A Better Cash Back Program

Posted on December 2, 2012 by marissa

So, I’ve been doing some research on the cost of diapers and decided that I would organize my findings on blogger. I’ve been doing this for about a month now and have found some great websites in the process of finding the best prices on diapers. Until recently, I had been using Ebates as my preferred cash back website. And, although I still use that website on occasion, I’ve found another cash back website that yields higher cash back (at most of the major retailers.) This has been very beneficial considering the holiday season and the online Christmas shopping I’ve been doing.

Many of the top retailers are on this new cash back website that I use. It’s completely free to join and completely free when you redeem your cash back. You simply search for an online retailer, click the “Get Cashback Now” button, and it will automatically record your visit and purchase. You will then receive a notification via e-mail with information about your cash back. I’ve only been using it since the beginning of November and I’ve already earned $15 cash back. It can really add up over time.

Interested in signing up? Don’t forget, it’s completely free to join and free to redeem your cash back.

Right now, you can get 12% cash back at Drugstore.com. You can also get 6% cash back at Kohls, 5% back at Walmart, and 6% back at Target. There are many many more online retailers to choose from.

In an effort to maintain full disclosure, I would like to inform you that the following banner contains my referral link and I will receive up to $10 when you sign up and you receive cash back for online purchases. If you also love the website, you can also receive $10 for referring your friends and family. I will not receive anything for your referrals. This is NOT a pyramid scheme or scam of any kind. It is a real cash back program that rewards their users with cash back when they shop online through selected online retailers.

If you would like to get cash back for your online purchases, simply click on the banner below or go to TopCashBack.com.

Win Free Diapers for a Year!

Posted on October 24, 2012 by marissa

CLICK THE DIAPERS TO ENTER!

Save on Diapers, Entertainment, and More + Free Shipping

Posted on October 23, 2012 by marissa

I spent almost the entire day searching for the best deal on diapers. Right now, my two youngest are in diapers. So, we could really benefit from getting the best deal on diapers possible. I didn’t want to find just any one-time deal. I wanted to find the lowest price per diaper, and I wanted to get free shipping. And, by ordering online, we will also be saving time and money on gas.

As I started my search, I found the obvious choice. I didn’t even have to finish the chart I started!

*UPDATE 12/04/2012 – I have finished my chart and also made a few more charts! I had so much data that I decided to start another blog devoted to saving money on diapers. If you’d like to follow this blog, please go to www.Diapers-Check.com.

Incomplete Diaper Price Chart

In the end, I signed up for Amazon Prime with Amazon Mom. Amazon Prime is $79/yr, which comes to about $6.50/month. Amazon Prime includes instant video, a 5% discount on products including diapers, free shipping, and a free Kindle book each month. So, instead of keeping our Netflix account open for about $8.50/month, we can get the same thing through Amazon Prime for $6.50. This gives us a discount on entertainment, select products including diapers, AND we get free shipping! Plus, signing up for Amazon Mom is totally free and gives you an additional 20% off diapers!

Once the final calculations were done on size 3 diapers, it came to 0.17/Huggies Diaper, 0.17/Pampers Diaper, and an amazing 0.13/LUVS Diaper! Deals on Chemical Free diapers included 0.23/Seventh Generation Diaper, 0.23/Huggies Pure & Natural Diaper, and 0.24/Earth’s Best Diaper.

So, you just pick your preferred diaper brand and sign up to get a box shipped to you every month or every 2 months depending on the quantity in each box of diapers. I was surprised how easy it was.

A Poem About Money

Posted on September 26, 2012 by marissa

My husband wrote this poem years ago when I was going through a poetry phase. It’s a little silly in some parts but has an overall great lesson to be learned. I hope you enjoy it.

