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Shared Sep 25, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s Walgreens Shopping Trip: $34.60 worth of products for $5.99 out of pocket

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Gretchen’s Walgreens Shopping Trip: $34.60 worth of products for $5.99 out of pocket

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

Walgreens Shopping Trip

Transaction #1

3 Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste – $3 each
Used $2/3 coupon from the 9/1 P&G insert

Used $3 Register Rewards from last shopping trip

Total with tax ($0.64): $4.64, Received $5 Register Rewards

Transaction #2

1 Schick Quattro Razor – $8.99
Used $4/1 printable

Mini Highlighter – $0.29 (filler item)

Used $5 Register Rewards from Transaction #1

Total with tax ($0.66): $0.94, Received $3 Register Rewards

Transaction #3

2 Mitchum or Lady Mitchum – $2 each
Use 2 $1/1 coupon from the 8/18 SmartSource insert

Mini Highlighter – $0.29 (filler item)

1 Tweezer – $0.39 (filler item)

1 Nail Filer – $0.39 (filler item)

Used $3 Register Rewards from Transaction #3

Total with tax ($0.36): $0.41, Received 1,000 Balance Reward Points (like $1)

Total for all transactions before coupons, sales and Register Rewards: $34.60

Total for all transactions after coupons, sales and Register Rewards: $5.99

This will redefine your idea of what "balance" looks like as a mom and business owner! GREAT read!!
Shared Sep 24, 2013 comment

How to Balance Motherhood & Blogging

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How to Balance Motherhood & Blogging

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

This will redefine your idea of what "balance" looks like as a mom and business owner! GREAT read!!

It was 2009. My third baby had just been born. I was beginning “official” homeschooling with my five-year-old, my two-year-old was potty-training, my husband’s law firm was still getting off the ground, I was battling postpartum depression, and this blog had mushroomed into something far beyond what I’d envisioned requiring hours of effort each week to run.

Everything felt out of whack. I was overworked, overwhelmed, and exhausted — and I wasn’t doing a good job of being a wife, mom, homeschooler, homemaker, or a blogger. In addition, my health was suffering a great deal from the strain and fatigue of trying to juggle it all.

I knew something had to give… but what? I kept telling myself that if I just got more organized, pushed harder, and slept less I’d be able to find a way to do it all.

However, a better schedule, more productivity, or shorter nights wasn’t the magical fix. In fact, it was the exact opposite: I desperately needed to do less, have more margin in my schedule, and get more sleep at night.

It took me a few more months — and getting to the end of my rope physically and emotionally — for me to wake up to the fact that I needed to do an extreme paring down of my responsibilities in order to reclaim my health, find breathing room in my day, and start enjoying life more.

Thanks to my husband’s gentle yet persistent prodding, I finally accepted that I’m not superwoman, relinquished many things on my plate, and brought on some help. Since then, I have come to a beautiful place where I am enjoying both motherhood and blogging.

I’m not going to tell you that it’s always easy — because it’s not. In fact, I’ve worked harder and been stretched further in the last few years than I ever envisioned I was capable of. At the same time, though, I’m invigorated and energized by the responsibilities on my plate, instead of being drained and exhausted by them.

What brought about the change? Well, here are four things:

1. I’m Embracing My Callings

Writing is my passion. I can’t not write. It’s how I process things and it’s richly cathartic to me. If you left me on a desert island and I had no laptop, no paper, and no pen, I’m pretty positive I’d find a stick and start writing in the sand. It’s in my blood.

Despite this, for years, I shied away from admitting that God had called me to be both writer and mom. I guess I was scared that I’d be judged or something if I openly made it known that I was both. That someone might think less of me as a mom if mothering wasn’t all I did.

When I finally owned the fact that I’m a writer through and through and a mom through and through, it changed my whole approach to life. I stopped living in fear and shying away from what God has called me to. Instead, I wholeheartedly jumped into this journey and determined to figure out how to do both well.

2. I’ve Changed My Definition of “Healthy Balance”

The longer I do this dance of blogging and motherhood, the more I’ve come to believe that the notion of “perfect balance” is a misnomer. At any given time, something in your life is going to be requiring more time and energy, be it the baby who is teething, the friend who is going through a crisis, the child who is sick, the writing deadline that is looming, or the blog host that is down.

