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2hr Cleaning Checklist

2hr Cleaning checklist printable.

2hr Cleaning Checklist

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Shared Mar 5, 2013 comment

15 Things You Can Do Each Morning to Make Your Day More Successful

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15 Things You Can Do Each Morning to Make Your Day More Successful

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We’re talking a lot about getting up early here on MoneySavingMom.com this month. And it’s not necessarily because I think it’s cool or fun to get up before the sun.

Quite the contrary! In fact, as I confessed this morning, I often come up with excuses for staying in bed longer.

The real reason I want to encourage you to become more of an early riser is because I want you to reap the fruit that comes from starting your day off on the right foot. By getting out of bed and approaching your day with energy, enthusiasm, and a plan, you’re setting yourself up for success from the get-go. And a successful life happens by stringing together successful day after successful day.

Truly, how you approach your day when you get up each morning can have an affect on not just your entire day — but your entire life. That’s powerful!

So, with this in mind, here are 15 things you can do each morning to set your day up for success (you don’t have to do all of them every morning — but pick a few and do them consistently and see if they make a difference!:

1. Make Your Bed.

It’s a little thing, but making your bed not only makes you feel accomplished as soon as you get out of your bed, it also makes it harder to get back in your bed.

2. Pray/Read the Bible.

My favorite time of day is my early morning quiet time when I read a few chapters from the Bible and pray.

3. Count Your Blessings.

I also take a few moments every morning to write down a few things I’m thankful for in my Gratitude Journal. It’s amazing how focusing on my blessings gives me renewed energy and excitement for the day.

4. Breathe & Spend a Few Moments in Quiet.

You need margin. Every single day. Take time to be still and quiet… don’t just wake up and rush right into your long to do list without so much as taking a breath!

5. Read a Chapter From a Good Book.

I love to read a short chapter or two from a good book every morning. Not only does this help me guarantee that I fit in a little reading every day, but it gives me some inspiring thoughts to consider as I go about my morning.

6. Exercise.

Even if you only have time to do some stretches, sit-ups, and jumping jacks, do something every day to get your heart pumping. If possible spend 10-30 minutes exercising each morning. I promise you’ll feel better!

7. Shower & Get Dressed For The Day You Want To Have.

I’m not sure where I first heard of the concept of dressing for the day you want to have, but I love it — and it’s something I need to work on implementing more.

8. Make a Plan.

Write down at least three to five things you plan to accomplish today. Even if you don’t get them all done, the very act of writing down your plan will give you more momentum for your day.

9. Turn On Some Music.

Good music always improves my mood and energy for the day.

10. Hydrate.

Do yourself a favor and start your day off by hydrating… and then keep hydrating throughout the day. You’ll feel so much better!

11. Eat a Healthy Breakfast.

Don’t skip breakfast! Even if you just eat some yogurt and fruit, get something healthful in your stomach soon after you wake up.

12. Smile.

Need I say more? A smile is one of the best gifts you can give others — and yourself!

13. Do Something For Someone Else.

Speaking of giving, beginning your day with outstretched arms is a surefire way to kickstart a great day.

14. Sing.

Need to boost your spirits? Try singing. It never fails to lift one’s mood.

15. Tackle the Hardest Thing First.

Instead of spending all day avoiding those one or two things that you dread the most, just get ’em done first thing so you can enjoy the rest of your day.

Bonus idea: Expect the Unexpected

Always expect interruptions and delays in your day. This is not being negative; this is being realistic. Then, if they don’t happen as often as you thought they would, you’ve been given the gift of more time and less frustration!

Bonus idea: Give Yourself Grace

Your day won’t go exactly as planned. You will make mistakes. Don’t beat yourself up or wallow in guilt. Heap on the grace and remember that tomorrow is a new day!

Related: Check out Ann Voskamp’s amazing Sanity Manifesto.

What do you do each morning to set yourself up for success?

Want some practical help with setting up your day for success? Be sure to grab a copy of my brand-new online course, Make Over Your Mornings.

