Financial

  • Giveaway: “Dining On A Dime” Cookbook by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper

    I am doing another giveaway on Blessings Multiplied!   The winner of this giveaway will receive a copy of Dining On A Dime Cookbook by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper!  As a Mom, wife and homeowner I am always looking for ways to eat better and spend less.  After reading Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper’s cookbook I know many of you will enjoy this book too!  Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

    1. Sign up to follow my blog (if you haven’t done so already) and leave a comment below telling us how you follow Blessings Multiplied.  Sign up to receive Blessings Multiplied via email or like on Facebook.
    2. You can get a bonus entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below sharing what one way you save money while buying groceries or cooking.

    All comments must be made by February 29th at 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.

    You can learn more information about this great book and my review on Dining On A Dime Cookbook by Tawra Kellam and JillCooper.

    *A special thanks to Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper with Living on a Dime for providing this book for the giveaway!

  • CONGRATULATIONS to Our 5 “Money Saving Mom’s Budget” Book Winners!

    The names have been drawn for the giveaway!

    CONGRATULATIONS to

    Melissa Donovan

    Bonnie

    Brooke Butcher

    Lisa Smith

    Angela W

    for winning a copy of

    Money Saving Mom’s Budget by Crystal Paine!

    Thanks for making a comment in honor of our Giveaway!

    An email has been sent to you with more information*

    Enjoy Reading Your Next Book!

    Don’t forget to enter our next Giveaway (the next giveaway will be announced later this morning)!

    *Giveaway must be claimed within 5 business days of the prize being announced.  Failure to claim the prize within the allotted time frame means you forfeit the prize.

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    Last week we made a quick trip out to the midwest, Nebraska & Kansas, to attend a Pro Ag conference with my family.  The girls had a blast with Grandma while Jake and I (along with other family and friends) attended the conference.  We learned a lot of great information (still processing all of it) they covered a lot in a short period of time.  We were also able to squeeze in some time to spend with extended family during the trip too.  It was a quick and busy trip but we were able to fit in some fun along the way! 🙂  Now that I am back home I have a pretty big week planned out, praying I will be able to tackle the majority of the items on the list for the week!

    Here is the update on last weeks goals:

    Family Goals

    1. Spend 1-on-1 time with each child everyday – I was not able to do this with the conference last week
    2. Read a book to the girls everyday- during the conference they were with Grandma so they probably had books read to them but I didn’t read them
    3. Spend some time with extended family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – did well until all the traveling
    2. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday

    Business Goals

    1. Attend the Pro Ag Conference
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – still working on this one

    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 each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Schedule a Date Night with the Girls & Re-Schedule My Date Night with Jake
    5. Finalize the Girls Birthday Party Items
    6. Set up a dentist appointment for the girls
    7. Pick up the girls new glasses

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
    3. Finish reading Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Set up an appointment to get updated on shots / vaccinations
    6. Finalize Upcoming Travel Plans – dates set / plane tickets purchased / visa

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the Master Bedroom & Bathroom
    6. Get the majority of our 2011 Personal Taxes completed

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Write a Guest Blog Post
    5. Schedule Meeting with Accountant for Business Taxes

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Email Alms & Legs Ministry Team regarding our upcoming meeting
    4. Put together the Alms & Legs Meeting Agenda

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses
    3. Start working on our personal 2011 taxes
    4. Put money aside for upcoming trips

    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

  • Book: “Dining On A Dime” Cookbook by Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper

    If you could save $10,000 a year on food without cutting coupons would you be interested?  I had the privilege of receiving Tawra Kellam and Jill Cooper’s newest edition, November 2011, of their Dining On A Dime Cookbook Eat Better, Spend Less!   The authors packed in more than 1200 great recipes and money saving tips in this cookbook.   One of the challenges they gave is to see how much you could save in one year by cutting out just one thing.  For example, by reducing the amount of meat you eat each week by 1.5 pounds you could save over $400 a year.  They cover a variety of recipes and tips in their book, here are a few:

    • How It Adds Up
    • Basics of Frugal Cooking
    • Beverages
    • Breakfast
    • Breads
    • Soups & Sandwiches
    • Vegetables, Beans, Pasta, & Rice
    • Salads, Dressings, Pickles, and Dips
    • Meats & Main Dishes
    • Cakes, Pies, Candy, Cookies, & Desserts
    • Mixes, Gift Baskets, & Jars
    • Kids
    • Cleaning Cents
    • Pretty for Pennies

    The authors challenge you to take small steps to change your life.  Whether you start with planning your meals, organizing your home, or saving money it is the little steps over time that give you results.   Their menu planning ideas include recipes you can make for picky eaters or quick dinners for those busy days.  I like that they have sections on using up your leftovers, making your own cleaning & beauty supplies, gift baskets, and more.    They use a good mix of great information and light hearted humor.

    Here are a couple of quotes / tips that made me smile:

    If you want to see a cup runneth over, let a child pour his own soda.

