My Personal, Financial Victory

 "The plans of the diligent lead surely to advantage, But everyone who is hasty comes surely to poverty" (Proverbs 21:5).

I am going to present a mini-series on budgeting for the next few days. I don't trust just anyone with budgeting advice, and I don't expect you to either. That's why this post is my success story.

Before I got married I had over ten thousand dollars in the bank. Now, this may not seem like a huge amount, but I was 21 and a full-time student working a part-time job, and I had purchased two cars during my driving career. That money was especially helpful because my husband had all but drained his savings account to purchase my beautiful engagement ring.
When we first got married we didn't budget at all. We were both in school full-time, and we worked part-time, so the money was not rolling in. We ate out probably 3-4 times per week, rented movies, went out to movies, went to concerts, bought Starbucks, I know...crazy, right?
Soon, our savings began running out. That's right about the time I found out I was pregnant. Now, we were planning this pregnancy, but there's nothing like seeing the plus sign on the end of that stick to start the money signs ticking off in your brain.
Our ultimate goal was for me to be a STAHM (Stay-at-Home-Mom), and we knew that money in our savings account would never be a given for us; it was time to make a plan.
I am a planner. I always have been and probably always will. So, I wrote out a rough budget for us to follow. I didn't really have any experience in budgeting, nor had I done the adequate research, but nevertheless, with diligence (and my husband working his bottom off), we were able to save a little money last summer.
This year is where I really want to share my success (and the Lord's faithful hand) with our finances. Now be prepared, some of these numbers may cause your jaws to drop, but I swear that they are the truth.
About two months before our son was born I quit my job. We were then a one income family from about the middle of January 2011 to the present. Our grand total of income (before taxes) last year was $16,000.
Besides our normal monthly expenses, we also had to get not one, but both of our cars repaired.
Our plan was to use our savings to supplement my husband's monthly income, and let our savings dwindle down until this summer when my husband would work obscenely long hours to build our savings back up again (my husband is getting his PHD). After budgeting pretty consistently for several months we were able to save about $5,000 over this past school year. Yes, we have to be careful about the money we spend, and we do have to track each dollar, but we haven't lived in a cave for the past eight months either. We've eaten out some, my husband and I went on a three day vacation, and we have been able to buy birthday gifts, share money with others, and still buy some frivolous items as well.
This is a testimony of the fact that if you track where your money is really going, and do something to keep monthly costs down, it is possible to save money even on a miniscule income.

I will soon share some of my advice for budgeting. Watch for updates!

Garage Sales: Some Tips

        Our garage sale turned out to be successful, despite the fact that it snowed the moment we opened shop, and the fact that we didn't advertise very well.

But I'll give you some tips on how to organize a more successful garage sale (if you are so inclined).
1. Give yourself more than a week to organize. Time can be the difference between being totally stressed out and irritable (as I was), or throwing a successful and peaceful garage sale that will be worth the work put into it.

2. Don't individually price clothing, dishes, or other small items. We found it was more profitable to let people offer their price; on a couple of occasions we earned more from offers than we would have made if we had priced it ourselves!

3. Advertise, advertise, advertise! We used Facebook and we made signs to put up the night before. But if you take out a classified ad you may have more of a turnout!

4. Pick a date where there's no way it will snow!

5. Post some individual items on Craigslist. We actually got a few people coming just to buy a specific item and ended up buying other things as well! This turned out to a really

6. Remember that is just a garage sale; it isn't anything to lose peace in your house over!

My Frugal Project

 I really wanted a decorative box for a huge space on my bookshelves. I thought the space needed something pretty that could also hold my Bible, journal, and pens.
I started making a list of all of the decorative/organizational things I would need to make my living room complete with a place for everything, and everything in its place. But as I made this list, I realized that it would end up costing me money just to make my life more simple; it didn't make sense to me. So, I started searching for something I could use in that space--for free.
What I found was a board game box. So...I found some card stock paper, and taped it to the front where it would show, and covered all visible spots of the board game box.
Here's a side view:

Here's the finished box:

And... Here's the box in the space I wanted to fill!

Grand total=$0!

Make a Plan, Save Money

This week I did not make a menu plan for the week. The result: I spent almost twenty dollars more at the grocery store this week.
The second mistake I made was going to the store starving, the result: I spent more money on stuff I didn't really need.

