I feel discouraged, I feel down. Today I got impatient. In order for me to make this transition to be a stay at home Mom there are alot of changes that we have to make....mainly financially, I guess. We have to get to the point where I can afford to stay home. It's depressing at times. When I know things are going to change, I want change then, but I know that good things come to those who wait.
I talked to my husband about it and he pointed out all of the wonderful changes we've made so far. We've planned things out so that the transition will be in stages, so to speak. Right now I'd say I'm in stage 2 of.......6ish. Hey it could be worse...I mean I could be in stage -1 of 15 or 16 even!
Anyhow, it's not easy, but I'm determined. Determined to make our life happier (debt free in the process) and fuller! I've set my mind to it and it can be done, it just takes time.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Free Download Heaven
I just can't keep a good deal all bottled up in inside! This isn't a giveaway/freebie blog, but if I run across something that makes my life easier and a little more exciting in this journey of cutbacks and cutouts I have to spill the beans and share.
So remember, I told you I made the hubs cut back on the music downloads, right? Well I was searching around online and I came across a free song download on Amazon. I went and checked it out and it was pretty good, so I downloaded it.
Well when I was looking at it, it showed what other customers who downloaded that, also purchased. I checked some of them out and they were mostly full albums, ALL FREE! Most were put out by record companies - promoting their artists.
I love indie music. Music that isn't on everyone's iPod, music that is artistic and full of emotion....ahhh I heart it! So anyways most of these are indie labels, so Momma was in FREE download indie heaven!
Merge Records Digital Sampler was one of the ones I downloaded.
It has a few more popular groups on there. When I say popular I'm not talking about Miley Cyrus or Nickelback....ugh I can't believe I just reference Nickelback on my blog...gag. Anyhow, when your on the Merge download, look on down the page where it says: 'Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought' and there are tons of free albums!
Now go getcha download on!
So remember, I told you I made the hubs cut back on the music downloads, right? Well I was searching around online and I came across a free song download on Amazon. I went and checked it out and it was pretty good, so I downloaded it.
Well when I was looking at it, it showed what other customers who downloaded that, also purchased. I checked some of them out and they were mostly full albums, ALL FREE! Most were put out by record companies - promoting their artists.
I love indie music. Music that isn't on everyone's iPod, music that is artistic and full of emotion....ahhh I heart it! So anyways most of these are indie labels, so Momma was in FREE download indie heaven!
Merge Records Digital Sampler was one of the ones I downloaded.
Click here to get your Merge Digital Sampler!
It has a few more popular groups on there. When I say popular I'm not talking about Miley Cyrus or Nickelback....ugh I can't believe I just reference Nickelback on my blog...gag. Anyhow, when your on the Merge download, look on down the page where it says: 'Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought' and there are tons of free albums!
Now go getcha download on!
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Let the cutbacks begin...
Well I'm a couple of weeks in and things are moving along nicely. So far we've made some good changes. We've cut back some things we didn't really need, like...... eating out and my tanning package (spray tanning...gave up the beds a while ago...Momma doesn't need anymore help getting wrinkles!)
Oh and the hubs cut his online music purchases in half...so nice of him. He's a musician so it was kinda like his dog died the day he did it, but he got over it!
I also have cut back on the grocery bill and I saved a ton on diapers this month by using the Amazon deal.
So far we're at about $600 in savings for the month. I hope we can keep it up. I've been looking around and making friends with coupon moms and frugal tip moms. The blogs like this are endless. There are tons of tips out there just waiting to be discovered. It's really been fun so far and I haven't missed any of the things I've cut. Now don't get me wrong I don't want to be the crazy frugal family that chooses to live in their camper, eats nothing but Ramen noodles and can't flush the toilet with just tinkle in it! I want a nice balance.
So that's where I am. I'm going to keep trucking along and making this thing a reality! Before you know it I'm gonna be knocked up, doing crafts with baby boy, while cooking dinner in my spotless house...can't wait.
Oh and the hubs cut his online music purchases in half...so nice of him. He's a musician so it was kinda like his dog died the day he did it, but he got over it!
I also have cut back on the grocery bill and I saved a ton on diapers this month by using the Amazon deal.
So far we're at about $600 in savings for the month. I hope we can keep it up. I've been looking around and making friends with coupon moms and frugal tip moms. The blogs like this are endless. There are tons of tips out there just waiting to be discovered. It's really been fun so far and I haven't missed any of the things I've cut. Now don't get me wrong I don't want to be the crazy frugal family that chooses to live in their camper, eats nothing but Ramen noodles and can't flush the toilet with just tinkle in it! I want a nice balance.
