I am so excited about participating in the Chic Click Carnival hosted by Chic Chick Media. My site is all about saving money, living simply, and enjoying the Blessings of our Lord. If you’ve read some of my first posts about saving money, you know I LOVE coupons! Sooooooo…
Today I am featuring my favorite peep of the week: Valerie, TheCuteCouponer. I found out about her blog over at BlogFrog. Loving coupons, I had to go visit her site at http://www.thecutecouponer.blogspot.com. Look though her archives for some great ways to save when shopping.While you’re browsing, check out Visit Our Peeps. Have Fun!
Yippee! Big Fat Mama at http://www.cookingupfaith.com has given me the Sunshine Blog Award. Is that cool, or what? You really have no idea how much that means to me! Thank you so much!
Winners are asked to select 12 other recipients to pass on their awards. Selecting only twelve is TOUGH! Here are my selections- in no particular order:
Yippee! Big Fat Mama at http://www.cookingupfaith.com has given me the Sunshine Blog Award. Is that cool, or what? You really have no idea how much that means to me! Thank you so much!
Winners are asked to select 12 other recipients to pass on their awards. Selecting only twelve is TOUGH! Here are my selections- in no particular order:
I am so excited! I’m learning my way around Twitter. I’ve resurrected my blog – with some spiffy additions to spice things up! I joined some groups – wow- there is so much out there. I am having so much FUN. It feels good to (finally) be able to spend some time on my own pursuits. We all know that we’re supposed to take “me time,” to be good to ourselves, to nurture our spirits and such. Knowing and practicing are two entirely different things I have found! I know I’m not alone in this. I read so much about finding balance. Lately, I’ve had trouble just finding “me.” We get so caught up in being a wife, a mother, a teacher, a home-keeper, a cook, a daughter, a friend, a worker, a volunteer, etc. that we loose site of how important it is to be “me.” We spend all our energy and our time (well spent, of course) on our families & we just run out for ourselves. It seems that there is ALWAYS something or someone demanding our attention. While that is true and we MUST take care of our families and our homes, we MUST take care of ourselves. I’m not talking about healthy eating, exercise, prayer time. All that is VITAL to a healthy, happy and long life. This is different, though. I’m talking about FUN. Taking a few moments to enjoy something that is just for us – all to ourselves. Maybe for you it is a bubble bath (not a quickie shower but an indulgent, long soak). For some it may be a long awaited curl-up with a good book. Tonight, for me, it is computer time. Tomorrow it will be a McD frappe. I’m going to take at least 15-30mins EVERY day to do something just for me. My goal/mantra will be “I will not feel guilty and I will not get sidetracked. I will BE me- just me, for me.” Thirty minutes is hardly selfish. Ladies, we deserve it and we need it. I dare say it will reflect in a refreshed and improved attitude. Have you ever looked up one day and realized you had lost a part of yourself? Is it difficult for you to set aside time for yourself? If so let me challenge and encourage you to take some time HAVING FUN. Reconnect with hobbies/interests. I want to hear your goals. If you are already “balanced,” I’d love to hear how you do it. Let me know how you take care of yourself. What does your “me time” involve?
I am so excited! I’m learning my way around Twitter. I’ve resurrected my blog – with some spiffy additions to spice things up! I joined some groups – wow- there is so much out there. I am having so much FUN. It feels good to (finally) be able to spend some time on my own pursuits. We all know that we’re supposed to take “me time,” to be good to ourselves, to nurture our spirits and such. Knowing and practicing are two entirely different things I have found! I know I’m not alone in this. I read so much about finding balance. Lately, I’ve had trouble just finding “me.” We get so caught up in being a wife, a mother, a teacher, a home-keeper, a cook, a daughter, a friend, a worker, a volunteer, etc. that we loose site of how important it is to be “me.” We spend all our energy and our time (well spent, of course) on our families & we just run out for ourselves. It seems that there is ALWAYS something or someone demanding our attention. While that is true and we MUST take care of our families and our homes, we MUST take care of ourselves. I’m not talking about healthy eating, exercise, prayer time. All that is VITAL to a healthy, happy and long life. This is different, though. I’m talking about FUN. Taking a few moments to enjoy something that is just for us – all to ourselves. Maybe for you it is a bubble bath (not a quickie shower but an indulgent, long soak). For some it may be a long awaited curl-up with a good book. Tonight, for me, it is computer time. Tomorrow it will be a McD frappe. I’m going to take at least 15-30mins EVERY day to do something just for me. My goal/mantra will be “I will not feel guilty and I will not get sidetracked. I will BE me- just me, for me.” Thirty minutes is hardly selfish. Ladies, we deserve it and we need it. I dare say it will reflect in a refreshed and improved attitude. Have you ever looked up one day and realized you had lost a part of yourself? Is it difficult for you to set aside time for yourself? If so let me challenge and encourage you to take some time HAVING FUN. Reconnect with hobbies/interests. I want to hear your goals. If you are already “balanced,” I’d love to hear how you do it. Let me know how you take care of yourself. What does your “me time” involve?
MAKE YOUR OWN CLEANING SUPPLIES. This is cheap and so easy. There are several good recipes on the net but I will post my own soon. You probably already have these things in your pantry: vinegar, salt, baking soda, olive oil, and lemon to name a few! OK, so you are not into “home made,” go to the dollar store. Supplies are much less there than at the market.
CREATE A PATIO GARDEN. Even if you do not have a large yard you can still enjoy fresh vegetables from container planting. Tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, peppers, and herbs do well in tight places. Healthy and thrifty – what could be better?
