Wish list

With all the time we spend saving money, pinching pennies, and refraining from window shopping at the mall, I think we deserve something to look forward to! It's just like a reward for hard work! Saving money IS hard work and I never would have guessed it. It takes time, patience, energy, and planning...and with busy schedules with our families that is yet another sacrifice. So what if we had something look forward to? My husband thinks that you should have a trip or something to look forward to in regard to life in general. It makes those cold winter months more bareable when you know at the end of that season you have a fun weekend get away to somewhere awesome planned :)

WE DESERVE THAT TOO, bargain hunting mommys!!!

Let's come up with a Wish List. What are some things you need? want? Need to plan for? Look forward to purchasing? Anything?

My wish list goes like this:

*New undies. I just love buying these and after I finally mustered up the courage to throw out the ones that were falling apart i'm allowed to replinish...a FEW!

*Black boots. Those are a staple for me and I need to have them on my radar sometime between now and October. That allows me to look out for the BEST deals because I don't need them right away.

*Black heels. I love love LOVE the ones I have, but they are getting old and that's yet another staple item in my wardrobe. Time to start searching for deals!

*A sensible purse. One thing I have eliminated in my life is BIG purses. I love them. I love the way they look with outfits. So stylish. :) But they are a stresser for me. I can't ever find my keys, wallet, etc and I am trying to eliminate things in my life that make me crazy. SO.. I have opted for smaller purses and have picked up a few at garage sales here and there, but I need to get a basic color, smaller purse that won't swallow my keys.

So, what about you? What is on your Wish List?

It's nice to have goals on saving money and on planning better for your financial future but its ALSO nice to have something to look forward to.

This week's Freebies

This weeks FREEBIES were awesome!

Pro Glide Razor (facebook Freebie that I registered for)
Magazines
Coupon for Cottonelle wipes (Facebook freebie)
Atkins bars (facebook)

Gain Perspectives wi! th the Right Trading System

Guest posting by Bobby Quill

As many have said before, there is great variety among forex trading systems. Choosing the right one for you will require some research before making the purchase. Once acquired, still more research will be necessary for personal test runs. These tasks are the price of thorough preparation.
As you gain more trading experience, your methods and systems needs will likely change. But that is no reason to mope or agonize at the thought of needing to undergo a re-learning process. Many systems and platforms out there come with tutorial and even trading course offers. Forexyard is just one such example.
This one, and many others like it, can help you compile, make sense, and graph beautifully all the forex signals you’ve been keepi! ng track of. With these systems you’ll be able to create better visualizations of data that will allow you to win both broader and better focused perspectives on the general health of a country’s economy, for instance.


Thank you for reading this sponsored post-Cara

Cash or Credit?

Cash or credit? This is actually quite the topic these days...

Obviously we KNOW what Dave Ramsey would say :) And I love him for saying it...BUT I somewhat disagree.

Some dear friends of mine went through Financial Peace with me about 5 years ago. They did all the right steps...paid off their cards, cancelled them, and lived on cash. Well... a few years later they realized that their CREDIT SCORES had gone DOWN! Yep-when you cancel a card it does effect your credit. When you have cards open that are paid off it CAN hurt your credit. (It shows you at a high risk of going on a shopping spree)

So... what's a person to do? Live STRICTLY on cash or use credit some?

I have gone back and forth between all credit, all cash and somewhere in the middle. But have decided to do this:

I have ONE credit card that I use every month. I have set aside ONE bill that I pay EVERY MONTH on that card. It's not the amount that you have on your cards its using them and paying them off that helps your credit. By being on a system of charging one thing a month and paying it off at the end of the month I have actually brought my credit score up! I did lots of research before I realized how all of this works...

It's okay to use credit IF you can pay it off. And I don't necessarily think you have to pay the full balance every month, but you at least need to pay a bulk of it. It's okay to have some credit on the car (obviously though, you WILL pay interest)... but the main thing is to increase your credit score you need to use some credit every month.

Agree or disagree? What are your thoughts?

