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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.
My Goals for 2012
Last year, I set out to be more intentional in setting goals. I broke many of my goals down into monthly pieces and then broke those down even further into weekly bite-sized pieces.
I was amazed at how well this worked! Not only did I follow through with almost every single one of my goals for 2011, but I also was able to accomplish some extra projects.
Since this more specific and intentional method of goal-setting worked so well, I’m following the same pattern with my goals for 2012. Here’s my list of goals:
Goals for 2012
Personal:
Read through the Bible in a year using this plan.
Read through the 24 books on my 2012 booklist.
Listen to 12 audiobooks.
Run in at least one 5K race.
Complete the Couch to 10K program.
Tackle 12 Do-It-Yourself Projects.
Focus on one habit per month (I’ll be sharing my list of habits in a few days).
Learn to use my new DSLR camera (huge surprise Christmas present from Jesse!!) & improve my photography skills.
Take at least one photo a day and put together a page every week for my Project Life album.
Memorize Colossians using the plan and free download here.Marriage:
Go on the Love Like You Mean It Cruise.
Go on two Marriage Retreats (overnight trips sans children for planning, talking, goal accountability).
Have monthly date nights.
Read four books together.
Read at least 3 books on marriage.
Children/Homeschooling:
Continue regular dates/outings with each of the children individually.
Continue Grace and Truth memory book.
Ice-skating lessons for all three children.
Swimming lessons for all three children.
Finish second grade, begin third grade with Kathrynne.
Finish kindergarten, begin first grade with Kaitlynn.
Start preschool with Silas.
Go on at least one field trip every month.
Go on at least one family vacation.
Finish at least 15 read-aloud books.Ministry/Friendships/Extended Family:
Write at least two handwritten notes every month to encourage someone.
Continue being involved in our local church, homeschool group, young couple’s group, and blogging accountability group.
Continue with weekly get-togethers with both sides of our extended family.Business/Blogging:
Continue to take Sundays off from blogging/business work.
Continue keeping strict Office Hours for the business/blogging time each day
Switch to a paperless planning system.
Follow my weekly blogging plan.
Plan blog posts out at least a month in advance.
Write and schedule blog posts at least a week in advance.Financial:
Continue to tithe 10% of our income.
Give generously to needs in our community and around the world, as God prompts us. (We’ve been looking for 1-2 specific needs to give to each month and find so much joy in giving as God leads us!)
Pay cash for a new-to-us vehicle to replace our family’s van.
Finish saving for and purchase a rental property with cash.
What Are Your Goals for 2012?
If you’ve posted goals for 2012, I’d love for you to share your link below. If you’re new to goal-setting, be sure to read my post on how to set goals and then download my free printable goal-setting worksheet.
On the fourth Saturday of each month in 2012, I’ll be posting an update on my goals and encouraging you to share the progress you’re making on your 2012 goals, too. Let’s encourage one another to live lives of intention and purpose!
Do-It-Yourself: Homemade Lipton Soup Mix
Food.com shows you how to make homemade Litpon’s onion soup mix in just 10 minutes.
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.
My Top 7 Favorite Books Read in 2011
Looking for some good books to add to your booklist for 2012? Here are my top seven favorite books from the 60 books I read in 2011:
Calm My Anxious Heart: A Woman’s Guide to Finding Contentment
ReWork — Hands down, this is one of the best business books I’ve ever read. I read it in one sitting because I just couldn’t put it down. The premise? Break all the rules of the “experts”. Think way outside the box. Be a teacher: if a business idea works well for you, share your secrets and people will respect you more. Stop worrying about your competition and start being a trend-setter. Keep your company small for as long as you possibly can. Don’t grow until it hurts.
Now, do note that this is not packed with specific step-by-step ideas for starting a business. It’s moreso an outside-the-box business book to challenge the status quo. And since I tend to be a very independent thinker, I loved that. Other people, like my friend Catherine, didn’t find the book as helpful (read her review here).
(Note: There is a quite a bit of language in the book and I was disappointed because it somewhat hampered my excitement about the book. And I know some disagree with me, but I always find four letter words in books bothersome because I feel like they are unnecessary and crude.)
