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Shared Nov 12, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 6

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4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 6

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Welcome to the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified} series!

From November 5 to December 7 (skipping the week of Thanksgiving), every weekday morning at 9 a.m. EST, I’ll be posting the day’s assignment and then every evening at 7 p.m. EST, I’ll be posting my progress and pictures, along with a link-up for you to share your progress and pictures, too.

Day 6 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and create a list of weekly goals. I’ll be posting my weekly goals later today along with a link-up so you can share yours, as well.

::Set the timer for 10 minutes and run through your home and quickly pick up everything that’s out of place and put it away.

::Set the timer for 10 minutes and clean out the inside of your vehicle. Remove all trash and clutter. If you have time, use a vacuum attachment to vacuum all the seats and floors out.

Take pictures of your accomplishments and blog about them, if you’d like. And then come back here at 7 p.m. EST to share your progress posts or tell us about your accomplishments in a comment.

Shared Nov 10, 2012 comment

How We’re Teaching Our Younger Children to Manage Money Well

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How We’re Teaching Our Younger Children to Manage Money Well

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Guest post from Hope

I recently shared a post about “Why We Let Our Teenager Manage Our Budget”. In the comments of that post, someone asked that I share a few additional tips for money and younger children.

We have four boys, ranging in age from 16 to 4. My older boys joke that they have been guinea pigs for all of our theories. I smile, thank them for their long-suffering patience, and assure them that we are, indeed, redefining our policies for the younger boys. So, here are my tips – only the best ones!

Allowances: Age 5-10

Our policy on paying children has fluctuated over the years and has mirrored changes in our own financial fortunes. When our older boys were in grammar school, we paid them an allowance.

They understood that this money was for doing specific age-appropriate chores that were assigned to them weekly. If they did not complete tasks in a timely, appropriate manner, then their “paycheck” would reflect their job performance.

They were expected to tithe 10%, save 50%, and spend 40%. We did not intervene in how they spent their money except in specific circumstances — they were not allowed to purchase any items we considered inappropriate or immoral. We would counsel them about items that were cheaply made.

We had a lot of conversations about “quality” versus “quantity”. A few times they opted to purchase an inferior item, and were sadly disappointed when it broke within a short time. This helped them consider the importance of our words.

Allowances: Age 11-15

By the time our older boys reached middle school, we had more children, more expenses, and less money. We also realized that their needs had changed. Older children need to begin to see the importance of saving and planning for long-term goals. So, we explained that they would no longer receive a weekly allowance.

Instead, they were to set their own goals and save for specific items. Then, they would need to find work from someone besides us. When they had saved up one half of the amount needed for the item, we would kick in the other half.

The boys have been ambitious. They have researched the best prices and values for each item. They have been paid for installing a barbed wire fence, cleaning a condo (remember all those early lessons I gave them in how to properly clean?), pet sitting, and lawn maintenance. They have purchased digital cameras, an electronic book reader, camcorders, and (most recently) a used Macintosh laptop.

This plan has undoubtedly cost us more over the long-run than the weekly allowance did. But, I believe it prepared them more effectively for life as they turn sixteen.

“Pay-Day” Loans

Prepare yourself! Soon, you will be standing at a garage sale and they will see something that they “just can’t live without”. They will plead with you to advance them money for the item.

The first time this happens reply, “Mom and Dad don’t spend money we don’t have and we expect that you won’t either. However, if you wish me to loan you $5 for that toy, you will need to pay me back $9 next week, not $5.”

Their face will fall, they will be aghast, they may even scream, “That’s not fair!” Simply reply, “No, THAT’S a Pay Day loan.”

I did it – once – with each of my older boys. Never did they decide that the price of the loan was equal to the worth of the toy. I recently overheard the older boys warning one of the younger ones, “If you don’t have the money for that, you’d better put it back. Never ask Mom to loan you money!”

What about you… do you have any tips for helping younger children to manage money?

Hope is the stay-at-home, homeschooling Mom of four boys and wife to Larry for 24 years. She loves to sing, write, teach history at her homeschool co-op. and speak to groups in her spare time.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Nov 9, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 5 Update

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4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 5 Update

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If you missed this morning’s assignment, you can find it here.

We had a very laid-back day today… and it was wonderful!

