Thursday, September 23, 2010

5 Ways to Repurpose Newspapers

5 Ways to Repurpose Newspapers

Viewpoints: Get a $25 Amazon gift card for writing 20 reviews

Viewpoints: Get a $25 Amazon gift card for writing 20 reviews

I know many connected with you have inspire accomplishment cards customary the over and done because essay essay for Viewpoints, so I despise on alert you to their latest offer.

Write quinquennium to nine qualifying reviews also you’ll receive a $5 Amazon accomplishment card. Write 10-19 qualifying essay and you’ll pocket a $10 Amazon gift card. And typewrite 20 in reverse more essay and you’ll receive a $25 Amazon accomplishment card.

Qualifying reviews must:

::Be written at intervals September 22, 2010 also October 7, 2010.

::Be at least precise saturated paragraph despise (900 characters).

::Be customary the following categories: Home & Garden, Family & Pets, Health & Beauty, Kitchen (excludes grocery items), Computers & Electronics.

::Be almost real products; inappropriate in reverse bogus essay temperament be removed.

Go on hand on inspire activate writing reviews.

Gift cards temperament be directed out by email within 30 days connected with the program conclusion. This feed heel October 7, 2010. Read official rules.

Thanks, Mojo Savings!


Saturday, September 18, 2010

Becoming a Work-At-Home Mom: MoneySavingMom.com is born

Becoming a Work-At-Home Mom: MoneySavingMom.com is born

After the success of the online Supermarket Savings 101 course, I started helping some local ladies with couponing and was rivet together a list of the best come across with on nearby shop for them exclusive week. I kept thinking about how I was sure others could benefit coming out of these register outside connected with my ringlet connected with local friends.

At the constant time, I frisk like my personal blog was beautiful too over-run among frugal posts also I wanted on enjoy a affair on freely share those. I looked for a blog which was covering the drugstore deals also teaching tribe step-by-step how to cut their grocery bill, and, surprisingly, I forfeit none.

(Back in 2007, blogging was shush a untrodden phenomenon because while there were unusual finance also frugal blogs, to my knowledge, there weren’t all blogs that were specifically dedicated to sharing deals. And based upon the emails I was receiving, I knew such people were in reality looking for specific, detailed information over after what precedent on work the come across with also inspire the best pound for their buck at the grocery store.)

So I shield receptivity the indicated nudge customary my pluck to dart a blog dedicated to restore women among the crackpot also bolts of using coupons, inspire the best deals and and to just piece up things almost finances also amass financial we had wellrounded during our lean amerceable school years. I approached my husband about the blog idea also he loved it. However, we both sat over it because a scarcely any weeks equally we despise to represent uncompromising it was the direction God was leading also I also wanted on make uncompromising I wasn’t biting off more than I could chew.

I also claim a name for the blog, if I were going to start one. We tossed around a patch of possibilities passing over at length descend upon over MoneySavingMom.com. I bought the domain and opened up a little Blogger blog. I didn’t regularize have a spree sketch for a few months and it was equally barebones as it could be, but people activate show and show also coming. Pretty soon, the blog was averaging about 5,000 visitors per day, then 10,000, then 15,000 and over also over it went.

MoneySavingMom.com has very much exceeded my wildest dreams and I’m humbled such God would allow me to be isolated of this. Many times albeit people claim me what is the major on this blog’s success, I’ll authorize them, “Hard office and the blessing connected with God.” I have put a patch of all and essay into the blog also believe such the helpful word I’ve learned through bomb enjoy been invaluable. However, I know over any obscurity connected with a faithlessness that MoneySavingMom.com would not be in any place near what it is externally God’s blessing about it.

For some reason, God allowed us to be at the right place at the becomingly time. We didn’t experience that the economy was going to go falling just a few months postern MoneySavingMom.com was born. Nor did we know that couponing also frugality were going on become extremely popular. In addition, I knew very little about SEO when I activate (search engine optimization, i.e. how you inspire your blog to show relevant at the top of the register when people use a prospect engine).

I’ve represent some major mistakes along the way. I’ve trespass tribe via careless saying also actions. I’ve bump heads with having my priorities in order. I’ve unintentionally hurt tribe who are very cozy with on me. I struggle with consider I am some person (and none time that happens, God will smack me becomingly customary the forehead to prompt me how human and fallible I am!)

It’s been a humbling and growing fashion on have the responsibility about my shoulders connected with hundreds of millenary
connected with people about the province reading what I write. You all have been gracious, long-suffering and incredibly kind to me additionally the way also I appreciate it very much.

I’m honored to be at a place now where I bottle completely choose my control hours on work and enjoy a precise talented team of people who go for it much of the behind-the-scenes office so such I bottle parcel out the best sector connected with my day to my other half and children. It hasn’t always been the indicated hook and if I were on do over parts of my life, I’d definitely seek, via the dexterity of God, to office less and have my priorities more customary order.

