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Shared Sep 4, 2012 comment

This week’s menu

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This week’s menu

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

Making Brown Butter Banana Waffles last week

One of our children is having outpatient surgery this week and I’m also flying to Bloomington, IL to speak at the Living Well Women’s Expo on Saturday (I’d love to get to meet you there, if you live in the area!), so we’re keeping meals pretty simple this week…

Breakfasts

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets, Cereal, Toast, Eggs, and/or Fruit

Lunches

Spaghetti, Bread Machine Bread Sticks, Green Salad, Fruit
Snack-y lunch
Cheese quesdillas, carrot sticks, apple slices
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches from the freezer, veggies, apple slices
Mini Deep Dish Barbecue Chicken Pizza Muffins, raw veggies, peaches
Leftovers x 2

Snacks

Fruit/Veggies
Brown Butter Banana Waffles
Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups

Freezer Cooking in An Hour (I’ll post details and photos on how this goes on Thursday.)

Homemade Bagels
Homemade Wheat Thins

Dinners

Dinner with extended family
Breakfast for Dinner: Brown Butter Banana Waffles, scrambled eggs, fruit
Sausage, steamed veggies, toast, fruit
Spaghetti Pie, Bread Machine Bread Sticks, Steamed Veggies, Fruit Salad
Baked Potato Bar with Outback Steakhouse Baked Potatoes
Jesse and the kids have dinner out while I’m in Illinois
Dinner with extended family

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

Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 4, 2012 comment

Organizing Your Important Documents: Introduction (Part 1)

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Organizing Your Important Documents: Introduction (Part 1)

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

Written by Mandy White

The need for knowing exactly where your important papers are, and having them organized and easy to locate, can’t be overstated. A friend of mine lost her husband to cancer, and said that one of the best things he did for her before passing away was to put together a notebook of all of the papers and accounts she would need.

So, what constitutes an “important document”, anyway? I look it as anything that:

a) Would be a big problem if it were lost, stolen, or destroyed

b) Would be a huge pain-in-the-neck to replace, or is irreplaceable

c) Would need to be found quickly in the event of an emergency

There are many places online to buy ready-made binders or kits for your important documents, but it is actually really simple, and a lot less expensive, to create your own.

Two years ago, for Christmas, I mass-produced these binders for my and my husband’s siblings. I gave ours the name “The Brain Book” because it is everything that’s in my brain that my husband would need to know if something happened to me, or that I simply can’t remember all of the time.

You can name yours whatever you like! So, let’s jump in!

Supplies You’ll Need:

A large, heavy-duty notebook (at least two-inches, though three-inches would be preferable)

A large pack of plastic sheet protectors

Stick-on divider tabs (they will stick onto your sheet protectors and can be written on or have a label inserted)

Paper

Recommended Supplies:

A fire-proof safe (These are exactly the types of documents you want to protect from fire or theft!)

Cardstock (for the section dividers)

A second, smaller notebook (I use a two-inch one) for bulky items

Clear, three-ring zippered pouches to hold bulky items

A large-memory flash-drive, or travel hard drive for backing up your computer

Multi-page sheet protectors (they hold up to 50 pages each) to hold things like Life Insurance policies (I had to order mine off of Amazon.)

A scanner or copy machine (don’t go out and by one if you don’t already have one, but see if a trusted family member or friend has one you might be able to borrow for a day)

A shredder (You can get a small, fairly inexpensive one at Target or Wal-Mart.)

That’s it! Gather your supplies, and we will get started assembling your binders tomorrow.

Mandy White is blessed to be a stay-at-home wife and mother. She and her amazing husband have three amazing kids. She loves to serve others, and her favorite time of year is fall. Unfortunately, in Arizona, fall doesn’t start until November!

Photo source

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Shared Sep 4, 2012 comment

Do It Yourself: Homemade Wrinkle Release Spray

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Do It Yourself: Homemade Wrinkle Release Spray

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StayAtHomeMadeMom.com shows you how to make homemade wrinkle release spray.

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 Sep 3, 2012 comment

Three Signs to Help You Identify Your Financial Sinkholes

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Three Signs to Help You Identify Your Financial Sinkholes

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Guest post from Maya of Great Living Now

My family is moving halfway across the continent. So instead of paying ridiculous shipping fees, my husband and I decided to de-clutter our house — we’re getting rid of everything that we don’t use on a regular basis.

