Money Archives - Page 4 of 5

How to plan an awesome staycation on a next-to-nothing budget

March 15, 2018

My daughter’s spring break starts tomorrow! We usually go on some expensive trip, but the reality is that a big budget is not necessary to have an amazing vacation and make memories that last a lifetime. Until recently, I was actually worrying about what we should do for spring break since our budget is more limited than it used to be. We had talked about Disney World before, but that is definitely not in our budget right now. Then Key…

Spend nothing and bring home (nearly) all of the Scholastic books that your kid wants

March 14, 2018

Joni Smith

Family, Money Saving Apps

Is your kid like mine? When it’s Scholastic books time, she wants all the books! She comes home from school with the Scholastic book order forms, grabs a pen, and starts circling. The next thing I know, I am being handed order forms that look like poorly written papers graded by a strict teacher – covered in markings with upwards of 30 books that my kid wants me to buy. Now, don’t get me wrong – I absolutely love how…

Frugal finance 101: Do more with less

March 11, 2018

Joni Smith

Budgeting

Before you read this post, have you read my post on creating a budget? If so, carry on. If not, please check it out first so you get off on the right frugal foot. Frugal finance 101: You need a budget This is when things get really fun because you get to review your budget, cut out the fat, and brainstorm ways to still do things that you love for less money. I’m telling you, this is the step that…

Frugal finance 101: You need a budget

March 10, 2018

Joni Smith

Budgeting

I’ve gotta tell you, when my family reached financial freedom, it was a wonderful amazing feeling! But it didn’t happen overnight. We implemented a budget and scrimped and saved and threw as much money as we could at our bills, car payments, and house payments. And then 4 years after implementing that budget, we had no credit card debt and no loans. Even the house was paid off! And in 5 years, our net-worth had doubled. Our financial freedom was…

Frugal Finance 101 - Rules of Thumb You Need To Follow

Frugal finance 101: 4 Rules of Thumb You Need to Follow

March 7, 2018

Joni Smith

Budgeting

I don’t know about you, but I want to have a fulfilling life and spend time doing things that I love- without the money worries. I don’t want to worry about whether or not my family can pay the bills each month, and I don’t want to go into debt using credit cards to make ends meet. However, my family has a finite amount of money to work with each month to make this a reality. And that brings me…

Get easy cash back on your groceries with Ibotta

February 19, 2018

Joni Smith

Food, Money Saving Apps

How does over $200 cash back sound? My sister loves Ibotta and has gotten over $200 cash back using it. With that in mind, I finally decided that it couldn’t hurt to give it a try and see what I could save. Any extra cash helps now that I’m not bringing in a paycheck. Ibotta has a free app for your phone Setup was a cinch. Just install the app on your phone and follow the prompts to select your…

Free Cash for Pedometer Owners – Sign Up on Achievement Website

February 5, 2018

Joni Smith

Health & Fitness, Money Saving Apps

How do you like the sound of a little extra cash just for wearing your pedometer? Seriously, you can get cash just for doing things you’re already doing! I’m all for any free and automated ways to get a little extra cash, and myachievement.com is one of those deals! I’ve cashed in for $50 with this site so I can personally tell you it’s legit. Here’s how it works If you wear a Fitbit or Garmin pedometer (or even just…

Fly or Drive? Determine the Most Cost-Effective Choice

February 4, 2018

Joni Smith

Family, Finances, Life, Money Saving Apps

It’s vacation time! And you’re going out of town. But should you fly or drive to reach your destination of choice? What’s the most cost-effective option? My immediate family is spread out across the United States, so there is no dropping by on a whim, and every visit requires a planned trip. As a frugal thumb, I try to figure out the most cost-effective vacations. Should we fly or drive? What are the pros and cons of each choice? I…

Make Affordable Homemade Gluten-Free Bread

January 24, 2018

Joni Smith

Food, Health & Fitness

My daughter and I both discovered that we have some level of gluten intolerance in 2017, so my family is always looking for gluten-free alternatives to the wheat-y things we used to love. Bread is a big one! But it’s so expensive at the store. Even the cheapest loaves I could find run about $5 for a small loaf! It’s much more cost effective (and environmentally friendly) to bake your own. How it’s thrifty: According to my math, you’ll spend…

When hand sewing is worth it

October 24, 2017

Joni Smith

Home Projects

Sometimes it’s worth it to fix up an item rather than trashing it. When you’re able to use things longer, you naturally are able to buy fewer things. With clothes, bedding, and fabrics, that’s when a little hand sewing comes in “handy!” I am not a seamstress by any means. In fact, I’m not great at sewing in general. But it only takes a couple of hours to learn a few simple hand stitches. I know this because I took…