A Poem About Money

I’m looking at a penny sitting lonesome on the street

And I can’t help but think of how it reminds me

That if I were to pick it up and receive it as my own

No one would care

They may wonder why…

So I’d tell them a story of when I was a kid

How I lived on the street and my home had a lid

Where the sound of a car horn was my ambient noise

And I had hypodermic needles to play with for toys

When it rained I’d get wet, when it snowed I’d be cold

And the corner of Concord and 1st is where I thought I’d grow old

People ignored me and counted my worth

Just like the pennies which had fallen to earth

So I collected each one to make as a friend

And before I knew it, one became ten

As I saved that small ten, I still found more

And in just a few short years, I had ten thousand in store

I became quite well known to entertain a laugh or two if you threw me some change

In their arrogance they chuckled that I would scurry to obtain

Money so worthless they were glad to throw away

And just as my pennies grew in numbers so fast

So did the people who would throw change for a laugh

When I was a few years older, I had saved quite a bit

So I bought the small store on the corner where I would sit

I really only bought it cause I knew it so well

I didn’t have much of anything that I could sell

Well I rented it out for the right market cost

And I changed just like that from servant to boss

Then I learned from a paper that I found on the road

That a bank would lend me money, in lieu of the store that I owned

Then a man that I knew cause I saw him every day

Who owned the building that was down the street a little way

He told me of how he wanted to sell

So I said, “Sure! I’ll buy your hotel!”

The street that I grew up on, I now own every store

And my purse at the bank just grows more and more

Now the very same people who found humor in my want

Now pay me rent on the first of every month

Although a penny by itself is rather worthless indeed

When put into a person’s hand, it’s potential is freed

Author: Jesse Lee

How We Made Extra Money Using Craigslist, Ebay, and Rummage Sales

Posted on August 21, 2012 by marissa

I love looking on Craigslist at what people in my area are selling or trying to barter. It can be a great place to find stuff you need, sell stuff that you don’t need, or resell something to make extra money. Sometimes you can even find some good stuff for free that you can sell to make extra money! This weekend, I will be listing a bunch of our stuff on Craigslist to make extra money. We’re hoping to get enough money to replenish our emergency fund after we cleaned it out to buy a used van (more about that later.)

I would normally blog about Frugality on Fridays, but I’ve decided to combine topics today. Topics will include Frugality, Fitness, and Fun. And, they will all relate to making extra money with Craigslist somehow. So, here we go…

Frugality

Make extra money by listing things you don’t need anymore on Craigslist. Easy, right? Just look around your house, take some pictures of the things you don’t need anymore, and post it on Craigslist for free! Then, just wait for someone to call you, pay you, and pick it up. And, if there’s no one in your area that wants it, there’s sure to be someone out there in eBay Land that wants it. We actually tried selling a Limited Edition Harley Davidson Leather Jacket on Craigslist, had someone come take a look at it, and they passed it up for $300. Then, we listed it on eBay with a starting bid of $0.99 with no reserve. The winning bidder paid $600! So, we made twice as much money by listing it on eBay.
Save money when you purchase things on Craigslist. Make sure you don’t pay the asking price by offering to pay cash at a lower price. We bought our used mini van off of Craigslist just yesterday. We offered them cash if they would knock off $600. They agreed and we are now the proud owners of a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country that we paid only $2800 for. Many people are more than willing to negotiate and come down on their asking price. Just have the courage to ask and bring cash if you can.
Have a Rummage Sale and list it on Craigslist! Some of my family will be having a rummage sale this weekend and I was more than willing to put an ad on Craiglist for them. Why wouldn’t you put your rummage sale on Craigslist? It’s free advertising! Of course you’re going to list your rummage sale on Craigslist when it’s free! Who’s going to pass up free advertising?

