by Jamie Jeffers | Jun 25, 2019 | Debt, Saving Money
A sinking fund is the only thing standing between you and freedom from paycheck to paycheck living. Here’s how to get started.
Watching the balance on our biggest credit card shrink over the past year has been…how should I put this?
Ah-maz-ing!
Our main goal in our #yearofno has been to knock out debt every chance we get.
Read all how we’re getting out of debt here (yes, even while raising 5 kids on one income!).
But there is one thing that I wish we had done differently.
Something that could have made a bigger difference in our debt payments.
It’s called a sinking fund. It’s a genius (but uncomplicated) idea that prepares you for those nagging expenses that add to debt.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jun 21, 2019 | Ways We Saved This Week
Ugh, setbacks.
This week we found out that we can’t install the cistern for rainwater that we were hoping for. So we’ll be looking for a different solution to bring water to our old home.
We still want to save money for whatever solution we come up with, so the big summer savings goal will definitely continue!
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jun 14, 2019 | Ways We Saved This Week
Well, we’re one week into our big savings challenge for this summer!
I hope you’ve decided to set a goal for yourself, too. We’ll do check ins each Friday to see how things are going and share ideas with each other.
And if you aren’t in a season of life that gives you enough breathing room for a challenge right now, no problem. Just check out what we’re doing so you can try it when life calms down a little!
(Believe me, I totally get it. That’s been our life all year… until school let out!)
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jun 12, 2019 | Household Tips (Chores and more), Parenting & Household Tips
Ugh…laundry! Luckily, using these laundry hacks makes the job simple… so you can get on to more fun things. (Anything else.)
The only time keeping up with the laundry isn’t awful is when someone forgets cash in their pocket.
Most Moms I know consider this their pay for washing clothes. 😉
Otherwise, laundry is one of the most dreaded chores a Mom has.
As a friend of mine likes to say, “You’re never done with the laundry unless you wash clothes while you’re naked.” Kinda sounds like an accident waiting to happen, so I haven’t attempted it myself. (Yet.)
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jun 7, 2019 | Saving Money
A few years ago now, my husband and I had one of those “a-ha” moments that lead to us paying off a boat load of debt…while we raised 5 kids on one income.
It was tough, but our #yearofno was so worth it! (Even when it stretched to over two long years full of “no”s.
But no sooner had we paid off the last debt than we learned that I was expected baby #6!
And then we found out that our little 5 year old had a rare condition that would mean spine surgery.
Our family had already been going through a lot of changes, and these things added to the stress. (We love babies, but boy am I bad at being pregnant!)
Well, after a year of chaos, it’s time for our family to adopt another big goal. This time, we’re aiming to save money in an account to cover the cost of water.
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by Jamie Jeffers | May 31, 2019 | Ways We Saved This Week
School’s out for summer in our home and I couldn’t be more relieved!
When our day doesn’t revolve around 4 to 8 trips to run everyone where they need to be each day, it gives me much more time to plan ahead.
(Yikes. No wonder I can never get anything done!)
We’re enjoying the slower pace, and have already enjoyed a simple trip to the park and the library. Even if we treat ourselves to 50 cent Frostys all summer (or however long they last!), that makes for a super cheap fun afternoon for our large family.
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by Jamie Jeffers | May 29, 2019 | Grocery Tips, Saving Money
You might need frugal grocery shopping tips, but that doesn’t mean you have a ton of time to dedicate to saving money. Here’s how to juggle it all!
Sometimes life catches you by surprise.
Maybe a big change comes along that you weren’t expecting.
Or you wake up in a cold sweat and realize that something has to give. You can’t keep living paycheck to paycheck.
Most of the things you spend money on regularly are hard to change quickly. But there’s one area that you have more control over.
Groceries!
So you begin to look for frugal grocery shopping tips. Soon you find yourself face to face with ideas that seem…
…completely overwhelming.
Why does this have to be so hard?!
Well, the good news is that it doesn’t have to be!
I know, because I do all the grocery shopping for our family of 8. It’s a challenge, for sure!
Raising a lot of kids doesn’t leave much extra time…and being frugal often demands using time instead of money.
But there is a way to balance saving money and saving time for busy families like ours. Read on to get all the frugal tips!
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by Jamie Jeffers | May 24, 2019 | Ways We Saved This Week
Well.
It’s been a while since I shared a new 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week!
Actually, that’s not entirely true. I’ve been sharing the occasional 5 Ways with my email subscribers.
(You can become a subscriber here. I’ll even send you a copy of 7 Surprising Ways to Add More to Your Savings This Week!)
But today my kids start their summer break. And I thought I’d use this change in routine as a chance to get back to one of my favorite things…interacting with my favorite frugal folks!
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by Jamie Jeffers | May 9, 2019 | Large Family Life
These must have tips for large families can be put in place in no time flat! Use them today and have a simpler week!
A college professor once gave our class ideas for becoming good music teachers. Her advice? We should always have a “bag of tricks”. And we should never stop adding to it.
She suggested we watch others and steal their best ideas to use with our own students.
Life as a large family mom is just the same! We Moms should have a “bag” of large family tips to keep on hand.
These tips for large families are tried and true ideas that we use in our own large family home. Use them! Share them with your mom friends!
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by Jamie Jeffers | May 2, 2019 | Happiness & Giving, Holidays
Finding the best cheap Mother’s Day gift ideas isn’t as hard as it seems. She is sure to love these gift ideas (and so will your wallet!).
Of course you love your Mama. And who doesn’t want to show her how special she is?
Really, you want her to know how much you love her all year long. But even more so on Mother’s Day.
Hardly anyone can afford to give their mother the kind of gift she really deserves. After all the work she’s done for you (she’s your number one fan, after all!), you’d love to give her a trip to an island filled with pampering for, like, a year.
Sadly, your wallet doesn’t agree with you.
But don’t worry!
You can still get her something special. In fact, I’ve got a whole list of the best cheap Mother’s Day gift ideas around. She’s going to love these ideas!
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I'm Jamie, and I believe that you can build your savings, even when life is frustrating. 
