Saving Families Money Since 2007
Daniela emailed in the following tip:
I’ve been using vinegar instead of fabric softener in my laundry recently. I just add it in the rinse cycle to solve hard water fading on the clothes. It works great, our clothes look better than they did with some of the more expensive fabric softeners, and it costs us a fraction of what we used to pay for fabric softener. -Daniela
Lands’ End has Men’s Relaxed Fit Jeans for $9.74 shipped plus 8% cashback. Here’s how to get them:
::Click through the ShopAtHome site to the Land’s End site to get 8% cashback.
::Go to this link and see if they have the size you are looking for available (they are selling out quickly!). They also have some straight leg jeans available here for the same price.
::Put your selection in your cart and go to checkout.
::Use coupon code DISCOVERLE and pin 6702 to get 25% off plus free shipping (no minimum).
::That makes these jeans just $9.74 shipped (plus tax, if applicable).
(Note: The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)
Here are some of this week’s best grocery & household deals from Amazon.com. Many of these prices are higher than what you’d pay by combining coupons with sales, but they may be good deals for you if you live where there aren’t many stores or deals are scarce:
Luvs Diapers: Pick up Luvs Diapers with Ultra Leakguards for as low as $0.11 each right now on Amazon.
Nature Valley: Stock up with this Nature Valley Crunch Bars Variety Pack: 72 bars for just $14.10, or $0.20 each.
Clif Kid Zbars: If you’re looking for an affordable, healthy, organic, on-the-go snack, Zbars are one of our family’s favorites. Get Clif Kid Chocolate Brownie Zbars (18 ct.) for just $10.19 shipped, the lowest price we’ve seen all year!
Peter Pan Peanut Butter: In the face of rising peanut butter prices, right now you can get the big 40 oz. jars of Peter Pan Creamy Peanut Butter for $4.69 each.
Pirate’s Booty: Here’s another deal on a great, gluten-free crunchy snack. Pirate’s Booty Veggie (24 ct. 1 oz. bags) are on sale for $18.69, or just $0.78 each.
Emergen-C: Rather than stocking up on expensive electrolyte drinks, pick up Emergen-C Electro Mix (30 ct.) for $5.01. That’s just $0.17/packet.
Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner: Combine the Subscribe & Save discount with a special coupon code to get Lysol Automatic Toilet Bowl Cleaner Discs for $1.75 each.
Terry & Mandi are a busy mother-daughter team that look for ways to save money without sacrificing a lot of time, and they share their love for all things Amazon.com at Jungle Deals & Steals.
Here’s how to get Purina Beggin’ Strips for $0.84 at Target:
Buy 1 bag of Beggin’ Strips at $3.84
Use $2/1 manufacturer’s coupon
Stack with $1/1 Target coupon
$0.84 after coupons
Thanks, My Money Dearest!
Not only can you earn free magazine subscriptions through EcoBonus, you can also earn free magazine subscriptions through Recyclebank. Here’s how:
::Sign up or login to your Recyclebank account.
::Go to the Earn Points tab and earn 115 points. You can earn 25 points by taking the GE quiz, 25 points by taking the Turn Off the Tap Quiz, 25 points by taking the Kashi Lifecycle of a Cereal Box Quiz, 25 points by taking the Turn Off the Tap Quiz, 5 points by signing up for the Uncommon Goods email newsletter, 5 points from Earth 911, and more points from the Aveeno Facebook challenges.
::Once you have earned 115 points, click on the Get Rewards tab and then go to the Music, Books, and Magazines subsection. You can use your 115 points to sign up for a free subscription to Better Homes and Gardens, Good Housekeeping, or Parents magazine.
(Note: The link in this post is my referral link. Read my disclosure policy here.)
Rite Aid is jumping on the free photos bandwagon! Here’s how to get 15 free 4×8 photo cards plus 25 free 4×6 photo prints:
::Login or register at the Rite Aid site.
::Create a 4×8 photo card and add 15 photo cards to your cart.
::Go to checkout and use promo code FREECARDS to get them free.
::You can also order 25 4×6 photo prints and use coupon code FREEPRINTS to get them free.
::Choose in-store pickup and your total should be $0.00.
Thanks, Sample Stuff!
