Saving Families Money Since 2007
Looking for something to help keep your youngsters quietly occupied during afternoon rest time? Here’s a great post on how to create Quiet Time Tubs.
We used this concept for a few years and it worked well for us. Find more ideas for Quiet Time Tubs at:
My sister came over today and made cookies and had a tea party with the children. They had so much fun and seeing their smiles and giggles over a simple peanut butter cookie recipe and chocolate chips reminded, yet again, that it’s often the little things that bring children so much joy.
I’ve been trying to intentionally focus more on soaking up the simple moments this week. Taking longer to snuggle and cuddle and look into their eyes. Laughing and loving these precious little ones who are quickly growing up. Rejoicing in their successes. Encouraging them in their difficulties. And most of all, just reminding myself that my to-do list can always wait until tomorrow.
By the way, thank you for your encouragement on Monday when I shared about falling off the bandwagon. It’s been a much better week and I’ve been amazed at what a difference it makes to go to bed an hour (or two!) earlier. Speaking of which, it’s past my bedtime, so I’d better scoot… 🙂
Here’s a great tip submitted by Bethany:
We have out-of-state family. While they take turns coming to see us, inevitably we need and want to go visit them. Our flights go from Seattle to Indianapolis and tickets usually come to $400 per person if we book early.
We found that Seattle-Minneapolis and Seattle-Atlanta fights are constantly overbooked. The airlines do this to insure a fully booked flight, because they expect some cancellations. When they do not receive cancellations as expected, they ask for passengers to give up their seat in exchange for ticket vouchers.
We took advantage of this not too long ago and found the travel time difference to our destination was only two hours. The $800 savings was well worth two hours of our time! Plus, on the rest of the trip, we enjoyed complementary first class.
While this worked out well for us, there are some considerations if you want to try this yourself:
1. Be quick to respond. With the economy as it is, there may be several ready for this option.
2. Ask when you will arrive at your destination and weigh the benefits. Are you going to miss a day of work? Do you have appointments that cannot wait?
3. When you travel during holidays and peak times you can expect to stay the night. You may get a free hotel stay, but you might be requried to stay in the terminal.
4. Traveling with a family is more difficult as well. If you have children, you’ll need to plan for an extra day of diapers, snacks, and formula for the little ones.
5. They may only have certain slots available. Could part of your family proceed as planned, and part wait for the next flight?
Save money by making your own delicious latte at home! You don’t even need an espresso maker!
Guest post by Anne at The Modern Mrs. Darcy
I love a good latté; my husband’s a cappuccino guy. He works in the coffee industry and recently he went to a trade show in Seattle and enjoyed one coffee shop so much he felt guilty about leaving me at home, so he brought me a bag of their espresso. In our house, that spells l-o-v-e.
As much as we both love espresso drinks, I can’t afford $4 lattes everyday (even if he gets his at work). So we make it at home.
Believe it or not, we don’t own a traditional espresso machine, though (mostly because a good one costs at least $400). Instead, we found an altogether different type of espresso machine: the Aerobie Aeropress. This little machine has only been on the market since 2006, but it’s quickly gained a cult following. I totally get why: it’s simple, portable, it makes amazing coffee–and it’s only 24 dollars!
We own a coffeeshop’s worth of brewing equipment, but it’s the Aeropress that’s the real workhorse in our kitchen. I use it twice a day (more when my husband isn’t working). It only takes three minutes and it’s so easy I often do it with a baby on my hip.
Here’s how to make a latté at home that’s as good as going out.
Items Needed:
1. Finely ground coffee
2. Milk
3. Aerobie Aeropress (comes with the press, filters, coffee scoop, and stirrer)
4. Coffee mug
5. Small cup for brewing
6. Frothing tool (whisk or aerolatte)
How to make a latte using the Aeropress:
1. Set up the aeropress by putting a paper filter into the cap and screwing it on to the chamber, then stand the chamber on a sturdy mug.
2. Put two aeropress scoops of coffee into the chamber.
3. Heat 4 oz water to 175 degrees. (This takes 45 seconds in my microwave.)
4. Pour hot water over coffee and stir for 10 seconds.
5. Wet the seal on the plunger and place plunger in chamber. Press down gently, and continue to press steadily until plunger is fully depressed. (Don’t worry if the plunger doesn’t budge for the first 20 seconds. It will depress.)