Did you spend at least 15 minutes doing something relaxing?

I had a date with Jesse in the late afternoon and that was fun. And I also put on a movie for the kids, cut up an apple, put my feet up and read some books I’m loving. {As expected, Jeff Goin’s book, Wrecked, has been a great read so far!}

Oh and there wasn’t much of anything to report under my couch cushions… no shriveled up pears, or carrots, or anything. And I’m not complaining. 🙂

How you do on Day 5? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

Shared Nov 9, 2012 comment

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chicken & Dumpling Soup

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Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Chicken & Dumpling Soup

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Guest post from Michelle of The Willing Cook

Soups are not the easiest dish when making them allergy-friendly, at least in my opinion. You can certainly do vegetable soups and beef stews, but when you want a creamy soup like clam chowder or broccoli cheese soup, things just aren’t quite the same.

That said, I’ve come up with a pretty good soup for you today. I have sweet memories of my Granny’s delicious Chicken and Dumplings growing up. It has to be one of the best comfort foods!

A few years ago, I asked my mom for her recipe only to find out she used the Bisquick recipe. What!?! I was a little disappointed with that revelation, but oh my, they are still soooo good.

In a way, I have two versions of the same recipe for you today. Bisquick has a gluten-free variety on the shelves with the dumpling recipe on the box. I have made this recipe before and it is delicious.

However, Gluten-Free Bisquick is expensive! It’s about $5 for 16 oz. That’s only 2 cups! If you wish to go the route of the pre-packaged box, follow my directions below for the soup, but substitute in the recipe for the Bisquick dumplings. I decided to make a homemade dumpling instead to save some money and it really is just as easy as using the box mix.

While, allergy-friendly soups are not always the easiest to mimic the real thing, I think you’ll agree that this recipe is right up there with your favorite comfort foods. Enjoy!

Gluten & Dairy Free Crockpot Chicken & Dumpling Soup

Soup Ingredients

  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 cup carrots, sliced
  • 1/2 cup celery, diced
  • 1 cut-up fryer chicken
  • salt & pepper
  • 7 cups chicken broth
  • additional vegetables (optional)

GF Dumplings Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/2 cup tapioca flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 2-3 Tablespoon cold shortening (I use palm shortening that is soy free.)
  • 1/2 cup allowed dairy-free milk (rice milk is good for its mild flavor)

Directions

1. Dice your vegetables and lay them in the bottom of your crockpot. Salt and pepper your chicken pieces and lay them on top of your vegetables. Pour your chicken broth into the crockpot. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 6 hours.

2. Once your chicken is cooked, remove from the crockpot to a plate and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes. Turn the crockpot up to high (leave the chicken out for now).

3. To make your dumplings: Mix together all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Cut in the shortening, breaking it up into the flour until only crumbles remain. Pour in your milk slowly until you come to a doughy consistency.

4. Make sure your crockpot is now on high. With a tablespoon, drop the dumplings throughout the crockpot. Place the lid on the crockpot and allow to cook for 1-1 1/2 hours on high, until the dumplings are cooked through and not doughy.

5. Return to the chicken and remove all the meat from the skin and bones. About 30 minutes before the dumplings are finished, add the chicken back into the crockpot.

6. Optional: Add additional vegetables to your soup.

Here is what I did: I cooked frozen whole green beans on the stove top in olive oil. When serving the soup, I put the green beans in the bottom of the bowl and covered it with the soup. It was a great way to add some green to our soup. I will caution you about putting frozen vegetables into the crockpot with the dumplings because the dumplings need a very high temperature to cook. I recommend steaming some vegetables, then adding them to the soup right before you serve it.

7. When the dumplings are cooked, salt & pepper the soup to taste. Spoon it out into bowls and enjoy this easy traditional comfort food, made allergy-friendly!

