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Shared Aug 10, 2011 comment

3 Tips for Staying on a Budget While Running a Home Business

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3 Tips for Staying on a Budget While Running a Home Business

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

Note from Crystal: While I’m on vacation, I’m taking a break from writing a post for the How to Make Money Blogging series this week. I’ll be back to it next Wednesday. In the mean time, here’s a guest post on staying on budget while running a home business that I thought some of you might find very helpful.

Guest post by Angie from The Work At Home Wife

As home business owners, we quickly find that working from home means we are bombarded all day long with things that promise to improve our businesses. Some are going to teach us new skills. Some are going to share insider secrets to success. Others are not quite clear on what they are guaranteeing, but we must buy it now and we can figure that out later.

There truly are some great products out there that can improve our bottom lines. Many of us go through the stages of buying nothing, buying the right things, and then buying everything whether we truly need it or not. Those latter times can break the bank, if you let them.

Here are three tips for staying on a budget while running a home business:

1. Invest only in what you need.

When another home business owner asks me what products they should purchase, my typical response is “Where do you need help?” If your response to that question is “Everywhere” or “I really don’t know,” it may not be the time to invest in anything until you figure that out.

If you invest in the latest snazzy social media product that comes into your inbox when you really need help with your SEO, you just threw your hard-earned money out the window. Take some time to find out what improvements are truly needed before jumping on the latest recommendation.

2. Do not impulse buy.

That should go without saying, but even I often need a reminder. It is one reason I don’t keep my purse in my office.

If I’m taking a five minute break to read my emails and read a limited time sale on something “new, improved, and guaranteed”, it is too tempting to reach over and grab that wallet before I can think twice. If it is not something you were already planning on purchasing, mull it over.

3. Always check for coupon codes.

We should always be savvy self-employed shoppers, and those discounts can add up quickly on big items. If it is something that ships, you may be able to find several ways to save. Check out sites like RetailMeNot.com or CouponCabin.com for discount codes. Use a rebate site like Rakuten.com (formerly Ebates) to stretch those dollars a little further.

Every little bit counts these days, home business owner or not. And we always want to avoid buyer’s remorse when possible.

A little additional perk from savvy shopping is that what you save on one purchase, or eliminate altogether, can be moved over to something that may not have otherwise been within your business budget. Sometimes you really can buy more and still spend less.

Angie is a Virtual Assistant and founder of The Work at Home Wife where she provides home business solutions and internet marketing tactics for home business owners on a budget.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 10, 2011 comment

Ask the Readers: Grab-N-Go Meal Ideas

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Ask the Readers: Grab-N-Go Meal Ideas

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

Today’s question is from Lyss:

I’m in need of ideas for grab-n-go meals for my husband. He is a very busy man and rarely eats with us during the week. Leftovers and sandwiches aren’t cutting it, but I’m stumped for much else! He would eat frozen pizzas, burritos, etc., but I don’t like buying processed foods. Anyone have healthy, make-ahead, individual meal ideas or recipes? -Lyss

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 10, 2011 comment

3 Encouraging Posts You Should Read

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3 Encouraging Posts You Should Read

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

Here are three posts I read in the last day that I really enjoyed and wanted to pass along:

::How a Nagging Thought Left Me $15 Richer — “Just because it’s an amazing deal…doesn’t mean it’s the best choice for me.” Excellent words of advice from JessieLeigh.

::Turning Failure to Your Advantage — Michael Hyattshares five components for turning failure to your advantage. I loved his last paragraph: “…failure is inevitable if you are going to tackle significant goals. You have to learn to make it work for you. In doing so, you are planting the seeds of your eventual success.”

::There’s Beauty in Your Ugly Stroller — “Managing our money well to gift our family a debt-free life is a choice that has us frequently asking ‘How ugly is it?’. It’s a choice that encourages us to swallow our pride, look past the ugly, and see the beauty.”Amy’s post was spot-on.

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Shared Aug 9, 2011 comment

Do-It-Yourself: Homemade Febreze

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Do-It-Yourself: Homemade Febreze

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Fake-It Frugal shows you how to make your own Febreze.

