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Shared Aug 12, 2013 comment

5 Tips to Manage Seasons of Unemployment

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 12, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Angi of SchneiderPeeps

I remember the moment as if were yesterday, although it was 18 years ago. My husband came home early from work and when I asked if he was sick, he said, “No, I’m unemployed.”

We were devastated. We had just moved 8 hours away from our hometown with our one year old for my husband to go to Seminary. We had about $500 to our name and didn’t know anyone in this new city.

I’d love to say this was the first and last time we’ve dealt with unemployment, but it’s wasn’t. The silver lining is that we’ve learned a lot about what it takes to not only survive but thrive during unemployment.

Here are some things you can do to help you make it through unemployment:

1. Stop spending money.

In your spending plan, you need to assume you’re going to be unemployed for years, not weeks. Every single dollar needs to have a predetermined name — and those names need to be mortgage, groceries, gas, etc. NOT soda, dollar store treat, gumball machine, etc.

Drastic times call for drastic measures!

2. Start earning money.

If you get a severance package, that’s great. If not, that’s okay, too.

The first week of unemployment you should spend most of your time polishing up your resume and calling everyone you know in your field and let them know you’re looking for work. If you don’t find a job quickly, go ahead and do some work outside of your field. You never know where that will lead.

3. Stay busy.

Don’t buy into the trap that just because you’re unemployed you don’t have anything to do. If you have plenty of savings or severance package and money isn’t an issue, do some projects around the house or volunteer at a non-profit organization.

If money is an issue, start your own side business. Many businesses can be started for very little upfront money. But just sitting around the house waiting for a phone call will mess with your mind.

4. Keep a positive attitude.

For your spending habits, you need to think that the unemployment will last a long time; but in your attitude you need to believe that it’s going to end any minute. This is a tricky balance. Instead of filling your time with the xBox, fill it with inspiring books such as, Start by Jon Acuff, or 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller.

5. Protect your children.

If you have children, it’s really important to help them feel secure. I don’t mean you should lie to them… but they don’t need to carry the weight of your burden.

They need to know that your budget is going to be different and that you can’t get or do everything you used to. But don’t say things like, “If worse comes to worst, we can move in with Grandpa.”

That’s not comforting. Save that information for if it actually gets to that point.

Finally, know that unemployment is just a season and like all seasons it will eventually end. Make the most of the time and resources you’ve been given.

Angi Schneider is a minister’s wife and homeschooling Mom to 6 children. She’s also the owner of the blog, SchneiderPeeps, where she journals their homesteading and homeschooling adventures. Her new series is about the lessons from their four year unemployment/underployment season.

Shared Aug 8, 2013 comment

Meijer ending their double coupon program

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 8, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

More sad news today: Cincinnati-area Meijer stores will end their double coupon program on August 25, 2013. Here’s a snippet from a news story:

Three months after Kroger stopped doubling coupons, Cincinnati-area Meijer stores are ending their double coupons this month.

A post from the store’s Facebook account says they’re ending double coupons Aug. 25 and shifting resources to mPerks digital coupons.

Meijer says it’s expanding mPerks to include rewards for the pharmacy, and bigger discounts on other items.

The store will still accept coupons at face value.

Meijer eliminated double coupons in Michigan and other areas earlier this year.

Read the full article.

Shared Aug 8, 2013 comment

Do It Yourself: Toilet Paper Roll Wreath

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 8, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

HappyDealHappyDay.com shows you how to make a homemade wreath out of toilet paper rolls.

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.

Shared Aug 7, 2013 comment

10 Guaranteed Ways to Never Run Out of Blog Post Ideas (#8)

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 7, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Missed the first posts in this series? Check them out here.

#8 Sleep Restfully

Burning the candle at both ends might seem like it’s allowing you to be more productive, but usually it’s a very ineffective way to live. When you’re not getting enough sleep, you’re not able to be at the top of your game. As a result, you’re often not as inspired or creative — especially when it comes to blogging.

