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Shared Apr 29, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #29

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 29, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

April 29, 2013 Project

Today’s project is to clean one thing (such as your dresser drawer, the microwave, oven, etc.).

I’d recommend thinking of the one area that has really been bugging you recently or that one project you’ve been saying “I’ve got to get that clean tomorrow or next week…”

I know exactly what my one thing is going to be: it’s going to be our bathroom drawer that half a bottle of medicine accidentally spilled in over the weekend. I didn’t have a chance to deal with it yet because we were gone almost the entire weekend, so today is the perfect day to get it cleaned up.

What one thing are you cleaning today?

Come back here at 6 p.m. EST and I’ll have a linky so you can link up your pictures of your accomplishments today!

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 on the daily check-ins. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

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Shared Apr 27, 2013 comment

The Lessons are in the Waiting

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 27, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Testimony from Tessa of TessaHardiman.com

For so long, things happened quickly for me. A quick acceptance into college. A “quick” courtship — I met my husband right out of high school, which was much sooner than most of my peers. I grew used to having things happen to me fast.

Then, I graduated college and began a job search. My long established trend of quick came to a close. After two complete years out of school, I have yet to find a permanent position in my field. The waiting period has been a tough teacher.

Here are a two things I have learned along the way:

1. You never know what you will discover.

Sometimes our passions are rediscovered in the waiting. I kept a diary on and off throughout my adolescence, but I became a more committed writer when I had to wait. I worked on and completed a full-length novel.

I wrote and had articles featured on huge blogs, including a few here on MoneySavingMom. I was able to work on my first ebook in between temporary employment periods. The waiting time enabled me to develop my creative side.

2. You can be better prepared for any future waiting periods.

I hope I never have to experience the sort of waiting that I’ve had to the past two years. After a few temporary assignments, my hopes would soar that perhaps my waiting was about to end. I would only end up disappointed and back in the same spot. The ups and downs from being employed and then back to unemployed nearly sent me into depression.

Am I thankful for that experience? Not at this moment! I do, however, hope that in the future I will be better prepared to deal with any difficult experiences with waiting.

Waiting is never fun. I like things to happen fast, but this has forced me to slow down. I understand the lessons that I’m learning, but I wish there was an easier way to learn them!

Tessa Hardiman is the author of Surviving and Thriving: 21 Tips for First Year Teachers, available now on Amazon. You can connect with her on her website, tessahardiman.com.

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Shared Apr 26, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #26 Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 26, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

I spent over an hour on my room today (yes, it looked worse than this because I hadn’t gotten unpacked from my trip earlier this week!) and I was excited to show you the pictures.

But alas, Silas somehow got the photo card with the pictures on it stuck down in the crevices of our leather chair in our room and for the life of me, I cannot get it out. I just had to laugh — because that’s just life sometimes, ya know?!

So you’re just going to have to imagine what it looked like before and after! And I’ll do a better job of keeping watch over the photo card in the future. 😉

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 on linky below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

Shared Apr 26, 2013 comment

Should I Snatch Up Every Good Deal That Comes Along?

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 26, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I would love to hear your thoughts on balancing “snatching up a good deal” versus “impulse buying”. I feel like there are often time-limited sales or good deals that come up, but if I haven’t budgeted or planned to spend that money I have to pass them by or else spend money I really shouldn’t be spending. -Anna

I think this is such an important topic to bring up — because we must have balance in our lives. It’s wonderful to get great deals and bargains, but I think we need to set clear criteria for what constitutes a true “deal”. Otherwise, we can spend a lot of time and money needlessly chasing down supposed bargains that really aren’t a good deal for us at all.

Here are five things that we’ve set up as a criteria for making sure we’re not overspending and that a good deal truly is a great deal for us:

1. Create and Follow a Budget

Without a budget, we won’t have any way to track whether we are truly saving money. In fact, without a budget, we might be spending more money by chasing down sales and bargains.

Sticking with a cash budget has been so helpful to me — especially because I’m not a spreadsheet nerd. I know that the money that I have in the envelope is what I have to spend. And when the money’s gone, the money’s gone. Cash provides instant self-discipline and guarantees that you don’t spend more than you have.

2. Budget for Everything

We have fairly specific cash envelope categories and find that this really helps us to stay on track. For instance, instead of just having a “clothing” budget, we have individual cash envelopes for each person in our family. We don’t just have a Food cash envelope. We have a Groceries envelope and a Dates & Eating Out envelope.

In addition, we budget for everything — from hair cuts and clothing to homeschooling supplies, gifts, and car maintenance. Everything we regularly spend money on (even if it’s just an annual purchase that we routinely make) has a category in our master budget spreadsheet (I’m so thankful that a married a math nerd who loves to create and track things on spreadsheets!)

