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Shared Nov 27, 2013 comment

Present Not Perfect

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 27, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I loved reading Bread & Wine. In fact, I’m pretty sure the book is making it on my Top 20 Books Read in 2013 list.

It moved me. It inspired me. It challenged me. And it made me want to spend more time in the kitchen and around the table.

However, the phrase that stuck out to me most was: Present Not Perfect. Shauna shares how we can get so wrapped up in trying to make life perfect — to get all our ducks in a row and keep them that way — that we miss the present.

We rush through life with our plans, our goals, and our lists. We check things off. We pat ourselves on the back for being a powerhouse of productivity.

And we forget to breathe. To slow down. To soak up the moments. To savor the here and now.

Instead of pursuing a life of perfection, I want to pursue a life of being present…

…listening to the child who is excited to tell me about their latest LEGO creation.

…taking a few minutes to call that friend who is struggling.

…stopping to look into the eyes of the person at the checkout lane at the grocery store and smile and ask how they are doing.

…inviting the friend who stops by to stay for coffee — even if there are piles of laundry in my living room.

Present not perfect. That’s how I want to live.

photo credit: DaySpring

Shared Nov 27, 2013 comment

We Paid Cash: A New Camera!

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 27, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

A testimony from Tanja

My husband and I live in the US, but I am originally from Germany. In January of 2013, we made plans to spend Christmas and New Year’s 2013/2014 in Germany with my family. As you can imagine, it’s quite an expensive trip — especially during the holiday season.

I knew I wanted to take a lot of awesome family photos while spending time with family. But there was one problem, my ancient camera. It just would not live up the my crazy picture taking. I needed a new camera.

In November 2012, I signed up for UserTesting.com and MySurvey.com, but I didn’t complete any surveys and only 4 website tests (worth a total of $40). However, after booking our tickets in January of this past year, I realized UserTesting and MySurvey could be the path to my new camera.

I did my research on cameras and memory cards and decided I wanted to go all out and get a Canon Powershot G15 (average price $440) and a PNY 32GB HC class 10 memory card (average price $30).

Now I had a goal!

I hoped to do about one website test per week. But I could only get 2 to 3 tests per month due to my schedule and what I qualified for (PC and Android phone tests). I then decided to also do some surveys on MySurvey.

Fast forward from January 2013 to October 2013, I had completed 28 website tests on UserTesting (10 mobile website test at $15 each, and 18 PC website test at $10 each). This totaled up to $330. I also earned $60 from MySurvey — plus the $40 from before.

The grand total was $430!

I placed all the money in my PayPal account since it would allow me to order my camera and memory card from almost any website.

At this point, I enlisted my husband’s online deal searching skills and he found a great deal for me.

At the end of October 2013, I purchased a Canon Powershot G15 from EBay for $399 and a PNY 32GB HC class 10 memory card for $25 — which left me with $6 leftover! The camera and memory card were both brand new and included shipping and tax! Now I have about one month left to play with my new camera before our trip to Germany.

When people ask about my new camera, I tell them it was literally free… and they can’t believe it.

Thanks MoneySavingMom.com for showing me a frugal way to a new high-end camera!

Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.

Shared Nov 27, 2013 comment

Q&A: What are your best tips for people wanting to live on one income?

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 27, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

“My husband is an Iraqi War veteran, now safely home still in the reserves, and a Police Officer for our city. We are SO thankful for a great job that is secure. I am a stay-at-home mama to our sweet 11-month-old baby boy. Living off of one income can be tough, especially trying to build your savings and dealing with things like holiday shopping (we have large families). I was hoping you could post some tips, budgeting strategies, for families living on one income. We have a monthly budget thanks to Dave Ramsey, but it’s hard to stick to sometimes, feeling restricted from more fun things. All advice is appreciated. -Kirstin”

Thanks for asking such a great question, Kirstin! There are so many different things I want to say in response, but I narrowed my thoughts down to six points:

1. Adopt a Can-Do, Creative, Committed Attitude

Your attitude makes a HUGE difference in your success. If you are committed to make the most of what you have, instead of spending your time wishing you were in a different situation, you’re well on your way to thriving.