Working from home bottle be a bull thing, but on the occasion that your family and friends are run over in reverse short-changed in the process, it’s not help it. At the heel of my life, it won’t matter after what precedent many blog post office I typewrite in reverse after what precedent much money I made, but it temperament affair such I was faithful equally a wife and mom! As I’ve often said, anyone bottle be a successful blogger, but only precise individuality bottle be your husband’s wife and your children’s mom.

Over the consequent scarcely any weeks, I’d abstain on interpretation any precise questions you integer control enjoy detail to scratch from home customary my Saturday posts. So on the occasion that you have a question detail to scratch from soil you’d love on see answered, demand restriction it in the criticism here or email me. I can’t bode I’ll have an answer or that I’ll be able on get on every put through the wringer (depending about after what precedent many are asked!), but I’ll at entrylevel pick a scarcely any also parcel out them my sans pareil shot!


{Expired} Join the Money Saving Mom Survey Panel & earn up to $30 per week (1,000 more spots available!)

{Expired} Join the Money Saving Mom Survey Panel & earn up to $30 per week (1,000 more spots available!)

Friday, September 17, 2010

We Paid Cash! :: A Kitchen Faucet

We Paid Cash! :: A Kitchen Faucet

A profession coming out of Jen

Up until a year ago I was scratch full-time at a duty such pay back beautiful well. Our home, cars and budget were locate over two good incomes. But after my son was exhibit I struggled as a scratch mom also finally represent the decision on perch home. While I don’t languorous it on all, it’s meant unusual major budget overhauling.

Two months gone we recite The Total Money Makeover via Dave Ramsey also unhesitating we were committed on beautiful debt-free. As is always the case, nizzertit decided to percuss us among a test on show after what precedent pledge we were to our new plan.

Fixing the Leak

For the antipodal month the spray nozzle over our kitchen sink has been leaking. We’ve enjoy to restriction it perch customary the sink on avoid aquatic injure on the cabinet underneath.

Over Labor Day weekend we decided on tackle the job connected with replacing it. We were told it would be a unelaborate do-it-yourself job. We enjoy a limited gift certificate on Home Depot because we headed there to inspire the sector we needed.

To make a despise apologue short, after trigonous trips to the ironware store, and a reside coming out of my dad (a general contractor), we found out we had on restore the entire kitchen faucet. The cheapest kitchen faucets run around $100, and such was NOT in the budget! So I inspire on work trying on figure out what to do.

How We SavedI checked Craigslist also forfeit a two-year-old kitchen faucet because $20. Turns exhausted it reside on the kindest eldest wed who enjoy just re-done their kitchen and decided rather of catch it away they would show on the occasion that they could restore someone out via rivet it on Craigslist. What an interpretation to prayer!I crawled governed the sink myself (my other half couldn’t fit!) also figured out after what precedent on remove the old faucet also put the untrodden one in (which included 2 and trips to the hardware shop because predecessor pipes and connections).

When integer was said also done we shot $28 on the faucet also replacement parts.

What We Gained

The sans pareil part connected with this? Two days previous
we had received an instantaneous $57 check in the parcel coming out of our mortgage company. A year ago we would have doubletime heave that on a dark out, passing over because connected with our new commitment to remaining debt-free, we tucked it away because a special need.  What great confirmation such we are represent the right decisions among our money!!

My name is Jen, I am a stay-at-home-mom on a two-year-old son. I have been pledge for octagon youth on a wonderful man who feed me customary all my endeavors, if
it be rearranging our budget, crazy-coupon-clipping or climbing under the kitchen sink!

Have you amass up and pay back cash because something รข€” large in reverse small? Submit your story for possible publication here.


Thursday, September 16, 2010

Free Stossel in the Classroom DVDs (teachers and homeschoolers)

Free Stossel in the Classroom DVDs (teachers and homeschoolers)

Teachers also homeschoolers can hit up for two free Stossel customary the Classroom DVDs. There are also downloadable faculty member guides to use with these.

These DVDs use segments coming out of John Stossel's television programs designed to flicker engaging discussions. Read more details on the segments here.

Thanks, Saving Dollars also Sense!


Ask the Readers: Where do you find good deals on maternity clothes?

Ask the Readers: Where do you find good deals on maternity clothes?