Should I confess that I’ve never even used Febreze before? I just skip buying/using fabric softener*–and no one knows any differently (well, I guess that’s because they’ve never known any differently!)

*Update: Thanks to all your comments setting the record straight! I’m cracking up that I thought Febreze was fabric softener, not fabric refresher. Yes, apparently I know absolutely nothing about it! 🙂

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 9, 2011 comment

3 Posts on Blogging You Should Read

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3 Posts on Blogging You Should Read

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

Here are three posts related to blogging that I’d encourage you to read:

::How Do You Not Get Discouraged By the Success of Others? — A fantastic post by my friend, Amy, from BloggingWithAmy.com. Whether you’re a blogger or not, you’ll be blessed and challenged by this post. I know that I was!

::140 Character Friendships — So true! {Okay, so this wasn’t really about blogging, but the sentiment could also be applied to blogging relationships, as well as Twitter relationships.}

::How to Make Money Blogging — Connie shares specific details on how she made $1,200 by blogging last month. If you’re considering earning money through blogging, you’ll find lots of helpful ideas and information in her post.

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 9, 2011 comment

Free ebook: Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life

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Free ebook: Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life

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

Download a free copy of the ebook Education is an Atmosphere, a Discipline, a Life from Simply Charlotte Mason.

Thanks, Ecomomical Me!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 8, 2011 comment

Failure is an option

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Failure is an option

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

Our family is enjoying our annual vacation at the lake in Arkansas with my extended family this week. We always rent a boat and spend many hours on the water.

Most of my family members are adept at skiing–my dad started water-skiing when he was four or five years old and, over fifty years later, he’s still amazing on skis. My brother is a wakeboard whiz. And pretty much everyone else in my family makes water-skiing look like a piece of cake.

Everyone, that is, but me.

I can get up on two skis alright. It’s not pretty, but I can get up and stay up, go over the wakes, and do a decent job of it. But, try as I might, I’ve never been able to slalom.

And today was no different. After watching my brother, dad, and mom all successfully slalom, I jumped out into the water for my turn–determined that I was going to get up on one ski this year.

However, it seems all the determination in the world couldn’t lift my body out of the water to stand up on that one ski. I tried and fell ten times before finally calling it quits for the day (I figured all the patient cheerleaders in the boat probably would like to do something other than start and stop the boat all afternoon!).

Was I discouraged? Yes. I really wanted this year to be the year that I successfully slalomed.

Was I defeated? No. I know I did my best and tried my hardest. I listened to the instructions from my dad and brother. I tried different things to make it work. I gritted my teeth and hung on even when it hurt.

Most of all, I made myself do something hard and kept trying even when I fell down.

Maybe I’ll never be able to get up on one ski. Perhaps tomorrow will be the day it happens. I don’t know. But one thing I do know is this: if you never jump out into the water in the first place, if you never step out of your comfort zone, if you never try hard things, you’ll always be in the same place in life.

Success never comes to people who sit and do nothing. Even if you try something and end up falling flat on your face, you’re still farther ahead than the person who never begins in the first place.

And even if you never get to where you hope to go, I promise you’ll be stronger for trying.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 8, 2011 comment

This Week’s Menu Plan: The We’re On Vacation Edition

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This Week’s Menu Plan: The We’re On Vacation Edition

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

We drove to Arkansas yesterday afternoon to spend a few days on the lake with my extended family. This is our annual get-together and it’s something everyone looks forward to each year.

We share all our meals together and cook/bake all the food in the kitchen in my parent’s cabin, taking turns helping with the meals and clean up for each meal. My parents provide a lot of the food and the rest of us pitch in by bringing what extras we already have on hand (we’re all couponers so we typically raid our pantries and incorporate the excess items into the menu plan for the week!).

Since everyone splits up the cooking and clean up duties, it makes mealtime pretty simple to pull off and keeps it a laid back week for all of us. This not only saves a lot of money, but it gives us more time to spend enjoying the lake and a break from the normal busyness of life.

