Selling for Summer

    (Above picture was 24 hours worth of online orders from Kidizen and Buy/Sell/Trade sites)
 
My goal for this spring was to fund the kid's summer programs with my online selling. I now have enough in my Paypal to sign them up for their activities (Becca will be going to a horse riding camp and Joe wants private swim lessons and a couple day camps). By selling the kid's outgrown clothing I made enough to purchase their wardrobes for this summer and enough left over to fund their summer activities. My little hobby of dressing them cute pays off as I finally know the brands that hold and exceed their retail value. By buying clearance or watching sales I can buy an outfit for $20, have them wear it a season, and still sell it for more.

Now that I've funded their summer activities I'll be saving my profits for their curriculum for the fall. I already bought Joe's 2nd grade science, health, and history books (Abeka) for 1/3 of the price through Ebay, the same goes for Becca's science, health, and history. I funded those purchases by selling some curriculum myself that we had no need for. I've decided on Spectrum books for writing, reading, and math and have been able to get those from Half Price Books with credit from books that I take in. So far all the curriculum has had no out of pocket expense this year. That will change as they get older; for example, I'm highly considering the Seton program for Becca once she reaches high school, as it is an accredited school. That will mean $$$, which I hope to still be able to fund with creative ways. Where there is a will, there is a way.

To quote Plato,   

“Necessity is the mother of invention.” 

 

Big Fat ZERO

Did you know that it was possible to have a credit score of ZERO?

Me either.

My bank lender even seemed confused by this.

NerdWallet tells us: 
Normally, credit scores run from 300 to 850, but there is an exception to the rule: a score of zero. It’s not as frightening as it sounds. A zero doesn’t mean you’re a reckless spender—a score of 350 probably would. It simply means that creditors don’t know what to do with you.

I'm glad we took the route of getting pre-approved for a house loan before we found a house that we liked, because it turns out that my husband has a credit score of ZERO. He can't get a loan until he builds up credit.

It seems ironic. We can't get a loan because we carry no debt. I didn't even realize this was possible.

After researching this, I found out that it takes six months after discharged debts for your credit score to drop to zero. Essentially, if you have no open lines of credit you have no score. Because we paid off our house 8 months ago, the credit score dropped to 0 around the first of the year. My credit score is 810 because I have a couple credit cards open (which we don't use) but I can't get the loan myself because I have no income.

The only thing we can do is open some credit lines for hubby (which we did and he was immediately approved for) and wait three to six months for that open credit to show on his credit score. It seems so counterproductive to have to be in debt to show our ability to pay on a loan, especially since these lenders have at hand the proof that we own our cars outright, have total equity of our house, and have not been late on past payments. As this blogger points out, you can actually be punished for your financial stewardship. 

I'm sharing this because I had no idea that paying off all debts could be bad for your credit! If you have no debt, apparently it is still a good idea to keep several credit lines open, whether you like it or not. 
 

In With the New...

While I didn't make New Year's Resolutions this year there are areas of my life that I am working on anew. 

*Clearing clutter. This has been my goal for years, as you all know. In a house that is filled with crafty homeschooled kids who love to read it is an ongoing issue. Books, papers, and projects are always around. Tying in with some of my other goals - a deep household purge is in order.

I started the year off right by cleaning out our chest freezer and listing it on a local buy/sell/trade sight. It sold immediately.

That cleared up a big space in the kitchen and is saving us money with less electricity used. We just haven't needed such a large freezer the past couple years so out with something that was no longer beneficial to our family. And a little extra into our savings account.

*Budgeting is in full swing. Every single purchase is being written down this month. Every single dollar spent, as well as every single dollar saved. It will be interesting for me to review it at the end of the month and figure out a wise budget for the year. 

*A more healthful year with eating and exercising. The motivation of being the maid of honor at my sister's upcoming summer wedding will be helpful. :)

It helps to just be more mindful of areas in my life. I'll update off and on with my progress in these areas!
 

New Year Must Haves

One of my favorite things to do between Christmas and New Years is to get my life organized a bit. You know, taking down the Christmas decor, cleaning up all the wrapping paper bits and boxes, getting the kids rooms organized. But most of all, getting my calendars, planners, and so on ready for the new year.

