WANT TO WORK FROM HOME? CLICK HERE FOR THE STEP-BY-STEP PLAN!
Money Saving Mom

Money Saving Mom®

Saving Families Money Since 2007

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List.

Summer Bucket List

Classic View
Grid View
Money Saving Mom
Shared Dec 19, 2011 comment

Giveaways Galore!

Read More

Giveaways Galore!

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

Of the 1,393 entrants, the winners of the Pregnancy Prayer Packs are:

Megan (Megsicthus@)
Shannon (skellee@)
Cindi (osunanook@)
Nichole (Brannic@)
Need (needanap2@)
Laura (lasmith6@)
Anna (annabelle002@)
Rebecca (beccamcg@)
Lindsey (joshandlindsey@)
Mary (OOMERRYMARYOO@)

Of the 3,027 entrants, the winners of the Jenuinely Pure are:

Theresa (tlenelson@)
Terri (jasonandterristern@)
Ioana (ioanachurchill@)

Each of you should have received an email with further instructions on claiming your prize.

_____________

Are you giving something away on your blog this week or have you found a great giveaway elsewhere on the web? If so, post your link below and let all the readers here know so they can get in on the action! Your giveaway must be family-friendly and no-strings-attached. In addition, to make it easy to navigate, your link must go directly to your giveaway post. Links going to the homepage of your blog or any other part of your blog besides the direct link to your giveaway post will be deleted.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Dec 19, 2011 comment

3 Things You Should Wait Until January to Buy

Read More

3 Things You Should Wait Until January to Buy

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

Do you agree or disagree with the three things I share in this video? Are there other items you’d suggest waiting until after Christmas to buy? I’d love to hear.

Find more videos I’ve posted here.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Dec 19, 2011 comment

10 Goals for the Next Two Weeks

Read More

10 Goals for the Next Two Weeks

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

We finished up almost 100% of our Christmas to-do list on Saturday so we can just enjoy the next two weeks. It’s been a busy December and I’m looking forward to a quieter week this week–hopefully!

I’m going to be blogging less next week so I can take time to step back and do some planning and goal-setting for 2012 with my husband. I’ll also be making a quick two-day trip to Chicago next week to record The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget as an audiobook. So, to keep it simple, I’m only making 10 goals for the next two weeks.

Here were last week’s goals {I can’t believe I almost finished all of them!}:

Family/Mothering Goals

1. Finish reading These Happy Golden Years.

2. Do some fun Christmas crafts/activities with the children.

3. Continue unwrapping and reading 2-3 Christmas books each day.

4. Take the girls to see The Nutcracker ballet.

Personal Goals

5. Finish reading Kisses from Katie and Getting Things Done.

6. Run 8 miles.

Home Management Goals

7. Address and mail Christmas cards.

8. Make Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day

Business Goals

9. Film some video segments for my publisher.

10. Write five posts for the 21 Days to a More Organized Christmas series.

And here are my goals for the next two weeks:

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 reading  Getting 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! ;)}

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.

Shared Dec 19, 2011 comment

A Handmade Christmas: Raisin Bran Muffin Mix

Read More

A Handmade Christmas: Raisin Bran Muffin Mix

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

Teach Love Grow posted about how to make Six Week Raisin Bran Muffin Mixes.

Have you blogged about a Handmade Christmas idea? Submit the link through this form here and we’ll consider sharing it as part of this series during the next 4 weeks!

Shared Dec 18, 2011 comment

A Handmade Christmas: DIY Hot Cocoa Mix

Read More

A Handmade Christmas: DIY Hot Cocoa Mix

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

My Baking Addiction shares a yummy Hot Cocoa Recipe.

Have you blogged about a Handmade Christmas idea? Submit the link through this form here and we’ll consider sharing it as part of this series during the next 4 weeks!

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

Click here to sign up!
Money Saving Mom
Shared Dec 16, 2011 comment

Books Read This Week: Disciplines of a Godly Woman, These Happy Golden Years

Read More

Books Read This Week: Disciplines of a Godly Woman, These Happy Golden Years

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

Disciplines of a Godly Woman — This book has been an excellent read for me, especially coming off the 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life series. It’s packed with practical encouragement, thought-provoking chapters, and motivation to live a disciplined life. Highly recommended to Christian women.

Read Aloud

These Happy Golden Years — Our whole family has been enjoying our evenings of cozying up together and reading this book. Even Jesse and I are really enjoying this series and we’re sad that it’s almost over with (anyone have any really great book series to recommend that might be in a similar vein to the Little House books?)

Listened To

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe — We listened aloud to this book this week while working on getting the bookplates and our Christmas cards ready to mail. The children were fascinated by it and it was fun for me to hear it again after all these years! Since you can download the entire Chronicles of Narnia audio series for free right now, we plan to listen to them all over the next few months!

