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Money Saving Mom

Money Saving Mom®

Saving Families Money Since 2007

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Shared Oct 3, 2011 comment

This Week’s Menu Plan

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This Week’s Menu Plan

Published: by on   |  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.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 3, 2011 comment

What to Do When All the Deals Are Gone

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What to Do When All the Deals Are Gone

Published: by on   |  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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Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 3, 2011 comment

10 Weekly Goals

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10 Weekly Goals

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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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Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 1, 2011 comment

Monthly Financial Checkup

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Monthly Financial Checkup

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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!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 30, 2011 comment

We Paid Cash: Master Bathroom Renovation

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We Paid Cash: Master Bathroom Renovation

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We paid cash!

A testimony submitted by Erin from Gourmet Frugality

When we bought our house almost two years ago, we knew that we needed to renovate the master bathroom. Besides being teensy-tiny, it was also a relic from 1976. One time in the minuscule shower told us that it was also unusable. The shower leaked into our kitchen below!

After saving up to put at least 20% down on our house, though, we just didn’t have the spare cash available to undertake a renovation. So, we waited. Over the next year, we got pregnant with our second child and we knew that it still wasn’t the time to sink that much money into our bathroom.

In the meantime, we saved up as much money as we could, not just for our bathroom but because we knew I would be staying home with the kids once our second was born. We made do with using our hall bathroom but all the while dreamed of having a nice master bathroom to use.

In March of 2011, on the day I quit my job to stay home with our kids, the company my husband and I worked for paid out bonuses to all of its employees. We were overjoyed because we knew exactly where that money was going. But that’s where the work started!

We started interviewing contractors in March. We wanted to find someone who charged a reasonable rate but who would do an excellent job. We also had to fit our “expensive” tastes into our cash budget. After four months of meeting with contractors and agonizing over materials choices, we made our decisions and went forward with the renovation.

Work started on July 1st and after four weeks it was finished. The transformation is incredible. We are so happy to have a beautiful bathroom to enjoy but we are even more thrilled that we don’t have the burden of going into debt to pay for it!

Erin Cathcart is a stay-at-home mother of two wonderful children. She blogs over at Gourmet Frugality where she helps people feed their families excellent food on a beans-and-rice budget.

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

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 30, 2011 comment

12 Simple Things You Can Do This Weekend to Save Some Money

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12 Simple Things You Can Do This Weekend to Save Some Money

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Guest post by Sam from Grad Money Matters

Here is a quick to-do list you can tackle this weekend to save some money:

1. Unscrew one (or two or five) light bulbs from your bathroom light fixture.

I have never understood what the fascination is with having so many light bulbs in the bathroom. Frankly, one CFL bulb on the sink is all I care about!

2. Freeze your credit cards – literally!

If you have credit cards, put them in a ziptop freezer bag, pour water until all the cards are submerged, squeeze the air out, seal, and shove it in the freezer.

3. Make some snacks (cookies, trail mix etc.) and package them into single-serving packs.

It is a lot cheaper (and healthier) to take your own snacks with you than buying pre-packaged stuff. And, if you have your children help, it’s a fun way to spend some quality time with them, too.

4. Look through your dresser for clothes that need quick mending.

A missing button can make a shirt completely useless, and it takes less than five minutes and minimal skills to stitch a button back on.

5. Ditch the phone landline.

If you tend to make a lot of calls during day time, check out cheaper options like Skype or Magic Jack. If you tend to call mostly on night/weekends, a cell phone might suffice.

6. Cook or prepare and refrigerate/freeze some food.

Having a part of the meal (or the entire meal) ready in the fridge/freezer can go a long way in cutting down the impulse to eat out.

7. Check the pressure of your tires and fill air if needed.

Keeping the tires properly inflated can result in better gas mileage.

8. Seal any leaky faucets, windows that let the draft out.

It’s time to take care of some of the items on your honey-do list that are costing you ka-ching!