This 14-day online course includes videos, a workbook, and step-by-step projects and is designed to help you revolutionize your productivity, streamline your routines, invest your time in things that truly matter, and find more joy and peace in the process.

If you’ve ever wished that you could figure out how to get more done, have more organization in your life, and find time to spend on things you love, the Make Over Your Mornings Course is for you. Find out more about it here.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 5, 2013 comment

Raising Your Children to Change the World

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Raising Your Children to Change the World

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Robert D. Smith sent me a box of Andy Andrews books the other day. When I saw The Boy Who Changed the World I knew I wanted to read it aloud to my children as soon as possible.

It’s the beautiful story of boys who committed to make a difference — and then went on to do just that when they were older. What I loved about it was that all of these boys were just ordinary, average boys with drive and vision.

This book provided a wonderful springboard for us to talk with our children about how we want them to be world-changers. We don’t want them to be content with mediocrity. We want them to aim high, work hard, and live their lives to make a lasting impact.

You don’t have to be amazingly gifted, incredibly talented, or extremely well off. You just have to have drive, passion, and a commitment to make a difference. This commitment can start very young — as it did in the examples profiled in this book.

In the little things, we want our children to see how their lives matter. They were put here on this earth to do something more than just exist.

Want to raise world-changers at your house or inspire your students to make a difference? I highly recommend reading The Boy Who Changed the World.

What books would you recommend to inspire children to make a difference?

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 5, 2013 comment

25 Goals for 2013: February Update

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25 Goals for 2013: February Update

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I crossed off three more yearly goals this month — finishing the Couch to 10K program, having all three kids take one round of ice-skating lessons (they just started their second round), and submitting my manuscript.

If you’re brand-new to goal-setting, be sure to read my post on How to Change Your Life By Setting Goals.

Here’s my list of 25 Goals for 2013 and an update on how I did in January:

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. {This has been slow going, but I almost have the first 10 verses from Romans 1 memorized.}
Wake up by 6 a.m. and exercise, shower, and dress by 8 a.m. every day. {Still working on this! The Early to Rise Challenge has really helped!}
Read 150 books/ebooks {See my list of 48 books I’m for sure planning to read here — I’ve read 30 books so far in 2013, so I’m on good track to hit my goal!}

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 three times so far this year.}
Go on at least one date per month. {Done in February.}

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. {Finished first round of these two weeks ago and just started our second round.}
Swimming lessons for all three children during the summer.
Finish at least 37 read-aloud books. {We’ve finished 7 books so far this year and we’re almost done with a few more, so we’re on pretty good track here.}

Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family Goals

Weekly accountability meetings with a friend.
Get together with friends for a playdate or lunch at least once a month. {Done twice in February.}
Continue being involved in our local church, couple’s group, and blogging accountability group.
Continue with weekly get-togethers with both sides of our extended family.

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.

photo credit

Did you set goals for 2013?

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!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 5, 2013 comment

Do It Yourself: Homemade Healthy(er) Twinkies

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Do It Yourself: Homemade Healthy(er) Twinkies

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HeavenlyHomemakers.com shows you how to make homemade healthy(er) twinkies.

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.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 5, 2013 comment

Early to Rise Challenge: It’s Not Always Easy (and am I the only one who thinks drinking coffee black is crazy??)

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Early to Rise Challenge: It’s Not Always Easy (and am I the only one who thinks drinking coffee black is crazy??)

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Welcome to the Early to Rise Challenge! Throughout the month of March, I’m challenging myself and my readers to make the most of their mornings. So every week day morning at 9 a.m. EST, I’m posting a short Early to Rise post. I’ll share a few of my thoughts on the day’s passage from Early to Rise, tell you what time I got up that morning, and encourage you to leave a comment to tell us what time you got up and how you’re doing on the challenge.

It’s Not Always Easy

I thought it was only fitting that the Day 5 reading from the Early to Rise book was about how this Early to Rise thing is going to be a challenge some mornings. Because that definitely happened this morning.