We put together huge boxes of books we don’t re-read, toys our son doesn’t play with, and clothes we don’t wear. Then, a crazy idea occurred to me: “Why don’t I estimate how much money we spent on all this stuff?”

I did a quick estimate: about 200 books, each at approximately $15, gives $3000. Three thousand dollars! I was stunned. That’s just for books!

Now, I consider myself very good with finances. I am very careful with large purchases, and I stopped living paycheck-to-paycheck years ago. But here were piles upon pile of small things that nobody uses, and it all adds up fast.

Then I noticed one other thing. My piles of junk had little variety. Books. Dresses. Toys.

That’s when I knew I was onto something. I had discovered my financial sinkholes.

What are financial sinkholes? They are the small stuff we buy, and keep buying, that nobody really uses.

I am not here to tell you to stop buying books, dresses, or toys. However, I would like to help you identify your own unique financial sinkholes, so that you can use your money towards things that will actually get used.

Here are three signs to help you identify financial sinkholes:

1. You have a lot of them.

Whether it’s shoes, toys, books, or skincare products, in order to qualify as a financial sinkhole you should already have a lot of it.

Of course, you probably don’t buy exactly the same pair of shoes twice. But if shoes are a sinkhole for you, then you probably have many pairs of shoes just sitting in the back of your closet.

Take a look around your house. What do you see a lot of?

2. Most of them don’t get used.

The primary feature of a sinkhole is that nobody really uses them, except perhaps for very few times right after the purchase.

If shoes are a sinkhole for you, then you don’t wear most of your shoes. You might have 2 or 3, or even 5 pairs of shoes that you wear regularly, but there are 15 more sitting in your closet that never see the light of day. But, if you have 20 pairs of shoes and actually use all of them regularly, then they are not a sinkhole by my definition.

3. You enjoy buying them.

One of the best ways to tell if something is a sinkhole is how much pleasure you derive from buying it. I love trying on dresses. Apparently, I also enjoy buying them. So, I have a couple dozen dresses just sitting in my closet.

The problem is that I like trying them on a lot more than I like wearing them. I’d wear a dress once or twice, and then I go back to the more practical pair of shorts. That’s how dresses became a financial sinkhole for me.

When it comes to financial sinkholes, knowing is more than half the battle. Once you become aware of them, it is a lot easier to put a stop to it.

Now, when I consider buying a book, I first check whether the library has a copy. When I consider buying a dress, I think long and hard how often I will actually wear it. Before buying a new toy for my son, I ask myself, or him if he is with me, whether he will actually play with it.

Putting a stop to financial sinkholes is very effective, as these sinkholes use up hundreds or even thousands of dollars without us realizing it. But more importantly, eliminating financial sinkholes leads to saving without any self-deprivation, because you are cutting out that which does not get used anyways.

What are your financial sinkholes?

Maya Ackerman divides her time between research, writing, teaching, and spending time with her family. To read her other work, check our Maya’s blog, Great Living Now.

photo credit via Bigstock

4 Simple Ways to Teach Your Children Money Management Skills
Shared Sep 1, 2012 comment

4 Ways to Teach Your Children Money Management

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4 Ways to Teach Your Children Money Management

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

4 Simple Ways to Teach Your Children Money Management Skills

Guest post from Heather of My Mothermode

After years of living, um, a little spoiled, I had to face being a stay-at-home mom in the current economy. MoneySavingMom and other financial gurus have been life changers for my family. We are, finally, using a cash system and paying off loans like crazy.

We now have three children, and there is no way I’m letting them coast into the big world with no guidance in money management. From toddlerhood on, here are the steps we have taken to teach them the value of a dollar.

1. Don’t give in to “I wants”.

As soon as they began feasting their bright eyes on colorful trinkets at the checkout, we began to divert their attention. If they do not expect something each time we shop, it makes errands much easier.

We only allow a free sample if the store offers them, and sometimes a quarter machine visit on our way out for good behavior — and the money comes from their own wallets.

2. Teach that money comes from effort.

Our three-year-old recently began insisting, “I want pennies!” My prompt response? To provide him with opportunities to earn pennies!

