Family Finances

  • CVS: Spent $0.70 and $3 ECB’s Back

    CVS Deals

    I went to CVS today to use up a couple ECB’s that were about to expire.  I was able to get the items pictured above for $0.70 including tax and received $3.00 ECB’s to use on my next CVS purchase.   The CVS didn’t have any of the items I was looking for in stock but they did price match the peanut butter for me and give me a ECB for it.  I was able to stock up on their Halloween clearance snacks and candy.  I have several upcoming events and parties that I have to put goody bags together for so it worked out really well.  I was able to get my free CVS gift card worth $10.00 from a previous shopping trip.  The only coupons I used today were ones from the ECB’s that were expiring today.  I am thankful for an opportunity to get these items at such an amazing  discount so we can share with others (my family will not be eating all this sugar)! 🙂

    You can get great deals even without clipping a lot of coupons.  My receipt shows that as of November 2nd I have saved over $1,700  at CVS this year so you can do it without investing a lot of time into it or being an extreme couponer that empties the shelves.  Over time the savings add up and I have even taken several weeks off here and there while I have been busy or traveling or when our stock pile is full.   All of the items I purchased were on sale or clearance.  The candy was originally $3.99 each, but I was able to get it on clearance even though it is not expiring until late next year.  Here is what I purchased this week.

    • 2 – Skippy Peanut Butter for $5.00  ($2.50 each, they price matched this item and I received $3.00 ECB’s back making the peanut butter $1.00 per jar)
    • 1 – $10 CVS Gift Card for $0.00 FREE! (used a $10.00 Gift Card ECB so this gift card was free)
    • 2 – Butterfinger Fun Size (12.5 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 2 – Cookies N’ Cream  (10 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 2 –Milky Way Simply Caramel  (11 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 2 – Nestle Crunch (11.5 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 2 – Wonka Nerds  (12 oz each) for $1.98 (on clearance for $0.99 each)
    • 1 – Twizzler Strawberry Twists Fun Pack  (22 oz) for $0.99
    • 2 – Whoppers Snack Packs  (9 oz each) for $1.50 (on clearance for $0.75 each)
    • 1 – Nestle 100 Grands (12.5 oz) for $0.99
    • 4 – Halloween Oreo Snack Packs (9 oz each) for $3.00 (on clearance for $0.75 each)

    Here are the coupons I used on the items.

    • Used $10.00 CVS ECB’s Gift Card Reward
    • Used $20.00 CVS ECB’s

    I received $3.00 ECB’s back today:

    • $3.00 ECB’s for Jiffy Products (my local CVS substituted Skippy for me)

    Today I was able to save $69.18 at CVS by purchasing these items and using coupons (over 95% savings).

    When you shop the CVS sales regularly and have ECB’s that you can roll over toward future purchases the bonus ECB’s start adding up (Green Bag Tags and Beauty Club).  As you can see from my shopping trip today you don’t have to purchase a lot to save money when shopping at CVS.  Plus you can use the additional ECB’s you receive towards your next purchase.  You can pick and chose what is best for your family.

    I would love to hear your CVS shopping story for this week!  For those of you who shop regularly at CVS please share how you were able to save this week!  Although the weekly ad sales are similar every family and situation is different so you may have found items better suited to your household.  In your comment please feel free to share a link to your blog article showing us how you were able to save shopping at CVS.

  • Travel & Vacation: Angel Oak Tree and other Family Adventures near Charleston, SC

    Canopy of trees on the way to the Angel Oak Tree

    The girls and I ventured out a little ways to check out the Angel Oak Tree while Jake was working in Charleston one day.  The picture above is the beautiful canopy of trees we saw on the bumpy country road that led to our amazing tree adventure that was recommended to us by my friend Janet.

    Facts about the Angel Oak Tree

    In case you cannot read the sheet above here are some of the details –  The Angel Oak Tree we visited is said to be between 300 to 400 years old, 65 feet tall, the circumference is 25.5 feet, area of shade 17,000 square feet and the largest limb is 11.25 feet in circumference and 89 feet long.  It is located on John’s Island near Charleston, SC.  Some people believe that the tree is over 1500 years old.

    Angel Oak Tree near Charleston, South Carolina

    The Angel Oak Tree is massive, it was really hard to get a picture that truly shows it’s size.  I took a few pictures from different angles but I couldn’t get the entire tree to fit in one picture.  It was simply amazing to see such a huge tree.