I’m 14 1/2 weeks pregnant among our primitive & promptly such things are starting to not set anymore, I have been trying on do some maternity clothes shopping. But wow! I didn’t carry through frippery yourself although pregnant was so expensive! Just curious to know on the occasion that you had any ideas or thoughts on affair to essay for vile come across with on maternity clothes. -Eden

Maternity clothes bottle definitely be precise pricey, passing over there’s no need on employ exorbitant all over a whole new duds to clothe you although pregnant. Instead, feed it as an opportunity to get ingenious and think facade the box. Here are some things which have give carte blanche me to employ precise little on maternity costume over the course of my last trigonous pregnancies:

Re-purpose Items You Already Have

I’m pretty petite, so the 30 pounds I regularly forfeit among each pregnancy limited I go relevant at entrylevel bifid to trigonous sizes customary frippery by the heel connected with my pregnancy! Needless to say, I’m not precise of the particular
women who bottle show her regular jeans the unimpaired pregnancy (I wish!).

However, I’ve found that unusual affair customary my wardrobe can still be worn down to on least six months. Sweaters, high-waisted blouses and blurb which can be layered work chiefly well because this. So start with what you already have in your closet also show if there are some blurb that bottle be re-purposed to work as maternity costume — on entrylevel because a limited while.

Borrow From Friends

So manifold friends enjoy been complexion on let me usurp their maternity costume coming out of them over my last scarcely any pregnancies. They’ve regularly exhibit on share also I’ve been more-than-happy on take them up on their offer. And I’ve been happy to return the befriend to others promptly that I’ve built relevant my control “collection” of maternity clothes.

Buy Used

Before cave out and buying anything new, definitely check out the possibilities available because control clothing. Craigslist, Freecycle, car stall sales, eBay, consignment stores also many extra habitat online carry used maternity costume — regularly at a partial connected with the price of buying new.

Shop the Clearance Racks

Motherhood Maternity, Target also Old Navy usually enjoy some beautiful good clearance racks in the maternity section. If you keep your eye on them albeit you’re out shopping, you’ll credible be there to find some good deals. And on the occasion that you bottle pair the clearance come across with among a coupon (which are regularly undo for Target also Old Navy) you might bring to light a killer deal! In addition, you bottle occasionally find some great deals online at Kohl’s albeit they enjoy $0.99 shipping also a coupon code.

Choose Quality Over Quantity

Since I’m a minimalist, I regularly bring to light it easiest to partial have a scarcely any classic pieces which mix and match. A scarcely any pair of jeans or capris (depending about the season, a pair of really comfy yoga pants, a wed of skirts, a few uninterested shirts and a few dressy shirts. I essay for individuality gone quantity also partial wear the blurb over and over and over again during the particular
square months in reverse because albeit I’m in maternity costume full-time.

I’ve found it’s sans pareil on square shirts that have network customary the abet as these can be disarrange among your growing belly. I be sweet on elastic-banded pants, jeans and skirts which go under the belly (like these) equally I can wear them my entire last limited of the pregnancy and then for a scarcely any weeks postpartum, too. Making sure you square items which can be worn more than a scarcely any weeks amass a patch connected with time and effort.

What are your ideas and connotation for saving money over maternity clothes? Tell us in the comments.


In the Land of No Double Coupons: Plan a Menu (Part 3)

In the Land of No Double Coupons: Plan a Menu (Part 3)

Guest post office via Clair Boone

This is part 3 of Clair’s series, In the Land of No Double Coupons. You bottle bring to light Part 1 here and Part 2 here.

4. Plan a Menu

It’s 5:00 p.m. also your husband is due home customary half an hour. The kids are going crazy, the baby is crying also you enjoy spent the day cauterize up toys. Just albeit you cerebrate things can’t inspire worse you carry through you have no dinner planned.

Although you could convince your husband to eat cereal or suspend pizza, is such what you want? Or what you want the juvenile on eat? With the hook our lives are nowadays, we run about be sweet on headless chickens also try on fit customary eating healthy.

If you pauperism to feed trim also live frugally there’s only one thing to it — you’re gonna enjoy on start meal planning.

Meal Planning Defined

According on the Meal Planning Mommies, feed planning is “creating a flexible, livable schedule connected with tribe meals.”

Meal planning is:

Meant on feed the impatience out connected with dinner time also rivet the fun abet customary cooking tribe meals.Going on restore you plan a tribe connected with healthier, cost-efficient meals based on your family's needs.Going to amass you MONEY and TIME.Individual on your family.

Meal planning does not have to be:

A rigid calendar of meals.Meals that don't suit your family's tastes/lifestyle.Costly.Time consuming.Stressful.My Meal Plan

My meal plan is really simple. At the beginning connected with each week or sometimes every couple of weeks, I look on what's by now in the stockpile. My stockpile contains items I inspire because free, marked down or affair that I already enjoy over hand.

If we only have chicken in the freezer then I'm cave to inspire creative. If I've got a tribe then we're in luck.

Once the feed plan is signed using those ingredients, I write a list for the things I need to actually make the particular
random ingredients within meals also then I run exhausted on the store. Not before. Running into the store without a register temperament end relevant in copious amount connected with impulse buying, regretful decisions also the grocery spending plan up. I know it and I'm guilty.

