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. 
 

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.  
 

Got Tea?

With paring down my grocery budget budget, I've been buying a lot in bulk. Not bulk as in Sam's Club, but bulk purchases when I find good sales, awesome clearance, or in this case, lots of goodies on the Amish bent and dent shelves.

With winter coming up (seriously, I can't even...but think about it...Christmas is just 5 months away!!!) one can never have enough tea. 

We are big tea drinkers in this house. Finding boxes of organic tea bags for just 40 cents a box is a killer deal. This box is arranged two boxes deep, so that is at least 30 boxes of tea. And if there is still some left on the shelf the next time I go I will be grabbing more.

Now to just find a place to store all these...
 

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!!).

Life, Lately

*Today my husband works his last day at the job he has held for 9 years. Next week he will be on to bigger and better things. More on that later!

*Becca took her end of year CAT tests. She scored pretty good, except in math. Which just reiterates that we will be continuing math through the summer. One of the many benefits of homeschooling.

I made violet jelly this year. The color is so beautiful. Unfortunately, I think I added too much liquid, which means it didn't jell as much as jelly should. Never fear though, it will be used as a simple syrup in drinks and on ice cream and pancakes. And I'll know to follow directions better next year.   

I also made strawberry rhubarb jam. That turned out perfectly and I can't wait to pull it out this winter and have a taste of spring in my mouth. I'm using our huge excess of rhubarb to make deserts and yumminess. A new favorite is this strawberry rhubarb crisp. We go through a whole dish of it for a snack! 

Joe has been practicing on his new skate board that he received for his 7th birthday. I imagine soon enough he will be doing tricks and turns and ready for the skate park down the street. 

I haven't bought a package of disposable diapers for over two months. Except for a few day trips, she has been solely wearing cloth diapers. It's saving loads of money, is better on her skin, and just makes the clothesline look pretty. I'm so glad for the sunny weather again, too, to catch up on all the laundry. My electric bill is happy as well, going down by $20-$30 now with the clothesline usage. 
 

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! ;)
 

Slow Down

One of the nice things about winter is the slower pace. It's the makings of creativity. 

I worked on a little sewing project for Amy and ended up with this top. I know she will be looking fancy come spring. 

Our school days have included more busy work.

Have kids running around the house or keeping busy at the table? I know which I choose! No snow days for these kiddos! ;)

I've been purging closets and continue with the S.O.S challenge (getting rid of at least 5 items per day). I even mailed out several packages this past week of clothing items I sold and cashed in an $80 credit from ThredUp for the bag I had sent them and another $25 from my Swap.com account (by the way, use SPRING at checkout for free shipping when ordering - they have some great stuff!). 

I did good on my first $100 weekly grocery trip. I took $100 out of the bank and used that for all purchases that week. We ended the week with $10 left! This week is not going as well. I think we are at $160. :( That's not good, though it's not just food. That included gas, hair cut, babysitting, etc. Luckily the cash I mentioned above helps to offset that extra expense. Just keeping closer track of my spending is helping me spend less.  
 

Living Well Spending Less

"Ultimately, how we spend our money is a direct reflection of what is in our hearts." Thus begins the book Living Well Spending Less by Ruth Soukup.

As someone who went from a complete penny-pincher to a careless spendthrift, I nodded at that assessment. There is a hole in my heart after the loss of Jacob and there is now a hole crater in my budget. I got to the point that I didn't care. Money is just money, right?

This book brought me back from the brink of excess spending. There isn't anything new in the book. Everything within, from why we need to be good stewards of our money to how to save at the grocery store are all things I already knew. But reminders are a good thing and it pressed my old money ways a little stronger on my heart.

It's not just about money. It delves into how you spend your time, how much you value your friendships, how your goals can make or break you, how simplifying your home can simplify your life. How less really is more. More than a "how-to guide", this is Ruth's own story of her shopaholic tendencies and how she is breaking herself of her bad habits, and why. It brings a lot of religion into play, which may not encourage someone who is not a Christian, but the main principals of her story should help anyone who spends a little more than they like or someone who wishes they could save more than they have been.

