Saving Families Money Since 2007
If you’re a mom (especially a young mom) who is feeling like you don’t have enough time in your day, head over to my post on MomLife today for a simple tip that has helped me have more peace and sanity — plus made me feel like I have more time in my day.
You’re free to disagree with me (hey, what works for me might not work for you!), but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. 🙂
Looking for more time management tips? Be sure to check out my Time Management 101 series.
I’m so excited about the free workshop I’m giving in Joplin, MO tomorrow (Saturday, May 5, 2012). It’s always such a joy for me to get to meet and visit with my readers and I’m so happy some of you are going to be able to make it!
And I’m especially excited because there are going to be some great door prizes at the event — including gift certificates for free services at a local salon!
Our family is also bringing some fun freebies for everyone and did I mention that there will be free coffee and doughnuts? Yes, I’m all about free. 🙂
Also, the church has graciously said that we can stick around for an hour or so after my workshop and have a sort of informal reader meet-up.
If you missed my post earlier, here are the details:
Joplin, MO Workshop/Reader Meet-Up Details
When: Saturday, May 5, 2012, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. (The workshop will be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and then we’ll have time afterward to get to talk and visit with one another, if you have time to stick around.)
Workshop Details: My workshop is called “I’d Throw in the Towel — If Only I Could Find a Clean One.”I’ll be sharing some of the tips, tricks, and lessons I’ve learned the hard way as a mom of young children.
This workshop is geared for Christian moms of young children who are feeling weary, exhausted, or just in need of some practical encouragement in how to juggle things without feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. However, no matter what stage or season of life you’re in, you’re more than welcome to come!
Where: College Heights Christian Church, 4311 E Newman Road, Joplin, MO — we will be meeting in the atrium outside of the worship center.
Cost: Free (Please note: There will be no childcare available.)
RSVP: So that we can make sure and have plenty of handouts, freebies, donuts & coffee for everyone, could you do me a favor and email me at [email protected] by Friday at noon if you are planning to attend and whether you’ll be coming by yourself or with a friend? Thanks so much!
I whipped up a triple batch of waffles before dinner tonight.
While I know that some people like pancakes and waffles fresh, I’ve found it’s so much more convenient to make a big batch of waffles and then freeze them for breakfasts later in the month.
And it’s so much cheaper than paying for frozen waffles!
Plus, while the waffle iron is baking one waffle, you can be doing other things in the kitchen — cleaning, baking something else, or even getting some blogging done, like I did today! Waffles are a great multi-tasking project since you have about 1.5 minutes in between each waffle to get something else done.
{Yes, can you tell I’m Type A that I think like this? My apologies to those of you who are Type Z and don’t get excited over the long list of possibilities you can dream up to accomplish while baking waffles! :)}
Here’s our favorite whole-wheat waffle recipe, adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook – a cookbook I think every woman should own!
Makes 6 Belgian waffles
Mix together dry ingredients in one bowl. Lightly beat together wet ingredients in another. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Pour batter onto lightly-oiled or buttered waffle iron and bake until done.
To freeze: Let cool and stick 4-6 waffles in a freezer bag. Remove air and seal.
To thaw: Pull desired number of waffles out of the freezer and heat in the microwave, in a toaster oven, or in the oven.
Did you do any freezer cooking today? If so, I’d love to see the results of your efforts! Link up your blog posts below or tell us about your success in the comments.
Guest post from Crystal of Serving Joyfully
But it was a gift.
This simple statement is one of the biggest pitfalls I have when it comes to clutter in my home. I know this might sound ungrateful, but I can’t tell you how many things we’ve been given over the years that are collecting dust or stored in a closet. Most of these items are things that we “couldn’t get rid of” because someone gave it to us.
After seven years of this, the situation reached a breaking point. Here is how I decided to deal with it:
I remind myself that it’s my house and my family has to live here.
I really hate to hurt or offend anyone. However, at the end of the day, this is my family’s home and we need to be comfortable here. For my husband, a big part of a peaceful home is an uncluttered home. I cannot sacrifice a peaceful home for my family at the fear of offending someone.
I assume someone else can get use out of the items.
More than likely, even if you don’t want it or can’t use it, someone else does and can. As I was thinking about this, it occurred to me that if I purchase something, I would prefer for it to be passed on to someone who can use it rather than stuffed away in a closet. At least then, someone will be getting some use out of it. I can only hope that some of my family feels this same way, or can at least see the benefit of it.
I encourage unique gift ideas.
I am a minimalist at heart. My husband is getting there. We don’t need or want a lot of stuff in our home. Because of this, we have tried to put some boundaries in place for our families regarding gift giving — namely limits for grandparents who like to go overboard. We also encourage experience gifts and useful gifts rather than trinkets or toys that will just add clutter to our home.