When my husband and I attended one of Dave Ramsey’s EntreLeadership events, Dave confirmed this to me by saying that we should test whether or not we have balance in our lives by viewing how much time we’ve devoted to each area of priority in our life over the course of a year — not the course of a day or week.

There are going to be days when the blog gets shelved for playing in the snow or caring for a sick child or reaching out to a needy friend. In the same way, it’s also okay if your kids occasionally have a PJ & Movie Saturday or you have your husband pick up carryout for dinner because you were holed up finishing a writing project.

When you have a healthy balance, blogging can bless your family and energize you as a mom. When things are out of balance, a pretty good indicator is that your blog will feel like a burden, or conversely, your mothering responsibilities will feel like a burden. When either of these happen, the best thing is to take a step back, reevaluate your responsibilities, and see what needs to change or be let go of altogether.

3. I’ve Delegated and Dumped Dozens of Responsibilities

I believe wholeheartedly that delegation and dumping are the keys to success as a business owner and blogger. Your blog can control you or you can control your blog.

When you make the choice to be the one dictating your blogging schedule and responsibilities, it’s going to mean saying “no”. You can’t be at everyone else’s beck and call. You can’t chase after every new idea. You can’t experiment with every new blogging widget or plugin.

You’ve gotta set your foot down, create boundaries, and just say “no”. That doesn’t always mean you say “no” to everything and that doesn’t always mean that you say “no” every time. But it does mean that you realize that you are the one calling the shots. If an opportunity or idea is going to put extra strain on your home and family, you are the boss and you have the final say.

It’s easy to forget this and start feeling obligated to people and projects. Before committing to something, ask yourself a few hard questions like:

  • “When am I going to find the time to do this?”
  • “Is this going to take time and effort away from my most important priorities?”
  • “Could I delegate this project to someone else?”
  • “What is going to be the return on my investment of time?”

Never commit to something without careful consideration. I promise that you won’t regret it.

4. I’m Learning to Give Myself Grace

You might be able to juggle a lot of things and do a good job of it, but you aren’t nor will you ever be superwoman. You need margin and breathing room in your life. If you aren’t intentional about creating space in your schedule, it will become overrun with seeming must-do’s before you know it.

One of the best things I’ve done is to take Sundays completely off from anything blog related. Many weeks, I keep my phone and computer turned off from Saturday night until Monday morning. This weekly 24 hours of unplugging recharges and refreshes me.

In addition, I’m setting the bar lower when it comes to what I expect of myself. It’s wonderful to challenge myself, but it’s also important to realize that I’m never going to get everything done. There will always be another project that needs to be completed.

Instead of beating myself up over how far I have left to go, I’m learning to focus on being excited about the progress I’m making. Because moving forward — even at a microscopic rate — is still moving forward.

Adapted from my foreword to Blog-at-Home Mom; used with permission


Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 24, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: $34.68 worth of products for $6.24 out of pocket

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Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: $34.68 worth of products for $6.24 out of pocket

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

Target Shopping Trip

Transaction #1

2 Infant’s Advil – $4.99, used 2 $1.50/1 printable – $3.49 each after coupons

Used leftover amount on Target gift card from last week’s shopping trip ($1.10)

Total with tax ($0.36): $6.24, Received $5 Target gift card for buying 2 Advil products

Transaction #2

4 Heat-N-Go Mini Pancakes – $0.99 each, used 2 Buy One Get One Free printable – $0.49 each after coupons

2 Plum Organics Baby Food – $1.29 each, used 2 $1/1 printable – $0.29 each after coupons

2 Lindt Chocolate – $2.79 each, used 2 $2/1 printable AND 2 $1/1 Target printable – Free after coupons

1 GE Light Bulbs – $2.79, used $2/1 catalina coupon (printed for me last week) – $0.79 after coupon

3 Gillette Shaving Gel – $1.99 each, used $6/3 coupon from the 8/11 RedPlum insert – Free after coupon

1 Huggies Baby Wipes – $1.97, used $0.50/1 coupon from the 9/22 SmartSource insert AND $1/1 Target mobile coupon (Text HUGGIES to 827438) – $0.47 after coupons

Used $5 gift card from Transaction #1

Free after gift card

Total for both transactions before coupons and gift cards: $34.68

Total for both transaction after coupons and gift cards: $6.24

Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 24, 2013 comment

52 Different Ways to Save $100 Per Year: Shop With Cash {Week 30}

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52 Different Ways to Save $100 Per Year: Shop With Cash {Week 30}

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

Every week in 2013, I’ll be 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.

