Saving Families Money Since 2007
Are you using Bing Rewards? If not, you’ll want to sign up here.
Bing Rewards is a way to earn credits for searching online and participating in daily offers. By spending just a few minutes per day, you can easily earn a $5 Amazon gift card every month.
You can read all about how it works and how to use it in my post here.
(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read my disclosure policy here.)
DomesticSerenity.org shows you how to make a homemade Lemon & Rosemary Air Freshener.
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.
We’re excited to have Teach Them Diligently as one of our monthly sponsors in October. WE had the opportunity to interview them and get to know their company a little more recently:
Teach Them Diligently was started in 2011 out of a mission board called Worldwide Tentmakers. The event was meant to provide financial support for its overseas ministries. This is the reason for the strong Gospel and Family Discipleship focus of the event. It was born out of a mission board in which the entire purpose for its existence is the Great Commission.
The first event was in 2012 in Spartanburg, SC, and we hosted 7,000 at that first event, and we were overwhelmed with positive testimonials as to how the Lord used the event in the hearts and lives of families. After much prayer, we expanded in 2013 to Spartanburg, SC; Nashville, TN; and Omaha, NE. We hosted 7,000, 7,000 and 5,000 respectively at each of those events.
Now we are expanding again slowly into online media and adding a fourth event. In 2014, our events will be in Nashville, TN; Spartanburg, SC; Washington, DC; and Dallas, TX. We’re excitedly looking forward to seeing thousands of homeschoolers at our events again in 2014!
We have an exhibit hall with hundreds of booths from companies interested in reaching families attending our events with their products, curriculum, and resources. In most cases, the prices at our events are lower than these companies offer all year.
Additionally, we are offering an exclusive discount code to get $8 off the early bird registration price for our events for MoneySavingMom.com readers. Just use coupon code MSMBESTSAVINGS at checkout to get this special discount! This discount code is valid through November 1, 2013.
A portion of every dollar of registration fees goes toward supporting Christian ministries overseas.
Our events are encouraging. They are specifically Christian homeschool events, but anyone is welcome.
At Teach Them Diligently events, you can expect to have your vision renewed and refreshed toward the reason why you started homeschooling. Additionally, we want to encourage parents that homeschooling is about discipleship not just academics.
We believe that what parents do every day in their homes is part of the Great Commission and an extension of Christ’s command to reach out. We are equipping our children to go out into the world and make a difference.
Interested in becoming a monthly sponsor or advertising with us? Find more details 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.
Christmas will be here soon and that means that many of us are doing more online shopping than usual. Whether you shop online all year long or just around Christmastime, use the following tips and tricks and you’ll probably save $100 or more on your online orders!
When I order online, I rarely pay for shipping. It’s just not worth it to me to have to pay high shipping prices — even if the online deal is spectacular.
I’ve found that if you’re willing to look around and be patient, you can almost buy just about anything online without paying for shipping. Many stores offer free shipping year-round on a minimum order or they offer free shipping codes at various times throughout the year. Check FreeShipping.org to find free shipping codes and offers available at thousands of stores online.
It’s best to shop when an online store is running a free shipping special that requires no extra code. This way, you can not only get free shipping, but you can also get a percentage off your order by using a coupon code. (Some stores do allow you to combine coupon codes, but many don’t — see point #2.)
Tip: See If the Site Offers Free Shipping to Your Local Store
If you can’t get free shipping, check to see if you can have the item shipped to your local store for free. This isn’t quite as convenient as having something shipped to your front door, but if the store is nearby, it could definitely be worth the effort to run by and pick it up and save on shipping.
Up until a few years ago, I never even thought to look for a coupon code when I ordered something online. Now, my husband and I both have a policy to never purchase anything without first finding a coupon code to use.
I’ve tried a lot of different coupon code websites and I’ve also tried Googling for coupon codes, but in my opinion, nothing compares to RetailMeNot.com. They are the best coupon code website in existence so far. All you have to do is go to their homepage, search for the store you’re planning to shop from, and ta-da! you have a long list of coupon codes that have been rated by their large community of users.
