Becoming Abnormal

Today I had so much going on at work but there was one thought that I could not get out of my head. It had been rolling around bugging me all day. I finally had to put my pen to paper and write it down. Sometimes the Lord uses the every day mundane chores of life to speak to me.

So much is on the news about the economy in trouble, people losing their homes, life is in turmoil. I see people who seemingly months ago had it all and was not shy about showing off the latest gadget or gizmo's that they had purchased for either themselves or their children. Today it is a different story with a lot of those people that have chosen to live well above their means. All one has to do is check out the garage sales lately or Craig's List to see there is a plethora of STUFF cluttering up people's homes and lives.

Today this thought came into my head as I was pondering the current state of affairs in our Nation:

"Pursuing all the popular "stuff" of life leads to cluttered homes, hearts and minds. Discontentment becomes your new normal. Be abnormal!"

I want to be abnormal! I do not want to keep up with the Joneses or to have the latest and greatest technological toy. Thank you very much! I like being debt free and having choices in life! Currently having three children in college is quite a stretch but sacrificing for my family is not a hardship. Trying to keep up with the latest and greatest only keeps people broke and for the most part discontent.

So from now on I am going to embrace the abnormal and live unlike most today. If I don't have an iPhone so be it. I don't have to have all the accouterments to really enjoy life. I am on a mission to declutter and get rid of even my excess so that I can live my life more richly and simply.

I think my battle cry for the next few months as all the gift buying frenzy begins is to embrace being abnormal. I will enjoy getting my mail in January knowing that we lived within our means and gave meaningful and thoughtful gifts to our loved ones.

Whose with me?

Feeling Frazzled but Joyfilled

Tonight I am so frazzled. So many things going on in my heart and mind. I have several prayer concerns that are really weighing on my heart tonight. So many who are hurting from illness or life changes going on. I am trying not to let the stress overwhelm me.

I am also trying to finish some year end projects at work but all I have to do is think about the fact I will be off for two weeks beginning Friday at 5 p.m.!!! WOOO HOO!!! I am really looking forward to the time off! Hubby and me are getting our kids all geared up to purge and organize to get ready for a kickin' 2009!!!

I am currently finishing up a cute little project for my daugher's friends Christmas gifts...it needs to be done by Friday morning. I am finishing up a darling scrapbook for one of my son's special friends...it needs to be finished by Wednesday morning. I have been getting last minute items bought and in the midst of all of this I have made it to Walgreens and CVS plus we went to Aldi's last night!

I will write more about this later in the week but tonight I bought a sack full of things I needed for the projects I am working on plus some stocking stuffers and paid just .44 cents out of pocket at CVS! Yes siree I paid only FORTY FOUR CENTS for over 50.00 worth of things I needed!!!!! Thanks very much CVS!

I also have been loving the sales at Hobby Lobby lately. I don't see how they will have much of an after Christmas sale because the shelves are clearing out with all their 50% off sales on Christmas currently.

I will post pictures of the cute things I am doing but right now I am headed off to get some much needed time with my sweet teenagers before I head to bed.

Holiday Stress

Things have been very busy around here at Pursuing Simplicity. I took a little break from posting in order to take care of all the things going on. If I let them, these activities can add to my stress over the holidays. I am a typical "Type A" personality. I long to be a sweet, mild spirit and a "Type B" but that was not how I was created or wired. So below are a few things that keep me sane this time of year:

I stay out of the mall. Yes, you heard me correct. I stay out of the mall! The last two years I have done most of my shopping online! I know it sounds geeky or crazy but I have found all the same bargains that they are offering in the stores online. My son wants something this year that he said is in the mall....well I found it online and it was a better price than the one at the mall. I received it in TWO days and it is perfect! You can also stay out of the mall at the holidays by purchasing your items ahead of the game. This is only the second time that I have not had all my shopping done by August. That in and of itself makes me very stressed but I have to say that the past two years I have found bargains online that I would not have found in late July!

I jump on the treadmill more! I have been exercising two times a day. Now I am not some goddess when it comes to physical fitness that is for sure but I have found that being on the treadmill first thing in the morning and once I get home from work has really taken a load off my stress level plus increased my energy!

I make a list and check it more than twice! I start out by making a list of what my teenagers and young adult son want for Christmas. We ask them to give us a few things they need and a want or two. We budget just 125.00 for each child. Whaaaattt? Yes siree bob, we only budget 125.00 for each child. Now I am sure you are wondering how in the heck do we buy anything of value for a 20, 17, 15, and 14 year old for Christmas? YOU ARE CREATIVE AND THRIFTY!

Now I know my children do not read this blog but I am a little hesitant to lay it all out here for you to read what I purchased for them. So I will leave a little to your imagination. There is a very popular brand of jacket out there currently and they are VERY expensive at least for this thrifty and frugal mom. I found two of the boys theirs for under 35.00!!!! 100.00 pullover, all teens love this brand, cool colors, purchased online at an outlet store! I purchased our daughter's jacket online this year as well. They are going to be SO excited and I still have money left over in the budget to get more items on their list!

Look for coupon codes when you shop online. I love to go to Kyle's blog, Rather-be-shopping when I am looking for bargains online. Check him out!

We focus more on the meaning of Christ-mas than the gifts. Our children have always gotten three gifts and then small things for the stocking. Christ was brought three gifts so we think it is more than perfect for our own to have three gifts. It really focuses more on the reason for the season than a free for all in the gift department.

Keep an accurate calendar and be prepared to use that two letter word...NO...It is hard with so many parties, activities, programs, and fun this time of year. We never leave out the children's activities at school. We have basketball games to attend, a choral concert for our daughter, a Winter Ball the teenagers are attending this weekend to get ready for, and two office parties. There are several other things the week of Christmas but we will take them under advisement as the time draws near. The main thing is not to overfill your calendar with so many activities that the holidays become a burden. It is a time to be joyful not stressed!

Remember traditions and make new memories. Christmas is particularly difficult for my family. My husband and three younger children lost their wife and mom after the holidays nearly eleven years ago. We have tried to make new memories and traditions as a family and I have kept some of their former traditions as well. We love putting the tree up together the day after Thanksgiving. We listen to Christmas music, have hot chocolate, and decorate the tree. We love to cuddle up and watch old Christmas movies together too.

