V and Co. shows you how to make homemade hand warmers.
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.
Summer Bucket List
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Grid View
Shared Jan 9, 2012
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The most exciting thing that has ever happened to me as a blogger
The most exciting thing that has ever happened to me as a blogger
I’ve been hinting around recently that I had some big news to share with you all. Truthfully, this is probably the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me as a blogger and I’ve been bursting at the seams to share this with you all, but I had to wait until a lot of different things were in place before I could make it public. Today, all the behind-the-scenes details are in place and I can finally share my big news with you!
But first, I need to give you some background story…
When Simon & Schuster contacted me out of the blue in late 2010 to offer me a book deal, I was really hesitant about taking it. The thought of being a published author was exciting, but I was scared. Scared of the work involved and the short time frame they were asking for it to be done in. Scared of the strain it might put on my health, my marriage, and our family.
But the biggest reason I was uncomfortable about the whole thing was the money issue. Simon & Schuster offered me a nice first-time author advance and I just didn’t want it. Sure, I could come up with some savings goals we could put it toward, but it just didn’t feel right–especially because we already have more than plenty.
I was washing dishes at the kitchen sink and contemplating and wrestling over what to do one day when it was as if God spoke in a still, small voice to me and said, “Give it all away, Crystal. Take the book deal, but give all your proceeds away.”
Without a doubt, I knew that that’s what I was supposed to do. And not only that, but I knew instinctively that I wanted to give the proceeds to Compassion International, an organization that exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry to some of the poorest of the poor.
For the first time since I’d gotten the book offer, I actually felt really stoked about the whole thing. This project was no longer about me. It was no longer just about writing a book. It was something much bigger–helping to meet the basic needs of those who were impoverished.
And so I accepted the offer and spent the first half of 2011 writing and editing my book, The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget. It was a lot of work, there were days when I wanted to throw in the towel, and I often had to ask the Lord to give me strength and wisdom beyond what I humanly possessed in order to do everything I needed to do to pull off this project.
But through it all, I felt such a sense of peace and purpose. I was excited to think that this book wasn’t just going to impact thousands of lives in America, it would hopefully also directly impact many lives through the money it raised for Compassion. That was such an exhilarating thought and it kept me going even when I was tired and drained.
After I finished the final draft and the manuscript went to the printers, we turned our attention to exploring what God was specifically calling us to do with the proceeds from the book. After discussions with Compassion, we really felt that we were to give the money to the Child Survival Program Fund.
On the phone, they off-handedly remarked that we could actually fund an entire Child Survival Program in one area, if that was something we were interested in. I asked them for more information and, after much thought and prayer, my husband and I knew that this was what we wanted to invest all of the proceeds from The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget into.
We chose a Child Survival Program in the Dominican Republic that was already established and needed a donor. This Child Survival Program offers life-saving health and medical care for over 80 at-risk expectant moms and young moms and over 80 at-risk babies and young children in the Dominican Republic.
It provides healthy deliveries in hospitals or clinics, immunizations, growth monitoring and development for the babies, and education for the mothers on how to care for and feed their children. In addition, one of the facets of the program is equipping mothers with income-generating skills so they can provide for their babies and young children.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support of my book project. Thank you for buying the book and telling others about it.
I’m beyond thrilled to let you all know that–thanks to your amazing support–the money we’ve received from The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget so far was enough to completely fund an entire year of the Child Survival Program in the Dominican Republic. How amazing is it to think that your support of the book is directly helping to impact the lives of over 160 at-risk women and children?
Pictured above are a few of the women in “our” Dominican Republic Child Survival Program. Women and children who have proper nutrition, medical care, and hope, thanks to you.
Our family is committed to supporting “our” Child Survival Program in the DR for as long as it is in existence and we are looking forward to taking a trip to visit there in the not-too-distant future. We’ll take pictures and share with you all about the lives you are impacting! {And I have a feeling we’ll come home forever impacted ourselves, too.}
Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you. I’m humbled, honored, and overcome with gratitude to be a part of all of this. And it never would have happened if it weren’t for you all. You all mean more to me than I can express. Just thank you.
Postscript: I’ve been planning to share this post today for a number of weeks. Little did I know that one of the women I appreciate most in all the world would also be writing a similar post today. You must go read Ann Voskamp’s post Because Saying Thank You Can Change The World.