Fitness

So, I purchased a Malibu Pilates Chair with 3 Workout DVDs from a woman off of Craigslist for only $25! It was still in the box! Everything was still in the packaging. It retails for around $500! It will give you a great workout if you have a little extra space. Sadly, I found that we don’t have a little extra space. At least not any usable space. Having 4 small children doesn’t really allow for personal space other than our bedroom. If I were to set the chair up (which I did by the way) in my living room, my kids would think I had bought a jungle gym for them to play on in the house (which they did by the way.) My two year old especially couldn’t keep his hands off of it. So, back in the box it will go. I’m still debating whether I should keep it or sell it and make some money off it. I’m leaning toward selling it to make some extra money.
The Malibu Pilates Chair is a great exercise tool and would be great to have if I had my own workout room. I’ve discovered, though, that I really only need a couple of 3 pound weights and an exercise mat to get a good workout. I’m thinking that I’ll try making a couple hundred dollars off of the Malibu Pilates Chair and put that money toward my healthy food plan. What is my healthy food plan you ask? It’s simply that, a plan to eat healthy. I plan… to eat healthy! But, healthy food costs a lot more than empty calories. So, we just have to make it a priority to eat healthy. Which means, any money we can spare will go toward healthy eating. It’s a work in progress. Just put some of that “extra money” toward buying some cook books with gluten free and sugar free recipes. I made the gluten free/sugar free chicken fingers last night and they were AWESOME!

FUN!

Isn’t it fun to go to rummage sales? I just love looking through all of the junk until something catches my eye. My husband and I mostly go looking for things that we can purchase for less than $50 and sell for over $100. We did make a large purchase one time, though. My husband found a Vintage Slingerland Drum Kit and paid $300 for it. We turned around and sold it for $800. That was the most we’ve ever made on a resale item. And, the whole experience of buying it and finding out how much it was really worth was a lot of FUN! It’s such a thrill!
When finding things on Craigslist, at rummage sales, and at thrift stores, it’s not really about making money. Making extra money is a nice outcome. But, for me, it’s mostly about FUN! It’s fun to hunt for treasure!
Want to read some Mindless Banter about Rummage Sales? Check out my husband’s blog post. You’ll either laugh until you cry or be completely dumbfounded.

Overwhelmed By Food

Posted on August 16, 2012 by marissa

I’ve been a little overwhelmed by food lately. It’s just that there is so much that goes into meal planning. I’m sure I don’t need to tell the average homemaker that.

Every week, I go through the same routine.

Find recipes for the week based on our health needs and budget
(What should my budget be?)
Go through pantry, fridge, and freezer to see what needs to be restocked
Make a shopping list based on the recipes and restocking needs
Find any coupons I may be able to use
Find time to go to the grocery store without the kids having to tag along
Go to the grocery store and resist impulse buying (avoid bakery at all costs!)
Try to be as frugal as possible without sacrificing the health of our family
Don’t forget main ingredients! Get EVERYTHING on your list!
Get home and unload groceries (freezer items first) without getting distracted by the kids
Make the next meal of the day and prepare meals ahead of time if possible

This gets to be pretty overwhelming every week. I suppose some people have meal planning and grocery shopping down to a science. I’m not one of those people! I would say there are three categories of grocery shoppers that people fall into.

Category #1: The Budget Busters

These grocery shoppers are the type that don’t do any planning. They look around the kitchen a while before going to the grocery store. Once they are there, they proceed to put whatever looks good into their grocery cart. ” Hmmmm, I think this $10 jar of almost butter looks good. I think I’ll get that! Oooo, and that! And, I could do something with that!” Before they know it, they’ve got a grocery cart full of condiments and they’ve gone way over their budget. And, they almost always run out of meals before the week is over.

Category #2: The Mindful Mommies

These grocery shopping mommies will do their best to find food that’s healthy AND on sale! If they can get something that’s healthy AND low-cost, then they’ve “done what they came to do.” Mission accomplished! Planning healthy meals and staying within the monthly budget are a mindful mommy’s constant companions. She eats, sleeps,and… well, eats her mission to have healthy, low-cost food in her home every week.