More often than not, I’m able to find at least one coupon code from the long list that works for me. And, for possibly 1-2 minutes of effort, that coupon code will usually save me at least 10% off my order — sometimes even as much as 25%!
Tip: Try to Combine Coupon Codes
Sites like Kohls.com allow you to stack two coupon codes — one to get free shipping and one to get a percentage off your total. It’s always worth it to try to see if a site will let you use more than one coupon.
Cashback sites work with online stores to offer you a percentage — usually somewhere between 3-6% of your total purchase — back as a rebate. While 3-6% might not seem like much, it can really add up over time.
My theory: if you’re already going to be making the online purchase, you might as well get a little money back, too, right? After all, it’s essentially “free” money!
Here are two cashback sites I recommend:
When you are ready to make an online purchase, check both of these sites to see which one is currently giving the highest percentage of cashback and then shop through that one. To ensure your cashback is credited to your account, search for the store on the cashback site you’re using and then click through the store link. This should guarantee that you are credited for your purchases.
By combining free shipping, an online coupon code, and a cashback rebate on all of your online shopping purchases, you will make your money go a lot farther and you’ll likely save at least $100 per year (if not more!).
During the month of October, I’m following along with Edie & Ruth on their 31 Days of Less & More journey. I’d love for you to join in by reading the posts and completing the projects, or just sit back and read along each day.
It took my husband two years to convince me that getting a smart phone was a good idea. I had all sorts of excuses about how extravagant and unnecessary it was, but in the end, he won.
And he was so very right. 🙂
Since I have a business and travel regularly, my smart phone saves me an incredible amount of time, money, and hassle. I can keep up on emails, manage my team, have conference calls, check into my flights, get directions when I’m driving, keep track of all my travel information, and get internet pretty much anywhere without having to pay an extra fee.
I am much more efficient thanks to my smart phone. It streamlines my life and saves my sanity. But it can also take over my life. Thus, the reason I have Smart Phone Rules. These are not hard and fast rules and maybe these won’t be the same rules I’ll have for years to come, but right now, they are working really well for me:
1. I Don’t Play Games
I know, I’m so very boring aren’t I? But here’s the thing: I don’t need any more reasons to be connected to electronics. So I just haven’t learned how to play any of the games and then I don’t know what I’m missing. 🙂
2. I Only Have a Few Apps
This is the minimalist in me, but it really streamlines my life. I have a very small number of apps I use and I rarely add new ones.
3. I Don’t Update My Blog/Facebook From My Phone
This is just a personal preference thing, but it’s also a way to stay more untethered. If I don’t have things set up so I can update my blog or Facebook Page with my phone, I won’t be tempted to do so.
4. I Leave My Phone Off Sometimes
Novel idea, I know. 🙂 But truly, I think it’s important to know that I can survive untethered. So sometimes, when I’m with friends or we’re going out somewhere, I leave my phone off — or leave it home altogether.
See Ruth’s Smart Phone Rules here. Great food for thought!
It’s pretty easy to send quick texts or tweets or to email someone through Facebook, but many times, there’s not a lot of real depth or sacrifices required in these relationships.
It takes much more effort to meet someone for coffee, to call your friend to pray with her over the phone, to drop everything to help a neighbor in need. Close, long-lasting friendships take work, effort, and time, but they are so worth it.
If you don’t have any close friendships in your life right now, can I encourage you to do all you can to cultivate friendships? To have friends you have to be a friend. Reach out, ask questions, be a listener, be interested, give, care, pray, offer to help… I’ve found that the more I invest in others, the more I’m blessed in return!
For more on this topic, check out Ruth’s post on Less Smart Phone and Edie’s post on More Communication. I promise you’ll be inspired and blessed!