I almost got up at 5 a.m. when my alarm clock went off. But I made some excuses about being tired (even though I went to bed early) and I crawled back into bed to “sleep for 30 more minutes” not realizing that the second alarm was set for 6 a.m. instead of 5:30 a.m. That one little decision set me back by an hour this morning.

However, I’m not going to spend time beating myself up over the decision. I’m charging ahead with my day choosing to have a good attitude. After all, 6 a.m. isn’t “late” and I still had some great quiet this morning before everyone woke up.

But I am going to remind myself of the hour I “lost” this morning the next morning I try to convince myself it’s okay to crawl back into bed for a little while. If I am truly tired, then I need more sleep. But most mornings, I just need to get up and get moving!

Curious minds want to know: Andy suggests drinking your coffee black. Really? Are you kidding me? Why deprive yourself of the goodness of milk/cream and sugar — the things that make coffee so amazingly delicious? 🙂

So, if it’s not apparent, I won’t be jumping on the black coffee bandwagon. But I have to ask: am I the only one who thinks it’s crazy to drink coffee black? I just can’t understand people who do that! {I’m totally jesting around here — in case you didn’t read that into what I wrote — but I’d love to hear your thoughts on this!}

What Time Did You Get Up This Morning?

Me? I got up at 6:00 a.m. to be exact. But my phone was dead, so I had to charge it before I could take a picture of the clock. Lame excuse, I know, but it’s true. 🙂

What time did you get up? Leave a comment and let us know!

Join in the Chatter!

Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post for today below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the Early to Rise Group Board on my Pinterest page, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? Each week day morning on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account, I’ll be posting a picture of my alarm clock as public accountability. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #EarlytoRise to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!


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

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 4, 2013 comment

52 Different Ways to Save $100 a Year: Eliminate Disposable Products {Week 9}

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52 Different Ways to Save $100 a Year: Eliminate Disposable Products {Week 9}

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

At the beginning of 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 way to save quite a bit of money each year — and send less trash to the landfills! — is to eliminate or greatly reduce the number of disposable products you use.

Here are some ideas of ways to eliminate or reduce paper products that many people purchase on a regular basis. If you purchase and use most of these on a monthly basis, I recommend just choosing one area to work on every month or two. Don’t try to eliminate all of the paper products all at once, just slowly reduce and eliminate them one by one.

And remember, what works for one family won’t necessarily work for another family. So if you try to eliminate one area and it’ just too hard, skip it and move onto another area. You can always go back and try again later.

Ziptop Plastic Bags

We do buy these, but we don’t buy them very often. I wash and re-use plastic bags as much as possible. If I use a plastic bag for storing flour or bread items in it, I just shake out the crumbs and store it in the freezer until I have more flour or bread items to refill it with.

Aluminum Foil

Most of my pans have plastic covers that I use in place of foil. When I do use foil, I try to re-use it if at all possible.

Learn how to make your own cloth napkins.

Small Trash Bags

We use the grocery store sacks, or none at all. In addition, unless the trash is really full, we’ll often just dump the trash can contents into the large trash dumpster and not remove the bag.

Paper Plates

Again, we occasionally use plastic plates, cups, and silverware, but rarely just for our family. We usually save plasticware to use when we have a large group of people over and it just makes it so much simpler. For every day use, it’s not a big deal to use normal non-disposable plates, cups, and silverware — especially now that we have a dishwasher and the kids can help with loading and unloading it! 🙂

Paper Towels

As I’ve blogged about before, we stopped buying paper towels a number of years ago and we realized we didn’t miss them. We use washcloths or old rags instead.

Homemade All-Natural Cleaning Wipes

Disposable Cleaning Products

I try not to use any disposable cleaning products — such as toilet cleaners or duster with replaceable disposable heads. It’s so much less money to just use a rang and cleaning solution. Plus, you don’t have to worry about remembering to buy replacements!

How Much Can You Save By Eliminating Disposable Products?

How much you save by eliminating or reducing your usage of disposable products is going to vary widely. But I’d wager to guess that most families spend around $2-3 per week on disposable products, if not more. So by eliminating most of them or greatly reducing your use of them, there’s going to be a very good chance that you’re going to save over $100 per year — if not more!

