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How We Increased Our Savings by $136 a Month
Guest post by Anita of Traveling Along
2013 was a rough year financially.
Just the year before we were out of debt, put 20% down on a house and had finished paying off the last of our student loans. Then 2013 met us with a change of job, a lower salary, various expensive car repairs, remodeling, and a costly hospital stay for our sweet girl with Kawasakis disease.
At the end of the year we were worse off than when we started, with just over $3000 in debt and no remaining emergency fund, let alone savings. Blast!
So this year, we are switching things around and prioritizing savings.
The breakdown of the budget was a little bleak, the amount of waste was already super low… but, somehow we have managed to cut back. Every line item that we cut back is an actual dollar amount that we are putting into our savings account.
Here is how we went from saving $0 to $136 a month.
- We started by deleting our Christmas savings of $40 per month. Christmas 2014 will include homemade gifts of wood, pottery, food, photography, and fun! I will also set out to earn at least one $5 gift card from Swagbucks every month. I do this primarily by using them as my search engine and watching cooking videos while I’m in the kitchen or folding laundry. Any Ebates cash back checks will also go in this fund.
- We don’t have cable, but we did have Netflix for $7.99 per month. Not anymore!
- I am making our own dog food. Having a large breed livestock guardian dog means at least $25 per month in dog food. We are now making it with leftover vegetable peelings, free organ meats, and rice. This costs only about $5-7 a month.
- My husband got a very modest raise for 2014 and $40 of that will go directly into savings.
- One goal for 2013 was to teach our kids how to manage their money. We will still continue on this route in 2014, but instead of allowances, we will allow them to do extra jobs for money if they desire. This means a savings of $20 per month.
- Cut back on milk by half… or right around $10 per month. This needed to happen for some health issues, but it represents a savings so I am including it on our list.
- Our next goal = POTTY TRAIN THE TWO-YEAR-OLD! This will save another $20-40 a month!
I’ve always “wished” I had a smoking or soda-drinking habit… then I could quit and save money! Well, I don’t. So, I’ll do what I can and find cash where I can.
Here’s a quick summary:
$40 = no Christmas fund
$8 = no Netflix
$18 = homemade dog food
$20 = no allowances
$40 = small raise
$10 = milk reduction
———————————————————-
$136 monthly to restart an emergency fund!
One more thing — take your small amounts, add them up, and put your savings on automatic monthly transfer for that amount. Money that isn’t allocated in a budget can be easily lost or used for other things!
Where can you cut back? How many little things can you add up to make something BIG?
Anita lives in Virginia with her husband and kids on a hopeful micro farm in the city. When she is not fine-tuning the budget, she can be found canning, cooking with spare parts, helping with math, praying the garden will grow, attending to a sick chicken or covered in mud at the potters wheel. She blogs at Traveling Along.
photo source
12 Books I Plan to Read in February
As I shared in January, I’m changing the way I’m approaching my reading goals in 2014. Instead of picking books for the whole year, I’m just choosing books a month at a time.
Here’s my list for February:
12 Books I Plan to Read in February
- Undaunted
- The 21-Day Financial Fast
- The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages
- Restless: Because You Were Made for More
- Hands Free Mama
- Women Living Well
- I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t)
- Eat Move Sleep
- Fire By Night
- Samson
- On Every Side
- Sarah’s Key
I also am reading through the Bible using the plan in my Blessing Journal and reading one devotional from Jesus Today every day.
5 Books I Plan to Read Aloud to My Kids
What books are you planning to read in February? Leave a comment and let us know — and then you can come back at the end of February to tell us what you ended up reading and what you thought of the books you read!
Shared Feb 1, 2014
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A peek at my recent handwork projects: Cup Cozy, Fingerless Gloves, & Embroidery
A peek at my recent handwork projects: Cup Cozy, Fingerless Gloves, & Embroidery
I’ve been enjoying finding little bits of time here and there to work on my handwork projects — mostly when we’re together with friends and family or in the evenings when we have our family Bible time.
I finished another Knitted Cup Cozy. I like how this one turned out better than the first one I made.