Guest post from Katie of Holidays for Less
I am not a “routine” person by nature. I am not a type-A personality or even very organized for that matter. But out of necessity, I had to start a few routines to keep myself (and my family) sane! Once I saw how my routines are not only saving me time but money, I forced myself to become a “routine” person!
So, how do my routines save me money?
Here are three simple routines I’ve implemented in my own life that have helped me save time and money.
I work outside the home, so I’ve gotten in the routine of making my lunch for the next day before I go to bed. I pack every single thing that I will need and put my whole lunch bag in the fridge.
Sometimes that means my popcorn or spoon sit in the fridge over night. I’m okay with that, because on the nights that I slack off and don’t pack my lunch, I always end up buying my lunch (and sometimes breakfast, too!) because there’s never enough time in the morning.
If I buy lunch, it runs about $6 and breakfast costs between $3-$4. That’s $10 a day! Start multiplying that by a month or even a year and the numbers get really ugly!
That savings is motivation enough to stick to my evening lunch-packing routine.
Between my commute to work and standard errands around town, a tank of gas lasts me exactly one week. I used to just fill up whenever I needed; however, I found that many times, I would end up filling up on the highway, which is always the most expensive place for gas!
So I finally made myself get in a routine of filling up every Sunday. This way, I was in control of where I was when I needed gas.
Even if it’s a holiday week and I don’t use my car as much, I top my tank off on Sunday, to ensure I’m not stuck low on gas mid-week. I always use the same gas station because it is the cheapest in my area.
Since I have started this routine, I have never found myself just going to the nearest gas station and I have averaged a savings of about $15 per month.
I am the keeper of the finances in my house, which means I keep our monthly budget updated. I used to keep my budget (an excel spreadsheet) on my home computer, but I would be too tired at night to update it, or I would just plain forget.
Then, the end of the month would roll around and suddenly I was in a panic looking back and what we’d spent and hoping we hadn’t gone over in our budget categories. Many months, not surprisingly, we had gone over, which meant less money going in to our savings account that month.
In an effort to fix this problem, I’ve now moved my budget to be housed on my work computer and gotten in to the routine of updating my budget during the first 5 minutes of my lunch break each day. I literally look at and update my budget Monday through Friday each week. Some days, I have nothing to enter and some days (like Mondays!) I have quite a few things to enter.
I’ve been in this routine for 5 months now and not only have we kept within our budget each month, but many months we’ve come in well under budget — allowing us to put even more money in savings. In fact, last month we received our car insurance bill for the year and instead of dipping in to the savings we have for that bill, we were able to pay it entirely out of our monthly income. This never would have been possible just 6 months ago!
Routines can be intimidating to the organizationally challenged, like myself, but if you can find a routine that doesn’t take much time out of your day and actually saves you money, I promise it will be much easier to stick to!
Katie is a wife and mother who loves a great deal and helping her family save towards their financial goals. In her spare time, Katie blogs at Holidays for Less, where she shares ideas and deals that will make parties, holidays and general entertaining easier on your wallet.
Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Kira:
Beginning in January of 2012, I found our budget was becoming tighter and tighter. I went from a part-time job to no job outside of the home — which meant our family was totally dependent my husband’s income. At that time, his income was not consistent and we started pinching every penny.
I found that our Christmas savings account could no longer have money deposited each week like it had been. Actually, by April I noticed I had not yet contributed to it at all. Thankfully, I had begun using Swagbucks.
Between surveys and searching, I saw the points racking up. I continued to redeem at every 450 points that would rack up for a Amazon Gift Card. In November, I noticed I had $150 in gift cards.
This might not seem like a lot, but with all the incredible deals that Amazon was offering, I was able to have a fantastic Christmas for my three young boys. The living room was loaded! I was so thankful, and realized the blessing that Swagbucks had been for my family.
I know Christmas isn’t about gifts at all, but for little ones, they certainly look forward to seeing those gifts under the tree on Christmas morning. My husband and I love to see that sparkling in their eyes when they first look downstairs.
I will continue to use Swagbucks as long as it is around. I’m thankful for Christmas 2012 and Swagbucks!!