What disposable products have you eliminated from your home?

photo credit

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 4, 2013 comment

10 goals for this week

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10 goals for this week

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Last week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read three chapters of Vinegar Boy: Encounter Christ Through the Dramatic Story of Vinegar Boy aloud at lunch. Read three chapters of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh at dinner. Read five chapters of A Bear Called Paddington with Kathrynne, read four chapters of Little House on the Prairie with Kaitlynn, read four chapters of Eloise Wilkin Stories to Silas.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

Personal Goals

3. Memorize Romans 1:9-10.

4. Exercise five times.

5. Start Early to Rise Challenge on March 1, 2013.

6. Finish reading Uneclipsing the Son, Fit To Burst, A Charlotte Mason Education, and Eve’s Daughters.

Homemaking Goals

7. Do a Freezer Cooking in an Hour session.

8. Finish Kathrynne’s scarf.

Business Goals
9. Work on outlines for five upcoming talks.

10. Turn in my manuscript to Thomas Nelson!

This week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read three chapters of Vinegar Boy: Encounter Christ Through the Dramatic Story of Vinegar Boy aloud at lunch. Read five chapters of Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh at dinner. Read five chapters of A Bear Called Paddington with Kathrynne, read four chapters of Anne of Green Gables with Kaitlynn, read four chapters of Sarah, Plain & Tall to Silas.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

Personal Goals

3. Memorize Romans 1:9-10.

4. Exercise five times.

5. Continue with the Early to Rise Challenge.

6. Finish reading Uneclipsing the Son, Fit To Burst, A Charlotte Mason Education, and Eve’s Daughters.

Homemaking Goals

7. Do a Freezer Cooking in an Hour session.

8. Work on embroidery project.

Business Goals

9. Finish outlines for my talks at the Southeast Homeschool Convention next week.

10. Finish updating the recipes for our new recipe page launch next week.

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.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 4, 2013 comment

This week’s menu

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This week’s menu

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Spaghizza

Well, I didn’t get all of the freezer cooking done last week because I was in the middle of finishing up my manuscript. I just had to hunker down and get the edits done. I did — and it feels so good to have it turned into my publisher!

And now I can get back to more normal life again. 🙂

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Cereal, Eggs, and/or Fruit

Lunches

Mac & cheese, fruit
Snack-y lunch
PB&J, carrot sticks, apples
Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks
Lunch out with friends
Leftovers x 2

Snacks

Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Chocolate Cranberry Energy Bites

Freezer Cooking in an Hour (stay tuned on Thursday when I’ll share a play-by-play on how this goes!)

Crockpot Refried Beans
Chocolate Cranberry Energy Bites
Vegan Banana Oatmeal Pancakes

Homemade Freezer Biscuits

Dinners

Dinner with extended family
Spaghizza, Homemade French Bread, steamed veggies, fruit
Vegetable Beef Stew in the Crockpot, Homemade Freezer Biscuits, Fruit
Haystack
Breakfast for Dinner: Vegan Banana Oatmeal Pancakes, Eggs, Fruit
Stirfry over rice
Dinner out

What’s on your menu this week? Share details and/or your link to your menu plan in the comments.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 4, 2013 comment

Meijer: No more double coupons in some markets (effective March 30, 2013)

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Meijer: No more double coupons in some markets (effective March 30, 2013)

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photo credit: Bargains to Bounty

Effective March 30, 2013, Meijer will stop doubling coupons in some of their stores. Here’s the notice posted on their Facebook Page:

“…We are eliminating double coupons in our Battle Creek, Lansing, Ft. Wayne and South Bend Markets. As a course of business, we will continue to evaluate other markets to determine the appropriate coupon strategy for that specific market based on our opportunity to reinvest in low prices across all of our items. Double coupons only affect a certain percentage of items. We believe that investing in lower prices across the store is more of a benefit to our customers. We will still accept coupons at face value, and are still offering great savings with everyday low prices, weekly specials and mPerks digital coupons.

