How to get the Money You Need for an Emergency Fund
Do you find yourself living paycheck to paycheck? What happens if you have an emergency happen? What if you get into an accident, have car troubles, go to the ER? The situations can easily happen and if you are not prepared, it can make for even more stressful situations.
It is a good rule of thumb to keep a nice supply of cash on hand to get you through any emergency that may occur. There is a popular train of thought that $1000 is the magic number, but some people say less than that is fine, while others would never be comfortable having only $1000 on hand and prefer to have a lot more than that. Another popular train of thought is to have no less than 3 months of expenses saved up. So what’s the right way to do it?
Well, there really is no right way to do it other than to just do it! I know it seems hard, but it is doable. Here are a couple of tips for those of you who are working toward saving up their emergency fund:
Cut spending. I know it is easier said than done, but pass up that habit of buying a latte every day on the way to work. Think about it this way, if you don’t spend that $3 each day, that is almost $100 in just a month that can go toward your savings.
Cut the cord. Consider canceling your cable. Get a streaming device and watch Netflix or one of the other great streaming services out there.
Write out and follow a budget. Budgeting is intimidating. I get it. When you being though, it doesn’t have to be. Just be sure to start small and write out what you want your budget to look like. Then for a month, keep track of every single penny that you spend, so that you know where to cut back and how to get your budget where you want it. This step alone could get you your emergency fund savings.
These are just 3 of the many ideas that I have put together to get you on the path of saving. What tips do you have to share?
4 Steps to Take Before You Decide to Buy a House
Do you dream of owning your own home? Are you tired of paying someone else’s mortgage? Then you may want to get started working toward buying your own home. If you feel like you aren’t quite sure if you are ready or not, follow these 4 steps that you can take before you decide to buy a house and jump onto that home ownership bandwagon.
- Check your credit. No, not by applying for a mortgage just yet. Before you even begin this process be sure that you are someone ready to buy. If you have lousy credit and no money saved than that is what you need to work on first and foremost. Try out sites such as creditkarma.com. They don’t give you real credit scores, but it is free and will give you an idea of what to expect when a creditor runs your file.
- Save up a down payment. Yes, you can take out a mortgage with a zero down loan in some instances or even a low 3% down loan, however, it is smart to put closer to 10%-20% down. This does three things: It will bring your payment down since you are financing less, it will give you instant equity and it will help you avoid paying PMI on your loan.
- Start watching the market. Start paying attention to sites like Zillow and WVMLS to see what kind of price range the houses you are shopping for are in. You can even go old school and look at the newspaper.
- Get pre-qualified. Talk to a mortgage broker to determine that you qualify for a home mortgage, what you qualify for and how much house you can afford. Experts suggest that you spend no more than 3-5 times your annual salary on a home and you keep your Debt to Income ratio under 45%. You also need to make sure that your credit score is where it needs to be to qualify.
Create Extra Time in Your Day with These Tips
Do you struggle to find time to finish your to-do list every day? Do you often wonder how those super moms do it? I know that I have struggled over and over with time management and I have finally found some tricks that have helped me get control over my time and seemingly add time to my days.
You too can create extra time in your day with these tips:
Use a planner. Seriously, plan your tasks each day and write them out. Give each task their own block of time and follow through. You will be amazed at how much you can get done when each thing has their own time frame.
Wake up earlier. I know you are tired, but set your alarm earlier than you usually do and earlier than the kids wake up. Even if it is just a half an hour. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish in 30 minutes when the house is quiet. I can typically get a lot of work done in this time.
Delegate. You don’t have to do everything by yourself. Delegate chores and tasks to your spouse and children. Have you ever heard the phrase “Many hands make lighter work”? It is a saying for a reason.
Say no. You don’t have to say yes to every favor or task that is asked of you. Make it a practice to say no once in awhile. Not only will you find more time to get your own stuff done, but you will also find that you have less stress weighing on you.
Put your phone down. You may not realize it, but I bet you are wasting a lot of time scrolling FB or other social media on your phone. Make it a habit to put your phone down for an hour at a time throughout the day. I bet you will be surprised by how much you get done in those hour blocks of time.