MINIMIZE DINNING OUT. Brown bagging lunch saves a TREMENDOUS amount of money over the course of a year. So does cooking and eating your evening meals at home. Enjoy your family time at the table. Face it, you can not get COMFORT food at a fast food joint. When you do go out, train the kids to pick from the dollar menu. You will be amazed at the amount of money that is suddenly available in your budget.
While you are cooking, MAKE ENOUGH TO FREEZE FOR LATER. I also buy the family packs of meat when they are on sale. It only takes a few minutes to break them down into smaller portions and it saves a bundle! My freezer and zip baggies keep my kitchen going!
CUT ENTERTAINMENT EXPENSE by going to the morning or mid-day show instead of the evening movie. Eat before you go to avoid killer prices on snacks at the concession stand. Rent a few a month instead and you will save even more. FAMILY GAME NIGHTS are more fun for us than movies and the games are things we have already purchased for the kids.
Use a DIGITAL THERMOSTAT that you can program. I cut my electric bill in half and my house is comfortable all year long. We spent $25 and approximately 30 minutes installing and programming the digital thermostat. It was so easy and the savings have been HUGE!
CAULK WINDOWS & DOORS. I don’t mean seal them shut – just around the facings where all the cracks are. If you see daylight – you are throwing money away. You may need a rubber or foam threshold at the bottom of your doors. Can you hear your father yelling “shut the door, we are not cooling the whole neighborhood!”? It is the same thing. Keep your warm/cool air inside and the bugs outside. It costs around ten bucks and could take a couple of hours depending on how many doors and windows you have.
AVOID IMPULSE BUYING. Do you absolutely have to get that blouse? Sleep on it a few days. Most of the time I decide I really don’t want or need whatever it was that SEEMED so important at the time.
Better yet – DO NOT GO shopping unless you have a list. Hitting the stores when you are bored is a bad, bad, bad idea. If you know you have a problem with sticking to a budget, do not invite unnecessary temptation.
UTILIZE THE PUBLIC LIBRARY for entertainment. It is not just for books – you can check out videos too. Many libraries have reading/craft programs for young children and “how-to” workshops for adults. Super cheap fun!
CLIP COUPONS. I do not have time to search the endless internet for all coupons. I use only three online sources: P&G ESaverhttp://www.pgesaver.com/Sites/PG_eSAVER/Page/HomePage , Shortcuts http://shortcuts.com/ , and CellFirehttp://www.cellfire.com/ . These are great because I can download them directly to my Kroger card – SUPER EASY. I get the rest from the Sunday edition of my local paper. At first, clipping coupons was very time consuming. Once I got the hang of it, I streamlined the process. Now, I never spend more than 30 minutes a week on clipping and organizing my coupons. Considering what I save it is absolutely worth my time.
PLAN AHEAD. I make a list and I stick to it. I meal plan two weeks ahead of time so I can make a list according to my coupons and the weekly sale paper. My list helps me avoid impulse buying and the meal plan helps me avoid wasting food.
STORE REWARDS CARDS. Sign up for a saver or reward card at your market. Many items on sale give an extra discount only to card holders. My local Kroger has a gas station. I save on food and an average of ten cents per gallon on fuel.
SKIMP ON CONVENIENCE ITEMS & JUNK FOOD. It costs a fortune & is soooo unhealthy.
DOLLAR STORES are a great place to save on toiletries, food storage items, and cleaning supplies. I rarely purchase non-food items at the grocery store.
These five things alone save me $20-$75 each trip plus I get the bonus of saving at the gas pump too!
Face it: most of us have limited resources. The paycheck goes only so far. When we spend money on frivolous items we may run the risk of shorting later on the necessities. Using a budget can allow you to prioritize both wants and needs. We want to make the most of our money for our families, right? Making the most of and doing the most good with what you have is called stewardship. God is very clear that He will supply our needs (Philp 4:19); however, He expects us to maximize what He gives us. We are to give back a portion to provide for the needs of others (1 Cor 16: 1&2 and Mal 3:8-12). We are to demonstrate responsibility with what He has given us (1 Cor 4:1-2 and Lk 16:10-13). Since our homemaking tasks are ultimately unto the Lord (Col 3:23-24), we should carefully consider using and sticking to a budget. Juggling the family budget can be quite a chore but worthy of our hard work. The natural payoff: more for our family. The supernatural payoff: God blesses our obedience. Even if our spouses or children do not appreciate or cooperate with bugeting, the Lord sees our effort (Heb 4:13) and rewards it (Prov 14:23).
More stuff equals more chaos. Clutter is visually distracting and physically stressful. It adds to sensory OVERLOAD. I don’t practice fengshui but common sense tells you one can’t relax in a crowded, unorganized mess.
The more we have, the more we have to maintain what we have. It is a vicious cycle of time, energy and resources. We have to clean it, store it, fix it… TOO CONSUMING.
Save money by not spending it on MORE STUFF. Start a Christmas Club account instead! Think of how much you’d have at the end of the year.
Living with less frees us: less baggage emotionally and physically. Less stuff=more time & money=less guilt.
If I save EVERYTHING, then NOTHING is special. Treasures are meant to be seen and enjoyed not packed away in the closet or attic. Trust me- your children will not want to be burdened with dealing with all your junk when you die.
Bless others from your overabundance. Who really needs 48 pairs of shoes anyway? So many people could really benefit from things that are accumulated and never used in other more fortunates closets.
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