Case in point, not too long ago, I went for almost a week with zero inspiration to blog. I’d sit down to write and I felt like I had nothing to say. I had a lot of things I wanted to write and many different post ideas, but no desire to actually write the posts.

This is very out of character and I began to wonder what was wrong with me. Was I depressed? Was I just plain out of inspiration? Did I need to get my levels checked at doctor? I ran through just about every possible issue in my brain for a few days trying to figure out what could be wrong with me — and I kept coming up dry.

Finally, one night I got a really good night’s rest. And guess what? The next morning I was all inspired to write again!

I wasn’t depressed nor was there anything medically wrong with me; I was just tired. Without really even realizing it, I’d fallen behind on sleep — and it had caught up with me and sucked all the inspiration from me.

Yes, sleep really does make a difference when it comes to blogging (and many other areas in life, too!)

Go to Bed Earlier

The best way to guarantee that you get more sleep is to get to bed earlier. I know that night owls often despise this sort of advice, but whether you are a night owl or a morning person, you need to consider whether or not you’re getting enough sleep.

Are you:

Feeling exhausted when you wake up in the morning?
Struggling to keep your eyes open after lunch?
Hitting a productivity wall in the middle of the afternoon because you are feeling tired?

If any of these things are routinely happening to you, there’s a very good chance that you’re not getting enough sleep at night.

Training yourself to get to bed earlier so you can get a better night’s sleep can be hard. Find an accountability partner who will commit to earlier bedtimes with you (if you’re married, it’s fantastic if that accountability partner can be your spouse!) and then challenge yourself to stick with a realistic earlier bedtime for at least three weeks.

Gradually Teach Your Body to Adapt

Notice I said “realistic”? That’s really important.

If you usually go to bed at 1 a.m., don’t try to all of a sudden change to a 9 p.m. bedtime. Try slowly moving your bedtime by 30 minutes (or even 15 minutes) every few weeks until you hit on a time that works best for your body and your family’s routine.

Plan Ahead for Great Sleep

Great sleep doesn’t always just happen naturally, so do your best to plan ahead and prepare your environment to get the best night’s sleep possible. Here are a few suggestions:

Wind Down Early – Start getting ready for bed at least an hour before your bedtime. This way, you’re helping your body to start winding down well before you need to be dozing off.
Drink Less Caffeine — If you have trouble getting to sleep or going to bed earlier, try reducing your caffeine intake. Also, don’t drink caffeine after 3 p.m. (unless you’re like my sister, who finds that she goes right to sleep after she drinks a cup of coffee!)
Turn Off the Electronics — Seriously, stop checking your email or social media in bed. The world (and you!) will survive just fine. And I promise you won’t get sucked into 30 minutes or an hour of mindless internet-hopping.
Follow an Evening Routine — Go to bed near the same time every night, if at all possible. The more you can get your body into a rhythm, the better you’ll likely sleep at night.
Prep the Environment — You might find that drinking a cup of Sleepytime tea, using essential oils, listening to relaxing music, reading, and/or Sleep Balm can help to enhance your sleep. Also, be sure to have a dark room, a comfortable temperature, and maybe even white noise.

If you’re having trouble actually getting to sleep, force yourself to focus on something simple like counting all the blessings you can think of. Or going through the steps of some certain task. Don’t let your mind wander to things that will excite you or camp on things that might worry you.

For more ideas and suggestions, check out the book, Sleep: It Does a Family Good.

Give Yourself Grace

You aren’t going to be able to get a good night’s rest every night. If you have a lot on your plate right now and there’s not much you can delete or delegate, sometimes you just have to power through and do the best you can do.

If you have insomnia, a newborn, a child with sickness or special needs, or other circumstances that are preventing you from regularly getting at least 7 hours of sleep at night, don’t let yourself feel frustrated. Sometimes the best lessons in life are learned from those really stretching, hard, difficult seasons.

