Simple Steps to Debt-Free Living

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Best Frugal Kid’s Lunch Ideas

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Packing lunch for the kiddos every day gets to be a tiring task and can easily get expensive if you are buying individually portioned items (especially if you are going for the healthier ones!).  I want to feed my kids healthy food for lunch that they will actually eat, but I also don’t want to break the bank!  To help you in the same quest, I’m sharing our top frugal (and healthy!) kid’s lunch ideas.

How We Pack

Most of the time our kids take their lunch to school.  This year we have a Kindergartener who is super excited to have the option of eating in the cafeteria and has been eating hot lunch quite a bit, but we still have three other kiddos to pack for.  

We pack the lunches the night before.  Our goal is to have at least one serving of each food group but we don’t always stick to that.  We really strive to put at least one fruit and vegetable option in each day’s lunchbox.  I’d say the dairy or protein is probably the option that gets left out on some days, but we try to be as varied as possible.

So – to help you come up with some ideas for the kids I’ve put together this list.  I’ll share some quick entrees you can prepare as well as frugal options for the other food groups (and some entrees count as more than one food group).  

I’ll also be honest – we don’t really spend much time making lunches for our kids.  We don’t do cute bento boxes even though I would love to.  With four boys under age 9 we just don’t have time!  Plus both hubs and I work full-time and have a side job.  We also don’t cook a lot of things for lunch so making special dishes just for lunch is also out.  Convenience, health, and frugality are what we’re after.

Of course, you can buy individual portions of pretzels and such, but you can save quite a bit if you bag them up yourself.  I will set aside time on the weekend to bag a lot of options for the week (fruits, veggies, pretzels, chips, etc) that way they are ready to go during the week when things are more hectic.  Just grab, throw in the lunch box, and go!

Main Entree Options

  1. Of course, sandwiches should be mentioned here, even though I’ve seen a ton of Pinterest posts about non-sandwich lunch ideas.  We only do sandwiches once or twice a month.
  2. Quesadillas.  We do just cheese in ours and put them in the microwave but this option is super easy and cheap – tortillas and some shredded cheese!  You can also add a couple of dips if you like – maybe some sour cream or salsa (both also inexpensive!)
  3. DIY Lunchables – grab some crackers (can get as cheap or expensive as you like), lunch meat and cheese.  My kids love these and sometimes we do pepperoni for the meat.
  4. Pita pockets.  Fill with salad, meat, leftovers – really anything. 🙂
  5. Wraps.  Again, tortillas (which my kids seem to like better than bread) with fillings.
  6. Chicken nuggets.  Even better if you have them the night before and make extra for the lunch boxes the next day.  I know these are not always healthy but you can get some pretty good ones at the store that don’t cost a whole lot.

Grains

Many of the options above have grains in them, and if I were making one of the options above I would skip this category altogether.  Sometimes, though, we just grab an option from each group and don’t have an official entree.  

  1. Noodles (a kid favorite and super easy on the wallet!)
  2. Pretzels 
  3. Popcorn
  4. Mini muffins (we cook these on Sunday morning for breakfast and use the leftovers in the lunches)
  5. Multi-grain chips or Simply Cheetos (really any kind of chip could do here depending upon how healthy you want it to be)
  6. Crackers (again, level of health is up to you)
  7. Oatmeal (sometimes we make this in the morning and keep it in a thermos.  It’s still warm by lunch time).  Could also do overnight oats if your kids like them.
  8. Granola bars, cereal bars, etc.  Any type of bar will do here (except the ones with nuts if you are a nut-free school like our kids go to!)
  9. Mini bagels (could pack a spread, too)
  10. Cereal.  Every once in a while we do this.  Not really the healthiest but better than a lot of things out there!
  11. Veggie straws or Snap Pea Crisps.  Both of these are big hits at our house and the kids love finding them in their lunch boxes.
  12. Frozen waffle or pancakes (heated up first, obviously 😉
  13. English Muffins 
  14. Mac and Cheese

Veggies

  1. Carrots.  Always a favorite.
  2. Cucumber Slices or Mini Cukes
  3. Celery (with or without toppings)
  4. Broccoli
  5. Snap Peas
  6. Pepper strips (if your kiddos will eat them – only one of ours will!)
  7. Tomatoes (we like to grow cherry tomatoes for this)
  8. Guacamole or salsa
  9. Spinach leaves or salad
  10. We also sometimes do veggie straws or snap pea crisps as their veggie choice
  11. Freeze dried peas.  We started our kids out on these when they were little and they absolutely love them!  You can buy them in a large can from Honeyville or smaller sizes on Amazon. We’ve also done freeze dried green beans with success, too.  A large can goes a long way so for less than $20 for a big can you can make a ton of lunches.

Fruit

  1. Berries (any type)
  2. Apples or apple slices (I tend to only buy apple slices from Sam’s or on sale because they can get expensive)
  3. Grapes (cut if needed)
  4. Oranges
  5. Bananas
  6. Raisins or craisins
  7. Applesauce (we get ours at Sam’s for 22 cents a cup!)
  8. Melon chunks
  9. Fruit cups (we buy these at Aldi)
  10. Mango
  11. Nectarines/peaches/plums
  12. Pineapple

Dairy

  1. Yogurt
  2. Cheese (our kids love all different types of snack cheese and it’s often on sale)
  3. Cottage cheese

Protein

  1. Lunch meat
  2. Pepperoni
  3. Nut butter (if allowed) or sunbutter
  4. Hummus (one of our kids goes crazy for this – the others won’t touch it)
  5. Hot dogs (cut, if needed)
  6. Hard boiled eggs (huge hit for two of our kids – we also have our own chickens but this is still an affordable option)
  7. Tuna
  8. Grilled Chicken
  9. Meatballs
  10. Leftover bacon (our kids will go absolutely crazy for this!)
  11. Refried beans

Sweet Treat

We don’t always include this so it is a nice surprise to the kids when they find one of these in their lunch box.  We usually will only buy these things when they are on a super sale.