Thanks, Saving Dollars and Sense!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 4, 2013 comment

20 Ways to be More Productive While on the Phone

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20 Ways to be More Productive While on the Phone

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post by Kristen of Celebrate Every Day With Me.

Are you productive when you talk on the phone? There are days when I am a mean-cleaning-talking machine. And there are other days (a few too many) when I don’t have anything to show after clicking end on my telephone — meaningful conversations aside.

One of my closest friends lives a couple hours away. But we make up for it in the number of times we talk on the phone each day and the lengths at which we talk on the phone. She tends to sit, comfy on the couch while we talk. I tend to pace around my house. (The reason I recognize this is that I have noticed when my kids are on the phone or pretend to be, they walk circles around the house. Hmmm.)

So in an effort to jump on Crystal’s bandwagon of amazing productivity, here are 20 quick ways to be productive while talking on the phone.

1. Pick up clutter

2. Sort laundry

3. Unload the dishwasher

4. Organize the pantry

5. Wipe down the counter or refrigerator doors

6. Wash a window

7. Go through a kid’s closet, removing what no longer fits

8. Spot-treat stains on clothing

9. Sort through a junk drawer

10. Purge unused mugs and sippy cups from the cupboard (Don’t we all have too many mugs?)

11. Take a Clorox wipe to your light switches and door knobs

12. Grab a stack of unfiled bills and sort them into piles on the floor

13. Purge your purse/wallet of trash

14. Cut coupons

15. Organize your video and dvd collection

16. Weed, if the weather is nice

17. Clean the microwave (Boil 2 cups of water, let sit for 10 minutes and wipe.)

18. Dust a room

19. Sort through the mail

20. Paint your toe nails (Who said productivity can’t be fun?)

Next time you hang up, you won’t have just a nice conversation to show for it, you’ll also enjoy the great feeling of accomplishment!

What do you like to accomplish when you are chatting on the phone?

Kristen Summers is a former event planner now blogging about fun ideas for children’s activities, party planning and creating memorable moments. She is the author of Teach Me To Serve: 99 Ways Preschoolers Can Learn to Serve & Bless Others. Catch up with Kristen at Celebrate Every Day With Me.

photo source

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 4, 2013 comment

Early to Rise Challenge: Wake Up With a Plan for Your Day

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Early to Rise Challenge: Wake Up With a Plan for Your Day

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to the Early to Rise Challenge! Throughout the month of March, I’m challenging myself and my readers to make the most of their mornings. So every week day morning at 9 a.m. EST, I’m posting a short Early to Rise post. I’ll share a few of my thoughts on the day’s passage from Early to Rise, tell you what time I got up that morning, and encourage you to leave a comment to tell us what time you got up and how you’re doing on the challenge.

Wake Up With a Plan For Your Day

We’re skipping the weekends for this challenge because I’m all about giving yourself grace and breathing room while still challenging yourself. And also? I need to extend that same grace to myself. Which means that I typically sleep in until at least 7:30 a.m. on the weekends. Kudos to those of you who powered through and got up early the past two days, though! 🙂

Today, I’m catching up on the Early to Rise book by reading Days 2-4. There are a lot of excellent thoughts there, including making friends with Fred (your alarm clock — Andy recommends the Sleep Cycle Alarm Clock app. Have any of you tried it? I’d love to hear your thoughts.) and how you can “be selfish at 5 a.m.” since it’s not taking away from your family to do so — well, unless getting up early means you end up being a grump toward your family and everyone else the rest of the day. If that’s the case, you either need to go to bed earlier, or you need to rethink the wake-up time you committed to.

I was inspired by the Day 4 reading on how getting up early sets the tone for your whole day. I’ve certainly found this to be true! When I wake up with a plan and I execute that plan, my day goes so much better than when I sleep in late and spend the morning pretty much putting out fires and going around and around in circles.

Today’s challenge: make a plan for your mornings, if you don’t already have one. Think about three to five things you can do each morning to set your day up for success. Tell us what they are in the comments. I’ll be sharing a post tomorrow on things you can do each morning to set your day up for success.

