Saving Families Money Since 2007
My mom took me out to lunch on Friday and we ran into Dillon’s on the way home (mostly because my friend, Angie, had texted me and told me I must stop by Dillon’s and check out some of their deals this week).
We were both so glad we did! Here’s what I got:
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.
Not too long ago, I had a little extra time one day and was perusing blogs. I somehow stumbled upon this beautiful blog written by an even more beautiful woman.
As I read her posts, I began to feel very inadequate. She was pretty, in shape, creative, witty, had a gorgeous home, had more children than me, and really seemed to have it altogether.
I started to feel ugly, disorganized, out of shape, and like a really pathetic woman in comparison to her. But I kept on reading–and continued to feel even worse.
Then I landed upon a post where she talked about this woman that she so admired and wanted to be like. I was shocked when I clicked on the link and discovered the woman she was referring to was me.
Yes, this woman whom I felt I paled in comparison to wanted to be like me.
And then I realized how silly this was. Here she wanted to be me and I was secretly wishing I were her.
It hit me anew just how easy it is to want what we don’t have–better hair, better decorating skills, a better personality, more creativity, more spunk… there’s always someone who it seems we’d like to trade places with because they have what we want.
But trading places with someone wouldn’t fix anything; we’d just inherit a new set of things we wish we could change. No one has it altogether. Everyone has struggles and difficulties. Comparison only leads to discontentment.
We can’t change who we are, but we can make the most of our situation. We can’t choose the personality we are born with, but we can choose to be thankful–even in the midst of difficulty.
And we can choose to be intentional and purposeful in how we live our lives so that we make the most of all that we’ve been given instead of wishing we were someone else.
I loved this part of Amy Lynn Andrew’s post on The Trouble With Blogging:
…Never forget that what you see on the screen is not the whole picture.
Never forget that the people behind the blogs are, well, people…with unorganized cupboards, unmanaged time schedules (ahem!), cranky children (ahem again!), painful stories, crafty train wrecks, struggling marriages, unpaid bills and burnt meat loaf. (Those are the examples I use, because those have all been me behind the scenes.)
Never forget that their story and their journey and their choices apply to them, not to you.
You are who you are for a reason. You are where you are a for a reason. Don’t do what I do and beat yourself up for not being where someone else is. It’s a colossal waste of time.
Appreciate everyone else’s outside, but embrace your inside. (Read the full post here–it’s fantastic!)
Originally posted January 2012.
For more on this topic, check out Ruth’s post on Less Comparison and Edie’s post on More Confidence. I promise you’ll be inspired and blessed!
Welcome to Frugal Photo Friday! This month, I am partnering with Rebekah from SimplyRebekah.com. Each Friday we are sharing pictures of simple ways that we save money.
We are blessed to have many friends who share from their garden abundance. We’re always happy to take the extras off their hands. And nothing beats fresh-grown tomatoes!
I love it when I can quickly run into the store and come out with some great bargains (thanks to my friend, Angie, for texting me about these deals!).
We can’t seem to have too many library books around here! Here’s our stack of books we read this week! Oh how we are thankful for the library and the money we save because of it!
You might not be able to tell what the above picture is, but that’s two hunks of frozen pizza dough. We save so much money by making our own homemade pizza. And whipping up a couple batches of Homemade Pizza Dough for the freezer makes it even easier to pull off dinner on busy days!
Head over to SimplyRebekah to see the savings that Rebekah is sharing today.
Now it is your turn to share the simple ways that you save. Post your link below or on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #FrugalPhotoFriday. All of the link-up details can be found here.
Guest post from Rachael of Thriving on Thrifty
Now that the weather is getting cooler and the leaves are beginning to fall, I can only think of the joyous season ahead. Holidays full of turkey, pies, lights, mistletoe, debt, tinsel, caroling…Wait, HUH? Debt? That must be a typo, right?