My husband and mom know me well. For years they have gotten me calendars and journals for Christmas gifts. My New Year's Eve tradition (probably 20 years running now) is to sit by candle light and open my calendars and work on adding important birthdays, anniversaries, etc. So exciting, right?! My kids must have gotten that weirdo gene from me because they now ask for calendars for Christmas and do the same.

I have a monthly budget sheet printed out ready for January as we are going to pay close attention to the money we spend and the money we save. 

We have plans to buy an acreage within the next couple years. Since we recently paid off our house, it is time to start building up a down payment for when we do find that perfect place for us. After looking at prices of places I think we realize that we will need a bit more than we originally thought for the type of place we have in mind. While we await the perfect place to pop up on the market we will also be fixing this house up to be sell ready. So a careful budget for the next few years is a must.

My mom gave me a delightful Bible journal for my morning studies. 

My calendars will hold special dates and the daily journal will hold daily life notes.

The One Year Home & Garden Devotions by Sandra Byrd "offers an encouraging, applicable, sometimes humorous, and always personal word each day for contemporary women of all ages who delight in being busy at home." 

Each month starts out with a recipe, household tip, or gardening hint. Daily you'll read a Bible Verse and then get a glimpse into Byrd's life with a story, reflection, or life lesson. Whether it is about friendship, gardening, homemaking, marriage, or life - you'll feel encouraged to go about your day with a little refreshment and see things with new eyes. 

Just by flipping through this I am really looking forward to making it a part of my morning devotions! (This book was given to me by Tyndale Publishing in exchange for my honest review.) 

My friend knows me well as she gave me this daily desktop coloring calendar. 

I still use the Whitney English Day Planner as well. So, yes, I have my little daily rituals and these are the items that I depend on each New Year to get me organized and on track!

Do you have any New Year must-haves? 
  

My Own Boutique

For years I've dreamed of opening a children's boutique. With children and homeschooling that just wouldn't be feasible at this time. Not to mention that the high overhead of a brick and mortar store can mean little to no profit for years.

Enter the Kidizen app. 

It is a site to sell your children's outgrown clothes on. Sort of like an Etsy for children's items. 

There is a 7% fee, plus Paypal and shipping costs. Luckily, when you list an item in your shop the calculator will tell you the amount you will receive after fees. So you only have to figure in shipping costs to see what your net profit will be.

You get your own little shop (again, similar to Etsy!) and the selling process is easy. No fees to list, only if you sell an item.

The better brands mean more sales. But I have seen bundles of Carter items sell as well. It all depends on what someone is looking for.

Basically, I have my own little shop on Kidizen and only spend a couple hours a week posting items, packaging, and mailing them off. And since I started my shop in June I have made a profit of over $1,000. I sell about 6-15 items on average a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Most are my own children's outgrown items, but every once in awhile I find a great brand at a thrift store that isn't in my child's size and pick it up and list it. For example, some $4 sandals that I sold for $40. 

It's a fun way to make a little extra money, without needing to spend 40 hours a week at an actual storefront.

Now if only I could stop spending a portion of my proceeds at other stores on Kidizen! All my purchases through there have been amazing experiences and I find great brands and fun items that I have never heard of before.

This is not a sponsored post...I just love being able to make a little money as a stay-at-home mom and delve into my passion for children's clothing! It also makes my hubby happy, because he no longer rolls his eyes at a dress purchase of $20 when he knows I can make MORE than that reselling after our child wears it. There are some brands that just retain their value more than others, if not become worth more once it's a past season purchase that is harder to find.  
 

Paid in Full

Years ago, when reading about someone paying their mortgage off quickly I always assumed that they must have a large income. After all, you need the additional funds to pay additional payments, right?

Then I read The Tightwad Gazette and realized that by being thrifty you could save money for additional items, instead of making money.

Nine years ago we bought a house within our price range. So it's no McMansion, but is a cute little house with a cute little yard and fits our needs. It was built in 1880, so has character, which means a bit of a fixer-upper. But it's solid. We've torn out carpets, replaced the fixtures in the bathroom, put on a new roof, painted, etc. We've made it ours.  