Disclaimer: This book was given to me by BookLook Bloggers in exchange for my honest opinion.  
 

Savings Chart

I printed this chart out and plan to start backwards (since December is an expensive month it's better to end at $1 to put into savings instead of $52!), checking off every week that I do add to savings.

This may be somewhat of a challenge as I figure out a new budget. Obama Care is not our friend, adding a whopping $250 extra each month that I will have to come up with. So much for helping the lower income and uninsured out. 

January is always a good month to rework the budget and I'll be looking for ways to cut corners. And every budget should include a savings account!
 

Start Saving

Remember this weekly savings chart I was going to follow? This year kind of got hectic and after a few weeks I was unable to continue to follow it. Funny how that happens. We've been living paycheck to paycheck this year so didn't have that extra to put into savings. Hospital bills, birth bills, an ambulance ride, a different vehicle, time off from work, and a funeral will do that to you.

Let me just tell you how happy I was that we have been so strict with our money in our marriage because the last three years tested our financial strength. It's impossible to tell you just how expensive it is to have a chronically ill/terminally ill family member, unless you've experienced it yourself. We were blessed to have so many people rally around us and help alleviate some of that burden but it's astounding how it starts to sink you financially (as well as emotionally). The funeral, plots (my husband and I made sure to purchase our plots alongside Jacob's), and headstone alone were over $10,000.

Yeah.

It is possible to prepare for an emergency before it hits. I know God prepared us well in advance to weather this storm, both emotionally and financially. The fact that we were able to get our finances in order just before Jacob became ill, the fact that we were used to living beneath our means, the fact that we knew how to cut corners. God also blessed us with people who helped us financially along the way.

Because of all this we will be okay, financially. It may take awhile to get back on track, but it is do-able.

One step is going back to saving money (which means I'll bring some money saving articles back to my blog) but also building the savings back up. I plan to start the savings chart in the new year.

The first step, whether you are deep in debt or financially comfortable, is to build up a savings for an emergency. Too many people feel that a small savings won't help them in a big situation such as this but small is better than nothing. You have to start somewhere. "Pay yourself" first is the key to being financially stable. Even if you are $15,000 in debt you need to have something to fall back on, without going further into debt.

Start adding to your savings account weekly, even if it is just $5 a week. Don't have an extra $5 a week? Look at your budget. Do you get take out? Do you get a drink once or twice a week? Have a big cell phone plan? Have cable? There are so many ways to cut costs in your life that you should be able to find an extra $5 a week. That adds up to $20 a month. $240 a year. It seems small, but it is a start.

By following the savings chart you could have $1,378.00 in savings by the end of 2014. That is a cushion. A start to financial freedom.

The time to start is now.   

Questions

A few questions I have been asked recently:

1. You discuss being frugal but lately you have been showcasing several subscription boxes and other purchases which don't seem to be such frugal choices.

I think that it is okay to splurge sometimes. Not if it means using a credit card or forgoing bills in order to do so, mind you, but all work and no play can make life dull.

With that said, I never pay full price for the subscription boxes that I review here on the blog. There are so many referral codes out there that when I want to try a new box I use a code to often get the box half price. I give my honest opinion in my reviews so if it is a product that I really enjoy many of my readers decide to try it out for themselves. Since *some* places let you earn referral credits I often earn free boxes thanks to my dear readers. There are some benefits to having a blog with great readers, after all!

I always disclose if there is a referral link in my post in case someone would prefer to not buy through a referral link. It's usually a win-win situation though since most referral links also include a discount for those who click through it.

2. If I shopped at Goodwill or St. Vincent De Paul I wouldn't tell anyone that. Wouldn't you prefer people not know that?

No. Seriously, some of the purchases I make at these stores would be frivolous or a waste of money had I paid full price for them. For example - the Hanna Andersson moccasins I found the other day. They were worth the $1 price I paid but I would never spend $20 for them and I wouldn't want someone to think I did! I love shopping thrift stores and touting the great finds within them. After all, it is a smart way to shop and there is nothing to be ashamed of in that!