I also worked on my embroidered quilt square for my sister’s baby quilt. You can see my progress on this from a few weeks ago here. I’m hoping to finish it tomorrow. We’ll see!
My favorite recent project was definitely these Simple Knitted Fingerless Gloves. I’m incredibly happy with how they turned out!
Did you complete any handwork projects this week? If so, I’d love to hear about your projects. And if you blogged about them, leave your links in the comments.
12 Goals for 2014: January’s Update
Jesse and I spent time really discussing what my focuses should be for 2014 and we nailed down four areas that are my priorities for this year:
- Marriage: to continue to invest time and energy to strengthen and nurture our marriage and make it one of the greatest priorities
- Mothering: to continue to invest in our children with the goal of teaching them character, life skills, and raising them to be responsible adults
- Myself: to make my health a priority and to invest in my personal growth as a Christian, business owner, writer, speaker, and leader
- MoneySavingMom.com: to invest time into blogging — not just overseeing the business and my team, but making writing content pieces one of my top blogging priorities
Having these specific areas determined at the beginning of the year is really helping me to prioritize and giving me much clearer direction on when, where, and what to say no to this year.
Here’s my progress for my 12 goals for 2014:
Marriage Goals
1. Read 6 marriage books.
2. Write 50 love notes to Jesse. (I’ve written 4 love notes so far.)
Mothering Goals
3. Read 40 books aloud to the kids. (We’ve finished one book so far and are almost finished with another.)
4. Finish memorizing Romans 1 together. (We’ve been working on this!)
5. Go through a cooking course with the kids.
Personal Goals
6. Read through the Bible. (I’m on track with this.)
7. Memorize Romans 2.
8. Run a 5K race and go through P90X again. (I’m working through P90X right now.)
9. Read 150 books/ebooks. (I’ve read 13 books so far this year.)
Blogging Goals
10. Write 150 substantive content pieces for the blog. (I wrote 18 substantive content pieces in January.)
11. Write 50 DIY/Recipe posts for the blog. (I’ve written two DIY/Recipe post so far.)
12. Blog about/participate in the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge (I finished January’s challenge.)
Did you set goals for 2014 yet?
If you’ve posted an update on how you’re doing on your goals for 2014, I’d love for you to share your link in the comments. Or, if you don’t have a blog, feel free to just leave a comment with an update on how you’re doing on your goals. Let’s encourage one another to live lives of intention and purpose!
If you’re brand-new to goal-setting, be sure to read my post on How to Change Your Life By Setting Goals.
12 Months to a Healthier You: February’s Challenge
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
How This Challenge Works:
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 Fruits/Veggie Intake Goal for February
My goal for February is to eat at least six big salads every week. I’m also hoping to keep up with January’s habit of doing P90X at least 4-5 times every week.
Will you be joining me for this February Challenge? If so, leave a comment letting us know you’re planning to join and what your fruit/veggie intake goals are for February. Remember to keep them simple and doable!
13 Books I Read in January
So I didn’t get to all 12 books I’d hoped to read in January, but I did read 13 books, so that counts for something, right? Even if a number of those were shorter ebooks. 🙂
Here’s the list of what I read in January:
- His Word in my Heart
- You Were Made for a God-Sized Dream
- Life After Art
- Fit For Faith
- Sell Your Book Like Wildfire
- Perfect Fit
- The How and Wow of Habits
- Fred 2.0
- Beyond the To Do List
- The Unexpected Joys of a Tight Grocery Budget
- Live for Him: A Grace-Filled Look at Planning
- The Busy Mom’s Make Ahead Breakfast Cookbook
- A Work-At-Home Mom’s Ultimate Guide
My Three Favorites:
Fred 2.0 — I was very inspired through the pages of this book to look for ways to go the extra mile, do the unexpected, and go out of my way to bless others. While this book does talk a lot about the the book is a sequel to (The Fred Factor) and is written mostly from the perspective of how to live with excellence in your career, I felt there was some great value in it for anyone who wants to live an extraordinary life.
His Word in my Heart — This book really inspired me to make Scripture memory a higher priority. It didn’t just give reasons why you should memorize and meditate on Scripture, it gave very specific ideas on how busy moms and women can find more time to memorize Scripture.