{Disclaimer: I do not use a crockpot very often because my husband doesn’t like them. I know, can you believe it?! In order to make this recipe as easy as possible for you, I made it into a crockpot version. If you aren’t a crockpot user either, simply convert everything to a large pot, like a dutch oven, and move from the oven to the stove top using the same directions. If you want these directions, ask me in the comment section.}

Michelle is blessed to stay home with her three children (ages 10, 7, and 4), while her husband works to provide. When she’s not experimenting with allergy-friendly meals, she’s blogging about it at The Willing Cook. Through the Willing Cook, her hope is that you gain peace of mind in your kitchen (and your pocket book) and are able to serve those you love who suffer with food allergies.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Nov 9, 2012 comment

How to Make Sure You Don’t Miss Facebook Updates

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How to Make Sure You Don’t Miss Facebook Updates

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A lot of you have been emailing in and asking how you can see my Facebook Page updates now that Facebook has stopped showing them to everyone. Well, there is a way: it’s called Interest Lists.

Amy Lynn Andrews from Blogging With Amy has a very detailed post up on How to Make Sure You Don’t Miss Facebook Updates. In her post, she explains step-by-step how to set up Interest Lists so you can start seeing all of the posts from any Facebook Page that you’d like to!

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Nov 9, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 5

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4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 5

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

Welcome to the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified} series!

From November 5 to December 7 (skipping the week of Thanksgiving), every weekday morning at 9 a.m. EST, I’ll be posting the day’s assignment and then every evening at 7 p.m. EST, I’ll be posting my progress and pictures, along with a link-up for you to share your progress and pictures, too.

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Set the timer for 10 minutes and remove your couch cushions and clean out any crumbs, toys, or other miscellaneous items you find. Use an attachment on your vacuum to vacuum the cushions, underneath the cushions, and all crevices of your furniture. Spot clean the fabric, if needed.

::Set the timer for at least 15 minutes and do something you really enjoy and that relaxes and rejuvenates you. If you need ideas, here are a few: read, write, call a friend, pray, exercise, bake, play with your children, laugh with your husband, stop by the bookstore and browse the book selection, work in the garden, or take a nap! Take some time to just stop and enjoy life today!

Take pictures of your accomplishments and blog about them, if you’d like. And then come back here at 7 p.m. EST to share your progress posts or tell us about your accomplishments in a comment.

What you are going to do for your 15 minute rejuvenation assignment? I’d love to hear your ideas!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Nov 8, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 4 Update

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4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 4 Update

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

If you missed this morning’s assignment, you can find it here.

Today’s To Do List. Yes, it’s very similar to yesterday’s list. It seems like my weekdays often are very similar at this point in my life, especially now that I’m homeschooling all three children — which takes up a good chunk of each day.

I love the rhythm and hum of my life right now. Each day is filled with the people and things I love the most… my family, homeschooling, writing, running, reading with my children, learning together as a family in the evenings (we do some of our homeschooling in the evenings when Jesse is home as he loves to be apart of it!), and getting to share things I’m passionate about online and via radio.

Bathroom, pre-cleaning.

By the way, don’t get white hand towels in the bathroom — even if it’s the master bathroom. Just trust me on this. It’s not a smart idea.

{By the way, if you have any brilliant ideas for keeping white hand towels looking fresh and white without resorting to bleaching them every time they are washed, I’m all ears!}

Mommy’s little helper.

Bathroom, post-cleaning. I love me a shiny sink… actually, make that two shiny sinks! 🙂

I dug under all the couches and beds and this is my loot. It’s actually nothing near as bad as last time.

But after last time’s shriveled up carrot and this time’s apple and a very shriveled up pear, I need to investigate who is hiding the remnants of their lunch underneath the couch when I’m not looking. 🙂

How you do on Day 4? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Nov 8, 2012 comment

Q&A: How do I stock our pantry on a limited grocery budget?

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Q&A: How do I stock our pantry on a limited grocery budget?

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I’ve been reading your blog for years, and now have moved out of the college dorm phase into newly-married life. Now that I am actually responsible for a household, I’ve been following your blog more closely.

We are trying to come up with a workable grocery budget, but I’m having a hard time doing that and stocking my pantry at the same time. Most of the menu planning and money-saving tips include “shop your pantry” or “make do with what you already have,” but I find myself going to the store every few days because I don’t have basic staples.

Do you have any suggestions for me and for others who are just starting out? -Emily

Congratulations on your recent marriage, Emily! And I love your desire to wisely steward the money and resources you have. Way to go!

1. Set Aside A Small Portion of Your Grocery Budget for Stocking Up

If at all possible, set aside at least $3 to $5 each week from your grocery budget to invest in buying ahead. This will be things that are at rock bottom prices and that you’ll be storing in your pantry or freezer to use later.

