mom
Life as a mom of 4
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Fall decor on a budget
Since I am trying to be thrifty this fall, especially for this month of October, I decided to see what I could do to add a little to my fall decor to welcome fall in. I started with the items I already had. My little Target bird and my letter board adorn my mantle. I know sand and seashells are not fall decor but sorry, not sorry, they are a sweet reminder of our summer trip to Spain and France this summer. My buffet table behind the couch displays this fall sign I found last year at Hobby Lobby and a few pumpkins from Target dollar spot (also old). I…
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A day in my life
I always find it interesting to get a glimpse of other people’s life. What do we have in common, what do we do differently? So today I am sharing a typical day in my life. As with travel, vacations and budget, I do like to be organized in my day to day life, so every evening I list what I would like to accomplish the following day such as errands, appointments (we do not have many of those), chores, blog related things as well as foods to make (snacks and dinner). 6:00 Wake up, prep boy #2 and 3 lunches 6:20 Get boy #2 and 3 up, breakfast and to…
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River rafting
One of the things I wanted to do before the weather turns cold is go down the Etowah river with my family. We usually do it a few times a year since one of the drop offs is down the road from our house and it is a fun, free afternoon activity to do as a family. The adventure is a little different every time even though we always do the same stretch of the river. We bought 2 Seahawk 4 rafts last summer on Amazon and haved used them probably 10 times now. It looks like they have gone up in price but we purchased them for $80 each.…
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No spend month: how to be successful
You often see bloggers or Instagrammers mentioning they are doing a no spend or no shopping month. It probably means something slightly different for each individual but this is what it means for me. Mireille’s no spend month Refrain from spending UNECESSARY money: no clothes shopping no fun Amazon shopping no new decor Be thrifty: create budget meals and menu eat in (we actually barely ever eat out unless we are on vacation) make snacks as much as possible Being successful I like to be accountable so I downloaded a calendar app so I can track my spend/no spend days Look at your calendar: what is coming up? Plan accordingly!…
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Lower your bills
After the unhappy surprise of a high water bill (which seems to have been resolved), I was reminded about the need to pay attention to our monthly bills. There are certain things that you can do to lower your utility bills and other bills associated with owning a house. These tips to not including expensive updates to your house such as new insulation, new windows or new AC units which of course can make your house more energy efficient but are costly on the upfront. Trash Depending where you live, you may be able to choose your trash service. That was the case in our old neighborhood: there were 3…
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Don’t break the bank at Christmas!
As the holidays approach, you should start thinking about your plans for the holidays whether it is food or gifts. Some families end up stressing out at Christmas or in its aftermath because of how the cost (emotional or financial) affects their family. I think we should all remember first that Christmas is first about the birth of Christ and that gifts are just a tradition that most of us follow. There should not be excess involved in food nor expenses. You are not going to fully enjoy something if you have a large cost associated with it or if you cannot afford it (whether is is putting on a…
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When an unexpected bill hits you!
Last week, I shared about taking a look at your budget periodically and doing a budget reset. When I posted that post, I was all excited about catching up on my leftover summer bills and feeling really comfortable with October. Then I received a very high water bill on Tuesday and started stressing out about it wondering if the utility company had made a mistake, how I would pay it, etc.. At other times, we have had unexpected bills from doctors or maybe an unplanned outing or vacation. What do you do when something like that threatens to break your budget? Medical bills First off, for anyone who doesn’t know,…
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Why do a budget reset?
A budget reset to me is when I look at my monthly budget of income and bills and make adjustments to the different categories. Some bills alternate between seasons (gas bill is high in winter, electricity bill is high in summer), I may have a new grocery bill goal or there is a change in income. When should you do a budget reset? new job (increase or decrease in pay) loss of job when you realize your budget is not working for you when a recurring payment ends (car payment, medical bill) you want to save more How do you do a budget reset? I have attached a form that…
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Porch makeover
We have a covered porch on the back side of our house which faces the children’s trampoline. It is nice in the fall and spring when the mosquitoes are hibernating. My husband’s grill and smoker stay on the porch because it is about the only spot where the wind doesn’t blow crazy (well, as crazy). My mother in law’s treadmill was there for most of a year but when we put it out to the street, I decided I wanted to make the space cozy but on a small budget. The items I started with were a red bistro set I had bought at Kroger several years back. Behind the…
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Summer in Review
Well, this summer was a summer to remember! We visited several countries, several places in the US and spent some quality time with friends and family. I am actually having a hard time adjusting back to the routine of daily life as I miss my special friends and also miss the places we visited. We made some wonderful memories to cherish and I hope my children remember these summers when they grow up! France and Spain It had been 6 years since we had visited France so we decided this was a good year for that trip since my youngest wasn’t 2 yet and we would save a lot on…