It takes only a little imagination to come up with a few things to do each year that children look forward to. For instance, I made Monkey Bread our first Christmas together as a family. It is very simple and not too spectacular. It made a huge impact on the little ones at the time. I now make it every Christmas morning. It has become a tradition in our home. I only make it Christmas morning so they really look forward to it each year.

These are just a few things that I do to eliminate the stress of the holidays. What do you do that helps with your level of stress this time of year?

Five Steps to Peace in Uncertain Financial Times

You would have to be stranded on a deserted island or in a cabin with no television or radio to not have heard about the financial mess our nation is currently in. I know many are struggling but most I believe are living in fear of the unknown or what could happen. Many are just not prepared. True there are those dealing with foreclosures, layoffs, and difficult circumstances in regards to either financial decisions they made or that were made for them. In my opinion it is only going to become more of a problem if people don't take control of their own futures and live as our grandparents did many years ago. Greed has taken ahold many families lives. It comes quietly veiled in numerous vacations throughout the year, using credit to purchase everything, and not teaching their children the value of a dollar. Of course this problem is on a much larger scale but what if people would have been living within their means for quite some time I can't help but believe we would not have such a crisis on our hands.

There are five things that I think would greatly help in a financial crisis. I know because they have worked for us.

1. GET RID OF YOUR CREDIT CARDS
Nearly eight years ago when we married my husband and me decided that we would not use credit cards. The only thing we have used in that time has been cash or a debit card. It was one of the best decisions we made as a new couple. It forced us to save for things and to have an emergency fund. It has taught us and our children a valuable lesson on needs and wants. I think the number one reason many are in dire straits right now is that they rely on their credit cards heavily. CUT THEM UP! We had fears about not having a credit card at first too. My parents worry that we don't have a credit card but we can do anything with cash and a debit card. Let me tell you that when January rolls around and everyone else is getting their credit card bills we are not stressed because our Christmas has already been paid for in cash. We are getting ready to have our eighth cash only Christmas and we can't wait!

2. START AN EMERGENCY FUND
It is critical that everyone has an emergency fund. Start out with a goal in mind of putting 1000.00 in a separate fund. We are Dave Ramsey followers/fans. We saw him in person shortly after we married. I had been listening to Dave as a single parent each day as I picked my son up from middle school. I began trying to implement his plan for getting out of debt. When I married my new husband shared my passion in this area. We worked diligently to set up a fund. Sure enough the morning we were to attend Dave Ramsey a storm blew through our town and took off some shingles and blew over our fence. We had money in the bank for an emergency and what insurance did not cover we were able to handle. We had little money when we married and my husband suffered through losing a job. He never went without work. He mowed lawns of which he still has his lawn business that our boys now run. He worked two jobs and odd jobs and we socked away the money.

3. LIVE WITHIN YOUR MEANS
You have to live within your means. You cannot become successful if you continue on the same path of excess. This may look like different things to other people. For me it meant cooking more at home, OAMC or once a month cooking, using coupons, shopping at thrift stores, not paying full price for anything, and making sure I evaluated need versus want. There was a time when we both stopped at our local convenience store or Starbucks and got coffee every morning. No more! There was a time when I would have NEVER shopped at TJMaxx or Ross let alone a thrift store or consignment shop! Horrors!! Believe you me these are a penny pinchers best friend!

4. GET RID OF DEBT!
It took us several years but we finally paid off over 54000.00 of debt! We only owe on our home and that is very minimal. We live in a very affluent town that has more McMansions that anything else. We do not buy into the standard "Keeping Up with the Joneses". We bought a home that fit our needs with four children and it was built in 1970! Our children are not giving each and everything new thing that hits the market. If you want to know a way to get out of debt that is precise and has worked for many people look up Dave Ramsey's website The Total Money Makeover and read about his Debt Snowball. It can be done!!!

5. BE DILIGENT
Do not get discouraged! We know how it feels to be way over our heads in debt. We know what it feels like to be out of work. Be faithful to stick to your plan. Make a budget and stick to it. Being frugal is not a bad thing. Having no credit cards or car payments....is a REALLY GOOD THING! WOW! Such freedom!!! I never knew you could have no credit card or car payment. Remember we have three that are driving in our home besides us. Our nearly seventeen year old son was given an old 92 beat up Dodge pickup by his grandparents. We helped him save to repaint it bright red. My husband, father in law, and son's primed the pickup to save money. The pickup now looks amazing! It gets from point A to point B and when he needs to take more friends or his siblings we let him borrow our 2000 Toyota Corolla. We have a 2001 Toyota Sienna Van too. The boys pay their own car insurance. They earn it each summer with their lawn business. We have taught them to be diligent. As parents more is caught than taught. What are you teaching your children about debt, things, wants, etc.?

Before any of the above more than anything for us is to go to our Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, and Savior. For our family putting Christ number one and tithing to His kingdom comes first. We would not be where we are now without His guidance or wisdom. He alone is the total source of our peace.

We live in uncertain times but as for our house, we serve the One that knows our future and for that I am very grateful.

Frugal Friday 6-13-08

I have a a tip to share that will really help those of you that are living the frugal lifestyle before your children. Many times I wonder if my children 'get it'. We want them to understand why we are choosing to live life differently than those around us. Often I feel like our choices fall on deaf ears.

We have been huge fans and followers of Dave Ramsey. He is discussed frequently in our home. Our oldest is 20 years old. Two of our children are spendthrifts. Money just escapes through their hands. The oldest is one of those spendthrifts. Imagine my surprise when he told me he was halfway there with his emergency fund and was wondering if he could borrow my Dave Ramsey books. Uhh hello? I about fell over! He is in college and we have been trying to get him to see that he can do other things to pay for his college instead of taking out loans. We have preached and preached but then just decided to live our lives and see if they 'get it'.

My frugal tip to all you parents is to not GIVE UP! They do listen to you and more than that they watch what you do! We have been actively living this lifestyle for over seven years. More is caught than taught as my Daddy used to tell me. I would have never dreamed that our oldest would want to jump on the Dave Ramsey bandwagon. He has been the greatest naysayer about this choice of living. I am so proud of him!!