As C.S. Lewis so aptly said, “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.” So if you’re in one of those trying seasons, don’t give up. Get as much sleep as you can and press on — knowing that this difficult time won’t last for forever!

What tips & tricks help you get a great night’s sleep? I’d love to hear!

Shared Aug 7, 2013 comment

Dillons is ending their double coupon program

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 7, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

For those of you who haven’t heard, I have sad news for you: Dillons announced that they will no longer be doubling coupons beginning August 7, 2013.

Here’s what they wrote on their Facebook page:

In an effort to provide all of our customers with the most value for their dollar, we’re implementing a New Lower Prices program. Effective August 7, we’re reducing prices on thousands of everyday items that you and your family rely on. To make this possible, on August 20, we’re discontinuing our practice of doubling (up to 50 cents and rounding to $1.00) manufacturer coupons in Dillons stores. We will continue to accept manufacturer coupons and other coupons at face value, including digital coupons, e-coupons, Catalina coupons and printable coupons.

We truly believe these changes reflect our efforts in providing the best shopping experience to all of our customers. We hope that you’ll come in and see our new low prices as well as the many other ways to save.
• Downloadable, clip-free coupons daily on www.Dillons.com/digitalcoupons
• Weekly sales and special sales events, such as Mega Event and Cart Busters
• Fuel savings program that offers up to $1 off per gallon when you redeem up to 1,000 fuel points at Dillons Fuel Centers and Kwik Shops
• Loyal customer mailings containing customized coupons
• $4/$10 generic drug pricing (see pharmacy for details)
• Faster checkouts

If you’re feeling really discouraged by this news, I’d highly encourage you to head over to Deal Detecting Diva for a full in-depth analysis of what this means and why it’s not as bad as it seems.

Thanks, Motherhood on a Dime!

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Aug 7, 2013 comment

We Paid Cash: My Father’s Funeral

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 7, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We paid cash! A testimony from Lisa

In June 2013, my father passed away. It wasn’t totally unexpected. He had diabetes, his health had been declining, and earlier in the year his doctor said his kidneys were failing.

However, I was still shocked when my brother called me to let me know my father passed away. That week was stressful as we hurried to make funeral arrangements and clean out my father’s apartment. But the biggest stress was the financial burden of the funeral that fell upon me and my three siblings.

My father was not good at budgeting his money, and he didn’t have a life plan. He had very little money in the bank. He had no life insurance. He rented an apartment, and the only assets he had were a washer, dryer, fridge, and an old car. Recouping enough money to cover the funeral costs was not going to happen.

As we began to research the cost of a funeral, we looked for ways to minimize the financial burden by choosing options that were less expensive. The funeral costs still totaled close to $7,000, which is inexpensive compared to most funerals.

We reached out to my father’s three brothers and asked if they would help out with the funeral. Thankfully they each said that they would contribute. With seven people contributing money, that meant we each needed to pay $1,000. But before the funeral could happen, the total cost had to be paid in full up front.

One thousand dollars is a large sum of money for me and my family. Thankfully, my husband and I had an emergency fund, and we were able to pull from it to cover our portion of the funeral. If we didn’t have an emergency fund, my siblings would have had a greater financial burden to carry.

You never think that something like this will happen to you until it does unexpectedly. What a blessing it was that we made the decision years ago to build up an emergency fund.

Now we are working on adding back that money to our emergency fund just in case the unexpected happens again. Some months, we only have an extra $20 to add to our emergency fund. Other months, we are able to put in more depending on the month’s expenses that need to be paid.

What’s important is that we are trying to set aside money each month, and we know that every little amount helps us get closer to our goal. We hope that an experience like this won’t happen to us again in the near future, but if it does, we will at least be financially prepared.

Lisa is a stay-at-home mother of two girls, and a wife to an amazing husband. She loves cooking, organizing, playing the piano, ballroom dancing, and providing money-saving tips and deals for families on her blog, Saving Cent by Cent.

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

Shared Aug 7, 2013 comment

Ask the Readers: A Planner that “Does it All”?