    Beautiful and huge Angel Oak Tree

    If you look closely you can see the supports helping hold up the limbs.  The girls and I were nearly speechless at the size of the tree.  We walked around it several times just in awe!

    Brina inspecting the large carrot we picked out at a local Farmer's Market

    We stopped at this really neat local Farmers Market store on our way back from the Angel Oak Tree adventure.  Their carrots were very BIG, the girls have never seen carrots that huge before (not sure I had either).  They must have had some great soil for carrots.  We picked out a large carrot and nibbled on it for a couple days (I didn’t think to weigh to but I am think it could have been over a pound).

    Great quote the girls and I discovered along our adventures

    The girls love traveling with Jake and I on road trips.  We are always on the look out for neat ideas or something interesting to share.  Of course one of the areas we frequently visited in our travels were a variety of restrooms.  Sometimes the girls were in dire need of a restroom by the time with found one.  The girls wanted me to read this sign in the Farmers Market restroom, we all had a good laugh at it as we reminisced together of some times just in the last few months we felt like a minute was a very long time as we waited on the other side of the door.

    Walking down one of the girls favorite piers.

    Some days the water is low and all the greenery is out of the water other days it is complete under water.  Love the little “sand” trail that you can see under the water.

    The guy fishing off the pier caught a little one!

    As we were walking down the pier we notice a guy fishing.  We asked if he had caught anything yet and he showed us his catch of the morning.  The girls thought it was such a cute little fish!  They were very excited for him.

    Daddy brought us a blue raspberry slushy.

    After a fun day at the park and pool Daddy brought his girls a blue raspberry slushy.  It was amazing!

    We had blue tongues after just a few minutes.

    The blue raspberry slushy made all of our tongues blue!  I think the girls drink more of the slushy based off their tongue color, ha!

    Cannon outside the hotel.

     The girls always hoped that our room was never in the line of fire.  Thankfully our room never faced the cannon.  The girls always loved looking at it!

    After dinner we took a little walk together and found a pond with turtles.

    I am not sure how long we watched these turtles but it was a lot of fun.  The girls were mesmerized by these cute little turtles.   According to the girl there was a whole family of turtles (we did see quite a few).

    Crashed on the pull out couch after a few minutes of chitchat about their "super fun" day

    We got back to the hotel, gave the girls baths and they spent a few minutes talking and giggling about their “super fun” day before crashing.  They were exhausted but in good spirits.  We really did pack a lot into one day!

    The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Explore with a good attitude, look for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week was a busy one, about halfway through the week I started wondering if I was going to finish anything on the list, but slowly some got checked off.  The personal goals were the hardest for me to do because everything else kept me busy.  This upcoming week I hope to do better on my personal goals so I can keep my life / time and resources in balance as I work towards my goals.

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday – Monday was a super busy day with the Holiday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed) – Didn’t get this done every night with the busy evenings, a couple late nights including our couple Date Night on Saturday.
    5. Schedule a Date Night with Jake  – Went on our Date Night on 11/5
    6. Schedule a Date Night with each child – Date Night Scheduled for 11/11/11

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – As hard as I tried this didn’t get done, it was busy and a couple unexpected things came up.  I hope to do a lot better next week with this one.
    2. Finish reading  The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman – Made it through a couple more chapters, maybe I will get it done next week.
    3. Listen to The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
    4. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday through Thursday – We had a couple late nights with extra projects and activities going on (I think I only made it to bed on time once).

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday – Completed a day early 🙂
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – Dinner was ready but not on the table on Monday because of the Fall Festival Activities
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – Completed all the laundry from striping beds, washing, folding, putting away, and remaking the beds on Monday
    5. Summer clothes pulled out of the main part of the closet and put away (it’s getting chilly and we are not wearing them as much now) – about halfway through this task
    6. Pick the fresh vegetables that are ready and start preparing the garden for the first freeze. – big thanks to my sweet husband and girls for doing this for me and we even were able to share some of the goodies with friends!

