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Shared Dec 1, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 15 Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on December 1, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you missed the Day 15 assignment, you can read it here.

Jesse actually thoroughly wiped down my computer with his special computer cleaning cloth on Wednesday night (I had mentioned something about it needing cleaning and next thing I knew, he was doing it!), so my computer didn’t need to be cleaned on Friday. Yay!

{Well, Jesse might argue that my files could use some re-arranging and organizing, but he’s sort of a nerd when it comes to organizing computer files and uses elaborate systems to keep everything organized. Me? I’m fine so long as I know where everything is or how to find everything. 🙂

I’d rather spend my time on the computer writing, marketing, and putting up blog posts rather than meticulously organizing things — especially when I usually can find whatever I need really easily, even if it’s not put into a sophisticated system. Don’t you love it how opposites attract — even in little things like computer files?!}

I flew home from Little Rock yesterday, so I was blessed with two relaxing flights, allowing me the time to read both Anything and Pocketful of Pinecones. Two completely different books, but both were inspiring in their own way.

How did you do on Day 15? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

Shared Nov 30, 2012 comment

31 Days of Giving on a Budget: Volunteering in Your Community (Day 2)

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 30, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to December’s series on 31 Days of Giving on a Budget. In this series, I’ll be sharing inspiring stories from my readers and posts with practical ways to give — even on a limited income.

If you have a Giving on a Budget story to share of a way you or your family has given to others this year or this holiday season, please email me your story and a picture to go along with it, if possible. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Guest post from Emily

Being able to volunteer in the community is a huge highlight of my job. It lets my company build publicity and it lets me help our community.

However, to me, volunteering doesn’t stop when the doors lock for the day. So, it’s important for me to prioritize my outside-of-work volunteer hours so that I do not negatively impact my family or my budget.

Here are a 4 tips that help me do just that:

1. Choose Wisely: Pick an Activity You Believe In

One activity that I became involved with is “Backpack Buddies” which sends needy children home with a backpack full of food for the weekend. This project was started by the church I attend, so it was something my husband was involved with, too. We were already financially donating to this ministry, so I only added work-time volunteer hours to this event, initially.

2. Maximize Your Dollars and Time

As a church, we chose to collect the funds raised for “Backpack Buddies” and go to Costco and Sam’s Club in order to maximize our donations. However, so that I wouldn’t take time away from my family, I did not volunteer to be on the committee that goes to the nearest Costco (an hour and a half away) to purchase the food. Instead, I help assemble the backpacks twice a month on Friday mornings and help organize the packaged foods on Wednesday evenings.

3. Make It a Family Event

Last Christmas break, my husband and I, together as a family, helped cook meals at our church for the “Backpack Buddies” kids and their families. We were able to help others while also enriching our marriage. I fall more in love with my husband as I continuously find how giving and caring he is. This year we will have our daughter there with us, too.

4. Know It’s Okay To Say No

If your time budget or financial budget is spoken for, please say no. Neither you nor the organization will benefit from you volunteering if you don’t have the time to follow through with your commitment.

Even if it’s the best cause you could think of, you don’t want to cause undue stress to your family by blowing your budget or taking too much time away from them. Prayer is always welcome for any need, and can often be the best way to help.

I honestly do enjoy volunteering, and I feel that many people do, too. I truly believe you can volunteer without spending a penny, and I also believe you can donate without spending a minute of your life. It’s important to find a balance that is right for us and our family. And remember, you can never go wrong with prayer.

Happy volunteering!

Emily is wife to Garrett, mom to Katherine, and a compliance officer. She enjoys spending time with others and is starting to enjoy running.

Shared Nov 30, 2012 comment

What a Messy House Can Teach You About Financial Success

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 30, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Originally published in March 2012

I woke up to a very messy house today. After being gone all last week and taking Sunday to just rest and reconnect with family, I was met with real-life this morning: unwashed dishes in the sink, dirty laundry to be done, suitcases to be unpacked, and stuff strewn about.

As I thought about how I was going to attack the piles, I realized that the same plan of attack could be applied to finances:

1. Don’t Panic!

Truthfully, I felt somewhat overwhelmed by how bad the mess was–especially with everything else I needed to accomplish today. However, I quickly realized that being overwhelmed would do nothing to fix the issue.

In the same way, if you find yourself in a huge hole financially, panicking won’t do anything to improve the situation.