Kira: can you email me so I can send you your $50 gift card for submitting your story? Thanks so much!
I did a sort of mini Freezer Cooking session this week, because I was a little strapped for time between homeschooling, training a team member for a new position, and prepping for a big week with three different conferences this coming week.
I made a big batch of Taco Meat for the freezer. See how I make this here, if you missed that post.
And I also made Pumpkin Waffles. Notice anything weird-looking about the batter above? I almost forgot to put the pumpkin in and right after I took the picture I realized my mistake.
Yes, I’m all organized like that… trying to make Pumpkin Waffles sans pumpkin! 🙂 Gratefully, I caught it right before I started cooking them because I thought the batter looked a little too dry.
I didn’t get any pictures of the finished waffles, because none of them made it to the freezer. 🙂 They were delicious… although I don’t want to know what the calorie count is since they have 3/4 cups of butter in them and they don’t make very many. Just don’t tell me, okay?! 🙂
In other news from this past week, I had to share these beautiful flowers Jesse gave me. Just because. I love that man!
And I also had to share this picture of Kaitlynn because it just so perfectly captures everything about her personality. Seeing the unique individuality of each of my children blossom is such a beautiful thing to watch.
How was your week? Did you do any freezer cooking? If so, I’d love to hear about it!
During the month of October, I’m following along with Edie & Ruth on their 31 Days of Less & More journey. I’d love for you to join in by reading the posts and completing the projects, or just sit back and read along each day.
When you look around you, there is always someone who seems to have more than you do. Or a better life than you have. Or quicker success than you’ve had. Or can lose weight more easily and keep it off. Or a better marriage. Or more incredible talents. Or more money. And on and on it goes.
Life is full of things that don’t seem fair. And if you choose to dwell on those things, you can quickly become discouraged, discontent, and downright frustrated.
But life is also full of beautiful things — if you look for them. Your perspective and attitude on life won’t usually change your circumstances, but it can sure change the way you feel.
You don’t need more of anything in order to be more content. Contentment is a choice. It’s something you can wake up every day and decide to be — whether you’re a prince or a pauper, you can choose contentment.
Graphic is a free download from Pretty Providence
I’ve said it many times before, but it bears repeating: There is ALWAYS something to be grateful for. No matter your circumstances, no matter your situation, if you start looking for things to appreciate, you’ll begin to find them all around you.
And that’s why I love the exercise of writing in a gratitude journal every day. Because it forces you to pay attention to the things you might take for granted otherwise. Not only that, but it inspires you to make thanksgiving a part of your each and every day.
Take time today to say “thank you” — for the little things and the big things. Blessings are all around you if you will only take time to notice!
Want to develop more contentment in your life? Read my post with 16 Ways to Become More Content.
For more on this topic, check out Ruth’s post on Less Discontentment and Edie’s post on More Gratitude. I promise you’ll be inspired and blessed!
One way we save money is by stretching our taco meat. We love using this meat in tacos and Haystacks!
It’s super simple to do!
I just brown two to three pounds of ground beef with 1-2 chopped onions. Then, I add in homemade taco seasoning mix (or just taco seasonings).
After that, I add in some 2-4 cups beans (most any kind will work — and you can use canned or home-cooked beans) and 1 can of diced tomatoes (or diced fresh tomatoes). I cook this mixture through and it’s ready to serve or cool and freeze.
The extra add-ins add some bulk and flavor and add at least the equivalent of an extra pound of ground beef. My family doesn’t even know most people eat taco meat without add-ins since we’ve been doing this all our married lives!
What creative ideas do you have for stretching taco meat? I’d love to hear in the comments!
During the month of October, I’m following along with Edie & Ruth on their 31 Days of Less & More journey. I’d love for you to join in by reading the posts and completing the projects, or just sit back and read along each day.
It’s easy to give from our abundance, but true giving requires sacrifice. This is something God has really been teaching me in recent years.