Silas “driving” the rental boat with my dad

Since I’m not in charge of planning the menu, I’m not exactly sure what all is on the menu this week. So far, we’ve done spaghetti (last night’s dinner) and hamburgers (tonight’s dinner). Breakfast was French Toast, bacon and eggs, smoothies, and juice this morning. Lunches have been sandwiches both days.

We have somewhat of a plan for the rest of the week, but we’ll also wing it some and probably create some new recipe creations using odds and ends of things we brought, too.

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

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 8, 2011 comment

Teaching Your Tot Without Breaking the Bank – Part 2

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Teaching Your Tot Without Breaking the Bank – Part 2

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

Guest post by Jenae from I Can Teach My Child

Teaching your little one doesn’t require fancy curriculum or gobs of materials. As we discussed in my last post, hands-on structured activities for your toddler and preschooler can easily be created by simply using items from around your home. Just keep in mind, however, that young children learn best through play. Give them plenty of opportunities to play with various items by themselves and with you!

When creating a structured activity for your young child, it’s important to keep it short and simple. If an activity takes more than 15-20 minutes, it will probably lose your young child’s attention. Make sure to also keep it upbeat and don’t let your time together be tainted with power struggles. If your child has no interest or refuses to cooperate with an activity, just put it away for another day.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when teaching your child various “subjects”:

Early Math Skills

  • Number Recognition: Recognizing and identifying numbers 1-10 is an important skill for any preschooler to learn in order to be prepared for kindergarten. Even though eventually your child will need to automatically recognize these numbers, resist the temptation to use flashcards or rote memorization. Hands-on experiences and repetition are the best way to teach numbers, whether you’re looking at addresses on mailboxes or pointing out the letters on a calendar.
  • One-to-one correspondence: This is basically just a fancy term for your child being able to recognize that the number seven relates to seven objects by counting them. There are ample opportunities to encourage this skill in your daily life! Try counting kisses or sorting small snacks into a numbered egg carton! Counting songs such as “Five Little Ducks” and “Five Little Monkeys” are also great!

Language Development

  • Reading: Reading to your child is one of the single most important things you can do for developing language skills, starting at infancy!  Although it’s nice to own a few favorites, it is unnecessary to spend a fortune on books.  Most local libraries have a great selection of children’s books, including board books. Another great option is using PaperBackSwap!
  • Letter Recognition: Just like number recognition, teaching your child capital and lower-case letters should not be a tedious or monotonous task.  Alphabet Crafts are a great way to make learning letters fun and interactive. My 3-year old knows how to spell his name simply from his interest in the wooden letters that spell his name on the wall in his bedroom. Go on “hunts” for letters when out running errands or reading books. Learning baskets are also a great way to incorporate letter recognition while still being fun and hands-on!
  • Handwriting: The web is abuzz with tons of printables for teaching your child how to write capital and lower-case letters (go here and here). Prior to using a pen and paper, though, try making letters in shaving cream or forming them with feathers! Keep in mind that printables are great — in moderation. Children retain information better when multiple senses are incorporated into a learning experience.
  • Art: One of the best things we can do for our children is give them opportunities to just be kids…which, of course, includes getting messy! Allowing them to explore and be creative helps them learn about textures, colors, and the world around them. Sensory tubs are also great for toddlers and preschoolers. Did you know you can make almost all the art supplies you need at home? Here are just a few recipes:

Parent-directed activities are great for young children, but kids need time to just be kids. Pretend play is also such an important developmental part of the learning process in preschoolers — and even Mom can join in every now and then!

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

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 5, 2011 comment

We Paid Cash: A Grain Mill

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We Paid Cash: A Grain Mill

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

We paid cash!

A testimony by Gretchen from Extraordinary Ordinary Life

For two years now, I have been wanting a grain mill. I researched the different types and read reviews and finally decided on a Nutrimill. However, I did not want to pay full price.

How I Saved

I have a small checking account that is separate from our main family checking account. We put money into that account whenever my husband gets paid.  This small account is for groceries, clothes, and a few extra items.

I take out the cash that I need for the week (per our budget) from this account and save any extras I can. Since I try to buy my groceries in bulk and make a lot of things from scratch, this allows me to be able to save a little bit from our grocery budget each week.