Unfortunately, it seems that debt is becoming about as common in the holiday season as Christmas trees and turkey dinners. So how do we take this joy zapper out of such a joyous season? Well, I have 7 ideas below that have helped me enjoy my holidays without dreading the credit card bill in the weeks to follow:
Christmas comes the same time each year, and yet somehow it always sneaks up on us financially. However, if you include it in your budget and save throughout the year, by the time it’s time to shop you already have your money set aside.
Also, be sure to stick to your budget. It’s so easy to just go a few dollars over here and there, but those dollars can really start to add up. Make a budget and stick to it!
You may be wondering why I wrote this post now. We still have over 2 months until Christmas. Well, the earlier you shop the more time you have to look for deals.
I started shopping for Christmas presents back in the spring so I could catch great deals as they came along rather than waiting until the last minute and settling for whatever prices are available.
While it’s no longer spring time, you still have plenty of time to find some awesome deals… and then next year you can start even earlier!
I know it’s so easy to want to buy every toy that your kid puts on his list. However, they truly don’t need every toy.
Guess what? In a few months, they will probably have forgotten about that toy and will be wanting something else. While it’s fun to get a few things that your kids are longing for, use Christmas as a great time to get the stuff they truly need.
When I was about 10, my parents got me a mattress. Yes, you read it right…a mattress.
The funniest part is that I actually asked for the mattress (I was obviously a very practical child). I still remember that gift. You know why? My husband and I are still using that mattress.
While I may remember a few other presents from my childhood, I can truly say that very few of them have lasted me 15 years. That’s why we are using this year as an opportunity to upgrade my son’s baby room into his “big boy” room and get him some stuff that he really needs.
Just because you’ve gone all out in the past for Christmas doesn’t mean you have to meet or out-do it this year. Really analyze your situation and do what you can truly afford according to your income and budget.
Try finding creative ways to use your talents to make presents. For example, if your talent is photography, use this talent to make family portraits for someone.
If you are like me, maybe you really like couponing and finding free or inexpensive deals. Take those items and make a gift basket full of toiletries and pantry items. It might be practical, but I have a feeling it will get used.
Try looking for small ways to supplement your income to help pay for Christmas. Trust me, the little amounts can add up if you stick to it!
After all, the true meaning of this season is NOT about seeing how much debt we can accrue.
With these relatively simple tips, I hope you’ll have a wonderful holiday season filled with all that good stuff I mentioned above… and without all the debt!
What are your tips for having a debt-free holiday?
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.
“Mommy, can you play with me?”
His voice broke into my concentration as I studied my to-do list for the day figuring out which more pressing thing I should do next.
I started to launch into a gentle explanation about how Mommy was busy this morning, but I quickly caught myself as I looked at his pleading eyes.
I glanced back at my list — the list that just moments ago had seemed so important — and all those handwritten to-do’s paled in comparison to my little 4-year-old.
He will only be little once. Someday soon, he won’t be begging me to play with him. He’ll be all grown up and involved in his own life and dreams.
For today, the to-do list can wait. I’ve got more important plans… I’m laughing, giggling, loving on, and playing with my little boy.
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.
Not too long ago, a long-time acquaintance of mine did something really hurtful toward me. It wasn’t one of those situations where someone inadvertently hurt you; this was a clear personal attack on me by someone whom I considered to be my friend.
It was upsetting and painful and I wanted to wallow in self-pity and anger over her actions. Truthfully, for a few days, I did. But as I sat and sulked over the wounds this person had caused in my heart, I began to realize this was accomplishing nothing good.
What she did was wrong, there’s no denying that. But if I respond in anger and develop a long-term bitter spirit toward her, I’m just as wrong.
Her actions toward me are her responsibility. But my response to her is my responsibility. I can’t change what she did, but I can choose to forgive.
Bitterness and anger toward someone will never fix a problem. It will only hurt us — and probably the other person, too.
Forgiveness is a choice we can make — regardless of whether the other party asks for forgiveness or admits they are wrong. It’s never an easy choice, but it’s always the right choice.
Even though I was angry about this situation, in my heart of hearts, I wanted to choose forgiveness. So I started refusing to allow those upset thoughts to fester in my mind. Instead, I chose to pray for this woman and continually ask God to help me love and forgive her.
