by Jamie Jeffers | Sep 6, 2016 | Household Tips (Chores and more)
Well, school is back in session.
The other day, I noticed that a heavy wind had left my lawn speckled with leaves (even though it’s only August!).
And I know for a fact that I have friends who have started their pumpkin spice latte habit (and their Halloween decorations are sitting in a tub in the corner of the dining room waiting for midnight to strike on September 1st).
Even a summer lover like me has to face it. Fall will be here before we know it!
So today, let’s talk about some budget friendly ways to get your home ready for fall.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Sep 5, 2016 | Goals

Can you believe it’s already September? You blink, and just like that school is back in session.
I feel pretty good about the way we spent our summer. I’m so glad that I set out intentional goals, because without them I’m not sure what we would have accomplished in those hot months.
Let’s check in on our S.M.A.R.T. goal progress.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Sep 2, 2016 | Ways We Saved This Week
This has not been our most money saving week ever. Going back to school is always expensive, and as the kids get older it only becomes more costly.
But I guess we’ll keep them anyway.
I also took care of some home maintenance things this week. It was good to get those things done, but it made the budget feel extra squished.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 31, 2016 | Parenting Tips, Saving Money
These steps help you learn how to afford being a stay at home mom…and if that’s really what you want the most!
I proudly watched as my Hubby crossed the stage wearing his cap and gown.
It was tough work to put him through college while we both worked full-time jobs and raised our son, but it paid off!
A week after the celebration, I gave birth to our second boy. As I held him, one thought ran through my head over and over.
I have to figure out how to afford to be a stay at home mom!
But we just weren’t in a position to make it happen yet. I had to be content with a long summer off from my teaching job with my boys instead.
By the time I was pregnant with our third child, we knew it was time to get serious about making my dream a reality.
I wasn’t good at juggling work and home life. And that paycheck I was earning was barely covering the costs of my work.
I was due in June, so we had an entire school year to make our preparations.
Today, I’m going to share with you how we made the leap.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 29, 2016 | Meal Plans

Happy Meal Planning Monday! I totally fell off of the meal planning wagon for a month or so. It happens every so often. But it never takes very long before I miss my menu plan and get back to making one.
Not because I love planning. (I don’t!) But because I hate choosing what meal I’m going to throw together every single day.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 26, 2016 | Ways We Saved This Week

It’s already another Frugal Friday again! This is the 46th edition of the 5 Ways We’ve Saved Money This Week series. That means that there’s a long list of ways to save on this site. You can read through the entire series here if you are looking for extra money saving tips.
I’ll confess that I’m not a morning person. So getting back into the habit of getting up for school is hard. Being tired is a spending trigger for me. The temptation to grab a pricey pop (Coke, soda…what do you call it?) on the go is strong. But I’ve been avoiding it! That makes me feel like Superwoman.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 24, 2016 | Grocery Tips, Recipe
Learning how to freeze sweet corn is simple when you use this method! Forget about boiling water and peeling tons of silks. This year, take the easy way.
There are lots of reasons to learn how to freeze corn.
Maybe you were blessed with a windfall like us. Or you grew your own great crop. Or maybe you even happened upon an amazing deal at a farm stand or supermarket.
Don’t let it go to waste!
Freezing corn is simple and requires little equipment. Today I’m going to teach you my little “cheater” tricks to freezing corn the easy way.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 23, 2016 | Uncategorized
This sponsored post is brought to you by Groupon Goods. All opinions are my own.
A great way to save money is to look for deals throughout the year on gift items. One site you won’t want to miss is Groupon. They always have super savings. But today, I want to introduce you to another part of Groupon: Groupon Goods.
Who doesn’t want to get ahead on some Christmas or birthday shopping?
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by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 22, 2016 | Income
Medium Sized Family has turned one! I’m so excited about reaching this milestone. I actually published the blog in July 2015, but I didn’t tell a soul about it until August 6, 2015. So I consider that to be the blog’s “birthday”.
I’ve come a long, long way since those first posts. When I look back at some of my first work, I’m a bit embarrassed at how little I knew. But more than that, I’m proud of how far I’ve come! I’ve learned a ton about things I didn’t even know existed a year ago.
I’ve made new friends and met some fabulous readers. I’ve learned about some of your struggles, and I’ve learned how to better handle my own.
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by Jamie Jeffers | Aug 19, 2016 | Ways We Saved This Week

Happy Frugal Friday! I like to spend Fridays tracking some of the ways we’ve saved money over the past week. Writing this series has held me accountable, and I consider it one of the important methods we’ve used to pay down debt in our #yearofno. If you like, you can read through the entire series.
School is back in session for us this week. I’m not sure if that helps me save money, since the kids are always need money for something school related. But at least we have a routine again.
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