On those rare occasions that a necessary purchase arises that we haven’t budgeted for, we either have to find a way to shuffle things around in a few categories to be able to afford it, we don’t buy it, or it comes out of our blow cash envelope.

3. Analyze Every Purchase

Because I have a limited supply of cash to work with in each envelope, this forces me to evaluate every purchase and make sure I’m getting the best deal. I’m constantly asking myself questions like, “Do we need this?” “Is this the best use of this envelope money?”

Note: I think that you can get to a point where you over-analyze purchases — like I did with my candle purchase. If you’re agonizing for 30 minutes over a $0.50 purchase, you may need to lighten up a little bit. 🙂

4. Don’t Buy Something Just Because It’s a “Good Deal”

What’s a good deal for someone else won’t necessarily be a good deal for you. This is an important thing to constantly remember. If you don’t have the money for it, it’s not a good deal for you. If you don’t need it, it’s not a good deal for you.

If you feel panicky because you’re missing out on a “good deal”, that’s probably a sign that you need to step back and re-evaluate things. It’s great to get good deals and I’m all about stewarding our money well, but I think we need to be careful that we don’t become obsessed. Life is about a whole lot more than getting the best bargain.

5. Take a Break From Bargain Shopping on Occasion

It’s good to occasionally to just shelve your coupons and maybe even take a break from reading blogs that share bargains. I do this at least once or twice a year — and I find it really freeing!

Taking a breather will help you get some fresh perspective and help make sure that you’re staying balanced in life. And it also usually causes you to be re-energized and excited when you come back to bargain shopping again!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic! Weigh in on this in the comments!

Shared Apr 26, 2013 comment

30 Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #26

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 26, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

April 26, 2013 Project

Since it’s Friday and we’re taking the weekend off, you get to choose your project from three projects today: you can either surface clean a bedroom or the bathroom(s) or you can vacuum and/or sweep the floors in your home.

You choose which area you’re most motivated to clean or which area needs to be cleaned the most and go for it!

Come back here at 6 p.m. EST and I’ll have a linky so you can link up your pictures of your accomplishments today!

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 on the daily check-ins. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Apr 25, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #25 Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 25, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

I got up late this morning and that made me a few hours behind all day… but I’m finally getting this post up!

Yes, the junk drawer was in dire need of some help!

Much better!

And then I wiped down all the cupboard doors.

The baseboards and underneath the cupboards also really need some cleaning.

I had to rinse my rag out so many times.

And then I decided to clean the crevices of the sliding glass door. Yikes!

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 on linky below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

Shared Apr 25, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #25

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 25, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

April 25, 2013 Project

Today’s project is to surface clean or deep clean your kitchen and/or living room.

I’m going to clean out some of the drawers and cupboards in my kitchen and wipe down the outside of the cupboards. In addition, I’m going to clean the baseboards — those are always pretty icky in the kitchen!

What are you planning to tackle in the kitchen and/or living room today?

Come back here at 6 p.m. EST and I’ll have a linky so you can link up your pictures of your accomplishments today!

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 on the daily check-ins. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

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Shared Apr 24, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #24 Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 24, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

I’m flying back from North Carolina today and since I already cleaned my linen closet and cleaned my very messy closet, I gave myself another day off the cleaning challenge.

Yes, that’s my messy closet in all it’s glory. And see the after-cleaning picture here.

But I’m back on the bandwagon tomorrow so I can finish the challenge out strong!

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 on linky below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

Shared Apr 24, 2013 comment

Replay of last night’s webcast with Lysa TerKeurst

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 24, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you missed last night’s webcast with Lysa TerKeurst, you can watch it here.

{And yes, you can laugh at how uncomfortable I seem at times. Remember how I’m working on stepping outside my comfort zone? Well, last night definitely was a new venture into stepping outside my comfort zone as the whole lights and cameras and ad libbing and TV monitors everywhere were a new experience… but it’s good to keep punching my fears in the face. :)}

Shared Apr 24, 2013 comment

Ask the Readers: Do you spend less when you’re a stay-at-home mom?

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 24, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s question is from Amy:

I was wondering if you could post my question. I’m pregnant with my second child and thinking about becoming a stay at home mom (Currently working full-time). For moms who have done this, did you find that you spent less because you were able to do more things yourself? Like cooking from scratch, couponing, making homemade cleaners, or more energy to take care of things like cloth diapers? Or are these unrealistic savings expectations? Were there any extra costs that surprised you? -Amy

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

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

Click here to download!

Change your life by doing 3 simple things each day! I LOVE this practical advice!

Shared Apr 24, 2013 comment

Three Small Things Can Add Up to a Changed Life

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 24, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Most of us want to change our lives… whether that means losing weight, getting healthier, finding a better job, paying off our debt, moving to a different town, developing better habits, becoming more disciplined, getting more organized, and so on.