What Time Did You Get Up This Morning?

Me? I got up at 5:33 a.m. to be exact.

What time did you get up? Leave a comment and let us know!

Join in the Chatter!

Want to blog about this challenge? If you’re blogging through this challenge with me, be sure to leave your link to your direct post for today below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the Early to Rise Group Board on my Pinterest page, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? Each week day morning on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account, I’ll be posting a picture of my alarm clock as public accountability. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #EarlytoRise to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 2, 2013 comment

3 Tips to Save More

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3 Tips to Save More

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3 tips to save more

Guest post from Carrie of Pocket Your Dollars

For years I couldn’t save money – not wouldn’t — but actually couldn’t.

I tried. I knew it was important, I had a savings account, and I wanted to save.

Still, my savings balance rarely exceeded $1,000 — more typically, it hovered around $150.

Looking back, I realized the reason I continually struggled to build a nest egg was because I constantly sabotaged my saving efforts.

It seemed that one of two things always happened.

1. I’d move the money back and forth.

I’d transfer money out of the checking account, into our savings account. Then, something would come up and I’d find myself moving the money right back into the checking account.

It was never anything frivolous or extravagant, but we seemed to always have a pressing need for the money.

2. I didn’t have enough to save.

Some months, after I’d pay our bills, there literally wouldn’t be anything left over to move into savings.

Sure, we had a budget line item called “savings”, but the money we intended to save somehow disappeared during the month.

And then… I learned HOW to save!

It’s been several many years since I stopped sabotaging our savings… by simply doing these 3 things.

1. We adjusted our attitude.

The starting point for any lasting change is on the inside.

Yes, we ultimately need to modify our behavior and habits. However, until your desired behavioral changes flow out of a new mindset, they’ll be short-lived. Isn’t that why most New Year’s Resolutions fail too?

In the past, we waited, hoped, and even prayed that the next tax refund, pay raise, or Christmas bonus would bring financial change to our family. Our plan was always to “start saving” AFTER each refund, raise, or bonus. We constantly pushed change into the future, always believing it was just around the corner.

Finally, in June 2006 change did come. But, it wasn’t via a cash windfall. It came because we changed our attitude.

My husband and I finally realized that it doesn’t matter how much money you make. What makes the financial difference is how much money we kept.

We committed ourselves to building an adequate savings buffer no matter our income level, so we would never again incur new debt.

Over the years, we have continued to keep that promise!

2. We distanced ourselves from our money.

All of my past failed savings efforts included a savings account attached to a checking account.

Dangerous!

The money is so quickly and easily transferred between accounts that I viewed savings as an extension of the checking instead of something untouchable.

To distance ourselves from our money, we opened up two different savings accounts.

  1. An Emergency Fund: we linked this account to our checking so we’d be able to transfer if necessary BUT, we chose a bank that required 4 days for all transfers. That meant no more spur-of-the-moment transfers to cover a potentially bounced check.
  2. Non-Emergency Savings: we opened another savings account at a small local credit union to save for expected, non-emergency things like car repairs, medical bills and our next vacation. However, the credit union we chose has a limited number of branches, limited lobby hours, and very few ATMs — so we had limited access to our savings. We wanted to make it difficult, but not impossible, to get out money out. In fact, we didn’t even get a debit card when we opened the account, just an old-fashioned ATM card.

3. We set up an auto-transfer.

Once we’d sufficiently distanced ourselves from our savings, then we needed to fund those accounts. We set up recurring auto-transfers that happened on a set day each month.

Auto-transferring the deposits made a huge difference in our ability to actually save the money we intended.

Setting up recurring transfers was relatively easy. We could configure one of our accounts online. And we had to complete a form at our credit union. The transfers were unstoppable without going into a branch and signing a cancellation form.

I knew that if we didn’t have sufficient funds in the bank account then those auto-transfers would result in an overdraft charge. I didn’t want that, so I earmarked those designated amounts and made sure they were always available.