9. Change the A/C duct filters, if you have not done so recently.

Clean filters not only improve the efficiency of the A/C but are better for your health, too!

10. Collect some coupons.

Sort through your Sunday newspaper and save the coupons. Don’t get the paper? Print some coupons online for things you are planning to buy on your next shopping trip.

11. Spend some time reading articles on how to save (a ton of) money at stores like CVS and Walgreens.

Be warned though, this could get pretty addictive. Don’t buy things you don’t need just because they are cheap!

12. Cancel unused subscriptions.

Have magazines that are hardly ever read or gym that is rarely used? Get rid of them and save yourself some cash!

See, its a simple list and its hardly any work at all. Even if you scratch off only a few of the items on the list, I bet you will still manage to save some money.

What are some of your quick tips for saving some money over a weekend?

Sam is as fanatical about making more money as she is about saving money. Check out the massive collection of money-making ideas she has put together on her site.

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 30, 2011 comment

31 Weeks to a Better Grocery Budget Video Series: Save Money By Buying in Bulk

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31 Weeks to a Better Grocery Budget Video Series: Save Money By Buying in Bulk

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

My husband and I shot this short two-minute video last night on three things to consider to make sure you are actually saving money when buying in bulk.

I’d love to hear what pitfalls you’ve discovered when trying to save money by buying in bulk.

Related posts:

How Chasing a Good Deal Can Make You Go Broke
Shared Sep 29, 2011 comment

How Garage Sales, Clearance Sections, and Dollar Bins Can Make You Broke

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How Garage Sales, Clearance Sections, and Dollar Bins Can Make You Broke

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

Do you LOVE a good deal? Do you have a difficult time holding back from purchasing something just because it saves you money — even if that means breaking the budget? Read this for some practical encouragement!

How Chasing a Good Deal Can Make You Go Broke

Guest post by Jenae from I Can Teach My Child

I love a good bargain. Not only do I love it, it’s a bit of a high for me to find a really great deal!

Some of my favorite deals are found at garage sales and the clearance sections of my favorite stores. These same places, however, I now consider “danger zones” to my budget and my self-control.

You see, the thrill of the chase sometimes outweighs the need or desire for the item itself. Recently, I went to use my Old Navy Groupon and found a $4 cardigan for my 3-year old son. I was so thrilled with the price for a winter sweater, I picked it up to take to the checkout line. I suddenly stopped to ask myself, “Wait, do I really like this? Am I really going to dress my little boy in a cardigan???”

I didn’t end up getting the cardigan. I decided I didn’t love it and therefore wouldn’t dress my son in it. Plus, it was itchy. But had I let my “deal-loving” side win, I would have bought the sweater and it would have ended up sitting in the closet with the tags still on it nine months later.

Similar scenarios have occurred time and time again at garage sales and dollar bins. Sadly, however, I had not yet learned to stop and think, therefore ending up with a bunch of junk I didn’t need. Many garage sale “bargains” have ended up being put in my own garage sale/Goodwill pile while the dollar trinkets quickly wound up lost or in the trash.

The truth is, even if we spend $5 a week on “deals” at garage sales or dollar bins, that’s $260 a year! With that money, we could have bought something that we really loved and even paid full price for it (not that I’m suggesting that, by any means).

Here are just a few questions to ask yourself whenever shopping to avoid the “deal-buying remorse” that often ensues:

  • Would I pay full price for this? Even if you rarely pay full price for anything, the answer to this question usually determines your attitude towards the item in question. When the rubber meets the road, we are all willing to fork over the cash for the things that really matter to us.
  • Do I love it? If the answer is “no”, don’t buy it!
  • Do I feel good wearing this? If you don’t feel good about yourself in any clothing (besides pajamas, perhaps), you won’t wear it. Period.
  • Will _____ really like this gift? Chances are, your friends and family members would rather have a thoughtful card or handmade gift rather than trinkets that seemed like a good deal at the time.