Typically, since you’ll be pennies on the dollar to stock up on these items, $3 to $5 will stretch pretty far. If you don’t see any really amazing deals, just “roll” your stock-up money to the following week. If I know I’m going to be investing in a larger bulk purchase, I’ll often hold off on using my stock-up money for a month or so and just let it build up so that it can cover that larger purchase.

Tip: For those of you who are new here, you can view my Stock-Up Price List here to get an idea of what prices I aim to pay. You can also download the customizable Stock-Up Price List to track the sales and deals in your area.

2. Focus on Stocking Up on the Best Deals

Set a price-point for what you’ll pay for buying ahead. Maybe say that you won’t stock up on something unless it’s something you know you’ll use in the next 1-2 months and it’s $0.25 or less.

Creating boundaries for what you can buy with your stock-up money will help you to prioritize and not get sidetracked or sucked into buying things you don’t really need. It will also help you to maximize the mileage of your grocery money.

3. Make Some Short-Term Sacrifices To Free Up Money to Invest in Stocking Your Pantry

When you’re first getting started with buying ahead, you might feel like you don’t even have enough wiggle room to devote $3 to $5 to stocking up. In that case, I recommend talking with your husband about some short-term sacrifices you could make to free up money for stocking up.

For instance, maybe you decide that you’ll have two meatless meals each week for two months, or eat oatmeal for breakfast five days per week, or give up buying a certain treat that you love for 4 weeks.

The beauty of practicing the buy ahead principle is that the more you’re able to buy your groceries for pennies on the dollar, the farther your grocery money will stretch. Making short-term sacrifices can help you build your stockpile faster, thus freeing up money to then be able to afford the occasional treat or to invest in higher quality foods.

Tip: Check out my post on How to Survive on a $30 Weekly Grocery Budget. Also, be sure to see my sample $25 Menu and Grocery List.

4. Realize That It Takes Time to Stock a Pantry

You’re not going to stock your pantry overnight — unless you spend an arm and a leg to do so! However, if you consistently purchase 3-10 items each week at rock bottom prices to add to your stockpile, over time, you’ll really start to see a difference in your grocery budget.

Plus, it’s so nice to not have to worry about running to the store when you run out of toothpaste or shampoo. Instead, you can just get a new tube or bottle out of your stockpile closet — and be thankful that you purchased it when it was free or almost-free!

What tips and suggestions do the rest of you have for Emily?

photo courtesy of Big Stock

Shared Nov 8, 2012 comment

Crockpot Freezer Cooking: 40 meals in 4 hours

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Crockpot Freezer Cooking: 40 meals in 4 hours

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Who Needs a Cape shows you how she made 40 Crockpot Meals for the Freezer in 4 hours.

Find more Crockpot Freezer Cooking recipes here and check this post on how one afternoon of chopped resulted in 14 freezer meals.


Money Saving Mom
Shared Nov 8, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 4

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4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 4

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

Welcome to the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified} series!

From November 5 to December 7 (skipping the week of Thanksgiving), every weekday morning at 9 a.m. EST, I’ll be posting the day’s assignment and then every evening at 7 p.m. EST, I’ll be posting my progress and pictures, along with a link-up for you to share your progress and pictures, too.

Day 4 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your most-used bathroom (if you have more than one bathroom!). Need specific directions? Read this article on How to Clean Your Bathroom in 15 Minutes.

::Set the timer for 10 minutes and quickly clean out underneath your beds and furniture. Remove clutter and trash and put it away or throw it away. If you have more time, move the furniture (if possible) and vacuum underneath.

Take pictures of your accomplishments and blog about them, if you’d like. And then come back here at 7 p.m. EST to share your progress posts or tell us about your accomplishments in a comment.

Are you joining me today?

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Nov 7, 2012 comment

31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: Selling on Consignment (Day 29)

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31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: Selling on Consignment (Day 29)

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

31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas

Welcome to our series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas. In this series, I’m highlighting simple and legitimate ways you can earn extra cash over the next few weeks for those of you who could use a little extra cash to help you pay for Christmas — or just for your living expenses if you’re in a tight spot right now.