  1. Very small candy bar or dark chocolate
  2. Pudding
  3. Animal crackers
  4. Small cookie
  5. Natural fruit snacks

I hope this list has inspired you and that you enjoy some healthy, frugal lunch ideas. 🙂  Want more frugal living tips?  Check out this list of more than 60!

Amanda

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Ways to Cut Your Grocery Spending

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Most everyone I know wants to cut their food budget and feed their family for less.  We are no exception and try to feed our family of 6 on $175 per week (which includes money for dining out a couple of times – you can check out some tips for dining out cheaper here).  Most of that money for groceries goes to healthier foods and we are working to eat better all the time.  Here are some of the ways we have cut our grocery spending.

1. Plan in advance. 

Every meal, snack and beverage.  If you plan ahead, you don’t end up running to the store to pick something up – which usually means you end up buying several things you didn’t plan on.  Plus it can cost you gas money if you have to make a special trip to get what you need.  By planning ahead you know that you have what you need on hand.

2. Change where you shop

You can save money by switching to places like Aldi or Wal Mart.  Around here I really love Publix, but they are way more expensive on many of the things we regularly buy so I only go for the buy one, get one free deals.

3. Buy in bulk on items you use a lot

Some items don’t really make sense to buy in bulk, especially if they will go bad before you can eat it all or it isn’t really a good deal, but other items are a super buy when buying in bulk.  For us, we buy wheat berries to grind our own wheat, oats and items for the kids’ lunches in bulk and save quite a bit of money this way.

4. Shop the sales

Like I mentioned before, Publix has some great buy one get one free deals.  Every week I check what they have on their list before I decide what we are eating for the week.  Check sales fliers for good deals and plan your meals around those items that are a really good deal.  We also like to check out the Aldi meat deal they have on Wednesday.  My husband works really close to one so it’s not out of his way to go there after work.

5. Steer clear of convenience

Just say NO to small boxes of raisins, juice, yogurt.  They are super convenient when it comes to grabbing a snack or throwing in the kids’ lunchboxes, but they cost much more.

Use snack bags (even better if they are reusable!), thermos, bento box, etc. to pack those snacks instead!  I like the Great Value square snack bags they have now – smaller size but still in a convenient shape.

6. Be brand blind

Be open to store brands because they usually taste just as good.  While there are some items that I have found a difference in (like tomato soup!) most things I can’t tell a difference, especially if it is an ingredient in a cooked item (like cream of chicken).  You can save quite a bit of money switching to another brand, especially on things like cereal.

7. Doctor up cheap meat

The key to making cheap cuts of meat tender is to cook them low and slow – like in your slow cooker.  You can buy way more inexpensive cuts of meat this way.  When we were younger and didn’t have many bills (or kids!) we would often have steaks.  Now that we have four kids steak is out of our budget most of the time, so we find cheaper cuts and cook them in the slow cooker.

8. Consider canned and frozen

Especially for things that are out of season, buy canned or frozen versions.  I used to think that frozen foods weren’t as nutritious or fresh but I’ve since learned otherwise.  Most frozen vegetables, for example, are picked and frozen almost immediately, whereas the vegetables in the produce section may be weeks old, making the frozen version a better buy.  We also don’t have to worry about the frozen veggies going bad before we use them like we do with fresh.  Now we always have bags of frozen vegetables and fruit on hand to whip up quick sides – and most of the time they are cheaper, too!

9. Put on your apron

You should consider making some things yourself instead of buying the premade versions.  A big one of these for us is bars – like LaraBars and Kind Bars.  We love these, but they get crazy expensive real fast, especially with four kids.  One box of Pressed by Kind only has four bars and is $5!!  While I haven’t been able to make a bar like that at home, we regularly make LaraBars and granola bars of our own at home as well as bread and baked goods.

10. Make soup with a little meat and lots of veggies

Soup is really a budget-stretcher.  You can get the flavor of meat (especially if you make your own broth from bones) without actually having a lot of meat in the soup.  We will buy a whole chicken and cook it in the slow cooker, then make 2 meals out of it (one night roasted chicken, save some for soup!) and make the bone broth from everything that is left after we remove the meat.  This is super good for you and our kids go crazy over the chicken and rice soup we make from it.  Plus, rice is also super cheap!

11. Make meatless meals

Every week we have a veggie night.  Now, I know our kids might be weird but they really love it when we have a night of nothing but vegetables.  You don’t have to go this crazy if you don’t like veggies, but how about a bean burrito night or something of the sort?  Meat is often the most expensive part of a meal so this saves big time.  For us we will get sweet potatoes and use a variety of frozen vegetables and even mushrooms for me since I love them.

12. Stock up when on sale

When items we use all the time go on sale I make sure to stock up.  This also works for things you can freeze (check out this list!) so be sure to buy a lot of items when they are on sale and save them for later.  We do this with things like shredded cheese when they go buy one get one free at Publix and throw them in the deep freezer.  We also buy maple syrup, coconut oil and items like these when they are on sale.

13. Take advantage of leftovers

Get creative with the food that is left after a meal.  Like I mentioned before about saving the leftover chicken for soup, you can often take leftovers and stretch them into another meal.  Don’t have enough for a separate meal?  Why not have a smorgasbord night where you heat up all the leftovers and everyone serves themselves from a mini buffet?  One piece of pizza?  Cut it into small pieces.  Get creative. 😊

14. Avoid eat-ertainment

Plan outings around activities NOT food.  This one was really hard for me because I love to eat out and often when we would plan get togethers with friends or a date we would focus on where to eat.  Now we have friends over to our house and we do a potluck (plus the kids can play outside instead of sitting in a restaurant!) and we plan other activities for date night so the meal isn’t the focus.