Sell Your Book Like Wildfire — If you are planning to release a book or ebook (or are thinking of doing so someday), I highly recommend this book. It’s packed with helpful advice and ideas for marketing your book, creating conversation around your message, how to get more speaking engagements, and so much more.
What did you read in January? What were your favorite reads?
Shared Feb 1, 2014
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Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Crockpot Granola, Banana Bars, and PB&J
Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Crockpot Granola, Banana Bars, and PB&J
Silas helped me do some freezer cooking last night.
Can you tell he LOVES cooking with me?! His enthusiasm is contagious! 🙂
I was really excited to try the Crockpot Granola… especially because I always love trying new ideas.
While the Crockpot Granola was baking, I mixed up the Banana Bars with Brown Butter Frosting.
These bars totally lived up what other people had told me about them — they are fabulous! And the icing is especially amazing!
I wasn’t as thrilled with how the granola turned out. I think I’ll stick with my favorite Lazy Granola recipe. It’s so simple and always turns out well.
I also made a bunch of Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches for the freezer. These are so handy to have in the freezer!
Recipes Links:
Banana Bars with Brown Butter Frosting
Crockpot Granola
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
If you want to be more productive…
12 Months to a Healthier You: Week 5 Check-In
Are you joining us for the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge? If so, it’s Friday and guess what that means? It’s time for our weekly check-in to post our progress.
January’s Challenge:
We’re focusing on developing the habit of exercising more in January. I encourage you to set a simple and doable goal for exercise and to stick with it.
If you haven’t set your January Exercise Goal yet, be sure to do so and then leave a comment on this post telling us what your goal is. New to this challenge? Read more details on the plan for this year here.
My Exercise Goal for January
My goal for January is to consistently exercise at least 5 times per week. I plan to follow the P90X workout schedule except for the days when I’m traveling/out of town. On those days, I plan to stick with cardio/running.
This Week’s Progress:
Finally, finally, finally!! I hit my exercise goal this week — yay!
And tomorrow starts a new month… so look for a new challenge post tomorrow afternoon. 🙂
How Are YOU Doing?
Leave a comment telling us how you did on your exercise goals this past week. If you’re blogging about this challenge, leave the direct link to your blog post about the challenge below.
Are you on social media? You can also share your progress on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter by using hashtag #12MonthstoaHealthierYou.
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Poor Man Steak Recipe
This Poor Man’s Steak Recipe is SO easy to make but is a family favorite! It’s such a budget-friendly way to feed big appetites!
Recipe created by my older sister, Brigette.
Poor Mans Steak — Sure to Be a New Family Favorite!
This stick-to-your-ribs recipe is sure to be a favorite for all those meat-and-potatoes guys out there! Growing up, it was always a meal that the men in our house looked forward to. Now, my little boys gobble up man-size portions of this and still ask for more! Although it requires a little bit of prep work, the ingredient list is simple and short.
What is Poor Mans Steak?
The original recipe came from an old church cookbook, submitted by a long-time family friend.
It’s an easy recipe that uses ground beef instead of a pricier piece of meat (like an actual steak). The ground beef is mixed with several ingredients, similar to meatloaf, except before baking it in the oven, you fry smaller squares of the mixture in a pan (or you could do it on a grill or griddle) then cover the meat in a creamy gravy before baking it fully in the oven.
This hearty recipe is especially delicious during the chilly winter months, but could work any time of the year!
Poor Man Steak Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs ground beef
- 1 cup cracker crumbs (or bread crumbs)
- 1 cup cold water (or milk)
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (you may need more)
- Oil for frying (start with 1/4 cup)
- 1 can (10.5 ounce) condensed cream of mushroom soup (or homemade equivalent)
How to Make Poor Mans Steak
1. In a very large bowl, mix together the ground beef, cracker crumbs, water, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.
2. Press beef mixture into a jelly roll pan (or a 9×13 pan if you’re only using 2 lbs of meat) and chill until the mixture holds together well. You could even put it in the freezer for a few minutes.
3. Dump flour into a shallow bowl or dish.
4. Cut chilled meat into squares and coat each square with flour. Set aside.
5. Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a large skillet or frying pan.