Yesterday we totally made it ours. We took a 30 year mortgage and paid it off in 9 years. How, on such a little income, you ask?

Savings. Scrimping. 

My best advice is to pay at least one extra house payment (applied solely to the principal) each year. That alone would cut 7 years off a 30 year mortgage. That is what we started off doing from year one.

Then, even if it was just an additional $25 or $50 a month, apply that extra to the principal when you pay the mortgage each month. It adds up.

Our biggest was when we received tax returns...to apply a big amount to the mortgage. Because we didn't have other debt (car payments, credit cards) we were able to use that to pay extra towards our only debt.

And now we are totally debt free. It's exciting! It made doing without some fun extras totally worth it and just takes a huge weight off your shoulders. To know that every single thing you own is truly owned by you, debt free. 

It's not impossible. Though there will be step backs (when Jacob was sick we didn't have any extra to work on paying off the mortgage...every extra penny went towards gas, food, medical, etc.), stay the course when you do have a little extra. Forgo the vacation, the big screen tv, upgrading your car. It will be worth it in the end!
 

Finding Treasures

The kids and I headed off to another city wide garage sale and hit a few good treasures!

My favorite trinket find was this cute globe, which is actually a little bank. For some reason I seem attracted to globes for decorating and this is the second globe to be added to my "collection".

And that beautiful quilt underneath? It's a twin sized quilt and so original (those greens and reds just scream vintage summer to me!). The woman told me that her mother made it "forever ago". I questioned why she was getting rid of it and was told that she has too much stuff. I told her the quilt would be well loved in our house. 

I didn't even take it out of the package at the sale, as I had already fallen in love with the colors and knew I would buy it no matter the condition (for $5, how could I not?!). When I arrived home and pulled it out I about gasped at how sweet it is. Hand-stitched and in great condition with just one teeny tiny tear and a few small stains.

I hope the woman never regrets selling her mother's handmade quilt. I know I'll always treasure it - it's one of my favorite quilts to date!

The kiddos had fun too! Miss Amy with her new sunglasses and a little bag of Wizard of Oz dolls (her total came to 40 cents today!).

Joe had $12 in birthday money to spend and (surprisingly!) did not let it burn a hole in his pocket. He spent $2 on a giant pirate ship and $1 on a motorized train and has the rest saved for a rainy day.

Becca bought one tiny Littlest Pet Shop and two books for a grand total of 55 cents. 

They are learning the value of a dollar and what is/not worth spending their own money on.
 

Green!

I think I'll snap a photo of my gardens (both flowers and vegetables) periodically throughout the summer to document how it grows it changes.

The flower bed out front is already starting to bloom on the border. I love seeing the bees and butterflys stopping by for a visit. 

My garden grew almost overnight with the rain we received the past few days. The peas are starting to climb so I just put the trellis out.

This year I am using grass clippings as mulch around the plants. It keeps the soil moist, cuts back on weeds, and adds nutrients to the dirt and plants. 

New to our gardening routine this year is our rain barrel. It comes in the nick of time as I just saw that our sewer and water prices are going up.

The barrel is filled with even a light rain and then can be used for watering the plants around the yard. The bonus, besides saving money, is that the plants enjoy rain water much more than city water (kind of scary when you think about it...we are drinking the stuff that the plants don't like!!).

Grocery Update

I've done both good and bad with my grocery shopping and budgeting. 

Bad because I still haven't kept track of how much groceries are costing us weekly.

Good because I have made changes for the better.

One of the biggest changes is shopping mainly from the sales flyer each week and stocking up on the loss leaders. Eggs were on sale for 99 cents a dozen so I got 4 dozen. Butter was $1.29 (or was it $1.59? Either way, it was cheap!) so I got the limit of two. When it's a good deal, I'm grabbing and stocking up on several to last us until the next sale.

The biggest change for us is that we make a few trips a month to the local Amish salvage store. What is that, you ask? When a grocery store has items damaged in shipping (dented cans and boxes) or close to expiration dates they often send them to "salvage" where businesses can buy large boxes often by the pound and resell them. While you have to watch closely for the expiration dates (I don't mind a month or two expired as "best buy" dates are often just suggestions) the deals there can not be beat.