15. Grow your own

Every year we grow a garden and try to improve from the year before.  We used to just grow whatever vegetables were recommended for the weather and our area, but we found that a lot of it went uneaten because we really didn’t like it!  Now we focus on the things our family actually likes to eat and if we grow a surplus we make sure to give it away.  Besides vegetables we also planted lots of berries and a few fruit trees that produce every year.  Not only is it healthier but it’s really exciting to watch everything grow!

16. Go less and buy more

If you make less trips to the store you will keep yourself from making so many impulse buys.  I know whenever I go in to any grocery store or Wal Mart I usually always buy at least one thing I didn’t plan on.  To keep this from happening so often we try to only shop once a week on the weekends.  If we absolutely need something I will send my hubby in because he works near a grocery store and he’s good at making a beeline for the one thing we need without deviating and buying other stuff.

I hope these tips help you save some money the next time you hit the grocery store.  If you would like to check out a grocery challenge I put together for our family you can check that out here.  See you soon!

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What is Frugal Living?

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So you keep seeing all these pins on Pinterest about “Frugal Living Tips” or “How to Do XYZ Frugally” but what does this all really mean?  Does frugal living equal a boring life stuck to a budget with no money for fun?

No way!!  Living a frugal life doesn’t mean you have to deprive yourself and sacrifice everything in the name of a buck.  Actually, it means living smarter by stretching the dollars you have to do the things that you want.  It’s about helping you live the life you want to live – even if you don’t have a lot of money.

Ready to give this frugal living thing a try?  Read on!

Get Creative!

One of my favorite things about frugal living is getting to use my creativity to do all the things we want without breaking the bank.  I love to learn and we are constantly learning how to do things ourselves that we otherwise would have to pay someone for.  How about learning how to change your oil, fix your clothes, or bake bread yourself?  Get the kiddos involved and you’ve got a family activity AND a money-saving one, too!

Sometimes I think it’s fun just to see how much we don’t spend on things, like seeing how little we can spend on groceries.  You can check out one of our grocery challenges here!  This even turns it into more of a game for us as we see what types of meals we can create out of either what we have or what little we can buy at the store for a certain amount of money.

Learn to Think Smarter

Once you have a budget in place and know how much money you spend in all categories, being frugal means using the money you have left after necessities smarter.  It’s choosing to use your money wisely and intentionally, not just buying on impulse or using the credit.  It is most definitely NOT depriving yourself all the time.  Want to indulge in something?  Save up for it or use that creativity to do what you want cheaper.

This is especially useful if you, like us, are working through paying off your debt to become debt-free.  You can check out our story here.  As you watch all the money you save from being frugal finally start to make a dent in that debt it gets so exciting and motivates you to live an even more frugal life.

Begin smarter with your money also means knowing when not to shop.  It means knowing when to wait for the right price and knowing when something is just out of your reach right now.

S-t-r-e-t-c-h Your Money Farther

Learn how to get the best deals for you money on everything you can and watch that money go farther than you ever thought possible.  If you aren’t used to hitting up thrift stores and yard sales, make them your friends.  Scour clearance sales and craigslist, shop with coupons and use ebates so you can get what you want at a price you can afford.

Living frugally can really help you live a better life.  Being intentional with our money has made us see that we really don’t need as much as we thought we did.  We have been slowly cleaning out “stuff” and have been gifting experiences over things, which has really added more joy to our lives.  In fact, frugal living has enabled us to save up enough money to take our family of four little boys AND our in-laws on a four night cruise this upcoming holiday season!

So being frugal definitely doesn’t mean you have to give up everything.  Vacationing is important to us for all the memories we are making with our kids, so it is a priority in our budget to save up for at least one nice trip a year.  Figure out what is important to you and live frugally to achieve the things you want.   Do you value freedom?  Private education?  A fully-funded emergency fund?  Stretch your dollars you have to spend to have money for the things you value.

The world is full of possibilities and living a frugal life can help you get more out of what you already have.

Don’t know where to start?  Check out more than 60 frugal living tips and start saving money today!

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How to Use eBates to Save Money on Craft Supplies

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Many of you probably already use Ebates when shopping popular sites like Amazon, Macy’s or eBay, but did you know that you can also use it at Joann, Michael’s, Red Heart and more?  It took me a long time to figure this out!  Here’s how to use Ebates to save money on craft supplies.  Haven’t joined Ebates yet?  Sign up here for a $10 bonus!

Why Use Ebates?

#1: Cash Back!

Ebates is an affiliate to over 2000 stores, so it can save you a lot of money off of so many items,  not just yarn.  Ebates offers cash back for going through their site to shop.  When you click on a link through their website, the retail store pays them a commission – and they give half of that commission to you!  It’s a win-win for everyone.  Ebates sends you a check or paypal payment every quarter.  Sometimes it is only around 1% cash back (reminds me of some credit card offers!) but other times it is much higher, especially around the holidays.  Sounds too good to be true?  Trust me, it isn’t!  SO many people use and love Ebates, and I am definitely one of them.

#2 Coupons

When you search for a store, you will not only see their cash back percentage, but usually they also offer coupons!  I just looked up Joann on the Ebates website, and they are offering 5 coupons plus 1% cash back!  If you are planning on buying yarn or supplies anyway, this is a great way to earn a little back.  If you just click on their coupons link, you can see the most popular coupons.  This is what today has as of this writing:

Use Ebates to save money on yarn and supplies

If you already shop at any of these stores, what a great deal!!  If you are already a member of Ebates, take full advantage of it to save money.  If you aren’t a member yet, use this link to sign up and you and I both get a bonus – $10 after a qualifying purchase of $25 or more.

