by Jamie Jeffers | Oct 12, 2016 | Debt
Paying bills online is great, because it’s simple and saves the cost of a stamp and an envelope.
But sometimes you want that special satisfaction of writing a check for the last payment on a loan. You can write something snappy in the memo box, like “So long, suckers!”
Trouble is, these days that satisfying final payment is far off and fleeting for most of us car owners.
We sign on to loans that last so long they might as well have a seat at the dinner table.
If you’re getting a loan for a car, you want to make sure you don’t sign your life away. It’s not as popular these days, but there is still a way to get it done. Let’s look at the problem and some solutions.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Oct 9, 2016 | Meal Plans
Looking for a meal plan that covers all three meals PLUS snacks? This complete plan for the first 2 weeks of October is totally free. Why work so hard??
My kids do this thing where they wait until I’m distracted…
Then they put a snack package in my hand, knowing I’ll automatically unwrap it and hand it back to them.
Basically giving them permission to snack all the time.
But I’m not one of those moms that lets her kids snack all the time. (Hence the need for deception.)
Hey, I give them an A for effort and creative use of their resources!
But most of the time I snap out of it and withdraw my passive permission before they’ve scarfed down their candy (or whatever they’re after).
I try to keep snacking down to a minimum. It’s too expensive to feed this crew whenever they’re “hungry”.
But more importantly, I want them to recognize the difference between real hunger and boredom (or whatever emotion they’re trying to eat).
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by Jamie Jeffers | Oct 7, 2016 | Ways We Saved This Week
We hit the 50th edition of the 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week series a few weeks ago. And that was exciting! Many people celebrate the milestones that hit at each 25 mark.
But, as usual, I celebrate a little differently. Since I first started this series, my goal was to make it to one full year’s worth of these money saving posts. So number 52 has been in my mind for a while.
It’s awesome to have reached this week’s post! It feels like I’ve proven something…to myself if no one else. 😉
That’s why I want to make this week’s post special. I’m not going to change the title, but rather than celebrating 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week, I’m going to talk about the 5 decisions that have saved us the most money over time.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Oct 5, 2016 | Saving Money
You need ideas for affordable wedding gifts, but you’d still like to get them something they want. Why not have both?! Here’s how you can swing it.
You grab the mail and flip through the pile. Bill. Junk mail. Bill. You’ve won $1,000,000 (again…darn those stipulations, though), and what’s this? A wedding invitation.
At first, it’s kind of exciting. Who’s getting married? Oh, I haven’t seen so-and-so in forever!
But by the time you rip open the envelope, you’re already starting to calculate how much this wedding is going to cost you. How are you going to fit this into the budget?
We’re all trying to save money, and finding affordable wedding gifts feels impossible. But you want to get the happy couple something you know they’ll love.
But you really can do both! There’s a way you can buy from their registry without costing yourself an arm and a leg. We’re not talking about a list of things you can buy from the dollar store.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Oct 3, 2016 | Goals
Happy October! I’m personally not a fan of the cooler weather, but there are plenty of things to love about this month. Campfires, pumpkins, and fall festivals top my list.
September was a doozy for us. I was disappointed that we weren’t able to make bigger strides towards our main #yearofno debt payoff goal. On the other hand, we managed to not add to our consumer debt. That’s a strong check in the positives column!
Let’s do a check in on our S.M.A.R.T. goals for 2016.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Sep 30, 2016 | Ways We Saved This Week
Fried. My brain is fried. It’s been a long week here! This Mama is fully embracing the TGIF attitude today.
I try to stay ahead of the schedule of my blog, but I’m not too proud to admit that I’m sitting here on a Thursday night contemplating skipping this week’s episode of the 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week. But I’m powering through!
Grab a cup of coffee and let’s talk about some frugal ways to save money. Go here to read older editions of this series.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Sep 28, 2016 | Holidays
These cheap Halloween decorations are so easy! But don’t worry…no one will ever know how much you saved on these amazing DIY finds!
If you want some fun Halloween decorations, but don’t have the money to splurge, no problem.
These ideas are cheap and easy, so they won’t cost you much time or money.
Now that makes it a lot less spooky, doesn’t it?
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by Jamie Jeffers | Sep 26, 2016 | Parenting Tips
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Parents can’t always agree on the proper ways to raise a child, but there is one thing we can all come to nearly 100% agreement on…time flies when you’re raising kids.
One day you’re holding your brand new baby. The next day, they’re off to school.
Kids grow up fast, and it can be hard on our hearts!
But you know what? It’s all ok! And here’s why.
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I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