6. Heat 10 ounces of milk to 150 degrees. (This takes 60 seconds in my microwave.)
7. Froth milk. I use an aerolatte ($10.42 at amazon). It’s a mini-immersion blender that creates generous foam in about 10 seconds. (You can froth your milk manually by holding a small whisk tightly between your palms and twirl back and forth for about 30 seconds.)
8. Gently pour your espresso into your frothed milk. Add syrup if desired.
Those two lattés I said I make every day–they cost me $0.69 each. If I paid $4 for each one it would cost me $2934 a year. Of course, I could never afford to spend that much on coffee, but I can enjoy top-notch lattés at home every single day and still only spend a fraction of that amount.
I really enjoy my coffee–and when I stop to think about it, I really enjoy saving $3000, too!
Anne blogs about all things feminine at The Modern Mrs. Darcy, a different kind of blog for women. As the mother of four, a part-time employee, and a voracious reader she’s working to redefine what success looks like for the modern woman.
Guest post by Willa from Armstrong Family Fare
Recently there have been a lot of wonderful busy bag ideas shared here. A lot of them look like they would be something my two-year old son would enjoy, however I did not have many of the items needed to make them on hand.
I am very supportive of spending a little money on fun education activities, but we’re currently working on our very own BHAG and trying to cut as many corners as possible. I thought about an activity my son might enjoy and came up with my own, the Twist Tie Busy Bag!
You’ll need the following items:
Have your child straighten the twist ties and then put them into the bottle one by one. My son loved it and thought it was a lot of fun!
He always wants to play with twist ties, so this activity allows him just that all while improving his finger dexterity and hand eye coordination! All of this fun was capable with items already available in my home.
Willa lives in Ohio with her husband, Eric and son, Graham (2 years) and daughter, Ellie (5 months). Willa shares her favorite recipes and passion for spending time in the kitchen on her new blog, Armstrong Family Fare.
My husband and I are about to enter into parenthood in a month. Do you have any advice for how to prepare for a baby to come? I have all of his things, I am nearly done packing my hospital bag, and I am well on the way to having lots of meals frozen before his arrival. What I mean is this: how do I prepare for going from a 32-hour-a-week-worker to a mostly-stay-at-home-mom? -Paige
Congratulations, Paige! Having a new baby is a wonderful thing. It will change your life in so many fantastic ways.
However, since I’m a realist, I’m going to tell you that there will be many days when it feels far from wonderful and fantastic. There will be crying and fussing and dirty diapers and spit-up. Later, there will be messes, whining, more messes, and more whining. And unless you’re a nurse by profession, you’ll probably be dealing with more bodily fluids on a daily basis than you’re used to. 🙂
Motherhood is not for wimps. It’s one of the hardest professions on the face of the earth, but it’s also one of the most rewarding professions on the face of the earth. You’ll discover depths of love inside you that you never knew existed and your heart will forever be walking outside of your body.
Instead of focusing on the pile of dirty laundry, the exhaustion you’re experiencing because you only got three hours of interrupted sleep last night, or the just-changed shirt that is now has spit-up on it, choose to embrace today.
Soak up your precious baby. Don’t be too busy or harried to just sit and enjoy the little moments. They are fleeting!
If you’re used to running a pretty tight ship when it comes to your work-outside-the-home schedule, making the transition to being a stay-at-home mom can be hard–especially because life with a newborn baby can be full of so much unpredictability. If you can, set up a basic routine for your day from the get-go. Read my advice to an overwhelmed mom of a baby here for more on setting up a basic routine.
You need support in your new role. Find a small group of moms who understand you, who will encourage you on your hard days, and who will rejoice with you in your victories.
It’s important to continue to take care of you. Don’t neglect to get some exercise and fresh air, make healthful eating choices, take a multi-vitamin, drink lots of water, try to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep every night (as much as is possible with a newborn!), and allow margin in your life for things that energize and refresh you. You’ll be a better wife and mom if you make your own health and sanity a priority!
There’s so much more I could share, but I’ll stop there and let the rest of you jump in in the comments. What advice and tips do you have for someone who is preparing to be a brand-new stay-at-home mom?
Katie from Good Life Eats shows you how to make all-natural moisturizing hand scrub.
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.
A few weeks ago, when our family was in Colorado, we spent a day at Garden of the Gods.