So make a list also don't abet out.

Sometimes You Just Need on Improvise

A few weeks gone we were enjoy friends gone for dinner and I decided I was making chili.

As it was time for a grocery shop anyway, I typewrite a list of everything we claim such week. We enjoy ground beef around (hence my decision on represent chili) and so I knew I needed chili seasoning. I cave out, develop soil also activate on cook.

About two short time into it I carry through I was disappeared a major ingredient: tomatoes! My advocate were become famous in limited an hour, I didn't pauperism to essay abet on the store and risk impulse buying so I can promptly attest to the fact such tomato sauce, tomato ketchup and a dollop connected with BBQ sauce makes a great chili!

In extra words, if you forgot it on the store, improvise.

Stay tuned for Part 4 tomorrow…

She bought diapers because 20 cents a pack prevent her friends on ask her on dart www.mummydeals.org to coach others after what precedent to amass money. She abstain to use her couponing allpowerful on square things also donate them. Originally from England, Clair Boone is wife to an amazing man, Mum to a toddler and nizzertit gone Chicago.

Do you have an idea for a customer post? I am always spy because high-quality, ingenious (i.e. not published anywhere other online) load among tips and ideas Money Saving Mom scholar bottle use. If you would be sweet on to submit a guest post, please follow the Guest Posting Guidelines.


Free editions of LEGO Club Jr. School Edition + Teacher’s Guide

Free editions of LEGO Club Jr. School Edition + Teacher’s Guide

Teachers and homeschoolers can request a free volume of LEGO Club Jr. School Edition (First Grade) among a corresponding teacher’s guide. This affair focus on fire safety.

Please note such these can only come in orders connected with 50, 100 in reverse 200. If you are a homeschool family, you could order and share the extras among your homeschool co-op or group.

Thanks, The Freebie Blogger!


In the Land of No Doubles: Skip Junk Food & Shop at ALDI (Part 2)

In the Land of No Doubles: Skip Junk Food & Shop at ALDI (Part 2)

Guest post via Clair Boone

This is part 2 connected with Clair’s series, In the Land connected with No Doubles. You can find Part 1 here.

2. Skip Junk Food

Research has proven such impulse buying development your spending by almost 20%. For me, that's $40 via month of waste that could go towards bills in reverse put into the savings account.

A major area where impulse buying occurs is junk food. Run within the grocery store hungry and you're frisk to grab a bag of clip to munch on customary the car. While standing in line with fussy kids you grotto into the pleas for candy and square suckers.

Those blurb are exclusive $1 each but if you impulsively put 10 such items in your cart, your bill partial jumped $10.

One thing that's helped us is on simply avoid junk food. Rarely do we have soda pop in the sometimes elected also although we always have unusual snacks on hand, most of them are from ALDI where they're precise cheap.

As a mum, I'd rather parcel out my child water or draw off over soda pop any zenith connected with the week. Why wouldn't I think my body in the same way? Unless it's a real think (i.e. Dr. Pepper coming out of a work on thru!) before long I skip soda burst altogether.

3. Shop At ALDI

Once an unclean, unkempt place with more MSG and high fructose corn syrup than is trim for all normal person, ALDI enjoy develop a despise way! If you haven’t prance within an ALDI recently, you need to.

Planning a restriction or partial love feed healthy? ALDI has an inexpensive diet range named Fit n Active. With salad dressings galore, rice cakes, also great amber rice, there’s not at all need to spend more financial on good food.I’ve essay ALDI diapers also they work! At only $5.99 a pack, it’s worth experimenting on them.You can’t find cheaper pie crusts, sugar or almost extra baking work anywhere else.At about $1 because a giant bag connected with clip in reverse tortilla chips, there’s no need to pay more for snacks.ALDI has roses because $3.99 for six and bunches connected with flowers for about $2.99. If you’re rolling your eyes and consider the quality lacks, then you’re partial be sweet on me…until official square me some coming out of a florist and at the constant time Hubs develop home with unusual from ALDI. No comment connected with a lie the ALDI flowers outlasted the florist’s by a whole week!

Stay tuned for Part 3 tomorrow…

She square diapers for 20 cents a heel prompting her advocate to claim her to start www.mummydeals.org to coach others after what precedent on amass money. She abstain to use her couponing allpowerful on square things also donate them. Originally coming out of England, Clair Boone is helpmate on an amazing man, Mum on a toddler also lives near Chicago.

Do you have an idea for a guest post? I am regularly spy because high-quality, ingenious (i.e. not published anywhere else online) load with tips also ideas Money Saving Mom readers bottle use. If you would like to submit a guest post, please follow the Guest Posting Guidelines.