The bottom line for me is this: If I purchase a gift for someone, I want it to be a benefit to him or her. It might sadden me a bit to know that my choice wasn’t spot on, but it would bother me even more to know that the gift I had purchased for their good was actually causing them stress instead.
Crystal Brothers is a daughter of the King, wife to a forest ranger, and full-time mommy to two rambunctious little boys. She blogs at Serving Joyfully — a blog dedicated to encouraging and equipping women to serve God and their families.
We stopped by Dillon’s yesterday to pick up a few things and check on some deals. Here’s what we bought:
1 bottle of Coffee-mate — used free Coffee-mate coupon
2 packages of Pampers Wipes — $1.99 each, used 2 $0.75/1 Pampers coupons (“doubled” to $1 off) = $0.99 each after coupons
1 box of Honey Bunches of Oats — $2, used $1/1 coupon = $1 after coupon (there’s also a $1.10 Honey Bunches of Oats coupon here but our store didn’t have this variety)
1 Zone Perfect bar — used free coupon
1 Clif bar — used free coupon (this printed as a catalina last time I went to Dillon’s)
Total with tax: $3.19
A testimony from Amanda
My husband and I bought a home in July. We put 25% down and are paying double payments each month. With the help of my parents, we were able to make some improvements and spruce up the house before we moved in.
Six months later, I was sitting on the floor with my daughter when I started to smell gas. I wasn’t sure what to do, but I called my husband for advice.
He said we should call the gas company and have them come out to investigate. I opened the windows and made the call. A technician arrived in less than 30 minutes.
Long story short, our house was a ticking time bomb. We had leaks everywhere in our pipes, they red tagged our home, and they shut off the gas to the whole house.
The diagnosis? We had to have every single inch of gas pipe in our house replaced. Not exactly what you want to hear in the middle of February when you have gas heat!
We were really stressed out it, until I remembered we had a home warranty. When I called, the agent said this would be covered. We were thanking our realtor for making us include it in the deal.
However, when they finally gave us the estimate, most of it was not covered. There was a loophole about codes that left us stuck with the bill instead of it being our insurance company’s responsibility. As a result, the work was going to cost us nearly $1300 to complete and we had no choice but to come up with the money.
This was a time that I was beyond thankful for our emergency fund. We try to save as much money as possible each and every month, but we always make sure our emergency fund is completely funded. We were able to write a check for the work and didn’t have to worry about their “special financing options”.
Now we have brand new pipes throughout our house and can sleep soundly knowing we won’t have any issues like this in the near future!
Amanda is a part-time work-at-home mom to 9-month-old Allison and wife to Christian. She enjoys loving the Lord, finding ways to cut the chemicals in her family’s life, and experimenting in the kitchen.
Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.
Today was a much better day than yesterday — and I’m so thankful for that!
Before I headed out to Aldi, the health food store, and Dillon’s with Kaitlynn (more on those shopping trips tomorrow!), I threw one batch of dough in the bread machine.
When I got back home, the dough was ready to be rolled out (have I mentioned how much I love my bread machine?!).
Once again, Silas helped me out.
He has the makings of being a really great chef!
We’ll see if his interest in cooking continues, but at the rate he’s going, he’ll soon be quite skilled in the kitchen — which I couldn’t be happier about!
Silas intently working on his “cinnamon rolls.” Notice how he rolled them up? It was so cute to see him try to do exactly what I did!
Makes 10-12 cinnamon rolls
Dough:
Filling:
Icing (I usually just eyeball this, so feel free to adjust measurements. You can also omit the butter and add more milk if you want to lower the fat content — or make the icing a bit more frugal!):
Put ingredients in bread machine in the order recommended by your bread machine model. Run the short dough cycle (45 minutes).
When dough is done, roll out into a rectangle and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture on top and spread around evenly.
Roll dough up and slice into cinnamon rolls.
To freeze: Put uncooked cinnamon rolls on a baking sheet and stick in the freezer for 1-2 hours. When rolls are frozen solid, remove from baking sheet and put in an airtight freezer bag.
To thaw: Place the desired number of frozen cinnamon rolls on a baking sheet and thaw overnight on the countertop. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Spread with icing as soon as the rolls come out of the oven.
You can also bake the rolls, cool, and freeze.
Dough recipe from Feel Good About Dinner. Freezing instructions adapted from Good Cheap Eats.
Did you do any freezer cooking today? If so, I’d love to see the results of your efforts! Link up your blog posts below or tell us about your success in the comments.
I’ll be speaking to the Joplin Mothers of Preschoolers this Saturday (May 5, 2012) and they’ve graciously said that I can open this free event up to my local readers, too.