Week 30: Shop With Cash

I know all of you “But-I’m-So-Responsible-With-My-Credit-Card” people probably aren’t going to be happy with me for saying this, but I really believe it…

You will very likely see significant savings if you shop with cash.

You see, when you shop with a credit card (or even a debit card, for that matter!) you can have your budget in your head and you can do the best to stick with it when you check out, but it’s so much easier to go just a little bit over here and there when you’re swiping. You can justify that $2 you went over your budget to buy something that was a “great deal” when paying with your card.

$2 might not seem like much, but if you spend $2 to $3 more every week, that adds up to around $130 in extra spending over a year’s time!

Paying with cash forces you to stick to your budget.

When I know that all I have to use at checkout is the cash in my cash envelope, you better believe I carefully evaluate every impulse purchase or great deal I come across: “Do I really need this?” “Is this in the budget?”

Sometimes, it truly is a great deal and I have the money in my cash envelope to pay for it so it goes in the cart. Other times, I decide it’s a good enough deal that I skip buying something else on my list that we can do without in order to afford it. Or, many times, I put it back on the shelf.

Need more convincing? I highly recommend that you read these articles: 4 Reasons I Use Cash Instead of Credit, 6 Reasons People Argue Against Cash Envelopes — And Why I Don’t Buy Them, and 5 Ways a Cash Budgeting System Will Change Your Life.

The Cash-Only Challenge

Maybe you’re one of those extremely responsible–and very rare!–people who can stick to your budget while swiping a card. If you are, kuddos to you!

However, if you find yourself struggling financially and wishing you could figure out why your grocery budget is so high, can I challenge you to take a Cash-Only Challenge for 3 months and see if it impacts your spending over the course of a three-month period?

Here’s how the Cash-Only Challenge works:

1) Commit to only spend what is in your cash envelopes when you shop for the next 3 months.

2) Go to the bank and withdraw cash in the amount of your pre-determined Cash Budget. For more on cash-only shopping, read The Envelope System Experiment.

3) Leave your credit/debit cards/checkbook at home and only bring your cash envelope and a calculator with you to the store.

4) Calculate your purchases on the calculator as you add them to your cart. This will motivate you to carefully evaluate all purchases, will make you aware of how much items actually cost, encourage you to look for the best deal, and force you to get creative if your list is longer than you have room for in the budget.

5) Pay with cash when you checkout and see significant grocery savings–hopefully!

6) Decide you’ll never go back to paying with your credit/debit card. Well, okay so you might not get quite that drastic, but I can almost guarantee you that going cash-only for a short-time will have taught you something worthwhile!

By the way, if you want to stick with a budget, but you tried the cash system and it didn’t work for you, I’d heartily recommend checking out Mint.com then. It’s a great way to stick with a budget, while not having to mess with cash envelopes.

Have you tried a cash-only system? If so, what benefits have you found from doing so? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

Shared Sep 24, 2013 comment

Crockpot Freezer Cooking: 20 Meals in 2 Hours

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Crockpot Freezer Cooking: 20 Meals in 2 Hours

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

See how to make 20 Crockpot Freezer Meals in just 2 hours.

More crockpot freezer cooking links:


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Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 23, 2013 comment

Three Truths That Pulled Me Out of a Pit of Insecurity

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Three Truths That Pulled Me Out of a Pit of Insecurity

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

Last week, my husband and I were blessed to be surrounded by some incredibly talented thinkers and doers at the Launch Conference. Truly, my mind felt like it was about ready to blow up most of the conference.