AGGGHHHHHHHHH-Cell phone drama....

AGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am so irritated. I'm irritated at myself, at Verizon, at my cheap thoughts, and at smart phones in general.

So... I finally decided I was going to upgrade my phone. This has been an on-going battle within myself for WAY too long.

Let's back up to about 5 years ago...

*I bought a blackberry on ebay and added it to my Alltel(thats what it was then) plan. The phone was a lemon so I sold it on ebay for a few bucks and went back to my old phone.

*2 years ago my husband called to cancel his Alltel(still Alltel at this point) plan in full. He had switched jobs and they provided him with a phone and it seemed silly to have a plan he didn't use. When he called they offered him this super awesome touch screen, blah blah blah, phone JUST for keeping his plan. SO... he cancels my plan instead (which could be cancelled at that point for no charge) and I took the new awesome phone. That new totally AWESOME phone was the biggest headache. I had to change phones 5 times in less than 3 months. FINALLY Verizon(they changed names now) pulled the phone off the market and gave me the equivalent. I hated THAT phone too. Then my husband changes jobs, needs the Verizon phone BACK so I gave him the one they had just given me (b/c it was super fancy) and I added a line on his plan and got a silly flip phone.

*Then I got tired of that flip phone. So I went on ebay and bought me a blackberry. I KNOW that I hate blackberry phones but I did it anyway. I kept that phone for about 3 months, dropped it in a gym one night and it never was the same. So I sold it on ebay and went back to this silly flip phone.

NOW OUR STORY IS CAUGHT UP....

Today I get online to order me a new phone. The DROID Increbile is a $529 phone, but I can get a certified pre-owned one(talked to Verizon, that means it was used less than 14 days) for only $49.99! WOOT! I was so pumped. I knew I would have to add a plan for the smart phone which meant adding $30 bucks a month which equals $360 dollars a YEAR! That just seems like so much. That's a nice weekend get away... but I decided to do it. I added the phone to my cart, added the plan to my cart and then before I checked out it showed me my monthly bills NEW TOTAL! HOLD THE PHONE... that wasn't right... So I clicked "Chat now"...

"Jacob" was very helpful, but yes, there is in fact the 9.99 add a line that I must continue to pay (which I do not understand) plus the $30 bucks.... so all of a sudden I went to $480 in a year JUST to have a phone that I can what... check my emails? I check my emails all the time from home or work.

So now I am sitting here pulling my hair out!!!!! Cell phone companies are completely ripping us off... and i'm too cheap to jump on the bandwagon. Well, boo. I'm kinda bummed. I was looking forward to a new cell phone and adding the "Friends trivia" app... but I guess that just won't happen. Oh well, you win some-you lose some.





Shopping Ban... sorta.

I have felt REALLY good lately about how well my husband and I have done on shopping. We have done AMAZINGLY well. I kinda/sorta/possibly/maybe tried to go on a shopping ban. And the TRUTH is that from January until today the only purchases outside of household necessities that I have made have been:

Christmas Presents (i'm over half way done)
Less than $100 worth of stuff on my Canton trip (And only $40 of it wasn't gifts)
A WHOLE wardrobe for my daughter (I love those consignment events)

So seriously from January to today (well, actually let's say last Monday) I had spent around $250 dollars and with the exception of a few things at Canton none of it was just for the heck of shopping.

NOW OUR STORY TAKES A LITTLE TURN:

Not a HUGE bad turn or anything but a turn for sure.

I KNEW that in the next few months i'd have a FEW things to buy:

#1-a dress to wear for my sisters wedding

#2-a gift, or 7, for my sister and future bro-in-law

#3- a dress for my daughter to wear to the wedding

Not bad...but just some things I would have to shop for that I could NOT not buy. :)

I found THE perfect dress last week. It was on sale, of course, fit me good, and with all this working out i'm doing these days it will look even BETTER by June 11th. At least that is the plan. (i'm a planner like that.)

WHILE I WAS SHOPPING FOR THE DRESS.....