If you’ve found a great way to make extra cash before Christmas that doesn’t require an outlay of cash upfront, please email me your tip. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Guest post by Carrie Hurst at My Favorite Finds

For about four years, I have been cleaning out my closet every season with the goal of taking items to our local consignment shop. At first, I thought it was cool that I could go in there with a lot of stuff I didn’t want, maybe make a little bit of money and they would donate for me what wouldn’t sell. It was a win-win situation.

Within the last two years or so, I’ve become more serious and focused on what I take to our local consignment shop or our local kid’s consignment sale and what I donate so that I can get the best value for my time and money. Here are some ideas if you are considering consignment:

Always be sorting your clothes.

I sort our clothes (kids and adults) in three ways: a) To sell b) to donate and c) to throw out. I don’t wait until the end or beginning of a season to sort clothes into the above three categories; I do this on an ongoing basis.

I am also fairly realistic with my clothes. If I haven’t worn it at all that season or if it doesn’t fit right, I don’t keep it.

Be organized about it.

I keep a bin in my daughter’s room for things which will go to the yearly consignment sale. Anytime the kids outgrow something, or it is out of season, it goes in the bin if it’s able to be sold.

I keep a garbage bag or a big shopping bag in the laundry room for the clothes I donate to our local thrift shop. Finally, I also keep a storage bin in the laundry room for the adult clothes that I take to the consignment store.

Be loyal to one or two stores.

When I walk into Worth Repeating, the local adult consignment shop I sell my extra clothes to, the lovely ladies there know me by name. They also know that I want to know what my store credit is, and they know that I’ll probably saunter through the kids’ section and probably find something. I love that.

I am also signed up for their email list and their Facebook page. That way, I know for sure when they are taking items. Since I typically have a few things sorted and ready to go, I can easily take them with me and drop them off at Worth Repeating when I’m out driving.

Buy new with resale in mind.

If I’m going to make an investment in my clothes, I’m going to get my money’s worth. That also means that when I buy something, I consider the brand and quality of the item because chances are, it’ll end up at the consignment shop in a few seasons.

This is especially true of my kids’ clothes. I have learned that the brands such as Carter’s, Gymboree, GAP, Children’s Place, etc., not only yield more at the consignment shop, they also sell faster. That doesn’t mean I pay full price at these stores — I shopped at the Children’s Place last summer and bought a few things for my daughter during their Monster Sale for $0.99. I am sure that I can easily sell those items and gain $3 at least at Worth Repeating.

Also, I don’t take the tags off of something until I know for sure my children or I am going to wear it. Clothes with tags attached yield more because they are “brand new”.

Inspect your items before taking them in.

I consider if I would buy the item or not. I make sure the zippers work, the buttons are buttoned and that most of the clothes are on hangers. Not only is the consignment shop trying to make a profit, but so am I. The better condition the clothes are in, the higher they’ll price the item, making it more profit for me.

Be realistic about your profit.

I don’t consign my items to make additional income. If I get a month’s worth of weekly Starbucks visits out of the deal, I’m happy.

I don’t like having or going to garage sales — so I have the ladies at Worth Repeating do the job for me! Thankfully, they’re honest and will tell me what will sell and what won’t and I have learned to be okay with that.

I will call them about every two weeks and ask what my store credit is. Sometimes it’s $12, sometimes it’s $30. It just varies.

Take your seasonal items in as soon as you know they are accepting them.

When I get an email or see on Facebook that Worth Repeating is accepting items for the upcoming season, I’ll be ready within a few days to drop the bulk of my items off. I consider the fact that my items could spend a few days to possibly a week — depending how much they have to sort through and price — in the back room before it reaches the floor.

I want to get it there ASAP so that they can get it out and hopefully it can sell soon. They are on a 90-day consignment. So, after 30/60/90 days, the price is reduced.

If I take a lot of summer items in mid July — even though they’re still accepting them — more than likely I’ll get them back because they didn’t sell. Ninety days from mid-July is mid-October. By then, my items could be supremely discounted and people aren’t shopping for summer clothes anymore.

What will happen to your items that don’t sell?

At Worth Repeating, they’ll either donate them to a worthy local cause, or they’ll give them back to you. I decide based on the group of items I have dropped off if I want them donated or returned.