If you would like more frugal ideas check out Crystal's blog at Biblical Womanhood.

Frugal Friday 6-6-08

I know many of you have already received your stimulus check from the Federal Government. I know that the purpose of the checks were to stimulate the economy but we put our big fat check in the bank. This summer we have purposed to really save. We are hoping to grow our savings and even surpass what the government sent our little family of six by the end of the summer.

Shortly after the new year I posted five ways we were saving a 100.00. I thought I would give an update:

My husband and I still share meals when we go out. We still enjoy going to Barnes and Noble after dinner to sit and read. I get to read all the magazines that I LOVE and I keep a little notebook with me in order to write down websites or recipes that I come across. I used to be a magazine NUT! I just could not help myself. Maybe it goes back to my young teen years when magazines were still safe to buy for your teen daughters. I remember my Mom coming home with the Back to School issue! It was so big and full of great ideas for that back to school wardrobe. I miss sharing this with my own daughter but just looking at the covers and the stories that are within those pages keep me from buying them for my teenager girl.

We are not keeping our thermostat around 77 during the day but after work it goes down to around 74. We never go below that at all. I have also now averaged not only our gas bill but our electric/water/sewage bill as well.

Since it is summer the kids are not in school and are eating at home. I have capitalized on my CVS ECBs and coupons to buy snack foods for the kids to have at home. It is crucial since the boys could eat us out of the house in ten seconds flat! They are in summer football and also have a lawn business....they are ALWAYS hungry.

We still keep away from the mall. We have gone from shopping as a pastime to shopping as a necessity. We keep detailed lists of what is needed/sizes etc. and score when we come across a much needed item at a reduced price!

I am going to post more about this Saturday but just this week alone I have saved our family more than 140.00 just buy planning, using my coupons, and working the CVS deals. 140.00!!!!! The cashier at WalMart last night told me I needed to give lessons. He could not believe that I got four pounds of bacon for a total of 2.00!!! Yes, I paid .50 cents for each package since I had four 2.00 off coupons! SCORE! Three pounds went into the freezer and one is ready for BLT sandwiches! Those tomatoes my father in law planted are looking great!!!

Saving money is hard today in this recession/non-recession but it can be done! It may take a little time and effort but it is paying off for my husband and me! We are so thankful and blessed! If you want to find more frugal ideas check out BiblicalWomanhood.

Works for Me Wednesday 5-28-08

For the past several summers our boys have worked for my husband in his lawn business that he has on the side. Each summer they rake in the bucks. They tithe, save, and Seth is now paying his car insurance with this money. They also use it for some spending money for going out with friends to movies or out to eat.

However, our sweet baby girl is 14. She loves children and is very good with them. She has had a sweet gig for a family in our neighborhood this semester babysitting but we are not certain if it will continue through the summer months. She loves to shop and is hoping to make some extra cash this summer. This summer I am going to try something new with my daughter. She has asked if she can work for me around the house this summer. Now I could demand that she do certain things but I want her to have a great work ethic as the boys have and the only way to do so in my opinion is for the child to have something to work for...a goal.

Our girl is a great helper. She will make such a wonderful wife and mom one day. She has asked if she could do housework for me. We are coming up with a list for her to do each week and a wage that we will pay her. She is very excited. The only stipulation that we require is that she tithe 10% and save at least 20%. The rest is hers to use as she sees fit...within our family rules/guidelines.

She is so excited. Now I will be thrilled if she sticks it out. It can be very helpful but I also want her to have an awesome summer. Currently I am praying for wisdom in how to handle this with her and what tasks would be the best for her to take on. We are having an employee meeting on Friday night to discuss this 'job'. :)

I love it that our children are more independent when it comes to money and the things they want. They all certainly know that there is much more satisfaction in working for something than always having things handed to them.

As parents of four children, three who are teenagers and one who is 20, the costs continue to rise. A few things we have done with our kids that have taught them the value of the dollar over the years are as follows:

We pay up to 35.00 for athletic shoes/back to school shoes. If they want the latest and greatest athletic shoe for back to school, for example 100.00 shoes, they have to come up with the difference. This has taught them various ways to look for their shoes. We discovered our favorite shoe store, DSW, by looking for great places to shop. We were thrilled when Oklahoma City finally got a DSW last year. Also Ross Dress for Less has been the greatest place for us to find the boys football cleats.....TRULY....we have purchased Addidas or Nike football cleats the past two years at Ross that were a fraction of the cost at the Athletic stores.

We have really focused on the needs/wants with our children. They don't have all the latest and greatest when they first come out. We want to teach them contentment and patience.

Our children all have cell phones. Since the boys were earning money they paid up front last summer for a year of service for their cell phones. We still pay for our daughter, however, this summer she is paying for part of that service. They each picked out their phone and as long as it was free on our plan that was fine...or if there was a charge for the phone they paid for it. Each of them chose the free phone.

Where we find the greatest lack of contentment in their peers is with cell phones. Their friends change phones the way a lot of people buy shoes! It is amazing! Our teens have become resourceful because of their friends lack of contentment. Many times our children have gotten barely used phones from their friends either for free or a small charge (ten bucks). None of our three younger children still use the phone provided for them last summer...however they all have the 'hot' phones that parents are buying for their teens....only difference is our children have found a way to have the hot phones without the high price.

Same thing has happened with the iPod. We bought them inexpensive MP3 players one year for Christmas. However, as technology changes and new devices become available many teens do not want their 'old' ones. Our sixteen year old has a great 20g iPod from a friend that asked if he wanted it because he was getting the new 400.00 iPod. Is our son any less excited because he did not get it when it first came out? Maybe if he had been younger but now they have learned that if one is patient and saves for what they want....time is on their side.....it has been a great lesson.

There is so much more on this subject but for now these are some of the things that work for us in this ever changing world. For more Works for Me ideas drop by Rocks in My Dryer.

Super Savings Saturday 3-22-08

Wow this week has been awesome! Truly since last Saturday I have saved a bundle for my family at Walgreen and CVS.

My camera is not shooting clear pictures at the moment so I don't have a picture but let me tell you what I purchased last week:

I hit a couple of CVS stores in the Dallas area when we were down there last weekend.

WOW! How I wish our stores were stocked like these! I made two very awesome transactions. Well actually three.