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes cleaning and organizing my desk (somehow everyone stacks stuff on my desk, myself included, and within a day I have a pile sometimes piles)
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    3. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    4. Research ways to create more residual income – didn’t get to this one

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Alms & Legs Ministry – Email upcoming meeting reminder to members, write and print the meeting agenda
    3. Meet a friend for Breakfast or Lunch
    4. Pack our Operation Christmas Child boxes

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4 – I went over budget this week. (thankful for the opportunity to stock up and a budget guideline even though I went over it this week.)
    2. Pay off remaining debt – working on it and I see light at the end of the tunnel
    3. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses – work in progress (we had two vehicle repairs recently which set us back a little bit)

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
    5. Start the process of getting the girls passports
    6. Go on Mother Daughter Date Night
    7. File the last several weeks of coupons in my File Folder and Binder

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Finish reading  The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman
    3. Listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (I am going through this book with my Community Group)
    4. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday through Thursday

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. Summer clothes pulled out of the main part of the closet and put away (it’s getting chilly and we are not wearing them as much now)

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    3. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    4. Research ways to create more residual income
    5. Upcoming events, activities, and posted to my upcoming calendar

    Ministry Goals

    1. Make at least $25 towards my Creative Cash goal this week so I can give more to others.
    2. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    3. Alms & Legs Ministry – Email Meeting Notes to the Team
    4. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Close on our Refinance – Our plan is to go from the 30 year mortgage that we have been paying off to a 10 year mortgage with a lower interest rate.
    3. Pay off remaining debt
    4. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses

    I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    How did you do this week on your goals?  Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results

  • Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4

    I am thankful for a weekly grocery budget on weeks like this past one.  Not only was it a busy week but I went over on my budget.  Looking back over the last several months I am amazed at how many groceries I am able to get for my family for a reasonable amount of money.  I used to think that having a $100 grocery bill was pretty good for our family, now if the grocery bill is above $20 or $30 that is a lot.  One of the main reason I do the weekly budget and update is to keep me accountable.  Like any goal in life some weeks you do well and other weeks…..well they just don’t go as planned.  Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.

    Groceries from CVS, Ingles, Family Dollar, and Save A Lot

    CVS Groceries:

    • $0.09 at CVS for 1 bag of individual Teddy Grahams snacks (18 count), 2 bags of individual Pretzels snacks (24 count each), 3 bags of individual Rice Krispy Treats.  (All the items were on clearance after the Halloween Holiday and will come in handy for school and work lunches.  The Extra Care Bucks were a huge savings help and I only had to pay the tax amount.)

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $14.50 at Ingles for 1 bag Laura Lynn Bread, 2 jugs Lemon Sweet Tea, 5 containers Cherry Chocolate Covered Pretzels, 2 containers Banana Split Mix, 3 containers California Dried Fruit Mix, 1 container Spicy Buffalo Nut Mix, and 1 bag Mini Pumpkins and Paint for Craft / Cooking.  (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance!)

    Family Dollar Groceries:

    • $0.50 at Family Dollar for 1 bag of individual Pretzel Snacks (8 count).  (These individual pretzel bags are perfect for school and work lunches, plus it saves on not having to buy baggies to put chips / pretzels into.  I was able to get these on clearance after Halloween.)

    Save A Lot Groceries:

    • $8.74 at Save A Lot for 1 bag Cinnamon Bagels, 1 bag Plain Bagels, 1 gallon Milk, and 1 family pack Cube Steaks.  (All the items I picked up at Save A Lot were on clearance, the milk was marked down to 99 cents.)

     

    Groceries from Walmart

    Walmart Groceries:

    • $26.77 at Walmart for 1 bag Pepperoni, 2 Smithfields Ham Steaks, 1 block Borden Cheese, 1 block Cabot Cheese, 1 box Blue Bonnet Margarine, 1 bag Great Value Sugar, 1 bag Splenda Sugar Alternate, 1 box Little Hug Drink Barrels (This trip was taken with my family, we originally went into the store for black tights for the girls which they were sold out of.  Even though we did need some of these items it is amazing how quickly the total adds up when the items are not gotten on sale or clearance or with coupons.)

     

    This week I spent $50.60 on groceries.  Even though I went over on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on several items.  It is weeks like these that make me even more grateful for the budget I have in place to help guide me.  I had a little extra in the wallet to cover the overage, but I really want to get back under the budgeted amount next week.  The Halloween Sales were amazing and the items I picked up on will be beneficial for our family for several months so it was worth a few dollars to stock up the pantry.  I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget.   Thankful for an opportunity to stock up on several items even though I was over this week!

    It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks!  As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me.  I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too.  The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.

