our baby.
While you can’t plan for everything, here are eight ways I found helpful in cutting costs:
While you’re pregnant, ask other moms what items they found most useful (and what they didn’t need). For example, I made nursing pillows a “nice-to-have” and found I didn’t need them after all.
You can save a lot of money through registries (see a few ideas in this post).
Bonus tip: Extend your actual due date by a few months so you can keep using your registries after your child is born. Change items as needed, and use coupons and discounts as long as you can! Also, think of future expenses such as high chairs and potties.
We just passed the one-year milestone and have bought fewer than five toys, even though our house is flooded with them!
Friends and family (especially grandparents!) may exceed your expectations in this area. Restrain yourself — close your eyes as you pass that insanely cute onesie on sale! — until you’re certain it won’t come as a gift.
Instead of a PPO plan, we chose a cheaper HMO plan that cost hundreds, not thousands, of dollars for a hospital delivery. For those interested, midwives or birthing centers may be even cheaper if they’re eligible for coverage.
If this is an option, I heartily recommend it. It makes mom and baby feel more connected, it helps you lose baby weight, it’s healthier, and it’s a whole lot cheaper!
If I had time, I tried to compare prices (especially on big-ticket items) using the Internet first, then consignment, then in-store. Our car seat and stroller were cheaper in-store, but the crib was cheaper in consignment. Meanwhile, our high chair was cheapest online with a store coupon.
It’s not the most glamorous job to clean cloth diapers, but saving hundreds of dollars (along with all the other reasons I wanted cloth diapers) may help you swallow a little easier on each trip to the toilet. Also, helping the environment is a bonus!
From changing pad liners to cloth diapers to nursing bra pads, reusable items are some of your best friends. They may cost more up front, but they’ll save you big bucks by the end of the first year… or even the first month.
These are just a few of the ways we saved on our first baby… however I’d love to hear from you!
What have you found most effective for inexpensive baby care?
Jennifer (blogging at Multicultural Marriage and @multiculturalm on Twitter) is all about celebrating and supporting multicultural families. She and her husband live in the U.S. with their first child, a daughter, who is (in their opinion) the cutest baby on the planet.
Guest post from Crystal of Serving Joyfully
A couple of summers ago, our hot water heater went out. I made a quick online transfer so we could pay $400 cash for the new water heater and delivery — and we had the new one that same day.
It was nice to have that money set aside in our emergency fund… but it wouldn’t always have been that easy. We are a single-income family with a very tight budget. At one time in our marriage, an unexpected expense of $400+ would have been a disaster.
We weren’t horribly irresponsible, but we did use a line of credit as our “emergency plan.” So, how did we finally give ourselves that emergency cushion?
At some point, the light bulb finally went on for us and we saw that we should save up something instead of relying on a line of credit. Admittedly, this wasn’t easy. Like I said, we live paycheck-to-paycheck on a very tight budget.
But, since we made it a priority, we could save a bit here and a bit there until it eventually seemed to add up.
There are hundreds of ways to save money here, or earn money there. But if you aren’t committed to it, you won’t make them work.
“If you want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”
There are plenty of excuses for not saving up that money — you won’t even have to look for them. But, if you’re committed, there are also plenty of ways to reach the goal.
When tax time comes, our refund goes to pay down debt or beef up our emergency fund instead of spending it on something like a big screen TV or a family vacation. Is this fun? Not so much. But, because of these boring choices, when expenses come up, we’re now in a better position to handle them instead of worrying about them.
That peace of mind is worth way more than a big screen TV.
If you’re struggling to set up your emergency fund, here are two tips that helped us.
Don’t waste your hard work on “emergencies” like forgetting to thaw out meat for dinner or overspending. If your emergency fund becomes that kind of cushion, it will be far too easy to keep taking out without replenishing. (Ask me how I know!).
Your emergency might look different than mine, and that’s okay as long as you are consistent. We don’t have a lot of wiggle room in our budget, so our emergency fund only covers unexpected expenses that are non-negotiable.