There was so much collective wisdom to capture. So much combined experience to soak up. And so many amazing people to converse with.

But you know one of the things that stuck out to me most about the entire conference? It wasn’t the wisdom, or experience, or knowledge… it was that many of these amazingly talented people struggle with fear and insecurity.

In fact, two of the people I would consider to be some of the most accomplished individuals at the conference both confided in me that they felt so out of place.

And I totally got it, because I felt the exact same way. At each meal or round table discussion, we’d meet someone else who had done so much with their lives — and I’d want to sink smaller and smaller into my chair.

At one point in the Q&A discussion, I’m not sure what possessed me, but I raised my hand to share something. As soon as they gave me the microphone, I literally froze up with fear.

In that split second, terror registered in my brain: Who was I to think I should have anything worthwhile to add to the discussion? Why on earth did I raise my hand? Could the floor please open up underneath me and swallow me up?

I somehow managed to say something semi-coherent, handed back the mic, sat down, and felt like a colossal failure. More thoughts flooded through my head: Why am I at a conference on launching a speaking business? I can’t even stand up and say four sentences without failing. Why am I saying “yes” to these speaking opportunities? There are millions of people out there who could do a thousand times better of a job than me.

In that moment, I realized I had a choice: I could sit and sulk over my inadequacies and shortcomings. Or I could choose to focus on the truth.

The Truth: I Am Enough

I am a child of God. He loves me. I don’t have to do anything to earn His love. I am complete in Him.

The Truth: I Have a Story

My story is different than every single other person on the planet. This gives me unique perspective and insight that can bless and impact others in a way that someone else with a different story might not be able to.

The Truth: I Have a Purpose

I might not ever be as amazing of a speaker as some of the people I’ve met are, but that doesn’t mean I should stop talking about the things I’m passionate about.

I want to improve. I want to challenge myself to grow. But I don’t have to wait until I’m polished and perfect to start sharing the message God has put on my heart — otherwise, I’ll be waiting forever! 🙂

These three truths pulled me out of a pit of insecurity and gave me confidence to keep going. And I share them with you in hopes they might encourage you, too.

You are enough. You have a story. You have a purpose.

Camp on those truths and it will change your life!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 23, 2013 comment

What Blueberry Pancakes Taught Me About Being Content

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What Blueberry Pancakes Taught Me About Being Content

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

Guest post from Rachael of Thriving on Thrifty

Sometimes my child can teach me important lessons just as much as I can teach him.

The other day, my son and I were eating lunch together. He had blueberry pancakes (one of his favorites) and I was having a tomato and avocado sandwich (one of his least favorites). Even though he had something that he loved more than the food on my plate, he was still so focused on my food that he couldn’t eat his. He threw a royal tantrum knowing that he couldn’t have my food, even though I knew he wouldn’t like it and very likely wouldn’t eat it.

As I sat there perplexed as to why he would act this way, I realized that many times, we as adults act the same way. We are so focused on what others have that we fail to miss the blessings in our own lives. We continue to want what others have even though we may have something even greater sitting right in front of us.

I wrote the following three concepts as an encouragement to myself and to others:

1. Learn to enjoy each step along the way.

This doesn’t mean that we can’t strive for more or find ways to improve our situation, but I feel we should enjoy each step along the way. I say this as an encouragement to myself as well, we shouldn’t miss the blessings sitting in front of us because we are so focused on the future or someone else’s situation or belongings.

Looking for ways to improve yourself and situation can certainly be a positive thing, just don’t miss the blessings at each step of the journey.

2. Learn to find blessings in the small things of life.

I’m making it a goal to try to focus on the blessings presented to me each day — even in the little things.

Even though I may not be able to eat at a five-star restaurant each day, I can be thankful for the time spent with my husband and son eating a homemade sandwich (or pancakes). Instead of complaining about cleaning my house, I can be thankful for having a home.

Try to find at least one thing to be thankful for in each situation during your day.

3. Realize the grass may not be greener on the other side.

Sometimes we think others may have the perfect life or situation, but we may not always realize what may be going on in other hidden areas of their lives.

Realize that just because you may not have it all in one area, doesn’t mean you don’t have just as great or greater blessings in other areas.