Amazingly enough, as I changed my attitude toward the situation, I started to really love this woman and be able to overlook what she had done. In fact, within a few days, I decided I wanted to back up my forgiveness with tangible actions.
So, I thought about something I could do to bless this woman and then I made some things for her, bought a few things I knew she would appreciate, wrote a note, and delivered the goodies to her. Can I just tell you that this felt so very good? After I delivered the gifts to her, I just couldn’t help but smile.
Yes, forgiveness is so much better than bitterness!
For more on this topic, check out Ruth’s post on Less Bitterness and Edie’s post on More Forgiveness. I promise you’ll be inspired and blessed!
This was a great reminder from Amy today:
I love a good bargain. When I enter a store, any store, I delight in discovering All Things CLEARANCE.
When we lived in the city and I had access to All of The Stores, I was a bargain shopper extraordinaire, hitting all the sales. Frequently. I did lots of shopping, but spent very little money (on each individual item). That money spent, though? It added up, and I had not much more than lots of stuff to show for it. Some of it useful. Some of it even needed or highly desired. But a lot of it ended up being just clearanced stuff.
My fetish for the frugal find found me scoping garage sales every Saturday morning, and I’d also frequently browse through and order items from clearance catalogs. When the items arrived they might not be exactly what I’d hoped for, or wouldn’t fit just right, or *gasp* looked better on the catalog model than on me. But I wouldn’t send the order back, because paying for shipping would be more than my refund! My stuff collection grew…
Read the full post here.
HappyClippings.com shows you how to make homemade folded paper leaves.
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 have recently become a one-income family and I am very nervous. I am couponing and it really helps. I want to be a home tester, but I am so afraid of getting scammed. I am new to the internet. Can you offer any advice? -Sheila
While this can be a scary time, this can also be an exciting time. There is a world of possibilities before you and I love your can-do attitude. That will take you very far!
I encourage you to take a deep breath and focus on the blessings and opportunities instead of getting overwhelmed and nervous by all the “what ifs”.
The best thing you can do for your family right now is to get on a written budget. Many times, people don’t have an income problem, they have a spending problem. So before trying to increase your income, make sure you are being very intentional in how you spend what you’re already making.
I highly recommend getting a copy of The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey from your library. If you can afford it, I also heartily suggest looking into going through Financial Peace University.
Both of these resources will walk you through how to set up a budget and how to stick with it. And Dave will motivate you and inspire you to dream big, work hard, and get your finances in amazing shape.
If you’re thinking of doing any at-home work, do a lot of research before jumping into anything. There are many legitimate opportunities out there, but there are also dozens upon dozens of scams.
Dig around online, talk to friends, and take time to investigate before moving forward with anything. If you’re looking for some tried and true ideas, check out my series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Income Before Christmas.
Note: Never, ever, ever pay a company to sign up and take surveys, mystery shop, or do at-home research. Any company that asks you for money upfront is almost 100% guaranteed to be a scam.
There are so many different things you can do to save and make money. I encourage you to start slowly and set limits.
Try a few new things every month and figure out what works best for you. As you experiment, determine what things you find you enjoy doing that also give you the best return on your investment of time.
It might take you a number of months and experimenting to hit on the best things, but don’t give up. Keep at it and you’ll eventually learn what works well for you and your family.
Once you’ve found those things, focus your energies and efforts there and don’t let yourself feel guilty if you’re not doing everything else that some of you frugal friends are doing. You can’t do it all, so do what works for you — and be free from guilt!
What advice and suggestions do the rest of you have for Sheila? I’d love to hear!