You can see all of the books I’ve read in 2011 so far here. Read all of my book reviews here.

Have you read any good books recently?

(Note: The Amazon.com links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

Money Saving Mom
Shared Dec 16, 2011 comment

We Paid Cash! :: iPad

Read More

We Paid Cash! :: iPad

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

Guest post by Jami from An Oregon Cottage

An iPad was something I dreamed about having–not only was it cool looking and I’d be able to use it as a reader and the Internet, but I’d be able to take it with me to work on my blog, An Oregon Cottage. However, our budget did not have a extra money in it for this extra “want.”

Luckily, my husband was on board and wanted to find a way to help me purchase an iPad (woot!). So last spring we added an “iPad” column to our budget and started putting any extra money we could come up with into it. We weren’t in a hurry and we didn’t think that we’d be able to order the iPad for probably six months or so, given our budget.

You can imagine how shocked we were when just three months after we created the budget category we were able to order the iPad! How? Here are some of the ways we raised the cash needed:

  • Sold some items on Craigslist (a weight bench; old stereo)
  • Used Amazon gift cards I bought with Swagbucks (When we learned that Amazon wouldn’t be selling the iPad 2, we bought food items and then transferred the cash from our food  budget towards the iPad)
  • Scoured the house for anything to sell on eBay–we found mirrors, candlesticks, computer items, yarn, vintage plates, and jewelry
  • Used my six-month Google Adsense check since I would be using the iPad for some blogging

Honestly, neither of us could believe how fast we were able to accumulate the cash when we put our minds to it. And you know what? We found it fun and exciting to work towards a goal and watch the total go up. There were lots of high-fives and dancing when we’d see we were getting closer to our goal. We’d plan and talk and dream together.

And when we were able to order it and it came in the mail, we just looked at it for awhile–it’s such a great feeling to reach a goal and know it was ours, free and clear. Was it worth it? Oh yes, I love my iPad! I use it everyday and I’m finding more and more things I can do with it. And my husband? I occasionally let him use it, too.

Jami is a wife, mother, and preschool teacher who blogs at An Oregon Cottage. She loves everything about a cottage, but especially what she calls “the cottage mentality” that puts people above things, celebrates imperfections, embraces simplicity, and finds joy in everyday life.

Find more We Paid Cash stories here. Submit yours for possible publication here.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Dec 15, 2011 comment

21 Days to a More Organized Christmas: Turn on the Christmas Music

Read More

21 Days to a More Organized Christmas: Turn on the Christmas Music

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

Christmas would not be Christmas to me without wonderful Christmas music playing in the background. When I was growing up, we always had a special stack of Christmas records and cassettes (yes, remember those?) that we pulled out to play only at Christmas time. Pulling out the Christmas records and cassettes always signaled that Christmas time was really here.

We decorated the Christmas tree, baked cookies for the neighbors, made homemade gifts for the grandparents, drank hot cocoa, wrapped Christmas presents, and celebrated our family gatherings with Christmas music playing in the background. It set the tone for so many special memories.

Today, we’ve traded the records and cassettes for MP3s, but Christmas still wouldn’t be the same without the music. I like to buy a new album or two each year to add to our family’s collection. And then we rotate playing our Christmas music all December long.

Here are three of my favorite Christmas albums:

A Hymnworks Christmas

Merry Little Christmas — this album is a new one for us this year and we’ve loved it. You can download a free song here.

He is Born — This CD is by my sister so I happen to be a little biased. 🙂 You can listen to sample clips from most of the songs here.

What are your favorite Christmas albums? I’d love to hear!

Practical Application

If you haven’t done so already, pull out your Christmas CDs or download some free Christmas music and have it playing in the background at your home over the next 10 days. You can also create a Christmas station on Pandora to have playing on your computer or listen to Abiding Radio’s livestream Christmas station.

photo by yvestown

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

Click here to download!
Shared Dec 15, 2011 comment

Fun & Frugal Gift Idea: Homemade Marshmallow Shooter Kit

Read More

Fun & Frugal Gift Idea: Homemade Marshmallow Shooter Kit

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

Thrifty and Thriving has a tutorial for how to make a homemade marshmallow shooter kit complete with a printable label and instructions.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Dec 14, 2011 comment

When a broken furnace suddenly became inconsequential

Read More

When a broken furnace suddenly became inconsequential

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

It was a bitterly cold morning outside that morning. And our usually snug and warm home felt freezing because the heater had stopped working in the middle of the night. We had friends at our house and it was steadily getting colder.

We shivered in our coats and tried to stay active until the repairman arrived. He discovered our thermostat had gone bad and then there was a wiring issue, so it was another four hours before the furnace was fixed. It was a long and cold day and I was so relieved that we finally had heat again after shivering under layers trying to stay warm all day!