Focus on these areas of your life rather than contemplating the things that others have greater than you.

Rachael Lachniet is a stay at home mom who enjoys learning ways to save money for her family and tries to share these ideas with others on her blog, Thriving on Thrifty.

photo source

Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 23, 2013 comment

10 Goals for this Week

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10 Goals for this Week

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

Jesse and I spent most of last week with some of our team at the Launch Conference. It was a wonderful time of planning, learning, and brainstorming. We’re stoked about what the future holds and I can’t wait to share some of the exciting new developments in the months to come.

I skipped my usual 10 Goals post last week because of our trip, but I’m back and at it this week!

Goals from two weeks ago:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read 3 chapters of The Borrowers and 4 chapters of The Tanglewoods’ Secret to the children. Read 3 chapters of Caddie Woodlawn with Kaitlynn. Read a few picture books with Silas.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

Personal Goals

3. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-23.

4. Run 12 miles.

5. Read Daring Greatly, Leaving Yesterday, Bread & Wine, and Wild Goose Chase.

Homemaking Goals

6. Work for 30 minutes on my embroidery project.

7. Try five new recipes for the Make It From Scratch Challenge.

Business Goals

8. Work on updating 10 more posts for Pinterest.

9. Work on two new upcoming talks.

10. Write one post for the 52 Ways to Save $100 a Year series.

This week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read 3 chapters of The Borrowers and 4 chapters of The Tanglewoods’ Secret to the children. Read 3 chapters of Caddie Woodlawn with Kaitlynn. Read a few picture books with Silas.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

Personal Goals

3. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-23.

4. Run 10 miles.

5. Read Daring Greatly, Leaving Yesterday, Bread & Wine, and Wild Goose Chase.

Homemaking Goals

6. Work for 30 minutes on my embroidery project.

7. Try at least two new recipes.

Business Goals

8. Work on updating 10 more posts for Pinterest.

9. Work on two new upcoming talks.

10. Write one post for the 52 Ways to Save $100 a Year series.

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.


Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 23, 2013 comment

Swagbucks Paid for Major League Baseball Tickets

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Swagbucks Paid for Major League Baseball Tickets

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

Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Tiara:

My husband and I have been on a pretty tight budget ever since I quit my job to stay at home with our dog when she was diagnosed with diabetes (who sadly passed away recently.) She was like our “child” so it was and still is a pretty rough patch in our lives.

We didn’t have enough money saved up to take a nice vacation this summer, but with Swagbucks, I was able to get us tickets to see our favorite Major League Baseball team, the Kansas City Royals, for a night of getting away and having some fun. Baseball, hotdogs, fireworks… and it was all “free” thanks to Swagbucks!

I had never heard of Swagbucks until following MoneySavingMom.com. One day I was reading a Swagbucks Success Story and thought, if they can get free stuff, then why can’t I?

I signed up immediately and started doing surveys, getting search wins, and doing anything extra on the site that I could to reach the daily goal each day. The Encrave and Jun videos on there are a really fast way to earn extra points on the side.

Even if you only get one single point for doing something, I tell myself every point counts! I also read through their Facebook page to watch for codes and special offers. Before I knew it, I had enough points for my first Paypal reward of $25 cash!

I’m so thankful that through MoneySavingMom.com I found a way to help us still enjoy the “extras” in life.

photo credit

Tiara: Could you email me so I can send you your $50 Amazon gift card for submitting your story? Thanks so much!

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

Click here to download!
Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 21, 2013 comment

Year-Round Holiday Shopping… With No Out-Of-Pocket Expense

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Year-Round Holiday Shopping… With No Out-Of-Pocket Expense

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

Guest post from Annie

For my family, Christmas shopping is a leisurely year-long event. We are always on the lookout for gift ideas and bargains, and usually have most of our presents purchased by the end of October.

We have found this to be advantageous for several reasons:

  • We end up spending less money on presents while being able to give more.
  • We avoid the holiday shopping crowds in November and December.
  • Gifts are a part of our monthly budget instead of an end-of-the-year burden.
  • We have more time and energy to spend on family activities, developing holiday traditions, and focusing on the true Joy of Christmas.