Dillons
Kroger Value Plates – $1.39
1 Kroger Cheese – $2
2 Kroger Butter – $1.77 each
3 Post Cereal – $1.67 each, used 2 $1/1 printable and 1 $1/1 e-coupon – $0.67 each after coupons
3 Kellogg’s Cereal – $2.50, used 3 $1/1 printable (no longer available) (PLUS received $3 catalina for buying 3) – $0.50 each after coupons and catalina
1 Kroger Chocolate Chips – $1.59
1 Kroger Bath Tissue – $2.50
1 Cucumber – $0.75
2 Hunts Pasta Sauce – $1 each
2 Kroger Cut Green Beans – $0.69 each
1 Cream of Chicken Soup – $1
1 Dillons Milk (gallon) – $2.98
2.33 lbs Bananas @ $0.52/lb – $1.21
1 Lettuce – $0.99
0.76 lbs Broccoli @ $0.99/lb – $0.75
1 bag Jonathan Apples (3 lbs) – $2.99
1 Kroger Potatoes (5 lbs) – $0.99
Items Part of Private Selection Sale (Buy 4, Save $4 instantly):
4 Private Selection Frozen Fruit – $1.99
1 Private Selection Salsa – $1.19, used $0.60/1 coupon from store mailer – $0.59 after coupon
3 Private Selection Greek Yogurt – $0.39
Used $2.50 catalina from last week
Total before sales and coupons: $74.57
Total with tax ($3.49) after sales and coupons: $44.26
Cereal, Smoothies, Oatmeal, Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
Leftovers, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Macaroni & Cheese, Fruit & Veggies, Scrambled Eggs & Cheese
Steak, Toast, Tossed Salad, Peas
Sour Cream Enchiladas, Steamed Broccoli, Peaches (We picked and canned a bunch of these a few weeks ago.)
Homemade Pizza, Breadsticks, Tossed Salad
Spaghetti, Green Beans, Fruit Salad
Chicken Rice Casserole, Pumpkin Muffins, Sliced Apples, Tossed Salad
Pancakes, Eggs, Homemade Hashbrowns
Dinner with family
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.
All my life, I’ve battled fear and insecurity. I’ve worried what people would think. I’ve thought in worst case scenarios. I’ve feared the unknown, the known, and the might happen. In the process, I’ve wasted a lot of time and energy on fear.
In the last few years, God has been bringing people around me who are challenging me to stop living in fear and start living in faith. Fear paralyzes. Faith frees.
Punching fear in the face has been a very stretching experience. It’s not been a one-time thing, either (oh, how I wish it were that easy!). I’ve had to get up and go face the fear monsters over and over again.
But each and every time that I step outside my comfort zone and confront my fears, there’s been rich rewards. And it’s been every bit worth it.
“You can choose courage or you can choose comfort. But you can’t choose both.” -Brene Brown
Courage doesn’t require a lack of fear; it just requires a willingness to act in spite of fear. You have to get up, make that phone call, knock on that door, send that email, walk onto that stage, take that first step, or stay when you want to run.
It will feel uncomfortable. It might make your heart race. It might be painful. But in the end, choosing courage over fear is always the right choice.
In fact, the more you exercise your courage muscle, the stronger it will become. And I promise that it will bring you a sense of fulfillment and excitement that you’ll never experience if you stay stuck cowering in fear.
For more on this topic, check out Ruth’s post on Less Fear and Edie’s post on More Courage. I promise you’ll be inspired and blessed!
Today’s question is from Susie:
My husband just started a new job where he is making $10 an hour more than he was before. A few weeks later, I got a $5 an hour raise at my job! This is awesome, but I’m honestly not sure how to manage this money.
We have a large amount of debt and aren’t really good with budgeting. Do you or your readers have any suggestions as to how to wrap our heads around this — and what best actions to take? How have others handled large raises?
Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
Here’s my list of 25 Goals for 2013 and an update on how I did in September:
Personal Goals
Read through the Bible in a year using this plan. {I’m on track with this so far.}
Run in at least one 5K race.
Complete the Couch to 10K program.
Memorize Romans 1 and 2 with Jesse. {I’ve made some really great progress on this in the past two months — yay!}
Wake up by 6 a.m. and exercise, shower, and dress by 8 a.m. every day. {I’ve made good progress here. Not perfect, but huge strides in the right direction!}
Read 150 books/ebooks {See my list of 48 books I’m for sure planning to read here — I’ve read 87 books/ebooks so far in 2013, so I’m falling a little behind here, but am hoping to make up for lost time in the next three months!}Marriage Goals
Read 3 marriage books.
