How I contribute to the household finances

   We all know being a SAHP (stay at home parent) doesn't bring in any money, no big secret there right? Just because you don't have a form that comes in weekly or even every two weeks with your name and s.s. number on it doesn't mean you can't bring some money in or help with your financial situation! Come on your a stay at home parent,  you got this! So I'm going to explain what I do, embrace yourself ok, ready, here I go.......

1) Price match

Pretty basic here. I price match at my Walmart when ever I can. My hubby doesn't do this and the reason I say when ever I can is because it's about a 20 minute drive for me to get this done. Yes I know it's a little out of my way but the savings I get seem worth it for me. Now this option won't work for everybody but since I live in the DFW area it does because of the variety of stores we have. 

2)Coupon

I'm not a extreme couponer but I do coupon. I only buy four papers per week which for me works. We are a family of four and we live in an apartment so our space is limited and if I were to buy more papers depending on the item, I wouldn't have room for the stuff. So if you have a bigger family and or more space then buying more papers may work for you. I have saved hundreds if not thousands by using coupons and working off of sales. If your in the DFW area I can give you the info on the class I took which she has her personal blog on FB where her students post deals and scenarios, extremely helpful. This is how I've scored good deals by looking at what other people have posted. Join FB groups,follow people on Instagram, or look at couponing websites. (I'll make a list of a few websites on the bottom.) 

3) Meal plan

This is fairly easy. You look into the fridge, pantry, under the cabinets, on the floor, where ever you have your food and make a list of what can be eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. How many times have you looked into the fridge or freezer and have said, "We have nothing to eat!" What does this normally lead too.... Going out to eat or running to the store to make a meal. Which can lead to spending more money then you expect. 

As you can tell number one, two, and three go together. If you work off of sales and use coupons you save money then you meal plan based off of what is on sale to extend your dollar. So if chicken, tortillas & cheese are on sale then you can have; chicken enchiladas, chicken chalupas, chicken soap, grilled chicken, chicken strips, or arrroz con pollo (chicken and rice). If popcorn is on sale then you buy enough popcorn to get you through for a couple of weeks. Of course if you have the room and money! Never go over your budget just because but try to balance them out. 

Non traditional ways: 

4) Swagbucks

Now this I love because it's simple. You go online to look things up but which search engine do you use? Bing, Google, etc etc. Why not sign up for Swagbucks. I have Swagbucks set up as my home page so when I open the internet it comes straight up and I "search" for whatever I'm looking for. It's the same as using Google or Bing or which ever web search site you use but this one gives you points then in turn you earn gift cards. Last year I only earned $40 which my goal this year is to earn double. If you follow them on FB they give out codes you enter on their site which earns you points. You can do surveys, poll questions , print coupons and watch videos to earn points. The more time you have on your hands they more points you can earn. Please click on the link below... http://www.swagbucks.com/p/register?rb=9181596

5) Shopkicks
Now this is an App you can download which will give you points for entering stores (walk-ins), scanning products (scans) and/ or purchases. This is really easy. When you are about to enter a store you open the app and if you get points for walk ins it will detect your location and viola, points. Once you open the app and it detects our location you are able to see what items you can scan to get more points. Sometimes it doesn't always work the way I want it to but it usually does. Oh and sometimes the store doesn't even have the item your looking for, talk about frustrating. Hey I get frustrated only because I'm really trying to get all the points I can! Overall though, I really enjoying using this app! It's a must try!!!! Here's my referral link.. http://get.shopkick.com/star40055

6) Checkout 51, Ibotta, & Snap by Groupon
These are also apps that can be downloaded but are a little different that Shopkicks. They provide money back on different items that change on a weekly basis. Example; this week on Checkout 51 you can earn .25 for either the purchase of a pineapple, garlic, potatoes, avocados or bananas. On Ibotta you can earn .20 on lettuce. And on Snap you can earn $2.00 for purchasing 2 packs of Pur gum. Once again every week the items will change and these are the items that are currently offered to me. You may think .25 or .20 is nothing but if your buying bananas why not get .25 back?


In my mind set every penny counts! If you collect all your change for one year you really don't know how much you'll have. Every single penny (.20) will add up before you know it.

Once again this is what I do and I've only written about it because I know it works. I would never want to tell you about something that doesn't work. I can't guarantee any financial amount, it can be more or less.  In no way am I being compensated for endorsing theses apps.

Websites: www.krogercrazy.com
                 www.krazycouponlady.com
               

If you are using any other money making apps let us know. Sharing is caring!!! :)

Getting back to my goals... wk of July 27th

I need accountability! There really is no way around it, I wish there was but I need that push. 

Here we go:

Weekly:

Workout 3X this week.