    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, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

  • Recipe: Sweet Acorn Squash

    As a kid we had Acorn Squash during the fall season.  My Mom made this easy Sweet Acorn Squash recipe that our family enjoys.   The recipe is really easy and tastes delicious.   Another great thing about this recipe is it using only two additional ingredients which are typically in your kitchen already.  If you are looking at adding an acorn squash to your dinner table soon try this recipe.

    Sweet Acorn Squash Recipe:

    • 1 Acorn Squash (halved)
    • 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
    • 2 tablespoons Butter

    Cut the acorn squash in half.  Empty the seeds out of the acorn squash.  Put 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and butter in each cavity.  Poke the “meat” of the squash lightly with a fork to make sure the butter / brown sugar soak into it (just make sure not to poke too hard and go all the way through the skin because the mix could drain out).  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the it is tender. Scoop out the squash as you serve it at the table (it tastes best hot).

     

     

  • Pampers Gifts to Grow – 20 Free Points

    Receive another 2 codes for 10 free points from Pampers with the a new Gifts to Grow!

    These codes are different from the previous codes I have given.

    Use Code:  CABRANDSVRNOV11

    Use Code:  FAC1011PR46DYHD

    The codes didn’t have an expiration date but they usually expire in a few days so be sure to add it to your account soon!

    You can save up the rewards to purchase gifts!

    For more information about the Pampers Gift to Grow Program and how you can start earning Pampers “Gifts to Grow” Rewards for your family go to Pampers Gifts to Grow!

  • Save A Lot: Deals for the week of November 2 – 8, 2011

    The Save A Lot weekly ad deals are listed below for your convenience.  You can start stocking up on some great deals for upcoming Holiday cooking.  Sign up for the Smart Shopper Club, by doing so you will get a $5.00 off of $25.00 coupon!

    Meats and Seafood

    Fresh Split Chicken Breast – $0.99 per lb

    Fresh Chicken Drumsticks and Thighs – $0.99 per lb

    Port Side Cooked Shrimp (60 to 70 count / 10 oz) – $3.99

    Half Cut Boneless Pork Loin – $1.99 per lb

    Beef Sirloin Tip Roast – $2.99 per lb.

    Sugardale Bone-In Shank Portion Ham – $1.19 per lb

    Half Cut Beef Eye of Round Roast – $3.99 per lb

    Sugardale Center Cut Ham Steak – $2.99 per lb

    Pick 5 for $19.99 promo on going: Pick any 5 specially marked packages of your favorite cuts of fresh, frozen or smoked meats and pay just $19.99 (about $2 per pound).

    Fridge and Freezer

    Banquet Breaded Chicken, Patties, Tenders or Nuggets (24 oz) – $2.99

    Home Churned Butter Quarters (Salted or Unsalted) 16 oz – $1.99

    Mrs. Smith’s Pies, Pumpkin, Apple or Cherry (27 oz) – $2.50

    Meadow Gold Premium Ice Cream, Vanilla or Chocolate (48 oz) – $2.50

    Red Barron Classic Pizza, Assorted Varieties (20 to 22 oz) – $3.29

    Banquet Brown ‘N Serve Sausage (39 count) – $3.49

    Marvella Cheese Loaf (32 oz) – $3.99

    Port Side Fish Sticks, Fillets, or Battered Fillets (19 – 24 oz) – $3.29

    Coburn Farms Sour Cream (16 oz) – $1.69

    Morning Delight Waffles (10 count) – $1.79

    Morning Delight Jumbo Biscuits, Butter or Buttermilk (16 oz) – $1.59

    Tree Ripe Premium Orange Juice (59 oz) – $2.99

    Produce

    Biggin’s Russet Potatoes (10 lbs) – $2.99

    Red and Gold Delicious Apples (5 lbs) – $2.99

    Yellow Onions (3 lbs) – $1.49

    Roma Tomatoes – $0.99 per lb

    Household

    Wrightware Foam Plates (100 count) – $2.49

    Wrightware Napkins (250 count) – $1.69

    Bounty Basic Paper Towels (1 roll) – $0.99
    Use $1.00/1 coupon from Ebony Magazine (Expires 12/31/11)
    Use $0.25/1 coupon from insert 10/16 Protector & Gamble (Expires 11/30/11)
    As low as FREE (or with OVERAGE back if your store allows it) each after coupon