It was our childrens’ first time to go to Colorado and they were so excited about getting to go “mountain climbing” (as they referred to climbing on the rocks at Garden of the Gods).
They had a blast and it was so fun to watch them all enjoying God’s creation and this free natural “playground.”
However, they were quite fearless, so it was a little unnerving for me as their mom!
At the same time, though, I was excited to see that my two usually more fearful ones were showing such bravery.
It made me realize that they are growing up and maturing and tackling adventures they never would have a year or two ago.
Silas was so determined to climb up the rocks himself. I loved seeing his perseverance!
The views were breathtaking–quite a contrast from the flat land in Kansas!
As we were getting ready to leave, I happened to notice these beautiful flowers growing out of a particularly rocky and barren area. As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to take a picture for myself–and for you all.
Many of you are going through hard, hard times right now. I read your emails and my heart breaks at the struggles and troubles you have on your plate. I can’t even bear to imagine some of your circumstances and the burdens you have weighing on you.
But I want you to look at these flowers and be encouraged. Even in the midst of the rockiest times, you can still bloom. When you just want to wither away because you feel dried up and exhausted, don’t lose hope!
Homemade Applesauce in the Crockpot
Breakfasts
Granola bars
Hard-boiled eggs, juice
Granola, fruit
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins (from the freezer), fried eggs
Steel Cut Oats, fruit
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Morning Glory Muffins (from the freezer), scrambled eggsLunches
PB&J, Apples
Macaroni & Cheese, carrot sticks, apple slices
Tossed salad with feta cheese and dried cranberries
Egg salad sandwiches, carrot sticks, apples
Cheese quesadillas, grapes
Leftovers x 2Dinners
Lasagna, toasted rolls, tossed salad, fruit
Macaroni & Cheese with Beef, frozen veggies, fruit salad
Lasagna (yes, we’re having it twice this week; my mom gave me a huge pan of it as a birthday present since it’s my favorite!), toasted rolls, frozen broccoli, fruit salad
Frito Chili Pie, tossed salad, fruit salad
Dinner with Extended Family x 2
Dinner outFreezer Cooking Session (I’ll share more details and pictures on how this goes on Thursday.)
Easy Crockpot Apple Butter
Cook up Pinto Beans to freeze, Make Frito Chili Pie
Macaroni & Cheese with Beef,
Homemade Applesauce (I’m going to do this on a separate day since I only have one crock pot.)
What’s on your menu this week? Share details and/or your link to your menu plan in the comments.
Tip submitted by Heather from Creative Family Moments
Food goes fast at my house, especially handy to-go snacks. A bag of chips? Forget about it. It’ll be gone before I can sneak a handful.
A baked pan of brownies? The smell lingers but I think I only got a taste test.
Pistachios? The bag is left for me, full of shells.
Part of the problem is that we decided long ago that we wanted our house to be a welcoming place for the kids’ friends. We made that decision when they were preschoolers. It was a no-brainer then.
Now that they are teen, tween, and elementary, these kids and their friends can eat! Afternoons, weekends, and summer means I see many pairs of hopeful eyes looking up at me before they ask, “Is there something I can have for a snack?”
It was worth it though, for the relationships. Yet, packing cold lunches was my breaking point. Sending three kiddos and one husband off to school and work with a cold lunch meant I needed some handy to-go foods that would actually stick around long enough to make it into the thermal bags!
Snack bags came to the rescue! On sale (and/or with coupon!) I can get a pack of 100 snack bags for under two dollars. So when I bake brownies, I instantly cut them up, set aside a few for dessert, and store them in snack bags (Hide them immediately for later use!).
Find pistachios on sale? Sweet! I split up the serving portions and store them. Any special treat that goes on sale with a handy coupon (like the free Skittles I got awhile ago), I’ve learned to split up immediately so they’ll last.
I have happy kids, and a happy husband, because they have treats and good snacks that are already in serving size bags and inhibit mindless eating. It helps food last much longer and thereby saves me money and sanity!
Heather loves to live life purposefully by celebrating the ordinary every day. Her family and their often bizarre celebrations can be found at her blog, Creative Family Moments.
Guest post by Laura Ziesel
I’m not a mom, but I’ve been reading Money Saving Mom® for years because I care about being a wise money manager. Well, that and my husband is a graduate student and I’m a freelance writer and editor. We have to pay attention to every single dollar these days.