The nice thing about this store is that items come from all over the country, so you can find things that you can't buy anywhere locally. You never know what you will find so if there is something awesome I grab them all! 

For example, my last shopping trip netted:

*R.W. Knudsen Organic Blueberry Pomegranate Juice for 75 cents a bottle. I know that our local health food store sells this brand for over $4 a bottle. The expiration date is not until 2016 so I bought all 8 bottles they had.

*A 12 bar package of Clif Kid Z organic brownie Bars for 75 cents. Expiration date of Sept 2015 and the box just slightly dented.

*Celestial Tea boxes. These are "holiday flavors" such as Sugar Plum Spice and Pumpkin Spice. They don't expire until 2016. I bought all the boxes they had, probably 10 in total for 50 cents each. 

*Deliciously Organic Better Baking Blend (Coconut and Cane Sugar). Doesn't expire until July and was just 50 cents for a pound of it. I bought the two bags they had.

*Annie's Organic whole wheat shells and extra cheesy cheddar sauce. 75 cents a box and expired a month. My kids like mac and cheese for lunch sometimes so I bought all 10 boxes they had. These sell for over $2 a box at the store. I think more like $3 since they are the creamy deluxe version.

*Starbucks and Green Mountain Ground Coffee for $3 and $2.50 a bag.

This is just a sampling of what I have bought there. For example...I have chicken in the crockpot for supper and topped it with a jar of natural salsa I bought there for 65 cents. I will add in the Zataran's Red Beans and Rice mix that I bought for 30 cents a box. It will be rolled into a tortilla and topped with cheese for a very inexpensive supper.

Next step is to keep track of my weekly spending. We shall see how that goes! ;)
 

Hungry, Hungry Hippos

One of my most popular posts, even 4 years later, is How to Feed a Family of Five Under $75 Weekly. Daily I get a hit or two on that post alone. 

For years I was able to come in at $75 or under a week for groceries. All that went out the window when Jacob got sick. We were blessed by being surrounded by caring people who dropped off meals, sent gift certificates for the grocery store, or local restaurant gift certificates. That took a huge strain off of me having to closely budget and shop all the sales. It allowed me that extra time with Jacob, which I will forever be grateful for.

But a lot happens in three years, mainly rising costs of groceries. And boy, did the cost of groceries rise in the past five years! When I went back to budgeting, meal planning, and detailed grocery shopping in the fall of 2013, I was horrified by how our grocery budget needed to be doubled, if not tripled, some weeks. 

Still, I am in sticker shock. My problem is doubled by the fact that I could care less about food. No, I haven't stopped eating, probably the opposite is true, but the pleasure of meal planning...of even being able to think up a menu seems a little beyond me yet. It's grief, it's not really caring about this issue, it's trying not to stress out about it. 

But stress I do.

I find myself running to the grocery store a few times a week. Spending $30-$40 and walking out of there with just a few meal's worth of food, then repeating the process a few days later. I find myself sending hubby to the store for something, only to have him return with several bags of (unasked for!) stuff. I find us eating too much junk. Going through food too quickly. Wasting time and money. It's a circle way too easy to fall into.

I've gotten to the point that I don't even know how much we spend on food, and am a bit scared to find out. I don't even know what a reasonable weekly food goal is at this point. According the a quick Google search it sounds like $900 or more for a family of four?!

I did the Frugal Housewife's $70 Menu Plan (which ended up costing me $82) in 2012. We found the menu to involve way too much bread and not many meals that we liked. I did a $400 Healthy Month Meal Challenge in 2010 and don't think I could replicate that 5 years later.

We are a family of five. My husband packs a lunch each day for work. With us homeschooling, every single meal and snack is on me to provide. That adds up to a lot of food. Add in a 6 year old boy that literally grew out of his shirts in a one week span and a tween that will soon be as tall as me. A toddler that burns her energy as fast as she makes it. Food, food, food seems to be the theme around here! Even the cats beg for food all day long. :/

What is my point? I'm hoping to get back on track. My first goal is getting together a good menu and shopping list for this coming week. My next goal is to figure out just how much we are spending on groceries each week. My next goal will be to see how low we can go. I shall allow you peeks into this process.