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 7, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s question is from Heather:

I am looking for a planner/organizer that does it ALL — calendar, shopping lists, menu planner, to-do lists, goals, etc. Can you recommend one? -Heather

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Shared Aug 6, 2013 comment

Why You Need Both Priorities and Posteriorities

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 6, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We hear a lot of talk about priorities. And it’s with good reason: we need to know what is important in our life so we can make decisions on how to best use our time and resources.

However, what is also equally valuable is to know what’s NOT important. I loved how Kevin DeYoung described these not important things in life as “posteriorities”. Here’s what he said on page 62 of Crazy Busy:

This means, in addition to setting priorities, I must establish posteriorities. This is Drucker’s word for the thing that should be at the end (posterior) of our to-do list. These are the things we decide not to do for the sake of doing the things we ought to do. Making goals is not enough. We must decide what tasks and troubles we will not tackle at all. -page 62 from Crazy Busy by Kevin DeYoung

Are you spending time and energy on things that aren’t really priorities? If so, what can you do to make them posteriorities in your life?

One thing that helps me tremendously is to set yearly goals, monthly goals, and weekly goals. These help me to stay focused on chipping away at things that are important to me or taking slow and gradual babysteps in the direction of where I want to go.

I also find it so helpful to make out a loose schedule for each day with time blocks for each hour of the day as opposed to just making a to-do list. Maybe it’s just the Type A in me, but I have a tendency to create impossibly-long to-do lists. These just set me up for failure since there’s no way I can cram 32 hours’ worth of work in a 24-hour day.

Instead of writing a long to-do list, I’ve found it’s much more productive to make a loose schedule with time blocks at the beginning of each day. Instead of trying to fit my long to-do list into only 24 hours, I start with 24 hours, deduct 8 hours for sleep and 2 hours for margin time, and then schedule the rest of my day within the remaining 14 hours of time blocks.

When I start with only 14 hours — and that’s all I have to work with — I have to be a lot more careful what I plan and commit to.

Here are three questions I ask myself when thinking through tasks on my mental to-do list and writing out my time blocks for the day:

1. Does this task have to be done at all?

Many times, I realize that a task I had on my mental list isn’t a priority at all — just something was feeling obligated to do or thought would be nice to do?

2. If the answer is “yes”, then does this have to be done today?

I’m not trying to encourage procrastination here, but a realistic view of what is a priority for today. If something needs to be done but doesn’t have to be done today, I’ll usually add it to my Google calendar for a later date. That way, I’ve assigned it to a day and don’t have to worry about it until it shows up on the calendar again.

3. If the answer to the above question is “yes”, then can someone else do this task?

There are many tasks that must be done, but that I don’t necessarily have to do myself. These can be assigned as a paid chore to one of my children or delegated to one of my team members.

These three questions help me to streamline and pare down my to-do list and stick with the most important things on my time block schedule for the day. And you know what I love best about pre-planning my day within the 14-hour time block parameters? It helps me to start the day not feeling overwhelmed because I know that everything I’ve planned to do that day actually fits into my day — with room to spare!

What are some things you need to put on your posterities list? If you are still trying to fit them into your life, today is a good day to shelf, trash, or delegate them.

photo credit; photo credit

Shared Aug 6, 2013 comment

Do It Yourself: Citrus Vinegar Cleaner

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 6, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Domestic Serenity shows you how to make homemade citrus vinegar cleaner.

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.

Shared Aug 3, 2013 comment

Johanna’s freebies from Kroger & Walmart this week

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 3, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Shopping trip post submitted by Johanna:

I wanted to share some freebies I was able to pick up this week at Kroger and Walmart. I was hoping for some more freebies to add to this list, but not everything works out the way you plan, even when you plan well. But all-in-all, I am still very pleased of my results. 🙂

KROGER
Colgate Toothpaste – $0.99 Used free digital coupon from Kroger – no longer available
Clear Shampoo for Men’s $5.99 – Used free digital coupon from Kroger – no longer available
Enfagrow Toddler Milk (4 pack) $5.99 – Used $7.00 coupon from mail (received $1.01 overage)
Huggies Wipes $1.99 – Used $0.50 from coupons.com
Total was $0.48 for products + tax.