Two weeks later, we were driving downtown on another frigidly cold day. We passed the local homeless shelter where many were gathered and huddled outside the doors waiting for 5 p.m. to arrive so they could go inside for a hot meal and a bed.

It struck me anew how much we take for granted. It felt like a fairly big inconvenience to not have our furnace working for a day. But we still had shelter, an oven to cook warm food in, space heaters, electricity, and coats. We had money in the bank to pay a repairman to come fix the furnace. We had a car with a working heater we could have piled in had it gotten too cold. We had friends’ houses we could have gone to to hang out at if our furnace had been broken for longer than a day.

These people standing outside the shelter had nothing but the well-worn clothes on their backs and the possessions in their tattered grocery sacks. They had no home to go to, no car to drive, no refrigerator full of food, no closet full of coats, probably little or no money, and likely no steady source of income.

All of a sudden, the “big inconvenience” of one day without a working furnace seemed so minor and inconsequential. I’d wager that every person standing in line at the homeless shelter would have excitedly jumped at the opportunity to have a non-working furnace be their biggest problem for the day.

So today, in the midst of whatever problems and struggles you’re facing in life, remember that if you have a place to live, a working vehicle, more than three changes of clothes, running water, and food to eat, you are immensely blessed.

If you haven’t read it before, go read Amy’s fantastic post, Somebody Wants What You Have.

photo credit

Money Saving Mom
Shared Dec 14, 2011 comment

Ask the Readers: Is it worth it to upgrade to a smartphone?

Read More

Ask the Readers: Is it worth it to upgrade to a smartphone?

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

Today’s questions is from Liz:

I’m looking to upgrade my phone soon. Could I save enough money with the apps to make it worth paying extra to buy a smartphone? Also, any suggestions on phones you’d recommend or money-saving apps? -Liz

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

Shared Dec 14, 2011 comment

Fun & Frugal Gift Ideas: Colorful Crayons & Soap Crayons

Read More

Fun & Frugal Gift Ideas: Colorful Crayons & Soap Crayons

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

It’s Gravy Baby shows you how to make your own crayons.

And she also shows you how to make soap crayons. Love this idea!

Have you blogged about a unique and inexpensive last-minute gift idea? Submit it here for possible publication in the next week.

Shared Dec 14, 2011 comment

A Handmade Christmas: Pottery Barn Vase

Read More

A Handmade Christmas: Pottery Barn Vase

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

Guest post by Amy from While Wearing Heels

This Christmas, why not wow with a gift that looks like it came straight from Pottery Barn?

Where else would you go to create your Pottery Barn inspired gift?  The Dollar Store, of course.

Load up your basket with a glass candle stick, a tall glass vase, a pillar candle, some white tissue paper, and a bag of cranberries (okay, you might have to go to the grocery store to buy the cranberries).

To create your hurricane, you’ll need some Gorilla Glue. Apply some Gorilla Glue to the top of your candle stick. Be warned: a little goes a long way. Put the candle stick on top of the vase and allow plenty of time for it to dry and adhere.

Now to give your pillar candle some Christmas cheer. The possibilities are endless, you could add a black and white picture or a poem to your candle. I decided to add some Christmas music to my candle.

Whatever you decide to add to your candle, you’ll need to print it onto your tissue paper. First, grab a piece of card stock (the color does not matter), some tissue paper, and some tape.

Tape your tissue paper onto the card stock.  To prevent printer jams, make sure you tape all edges of the tissue paper onto the card stock.

Make sure to load the tissue paper into your printer in the direction that will result in the tissue paper side being printed on and not the card stock. Then print your design. You may also want to guide the card stock/tissue paper by gently pushing down on it as the printer is pulling it through.

When it comes out of the printer, it should look something like this:

Cut the edges to free your printed tissue paper. This is far easier then trying to remove the pieces of tape.

Wrap the tissue paper around your pillar candle. I secured my tissue paper into place using a few push pins.

Grab your hair dryer. Set it on high or hot and begin to apply heat to the tissue paper.  You will start to see the candle wax grabbing ahold of the tissue paper.

Continue working your way around the candle, heating every part of the tissue paper to the pillar candle.The last step, putting it all together. Put some of those cranberries into the bottom of the hurricane vase.

Then add your pillar candle.

What’s better than a Pottery Barn gift? A gift made from the heart on a Dollar Store budget.

I’m Amy from While Wearing Heels. I am an avid DIYer and find it so much more satisfying to either make something myself for a fraction of the retail cost or find something for an incredible deal in an unexpected place. If you liked this money-saving idea, please feel free to stop by my blog and check out some of my other ideas.