So that's where I am. I'm going to keep trucking along and making this thing a reality! Before you know it I'm gonna be knocked up, doing crafts with baby boy, while cooking dinner in my spotless house...can't wait.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Free Personalized Memo Pad with Free Shipping!
ArtsCow is an online printing site that is offering a FREE customized/personalized memo pad with FREE shipping! Such a great deal! They offer 20,000 per day through September 05, 2010.
Here's the one I made and ordered:
-'Like' them on Facebook by clicking here.
-Once you like them you be give a code on ArtsCow.com, you simply use this code at checkout after you customized your super cute memo pad!
I had to share...hope everyone enjoys!
Monday, August 23, 2010
Amazon Diaper Savings!
I'm sure all of you have heard about the Amazon diaper savings by now, but if not let me fill you in.
Amazon is running a special on diapers through their 'Subscribe and Save' program. When you sign up for Subscribe and Save, through the end of August you'll receive 30% off + free shipping!
You can also use 20% off coupons that are in Parenting and Parents magazines for the August and September issues. Now the part that makes you want to dance......you can combine more than one of these coupons!
I happened to have August's and September's issues of Parenting and August's issue of Parents - so I had three 20% off coupons and it let me use them ALL + the 30% off and free shipping!
Here's how it went down:
Original Cost of Pampers (156 Count): $ 40.00
30% Off (Sub/Save): - 12.00
20% Off (Parenting Aug) - 8.00
20% Off (Parenting Sept) - 8.00
20% Off (Parents Aug) - 8.00
+ FREE Shipping! 0.00
TOTAL $ 4.00!!
156 Pampers Max Dry diapers were at my door step in 2 days! I was ecstatic!
The 'Subscribe and Save' program is just an automatic shipment thing that you can unsubscribe to at anytime. After I got my shipment I went in and unsubscribed and got a confirmation within minutes.
$4 bucks and I'm set.........well until my child blows through these and I'm back to square one! But hey I'm good for now!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
No more eating out!
Ahh, it feels good to be working towards a goal!
So since this was my first official week of this process, the hubs and I have made some changes.
The first thing we cut out was eating out. We didn't spend 1 cent on eating out this week and it feels good! I cooked all of our meals. For about the past month, we had already been trying to cut back on eating out, but I pulled the check register and added it up and in the past 30 days we had spent $469 eating out! Who knew!! I was shocked. So it's cut -- completely cut out!
I was actually home some this week because my sweet baby was sick, so I had a little extra time that I normally don't. I took the opportunity to make some meals to freeze for the trying moments when I want to say.....
'I really don't want to cook...want to order pizza?'
So I made a homemade Brunswick Stew..YUM! (I'll list the recipe at the bottom.) The ingredients only cost me $14.70 and it made 3 gallon freezer bags!
That's less than $5.00/night! I'm super excited. Things like this are little changes that I want to make.
We've also set a strict budget for groceries. No more buying junk like drinks or magazines at the check out. I'm going to make a list, shop the sales, use coupons and stick with it - no veering! So far, so good. When I want to be lazy or cave I just think about the goal that I'm working towards and it motivates me. To be able to stay home with my baby is more important then spending $200 at Walmart. It's calming in a way....
Brunswick Stew Recipe:
1 lb roast beef
1 small whole fryer chicken (or bone in breast = to about 1 - 1/2 lbs.)
1 onion
1 green bell pepper
1 lb potatoes
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can english peas
1 can corn
1 can creamed corn
1/4 cup brown sugar
dash of worcestershire (I used a BIG dash)
Hot sauce, Salt, Pepper to your liking
Bake roast and chicken until fully cooked. Cut up meat and add to about 6 cups of water, boil to pieces. Cut up potatoes, add to pot and cook until nearly soft. Cut up onion and bell pepper, add to pot. Add all 6 cans of vegetables, along with brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 30-45 mins.
If you're going to freeze, let it cool before adding to freezer bags, otherwise you might have a hot mess!
When you're ready to enjoy, just heat it up in a big ol' pot!
So since this was my first official week of this process, the hubs and I have made some changes.
The first thing we cut out was eating out. We didn't spend 1 cent on eating out this week and it feels good! I cooked all of our meals. For about the past month, we had already been trying to cut back on eating out, but I pulled the check register and added it up and in the past 30 days we had spent $469 eating out! Who knew!! I was shocked. So it's cut -- completely cut out!
I was actually home some this week because my sweet baby was sick, so I had a little extra time that I normally don't. I took the opportunity to make some meals to freeze for the trying moments when I want to say.....