Doing these three things has enabled my family to save significantly more money, even on a limited budget!

What savings tricks have been effective for you?

Carrie Rocha blogs at Pocket Your Dollars. She’s also author of Pocket Your Dollars: 5 Attitude Changes That Will Help You Pay Down Debt, Avoid Financial Stress, and Keep More of What You Make (Bethany House), which helps readers make lasting financial change from the inside out. She lives in Minneapolis, MN.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Mar 1, 2013 comment

Good Reads: Character Trails by Marilyn Boyer

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Good Reads: Character Trails by Marilyn Boyer

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you’re a mom of young ones and you’ve been over to my house in the past few months, you’ve probably heard me talk about Marilyn Boyer’s Character books. I can’t help myself; I love them.

And it’s just not me who loves them. My children adore these books.

We read Crossroads of Character last year and Silas (only two and a half at the time) begged for me to keep reading another story and another story. I’ve never had the children all be so engaged in our morning devotional as they were with Crossroads of Character.

What they loved was that Crossroads of Character taught character lessons with stories and full color pictures. All of the children in the stories are Marilyn Boyer’s grandchildren. My children loved following along with the antics of each of the children in the book. Since there were children each of their ages, they especially got excited about the stories.

We were all so sad when we finished Crossroads of Character, so I was thrilled to discover that there was another book in the “series”. Character Trails is similar to Crossroads of Character, but it’s geared for a little bit older age level (I’d say 5-10 year olds).

There are 12 different character qualities covered. For each character quality, there is a Bible story, a story from history, and a story from Marilyn’s grandchildren that exemplifies that character quality.

Once again, my children were completely engaged. Some of the Bible stories and stories from history were ones they were very familiar with. But there were others that were new to them.

Character Trails provided a springboard for many great discussions. And, once again, we were sad when we were finished with the book. I think my children are very hopeful that Marilyn continues to release these books so that they can follow along as her grandchildren grow up!

If you’re looking for a quality book on character for younger children, I’d definitely recommend Crossroads of Character and Character Trails. We read one story every day at breakfast and it was the perfect length for the current ages of my children.

Shared Mar 1, 2013 comment

Spaghetti Pizza Recipe

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Spaghetti Pizza Recipe

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This budget-friendly, freezable recipe is a favorite at our house! It’s a unique twist on pizza and spaghetti that’s simple to put together and can be made up ahead of time.

Guest post from Brigette Shevy.

Why we love Pepperoni Spaghetti

I often serve this when we invite families with small children over for dinner… it always goes over well!

When I got married, I was given a copy of the family cookbook from my husband’s family – with all kinds of relatives contributing their favorites. This is my version of a recipe I discovered in that collection. 

It’s an easy recipe to be creative with. Try using different cheese combinations, switching out the spaghetti noodles for another kind of pasta, or adding your favorite pizza toppings in place of the pepperoni.

I’ve also made this with brown rice pasta to make it gluten-free. It just depends on what you like and what you have on hand.

Since I started having my children take turns planning and helping me make dinner on Friday evenings, Spaghizza shows up quite regularly at our dinner table on Friday nights.

If you’re looking for a new recipe that’s made from staple ingredients, is simple to make, and picky-eater-appealing… here you go!

Pizza Baked Spaghetti Ingredients

  • 8 ounces spaghetti noodles
  • 3 eggs
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 ½ cups spaghetti sauce (one 23.5-ounce jar)
  • 8-12 ounces (2-3 cups) shredded cheese (all mozzarella, or a mixture of your favorite pizza-friendly cheeses)
  • 3.5-ounce package of sliced pepperoni or any of your favorite pizza toppings

How to Make Pepperoni Spaghetti

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.

2. Generously grease a 9″ x 13″ pan and set aside.

3. In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package directions until al dente.

4. Immediately rinse cooked noodles in cold water until cool. Drain well.

5. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk eggs, milk, parmesan cheese, and seasonings.