2. Make a Game Plan

Once I got over being so overwhelmed, I created a game plan: I surveyed the whole house and realized that the mess really just concentrated in the kitchen and bedroom areas. So I carved out a block of time during the day when I would devote my sole attention to dealing with the mess.

If you want to achieve success in your finances, it’s imperative to have a game plan. Dreaming and wandering around in circles doesn’t accomplish anything. Consider where you want to be financially in a year, two years, or five years from now. Write those goals down onto paper and figure out what changes you’re going to make in your life to help you get where you want to go.

3. Break It Down Into Bite-sized Pieces

After I blocked out the time to focus on the messy areas of my home, I divided those areas up by sections, set the timer, and got to work. Instead of trying to tackle entire rooms, I focused on specific areas one at a time. This made it much more manageable.

A game plan is great, but if you don’t break your big idea down into bite-si zed pieces you’ll probably find it’s just too hard. Simplify your game plan by breaking it down into yearly, monthly, and weekly goals. That way, you’re not trying to scale a mountain in one leap; you’re just focusing on the next few steps in front of you.

4. Keep Going–Even When It Takes Longer Than You Expected

I had hoped to knock out all of the messes in an hour or so. But it seems things always take longer than I hope. I got distracted, children needed help, and things came up. But by continuing to plod on, even when it was slower than I’d hoped, I finally finished and had almost everything cleaned up and put away by the time Jesse got home from work tonight.

When you’re working toward financial goals, you’re almost guaranteed to have unexpected things come up: job loss, extra expenses, cars that break down, medical bills, and more. It’s easy to get discouraged and want to give up when it seems like the going is so slow. But press on and remember that moving forward–even at a microscopic rate–is still moving forward!

Ah! So much better!

quote photo credit

Shared Nov 30, 2012 comment

How We Save $1,000 Per Year By Riding a Moped

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 30, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Allie

My husband and I have been married for almost four years, and have been a one-car family the whole time. Our surprising secret to making this work?

A Scooter!

I drive the car, he takes the scooter. We have figured that our trusty little Moped saves us at least $1,000 a year. How so?

Upfront Costs

It was cheaper for us to buy a Moped (a nice, used one with cash) than to pay for a year of auto insurance on a car. Combine that with the fact that a Moped is obviously much less expensive to buy than a car and you have significant savings.

Gas

My husband fills up the gallon tank once a week for whatever the price of a gallon of a gas is that week. His scooter gets 70 miles per gallon!

Auto Insurance

Our insurance for a scooter is significantly less than a car.

Maintenance Costs

The scooter requires little maintenance, and if there is a repair to be done, my husband can usually do it himself.

Overall, having a Moped and car has been a huge blessing for us. We are on a tight budget, and the extra wiggle room has been wonderful.

If you are wondering if you should forgo a second car and get a Moped, here are some things you should think through:

What’s the weather like?

We live near Denver, where it is pretty mild all year long. My husband can use his scooter even during most winter days because it doesn’t snow all that much. Even when it does snow, it clears within one or two days. As long as the roads are clear and you don’t mind the cold, you can even make it work even in winter.

Where do you need to go?

My husband has a 3-mile radius to his life–home, work/grad school, church, and various spots around our little town. His routes require no major roads or high speeds, so he can safely get everywhere he needs to go during the typical workday. (FYI: A moped can go up to about 40 miles per hour.)

What’s your back-up plan?

On the days where my husband can’t take his scooter due to snow/ice/rain, we need a back-up plan. Since we live about two miles from school/work, I either drop him off before I head to work, or he can hitch a ride with friends.

Having a scooter has certainly been a unique way for us to save money, and though it is not always the most convenient option, the savings are more than worth it!

P.S. Check with your state for laws about scooter use. In our state, a helmet and eye protection is required and it is only for one rider.

Allie is a wife to Tim and brand new momma to baby Hudson. She works part-time and spends the rest of her time home with the babe, volunteering at church and enjoying life in Colorado!

photo source

Shared Nov 30, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 14 Update

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 30, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you missed the Day 14 assignment, you can read it here.

I have a confession to make: I completely forgot to post this last night! But I do sort of have a legitimate excuse… even though I know I’ve talked about not making excuses, so I really should be making one. 🙂

I flew to Little Rock, Arkansas yesterday to do some radio interview segments with FamilyLife. While there I also got to hang out with one of my favorite people and authors (Tricia Goyer), spend some time picking the brains of the Economides (known as “America’s Cheapest Family” — we did joint radio recordings together on the topic of saving money), and meet with some other wonderful folks from FamilyLife.