What area of the country do you live in and what is your grocery budget each week?
 

Frugal Food Plan

The USDA put a chart out estimating the cost of food for a family of four last January (2011). It was estimated that on the "thrifty" plan a family would spend $598. On the "low cost" it would be $779, "moderate plan" was $974 and "liberal plan" was $1184 (with children ages 6-11). Those amounts are staggering to me...even the "thrifty plan" is almost double what we, a family of 5, spends monthly on food.

Recently I have been in a bit of a rut with cooking. I haven't come up with great meal plans or grocery lists and I wanted some help with that, so decided to try the Hillbilly Housewife's $70 grocery plan which was put together in 2006. It was a complete menu with complete shopping list that would cost $70 for a week. She revised it in 2009 where it ended up costing $82.26. Because it has a complete menu (including snacks), complete shopping list, and a list of preparations to do and when I decided to give it a go. I wanted something easy for a no-brainer week.

It is not a low-fat or completely healthy menu, but it is pretty much from scratch. With me tweaking a few recipes and sticking to the portion control I think it will end up being healthy.

I was hoping to come in around that $82 price tag (even based on 2009 prices) because I didn't have to buy a lot of what was listed (flour, sugar, spices). Unfortunately, I came in at $96.xx

That ends up costing more than what I typically spend each week. Luckily, I don't think that's a final total as some of what I bought will last longer than a week (the corn meal, dry milk, Miracle Whip, etc.). Because I didn't feel there was enough fruit, I added the bananas and watermelon (though I did not count them in the total price).

I'm starting this menu tomorrow and am curious to see how my family likes it. For me, it's not as thrifty as my usual plan, but I thought I would mention it here for those who do spend more and would like to cut back for a week. If we like this menu I may pull it out once a month to have a no-brainer cooking week.

Resolutions

What are the top two New Year's Resolutions?

Loosing Weight

Saving Money

I feel comfortable where I am at with my budget. I do feel the need to tweak it just a bit in order to put more into savings.

I do hope to lose 10-15 pounds this year (I think 1 lb. a month is a very attainable goal!).

What does this have to do with my blog? The fact that I want to loose weight means that I need to make myself accountable. What is more accountable than posting it on a blog for the world to see? I'll post what works (or doesn't work) for me...starting after the new year.

Since I'm comfortable with our budget I want to help those of you who are not comfortable with yours get comfortable, if that is one of your new years resolutions. While I am not a money expert (though I've always considered college for majoring in financial planning) I may have some hints and tips that may help you. Looking to become a stay at home mom? Needing to save up for an expensive purchase? Want a retirement fund? Hoping to pay off debt this year? I think I can help you with ideas for that!

I will pepper my blog with posts on these topics throughout the coming weeks. If you have a specific question on either weight loss or money management, leave them in the comments and I will answer them in upcoming posts. Otherwise, I'll just fly by the seat of my pants!

If you have different new year's resolutions then the two above, what are you hoping to change this coming year?

Pantry Cooking

Yesterday I mentioned pantry cooking. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the word, it means to make meals from your pantry (and fridge and freezer) instead of going grocery shopping. It's a great way to use up the items that got pushed to the back of the shelf or hidden under other items in the freezer, as well as a way to save money by not shopping that week. If your typical grocery budget is $100 weekly and you are able to not go shopping for a week that is an extra $100 in your pocket.

The past couple weeks I have been doing a lot of pantry cooking and spending way less at the grocery store because of it. Using up pasta from the shelves, chicken from the freezer, frozen vegetables and canned goods has helped me use up items before they went bad and saved us some money which we were able to use in other areas.

I recently ran across two bean recipes at The Path to Frugality which called for ingredients that I already had on hand and usually have on hand. I love recipes like these! My husband is not a big bean fan but even he liked both of these recipes. I thought I would share here but I suggest you visit Martha over at her blog as she will be posting more pantry recipes as well!