6. Toss cooked noodles into the egg mixture and transfer to a greased 9×13 pan.

7. Pour the spaghetti sauce on top of the noodles.

8. Place half of the pepperoni on top of the sauce followed by the shredded cheese and then the remaining pepperoni.

9. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese if desired.

10. Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

11. Let stand for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

How to Serve this Spaghetti Pizza Recipe

As with all pasta dishes, it pairs well with garlic bread, salad, roasted vegetables, and fresh fruit. It also tastes fantastic as leftovers later in the week (although you may want to add a bit more sauce when reheating it).

How to store Pizza Baked Spaghetti

If you have leftovers, simply store them in a covered food storage container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

You can also free individual portions (with a little extra sauce) for quick lunches.

Pizza Spaghetti FAQs

Is spaghetti sauce and pizza sauce the same?

They are very similar and could easily be substituted for one another if you run stuck. However, pasta sauce is usually chunkier than pizza sauce, and can sometimes have additional ingredients like cheese, or more spices.

Can you overcook baked spaghetti?

Yes — you can burn the cheese and pepperonis if you bake it for too long. If you’re worried about this, simply cover the dish with aluminum foil to prevent the top from burning and the noodles from drying out.

Why is my baked spaghetti dry?

The most likely answer is you simply needed more sauce (maybe your noodles were undercooked so they soaked up too much sauce during the baking process). Feel free to add more sauce (even after you bake it) if the noodles seem dry.

Recipe

Baked Spaghetti with Pepperoni


Author Brigette
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 10
If you’re looking for a new recipe that’s made from staple ingredients, is simple to make, and picky-eater-appealing… here you go!

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces spaghetti noodles or any other noodle
  • 3 eggs
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ cup parmesean cheese
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 2½ cups pasta sauce 23.5 ounce jar
  • 3 cups shredded cheese mozzarella or any other favorite
  • 3½ ounces sliced pepperoni

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  • Generously grease a 9″ x 13″ pan and set aside.
  • In a large pot, bring water to a boil and cook the spaghetti noodles according to the package directions until al dente.
  • Immediately rinse cooked noodles in cold water until cool. Drain well.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk eggs, milk, parmesan cheese, and seasonings.
  • Toss cooked noodles into the egg mixture and transfer to a greased 9×13 pan.
  • Pour the spaghetti sauce on top of the noodles.
  • Place half of the pepperoni on top of the sauce followed by the shredded cheese and then the remaining pepperoni.
  • Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese if desired.
  • Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
  • Let stand for at least 5 minutes before cutting.

Nutrition

Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 680mg | Potassium: 318mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 577IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 203mg | Iron: 1mg

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Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy. She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.

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Shared Mar 1, 2013 comment

Taking baby steps: I set a goal to save $10 this month with coupons

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Taking baby steps: I set a goal to save $10 this month with coupons

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Carla emailed in the following tip:

I am one of those people who cut out all kinds of coupons, only to let them expire and end up throwing them away. At other times, my piles of coupons look like clutter so I recycle them all. I just have never had the motivation to keep on top of my coupons, thus I have too often just given up my quest to save (at least with coupons) at the grocery store.

This morning I was thinking about the new month starting and of ways, once again, to try to cut my budget a little. My immediate thought was “no coupons” but I reconsidered. Now, my goal for the entire month is to save $10.00 on my groceries using coupons. I know that I could probably save more, but I think I will have better success with baby steps!

This will not include any discounts I get with my shoppers card, just coupons. It will also not include any money I may save using coupons at restaurants. I am hoping to see this work, and if so, next month I will try to up my amount of savings by using more coupons. For this next month, I will be keeping good track of my saving and will be thrilled to reach my goal of $10.00.

I thought I would share this idea with you all, in case you are a beginner at trying to save with coupons, or you are like me, discouraged due to my lack of having a previous method that worked. I think it will all come down to baby steps! -Carla

Note from Crystal: If you’re brand-new to using coupons, be sure to check out my 31 Days to a Better Grocery Budget series. Also, find your store deals listed in the Store Deals section of our site. And finally, don’t forget to use the Coupon Database to print coupons for items you’re already planning on buying.

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