One transaction my OOP (out of pocket) ended up being .86 cents! I did not even have any coupons to use or CVS coupons. I used ECBs and ended up generating 28.00 in ECBs!!!!! Oh my goodness I was so excited!!! I had another transaction buying the 8.99 Maybelline lip gloss. I used two ECBs, no other coupon, and the OOP was almost 3.00 but I generated nearly 20.00 in ECBs!

Why you might be asking yourself? Well I had forgotten about the online survey I filled out a few weeks ago for CVS. Not only did the transaction generate my 8.99 for the lipgloss but it generated a 10.00 ECB for filling out the survey!!!! WOO HOO!

My last transaction at another store I purchased:3 Vitamin C, 2 Listerene Mouthwash, 4 Lypsyls, 2 pkgs of plastic Easter Eggs, 2 Dove Bars, 2 bags of Jelly beans, 6 Snickers Protein Bars that were marked down to .37 cents each, 1 pkg. of Sour Patch candies for my daughter. I used the two ECBs that totaled 18.99 plus I had three CVS gift cards that I had been given when ECBs did not print out...they totaled: 10.58 and my total OOP was around 7.00! But the big news is I generated: 32.00 ECBs!!!!!

So currently I have 59.00 in unused ECBs and my total OOP for last Saturday for 3 transactions was: 10.00! I did not buy one thing that we will not use. This program has been a huge blessing to me and my family. My daughter could not believe her eyes when I pointed out that the huge bag she was carrying out of the store only cost me .86 cents! I had only shopped at CVS maybe twice in my entire adult life! I felt it was too overpriced and could not understand their Easy Care Card program. Let me tell you that I am thankful for MoneySavingMom sharing her knowledge about CVS and I am now a confirmed FAN of CVS!!

Now on to this week!
I decided I would try and finish a few deals here in Oklahoma. I was not too confident since our stores seems to not have the stock on the beginning of the sale let alone the end. I ended up going to two stores and this everything that I purchased:

1 Lypsyl to finish my limit, 2 shaving creams, 3 packages of Soleil replacement razors, 1 Soleil Razor, 1 hand scrubber, 5 Irish Spring Speed Stick deoderants, 14 Pria Protein bars marked down to .37 cents, 1 Woman's Day magazine, and I think that is all.

My total OOP for both transactions was: 1.47!!! I earned back around 24.00 ECBs.

At Walgreens this week they had Stay Free on sale for 2/5 and I had coupons for 2.00 off of 2. I bought four packages. I also had 1/1 coupons for Rimmel Mascara. All the Rimmel was on sale BOGO so I used two coupons and got the mascara free. I also used Soleil coupons for the razor on sale for 5.99 and I had a 2.00 off coupon. With the purchase of a razor you received the replacement razor heads for free, a 6.99 value. When it was all said and done I had used 8.00 in manufacturers coupons, received a 6.99 gift of razors, and 11.86 was Walgreen sales. My total was 12.45 OOP and I had saved over 26.94. The cashier was amazed, however, with CVS it is much more dramatic in savings.

All in all it was a very productive week. Tonight I will be putting all the free candy I have received at CVS into the free Easter Eggs I have received....getting ready for the family hunt tomorrow after church and lunch. Easter Blessings All!

For more Super Savings ideas head on over to MoneySavingMom.com.

Frugal Fridays 3-21-08

This weeks Frugal Friday post is going to be short and sweet. Today is Good Friday and I really do not want to take a lot of time blogging.

This year I am bucking the trend....a trend that has been a part of my life since I was a small girl. This year I did not get new Easter shoes or an outfit! I did not get my boys Easter clothes and only bought my daughter a new top to go with a skirt we already had and she had cute shoes to match in her closet!

This year I decided that just because it is Easter and all the spring regalia appears in churches all across this great nation of ours.....I was not going to succumb to pressure and 'buy' something new. Instead I am re-working an outfit that I already own and wearing mules that I have had for quite some time! Shocking I know, but really.....is it all about Easter baskets, candy, new shiny shoes, spring outfits, and the like? NO! It is about celebrating our Risen Savior! Somehow I think He won't mind if we were good stewards of our finances and all that He has given us by wearing something we already own!

This will be my first STRESS free Easter! I have free candy I have saved up from CVS trips, plus some free goodies to put in my teenagers Easter baskets. I also have free Easter eggs and more candy for my nieces and nephews and the big Easter Egg Hunt after lunch.

Low Pressure and Stress Free....a day to spend with family and to worship our Risen Savior! I'd say that is a winning combination!

For more Frugal Friday ideas head over to Biblical Womanhood.

Super Saving Saturday 3-1-08

Crystal mentioned getting ready to increase their grocery budget from 35.00 to 40.00 per week. The news is full of stories that can make one a little uneasy about the future of our finances and budgets. Every time you turn on the television or pick up a newspaper you can read stories of recession, gas prices, grocery prices, and on and on.

Today, on Super Saving Saturday, I wanted to share a few ways we are trying to be proactive and find ways to lower our food budget. I have mentioned before with four teenagers, three of whom are boys, we cannot feed our family on 35.00 a week or even 60.00 a week. I wished that we could. However, we have been trying to find ways to cut back on our grocery bill. One thing I will not resort to however, is buying convenience foods, even if I can get them free or nearly free. We also are not going to go back to buying regular pasta instead of whole grain. The health benefits far outweigh the cost associated with these items.

One thing that we are doing this spring that I am so excited about is planting a garden! I have always wanted a garden. We hope to have tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, yellow squash, cabbage, carrots, and I am not sure what else. If ya'll have any ideas, please let me know! My goal is to have plenty of fresh produce throughout the summer and to flash freeze some of the peppers, onions, squash for use in the fall and winter.

I have printed off the plans from Martha Stewart for a cold frame planter so that we can grow some items during the fall and winter such as spinach. We buy at least two bags of spinach and salad greens a month from Sam's. I have already noticed the prices have gone up to the tune of over 1.50 just on the bagged spinach alone.

I posted yesterday about what we have done to save money on snack items for our children.