I found some black pants that I couldn't live without. NOW let me say this, when I called my husband to tell him what I was buying my words to him were "i'm not even excited about it."

#1-black pants are a STAPLE. I work in the business world and I HAVE to dress up and look professional. So black pants are an item that MUST be on hand. I have 2 pairs currently (and at this point any full blown minimalist reading this is freakin' out) but I have worn the heck out of my favorite pair and may quite possibly not even see those pants make it through the fall. It's tragic, really, because these black pants are magical. They have been with me for 4 years now, look AWESOME, give me a the illusion of a figure that I do NOT have.... and they make me feel like a movie star. That's how awesome these pants are. I do NOT want to replace them but the reality is that if I wait to buy black pants when it gets closer to fall... THEY WILL NOT BE IN SALE. Remember my rule about buying clothes out of season?? This TOTALLY applies. These pants are $65 dollars, marked down 3 times, and then 50% off of that. HOW can you say no to that if it's something that you KNOW you will need? Well, maybe some of you can't... but I couldn't. It seemed too worth it.

#2-I started exercising again and this time I am getting back into running. To tell how CHEAP I have been my entire life let me just say that  i own 2 pairs of tennis shoes. Both of which I have had for over 8 years. You think i'm exaggerating? NOPE-i'm not. I bought these shoes before I got married the FIRST time. So yea, I have had them quite a while. They still look decent because i'm not much of a tennis shoe wearer...I am typically found in heels, but they were hard and weren't very flexible. SO... I went tennis shoe shopping. It felt weird. I haven't done that in over a DECADE! I found an awesome pair at a GREAT price and they feel wonderful...

But with these 2 purchases there is still a little part of me that feels guilty. Like I cheated or something, even though I made up the rules so I can break them...right?

This WHOLE topic has got me wondering... have I taken on too much? I don't think I have...but it sure does make me wonder. Counting dollars and cents can be exhausting but I DO know that its WAY worth it.

so what do you think? Shopping bans a good idea for you? is it okay to splurge every now and then?

Money Mondays-May 16th

It's MONDAY! I'm not a fan of Mondays... but i've decided that it doesn't matter if I am a fan or not. So I am trying SUPER hard to find something AMAZINGLY positive about this day :)

Today we talk about money... how IS your money doing? Is it growing? Is your debt shrinking? Have you clipped your coupons?

this weeks coupons had some AWESOME stuff in them and I must say that I have done VERY well at keeping them clipped and organized. That ALWAYS pays off! $$$

I wrote a post on my other blog this morning about sponsored posts. Check it out! I'd love to know your thoughts on the subject... but that ALSO brings us to the topic of earning extra money.

How do you do it? Do you take a weekend job? Write sponsored blogs? Consign clothes? Sell on ebay?

HOW DO YOU MAKE THAT EXTRA MONEY?

I do pretty much all of the above... except the weekend job. I just don't have the time for that. But I have faithfully done some selling on ebay and written a few posts to help stock up my savings account!! I want it to be over flowing because there will come a day when I have NO choice but to deplete it... something ALWAYS comes up, doesn't it?

Be thinking of extra ways to save money and make money. You can save save save all day... but you ALWAYS need a little extra to put in that account!!!

Mailbox and More

Forgive me... i have slacked this week... This week has been INSANE!

Okay--let's do a quick wrap up before the weekend begins!

#1--Think inside the book thursdays!

**i opened my coupon book yesterday and had TONS of coupons that had expired. GET RID OF THOSE! Not gonna do us any good to have an awesome book full of coupons we CANNOT use.

#2--Frugal Fridays! Do something fun outdoors this weekend. nature walk, go to the park, library (I am ALWAYS a fan), read books to your kids, redeem your redbox free codes, make water balloons, ... do something fun, memorable and FREE!

My mailbox:

GREAT week of freebies in the mail!!! did you get yours?

I hope everyone has a GREAT GREAT weekend!!!!! We are going on the boat with friends and i'm super pumped about that. Just enjoying a great weekend with family and friends.