Here are the current deals I could find for craft-related shopping:

Use Ebates to save money on yarn and supplies

Use Ebates to save money on yarn and supplies

Use Ebates to save money on yarn and supplies

Use Ebates to save money on yarn and supplies

Wow, there are quite a few yarn and supply sites to choose from!  I was really surprised to see Etsy on there.  I think it would be amazing to gift some hand dyed yarn or a handmade hook or needle set for my crafty friends – and I can use a coupon and earn cash back!  Woo hoo!  Interweave really surprised me, too!  If you haven’t heard of them, they publish Interweave Crochet and a lot of crafty books.  I just saw an extra 40% off their clearance on their website.  I am so going craft shopping about now…

Don’t forget to use this link to claim your bonus if you aren’t an Ebates member, and if you are just make sure that you are using them to go through when shopping at any of these websites.  The savings will add up!

What else do you use to save money on craft supplies?  Leave a comment below!

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Items to Always Buy at the Dollar Store

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Not everything is a better deal at a Dollar Store.  We have Dollar Tree stores around us and have found that there are some items that are always cheaper and others that seem like a good deal but can really be found cheaper elsewhere, especially for the quality.  You’ll save a bunch of money if you always buy these items at a Dollar Store.

Party Supplies

1. Gift Bags

We always buy gift bags at our local Dollar Tree.  You could easily pay $4 for the same size bag at Target and you can get it for $1!  Whenever we need to pick up a gift we make sure to stop by the Dollar Tree for the bag.

2. Tissue Paper

While we are picking up our gift bag we also make sure to pick up a package of tissue paper.  A package easily takes care of more than one bag plus it is great for crafts, too!

3. Plastic Utensils

These are not the best quality, but for cake and party food – they’re a huge money saver!

4. Serving Trays

I love their little plastic serving trays for holding the different types of food I serve at parties.   I love to do themed birthdays and can always find something to hold the food in at my Dollar Tree.

5. Serving Utensils

These go along so well with the serving trays and are super cheap!

6. Helium Balloons

I have noticed that this is one thing that seems to sell more than any other at our local stores.  People are always waiting to have their balloons filled up.  They always have some pre-filled and ready to go, too and you save several bucks on each balloon.

7. Vases and other party decor

I love to use their balloon weights just as decorations.  They have vases and other wedding-type items as well that you can use for party decor without breaking the bank.

8. Streamers

The streamers are a great deal, too, with two rolls per bag for a dollar.

9. Seasonal Items

They always have a great deal on holiday items, from Easter to Halloween to Christmas.  You can find great deals to celebrate any season.

10. Tablecloths

We always buy our tablecloths at the Dollar Tree.  They get the job done just as well and only cost a buck!

11. Greeting Cards

Cards at other stores have gotten so expensive!!  Why pay $5 or more for a card when a lot of the Dollar Stores sell theirs at 2 for a dollar?

Personal Care Items

12. Toothbrushes

We buy our toothbrushes at the Dollar Tree as well.  Sure, they aren’t fancy, but they get the job done for a lot less money.  You can pick up cheap kids toothbrushes there as well.

13. Cotton Swabs

We have found these aren’t quite as good as the name brand Q-Tips, but for less than half the price they are worth the money.  There are so many uses for these, too.  Use them for crafting, applying cosmetics, and more.

14. Pregnancy Tests

Every time we were trying to conceive I made sure to stock up on the Dollar Tree pregnancy tests.  The ones at the other stores cost at least $5 each but these work just as well for $1!!  Sure, they aren’t digital, but they are still super easy to read and work just like the standard ones – two lines means you’re preggers.

15. Some Medications

Not all medicines are a good deal here, however sometimes you can find name brand medicines.

16. Reading Glasses

These are a great deal, too – especially if you are one of those people who misplace yours because you can afford several pair for the price you’d pay for one pair somewhere else.

17. Cosmetics

Again, in this category you will have to search out the name brand items but they can be found for a dollar at some stores!

18. Sunscreen

This is another item that has gotten really expensive elsewhere but can still be found at a local Dollar Store for a fraction of the cost.  Of course, it is a smaller container but we have found it is still cheaper per ounce.

19. Hair Accessories

Some of the hair accessories there don’t last long, but there are plenty of hair elastics and other items that are name brand!

For the Kiddos

20. Candy

Sure, there are some generic brands here, but you can also find movie theater style candies here that are name brand as well and will save you money over buying them at other stores, although I have seen these candies for sale at Wal Mart for the same price.

21. Coloring Books

We have picked up some pretty sweet coloring books here.  My sons’ favorite was all about trucks.  We’ve even purchased some of the huge ones that are 2′ tall for just a buck!

22. Puzzles

We also pick up puzzles and small toys here when we go on vacation for a week during the summer.  I make some activities for the kids to play while we are at the hotel.  Puzzles are great for this and only $1!

23. Some toys

Most of the toys here are not a great deal because they are super cheap quality, but you can pick up name brand small cars, plastic animals and some other items that the kids love.

For the Home

24. Disposable Containers

The tupperware-type containers here are not the best for storing food, but they are great for holding craft supplies, office supplies and other non-food items.

25. Seasonal Decor

Our local Dollar Tree always has a great selection of decorations for the holidays.  If you like to decorate for each season or holiday, you can score some great inexpensive items.

26. Dishes

Mugs, plates, glasses and more!  I have a large mug that I got at my local Dollar Tree and I use it for everything from cereal to soups to mug cakes and I love it.  It’s been through the dishwasher a ton of times and still looks good as new.  I’ve seen comparable ones at other stores for $5 or more!  The other real (not plastic) dishes are good, too.

27. Cleaning Supplies

You can get a broom, mop, or dust pan with a handle for a dollar.  For this price, we keep one on the screened porch, one in the garage, and one in the kitchen.  I love the dustpans with the handles, too, so I don’t have to stoop down to sweep it up (especially when i was hugely pregnant!!).  We have used a couple of them until they broke, but to be fair my husband is pretty rough with them and for only $1 we can easily replace them.

28. Vases

There are a lot of different sizes and shapes of vases at our Dollar Tree, so if you are looking for something to hold a floral arrangement you can pick up some cute clear glass ones for a dollar.

