TheNerdyFarmWife.com shows you how to make homemade honey candy.
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.
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Follow Money Saving Mom® on Pinterest!
Over the past several months, we’ve received many requests to create a Money SavingMom® Pinterest account in order to compile all the non-deal posts from MoneySavingMom.com in one convenient location.
So I’m happy to announce that we now have a Pinterest account and, if you’re on Pinterest, I’d love for you to follow us! (If you’re not on Pinterest, you can create an account for free here.)
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For example, there’s one board specifically for bread recipes, another board for home organization, and another board for money-saving ideas.
You can follow individual boards, or you can can simply follow the entire Money Saving Mom® Pinterest account to assure you never miss one of our pins!
Frugal Photo Friday (on Monday!): Anything Goes!
Welcome to Frugal Photo Friday! All this month I have been partnering with Rebekah from SimplyRebekah.com. Each Friday we’ve been sharing pictures of simple ways that we save money. This week’s theme is: Anything Goes! For our last week, we want to see any kind of savings you have to share.
So um, I was speaking at a conference on Friday. And I was just a wee bit distracted by all the wonderful people who were there.
People like Rebekah from Simply Rebekah, who is hosting this series with me. Here’s photographic proof we were together — I just wish we had gotten her adorable little Noah in the photo, too!
In the process, my Frugal Photo Friday post never went up. Because I never got it finished. 🙂 But I figured you probably wouldn’t mind if I posted it on Monday. So here goes:
As I’ve mentioned many times in the past, we’re huge fans of oatmeal at our house. It’s quick and easy, it’s filling, and it’s nutritious. Best of all, it’s very inexpensive. I got a 25-pound bag of organic oats from Azure Standard awhile back and we’ve not gotten to the bottom of it yet!
We love to make our own homemade instant oatmeal packets as it makes it so easy for the girls to make their own oatmeal. Plus, it’s just more fun to have it all pre-measured out in a little packet.
The freebies that come in our mail are always fun. You never know what will be showing up next in the mailbox. And every once in awhile, it will be a pretty fantastic freebie like a free razor, or a coupon for a free bottle of Herbal Essence, or I’ve even gotten free Starbucks gift cards before!
The best thing about the mailbox freebies is that they cost me absolutely nothing — just 15 seconds or so a few times per day to sign up for the freebies that are available. It’s totally worth that to me for the surprises that arrive in our mailbox on a regular basis!
Head over to Simply Rebekah to see her Frugal Photo Friday post. And thanks so much for participating in this series; it’s been fun!
Now it is your turn to share the simple ways that you save. Share your link below or on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #FrugalPhotoFriday. All of the link-up details can be found here.
Shared Oct 29, 2012
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Reader tip: Earn money by teaching classes at your local community center
Reader tip: Earn money by teaching classes at your local community center
Here’s a great income-earning tip from Alisha:
I have made some extra money by teaching couponing classes at my community center. It requires no money up front and is a great way to share something that I am passionate about.
My community center pays $20/hour that I teach and will provide copies of any handouts I submit to them for free. They provide the classroom and projector for free, as well.
They also reimburse non-paper materials by having students pay instructors directly for the cost. For instance, I provide each of my students with a couponing binder, and the students pay me the cost of the binder, dividers, and baseball card inserts.
While there is no upfront cost, teaching does require some planning. I spent 2 hours laying out a lesson plan for a 2 hour course and another 2 hours putting together handouts for students to take home. I had never put together a lesson plan before, but the community center was very helpful and reviewed every detail of my class.
If you don’t have the time to plan a course, look into tutoring at the community center. Many people are interested in tutoring in Excel, Photoshop, and various blogging platforms. Tutoring requires no upfront cost and minimal planning. -Alisha
photo from Big Stock
Shared Oct 27, 2012
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31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: Sell Items on Facebook (Day 23)
31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: Sell Items on Facebook (Day 23)
Welcome to October’s series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas. In this series, I’m highlighting simple and legitimate ways you can earn extra cash in the next two months for those of you who could use a little extra cash to help you pay for Christmas — or just for your living expenses if you’re in a tight spot right now.
If you’ve found a great way to make extra cash before Christmas that doesn’t require an outlay of cash upfront, please email me your tip. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!
