One month in for the year! How are you doing with the financial goals you made for 2023? Unfortunately, many people abandon their New Year's goals by mid-January and everything goes downhill from there. February is a good month to hit the reset button and go back to that feeling of … [Read More...]
Our 2023 Financial Goals
Did you make 2023 financial goals? My husband and I discussed some ideas over our holiday break. We decided on one big audacious financial goal for the year, and it's a doozy! The last time we wrote numbers-driven financial goals was 2019. That was the year that we made the goal of paying off the last of our non-mortgage debts and we … [Read More...]
3 Smart Steps to Pay Cash for Christmas
Christmas is coming! That merry time of year that is filled with faith, family, food, and a little bit of shopping. Americans will spend about $900 on holiday purchases** and unfortunately, many people will get a little surprise in the mail in January when the credit card bills start rolling in. My mission is for all of us to sleep better in … [Read More...]
30 Free but Thoughtful Christmas Gift Ideas
This post has been updated, it was originally published in 2015. This list of thoughtful, but FREE Christmas gift ideas is proof that you don't need to spend a lot of money on the people you gift to if you use your time, resources, and creativity. Whether you're trying to save money or just limit the amount of stuff in your life, it doesn't … [Read More...]
10 Ideas to Find Cash for Christmas
The Christmas season is upon us. The season of family, faith, food, and...shopping.....collective sigh... The spending part of Christmas can get crazy, so I've come up with a list of ideas to find some extra cash for your Christmas spending if you're coming up short. Our goal is to NOT put our Christmas purchases on a credit card. January … [Read More...]
How We Frugal-ed in September 2022
I'm always looking for ways to save my family money to help us get through current higher food and gas prices and achieve our big financial goals. Some months are more successful than others. There was nothing too special about my frugal shenanigans in September, other than just trying to be better with every purchase that I make. My Frugal … [Read More...]
My 2023 Planner
Are you looking for the perfect 2023 planner? Today, I’m sharing mine. It is highly functional, super affordable, and at the moment, wide open for all the possibilities and opportunities that 2023 will bring. While I embrace the digital world, paper is the way I plan my life. I have been using a paper planner since my early college days in … [Read More...]
How We Frugal-ed in August 2022
Another month of 2022 is in the books and another month of frugal-ing. My found money in August was made up of a lot of little amounts and unfortunately, was not as high as in previous months. For starters, I didn't donate plasma this month and that is usually my biggest source of extra cash. Lately, the line has been really long to get in and I … [Read More...]
My #1 Tool that Saves Me Hundreds on Groceries
This post was originally published in 2015. I still use this simple tool for meal planning! Meal planning is the #1 way I save money on groceries. I can NOT stress that enough and I write about it all of the time. So I'll repeat it. "MEAL PLANNING IS THE #1 WAY I SAVE MONEY ON GROCERIES." And there is one tool that makes meal planning very … [Read More...]
Egg & Sausage Burritos (Freezer Recipe) | Breakfast on the Go
This post was originally published in 2013. Be sure to check the comments for loads of tips and ideas for these egg & sausage burritos. In an effort to alleviate the morning rush, I make a big pan of these breakfast burritos for our freezer. And after nine years, this Egg & Sausage Burritos post continues to be my most popular recipe, … [Read More...]
How We Frugal-ed in July 2022
We've seen higher grocery and fuel bills lately, so we're upping our frugal game to help the budget. Our financial goals are still important to us and we want to hit them regardless of the rising prices. How I frugal-ed in the kitchen: I spend a lot of time in my kitchen. Here are five ways that I saved money this month. 1. Winner … [Read More...]
How We Frugal-ed in June 2022
It's been a long time since I've shared a "How I Frugal-ed" post, but for a variety of reasons, I'm making a more conscious effort lately to flex my frugal muscles. Here's how we frugal-ed in June. How my husband saved us $460...for awhile at least. In 2017 we updated our kitchen with new paint, flooring, and appliances. Because we … [Read More...]
10 Ways to Save at Giant Food Stores
This post was originally published as a sponsored post back in 2015. Today, I'm updating it since a lot has changed at GIANT. This updated post is not sponsored. As the home manager, my mission is to serve my family quality and tasty food on our limited budget. GIANT Food Stores of PA has been part of my weekly grocery shopping routine for years. … [Read More...]
Start Planning and Budgeting for Summer TODAY!
After a long winter, are you dreaming of blue skies and sunny days? We are! As a family, we are looking forward to camping trips, a week at the beach, and cookouts with friends. I want to make sure we have time to squeeze everything in and the funds to do it all. If you haven't already done so, NOW is the time to start mapping out and budgeting … [Read More...]
Why not run the family office?
Many years ago, I read Thomas J. Stanley’s book, Millionaire Women Next Door: The Many Journeys of Successful American Businesswomen, and I had an aha moment. Chapter 17 in this book is titled, “Why not run the family office?". In highly affluent circles, a family office is a private wealth management firm that manages the finances and … [Read More...]
How to Save Money on Groceries
Are you spending more at the grocery store lately? Rising prices are affecting everyone's bank account, and groceries are leading the way. Everyone is trying to figure out how to save money on groceries! According to CNBC, the cost of chicken and eggs has increased by 10%! Those are weekly staples at my house! Groceries is one budget category … [Read More...]
Ibotta Review: How I Earn Cash Back on Groceries
This is my honest review. All links to Ibotta are to my referral link. When you join, you will also get a referral link to share with your friends to earn additional cashback. What is Ibotta? Ibotta is a free cashback rewards and payments app that gives you cash for everyday qualifying purchases when you shop and pay through the app. Your … [Read More...]
My One Goal for 2022
Rather than create a long list of goals I'd like to accomplish for 2022, I'm going to focus on just one personal goal for this year. I will work on other things too, like exercising more, reading more, eating healthier, and blah, blah, blah! But instead of stressing about a long list of ideas, I'm just going to focus on one goal and it's a … [Read More...]
How We’re Saving for College with Upromise
This post is NOT sponsored by Upromise. Instead, it is my honest review. All links to Upromise are my referral links. Way back in 2008 I signed up for a Upromise account and then it sat unused for many years. I don't recall why I never used the account, but I guess it just slipped my mind. Back in 2008, I was a mama to a toddler and infant, so a … [Read More...]