Saving money for me has become like a game. It is a thrill, however, I have had to pull back and reevaluate to make sure that I am only purchasing things that we really need. It is easy to jump on the savings bandwagon and begin to buy items that perhaps you have never used before or would never consider using in the past. The thrill of getting something for free or nearly free is a rush. I have noticed that there are never many coupons available for organic or health foods which is what we tend to eat the most in our household.

My Super Saving Saturday this week is much like that last few....I have saved more money out of the store than in it. Today I am going to try and make our own protein bars. I can't wait to see how they turn out. I am hopeful that they will be more economical than the purchased ones we buy each week. I am also making homemade granola.

For more Super Saving Saturday ideas go to Money Saving Mom.

Super Saving Saturday 2-16-08

For the past few weeks I have had great pictures to show our savings, however, this week I have no pictures nor do I have lists of fantastic buys that I purchased this week. I think the greatest savings that I have had over the past week has been the money that has stayed in my pockets.

This week the outflow of money from our account has been extremely minimal. Matter of fact, I wrote my first check of the week yesterday evening and spent no cash during the week! There have been a few meals out (Valentine's) and last night we purchased Little Cesears instead of making our own pizza but overall it has been a fairly money free week.

I was not that impressed with the CVS savings this week and right now there is not anything that we are needing for our personal care items. I am on the hunt for canned goods to be on sale but in Oklahoma we do not have all the great grocery stores that my friends have in Texas. Gosh the sales have been great down there!

I did stumble on a few good savings yesterday as I was picking up ginger ale and saltine crackers at the local grocer (stomach virus has now invaded our home....again). I bought the last three boxes of Valentine cookies for those that are not sick at home to share. The iced sugar cookies were 50 cents and the heart shaped shortbread cookies were .35 cents. Can't beat that!

I am gearing up for this next CVS ad and checking out what our grocers have in store. It is time to restock my canned goods since they are starting to get low.

This week I have been able to resist the urge to shop and check out the sales on my lunch hour. A penny saved is a penny earned and this week our family of six saved quite a few!

Vickie

Frugal Fridays 2-15-08

Last week I posted the top five things I am doing to save my family money. I thought this Friday I would make the list a perfect '10' and post five more.

1. We have been gathering items to sell on Craigslist and Ebay. Trying to rid our home of clutter and unneccesary items, outgrown clothing, tools, etc. Going to list some items this weekend!


2. Went on a clothing fast and declared the first quarter of this year as a 'no clothing shopping quarter'. After I posted about Uganda earlier this week and reading many of the blogs of those that are on this blogging trip with Compassion International, I became very convicted that we have more than we need. The poverty level there is unimaginable. We have all we need and then some. We live very modestly but truly we are very rich compared to Uganda. My children certainly have matching shoes that fit. This week the stories and pictures have made me feel very selfish for wanting to save up for a flat screen television. Our old 25 inch will do a while longer...perspective.


3. I am trying to be more faithful to use a grocery list and consistent menu planning. Our local grocer, Crest Foods, always has closeouts and bargains that we do not anticipate. They do not advertise so we never know what to expect on sale. I keep a running list in my purse of our needs and what is currently in our pantry.


4. Have cut out the quick trips to the store or Wal Mart. I shop now with more purpose than before, even though I have always been a bargain shopper I am now a more purposeful shopper.


5. Signed up for the Grocery Game this month.

For more great frugal ideas, head over to Biblical Womanhood and join in the frugal Friday fun!

Super Saving Saturday 2-9-08

Today over at MoneySavingMom.com, Crystal is asking how many stores we shop at each week.

I go to our local grocer at least once a week, to Sam's at least twice a month, and I have now started going to Homeland for the deals, and of course my all time favorite now CVS!

The picture above is not complete. Missing in action are the cookies, MMs, a couple of kingsize Snickers, and my daughter's makeup, which is with her this weekend at her church function.

Since this week has been so chaotic for our family with events and sick children (as well as parents) I am going to share what I purchased, how much OOP, and how many ECBs I still have to use. I am wanting to make haste while I have three of my four teenagers gone until tomorrow after church. I have a huge 'to do list' and I want to get busy. Here goes:

The purchased above are from last Saturday (3 CVS stores - 2 cards - mine and my husbands), Sunday morning (CVS), Monday evening (CVS), and last night at Walgreens.

Saturday 1st CVS - Total value of product - 30.75 - 19.00 in coupons and ECBs = 4.13 out of pocket and I earned 10.00 ECBs this transaction. I had purchased the Phenom razor, Arm and Hammer toothpaste (which I now realize is not in the picture), and a Crest Pro Health 2 bottle special that was dated to be sold from 2-1 - 2-8 with 2 ECBs back and I only saw this at one CVS. They had to put the ECBs on a gift card because it did not ring up. I also bought some Loreal eyeshadow .75% off for .99 cents!

Saturday 2nd CVS - Total value of product -20.36 - 12.29 in ECBs-4.89 OOP and I earned 8.00 in ECBs.

Saturday 3rd CVS - Total value of product - 52.67 - 22.00 in ECBs - 8.00 in coupons = 22.68 OOP....I know a lot of out of pocket but I made a miscalculation...hey I am still new to this! I earned 16.00 in ECBs so in reality I was out 6.68.

Saturday 4th CVS - Total value of product - 42.18 - 9.00 ECBs - 12.18 in coupons and deals = 21.70 OOP, another big out of pocket but I earned 13.29 in ECBs.

Sunday CVS - I ran in and bought 2 Maybelline eyeshadow trios, the Exedrin deal, and since I can't find my receipt at the moment I can't remember but I DO remember it was over 30.00 in value and I paid with all ECBs except for 1.15 in OOP. I also earned around 30.00 in ECBs

Monday CVS - I did the Colgate deal, bought the manual Phenom razor, and a few fillers of items I needed. Total value of items purchased 33.21 - ECBs and coupons 26.98 = 1.05 OOP

Last night at Walgreens - I ordered the Valentine Family Portrait package for both my husband's account and my account at Walgreens. Each packet was worth 4.99. We each received them free. I have photos of my husband in his uniform for me and the kids plus his Dad and my parents. I also have photos for my 16 year old to give to his friend.

Total value of items this week:

235.87

Out of Pocket this week:

UPDATED: 55.60, I made an error on my calculator and posted the wrong amount that I spent OOP. After reading the post again this morning I realized my mistake, to the tune of 20.00. oops!

