Saving Families Money Since 2007
Here are the freebies I’ve gotten in my mailbox in the past week:
::Coupon for a free bottle of International Delight
::Free Suave haircare samples
::Free Gain Fireworks sample
::Coupon for a free Tai Pei entree
What freebies have arrived in your mailbox this week?
By the way, if you want to start getting great freebies in your mailbox, just start signing up for the freebies I post every day that interest you. Within 4-6 weeks, your mailbox will start filling up with great freebies!
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.
In July of 2010, we ditched our landline for a year. It saved us $15 per month — and countless minutes of dealing with telemarketers! 🙂
It was really freeing to do it, although I readily admit it was also a little weird since we’d always had a landline. But it was a worthwhile experiment — and the $180 we saved that year was great, too.
When we dropped our landline, it was because our phone/internet company finally started offering a la carte packages. Up until that point, we’d priced things and it was actually less expensive to go with an internet, cell phone, and landline deal versus just an internet and cell phone package.
So if you’re thinking of ditching the landline, be sure that it’s actually going to save you something each month — and not end up raising your rates.
When you’re calculating your savings, also check into your options. If you ditch your landline, how much will it cost you if you decide to add it back on? Would it be a better alternative to just cut back on the bells and whistles? There are so many things offered along with landlines that most of us don’t need.
Consider stripping down to the barebones instead of ditching the landline altogether. Many times, the call waiting, caller ID, and other features can cost as much as $10 extra per month, if not more. If you don’t really need these options, don’t pay for them!
I really didn’t seriously consider some of the risks involved with dropping our landline until I blogged about it back in 2010. And so many people shared their concerns and reasons as to why they wouldn’t ever drop their landline (read the comments on that post here).
The biggest concern raised was that you need to always have very, very easy access to a phone to dial 911 in case of an emergency. Cell phones can sometimes be hard to find (or maybe that’s just a problem we have at our house sometimes! :)) and they also have to be regularly charged.
The last thing you want to have to do in an emergency is be running all over trying to locate a phone or trying to charge up a phone. In a life or death situation, those minutes spent could be devastating. It’s never worth it to risk safety just for the sake of saving money.
However, there are options out there for calling 911. For instance, Mary from OwlHaven commented on my post and said:
We solved at least part of this issue by keeping a cheap Tracfone plugged in AT ALL TIMES on the kitchen counter so it will be charged and easily located. My teens use this phone when I am gone or when my unlimited-minutes phone is otherwise unavailable. The cord is long enough to stand next to the outlet to talk, and unplugging it is against the rules. I think I’ll also type our street address on a card taped to that phone, so the address can easily be read off to dispatchers if my teens were ever too stressed to remember our address.
We thought we wouldn’t end up bringing our landline back, but after a year of being landline-less and having a few times when I couldn’t find my phone and Jesse had no way of getting ahold of me nor me him, we decided it was worth the $15 per month to add the landline back in. In addition, because I do a fair number of radio interviews that require a landline, this gave us another reason to make it worth the expense.
But we don’t regret the year we went without a landline and if our budget is strapped sometime down the future, we know we could always cut the landline and just go with the Tracfone idea.
Do you have a landline? Why or why not?
Jon Acuff is one of the most inspirational people I follow online. Not only does he make me laugh, think, and ponder, but he challenges me to action. It’s not enough to know what I’m about, Jon motivates me to do something about it — like going out and punching fear in the face.
Jon’s latest book, Start, is an amazing book. And I don’t say that lightly.
It’s easy to read since Jon has a way of drawing you in with his words and stories. But it’s not an “easy read” since Jon won’t let you lounge in your recliner and ponder your world-changing ideas for years on end. No, he makes you want to jump up and go make something happen.
My hands down favorite part of Start was Jon’s vulnerability. His candid stories of his own insecurity and failure will help you to know that you’re not alone in your crazy fears or mistakes. He’s been there, too. He gets you. And his stories will give you courage and hope.
I had high expectations for Start because I knew that Jon and the Dave Ramsey team had poured days, weeks, months, and years into it. But it far exceeded my expectations. It wasn’t just good; it was great.
Now, I do want to mention that if you’re looking for a clearly laid out game plan for launching a business or idea, this book is probably not the best one to pick up. It’s more an inspirational message than a step-by-step how-to. That said, I truly believe everyone can learn from and be inspired by Jon’s message.
Have you read any good books recently? Tell us about them in the comments.
It’s time for another Reader Giveaway Extravaganza! This is just a little way for me to show my appreciation to you all for reading here.