Guest post from Ashley of The Thrifty Wife
Yard sales and Craigslist are both great ways to make a little extra money and clear the clutter from your home. However, I’ve found that small items don’t sell well on Craigslist, and selling at garage sales means I need to sell things for next to nothing.
Thankfully there is an alternative: Facebook. Facebook is not only great for catching up with old friends, but it is also a wonderful way to make money by selling items you no longer need.
While you can list things for your friends and family to buy, the real profits are made through local buying and trading groups. Chances are you have one or several of these groups in your area. To find a group, just search for your city in the search box and then ask to join any of the groups that look interesting to you. If you cannot find a group, you can always start one yourself, though this can be time-consuming.
I am a part of five different groups, two geared towards baby and children’s items, one towards women and men’s clothing, and two others for general stuff. I have had the most success selling home décor items.
After you find the group, just follow these steps to start selling your items:
1. Gather and take pictures of your stuff.
Chances are you have a lot of stuff that will sell. All you have to do is gather it all up and take a picture of each item. If you have several smaller items, try grouping them. I know I wouldn’t meet someone just to buy one onesie, but ten of them for $9-10 sounds like a deal.
I have listed everything from curtains to coffee mugs to baby items. I can usually sell my baby and children’s items, as well as home items. However, when it comes to selling women’s clothing and men’s clothing, I have not had much success.
2. Write a good description.
In your listing, you should include applicable sizes or measurements, the condition, the color (sometimes cameras don’t pick up colors clearly in dim lights), as well as the price and the location you want to meet at.
For example, my listing might say:“Like-new boy’s Gap coat in dark blue – size 3T – $6 – Pick up/Meet up in ‘this side of the city’”
3. Private Message the important details.
It is not wise to give out your phone number for the whole community to see, just in case there are untrustworthy people in the group. If someone wants to buy something from me, they will either give me their cell phone number and ask me to text them, or I will private message them my number.
4. Exercise caution.
Use the same amount of caution as you would with Craigslist listings. If the person looks or seems shady, you do not have to sell to them. Your safety and the safety of your family are more important than temporarily offending someone.
Ashley is a freelance writer based in California. She loves to write about everything from finances to fashion, you can check out her blog at The Thrifty Wife. When she is not writing, she is taking care of her husband and baby girl.
Save Money on Christmas Gifts by Entering Contests
Guest post from Beeb of Contest Corner
These days, it’s extremely rare that I spend money out of pocket for birthday or Christmas presents. I have a variety of frugal strategies which I use to achieve this, but the most unorthodox one also happens to be one of my favorite pastimes: Entering sweepstakes, or “Sweeping”.
Yes, I’ve been able to utilize my hobby of entering contests to win a variety of great gift items over the years — everything ranging from camcorders to toys to MP3 players and more!
My “wins” have made for memorable and appreciated presents. But this isn’t the result of being especially “lucky”; it’s about using simple strategies to improve my odds of winning.
Here are a few tips for any novice who would like to try their hand at entering contests – and maybe even win a Christmas gift or two:
1. Think statistically.
People often dismiss giveaways thinking they’ll never win anything, but this simply isn’t true. If you enter consistently, odds are that one of these days you’re going to win something. And if you narrow down your options to sweepstakes with fewer entries, your chances increase exponentially.
2. Increase your odds.
Did you know that there are hundreds of blogs hosting giveaways that receive 200 entries or less? I’ve won so many prizes by focusing my attention on giveaways with low entries. For example, I won the computer which I am typing this from in a blog giveaway that had less than 100 entries.
So how do you find these giveaways in the first place? There are a variety of websites that list “Low-entry” giveaways – my favorite is Tight Wad in Utah, which maintains a daily round-up of giveaways with few entries.
3. Make a plan of attack.
Head to a reputable contest directory such as Online-Sweepstakes, where you can filter giveaway listings by prize and type of giveaway. For example, you could quickly conduct a search for current electronic giveaways hosted on blogs. Focus your attentions on contests for either products that your family would love or gift cards that you could use to buy presents with.
4. Use your time wisely.
You don’t need to sit around all day entering contests to win. Nowadays, I usually check out a low-entry link-up list such as the one I mentioned above, scan quickly for giveaways that I really like, and enter one or two. By focusing on more “winnable” giveaways, you make the most of your precious time.