I’m excited to share how MoneySavingMom.com helped me to purchase some very nice gifts this year without actually spending any of our income:

1. After about two years of clicking on emails and taking surveys, I earned a $45.51 check from Inbox Dollars in March.

2. When Crystal posted the Cents of Style Chevron scarf in June, I purchased it for $7.95.

3. I created a beautiful Shutterfly photo album of our daughter in August and paid only the shipping cost of $7.99.

4. I started using Viggle earlier this year, and just recently began shopping through Ebates – both thanks to MSM’s recommendations. Today I used a $25 JCPenney gift card that I earned through Viggle to buy nice sweater and a shirt to match the Chevron scarf. Shipping to the store was free. I spent nothing out-of-pocket, Ebates gave me $1.49 cash back, and I’ll receive a $10 Target gift card from Ebates as my sign-up bonus.

5. When I receive my $10 Target gift card from Ebates, I’ll browse the dollar bins and combine sales, Cartwheel discounts, and coupons to purchase stocking-stuffers such as toiletries, candy, nail polish, and note cards. (Okay, so I’m not QUITE done yet)!

6. Recyclebank is currently offering a digital subscription to All You for 400 points and a subscription to Real Simple for 475 points. I have more than enough points from completing free activities to order both of these.

In summary, we’re giving my mom a scarf, a shirt, a sweater, a photo album, two magazine subscriptions, and a stocking full of stuffers without even scratching the surface of our budget.

Between our year-long bargain hunting, leftover Inbox Dollars earnings, and gift cards from Viggle, Recyclebank, Swagbucks, and MyPoints, we may not need to spend any of our income on gifts this season! And that means more money in our savings account to meet our long-term financial goals. Thank you Crystal, for sharing the information that has enabled our family to do this!

Annie is a wife and stay-at-home mom who enjoys watching football, volunteering through her church and local ministries, and spending time with her family.

photo source

Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 20, 2013 comment

How We Sent My Husband Back to School

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How We Sent My Husband Back to School

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

Allen-Family

Testimonial from Caroline of The Modest Mom Blog

For a variety of reasons, my husband dropped out of college when we married, almost 11 years ago. We became entrepreneurs, owning a cabinet shop and a lawn care company, we had five children, and we started homeschooling.

Then, one day, he came home and said he had been thinking about going back to college and finishing the graphic design degree he had originally started. I was excited and supportive of that decision — but actually making it all work seemed a bit overwhelming!

So how have we made this work financially?

We sold our business and our house.

We advertised his lawn care company on Craigslist and found the perfect buyers for it.

We also put our house up for sale, and while it didn’t sell before he started college, it sold after his first semester. We moved into a small rental house that some friends of ours have graciously given us a good deal on.

I started an online business and a blog.

About five years ago I started an online clothing company called Deborah & Co. I also started The Modest Mom Blog, and signed up as a consultant with Lilla Rose (beautiful yet practical hair clips) and L’BRI (all natural skincare products).

Those four income sources have provided for our family of seven while Sean finishes college. We don’t live on student loans for our monthly bills, and we made sure we had plenty of money in savings for emergencies before he started the four year college.

We utilized a community college to save on core classes.

Sean started attending some classes at a local community college, getting some basic requirements done before he went back to the 4-year college. He was able to fit those classes into his schedule while he still owned and operated his lawn care company. Plus, those classes (including books) were totally covered by the Pell Grant.

We applied for every scholarship and grant we could  find!

We do have one small college loan we have had to take each year, but most of his college is paid through grants and scholarships. He is attending a private college that is not cheap, but it was the best fit for what he is needing.

We were told to apply for the Pell Grant, and each year have received the full amount possible. We don’t use any other forms of government assistance, and feel grateful that this is there.

Sean received a large transfer scholarship, since he was coming from a different four year college. Then he applied for the art grant and received the full amount, plus a Missouri grant.

Those grants and scholarships cover most of his tuition; and we took out a no-interest loan for the remainder. We have enough money sitting in savings to pay off loan if need be; but our plan is for him to graduate in May, find a job, use his first few months of salary to pay off the loan, and for us to continue on my “online income”.