This month’s prize pack contains a few books I’ve enjoyed recently, some of the read-aloud books we’ve been enjoying as a family, some other goodies, plus some gift cards!
One reader will win the following prize pack:
To enter to win this prize package, just click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. One winner will be chosen and posted on Tuesday. This giveaway ends Thursday, May 30, at 11:59pm, CST.
Every week day in May, I’m challenging my readers to try to find at least 7 things to get rid of. These can be big or small things, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you actually throw them out, sell them, donate them, recycle them, or find someone else who can use them. Think you’re up for the challenge?
Just when I think I can’t find anything more, I keep finding stuff!
How did your clutter-busting go today? Link up your blog post and/or Instagram pictures below. Or, leave a comment telling us how many things you got rid of. Let’s clear our homes of clutter so we can be more productive and efficient!
Kaitlynn found this rag yesterday that was on its last leg — even as far as rags go. But instead of seeing it as something destined for the trash can, she immediately realized she could design a purse out of it as the ripped off fabric section would work perfectly as a handle.
She got to work at once sewing it and then using marker to “paint” it. Once it was finished, she’s been proudly using it as a purse.
While her creativity never ceases to inspire me, but that wasn’t all that I took away from her rag purse project. It made me think how often in our lives there are messy broken pieces. Hard things. Struggles. Hurts. Failures.
We see these things and we want to just get rid of them and pretend they never existed. But often, it’s those very things that can shape us into a person of character.
I don’t know what the hard things in your life might be right now. But I know each of you has at least a few really difficult things you’re dealing with.
Don’t give up! You never know what those hardships might be preparing you for. But it might be something more beautiful than what you can imagine.
CreativeGreenLiving.com shows you how to make homemade fishing lures out of dollar store materials.
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.
As we celebrate Memorial Day today, I am humbly grateful to the many men and women who have risked and given so much for the freedoms we enjoy in this country.
Thank you — from the bottom of my heart — to the many military families who are readers here. We so appreciate the sacrifices you make on a daily basis to protect and defend our freedoms. We don’t say it enough, but thank you!
We had a quiet week last week and we stayed home most of the week. It was wonderful and it allowed me the time and energy to get all of my goals crossed off (something that hasn’t happened in quite awhile!).
Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals
1.Start reading The Trumpet of the Swan
to the children. Read three chapters of The Hardy Boys Book #1 with Kathrynne, read three chapters of Life With Lily with Kaitlynn, read a few picture books with Silas.
2. Go on a date with Jesse.
3. Start Library Reading Program with kids.Personal Goals
4. Memorize Romans 1:14. Review Romans 1:1-13.
5. Exercise five times — start Pilates program.
6. Finish reading: 24/6, Unstoppable, Operation Dinner,Candle in the Darkness, and When the Game is Over It All Goes Back in the Box.
7. Get at least 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep every night.Homemaking Goals
8. Continue on with the Clutter-Busting Challenge.
9. Work on my embroidery project for at least 30 minutes.Business Goals
10. Photo shoot for book cover.
This week’s goals:
Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals
1.
2. Attend the homeschool conference here and buy our homeschool curriculum for next year.
3. Go to the circus as a family.
Personal Goals
4. Memorize Romans 1:15. Review Romans 1:1-14.
5. Exercise five times.
6. Read One Thousand Gifts, The Charge, Surprised By Oxford, and The Things We Cherished.
7. Get at least 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep every night.
Homemaking Goals
8. Finish the Clutter-Busting Challenge.
9. Work on my embroidery project for at least 30 minutes.
Business Goals
10. Finish tweaking recipes for the new recipes page.
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.
Guest post from Rhoda
As summer approaches, I am thinking of my yearly “TV-Free Summer Pledge”.
As a high school literacy coach, I am blessed that I get to spend a lot of time with my own children, but there are days when I look at a sea of teenage faces and think, “Someone else is getting to hold and love and teach my children.” This sense of helplessness led to my yearly “TV-Free Summer Pledge”. I have nine weeks of mostly uninterrupted time with my very own children, and I do not want a minute squandered on cartoons.
Two summers ago when I first made this pledge, it was a disaster because while I had planned for what we would not do (no TV), I hadn’t given much thought to what we would do. So the TV was turned off, and I had two little faces looking at me like, “Entertain me! Entertain me!” I was overwhelmed — nothing seemed to hold their attention for more than five minutes and there was no plan.
Now I have a plan and since that first crazy summer, my promise of television-free summers is much easier to keep.