The Search is On

After several months of setting aside the extra money from our grocery budget, I was able to accumulate $200 extra in that account to use for the grain mill. Once I had enough money in savings, I began checking Craigslist and searching for “grain mill” or “Nutrimill”.  (I wanted to buy from Craigslist instead of Ebay to avoid shipping fees.)

A few weeks ago, I finally found someone who was selling their Nutrimill grain mill. The person recently found out she could no longer have gluten so that is the reason she was selling it.  She listed it for $150 so I quickly sent her an e-mail that I would love to buy it.

A Grain Mill + 50 Pounds of Grains (and more!) for $196!

When I went to the seller’s house to buy the grain mill, I found out that she also had extra kamut, spelt, and millet she was willing to sell so I bought 50 pounds total from her. Plus, I was also able to purchase bread bags, bread pans, and a grain cook book. She even threw in a waffle maker for free!

I ended up paying $196 for the Nutrimill and all the extras I purchased from the seller. Since I had saved $200 for the grain mill, I was right under budget! I was so excited I found all of this for under $200 since a new Nutrimill runs about $260 just by itself.

Tips for buying a grain mill:

  • Do your research! Read reviews and find out what each mill can do and what grains can be ground with it.
  • Price grains — it will do you no good to buy a grain mill if you can’t afford to buy the grains.
  • Be patient — people usually keep their grain mills forever but occasionally you will come across them.
  • Check estate sales, Craigslist, and Ebay.
  • Negotiate and be willing to walk away if the deal is not a good one.
  • Know your prices. Some people on Ebay are selling grain mills for more than you can buy a one new.

Tips for buying from Craigslist:

  • Always bring someone with you, especially if you are going to someone’s house that you don’t know (or meet at a public location). I have bought several things from Craigslist, including blueberry bushes, canning jars, and now a grain mill. It is a great resource, but you need to make sure you take the proper precaution when you are buying from someone you don’t know.
  • Bring cash and look over your purchase before you leave so you can make sure it was advertised correctly.

Gretchen is a stay-at-home mom to three kids and a wife to one hard working husband.  She blogs about her ordinary days at Extraordinary Ordinary Life.

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

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 4, 2011 comment

Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Frozen Banana Bites, Pancake Mix, Pizza Dough, Crockpot Barbecue Chicken

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Freezer Cooking in an Hour: Frozen Banana Bites, Pancake Mix, Pizza Dough, Crockpot Barbecue Chicken

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

After playing hooky last week, I was so excited to actually start and finish my entire Freezer Cooking in an Hour plan yesterday! Here’s how it went down:

4:30 — I get a later start than planned because I was supposed to have a video interview in the afternoon and they ended up having technical difficulties and it took a lot longer than they initially had planned.

I set out some craft supplies for the girls to work on at the kitchen table and I start some flour grinding in the garage (the mill gets flour dust everywhere so I grind flour in the garage!). While it’s grinding, I put together the Crockpot Barbecue Chicken. Since I’ve already made it before, it’s a piece of cake to pull off.

4:40 — The flour is done being ground, the chicken is finished, and I stop to take a break and go through the mail. My clearance swimsuit arrived from Lands End, so of course I also have to go try it on and see if it’s going to fit.

4:55 — Oh wait, I was supposed to be freezer cooking, wasn’t I?! I head back to the kitchen and hope Silas continues sleeping for just a little bit longer. I mix up a double batch of the Homemade Pancake Mix. And then I remember that we’re out of baking powder. Oh well, I’ll add it in tomorrow after I can pick some up at the grocery store.

5:05 — Jesse calls and I get distracted (again!) telling him about our eventful day and hearing how his jury trial went.

5:15 — Yikes! I gotta get back to work! I melt the peanut butter and chocolate for the Frozen Banana Bites and start dipping them. Everything goes well until the chocolate starts hardening. Maybe I shouldn’t have doubled the recipe? I finally give up on trying to make the last few tablespoons of stiff chocolate cover the last few bananas and just stick them in the freezer.