You’re not stuck unless you choose to be. View hardships and setbacks as challenges to be conquered, not impossibilities that will tank you.

2. Find Freedom With Boundaries

A budget can be viewed as restrictive ball and chains on your life or it can be viewed as a freeing asset to aid you in financial success. It’s all in how you view it.

We’ve chosen to see a budget as one of our greatest assets — and we find freedom in the boundaries it provides. Why? Because we don’t have to stress over how we’re going to afford to pay our electric bill or whether we’ll have enough for groceries. Sticking with a budget removes a lot of anxiety and stress from our plates.

3. Budget for Everything

It takes at least three to six months to really get a handle on living on a budget, but it’s well worth the effort. However, one of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to stick with a budget is that they fail to budget for everything.

If you’re on a tight budget, you have to plan ahead for future expenses. Don’t wait until November to try to figure out how to afford Christmas, start putting money away every month at the beginning of the year to pay for Christmas at the end of the year. Even if you can only squeeze $10 to $15 per month out of your budget to put toward Christmas gifts, do it. You won’t regret it when November rolls around next year!

Plus, the more you start planning ahead for future expenses, the less you’ll have to worry about unexpected expenses. This, in turn, will help you to slowly inch your way to a better financial place with more wiggle room in your budget.

4. Focus on the Long-Term Benefits

Don’t just pinch pennies for pinching pennies’ sake. That gets old really, really quickly. Instead, constantly remind yourself of the why behind your what.

What are your long-term goals? Do you want to have an emergency fund? Do you want to be able to pay cash for your next vehicle? Or maybe pay off a credit card?

Whatever your why is, make it a clear goal and remind yourself of it over and over again. This will fuel your motivation and drive to stick with those hard, short-term sacrifices.

5. Create a Blow Category

If you want to live a long-term frugal lifestyle, you have to give yourself a little budget breathing room. This doesn’t have to be hundreds of dollars every month, but you need to carve out a little extra from your budget to make a blow category — money that you can spend on whatever you’d like.

If you’re married, I highly recommend a His and Hers Blow Category. Even if you can only afford to put $3 in each envelope per month, do it! That little bit of fun money can go a long way in helping preserve your sanity.

6. Find Some Frugal Friends

Don’t go it alone! Surround yourself with folks who “get” your weirdness and inspire you to continue to learn and improve in the area of saving money. It’s so much easier to stay the course when you have partners who are running alongside you.

What advice and suggestions do the rest of you have for Kirstin? I’d love to hear!

photo credit

Shared Nov 26, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s CVS Shopping Trip: $48.18 worth of products for $5.04 out of pocket

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 26, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

CVS Shopping Trip

Transaction #1

1 CVS Pantiliners – $0.99 (Buy 1, Get $0.99 ECBs)

2 Gum Toothbrush (2 pk) – $2 each (Buy 1, Get $2 ECBs)

1 Child’s Advil – $2.37 (Buy 1, Get $2.37 ECBs)

1 Glade Plug In Scented Oil Warmer – $1.25 (Buy 1, Get $1.25 ECBs)
Used $1/1 printable

1 Advil (4 ct) – $0.99 (Buy 1, Get $0.99 ECBs)

1 CVS Training Pants (trial pk) – $0.99 (Buy 1, Get $0.99 ECBs)

1 Total Home Laundry Detergent (12 loads) – $1.79 (Buy 1, Get $1.79 ECBs)

Used $11 ECBs from previous shopping trips

Total with tax ($0.89): $1.27, Received $10.38 ECBs

Transaction #2

2 Starbucks Refreshers – $1.50 each (Buy 2, Get $3 ECBs)

1 Hershey’s Chocolate – $0.79 (Buy 1, Get $0.79 ECBs)

1 Kraft Macaroni and Cheese – $0.99 (Buy 1, Get $0.99 ECBs)

1 Sierra Mist – $0.69
Used $1/1 printable (no longer available)

1 Reese’s Pieces – $0.99 (Buy 1, Get $0.99 ECBs)

1 Orbit Gum – $1 (Buy 1, Get $1 ECBs)

1 5 React Gum – $1 (Buy 1, Get $1 ECBs)