He was happy to fold towels for his small fistful of pennies. Around age three or four, we introduce a chart with both commissioned and non-commissioned chores. Commissioned chores are for pay; non-commissioned chores are done simply because we should all contribute to the household.

Examples of our commissioned chores are: water the flowers, vacuum, fold towels, and the like. Our non-commissioned chores are: keep your things picked up, help with dinner, care for the animals, and so on.

3. Encourage wise use of money

A small portion of birthday and Christmas money is for their Give, Save, and Spend jars. We explain that many people give 10%, and we let them make the final decision which is usually more like 20-50% for them!

Saving towards a big, but attainable goal is encouraged (such as the guitar my seven-year-old is working toward.) The remainder of the gift funds they receive is put towards sports and other activities.

They have a vested interest in their activities of choice and know that “money doesn’t grow on trees!” We also put their sports uniforms and gear needs on their wishlists to guide family members towards useful presents rather than a load of soon-forgotten toys.

4. Teach the fun in frugality.

We find enjoyable frugal activities to do almost every day. Church activities, library visits, crafting, cooking together, and freebies in our mailbox are just a few ways to have tons of fun on a dime.

Lessons learned? Time management, spirituality, creativity, and resourcefulness, to name a few.

Instruction in money management is confidence-boosting and rewarding. It helps our little ones hone the skills of earning, saving, spending, and giving.  These life skills will be priceless, so to speak, as they venture out in the world as young adults.

How do you teach good money-management in your children?

You can find more frugal adventures at My Mothermode, a place where Heather blogs on parenting, saving money, and more. 

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Shared Aug 31, 2012 comment

Crock Pot Peach Crisp

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Crock Pot Peach Crisp

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

Here’s a yummy, simple, in-season recipe that will satisfy your sweet tooth without heating up your house.

This easy dessert is perfect any time of year, but especially in late summer when the peaches are ripe. It easily adjusts to be dairy-free/vegan – just use coconut oil in place of the butter. And you can swap oat or almond flour to make it gluten-free too!

Either way, it’s delicious.

Ingredients for Crock Pot Peach Crisp

  • 5 cups sliced fresh peaches (I don’t peel them, but you may if you prefer.)
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2/3 cups flour
  • 2/3 cups rolled oats
  • 2/3 cups brown sugar (or sucanat)
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 cup butter (or coconut oil)

How to Make Peach Crisp

1. In a 3-4 quart slow cooker, combine peaches with maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla.

2. In a medium size bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmet, and salt.

3. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

4. Sprinkle oat mixture over peaches in crock pot and press down slightly.

5. Cover the crock pot with a paper towel. Put the lid over the paper towel.

6. Cook on HIGH for two hours.

7. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Recipe

Slow Cooker Peach Crisp


Author Brigette
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups sliced peaches
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 2/3 cups flour
  • 2/3 cups rolled oats
  • 2/3 cups brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 cup butter

Instructions

  • In a 3-4 quart slow cooker, combine peaches with maple syrup, lemon juice and vanilla.
  • In a medium size bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmet, and salt.
  • Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Sprinkle oat mixture over peaches in crock pot and press down slightly.
  • Cover the crock pot with a paper towel. Put the lid over the paper towel.
  • Cook on HIGH for two hours.
  • Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup

Love this recipe?

Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!

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What are your favorite crock pot desserts?

Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy (ages 5, 3 and 1). She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.

60 Super Quick Meal Ideas printable preview.

FREE DOWNLOAD: 60 Meals To Help You Avoid Takeout!

Meal time just got so much easier!

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Shared Aug 30, 2012 comment

Make the Most of Your Mornings: What To Do When You Fall Off the Bandwagon (Day 14)

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Make the Most of Your Mornings: What To Do When You Fall Off the Bandwagon (Day 14)

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

Last night, I went to a ladies’ get-together and then had an 8 p.m. dinner meeting with some folks from a company in California that I work with. I knew that it was going to be a late night and I knew there was going to be no way I’d be able to get my evening routine done and get to bed on time.

And I didn’t.

