by Jamie Jeffers | Jan 17, 2017 | Saving Money, Secure Your Savings
Knowing how to stop impulse buying before you hit the store can give you the motivation to save tons of money. Beat the stores at their own game.
As I pulled my heavy cart of groceries into the check out lane, I glanced over at the candy rack. There I see a box of my beloved Heath bars.
After spending an hour or two deciding whether to buy or not buy each package based on a few dimes difference, I’m tired of making decisions.
That candy bar is calling my name, and it’s just a dollar. Should I buy it? Or not?
Does it really make that big a difference?
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jan 16, 2017 | Income, Secure Your Savings
When you’re looking for a way to make money, the best advice I have is to fix a problem for someone. And babysitting is a problem nearly every parent is looking to fill. Whether it’s for help while they work or for the occasional date night, good babysitting is always in demand.
I’m not going to tell you to open up a daycare in your home. (Though many stay at home moms that earn money tend to earn it this way.)
Without committing to a full time job, you can earn some extra cash being a part time or occasional babysitter. So let’s talk about some babysitting ideas you can use to earn a side income and cushion your account.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jan 15, 2017 | Income, Secure Your Savings
These are the easiest ways you can make money as a stay at home mom. Earn money while you put away dishes, fold laundry, or wait in the carpool line. (Really!)
I don’t know the science behind it, but one thing I do know is that checking in on Facebook turns a quick two minutes into twenty.
It’s a time suck for sure, but doggonit I love checking in with my people.
But…
For about the same amount of effort and time I spend scrolling Facebook (and trying to decide what level of insulted I feel by everything I see there) I could make some money.
Which is pretty cool.
Hey, I love being a stay at home mom, and I wouldn’t change it. But we SAHMs are pretty crafty about finding ways to save money…and to make a little extra.
So add these ideas to your bag of tricks.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jan 14, 2017 | Secure Your Savings
Ma Bell held tight control over the phone system in America for decades. It wasn’t until the 80s that the monopoly was broken up and competition allowed to begin.
The 90s gave birth to the Telecommunications Act, which opened up long distance calls to greater competition. It also gave us such hits as 10 10 220 and Carrot Top commercials.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jan 13, 2017 | Saving Money, Secure Your Savings
Tax refund anticipation loans are a sign of how terrible we are at delaying gratification. It’s possible that people experience a sudden emergency and need this once in their lives. But more often, it creates an endless cycle of debt and is a symptom of always being behind on bills.
That’s exactly why I’ve pulled this challenge together. I want you to prepare for life! Pull together an emergency fund. Build up a sinking fund. Then dig out of debt and create a real life! I don’t want to see anyone dependent on tax refund loan sharks that charge 36% interest after tacking on a $49.90 fee (source).
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jan 12, 2017 | Secure Your Savings
Find out how to sell stuff locally online. You’ll get the most money for your stuff if you follow these tips. Best of all, forget about paying a middle man!
I called my Dad, too excited to wait. Hubby was out of town, but I’d finally found the perfect cabinet. The one I’d been searching for for months. I knew that if I didn’t go to get it right away, it would be gone, and I needed some help getting it loaded.
That’s the joy of shopping locally. Sure, I could have gone to Walmart and spent the same amount of money on a cabinet. But it wouldn’t have been made nearly as well. And it wouldn’t have been exactly what I wanted.
Maybe you have an older piece of furniture in your home. You’re tired of looking at it or it takes up more space than you’d like. Somewhere out there is someone wishing they had that piece of furniture.
Here’s how to meet that someone.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jan 11, 2017 | Income, Secure Your Savings
My eyes were closed and my toes buried in the sand as I enjoyed the salty air breezing across my face.
Everyone loves a good vacation. But there’s something extra sweet in knowing that you get to relax because you worked hard for it.
Stay at home moms might not earn much (if any) money. But most of us are queens at finding scrappy ways to bring in some extra cash where we can.
For me, that meant learning how to sell on Ebay. And cha-ching…that money paid for our vacation!
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jan 10, 2017 | Saving Money, Secure Your Savings
In relief, I was finally able to sneak into the bathroom. The baby was asleep, and my older boys (who were 2 and 3) were playing in their room. But as I left the bathroom and turned the corner, my relief quickly turned into worry. The sound my 2 year old was making didn’t sound natural. Before I even entered their bedroom, I knew he was very hurt.
It turns out he had a broken arm. The kind you know at a quick glance is unmistakably broken. Plans were made, and we headed for the hospital. He slept while I worried and tried not to be sick.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jan 9, 2017 | Secure Your Savings
Need to know how to save money on utilities? These tips will save you money month after month. Bank the difference & watch your savings grow!
There are two types of people in this world.
There’s the one who goes around the house turning off lights behind everyone else. And then there’s the one who doesn’t know that the switch also goes back down.
Chances are that you spent most of your childhood as the second one, but quickly changed to the first person after receiving your first electric bill.
Yikes.
Luckily, there are ways to lower that bill. And all of those other pesky bills that show up month after month, too.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Jan 8, 2017 | Secure Your Savings
Fast food is certainly convenient…but it doesn’t do much for your wallet (or your waistline!). Here’s how to break the habit when you’re tired of fast food.
Our family dubbed 2016 our #yearofno. This was our inspiration that encouraged us in our debt payoff journey. You can learn more about that here.
One of the biggest changes we made in 2016 was breaking our fast food habit.
We have five kids, so we’re always on the go. That lead to a lot of food to go in the form of fast food runs, pizza deliveries, and even constant drinks at the gas station.
With a family of 7, you can see how that dug our debt hole even deeper.
Getting that spending under control was a must. And I’m proud to say that we cut our fast food and pizza budgets down to a tiny fraction of what it had been. (Hey, no one’s perfect.)
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I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