Rarely is it possible to overhaul our lives overnight. Instead, change is often the result of small tweaks that happen over and over again for a long period of time.

Those little day in and day out things you do can add up to the major success over time. It’s hard to stick with it and it can feel daunting if you have so far to go to be where you want to be.

I was reading Laura Vanderkam’s new ebook (What the Most Successful People Do At Work) recently and she interviewed Chalene Johnson about her productivity and time management. I thought one thing that Chalene does was especially brilliant. She said that she makes yearly goals and then she challenges herself to do three small things every day to move toward those goals. She writes these three things down and she makes them a priority for her day.

That sounds so simple and doable, doesn’t it? And it means that every day — even if you only accomplish one of the three things — you’ve made a tiny step in the right direction.

If one of your goals this year is to pay off $5000 in debt, today you could:

1) Call and see if you can renegotiate a rate on one of your monthly bills.
2) List something on eBay or Craigslist.
3) Make dinner at home instead of going out.

If you’re working on getting up earlier, today you could:

1) Make a list of 3 things you want to do when you wake up in the morning.
2) Text a friend and ask if she’ll be your accountability partner.
3) Skip that 4 p.m. cup of coffee so you are able to wind down earlier.

If you’re trying to lose weight, today you could:

1) Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
2) Drink a glass of water instead of soda pop.
3) Eat a salad for lunch.

What is one of your big goals right now? What are three simple things you can do today to move you closer toward that goal?

photo from BigStock

Shared Apr 24, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #24

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 24, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

April 24, 2013 Project

Today’s project is to clean your linen closet.

If your linen closet doesn’t need to be cleaned (or you don’t have a linen closet), you can pick another closet in your home that needs some attention and work on it.

Come back here at 6 p.m. EST and I’ll have a linky so you can link up your pictures of your accomplishments today!

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 on the daily check-ins. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

photo credit

Shared Apr 23, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #23 Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 23, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

I’m in North Carolina getting ready to go onto the set for the Live Webcast with Lysa TerKeurst tonight (are you joining us?). Before I do, I wanted to get my 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge post up.

How did your house cleaning go today? Like last night, I’m sharing one of our most popular posts on house cleaning.

Go read my post on What a Messy House Can Teach You About Financial Success.

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 on linky below. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

Shared Apr 23, 2013 comment

How to Organize a Clothes Swap Meet

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 23, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Becky from Organizing Made Fun has a great post up on how she organized a Ladies’ Clothing Swap. She has lots of pictures and details on what worked if you’d like to do something similar.

We do this at least once or twice a year as a church and it’s a great way to clean out our houses and get some items we need — for FREE!

Have you ever been a part of a swap of some kind? I’d love to hear your ideas and what did or didn’t work for you!

Shared Apr 23, 2013 comment

30-Day House Cleaning Challenge: Project #23

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 23, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of April, I’m encouraging my readers to participate in a 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge (read more here, if you missed my announcement about this challenge last week). Every week day morning at 9 a.m., I’ll post the daily project and every evening around 6 p.m. EST, I’ll post an update and link-up.

April 23, 2013 Project

Today’s project is to sweep and vacuum all the floors in your house.

If that seems daunting and overwhelming, just focus on sweeping/vacuuming the floors in the most-trafficked areas of your home.

Come back here at 6 p.m. EST and I’ll have a linky so you can link up your pictures of your accomplishments today!

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 on the daily check-ins. Plus, if you’d like to post your daily posts to the 30-Day House Cleaning Challenge Pinterest Group, just shoot me an email (moneysavingmom @ gmail dot com) and I’ll invite you.

::Want to follow along on Twitter or Instagram? I’ll also be sharing some of my cleaning pictures on my Facebook Page, my Twitter account, and my Instagram account. I’d love to have you do the same or join in the discussion on Twitter and Instagram. Just follow hashtag #Cleanin30 to see what others are tweeting and Instagramming about this challenge!

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Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

April 29, 2013 Project

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1. You never know what you will discover.

2. You can be better prepared for any future waiting periods.

Join in the Chatter

1. Create and Follow a Budget

2. Budget for Everything

3. Analyze Every Purchase

4. Don’t Buy Something Just Because It’s a “Good Deal”

5. Take a Break From Bargain Shopping on Occasion

April 26, 2013 Project

Join in the Chatter

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

Join in the Chatter

April 25, 2013 Project

Join in the Chatter

Join in the Chatter

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

If one of your goals this year is to pay off $5000 in debt, today you could:

If you’re working on getting up earlier, today you could:

If you’re trying to lose weight, today you could:

April 24, 2013 Project

Join in the Chatter

Join in the Chatter

April 23, 2013 Project

Join in the Chatter

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