Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Six ways to Spend Less
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
I've shared a lot about our budget cuts since I became a stay at home mom. People always ask me how I go without spending tons on new clothes, eating out as much, or having a car. I've shared a lot of the why, but not the how that makes it possible! Having a WHY you're doing something is the only way to stick to it, but there has to be a HOW to make it happen.
So to refresh your memory about some of our major budget cuts, read Budget Cuts to Become a SAHM!
1. Remind Yourself WHY
If you're struggling to manage your spending, remind yourself why you need to. WRITE down your why. If I write something down, it is ingrained in my mind way more than if I think or say it. Every time you want to spend on something you don't need, remind yourself why you shouldn't
2. Use Cash Only
This means you have to SAVE up the money for purchases. If we buy something online then we deposit the cash back into our checking account to pay for it.
3. Delete your Amazon app
If you are an amazonaholic, and constantly take advantage of that prime shipping (cough cough daniel) then delete the app. That simple. If you have to take the extra step to log into your account to order something, it gives you a moment to consider if you really need it.
4. Stay Home
We spend 100% more money when we go out than staying home. We end up eating out, buying new clothes, or spending it on entertainment. On months when we are completely out of our miscellaneous budget, then we are staying home. This is super hard for my husband who isn't a homebody like me.
5. Don't Click the Ads or Online Shop
If you know you are trying to save money, why torture yourself by heading to Nordstrom's website for that sale. Just because its on sale doesn't mean you need it. I promise it will go on sale again.
6. Unfollow Influencers That Encourage You To Spend Money
This isn't something I've done because I personally don't feel pressured to buy those $200 Madewell jeans, but lots of people do. I follow fashion bloggers for outfit inspiration that I can use clothes I already have for. If you see a top on liketoknowit you have to have, and end up buying something new every week then you should probably unfollow that person for a little while.
Even if you're a SAHM like me, not bringing in a huge income, you still have a major impact on the finances of your family. You can use that influence to set your family up for success, or impact your budget negatively. We've been there. We've spent too much, saved too little, and wasted lots of money. I promise you can live even more happily with much less.
xoxo,
kelsey
Enjoying the Christmas Season
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
Daniel and I have been talking a lot about how to really enjoy the holidays, and not just feel like we’re surviving them. It’s hard to put your finger on exactly where the excitement turns to anxiety, and the fun plans turn into burdens. It’s probably different for everyone, but for us the overwhelming feeling happens when we start overspending and over committing. We can’t buy it all, and we can’t do it all, but every year we try. This year we are trying to take it slow, start a few traditions and make lasting memories as a family of three.
The best way to simplify Christmas as a family is to prioritize what’s important to you and see what activities coincide with that. For us Christmas is about making memories as a family, and celebrating the birth of Jesus. We simply aren’t prioritizing the obligations that hinder our joy. It doesn’t mean we won’t do them, but it means we won’t stress if we don’t. They aren’t requirements for December, they don’t have to be done, and when some of them inevitably don’t work out we are okay!
For every event, tradition, and obligation, I have to consider does this help my family make memories, and celebrate the birth of Jesus?
Gifting
Christmas shopping is so stressful without a plan. Parts of gift giving definitely help make memories, and hopefully through giving we are able to celebrate the gift of Jesus. In years past we’ve basically just bought whatever we wanted for each person or gift exchange. While I love gifting, it has hit our credit card hard at Christmas. Luckily, using our credit card is a thing of the past so we had to actually have the cash for each purchase this year. That required saving, budgeting, and shopping smart. Don’t think we are Scrooge’s, we LOVE giving gifts, Daniel especially. He’s pretty much the most generous person on earth, besides my mom. We just can’t afford to go overboard anymore, and hopefully it’ll teach our kiddos about being generous with your time and love even when you don’t have any money.
Set an overall budget, based on how much you’ve saved or allocated out of your paycheck for Christmas. Make a list of every person you are buying a gift for. Choose an amount for each gift, based on the overall budget. Kids gifts are the best place to cut costs because there are so many cousins in most families that if you’re spending $30 per person, it really adds up! Also, kids don’t realize the value of something, especially if you picked it out based on their interests.
