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Money Saving Mom

Money Saving Mom®

Saving Families Money Since 2007

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List.

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Shared Aug 17, 2011 comment

Busy Bag Idea: Button Snake

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Busy Bag Idea: Button Snake

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

Another fun Busy Bag we received in our Busy Bag Swap box was a button snake.

This simple activity just uses a ribbon with a button sewn on one end and a piece of felt sewn on the other. Cut out squares of felt and cut buttonhole-like slits in them.

This is a perfect thing to keep in your purse or diaper bag to pull out and hand to your child when you’re waiting in a waiting room or at an event where they need to be sitting quietly for any length of time.

Variations: Encourage your child to string the felt in pattern using a few different colors. You could also cut out the felt pieces in different shapes.

See this post for more detailed instructions on how to make a Button Snake.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 16, 2011 comment

Q&A Tuesday: What do you buy at Aldi?

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Q&A Tuesday: What do you buy at Aldi?

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I have a question. I noticed you do a lot of shopping at Aldi. We have one where I live, but for some reason I am hesitant to shop there. I was wondering if you could go over what you do and do not buy there, or if it does not matter at all. -Chelsea

Before I got married, I’d never been inside an Aldi store before. And I was hesitant to do so as I’d always had this impression that it was a dirty store with low quality food. However, since my husband and I had such a meager budget in the early years of our marriage, I quickly decided to get over my inhibitions and just go check out the store to see what I thought.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover Aldi wasn’t anything like I thought it would be. Sure, it doesn’t have the bells and whistles that a traditional grocery store has, but I’ll gladly give those up for the money I save by shopping there.

Here are a few tips for successfully shopping at Aldi:

1. Shop in a Nicer Section of Town

If possible, find an Aldi nearby that is in a nicer section of town. The Aldi stores in more run-down areas tend to be less clean and the food does seem to be poorer quality (it might just be my imagination–or the fact that it’s a lot more picked over many times!).

2. Shop With an Open Mind

Go to Aldi with an open mind (and a strict cash budget) and start carefully looking over all they have to offer. Right away, you’ll probably find some things you wouldn’t buy there, but you’ll probably be surprised at how similar other items look to things you usually buy at the grocery store.

Buy a few items to try and take them home and see what you and your family think. You’ll probably find some things you don’t care for, but you’ll probably also discover that you actually like some of their products better than the name brand products at the grocery store (for instance, we think their canned green beans are better than name brand green beans!).

The one thing I’ve found that varies the most at Aldi is their produce. At times, their produce will be great. Other times, it’s downright awful. You can always price-match their weekly deals at Walmart, so don’t feel like you need to buy produce there if it looks less than ideal. Stick with what looks fresh and high quality and skip the rest–no matter how inexpensive the price.

3. Stick With Staple Ingredients

In most cases, you’ll save the most at Aldi if you buy primarily staple ingredients there. Many of their processed foods aren’t much less than you’d pay at the grocery store (they can actually cost more than what you’d pay when combining a coupon with a sale!).

However, their every day prices on baking supplies, canned goods, frozen fruit and vegetables, peanut butter, oatmeal, eggs, milk, and butter will be at least 20% less than you’d pay at the grocery store. Plus, while you’re family might be able to tell a difference in ketchup brands, they probably won’t be able to tell if you use Aldi baking soda!

Do you shop at Aldi? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts on what is best to buy there and what items you won’t buy there.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 16, 2011 comment

Busy Bag Idea: Pool Noodle Stringing

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Busy Bag Idea: Pool Noodle Stringing

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Many of you asked if I could share details of the Busy Bags we received in our Busy Bag Swap so that you could get ideas for possible Busy Bags you could put together for your children. I know how I’m always on the lookout for new ideas for fun learning activities–especially ones that are simple and inexpensive–so as I have space here over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some of the ideas with you.

The Pool Noodle Stringing Busy Bag was a very simple idea and it went over well. Just cut up some pool noodles (you can probably find them on clearance at this time of the year!) into one-inch sections and put them into a ziptop bag along with a piece of thick string or rope.

When you’re ready to use, just pull out the bag and have your child string the noodles onto the string or rope. I’d advise watching your child closely while they do this exercise since there is a string/rope involved. (Silas worked on it right next to me while I taught Kathrynne and Kaitlynn some of their homeschool lessons.)

