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Money Saving Mom

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Shared Jan 18, 2012 comment

Doing Something is Always Better Than Doing Nothing

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Doing Something is Always Better Than Doing Nothing

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

It’s so easy when you start considering goal-setting to become overwhelmed by all the areas in your life you feel are in desperate need of change.

From improving as a wife and mom, to starting a business or blog, to writing a book, to learning a new skill, to starting a new ministry or being involved in one that’s already existing, to eating more healthfully, to learning to cook from scratch, to cutting your grocery bill, to experimenting with do-it-yourself ideas, to remodeling part of the house or redecorating a room, to getting in shape, to being more involved in your church or community… and on and on the list goes.

We women have so many responsibilities on our plates and we have dreams, ideas, and all sorts of things we’d love to do if we could ever find an extra ten hours in our day. But the reality is that those extra ten hours probably aren’t going to be falling from the sky any time in the near future. So we must work with what we have–and do the best we can with that.

Recognize Your Limitations.

We’re all in different seasons and stages of life. We all have different challenges and struggles. Therefore, it’s imperative that each of us recognizes our own limitations.

Think about your own unique challenges. Some of you are in school full-time. Some of you work full-time. Some of you have lots of little children. Some of you have a brand-new baby (or twins!). Some of you have health issues. Some of you are caring for elderly parents or grandparents. Some of you are in the middle of moving cross country. Some of you are dealing with a death of someone you love. Some of you are pregnant or in the middle of adopting. Some of you have children with special needs. Some of you are going through heart-breaking circumstances that many of us can’t even begin to imagine.

No matter your age or stage of life, you have your own set of difficulties and things to juggle. If it’s not something you can change, accept it realizing that what you’re able to accomplish will not be what someone else who is in a different season of life is able to accomplish. And that’s perfectly okay!

Focus on What Matters Most

If you only have a small amount of time to devote to goal-setting, you’ll want to maximize upon it by making sure you’re focusing on the most important things. Here’s what I’d suggest doing:

  • Jot Down Ideas. Over the course of the next 3-5 days, just start jotting down every goal idea that pops into your head that you’d really like to tackle soon. If you’re anything like me, your list will probably be long. Don’t be overwhelmed! You’re just brainstorming to help you narrow down and prioritize your goals list.
  • Prioritize Your List. After you have a nice long list, go over it carefully and thoughtfully considering which items on the list are really going to make a specific and near-immediate impact upon your everyday life. Learning to make woven baskets might be fun goal to pursue at some time, but it probably isn’t going to have a direct impact upon your everyday life like exercising, going to bed early, or menu-planning will.
  • Pare Down Your List. After you’ve prioritized the list, pare that list down to the top two or three. If this is a struggle for you, step back and try to think of how each goal will directly affect your life. Thinking things through to the direct effects over the course of the next few months usually is all it takes for me to prioritize and decide upon the most important priorities. However, if you’re struggling with this exercise, I’d suggest asking your husband or a good friend to help you.
  • Make a Specific Plan. Once you have this list of 2-3, think how you will fit these goals into your everyday life. You have to make a specific plan for how it will happen, or it likely will just be a good idea that never gets off the ground. If you want to read 12 books this year, you need to read 1/4 of a book each week–or about 5-10 pages per day, depending upon how long the books are that you read.
  • Be Realistic! It’s imperative that you think long and hard about what you can realistically commit to. You’re better off sticking with one goal that only takes 15 minutes a week and actually following through with it, than trying to do five goals you don’t have time for and then not following through at all.

Commit to Do What You Can Do.

No matter your limitations, adopt Teddy Roosevelt’s motto: “Do what you can with what you’ve got where you are.”

All we can do is all we can do. Spending time wishing we were in someone else’s shoes doesn’t change or improve our situation. If you’re in a really busy season of life, you may only be able to devote an extra 10 minutes five times per week to tackling your goals. Don’t be discouraged.

Do what you can do and don’t worry about what you can’t do! Doing something is always better than doing nothing.

What will you do first?

Money Saving Mom
Shared Jan 18, 2012 comment

Ask the Readers: What are some simple ways a family with four small children can give?