1 Visine – $5.49 (Buy 1, Get $1.49 ECBs)
Used $4/1 printable

1 Ricola Cough Drops – $0.99 (Buy 1, Get $0.99 ECBs)

2 Sparkle Paper Towels – $1 each, (Buy 1, Get $1 ECBs)
Used Buy One Get One Free printable

Used $8.38 ECBs from Transaction #1

Total with tax ($1.21): $3.77, Received $11.25 ECBs

Total before coupons, sales and ECBs: $48.18

Total with tax after coupons, sales and ECBs: $5.04

See the full list of Deals at CVS good through November 30, 2013. See the CVS Black Friday ad.

Shared Nov 25, 2013 comment

52 Different Ways to Save at Least $100 Per Year: Cut Your Fuel Costs {Week 38}

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 25, 2013 | 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.

One simple way to save $100 per year is by lowering your fuel costs. If you shave off just $3 in gasoline costs every week, that’s well over $100 in savings per year.

Here are some practical ways to consider lowering your fuel costs:

1. Have a cash budget for gas.

We used to always pay for gas with our debit card, but while we tried to stick with our allotted budget, we found it was easy to go a little over every month — especially with fluctuating gas prices. We switched to using cash only for gas last year and we’ve seen a decrease in our gas budget. Why? Because we are more mindful of our gas usage and because cash forces us to stick with our budget.

2. Buy lower-grade fuel.

Unless your vehicle requires higher grade fuel, there’s no need to spend the extra cents on it per gallon. While it might not seem like much, those extra cents add up quickly!

3. Observe the speed limit.

Each vehicle is different, but typically gas mileage plummets when you drive over 60 miles per hour. In fact, it’s estimated that for each five miles over 60 miles per hour you drive, it’s the equivalent of paying an additional $0.24 per gallon!

4. Combine errands.

Have a general rule of thumb that you won’t go out shopping or running errands unless you have at least three stops to make. Before you go, map out the most efficient route. Not only will this save you time, it will also lower your gasoline expenses. Plus, you’ll likely carefully consider whether or not that quick trip to the store for milk or bread is worth it or whether you can make-do with what you have on hand.

I’ve also found it helpful to limit errands and shopping to one or two days per week and to work errands or shopping trips into driving I’m already planning to do. For instance, if I’m going somewhere close to the health food store, I’m going to try and work in a stop there to save me making an extra trip later in the week. It only takes a little bit extra time and it costs me almost nothing in fuel since I’m already going to be driving by.

5. Drive a fuel-efficient vehicle.

If you have more than one vehicle in your household, use the vehicle with the highest miles per gallon as often as you can. According to FuelEconomy.gov:

A vehicle that gets 30 MPG will cost you $903 less to fuel each year than one that gets 20 MPG (assuming 15,000 miles of driving annually and a fuel cost of $3.61).

Over a period of 5 years, the 30-MPG vehicle will save you $4,515.

Planning to buy a car in the near future? Aid your decision-making by using the Fuel Cost Comparison Calculator.

6. Travel during non-peak hours.

As much as you possibly can, plan your trips when it’s non rush-hour traffic. You’ll get to your destination(s) more quickly and you’ll conserve gas.

7. Consider using public transportation.

While public transportation might not seem feasible for you, if gas is eating your budget alive, it’s worth checking into. According to a study by the American Public Transportation Association, you can save over $9,000 per year by using public transportation.

Of course, this number is going to be inflated for you if you don’t work outside the home and have a regular commute, however, it’s important to note that this figure was based on a $2.75 per gallon price. With most of us paying at least $3 to $4 per gallon, if you have a daily commute, the savings could even be higher than $9,000 per year if you use public transportation!

Find more ways to save on gasoline in this post.

How do you save money on gas?

photo credit; photo credit

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

Click here to sign up!

Shared Nov 25, 2013 comment

10 Goals For This Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 25, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I was so excited to have a very productive week last week — and to be able to get almost all of my goals crossed off my list. Yay!!