If gift giving is a major stress on your heart and wallet then take a step back and see why. Are you giving gifts because it’s an expectation? Are you spending too much? If your reasons for giving gifts don’t align with your priorities then it’s going to cause anxiety and frustration.
Christmas Parties
We love our friends and family, but there are so many of them. I never understood the stress of family get togethers until we got married and suddenly had five different Christmas parties! Our families aren’t even divorced, but we still see extended family so they take up almost every weekend of December. The only ones we HAVE to be at are immediate family, that’s who we want to make memories with and spend time with. With just one baby, we are still able to go to ALL the family Christmas parties, but eventually we won’t attend every year.
Church Events
There are so many amazing opportunities to serve during the holidays, but remember that serving your family comes first. When Daniel and I were single we spent hours a week volunteering, and when we had no kids we were able to as well. Now I completely understand why most volunteers are empty nesters, and singles. God has given parents a very specific and demanding task to serve their families. Don’t feel guilty about not being able to hand out Christmas dinners, be an usher at church, or volunteer in the nursery. If your kids are older, YES DO THOSE THINGS TOGETHER, but with an infant we just can’t. In this season, church is a place for rest and recharging. Yes we will still be involved with our life group and a part of Bible study, but we aren’t going to pile on the extra holiday volunteering that Christians feel pressured to do.
Giving and Serving
Loving others is such a beautiful part of Christmas, and can be done without signing up for ten different church events. I’ve been brainstorming ways to serve and give without over committing. A really simple way to love on your friends and family is with $5 Starbucks gift cards. You can text them straight to them if you have the app, and it is the easiest way to spread some joy. Especially for those teacher friends. If money is tight, think about what you can make! I made little Christmas cookie mix in a jar a few years ago that was really inexpensive but the perfect gift for neighbors or coworkers. Another way to serve is asking if there’s any “homework” you could do for a teacher or your church. I promise that your kids teacher has a million things to cut out, laminate, staple, and grade. Ask what you can help with!! My church even offered me a little diy take home crafting project for Christmas decorations. It was so great to be able to serve during Sawyer’s naptime. Don’t let service or expensive gifting cause you stress. Do what you can, when you can, how you can.
Take Aways
Before the season gets away from us let’s slow down and consider our priorities. If we don’t, we are sure to get caught up in the Christmas consumer culture that will leave us empty!
1. What are your priorities this Christmas?
2. How can you slow down, and focus on what matters to you
3. What obligations, burdens, and traditions can you rid yourself of to really focus on your priorities?
If you’re married, talk to your husband about what he thinks Christmas is about and how you can work together to create a home that reflects your values. If you’re single, consider how you can foster relationships with family and friends that encourage your priorities. Jesus is all about relationship. He became flesh and dwelt among us. Let’s celebrate his incarnation through the entire holiday season!
Christmas Gift Giving Tradition
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Sawyer’s first Christmas! This is a pretty momentous Christmas for our family because it marks a transition. We are moving from our sweet married couple Christmas traditions to sharing our love for the season with children. Let’s be real, Christmas is about the kids. I don’t mean that in the traditional sense of but your children twenty presents, and hope they eventually understand the meaning of Christmas. Christmas is one of those yearly opportunities to imprint the beauty of the Gospel onto our children! The whole world is celebrating the birth of our savior even though many don’t even realize or acknowledge that aspect. Christmas is something we all remember from our childhood because life is made up of moment that shaped us. Daniel and I want Christmas to shape our children’s faith, and I’m almost certain that the least important aspect of that is presents.
We’ve decided from the start our kids will only get five gifts plus their stockings. I’ve always loved the tradition something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read, and something to give! This guarantees that our kids aren’t only expecting new toys, but shows them that the simplest things, like a winter coat, is truly a gift!