Save your money, clip those coupons... and God Bless :)

Free dog food sample!

Alrighty there pet lovers... click HERE to get your FREE sample of ALPO Prime Cuts canned dog food. Give it a whirl... for FREE!!

Let me know if you got yours! Mine is on its way! Rico will be so happy :)

What a meal Wednesdays-May 11th

It's grocery ad day again :) Always exciting for me... I know, I know. LOSER! :)

Krogers ad is actually pretty good this week. LOTS of fresh meat on sale, and veggies. The corn is an awesome deal (corn on the cob 6 for $2.) LOTS more of the buy 10 and save program... i'm not a LARGE fan of those but I did stock up on PROPEL and Ceral this week! :)

I will do my KROGER run sometime in the next few days and I plan to get:

*Milk and OJ (3 for $5)

*Kroger cheese B1G1 (I NEVER pass this up...we eat so much cheese)

*Bread and buns $1 ea. STOCK UP :) I freeze all my breads.

*Kroger brand cresecent rolls and cinnamon rolls. 4 for $5

*Corn on the cob

That's not a LOT... but then again I already have my meals planned for the next 2 weeks... 

What about you? Are you planning your meals in advance?

"Just give it away"

I'm a southern girl, what can I say, so therefore I truly love George Strait. I think he's handsome.

I think his song "Give it away" is awesome. This morning I was doing my morning blogging routine(I start several outlines every morning and feel them in as I go) and I had pandora pulled up and "Give it away" came on. I found it appropriate that I was thinking at the moment about what all items I would be selling in a yard sale, giving away to charity, etc.



If I want to DOWNSIZE my life, and get rid of the clutter, and live on less... do I truly have to give it away?

I have over 100 pairs of underwear. Yes, I know thats excessive... BUT... I get a free panty card every month from VS, I love their "Semi-annual" sales, and I STOCK UP when I can. I guess that's my thing... and its a fairly inexpensive "thing" to be addicted to buying so I haven't thought much about it. That is until I realized that I have 2 drawers for underwear. I mean really? I think that's silly...

Obviously you don't "give away" underwear but you can throw them out. What's a girl to do? I'm so torn. I'm stuck in this world between wanting a new pair of heels and feeling the need to get rid of over half my wardrobe. HELP?!?!

I'm trying to find the balance between having it all and living on less. Kind of dramatic either way ya go, huh?

I need help. Do I take the plunge and de-clutter my life by getting rid of a LOT of clothes, a LOT of shoes, a LOT of stuff in my life.... or do I just promise not to add anything to it for let's say... the next 6 months?



Tackle a Task Tuesday-May 10th

TACKLE A TASK TODAY :) Or at LEAST make a list of tasks to tackle.

Last week my task was to clean out my cabinets in the kitchen. I didn't take pictures because there was nothing miraculous to see. BUT... I DID dump out a  lot of stuff. Pots and pans that are old and need to go-GONE, 500 plastic cups from Subway, BK, etc-GONE. And I organized them. But again, if I had taken a picture it would have made me look like I didn't do much. But I REALLY did. Promise!

This weeks is.... DUM DUM DUM.....

STORAGE BUILDING!!!!

I've been putting it off... and its just simply time. PART of the reason it kept getting put off is because I had to get my HOUSE clean first. WHY you ask? Because it goes like this... I clean out a closet and make a big pile of stuff to take to storage. Then I clean out cabinets and find yard sale items that need to go to storage. THEN I find leftover Christmas dishes in the cabinet that never made it BACK to storage... so that's why.

This will be a project 3 parter.... I'm going to post pics of the before... WOWZERS. During the job and then of course the AFTER pics. But I am going to post them all at once. That ok?

STAY TUNED for pics. Coming VERY, VERY soon.

What about you? Have you figured out your task for the week?

Just say NO to window shopping

Temptation island... is window shopping!