Free Things to Do in Memphis

As I write this I am in the Central Library. Therefore, the Library will be the first free thing I advocate. I love coming to the library. It may sound pretty boring to some, and if you aren't a big reader it may be a drag for you, but I just love putting the baby down for a nap at the grandparents' and heading to the library for a date with myself.
I wander the aisles looking for "how-to" books on anything from knitting to my most recent project, "How to Write a Mystery Novel." It is such a nice and quiet place to look around, read, and get ideas...and it's free!
My husband and I (before we were married and a few times after), would end our dates by going to Davis Kidd and sitting next to each other to read. I guess that may not sound great to some of you, but to us it was a wonderful, relaxing way to spend time with each other without spending money. Sometimes, if we were feeling a little more extravagent, would head down to Borders, buy a cup of coffee, and swap interesting facts we would read. I love to find books of jokes and tell them to him. Laughter is the best medicine, and sometimes the best jokes are stupid ones.
Try going to a bookstore the next time you want to go on a date but can't spend any money.
If you are looking for a fun morning for the kids, check these story times out:

Barnes and Noble:
The Wolfchase Barnes and Noble offers a Story Time on Tuesday mornings at 11:00

Bookstar:
On Saturdays at 2:00 Bookstar offers a storytime. In addition there are often other activities for children during storytime, call (901) 323-9332 for more information.

Children's Museum of Memphis:
Tuesdays at 10:00, CMOM holds "My First Book Club" for children which includes crafts, activities, snacks, and stories. On Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays at 12:00 children can relax while listening to a story.

I will continue to post other free (or nearly free) activities to do in Memphis over the next week. Enjoy!

Super Cheap and Easy Crockpot Dinner

If you are like me, the title of this blog post has all of your favorite words in reference to dinner.

Poor and Stingy are Not Synonyms

            When I am struggling financially or personally, it is easy for me to forget or choose not to help others in need. I always have a good excuse, I’m too busy, I don’t have enough money for groceries; how can I give to someone else? I don’t have time to get everything done in my house; how am I supposed to give time to anyone else?  But as a follower of Christ, I have been commanded to give to others even out of my poverty.

Becoming a One Car Family

            In my quest for frugality, I realized that one place that sort of unnecessarily drains money every month is our second car. Now, I know that it may be impossible for some families to live with only one car, but we are making it work.

Frugal Suggestions for the “I Take My Coffee with Cream and Sugar” Crowd.

I love coffee. I love the caffeine that comes in my cream and sugar. My coffee is very important to me. It’s kind of an experience for me every morning. If I don’t get to have my “coffee-time” in the morning, I just feel like a rug got pulled out from under me.

Leftovers in Disguise

I am the leftover Nazi in my house. 

            To the dismay of my husband, I generally advocate that we eat the same thing again and again until all of the leftovers are gone. This is a feat of extraordinary perseverance as I have yet to learn how to cook for only two people. So, for the past almost three years of marriage I cook dinner and the leftovers sit in the fridge until I discover it three months later.

Garage Sales and My Adventures in Frugality

         I generally hate garage sales, but sometimes they are necessary. I never really have enough to sell to make it worth it, I rarely have a whole Saturday to devote to not making any money, and I like my stuff. This month, however, I need just a little extra income.

Learning to be Frugal for the Already Frugal Family

Frugality: prudence in avoiding waste.

I feel like every time I'm trying to think of a post to write I collide with one of my many character flaws. The purpose of this blog is not to be a confessional, I promise you.
     I had kind of a freak out this past week. I won't go into the details, but I can say that I freaked out about money. After spending a day on the couch, languishing and licking my wounds, I realized that the only way to combat this gnawing feeling of increasing fear for the future was to trust the Lord and get proactive about cutting costs wherever I could.

Flylady: My Not So Secret Weapon

I am not a tidy person. My mom always told me it was because I'm artistic; I think I'm just a slob. Regardless, when I got married I realized just how difficult it was to keep a house tidy when the responsibility fell entirely on me.

Simplify Your Life on Saturdays: Clorox Wipes

I don't know about all the other new moms in the world, but I have a difficult time staying on top of housework, especially deep cleaning. I just don't seem to find the two hours I need to get my house clean every week month. The bathroom, however, is extremely important to me to keep clean.