Hungry Boys' Casserole
1 lb. hamburger
1 cup celery, sliced
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced (or substitute dried minced garlic)
1 can tomato paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 - 1 lb. cans pork n beans, undrained
1 tomato paste can full of water
Brown the hamburger with the celery, onion and garlic til hamburger is cooked and vegetables are tender. Drain. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir together. Pour into a casserole dish (I use an 11 x 7 inch rectangular pan). Top with drop biscuits (recipe follows).
Biscuits:
1 1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup milk
Sift flour, baking powder and salt. Cut in the margarine. Add the milk and stir into a dough. Drop by tablespoons on top of bean mixture. Bake at 425 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.

Chili Beef Casserole
1 lb. ground beef (or less)
1 small onion chopped
1 16 oz. can pork n beans, undrained
1 can corn, undrained
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 cups corn chips OR cornbread batter
1/2 cup (or less) shredded cheese - can be optional
In skillet brown ground beef with onion, rinse or drain the fat. Add the beans, corn, and chili powder. Pour into a casserole dish and top with the corn chips OR make a cornbread batter from 1 box of Jiffy cornbread mix OR do as I do and make your own cornbread batter from scratch. Sprinkle with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes.

What is your favorite pantry meal?

Exhausting!

The past three months, with these money challenges, have been exhausting. I had a reader leave a comment the other day saying that it seems that I think about saving money every hour of every day and I will disagree by saying that I "typically" don't but the past three months I have. When setting myself up for such a limited budget it is not only stressful but also quite time consuming. Planning my shopping takes double, or triple, the amount of time. Deciding plans for the day revolves around figuring out if we have enough money for this or that. It is truly exhausting to have to "think" so much about every little thing.

We do live on a small income. We do have to watch our spending and give up several things in order to live within our means. But we have enough leeway in our monthly income that we do not have to watch every little purchase that we make. It lifts a heavy burden off your shoulders to have that little leeway. These months that I did the $1,200 challenge I was stressed to the max. I felt like I spent hours each week figuring out what to spend and where to spend it and how to save. It was like a full-time job just trying to manage my spending to keep it below a certain amount. I truly feel for those families who have to live like that every single day. Who have no leeway to give them a little relief. Experiencing that has given me a new appreciation for those people who truly have to juggle every single penny they spend.

I've been asked if I will be doing another challenge next month. I need to take a break! With homeschooling added to my plate it is close to overflowing and I feel that I just can't handle the stress of another challenge next month. I do see another budget challenge, or another type of challenge, in my future but I do need one month to rest! :) My blog will be back to it's regular scheduled programing of mommyhood, my daily life, and recipes and frugal tips thrown in here or there. Just thinking of my regular schedule is a weight lifted off my shoulders!

There are also many plans for changing the blog around, so please excuse the dust if I do a little remodeling. I'm considering doing away with third party advertising on here and will be marketing some sponsored advertising. If your business or blog would be interested in advertising on the right hand column please e-mail me at babys_mama1 "at" yahoo.com The first month special is a steal!

Lots of changes and exciting things to come as I begin the second year of blogging; be sure to stay tuned!

Savings Is Smart

We have all heard the advice that financial experts tout about having an emergency fund. It used to be three months worth of living expenses but I think that "they" have recently raised it up to six months worth of living expenses. That can be a daunting task, so unrealistic for some that they don't even begin to try.

Having a savings account that is used only for emergencies or unexpected, un-budgeted things is important. If you or a spouse loses a job having a savings account to fall back upon is the difference between being okay or running up debt. When a roof needs repaired or a car needs replaced having something in savings results in being able to replace those things without needing to take out a loan.

We all know that. I don't have to go on and on about why it is important. The question is, how do you start a savings account when you are living paycheck to paycheck? We have three to four month's worth of expenses in savings. Within the last five years we have paid for three vehicles, a bathroom remodel, and a re-roofing job out of pocket and still been able to build our savings back to a fairly good amount in case of emergencies. Actually, we are really saving up to have a good down payment on an acreage someday in the future, but if something unexpected came up we would be able to draw out of savings without being in debt.

How can it be done? Start off small. If you are used to putting nothing in savings, start putting $5 or $10 in your account each pay period. It adds up slowly but it does add up. Another option is to put a small percentage of money into savings each pay period. Our online banking has the option of choosing a percentage to transfer. For example, let's say you got paid on Friday and your checking account showed you had $2,000. You could choose to transfer, let's say, 5% into savings...so $100. If you do this on each payday before spending any money you really won't miss it. If $100 sounds like too much since you are living paycheck to paycheck, start with 1% or 2%. If you get extra money, say from a garage sale, tax return, or gift be sure to stick at least half of that amount into savings. Pay yourself before paying others.