Tips for Budget-Friendly Home Remodeling and Decorating
The following guest post is written by Kelly from View Along the Way.
When my husband and I bought our previously-foreclosed house, the entire guest bedroom floor was covered in what I can only assume was feces. Soaked through the carpet, through the carpet mat, and into the floorboards.
We had a lot of work cut out for us!
It’s now three years later, we’ve almost completely gutted the place, pouring our own sweat and tears into every project, and we’ve learned many lessons about saving money along the way:
1. Don’t be afraid to DIY.
My husband and I are DIY-ers to the core. We believe you can learn how to do just about anything with the help of Google and a healthy spirit of adventure.
Our kitchen backsplash: our first attempt at tiling a vertical wall.
We’ve learned the pros don’t have any magical powers. They have better tools, but you can rent those. They have more knowledge, but you can find that online. And they have more experience, but you’ll get that quickly. There’s probably a certain level of ignorance-is-bliss necessary to get you started, but you can do it.
We hired professionals for exactly two jobs: installing carpet and installing our quartz countertops. For both jobs, we paid gobs of money and were completely dissatisfied with both jobs.
I learned through hiring those professionals that the people who will care the most about the final result are my husband and me. No one else has to live with the final result.
2. Coupon!
If you read Money Saving Mom®, you’re probably not new to this idea, but did you know there are coupons for home improvement stores too?
Lowe’s and Home Depot accept competitor coupons, and you can buy 10% and 20% off coupons for either store on eBay. We always use coupons on our home projects.
3. Shop with Gift Cards
If you know you have a big purchase ahead – for example, a large appliance – find the best deal, then buy a gift card for that retailer before you make the purchase. Home Depot and Lowe’s gift cards on eBay regularly sell for about 80 – 90 percent of the value, so you can save lots of cash by putting a little time and forethought into your purchases.
4. Work With Your Budget
I almost died when I saw a beautiful upholstered bed at a designer home store for over $2000. I loved it, but there was just no way we were forking over a couple grand for a bed, even if it would completely make the room.
So my husband and I got to thinking, strategizing, wondering: could we make something like that ourselves?
After several weeks of research and trial-and-error, we ended up with this – our first real upholstery attempt:
It’s our own version of the pricey designer bed, which we built out of wood and upholstered with fabric we bought on sale and with coupons for only $278. Yes, 90 percent off!
You can see the whole upholstered bed shebang here.
5. Have some vision.
Shop for furniture at yard sales and thrift shops, then spruce it up to make it your own. There are some incredible furniture pieces with beautiful lines at yard sales for next to nothing, just waiting to for a little lovin’. A quick sand and paint job can turn them around completely and give them character and class.
6. Avoid expensive matchy furniture sets.
You don’t need matching furniture to have a beautiful home. Take a look at the most beautifully designed rooms online and in magazines: they almost always have a collected feel. You’ll rarely see identical end tables or matching sofas and loveseats. The more collected your house feels, the more personality it has.
Unmatched furniture creates a collected, cozy feel. Via BHG
7. Go slowly, and pay with cash.
I might be preaching to the choir once again! Yes, using cash takes a bit longer but allows you to enjoy the fruits of your labor without worrying about how you’ll ever pay the bill later. It saves strain on your marriage, and gives you plenty of time to make the right decisions as you go.
We still have lots of learning to do, but following these tips have saved us tens of thousands of dollars on our home remodel so far.
Do you have any money-saving home improvement tips to share?
Kelly’s blog, View Along the Way, chronicles her attempts to fix up a beaten-down home on a teensy little budget. Be sure to check out the before and after photos of their house on her blog.
10 Goals for This Week
I skipped posting weekly goals last week and posted my Goals for 2012 instead. But I’m back into the swing of things with our weekly goals list again. Here’s my list of goals for the last two weeks of December:
Family/Mothering Goals
1. Finish reading The First Four Years.
2. Do some fun Christmas crafts/activities with the children and continue unwrapping and reading 2-3 Christmas books each day.
3. Plan out Personal, Financial, Business, Marriage, and Family Goals for 2012 with Jesse.Personal Goals
4.
Finish readingGetting Things Done, Benjamin Rush,The Now Habit,Personal Investing: The Missing Manual,Recipes for Making Homemade A Little Easier.