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Ask the Readers: What are some simple ways a family with four small children can give?

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Today’s question is from Tara:

Although the “season of giving” is technically over, I have been so inspired by other people’s giving posts in December that I have made a New Years Resolution to continue to find ways to give throughout the year. I would love to compile a list of ways my homeschool family could
minister to others and was hoping the readers on Money Saving Mom® could help me brainstorm more ideas.

I am looking ideas that a family with 4 small children can do together. They can be quick, long, cheap, expensive. I would love to collect ideas that we could do every time we are out — like helping someone load groceries into their car, collecting carts, picking up trash, etc. I really want to use this year to teach my children to look around for the needs of others and meet them. -Tara

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

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Shared Jan 18, 2012 comment

How I Find Killer Online Steals and Deals

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How I Find Killer Online Steals and Deals

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Guest post by Lindsay of Creative Dough

My saving journey started last summer when I made the decision to find slouch boots online for $10. This declaration branded me “dreamer” in my circle of friends and family saying:

“Nobody gets boots for $10. If you’re really lucky, you’ll find them for $20.”

But I did!

I was determined. The fact that I didn’t give in to the shiny price tag of those $20 rip-offs has proved to make all the difference. Not only did I find my $10 very cute boots, but I’ve found similar deals again and again.

Here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way:

1. High to low pricing

There is a little drop down menu that can be found at most online shopping sites that immediately puts the cheapest products first. Look for your product on that first page. Can you find it in your price range? If the answer is “no,” this probably isn’t your website (try looking at a cheaper online/clearance store).

2. Search engines

Ask for what you want. If you would like a pair of boots for $10, type exactly that. For me, it’s kind of a wishing game. I ask the search engine for $10 boots and scan the area, if none of the websites lead me to anything substantial, then I must have asked incorrectly, so I ask again, only a different way this time (ex: Websites with cheap boots, $10 shoes, etc.)

3. Yahoo! Questions

I’ve been viewing Yahoo! questions for years. Chances are, you aren’t the only one searching for those $10 boots. Just tack the words “yahoo questions” at the end of your search and you will be surprised at the wealth of information these forums hold, and you don’t have to be a member to view them.

4. Promo Codes

Before you check out, quickly search for promo codes. Retail Me Not is a great online resource to find those last minute price cuts.

5. Make sure you include the cost of shipping

Those boots may look $10 online, but with shipping they could be $16. To save on shipping, order more than one product at a time, order with a friend and share the shipping, or look for a free shipping promo code.

Finally, be patient; good things come in time. Happy Saving!

Lauren is a fun, easy-going girl who doesn’t like to spend more than $20 at a time. This takes some creative thinking, which is how she came up with her blog name, Creative Dough. Her goal is to help people who are looking to save more than just a few extra dollars!

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Shared Jan 18, 2012 comment

The Small Things Add Up

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The Small Things Add Up

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Guest post by Sabrina from The Unlikely Homemaker

In the same way that the small things you purchase add up to a lot at the end of the month, the small ways you save can also add up to a huge amount at the end of the month.

Spending $5 at a thrift store every week for a few children’s shirts saves you money over buying them new, but over the course of a month that is $22 (plus tax!). While that is still not much, when you have almost no money, it’s like gold. I would much rather keep that $22 in my pocket and repair clothes we already own.

Buying a Sweet Tea every day on the way to pick your kids up from school can add up $22 or more if you also buy snacks for the kids. I would rather make my own at home using tea bags and honey.

If you buy a pack of gum every time you go grocery shopping (say, three times a week?) that can total $13 per month minimum, assuming you are only paying $1 per pack.

Going out to dinner can sometimes be cost/stress effective, but sometimes it is far better to prepare a meal at home. For two adults and two children (one who is only a year old) it can cost my family around $50 to have dinner out. That includes drinks and any appetizers we choose to get. For us to go out once a week, we would be spending $216 a month! Instead, we choose to go once a month, and use coupons so our cost is about $25-$30. That’s a $191 per month savings.