See more pictures and variations on the Pool Noodle Stringing Busy Bag idea here.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 16, 2011 comment

31 Weeks to a Better Grocery Budget Video Series: 3 Ways to Save on Diapers

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31 Weeks to a Better Grocery Budget Video Series: 3 Ways to Save on Diapers

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What are your best tips for saving money on diapers? I’d love to hear!

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

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 15, 2011 comment

Uphill is the Hardest

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Uphill is the Hardest

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Last week on our trip to Arkansas, I was determined to keep up with my running schedule, despite the fact that the cabins we were staying at were at the bottom of a hill and I’m used to running on a treadmill (yes, I know, I’m such a slacker to run indoors in air-conditioning! :)).

That first morning, I got up early, laced up my running shoes, and headed out into the humid weather, excited at the thought of running as the sun was still coming up. I quickly realized that running on a treadmill doesn’t hold a candle to running in the heat, humidity, and hills. In fact, I think I’d only run a quarter mile uphill before I started to wonder if I was even going to be able to make it a full mile!

As I was panting and struggling up to the top of the hill, I thought of so many of you who are experiencing similar feelings in your financial situation right now. You’re determined to get out of debt, start living on a strict budget, and/or working hard to put yourself in a better financial position.

You’re slogging up a steep incline, feeling like you’re barely getting anywhere. You’re tired, exhausted, discouraged, and wondering why you had this crazy idea to jump out and be counter-cultural in the first place. You want to give up, stop, or turn back.

I felt the same way as I was running up that hill. I kept thinking, “Why am I doing this?” My legs hurt, my muscles ache, and I really don’t want to keep going.

But I pushed myself onward, reminding myself that once I got to the top, the hardest part was behind me. There were times when I slowed down so much that I was barely jogging. A couple of times, I even walked for a bit when I felt so out-of-breath that I thought I might keel over. But I didn’t let myself stop until I got to the top.

And you know what? It was so worth it! As I started going downhill, I had renewed energy and a spring in my step. When only minutes before I felt like I couldn’t go another foot, now I was bounding down the hill with zeal. I would have never gotten to experience the thrill of running downhill if I hadn’t first put forth all the effort to claw my way up that long hill.

If you’re feeling like you’re barely making any traction with your goals and finances and every step forward takes almost more strength and stamina than you can muster, please don’t lose heart. It may feel impossible to keep going, but don’t stop–however tempting it may be.

Your hard work and incredible effort will pay off. Your many financial sacrifices will make a difference.

Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Keep inching forward–if even at a snail’s pace. The best is yet to come!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 15, 2011 comment

This Week’s Menu

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This Week’s Menu

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Breakfasts

Whole-Wheat Pancakes, Pick-Me-Up Smoothies
Granola Bars
Breakfast Muffins, Fruit
4th of July Toast (for our USA theme in homeschool this week), Scrambled Eggs
Orange Cream Smoothies, English Muffins, Fried Eggs
Red, White, and Blue Parfaits (we’re just going to use yogurt and leave out the whipped topping)
Toast, Scrambled Eggs, Fruit

Lunches

Leftovers
Salad With Marinated Chicken Strips, Toasted Bagels
Peanut butter & Homemade Jam Sandwiches, Apple Slices, Peas
Macaroni & Cheese, Fresh Apple Carrot Juice
Salad With Hard-Boiled Eggs, Toast
Refried Beans & Cheese With Salsa, Leftover Cilantro Lime Rice, Veggies
Leftovers

Snacks

Fruit/Veggies
Homemade Fruit Leather
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
Homemade Peanut Butter Cocoa Ice Cream

Dinners

Marinated Chicken Breasts, Cilantro Lime Rice, Tossed Salad, Fruit
Sloppy Joes, Crispy Potatoes, Fruit, Veggies
Chicken Salsa Pizza with Honey Pizza Crust (from the freezer), Fruit Salad
Dinner with Extended Family
Dinner out
Taco Chicken Bowls, Fruit Salad
Dinner at Birthday Party

Freezer Cooking in an Hour

Homemade Fruit Leather
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins
Taco Chicken Bowls

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

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 15, 2011 comment

10 Goals For This Week

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10 Goals For This Week

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One of the things I stress in my upcoming book is the importance of goal-setting. Not only has setting goals and breaking them down into bite-sized pieces revolutionized our finances, but it has also been hugely beneficial in our personal lives.