5. Run 18 miles {total}.
6. Plan out books to read for 2012.Home Management Goals
7. Make Homemade Marshmallows.Business Goals
8. Finish 21 Days to a More Organized Christmas series.
9. Fly to Chicago to record The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget as an audiobook {more details on the release date of the audiobook coming soon!}
10. Get my passport {more details on why I’m getting this coming soon!}
And here are my goals for this 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!}.
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.
Thrift Store Chair Makeover
A Peek Into Our Week
We continued our crazy New Year’s Eve tradition of getting together with my extended family and playing all sorts of goofy games. I’ll spare you the pictures of our dress up like Santa Claus game or the hula-hooping tournament since I’m pretty sure those are saved for blackmail purposes ;), but here’s one of Kathrynne attempting to make it under the yardstick in our game of limbo.
My sister and her husband and three children surprised us and drove down from Michigan for a few days. Kathrynne and Kaitlynn loved getting to play with their cousin, Cadence, who is right in between them in age.
I’ve been loving doing more knitting recently. Dishcloths are my favorite thing to do since they are so simple and I can actually finish one in a week or so, just by working on it every evening during our family reading/Bible time.
I splurged and bought myself the More Than a Dozen Dishcloths book off of Amazon. There are at least ten patterns in there that I can actually understand and follow so I’m excited to try them out over the next few months.
Guess who decided he wanted to start potty-training this week? Yep, Mr. I-Am-Not-At-All-Interested-In-Potty-Training!
Silas has been in big boy underwear much of the week and has only had a few accidents. I’m over the moon! He got to celebrate his success with some ice cream. 🙂
Did anything exciting or interesting happen at your house this week?
Shared Jan 6, 2012
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Good Reads: One Bite At a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler
Good Reads: One Bite At a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler
I love, love, love Tsh and her Simple Mom blog. She’s a huge inspiration to me in so many areas.
I’ve seen her ebook, One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler, many times and had really wanted to read it–someday. Well, over Christmas break, I decided it was someday (maybe the fact that I found out there was a coupon code for the ebook had something to do with that?!) and so I bought it and dove right in.
This book, as expected, is fabulous. I read it over the course of the past week and a half–in little bits in the morning as I was doing my warm-up and cool down on the treadmill before my morning run. I enjoyed the book so much that I had trouble getting off the treadmill every day because I just wanted to keep reading. As I emailed Tsh earlier this week, I guess that’s not a bad problem. 🙂
As you probably well know by now, I love the concept of breaking things down into bite-sized manageable pieces. And Tsh’s ebook does just that. It gives you 52 bite-sized steps you can take to become more efficient, streamlined, and organized.
You know those things you always say you want to do someday? Like planting a garden, switching to natural cleaners, composting, setting up a system for paper clutter, organize your photo collection, learning to cook from scratch, setting up menu plans, planning regular date nights, or regularly turning off technology? Tsh gives you the tools, motivation, and encouragement you need to slowly make those positive changes you’ve hoped to make. And she makes it simple and doable.
Now I have to tell you: Tsh suggests that you pick one project per week for a year–thus the 52 projects. However, I’d suggest to maybe slow the pace down a bit and just pick one project every other week or once a month. That way, you can really take your time and let the changes really sink in before moving onto something else.
One Bite At a Time is available as a PDF, for Nook, or Kindle for $5. If you order the PDF version you can use coupon code HAPPYNEWYEAR and get it for $4. You can download a sample from the book or see the full list of projects covered.
And be sure to check out all the fantastic content from Tsh on her blog, Simple Mom. I promise you’ll be inspired!
Have you read any good books recently?
I Gave Up on Trying to Be Superwoman
I wrote a post on MomLife today on how I Gave Up on Trying to Be Superwoman. Here’s a snippet:
Recently, I was at a mom’s get-together. I don’t remember what we were talking about but, in the middle of the conversation, one of the moms said sheepishly, “Well, actually I have a cleaning lady who comes every other week.”
She looked ashamed to even admit this audibly, but I quickly set her at ease by looking directly in her eyes and saying, “Good for you!”
We women tend to think that unless we’re doing every little thing to run our homes we are failures. We beat ourselves up if we can’t do it all. We feel guilty for even considering bringing in a little outside help on occasion.
While you’re over on MomLife, don’t forget to enter to win a free ticket to MomLife Bootcamp. I’m so excited about this event in March. I’ll be speaking on how dealing with exhaustion and how to stay refreshed and energized instead of being overwhelmed and exhausted by long to-do lists and busy schedules. I’d love to meet you there!