3. You seem to really like brand name items. Wouldn't it be wiser to purchase off brand things to save money?

The items I purchase are almost always used so it often ends up being less expensive than off brand items when purchased new. I can buy a Baby Gap outfit for $1 at a garage sale or spend $8 for an outfit at Walmart. Because the Baby Gap outfit holds up much better than the Walmart outfit I can then sell it once the baby out grows it (often for more than I paid) but the Walmart outfit is often faded by that time or has loose strings, buttons, etc.

Better brands often do hold up better than the less expensive ones. If both my boys can get use out of an item of clothing and then I can still sell it then it is a better product than an off brand item.

So, yes, I am excited to find Robeez shoes at St. Vincent for 95 cents when they originally cost $35 and I know my baby can get use out of them and I can still pass them on afterwards. If something is cute and a good price I will pick it up no matter what the brand. My kids wear a whole mix of brand/off brand names. 

I wouldn't consider myself a brand snob, per say, but I get more excited about a $1 find on a Fossil purse than a generic one.

When it comes to groceries or household products I will generally buy what is on sale. There are a few brands of items that seem to be superior to off brands and I do stick with those (dishwasher detergent is one of them) but otherwise I could care less about those types of brands.

Tax Time

It's that time of year again...tax time! Some people look forward to it as they hope for a refund and others dread it because they will have to pay out money.

For those who get a refund - what do you plan on using it for? Paying off debt, setting aside a nest egg, or a big screen tv and new iPhone? How you use your tax refund will define how your financial security goes the next year.

If you live paycheck to paycheck and do not have a savings account you should automatically stick at last half of your refund into a savings account. This gives you a cushion for the whole rest of the year to draw from during an emergency. If you have debt, the other half should be used to pay on it. It may not sound fun but it will give you a sense of relief the whole year through.

If you have a list of needs (new tires for the car, washing machine, clothes for the kids, etc.) be sure to get them now when you have the money to do so or put it into savings and shop around for awhile for the best deal. Wouldn't it be a terrible financial decision to purchase an iPhone just because you want it and have to use a credit card later to get the items that you need?

Remember, tax refunds are not a windfall, but rather money that you overpaid that you are now getting back. It is your hard earned money and receiving a chunk of money at once can help you quickly build your savings or pay off a debt or two. Spending it wisely will help cushion you throughout the year and relieve some financial stress.

Also, for those under a certain income, you are able to go through Turbo Tax online and do your Federal Return for free (and I think that state return is less than $30). It is quick, very easy, and much less expensive than paying someone to do your taxes. Unless you have several deductions or other unusual taxes it doesn't make sense to pay someone to do a simple Federal Return for you.

We get to spend our return this year on medical bills (fun, fun!) but I am thankful for that leeway, which should help ease our financial burden this year.

Basically, if you aren't set financially yet, use your tax refund to help build yourself a safety net this year. That may mean that you won't be able to purchase a fun gadget or toy this year but the stress that it takes off your shoulders will be well worth it!

Simple Savings

Yesterday a friend posted this idea on her Facebook page. I think that it is an excellent idea for those who want to add to their savings account, but especially for those who don't already have a savings account.

It's a 52 week challenge (year long) where every week you put that corresponding amount into your savings account. For example, this is week one so you deposit $1 (EASY!) and the last week is week 52 so you deposit $52. By the end of 52 weeks you will have $1,378.00 saved! I urge all of you who don't already have a savings account to try this.

As my friend pointed out, it may be difficult to deposit so much the last month (this will be over $200 in December, which is also one of the most expensive months) so she suggested going backwards...starting at week 52 and working down. That is what I will do, especially since my goal was to put an extra $50 in savings each week this month.

I'm fairly happy with our savings account at the moment, but have a large hospital bill coming up (even with co-pays it is expensive having a baby!), have a car repair bill coming up as something is wrong with our van and I'm hoping it's just the muffler, and we need to get a new desktop computer bundle (does anyone know of a good deal going on right now?). So by adding this extra amount to savings it will help cushion those blows.

For those who have no savings at all, or a very small one, this $1,378 in an account will be a huge relief to you. Do not touch it for ANYTHING short of a true emergency though. You can not build up a savings if you dig into it every time you run short on funds and "need" to go out to eat, or buy that top that you want, etc. Pretend that it isn't even there. Add your money weekly and walk away. At the end of the year you will have a nice little emergency fund and then you can start all over again next year, dipping into it only if you have to. Your sense of security having a back up like this will bring you so much peace.