This sounds a bit silly, doesn’t it? It’s summer. Kids and adults are supposed to be free to enjoy the sunshine, chlorinated water, and daily naps without worrying about a silly schedule.
Well, if your goal is a TV-free summer, then this free flow of time will inevitably suck you and your children back into the world of animated cartoon characters and commercials. With no structure, you won’t have a plan for what you or your children will be doing on Tuesday at 10 a.m., so when that day and time come and you don’t know what to do, you will turn on the tube.
To combat this, I have divided my day into 30-minute to 1.5-hour segments. The shorter segments are for learning activities like summer bridge workbook pages, multiplication flashcards, and art projects. The longer segments are for outside play, free play, and naps.
I have made a list of go-to activities for when my son and daughter look at me like, “Entertain me!” This list has mostly free activities for them to do that require very little prep or supplies. The value here is having a ready resource for fun activities.
My list is very long but here are a few ideas:
• Run in a sprinkler.
• Play bean bag toss.
• Build a fort out of sheets.
• Draw with sidewalk chalk.
• Assemble a puzzle.
Libraries have free access to books, videos, and other resources. More importantly, libraries have free air-conditioning!
My children love the story time offered by our library every Wednesday morning. We arrive a little early to choose books for the week and to get a good seat. The programs are educational and fun-filled. We usually go to the park for a picnic afterward.
I have created a busy box for each of my two children. For my younger child who is four, I have a collection of busy bags and small toys such as a travel Magna Doodle and magnetic dolls. My older child is ten. In his busy box, there are word searches, puzzles, and coloring sheets.
This is another set of go-to activities for the kids to do; they are also portable and work well for long car trips or waiting rooms.
While I must admit that we have never actually had a totally television-free summer, we have made great strides in limiting our time in front of the TV and in increasing our time spent together as a family. I try not to stress out, and I look at being television free like I look at working out.
Instead of focusing on the times I fell off the wagon, I think about all the time we spent together without TV in the background. Even if you only have TV-free summer mornings, it is still better than being plugged in all summer long.
Have you ever done a TV-Free week, month, summer, or year? How did it work for you?
Rhoda has two children and teaches high school. She loves summer break because it gives her the chance to be a stay-at-home mom. She’s a fan of reading, thrift shops, spending less, living simply, and being creative.
I am so stoked about this recipe! It’s by far one of the best healthy recipes I’ve discovered to date. And it’s easy, too!
Karen from Abundance on a Dime emailed me her version of my tweaked recipe for Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies — and I took her version and tweaked it again.
The end result? These Honey-Sweetened Truffles.
You’ve got to try them. Even my husband said they were really good. 🙂
Combine the honey, coconut oil, cocoa powder, and peanut butter together in a saucepan. Heat on medium-low until melted together.
Remove from heat and add in coconut, oats, cranberries, and cinnamon. Chill for 30 minutes until mixture firms up enough to roll into balls (I just let it cool on the countertop for an hour).
Shape into balls, roll in coconut, and store in the fridge. These should firm up more when they are refrigerated.
Makes 15-20 truffles.
Recipe adapted from Abundance on a Dime.
Every week day in May, I’m challenging my readers to try to find at least 7 things to get rid of. These can be big or small things, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you actually throw them out, sell them, donate them, recycle them, or find someone else who can use them. Think you’re up for the challenge?
I’m taking your suggestions and going back through my house another time. Today I went through our bathroom, closet, and bedroom. And I was excited to find 7 things:
How did your clutter-busting go today? Link up your blog post and/or Instagram pictures below. Or, leave a comment telling us how many things you got rid of. Let’s clear our homes of clutter so we can be more productive and efficient!
Guest post from Jamie of FromHisPresence.com
About ten years ago, I was really struggling with managing my time.
My job required extra hours. I enjoyed going out with friends often, and I wanted to get involved at my new church, too! So I said “yes” to everything: concerts, movies, overtime, dinners, a Sunday School class, home visitation team, two weekly prayer meetings, and singing in the choir… all around the same time.
Needless to say, I took on too much. I was overwhelmed and stressed out. I was eating poorly and not exercising, and the stress was taking its toll.
Then one day, someone gave me the best time management advice I’ve ever received:
“Write down your life’s priorities, in order of importance. Then say no to everything that doesn’t support those priorities in that order.”
It sounded good, so I tried it out. This is the list of priorities I came up with for my life:
When I drafted this list, I realized that my choices were way out of order. I was spending time on low priorities and neglecting high priorities. My life was topsy-turvy, and I hadn’t even realized it.