The main reason is that the anticipation of Christmas is about the birth of Jesus. Getting gifts can enhance that excitement, but it shouldn’t be dependent upon the gifts. I do love that gifts are a physical example of Jesus being the most precious gift to us. I long to explain to them that their toys are gifts that are temporary, but the gift of Jesus is eternal!
Another reason is that we aren’t going into debt over Christmas presents. Christmas is not an unexpected expense. It happens every year, and it will always be planned for in our budget. It’s much easier to buy tons of gifts if they’re going on a credit card with no immediate responsibility for the cost. We don’t have a set amount for each person that we will stick to every year, because it may change depending on our income.
I can remember showing off all my
Christmas presents to my friends. We all compared what we got, and obviously didn’t mention any jealousy but there definitely was some. Somehow a gift a friend received turns into the only thing you ever wanted, and makes your middle school life tragically terrible because you didn’t get it… even though you got a new phone, ugg boots, tons of new clothes, and a wii. Bless my mom’s heart for being so giving and loving, but I was a BRAT. Meanwhile who knows if some of the other kids in my class got gifts at all, and if they did were they donated from the local church or hand me downs from an older sibling? I don’t want our extravagant gift giving be the reason another child thinks they are less than, unimportant, or unloved. Praise Jesus that earthly wealth and belongings have no relation to His love for us!
Something to give is probably my favorite aspect! We will let the kids choose something to give for the Christmas season. At first we will do it for them, eventually we will help them choose, and then we will completely leave it up to them. Something to give could mean choosing a child off the tree at church to buy a Christmas gift for, buying a produce basket for our sponsored child’s family in Uganda, helping send a kid to
Young Life camp, or buying blankets for the animal shelter. God definitely reveals our passions and gifting through our giving rather than receiving.
I’ll be sharing a few gift ideas for each category for a 6-12 month old, but please keep in mind that Sawyer will get ONE thing from each category. Just because I think something is a great idea, doesn’t mean I have to buy it or that she has to have it.
I also wanted to share this amazing article about the four gift tradition that comes with some Printable Gift Tags .
Merry Christmas!
Our Switch to Branch Basics
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
I’m the last person you’d expect to be sharing about all natural cleaners! I’ve always used the common cleaners throughout my house, and never thought twice. Until I had Sawyer! During pregnancy I considered a few times that I probably shouldn’t be using the intense chemicals to clean, but brushed it aside and turned on the bathroom vent. Then once Sawyer was born I became a little more protective. I always kept her far from the fumes and washed my hands religiously after using any chemicals. Why did I always feel the need to wash my hands after cleaning? Because what I was cleaning with wasn’t safe! It’s that simple.
I started searching for alternatives, and was immediately intimidated by all the options. It seemed like a huge expense, especially for someone just starting out. That’s why Branch Basics starter kit is perfect. It comes with a huge bottle of concentrate that you use for all of the cleaners in different amounts, even the laundry detergent! It also comes with the Oxygen Booster stain remover that works like a charm. If you’re interested in all natural cleaners but haven’t taken the plunge then this is for you.
Branch Basics uses the same plant based concentrate in every single cleaner so you don’t have to buy a million different things. If you’re worried about the results like I was, I promise it works just as well as other cleaners! Their Oxygen cleaner is also amazing for gently removing stains. I soaked one of Sawyer’s bows in it to get a huge stain off, and it worked perfect without ruining the bow or using harsh chemicals. It even took out a gross set in blowout stain on an adorable lace romper. I spray down her high chair with the same all purpose cleaner that I use for our dishes. We use the streak free cleaner on all our mirrors because Sawyer loves to kiss herself. I’m confident cleaning with Sawyer close by because I know Branch Basics is perfectly safe for her.
Their sample size is going to be my new go to hostess gift because it’s seriously that great. It’s also perfect if you want to try out all natural cleaners, but were a skeptic like me! The more I learn about the chemicals in everyday products, the happier I am that we switched to Branch Basics.
Check out all their products here, and their Instagram @BranchBasics.
State Fair of Texas
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Y’all, the fair was too perfect for words! I didn’t expect to have such a great time, but it was magical. I compared it to Disney…. which is a major stretch. It gave me that whimsical, kid at heart feeling that leaves you smiling for days. Yeah it was that good.