The next step is to not touch this money! This is the hard part for so many because if it is there it is so easy to use $20 here and $20 there. You need to realize that this is a savings account and that you are saving for something. It is not for going out to eat, buying new clothing or electronics, etc. If it is not a pressing need then it does not come out of your emergency fund. If you do think you will be grabbing cash out of the savings account for a vacation or Christmas gifts then open another account. Most banks have something called a "Christmas Account" where you can deposit a set amount each month and withdraw it when needed. This would be a good account for you, which is separate from your savings account.

Be sure to keep on saving. If you need to withdraw money (we all do at one time or another) be sure to build that account back up as soon as possible. Start small again if you need to. You decide what a good amount of savings is good for your family. A good rule of thumb is at least three months worth of living expenses.

What advice do you have about savings accounts/emergency funds?

Failure x 2

Yep, I failed my challenge again this month. On Thursday evening we had $183.75 left for the month. Then I paid a $133.00 electric bill. Then we went grocery shopping and spent $65.00. Well, I take that back. When looking at my grocery receipts I saw that they charged us twice for the same watermelon, so we will be getting $5 of that grocery bill back next time we are at that particular store (another reminder to check those receipts!). It still means that those two purchases alone brought us $14.25 over budget. Then my husband bought some sneakers that he desperately needed (seriously, his other ones are falling apart!) so that was another $40 over budget. Looks like right now we are around $1,254.25. I don't foresee much shopping for the next three days so we are still under what we were in June when we attempted this budget (we went over about $150 that month).

I'm okay with that. I'm actually impressed with it. This challenge was for myself and I came pretty darn near to making the goal. *pats self on back*

This & That

We are finally having some cooler weather that feels more like Fall. Today looks to be beautiful, superb, and perfect...weather-wise, anyway. Right now there is a family issue that is taking a lot of my attention and bringing heartache. Nothing that I care to elaborate, and it's not within my very immediate family (so no worries for us directly) but it's something that brings home the fact that life is precious and that we need to let those who are precious to us know it every single day. Even amidst chaos and confusion there are those little moments in the day that we can stop and be still in awe of God's grace and glory. A perfect weather day, such as today, is one of those little moments. One of those breaths of fresh air. A reminder that no matter what we have to go through, God is there to hold our hand through our trials, or carry us through them if needed.

My goal for today is to just be. To find the joy in the little things. Hanging out wash on a sunny day. Holding grubby little hands that clutch mine as we take a walk. Watching my two oldest learn as they sit around our own kitchen table, knowing that I am giving them my best. Creating sandwiches from the tomatoes that our garden produced. Hearing the birds in the trees. That will bring peace to my soul today.

On that note, I haven't updated my budget plan in awhile. Due to sickness and stress, it slipped my mind. I went through my records today and it looks like my hubby spent $32.54 at the grocery store on Saturday, I spent $35.48 at Kohl's the other day, $15.00 in gas, $4.96 at Dollar General, and $21.15 at the grocery store yesterday for a total left for the month of $182.75. With six days left in the challenge. Unfortunately, I have a large electric bill coming up to pay and also need to do a big grocery shopping trip yet this week so I doubt we will come in under budget, but fairly close is good enough for me! :) How are all of you doing?

Tips

What do thrifty people do about tipping those who serve us? Should one be stingy with tips, since a tip isn't 'required'?

I've seen very heated debates about tipping before. There is one extreme that feels you should tip 20%+ even if the service was bad. Then the other extreme who feel you shouldn't tip at all since the servers were just doing their job; after all, you wouldn't tip a cashier at Walmart or your garbage man, would you?

I don't often frequent businesses where a tip is even considered. Not because I'm against tips but because these types of places are typically more expensive to begin with. Sit down restaurants, hair stylists, nail salons, pet groomers, and so on. We are lucky to go to these types of places once or twice a year (well, never the nail salon or pet groomer...we do our own!).