Clip my coupons. 

Meal plan (which I'm hoping to do right after this if my little stays asleep!) 

Sell/ Pack items to donate. 

That's all folks... I'm keeping it short since I'm going to try to get back on this game. Next month (ooh, that's this weekend, yikes) I will get back on my monthly goals. I know there are a few things I'd like to accomplish like sewing! Yeah, I still haven't sewn anything since I've got my machine. There is something just wrong about that! I appreciate it greatly but just haven't done anything, I'm a little embarrassed.  

Ok, so I decided to stop doing this and look to see what we have for food for the week. 

Here's my list:

Breakfast: 

Cereal (Almighty faithful) 

Grits

Toaster strudel

Lunch:

Mac N Cheese

Salad

Sandwiches

Soap

Snacks:

Apple Sauce

Fresh Fruit

Popcorn

PB & J sandwich

Dinner:

Roast (this was last nights supper) 

Pork Chops (tonight's supper) 

Taco Salad

Steak

Chicken (Grilled or baked chicken strips, that's what I 'm thinking) 

Chalupas

Ground beef  (not to sure what to make with this yet, maybe enchiladas, mmm) 

Sides:

Veggies 

This isn't set in the daily stone but it's something, lol. I took pork chops out but soup and salad sounds good, so I may change it..... Having a food plan ready helps save money by not getting a headache trying to figure out what your having for the day. When I make a list I tend to use whatever I have in the kitchen. :) Have a great week and set your goals! Happy planning... 

Through sickness and health....

  Sitting here on our 12yr anniversary watching a movie made me think back of a low point in my life.  

   I was in the hospital from just having birth when we realized I wasn't able to move part of my leg. I went through physical therapy, prayed like I had never prayed before, cried, embarrassment, sadness, anger, frustration; just a roller coaster of emotions! I even told me husband to leave me. It wasn't something I wanted but it was something I felt I needed to let him know. When you marry someone it's for better or worse through sickness and health but when your in the situation it's a different story. You don't want you spouse to have to do everything. Being an adult but feeling like a child is the worst. My husband did it all by himself for two months before I was able to get back to me. I'll say those two months were the hardest times of my life. At the same time those two months were the hardest I ever fought for something! I fought to get back to me. I fought to be able to walk with my kids at the park. To run with them. To walk with my husband & be able to hold his hand. To drive myself. To go to the grocery store and not be in a wheelchair and have people stare at me like I'm contagious. To be what we have grown up to know as normal! It took everything in me to not lose faith and keep working daily towards my goal. 

   Being disabled in any form for a short period time or permanently you'll never understand the feelings a person goes through unless you've been there. In this movie the main character has ALS which in no way am I comparing my self to but a few things she went through made me reflect on some of those feeling. No matter what happened my husband never walked out or left me and on this anniversary I couldn't help but just reminisce on our past. To my hubby I luv you and thank you for everything you do for not only me but our family, we luv you baby!

Those pesky things are children do...

   Now this may be only my children but I doubt it. Okay, I really don't know but I'm hoping you can relate! My children seem to have the habits I dislike the most from my hubby! I mean seriously, they do. At first I was like, "Oh wow they do ____ just like you!" Or it was "Oh my goodness ____ just ____ like you!" Some of those "things" annoy me like no other but others I think it's just adorable. The mixed feelings are crazy though. Some stuff my children see their dad do or hear their dad say but others they don't. So this had me thinking," Where do they get this from?" Right. Have you ever asked yourself the same thing?

But..... No matter what we still love them! The things that will drive you crazy, to argue, or just get under your skin from your spouse you don't take that serious from your children.

Then just a while ago it hit me like lighting... God designed marriage a certain way. Marriage is suppose to last forever, no divorce. (There are only a few exceptions.) So if we can get over what our children do that they inherited, why can't we get over the same things when our spouse does them? Love has no record of wrong, now it may only be me but boy do I remember.... (one of my flaws)

Just a thought....

Judgement of others...

  Last week I went to my first Women's Bible study. Actually more like my first Bible study ever! Wow, reality just hit me.Can you believe it, I'm 33 and this was my first Bible study. Church and me haven't always gotten along but we have a better relationship now. On to what we studied........

We know God has laid out a few do's and don't (sin) but there are also a few things that can cause confusion. I know I'm not the only one that gets confused or have been in a few open discussions regarding some edgy topics. The do's and don't that have been given to us are black and white but there are so many gray area. What are gray areas? Basically everything else. We studied Romans Chapter 14 to have a better understanding of this gray area. 