Last week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

~~1. Read 3 chapters of The Magician’s Nephew to Kathrynne. Finish Caddie Woodlawn with Kaitlynn. Read a few picture books with Silas.~~

~~2. Write a love note to Jesse.~~

~~3. Play a game with the children.~~

~~4. Write thank you notes/birthday cards.~~

Personal Goals

~~5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-24.~~

~~6. Run 8 miles.~~

7. Read Leaving Yesterday, ~~Bread & Wine~~, and ~~What’s So Amazing About Grace?~~

~~8. Work for 30 minutes on my embroidery project.~~

Business Goals

~~9. Write handwritten notes to go out with book launch packages.~~

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

This week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read 6 chapters of Loony Coon aloud to the girls. Read a few picture books with Silas.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

3. Play a game with the children.

4. Have a movie night with Jesse.

Personal Goals

5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-24.

6. Run 9 miles.

7. Read Leaving Yesterday, A Million Little Ways, Safe People, and A Christmas Gift for Rose.

8. Work for 30 minutes on my embroidery project.

Business Goals

9. Write more handwritten notes to go out with book launch packages.

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.

Shared Nov 25, 2013 comment

This Week’s Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 25, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Cereal, Eggs, and/or Fruit

Lunches

Mac & cheese, fruit
Snack-y lunch {veggies, cheese, yogurt, fruit, crackers, etc.}
PB&J, carrot sticks, apples
Thanksgiving Lunch — I’m doing the mashed potatoes, rolls, and a dessert (I’m thinking this one or this one — which would you choose?)
Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks
Leftovers x 2

Snacks

Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Boiled eggs

Dinners

Slow Cooker Lasagna, Bread Machine Bread Sticks, fruit
Blender Pancakes, scrambled eggs, fruit
Thanksgiving Dinner — I’m bringing some of the dishes (not sure which yet) & a dessert (I’m thinking this one.)
Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup, fruit, veggies
Cheesy Chicken & Potato Chowder (leftovers from last week), Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins, fruit
Dinner out
Dinner with extended family

What’s on your menu this week? Tell us in the comments or leave a link to your menu plan post.

Shared Nov 25, 2013 comment

Monthly Sponsor Spotlight: An interview with Sears about their Personal Shopper program

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 25, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We’re excited to have Sears as one of our monthly sponsors in November. We had the opportunity to interview them and get to know their company and their Personal Shopper program a little more recently:

Tell us about the history of Sears and the Personal Shopper program.

Sears is most likely a household name. Sears Holdings offers a lot of great brands, products, and services. Sears, Kmart, Lands’ End, are our retail stores with well-known brands such as Craftsman, Die Hard, Kenmore, Ty Pennington, and Sandra Lee.

In 2012, we introduced the Personal Shopper program as an added benefit to our Shop Your Way members. The program is member curated and is a free service to Shop Your Way members.

Personal Shoppers are available to assist their clients, primarily online, when looking for gift ideas, fashion inspiration, and decision-making assistance on any purchase. The Personal Shoppers do not do the actual buying, but rather help the member to research and select the perfect product.

As an added benefit, Shop Your Way members earn points on all eligible purchases that can be used for future purchases. Members also receive special savings and added benefits.

What product or service does the Personal Shopper program offer?

Personal Shoppers help members save time and money by being available to them to help recommend products. They also inform their clients about great services and additional saving opportunities that Sears and Kmart has to offer. In return, they earn a commission off all eligible sales.

The main focus on Money Saving Mom® is saving money and making our dollars stretch. How does the Personal Shopper program help us to do that?

As a Personal Shopper, you get clued in and informed about great savings events and hot deals available at Sears and Kmart. Like saving $0.30 a gallon on gas.

You can also learn about services we offer that help save time too! For example, we have a service called MyGofer available at select Kmart stores. This service is similar to Peapod in that we offer home or office delivery (in select regions) in addition to curbside pick-up service for all things housed within a Kmart! Personal Shoppers not only learn about these great savings, but they can take advantage of them as well.

In addition, as a Shop Your Way member, you not only save on great everyday products, but you also earn points back on your purchases. Those points add up quickly and can be used to take money off your very next purchase.