We live very simply.

It is not easy being a work-at-home, homeschooling mom. I get asked all the time how I do it all. My answer is that I keep things very simple! I can’t over-commit myself, and we don’t do lots of extra-curricular homeschooling type things right now.

We have told our children that we are in a unique season of life, and we are all looking forward to Sean’s graduation this May!

While we wouldn’t suggest every family in our season of life do the same thing, we feel that Sean has been blessed with a gift in art, and we wanted to see him use that talent instead of sitting on a lawnmower. 🙂 We feel incredibly blessed that the Lord is providing for our family through our online businesses and given Sean this opportunity!

Caroline has been married to the only love of her life for almost 11 years. Together they have five children, ages 9 and under, which keeps them busy! In her late night moments, she blogs at The Modest Mom Blog.

Budget meetings are SO important for financial management, and this post clearly explains how and why to do them on a consistent basis!
Shared Sep 19, 2013 comment

How (and Why) To Do Budget Meetings

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How (and Why) To Do Budget Meetings

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

Budget meetings are SO important for financial management, and this post clearly explains how and why to do them on a consistent basis!

Guest post by Carrie of CarrieWillard.com

Last Sunday, at 6:30 A.M, hubby and I stumbled out of bed, trudged to the kitchen to start the coffee, then started our weekly budget meeting. Why would we choose to do this, of all the other activities we could be doing while the kids are sleeping (such as sleeping in ourselves!)?

Good question.

The answer? Because budget meetings make our marriage and our family life, to say nothing of our finances, better.

Here’s why…

The Benefits of Budget Meeting

My husband and I began weekly budget meetings four years ago, after attending Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University classes. At first, we really didn’t know what we were doing. We just knew that “Dave said” we should do this. We made a budget, made a list of debt (very painful for my husband to face), and began developing a plan for our money.

Those first budget meetings weren’t easy. While we never got into a fight during one — which is very common — there were definitely tense moments. Talking about money forces you to address your deeply held beliefs. It makes you confront issues in your marriage. And it really helped us get to know one another more deeply.

We quickly learned about one another’s values, fears, and dreams in a way that may have taken years to discern otherwise. Talking about our money is like a lamp that lights up the path to good communication. It makes it easier to really work together more to meet goals.

On a practical level, budget meetings have provided instant feedback into our financial health. We get to celebrate together each time a debt is paid, or when our income jumps. We find places where we can save.

Example: Determined to lower our “fixed” monthly expenses, we recently negotiated with our internet provider to lower our bill from $70 to $30. That’s $480 a year for one phone call!

After tallying up the grocery spending for last month, we found that we spent $120 less in that category. At first I scratched my head to figure out why. Then I remembered that I created a menu plan based on what I had in my freezer and pantry. That explained the savings, and motivated me to do that each month!

In preparation for this article, I asked my husband what he appreciated most about budget meetings. He said, “It really helps me to know where our money is going. I feel more in control of things. Since I’m the free spirit, I’m not as likely to take time to do this. But since we do budget meeting, the organization is happening in my life, and that gives me a feeling of contentment and ease.”

Budget meeting has become an important priority to us. We see so much value in it that we’re willing to forgo Sunday morning snoozing to hold it at a time when we won’t be interrupted.

How To Do Budget Meeting

My husband and I, like many couples, have different money styles. He’s good at earning money and is the primary income earner… and the free spirit.

I’m definitely the nerd! I love tracking things, creating documents, and crunching numbers. We’ve learned to leverage our strengths to make budget meeting work.

5 Tips For Holding Budget Meetings

1. Create a quiet environment.

While we have held plenty of money discussions around the kids (we feel it’s good to be somewhat open about these things so the kids will learn good lessons, both about money and about healthy communication), we generally hold budget meeting at a time when we won’t be interrupted.

2. Set a definite time.

If you leave it for “whenever it’s convenient”, it’s not as likely to happen. If you set a specific time and day of the week or month, you’ll stick to it more. If you’re working towards an important goal such as getting out of debt, you may want to meet weekly to keep each other informed and encouraged.

