You have been doing really well and saved money for an emergency. You have pinched pennies. You have cut corners. You have avoided the temptation of the Chai Latte. Now, you are looking at an emergency and wondering – Should I dip into my emergency fund? Sometimes that answer can be easy, sometimes it can be tough. Sometimes we are tempted to go to that fund when we don’t really need it. So how do we know when we have {Read More}

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You have this great spreadsheet on your computer. On it, you have budgeted everything – utilities, rent or mortgage, car payments, gas, and groceries. Unfortunately, when you get to the end of the month, you are still scraping to pay something even though your spreadsheet says you should have money left over. Why can’t you seem to get a break when it comes to the household budget? Chances are, you’re overlooking a few expenses that are killing your budget. Vehicle {Read More}

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One of the most important budgeting tips you hear is “plan your menu.” What does that mean exactly? What meals should you plan, and what meals are okay to simply let happen? Planning your meals for the week is an important way to control your food budget and ensure you and your family eat healthy. These tips will help you create effective meal plans. What is your eating situation? How busy is your week? Do you have a lot of {Read More}

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Ever wonder what you could do with your morning coffee grounds other than thrown them in your garden? Why not make a shower scrub? From what I have read it could possibly reduce cellulite and varicose veins (due to the caffeine).. and while I don’t know about all that it will exfoliate your skin with out any harsh chemicals!! DIY Coffee Body Scrub What you will need: 2 cups of used coffee grounds from your morning pot 1 tablespoon olive {Read More}

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Your local Dollar General, Dollar Tree, or other dollar store can be a great source of inexpensive goods that can save you tons of money. Some items are a better deal than others, though, so it’s good to go in with a plan. Next time you hit up the dollar store, keep an eye out for these items! Certain toiletries and personal items While some generic toiletries are best avoided at the dollar store, there are quite a few that {Read More}

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I am a huge fan of Costco. We buy our electronics and appliances there, we bought a garage door from them, and refinanced our home loan through them. They rock! However, I don’t actually buy a lot of groceries there. Their food prices are on the low side of average, and the portions are just too big for us to use and store in the cupboard. But there are a few exceptions. Here are the groceries and household items that {Read More}

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I will be the first to admit- living frugally is not always easy nor is it always fun. I work at it and I have tried to develop strategies that help me stay on my path and I hope I can encourage you to stay on course. There are a ton of websites out there, including Frugal Living Mom that really tout the joys of spending your money more wisely. But I do think that if you are new to {Read More}

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How to Live Beneath Your Means Sometimes, running out of money before you run out of month isn’t a sign that you don’t have enough money coming in—it’s a sign that you live above your means. How do you know if you’re the type to live above your means? If you have ever gotten a raise and noticed that you run out of money just as quickly as you did before, you probably live above your means. The good news {Read More}

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