Don’t get me wrong. I am certainly not suggesting that garage sales and clearance sections are “bad”. On the contrary! These are the places where we all should shop. But for those of us who love the thrill of a good deal, it just means we have to exercise some major self-control to ensure we don’t buy something we later regret.

Jenae is a Master-degree holding former first grade teacher turned stay-at-home Mom. She loves finding creative ways to save money, spending time with her family, and sharing fun and educational activities on her website I Can Teach My Child.


Shared Sep 29, 2011 comment

Do-It-Yourself: Homemade Rice Milk

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Do-It-Yourself: Homemade Rice Milk

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Homemade-Rice-Milk



Guest post by Adrienne from Whole New Mom

Milk alternatives are really filling up the grocery and health food store shelves. That’s due mostly to the many people (like some in my family) who have dairy allergies or who are lactose intolerant. And if you have someone in your family with food allergies, you know how finding (and affording) substitute foods can be really tricky.

Well, today I’m sharing how you can save a lot of money by making your own rice milk. Even if you don’t have someone in your home with a dairy allergy, this is a great tip for all of us who love to cook and bake. The next time you run out of milk while you are baking, just whip up a batch of this rice milk and you’ll be able to finish your recipe–no problem!

I figured this out one day while shopping at a health food store. While looking at the options in the “milk substitute aisle”, I noticed that the only ingredients listed on the boxes were–grain, water, and occasionally sweetener and flavoring. There just had to be a way to make this myself and save a lot of money.

So I went home, got out my blender, estimated the amount of rice and water I should use, added a dash of salt and a tablespoon of sweetener, and the rest is money-saving history!

Make Your Own Rice Milk or Milk Substitute

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked rice (I prefer to use brown organic for a more nutritious option. We buy it in bulk to save money.)
  • 4 cups water (filtered, if possible)
  • Dash salt (I recommend RealSalt)
  • 1 Tablespoon sweetener (or to taste; optional)
  • Additional flavoring (optional; vanilla for vanilla-flavored milk; to taste)

Method

1. Place all ingredients in blender.
2. Blend for four minutes in a regular blender, or two minutes in high-speed blender like a Vitamix.
3. Enjoy!

Tips:

  • Use less or more rice, depending on how thin or thick you like your rice milk to be. Standard rice milk is thinner than regular cow’s milk.
  • Filtered water is extremely important. You can read my post on Is Your Water Safe? to see more about water quality concerns.
  • Add other flavorings like chocolate too. Makes a great alternative to chocolate milk.
  • If you’ve been thinking about a Vitamix and someone in your family has an allergy to dairy, you won’t believe how much time and money this machine will save you. And clean up is a breeze!
  • Prepare extra rice ahead of time, portion it conveniently (like one cup in each bag) into small plastic bags and secure with a Twixit Clip (you can use any kind of clip, but these clips are amazing. They last basically forever, and have a lifetime guarantee! Good-bye pesky twist-ties!) Just thaw out your rice whenever you need rice milk, and if you have a Vitamix, it can handle the rice frozen.

How much money can you save?

A 32-oz container of rice milk costs about $2.70 each (even at a good price on Amazon.com). Assuming that a typical family would use about 2 of these containers each week, I calculate your savings as:

Buying boxed rice milk:
If you bought two 32-oz. containers of rice milk at the store at $2.70 per week for 52 weeks, you’d be spending $275.08 per year on rice milk.

Making rice milk:
It takes 3.25 ounces of rice to make 64 ounces of rice milk. Our family purchases brown rice in bulk at $1 per pound, which comes out to a cost of $0.20 per week for rice milk or $10.40 per year for the rice needed for a year’s worth of rice milk.

Annual savings: $264.64.

And you save even more when you add in the savings in car use and gas by not making another trip to the store!