Shared Jan 5, 2012
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Reader Testimonial: By switching to cash, we’re saving $500 per month
Reader Testimonial: By switching to cash, we’re saving $500 per month
A testimony by Kathryn from Bond Musings
I didn’t think we needed to put our family on the cash system to save money each month. After all, I tracked every dollar we spent, paid off our cards each month, and knew exactly why we were over budget every month.
We had six overnight guests for a weekend, so of course groceries would be over budget!
My husband turned thirty, so of course he needed a really fun party to celebrate!
There was such a great sale on kids clothes, so of course I needed to stock up!
When I started adding up just how much over budget we were every month, though, I knew something needed to change.
I have been a faithful reader of Money Saving Mom® for about two years, so I have heard plenty of praise about the cash system. I just never really understood why the cash system can save you money beyond the principle of “when you run out of cash, you stop spending.”
Here’s what I’ve learned during my short time on the cash system:
1. You shop less.
I used to take my small children to the store just to have something to do. If I “needed” a new basket to corral the kids’ toys, we went. But when I had to grab my cash before leaving, re-purposing a basket I already owned became much more attractive.
2. You buy less.
For me, that means “extras” at the grocery store don’t even make it into my cart, like snacks we don’t need or fruit we can’t eat before it spoils. I simply do not want to be stuck at checkout without enough money to pay for the things we really do need!
Or at a restaurant, my husband and I are much more deliberate in ordering the appropriate amount of food — we no longer need an appetizer, salads, our own entrees, and beverages!
3. You buy differently.
For example, we were organizing our very small garage and decided to hang many of the items that were cluttering precious floor space. At the home improvement store, my husband saved $12 simply by choosing individual hooks instead of the pre-packaged kit that the store offered.
Before we went to the cash system, we were around $400 over budget every month, which is our exact cushion. Now, we are easily $100 under budget, which, I am both pleased and embarrassed to admit, means we have saved $500 a month by switching to cash.
Please don’t make the mistake we did for so long — stop using your cards and start using cash! I know you’ll save more than you even hope to!
Kathryn keeps her hands busy during the day as a stay-at-home mother to two precious girls. She attempts to occupy her mind as well by reading and by blogging at Bond Musings.
The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget Book Club — starts next week!
Are you ready to get your finances and your life in order? Do you want to be intentional about how you spend your days and your money so that time and money aren’t just slipping through your fingers like sand?
Would you like some accountability to help you get on track? Join The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget Book Club, hosted by Amy’s Finer Things!
Amy will be blogging through the chapters and challenges in my book over the next 12 months sharing her successes and struggles. And she’d love for you to join her. I’ll be joining in for some Q&A’s and we have some other exciting thematic giveaways planned to encourage you to participate and make positive changes.
Head on over to read Amy’s hilarious post on what she discovered while following my advice in chapter two of the book (my husband and I got a good laugh over it!) and leave a comment to enter to win a free book and to let her know you’re planning to join her for The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget Book Club.
I’m also going to be using the chapter themes in The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget as monthly themes here on MoneySavingMom.com. It won’t be a “book club” per se, but I’ll be sharing expanding upon the topics in the book–sharing additional thoughts that I didn’t have room for in the book and sharing many inspiring guest posts related to each month’s topical theme.
This month we’re tackling goal-setting, if you haven’t figured that out. As I’ve already touched on, goal-setting is such a vitally important part of getting your finances and life in order as it’s impossible to be intentional with your time and money if you don’t have a specific target you’re aiming for in the first place.
Have You Pre-Ordered Your Copy Yet?
We’ll talk more about goal-setting over the next few weeks, but in the mean time, you’ll want to order your own copy of The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget in order to follow along with the monthly themes. The first chapter of the book is on goal-setting and I think if that’s the only chapter of the book you read and follow, it has the potential to be life-transforming!
The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget will be on shelves in bookstores and shipping out from Amazon and Barnes & Noble on next Tuesday (January 10, 2012). If you have an e-reader, you can pre-order a copy for your Kindle or pre-order a copy for your Nook.
So what are you waiting for? Go pre-order your copy of The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget!
And be sure to come back tomorrow for a very special fun freebie I’ve put together for you to help you get a great start to 2012!