3. Come prepared.

When we meet, my husband gives me the totals he’s tabulated for his income and his spending so we can update our records. It’s also good to have your statements and bills handy. We also have “homework” assignments that we’ve completed.

4. Be organized.

Have one place where you store what you need for budget meeting. We use the box that came with our Financial Peace University supplies. Inside the box are the forms we use for our budget, a notebook, pencil (so we don’t have to hunt these things down each time), and other materials related to finances.

5. Create a new budget every month.

This is one thing that we didn’t figure out until we had been doing budget meetings for a very long time, and it would have saved us so much frustration if we had understood this principle of budgeting from the get-go.

Each month brings about different needs. In August, you’ll have back-to-school shopping. In summer, you may have vacation. In April, taxes need to be paid. And your income likely changes a little each month, as well. Your budget is a tool that serves you, not the other way around!

Do you do budget meetings with your spouse? What benefits have you enjoyed?

Carrie Willard is a blogger, writer, wife and homeschooling mom of seven curious kiddos. You can find her writing about books, self-publishing, happiness and money at CarrieWillard.com 

photo source


Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 19, 2013 comment

Do It Yourself: Fitted Shirt Tutorial

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Do It Yourself: Fitted Shirt Tutorial

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

BrownSugarToast.com shows you how to make a baggy shirt into a fitted shirt.

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.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 18, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s $35 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

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Gretchen’s $35 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

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Health Food Store

6 Navel Oranges @ $0.39 each – $2.34

4 Organic Fuji Apples – $2.59

1 Brown Cow Vanilla Yogurt – Marked down to $1.49

Total with tax ($0.46): $6.88

Dillons

1 Kroger Tortilla Chips – $1

1 gallon Dillons Milk – $2.98

1 Kroger Frozen Peas – $1, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

3 Beech Nut Fruities – $1 each, used 3 $1/1 printable – Free after coupon (Only 2 are pictured above because my little guy devoured one of them before we even got home!)

Emerald Breakfast On the Go – $2.89, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Kroger Just Fruit Jelly – $2.45

1.09 lbs Broccoli @ $0.99/lb – $1.08

1.03 lbs Roma Tomatoes @ $0.99/lb – $1.02

1 Romaine Lettuce – $0.99

1 Kroger Shredded Cheese (16 oz) – $2.99 (Dillons consistently has the Kroger brand of cheese cheaper than I can get it at our local Aldi which is why I almost always buy cheese at Dillons.)

1 Kroger Value Sugar – $2.07

1 Kroger Flour – $1.64, used $0.40/1 e-coupon – $1.24 after coupon

2 Kroger canned Green Beans – $0.69 each

1 Nature’s Harvest – $2.49, used $0.75/1 printable – $1.74 after coupon

1 Kroger Baking Powder – $1.29

1.14 lbs Pears @ $0.99/lb – $1.13

Items Part of the Mega Sale (Buy 5, Save $5 at checkout):

1 Edy’s Ice Cream – $2.49

2 Kettle Chips – $1.49, used 2 $1/1 printable – $0.49 each after coupons

1 Gillette Shave Gel – $0.99, used $0.75/1 coupon from the 9/8 RedPlum insert – $0.24 after coupon

1 Kraft Italian Dressing – $1.19, used $0.55/1 coupon from the September All You magazine – $0.64 after coupon

Total before sales and coupons: $51.97

Total with tax ($2.34) after sales and coupons: $28.05

Total for all grocery items: $34.93

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Cereal, Toast, Applesauce (We picked a bunch of apples a few weeks ago and canned them so now we have lots of yummy homemade applesauce in our pantry!)

Lunches

Macaroni & Cheese, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Cheese/Fruit/Veggies, Cheese Quesadillas, Leftovers

Dinners

Build-Your-Own Haystacks, Cornbread

Italian Chicken Drumsticks, Quick French Bread, Green Beans

French Toast, Scrambled Eggs, Fruit

Salad Bar, Biscuits, Steamed Broccoli

Crockpot Chicken & Noodles, Tossed Salad, Pumpkin Bread

Tin Foil Hobo Dinner, Chips

Dinner with friends