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Shared Oct 10, 2011 comment

Reader Tip: Save Money By Bagging Your Own Snacks

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

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.

Shared Oct 10, 2011 comment

Couponing Helps Save My Sanity

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

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.

Shared Oct 10, 2011 comment

10 Weekly Goals

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

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.

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Shared Oct 7, 2011 comment

How I “Professionally” Cleaned My Carpet for $5

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 7, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy 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.

Shared Oct 6, 2011 comment

Why running out of money was the best thing that happened to us!

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 6, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

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:

My husband is working 42 hours a week now and he is taking a full class load toward his nursing degree.
I’ve totally re-focused my blog on this whole area of personal responsibility.
We’ve changed how we budget–using only cash for everything after bills.

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.

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Shared Oct 6, 2011 comment

My Crock Pot and Oven Pumpkin-Cooking Experiment

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 6, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

For the last few years, I’ve always just purchased canned pumpkin at Aldi or on clearance after Thanksgiving. And I’ve always had a decent supply of it on hand by buying extras when I found a good deal.

Recently, however, my supply was dwindling and, since our Aldi doesn’t have canned pumpkin in stock yet, I’ve been having trouble justifying spending almost $2 a can for pumpkin. But Fall isn’t the same without baking pumpkin recipes, so what was I going to do?

My friend tipped me off to a sale Walmart was having on pie pumpkins last week so we bought five with the intention of cooking them and pureeing them for the freezer. I decided to do a little experiment and compare how much time and effort was involved in cooking them in the crock pot versus the oven.

How to Cook Pumpkins in the Crock Pot

(original recipe from The Happy Housewife)

I sliced the softer pumpkins (leaving the harder ones to bake whole so that I didn’t cut off my finger in the process of trying to saw into them!).

Then de-seeded them with an ice cream scoop.

What a mess!

Finally, I put them in the crock pot with a cup of water and turned it on high for four hours.

For much more detailed instructions, see The Happy Housewife’s post on how to cook a pumpkin in the crock pot.

How to Roast Pumpkins Whole in the Oven

For the pumpkins that I cooked whole, I just washed them off and coated them with coconut oil and stuck them on a baking sheet and roasted them for a little over an hour at 400 degrees.

See more detailed instructions on how to roast a whole pumpkin without cutting it here.

The Final Results

The oven pumpkins were much easier to do (no cutting involved and they were ready a lot more quickly). The seeds and pulp came out easily and I just scraped out the pumpkin with the ice cream scoop.

The crock pot pumpkins were a little more time-consuming upfront because you had to mess with cutting and scraping out the hard pulp. They also took longer and I felt like they weren’t as sweet and well-cooked when finished. (Of course, maybe they just weren’t as good of pumpkins, either?)

After scooping out the fruit, I pureed it in the Vita-Mix for a minute and then scooped one-cup servings into individual baggies and froze them in a big ziptop bag.

Well, I didn’t quite freeze all of it since I used some right away in the Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal–a recipe we’re looking forward to having for breakfast tomorrow!

All totaled, I got nine cups of pumpkin from the five pie pumpkins, plus seeds to roast. I’m not sure that the time involved made it worth the small savings, but it was a fun project to tackle anyway!

Shared Oct 5, 2011 comment

8 Ways to Be a Better Mom to Young Children

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 5, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

The children and I at Garden of the Gods in Colorado

I don’t know about you, but I’ve struggled with a lot of mommy guilt over the past seven years I’ve been a mom:

“Am I doing enough?”

“Are my children eating right, getting enough sleep, getting enough fresh air and exercise?”

“Am I spending enough quality time with them?”

“Should I be doing more of X with them and less of Y?”

And then I’ve felt like a bad mom for having so much mommy guilt. Yes, I know, I’m hopeless!

In talking to other moms, I know I’m not alone. If you’re a young mom who is feeling discouraged in your mothering today, I wrote an article over on MomLife on 8 Ways to Be a Better Mom to Young Children. It shares some of the things I’ve learned–mostly through error–as a young mom.