Before each week begins, I set down and map out goals for the following week in six different categories: Marriage, Mothering, Personal, Home Management, Business, Ministry. While I never actually accomplish every single goal on my list, having a written list gives me purpose, focus, accountability.

It’s always encouraging to review the list at the end of week and see what things I accomplished. You know how you have those days and weeks where you feel like you just go around and around in circles cleaning up one mess after another? Well, having written goals to review at the end of the week helps me to see that I actually did something productive during the week!

As a way to keep myself accountable and hopefully inspire you to consider implementing weekly goal-setting, too, I’m going to be sharing my list of 10 goals each Monday morning. I’d love to have you participate by sharing your goals in the comments.

Next Monday, I’ll post a follow-up post with my progress and will encourage you to share your progress, too!

Note: Since this is a public blog, I won’t be sharing all of my goals (such as my marriage goals, etc.), so if you’re wondering why it seems a little unbalanced in certain areas, that’s why. 🙂

10 of My Goals for This Week

Mothering Goals

1. Start school (I’m so excited about our new curriculum plans this year and the schedule I’ve put together!)

2. Finish reading Revenge of the Red Knight aloud to the children.

3. Put together Busy Bags for Busy Bag Swap.

Personal Goals

4. Run 12 miles (total).

5. Finish reading Good to Great, The Charlotte Mason Companion, and Eat That Frog.

Home Management Goals

6. Vacuum underneath beds.

7. Make Homemade Fruit Leather and Homemade Scrubbing Bubbles.

8. Wash, dry, fold, & put away one load of laundry every day (except for Thursday-Saturday when I’m in Indianapolis).

Business Goals

9. Shoot videos and send to publicist.

Ministry Goals

10. Write two birthday cards, one anniversary card, and one thank you note. Help girls write birthday cards to those who have birthdays this week.

What are your goals for this week? If you feel comfortable doing so, I’d love to have you share 5-10 of them in the comments section. And then come back next week to share your progress!

photo credit

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 14, 2011 comment

Super Savings Saturday: Dillon’s, Aldi, Health Food Store

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Super Savings Saturday: Dillon’s, Aldi, Health Food Store

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After tackling an enormous pile of post-trip laundry, I headed out for a fun shopping trip by myself this afternoon. (I know I might be weird, but grocery shopping is something I really enjoy–especially when I’m not rushed!)

Here’s what I ended up buying:

Dillon’s Shopping Trip

Organic lettuce — $1.99

Cilantro — $0.99

Cheese — $1.79

I also used my free coupons to get the Pantene, Aussie, Skintimate, Herbal Essence, and Playtex products for free.

Total after coupons with tax: $6.69

Health Food Store Shopping Trip

Organic Clearanced Bananas — $0.39/lb. = $3.53 total

Apples — $0.99/lb. = $3.15

Wheat — $1.29/lb. = $2.49 (I ran out of my bulk wheat and need to buy another bag, but had to buy some to tide me over until I can get it in bulk again.)

Stonyfield Yogurt — Reduced to $1.99

Sprinkles — Reduced to $0.99

Total with tax: $12.98

Aldi Shopping Trip

Chicken — $5.49

2 bags of peas — $0.99 each

2 limes — $0.35 each

2 cans of black beans — $0.55 each

5 packs of strawberries — $0.99 each

Grapes — $1.58

Raisins — $1.69

Nectarines, Peaches, Plums — 15 total — $0.19 each

Total with tax: $21.82

Did you snag any great deals or bargains this week or save money in other ways? If so, be sure to post about them on your blog and leave your link below. Please remember that this weekly round-up is to share deals you personally got and/or money you were able to save this week. In order to keep this weekly round-up focused on helping and inspiring others in their efforts to save money, links which have little-to-no content other than promoting affiliate links, etc. will be deleted. Also, to make it easy for everyone to navigate quickly through the links, your link must link directly to your Super Savings Saturday post.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 13, 2011 comment

Monthly Financial Check-up

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Monthly Financial Check-up

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

Remember how I said last month that we’d decided to wait to replace our van for awhile in order to put that money towards our children’s educational savings instead? Well, I’m not so sure that was the most brilliant decision ever.