    Solo Plastic Cups (20 count) – $1.29

    Chenard Plastic Cutlery – Knife, Fork, Spoon, & Assorted (48 count) – $1.69

    Max Force Alkaline Batteries (AA or AAA 6 pack or DC 2 pack) – $1.99

    Grocery

    Domino Granulated Sugar (4 lb) – $2.39
    Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 8/28 Red Plum (Expires 11/25/11)
    Use $0.50/1 coupon from insert 10/16 Red Plum (Expires 12/31/11)
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from October 2011 Woman’s Day Magazine (Expires 11/30/11)
    Use $0.75/2 coupon from insert 10/16 Red Plum (Expires 12/31/11)
    As low as $1.89 each after coupon

    Wesson Pure Vegetable Oil (48 oz) – $2.99

    General Mills Cereal (10 to 12 oz) – $1.99
    Use $1.00/2 coupon from insert 9/25 Smart Source (Expires 11/5/11)
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 10/2 General Mills (Expires 11/12/11)
    Use $1.00/3 coupon from insert 10/23 Smart Source (Expires 12/3/11)
    As low as $1.49 each after coupon

    Hills Bros Coffee (33 oz) – $6.99
    Use $1.00/1 printable coupon from Smart Source
    Use $0.75/1  coupon from insert 10/30 Smart Source (Expires 12/4/11)
    As low as $5.99 each after coupon

    Tipton Grove Fruit Cocktail – $1.79

    Kraft Handi-Snack Pudding Cups – $0.99

    Save A Lot Fridge Ready Soda (12 packs) – $2.69

    Kaskey’s Broth (32 oz) – $1.39

    Wylwood Cut Sweet Potatoes (15 oz) – $0.89

    Kaskey’s Cream Soup, Assorted Varieties (10.5 oz) – $0.59

    Grissom’s Brown n’ Serve Rolls (12 oz) – $1.19

    J. Higgs Buttery Rounds (16 oz) – $1.99

    J. Higgs Saltines (16 oz) – $1.19

    Marcum Seasoned Salt (12 oz) – $1.49

    Marcum Ground Black Pepper (4 oz) – $1.99

    Albany Bakery Pecan Shortbread Cookies (16 oz) – $2.49

    Portmann’s Seafood Cocktail Sauce – $1.29

    Portmann’s Tartar Sauce (11.5 oz) – $1.49

    Betty Crocker Potato Buds – $1.69
    Use $1.00/3 printable coupon from Betty Crocker
    Use $0.50/2 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mill (Expires 11/5/11)
    Use $0.50/3 coupon peelie found on package (Expires 3/1/12)
    As Low As $0.67 each after coupon

    Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper Dinners (4 to 6 oz) – $1.00
    Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 9/11 General Mill (Expires 11/5/11)
    Use $0.75/3 coupon from insert 10/2 General Mill (Expires 11/26/11)
    $0.75 each after coupon

    Ginger Evans Light Brown Sugar and Powdered Sugar (32 oz) – $1.69

    Ginger Evans Deluxe Fudge Brownies (19.8 oz) – $1.59

    Ginger Evans Chocolate Chips (12 oz) – $2.29

    Gold Leaf  9 inch Pie Shell (10 oz) – $1.79

    Bay Mist Splash Tropical or Berry Blend (64 oz) – $1.99

    Morning Delight Toaster Pastries (22 oz) – $1.99

    McDaniel’s Coffee Creamer (16 oz) – $1.99

    Remember you can use the $5/$25 printable coupon to sweeten these deals!  Plus you can earn up to 5 additional $5 off $25 coupons for sharing the coupon with your friends.

    For more information about Save A Lot’s coupon policies go here.  If you find additional deals or savings please let me know and I will add them to the list.

  • New Upromise eCoupons for November 2011

    Upromise has posted their new eCoupons for the month of November 2011. Remember to activate your eCoupons to get additional savings. If you have not yet signed up for Upromise you can get more information regarding on our experience or directly at the Upromise website.

    This month they have 29 coupons you can activate for bonus savings. Once you activate your eCoupons all you have to do is scan your rewards card or purchase the items at the store and the cash will be added to your account. You don’t even have to carry any coupons to get the rewards!

    You can go to their website for more information on the Upromise program, it’s free to join.