Buying your children a snack at the grocery store because you forgot to feed them before you left can add up to $13 a month or even more if you aren’t choosing something for under $1 (or if you have multiple children to buy for). It is much less expensive to buy a box of granola bars (or similar) and keep them in your car. That way, you won’t have to leave the store early or buy them a snack while you are there.

Small savings every day can add up to a lot. Following just the simple tips above, we save over $250 per month and saving in the small things has freed up enough extra money for me to be able to stay home with our children without it causing too much financial stress.

What are some small ways you cut corners and save money?

Sabrina Hartman is a new-ish stay at home mom to a 2-1/2-year-old and a 1-year-old. She loves to find new ways to save money to compensate for leaving the workplace, and is finding her inner homemaker in the process. She tracks her homemaking life and tips at The Unlikely Homemaker and offers a kitchen tip/guide site at Kitchen Cheat Sheet.

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Shared Jan 18, 2012 comment

Making the most of underemployment

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Making the most of underemployment

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I really enjoyed this article by Laura Ziesel on Making the Most of Underemployment. Here’s a snippet:

When my husband and I moved to California a year and a half ago, we had no jobs lined up, only a spot in grad school. Upon arriving, we settled into our new town and immediately started applying for jobs. After we arrived in California, it was about two months before we found work, although even then I was underemployed and continued looking for work. But we look back upon those months as some of the best we’ve had. Although money was tight, we decided to make the best out of our situations.

Most likely, you’ve been in a similar position, or you may find yourself in one in the future. Though the unemployment rate is on the decline (the most recent jobs report finds it at 8.5 percent), 59 percent of Americans still believe the economy is worsening (according to a new Gallup poll). And regardless of the state of the nation, twentysomethings are still likely to encounter tough times, big moves or life changes—like going back to school or having a spouse do so—that leave them with a little more free time. Here are some of the things we did that helped us not only survive, but thrive:

Read the full article for lots of helpful tips and encouragement.

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Jan 17, 2012 comment

4 Things That Will Keep You From Goal-Setting Success

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4 Things That Will Keep You From Goal-Setting Success

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Struggling with goal-setting? Consider if any of these four things are hindering your success:

1. Biting Off More Than You Can Chew

One of the biggest reasons I was a goal-setting failure for so long was because I would set these gigantic and impossible goals. It’s better to set microscopic goals and actually make some good headway on them, than to set goals that are so far out of your reach that you give up before you even take a step in the right direction.

When considering your goals, be very realistic–especially if you’re new to goal-setting. Don’t create an enormous and impossibly long. Stick with a few simple and achievable goals and break them down into bite-sized pieces.

As you become more experienced in goal-setting, you can set your sights higher. But when you’re first starting out, keep it simple and doable. Your success at simple goals will give you momentum to attempt more audacious goals later on down the road.

2. Fear of Failure

If you’ve failed at goal-setting in the past, it’s easy to convince yourself it’s not even worth trying again because you’ll probably just fail yet another time. Do not let the fear of failure keep you from taking the first step in the direction of success. Even if you do end up stumbling and falling and struggling, you’ll still be much farther along than if you never started at all.

Remove sentences that start with, “I can’t…” and “I’m not good enough…” from your vocabulary. These words will never set you up for success, they’ll just trap you in defeatism

Don’t compare yourself to others. Instead, celebrate your progress and success–even if it seems barely measurable. Stay focused and positive; you can do it!

3. Lack of Discipline

Setting small goals and having a positive attitude will help propel you toward goal-setting success. However, if you do those things, but you don’t have the discipline to follow through with your goals, you’ll never get very far.

You are only guaranteed success in goal-setting if you have the discipline, perseverance, and commitment to follow through with your goals.

4. Lack of Accountability

Accountability is the key to discipline. Write your goals out, break them down into bite-sized pieces, post them in a very conspicuous location, and review them on a daily basis.

I’ve found that it’s helpful to review my yearly goals list when making my weekly goals list and my daily to-do list. This keeps me on track and reminds what I need to do this week and today to get where I hope to be at the end of the year.

I also recommend finding an accountability partner to check up with you on a regular basis and see how you’re doing. Not only can they serve as a cheerleader to keep you moving in the right direction, they can help you get back on track if you start veering off course.