29. Picture Frames

Why buy expensive picture frames?  If you are looking for a smaller frame you can pick one up at your local store and it looks just as good as a frame that cost more money.

Craft Supplies

30. Floral Foam

This stuff can get pretty expensive at other stores but you can find quite a selection at the Dollar Tree.

31. Artificial Flowers

If you like to craft with artificial flowers, check out the ones they have at your local Dollar Store.  You can use these with your foam to make some great crafts!

32. Twine

Great for lots of different crafts and way more expensive at other stores, pick some up for just a dollar here!

33. Craft Paper

When I was at my local store the other day I saw some heavy brown craft paper that is great for covering boxes, whether you want to mail them or craft with them.  It’s great for the kids to draw on, too!

34. Glitter

You can get glitter in a lot of different colors and containers in the little craft section of your local Dollar Store.  We personally don’t do glitter in our house because the four boys would make such a mess, but if it’s your thing you can get it cheap here.

35. Clothes Pins

Pick up a pack of clothes pins for crafting or for their original use here.  I like to use them with the twine to make an area to hang the kids’ artwork.

36. Foam Boards

Great for crafts or school projects.  Our local Wal Mart has them for $2.97 each.  When I need a lot of these for my class (I’m a teacher) I will order them online through the Dollar Tree website and get a package of 25 for $25 plus tax.  Can’t beat that deal!

37. Popsicle Sticks

These are great for crafting and you can often find them in many different colors.

Have any more great deals at you favorite Dollar Store?  Leave a comment below!

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9 Clever Budget Hacks You Need to Try

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Let’s face it – budgeting can be hard!  Making one, sticking to it… taking care of money can be a major pain.  Use these 9 Clever Budget Hacks to help you save money and make budgeting a little easier.

1. Use cash for everything you can.

We didn’t get control of our budget until we started using cash for a lot of expenses.  I had read Dave Ramsey’s books multiple times and didn’t implement it until a few years ago.  My husband and I would see the money in the bank and think “hey, we have plenty of money!” and spend it.  Well, that was fine until the end of the month came around and we didn’t have money for things like gas.  So we would put it on the credit card.  Which led to over $11,000 in credit card debt over time.  Ouch!  Now we use cash for the following items:

Tithing, groceries, dining out, clothing, gas and oil, repairs (car and house), pets (we have cats and chickens), pocket money (because everyone needs a little money to spend on whatever they want!), entertainment, hair cuts, baby items (like diapers!) and gifts.  Then, when the money runs out we try not to spend any more in that category (which gets hard sometimes with the dining out money, but we’re working on it!).  It has really helped with having to charge anything on our card.

2. Stockpile nonperishable foods and household items when they are on sale

Did you know that most items have a sales cycle?  They do!  If you know what to buy when, then you can save a lot of money by stocking up when the item is the cheapest.  This works not only for food but also for fitness goods, healthcare items and more!  I’m sure you know the best time of year to shop for clothes is at the end of season clearance sales, but there is a lot more to it than that.

Check out this list of the best time of year (and week!) to buy!

3. Meal plan!

Planning what to eat will help with food waste and help you eat at home more (which is cheaper!).  When we take the time to meal plan we really eat healthier as well as save money.  I used to take the time to look up new meal plans each week, buy ingredients we didn’t have at home, and get frustrated with recipes that took way longer than I liked to make.  Now, I have a rotating list of things that we all enjoy and that don’t take forever to make.  I do try to add variety in, but my meal plan is now mostly trusted ideas plus one or two new items thrown in per week.  My wallet has never been happier.

Need help meal planning?  Check out these 5 great printables to help you out!

4. Use these tricks to minimize your dining budget.

Most Americans eat out several times a week, and my family is no exception.  We are working hard to change that but some nights we find ourselves at a restaurant.  We use lots of different tricks to save money when we go out.  Here are a few:

Use coupons!  If you frequent places that have coupons, take advantage of them.  One of our favorites is Arby’s.  They run the “2 Can Dine for $8.99” coupon all the time and you can buy up to 3 deals with one coupon, so we get 3 of them and pay just under $30 for our family of 6!  You get 2 sandwiches, 2 fries, 2 drinks and a large mozzarella sticks per deal so everyone always has enough to eat with this deal.  Not the healthiest, but good in a pinch!  You can see more tips for eating out here.

We also tend to visit restaurants that have a kid’s night.  Check out all the great Kids Eat Free promotions!

5. Cut out convenience items.

Sometimes I value my time over my money and I am willing to spend a little more for the sake of convenience.  When I am really watching the budget, though, I can’t afford that luxury and we cut out the convenience items.  It costs so much less to make things yourself, whether it be laundry soap or sugar scrubs, bread, muffins and waffles.  Taking the time to make these yourself will help keep your budget on track.

6. Keep track of every penny spent for a week.

We haven’t done this one in a long time (like, before kids!!) but when we did it was a real eye-opener for us.  At the time my husband was in the Army, it was just the two of us and we lived in a one bedroom apartment.  We really didn’t know where our money was going, so we decided to keep a written log of every penny we spent for a week.  Wow!  All those little things here and there really added up!!  We also found that we were spending an inordinate amount on dining out so we had to cut that down to a couple of times a week.  This was the first step to getting our budget under control and I really recommend it.  In fact, I think we need to do it again soon now that our budget has changed so much with four kids, house, pets, etc!

7. Sell everything you don’t need

This is something we have been doing lately that is SO liberating!!  About 5 months ago we completed our family with the birth of our fourth son and we have been getting rid of baby/maternity things and it has sparked a decluttering frenzy in our house.  I mean, most of the stuff we have in the garage and attic we never even take out of the box so we obviously don’t really need it!  I’ve been listing stuff on eBay and selling larger things locally through Facebook and we have already made several hundred dollars without even having to have a yard sale!

