October was a super busy month with me being gone for part of the month and out of commission with neck and back issues for several weeks.   Thankful for my husband who pitched extra hours to take care of the kids while I was out helping my family in Kansas and out of commission health wise.  It is nice to be back home and with Jake and the girls once again.   Now that October is behind us it is time to give you an update on my Creative Cash and our special highlight.

What is Creative Cash?  My definition of Creative Cash means finding a variety of ways to make extra cash each month to put towards my family’s current financial goal as well as having a little extra to share with others.

Why do it?  I am working part time, a stay at home Mom, and wear many other hats from day to day, however, I feel that it is not only important to save money for my family by using coupons and buying items on sale, but to earn a little money to help with the family finances and to share with others.  The extra amount I bring in on top of work is what I call “Creative Cash” and it is made by finding ways to make money creatively or with items and talents I have already.  As I continue to challenge myself to make my life more simplified as well as find ways to bless others I have made it my goal to remain accountable for the Creative Cash I bring in month to month.  My family has faced many obstacles over the years, however, we are blessed and have a multitude of reasons to be grateful.

How it Works: The creative cash will be made throughout the entire calendar month through various endeavors.  As Creative Cash arrives the money, gift cards, and other extras are entered into my Creative Cash worksheet. The cash, gift cards, and other items are stored in a specific Creative Cash folder or marked in the account as Creative Cash.  At the end of the month the money will be split with part of it going towards the current financial goal my family is working on and the other part will be donated to  someone or a group of people such as a charity.  It is important for me to find ways to be a blessing to people outside of our immediate family.  In order to keep me accountable I will be reporting my monthly total and who I will be sharing the Creative Cash with that month.  If it is a specific family or cause I may or may not be able to give all the details due to the amount of privacy they may want, but I promise share any details I can.

Monthly Goal:  It is my goal to make at least $100 extra Creative Cash a month to help with my family goals as well as share with others.

Despite being gone and not feeling well the month October was still a wonderful month.  I was able to accumulate more than anticipated during the time I was at home!  I will share with you the ways I did it so if you are looking for ways to make a little extra creative cash for your family hopefully it will be an inspiration in getting your creative juices flowing:

• $100.00 –  20|20 Research for doing a Panel Discussion
• $24.32 – Credit Card Bonus Rewards (if you are looking to earn interest both on your savings and checking accounts as well as rewards I recommend checking out  Capital One 360)
• $5.00 – Amazon Gift Card earned through Swagbucks
• $5.00 – Survey Cash
• $15.00 – Walmart Gift Card from SheSpeaks

October Creative Cash Total:  $149.32

Our October Creative Cash Highlight:  Our Creative Cash Highlight this month will be Samaritan’s Purse Operation Christmas Child!

Every year during this time we try to set aside money and special items to put together some Operation Christmas Child boxes.  The boxes need to be ready by  mid-November so October is the perfect month to focus on this ministry.  Our whole family looks forward to doing this every year.  We feel that it is important to share what we have been given with others and Operation Christmas Child is a great ministry.  The kids get really excited about picking out special treats and goodies to go into their boxes.   We pray specifically for the kids who will be receiving our boxes.  We want to make sure that our boxes are filled with items that are perfect for each child and a blessing to those that receive them.  There is so much joy in giving and sharing with others.  In October I was able to earn extra creative cash along with some gift cards that will come in very handy when purchasing items for Operation Christmas Child.   Your family can get involved too, check out the Samaritan’s Purse website for more information about Operation Christmas Child!

Current Family Goal: We are currently working to stay within our written budget and pay down debt!  We recently had to purchase a new microwave and refrigerator.  Plus, we had some additional expenses and emergencies that have caused us to have a little extra debt that we would like to get paid off!

• $24.32 Credit Card Bonus was applied towards a debt on a credit card.
• Any remaining money that is not going to our Creative Cash Highlight that’s listed above will be applied towards paying down additional debt!

It was exciting to go past the $100 goal!!!  I know this will help us get a little closer to our goals as well as helps others along the way!  A hundred dollars extra a month may not seem like a lot to some people, but every little bit helps!  If I find that I am going over my goal every month (which would be awesome) I will make an adjustment.  I have plan of action on ways to earn creative cash next month so stayed tuned, hopefully, it will be another  great month of sharing.  Each month I will do a variety activities to accomplish this goal, the items above are just the ones I did specifically this month.  I look forward to sharing more of the things that work well for our family as I do them in the upcoming months.

I will share with you the challenges, successes, and updates as I go through this journey so you can keep me accountable or even go through it with me by participating  and sharing your story. Taking the extra time to find ways to help my family as well as invest in the lives of others is important to me.  I hope that I have been able to encourage you to find ways to come up with some creative cash for your household as well.  Obviously, each situation and family is unique so decide what works for you and go for it!  If you know of another way to earn creative cash I would love to hear it!  Feel free to comment on how you earned creative cash this month or post a picture or link to what you did!

Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances.  Life doesn’t always go as planned.  We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given.  Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life.  A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others.  There is so much more to life than having all the stuff!  We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, wear clothes we find at garage sales, etc…however, if our family is taken care of and has love in our hearts for others we have more than all the riches in the world.