What keeps you from goal-setting success?

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Shared Jan 17, 2012 comment

7 Tips for Stockpiling for a Move

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7 Tips for Stockpiling for a Move

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Guest post by Lacey from Live Loved

My family and I recently moved to a new city and remodeled a house. My in-laws graciously allowed us to stay with them for a time, paying a minimal amount for rent and groceries. Although I was ecstatic to move into our home, I felt a growing amount of worry as the time came to do so — most of it had to do with our grocery budget.

I knew there were a lot of things we would need to buy to get our pantry re-established, especially since we do the majority of our cooking and eating at home. Groceries can add up fast and our tight budget didn’t allow for much wiggle room at all.

My worry was beginning to build.

And then, I began unpacking. And do you know what I found? All kinds of canned tomatoes, oils, spices, pastas, beans, rice, and more. I had completely forgotten that I had packed whatever things I could from our stockpile and kept it in storage at our in-laws. All of which helped to fill my empty pantry that I had been so worried about.

What’s the point of all of this? I think there a few things that can be learned from my experience, and I hope they might prove helpful for you:

1. Don’t worry!

I realized that my worry was very unnecessary. Besides the fact that worry doesn’t accomplish anything, I also claim to rest completely in the Lord and the fact that He knows our needs better than I do. He is the one who provides for our family.

2. Make the effort to stockpile.

If you are moving, list all the items you can stockpile, and then do it! Include cleaning products and dried pantry goods you know will hold up to traveling and storage.

3. Don’t go overboard.

The point is to help get your family’s pantry set-up, not feed the entire neighborhood. Packing and unpacking boxes is a chore even with just a few things, so don’t add too much to your load.

4. Protect your stockpile.

If things need to be in storage, make sure they are well-covered from dust and bugs. Some things I even wrapped in plastic bags and then put into a well-sealed box.

5. Store items in a climate controlled space.

Spices, nuts, oils, and baking goods won’t last forever, but especially not in extreme heat.

6. Write dates on everything.

That way you know how long you have before it goes bad. I might even include the date it went into storage so that you have a good idea of its condition.

7. Create menus that use up your stockpile.

Not having to spend as much on groceries is an added blessing! Some ideas include: spaghetti or pasta dishes, beans and rice, and soups and stews.

What are your best tips to stock-pile for a move?

Lacey is the wife to Kade, mommy to Selah, unashamed coffee addict, and daily recipient of the love of Jesus. She blogs over at Live Loved.

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Shared Jan 17, 2012 comment

Do-It-Yourself: Homemade Play-Doh

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Do-It-Yourself: Homemade Play-Doh

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Andrea from Simple Organized Living shows you how to make homemade Play-Doh for pennies… with just a few pantry staples!

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 Jan 16, 2012 comment

Comparison is the thief of joy

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Comparison is the thief of joy

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

About six weeks ago, I had a little extra time one day and was perusing blogs. I somehow stumbled upon this beautiful blog written by an even more beautiful woman.

As I read her posts, I began to feel very inadequate. She was pretty, in shape, creative, witty, had a gorgeous home, had more children than me, and really seemed to have it altogether.

I started to feel ugly, disorganized, out of shape, and like a really pathetic woman in comparison to her. But I kept on reading–and continued to feel even worse.

Then I landed upon a post where she talked about this woman that she so admired and wanted to be like. I was shocked when I clicked on the link and discovered the woman she was referring to was me.

Yes, this woman whom I felt I paled in comparison to wanted to be like me.

And then I realized how silly this was. Here she wanted to be me and I was secretly wishing I were her.

It hit me anew just how easy it is to want what we don’t have–better hair, better decorating skills, a better personality, more creativity, more spunk… there’s always someone who it seems we’d like to trade places with because they have what we want.

But trading places with someone wouldn’t fix anything; we’d just inherit a new set of things we wish we could change. No one has it altogether. Everyone has struggles and difficulties.

Comparison only leads to discontentment.

We can’t change who we are, but we can make the most of our situation. We can’t choose the personality we are born with, but we can choose to be thankful–even in the midst of difficulty.