In fact, I didn’t get home until 10 p.m. and then I couldn’t fall asleep until 11:30 p.m. — thanks to the extra cup of coffee I had in the afternoon to try and help me be alert for the meeting! As a result, I got up late this morning (well, “late” is a relative term, but it was quite a bit later than I usually get up) and I started the day tired and behind.

So what do you when you fall off the bandwagon?

1. Don’t Beat Yourself Up

Life happens, things come up, and things are never going to go along perfectly smoothly all the time.

When you hit a rough patch, have a disruption to your normal schedule, or you’re up all night with a sick child, don’t beat yourself up or feel all frustrated that you got off track. This won’t do anything to help you — and it will likely only make matters worse.

2. Have a Plan B

You’re going to have disruptions. That’s life. Whenever possible, though, plan ahead for them.

Since I knew that I wasn’t going to get home until late last night, I went ahead and planned that I would be getting up late. Knowing that this was part of the plan helped me to not feel so off-track when I got up “late”.

3. Do The Best You Can Do

When things are out-of-sorts or your schedule gets thrown out the window, just focus on doing the best you can do. For instance, I simplified my usual morning schedule today, made sure my to-do list wasn’t too long, and just prayed for God’s grace to help me go through today even when I was tired and feeling behind.

It wasn’t the best or most productive day, but I got the main things accomplished, and I’m going to bed with the house in fairly good shape and things mostly back on track.

4. Don’t Let a Bump in the Road Knock You Completely Off Course

Falling off the bandwagon can be a great reminder of why you’re making the changes you’re making. I realized last night that staying up until 11:30 p.m. felt like I was staying up until 2 a.m. My internal clock is getting re-adjusted back to a schedule that works better for our family — and that is encouraging!

When you fall down or hit a bump, don’t let it throw you off course. Just dust yourself off and keep moving forward.

Don’t give up! Tiny steps in the right direction are always better than standing still or moving backward.

Day 14 Project

1. Did you determine your bedtime and 5 Evening Must-Do’s? If so, leave a comment telling us how you did on them last night.

2. Did you determine what time you’re going to commit to waking up every morning for the next three weeks? If so, leave a comment telling us how you did this morning!

3. Did you get in some exercise yesterday and eat a nutritious breakfast? If not, make a commitment today to a specific way you’re going to incorporate exercise and a nutritious breakfast into your day.

4. Did you create a morning plan of action? If so, tell us how it went this morning! If you haven’t created one yet, go ahead and create one and tell us about it in the comments.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 30, 2012 comment

Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Brown Butter Banana Waffles, Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars, and Pancake/Waffle Mix

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Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Brown Butter Banana Waffles, Crunchy Peanut Butter Bars, and Pancake/Waffle Mix

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

I did another freezer cooking in an hour session today. I had to split it up before and after swimming lessons (our kids have swimming on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons after school this Fall).

So I mixed up the dry ingredients for the Brown Butter Banana Waffles and put together the Pancake/Waffle Mix before we left.

After we got home, I finished the waffles and baked them. They were more time-consuming than most waffle recipes I’ve made and I didn’t feel like they were worth the extra effort — but I really think it’s because I decided I didn’t love the flavor of bananas in waffles. But don’t worry, with plenty of butter and syrup, we’ll have no problem eating them. 🙂

Since I didn’t have any muffin tin liners, I just made the Crunchy Peanut Butter Cups into bars. I think it was easier to do so and the bars turned out beautifully. Now if I can just have the self-control not to eat half of the pan in the next few days.

I’m going to cut up the Crunchy Peanut Butter Cup Bars and freeze them. And I’m thinking having one of these will be a perfect little pick-me-up at the end of a long homeschooling day. Peanut butter and chocolate… it doesn’t get much better than that! 🙂

Have you done any cooking or baking for your freezer this week?

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 30, 2012 comment

Now That We Have More Money, We Spend Less

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Now That We Have More Money, We Spend Less

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

Testimony from Carolynn of My Little Bit of Life

We took Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University in January of 2007 and are very pleased with our efforts. We have finished Baby Step #3 and are currently working on saving up for a down payment on a bigger house.

However, I was thinking the other day of how my mindset has changed over these past five years.

Our Old Mindset: Buy Whatever We Want or Think We Need

Appearances used to mean a lot more to me. I do still care, but in different ways… and honestly, not as much.