Crazy Love: Overwhelmed By a Relentless God — If you’re a Christian, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If there’s one book outside the Bible that you read this year, read Crazy Love. It challenged me to pull out of my complacency as a follower of Christ. I’ve stayed in my comfort zone for a long time out of fear — fear of failure, fear of what others would think of me, and fear of stepping out in faith and doing what God has been calling me to do.
I read one chapter each morning for two weeks and then would spend time reflecting and praying about it during my morning run. There was much I processed during those times — and I will be processing it for many weeks and months to come. God used this book to change my outlook on many things and to light a fire of love in my heart to live a life sold out for God. I want to follow where He leads, at any cost.
Eat That Frog: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time — This book is jam packed with practical ideas for prioritizing your time and life so that you make the most of your days. One of my biggest takeaways from the book was the challenge to start the day out by doing the things you like least first, you’ll get them out of the way so you can enjoy your day more and be more productive and fulfilled. Read more about some of the things I gleaned from this book here.
Today Matters: 12 Daily Practices to Achieve Tomorrow’s Success — If you want to make the most of your days, Today Matters will give you practical, step-by-step help and inspiration. The author makes a case for why today is your key to success and outlines 12 decisions and disciplines you should implement into your life and work toward mastering in order to achieve greater fulfillment and success in life.
168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think — We all have exactly the same amount of time: 24 hours in each day, 168 hours in each week. We all get to choose how we’re going to use those hours — whether wisely or frivolously. Laura Vanderkam’s book, 168 Hours, is based upon the premise that, if we were to step back and look at our week as a whole, we have more time than we realize. And we are probably squandering more time than we think.
This book gives real-life, practical examples for becoming a better manager of your time. It profiles a number of different individuals in different situations and shows how they are using their time well or specific ways they could improve their time usage. This book is not about stuffing our lives more full with longer to-do lists and more responsibilities, but about focusing on a life well lived. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who wants to better steward their time or find more fulfillment in how they spend their 168 hours.
Kisses from Katie — This book rocked my world and left me profoundly moved and challenged. It has caused me to step back and examine how I’m living my life and whether I’m truly giving in a way that costs me something dear. I’m still processing much of what I read and praying about specifically what I am supposed to do in response to the burden it placed upon my heart, but I am left forever touched. If you want to be motivated to live a life out of your comfort zone, read this book.
What were your top reads in 2011? I’d love know!
Setting Goals and Saving Money
The following is a guest post from Joy of Vim and Vigor:
source: RikkisRefugeOther
Whether you are a mom of one or of seven, whether you hare just married, or whether you are single, the demands of life are many. You know the old saying, “A woman’s work is never done.” That is so true!
Amidst the meal planning, dishes, work schedules, cleaning up of spills, errands, and laundry, we are real women with real needs–spiritually, physically, and emotionally. If these areas are being neglected in our lives, it affects us as woman and those around us.
Crystal has been such an inspiration to me in setting goals and accomplishing them. Seeing her lists of books to read, projects she wants to try, and also her monthly financial goals has been very motivating for me. I especially like how she doesn’t overload herself. Instead, her goals are doable.
One tangible way Crystal inspired me was to write down a budget for our family. To be honest, it was one of the most freeing things I’ve ever done. I think less about money now, because I know how much I can spend in each area of our lives. I don’t have to wonder, “Do we have enough money in the bank to cover this check?”
Creating a budget was like getting a raise: we can save so much more since we now know how much we can spend! And one goal I have regarding our budget for the New Year is to look at each category and see how I can spend less.
Here are some of the ways I am cutting back:
Clothing:
I have decided (for the time being) to only shop for myself at re-sale shops and rummage sales.
Cosmetics:
I have replaced my expensive, high-dollar face cream, and instead have started using a baking soda and water exfoliate. I’m also using avocado oil on my face, which is an inexpensive, natural and superior moisturizer. I now wash my hair with baking soda and rinse with vinegar. It cleans my hair, instead of stripping it, and it works wonderfully!
Beverages:
I had was in the habit of keeping a variety of store bought drinks at home–pop, juices, coffee, etc. However, I’ve decided we can easily save hundreds of dollars per year by choosing to drink water and milk. Juice is now a treat, and purchased only when on sale.