I also have the opportunity to get to meet and do a Q&A with Tricia’s Teen Moms group last night. What an amazing group of young women! I cannot imagine the hardships and difficulties on their plates and was so inspired by their questions and their sincere desire to do the best they can do with their money while juggling finishing high school and raising a baby as a single mom.

Needless to say, it was a busy day yesterday… and I didn’t get to my hotel room until after 11 p.m. After I called Jesse and we chatted about the day, I fell asleep! And it wasn’t until this morning that I remembered, “Oh yeah, I was supposed to put up that 4 Weeks Update post last night!” Oops.

Anyway, thanks for your patience and understanding. 🙂 So, without further ado, here’s my utensil drawer clean-out.

By the way, aren’t you all so proud of me for taking your advice and getting some drawer organizers? 😉

Those organizers have made my drawer organization a breeze (see how my utensil drawer used to look without them here). Thank you all; you’re brilliant!

How did you do on Day 14? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Nov 30, 2012 comment

A Handmade Christmas: Fabric Scrap Key Chain

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 30, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

CraftinessIsNotOptional.com shows you how to make a handmade Fabric Scrap Key Chain.

Have you blogged about a Handmade Christmas idea? Submit the link through this form here and we’ll consider sharing it as part of this series during the next 4 weeks!

Shared Nov 30, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 15

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 30, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome back to the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified} series!

From November 5 to December 7 (skipping the week of Thanksgiving), every weekday morning at 9 a.m. EST, I’ll be posting the day’s assignment and then every evening at 7 p.m. EST, I’ll be posting my progress and pictures, along with a link-up for you to share your progress and pictures, too.

Day 15 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Wipe down your computer and clean out your email inbox. Organize files and photos on your computer, if you have time.

::Set the timer for at least 15 minutes and do something you really enjoy and that relaxes and rejuvenates you. If you need ideas, here are a few: read, write, call a friend, pray, exercise, bake, play with your children, laugh with your husband, stop by the bookstore and browse the book selection, work in the garden, or take a nap! Take some time to just stop and enjoy life today!

Take pictures of your accomplishments and blog about them, if you’d like. And then come back here at 7 p.m. EST to share your progress posts or tell us about your accomplishments in a comment.

Shared Nov 30, 2012 comment

Reader Testimony: I got a new job thanks to a tip from your blog!

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 30, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I loved this testimony from Amanda and thought it might bless some of you, too!

I just wanted to send you a big THANK YOU for the series you did on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas.

I’m a single Mom of two kids (ages 9 and 5) and have been a home daycare operator for the last 8 years. Unfortunately, a few of those years were met with uncertainty as I had to deal with parents who just didn’t respect me as a business, and didn’t want to pay me on time, or at all.

Being the sole income earner for my home, late or no payments from my business meant I couldn’t provide properly and consistently for my children. I finally had enough… and after dealing with a parent who completely took advantage of me, I called it quits.

With no income, I started to panic, not sure of what I was going to do next. However, the very next day, I received your email newsletter with the article on becoming a a Virtual Call Center Agent.

I was intrigued at first, but also hesitant, because everything I had tried online in the past ended up being a scam or nothing came of it. I looked up the company that was mentioned in the newsletter, Alpine Access, and thought I’d give it a try. I filled out all of the required forms and questions on the site, submitted my resume, and hoped (prayed) for the best.

Less than a week later (I even think it was just a few days), I was contacted for an interview. Long story short, I was hired by Alpine as a Virtual Customer Care Agent and have already begun my paid training!

I’m so excited, and beyond happy. This is exactly what my family and I needed. I can continue to be at home with my children and homeschool them, and provide the income needed for us. I believe this was all God’s perfect timing for us, but I just had to send you a thank you, because I don’t know where I would be right now if I hadn’t opened that newsletter and thought to give something new a try.

THANK YOU!!!!! -Amanda

Shared Nov 29, 2012 comment

I Paid Cash: A Viola

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 29, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

A testimony from Krysten

During my studies at college, I was required to take a strings class and learn a new instrument. My instrument of choice was the viola, and I loved it! I took the class for three semesters, and also played in a volunteer orchestra when my schedule allowed.