5. Be realistic.
You are not guaranteed of any outcome when you enter giveaways, so you can’t plan on anything specific. Sweeping is one tactic that I use as part of an overall frugal lifestyle to reduce my expenses, and while I can’t plan for a specific prize the way I can plan for a coupon sale, using it as a part of my savings strategy has helped me save big over the years.
Do you enter giveaways? Have you ever won a present for somebody? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Beeb Ashcroft is a British journalist and “Sweeper” who lives on the Oregon coast. She teaches others the basics on how to enter sweepstakes and find “Winnable” giveaways on her blog, Contest Corner.
How To Self-Market for Free (or Almost Free)
Guest post from Sara of The Traveling PhoBlogWhiPher.
I am expecting a little one and am working hard to generate relatively steady income from my blog and self-published books before he or she arrives. I have found a few free (or almost free) self-marketing tips to be very useful and I think they would be useful for nearly any business.
Blogging
My blog brings me a small amount of revenue via Amazon Affiliates and a slightly larger amount of revenue through Google AdSense. Basically, non-invasive ads are placed on the sidebar of my blog and I get paid a small amount if/when a person clicks on them, a larger amount if an order is made.
I have taken advantage of free or almost free marketing by creating a Twitter account, using Pinterest to link to interesting or useful posts, and business cards.
Writing
I have chosen to go the self-publishing route and am therefore my own publicist. I know this is true for many big-six published authors as well, but they have the advantage of their books being on the shelf at Barnes & Noble or Borders!
Any time my books will be on sale, I put the sale information up on my blog and my Twitter page, as well as a Facebook page I created specifically for my books. I have also made business cards for both of my books and I find them to be particularly useful. Any time someone asks me what I do for a living, mentions in passing that they love to read, references a child named Shannon (the main character of my children’s book) I give them my card.
Additional Tips
Know Your Audience.
It doesn’t make sense to tell a college student about my children’s book, just as it doesn’t make sense to tell someone who dislikes travel about my blog. Knowing my audience helps determine which (if any) of my products I should be marketing.
Put Yourself Out There.
This is tough for me, but it’s important. I’m not a famous author. Nobody knows who I am. My own mother probably says “Who is Sara Lucinda Bell? That name sounds familiar.” It’s silly for me to expect sales to fall into my lap without putting effort into it. I have to tell people about myself and my blog/books.
I have found social networking and business cards to be a great help in this area, but a really great area that surprised me was giveaways. People are hosting giveaways on their blog all the time, and I have found that offering a giveaway is often very helpful.
Accept Rejection Gracefully.
Don’t be one of those people. You know the kind! If you start to tell someone about your business and they tell you they aren’t interested, let it be. You can always close with a statement like “I really think you’ll like it, so let me know if you ever change your mind…” but end it there. They may digest it all and come around, but I can almost guarantee that won’t happen if you continue to try forcing it on them!
Good luck!
Sara is currently finishing up an RVing adventure she and her husband embarked upon this summer. She is a full-time writer and blogger who loves to read and save money, and she is expecting her first child this spring. You can visit her blog to read more!
31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: oDesk (Day 22)
Welcome to October’s series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas. In this series, I’m highlighting simple and legitimate ways you can earn extra cash in the next two months for those of you who could use a little extra cash to help you pay for Christmas — or just for your living expenses if you’re in a tight spot right now.
If you’ve found a great way to make extra cash before Christmas that doesn’t require an outlay of cash upfront, please email me your tip. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!
Guest post from Sara of Omaha Moms
As a single parent and work-from-home mom, I can definitely attest to the benefits of working freelance with outsourcing sites such as oDesk. When I first had my daughter and my then-husband and I were trying to work out finances after our business collapsed, I stumbled across several freelancing sites such as eLance.com, Guru.com, and oDesk.com.
After creating profiles on each, I snagged my first job on oDesk within 24 hours, and have never looked back!
What is oDesk?
oDesk is a site that allows companies and individuals to post a job listing for something that can be done through telecommuting. It could be the development of an iPhone app, a request for blog postings, or a desire to have someone transcribe a few audio files.
