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Shared Oct 14, 2011 comment

We Paid Cash: A new-to-us 4-wheeler

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 14, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

A testimony from Lacey

I am Lacey, a fresh nursing graduate with about 10 cents in my pocket. Jason and I have three amazing kids: Abigaile (7), Jacob (2), and Chase (1). Throughout our years together we have suffered many setbacks–including both of us losing our jobs (our income being cut by 80%, thanks to this) and a setback with school, graduation from school, and an additional pregnancy.

Thanks to MoneySavingMom.com, I’m aiming to better our lives financially. This has meant using coupons at every turn, sticking to that wonderful grocery budget, shopping ahead (which my husband thought was crazy, until he saw it on your blog!) paying cash, and even doing without.

The concept of paying cash has always been foreign to me. It only took me a bankruptcy to realize that maybe my sanity was worth more than those material possessions. I’ve been trying to pass my new-found wisdom onto my daughter by setting her up with a savings jar so that she too can see what progress she has made towards her goal.

We recently took on a paper route to supplement our income. We set up a price per day for my daughter’s assistance and told her that paycheck is hers to do what she wants with. Plus, as an added incentive, we promised we would assist her in buying whatever she wanted. She chose to buy a 4-wheeler.

I’m proud to say that after three weeks of saving her paper route money, along with a successful yard sale, we were able to raise $500 that she could use towards the purchase of her 4-wheeler. We looked on CraigsList.com and found a 4-wheeler that looked suitable for a 7-year-old. After a trip to see it and some haggling by Jason, we were able to purchase a new to us 4-wheeler for just $200!

This experience has left not only myself but my entire family much more excited about our financial future: not only do we have a paid-for 4-wheeler, we’ve got $300 and nothing left to pay!

Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.

Shared Oct 13, 2011 comment

Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Brown Rice, Pinto Beans, Frito Chili Pie, Apple Chips, and Mac & Cheese With Beef

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 13, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s hard to say whether or not this was done in an hour because I broke it up over little snippets of time during the last two days.

Yesterday morning, before school started, I boiled a big pot of pinto beans, cooked a pot of brown rice, and browned some ground beef.

After school was finished for the day, I made quadruple batch up Frito Chili Pie. We had it for dinner (it was a hit!) and I saved the rest to freeze.

This afternoon, once school was finished, I boiled a pan of noodles, took the remaining ground beef, and made Macaroni & Beef With Cheese. We served one pan for dinner and I froze enough for another meal. I also made two pans of apple chips.

Tomorrow, my plan is to start the Apple Butter in the crock pot early in the day and also, if I’m ambitious, to make a batch of homemade applesauce on the stove. I’ll post pictures of that, if I end up completing it. Sometimes my great intentions don’t end up going very far! 🙂

I’ve found that even just doubling or tripling a recipe I’m already making for dinner and then sticking the extras in the freezer really doesn’t take much extra time. And having at least a few extra dinners on hand in the freezer to pull out and use on busy days can be such a lifesaver!

Shared Oct 13, 2011 comment

Simple Things: LEGOs and Apples

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 13, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As I mentioned in my cookie-baking post yesterday, sometimes it’s the simplest things that can bring the most pleasure.

LEGOs are so simple, but they bring our children hours and hours of fun right now.

I love the creativity that bubbles forth when they open up the tub of LEGOs and start building.

A bag of apples purchased for $0.59 turns into a beautiful tray of red.

And then a pan of apple chips (More details on how I made these and how they turned out coming tomorrow.)

Have you taken time from the rat-race of life to soak up and enjoy some simple things? Speaking of which, if you’re a mom, be sure to read this post on the little moments.

Shared Oct 13, 2011 comment

How to Spend Less Money Eating Out

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 13, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post by Carmen from Life Blessons

For the past two years, my husband and I have kept our monthly budget tacked up on a wall in our kitchen. It may not be the most creative of wall art, but in spite of that, we don’t even bother to hide it when guests come over, because over these past two years, that little sheet has become something of a masterpiece in our house.

You see, the other day, I realized how much I actually enjoy looking at our budget now. One category on the sheet caught my eye: our eating out budget. It was a big, fat zero.

I remembered how when we were first married, that was the category that we struggled the most with; our first month of marriage alone, we spent $376 on eating out! That was one of the main reasons we started hanging our budget on the wall in the first place.

Obviously, we have come a long way since those first days of matrimony. Through it all, we’ve grown not only in our marriage but also our financial savvy. Learning how to be content without eating out was something that took some practice, and here are some of the lessons we learned along the way:

All those little meals add up. When I look back over the spending of that first month, we weren’t dropping wads of cash at every meal. In fact, almost all of our eating-out bills were around $11 each. The most expensive meal we had the entire month was when we took a friend out to pizza and it totaled $30!

Eat out for lunch instead of dinner. Eating out for lunch can cost considerably less than when you eat out later in the evening. Plus, you’re usually not quite as hungry, so you eat less. That right there will cut down on your spending!

Instead of going out for entire meals, go out for treats. One thing we’ve done to trim our spending is to go out for things like ice-cream or coffee, rather than full-fledged meals. Sure, you can have coffee or ice-cream at home, but when it scratches the eating-out itch at a fraction of the price, it can be well worth the splurge!