While in college, I met my future husband, and after we graduated, we got married, got jobs, had a couple of kids, and got busy with life. I occasionally wished that I could play the viola again, but knew that we didn’t have the money for an expensive instrument.

Six years passed in which I never touched a viola.

Last Christmas however, I received some money from a family member… and since we always use any Christmas or birthday money that we receive as “splurge” money, I decided to start saving for a viola!

My Christmas money wasn’t nearly enough, but it was a start. I checked prices and found some new low-quality beginner violas in the $400 range, so I figured that I could buy a nice used viola for about that amount.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t just scrape the extra money out of the corners of our budget. We just had another baby, so I wasn’t working at all for two months, and would only be working about half of my normal amount for the next three months, so we had already cut our budget as much as possible. This meant that I had to find an extra source of income.

I had been inspired about Crystal’s posts on living simply and decluttering your home, so I decided to find everything in our home that we did not need or use, and ended up with a hefty pile of boxes.

Next, I began my mission to sell as much of my stuff as possible. I sold some items on Craigslist and joined a friend at her garage sale, but I still had less than half of the money I needed. My household purge continued, and a few weeks later, I held my own garage sale. The money from this sale put my total at $371.75. It was time to find my viola!

The only problem was, there were no used violas for sale! I had already been watching Craigslist for two months, and hadn’t seen a single viola listed. I checked around online, but wasn’t impressed by the cheap quality of the new instruments that my budget would allow. I decided to keep waiting.

Four weeks after my garage sale, I found a beautiful viola for sale that had been owned by musicians who had taken excellent care of it. There was a minor problem with the bow, and because of that, they were only asking $175 ($200 less than my budget!)

So not only did I pay cash for my beautiful viola, but I also have almost $200 to use for lessons – as soon as I find a teacher!

Krysten is a piano teacher in central IL. She has been married for five years and has two children, ages 3 and 6 months. She loves making music, good food, and fun family memories.

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

Shared Nov 29, 2012 comment

31 Days of Giving on a Budget: Turn a Ladies’ Night Out into an Opportunity to Give Back

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 29, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to Decembers series on 31 Days of Giving on a Budget. In this series, I’ll be sharing inspiring stories from my readers and posts with practical ways to give — even on a limited income.

If you have a Giving on a Budget story to share of a way you or your family has given to others this year or this holiday season, please email me your story and a picture to go along with it, if possible. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

The following is a testimony from Michelle of The Willing Cook

I have a dear friend who has 6 children (ages 3-13) and 2 foster children (10 months and age 2). Four of the children are at home with her all day while her husband is a teacher at our Classical Christian School. They are very tight on money, time, and energy. Their days are tough, but they see their lives as a ministry to all their children.

Since I am generally seen as the social coordinator of our little group of friends, I try to plan Ladies’ Nights Out once a month. And as I was thinking through what we should do for our upcoming Ladies’ Night, the possibility of going out to dinner or doing anything that cost money was not sitting well with me. (Most of us are frugal because we have to be or because we choose to be.) It has also been weighing on me how we should come together to serve one another in times of need. Why don’t we do this more often?

So, we organized our Ladies Night to be a Freezer Meal Cooking Night and then we gave all the meals we made to our dear friend in need.This was a complete surprise for her and she was overwhelmed with thankfulness!

Oh, I cannot tell you how much of a blessing last night was. We all came together to fellowship with one another and minister to a sister in need.

Here’s it worked:

I came up with the meals to fix using mainly recipes from MoneySavingMom.com. I did the grocery shopping the day before and was able to get everything for about $35 total (we used some ingredients I already had on hand).

The day before we got together, I did some of the cooking — like making the burrito meat and diced chicken.

I set up stations in my kitchen with the recipes printed out and put everyone to work, even the recipient! It took about 1.5 hours to get it all done, but it fun work!

The meals we made & the quantities:

Breakfast: Egg, Cheese & Sausage English Muffins — Made 1 dozen
Brown Bag Burritos — Made about 25 burritos with some meat mixture left over
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole — Made 2 large freezer bags full
Italian Chicken — 6 chicken breasts
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough — Made 50-60 cookie balls
One friend brought 2 loaves of pumpkin bread

And of course we couldn’t have a proper Ladies’ Night without a treat for ourselves. We completely indulged ourselves in Brigette’s Upside Down Praline Apple Pie. Amazing!