I don't remember WHEN exactly but a few years back there was a show called "Temptation Island." I only remember seeing the previews but I figured it was raunchy and I didn't watch it. But I made up a tune to the words "Temptation Island" and everytime I would go shopping I would sing that song to myself... and even a few friends. :) They always knew how tempting shopping was for me.

Flash forward, I dunno, 4 years maybe, and things are different as you well know. I rarely shop unless it's with a purpose and I have coupons.

Today I went into the mall for a split second to get my free Heavenly scent from Victoria's Secret. Needless to say they have gotten chincy. (is that how you spell it...dunno) This is the tiniest bottle ever. Oh well. I'll smell good for one day. Then I decided I'd just WALK around the mall.

I did call my sponsor though-my husband. :)

It was only fair that he know where I was. Afterall I'm the one thats so gung-ho let's live like broke folks around here so he HAD to know what I was doing. He just laughed. I was in VS and I need a new bra. Ya know that every day kinda bra that is perfect to wear under EVERYTHING? Yep, that's what I need but I didn't do it. Instead I walked up and down the mall... and only found, oh i'm guessing around 500 bucks worth of stuff I can't live with out!!! Needless to say I only left with one thing in hand--and thats a legitimite wedding gift. PROMISE!

I knew I wasn't going to spend a dime. I knew that I wasn't going to let myself buy anything--but I couldn't resist trying on a shirt that ended up being way too big, and looking at a purse on my shoulder in the mirror for about 20 minutes. WHY WHY WHY?!?!!?

It was TEMPTATION ISLAND for me... walking around the mall. Just looking at all the pretty shoes, and the cute shirts, and all the fun sunglasses. But I was good. I learned my lesson though... I am NOT allowed to walk through the mall and "Just look."

Money Mondays-May 9th

I HOPE all of you had a fabulous Mother's day! My daughter and husband treated me like royalty :) I don't deserve them....

So its Money Monday's again. :)

It seems like money saving tips are everywhere! Couponing has gone NUTS... it's EVERYWHERE! Have you noticed that? The grocery stores have--that is why they have CUT BACK on their policies. VERY frustrating. So are you here because you are just wanting to keep up with the latest trends or are you REALLY wanting to save money? Hey-I want ALL types of readers because frankly, I am both of those. Sometimes I feel like I am just going along because someone introduced me to coupons, I wanted to save some money and then I got super into it! So I DO wonder.. "Am I in it for the long haul?" I may not be a crazy coupon lady forever but I am DEFINITLY in the money saving business :)

Take a look at this article that popped up on yahoo today. And then this one.

Saving money is all over the place. IT's EVERYWHERE! WE all need to save a few and learn how to SAVE in general. I just find it interesting that it literally is EVERYWHERE these days.

So , I guess all I have to say for Money Monday's is this... how do YOU plan to protect your money and put it in savings?? Shop with coupons, spend less, live in a tent, grow your own food? How do YOU plan to protect YOUR hard earned money?

can we make up our own rules??

I hope that everyone got the chance to check out my guest blogger :) She did SUCH a great job!!! Frugirl talked about a shopping ban...and how ironic b/c I JUST today finished reading Dave Bruno's book "100 thing challenge". If you haven't read the post about that book click HERE to catch up.

Not only have I read a book about living on less and the American-consumerism world that we live in, but THEN my guest blogger writes about a shopping ban which of COURSE got me thinking...

I realized that without even meaning to I have been on a "shopping ban" for a few months already. i have bought myself NOTHING except necessary items with the exception of items I bought my daughter. (And those were needed...mostly. I guess the extra dinosaurs from walmart weren't a need, but she had been good. :) ) 

If we chose to live on less or go on a shopping ban can we make up our own rules? The answer is: YES! OF COURSE YOU CAN!

Make up rules that you will live by. It's kinda like losing weight... you can't have an unrealistic goal that you know you will never meet. Most people TRY to make realistic goals and make them small so they can achieve them. You don't start out running 5 miles a day, you start out small... so if you are considering living on less and spending less... START SMALL!