Eating Out:
One way we can save a ton of money is by setting a budget for eating out–and then sticking to it! If we go over budget in this area, I really feel it is my own doing.
I am the one in charge of meal planning, and I am now trying to have a few “fast food” meals handy in the freezer for those nights I don’t want to cook. (Crystal talks a lot about freezer cooking, which has been so helpful for me.)
It really is the little things that can make or break a budget. And as we approach another New Year, I hope this will be a springboard to help you think of a few areas where you too can cut back, so you can do more with your budget, and bless your family in this way.
Have you recently cut anything out of your budget?
Joy is a 33-year-old homeschooling mama to six kids. She is married to her wonderful husband, who lovingly looks past all her faults, and loves her for the wife, mama, and child of God she is striving to be. Through the trials and triumphs of marriage, having a large family, and living as naturally as possible on a budget, God is in the midst of it all. You can read about all the journeys Christ has been bringing this family through, and to be encouraged in your mothering on Joy’s blog.
Good Reads: Getting Things Done by David Allen
I was expecting to be overwhelmed with guilt by Getting Things Done–feeling like I had to set up all these new processes and procedures in order to get my life in order. However, I was really encouraged to realize that I’ve unintentionally set up processes and procedures for many areas of my life that are working quite well.
Everything in my office has a place and everything in it serves a specific purpose. I have a process for mail, a process for email, and a process for dealing with paper clutter and stuff clutter.
So I was excited to realize that there’s no need to overhaul something that’s already working well most of the time. Instead, I just need to work on tweaking and refining these processes so that they serve me even better.
That said, reading this book helped me to realize very clearly that my paper planner system is no longer working well for me and that’s likely one of the reasons my head has been spinning so much recently. My home management binder has been great for a daily to-do list and overview, but, with the increased business responsibilities on my plate in the last few months, I need to be able to have a running to-do list of business projects and I also need to be able to schedule out projects, to-do’s, and reminders days, weeks, and months ahead of time.
Since my husband manages a busy law firm and has to schedule out and keep on top of all sorts of client stuff and court appearances, he’s been helping me think through what would work best for me. I think I’m going to try a paperless system using a combination of Google Calendars and the Reminders app and To-Do app.
I’ve resisted the paperless approach for so long, as I’m such a visual, write-it-down-on-paper gal, but I think perhaps the time has come to break out of my rut and go paperless. I’m at least going to try and will let you know how it ends up going!
Two Key Points I Picked Up From the Book:
Write Everything Down
I think one of the biggest reasons I’ve felt like my brain is overloaded recently is because I’ve not been dumping enough information out of it. I’ll think of something I need to remember and, instead of writing it down on my to-do list, I’ll tell myself, “Don’t forget that.”
Getting Things Done strongly encourages you to get stuff out of your brain and onto paper or your computer or handheld device. If you capture and store the information in a trusted system, it not only guarantees that you won’t forget it, but it also frees up brain space! Plus, instead of having to remind yourself ten times about something you need to remember, you can just write it down once and forget about it until you need to deal with it.
Follow the 2-Minute Rule
As I’ve confessed before, I tend to be a procrastinator. Getting Things Done encourages you to immediately do any project that can be done in less than two minutes.
Instead of thinking repeatedly about how you need to make that appointment, just pick up the phone and make the appointment. Rather than leaving an email in your inbox and looking at it multiple times, just answer it as soon as it comes in.
I know that following this rule would help me keep on top of all those little jobs much more efficiently and effectively. Instead of continuously putting off little jobs or writing them down onto my to-do list, I should just do the job and get it done.
I thought some parts of Getting Things Done felt overly complicated and some parts I felt like the pace of the book was dragging along too slowly. In addition, since my copy was the 2001 version, the technology referred to was outdated (anyone remember Palm Pilots?), but overall I felt this book is well worth reading if you are struggling with feeling overwhelmed with life–especially if you are a professional or own your own business.
Have you read any good books recently?
(Note: The Amazon.com links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)
12 Do-It-Yourself Projects I Plan to Attempt in 2012
As I mentioned yesterday, I committed to try 12 Do-It-Yourself Experiments in 2011. Choosing 12 projects, writing them down, and publicly posting about it turned out to be excellent for me as it motivated me to actually follow through with trying new things instead of just intending to try something and never getting around to it.