Want more money saving tips? You might want to check out my posts on:

Adrienne, of Whole New Mom, is a wife and homeschooling mother of two boys, one of whom has Asperger’s Syndrome and life-threatening food allergies. She has a passion to help others navigate the sea of information on the road to healthier lives. She specializes in frugal living and simplifying special diets. You can also find her on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

photo credit

Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 28, 2011 comment

How to Significantly Increase Your Income Without Working Harder (Part 5)

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How to Significantly Increase Your Income Without Working Harder (Part 5)

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

We’ve talked about many things in this series, but if there was one thing that has changed our income status, it would be what I’m going to talk about today. Not only has this principle transformed our mindset, it has also multiplied our income substantially.

What’s the principle?

4) Diversify your income

I first heard of the concept of income diversification when I was also learning about residual income. Since that time, we’ve experimented with numerous income stream ideas. Most of them have flopped royally on their face. However, some have been moderately successful and a few have been wildly successful.

The concept of diversifying your income is basically to set up various income-producing sources, instead of putting all your eggs into one basket and expecting that basket to be your sole source of sustenance.

We realized the beauty of income diversification when Jesse was unemployed back when we lived in Kansas City. Since I had spent the last two years experimenting with ways to earn money from home, we had a cushion to fall back on. It wasn’t a very soft cushion, but at least it kept us from crashing and burning.

If you lost your job tomorrow, would you have something to immediately fall back on?

Even if your employment is very secure, it’s always a good thing to prepare for the unexpected. Plus, even if you never lose your job, having secondary sources of income in place will allow you to save more aggressively toward your financial goals, give more generously, and/or just have more wiggle room in your budget.

When people ask me how I make money blogging, most of the time they are quite taken aback when I say, “It’s the power of multiple streams of income.” My blog earns a significant amount of money every month, but it comes in through dozens of different checks and electronic transfers from dozens of companies. Some of the checks (such as those from my sidebar advertising) are routinely much higher than what I’d make off of promoting something like CashCrate, but each check brings in a trickle that turns into a strong stream of steady income to pay my team, my blog expenses, and to have leftover as personal income.

In blogging–and in most businesses–things ebb and flow. Certain things will do really well at certain times of the year. At other times, that income stream doesn’t do so well. If I were to just rely on sidebar advertising or one affiliate program for all of my blogging income, it would be a lot lower than it is. But because I have multiple streams of income in place, the ebbs and flows help balance each other out so that the income is fairly consistent.

When you understand and implement income diversification in your lives, not only does it allow you to often significantly increase your income, in experimenting, you’ll probably discover a number of different income-earning ideas that will give you a very good return on your investment of time.

How do you set up multiple streams of income? We’ll talk about that next Wednesday. Stay tuned!

Do you have multiple streams of income in place? If so, I’d love to hear what has and hasn’t worked for you.

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 28, 2011 comment

Homemade Foaming Soap

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Homemade Foaming Soap

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

Okay, so I can’t believe that I waited all these years to try making homemade foaming soap. It is SO easy to make and it will greatly extend the life of a bottle of handsoap.

In case you’re like me and one of the last people on earth to discover this amazingly easy way to save money, here’s how to do it:

Homemade Foaming Soap Recipe

  • 2 Tablespoons liquid hand soap (Any non-creamy kind will work. I used Mrs. Meyer’s because I had some on hand. If you prefer a stronger soap-y foam or you have a larger bottle, I’d suggest putting in 1/4 cup liquid soap.)
  • 1 empty foaming hand soap bottle

Squirt the liquid hand soap into the bottom of the foaming soap bottle. Carefully fill the rest of the bottle with water.

Put the lid on and slowly swish the water and soap together. Note: do not shake vigorously or you may end up with a sudsy mess.

Shared Sep 28, 2011 comment

How to Cut the Costs of a Babysitter or Nanny

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How to Cut the Costs of a Babysitter or Nanny

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Guest post by Elizabeth from Learning Life with Liz

If you have children, you will probably need a babysitter at some point. Most people hire a babysitter and pay them between $5-$12 an hour depending on the number of kids and the family’s budget.