   Romans 14 discusses judgement on people and peoples downfalls (sin). It's extremely easy to put our two sense in and sometimes it crosses the line to judgement. As Christians this is something we have to be leery of.  Christians get a bad wrap a lot because we say or do something that is contradicting to what are beliefs are suppose to be. Let me explain a little. Let's use social media since it's the biggest thing right now. We may post on Facebook (FB); "Oh God has blessed me so much, Thank God but F you for hating on me! You get the picture. What is a person suppose to think? Are you not contradicting? Who are you? Are you a God fearing person or the person that lives their life as they please? Then you get upset when a person doesn't respect your beliefs. Can you blame them? With all that to think about lets move to another side of things. We shouldn't judge others. That's pretty simple, right? What about judging their lifestyle? Now this is a different story! Here is a gray area. Your friend likes to go out and drink but intakes a few too many and becomes a different person. Or maybe your friend sleeps around. When you are trying to live on God's path would it be in your best interest to hang out with these type of friends? This is when judging their lifestyle comes into place. This is where its ok to judge. You have to look into your surroundings and find out what is best for you and your walk with God. 

  Everybody has their own weakness and we have to be aware of this. If someone has a drinking problem should we drink in front of them or offer them a drink? No, you shouldn't. This will go for any issue that is a weakness for someone or for yourself. Defining what is right or wrong can be different in each persons eyes. Personally I drink, not a lot but one every 2-3 months or even as long as every 6 months. is drinking bad for me? No! One drink is all I need and I don't get drunk. For someone that can't control themselves while drinking it would be wrong for this person ( a sin) because it causes them to fall in something that God has defined as a sin. Black and white is easy, well it should be but now a days people are still trying to make those grey. Guess what, they're not gray and we need to keep those black and white and focus on the gray area. Remember what your beliefs are, live them to the best you can and stand for what you believe in!! 

  

                      

Step out...

   Today I stepped out of my comfort zone in a big way and I'm glad I did. Our oldest didn't start going to the movies until he was about fours yr old,  I wanted to take him prior to that but never took the chance. Our BudBud usually doesn't stay still for more then a few minutes if we're lucky 30 minutes only if it's his favorite movie, Rio! Our oldest goes to the movies with dad but baby and me get the privilege of staying home, boooo.
   Trying to keep my oldest occupied for the summer I decided to take them to the movies by myself!!!! I was full of worry and fear, no lie. Our little one is wanting to be so much like this brother that we've had to change the way we do things with him. He's so different then our oldest that sometimes I'm completely confused on what to do. We walked in with no stroller and headed to the restroom. We had to get the restroom break out of the way so we wouldn't have to leave in the middle of the movie, that's no fun. After that was taken care of , off to the concession stand it was. The line was taking a bit longer then the boys wanted to wait so the oldest took the little one to a nearby coin machine, then on to the game area. Without my better judgement I said they could go. They started coming back by the time I was done getting our Icee and popcorn. This frugal mommy also packed water and candy in our bag, hehe, shh don't tell no one. Hey, I'm not about to pay $3/$4 for water or candy, no I'm not!
   We walk into the theater and I'm thinking it would be slightly empty but boy was I wrong. The theater got about half full, at that point I got really nervous as I know how BudBud can behave. When he wants to he will be loud, he'll throw things, start yelling, or crying for not getting his way. My son!   BudBud is on the short side so he was having a hard time seeing over the front chair so off to find a booster seat. We got him a seat and now for his snacks. This momma took a small bowl so they wouldn't fight over the popcorn tub so a little popcorn in his bowl and the drink in between them, so far off to a great start. One thing about movies is there are way too many commercials, they need to cut those down in children's movies. Just a thought, kids don't have a long attention span just in case they didn't know! The commercials seemed to last forever then finally the movie....
  We watched Home which was great for our oldest but not very entertaining for the little one. About an hour into it he started being a wiggle worm, oh no. He sat with me, walked in the aisle, sat with me, sat in his seat, sat with me, you can tell how it went :0 I knew he was tired so I tried rocking him while he was with me but he didn't fall asleep :( Finally the movie was over and my anxiety level dropped, yeah for me. Once the dim lights were turned on the search was on for BudBud's cup, yep in the middle of the movie he threw it! By the time we left the popcorn, ICEE and half the candy was gone.
   I was so proud I took the chance taking them out and doing something I wouldn't normally do. I was also proud of my BudBud for lasting as long as he did. Lately it's really been hitting me that my baby/ baby boy is not really a baby :( I don't like this, he is growing so fast and even though I'm with him on a daily basis I still feel as I'm missing out. Do you ever feel the same? I know I'm doing what I can and doing it to the best of my ability but realty is, kids grow right in front of our eyes and there is nothing we can do but love, remember and live in the moments and memories we create.