I did not grow up with good financial role modeling. Growing up, if I wanted something, I usually got it. If my mom thought we needed it, we got it. It didn’t matter if it was really a need or even if there was money for it.

After I got married, I brought this mindset with me. If I wanted new workout shoes, I bought them. I spent tons of money on groceries for two people and we ate out a lot more than we should have.

When we got pregnant, we bought a house (I wanted to get a house for the amount that the bank would loan to us. Thankfully, my husband put this foot down, and we got a house that was $55K less than what the bank would loan us!), and of course when the baby came, he had to have everything.

Before long baby #2 came along and I was close to having to buy groceries using a credit card. That’s when we went to Financial Peace University and started turning our lives (and little did we know, our minds and values, too!) around.

Our New Mindset: Consider Whether Each Purchase is Truly a Need

Now, before we make a purchase — especially a big purchase — we think about if it’s really a need and if it’s really worth it to us to part with our hard earned money. For example, my husband got into a car accident and the car got banged up pretty bad (the hood was bent up). My husband got home, hooked the car to our tow hitch and pulled the hood back down, then took a piece of wood, placed it in certain spots on the car, and used a hammer to even out the rest.

There is also a hole in the front. This happened about six months ago, and we still haven’t gotten the car fixed. It works just fine, it just doesn’t look pretty! (Five years ago, I would have been very adamant about getting it fixed right away!)

Having pictures taken of my kids and family is very important to me. I sometimes go overboard when it comes to pictures and it can add up fast; not only on the pictures themselves, but the outfits that the pictures are taken in.

This past Christmas, we were getting our family picture taken. I had already bought all of the outfits for my children. I found a shirt for me that I really liked and that went perfectly with the other outfits. I also found a sweater for my husband that was a perfect match to one of our son’s outfits.

The only problem: This sweater was over $50. My husband hates sweaters, he never wears them, and I have to bribe him to wear them for pictures. He also had another sweater (that he had only worn once), up in the closet that would work for our family picture. As much as I really wanted to buy him the sweater, I didn’t.

I didn’t want to spend that much money for something that he’d never wear again, that would be stashed in the back of the closet, when I could just go to the back of his closet and get another sweater that would suffice. (This also would not have happened five years ago. I would have just bought the sweater!)

The Irony: Now That We Have More Money, We Spend Less

I find it ironic that when we didn’t have the money, these things were so important and I would have gone ahead and bought them. Now that we have the money for these things, we didn’t buy them.

I find it amazing how much I have changed in five years when it comes to finances. I no longer agonize about money, I handle it. I no longer check how much money we have in our checking account five times a day (as if it gets updated that often, I know, but I did it).

Now do I wish we had more money? Honestly, yes, I do. But money is no longer as stressful as it used to be.

I find it funny that now that we have a savings, we don’t want to part with that money. If something comes up that’s not in the budget, we usually will cut other areas before dipping into our savings. We have a goal of a bigger house and we are being very careful to stay on track.

Carolynn is a former teacher turned stay at home mom of four: ages 6, 5, 4, & 2. She blogs about parenting and life at My Little Bit of Life.

How has your financial journey changed your life?

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 30, 2012 comment

How long could you go without buying anything new?

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How long could you go without buying anything new?

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My mom emailed me about this story she’d seen online of a woman who hadn’t bought anything new for five years. I was intrigued and had to go check it out. Here’s a snippet of the article:

Katy Wolk-Stanley, 44, of the website The Non-Consumer Advocate, is on a mission to live on less — and not define herself by purchases. Here, the Portland, Ore., writer and mother of two shares her thoughts on why she decided to “de-clutter” her life:

I am a woman who hasn’t bought anything new in five years. But it’s actually not as black-and-white an issue as it seems at first. I do buy some things new, including:

  • Underwear, socks and bras
  • Personal care items (makeup, etc.)
  • Food
  • Harmonicas (I haven’t felt the need to buy one yet, but you never know when the mood might strike!)

It may sound like a pain in the tuchus to stay away from new purchases (an initiative I call “the compact”), but it’s actually turned into an amazing stress reliever. Not because I’ve replaced my new purchases with used stuff, but mostly because I hardly ever buy anything anymore. And when I started to buy less stuff, it made me want less in other areas of my life as well. (It’s funny how once you start examining one area of your life, other areas hop along for the ride.)