Then, contractors (the individuals wanting to work) are able to apply for these positions, interview for them, and complete them if hired for an agreed-upon amount of money. Some jobs are fixed price, while others are hourly.
oDesk gets a cut of the pay as their commission, and both contractor and employer have the ability to leave feedback — similar to that of eBay’s feedback system.
How can I get started with oDesk?
The key to getting started working on oDesk is to have a complete and enticing profile. When you’re just getting started, be sure to complete all of the information on your profile. Add an appropriate photo of yourself, fill out your employment history and work background, and upload a few samples of your past work.
There are so many avenues on oDesk that you can take. You can be a writer, a programmer, a desktop publisher, a graphic designer, or even voice talent. Providing samples of your work can give future employers a chance to view your work and determine if you have the abilities to handle their project or not. No one will want to hire someone that touts their amazing writing abilities but doesn’t have a single piece of work to prove it!
It is also a good idea to take several of their tests. These tests are taken online in your free time and can help qualify you for certain positions. They can also show future employers your abilities in a more “verified” way.
How much can I make with oDesk?
The possibilities with oDesk are unlimited. However, if you really want to be a top earner on oDesk, you have to start small. So many newcomers to oDesk flood the site forums with questions such as, “Why am I not getting hired?” These individuals oftentimes have incomplete profiles, no resumes or samples, and are attempting to earn $20 an hour.
The key to getting your first job is to be realistic. Until you have developed positive rapport with a few employers on oDesk, you won’t have any feedback to fall back on. And in order to justify having the rate of $20 an hour, you need to have the positive feedback and work history to prove you’re worth it.
When you’re first starting out with oDesk, pick up a few smaller, lower priced jobs to get started. Pick a job that will take you just an hour or two to complete, something that you can turn around on the same day. Also, understand that you are competing against those who work overseas and will often be hired for much less than the average American.
Know that you will be working for less than minimum wage on your first few projects. However, if you step up to the plate and provide quality work from the very beginning, you will quickly be able to readjust your contracting wage after just a few jobs.
When I first got started, I was doing audio files for about $4 an hour. My employer was impressed with my work, left extremely positive feedback, and I was snagging better paying jobs soon after that.
Can I do this full-time?
There is the potential to make full-time income. When you start earning that positive feedback and working your way up the income ladder, you will find that you will do less job searching on oDesk. Instead of finding jobs that you are interested in doing, you will find that employers will be inviting you to their job postings instead.
You may begin to notice a steady increase in employment opportunities without even searching the job listings regularly. This is because, once you really get going, your profile, resume, and feedback will begin to speak for itself, and assist you in standing out from the crowd. You may be content working for hire for companies that need short-term projects completed, while you may also find a steady source of income through just one employer on oDesk.
With oDesk, the possibilities are endless. I have thoroughly enjoyed being able to freelance and work from home, which has allowed me the opportunity to make my own schedule in order to spend as much time as possible with my daughter.
It can be an amazing chance for stay-at-home moms and other parents to supplement their family income–or make it the only source of income for their household! I definitely suggest taking a peek at what oDesk has to offer, and encourage you to take the plunge!
Sara Haley is a freelance writer and desktop publisher who works from home with her four-year-old daughter, April. As a single mom providing the sole income for her household, she has found that freelancing online through sites such as oDesk.com gives her the ability to provide for herself and her daughter while being an active participant in her child’s life. Sara is the manager and writer for Omaha Moms and Happy Apping.
7 Tips for Hospitality on a Pastor’s Wife’s Budget
Guest post from Christine of Grace Covers Me
As a church planting pastor’s wife, I have countless opportunities to invite people over for dinner, host parties and showers, and give gifts. Unfortunately, because we are a church plant without a building or a large budget, my husband and I must primarily use our personal budget to carry out our ministry.
I have learned, first and foremost, that the goal in hospitality is not perfection or complexity; it is inviting people into relationships and into our heart. Our small budget has also forced me to get creative with how I practice hospitality.
Here’s what I do:
1. Perfect a Signature Dish
At the beginning of our church plant, we invited most church guests into our home for a meal. I developed a menu that I used for every guest that I felt confident in making and that was easy and inexpensive.
