Remember how often I’ve said that the trusty ol’ Coleman cooler is basically our family’s mascot?
Ours is one of those old plastic, pinch your fingers when you try to open it, models. But here’s the newer version.
Well…there’s only one way I could make that cooler even better.
And that’s to stop buying all those water bottles!
(more…)We live in southern Ohio, where we tend to get either a lot of snow, or hardly any at all. Our winters are unpredictable anymore.
This year, we’re getting lots of snow!
It makes me happy that we always prepare as though it will be one of those cold, snowy winters. It’s nice having plenty of food in the house and a backup plan in case the power goes out (which always happens at the worst time!).
(more…)For over a year now, our house has been on strike.
First it was the refrigerator that gave up the ghost. Followed closely by the dishwasher.
Then the stove and the toaster.
Slowly, we have replaced every appliance in our home in the course of 15 months.
I think the house was getting warmed up with cheaper fixes before it moved on…to things like the furnace. And the roof.
sigh
Needless to say, it’s time for another #yearofno. We hope this one is much shorter than the last one!
Need more frugal living ideas for your bag of tricks? Look no farther than this useful list!
Frugal living ideas. It’s one of those things I tend to love with all my heart.
And then life happens. And it pulls us away from some of those frugal ways for a while.
But time and time again, I bring myself back to frugal living.
Because it’s more than just a way to save more money. It’s the best way to simplify your life.
We’ve celebrated more holidays at home in the past year than ever before.
But if I’m totally honest, Valentine’s Day is a holiday we often spend at home.
Who wants to fight the crowds? Especially when we already don’t get enough date nights!
So for years, we’ve found some special ways to enjoy our Valentine’s Day together, at home.
Here are some of our favorite ways to celebrate.
(more…)This is the year to learn how to get kids off screens…and enrich their lives.
You can say a lot of things about 2020.
Most of us gained some weight.
We saved money on gas and clothes, I would imagine.
Aaaand our kids had more screen time than ever before.
I get it. That’s how kids communicate these days.
And staring at the walls of your house day in and day out gets boring even for us parents.
But as much as we’d like to believe that those calories didn’t count during quarantine, my cholesterol levels say differently.
And as much as we’d like to believe that kids can cope with tons of screen time, their behavior shows what’s really going on in those rapidly growing brains of theirs.
And it’s not good.
In normal times (what are those??) I would spend my Fridays reflecting on the ways our family had saved money that week.
2020 did not leave me a lot of time to do that!
Which is funny, because it DID give us all more time at home.
But here, that time was spent schooling 5 kids. And then when the fall came, I chose to keep 3 of them home to do traditional homeschooling.
Which has taken up a ton of time. (But so worth it!)
So in place of those 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week Fridays, I give you…
Join the 30 day money challenge designed so you’ll actually finish it! By keeping this challenge fun and building accountability, we’ll kick your 2021 off to its best start. Best of all, it’s free!
There’s something about a 30 day challenge that makes you feel like you can tackle anything.
But if you’re anything like me you get to day 4 and suddenly that motivation you had…
…seems to vanish.
Which is why I’ve created a 30 day challenge that you can actually finish.
Yes, you.
If you like freebies. And extra motivation. And prizes.
(What??)
Yep! Prizes!
Then this is the 30 Day Money Challenge for you.
These easy make ahead breakfast ideas are perfect for busy moms (who want to save money on groceries).
Some days I wonder if my teenage boys ever eat breakfast at all.
Most of the time, they are running out the door for school, doing everything at the last minute.
In fact, I’ve noticed that the only time they for sure grab some food on their way out the door is when I’ve made something they like that’s easy to grab and go.
One year we got to my parents house for St. Patrick’s Day. (What does this have to do with Christmas??? Keep reading!)
My Mom had hidden shamrocks all around the house. She asked all the grandkids how many they could find.
The kids spent a long time searching everywhere to find those shamrocks.
And once they had found them all, they were rewarded with a small prize!
To may surprise, my kids bring up that simple game as one of their favorite holiday traditions all the time.
So I thought, why not turn this into a fun Christmas activity for kids, too?
I'm Jamie, and I believe that you can build your savings, even when life is frustrating. Learn more. 