ECBs earned

78.29

My goal for this next week is to not have so much OOP. I do understand though to get started I needed to spend some out of pocket. I have had great success and then some miscalculations. It is frustrating that I can't find the deals that I have 'ready' when I go to the store. I then have to re-figure and sometimes I just don't have the time to stand there in the corner of the store and recalculate. I truly wish I could find the Sambucol!!! I don't care about the ECBs so much as I care about the price and the product. We use this product. We have bought it in the past from the health food store for 17.99! We are almost out of ours and I have not been able to find this at the five or six CVS stores I have repeatedly checked. I am praying to find Sambucol this week!!!

Head on over to MoneySavingMom.com and see how people saved money this week!

My name is Vickie. I'm a CVS addict

I became convicted of my shopping/spending patterns many years ago when I was a struggling single parent. I never gave much thought to coupons, CVSing, Walgreens, etc. I was more determined to pay off my debt and stay out of the mall.

I cut up my cards and even wrote nice little letters to those places in the mall that I had been a VALUED customer, expressing my radical change of mindset on becoming frugal. I had checked out Amy Dacyczyn books, The Tightwad Gazette, and went on a quest to try and make my meager salary cover all the essentials that my little boy and I needed.

Back then, when I had the urge to go to the mall, I called it my "500.00 Days". I knew in my gut I would find a 'sale' and would charge up my cards, and walk out of the shoe store with a pair of pumps in every color to match my beautiful 'bargains'. Through prayer and much retrospect I learned that I took great pleasure and peace from shopping. It filled an area of my life much like any addiction.

I realized that this addiction to shopping went hand in hand with my tendancy to eat emotionally. I was taking the pain in my life and transferring it to these two areas that were a detriment to my heart and life. I truly knew the only thing that could fill up my heart was a deeper relationship with my Heavenly Father, but as with any addiction, I just could not pull myself away. It is hard work and something that I still have to fight in the area of eating emotionally.

After some time of getting my priorities in order and my heart right with the Lord, I would tell my pastor that I felt like the Lord was getting ready to do something really big in my life. I could sense a big change coming. I had been working on my body, mind, and spirit. I knew that I had to get all areas of my life under His authority and control.

I went about my business of becoming what I thought was 'frugal'. I got into the Once a Month Cooking, and the 30Day Gourmet, plus I planned my meals. I quit going to the mall so much.

All the while my heart was changing and my methods were growing in how I tried to save money but still no coupons or CVS stuff.

Seven years ago I had a big change breeze into my life alright. My handsome husband literally walked into my life and with him came three more precious children. I feel that the Lord was preparing me for this life change! I already had in place some great things that would help us as a family.

Lately, I began to feel that I could do more for my family. I felt that same sort of conviction fall over me in the area of being a Proverbs 31 Wife and Mom. I remembered when I was single I really studied Proverbs 31 and wanted to be that woman. I prepared my heart and mind for marriage even though I was single and unsure if there would be a marriage in my future.

About two months ago I decided that I would give the couponing 'ONE' more try and would even attempt to figure out this Easy Care Card from CVS. Too be honest, I did not like CVS or Walgreens because I felt like I could do better at the big box stores. However, now that my mind has been opened to the possibilities that are out there, I know that I am headed in the right direction for my family. I am on a first name basis with my local CVS cashier!

Currently, my teenagers don't see it. They think I spend too much time talking about it, reading about it, and getting my lists together. However, my daughter thought it was pretty cool she was able to get two eyeshadow trios for FREE at CVS. That really resonated with her. I ran in to get a few things and rolled over my ECBs and spent only 2.11 out of pocket and came out of the store with almost 30.00 in new ECBs. She was impressed; ever so slightly.

So now they call me the coupon mom. I used to be called the Internet Queen, somehow I think that Internet Queen holds a lot more weight in their eyes but this is one addiction that is good for me and my family. I go by a list and only buy what we use or need. Okay well not all the time. We DO NOT NEED the candy that I have gotten free lately. The metabolism of teenagers is enviable. Candy, soda, and junk food were one of the things that I gave up as a single parent. So we have not had those things in the past seven years except for special events. Matter of fact, I was quizzed by the kids when we were about to become a family. They asked me these questions:
1. Do you buy candy?
2. Do you buy soda pop?
3. Do you have junk food at home?
Uh, no. They had the total look of horror on their faces. So I guess seven years later they are LOVING CVS but not quite ready to fess up to good ol' Mom.

So yes, my name is Vickie and I have become an addict to saving money for my family. I predict this addiction will have great rewards!

Super Saving Saturday - 2-2-08

I can't believe I have waited until this weekend to make this post! I have been SO excited since Tuesday night but I guess having the flu has made me forget a little about wanting to post my savings so badly!

Tuesday evening I had to drive across the other side of town to take our 15 year old to watch the varsity play basketball against one of the other high schools in our school district. I realized that I was near two CVS stores that are about two miles apart. I decided to try and find some of the items that I have had trouble locating. This was going to be my third attempt at CVSing, as I call it.

I gathered up my coupons and my list and entered the store. They had some slim pickings but I did find a few things that I needed. They also had one of those scanners where you can scan your card....I had never seen one. I kept going over and over things on my calculator and in my head. I waited until no one was around at the checkout since my first two times were humilating with my not knowing what to do and people waiting around for me to finish.

I began my transaction and at first seeing the amount on the little display screen I was freaking out because I began to think I had miscalculated and was already mentally beating myself up and really felt like giving up this whole CVS thing. I handed over my coupons, which I wished I had printed a coupon for 50.00, I can' t remember if it is 5/50 or not but I gave my 5/30 coupon and then all my manufacturers coupons. Finally, I handed the cashier my ECBs that I had been collecting from my previous two transactions. I was nervous because I felt like I had made a mistake when suddenly I heard the cashier say, "Ma'am, I can't pay you and right now I owe you .87 cents" I suddenly remembered fillers....I grabbed two King Sized candy bars and when I gave them to the cashier the crowd that had gathered behind me began to cheer! I was red-faced again but this time with total shock and amazement!