If you need a full-time nanny, you’re likely going to pay between $8-$12 an hour. That adds up fast! If you use your nanny 40-45 hours per week, you will be spending between $320-$540 per week!

Here are some money saving tips to think about when you want to hire someone:

Trade services

If you have friend’s with kids, trade date nights and outings. This will save you 100%.

Be creative, there are plenty of ways to trade services. I know a massage therapist who trades massages for sitters. This works very well when you need a babysitter for a few hours.

Share a babysitter

Contact your friends and see if they would like to share a babysitter. Have a few friends agree to this so that there is a better chance of someone going out the same night. This also works great for double dates.

I wouldn’t suggest combining more than three or four children. If you do, ask the sitter if she can handle it. You might have to pay her a little more though. If you usually pay $10 an hour, pay her $12 an hour. You are still saving $4 per hour with sharing the cost. The babysitter will also like having more families in her network.

You can make a profile on Care.com or SitterCity and this will help you find a babysitter fast. You will have access to their pictures, information, and best of all, background checks. There is a cost to signing up for these services, but you can share that cost, too!

Share a nanny

If you need a full-time nanny, but can’t afford one, consider sharing one with a friend or family member. If you and a nearby friend both need a nanny, you can cut your costs in half! Instead of paying $320-$540 per week, you will only be spending $160-$270!

Plan it with a friend and sign up for Care.com or SitterCity, listing your plan in your family bio. You can also alternate houses and split the costs of food for the children each week. The kids will love having playmates!

Don’t forget the tax credit

Be sure to get your nanny or babysitter’s SS#. Track the hours and how much you are spending and report it on your taxes. You will get a percentage of that money refunded. This is a way to save money even without sharing a sitter. {Note from Crystal: Make sure to check with a local CPA regarding tax credits what you may or may not be eligible for in your situation.}

I hope this encourages you to be creative and save money when using a babysitter or a nanny. It may not work for everyone, but suggesting it to friends/family won’t hurt. I’m sure they would like the savings, too!

Elizabeth is a wife, and a mother to her son, Liam. She works part-time in childcare and also blogs at Learning Life with Liz. Besides doing research for her blog, she enjoys couponing and spending time with family!

(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read our disclosure policy here.)

Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 27, 2011 comment

Using Technology to Simplify Couponing

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Using Technology to Simplify Couponing

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Guest post by Laura from Unpunctuated Life

I use technology to help me keep track of my coupon stash. I have a coupon organizer that is divided into categories that work for me, including a “using now” section, but sometimes I found myself in the grocery store confronted with an unadvertised sale and having to dig through my entire file to figure out whether or not I had a coupon for that item. I decided it would be a good idea to keep an inventory of my coupons and figured out a way to make it work!

When I began using a smart phone, I discovered a site called Evernote.com that allows me to edit documents and sync them among multiple devices (computer, phone, tablet, etc.). ­I created a document entitled “Coupon Inventory” and divided it into the same categories as my coupon organizer. Under each heading, I keep a bulleted list of each coupon I have, when it expires, and whether or not I have multiples.

In addition, I created a category for e-coupons, since I tend to forget what I have loaded onto my shopper cards. This also saves me paper, because I used to print out a list of my e-coupons each time I went to the store.

Once a week or so, when I’m organizing my physical coupons, I also pull up my document and make sure I have deleted any coupons that have been used or have expired, and I add any coupons I have recently clipped or printed. When I pull it up on my phone, the document looks like this:

Using this technology, it is so easy to view my coupon inventory even in the middle of the grocery store! If I see a coupon listed under a given category, I know that I can flip to that tab in my coupon organizer and find it there waiting for me to use. This has really helped me capitalize on deals I hadn’t known about ahead of time or hadn’t planned on using.