Everyone left with a full tummy of delicious pie and many laughs, as well as a full heart able to minister to a friend! And, one last thing, everyone wanted the recipes and agreed we should have more Freezer Cooking Ladies’ Nights Out.

Thank you, Crystal, for your part in such a great night!

Michelle is blessed to stay home with her three children (ages 10, 7, and 4), while her husband works to provide. When she’s not experimenting with allergy-friendly meals, she’s blogging about it at The Willing Cook. Through the Willing Cook, her hope is that you gain peace of mind in your kitchen (and your pocket book) and are able to serve those you love who suffer with food allergies.

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

Click here to download!

Shared Nov 29, 2012 comment

Introducing the Amazon Search Alert: Create a Wishlist, Receive Price Alerts, + More!

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 29, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

With help from Mandi from Jungle Deals & Steals, we’ve now added a snazzy new Amazon Search Alert feature to MoneySavingMom.com!

The Search Alert tool allows you to not only search for your favorite products in an easy-to-use interface, but it also lets you create a wishlist of your favorite items and notifies you when those hit your buy now price!

You can find it in our dropdown menu under Deals & Steals. Just click on the Amazon.com Search Alerts link as shown above.

One you’re on the Search Alerts page, simply type in a search term in the box below, something like “Bob’s Red Mill” or “Melissa Doug”.

Then, when you find the product you want to add to your wishlist, click on Set Alert. Type in your email address and your alert price and click Save.

You’ll receive an email when the Amazon.com price drops below your alert price. Or see all of your wishlist items by clicking the My Alerts tab.

That’s it! You’re all set up and good to go!

Shared Nov 29, 2012 comment

Reader Tip: How I saved over $200 on my phone

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 29, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Jessica emailed in the following tip:

I recently saved myself $220 on a new phone after doing a bit of research.

I had dropped my cell phone in the sink — and while the SIM card (which contains all of my phone numbers etc.) still worked fine, the touchscreen no longer worked.

When I went to the cell phone store, I found that they did not have my older model available and that it would cost $270 to purchase a new phone without getting involved in renewing my contract.

Instead, I went online and found my phone for $50! Because it was made by my cell phone company and was the same model, all I needed to do was put my old SIM card into the new phone and voila! Brand new replacement phone, same phone number, all my information, for $50 instead of $270.

If you were to buy a phone not made by your cell phone company you may need to take it to be “unlocked” at a local store (small fee for doing so) or if your SIM card was damaged you may need to purchase a replacement. However, even this would be much cheaper than paying the price for a brand new phone at your local store! -Jessica

photo credit

Shared Nov 29, 2012 comment

Focus on one task at a time…

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 29, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Need encouragement to set goals, live with purpose, and cultivate self-discipline? Be sure to get a copy of my ebook, 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life.

Shared Nov 29, 2012 comment

A Handmade Christmas: Box of Teacher Goodies

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 29, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Eighteen25 shows you how to make a simple Box of Teacher Goodies — perfect for a Christmas gift for your child’s teacher or a friend who is a teacher.

Have you blogged about a Handmade Christmas idea? Submit the link through this form here and we’ll consider sharing it as part of this series during the next 4 weeks!

Shared Nov 29, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 14

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 29, 2012 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome back to the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified} series!

Day 14 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and clean the mirrors and glass doors in your house.

::Clean out your utensil drawer(s) (those with serving spoons, ladles, spatulas, etc.) in the kitchen and your junk drawer(s). Take everything out, throw out the trash, get rid of extra clutter, wipe out the drawers, and re-organize the contents as you put them back in.

Take pictures of your accomplishments and blog about them, if you’d like. And then come back here at 7 p.m. EST to share your progress posts or tell us about your accomplishments in a comment.

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

1. Choose Wisely: Pick an Activity You Believe In

2. Maximize Your Dollars and Time

3. Make It a Family Event

4. Know It’s Okay To Say No

1. Don’t Panic!

2. Make a Game Plan

3. Break It Down Into Bite-sized Pieces

4. Keep Going–Even When It Takes Longer Than You Expected

Upfront Costs

Gas

Auto Insurance

Maintenance Costs

What’s the weather like?

Where do you need to go?

What’s your back-up plan?

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

Day 15 Assignment

Here’s it worked:

The meals we made & the quantities:

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

Day 14 Assignment

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