When you’re first starting out, be prepared for some discouragement. For a long time, it felt like every time we got started on our emergency fund, we would have some sort of setback.
If we saved up $75, we’d have a $100 problem with the air conditioner. If we got up to $500, we’d have a $400 car repair.
It can be discouraging, but just remember, those problems would happen with or without your emergency fund to cover them.
Since we are Christians, I have learned to look at those things as just another way that God provides our daily bread. He doesn’t promise that we’ll know where the provision is coming from forever, but He makes a way right now, and for us that sometimes looks like saving up just enough money to cover the next disaster.
What creative ideas or tips do you have for funding your emergency fund on a tight budget?
Crystal Brothers blogs at Serving Joyfully where she shares about her debt-free journey, frugal living, marriage, and the adventures of homeschooling her two rambunctious boys. She is the author of Intentional Marriage: A 31-Day Devotional to love your husband well.
Erin emailed in the following:
I always take the surveys on receipts that offer an entry into a giveaway, no matter which store they are from — Walgreens, Dillons, Hy-Vee, Walmart, etc. I figured it would have to pay off someday, but didn’t actually think that I’d ever win anything.
Lo and behold, I won a $500 Hy-Vee gift card! I received an email, then a call from the store, and I picked up the gift card last week. It’s legit! And Hy-Vee even threw in flowers and balloons!
So keep taking those receipt surveys. It is absolutely worth it! -Erin
Have you ever won anything exciting by entering giveaways?
Aldi
I’m supposed to bring fruit to 2 get-togethers this week so I took advantage of Aldi’s great prices on strawberries and blueberries this week!
1 Split Top Wheat Bread – $0.99
5 pkg Strawberries – $0.99 each
2 pkg Blueberries – $1.49 each
1 pkg Red Grapes – $2.89
1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $1.19
1 pkg (16 oz) Shredded Cheese – $3.69
1 Rice Cakes – $1.29
1 lb Butter – $2.69
1 can Refried Beans – $0.79
Total: $22.74
Dillons1 Vanilla Extract – $4.99 (I normally don’t use vanilla extract when a recipe calls for it because it’s too expensive to keep on hand. However, I am making food for other people this week so I thought I should probably use it for that.) 🙂
1 Kroger Powdered Sugar – $1.49
4 pkg (3 lbs each) Tyson Frozen Chicken Breasts – $4.99 each (I always stock up on frozen chicken breasts when I can get it for this price. This will last us for several weeks.)
2.10 lbs Bananas @ $0.59/lb – $1.24
1 bag Kroger Flour – $1.79
1 Green Pepper – $0.99
1 Lettuce – $0.99
1 Kroger Bath Tissue – $2.99
1 gallon Milk – $2.99
Items a part of the Mega Sale (Buy 6, Get $3 off instantly):
4 Hefty Freezer Bags – $0.99 each, used 2 $1/2 coupon from the 5/18 RedPlum insert – $0.49 each after coupons
4 Speedstick Deodorant – $0.89 each, used 2 $0.50/1 printable and 2 $0.50/1 coupon from the 6/15 SmartSource insert – $0.39 each after coupon
4 Ronzoni Pasta – $0.49 each, used 2 $1/2 printable – Free after coupon
Total before sales and coupons: $99.94
Total after sales and coupons: $40.80
Total for all grocery items: $63.54
Cereal, Fruit, Smoothies, Cinnamon Rolls (for a special July 4th breakfast), Banana Muffins
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Cheese Quesadillas, Fruit/Veggies/Banana Muffins, Baked Potatoes & Broccoli, Rice Cakes with Peanut Butter
Chicken Fajitas, Grapes
Dinner at my parent’s house (I’m bringing a fruit salad.)
“Boy’s Night Out” (My hubby and son will eat out while I spend the evening with some of my girlfriends – I’m bringing fruit.)
Spaghetti, Biscuits, Green Beans, Tossed Salad
Southwestern Roll-Ups, Steamed Broccoli, Peaches (from my canning last fall)
Grilled Chicken, 30-Minute Rolls, Tossed Salad
Leftovers