Category #3: The Crazy Coupon Crew

These Coupon Crazies are Crazy about Coupons! All they care about is spending the least amount of money possible. No time to worry about whether or not that bag of potato chips is healthy or not. ” If there is a coupon for it and it’s a double coupon day, then I’m buying it! After all… food is food, right? Gotta make sure we stay UNDER budget!” So, they spend all of their time clipping coupons instead of planning meals. And, when the shopping is all done, they’ve got a pantry full of processed food and a rather empty fridge.

Want to know how I came up with those categories? They’re ALL Me! I’ve been to both extremes. I’ve been that Budget Buster who goes down every isle and searches for anything that catches my eye. I’ve been part of the Crazy Coupon Crew and only cared about dollars and cents. And, now, I’m starting to settle into the middle category where I should be at this point in my life. I’m a Mindful Mommy with 4 beautiful children and a great husband to think about. It’s a little overwhelming at times, but I know it’s worth it. As long as my family is eating healthy and our finances aren’t suffering, I will feel confident in saying, “Mission Complete!”

10 Best Apps for Homeschooling: Early Education (Pre-K, K5, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, and 3rd Grade)

Posted on July 25, 2012 by marissa

The iPad and iPod have been instrumental in educating our young daughters. They use the iPad almost every day to learn and play. Our oldest daughter, who is 7 now, has been using the iPad and iPod for homeschooling since she was 3. Our youngest daughter, now 4 yrs old, also uses the iPad and iPod for homeschooling. I’ve found that my oldest daughter has excelled through this type of interactive learning. She has a very “hands on” personality and enjoys learning more when she can interact with it. On the other hand, my youngest daughter has been doing well with, and enjoying, her workbooks. But, she has also come to love the educational apps we have gotten for her on the iPad and iPod. Every day there are new, fun children’s educational apps introduced for the iPad and the iPod/iPhone.

We believe that the use of tablets, such as the iPad, in schools and for education will increase exponentially as our children get older. We would be doing them a disservice if we did not teach them the latest technology. The iPad and the iPod have ushered in a new form of homeschooling. It’s a form of homeschooling that is more efficient and more fun! As a parent, I’m always looking for the best ways to educate my children. With the iPad, I feel confident I’ve found the best tool for teaching my children at home.

My 4 yr old with the iPad

10 Quality Educational Apps We Use for Home Schooling and for Fun

TeachMe: Toddler, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade
These educational apps are by far my favorite homeschooling apps for the iPad and iPod! They’re only $0.99 each and my children love them! They are fun, educational, and super easy to navigate. You can also change settings and add/delete users quickly. I love that I can just hand the iPad or iPod to my girls and they can navigate through each app easily with little to no help from me. I can not say enough good things about these apps. They are wonderful!
PBS Kids Video
This is the best free app for early educational videos on the iPad and the iPod. I love that my 2 and 4 yr old can watch Curious George, Sesame Street/Elmo, and Cat in the Hat for free without being subjected to advertisements. We also have Netflix, but I would rather have them watching only educational videos. PBS Kids Video is easy to navigate and I feel comfortable letting them use the app unsupervised. My 7 yr old also likes this app. She watches Arthur, Word Girl, and some of the other educational shows on PBS Kids Video for iPad and iPod.
BrainPop Jr and BrainPop
The BrainPop Jr and BrainPop Featured Movie are free educational video apps that add just a little extra knowledge to our weekly routine. These apps offer 1 free video and quiz each week, but you can upgrade at any time in order to view more videos and take the quizzes that go with them. (WARNING: The videos available through this app may teach the theory of evolution and may need to be monitored by young earth creationist parents and others apposed to the theory of evolution.)
Kids Reading Comprehension: Level 1 and Level 2
These reading comprehension apps are a great choice for any child that is ready to read on their own. My 7 yr old has gone through Level 1 and is now going through Level 2. I love these apps because they aren’t only teaching reading comprehension. Each Level is filled with short, educational reads that contain photos and illustrations.
Monkey Preschool Apps
Monkey Preschool Lunchbox and Monkey Math School Sunshine are great apps for 3 and 4 yr olds. My 4 yr old daughter has lots of fun just playing with them. The fact that they are educational is just a bonus. The 99 cent price tag is great too!
ABC Pocket Phonics
When it comes to learning how to read and write, this app is a great option. It is great for that extra practice time that is often needed, but not always wanted by you know who. My girls never had a problem sitting down with this app and using the “magic pen” with the iPad. It’s a great addition to our Reading/Writing time and a welcome tool for homeschooling. The full version of this app is $2.99 and well worth it. A great find!
Stack the States and Stack the Countries
If you’re looking to get your youngster started on geography, then these are a great way to get them excited about it. These geography apps for kids are colorful, cute, and fun. Stack the States is only $0.99 and you can get Stack the Countries for just a dollar more.
Telling Time
A wonderfully customizable teaching tool for learning how to tell time. I can start my youngest homeschooler out with the simple hourly and half past analog recognition. After those are mastered, I’ll just switch on the quarter past analog recognition and move forward from there. A very clean and comfortable app. Love it! $0.99 for an app you can grow with. The developer has many other apps I would like to try soon. If you’d like to check them out, the website is www.grasshopperapps.com.
MindSnacks: Learn French, German, Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and English
After going through a French immersion week, my 7 yr old was delighted with these free language apps. Although the first level is the only free part, it’s enough for a beginner to start off with. We may choose to upgrade once she has the counting down.
Nth Fusion Apps
The app that my daughter is using right now is the Geometry 4 Kids app. It teaches geometry basics in a clear and easily understandable manor. I’m excited to try out all of the other early education apps by this developer. I will definitely be getting the Book Report app and the Body Organs app.

