It's Frugal Friday!

Welcome to my first addition of Frugal Fridays which is hosted over at one of my favorite blogs Biblical Womanhood. Check out this blog it's awesome.

Today I thought I would not post about the things I am already doing to save money but something I am considering doing to save money. We are thinking about ditching the satellite TV! This would mean a HUGE change for me.

You have to understand where I am coming from. When I grew up we always had the tv on. We actually had a television in every room when I was a teenager. I like to have the tv on all the time...sometimes just for the background noise. It's not like it's not noisy enough around here!!! I guess it's just a crutch I have.

So if we change our land line and drop satellite we could save ourselves right around $100/month. That's HUGE! Just this ONE little thing could save us this much. We still have an antenna so we can get SOME stations. That should be good enough right? The problem is I feel like I might be losing something "important." Maybe that's why it's best that we lose it for a time. That's just wrong to think that way.

I am worried about what the kids will do without tv. Terrible right? Maybe this will be an amazing thing for our family. Maybe this will help us to connect with each other more often. Maybe this will give my husband and I time to talk more. Maybe this will spark my children's creativity. Maybe they will drive me crazy! Maybe after a month we will be ready to go back to satellite!?

I would love to hear from anyone who has done this as a money saving step for your family. How has this worked for you? Any suggestions on ways to still get some television in without paying for it?

What I have learned

It has been about 6 weeks since I have been "re-born" as a FRUGAL mommy! I know, that sounds a bit dramatic but it's the best way I can find to describe the path I have started down recently. I just made a quick (well I say quick but with my two girls tagging along nothing is quick!) run to the bank to make my cash deposit that I have saved for my much anticipated girls scrapbooking weekend. It wasn't meaningful because it was a LOT of money. It was meaningful because it represents a major change of thinking on my part...a change of lifestyle so to speak. One that I promise going to "stick" this time. It's amazing how much I have learned about spending in the last 6 weeks. I will be honest with you, I seriously always believed I was being a frugal Home Manager. I know now that I wasn't really. If only I had known then what I know now...just think of the money I could have saved. But we can't live in the past right. So I moved forward from here. I thought I would write down some of the most important things I have learned in the last 6 weeks to help me make a frugal change for my family. Most of them are small but added together they make a huge difference....At least for us! 1. Coupons are my friends. They are not to be avoided for fear of adding more "to-do" in my life. It's actually very fun to use them...I even like clipping them and keeping them organized. And if you know me...you know this is not something I easily take to...the organized thing I mean! 2. You can actually get FREE stuff if you use coupons. Seriously! I clip just about every coupon I get because you never know when a four pack of drinkable yogurt will go on Manager's Special at Kroger. A .50 cent coupon makes that baby FREE! It might not be something I would have bought normally but for free I'll take it! 3. A .50 cent coupon is a MAJOR score...because it doubles to $1 at Kroger, Meijer or Marsh. Did you know you could get FREE toilet paper at Kroger? I will never look at buying toilet paper in the same way again. 4. Aldi's may be a little far to drive to but it's worth the drive once a month (or less) to stock up on some things. Did you know you can get a big bag of frozen fruit for less than $3 there?! 5. There is an amazing resource for finding bargains and the best coupons out there in online blogs! My favorite of course is Money Saving Mom where I find all sorts of amazing deals, ideas, free stuff, and other great blogs. 6. Being a Frugal Home Manager means making a life change. It's really like a diet right? If you try if for a little while and don't make permanent changes then what good is it? 7. Feeding your family healthy food and making healthy choices doesn't have to be expensive. Plus, if you are a little "sneaky" you can get your kids to eat some pretty healthy stuff! 8. MEAL PLANNING is a MUST! How did I live without this? Meal planning not only saves huge amounts of money but it frees up any time I was wasting in my day trying to figure out what to make. This will save you money right off the bat...I promise! 9. Dave Ramsey is so right about...well, just about everything! I wish I would have REALLY learned that the first time around. 10. You can really save money by doing things from scratch and stock piling your freezer. I would have never believed that setting aside a "cooking day" for myself would fit into my life. But, it has...and it works!! 11. Being frugal and saving money can be FUN guys!! It really doesn't have to be a horrible drag. I have enjoyed this past several weeks so much. I can't wait to share what I have saved with my husband when I get home. It's exciting for me to take my little savings envelope out and count my money that I have saved. So this is a summary of my frugal journey so far. I could probably come up with more ideas if I sat here a little longer. But, I will save those for another time. I can't wait to see what the next 6 weeks holds!

That's my girl...

This picture speaks for itself...My girl! This is what she's all about! I picked my sweets up from preschool yesterday and as the kids were buckling up I found her Parent Teacher Conference form. I was so proud of her I got a little choked up! I thought I would jot a few of my favorite things her teachers had to say about her: "An absolute delight!" "Very happy-kind & considerate to all-respectful of others & everything in our room." "Very helpful when classmates or teachers need something. Very comforting :)" "Always helps with cleanup." hmmmm...this one stumped me! "Can easily play with anyone& interact in small or large group." "Very canfident & comfortable with herself! :)" "Imaginative-housekeeping-a little mother with our dolls." I could go on but these were just a few of my favorite things. These words sum up my #2 in a nutshell. I couldn't let this go without sharing.

Make Due Mondays

Welcome to my first Make Due Monday post!

Thanks to my friend Ann at her blog Ann Kroeker for the idea of doing a Make Due Monday!

This is how I am "Making Due" this Monday!

Recently I have set out on a mission to become a frugal mom. So far I have done pretty good. I have started clipping coupons, menu planning, and watching the sales at local stores. I have actually really enjoyed it and get quite a rush when I pay next to nothing for something...Like toilet paper! Ya gotta love a free four pack of TP right?! What a rush!

Well today I think I have really crossed over the frugal line! I am having a cooking day! I did it... I sent my hubby out for bags of dried beans this weekend and I am cooking and freezing beans to store for future use. Did you know you can get a 1 lb bag of dried beans for about a buck!! There about 3-4 cans of beans in that little bag! That's cheap! So I guess you could say we are going to be living on a beans and rice budget! Now the trick to this is that you gotta love beans...Luckily we do!

Ah...beans, beans, they're good for your heart!