Tip: Put your money in savings the day you get paid, do not wait until the end of the week to see if you have enough left to stick in savings. You always want to "pay yourself first" and once that money is in savings you can work around it. Having that money sitting in your checking account is just an invitation to spend.

Money/Mommy Wars

In my circle of stay-at-home moms I've gotten a bit of startled silence when mentioning that I got a part-time job. I've received a couple comments on my blog, and even an e-mail stating "You've proven yourself wrong - a family apparently can't live comfortably on a limited one income budget."

I think it hits on all sides of the "mommy wars": stay-at-home vs. working, one income vs. two when someone who is a self-proclaimed stay-at-home mom living comfortably on ( a smallish) one income mentions getting a job.

I partly did it for my sanity; when you go weeks without talking to another adult other than your husband or mom you realize that you need a social circle, even if it is just co-workers at a job that you don't particulary like. A change of pace in your day can also help your sanity, especially when your days start to remind you of the movie "Groundhog Day". My hours correspond with my husband's so the children are not in day care or having babysitters (not that there is anything wrong with that, but it's not financially smart to work a minimum wage job just to pay babysitting fees for 3 children).

I can say without a doubt that I am not doing this because we couldn't make ends meet. This is a seasonal job and will end before the baby is born. With medical bills this year and a heafty co-pay for my prenatal care due in a few months the extra money won't hurt, but we could have managed these bills without the extra money. It would mean stretching our pennies a little tighter for awhile but I figured that since this was a perfect time to work for a few months before the baby was born, get myself through winter without being stuck inside 24/7 (does anyone else here have SAD?), and get ahead on bills I decided that a seasonal job was the perfect solution.

It's funny to say that getting a job wasn't really a financial decision, as we were doing okay before.

I spoke with HR and got my hours cut to a reasonable amount and my schedule looks more manageable the next few weeks. Those are the hours I wanted in the first place!   

Unusual Savings Week Part 3

Sorry for the lapse in the series this week but with my husband throwing his back out, a two day garage sale, and myself not feeling so good some things were put on the back burner.

Another way to save money is to collect store loyalty cards, or in some cases, punch cards. Many stores offer a loyalty card (which is free to sign up for) and when they scan it at the register you either earn points from a purchase or get immediate savings. I have the PetSmart card which earns me discounts at the register. I know that many drug stores offer these cards, as well as several big chain grocery stores. If it's free to sign up, and you get savings, why not sign up?

Just recently I learned that a Target debit card will earn you 5% off all your purchases, and will net you free shipping online. I knew this about their credit card, but hearing about a debit card was a new things for me. We steer clear of credit cards due to the fact that if we don't have the cash for something we don't buy it (though I do have a Kohls card in order to take advantage of their discounts at one time or another but pay the bill off in full when it comes), but I am open to a debit card which comes directly out of my bank account. While I don't shop at Target too often due to the distance of one, when I do I usually purchase a cart full of groceries so a 5% savings for doing nothing seems smart to me. I recently learned that our local gas station, Kwik Star, offers a debit card with similar rewards (10% back on all groceries purchases, and this is where I often buy my milk, bananas, eggs, and butter due to the excellent prices) and 3 cents back on every gallon of gas. Considering that I use my debit card at the pumps and in store anyhow, why not just sign up for their debit card, which takes the money directly from my bank account and get a little rewards back at the same time? This same gas station also offers a milk punch card, where you receive a punch on your card for every gallon purchased and when full you receive $1 off your next gallon. They have a Kid's Club as well that all three children are signed up for. When I purchase a gallon of milk the kids get to choose a treat for free (their choice of an apple, orange, bagel, muffin, cookie, or donut). Three free treats for the price of a gallon of milk ends up being a great deal and it makes them behave when we stop in for some needed essentials.

Many smaller stores, such as consignment shops and thrift stores in the area, offer punch cards. For every $10 or $20 you spend in store you will receive a punch on your card, once you fill the card you usually get either a percentage off your next purchase.