The sweetest little old lady ever behind me said, "Honey, do you want me to take your picture?" It was hysterical and I was so excited. I told her "No thanks" and went on to tell her that I could not believe what had just happened! She and her little friends all had their baskets loaded up and their EasyCare Cards in hand. They told me that they were Coupon Freaks! COUPON FREAKS I say! It was so cute.

So I ended up paying 2.56 for 56.00 value of items AND earned around 20 ECBs. I was so pumped that I called my sisters and my Mom. I would have called my sweetheart but he was asleep since he was working an all nighter later on. I then drove to the next CVS and bought some more shampoo, cereal, Garnier Fructis Skincare and some food items that have already been eaten at my house plus the Soy Joys. I wanted to hang on to my ECBS since I am just starting this and do not have a lot to spend plus I had just earned the most ever! I paid out of pocket 29.00 (I know, I know probably not the best idea) and then the manager went crazy...in a good way....he said, "Oh my goodness look at all the ECBs that are printing out!" He counted them all for me before he ever handed them over...almost 26.00 worth of ECBs printed out!

People, I am pumped! I love the Soyjoys, my daughter is in heaven with the shampoo, the boys love all the candy that I never ever buy, and my husband is so proud of me.

Don't give up you newbies out there! I still feel a little unsure of myself but Crystal gave me very wise advice when I emailed her early on in this adventure. She told me to start small. If you look back at my pictures some of them are mighty slim. This picture does not have that much item wise and it is the culmination of two trips but I am getting there!

If you want to see more Super Savings Saturday head over to Money Saving Mom!

Five ways we saved a 100.00 last year

Five ways we saved a 100.00 last year:

1. Turned our thermostat down in the winter to 66 degrees and turned it up in the summer to 76. This year we have saved over 200.00 each month on our electric bill during the recent cold weather.

2. My husband and I began to share a meal when we went on our date night. Mimi's Cafe is our favorite place to share a meal. We at first each had a petite portion salad but one day we decided to share a large and have it split. We did and the savings were great and it was plenty for us to eat! They also bring a wonderful muffin with your meal and we always split the honey oat muffin. We also usually will each order a small cup of corn chowder for one dollar. Our total for our meal on date night is usually with tip around 14.00 for two people.

3. I began to shop in earnest at thrift stores plus each week I would stop by TJMaxx and Ross Dress for Less to look through their clearance items. We saved a ton of money on clothes for our teenagers. Nike shirts or shorts for under five bucks! Yea, great prices and the brands our kids love.

4. We do not go to the mall. Our teens go to the local movie theater in town where it is cheaper than the local mall, plus we would not allow them to go to the mall anyway, unless they are with us. We found that staying away from the mall keeps you away from tempation.

5. Our children take their lunch to school. My husband and I both take our lunch most days as well.

If you would like to see more money saving ideas visit Biblical Womanhood for Frugal Fridays!

Financial Goals 2008

UPDATE:

We have discussed our categories and I thought I would post a few here:

Home - within home it will include all things pertaining to HOME. I have taken a sheet and broke down mini categories within HOME such as mortgage, insurance, repairs, heat/gas/garbage, taxes, and a separate account for items that we want for our home such as new furniture, appliances, etc.

Cars - since we owe nothing on any of our vehicles we want to set up a fund to replace these vehicles. We are choosing to use an ING account. Also I set up the same sort of mini categories such as oil/gas, repair, tires, insurance, tags, insurance deductible, maintenance

Food - this includes our grocery bills plus eating out. In 2008 we are purposing to not eat out as much as in the past. Also I am planning my menus and meals plus using coupons to extend this budget.

Savings - this is one huge group but I have broken it down into small mini categories again like the previous areas. We will have three in high school next year. I have taken all the expenses that I know will exist and have multiplied it by three and have a figure of what our great expenses will be such as class rings, letter jackets, yearbooks, football camps, choir expenses, etc. We will then begin to take a certain amount out of our monthly budget and apply it to a savings account so that the fund are there when the request is made.

Within this group we have also added the church trips that will arise with the three younger children. For instance we know that this summer two of our boys will be going to Beach Camp with our youth. Next year all three will attend. This year it will take around 600.00 for both boys to attend. We are saving up for that. Having three children so close in age really adds up in big money when they get older and have activities to attend or church functions. This year we spent 150.00 on yearbooks. Sure I could just buy one yearbook but, you know I am frugal to a point....each child should be able to have their own yearbook to look back over and have friends sign at the end of the year.

That is it for now. I have things to do!

Crystal at Biblicalwomanhood and Money Saving Mom is hosting a Financial Shape in 2008 Challenge. This is a year-long campaign to encourage families to live on less than they make and take personal responsibility for their finances.

Seven years ago we committed to being debt free after seeing Dave Ramsey in Oklahoma City. We cut up our credit cards and proceeded to have a gazelle intensity to pay off debt. The Lord certainly blessed us along the way and currently we only owe on our home. It has been a struggle and hardship at times. My husband works so hard. He takes every opportunity afforded to law enforcement to work overtime and extra jobs. We sock that money away in various areas for savings and goals we are working towards. Our teenagers have learned very valuable lessons ...patience, gratitude for what they do have, frugality, and the sense that it is okay if you do not have the latest and greatest gadget RIGHT NOW. They have learned what it takes to run a home and how important it to distinguish between needs and wants.

The first part of the challenge is getting a working budget together. While we have had great success at paying off our debt and living within our means, we have not yet gotten the written budget down to a science nor working the envelope system as much as we could. These are two goals that we really want to achieve this year.

We are going to sit down and work on this as a couple this week. I will be updating as soon as I have the categories in place. I wanted to go ahead and make a post pointing to Crystal's challenge as a way of our commitment.

One quick note I want to add. We divide our house payment amount by 12. Each month I apply this amount to the principal of our mortgage. If you do this each month, after the end of one year you will have made an extra payment to your mortgage thereby cutting precious time off your loan.

Finally, I have one more financial goal this year: get a handle on the CVS/Walgreen way of saving money for our family. Each time I have tried to use coupons at our local Walgreens they never understand and I never get the savings that many post about on Crystal's blog.

I am looking forward to this challenge and being a faithful steward with the resources the Lord has provided for us.