  • Living on a Budget: Creative Cash (October Update)

    October is my ninth month tracking my Creative Cash.  What is Creative Cash?  Creative Cash is finding ways to come up with extra cash to share with others as well as work on our current goal.  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 important to save money for our family by using coupons and buying items on sale but to earn a little money to help with the extra expenses and to share with others.  The extra amount I bring in on top of the work is what I call “Creative Cash” which means finding ways to make money creatively or with items and talents I have already.  I plan to continue this goal for the remaining months of the year.  Despite the many financial obstacles that we have faced as a family we have been blessed with so much.  My husband and I believe it is important to be accountable with our finances and give to others.

    Explanation: The creative cash will be made throughout the entire month through various endeavors.  As it comes in the money is placed into our savings account and withdrawn at the end of the month so it can be split.  It is my goal to make at least $100 extra a month to help with our goals as well as share with others.  At the end of the month the money will be split 50 / 50 with half going towards our current goal we are working on (which at the moment is paying down debt) and the other half going to charity.

    To be honest October was not as great of a month as I hoped it would be, however, it was better then September.    Although life is still busy we are at least home more now giving me the flexibility to focus on this goal as well as other ones.  I anticipate November being another busy month with upcoming Holidays and I hope to come closer to meeting this goal.  Thankfully I was able to save some extra cash even though I did not reach my my goal of $100.  I want to share with you the ways we did it so if you are looking for ways to make a little extra creative cash for your family hopefully we can be an inspiration in getting your creative juices flowing:

    • $13.19 – Items sold on Ebay (after fees):   The all the items sold were coupons.  I encourage you to look around at some of the coupons you get the mail, newspapers, magazines, in your stockpile, or other places and if you will not have the opportunity to use them then consider selling them for a little extra creative cash.
    • $6.59 – Recycled Items taken to the scrap metal company
    • $28.99 – Other miscellaneous amounts earned  (rebates, returns, cash back,  extra money, etc…) that was added to my stash for the month.

    It was a harder month to set the extra aside because it was very busy and I was not able to participate in as many extra creative cash activities.  The good news is despite the crazy schedule I was able to get a few dollars of creative cash and almost met at least half of my goal.  October’s “Creative Cash” total was $48.77 which means $24.38 extra that goes towards our current goal (saving for 3 to 6 month Emergency Fund) and $24.39 goes towards charity.  Although I didn’t hit my $100 goal this month I am happy that I was able to contribute something this month and every little bit helps us get a little closer to our goals as well as helps others along the way.  I have a plan of action on ways to earn creative cash in November so stayed tuned, hopefully, it will be another month where we can get closer to our goal and share with others.  Each month I do a variety activities to accomplish this goal, the items above are just the ones I did specifically in October.  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 our family as well as invest in the lives of others is important to us.  I hope that we 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!  Do you know of another way to earn creative cash?   I would love to hear your ideas!

    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, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.

    Photo by StopNLook

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    After much thought I have decided to share my weekly goals with you.  I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us.  I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true.  When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals.  Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick).  Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.

    Here are my goals for the upcoming week:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday
    3. Have the girls read 1 book to me 5 days this week
    4. Do devotions with the girls every night (sometimes it gets late and we rush to get them into bed)
    5. Schedule a Date Night with Jake
    6. Schedule a Date Night with each child

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Finish reading  The Five Love Languages of Children by Gary Chapman
    3. Listen to The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
    4. Go to bed by 10:30 or earlier on Monday through Thursday

    Home Management Goals

    1. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    2. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    3. Dinner on the table by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    4. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    5. Summer clothes pulled out of the main part of the closet and put away (it’s getting chilly and we are not wearing them as much now)
    6. Pick the fresh vegetables that are ready and start preparing the garden for the first freeze.

    Business Goals

    1. Spend 10 minutes cleaning and organizing my desk (somehow everyone stacks stuff on my desk, myself included, and within a day I have a pile sometimes piles)
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    3. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    4. Research ways to create more residual income

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Alms & Legs Ministry – Email upcoming meeting reminder to members, write and print the meeting agenda
    3. Meet a friend for Breakfast or Lunch
    4. Pack our Operation Christmas Child boxes

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt
    3. Emergency Fund – save 6 months worth of living expenses

    I am striving to live intentionally so I have the ability to give my time, talents, and resources more generously to family, friends, and those who my life touches.  Please feel free to share or link your list of goals in the comments below.  Let’s help each other be accountable for the goals we set for ourselves.

    Why Share My Goals?

    • To keep me accountable
    • To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
    • To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
    • Create healthy habits in my life
    • To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn

    The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results