Since I’m not one who is very attached to many items, giving stuff to other people is fun, but it’s relatively easy to do. For instance, if I’m going to be getting rid of an item anyway, is it really a sacrifice to pass it onto a friend instead of tossing it in the Goodwill box? No, not really.
Giving of my time and effort, on the other hand, is an area where I often struggle. I can be stingy when it comes to giving of myself or setting aside my neatly planned out day to meet a need in someone’s life.
When a child needs me to drop everything I’m doing to help them with something, I can be feel frustrated or interrupted. Or when my husband calls and asks me to run an errand for him, it’s my natural reaction to feel irritated.
For me, that’s often the giving that matters the most. Because it’s giving where it really costs me something.
However, every time I give in a way that requires sacrifice, I’m so very blessed in the end. And it inspires me to let go even more and live with arms stretched out wide.
When Jesse and I traveled to the Dominican Republic one thing that struck me was how generous these people were. They barely had anything and yet they were constantly offering us what little they had.
And they weren’t just giving us their leftovers; they were offering us their very best — the best chair to sit on or the best food they had to eat. It deeply challenged and convicted me.
I want to live my life with arms open wide. Willingly and gladly giving of my best for others. Holding nothing back. And at the end of my life, I want to have used up everything I was given — for others.
For more on this topic, check out Ruth’s post on Less Greed and Edie’s post on More Giving. I promise you’ll be inspired and blessed!
Aldi
1 Loaf Bread – $1.29
1 Gala Apples – $1.88
1 Red Grapes – $1.58
1 Flour Tortillas – $0.99
1 Corn Tortillas – $1.29
2 canned Green Beans – $0.48 each
2 Cheddar Cheese – $1.79 each
1 Frozen Orange Juice – $1.29
1 can Black Beans – $0.59
1 Cauliflower – $1.69
1 Cabbage – $1.29
1 Roma Tomatoes – $1.59
1 Lime – $0.25
1 Avocado – $0.79
Total with tax ($1.36): $20.42 (I think this is the most I have ever spent at Aldi but with prices seeming to be so high at Dillons these days, I’m going to have to start spending more money at Aldi and less at Dillons.)
Dillons
1 Green Onions – $0.69
1 Honey Nut Cheerios – $1.99, used $0.50/1 e-coupon – $1.49 after coupon
1 Multigrain Cheerios – $1.99, used $0.75/1 e-coupon – $1.24 after coupon
1 Kroger Brown Rice – $1.29
1 Simple Truth Milk (gallon) – Marked down to $1.99
1 can Pinto Beans – $0.67
1 Big K Ginger Ale – $0.84
1 Kroger Chocolate Pudding – $0.69
1 Kroger Frozen Chopped Onions – $1
1 can Black Olives – $1.50
3 Noxzema Razors – $2, used 3 $2/1 coupon from the 9/29 RedPlum insert – Free after coupons
2 Breyers Ice Cream – $2.99 each, used $1.25/2 e-coupon – $2.36 each after coupon
2.65 lbs Bananas @ $0.35/lb – $0.93
1 Cucumber – $0.75
1 Romaine Lettce – $0.99
1 Dillons Eggs (dozen) – $1.69
I had a $3 e-coupon come off my card and I have no idea what it was attached to. (Anyone know if there’s a way to find out?) I also used my $3 catalina from last week’s Dillons trip.
Total before sales and coupons: $39.92
Total with tax (1.77) after sales and coupons: $16.26
Total for all grocery items: $36.68
Smoothies, Cereal, Toast, Baked Oatmeal to Go
Cheese Quesadillas, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Tossed Salad, Tuna Sandwiches
Apple Turkey Picadillo, Rice, Banana Muffins, Green Beans
Black Bean & Salmon Tostadas (I’m substituting Chicken for the Salmon), Tossed Salad, Sliced Apples
Hot Chile Grilled Cheese, Fruit Salad, Steamed Cauliflower
Marmalade Chicken, Rolls, Green Beans
Dinner with our Sunday School class (we are bringing dessert)
Dinner with family x 2
Target Shopping Trip #1
1 Personal Fan – Marked down to $5.08 (I was so excited to find these fans marked down as I have been looking for a good deal on one for weeks!)