And we can choose to be intentional and purposeful in how we live our lives so that we make the most of all that we’ve been given instead of wishing we were someone else.

I loved this part of Amy Lynn Andrew’s post on The Trouble With Blogging:

…Never forget that what you see on the screen is not the whole picture.

Never forget that the people behind the blogs are, well, people…with unorganized cupboards, unmanaged time schedules (ahem!), cranky children (ahem again!), painful stories, crafty train wrecks, struggling marriages, unpaid bills and burnt meat loaf. (Those are the examples I use, because those have all been me behind the scenes.)

Never forget that their story and their journey and their choices apply to them, not to you.

You are who you are for a reason. You are where you are a for a reason. Don’t do what I do and beat yourself up for not being where someone else is. It’s a colossal waste of time.

Appreciate everyone else’s outside, but embrace your inside. (Read the full post here–it’s fantastic!)

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Jan 16, 2012 comment

4 Tips to Avoid a Daily Deal Scam

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4 Tips to Avoid a Daily Deal Scam

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

The following is a guest post from Maggie:

Daily deal sites are amazing, both for the deep discounts and for the new products you can discover through them. But in our rush to take advantage of the wonderful offers, we can sometimes overlook some basic buyer safety practices.

The daily deal format unfortunately makes it easy pickings for fly-by-night scammers offering fraudulent products. Follow these tips to stay safe while scoring hot deals.

1. Use well-respected daily deal sites.

There are countless daily deal sites in operation, with more popping up every day. Stick to those site where you’ve had successful transactions in the past, know someone who has, or have received a recommendation from a blogger you know and trust.

It’s great to support new daily deal start-ups, but make sure they have some sort of track record for delivering on their promises. Check their Facebook wall for a quick gauge of customer satisfaction.

2. Research the company offering the deal.

Most daily deal scams will come from companies offering products through daily deal sites, pocketing the money, and then not delivering. So if you’re purchasing a product from company you’ve never used before, take a minute before purchasing to research the company.

How long has their Facebook page been active, and are there tons of complains on the wall? Do they have a Better Business Bureau profile, and are there any complaints?

Be wary of companies that appear to have just been formed. In five minutes or less, you can get a feel for whether this is a company with a history of good service.

3. Pay through Paypal or other buyer protection service.

Paying through Paypal or something similar gives you a certain measure of safety, should the company never deliver on its promises. Be aware though of the limitations of these payment services. Many require claims or complaints be filed within a certain timeframe, and some (including Paypal) will not refund your money themselves in case of a dispute — they will only attempt to reclaim it from the seller.

4. Make sure you are not charged until the goods ship.

As daily deal veterans know, many daily deal sites issue vouchers that do not include shipping. Thus, when you go to the seller website and actually purchase the product, you sometimes have to issue payment directly to the company to cover shipping charges. When this happens, keep a close eye on when you are actually charged the money.

It is illegal for a company to charge you prior to shipping your order. So if you see a shipping charge on your credit card bill or Paypal statement before you receive a shipment confirmation, it’s a red flag.

Following these simple tips will help you avoid the many different daily deal scams that are out there these days.

Maggie Larche is a daily deal lover and the author of a children’s detective novel that teaches economic concepts, Striker Jones: Elementary Economics for Elementary Detectives. More information on her book is available at her website.

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Shared Jan 16, 2012 comment

Family Fitness for Less

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Family Fitness for Less

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Guest post by Lisa.

Setting aside space for personal fitness as a busy parent can be difficult. Time-crunched families also long for ways to build meaningful memories and spend time with one another. Why not incorporate both?

Cultivate an attitude of healthy living and teamwork in your family without buying an expensive gym membership. The options are endless, the cost-free to minimal, but the memories are irreplaceable.

Adventure Hiking

Hiking paths, walking trails, and even city streets can be transformed into an adventure. Try out new places, talk about what you discover, create a scavenger hunt to complete along the charted route. Keep a marked map or a running record, of all the trails your family has traversed.

Visit a Track

Slip on sneakers and scout out your local track. Find a time when no teams are practicing or have an athletic event. Children enjoy trying out all the lanes, running down the long jump, and rolling through the center field grass. While kids burn off energy, parents can fit in steady laps or complete sprint intervals.