Read the full article.

While I don’t think I want to make a commitment to never buy anything new, reading and watching this was an inspiration to me. And Kathrynne (7) and I had a fun discussion on how long we thought we could go without buying anything new. We bought thought we could for sure do a month, maybe more.

What about you? How long do you think you could go without buying anything new?

Shared Aug 29, 2012 comment

Pinterest Experiment: Knock Off Betty Crocker Brownie Mix Brownies

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Pinterest Experiment: Knock Off Betty Crocker Brownie Mix Brownies

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

I find a lot of great ideas on Pinterest… but pinning something doesn’t do anything unless I actually, you know, try the idea. So I thought it’d be fun to challenge myself to do at least one Pinterest experiment every week — and blog my results.

I can’t promise that I’ll always have a Pinterest Experiment post up each week, because you know how I sometimes get distracted or on blog tangents. But I’m at least going to try. By the way, you can follow my personal Pinterest account here, if you’re interested.

I made these Knock Off Betty Crocker Brownie Mix Brownies for this week’s Pinterest Experiment. And I was really happy with how they turned out.

They were so easy to whip up.

I added chocolate chips to the top (of course!).

While I’m not even sure that I’ve ever had Betty Crocker Brownies before, I have had boxed brownie mix and I’d say these are very, very similar to a boxed brownie mix.

They are more fudgy than a typical homemade brownie and oh-so-good. (Why yes, I “sacrificed” and tasted one for you all, because I knew you’d want to hear my verdict on them! I promise that I did not eat all four that are missing from the pan — well, not yet, at least! :))

Have you tried any ideas or recipes you’ve found on Pinterest recently? If so, I’d love to hear how they worked out for you. Feel free to leave your blog link in the comments if you blogged about your experiment!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 29, 2012 comment

Make the Most of Your Mornings: There Is No One Right Way To Do Anything (Day 13)

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Make the Most of Your Mornings: There Is No One Right Way To Do Anything (Day 13)

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On yesterday’s Make the Most of Your Mornings post, Ashley left the following comment on Facebook:

I really appreciated her willingness to chime in with a differing opinion than many of the commentors. I learn so much from those who have personalities and viewpoints that are different than mine — and so I’m grateful when people have the courage to speak up.

Here’s what I wrote back to her on my Facebook Page:

I’ve shared a lot of different things in this Make the Most of Your Mornings series and I hope it has been an encouragement to many of you. That said, I want to reiterate something that is imperative to remember when reading anything written by anyone: what works for one family won’t work for another family.

My heart’s desire in writing this series is to challenge and inspire those of you who are struggling to be intentional with your mornings. I want to give you some things to mull over and some practical ideas to try.

However, if you love how your mornings currently are, please skip these posts. There’s no need to fix what isn’t broken!

And in the same vein, if you try some of the ideas I share and it just doesn’t work for your family, please move onto something else that works better — and leave all guilt behind. The last thing I want to do is make you feel exhausted, frustrated, or discouraged!

The longer I live, the more I realize how much I don’t know. But one thing I do know: there is no one right way to do anything.

(Well, that might be a sweeping generalization and I’m sure you can come up with a few instances — such as brain surgery or something — when there is only one right way to do something. But for the most part, it holds true in most circumstances.)

You are a unique person. You have a unique family. You have your own unique set of struggles, difficulties, and burdens.

I’m not walking in your shoes, so I can’t tell you what will work for you. I can give you some ideas, I can share some things that have worked well for me, but, ultimately, only you can know what works for you and your family.

So be free from guilt, okay? Whether you get up early or get up late, whether you have a to-do list and a plan or just live by the seat of your pants, whether you set goals or not, and if you wear your pajamas all day long every day, I love you and am grateful to have you here as a reader!

My Day 12 Project Update

Bedtime: Didn’t make it to bed until 10 p.m. last night. 🙁

My Top 5 Evening Must Do’s: Done!

Wake Up Time: 5:30 a.m.

Showered & Dressed by 9 a.m.: YES — well, actually, it was 9:07 a.m. Does that still count??

Morning Plan of Action: Bible Reading/Prayer, 30 Minutes Blogging, Exercise, Shower/Dress, Coffee!