So I started changing things. For example, I stopped volunteering for things at church that I wasn’t gifted to do. It was hard to say “no” to enthusiastic recruiters, but it really helped my stress level. I also had to stop going out with friends so much, and I used that time to hit the gym after work instead.
Ten years later, I still use this same priority list to manage my time. I definitely don’t have it perfect, but I’m convinced that knowing my priorities has saved my sanity more than once.
Do you feel like I did? Are you overwhelmed, stressed out, and pulled in ten different directions at the same time? If so, making a list of your life priorities might really help you too. Here’s how:
Priorities are partly driven by necessity, and partly by choice. Most of us are great at putting out fires — the necessities — but maybe not so good at choices. So, I encourage you to forget about the fires you have burning right now: the kids’ soccer, the grocery list, the laundry pile, etc. and instead, think about your ideal world instead.
What does your ideal life look like? In your dream world, are you healthier? More social? An entrepreneur?
Then ask yourself this question: “If nothing in your life has changed in five years, would that be okay?”
If you said “no” to that question, then you’re ready to proceed to the next step:
Make a list of the various priorities in your life, and then list them in order of importance.
I really encourage you to write your list as deliberately as you can. Decide what your priorities will be, based on what you know is right for you and your family — not based on outside pressure, or on what other people think you should do.
Then…
This may be tough, but you can do it! Look closely at your time:
Time management is challenging for everyone. But, if you will make a list of your life’s priorities, and set your calendar based on those priorities, you will find time and peace of mind that you never knew existed.
What are your priorities? What could you work on this week to move yourself closer to your dream life?
Jamie Rohrbaugh is a wife, financial analyst, Sunday School teacher, musician, and unlikely worship leader from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her passion is to encourage and equip people to live powerful lives and to function in their gifts. She blogs at FromHisPresence.com about how to live ordinary life in God’s manifest presence.
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’re short on time and energy, but you want to cut your grocery bill, take advantage of price-matching at Walmart.
It’s simple and easy to do–and can save you a lot of time and money. According to Walmart’s price-matching policy, you don’t even need to bring in the competitor’s ad. However, I usually do, just in case there’s any question as to the advertised deal.
Here are three things I especially love about price-matching:
1. You Don’t Have to Go to Multiple Stores
Instead of running around to three different stores to get the best deals at each of those stores, just circle the best deals in the sale ads at each of those stores and take the ads to Walmart and they’ll match the price.
This saves you gas, wear and tear on your vehicle, and time. Plus, it just simplifies things.
2. You Can Get Great Produce at Aldi Prices
I love the produce prices at Aldi, but I sometimes find that the produce is really picked over or just not looking too fresh. Price-matching the Aldi prices at Walmart will allow you to get the low prices, while also getting fresher produce.
3. You Can Get the Good Deals From Stores On the Other Side of Town
Save yourself gas money and time! Don’t drive all the way to the other side of town for a great deal. Just price-match it at Walmart!
See an example of a Walmart price-matching trip here.
The amount you save will depend a great deal on how much you usually spend and how often you price-match. However, I can almost guarantee you’ll save at least $5-$10 per price-matching shopping trip — not to mention the time and money on gas it will save you. If that’s the case, if you price-match once or twice a month, you’ll easily save $100+ in a year’s time.
If you’re tempted to buy things you don’t need when you run into Walmart for groceries you might find that price-matching doesn’t save you money since you fill your cart with other things you weren’t planning to buy. If that is a weakness of yours, you might be better off just sticking with shopping at your local grocery stores. 🙂
For more information on how to price-match at Walmart, check out my video blog.
Every week day in May, I’m challenging my readers to try to find at least 7 things to get rid of. These can be big or small things, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you actually throw them out, sell them, donate them, recycle them, or find someone else who can use them. Think you’re up for the challenge?
I had a lot of trouble coming up with things to toss today. In fact, I went back over a few rooms that I’d already gone through and found almost nothing to toss. I guess that’s a good thing!
But I’m soliciting your help. What other great ideas do you have for places I should look for things to get rid of? I know I’m missing some spots so send any and all ideas my way. I realized tonight that I still need to go through the DVDs & CDs, sock basket, and a little bit of the garage. But after that, I’m rather stumped.
What places could I be overlooking? I’m positive there’s more stuff to toss lurking here, I’m just not readily thinking where to look — and I’ve got quite a few more days left in this challenge. 🙂
How did your clutter-busting go today? Link up your blog post and/or Instagram pictures below. Or, leave a comment telling us how many things you got rid of. Let’s clear our homes of clutter so we can be more productive and efficient!