A few weeks ago I bought myself some nail polish. It was on sale and I had a coupon so it was the right time to stock up. Other than that I really haven't gotten myself anything special just for ME... and that is ok.

I haven't decided exactly what MY rules will be... but i've decided that i don't have follow someone elses plan for me. I can do what works for ME.

As soon as I get my "list" all together i'll be sure and share. What about you? What are your thoughts on living on less?

Shopping Ban-A Guest post from my favorite Blogger-Fabulously Frugirl

Hello, Bargain Hunting Mommy readers.  I am so excited to being doing my first guest post here.  I am Fabulously Fru-girl (aka frugirl), a 20-something blogger who writes about balancing living fabulously and frugally.  I enjoy reading about personal finance, minimalism, ogling over fashion and playing volleyball.
I am currently on a shopping ban from buying new clothes, accessories and make-up for the whole year (2011).  This was a self-imposed shopping ban for a number of reasons: to save money, to better utilize my closet, to be more creative in my outfits, to reflect on my priorities, amongst other.
I think that shopping bans are a great way to reflect on the spending and focusing on all the things that we do have.  I encourage everyone to try one - even if it is only for a month, or a few weeks.
Below are some great reasons to go on a shopping ban.

1) Save Money

I never thought of myself as a big spender, especially not on clothes.  I don't buy "designer" labels, or run out to get the latest trendy clothes.
What I realized once I started tracking my spending was that even though I didn't think I was a big spender, all those little trips to Forever 21, H&M, Jacob, Costa Blanca, Smart Set, Body Shop, Sephora, RW & Co., etc., really did add up.  Especially the sale items.
In 2009, they added up to a tune of $2,600/year.  In 2010, they added up to $1,200/year.

2) Not Having "Anything" to Wear

Despite having spent thousands of dollars on clothes (see above), some mornings, I just felt that I didn't have anything to wear.  I'd stand in front of my closet, and then end up grabbing something familiar that I knew would work. Usually, these were comfort item, and often the same few pieces.
I had shirts, sweaters, pants that remained unworn, even though I had high hopes for them when I made the (often) impulsive decision to buy them.  In fact, I read somewhere that only 20% of most closets are actually utilized.  Isn't that crazy?

3)  Forcing Creativity

I read a lot of fashion blogs and that's where I learned about the options of "re-mixing".  These ladies wore their dresses as skirts, or the skirts as dresses.  They threw on a scarf or an accessory and completely changed the look of their outfit.  It was so refreshing (and frugal!).
Instead of thinking I need to go out to buy a new dress for an occasion, or wearing the same thing I did last time, I try wearing the same items differently or see if I can borrow an item.  It was amazing.   I felt like I tricked myself into having new clothes!

4) Other Priorities

When I went on my shopping ban, I realized that I had other areas of my life that were more important to spend my money on.  For instance, I would rather spend more money on traveling and using more natural and organic products, than on more clothes.
Maybe your priorities are different.  Perhaps paying off student debts or credit cards, owning your own home, or just working less.  A shopping ban won't solve all your problems, but it made me prioritize how I wanted to spend my money (and efforts).

5) Trial Run

Before I embarked on a shopping ban for a year, I did "mini" shopping bans - for a month, for a few months  - just to test the waters.  I recommend starting small, and working your way up.
If I had started with a full year shopping ban, I'm afraid I might have slipped up and then given up altogether.  There is no shame in having a one month shopping ban, or even a few months.  I also like having (reasonable) rewards for reaching milestones.  It is all about what works for the individual, so be creative!
I update my shopping ban recap monthly and also list other bloggers who are on shopping bans, sow we keep each other motivated.  I hope that those of you who would like to try a shopping ban, just to give it try.