I got interested in minimalizing our lifestyle by reading The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up (a GREAT read and I highly recommend it) and the novel approach to organizing really made me want to change what we keep in our home.  It’s a very easy, short read and it’s less than $10 – it has over 13,000 reviews on Amazon and has 4 1/2 stars so you know it has to be good!  I’m still working on implementing it in all the areas of our house, but it has really helped us to think about our stuff differently.

8. Find alternatives to the expensive things in your budget.

If you have tracked your spending you have probably found areas that are costing you more than others.  How much is your daily latte costing you?  Make it at home!  Love dining out?  Recreate restaurant dishes at home or make it a game to see how cheaply you can eat.  Like to buy new clothes?  Start scouting yard sales and thrift stores for clothes that are just as good as new.  Be creative and you can find ways to cut down on what is costing you the most.

9. Cut out or negotiate your bills.

One of the things we decided when we moved into our house 8 years ago was that we would not have a TV anymore and would ditch cable.  We were paying over $150 a month for TV, internet and home phone.  We never even used the phone and didn’t want to have our kids watching much TV so it has really been a great move for us.  The kids use our iMac to watch shows on Netflix and we have a laptop in our room that we can watch after the kids go to bed.  We were really surprised how much more time we had once we didn’t have the TV on all the time!

You can cut out some bills like that and you can also reduce others.  How much data do you really need for your phones?  We were paying for unlimited and found that we really only need 2G a month since both our jobs have wifi.  That was a huge savings!!  Remember simple things like turning off lights and get a programmable thermostat to save on electricity.  Call your credit card company and ask for an interest reduction – sometimes they will!  It never hurts to ask.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these 9 clever budget hacks to save money.  Have another budget hack?  Leave a comment below!

 

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10 Genius Hacks for People who Love to Eat Out

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I will admit, I am one of those people who love to eat out.  I know it’s really not the best for my health or my wallet, but there is just something about going to a restaurant that I love!  I try to make healthier choices most of the time when we go out but I love having something delicious without the cooking and clean up.  But, that does come with a price.  Use these clever strategies to help you save money when you eat out.

1. Sign up for loyalty programs

Most restaurants offer loyalty programs and will offer coupons and freebies if you sign up.  Pick the restaurants with the best deals and that you visit the most often.  We actually ended up getting a separate email address for these deals so that our inbox wasn’t flooded all the time.  Usually you can score a free appetizer or dessert just for signing up!  Other deals let you earn rewards points when you eat there.  Most usually offer a great deal for your birthday, too!

2. Check for coupons

You can often find great coupons for restaurants in the local fliers and online.  I know at our house we regularly get coupons for Arby’s, O’Charley’s, Captain D’s, and more in the mail.  We also find Olive Garden and Red Lobster in the circulars.  Before you head out to a restaurant, always check to see if there is a coupon somewhere.

3. Order water

Being a southern girl, I love sweet tea, but I found that we were spending well over $2 for every drink purchased, which really adds up with the two of us and our four kiddos!  If a kid’s drink comes with the meal we let our kids choose something, but otherwise we all get water and save around $10 per meal.  That easily allows us to eat out another couple of meals for the month with the same budget.  It’s also better for your health!

4. Don’t order appetizers or dessert

Unless you have a coupon for a free item, these really aren’t necessary.  You get plenty of food with an entree and, as tempting as they are, we really don’t need dessert either.  (Especially when you are talking an extra $5 or more each time!)  When you order these things, you are really tempted to overeat – so save yourself some calories and your wallet.

5. Share a meal

Consider sharing a meal with someone to save your waistline and your wallet.  This will be especially helpful if you are the type of person who loves dessert too much to pass up.  By sharing a meal, you’ll still have room in your tummy and your wallet to splurge.

6. If you have kids, take advantage of kids eat free deals

SO many restaurants offer kids eat free promotions.  We take advantage of these all the time!  If we are eating out, the first thing we do is find out who has a deal for the kiddos.  I put together a list of these promotions you can check out to find the best deals near you!  Most of them offer one kid’s meal per adult meal, but some offer two kids meals for each adult meal.  This means we can eat places like Firehouse Subs for only $20 for our whole family!!

7. Take advantage of gift card specials

You can buy discounted gift cards at places like Sam’s Club or Gift Card Granny.  If you have a Kroger family store that does fuel points nearby, take advantage of that savings!!  We buy every gift card we can from our local Kroger stores.  They always offer 2x fuel points on gift cards and often run a 4x gift card promotion.  So if we buy a $25 gift card when they are doing 4x fuel points, we get 10 cents off per gallon easy!  We use this for more than just food, too (Lowe’s, Amazon, Best Buy, etc) and have gotten gas for as low as 1 cent per gallon!

8. Use Groupon (and eBates!)

Search your local Groupon deals to see if any restaurants near you are offering savings.  Our local Mexican restaurant ran a promotion through them that gave us a $25 gift card for $10!  And, if you log in to ebates first, then go through them to Groupon, you will save even more!  As of the time of this post, ebates was offering 6% cash back on Groupon purchases!  This works for more than just restaurants, too – ebates will give you cash back for shopping online almost anywhere.  Check them out with the link below!

Ebates Coupons and Cash Back

9. Order an appetizer instead of an entree

I have done this so many times simply because I love appetizers.  Cheese sticks, chicken fingers – you name it!  Appetizers are often smaller portions which will help the waistline and they often cost less, too.  Not always, though, so be sure to check it out.  I love the Triple Play at Chili’s but it’s easily over $10 when I can order some entrees for less.  What can I say, I like variety. 🙂

10. Eat lunch out instead of dinner

Want to eat out somewhere nice but don’t want to pay dinner prices?  Go there for lunch!  Many restaurants still have a different lunch menu that is the same food with slightly smaller portions for less.  I love to go to Red Lobster for lunch.  Their dinner prices have put them out of our reach as a family, but the lunch prices are still good, especially if it is just me and the hubs going!

I hope these tips help you save money on your next trip to a restaurant.  They save our family so much money over the course of a year.  Even small savings really add up!