Sometimes I get discouraged when I read other people’s success stories at Money Saving Mom® because our family is moving in the “wrong” direction: our income has decreased every year that we’ve been married and we are acquiring more student debt as my husband earns his doctorate in psychology. Our retirement contributions have suffered, we’ve tapped into our emergency savings, and we are barely making ends meet.
Paying off debt is not in the cards for us at the moment. Because of our current financial situation, I catch myself wanting to give up frugality entirely. But I have to remind myself that even though our net worth is decreasing, being budget-minded now is paying off in many ways:
1) While we aren’t getting out of debt now, we are acquiring less debt because of our frugality. Less debt now = less debt to pay off later!
2) By learning to live on less now, we will be able to pay off our debt more quickly when the time comes. We now know how to live on very little money, so our “extra” income will be substantial later.
3) We have become content with the basics–food, clothes, shelter. Keeping up with the Jones’s is not an option, so we truly are not tempted to do so.
4) By keeping our costs low for food and household supplies, we have been able to maintain the amount of money we tithe and give to charities even though our income has decreased each year.
However, we have an additional complicating factor. Because I am a freelancer, I am always calculating how much I’m saving per hour couponing versus how much I could be making if I was writing or editing. I think, “Shouldn’t I simply work more to earn additional income instead of trying to save money?” You’d think.
But the other day, I had a reality check. After a full day of writing and editing, I was spent. My brain literally could not produce any more quality work, nor could I spend one more minute staring at a glowing screen.
So in those remaining hours of the evening, I had to do something away from the TV or computer that did not require deep thought. My husband was busy with school work, my apartment was clean, our meals were planned for the next few days, and we don’t have a yard or garden to work in.
Couponing was what I had left. Clipping coupons, organizing them, flipping through store circulars, and crunching numbers was exactly what the doctor ordered. I felt untaxed yet productive, and was able to give my eyes and mind a much-needed break. I’m not sure how much money I saved during that hour of couponing, but my sanity was saved.
So even though our net worth is decreasing and I might not be saving “enough” money for every hour spent couponing, I am sticking with it.
Laura Ziesel is a freelance writer and editor living in Azusa, California with her husband. She blogs on Following Jesus at LauraZiesel.com. She is also a contributing writer for The Redemptive Pursuit, a weekly devotional for women.
I fell off the self-discipline bandwagon last week. I stayed up way too late every night and then got up late every single morning. I only exercised twice, I didn’t stay focused, and I was completely off our usual routine.
So yes, it was one of those weeks where I felt like I completely bombed life. The good news? Today starts a fresh new week and, by the grace of God, I got up early, exercised, and feel much more back on track. Now here’s to hoping the momentum can continue…
Last week’s goals:
Family/Mothering Goals
1. Finish reading The Cabin Faced West aloud to the children.
2. Work on our current habit training project.
3. Take both girls out on individual “dates” with me.Personal Goals
4. Run 12 miles (total).
5. Finish readingWomanly Dominion. Still working on EntreLeadership and He Heard Hannah (advance review copy).
6. Listen to Poke the Box audiobook.7. Finish Rag Quilt.
Home Management Goals
8. Spend 10 minutes picking up/cleaning our bedroom/bathroom every day (I’ve really been working with the children on keeping their room/bathroom cleaned and I realized that I’ve not been setting the best example for them!).
Business Goals
9. Shoot video for 31 Weeks to a Better Grocery Budget series.
10. Get new business cards printed.
Here are this week’s goals:
Family/Mothering Goals
1. Finish reading The Cabin Faced West and Sarah Witcher’s Story aloud to the children.
2. Take the children to the pumpkin patch and the corn maze (Yay for Groupons!).
Personal Goals
3. Run 10 miles (total).
4. Finish reading Angel in the Rubble, EntreLeadership, The Rose Conspiracy, He Heard Hannah, and A New Kind of Normal. (Don’t ask me why I’m being so ambitious with my reading list. But I’m hoping maybe aiming high will help me get through my huge stack of books to read faster. I have no idea whether it will work, but we’ll see!)
5. Finish Rag Quilt and knitted dishcloth.
6. Go to bed by 10 p.m. every night. (If I follow through with this simple goal, my whole week should be incredibly improved!)
Home Management Goals
7. Spend 10 minutes picking up/cleaning our bedroom/bathroom every day (I’ve really been working with the children on keeping their room/bathroom cleaned and I realized that I’ve not been setting the best example for them!).
