by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 31, 2020 | Holidays
Whether it’s by choice or not, a stay at home Christmas can be so much fun (and so memorable!). Don’t miss these ingenius traditions this year.
This post was originally written for 2020, when many people were preparing for a stay at home Christmas.
That said, these ideas also work GREAT in a bad economy.
So even if you can’t afford to do all of your favorite Christmas time traditions this year, you can still TOTALLY do some very fun memory making things with the family.
All of these ideas are cheap or free, and most of them can be done from the comforts of your home.
Enjoy these great Christmas time traditions, without all of the expense.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 28, 2020 | Ways We Saved This Week
Well hello again!
I’m sorry to say that I haven’t blogged so inconsistently in the entire time I’ve written at Medium Sized Family as I have in 2020.
This year has stretched me in so many new ways. Some days I feel like I’m rocking the Little House On the Prairie life. Other days, I can’t even get a load of dishes clean (let alone anything else).
I have a feeling I’m not alone. 😉
This week, school started back for our kids. We’ve got some of them back in public school, and some of them I’ll be homeschooling. As in traditional homeschool…which is a lot of work!
But, I hope the new school year will give us a chance to get back to something resembling a routine. And maybe I can make more time for writing. (It’s my favorite part of blogging!)
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by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 9, 2020 | Holidays, Saving Money
Curious about how Walmart Christmas layaway 2020 works? Find out what makes it a great alternative to putting another holiday on plastic!
Remember the days of the blue light special? Back then everyone seemed to use layaway programs to help them afford Christmas gifts.
Over time, more people began to use credit cards instead of dealing with the hassle of layaway programs.
But layaway still exists! And it’s actually a fantastic way to avoid debt this Christmas.
Given all the scary statistics about Christmas spending and compounding debt problems (read all about that here), you should be doing everything possible to avoid pulling out the card this season.
It probably won’t surprise you to learn that the best layaway program I’ve found is at Walmart. They will set you up with a program with no extra fees.
That’s much better than what your average credit card company will do for you!
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by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 6, 2020 | Saving Money
For years we’ve had an old mason jar sitting on our kitchen counter.
I think it originally held some marbles from an attempt at a chore/behavior plan (that I can’t even remember anymore).
Then one day, I must have dumped some loose change in there.
Along the way a few random screws and some Box Tops dropped into it.
It’s kind of the “junk drawer” of jars.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jul 31, 2020 | Ways We Saved This Week
Am I the only one who has lost her desire to shop?
Don’t get me wrong…I don’t think that’s a bad thing. 😉
After all, I spent our #yearofno fighting the urge to buy anything that wasn’t essential.
And now, wearing a mask (with asthma and a touch of claustrophobia) isn’t appealing to me. It certainly makes me think hard about whether I really need that thing in the back of a big store.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jul 29, 2020 | Frugal Living
How to live on nothing: When you have no income and you aren’t sure how you’ll get by, here’s some help. Learn how to thrive when you have no money.
Boy have I got a treat for you today!
But first, some background…
There’s a special Facebook group for people who are embracing a life of frugal living.
(You don’t have to love being frugal all the time. A lot of us are living it either by choice or by necessity. And in this group, we think positively, share ideas, and most importantly… cheer each other on.)
(You can request to join here!)
If you’re lucky enough to be a part of the Frugal Living And That #Yearofno Life Group, then you definitely know Belinda.
She’s always sharing amazingly creative ideas for living on next to nothing.
What an inspiration she has been to me (and so many others!).
So…I asked if she would kindly write up a post or two for the blog.
Here’s what she came up with. (I think you’ll love it!)
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jul 17, 2020 | Ways We Saved This Week
Well back to school is looking kind of crazy, isn’t it?
Our district announced their plan last night. And so far I think we’ll be ok with it.
But I do worry that everything can change in an instant (like it did back in March!). And I’m tempted to pick up some homeschooling curriculum anyway. It seems to be selling out quickly all over the place!
On the other hand, with my younger kids I feel like we can homeschool without a whole lot of expensive textbooks. So I’m kind of caught in between.
If I had to use a metaphor for 2020, I think it would be the year stuck between a rock and a hard place.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jul 15, 2020 | Parenting & Household Tips
Want to know how to make money as a teenager? This list of money making ideas for every kind of teen is filled with ideas for you.
There comes a point in every teenager’s life when they realize that they need money for all the stuff they want and the things they want to do.
And it doesn’t take long for the mom and dad money well to run dry.
So what’s a kid to do?
Well…find a way to earn some cash!
Learning how to make money as a teenager isn’t as tough as you think.
But I’m gonna let you in on a little secret…
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I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