Swim Swaps

Pack up the family for a trip to the local pool. If your pool has a splash pad area, settle the kids in. One parent can supervise while the other takes twenty minutes to swim laps, then switch places. End your time together with some massive splashing.

Exercise DVDs

Many local libraries have extensive exercise DVD collections. Be creative with your workout equipment; children love to lift stuffed animals as weights or use a special blanket as an exercise mat. Kids’ interpretations are sure to create laughter.

Dig into Sports

Expose your children to many different sports. Compile a master list of all the sports your family wants to try and get moving. Changing things up is fun and helps your children discover the sports they enjoy most.

Ready to play? Run the bases at a local baseball diamond, give the tennis court a try, and gang up on Dad to score a soccer goal. Even young family members can work through a Frisbee golf course.

Work with the Seasons

Take full advantage of the opportunities at different times of the year present for fitness. Slip on rain boots and take a walk, jump through as many puddles as possible. Water balloon and squirt gun battles that include adults are sure to be a family favorite. Grab some hot cocoa and traverse a corn maze together. If snow comes to your area, bundle up and see how many times your family can climb the nearest sledding hill.

Stretch Imagination in Challenging Weather

When the weather prohibits outdoor activities bring the fun indoors. Take turns creating obstacle courses and completing them. Grab their favorite stuffed animals and have them complete silly relay races. Strip all the beds of comforters and pillows, unpack the sleeping bags, and pile them into a heap. Bounce away, all the giggling will make up for the cleanup afterward.

These are just a few of the frugal ways your family can stay fit… and create many memories in the process.

What are your best frugal family fun ideas?

Lisa is a freelance writer from Holland, Michigan. Her family seeks to live a life of giving, not excess. Lisa, her husband, and her two children have tried all these family fitness ideas. They have a lot of fun, laughter and general mishaps together. Adventure hiking is her children’s favorite activity.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Jan 16, 2012 comment

If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.

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If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.

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

Most people want to do amazing things with their life. Very few actually do.

Why is that?

Well, I believe one of the biggest reasons people don’t get where they hope to go–or don’t really get anywhere in life!–is because they don’t set goals. Goals bridge the gap between dreams and reality.

It’s fairly easy to brainstorm. It’s very easy to day dream. It’s hard to get on your work clothes and get busy. But if you don’t know where you’re going in the first place, it’s almost guaranteed you’re never going to make it there.

How Goal-Setting Has Changed My Life

My husband is a world class goal-setter (well, in my book, at least!). He has goals for everything pretty much–from what he eats, to what he reads, to his personal fitness, to investing in the lives of our marriage and family, to running his business, to giving to others, to making an impact on the world.

When we got married, I had toyed with the idea of setting goals, but being the over-achiever I am, if I ever set goals, they were these huge impossible things that just set me up for defeat from the get-go. So I rarely actually got very far in my goals.

Over the past nine years, as I’ve observed my husband’s goal-setting, read books on goal-setting, and experimented with goal-setting in my own life, I’ve come to realize how life-transforming goal-setting can be–when done the right way. In fact, as I’ve learned how to set goals and how to follow through with them, I’ve been amazed at how much more productive and intentional I’ve been in my own life.

Instead of being really busy but having little to show for it, goal-setting has helped me to be much more purposeful in how I spend each and every day. In addition to accomplishing many more things that actually matter, I’m living a much more fulfilled life.

Don’t Be Intimidated!

Maybe you feel like you have so many things you want to do with your life that the thought of even knowing where to start is mind-boggling. Maybe you have set goals in the past only to fall short so you feel defeated when it comes to goal-setting. Maybe you just don’t even know where it is you want to go and or what it is you want to aim for.

Do not be intimidated! I was pretty much a goal-setting failure nine years ago. Oh, I had lots and lots of big dreams. But when it actually came down to going anywhere with them, most of them just fizzled out and lost steam because I didn’t know how to break those big dreams down into tiny step-by-step pieces.

Over the next two weeks, we’re going to be exploring goal-setting in-depth here. I’ll be sharing things I’ve learned over the past nine years and walking you through how to set goals in your own life and then how to actually follow through with them–and not get defeated or become overwhelmed in the process.