8. Do one load of laundry from start to finish every day.
Business Goals
9. Shoot video for 31 Weeks to a Better Grocery Budget series.
10. Outline our workshop for the Relevant conference with my husband.
How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? If you feel comfortable doing so, I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives!
You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.
Guest post by Melinda from eBay Selling Mom
I was in a jam. I needed to have my living room carpet professionally cleaned, but it was not in our budget.
There was only one thing I could think to do: I had to stick to my guns and stay frugal by using some good ol’ elbow grease, carpet cleaner (I bought it from the Dollar Tree), three large sponges, and a bucket of hot water. Thankfully my living room is not enormous!
I started out by getting the entire carpet wet with very hot water. (If you try this, be sure to wear a pair of rubber gloves so you don’t burn yourself!)
After the carpet was wet, I scrubbed very hard with my carpet cleaner and back and forth motions. Then I went over the carpets again with a sponge and some hot water to make sure the cleaner was pretty much of out the carpet.
I decided that I wanted to make sure the carpet smelled nice and pretty so I sprayed my Homemade Febreeze all over the carpet. (By the way, I actually think my homemade version smells better than real Febreeze!)
Next, I opened all of my windows to bring in the fresh summer air and waited for my carpets to dry.It took about a day for them to dry completely. Once they were dry, I vacuumed up all of the loose dirt and crumbs.
My husband said they looke and smelled better than if they had been done professionally! Even though it was hard work to clean my carpet by hands, it was worth it to save the $150 I would have paid for a professional cleaner.
Melinda is a stay-at-home mom to three beautiful children: Madeline, Micah, and Benjamin. She’s married to her wonderful husband Matthew. In her spare time, she enjoys blogging at eBay Selling Mom.
Guest post by Elise Adams from Adams Organizing
Four years ago this August, I was rescued from a life of homelessness and violence when my daughter’s father was arrested. So when I came back to my hometown and began rebuilding my life, I was relieved to get on government assistance. A full fridge and a safe house felt luxurious to me.
After living in hotels, I was quickly content with a subsidized apartment, food stamps, and a little money to pay my utilities. I felt blessed to stay home with my children.
Fast forward a few years… I’m married to the man God picked for me (since my “picker” was obviously broken!) and we have a baby boy. After a job loss and a year on unemployment with a lot of bad decisions in between, we arrived at the the worst day of our life together just four weeks ago. I was getting ready to leave a business trip and we were counting on our IRS tax refund check to catch us up on bills. But it didn’t arrive on time.
I will never forget that night! I cried myself to sleep wondering, “How could I be back in such a desperate place?”
Then something twisted deep inside my stomach. I promised myself that we’d never be in such a desperate situation again. No matter what it takes, I told myself, we will not ever run out of money so completely that we are afraid that we won’t have enough to pay rent.
For some of you this is a shocking story. How can anybody allow themselves to sink to such desperate situation? Didn’t we know any better? Are we crazy? Or maybe we’re lazy?
Yes, in some ways, to all of those questions. Yet, what I believe kept us stuck in a situation that most of you would find unthinkable is the very same reality that keeps Dave Ramsey’s listeners leasing cars and using credit cards: Denial.
It was easier to pretend that we aren’t really poor. As long as the lights stayed on and we weren’t evicted we could pretend we were safe and secure.
This is why I am so thankful that we ran out of money that day four weeks ago. I am so glad that I cried myself to sleep that night, promising my own soul that we’d do whatever it takes to climb all the way out of poverty.
Today, just four weeks or so later, we have made huge changes:
No matter where you find yourself today financially, might you still be indulging in a bit of denial? Are there areas that you let slide because it’s easier? Maybe you are struggling with unemployment or are taking government assistance to get by? I’d love to hear your stories!
Elise Adams is an author, motivational speaker, and radio personality who is determined to help everyone she meets ‘survive, thrive and get on with their lives’. She blogs over at AdamsOrganizing.com where she openly and candidly attacks the tough topics of addiction, chaos, and homelessness from a personal recovery perspective. Her latest project is a Free Video Class she calls ‘How to survive ANY crisis without Losing your Sanity’. Elise, her husband, and three toddlers (three other kids live with their other parents–can you say ‘blended family’?) live in the Pacific Northwest.