Does Sears do any charity work in regards to the Personal Shopper program that you’d like us to know about?

We have a couple Personal Shoppers who represent various causes. For example, one Personal Shopper in particular has a special needs son. She is a Personal Shopper and promotes the program to her family, friends, and community as a way to raise funds for her sons’ medical treatments.

We also have an early education program participating in the program as a Personal Shopper. The school promotes the program to their families as a way to raise funds to add technology to their classrooms.

Is there anything else that you would like for Money Saving Mom® readers to know about the Personal Shopper program?

We also offer an invite only Concierge Personal Shopper program for our most engaged and top performing Personal Shoppers. Concierges earn a higher commission rate plus a weekly stipend. As a Money Saving Mom® reader, we’ll automatically send you more information about the program.

Just sign up to be a Personal Shopper and we’ll send you an email within 24 hours about our Concierge program.

Interested in becoming a monthly sponsor or advertising with us? Find more details here.

Shared Nov 23, 2013 comment

Cinnamon Maple “Cereal Crumb” Muffins

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 23, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This ultra-frugal tip will not only save some of your leftover cereal crumbs from the trash, it will also give you some pretty amazing muffins! Win-win!

Guest post from Carissa.

I recently came to a point where the budgeter in me just couldn’t bear to throw away any more cereal crumbs! Week after week, I’d find myself at the bottom of another box of cereal with a good two inches of dust left over, and it bothered me to toss all that in the garbage can.

I realize that in the grand scheme of things, throwing away a few cereal crumbs is FAR from earth-shattering. But I just knew there must be some way to make good use of all that crunchy whole-grain goodness.

So I started saving our cereal remnants in a ziptop bag and trying to think of ways to use them.

Turns out, they are good for a whole lot!

Some of our favorite uses for “cereal dust” are:

Mixing into our morning oatmeal for a little added crunch
Substituting it for oats and other grains in homemade granola bars
And my new favorite use for it… as an add-in for homemade muffins!

This week I added a cup or so of “cereal dust” to a basic muffin recipe, along with a swirl of cinnamon maple syrup, and the result were very cozy, super-moist, and delicious muffins!

And not only were these muffins irresistibly tasty, but the aroma of them baking filled our home on this blustery Fall day… it was lovely!

Ingredients for Cereal Crumb Muffins

FOR THE BATTER:

1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cup leftover cereal crumbs (any non-fruity variety)
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg
1 Tablespoon butter (melted)
1/4 cup oil
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoon maple syrup

FOR THE MAPLE CINNAMON SWIRL:

2 Tablespoons of reserved dry muffin mixture (see directions)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

How to Make Cereal Crumb Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF and line 12 regular muffin cups with liners.

2. In a medium bowl, pour buttermilk over cereal crumbs and allow them to soak while gathering your other ingredients.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.

4. Reserve two tablespoons of dry mixture in a separate small bowl.

5. Into the bowl of cereal crumbs and buttermilk, add the melted butter, vegetable oil, beaten egg, vanilla, and 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, whisking with a fork to combine.

6. Add the dry mixture (all but the 2 reserved spoonfuls) to the wet mixture, stirring with a fork until just combined.

7. Use a large scoop to transfer equal amounts of batter each muffin cup — filling each cup about 2/3 full.

8. To the small bowl of reserved dry ingredients, add the remaining 1/4 C. maple syrup, maple extract, and cinnamon.

9. Drizzle a heaping teaspoon of the syrup mixture over each cup of batter, “swirling” with a toothpick if desired.

10. Bake in the preheated oven for 16 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe

Cinnamon Maple Cereal Crumb Muffins

Author Crystal Paine

Course Bread, Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 16

Ingredients

FOR THE BATTER:

1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cup cereal crumbs any non-fruity variety
1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or nutmeg
1 Tablespoon butter melted
1/4 cup oil
1 egg lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoon maple syrup

FOR THE MAPLE CINNAMON SWIRL:

2 Tablespoons of reserved dry muffin mixture see directions
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375ºF and line 12 regular muffin cups with liners.
In a medium bowl, pour buttermilk over cereal crumbs and allow them to soak while gathering your other ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices.
Reserve two tablespoons of dry mixture in a separate small bowl.
Into the bowl of cereal crumbs and buttermilk, add the melted butter, vegetable oil, beaten egg, vanilla, and 2 Tablespoons maple syrup, whisking with a fork to combine.
Add the dry mixture (all but the 2 reserved spoonfuls) to the wet mixture, stirring with a fork until just combined.
Use a large scoop to transfer equal amounts of batter each muffin cup — filling each cup about 2/3 full.
To the small bowl of reserved dry ingredients, add the remaining 1/4 C. maple syrup, maple extract, and cinnamon.
Drizzle a heaping teaspoon of the syrup mixture over each cup of batter, “swirling” with a toothpick if desired.
Bake in the preheated oven for 16 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Nutrition

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Do you have any other creative ways to use up leftover cereal crumbs?

Carissa is a wife and mother of a sweet 1-year old girl. She loves the Lord, her family, and cooking! In recent years her family has made drastic cuts to their budget in order to start saving to build a home.

Shared Nov 22, 2013 comment

Q&A: How much should we spend on groceries?

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 22, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I have been reading lot on your site — especially about deals, target trips etc. and grocery budgets. I’m wondering when you describe grocery budgets — are you talking about food exclusively? What about things like dish soap, shampoo, and sponges etc. etc? We have 3 kiddos and wondering what you think is a reasonable budget for all that stuff? -a reader

Great question! And it’s one I get asked a lot. I figured it was high time I wrote a post answering this question!

1. Do What Works For You

First off, what works for one person won’t work for someone else. Some families will find it works best to lump all of their food and household purchases under the Grocery Budget category. Other families will find it works best to have multiple categories — one for food only, one for household items, one for diapers, etc.

Try a few different methods and then figure out what works best for you and stick with that. And don’t feel guilty if you’re doing things completely different than another frugal friend of yours!

2. Start With a Reasonable Figure

One of the biggest mistakes people make when trying to lower their grocery bill is starting out with an unrealistically low budget. You can’t overhaul your grocery bill overnight — unless you want to find yourself frustrated and exhausted!

Instead, pick a realistic-for-you amount. For most people, this will be somewhere between $20 to $40 per person per week. The amount will vary based upon where you live, what your dietary restrictions are, and whether you include non-food items in your budget.

The best thing you can do is to pick a number that is actually doable — even if it feels a lot higher than you’d like it to be. It’s better to be reasonable and actually stick with your budget, than to try to adhere to an impossibly-low budget number and end up overwhelmed and stressed.

3. Slowly Shave 1-3% Off Per Month

Once you’ve picked a grocery budget amount that is realistic for your family, challenge yourself to shave 1 to 3% off of it every month. This might seem like it won’t do much good — and it won’t really make a difference at first.

But over time, if you continue to consistently shave an additional 1 to 3% off your grocery budget every month, you’ll start to see significant savings. And when you approach it at a slow rate, the savings are much more bound to be lasting.

What advice and suggestions do YOU have for this reader’s question? I’d love to hear!

photo credit

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

Click here to download!

Save money and sanity by stocking up on essentials before your baby arrives! This post is a MUST-READ!!

Shared Nov 22, 2013 comment

Saving Money (and Sanity) by Stocking Up Before a Baby

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 22, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post by Mary of Giving up On Perfect

I’m 30 weeks pregnant and more than a little panicked. The nursery isn’t set up. We don’t have a stroller. And, although we have all the bedding, blankets and burp cloths we used with our first daughter, it’s still packed away in the garage.

I could tell you how much time we’ve spent this year trying to sell our house, or demand that you cut me some slack after hearing about our plumbing disasters. But the truth is, I’m not really known for getting things done early.

Making lists and plans? Yes. I can do that. But actually working in advance and entering situations feeling peaceful and prepared? Not so much.

My only consolation at this point is a cabinet full of toilet paper and toothpaste.