'I really don't want to cook...want to order pizza?'
So I made a homemade Brunswick Stew..YUM! (I'll list the recipe at the bottom.) The ingredients only cost me $14.70 and it made 3 gallon freezer bags!
We've also set a strict budget for groceries. No more buying junk like drinks or magazines at the check out. I'm going to make a list, shop the sales, use coupons and stick with it - no veering! So far, so good. When I want to be lazy or cave I just think about the goal that I'm working towards and it motivates me. To be able to stay home with my baby is more important then spending $200 at Walmart. It's calming in a way....
Brunswick Stew Recipe:
1 lb roast beef
1 small whole fryer chicken (or bone in breast = to about 1 - 1/2 lbs.)
1 onion
1 green bell pepper
1 lb potatoes
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato sauce
1 can english peas
1 can corn
1 can creamed corn
1/4 cup brown sugar
dash of worcestershire (I used a BIG dash)
Hot sauce, Salt, Pepper to your liking
Bake roast and chicken until fully cooked. Cut up meat and add to about 6 cups of water, boil to pieces. Cut up potatoes, add to pot and cook until nearly soft. Cut up onion and bell pepper, add to pot. Add all 6 cans of vegetables, along with brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer for about 30-45 mins.
If you're going to freeze, let it cool before adding to freezer bags, otherwise you might have a hot mess!
When you're ready to enjoy, just heat it up in a big ol' pot!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
In the beginning...
So I created my super cute Mommy blog. I've been blankly staring at 'No Posts' for over a week now. I'm terribly nervous yet anxious all at the same time to get this process started. So today is the official start of my journey from full time working Momma to super happy, fun, crafty, love myself stay-at-home Momma! YAY!
I've been pondering this dream for a while now. I have been married to my soul mate for 8 years (wow!) and we have an 18 month old baby boy with ridiculously gorgeous blue eyes. I have always worked full time. I have a Bachelors degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and that's okay but for sometime now I've been wanting more. I went back to school and got my real estate license thinking that I was going to conquer the world, but it just wasn't there. My job is good, I don't dread work, I just long to be home with my child - playing with him, teaching him things, making dinner for Daddy, doing projects around the house. So for sometime now I've been searching for my passion. What is going to make my happy. I want to create a life that is full of happiness, love and quality time spent together for my family. I don't want to work forever to pay for frivolous things that in the end don't matter.
I had - as much as I loathe this phrase - my 'ah-ha' moment: I want to be a stay-at-home Mommy!
I want to be the CEO of our cozy little home. I talked with my husband and he fully supports my decision and we both couldn't be happier. Now the hard part....we use nearly every dollar I make on a monthly basis so how on earth am I going to be able to make this dream a reality? We realized we're going to have to make some serious changes. We're going to cut back, cut unnecessary things out, make things stretch, and I'm going to try and find other avenues for income other than a typical 8-5 job. I have made the commitment that I don't want to be a slave to my job and bills and I'm going to make the necessary changes so that I don't have to be. I'm going to try it all on this journey and I'm going to share it all. I know I can succeed at this and I want to shout it from the mountain tops so that other moms can do the same.
Let's go....
I've been pondering this dream for a while now. I have been married to my soul mate for 8 years (wow!) and we have an 18 month old baby boy with ridiculously gorgeous blue eyes. I have always worked full time. I have a Bachelors degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and that's okay but for sometime now I've been wanting more. I went back to school and got my real estate license thinking that I was going to conquer the world, but it just wasn't there. My job is good, I don't dread work, I just long to be home with my child - playing with him, teaching him things, making dinner for Daddy, doing projects around the house. So for sometime now I've been searching for my passion. What is going to make my happy. I want to create a life that is full of happiness, love and quality time spent together for my family. I don't want to work forever to pay for frivolous things that in the end don't matter.
I had - as much as I loathe this phrase - my 'ah-ha' moment: I want to be a stay-at-home Mommy!
I want to be the CEO of our cozy little home. I talked with my husband and he fully supports my decision and we both couldn't be happier. Now the hard part....we use nearly every dollar I make on a monthly basis so how on earth am I going to be able to make this dream a reality? We realized we're going to have to make some serious changes. We're going to cut back, cut unnecessary things out, make things stretch, and I'm going to try and find other avenues for income other than a typical 8-5 job. I have made the commitment that I don't want to be a slave to my job and bills and I'm going to make the necessary changes so that I don't have to be. I'm going to try it all on this journey and I'm going to share it all. I know I can succeed at this and I want to shout it from the mountain tops so that other moms can do the same.
Let's go....
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