I hope it can be a blessing to some of you who are exhausted and overwhelmed in your mothering!

Related Articles:
Cardboard Dollhouse-Making Trumped My To Do List
Training Requires Repetition

Shared Oct 4, 2011 comment

18 pounds of apples for $3.54!

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 4, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I had all three children when I went out shopping today, so I almost didn’t make the extra stop at the health food store. But since I was going to be driving right by it and I’d not been there in a week, I decided to go ahead and stop and unload everyone and see if there were any markdowns or other bargains to be had.

Well, imagine my surprise and excitement when, as soon as I walked in the door, I found 3-lb. bags of apples on sale for $0.99! I had to read the sign three times before I was sure that’s what it said.

I got ready to load up my cart, but then I saw the crate where they put marked down produce. Guess what it was full of? 3-lb. bags of apples marked down to $0.59 per bag!!!!

You can just envision my happy dance, can’t you?! I restrained myself and only bought six bags as I didn’t want to take all of them and I also wanted to make sure I didn’t buy more than I can use.

Without a doubt, this is the best deal I’ve ever scored on apples. I’m having visions of apple butter, Homemade Crockpot Applesauce, Slab Apple Pie, Mini Apple Pies, and so much more!

What are your best suggestions for using up a bunch of apples? I’d love to hear!

Shared Oct 4, 2011 comment

Repurpose a t-shirt into a knit bracelet

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 4, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Have an old t-shirt you no longer want but that still has some life left in it? Repurpose it into a knit bracelet.

These are so cute and easy that I’m thinking maybe even I could manage to make one!

Shared Oct 3, 2011 comment

Reader Tip: Amazon’s Trade-In Program

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 3, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Chelsea emailed in with the following tip:

Last week, I discovered Amazon’s trade-in store, and ended up having almost 400 dollars worth of credit between six text books! After researching what the books were worth, I found that Amazon was offering me a very fair price. I was able to ship the books for free and quickly received the credit in my account.

Besides text books, Amazon also accepts electronics, movies and television series, video games, consoles, and accessories for trade. I would highly encourage MoneySavingMom® readers to check out this program. Paired with free shipping and price matching, the store credit could really come in handy.

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

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Shared Oct 3, 2011 comment

Want to review a pre-release copy of my book?

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 3, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As most of you know, my book, The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget, is releasing in January 2012. It’s the culmination of years of personally living frugally and simply and teaching others how to have a paradigm shift about money.

I’m more than a little excited about it (more like crazily ecstatic about it!) because I believe its message is direly needed, especially right now as so many people are struggling to make ends meet. I believe this book has the potential to radically change your budget–and your life!

The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget is a comprehensive step-by-step plan to take you from financial mess to financial success. In this straightforward book, you’ll learn:

::How to set big goals and break them down into bite-sized pieces.

::How to prioritize your time and life in order to live intentionally.

::How to streamline your home and life in order to have breathing room to work toward your financial goals.

::My three-step plan for going from no budget at all to a full-fledged, realistic, written budget.

::How to make a cash envelope system work for you.

::How to cut your grocery bill in half (including 25 ways to save money without using coupons!).

::How to save big on restaurants, travel, clothing, utility bills, prescription glasses, gym memberships, and much more.

::And finally, how to cultivate contentment, embrace today, and live a rich and full life, no matter your income.

You know what I’m most thrilled about in publishing this book? That all of my profits are going to Compassion International–an organization that helps to feed and clothe needy children around the globe.

Knowing that this book has the potential to not only change lives in our country, but to also give food, clean water, shelter, and clothing to those who are living in unimaginable circumstances, gave me so much purpose and excitement while writing. I’m humbled to be partnering with Compassion’s ministry to the poorest of the poor.

Would You Like a Free Pre-Release Copy of The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget?

Update: Thank you for your interest! The submission form is now closed.