Unusual Savings Week Day 2

Online shopping can be much cheaper than going to the store, not just because the savings of gas and time, but also the prices seem to just be a lot lower. As I mentioned yesterday, Amazon seems to have great prices on the brand of toilet paper we use. With free shipping (and free Swagbucks!) it makes more sense to buy it online.

I get most of my organic or natural pantry staples from Vitacost (if you are a new customer sign up with my referral code and get $10 towards your first purchase free!) which has much better prices than our natural foods store and even beats the co-op prices. I get my prenatal vitamins and the kids vitamins through them too, at a great price. And our winter health supplements (Elderberry syrup, Vitamin C, etc.) are lower on that site than any others. My point being? Shop around and stick with the sites that offer the best prices.

Which leads me to my next step. The majority of sites online that I like to purchase from are also tied to ShopAtHome, which is a deal and shopping site. I am able to go there to see if there are any offers or discount codes, but most of all, the stores affiliated with them offer cash back on purchases that you make by going through ShopAtHome. It's free to sign up (and you get $5 in your account just for doing so!). Then, when you are ready to shop online, you go to their site first and type in the store in order to see if they offer cash back. For example, let's say you wanted to shop at Vitacost. You would type Vitacost into the ShopAtHome website and it would show that they are offering back 11%, you would click on "Shop now" and their website would automatically open on your computer and then you shop and pay like usual. Once Vitacost confirms your purchase your 11% cash back would show in your account. A check is sent to you automatically when your balance reaches $25 or more. It's an easy way to earn money back for products that you were going to buy anyway. I'm always surprised when I find a check in the mail from them as I forget that it adds up quickly, and can be combined with other offers as well. Another example is Target online which is offering 10% back right now. They also have a new tool bar for your computer, which makes searching for their cash back offers, coupons, and codes so much easier and you earn another $5 just for downloading that. ShopAtHome especially comes in handy around Christmas when lots of great deals pop up online - why not earn a little of that money back?

Another site with the same idea is Ebates and I know several people who love it. I have no experience with it but it works basically the same as ShopAtHome.

Retail Me Not is another site you need to check before making an online purchase. This is a deals site which will list any free shipping or other discount codes that are out there for the particular site that you are purchasing from. Saving that $5.99 shipping fee or getting a percentage off your total is always welcome.

Following savings sites, such as Hip2Save or CheapCheapCheap walk you step by step through the deals online as well as stores in your town. They also announce free sample offers, awesome online prices on items, and match up the weekly coupons with sales in your area.

This tips may sound like a lot of work and a lot of time but they literally take seconds and can save you 10% or more of your purchase. Your time is worth that savings. Is there any helpful tip I may have missed that saves you money when shopping online?

Unusual Savings

With the costs of everything rising and medical bills, repair bills, and just plain bills arriving seemingly daily I've had to find unusual ways to cut costs or make a little extra money. Sometimes it doesn't seem as though the little things will add up to make much of a difference but they do. I'm going to share some of my unusual ways this week; some off the links included in this posting are my own referral links but you can also sign up yourself without using my referral links. I share these ideas with you not in order to make anything off of them but because they are tricks that I use monthly, weekly, or even daily in order to save money. Everything I mention is free to sign up for, free to use, and legit ways to save money.

The first unusual way is one of my favorites:

I have mentioned Swagbucks many times before because I love it so much. It is a search engine much like Google but you earn points just for doing your regular searches. You can then redeem your points for gifts and prizes. There are so many to choose from (shirts, books, games, gift cards such as Target and Best Buy) but I always opt for the Amazon $5 gift cards, which are 450 points each. I looked through my Swagbucks history and saw that I signed up in November of 2009. That means I have been signed up almost 3 years now and I have earned $430 in Amazon gift cards. That is a lot of free money for doing something that I always did before for free.

What happens when you sign up is you download the search bar, much like you would a Google search bar. Every time you do a search (and some people increase their searches daily by typing in their favorite sites, such as Facebook, in the search bar instead of the address bar of their computer) you have a chance to win Swagbucks. The toolbar automatically keeps track of how many points you earn and there is nothing more for you to do! Once you earn points you can visit their "Swag Shop" (again, easy to do as the redeem option is right on their tool bar) and order whatever you want that you have enough points for.