I’m not really a couponer. Or a grocery shopping expert. I don’t have the space to be a hoarder (though don’t ask me how long it took to completely declutter my house earlier this year). But when I’m pregnant, I stock up on staples and paper goods like they’re going out of style (especially if they’re on sale).

When I was pregnant with my first baby, my cousin told me that she prepared by buying a pack of diapers every time she went to the grocery store. I thought that was brilliant, until my mom pointed out that I’d been seriously sensitive as a baby and perhaps my own child might not react well to certain brands or chemicals.

Fine. Maybe buying diapers, wipes, and other baby STUFF wasn’t the best option for me, but surely I could do something!

That’s why I decided to stock up on the everyday items we seem to run out of most often, the ones we can’t really live without and would force me out of my house no matter how much I dreaded facing the grocery store in my postpartum state.

The best part about stocking up early (aside from letting me off the emergency grocery hook) is that while filling my cabinet shelves with toilet paper, toothpaste, and tissues would cost quite a lot if I did it all at once, doing it over time doesn’t hurt my weekly budget and can actually save me money.

It doesn’t cost a whole lot to grab an extra package of this or that on each of my regular trips to the grocery store now, especially if I take a few minutes to check the sale papers and compare it to my “Buy Before Baby” list. Stocking up before our baby arrives will save me time, money and sanity — all rare commodities, if I remember those newborn days right!

Here’s what I’ve got in my pantry (or on my list):

toilet paper
paper towels
napkins
storage bags
paper plates
aluminum foil
plastic wrap
toothpaste
soap
shampoo
deodorant
laundry detergent
fabric softener
contact solution
cleaning supplies
dishwasher detergent
tissues
pet food and other pet supplies

If I’m really successful in stocking my pantry, I might even add extra jars of peanut butter, boxes of granola bars, bags of sugar, light bulbs, and batteries to my pre-baby grocery trips, too.

How do you prepare for a new baby or other big change in your family?

Mary Carver is a writer, believer, wife, mom and recovering perfectionist. She writes about her imperfect life with humor and honesty, encouraging women to give up on perfect and get on with life at Giving up On Perfect. Get a free ebook about romance and real life when you subscribe to her blog.

Do you want to take better control of your grocery budget? If so, you’ll want to read my newest eBook, 5 Days to a Better Grocery Budget!

This eBook will give you all the tips, tricks, and practical advice you need to create a grocery budget tailored to your family’s needs that you can actually STICK to (because that’s the key!)

In this eBook, you’ll learn:

How to create a grocery budget that fits your family’s needs and your finances!
New systems to help you keep track of what you spend at the store!
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Shared Nov 22, 2013 comment

Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce

Published: by MSM Team on November 22, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Homemade applesauce is a delicious treat almost any time of year — but the addition of red hot candies make it the perfect holiday season treat!

Guest post from Brigette Shevy

We love this easy Cinnamon Applesauce!

This was one of our favorite recipes that my Mom would make for special holiday meals! It was a regular on the table for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day.

The rest of the year we ate store-bought, unsweetened applesauce – so this homemade applesauce was a treat we always looked forward to!

We clipped the original recipe from a Taste of Home magazine many years ago, and have made it countless times since then.

It pairs fabulously with traditional holiday foods like turkey and ham, plus I love the festive pink color it adds to the menu (am I the only one that likes having a variety of colors on my plate?)

As an added bonus, it smells amazing while simmering on the stove and it can also be made up ahead of time, which is really important when we’re talking about holiday meals.

If you’re looking for something simple-yet-elegant to add to your holiday menu, you must give this recipe a try!

Ingredients for Cinnamon Applesauce

8 medium tart apples, peeled and quartered
1 cup water (I use a little less)
1 cup sugar (or to taste – I think it’s plenty sweet with half this amount)
¼ cup red-hot candies

How to make Cinnamon Applesauce

1. Peel, core and chop apples (they can be large chunks).

2. Put chopped apples in a lot pot with 1 cup of water. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until tender.

3. Mash apples until desired consistency.

4. Add sugar and candies.

5. Continue cooking and stirring until sugar and candies disolve.

6. Remove from heat to cool.

7. Serve warm or refrigerate.

Recipe