--

http://fabulouslyfrugirl.wordpress.com/

The Wedding Planner

The Wedding Planner
Guest post written by my buddy Lavern Small
The Wedding Planner is an adorable romantic comedy which features one of my favorite actors of all time, Matthew McConaughey. This movie is truly amazing, in that it shows just how a person from low circumstances can rise above those circumstances and find true love and success in life.
Jennifer Lopez plays the main role in this film, and she is a lovely actress to watch. I just love her down to earth style and the beautiful way in which she relates to people. I watch this film all the time on my cannonsatellite tv, just to see Matthew McConaughey and the chemistry he has with Jennifer Lopez in this film. There is just undeniable chemistry between these two characters, and it is off the charts. Whenever I watch this film, I find myself wishing I was Jennifer Lopez and could find myself in the arms of Matthew McConaughey. He is truly just such a hunk and adds such a high level of attraction into this film. One of my favorite scenes in this movie is when they get a pack of M & M's together, and he picks out all of the brown ones for Jennifer Lopez. She does not like to eat the colored ones, and he understands this and works to make them perfect for her. I think this is one of the most adorable parts!

FRUGAL FRIDAYS-May 6th

I LOVE Fridays :)

Today is gonna be kinda different... I have lots of frugal ideas for things to do over the weekend but you already know that.

Last night we went to the library and FINALLY the book I requested that the library buy CAME IN!!! It's Dave Bruno's book "The 100 Thing Challenge...How I got rid of almost everything, remade my life, and regained my soul." I may be in absolute LOVE with this book!!!!! (To read more about Dave and his lifestyle click on the link above to be transported through cyberspace to his amazing blog.)

So anyway I am only 60 pages in... About 130 pages left to go...but so far I am COMPLETELY in love.

I must quote a few things that he said... please keep in mind that these quotes come out of DAVE BRUNO's book. :)

"I have come to believe that contentment is a virtue we can aspire to rather than a state we can achieve."

"We cannot buy what we need for an ideal life in stores, so we have become habitual shoppers who come up short again and again and therefore have to head back for more. American-style consumerism encourages us to go to a store and pick out the best of the best, but it also plants a seed of doubt in our minds. The dissapointment is built in. When we get home we decide that we just bought may not be the best of the best, and so we put it in our closet or in our garage and go back to a store and get something else that we think is going to be the best of the best."

"Here's the bottom line: what we really want we cannot buy."

There are TONS more good quotes and as I make my way through the book I plan to share.

I realize that minimalism seems a tad bit far fetched to some. Jere fears that he will have to live on 2 pairs of pants and 3 shirts. :) I assured him that is NOT the case. I'm not giving up my heels so don't worry!!

Frankly ,for me, this whole journey is about learning who I am and what is important to me. For years shopping was my "Cardio". Buying clothes and accessories and SHOES SHOES SHOES was what made me happy... until it stopped. One day all the 'Stuff' just didn't seem to matter. I realized that no amount of shoes could heal the hurt I was experiencing and had experinced in life. And I began becoming less and less into material items. Jere and I live a VERY simple lifestyle and I love it... but it's not about the "Stuff" so much as it is what the stuff DOES to us. Makes us want more. Keeps us dissatisfied.

Thankfully I am a frugal gal and so spending lots of money on things is not something I do... but I feel convicted to look at myself and think about WHY I buy things I buy and what purpose they hold. I can't take my heels to heaven... I have to remind myself of that.

This journey is about LIVING. TRULY living... living happily on LESS.

Think inside the book THURSDAYS-May 5th

HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO my friends :)

I am going to make tacos for super and me and Ava are gonna dance around the living room wearing sombreros. Doesn't that sound like a great way to celebrate :)

Okay so let's think about our books today. Mine is not in the best of shape. I've GOT to upload pics of the changes with the baseball card sleeves. It looks really good I just don't feel like I have the system down yet. So I really need to spend some time focusing on getting my book more in order, so its more comfortable.

One thing I urge you to do is this... and I KNOW it's not easy because just the simple "What if" factor..

YOU NEED TO THROW AWAY SOME COUPONS!!! If you KNOW you are never going to buy KIX cereal (strange example, I know) then why did you clip the coupon? You did like me, didn't you. You clipped the coupon just waiting to see if one day you could get it for free. And my friends, I GET THAT! But I can't do it anymore. I can't clip EVERY single coupon. I know what items my family uses and those are the coupons I need to clip.