When items from my signature dishes went on sale, I bought in bulk. Sometimes, instead of inviting people for dinner, we’ve invited them for dessert and coffee, which is much cheaper and less labor-intensive.
2. Create a Bridal Gift and a Baby Gift
Because I get invited to most showers, I made a cookbook of all my favorite recipes on my computer that I can give to brides. After printing off the recipes, I put them into protective sleeves in a notebook that I make personal with scrapbook paper.
For babies, I use Gymboree reward bucks to buy clothes when they’re on sale or I buy diapers in bulk to give as gifts.
3. Keep Staples on Hand
For parties or larger dinners, I bought glasses, place mats, pitchers, and white serving dishes at the dollar store. I also keep paper products (including kid’s cups) on hand, as well as staples such as coffee, sweeteners, lemonade mix, and popcorn.
4. Decorate on a Dime
When hosting showers or Christmas parties, I decorate tables with things in my yard (pine cones, berries) or décor in my house (candles, wreaths, trays). I also bought inexpensive fabric and sewed tablecloths that I use over and over again.
5. Maintain a Gift Closet
Anytime I see clearance sales on gifts or cards, I snatch them up and put them in my gift closet. Then, when I need something, I can shop my own closet.
6. Make it a Group Effort
Whenever possible, I ask people to share the load. Our community group folks take turn bringing snacks, we often have potluck dinners, or we accept a dinner guest’s offers to bring a side or dessert.
7. Keep it Simple
Simplicity is the most important thing to remember when practicing hospitality on a budget.
Why meet a friend for lunch when you can meet for coffee or, better yet, have her over for coffee at your house? Why buy a cake for a shower when you can make a lovely one yourself?
Why freak out about a complex dinner menu when hosting friends? Simple works, and it enables you to concentrate on guests rather than worry about your home or the food.
Hospitality doesn’t depend on money. It depends on relationship. With a little creativity and a lot of simplicity, we can all practice it well.
Christine Hoover is a church planter’s wife and mom to three boys. She is the author of the forthcoming book, The Church Planting Wife: Help and Hope for Her Heart (Moody, February 2013), and she enjoys helping other ministry wives embrace God’s calling on their lives through her blog, Grace Covers Me.
What I Learned from Spoiled Yogurt
Jenetta emailed in the following tip:
Recently I purchased a container of non-dairy coconut yogurt. When we opened up the yogurt, it was molded and the store I bought it at was far away, so there was no way I could return it.
Instead, I sent an email to the company. They apologized and asked for my address so they could send me some coupons.
Well, my goodness, did they ever send coupons! They sent me 12 coupons for any of their products.
These are products that can cost up to $5 each. So basically they sent me what could be the equivalent of $60 worth of free product coupons!
In another instance, I purchased a container of non-dairy soy yogurt. I thought it looked funny when I opened it, but non-dairy yogurt can look different and I had not used this brand before. Then I tasted it… and immediately confirmed that it was spoiled.
Again, I wrote to the company. They apologized, too, and asked for my address. This time I received nine free product coupons — six for a large yogurt tub and three for small containers.
Lesson learned: Never just throw out food that is not good and straight from the store. Either take the food back to the store and get your money back or write to the company and let them know.
You might just be surprised at how generous they are! -Jenetta from Frugal Freebies and Deals
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Upside-Down Praline Apple Pie
Guest post from Brigette Shevy
Just when you thought apple pie couldn’t get any better… it does! Not only does this pie look impressive, it tastes amazing, too.
This twist on the classic apple pie is probably my very favorite apple pie of all time. And no, it’s not even close to low-fat, but let me assure you that it’s worth every blissful calorie! One taste of the caramelized pecan-studded crust, and you may never be able to settle for regular apple pie again.
We served a pie similar to this at a Victorian tea room that Crystal and I waitressed at for several years (a loooong time ago!), and it was always a favorite on the menu during the fall.
This is my adaptation of that recipe.
Although this pie would be a fabulous addition to your Thanksgiving menu, there’s no need to wait until then to enjoy it!