We Have Grass!

Posted on June 22, 2012 by marissa

We recently had to install a new lawn after destroying it last year while waterproofing our basement. We had to excavate around the foundation of our house, and the machines we used completely destroyed our lawn. So, we set out to do some landscaping this spring. And, we’re starting to see green grass!!!!

Here are some pictures of the lawn install progress…

Front Before

Front Corner Before

Back Before

Front in Progress

Side in Progress

Back in Progress

Front with Grass!

Back with Grass!

More to come Next Spring! We are planning to save up a good amount of money to put some bushes, plants, and maybe a couple trees in next spring. This install was about $2000 in labor and another $1000 in materials. That is not including what we did with the perimeter. Home improvements definitely aren’t cheep!

Our next project will be to add a couple of rooms in the basement. Hopefully, we will have the time and money to do that this winter. It’s getting a little cramped in our 1100 square ft house with four children!

And the Winner is…

Posted on June 19, 2012 by marissa

Dean O. from Kirkland, WA, is our winner of two free bestselling Christian books! Dean will receive his free books, “Sacred Marriage” and “Sacred Parenting,” for winning our blog contest for the month of June. We will start another contest shortly, so subscribe to our blog posts to stay in the loop!

Great Gifts for Dad!

Posted on June 6, 2012 by marissa

Time is almost up if you want to enter our free drawing for two free bestselling Christian books, “Sacred Marriage” and “Sacred Parenting.”

They would make great gifts for Dad! Get it before Father’s Day by ordering now! Or, enter our contest for a chance to get these inspiring books absolutely free!

CLICK HERE to find out more and enter our free contest, or just fill out the form below and submit!

*Contest ends June 15th

Family Financial Fun Blog

Family, Finances, Faith, Food, Frugality, Fitness, and Fun!

Category Archives: Frugality

A Better Cash Back Program

Win Free Diapers for a Year!

A Poem About Money

A Poem About Money

How We Made Extra Money Using Craigslist, Ebay, and Rummage Sales

Frugality

Fitness

FUN!

Overwhelmed By Food

10 Best Apps for Homeschooling: Early Education (Pre-K, K5, 1st Grade, 2nd Grade, and 3rd Grade)

10 Quality Educational Apps We Use for Home Schooling and for Fun

We Have Grass!

And the Winner is…

Great Gifts for Dad!