6. Working in small batches, fry a few meat squares at a time, just until golden brown on both sides (but not cooked through).
7. Place fried squares in a single layer in a large rimmed baking pan. (There will be a lot of grease, so make sure your pan can handle it!)
8. Once all squares are fried, pour the cream of mushroom soup over them.
9. Bake in a 350º preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until meat is fully cooked through.
10. Drain grease off meat and serve.
Variations of Poor Man’s Steak Recipe
This recipe is very flexible and can be made to suit your taste buds or whatever foods you have in the house.
- Try ground turkey, ground pork, or a combination of ground meats.
- Use your favorite seasoned breadcrumbs instead of cracker crumbs if you don’t have crackers in the house.
- Use milk, or even buttermilk, instead of water.
- If your meat mixture feels crumbly or like it won’t stick together, try mixing in 2 eggs.
- Add in some fresh or dried herbs for a burst of flavor.
- Mix up the gravy on top — make your own or go with more of a BBQ sauce or spicy sauce. It will totally change the flavor profile!
How to Serve This Poor Man Steak Recipe
My mom has been making Poor Man’s Steak for almost 30 years! She usually served it with some kind of potatoes, a tossed salad, and fresh homemade bread. Yum!
It’s also great with a bunch of roasted vegetables and sweet potato fries.
And any leftover “steak” is great for sandwiches or salads the next day.
Storing This Poor Mans Steak Recipe
If you have leftovers, simply refrigerate them in sealed food storage containers.
You could also freeze individual serving sizes for grab-and-go lunches later on.
How Do You Reheat Poor Man’s Steak?
This is one of those recipes that often tastes even better the next day — so definitely enjoy those leftovers!
Simply reheat the “steak” in the microwave for a minute or so, until it’s heated through.
Recipe
Poor Man’s Steak Recipe
Ingredients
- 2-3 lbs ground beef
- 1 cup cracker crumbs or bread crumbs
- 1 cup cold water or milk
- 2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour you may need more
- 1/4 cup oil you may need more
- 10.5 ounce cream of mushroom soup canned or make your own
Instructions
- In a very large bowl, mix together the ground beef, cracker crumbs, water, salt, and pepper until thoroughly combined.
- Press beef mixture into a jelly roll pan (or a 9×13 pan if you’re only using 2 lbs of meat) and chill until the mixture holds together well. You could even put it in the freezer for a few minutes.
- Dump flour into a shallow bowl or dish.
- Cut chilled meat into squares and coat each square with flour. Set aside.
- Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a large skillet or frying pan.
- Working in small batches, fry a few meat squares at a time, just until golden brown on both sides (but not cooked through).
- Place fried squares in a single layer on a large rimmed baking pan. (There will be a lot of grease, so make sure your pan can handle it!)
- Once all squares are fried, pour the cream of mushroom soup over them.
- Bake in a 350º preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until meat is fully cooked through.
- Drain grease off the meat and serve.
Notes
This recipe is very flexible and can be made to suit your taste buds or whatever foods you have in the house.
- Try ground turkey, ground pork, or a combination of ground meats.
- Use your favorite seasoned breadcrumbs instead of cracker crumbs if you don’t have crackers in the house.
- Use milk, or even buttermilk, instead of water.
- If your meat mixture feels crumbly or like it won’t stick together, try mixing in 2 eggs.
- Add in some fresh or dried herbs for a burst of flavor.
- Mix up the gravy on top — make your own, or go with more of a BBQ sauce or spicy sauce. It will totally change the flavor profile!
Nutrition
Serving: 1square | Calories: 374kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 708mg | Potassium: 310mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3IU | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 3mg
Love this recipe?
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Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy and another on the way. She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Lazy Lasagna Casserole
- Cheeseburger Meatloaf
- Sheet Pan Veggies and Sausage
- Taco Pie with Bisquick
- Healthy Fettuccine Alfredo
- How to Make Homemade Beef Broth
- Brown Bag Beef and Bean Burrito Recipe
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Reader Tip: How I Turned Facebook into a Money-Maker
Paula emailed in the following tip:
Facebook is usually a time-waster for me… but recently, it has become a money-maker!