Finish reading through the Psalms together as a couple.
Have overnight stay (sans children) at least every other month. {Done in September.}
Go on at least one date per month. {Done in September}Mothering Goals
Continue memorizing together from the Grace and Truth memory book.
Ice-skating lessons for all three children during the first quarter of 2013.
Swimming lessons for all three children during the summer.{We signed the kids up and they start next week.}
Finish at least 37 read-aloud books. {We’ve finished 30 books so far this year, so we’re on a good track here.}Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family Goals
Weekly accountability meetings with a friend. {This has been SO helpful!}
Get together with friends for a playdate or lunch at least once a month. {Done in September.}
Continue being involved in our local church, couple’s group, and blogging accountability group. {Ongoing}
Continue with weekly get-togethers with both sides of our extended family. {Ongoing.}Financial Goals
Use a portion of the proceeds from my next book project to fund a well project.
Fund our Child Survival Program for 2013.{Done — yay!}
Buy a new bedroom set.
Invest in another rental property.Business/Blogging Goals
Release two new ebooks.
Attend one speaking conference.{I attended the She Speaks Intensive in January.}
Finish and submit the manuscript for my next book.
If so, tell us how you’re doing in the comments or leave a link to your blog post update below. Let’s encourage one another to live lives of intention and purpose!
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.
If you cut your meat consumption by $2 per week, that’s over $100 in savings per year! For most families, it wouldn’t be too hard to cut back on $2 worth of meat each week — especially if you’re willing to get a little creative.
Here are three ideas we’ve used to spend less on meat:
If your family isn’t keen on the idea of going completely meatless, stretching your meat with legumes is a great way to save money while still eating meat. Mexican dishes, bean soups, and chili are recipes that you can pretty easily add in extra beans to replace some of the meat without most people realizing it.
Lentils hide especially well in taco meat, too. Just add in cooked lentils to your ground beef along with your usual seasonings and there’s a good chance your family won’t even notice!
Consider being intentional about skipping meat one night per week. While it can be a bit of a sacrifice, if you decide as a family to go meatless for a cause, it becomes much easier to do.
Maybe you go meatless in order to save money toward a family vacation. Or you go meatless to help pay down debt. Even if you don’t really need the extra savings for paying down debt or another savings goal, I’d still encourage you to consider going meatless in order to give the money saved to someone in need.
Making this sacrifice as a family can provide a great springboard for conversations on how richly blessed we are with abundance. It can be eye-opening and life-impacting for your whole family.
Plus, meatless doesn’t have to mean tasteless. Try making Bean & Cheese Burritos, breakfast for dinner, or even meatless lasagna. Need more ideas? Check out this list of 52 Meatless Meals that I posted earlier today. You can also read my post on How to Live on Beans & Rice for a Week.
Tip: Make a big batch of Crockpot Refried Beans for the freezer and use them to make Bean & Cheese Burritos for quick and easy lunches, dinners, and snacks.
Stop centering your meal around meat as the main thing and instead view meat as a garnish. Use it as a topping for pizza or salads, or stir some into stir fries or soups.
The less the meal’s focal point is a big hunk of meat, the more you’ll likely save.
How do you save money on meat? I’d love to hear your ideas & tips!
I’m so excited to be following along with Edie from Life in Grace and Ruth from Living Well, Spending Less for their 31 Days of Less and More series during the month of October.
When Ruth told me about their planned series a few months back, I thought it sounded so fantastic that I asked her if she’d be okay if I took the challenge and blogged about it. She was so gracious to say yes and to even let me see their drafted posts ahead of time. Let me tell you, you’re in for some great inspiration and amazing food for thought!
I’ll be following along with their posts each day and adding some of my own thoughts and observations to what they share. I’ll also be joining in their daily challenges, too.
I’d love to have you participate, too. To read more about this series, check out Edie’s post and Ruth’s post. Here’s to a month of less stress & stuff and more joy & peace!