We are sending out a limited number of pre-release copies for free to bloggers and other media outlets. Would you like to review the book and publish your thoughts? If so, please fill out the questions below.

Please note: Filling out the below form does not guarantee a few review copy or giveaway, but we will do our best to accommodate as many requests as we can. Your information will not be sold but will only be used to contact you about the book and media opportunities with the book.

Having trouble seeing the form? Go here!

Shared Oct 3, 2011 comment

This Week’s Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 3, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Build Your Own Haystacks

Breakfasts

Pumpkin Scones (from the freezer), bananas
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Muffins (from the freezer), fried eggs
Pumpkin Pancakes (from the freezer), scrambled eggs
Steel Cut Oats in the crockpot
Carrot Cake Oatmeal
Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
Easy Morning Glory Muffins, scrambled eggs, fruit

Lunches

Chicken noodle soup, rolls, fruit
PB&J, carrot sticks
Macaroni & cheese, frozen veggies, fruit
Salad with hard-boiled eggs, feta cheese, dried cranberries, toasted rolls
Homemade Pizza Pockets, carrot sticks, apples
Leftovers x 2

Snacks

Granola bars
Fruit/Veggies
Pumpkin Pie Hot Cocoa
Easy Morning Glory Muffins

Dinners

Build Your Own Haystacks, fruit salad
Barbecued Chicken in the crockpot, twice-baked potatoes, frozen veggies
Macaroni & Cheese With Beef (from the freezer), Easy Morning Glory Muffins (from the freezer), frozen veggies
Ham & Cheese Pockets, fruit salad, frozen veggies
Dinner with extended family x 2
Dinner out

Freezer Cooking

Ham & Cheese Pockets
Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal

What’s on your menu this week? Share details and/or your link to your menu plan in the comments.

Shared Oct 3, 2011 comment

What to Do When All the Deals Are Gone

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 3, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post by Lacey Wilcox

I can still remember the first time I went to try and play the drugstore game. I was excited, a little nervous, and expectant of being able to show my husband my money-saving triumph.

I walked into Walgreens with my coupons and detailed list in hand. I’d used MoneySavingMom®’s helpful tools to come up with transactions that would help me get what I needed, and get a great deal.

Let’s just say, I was pumped as I walked in the door towards my first item.

It was gone.

I was crushed, for a moment. But, I could do without the baby lotion–for now anyway. I shook it off, deciding to just move on to the next item, only to find that it was gone, too.

I worked my way through the rest of my list, only to find that almost all of the items I had planned on purchasing, had already been bought. Talk about a feeling of money-saving defeat.

Anyone else ever been there? My guess is I’m not alone.

So, what do you do when all your deals are gone? Cry? Scream? Gripe about all those selfish people out there? Yell at the store manager for not ordering enough baby lotion or laundry detergent? Sit in your car and pout? Buy ice cream?

Well, no (although that last one is pretty tempting…!). But, here are some things you can do when all your deals are gone that can help save your sanity, and maybe even help you save a buck.

1. Have a back-up plan.

Write out the transactions that are your goal, and then have some others planned out just in case you can’t make them. (Note: I would only recommend putting items on your back-up plan that you either really need, or can get for free. If there are not items like this, I would not suggest spending money just so you can say you used your coupons.)

2. Try another store.

Try another location of the same store, or maybe you decide to go try a completely different one altogether. Create some transactions for alternate drug stores and grocery stores in case your first choice doesn’t work out.

3. Politely and cordially talk to the store manager.

First, ask the store manager when their merchandise is delivered, and when would be the best time to make your purchase. Then, you can also talk with him/her about the possibility of addressing people who take all of the good deals. They might not realize that this can actually hurt their store’s business.

4. Partner with a friend.

If you have small children or a busy schedule, having a back-up plan can be a little tricky. If this is the case, try partnering with a friend to help purchase deals for yourselves and each other. This way, you both don’t have to go every week. I’ve also found that planning transactions with someone else helps me to create the best scenarios.