Based upon your responses to yesterday’s introductory post, many of us are longing for more discipline in our lives. We crave order and peace. We want to be better managers of our time and life. We want to follow through with our good intentions.
But so many times I’ve found that I try to go about developing a more disciplined life in all the wrong ways. I check out a book on living an organized life from the library and think it will make all the difference. I download a printable household organization planner and think it will magically whip my house into shape. Or I think that if my house or life or responsibilities were different, then I could achieve a disciplined life.
Instead of addressing the root issue–my lack of self-discipline–I think that a fancy new system is going to fix the problem. A bad system is not the problem. I am the problem.
Oh sure. Life throws curveballs. There are job losses, babies born, illnesses, moves, and projects that can get one off course. But ultimately, whether or not I live a disciplined life is dependent solely upon me and the choices I make on a daily basis.
Those are tough words to swallow. And I could wallow in frustration over my short-comings and failures. However, instead, I want to let it motivate me. I am the problem, but I am also the solution.
I don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on organizational products. I don’t need to buy 20 books on living a disciplined life. Instead, I need to resolve to change from the inside out.
Tomorrow we’ll talk about how to start making specific, realistic changes to transform a cluttered, chaotic life into an orderly, organized life.
Practical Application
To jumpstart the 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life Challenge, choose one small project that has been nagging at you for the last few weeks or months and go start and complete it in the next 24 hours. You may find that it didn’t end up taking you near as long as you thought it would and you’ll feel so good to have it done.
I’m tackling the laundry pile (no surprise there, I’m sure, as this seems to the area I’m constantly struggling in!). Ever since returning from Relevant, I’ve been woefully behind on laundry. So I’m going to aim to get completely caught up within the next 24 hours. And then I’m going to be intentional about keeping the momentum going… more on that in a few days.
Come back tomorrow afternoon/evening and I’ll tell you how it went–and you can tell us how your project went, too!
So, I told you I was going to try out a new method of freezer cooking–just devoting 15 minutes each afternoon or evening to making one thing ahead to store in the freezer. It was a good idea and I think it will probably work well.
There was just one problem: I really should have doubled or tripled the Chocolate Bottom Banana Bar recipe. Because, you see, after I made them yesterday afternoon, everyone had to try one for dinner. Then, the typical 3 p.m. chocolate cravings hit this afternoon (please tell me I’m not the only one who has these!?), so out came the pan of Chocolate Bottom Banana Bars again.
And well, there are no Chocolate Bottom Banana Bars left to put in the freezer. Ahem.
But seriously, while I may have had a little more than my fair share of these, I promise I didn’t eat the whole pan. Just maybe, um, oh a fourth of it. 😉
I’m going to try really, really hard for tonight’s baking project–the Cookie Dough Baked Oatmeal–to actually make it in the freezer. Well, at least part of it!
By the way, I tried a new setting on my camera today and was so excited with how this photo turned out. It was probably a fluke thing that I’ll never be able to repeat, but it made me happy nonetheless that I actually took a photo that looked halfway decent. 🙂
Create a Pilgrahoan on the Idahoan site and then enter the contest and you’ll be able to print a $1/1 Idahoan Potato coupon.
These are often on sale for $1, making them free after this coupon.
Thanks, For the Mommas!
Life Blessons shows you how to make Whole-Wheat Pretzel Bites.
Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
“Crystal Paine does it all as an entrepreneur, wife, and mom—and that means she knows all about finding room in a home budget! From reducing clutter to finding amazing coupon deals outside the grocery aisle, The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget will help you make dollars and sense of your life again.”
—Dave Ramsey, New York Times bestselling author and nationally syndicated radio talk show host
For a long time, I’ve had a big dream of one day being a published author. I figured it would be years down the road–maybe after my children were grown.
However, God had different plans. And near the end of 2010, a vice president of Gallery Books (a division of Simon & Schuster) stumbled upon an article of mine and wrote me saying they’d like to offer me a book deal.
I had to read the email multiple times to make sure I was getting it right. No, my eyes weren’t playing tricks on me.
Jesse and I spent the next eight weeks praying about it and discussing whether this was realistic and something we wanted to take on. Truthfully, Jesse was really stoked about the whole thing. I was much more hesitant as my plate felt plenty full, I’d spent the last six months working towards margin and balance in my life, and I was scared to embark on something that might be too overwhelming–especially since I’d only have a few months to start and complete the manuscript.