I decided to challenge myself to try 12 new things again in 2012. However, this time, I mostly picked things that were a little more “in my comfort zone”. I figured I didn’t need to repeat the frustrating rag-quilt saga again. 🙂
So, after lots of debating, here’s my list:
12 Do-It-Yourself Projects I Plan to Attempt in 2012
January: Homemade Hair Detangler
February: Homemade Naan
March: Homemade Facewash
April: Homemade Pop-Tarts
June: Homemade Wheat Thins
July: Homemade Bagels in the Bread Machine
August: Homemade Moisturizing Kitchen Hand Scrub
September: Homemade Whole-Wheat Pretzel Bites
October: Homemade Hand Lotion
November: Homemade Vick’s Vapor Rub
December: Homemade Bubble Bath
As I did last year, I’ll be blogging about how each DIY experiment goes so you can follow along with my successes and flops.
Have you set any goals for new things you want to try in 2012? I’d love to hear about it!
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
Do-It-Yourself: Homemade Salsa
Organizing Home Life shows you how to make homemade salsa with just four ingredients.
11 DIY Projects Accomplished in 2011
At the beginning of 2011, I set a goal to try 12 Do-It-Yourself Experiments–one per month. I ended up trying all 12, most which turned out fairly successfully.
Here are links/photos of the 11 that were fairly successful:
Homemade Dishwashing Detergent
Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day (my full report on how this recipe is working for me will be coming in a few weeks)
Homemade Marshmallows (more on this recipe coming in January!)
On Thursday, I’ll be sharing my list of 12 Do-It-Yourself Experiments I have planned for 2012.
Did you try any new do-it-yourself projects in 2011? I’d love to hear about them!
Ask the Readers: Recommended financial management software?
Today’s question is from Amanda:
I am trying to find the right financial management software for budgeting and help with my bills. I am a recent college grad (’08) who just secured my first “big girl” job and would like to get started on the right foot. I’ve explored Mint.com, but couldn’t grasp it. Sounds silly for a college grad, but any money management budgeting tips or software you know of or could suggest would be great! I’ve searched and haven’t been able to locate anything. – Amanda
You can read more about how our family tracks our finances here. I’d love to hear what works for the rest of you!
Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
12 Audiobooks I Plan to Listen to in 2012
Believe it or not, I only really “discovered” the incredible-ness of audiobooks this past year. I’m such a visual person, that audiobooks never appealed to me. But at my husband’s encouragement, I listened to one audiobook.
And I was hooked! I realized that I could listen while I folded laundry, cleaned the kitchen or bathroom, cooked, or did some knitting.
However, even though I knew that listening to audiobooks would be a great way to help use my time more efficiently when my hands are busy and my mind is free, I didn’t do a good job of being intentional about listening to audiobooks and only ended up listening through a handful in 2011.
In 2012, I want to be more intentional about listening to audiobooks. With this in mind, my husband helped me come up with a list of 12 audiobooks to listen to–one for each month. I figure that if I get in 10-20 minutes of audiobook listening most every day, I can easily go through one or more audiobooks per month.
Here’s my list:
12 Audiobooks I Plan to Listen to in 2012
January — Developing the Leader Within You
February — The Go-Getter
March — The 10 Habits of Happy Mothers
April — Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality
May — The Little Big Things: 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence
June — Business By the Book
July — The One-Minute Entreprenuer
August — Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard
September — Made to Stick
October — The Mentor Leader
November — Rhinoceros Success
December — Guerrilla Marketing
As I finish each of these, I’ll be sharing my thoughts on them in my Good Reads posts. Have you read or listened to any of these books? I’d love to know what you think!
Customizable Printable Reading List
If you were considering making your own list of books you want to read after I posted my list of 24 books I plan to read in 2012 yesterday, you can download a customizable printable Books I Plan to Read list.
Type in the books you want to read, save the file, and then you can print it. Or, just print it blank and hand write your list. It would be fun to then save this list at the end of the year to refer back to in a few years from now to see what you were reading and what interested you in 2012.