WALMART
2 Reach Floss $0.97 each – Used 2 $1/1 coupons from coupons.com
Cascade Complete Dishwasher Detergent (64 Pack) $12.97 – Used free coupon mailed to me
Total was $0.00 for products, I only had to pay tax.

One of the tips I have learned from couponing and any manufacturer satisfaction through the years is that if you do not like a product, give the manufacturer a call. I was happily surprised after I called Cascade and let them know that the ‘Basic’ dishwasher detergent did not work well, they made my dishes look worse than before.

She asked me some questions and then let me know she would mail a coupon to me within the week. I was happy enough, then even happier when the coupon came and there was no cash limit written out. The coupon stated 1 free product of Cascade Detergent.

So, my tip to any savvy couponer: call and let the manufacturer know if there is a problem with the product, you never know if they will give you your money back or even better a free coupon. So, I was able to get the biggest bang for my freebie buck!! -Johanna

Have you gotten a great deal thanks to a tip you’ve found here on MoneySavingMom.com? Take a picture of your deal/purchase and write a short post on the deal details and submit it here. If your submission is chosen to be posted, I’ll send you a $25 Amazon gift card! Note: the more creative, unique, and well-written your post, the more chance it will have of being posted.

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

Click here to download!

Shared Aug 3, 2013 comment

Sheryl’s CVS Shopping Trip: $49.69 worth of product for $14.19 + got $11 ECBs back!

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 3, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Post submitted by Sheryl Hodson:

Six years ago after my daughter was born, I knew I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom, but after the first month at home, my husband and I realized that our spending was out of control. If we didn’t do something, I would have to go back to work.

I found MoneySavingMom and it has changed how we live. I learned how to play the drugstore game and have literally saved my family hundreds of dollars over the years.

I was so excited about what I was able to get this week at CVS that I had to share. Here is the breakdown of what I bought:

2 Colgate Total toothpaste @ $3.79
1 Colgate Total mouthwash @ $4.39
used: 2 .75 off Colgate Total from coupons.com
$1 off Colgate mouthwash
$2 off any $8 Oral Care purchase CVS coupon
$3 off 2 Colgate Total Toothpaste CVS coupon printed last week
Received $5 ECBs

Gillette Fusion Proglide Razor $9.99
Used $8 off coupon my husband got in a home mailer
Received $2 ECBs

Schick Razor Blades $9.49
Used $2 off coupon from Schick home mailer
Received $4 ECBs

2 Gummy vitamins @ $14.99 – BOGO free
Used 2 $1 off Disney vitamin coupon from coupons.com
$4 off any $20 vitamin purchase CVS coupon printed last week
$2 off Vitamin purchase CVS coupon advertised in the Ad

Used $10 ECB from last week

Total before coupons and EB: $49.69
Total OOP after coupons and EB: $14.19
Received $11 ECB back

-Sheryl Hodson is a Christ-follower, wife to Matt, and mom to two amazing kids.

See the full list of deals at CVS this week.

Shared Aug 2, 2013 comment

How to Make 5 Summer Meals from 5 Chicken Breasts: Get the shopping list, prep instructions, and recipes!

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 2, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

JessieLeigh from Parenting Miracles just updated her how to make five summer meals from five chicken breasts post with the shopping list of ingredients needed for all the meals, all the prep instructions for the chicken in the meals, and all the recipes for each chicken meal.

Shared Aug 1, 2013 comment

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

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 1, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I didn’t buy very much food this week as we have plans for several nights this week. We’ll mainly be eating from our pantry/stockpile on the nights we are home.