By sharing your link with friends you can earn additional points because as they earn you will earn along with them, up to 1000 points for each friend referral. Every single person that I have mentioned Swagbucks to that has joined has been thrilled, it's not like selling them something - it is helping them earn free money or gifts.

As I mentioned before, I cash in all my points for Amazon gift cards but there are hundreds of prizes that you can choose from (you can even request money by "buying" a paypal gift card option with your points). I choose Amazon gift cards in order to buy Christmas gifts. I recently decided to use it for purchasing a health and beauty staple in our house - toilet paper. The brand we buy is Scott Tissue (because it's the only roll that lasts long in our family of five) but the four packs at the store are $4. It's rare that I can find a coupon for it and while it sometimes goes on sale it is few and far between. I saw that Amazon has the 20 roll pack for $14.xx and with the subscribe and save option it brought my total down a bit lower. Having it automatically shipped to me every month or two will mean that I don't have to worry about picking it up at the store. So, all in all, the price on Amazon is cheaper than most sale prices I have ever seen, it is convenient, and because I use my Swagbucks it is free. Getting free toilet paper may not seem like a big savings but it does add up to $100 or more a year of savings! You could do this on anything - baby diapers, wipes, food products that you always use, etc. It's products that you buy made free with Swagbucks!

That's just what I use my swagbucks for, there are so many more options that may be a bigger savings for you. Do you eat out? Earn a Chili's gift card. Get a Barnes and Noble Gift card. Shop at Wal-mart a lot, buy a gift card. Starbucks, Lowes, the options are endless as are the savings!

Tomorrow: How to save money on items that you purchase online.

Good or Evil?

Why does the Bible talk about money in both positive lights as well as negative? For example:

Matthew 6:24
“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money."

Proverbs 13:11
"He who gathers money little by little makes it grow."

Matthew 19:24
"Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Proverbs 21:5
"Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty."

These verses seem to contradict each other, do they not? In one passage it seems to say money is bad and others it seems to say that money is good. Which is it?

Money is not evil, per sey, but rather how we spend our money. The rich in the world live in a fish bowl (celebrities, large CEOS, etc.) and we all can see how foolish they can be with their money. Fancy sports cars which they crash, lavish mansions which they tear down, shopping sprees totaling tens of thousands. Money gives people a sense that they are more important then others. Our whole society agrees, and caters to celebrities. A great example is Beyonce's recent birth...she rented out a hospital wing in order to have her child (at a reported expense of over 1 million dollars!), which in turn affected other parents in the maternity ward which were prevented from visiting their children in the nursery. How is she more important than a parent visiting his sick babies?! Matthew 19:30 "But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first."

With money comes responsibility, of which most people can not handle.
Luke 12:48
"From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."

It is not just the ridiculously rich who must be careful of their wealth. We are all instructed to care for those less fortunate. Luke 3:11 John answered, “Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same." We middle-class or lower-class Americans may think we are just scraping by to exist, but as my post showed last week, we are rich compared to most of the world. If you woke up in a warm bed, had breakfast this morning, or took a hot shower - you are blessed. See how rich you are. Our family calculated in the top 7.74 of the richest in the world!

I'm the 464,770,115 richest person on earth! Discover how rich you are! >>

We are instructed to not be lovers of money, but rather lovers of people. We must love ALL people. If we suddenly feel as though we are better than someone, or deserve more than someone else, we have become that rich man that will have an easier time getting a camel through an eye of the needle then getting to heaven.

Yet, we are instructed to save money. We are instructed to be good stewards of what God has given to us. We are not to go into debt on foolish purchases. We are to work hard and use our money for good. Money can be a blessing, as long as you are blessing people with it. Are we blessing out children by giving them a stable home, or are we hurting them by going into debt for their fancy toys? Are we blessing ourselves with warm clothes and healthy food, or are we killing ourselves with credit card bills and greasy take out?

What is your take on the correlation between good and evil when it comes to money?