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
12 Habits for 2012
Inspired by Gretchen Rubin from The Happiness Project and motivated by my own 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life series, I’m going to have one habit that I’m focusing on each month in 2012.
Some of these are things I already do with pretty regular consistency, but would like to make a very permanent habit. Some of them, I have somewhat of a handle on but still struggle with. Others, like getting places on time, I’m really, really bad at it and need to desperately work on.
12 Habits for 2012
January — Going to bed early
February — Getting up early
March — Implementing a morning routine
April — Implementing a evening routine
May — Children have a very consistent bedtime
June — Getting places on time
July — Getting things done early
August — Getting places early
September — Eating breakfast at same time every day
October — Eating lunch at same time every day
November — Eating dinner at the same time every day
December — Drinking 8-10 glasses of water daily
I’ll post an update near the end of each month to let you know how the habit is going, what struggles and victories I had, and what I learned along the way. I’d love for you to join me by creating your own list of 12 habits to focus on in 2012.
“If you wait for perfect conditions…”
Ask the Readers: What are your favorite free apps?
Today’s question is from Sarah:
My sister and I (both moms of little ones) were unexpectedly blessed with iPods this holiday season. So I’m wondering what the best free (or almost free) apps are for stay-at-home moms who are working to be more organized, save money, cut our grocery bill, meal plan, etc.? – Sarah
Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
Shared Jan 4, 2012
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Our wonderful January sponsors + some guest posts topics we’re looking for
Our wonderful January sponsors + some guest posts topics we’re looking for
A big thank you to our wonderful January sponsors:
The Rusted Chain makes beautiful, personalized jewelry. I especially love their Word of the Year Necklace. In January, they are donating funds raised from their Be Free Necklace to ICT S.O.S. — a local organization to help stop human trafficking.
LOZO offers printable grocery coupons from all of the top sites in one convenient location. Plus, you can input your grocery shopping list (or items you often buy) and LOZO will email you when there are printable coupons available. Best of all, their services are free.
Scentsy offers high-quality candle warmers that are safe for kids, dorm rooms, school classrooms, and even RV’s! With over 80 scents and 45 different candle warmer styles to choose from, you can pick one to match almost any decor. Get 10% off the scent and warmer of the month, browse the online catalog, and read more about hosting a party or starting your own business for $99 at Get Scents To Go.
Marie-Madeline Studio is one of my favorite and most highly recommended online sites. We love their products, their commitment to high-quality, and their beautiful family. You can see some of the adorable aprons they made for us here.
Jen at Frugal Freebies and Deals is looking for guest writers on a variety of mom friendly and money-saving topics. Like to share frugal ideas? Right now, you can earn $10 just for sharing your DIY ideas or frugal tips. Find out more information here.
Printable Coupon Place is a brand new site, launched January 1, 2012. It’s dedicated to providing printable online coupons, with no fluff. The goal is to be able to find coupons quickly and efficiently.
Want to be a featured monthly sponsor? Fill out the contact form here and we’ll send you more information and details.
Interested in Guest Posting on MoneySavingMom®?
We’re specifically looking for guest post submissions on the following topics right now:
::Streamlining your life (time management and home organization tips, tricks, and suggestions)
::Reducing clutter (simplifying life and tips, tricks, and testimonials on clearing out clutter)
::Creative ways you’ve cut your grocery bill (the more creative & original, the better!)
::How couponing or lowering your grocery bill has impacted your life
::Testimonials from those who have switched from using credit/debit to using cash for groceries.
::Testimonials from people who didn’t have a budget and have challenged themselves to set up a grocery budget.
Find our guest posting guidelines and submission details here. Please note that we have limited space for guest posts so we only accept some of those that are submitted.
Four Free Goal-Setting Resources
If you’re working on setting goals for 2011, here are four free resources to aid you:
Simple Mom has a free PDF to help you Set Reachable Goals for 2011.
Two bloggers have teamed up to create the 3 in 30 Challenge, encouraging you to tackle three goals per month in 2011.
Ann Voskamp has a free printable 100 Days Calendar to help you finish a project or develop a new habit.
Brenda is hosting a year-long One Year to a {More} Organized Life Challenge on her blog. She’s embarking on a journey to organize her schedule, home and life and she’s putting together a program with weekly challenges, printable worksheets and more for herself and anyone who’d like to join her.