We spent way too much money, and ate a concerning amount of junk. I had to have cotton candy, and fried Oreos. Sawyer had her first taste of dessert when she swiped a handful of my cotton candy. Daniel was there for the Fletchers corny dogs.
We played games, strolled through fair park, and checked out all the new cars. Daniel spent hours and thousands of dollars (okay not really) winning stuffed animals he could’ve bought. Sawyer has her daddy wrapped around her finger and she doesn’t even know it yet.
I love creating family traditions. See you next year, Big Tex!
Budget cuts to become a SAHM
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
Daniel and I have lived a really comfy lifestyle. Two incomes, a mortgage, two car payments, lots of eating out, and vacations. When we first got married we lived off of Daniel’s income, saved all of mine for a house, invested 30% into retirement and were still able to buy/do whatever we wanted! We thought we had it all figured out. This adulting thing was easy! Until we bought a house.... draining a huge chunk of our savings account. Then I needed a new car because mine was the one my parents bought for my 16th birthday. The older we got the more things we had to add into our budget, and eventually it seemed like we had to have two incomes to survive. We laughed at the idea of being able to afford living with one income. Not because we had actually done the math, thought about what we could cut out, or even really discussed it, but we were both certain that it wasn’t possible for us.
Once Daniel felt God telling him that I should stay home, we crunched the numbers. We both expected the worst. That we would have to sell the house, move in with my parents, drain our savings account. All the things we had worked so hard for didn’t seem quite as important anymore. Based on our budget we are making a few changes that have made it possible for me to stay home!
One Car
We are selling Daniel’s truck. My husband is so incredibly selfless! By selling his truck we are able to pay off his truck loan, and my car loan! That means NO MORE CAR PAYMENTS! We will start saving for another car when we are able to, but for now we are a one car household. No car payments is around $10,000 a year back in our pockets. This also saves us about $1200 in gas!
No Cable
We cancelled our cable! We still have Hulu and Netflix so the only show we can’t watch anymore is Big Brother. 😭 Cable was costing us over $1000 a year! Not worth it.
Insurance
We found a better deal for home and car insurance! Every year your insurance rates increase without any call or notice from the company. Shop around for insurance whenever you feel like your bill is getting too high! This is saving us almost $2000 a year.
Phones
Daniel and I got suckered into one of those pay for your phone monthly deals with Sprint, which was costing us a TON of money. We went ahead and paid our phones off, and are canceling Spring to switch to Walmart Family Mobile. Both of those adjustments save us over a $1000 per year.
Food
Sorry friends, but we will not be going out to dinner anymore!! We will just have to go to eachother’s houses instead. 🤣 We are sticking to a very strict food budget each month. Which means I have to cook a lot.... I’ll let you know if my skills improve. I’m embarrassed to say that this change is saving us around $4000 a year. 🙈
Shopping/Random Luxury Expenses
I don’t have an exact number for how much this is saving us, but it’s a lot. We are habitual Amazon Prime users. It’s an addiction. It takes all of the effort out of spending money so that it almost doesn’t even feel like we are spending any! We agreed to $25 each every month to spend however we’d like. I’ll be using mine on Chick-fil-A waffle fries which are $2... so I can have 12.5 large waffle fries a month. 🤣
Subscriptions
We found ALL of our random subcriptions and cancelled the ones we could. Including Amazon Music Unlimited, Cinemark Movie Club, CBS, and a lot of others that I can’t remember. Canceling those uneccesary subscriptions is saving us around $500 a year.
Just from those changes we are saving close to 20,000 dollars a year!!! We decided sacrificing some of the luxuries is totally worth me staying home with our kids. I’ll be sharing about Financial Peace University soon. It has been a life saver to us when it comes to financial planning.
Obviously these changes wouldn't work for anyone, but we really had no idea that we were wasting so much money every month! Even if you don't have to make financial changes, it's worth looking over your budget to see what you are willing to live without.