Super Saving Saturday - Hobby Lobby Bargains

Update: Just got back from SuperTarget where all Christmas items were 90% off. Not much left, however, we did pick up Christmas gift tags at .09 cents per package of 100! We also picked up two 2008 calendars for two of our boys that love Dale Earnhart, Jr. for .99 cents down from 9.99! Bags of bows - silver and white ones and a bag of gold bows for .18 cents a bag of I think 25 bows in a bag. We also picked up the last of the gingerbread cookies and a shortbread cookie and they were all under .45 cents a box. We hardly ever buy sugary snacks so this was a real treat for the kids. All in all it was a great last minute stop on our date night.

Robin and Shannon both call my favorite store the same thing: the Mother Ship. I think anyone that loves to decorate, craft, or scrapbook knows exactly the store I am talking about: Hobby Lobby!

Today was my fifth or sixth time to hit H.L. during the last two weeks! I have bought things at half off, 66% off and today 80%! Granted the groovy red glass bowls that I was really wanting I missed out on. Even at 66% off they were not frugal enough for me to part with my cash. Besides, right now I'm not sure where I would put them. Honestly they were more of a want than a need so it is a moot point.

I did pick up the most awesome ornaments, more curly bows, a few more gift bags, several awesome larger Christmas items. To give you an idea of what I found ornament wise...I bought three silver and glass tea pot ornaments for ornament exchange gifts next year. Each were regularly 4.99. I bought all three for 2.99! Two dollars and ninety-nine cents people! Less than what one cost regularly! The average original cost of the other ornaments, which were the old fashion, mercury glass type ornaments, was around 5.99 - 7.99 apiece. I got them for 80% off!!!

The six packages of curly bows that I bought were 2.99 a pack. They have I think four or six bows on each pack. They are darling bows that I can use for birthday gifts since they are not Christmas colors. So let's assume there were four bows on each package that would make 24 bows total. The original price was 17.94 for six packages; 8.97 at 50%; 6.10 at 66%; and at 80% 3.59. So since I love numbers, to break it down further: I bought a total of 24 of the cutest curly bows in hot pink, lime green, silver and white, blue, pink, and I can't remember the other color and they equal out to .14 cents a bow!

The smaller gift bags cost me around .20 cents! Better than Dollar Store prices!

The Edmond Hobby Lobby is getting sparse on the East side of Edmond but there are still a couple of aisles of great items. I would check out your local Hobby Lobby.

So in closing I bought: 15 ornaments, six packages of speciality bows, ten gift bags, a wooden 3 foot tree, a large Christmas lodge look Moose and Bear with the same red and black buffalo print that my tree skirt and stockings are made from. Also four photo boxes for my new craft room, Christmas scrapbook stickers, two silk candle rings, and a stamp set with embellishments and cardstock for my daughter to make her cards next year all for around 38.00! The only things not 80% off were the photo boxes and they were 50%.

After coming home and looking at the original prices of just two of the larger items they totaled more than all the items together that I purchased today.

The lesson is hit those after Christmas sales. I have not had to pay regular price for wrapping paper, bows, ribbon, gift bags, etc., for over seven years! It is of great benefit to my family. So tonight my gift wrap area is now re-stocked, the gift drawer is full too and I am ready when one of my children have a party to attend.

Frugal Fridays

Frugal Gifts can be very easy to do, it just takes some time, ingenuity, and patience.

I love keeping a gift closet filled with all sorts of items that I pick up on clearance. The trick is that I do not pick up just any old thing. I keep a running list in my bag of what my friends, family, and my teenagers friends like and enjoy. This is where you really listen when talking to family members or as you are driving your children and their friends from point A to point B. Hear what they are talking about: cd's they are wanting, things they enjoy and make a mental note.

After Christmas is the BEST time to stock up on great items that can be given throughout the year. I also keep an area of gift bags, wrap, tissue paper, ribbon and the like and add to this as well after a season ends. Four times in the last month I have had children attending birthday parties or functions where they needed to bring a gift. There is such freedom knowing what you have and heading to the closet and pulling out the gift, wrap, and various items that one needs when giving a gift. My teens have come to expect it and know that I always have cool, cute items in my gift closet. One of my favorite places to stock up is Mardel Christian Bookstore at the Black Friday sales. I have been able to purchase cds for 5.00, best selling books for under 7.00, stationary items, home decor, and seasonal merchandise at great discounts. After Christmas you can be sure I will be visiting Target, Kirkland's, Mardels, Bath and Bodyworks,and Hobby Lobby to hit their sales.

A couple of things to do is take inventory of what you may already have set aside or if you have not started a gift closet purpose to do so in the next year. Make a list to keep in your handbag of those you normally buy gifts for such as teachers, family, friends, and of course your children's friends. Begin to listen when engrossed in a conversation and seek out those items of interest.

Get your older children involved. My daughter loves to help me seek out these items. If you would like more frugal ideas head on over to Chrystal's blog at Biblical Womanhood.

Trying this again

I have tried over the past two years to blog. I have become a very committed reader of blogs and share what I read with my friends and family, however, I just can't seem to carve out the time to keep one of mine up to date. Maybe it is the intimidation factor since the blogs that I have read have grown to be so popular and such great reads that I feel my little corner of blogdom would not really matter. I have decided to give it a whirl again.

This past week I have been sick and I have had a lot of time to think. The one thing that I know about is research and trying to live life more simply. Now what I mean is not what most think of when they hear 'the simple life'. I have strived for quite some time to slow down even though with four teenagers it makes it very difficult to go slow but to make each day count. I also look at living life simply to be debt free. My husband and I are Dave Ramsey fans and over the past seven years have relieved ourselves of all our debt and only owe on our home! Talk about freedom!!! This will be our 7th Christmas without credit cards. I guess in my mind that is what led me to try again. I am almost through with my shopping and this year did something completely different for Black Friday....I did it all online! It was more out of necessity since I was so sick with the flu but WOW will I ever do it again next year! There was not one thing that I was not able to get online and I saved money in the process too!

I look forward to trying to keep this blog going and sharing what goes on in the life of a 40 something Mom that has four very busy teenagers, a full time job, and a husband that has a very demanding job in law enforcement. Join me as I pursue simplicity.
Blessings,
Vickie