This post is sponsored by TrueCar. All opinions remain my own. Have you ever walked into a car dealership and felt as if you were lost? If so, you’re not alone since most of us feel that same way when looking to buy a car. Whether you’re buying a new car or you’re buying a used car, the process can be long,stress-filledd and if you’re not careful, very expensive. Luckily there are a few things that you can do for yourself before you shop that will help make the car buying process go smoothly. These tips for buying a car are a great place to start. TrueCar Teams Up to Help Veterans who Are DrivenToDrive I remember the feeling of freedom I felt when I got my first car and drove for the first time. Now with all the activities of my kids, sometimes I feel like driving can … [Read more...]
How I get $3,600+ in Free Homeschool Curriculum Every Year!
When we started homeschooling my oldest two who in preschool and I was prepping one for Kindergarten and I had no idea how easy to was to spend so much money on homeschool supplies, much less that you were able to get free homeschool curriculum. I will also be honest and say it's quite addicting to this momma to buy books. I love reading so I was buying books on EVERYTHING! At one point I had four huge bookcases two half bookcases a closet full of books. Yep hubby put me on a homeschooling budget! How I get $3,600+ in Free Homeschool Curriculum Every Year! I am now homeschooling three kids and have a 4th in 'tot school' (learning numbers, colors, and letters) and baby #5 on the way! In a few years, homeschool could get really expensive! When we had just the older 2 in Kindergarten … [Read more...]
5 Tips for Successful “Club” Store Shopping
Hitting your favorite warehouse store can be a fantastic way to score deals. Buying in bulk can be a great way to save, but if you’re not careful, you can easily pay more than what you really need to. Instead, if you shop smart and pay attention, you will get awesome deals that fit well within your budget. Check out these 5 tips for successful club store shopping before you shop next. They’re sure to help you get the best deals possible. 5 Tips for Successful "Club" Store Shopping Shop With a List – The old adage holds true here because going into a club store without a list is like sending a kid to a carnival with a blank check. Instead of running free with your hard earned money, write down the things that you absolutely need and then a separate part of things you want to check the … [Read more...]
How to Save Money on Pet Food
When it comes to having pets, there is no denying that they eat a lot. And if you’re like most pet parents, your pets eat a lot of food. We have a 50-pound lab/retriever mix, and he eats more than I thought possible! It’s important to save money on pet food when you can and here are some tips for you to consider. How to Save Money on Pet Food Buy from Amazon Amazon is one of the best places to shop because you can literally buy everything you possibly need. You can just use the Amazon app or head over to Amazon.com to buy everything you need and have it shipped right to your house. It’s nice having the ability to buy pet food and pet products, all from the same place. If you don’t like Amazon, you can still buy online and save a lot of money! I love Amazon because of free shipping … [Read more...]
Change How You Cook to Save Money
Did you know the way you are cooking could be costing you more money than just the cost of ingredients? It’s true! With a few simple changes in the way you cook, you can save hundreds of dollars! These tips are so simple, and it all started when I sat down and was going over everything in our house to find ways to save money. We started with the kitchen because it seems to be the most used! See how cook to save money. Change How You Cook to Save Money First, you need to get into the mindset of planning meals what you have in the house. Use up what you have. You have heard of stocking up when items are on sale, and you can do that and then make menus based on what you have. Doing this will save you money. To expand on this, one a month we try to do a week of a pantry challenge. If not … [Read more...]
My Top Places to Buy Used Homeschool Curriculum
It isn’t a secret that buying curriculum is expensive. It can get especially pricey when you have more than one kid to buy curriculum for. It gets even trickier when you have a child in 1st grade and a child in 5th grade because you can’t easily use the same curriculum. This is why I love shopping for used homeschool curriculum. Like most homeschool parents, you probably only use your curriculum once or twice before you no longer need it. Instead of throwing out the curriculum parents like yourself sell it for a much more reasonable price than you will find for the new curriculum. My Top Places to Buy Used Homeschool Curriculum Here are just a few of the places where you can buy used homeschool curriculum: HomeschoolClassifieds.com At Homeschool Classifieds, you … [Read more...]
Rustic Wedding Ideas on a Budget
Getting married is one of the best memories of your life. Maybe part of the memories you want to make on your wedding day is a rustic theme. There is something amazing about having a rustic wedding. The only downside? If you’re not careful, it can be rather pricey. Check out these tips for a rustic wedding on a budget. Rustic Wedding Ideas on a Budget Get Creative with the Venue Where you will probably save the most money is picking an excellent venue. Venues can get super expensive. In my opinion, if you plan on having a rustic wedding, choose the outdoors. While it may be kind of risky, you can also find a more affordable location when you’re looking outdoors. When getting married, there are no rules saying you HAVE to get married in a church or another particular … [Read more...]
Homeschooling on a Budget – How to Homeschool for Less Than $100 a Year
Homeschooling. It is one of those decisions that will change your life (for the better). I have read time and time again that people are afraid to homeschool due to the cost. Many of us are homeschooling on a budget. Assuming you have the basics, like a printer and basic school supplies, it is possible to homeschool for less than $100 a year. I have even seen people homeschool their kids for free (not including printer paper and ink.) I bet at this point you are wondering how to homeschool for less than $100 a year, let me show you! Homeschooling on a Budget - How to Homeschool for Less Than $100 a Year Using Paper and Ink when Homeschooling on a Budget I find the biggest things we need is printer paper and printer ink. Since we use this is our business, it is a business expense … [Read more...]
Preparing for Baby – Financially
Having kids is expensive! Let’s face it; there really isn’t a full proof way of preparing financially for all the things kids are going to throw your way, but you can start preparing for the income difference before you have children. Here are a few ways of preparing for baby, financially. Get your Debt Paid Off If you have credit card debt, car loans, or student loans to pay, you will want to get your debt paid off before you have kids. You may always have some form of debt, and you may not be able to pay down all your student loans, but it is important to have as little debt as possible when preparing financially for kids. How to start eliminating debt is one of the questions I get asked most. I highly recommend the snowball method that Dave Ramsey teaches. Emergency Fund After … [Read more...]
Preparing Financially for Military Deployment
Deployment is a very scary word. It means, for an unknown period of time, you or your spouse will be separated from the family. Once you get past the shock of deployment, it’s important to prepare financially for a military deployment. Preparing Financially for Military Deployment Get on the same page Running the family finances is tough! Before your spouse leaves for deployment, make sure you get on the same page as your spouse. Sit down and have budget meetings before deployment. It’s important for both spouses to know where they are financially before the deployment begins. This is a good time to talk about whether the spouse not deployed will work and how each bill will be taken care of. The more detail you can hash out now, the fewer issues you will have later. Our first … [Read more...]