DONT LET YOURSELF GET CAUGHT UP! It's overwhelming for one, and it's also way too time consuming. The amount of money I save on groceries and household products is GREAT for my little family... and even that takes me so much time. It's worth it, don't get me wrong, but I don't have 50 hours a week to dedicate to saving money....

Clean up your books, get rid of stuff that you DONT need, and you will feel better about yourself. PROMISE!

WHAT a meal Wednesdays-May 4th

I'm not too happy with the Kroger paper. I know that those who stock up MAJORLY on food are pumped but I don't like these "Buy 10 and save 5" programs. Anyway--the only thing in the KROGER paper that I was like "YES--gotta get that" is their deal on eggs and BBQ sauce.

Eggs are on sale super cheap(dozen)
and the BBQ sauce is on sale for .99 cents. But I cut out the coupon from 5/1 to save .45 cents so this is a good time to get an extra. I eat bbq sauce a LOT. And my husband is weird and puts it on his black eyed peas. I know, random.

So I won't be spending a ton at the grocery this week but I DO have some awesome meals planned.

I have the next 2 weeks of meals planned. GO ME! What about you? How you been doing on planning ahead?

SUPER CHEAP BIC SOLEIL Razors at WALGREENS!

This week is a GREAT time to stock up on RAZORS.

To get the coupon you need to do one of two things:

*Either find the inserts from Sunday's newspaper (Dumpster diving perhaps????) :) :)

*Or like BIC SOLEIL on facebook.

Either way you come out with a $3.00 off coupon. This week WALGREENS has these razors on sale for $5.99 with a $2.00 RR on each purchase of them. So if you take the coupon then you pay $2.99 out of pocket which is AWESOME in itself... but THEN you get 2 bucks back! So it balances out to be .99 cents for razors. GOOD razors. Not the cheap kind :)

So go, run to Walgreens. Treat yourself :) Just don't forget who sent you!

Tackle a task Tuesday-May 3rd

I'm a SLACKER!!! I started my project last week (cabinets in the kitchen) and I got side tracked. We had some REALLY bad weather here in Arkansas and I spent two nights preparing for a tornado to hit.

I'VE GOT TO LEARN TO BE FLEXIBLE!!!

I beat myself up for getting off track....and this week is out for a project to because I have SOOOO much work to catch up on and presentations to do.. i'm EXHAUSTED!

Okay so when we get off track it's hard to get back on, huh? We need motivation!

So what I have told myself is this... after this week I am going to get back on track!!! And once I have completed 3 more weekly tasks then I can buy myself a new phone :) It's DEFINITLY time for one and it gives me some kind of motivation!!!

Because of the delay my upcoming projects look like this:

Week #2- Kitchen cabinets
Week #3- Storage building
Week #4- MY CLOSET!!!!! :)

What tasks do you want to get accomplished? The goal is to complete an organizing task a week but let's face it, sometimes we get off track. The important thing is getting back ON track!

Money Mondays-May 2nd

Somehow we made it to Monday...again. I guess that's better than not making it :)

Mondays are stressful and MONEY is stressful so it may not have been the best idea that I try to combine the two. But... I did it and there's no use crying over un-used coupons.

What do you need to do to change the way you spend your money? Do you need to switch to an online bill pay system? Or are paper bills more your thing? Do you need to switch banks? What would make it easier.

Here's what I am frustrated with... I have billpay (that I DONT pay for because I bargained for it when I opened the account) and I have no idea how to use it. My husband tells me it would be super easy but I don't have the patience. SO instead I waste SO much time paying bills because I go to each individual website and pay online. Isn't that ridiciulous?

My husband needs to get PAPER bills in the mail. He has to SEE it in front of him in the old fashioned style or he forgets. To each his own...:)

What system would make it easier for you to remember to pay your bills and what would save you the most time?

Also, if anyone has a BRILLIANT system that works for them PLEASE share it :)