Indulge at home. Find meals that indulge your taste buds and make you excited to eat at home. For instance, we have a cheesy casserole dish that I like to make, which has become a favorite dish my husband looks forward to, week after week. Even though it may not be super-healthy, I’m sure it’s much more healthy than most of what you’ll find on restaurant menus. But even more than that, it keeps us eating at home–and enjoying it, all the more!

Carmen lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband, with whom she just celebrated two years of marriage! She writes about her life and faith on her blog, Life Blessons.

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Shared Oct 13, 2011 comment

How to Significantly Increase Your Income Without Working Harder (Part 6)

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 13, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you missed them, read the first five parts of this series here.

Two weeks ago, we talked about setting up multiple streams of income. It’s a great concept, but until you can take it from a concept and turn it into real-life practice, it won’t do anything for you.

So, how do you set up multiple streams of income?

1. Think about what you’re good at.

There’s no point in spending enormous amounts of time trying to develop or hone skills you just don’t and won’t possess. Focus on the areas you already excel in.

For instance, while I’ve been attempting to improve my domestic skills (cooking, crafts, decorating, etc.), I would be crazy to try and set up a decorating business or craft-selling website. It’s not an area I’m talented in and it would only result in a lot of frustration for me–and any potential customers!

2. Use what you already have in place.

Look for ways to make additional income from things you already have set in place. For instance, if you mow lawns as a side job, could you also offer trimming services? Or teach a class on how to set up a successful lawn-mowing business on the side?

If you’ve already written an ebook that has sold well, could you produce and market other people’s ebooks for them since you already know how to do it yourself? Or offer ebook coaching or consulting services?

Sarah Mae proved herself as a skillful ebook marketer when her ebook, 31 Days to Clean, sold over $20,000 in revenue. So, she took that knowledge and experience and wrote an ebook on how to successfully market an ebook.

Dave Ramsey was teaching his staff and their friends a weekly class on how to run a successful business. He took this class and turned it into the EntreLeadership Live Event and, just recently, the EntreLeadership book.

3. Experiment, experiment, experiment.

I recently finished listening to Seth Godin’s audiobook, Poke the Box. He challenges people to stop spending so much time researching, planning, and goal-setting. Instead, he suggests you just go out and do something. Stop staying stuck in a box; go bust through walls and make things happen.

I believe wholeheartedly that you learn much more through hands-on experimentation than you can ever learn through reading about something or taking a class about it.

4. Always be looking for new income streams.

If you get a few income streams going, it’s easy to become complacent. Of course, if you land on things that really are working well, don’t jump ship. But don’t also get stuck in a rut. Constantly challenge yourself to look for new ways to improve and expand your current income streams so that you are maximizing the return on your investment of time.

5. Remember that failure is your friend.

The truth is, if you jump out and try anything you are bound to fail at least a few times, maybe even time and time again. If you stop looking at failure as a dead-end and start seeing it as a window of opportunity, you’re well on your way to success.

Don’t give up. It will be worth the 99 tries, when you finally hit on the hundredth amazing idea!

Next week, we’ll wrap up this series with some closing thoughts. If you have any specific questions I’ve not tackled in this series, feel free to comment and ask them (or shoot me an email) and I’ll try to answer them in next week’s post.

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Shared Oct 13, 2011 comment

Quiet Time Tubs

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 13, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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:

::Keeper of the Home

::Neon Fresh

::Family Fun Notebook

Shared Oct 12, 2011 comment

Cookie-Baking Fun

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 12, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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… 🙂

Shared Oct 12, 2011 comment

Reader Tip: How We Saved $800 on Flights

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 12, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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?

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Shared Oct 12, 2011 comment

How to Make Your Own Delicious Homemade Lattes Without an Espresso Machine

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 12, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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.

Shared Oct 12, 2011 comment

Twist Tie Busy Bag

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 12, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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:

A handful of twist ties (20 or so)
A small bottle

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.

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Shared Oct 11, 2011 comment

Q&A Tuesday: Advice for a brand-new stay-at-home mom?

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 11, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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

1. Realize That There Will Be Hard Days

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. 🙂

2. Embrace Each Day

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!

3. Get a Good Routine Going

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.

4. Find Some Great Mom Friends

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.

5. Don’t Let Yourself Go

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?

Shared Oct 11, 2011 comment

Do-It-Yourself: All-Natural Moisturizing Kitchen Hand Scrub

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 11, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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.

Shared Oct 11, 2011 comment

Turn a tissue box into a plastic bag dispenser

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 11, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Clay in His Hands shows you how to turn a tissue box into a plastic bag dispenser.

Shared Oct 10, 2011 comment

Finding Beauty in the Crags

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 10, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy 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!

photo credit

Shared Oct 10, 2011 comment

This Week’s Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 10, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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 eggs

Lunches

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 2

Dinners

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 out

Freezer 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.

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

1. Think about what you’re good at.

2. Use what you already have in place.

3. Experiment, experiment, experiment.

4. Always be looking for new income streams.

5. Remember that failure is your friend.

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

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

1. Realize That There Will Be Hard Days

2. Embrace Each Day

3. Get a Good Routine Going

4. Find Some Great Mom Friends

5. Don’t Let Yourself Go

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

Freezer Cooking Session (I’ll share more details and pictures on how this goes on Thursday.)

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