So, if you live in or near Joplin, MO, and are free on Saturday morning, I’d love to have the chance to meet you.
I’ll be speaking from 9:30-10:30 a.m. and my topic will be, “I’d Throw in the Towel — If Only I Could Find a Clean One.” I’ll be sharing some of the tips, tricks, and lessons I’ve learned the hard way as a mom of young children.
The workshop is geared for Christian moms of young children who are feeling weary, exhausted, or just in need of some practical encouragement in how to juggle things without feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. However, no matter what stage or season of life you’re in, you’re more than welcome to come!
Joplin, MO Workshop Details
When: Saturday, May 5, 2012, at 9:30 a.m.
Where: College Heights Christian Church, 4311 E Newman Road, Joplin, MO — we will be meeting in the atrium outside of the worship center.
Cost: Free (Please note: There will be no childcare available.)
RSVP: So that we can make sure and have plenty of handouts, freebies, donuts & coffee for everyone, could you do me a favor and email me at [email protected] by Friday at noon if you are planning to attend and whether you’ll be coming by yourself or with a friend? Thanks so much!
Any questions? Feel free to email me.
Julie emailed in the following tip:
My husband has always been a cash user, and only uses other forms of payment when necessary. As for myself, I still have a debit card, but I try to use cash for most of my purchases.
Using cash has allowed us to implement a simple savings plan (my husband’s brilliant idea) that has helped us purchase a number of big ticket items in our household, including our computer, camera, and dining table.
What is this savings plan you ask? It’s simple… don’t spend your $5 bills.
I realize a five-dollar bill seems like a rather large bill to just stop using, but when you’re using the cash system, you may find that you don’t notice it as much. (Except for the occasional time you have to break a $20 and get three $5’s in return, and — oh yes! — it happens.) When this does happen, just close your eyes, put those $5 bills in your jar and move on. Before you know it, you’ll be able to purchase that item you’ve been waiting for!
If you just can’t force yourself to give up those $5 bills (or you’re in a financial position where every penny matters), start out with $1 bills or even quarters. Instead of spending them, stick them in a jar and save them. Before long, they will really start to add up!
For more money-saving tips, check out Julie’s blog, MeagerMom.com.
Today’s question is from Amber:
Is a Vita-Mix blender worth the money? If you have a Vita-Mix, what do you use it for? -Amber
Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
Guest post from Tiffany of Don’t Waste the Crumbs
There is a lot to do when you first get married: decide where to live, determine who has the better sofa, create a budget… wait, a budget??
Creating a budget was not high on our priority list when my husband and I first got married. And to be honest, we had no clue how to (or a desire to) create one.
We spent our first year of marriage in “bliss,” buying whatever we wanted without a second thought. We each had two new cars, bought a new house (with a mortgage) and put all the “necessities” for a new home on credit cards.
When I became pregnant, we decided that I would stay at home and reality hit — hard. We had to figure out how to live on half our income, while adding a baby (and their own related expenses) to the mix.
How were we going to make it work? After sitting down together to discuss our expenses, we created a budget and a new budget-oriented motto:
We immediately started trimming our expenses every corner we could:
These changes allowed us to live on one income!
While our needs were being met each month, we weren’t able to save or put more than the minimum payment on our credit cards. Shortly after our son was born, I started a business online designing wooden letters for baby nurseries. I didn’t make much money, but it was enough to double our credit card payments each month, putting us one step closer to paying them off.
For months we continued to work on our budget, cutting what wasn’t absolutely necessary and saving every penny we could. I started clipping coupons, played the drug store game, followed frugal blogs such as MoneySavingMom.com, and continued to create and sell wooden letters.
We sold our house and moved across the country in order for my husband to take a job that allowed for greater growth and advancement. Over 20 months, we slowly made progress towards paying off our debt – first a small credit card balance, then my husband’s commuter car. It was hard to be motivated at times, but as Crystal says, slow progress is still progress.
Sweet victory came one month before our second child was born: we paid off the family car and became officially 100% debt free. The icing on the cake? We had enough cash saved to cover six months’ of living expenses!
Creating a budget early in our marriage completely changed our lives, how we view money, and in turn, how we live.
My first child is now 4 1/2 years old and despite job promotions and increased income, we never stopped our “bare minimum” budget. In fact, we’ve cut it even more in some places as we’ve learned to better utilize our resources.
Being debt free has given us true bliss — it’s allowed us to live within our means, be intentional with our spending, and give to others in need.
Tiffany is a full-time mom who teaches part-time and blogs at Don’t Waste the Crumbs, sharing ideas on kids, food, frugality and making the most out of the small pieces of life.