We do tip. If our service was good we tip 15-20%, a few times it's been more than that. If the service was bad, or non-existent, we have been known to leave a very small tip, or a few times, none at all. I don't feel that it is our duty to pay our server to do a job that was done badly. A tip, to me, is a thank you for a job well done.

I suppose I could elaborate on tipping but I don't have a lot of experience with it as it only comes up a couple times a year in our life. I would love to hear from those of you who work in the service industry and also those of you who do/don't tip. How do you feel about tipping?

One Of Those Weeks & Reader's Updates

It has been one of those weeks. Those crazy busy, filled to the brim, don't have a moment to think weeks.

School started this week. As a homeschooling family that means that mama is just a tad bit busier these days. Becca is in first grade and Jacob is in Kindergarten so their book work doesn't take all day. We can get their seat work done in less than an hour and then devote time throughout the day to work on art projects, PE, and various hands on experiences. Daddy is teaching them History this year so that is one thing less on my plate.

School started off great the first day. Then the kids all got sick. Throwing up sick. Grouchy sick. Cranky sick. Hyper in between sickness sick. Not only the kids got sick, but mama and daddy haven't felt so hot the past couple days either. I got off easy with an upset stomach but hubby even came home early from work yesterday because he felt so bad.

We've done school in between these bouts of sickness but it hasn't been fun.

I got a sunburn on Monday when we were at a park all afternoon for a homeschool picnic and have been dealing with the pain and peeling the past few days. I have taken up jogging (somewhat) and have been dealing with shin pain. Walking/running 3-4 miles last night with the dog gave me blisters on both heels, so more pain. I won't complain too much because I love, love, love the peace and quiet and the energy boost I get from these walks/runs.

I think we are all finally on the mend so here is to a brighter next week!

For a budget update: Wednesday hubby ran to the store for pop, Popsicles, and a few other things for a total of $8.91. Life Insurance was due which was $22.36. $20 in gas was put in the van. Yesterday Groupon had a deal where you could buy a $50 GAP coupon for just $25. This can be used on clearance prices as well so I bought one. I figure I can get some pretty cheap clothes or underwear and socks for the kids by matching this with clearance prices. I bought one for $25...at least I hope I bought one. I never received a confirmation e-mail and can't figure out how to check my account to see if it was bought. So I will tentatively say that I spent $25. We are down to $291.78 left for the month.

I forgot to have reader updates last Friday so now if your chance to check in if you have been taking a Budget Challenge along with me. How are you doing close to three weeks into the month? If you are blogging about this please share your blog link as well!

Stop Throwing Your Money Away Part II

A few days ago I wrote about paper plates and paper towels. I mentioned finding a new favorite thing for cleaning windows.

Micro Fiber Cloths!

I've heard about them before but was addicted to paper towels for cleaning windows and picking up spills that I didn't want to give them a chance. A month ago when I met some ladies for a fun filled day of shopping we stopped at a little Amish General Store and there was a large pile of micro fiber cloths with a little booklet about them. We all grabbed one to try at home and paid around $2 each.

I am in love with this product! I have not bought a roll of paper towels for over a month now. As I mentioned in my previous post, I am using rags for messy messes and am now using the Micro Fiber cloth for mirrors. It works 100 times better than any paper towel, leaving no streaks or fibers behind on the mirrors and windows. I have children who love to peer out the window and I have two full length mirrors attached to both sides of the bathroom door, so there are always oodles of fingerprints to wipe off. This cloth does the trick.

It is thick, soft, and reusable. Once it's dirty just throw it in the wash. No more paper towels to buy...or throw away!

Micro Fiber is plastic (80% polyester, 20% polyamide). A microscopic plastic wire cuts through dust, grime, and moisture and picks it up like a magnet without scratching the surface. It absorbs up to seven times it's weight in moisture and can be used on any surface.

Can also be used for:

carpet spots and spills, dish drying, vegetable and fruit cleaning, computers, hair drying, pet care, and more!

I've seen these at the dollar stores before and am fairly certain that even Walmart carries them in the car care section. My towel is called a "Miracle Towel" but I am sure all micro fiber cloths are fairly similar. Try one - it will save you money and save the waste that paper towels create.