But God kept confirming to Jesse and me that this was what I was supposed to do. So we streamlined and delegated, hired an assistant to take over a lot of the behind-the-scenes business tasks for me, and jumped in with both feet.
There were definitely some grueling moments and I won’t say that the writing process was easy–especially since I had no clue what I was doing and everything was completely new to me!–but it went much smoother than we could have ever expected. Plus, I truly enjoyed the entire process.
The manuscript was completed in early May and the last few months have been a whirlwind of new learning curves in editing, publicity, and traditional marketing (I’m used to internet marketing, so the traditional marketing is a whole new ballgame for me!)
After months of effort, I’m thrilled to let you know that The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget: Slash Your Spending, Pay Down Your Debt, Streamline Your Life and Save Thousands a Year is finished and off to the printers with a planned release date of January 10, 2012.
This book is the culmination of years of personally living frugally and simply and teaching others how to have a paradigm shift about money. I’m more than a little excited about it (more like crazily ecstatic about it!) because I believe its message is direly needed, especially right now as so many people are struggling to make ends meet. I believe this book has the potential to radically change your budget–and your life!
The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget is a comprehensive step-by-step plan to take you from financial mess to financial success. In this straightforward book, you’ll learn:
::How to set big goals and break them down into bite-sized pieces.
::How to prioritize your time and life in order to live intentionally.
::How to streamline your home and life in order to have breathing room to work toward your financial goals.
::How to go from no budget at all to a full-fledged, realistic, written budget by following a simple three-step plan.
::How to make a cash envelope system work for you.
::How to cut your grocery bill in half (including 25 ways to save money without using coupons!).
::How to save big on restaurants, travel, clothing, utility bills, prescription glasses, gym memberships, and much more.
::And finally, how to cultivate contentment, embrace today, and live a rich and full life, no matter your income.
You know what I’m most thrilled about in publishing this book? That all of my profits are going to Compassion International–an organization that helps to feed and clothe needy children around the globe.
Knowing that this book has the potential to not only change lives in our country, but to also give food, clean water, shelter, and clothing to those who are living in unimaginable circumstances, gave me so much purpose and excitement while writing. I’m humbled to be partnering with Compassion’s ministry to the poorest of the poor.
“For this mama of six, driving a 14 yr. old vehicle, endeavoring to live frugally and to live generously, this book not only offers fresh inspiration, it offers a practical, creative plan to make your life priorities — the reality of your life. And her last chapter on contentment? Standing ovation!”
—Ann Voskamp, author of the New York Times bestseller One Thousand Gifts
The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com. It’s $10.98 right now, with a price-guarantee that if the price goes down any between when you order and the release date, you’ll get the lowest price. Shipping is free with an Amazon Mom account.
It’s also available for pre-order on Barnes & Noble. If you prefer ebooks, you can pre-order it for your Kindle or Nook.
No matter your level of thriftiness or how much or little you make, I think you’ll find help, hope, and inspiration in the pages of The Money Saving Mom®’s Budget. This book would also make a fabulous Christmas gift for someone you know who is struggling financially or just wants to do a better job of setting financial goals and stewarding the money they have.
If you can’t afford the $10.98 price tag, you could ask your local library to order in a copy. And don’t worry, I’ll be giving lots of copies away here, too!
PSST! If you do pre-order a copy, I have a little special something for you next week, just to show my appreciation. Stay tuned for more details. 🙂
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support of this project. Your excitement in comments and emails has knocked my socks off. I have the best readers ever!
ChristianAudio is offering a free download of The Heavenly Man audiobook by Brother Yun during the month of November.
I’ve not personally read this book yet, but it’s been highly recommended to me by a few friends.
Thanks, Jessica!
Tiny Prints is offering 50 free Holiday Photo Cards for bloggers. You must blog about the cards in order to receive this freebie.
You can also get 25 free Holiday Photo Cards from Shutterfly.
Not a blogger? SeeHere is offering 20 Photo Cards for just $1.49 shipped!
Thanks, Karen!
Cuisine Routine is offering a free downloadable Make-Ahead Thanksgiving Menu Plan with recipes, printable grocery lists, and more.
There is also a gluten-free menu plan you can download.
Thanks, Homemaking Expert!