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8 Money Hacks You’ll Wish You Knew Sooner

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We are all looking for ways to try and save money.  My husband and I have been on a debt-free quest for a few years now (you can read our story here) and we are so close to being debt-free except for the house!  These are some of the money hacks we have used to help us get to this point.

1. Know what to buy when

Sales go in cycles, and knowing when everything is at its lowest will save you big money.  I’m sure you already know the tricks like shopping for clothes at the end of the season, but did you know that groceries and other items are more likely to be on sale at certain times of the year?  They are!  Stock up by checking out this list.

2. Use cash back programs to save money on things you already buy

There are a ton of apps and programs that will save you money on things you are going to buy anyways.  My favorite money saver if I’m shopping online is ebates.  It’s so easy – just log in to ebates first and use their link to go to your favorite store (even Amazon!) and they add up the savings for you.  If you want to check them out, use the link below.

Ebates Coupons and Cash Back

3. Try a money savings challenge

Want a fun way to motivate yourself to save money?  Try one of the money challenges!  From saving every $5 bill you come across to putting aside a certain amount per week, these challenges have popped up everywhere because they can really work.  Here are a couple of my favorite challenges to motivate you:

26 Week Christmas Saving Challenge – start saving for Christmas early and don’t go in debt this year!

The Envelope Saving Challenge – this is a fun and frugal way to save!

The Penny Challenge – don’t have much to save?  Try this super simple challenge!

4. Always buy these things at the Dollar Store

Some things are always cheaper at the Dollar Store, while other things seem like a good deal but aren’t.  Knowing what is always cheaper there will save you both time and money.  It’s often much quicker and easier for us to run into our local Dollar Tree instead of a larger store, and for these items it saves us money, too.  Here is a list of all the things to buy at the Dollar Store.

5. Use coupons to score free or nearly free things

We rarely use coupons around here because they don’t have too many coupons for items we eat but we do use coupons for toiletries and household items.  We have scored free deals on razors, shampoo and more.  Use these couponing sites to find deals:

The Krazy Coupon Lady

Southern Savers

6. If you have kids, take advantage of Kids Eat Free deals

We have four kids, so we often hit the restaurants that offer kids eat free promotions.  We can find a deal for almost any night of the week and the savings really add up.  Since we utilize them so often I compiled a list of all the great Kid’s Eat Free Promotions!

7. Save spare change

We had a really hard time getting our budget under control until we switched to the envelope system.  Now we use cash for a lot of different areas of our budget (not all!) and we have started saving up the extra change and it’s really added up!  If you don’t want to switch to cash, see if your bank has a program to round up to the nearest dollar.  Bank of America does and we have saved over $3000 using it!  It’s called Keep the Change and they round up every purchase to the nearest dollar and deposit it daily in your savings.

8. Use this trick to pay off your mortgage early

Instead of sending in one monthly payment to the bank, consider breaking up your payment into two payments a month or weekly payments.  This will ensure you make an extra house payment every year – which goes to your principle instead of interest, helping you pay off your house faster.

Have another money hack that isn’t listed here?  Leave a comment below!

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10 Frugal Ketogenic Diet Recipes

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Use these recipes to help you lose weight!

The ketogenic diet is really popular right now and for good reason – people are able to lose weight and keep it off with this lifestyle.  While it’s clearly not for everyone, it is a good fit for many.  The downside is that it can get really expensive.  Here are 10 frugal ketogenic diet recipes that won’t break the bank.

Each of these recipes is around $10 for the entire recipe and often under $2 a serving!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks

  1. Cilantro Lime Chicken Drumsticks – it’s no secret that drumsticks are cheaper than other cuts of poultry so this is a no-brainer.  Use a cilantro lime marinade to take it up a notch in the flavor department.Keto 4 Ingredient Mexican Soup Recipe
  2. Four Ingredient Mexican Soup – with so few ingredients you know it has to be good for your wallet, not to mention a huge time saver, especially since it’s cooked in a slow cooker.Keto Mashed Cauliflower Recipe
  3. Mashed Cauliflower – a great substitute for mashed potatoes and very budget friendly!
  4. Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps – using romaine leaves for the shells and turkey instead of ground beef makes this recipe a real money saver
  5. Shredded Chicken Chili – great for saving money, especially if you score some chicken on sale
  6. Egg Wraps – why not use inexpensive eggs as sandwich wraps?
  7. Apple Tuna Bites – tasty and budget-friendly, this recipe is a winner.
  8. Cauliflower Calzones – budget-friendly, keto and pizza?? Heck yes!
  9. 5 Ingredient Broccoli Cheese Soup – another easy soup recipe with limited ingredients.  There is also a crock pot option
  10. Simple Vegetable Egg Bake – again, take advantage of cheap eggs!  This looks absolutely delicious.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these 10 keto diet recipes to help you lose weight!

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Pay Off Debt to Become a One Income Family

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Ready to stay home with the kids? Let these tips show you how!

When I was younger I never really wanted to be a stay at home mom.  I really wanted to work and enjoyed my teaching career.  Even when we had our first couple of kids I still wanted to keep my job and I had the wonderful option of a daycare in my school building.  Fast forward two more kids and things are looking more and more like I am going to have to stay home out of necessity (and, to be honest, I really kind of want to now!).  Things at my job have changed to the point where I am ready to leave the work force and stay home with the younger two, who are 2 1/2 and 5 months.  The affordable daycare in my building has astronomically raised the rates over the past year to the point where I will be paying them well more than half of my take home pay to keep the kids in there and I am at the point in my teaching career where I am fed up with what is going on with public education and ready for a change.

Because of these things my family has been working harder than ever to pay off our debt in case I need to stay home in the next few months, which is becoming more and more of a reality.  We have dumped our credit card debt and paid off my van (you know, the van I said I’d never drive and now love with four kids? lol) and the last thing to pay off besides the house is my student loan, which is sitting at a little over $4000.  We are so close to being out of debt I can taste it!  Here are some tips and tricks to pay off your debt so you can become a one income family if you choose.