5. Walk away, but with joy.

When all else fails, choose joy. If you can’t make it work this week, walk away choosing to try again next week. And as you walk away, remember the things you have to be thankful for: for life, for grace, for breath, for family, for sunshine, for blessings…

…and, for ice cream. 🙂

What about you? How do you react when all of your deals are gone? What advice do you have to hande that situation?

Lacey lives in the Panhandle of Texas with her husband, Kade and sweet baby, Selah, where they manage Panfork Baptist Camp. Lacey writes about adventures in marriage, mommy-hood, and camp life on her blog.

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Shared Oct 3, 2011 comment

10 Weekly Goals

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 3, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Last week flew by in a blur! Preparing for the “How to Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half” workshop I gave on Saturday ended up taking more time than I expected (those types of things always do, don’t they?!), but it was every bit worth it–especially as it’s a workshop I’m planning to give multiple times over the next year.

In addition, some unexpected and time-sensitive things popped up that I had to take care of for my book’s release. (It’s not releasing until January 10, 2012, but it is amazing how many marketing and publicity things have to be taken care of months in advance!).

So needless to say, my personal reading and exercise (and that rag quilt I was supposed to finish) had to get mostly shelved. But it’s looking like this week is going to be a lot more calm and quiet, so I’m looking forward to more reading and running and sewing than I was able to carve out last week!

By the way, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with life or just would love to have more order and structure (I’m always working on improving there!), Amy is doing a 31 Days to Get It Together series that you’ll likely find helpful. She constantly inspires me!

Here’s the progress I made on last week’s goals:

Family/Mothering Goals

~~1. Finish reading The Imagination Station: Problems in Plymouth aloud to the children.~~

~~2. Go to see Courageous~~ (Loved it! Highly, highly recommended for adults!)

~~3. Work on our current habit training project.~~

Personal Goals

4. Run 12 miles (total).

~~5. Finish reading Eat Mor Chikin.~~ Still working on EntreLeadership and Womanly Dominion.

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. Finish putting together talk + handouts for a speaking engagement this week.~~

Here are this 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 reading EntreLeadership, Womanly Dominion, 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.

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.

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Shared Oct 1, 2011 comment

Monthly Financial Checkup

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 1, 2011 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I have no idea how it is already October, but the good news is that we were able to fully-fund Silas’ educational savings account in September! And we’re trying not to be discouraged with how badly the market is doing right now… it’s going to get better in the next 11-16 years before they need to use the money, right?! We hope, at least. 🙂

Here’s our list:

Our Family’s Financial Goals for the Summer of 2010 through December 2011

1. Significantly increase our giving to needs in our community and around the world.This is an ongoing goal, so we’re keeping it uncrossed off from the list.

2. Pay cash for a replacement washer and dryer for our very used set.

3. Pay cash for a replacement for Old Blue Van.

4. Pay cash for a couch for our basement family room.

5. Pay cash for bunk beds for the girls.

6. Fully fund our IRAs.

~~7. Bump up our retirement savings to 10% of our income.~~

~~8. Fund our children’s educational savings.~~

9. Double our Emergency Fund Savings (Instead of having around six month’s worth of expenses set aside, we’re planning to set aside a year’s worth of expenses.)

10. Save 40% towards our real estate investment goal.

We’d love to hear about your recent financial goals and successes! You can post about it on your blog and leave your link in the comments. Or, just share about your progress/goals in the comments. Let’s all keep each other accountable to be better stewards of our resources!

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

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How to Cook Pumpkins in the Crock Pot

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The Final Results

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Breakfasts

Lunches

Snacks

Dinners

Freezer Cooking

1. Have a back-up plan.

2. Try another store.

3. Politely and cordially talk to the store manager.

4. Partner with a friend.

5. Walk away, but with joy.

Our Family’s Financial Goals for the Summer of 2010 through December 2011

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