Upside-Down Praline Apple Pie
Makes one 9-inch pie
Ingredients:
- 3 Tablespoon salted butter
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 – ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 ½ Tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- Pastry for a 2-crust pie, homemade or store-bought
- 4-5 cup peeled thinly sliced apples
- 1 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tablespoon butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the 3 Tablespoons butter in a deep dish* 9-inch pie pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pecans and drizzle with maple syrup. Top with one of the pie crusts (rolled to an 11” circle).
Mound apple slices into crust and sprinkle with lemon juice. Combine sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Sprinkle of top of the apples. Drizzle with melted butter.
Lay the remaining pie crust on top. Fold the edges of the crust together and crimp to seal. Pierce top with a fork.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 400 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and continue baking for an additional 35-40 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes (no longer!). Loosen sides with a knife. Turn upside down onto a large serving platter.
*If you don’t have a deep dish pie pan, you can use a regular one. You’ll want to be sure and put a cookie sheet underneath the pie while baking it as I’ve occasionally had a little of the caramel sauce bubble over.
This is fabulous served warm with ice cream!
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.
Decorating on a Dime: Keepsake Shadow Boxes
Guest post from Rachel of Third Stop On The Right
I have saved mementos from special events for as long as I can remember. I saved graduation tassels, play programs, awards and medals, keepsakes from my wedding, as well as from when my son was born.
It can be hard to know what to do with these things. Recently though, I found a way to inexpensively display these items so that everyone can enjoy them: Shadow Boxes!
Here’s what you will need to create a Keepsake Shadow Box:
- 1 Shadow box
- 1 Piece of cardboard cut to size of shadow box
- 1 Piece of felt, scrapbook paper, or fabric
- Favorite mementos
- Double-sided tape or pins
I bought an inexpensive shadow box to display these items. The one that I purchased was from Joann Fabrics and was originally $14.99, but with a half-off sale as well as a 20% off coupon I was able to get it down to $6. You can also get these for under $10 at Walmart.
Some of the shadow boxes have an inner display board which you can pin things to, but you will pay more for these ones. Instead, I used a sheet of cardboard cut to fit inside the shadowbox.
To begin, I gathered some of my son’s birth mementos such as a picture taken after he was born, the hospital bracelets, his hat, and also the card that was inside his bassinet.
Then, I cut a piece of cardboard to the size of the shadow box and covered it with a piece of scrapbook paper (felt or fabric will also work) and then secured it with double-sided tape. I added the mementos, securing them with either the double-sided tape and pins.
After you add the mementos, you can just put the piece of cardboard into the frame, and you are finished! Then hang the shadow box on the wall and you have a beautiful keepsake that everyone can enjoy.
Some other great ideas for these shadow boxes are:
- Wedding memories (such as the bouquet, garter, vows, or the veil)
- Birth Memories (hospital wrist bands, hats, pictures, hand and footprint impressions, or cards)
- Pregnancy Memories (ultrasound pictures)
- Child memories (favorite toys, hand and footprints, pacifiers, or onesies)
How do you display or organize your mementos?
Rachel blogs at Third Stop On The Right, a blog dedicated to crafting, DIY, and the realities of parenthood.
Just Do It: The Best Way to Get Started on Your Dream
Guest post from Tessa of The Recreational Word Slinger
I discovered my love of writing earlier this year. I was looking for a full-time teaching position, but I had to resort to substitute teaching. On my days off, I would work on my blog.
Then, I started a book. Then, I started submitting articles for publication. (I even had one posted earlier this year here at MoneySavingMom.com!)
I didn’t know it at the time, but I was a writer then. Just like I’m a writer now. I love to write like nothing I’ve ever loved to do before, except maybe play basketball.
When I started my full-time teaching position at the beginning of this school year, I realized it would be difficult to try and do both writing and teaching. But I wasn’t ready to give up my dream just yet.
I decided early on that I would just get up early and do it. I had to make myself get up and write. Some forty days later, it is finally a habit for me!
The best way to get started on your dream is to do something. You can’t expect something to happen from nothing. Dreams don’t work that way. Start small, and you’ll eventually build some momentum.
I used this concept when I wanted to lose some weight. The first thing I did was to cut out sugar. That’s all it took. Nothing life-changing, but I did something about it. And, you know what? I’m starting to see some results.
It doesn’t take a philosophical revelation to begin doing something you love. Start small. Write. Run. Paint. Take a picture. Bake.