Are you ready to join me?

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Shared Jan 16, 2012 comment

10 Goals for This Week

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10 Goals for This Week

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Considering everything that happened last week, I actually made some really good progress on my goals–which was encouraging! I totally fell off the running bandwagon, however, since I was quite sore from the accident for a few days, I decided that it was probably okay–and maybe even a good thing–to cut myself some slack and take the week off from running.

But I’ve declared a moratorium on the pajama-clad, bed-head look I sported for three days last week. Time to get back into the swing of things!

Here’s my list from last week:

Family/Mothering Goals

1. Finish reading The Imagination Station: Secret of the Prince’s Tomb.

2. Start ice-skating lessons for the children.

3. Have a date night with my husband to celebrate our nine-year anniversary!

Personal Goals

4. Finish reading A Deeper Kind of Calm.

5. Complete week 2 of the Couch to 5K program + run an additional 5 miles.

6. Write one handwritten note of encouragement.

7. Finish listening to the Developing the Leader Within You audiobook.

8. Finish knitting the Squidge dishcloth.

Business Goals

9. Finish writing an article for AllYou.com.

10. Release my book, The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget {squee!!!! I have lots of fun things planned for the release week. Stay tuned for more details!}.

And here are my goals for this week:

Family/Mothering Goals

1. Finish reading The Boxcar Children aloud to the children.

2. Go to Florida with Kaitlynn for a FamilyLife speakers/MomLife writers.

3. Write a love note to Jesse.

Personal Goals

4. Finish reading How to Write a Book Proposal & The Now Habit.

5. Complete week 2 of the Couch to 5K program.

6. Finish listening to the Developing the Leader Within You audiobook.

Home Management

7. Put together two weeks of pages for my Project Life album.

8. Finish knitting the Squidge dishcloth.

Business Goals

9. Finish writing an article for RooMag.com.

10. Participate in Twitter chat with @TwitterBooks on Friday (we’d love to have you join us! It’s slated for 3-4 p.m. EST).

photo credit

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.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Jan 14, 2012 comment

My Debt-Free Dogs

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My Debt-Free Dogs

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

The following is a guest post by Elizabeth from 20-Something Saver.

A few weeks ago someone gave me a newspaper article about a $1,300 dog collar. Yes, you’re reading that correctly — a dog collar.

There is no doubt that people enjoy spoiling their dogs, and I’m no exception. I can tell you, though, that Cocoa and Oreo are not wearing $1,300 dog collars. They aren’t even wearing $20 collars. They are normal dogs who eat breakfast, walk a few miles a day, and love the dog park and cuddle time.

It seems almost impossible to watch your spending with Fido, but it’s certainly doable.

When dogs eat well, they aren’t sick as often.

Dogs don’t need table scraps, their health is best with regular dry kibble. Buy your dog food in bulk using coupons — many big brands like Pedigree, Purina One, and Nutrish offer hot coupons on their websites.

I know people who try to save money by feeding their dog table scraps and guess what? They usually end up spending a lot of extra money at the vet!

The best things in life are free.

Find a free dog park in your area. Go once a week and make it a special time for Fido. Do your research and save yourself some money.

The biggest expense is grooming.

We spend about $90 at the groomers each time Cocoa and Oreo go. Because it’s so expensive, they only go every eight weeks — which is wonderful. In between visits they are brushed weekly and given a bath if needed.

Splurge on the necessary stuff.

There are some expenses that are worth the splurge. For us, it’s their flea and tick medication. We splurge on that because we’re in the south and it’s hot — therefore, more fleas and ticks. It varies by family, but remember that you don’t have to splurge on everything.

My biggest tip…

Before making a purchase, ask yourself “Would I be embarrassed to tell someone how much I spent on this?” This worked very well when I thought about buying a $49 tuxedo for Oreo.

Remember, your doggies will be happy by just being walked, fed, and loved. They are simple creatures created by God!

Elizabeth is a 20-something learning to live on less. She blogs about her journey of saving money with her dogs at 20-Something Saver.