Aldi

1 Burrito Tortillas – $1.49 (They were out of the $0.99 tortillas.)

1 Mini Marshmallows – $0.89

1 bag Oranges – $2.99

1 Raisins Canister – $2.79

1 bag Sugar – $1.97

1 Extra Virgin Olive Oil – $2.99 (Thank you to everyone who suggested I buy this at Aldi. I was so excited to find it there!)

Total with tax: $14.06

Dillons

2 Dillons Milk (1/2 gallons) – $1.25 each

1 bag Kroger Frozen Chicken Breasts – $6.98

1 Clear Shampoo – $4.99, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

2 Reach Toothbrush – $1 each, used 2 $1/1 printable – Free after coupon

2 Crest Kid’s Toothpaste – $1 each, used 2 $0.50/1 coupon from the 7/28 P&G insert (doubled) – Free after coupons

2 Speed Stick Deodorant – $1, used 2 $0.50/1 coupon from the 7/28 SmartSource insert (doubled) – Free after coupons

1 Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies – $2.50, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $1.50 after coupon

2 Angel Soft Toilet Paper (4 pk) – $1.19, used 2 $0.45/1 coupon from the 7/28 RedPlum insert (doubled) – $0.29 each after coupons

3 Colgate Toothpaste – $1, used 3 $0.50/1 coupon from the 7/14 SmartSource insert (doubled) – Free after coupons

1 Colgate Sparkling White Toothpaste – $1.99, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – $0.99 after coupon (This coupon only took off $1. I was disappointed because I never pay for toothpaste.)

1 Ramen Noodles – $0.75, used $0.50/1 coupon from the 5/19 SmartSource insert (doubled) – Free after coupon

0.62 lbs Broccoli Crowns @ $0.99/lb – $0.61

1 Kroger Table Salt – $0.47

3 Frosted Flakes – $1.99 each, used $1/3 coupon from the 7/28 RedPlum insert – $1.66 each after coupon

Total before coupons and sales: $59.85

Total with tax ($2) after coupons and sales: $20.60

Health Food Store

I also went to the Health Food store with my Mom and she so sweetly bought me the items pictured above which I had put in my cart to purchase. Isn’t she the best? 🙂

Total for all grocery items (that I purchased): $34.66

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Toast

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Cheese Quesadillas, Fruit and Yogurt, Cheese & Crackers, Out to eat with family

Dinners

Dinner at my parents (x 2 – My sister and her family are in town so we will eat at my parents a couple times. My Mom makes ALL the food for everyone most of the time we go there just to give her busy daughters a break from cooking. Like I said, she is the best!)

Dinner with friends (They also insisted on making all the food. We have sweet friends!) 🙂

Macaroni & Cheese, Fruit Salad

Pancakes, Eggs, Hashbrowns

Chicken Fajitas (We didn’t end up having these last week so they’re on our menu again this week.), Rice, Steamed Broccoli

Chicken Noodle Casserole, Tossed Salad, Sliced Oranges

Shared Aug 1, 2013 comment

Charity’s CVS Shopping Trip: $28.04 worth for $12.74 + received $11.50 back in ECBs

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 1, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

The following is a guest post by Charity Purdy:

I started couponing around two years ago, and thanks to MoneySavingMom.com and other deal bloggers, I have been able to save our family a lot of money. One of my favorite stores for deals is CVS. I was so excited about my deals for this week that I could hardly wait to get to the store! I had to tweak the Colgate deal a little because of different prices and coupons.

Here is the breakdown of what I bought:

1 Starbucks Iced Coffee, 11 oz. for $1.50
Used $1/1 online coupon
Received $1.50 Extra Care Bucks

2 Oral-B Cross Action refills, 2 count for $5.99 each
Used 2 $3/1 coupons from the 7/28 P&G Insert
Received $4.00 Extra Care Bucks

1 Stayfree Pads 16 count for $2.99
Used $1/1 online coupon
Received $1.00 Extra Care Buck

1 7-UP 2 Liter for $0.99
Used $0.30/1 coupon from the CVS Coupon Machine

2 Colgate Total Zx Pro-Shield Plus Sensitivity for $5.29 each
Used 2 $1/1 coupons from the 7/28 SmartSource Insert
Used 1 $3/2 Colgate Total Toothpastes that I got last week from the CVS Coupon Machine
Used 1 $2/$10 Toothpaste purchase that I got this week from the CVS Coupon Machine

My total before coupons and Extra Care Bucks was $28.04. After coupons, I owed $12.74 and I received $11.50 Extra Care Bucks!