Just do it.
I hope that you make yourself do something today. Tell me about it in the comments. I want to celebrate with you!
Tessa is a teacher by day and a recreational word slinger by early morning/night. She blogs at The Recreational Word Slinger.
We Paid Cash: A Treadmill
Testimony from Brooke
About two years ago, my husband and I decided that we wanted a treadmill but couldn’t afford one. With winter coming, we knew that our outdoor running was coming to an end and with two young children at the time, we knew that a treadmill would make life much easier.
We searched the newspaper and Craigslist for a while and finally found one for only $75 in a neighboring town. It was definitely not the treadmill we had envisioned but it would work. We took it home and it has worked for us… but it is definitely work to use it.
Since then, we’ve been on the lookout for something a little better — but still in our budget. We have a small savings account with about $200 set aside for big purchase items such as this.
As October approached, we started thinking of our winter exercise needs again. My mother’s co-worker expressed an interest to sell her treadmill a while back, but she wanted $450 for it which was out of our range.
When hers didn’t sell after a few months, she said she would take $250 for it. This was really tempting.
We went to look at it and it was like a dream compared to ours! It was only 3-4 years old and barely used with lots of bells and whistles. We decided that if we could sell ours then we could do this.
We put our used treadmill on Craigslist for $75, hoping to get at least $50 for it. Two days later, someone offered us the entire $75 for it and came to pick it up the next night. We bought that new-to-us treadmill for $250 and used our $75 to offset the price and make it $175!
We found out later that this was a $1200 machine, and after investigation of information on the machine’s console, we discovered it had only been used for a total of six hours! It was basically a brand-new $1200 machine that we got for $250!
We feel like we are running on a cloud now — especially compared to what it was like to run on the $75 machine. We enjoy it even more knowing we paid cash and saved so much money by having patience and waiting until we could find something we could afford. It was worth the wait.
Brooke is a wife and mother of three beautiful children; ages 5 years, 3 years, and 6 months. She works full-time as a third grade teacher. She loves spending time with her family, saving money for her family, reading, and scrapbooking.
Don’t Count Your Chickens Before They’re Hatched
Testimonial from Stacy
My daughter had been taking piano lessons for a few months and was showing some real potential. She was quickly outgrowing her old keyboard and this was making practice increasingly difficult (the keyboard had fewer keys than a regular piano).
Our tax return was coming soon and would cover the cost of a basic digital piano, so we started looking. We feel in love with a low-end Yahama and bought it with our credit card.
The following week we got our tax return. But, it was $1,000 less than we expected.
I had calculated something incorrectly. Now we had to find a way to pay for the piano that was in our living room and on our credit card, and we didn’t have enough money to cover it.
To compound the problem, my son woke up with bites all over him. Big red bites of three in a row.
Do you know what that means? It means we had bed bugs!
{Before you start to think we are totally disgusting, be aware that bed bugs are easy to get. Just because you have bed bugs, doesn’t mean you are dirty. Although you really feel dirty, I can assure you of that.}
Now, we had a problem. No money, debt, and bed bugs.
Since having bed bugs is a rather serious issue, we ordered the bed-bug killing spray with our credit card and also purchased covers for the beds, new pillows, and pillow covers. All on the credit card.
Not only had we spent our tax return money before it arrived, we also failed to have an emergency fund in place. This was very poor planning on our part.
If you are alive, emergencies will come your way. I know this all too well, but chose to ignore it.
I’d like to tell you that we have overcome our debt, paid everything off, and are on our way to a fully funded emergency fund… but the harsh reality is that it is taking a very, very long time to crawl out of the hole we created.
We are being a lot smarter with our money now and are getting closer to the end of the tunnel, but we are not there yet.
I hope this story will help those of you living without an emergency fund see how quickly things can go wrong and how one or two poor choices can snowball into months (or years) of hardship.
I also hope this tale of woe will cause you to stop and think before spending money you don’t actually have. In other words, don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
Have you ever made unwise financial choices that have had lasting effects? Do you think an emergency fund would have helped you avoid the situation?
Stacy is embarrassed and humbled by the unwise choices she has made and is now striving to live a more frugal and disciplined lifestyle. Reading MoneySavingMom.com is a big part of that!