One of my things I did to start off the New Year was clean out our closets, get rid of the clothes that no longer fit, and just generally “downsize” all our stuff — so my laundry pile would downsize, and the lid to the toy box would shut.
My original intent was to donate it all to a local thrift store, then I decided since I was ‘throwing’ away money it might be worth posting a few pictures on the local Facebook garage sale site.
The whole process was relatively simple and I made around $50 dollars!
- When I took clothes/ toys out of our closets and rooms, I snapped a quick picture
- Then I posted those pictures to the garage sale site via my smart phone — you can also upload them via your computer
- Finally, I checked the sale a few times, set up meetings with potential buyers, and had cash in hand!
I donated everything else, but I didn’t feel as bad knowing I had recouped some of my expense.
The Facebook garage sale didn’t take near as long as setting up a traditional garage sale — plus, it is freezing here so it was a great thing to do on a cold day!
Shared Jan 31, 2014
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Should an undisciplined person read Say Goodbye to Survival Mode?
Should an undisciplined person read Say Goodbye to Survival Mode?
I am so very thankful for how many bloggers have taken the time to review my new book on their blog. I especially loved this review from Candace at Mercy is New.
Here’s a snippet:
I’m sure many of my readers have heard of Crystal Paine’s new book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion for Life
! I was blessed to receive an Advanced Reader’s copy at Allume in October and I finished the book in January, so I thought I’d share my thoughts here with you!
I decided to read this book in January because I’m working on SETTING and KEEPING several goals in several areas of my life right now. I will admit, I am a VERY undisciplined person. The thought of goals and actually keeping them is kind of something I gave up on a long time ago. Ugh. I hate even admitting that…but it’s true.
Want a sneak peek at the contents of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode? Download the introduction and first chapter here.
Stop letting people manipulate you…
Shared Jan 30, 2014
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What Matters More Than Hitting the New York Times Best Seller’s List
What Matters More Than Hitting the New York Times Best Seller’s List
Last night, something really exciting happened.
Something that YOU all made happen…
My book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, hit #8 on The New York Times Best Seller’s List!!!
If you’re not an author, that might not mean much to you. But as an author, that’s a HUGE honor… and something I still can’t believe actually happened!
It didn’t happen because of me. It happened because of YOU.
You all rallied around this book. You pre-ordered the book. You asked your libraries to carry it.
You celebrated my launch week last week by sharing about my book on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Google+, and word-of-mouth with your friends. You went to your local bookstores and bought the book. You wrote reviews on Amazon.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you for believing in this project. Thank you for celebrating with me. Thank you for sharing your excitement with others. Most of all, thank you for being readers here.
I wish that I could invite each and every one of you to my house for coffee and cookies and tell you face-to-face how much you all mean to me. I am humbly grateful for the opportunity I have to write here each day, to learn from your comments and emails, to interact with you all on the MSM Facebook Page, and to get to meet you all at speaking events.
But there’s something that means much more to me than hitting the NYT list… You see, last week, on my Book Launch Day, Kaitlynn (6) brought some brownies and a sign that read:
That sign speaks volumes of what I want for my life.
I’m thrilled to have made The New York Times Best Seller’s List, but what matters much more is that a six-year-old girl calls me “#1 Mom”.
The opportunities that have opened up as a result of this blog in the past few years are exciting. It’s my heart’s desire that I use the platform I’ve been given to influence as many lives as possible. I am passionate about challenging women and families everywhere to live all of their life with intention and purpose.
However, in the midst of this, I don’t lose sight of the opportunities to nurture and love the four people (my husband and three precious children) right in my own home. At the end of my life, those four people matter much, much more than any accolades.
So yes, we celebrated last night with cake and pancakes — two of my very favorite things! We hugged and hollered and called and texted our closest friends.
But it’s back to real life today. Back to the homeschooling and cleaning and cooking and the everyday things of life.
It’s messy, it’s often loud, and it’s sometimes exhausting, but I want to love and savor every minute of the everyday-ness of life in this home with these four wonderful people. Because that’s what’s going to matter most at the end of my life.