Laura is a young wife who recently moved to a new city with her husband and is looking to find work in the non-profit world. She enjoys hiking, reading, and finding a good bargain. Laura blogs at Unpunctuated Life about cooking, saving money, and learning about life in general.

photo credit

Money Saving Mom
Shared Sep 27, 2011 comment

Reader Tip: Make money at home through ODesk.com

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Reader Tip: Make money at home through ODesk.com

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

Lisa emailed in the following tip:

I don’t know if you have heard of this site before or not but you might want to check it out when you have the time. It’s called Odesk. There are literally thousands of jobs available on here, all work-from-home jobs too.

Basically what you do is read through all their policies and then create a profile where you describe what skills you have. You can then apply for any job you think you may be qualified for. One of the neat things about this is that you can set your own hourly wage.

There are web development jobs, transcription jobs, design, administrative support, and others as well. It may be a good option for someone who wants to make money from home but doesn’t know where to start.

I know a couple of people who have had great success using this site. – Lisa

(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read our disclosure policy here.)

Shared Sep 27, 2011 comment

4 Tips for Having a Minimalist Wardrobe

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4 Tips for Having a Minimalist Wardrobe

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

I’m the least likely candidate to be giving fashion tips, but ever since I posted the video of my minimalist summer wardrobe, I’ve gotten question after question after question about my wardrobe. So, in an effort to answer a few of those questions, today I’m sharing four tips for having a minimalist wardrobe.

1. Only Own What You Wear

Are you wearing everything you own on a regular basis? If not, why are you hanging onto it? It’s just taking up space in your closet and cluttering your life.

Don’t know what to keep and what to get rid of? Try the one-year wardrobe project that J.D. from Get Rich Slowly did. Personally, I think you could probably accelerate it to three or six months, if you want to get a move on your clutter more quickly.

2. Mix and Match

Never buy something that can only be worn with one item you own. If possible, only buy items that can be worn with just about every other item in your closet.

3. Know Your Colors

About ten years ago, a friend of mine introduced me to the concept of color palettes. Up until that time, I just wore whatever I found at the thrift store or got off the sale rack. I didn’t really feel great in many of the items, but they were inexpensive, so that’s what mattered–or so I thought.

But after discovering what my color palette is and switching to only wearing clothes that are my color, I’ll never go back. Wearing your colors instantly makes you look more youthful and energetic. Plus, I find that shopping is so much more efficient because I can scan the racks for my colors, instead of having to look through each and every item.

You can take a free color analysis here (I’m not sure how accurate it is since it’s online, but it might be fun to do.) Also, you might consider checking out a copy of Color Me Beautiful from the library.

4. Accessorize

A few accessories can make a big difference and can spruce up a small wardrobe in amazing ways. For instance, if you only have six tops, but you have three scarves and two necklaces that match with almost all of those tops, you just extended your wardrobe possibilities quite a bit. Best of all, most accessories can be very inexpensive. You can even make your own.

In the cooler weather, scarves are my favorite. The whole figuring out how to wear them used to scare me–especially because I’m no fashionista and can never seem to pull off the cute looks others do. Jen from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam, generous friend that she is, bought me a scarf and taught me how to tie it. After wearing it a few times, I was sold. I went out and bought a few more scarves and I’m now rarely seen without a scarf in winter!

Watch Jen’s video here on how to tie a scarf. You can also check out her post here. Also, Tip Junkie has a post on 12 Trendy Ways to Wear a Scarf.

Having a minimalist wardrobe will not only save you quite a bit of money (the less you shop, the less you spend!), but they will also help to simplify your life.

I know I might be weird, but I find that it is so easy to get dressed in the morning when you only have a few options to choose from. In fact, I’d rather have a few items that I love and feel great in, than a closet full of clothes that I don’t really like, don’t fit that well, and haven’t been worn in a number of months.

4-Tips-for-Having-a-Minimalist-Wardrobe

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