Charity Purdy is a pastor’s wife and stay at home mom with two beautiful daughters. Despite her terrible math skills, she discovered her love of couponing a couple years ago, thanks to Crystal at MoneySavingMom.com. Now she uses the deals to enable her to stay at home and help others in need.

Shared Aug 1, 2013 comment

We Paid Cash: A Honda Civic

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 1, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

A testimony from Rachael from Thriving on Thrifty

When my husband and I first got married in 2009, he was still driving around his first car, a small 1998 Nissan — verging on 200,000 miles. With this in mind, we knew that a vehicle purchase would be in our near future. However, saving and money-management was something I had never really practiced before we got married.

Life quickly set in though as two newly married 20-year-olds, with only a part-time job between us, and my husband still in college full-time. We had the option of either going into debt with no end in sight or figuring out how to live within our means.

Fortunately, I was able to find a full-time job within two weeks of getting married and we cut back on everything. We made a plan and stuck to it… and within 7 months of being married we were able to start putting money in a savings account!

By that time, my husband had graduated college and was also working his first-full time job. My husband and I both hoped that one day I would be able to be a stay at home mom, so we decided to only “live” off of one salary so we didn’t become accustomed to living off of two salaries. We used my income primarily for savings and paying off debt.

In today’s times, we didn’t know if being a one-income family was even possible, but we had that goal in mind knowing that we needed to pay down our debt, fund an emergency fund, and of course still save for that vehicle.

Within a two-year period, my husband and I were able save enough money to pay cash for our 2008 Honda Civic. No, it wasn’t new, but it was new to us and we didn’t have to finance it.

Not only had we paid cash for our Civic, but we had funded our emergency fund and paid off ALL of our debt (with the exception of our house) all in time to find out we were expecting our first child!

The following is my encouragement and tips to others out there:

Write down your goals:

Make a list of everything you want to accomplish. By writing it down, you can make yourself more accountable to sticking to it.

Yes, life happens and sometimes things don’t go as planned, but writing it down can at least help you stay more focused on your goals — not to mention, writing down all of your goals can really help you figure out which goals are most important to you and start focusing on those first.

Make a plan:

Once you have figured out your goals, make a plan and stick to it. Really do your homework and make a specific, reasonable plan. Crunch the numbers and figure out what you have to cut back on in order to reach your goal in your desired time-table.

Save, Save, Save:

After you determine your plan, start saving! Even if you have months where you can’t save what you had hoped, save what you can. Keep your chin up and don’t get discouraged.

I am now able to stay home with my 15-month-old son, and I find creative ways to save money and make a little income on the side — including blogging on my new blog, Thriving on Thrifty, where I write about money management, deals I find, ways to save, and other life management skills. Buying items after we have saved the money versus going into debt has lessened our financial stress and given me the opportunity to be a stay at home mom.

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

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

1. Stop spending money.

2. Start earning money.

3. Stay busy.

4. Keep a positive attitude.

5. Protect your children.

#8 Sleep Restfully

Go to Bed Earlier

Gradually Teach Your Body to Adapt

Plan Ahead for Great Sleep

Give Yourself Grace

What tips & tricks help you get a great night’s sleep? I’d love to hear!

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

1. Does this task have to be done at all?

2. If the answer is “yes”, then does this have to be done today?

3. If the answer to the above question is “yes”, then can someone else do this task?

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

Aldi

Dillons

Health Food Store

Menu Plan for this Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

Write down your goals:

Make a plan:

Save, Save, Save:

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