1 Palmolive Dish Soap – $1.47, used $0.75/1 Target Mobile coupon AND $0.50/1 coupon from the 9/22 SmartSource insert – $0.22 after coupons
1 Up & Up Floss – $0.87, used $1/1 Target printable – Free after coupon
2 Tresemme Conditioner – $3.31 each, used 2 $2.50/1 coupon from the 9/29 RedPlum insert AND $2/2 Target printable – Free after coupons
2 Fage Greek Yogurt – $1 each, used $1/4 printable AND $1/4 Target printable – $0.50 each after coupons
Total after coupons: $7.30
Target Shopping Trip #2
(I happened to be on the other side of town today and ran into the Target there to grab a couple more deals that weren’t in stock at my Target.)
2 Classico Pizza Sauce – $1.64 each, used 2 $0.85/1 Target printable – $0.79 each after coupons
2 Del Monte Fruit Burst – $2.50, used 2 $1/1 printable AND 2 $1/1 Target printable – $0.50 each after coupons
Total after coupons: $2.58
Total for both transactions before coupons: $26.11
Total for both transactions after coupons: $9.88
During the month of October, I’m following along with Edie & Ruth on their 31 Days of Less & More journey. I’d love for you to join in by reading the posts and completing the projects, or just sit back and read along each day.
Part of living life is being disappointed — by people, experiences, opportunities, jobs, and more. Life is a series of some mountaintop experiences with lots of valleys and hard times in between.
We can either become victims or victors in our circumstances. It’s our choice.
We can choose to keep pressing forward even when friends let us down, marriages fail, jobs end, and health deteriorates. Or we can choose to sit and wallow over our miserable circumstances. But will that accomplish any good? No.
Reading One Thousand Gifts earlier this year really challenged me to stop rushing through life so much and stop to savor life more. There is so much wonder and beauty in each day. The smile of a little child, the colors of a flower, the smell of soup cooking… if we take time to notice and pay attention, there are beautiful things all around us.
And even in the darkest, most disappointing days, there is always a glimmer of light. No matter how difficult the situation you are in, as long as you’re breathing, there is hope.
Don’t let disappointment swallow up your hope, your joy, or your life. Look for the beauty in every day. As the saying goes, “you usually see what you look for.”
For more on this topic, check out Ruth’s post on Less Disappointment and Edie’s post on More Wonder. I promise you’ll be inspired and blessed!
Hey there, I was wondering if you see a jump in unsolicited spam-type emails and calls once you start responding to these offers and freebies? -Lisa
Great question, Lisa! And I think it’s one that a lot of people have.
Here are some of my thoughts:
First off, you will get emails from companies that you sign up for offers and deals with. The main reason they are usually offering a freebie or coupon is so they’ll get your email address.
To prevent your main inbox from becoming overrun with offers and company emails, set up a separate email account to use for freebies and coupons. This is simple to do and will save you from dealing with a lot of spam or unwanted email in your main account.
If it sounds too good to be true, it often is. I try my best to vet deals before posting them, but occasionally something will slip past me.
Always check a site out if something looks off. Is it hosted on the main company’s site? Does the Facebook Page have a lot of entries and likes (there are a lot of scam Facebook Pages)? Is the offer mentioned on the company’s website or Facebook Page?
Some tell-tale signs of possible scams are:
These aren’t always scams, but these are things I look for when deciding whether something is legit or not.
If you’re not 100% sure that an offer is legit, don’t sign up for it.
Unless you’re comfortable with it, don’t give out your phone number. Spam emails are not fun, but sales calls and texts are even much more disruptive in my opinion. Just skip offers that require a phone number and save yourself the headache!
Do the rest of you have advice to add for Lisa? I’d love to hear!