Day 13 Project

1. Did you determine your bedtime and 5 Evening Must-Do’s? If so, leave a comment telling us how you did on them last night.

2. Did you determine what time you’re going to commit to waking up every morning for the next three weeks? If so, leave a comment telling us how you did this morning!

3. Did you get in some exercise yesterday and eat a nutritious breakfast? If not, make a commitment today to a specific way you’re going to incorporate exercise and a nutritious breakfast into your day.

4. Did you create a morning plan of action? If so, tell us how it went this morning! If you haven’t created one yet, go ahead and create one and tell us about it in the comments.

5. Examine the changes you’ve made over the last two weeks and determine if they are working well for your family. If not, what things can you change to make them more workable for your own unique situation and current needs?

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 29, 2012 comment

Reader Tip: How I get to take exercise classes for free!

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Reader Tip: How I get to take exercise classes for free!

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

Cassie emailed in the following tip:

I recently read your post about 7 Ways to Save Money and Stay Motivated While Getting Fit. I wanted to add another suggestion that has worked for me: Work-Exchange for Fitness. It is a practice found at many yoga studios and could even be something asked of any privately owned fitness place.

I have been practicing at Amazing Yoga in Wexford, PA for six years. They offer a work-exchange program in which I check in attending students by taking their money and then tidy up the class after it is over.

It requires me to arrive 30 minutes before the class and stay about 15 minutes afterward. In exchange, I get to take the class for free!

I’m also a part of the work-exchange email group and can pick up classes that are in need of a work-exchange sub. This week, I attended four classes all for free. These would have cost me $60 ($15 per class) if I had paid out of pocket. -Cassie

photo source

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 29, 2012 comment

Want to learn how to make a living with your writing?

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Want to learn how to make a living with your writing?

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

Would you like to get a book deal? Would you like to earn a living from writing and/or blogging?

Then you definitely should consider going to the Re:Write Conference.

My wonderful agent, Esther Fedorkevich, is spear-heading the Re:Write Conference and I can promise you it will be fantastic. In fact, if I didn’t already have another really important commitment during the conference, I would make every possible effort to go.

There is an amazing line-up of speakers who have years of experience in the publishing world. I can only imagine how much knowledge and wisdom these folks have to share with us who are just dipping our toes into the world of writing!

If you’re a published author who would just like to learn more selling and marketing books, if you’re brand-new to the world of writing and blogging and would like to learn how to make the leap from hobby to profession, or if you’re anywhere in between, this conference will be packed with helpful information.

One of my favorite things about this conference is that you’ll have access to pick the brains of some spectacular leaders in the writing industry. The conference is limited in size, so you’ll have opportunities to learn directly from people like Ken Blanchard, Paul Young, George Barna, Lysa TerKeurst, and Mary DeMuth on how they’ve found success as a writer.

This is not just any conference about the craft of writing. Those are a dime a dozen. This one is focused on the business of writing and understanding the new marketplace. Attending this conference is an investment in yourself and — and your future as a writer!

Special Offer To the First 25 People Who Register By Saturday!

Does the conference price seem too high for your small budget? Well, I’ve got a coupon code for the first 25 readers who sign up!

Through Sunday, Esther is offering 25 of my readers the opportunity to attend Re:Write for just $299. This price includes the full conference, plus a meal package, plus a gift bag.

But wait, that’s not all! If you invite a friend to go with you, they can go with you for just $99 more — and that bargain price also includes a meal package and gift bag.

Click here to register. Use coupon code CRYSTAL299 and choose the Conference Fee Without Lodging Option to get the $299 special price offer.

If you want to bring a friend, choose the Student Daypass Option and enter the CRYSTAL299 code so that the Re:Write folks will know what it’s for. You’ll receive a full conference pass, even though you’re checking out purchasing a Student DayPass.

If you have any trouble redeeming the coupon code or any questions regarding purchasing a ticket, email Cara at: cara @ thefeddagency {dot} com

Please note: This price is only good for the first 25 people who register by Saturday. Also, just so you know, I’m not making a penny for promoting this or a penny for anyone who signs up and uses the coupon code. I’m just passing along a special price because I know that many of you are very interested in getting a book deal or in pursuing a writing career!