For starters, I was heading out with all the children one day a few weeks ago and noticed that one of the van tires was low. Upon investigation, we ended up finding out there was a screw in the van tire wall (don’t ask me where that came from!). So we couldn’t just patch the tire, we had to replace the whole tire.

Then, a few days later, I was driving home and all of a sudden there was a very loud buzzing noise coming from the back of the van. Come to find out, the rear blower motor went out. Considering that it’s been over 100 degrees almost every day for weeks, we decided we’d better fix it ASAP.

Next, we had to get extensive front suspension work done on the van, which was quite costly. Finally, it seems like our transmission might be going out.

So maybe my idea to hang onto the van for a few more years wasn’t so bright? But the decision has been made, so we’ve decided to just fix the issues and hope that it extends the life of the van for at least another year or two–if not more.

I’m grateful that we have an emergency fund so we can cover these types of unexpected expenses and I’m grateful that we live on a strict budget and try to plan for the unexpected. This makes situations like flat tires, rear blower motors and transmissions going out a lot less stressful. As Amy said, “Being intentional with our money turns emergencies into inconveniences.”

We were able to set aside some money for Silas’ educational savings account, but it’s not as funded as we’d hoped to have it at this point. Oh well, moving forward in the right direction is always better than standing still or going backwards!

Here’s our current goals 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. Kathrynne and Kaitlynn’s are done, now we’re working on Silas’.

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 investing 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!

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

Click here to download!
Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 12, 2011 comment

Freebies in My Mailbox

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Freebies in My Mailbox

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

We arrived home from our trip to Arkansas tonight and found some fun freebies awaiting us in the mailbox:

::Free Weight Watchers, Parenting, and Martha Stewart Living magazines

::Free Shout Wipes sample

::Free Avery PocketTabs sample

::Free Playtex and Skintimate coupons (not sure where these came from, has anyone figured out yet?)

::Free $10 Kohl’s gift card (they sent these out to a bunch of households this week)

::Free $10 Starbucks gift card and $15 iTunes gift card earned from Swagbucks

::Free Fresh Express Salad coupon

What freebies have arrived in your mailbox this week?

By the way, if you want to start getting great freebies in your mailbox, just start signing up for the freebies I post every day that interest you. Within 4-6 weeks, your mailbox will start filling up with great freebies!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Aug 11, 2011 comment

How to Boost Your Vacation Budget with Groupon

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How to Boost Your Vacation Budget with Groupon

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boost your vacation budget with groupon

Guest post by Kelli.

As an MSM reader, there is a good chance you already enjoy the benefits of using Groupon. But have you considered using it to save money while on vacation?

Our family recently planned a vacation and my cousin happened to send me a link to a mini-golf Groupon for one of the cities we’d be staying in. That got me thinking… What if I signed up for the Groupon e-mails for those cities just until our vacation was over?

I am so glad we did!

How Groupon Boosted Our Vacation Budget:

Restaurants: We love to eat out while we are on vacation and it is usually our main expense besides lodging. We like to try local places, and not stick with the chains. Groupon is great for that!

Grocery Stores: In addition to buying vouchers for several local restaurants, we also found a Groupon for a small local grocery store where we were able to get ingredients for a few homemade meals.

State Parks: We found a Groupon for admission to a state park that saved us around $20.

Entertainment: We purchased a Groupon for an Imagination Movers show — which saved us $84 on our 4 tickets, and the kids loved it.

How to Use Groupon To Save On Your Next Trip

1. Sign Up For All Cities You’ll Be Vacationing In

Go to Groupon and see if the cities you’ll be vacationing in are listed. If so, sign up to receive daily email reminders of the deals available. Some will have no relevance at all to your trip (e.g. deals for lawn care or gutter cleaning) but you should be able to find some deals that will be useful.

2. Plan Ahead

Some Groupons require that you wait a day or two before using. You will also want to see what is in the area that piques your interest and see if a Groupon appears for that particular attraction.

3. Don’t Go Overboard

My hubby had to rein me in a bit (on restaurants, anyway) because I wanted to buy a Groupon for every day we would be on vacation. But that would not allow for any flexibility should plans have to change.

4. Always Check the Expiration Dates

Check the expiration date on the Groupon before purchasing! If you plan to travel in November, but the Groupon expires in September, your money is sadly wasted.

Kelli Hays is a small-town girl slowly figuring out the big-city life. She is the wife to a church planter, mom to three amazing kids, and lover of books.

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

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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

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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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