Pay Off Debt to Become a One Income Family

1. Prepare, prepare, prepare ahead of time!

This is really a big one.  Since we have seen this coming for a while now we have been drastically slashing our budget and doing everything we can to make extra money to pay off debt.  Same goes for any family if you have time before a baby or the end of a school year, etc. and can start working on debt reduction while you are both still employed.  I’ve known for a while we could make the absolute minimums on everything if one of us lost our jobs (we had a scare with hubby’s job once where they were going to downsize) so it wasn’t a big jump to think of me leaving my job.

If possible, save some money while you can in case it takes a few months to get the hang of living on one income.

2. Have a realistic budget in place.

You can see how we budget and get the same template we use in this post.  I am the budgeter in our house and this is how we work out our numbers, although lately we have really been cutting out all but the basics to put the extra money to credit card debt.  Look at the numbers how they are now and how they will be without the extra income.  What will you have to cut out or cut down on?  Are there any expenses you can’t live without?  What is the absolute minimum you have to make to pay the basic bills?

3. Sell everything you can

We have been selling off a ton of things to make extra money for debt reduction.  Now that we are done having kiddos I have been doing really well selling my maternity clothes on eBay.  I have sold off a lot of my extra yarn (I’m a freelance pattern designer) and tons of other things we don’t really need around the house.  If you haven’t read The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up I strongly suggest it.  That book motivated me to get rid of so much and simplify my life!!  I’ve also really enjoyed these Ted Talks on Minimalism (even though I have NO desire to become a minimalist!): A Rich Life with Less Stuff and The Art of Letting Go.  Sell it!  I can’t think of a single thing I’ve gotten rid of that I wish I had kept.

4. Learn to DIY

Most of the time, making or doing things yourself will save you a ton of money.  Here are some of the ways we DIY to save money:

  1. Food: we make muffins, bread (thanks Goodwill bread machine!), pancakes, granola bars, etc. ourselves instead of buying them at the store.  We really enjoy the healthier versions of a lot of these items, which can easily sell for $1 or more each (like Larabars) so making it ourselves saves a bunch of money.
  2. We fix everything we can ourselves.  Luckily my husband is pretty handy and if he doesn’t know how, he researches it and often finds a YouTube tutorial video to help out.  We have saved so much money on car and house repairs this way!!
  3. DIY Gifts.  I love homemade gifts and the thought that goes into them.  I do a lot of knitting and crochet so I do those types of gifts a lot but there are a bunch of other ideas, too.  Even something as simple as a dozen eggs from our backyard flock makes a great gift!  We just used that for teacher appreciation week for a teacher who loves to cook.
  4. Pinterest it!  Anything you can think of, from DIY home decor to how to transform thrift store clothing can be found on Pinterest.  Use some of those great ideas to create beautiful things in your life.  If you need inspiration, check out my Pinterest profile.  I have a ton of boards to help you DIY for cheap. 🙂

5. Cut Unnecessary Costs

We got rid of our Cable TV a long time ago.  In fact, we don’t have an actual TV at all.  Now, before you get to thinking that we live like the Amish or something, we do have a large iMac we bought years ago that we let the kiddos watch Netflix on.  And we have a laptop in our bedroom that my hubby and I can catch up on our shows with after the kids are in bed.  We do severely limit the amount of screen time we and the kids watch because there are so many more productive things to do (like the list above!).

Think about things you might not need or need as much of when one of you is home.  If you have home wifi, will you still need such a large data plan for your cell phones?  Can you cut down on dry cleaning or clothing costs if you won’t need to wear them to work?

6. Do What you Can to Make Extra Money

Can you pick up a few extra shifts at work temporarily to get things moving?  Can you do some type of freelance or side hustles?  Here are a few ways we make a little extra money:

  1. Ebates.  I mean, really, if I’m going to buy things online anyways shouldn’t I get some cash back?  Check them out if you aren’t using them – it really adds up!
  2. Survey sites.  There are some legit sites out there and I’m working on a post rounding them up for you.
  3. Freelance writing.  Are you good at writing?  Try working for a place like Textbroker writing articles in your spare time.  Here is my experience with them.
  4. My husband and I both have part-time jobs.  He is in the National Guard one weekend a month (also great health insurance that doesn’t cost a fortune!!) and I do freelance designing.  I’ve also taught high school courses online.  It doesn’t have to be long-term, just long enough to pay off your debt.  Dave Ramsey often talks about delivering pizzas to pay off your debt and if that’s what it takes – do it!

7. Learn to Live with Less

For sure one thing that will be a big adjustment for us is the extra “things” my income provides.  We have a little more freedom to eat out (although we are cutting that out for health reasons as well as money) and we can buy things that aren’t necessities but I really don’t think we will mind.  We live in a house that is a little under 1200 square feet with four kids so we don’t have a lot of room for extra “stuff” anyways.  If your house is holding you back, consider downsizing.  You will not only save on your mortgage but also on your utilities.  I love living in a smaller house and one day when we buy some land we don’t want a large house on the property.  I want my boys to grow up close and not be able to close each other out.

It will be a struggle for a while, I’m sure, but I think the benefits will really outweigh the negatives.  I will have more time for my freelance designing, which I love.  If one of the kids get sick we won’t have to juggle schedules and decide who is taking off work because I will be there.  I won’t miss out on the younger years of these little lives while I pay someone else to watch my babies.  I think I’m ready.  The time is now – if you are in the same situation I say go for it.

You can always do a trial run and try living on one income by putting the other income in the bank and pretending it doesn’t exist.  (That also will give you a great savings account for when you do quit!)

I hope these tips have given you something to think about.  I know writing this post has helped put it into real perspective for me.  Leave a comment below and let me know what you think.

Amanda