The children and I went to Target after they finished all their homeschool projects and chores yesterday. Target is one of their very favorite places to go and they are always looking for paid chores to do throughout the week so that they can have money to spend when we go to Target. 🙂
Here’s what I bought:
1 Neutrogena Lip Balm — $2.49, used $2/1 Neutrogena cosmetics coupon = $0.49 after coupon
2 Reach Floss — $0.97 each, used 2 $1/1 Reach coupons = free after coupons
2 packages of GE lightbulbs — $2.79 each, used 2 $2/1 coupons = $0.79 each after coupons (our store didn’t carry the lightbulbs that would have been free after coupons)
2 packages of Barilla pasta — on sale for $1.16 each, used 2 $1/1 Barilla coupons = $0.16 each after coupons
4 bananas (for Freezer-Friendly Banana Bread) — $0.91
Total with tax: $3.48
Our whole family headed out to Dillon’s last night after dinner. I was planning to go by myself, but all of the children wanted to tag along, so Jesse graciously came, too, so that we could get through the store more quickly (something about three children and grocery shopping doesn’t usually equate a quick shopping trip!).
Here’s what we bought:
Comfort Baby Puffs — used free coupon
2 Silk single-serve milks — $1.25 each, used 2 $1.50/1 Silk coupons = free plus overage after coupons
1 gallon milk — $2.98
2 family-size bottles of Suave — $1.55 each, used 2 $0.50/1 Suave coupons (doubled) = $0.55 each after coupons
2 bottles of Gold Peak tea (not shown) — $1.29 each, used 2 $0.75/1 coupons (“doubled” to $1 off) = $0.29 each after coupons
1 Dawn dish detergent — $1, used $0.25/1 coupon (doubled) = $0.50 after coupon
1 box of Kashi cereal — $2.99, used $2/1 Kashi coupon from Recyclebank = $0.99 after coupon
Annies’ Deluxe Mac & Cheese — used free coupon
Cheddar cheese (16-oz.) — $2.99
2 Rosarita Refried Beans — $1, used $1/2 coupon = $0.50 each after coupon
Total with tax after coupons: $8.54
Last week’s goals:
Family/Mothering Goals
1. Read five chapters each of Quest for Truth:Taken and Thomas A Edison: Young Inventor aloud to the children.
2. Start one-on-one homeschooling times with each of the children {I’ve been doing this with Kathrynne, but not consistently with Kaitlynn and Silas, so I re-did our daily routine this weekend so that I could start meeting one-one-one with each child every day.}
3. Go on an overnight date with Jesse.Personal Goals
4. Finish reading The Three R’s.
Start another book.
5. Run at least five times.
6. Finish listening to Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality.7. Write and send two handwritten notes.
Home Management
8. Follow my Spring Cleaning plan & blog about it every weekday.
9. Make Homemade Pop Tarts.Business Goals
10. Go through my “To Answer” email file (that’s been quite neglected in recent weeks!) and answer all emails.{I made some headway on this, but didn’t quite get all through it.}
This week’s goals:
Family/Mothering Goals
1. Read five chapters each of Quest for Truth:Taken and Thomas A Edison: Young Inventor aloud to the children.
2. Start reading a book individually with each child.
3. Write a love note to Jesse.
4. Family trip to Joplin, MO.
Personal Goals
5. Finish reading The Three R’s, Remembering You, and Read for the Heart.
6. Run at least five times.
7. Start listening to The Little Big Things
8. Write and send two handwritten notes.
Home Management
9. Follow my Freezer Cooking plan and blog about it.
Business Goals
10. Prep for my speaking engagement in Joplin, MO on Saturday.
How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives!
You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.
Breakfasts
Granola bars
Cereal
Strawberry Pineapple Smoothies, oatmeal
Scrambled eggs, fruit salad
Waffles, scrambled eggs, fruit
Egg-in-hole, fruit
Granola, yogurt, and berry parfaitsLunches
Waffles, scrambled eggs, fruit
Snack-y lunch
Leftovers
PB&J, carrot sticks, apples, granola bars
Hard-boiled eggs, toast, fruit
Beans and rice, veggies
Lunch outSnacks
Fruit/veggies
Chewy Granola Bars
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Homemade Cinnamon RollsDinners
Build Your Own Haystacks
Homemade pizza, tossed salad, fruit salad
Chicken and veggie stirfry, muffins, fruit, veggies
Potato Veggie & Beef Hash, Easy Whole Wheat Bread, fruit salad
Steak, sweet potatoes, fruit salad, steamed veggies
Dinner with extended family x 2
What’s on your menu this week? Share details and/or your link to your menu plan in the comments.