    When your house looks like a bomb hit it and company calls from a block away set your vacuum by the front door and say, “Come on in! I was just cleaning”

    You have two choices for dinner. Take it or leave it.

    The problem – how to get 2 pounds of chocolate home in a hot car. The solution – eat it in the parking lot.

    Some of the information and recipes made me laugh out loud…..”Elephant Soup” simply hilarious!  One of my favorite non-food recipes was their “Recipe for a Happy Marriage” (loved that one).  While they may not have convince me to try “Liver and Onions” again  Tawra and Jill did a wonderful job putting together a useful and entertaining cookbook to have in your kitchen.  The best part is their recipes only require a handful of ingredients and most (if not all) of the items you will find in your kitchen pantry.

    At the end of the book they have separate indexes for looking up tips, leftovers, and recipes making it easy to look up what you want.  I look forward to trying more of the recipes, tips, and seeing if these help our family save even more.   This cookbook would be a great wedding gift or birthday gift for those who are beginning to cook or a novice.  It offers practical tips, great recipes, and may even make you smile!

    Please visit Dining on a Dime Cookbook’s website if you want to learn more about this book.

    Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher.  The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    I made some progress last week on my goals!  Thankful for the opportunity move forward on my goals despite a busy 2012 first quarter.  Since I have a conference for part of the week the list will be shorter.

    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
    3. Have each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week – the girls were sick this week
    4. Go on my Date Night with Jake (we got free movie tickets so excited to enjoy some time away together) – We gave away our free movie tickets because we had to cancel our Date Night, the kiddos got sick.  🙁 I am hoping to get it rescheduled soon.
    5. Get the girls Birthday Party Details Started

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – I did it again (victory dance).  It has helped give me more energy throughout my days too!
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday – was bad about this one, it was after 1 am one night
    3. Finish reading Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk – still working on it
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).
    5. Get my Travel Visa Application Sent

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday) – it was closer to 6 pm a couple of days
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the office
    6. Update Family & Friends Contact Information – glad to have this information updated 🙂

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Plan new implementations for blog
    5. Start working on 2011 business taxes – gathered the information and paperwork but nothing more yet

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 months worth of living expenses – moving forward on this goal
    3. Start working on our personal 2011 taxes

    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. Spend some time with extended family

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday

    Business Goals

    1. Attend the Pro Ag Conference
    2. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – save 3 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

  • Book: “The 60 Minute Money Workout” by Ellie Kay

    I recently finished reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay.  Each chapter was designed for a 60 minute personal finance workout once a week.  You can work through the chapters on your own or with your spouse.  The author uses the personal finance steps like an exercise workout but for your finances.

    The five “workout” steps are covered in each chapter:

    1. Warm Up – prep for your money workout (5 minutes)
    2. Strength Training – set financial goals (10 minutes)
    3. Cardio Burn – put goals into action (20 minutes)
    4. Heart Rate – measure financial performance (20 minutes)
    5. Cool Down – Reward Yourself (5 minutes)

    The book includes nuggets of personal finance information as well as worksheets that you can use or you can go to her website for additional worksheets and tools.  Several of the financial principles she goes over are great for someone or a couple just starting to get their finances in order.  I do agree with Ellie Kay on the importance of paying off debt, saving for emergencies and paying cash whenever possible.   I think her “10/10/80 Rule” is a good starting point too:

    • 10% – Share with nonprofit organization (church or other worthy organization)
    • 10% – Save through an allotment or designation to a savings account and for investments
    • 80% – Spend wisely

    Making it a habit to give, save, as well as where you spend your money is valuable with the intention that you would eventually get better with your finances and you will be able to both give and save even more then the initial 10%.  The author gives several quizzes throughout the book to help you identify were you are at on certain area of personal finance, such as personalities, spending, saving, debt, and more. I do like that she dips into the entrepreneurial side especially for the kids and small businesses.

    Overall I think Ellie Kay provides a good basis for personal finance with nuggets of valuable information to get you started on the right track.  At times I felt the five workout steps distracted from the content of the chapters and there were a couple areas I felt could have been more detailed such as outlining how to set up your first basic budget.   Even if you have already been following the majority of the principles she outlines in her book it is good to be reminded of some areas that may need continual improvement.

    Rate my review & be entered into a giveaway: I reviewed this book for “Blogging for Books.”   By rating my review, it allows me to choose another book and enters you in a GIVEAWAY60!   The rating is a two step process.

    Step 1:  Rate my review below (select the number of stars, enter your email, and hit submit).

    Step 2:  Check your email account for a message from Blogging for Books and click their link to verify your email.

    Once you rated my review AND confirmed your email, you will automatically entered in a giveaway for this book by WaterBrook Multnomah!!!  They will pick one person to receive a copy of the book for themselves!  WaterBrook Multnomah will contact the winner directly.

    Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah.  The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  • Intentional Living: Weekly Goals

    The week started off with some one-on-one time with Jake and I as the girls returned to school followed by some fun family time together.  It is rare to have several hours at home alone with Jake so we spent some quiet time talking, relaxing, playing games and working on projects together.  Having those few hours together was refreshing which helped jump start our 2012 year.  I am ready to pick back up on speed with setting and following my goals, thanks for your encouragement and keeping me accountable.

    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
    3. Spend extra time with my family while the girls are on Christmas Break!

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week – didn’t quite make it this week
    2. Listen to Dumping Debt by Dave Ramsey

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Pay off remaining debt – We made it, the final payments are being made on the last two items!  Now we can start working on saving for  our 3 month Emergency Fund

    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 each girl read 1 book to myself or Jake 5 days this week
    4. Set up a Date Night for Jake & I and a Date Night for the Kids
    5. Thank You notes written and sent for the Christmas Gifts

    Personal Goals

    1. Exercise – walk at least 5 days this week
    2. Go to bed by 10:30 pm or earlier Monday to Thursday
    3. Finish reading The 60-Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay
    4. Read and listen to the next section of  Desiring God: Finding Complete Satisfaction and Joy in God by John Piper (our church Community Group is going through this book together).

    Home Management Goals

    1. All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
    2. Weekly Dinner Menu planned and written by Monday
    3. Spend 30 minutes every day picking up / cleaning the house
    4. Dinner ready by 5:30 PM (Monday through Thursday)
    5. Spend time re-organizing and de-cluttering the office

    Business Goals

    1. Pay all bills that come in the mail this week
    2. Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
    3. Spend 10 minutes a day cleaning and organizing my desk
    4. Plan new implementations for blog
    5. Schedule client meetings at least 2 weeks in advance

    Ministry Goals

    1. Email our weekly Community Group update including upcoming events on the calendar, praises, and prayer requests
    2. Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
    3. Write and send out Meeting Notes from our January Alms & Legs Team Ministry meeting

    Financial Goals

    1. Stay within Budget on Groceries $40 for 4
    2. Emergency Fund – start saving 3 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 back on schedule with sharing my grocery budget for those who asked if I was continuing (thanks for checking on me).  While the girls were out of school for the Holidays and Jake had a few days off work I decided to take a break from posting my Groceries $40 for 4.  I did stay close (I went over by a little bit) to our target budget but did not take any pictures since my priority was spending time with my family during the Holidays.  Now that school and work are back to normal routine I plan to share  regularly with you.   Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.


    Groceries from Ingles, Walgreens, and KMart

    Ingles Groceries:

    • $30.04 at Ingles for 3 boxes Fiber One Blueberry Yogurt, 4 boxes Fiber One Key Lime Pie Yogurt, 1 box Laura Lynn Taco Shells, 1 bottle Eggnog, 1 container fresh Portabella Mushrooms,  1 container fresh Black Eye Peas, 1 container fresh Raspberries, 4 packs Laura Lynn Sharp Cheddar block cheese, 4 bags Sargento Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, 4 bags Sargento Shredded Mexican Cheese, 1 box Laura Lynn Oatmeal, 1 head Caulifornia, 1 head Lettuce, and 1 bag Coleslaw. (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance.  All the produce was marked down to $0.99 cents, the yogurt was marked down to 50 cents, and all the cheese was on sale!  We should be stocked up on cheese for awhile, somehow we manage to go through a lot in our house!)

    Walgreens Groceries:

    • $3.58 at Walgreens for 2 gallons of Milk (the milk was on sale for $2.79 each and I used a $2.00 coupon)

    KMart Groceries:

    • $3.00 at KMart for 12 pack A&W Root Beer (on sale and a special treat for my husband since he works so hard to provide for our family I decided it was worth the “splurge” for him.)

    This week I spent $36.61 on groceries.  Even though I was under on my budgeted amount for the week I was able to stock up on some items at the same time plus it allows me a little extra to spend next week if I find a great deal.  I was thrilled to stock up on produce and diary items as well as other great fridge & pantry items this week.  I hope that next week is better week and we can come under budget!

    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.

  • Giveaway: “Money Saving Mom’s Budget” Book by Crystal Paine (5 WINNERS)

    I am doing another giveaway on Blessings Multiplied!   There will be 5 winners of this giveaway who will receive a copy of Money Saving Mom’s Budget by Crystal Paine!  As a Mom I am always looking for ways to save a little extra, get more organized, and stay focused on my priorities.  After reading Crystal’s book I know many of you will enjoy this book too!  It is a great time of year to re-evaluate and set our goals.  Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

    1. Sign up to follow my blog (if you haven’t done so already) and leave a comment below telling us how you follow Blessings Multiplied.  Sign up to receive Blessings Multiplied via email.
    2. You can get a bonus entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below sharing what area you are wanting to work on first with your family budget!

    All comments must be made by January 31st at 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.

    You can learn more information about this great book and my review on The Money Saving Mom’s Budget by Crystal Paine.

    *A special thanks to Crystal Paine with Money Saving Mom for providing these books for the giveaway!