5:30 — I decide to try using the KitchenAid I inherited from my grandma to make Honey Pizza Dough. It’s in the basement in our storage closet, so I go pull it out, clean it off, and mix up the pizza dough in it. While it’s mixing by itself, I clean up the kitchen and kick myself for waiting five whole years to use the KitchenAid. I’ve already fallen in love with it after just one use! What was I thinking?!?!

At the end of an hour and 15 minutes, I have a nice little pile to show for my efforts:

Homemade Pancake Mix
Honey Pizza Dough
Frozen Banana Bites — these are fantastic, by the way!
Crockpot Barbecue Chicken

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 4, 2011 comment

Today’s Office Max, Walmart, and Health Food Store Shopping Trips

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Today’s Office Max, Walmart, and Health Food Store Shopping Trips

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

Our Office Max was already out of the index cards and hand sanitizer, but they still had filler paper and pens, so that’s what we got:

5 packages of Office Max filler paper — $0.20 each with coupon

3 Just Basics Ballpoint pens (10 pack packages) — $0.20 with coupon

Total with tax: $1.72

We price-matched fruit deals at Walmart plus picked up some baking powder:

Baking powder — $1.68

Bananas — price-matched to $0.18/lb. — $0.89

Grapes — price-matched to Aldi price ($0.89/lb.) — $3.74

Strawberries — price-matched to Aldi price — $0.88 each

Total with tax: $9.60

And I found some great deals at the health food store:

Pink Lady apples — $0.99/lb. — $3.31

5-lb. bag of carrots — $1.99

11 packages of organic bread, buns, bagels, and English Muffins marked down to $0.99 each

Total with tax: $17.32 (minus $0.05 bring your own bag credit)

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 4, 2011 comment

Swapping Benefits Your Pocketbook and Community

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Swapping Benefits Your Pocketbook and Community

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

Guest post by Laurie from Peace Love Swap.

I have always kept an eye out for a good bargain, and I have always put forth effort to reuse and re-purpose whenever I can. When I became pregnant, my husband and I decided to decline any offers to throw us a baby shower. We decided instead just to ask our friends to pass down any baby items that they were done with (that they were more than happy to part with — you know how it is), and we were blessed with almost everything we needed to welcome a new baby.

Then I started my years as a stay-at-home mom. I traded toys and clothing with friends, and shopped craigslist and resale stores for anything else I needed.

Swapping soon became my new shopping. Then one day I was lucky enough to run across an organization that allowed me take swapping to the next level for myself and for my community: I became a swap organizer with peace. love. swap!

Every six to eight weeks, a local kids’ gym hosts our community swap. We invite families to clear out their clutter by collecting items that their kids have outgrown or no longer use.

They drop their items off at the event and volunteers organize and display everything boutique style, categorized by size. The kids enjoy playing at the gym and families socialize with each other. When the swap floor is ready, everyone comes in to take home items that are new to them. No tags, no item counting–just good clean sharing. Swaps are large for a great inventory and ongoing because, well, you know how quickly kids grow.

My motto is “swap with goodness in your heart.” And they do. For the swappers, the cost is just $5, and includes fun time for the kids and great raffle prizes.  So, for just $5 and stuff to swap, you can bring home a bag of “new” clothing, a few fresh toys, a nursing pillow, a diaper bag or whatever treasures you come across.

At the end of the day, you’ve cleaned out your clutter, found some useful items for yourself and your kids, had a great playdate, perhaps won a prize, supported a green event, and donated to local charities (all unadopted items are donated). That’s a day well spent!

For the swap organizer, it is a way to bring in a little extra cash, do something great for the community, and bring home “new” items for your kids to boot!  For me, personally, it is so rewarding to run a green and charitable event, while saving money on my family’s expenses at the same time.  I also love inspiring others to live frugally and to share the many resources that we are blessed with.  It really is a win-win for everyone!

To find a swap in your area, or to become a swap organizer, please feel free to contact Laurie at [email protected], or visit www.peaceloveswap.com.

Laurie is a stay-home mom in Manhattan Beach, California.  She has two kids, one and four years old, and a partner in frugality, her husband.  She can be reached at [email protected].

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