Most of the time, I have the kids’ clothes returned so I can possibly sell them at the local consignment sale. I usually have the adult clothes donated.

I figure that if I didn’t want to wear it so much that I was hoping to consign it, or if it didn’t fit, I don’t want it back. But since I have a possibility of selling the kids’ clothes at the consignment sale or at the consignment store the next season, I go ahead and take them back to hopefully sell later.

Store your items neatly at the end of the season.

As I weed out what my children will be able to wear next fall/winter, I store the out-of-season clothes in plastic bins with lids. I wash, dry and neatly fold their clothes that are going to the consignment shop next fall and put them in a stack in the basement.

I won’t remember what’s in those containers two weeks from now, let alone next fall. So, I make sure they are folded and ready to go when the season rolls around to take them to the shop.

My name is Carrie. I am a pastor’s wife, mom to twin boys and an 18-month-old daughter. I also work full-time outside of our home. I love to find ways to save money, be a better parent and a better Christian example to others. I’ve been a MSM reader/follower for over a year, and I’ve learned so much. If you have a chance, I’d love for you to visit my blog, My Favorite Finds.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Nov 7, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 3 Update

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4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 3 Update

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

Missed this morning’s assignment? Find it here.

Today’s To Do List — almost all accomplished… and I’m looking forward to the reward of enjoying a movie with Jesse tonight after the kids are in bed! 🙂

We took a quick overnight trip last night, so I had some backpacks and other paraphernalia strewn around our room when I went to clean it today.

And though you can’t see it from this photo, the carpet also was in great need of vacuuming.

All picked up and vacuumed. Much better!

The freezer wasn’t too bad. After discovering the camera lens cap in the freezer during the last 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home series, I’ve tried to be more vigilant about keeping it organized. 🙂

But I found a few things that needed to be tossed and I wiped the crumbs out of the shelves, too.

How you do on Day 3? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

Shared Nov 7, 2012 comment

Staying Home With Your Kids When You Can Barely Afford It

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Staying Home With Your Kids When You Can Barely Afford It

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I had the privilege of meeting Erin from The Humbled Homemaker recently. She’s such a beautiful woman — both inside and out. Contentment and joy just radiates from her and you’d never know that she and her husband are living on a beans and rice budget.

That’s why I was so blessed to read this post from her on how they are surviving on a small income. If you are currently hoping to find a way to be a stay-at-home mom on a very small budget, I think you’ll be blessed immensely by her post. Here’s a snippet:

People often ask how I can be a stay-at-home mom when we can barely afford it.

“Rice and beans,” I tell them. “Rice and beans.”

But in all seriousness, to use the old cliche, when there is a will, there is {often} a way.

I won’t pretend it’s easy. My husband is a high school teacher (and a pretty amazing one, I might add!). He makes a true difference in the lives of his students. But the pay is slim. He gets paid the end of every month, and some months, our pantry and fridge are mostly bare those last few days.

Staying at home on a moderately low income means that when our third child was born, we decided we’d continue to live in the 2-bedroom townhouse we rent instead of paying several hundred more dollars a month for a 3-bedroom. That’s just beyond our means–and we strive to live at or below our means.

Read the full post.


Money Saving Mom
Shared Nov 7, 2012 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 3

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4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified}: Day 3

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Welcome to the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home {Simplified} series!

From November 5 to December 7 (skipping the week of Thanksgiving), every weekday morning at 9 a.m. EST, I’ll be posting the day’s assignment and then every evening at 7 p.m. EST, I’ll be posting my progress and pictures, along with a link-up for you to share your progress and pictures, too.

Day 3 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life! Get your free copy of SarahMae’s ebook, Frumps to Pumps, if you need more motivation in this.}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Set the timer for 10 minutes and do a quick-clean of your bedroom: Do a quick clean-up, make your bed, and vacuum, if you have time.

::Set your timer for 10 minutes and do a quick clean-out of your freezer. If you have a deep freeze, don’t worry about cleaning it out unless you have extra time today. Have a lot of time and want some step-by-step help? Read this guide on How to Clean Out Your Freezer.

Take pictures of your accomplishments and blog about them, if you’d like. And then come back here at 6 p.m. EST to share your progress posts or tell us about your accomplishments in a comment.

Are you joining me today?