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How to Make a Christmas Countdown Chain Using Your Halloween Candy
Now that Halloween is over, do you have a TON of candy? What do you do with it? How do you minimize the intake of sugar for your kids? Here is a great way to solve all of your questions- Make a Christmas Countdown Chain! This chain seriously saves me from kid tantrums and tears. Instead of them asking every 10 minutes if they can have another piece of candy, they know that they get one piece a day and each day means it’s closer to Christmas! It’s super simple and even the kids can help out. Here’s how you do it:
Supplies you need:
Plastic Wrap
Ribbon or Yarn- cut into strips long enough to tie
Scissors
Halloween Candy (# depending on when you start your chain-days to Christmas.)
Directions:
Stretch your Plastic Wrap out and keep it straight. Don’t cut it off until you are completely done. Tie Ribbon on the end and add in your first piece of candy. Next you’ll want to wrap the plastic wrap around the candy and twist the end. Then add another ribbon. Repeat this step until you have all of your pieces in your plastic wrap. End the chain with another ribbon-twisting before you tie. That’s it!
Tips:
#1: If you have more than one child, consider using different colors of ribbon or yarn for each kid. That way they know which one is theirs just by looking at the color.
#2: Remember to twist the wrap after each candy, otherwise they tend to fall out.
#3 If you don’t have enough pieces to go all the way until Christmas, consider going until Thanksgiving or even through the month of November. There can be different ending times, depending on the amount of candy you have.
Throw A Budget Friendly Holiday Party With These Tips
Are you planning to throw a holiday party this year? When it comes to the holidays those fun parties are what makes some of the best memories. If you are wanting to throw an epic party, but you are needing to do it on a budget, check out these awesome tips on how you can throw up a budget-friendly holiday party.
Even with a budget-friendly party, you can have a ton of fun and make a ton of awesome memories. So do not let the fact that you are on a budget, keep you from reaching out and trying to have the best party ever, it can be done!
Make it a potluck. Food expenses are typically the most expensive part of a party, holiday or not. Make sure that you don’t let these food expenses break you. Potlucks are a great way to save money on parties because of how much you are able to save on food expenses. If someone offers to bring a dish to your party, let them.
Skip the decor. Let the food be your decor and you will save a bunch of money, but not having to put out money trying to decorate for your guests.
No alcohol. Next to food, alcohol is one of the biggest expenses that you will typically encounter when shopping for your holiday party. If you choose to forgo the alcohol this year, you will find yourself with a lot of extra padding in your budget.
Keep Your Family Healthy This Winter With These Tricks
Winter is coming up and you know what that means, cold and flu season is sure to hit soon! If you haven’t been exposed to it yet, you probably will be soon. This is especially true if you have children in school! If you want to do your best to keep your family as healthy as possible, you can! It’s not all old wive’s tales, there really are some great ways that you can help to boost your health and your immune system.
You can keep your family healthy this Winter with these tricks and tips:
Stay active. Staying active throughout the year is your first defense toward staying getting and staying healthy. Keeping yourself active and in shape is an important step in keeping your lungs strong and your immune system in tip top shape.
Wash your hands. Seriously. It gets old hearing it over and over again, but you need to wash your hands over and over again to keep those germs away and to keep from spreading them to others.
Teach your kids to not touch the faces. Again, you hear this one often, but make sure your children know not to touch their faces. That is the quickest way for germs to contaminate them.
Disinfect. Use disinfecting wipes and sprays to spray down doorknobs and counters in order to keep germs at bay.
Don’t share. It seems like we are always telling our kids to share. Share your toys, and your books, etc. Make sure that they know that this does not transfer to food and drinks. It’s just too easy for germs to spread when you are sharing drinks.
Stay home if you are sick. If you or your children are sick, do the right thing. Be sure to stay home and not share those germs.
5 FREE Fall Date Night Activities
Fall is such a great season full of color and change. It’s one of my favorite times of the year and it always goes by too quickly. The fall is a great time to be outdoors and enjoy unique activities that it has to offer. Here are 5 FREE date night ideas that you can enjoy this fall.
- Bonfire and S’mores. Find a fire pit close by and strike up a fire. Bundle up and grab some marshmallows. This is a great time to snuggle and enjoy being outside.
- Apple picking. If you are in an area where there are a lot of apples, then this is a great activity to do. We have a lot of neighbors that need help picking apples. This way you get to be outside, but also can help serve others. You may even get some free apples which you can make into some yummy desserts!
- Go on a drive. Pick a new scenic byway that you haven’t been on and head on an adventure. Grab some yummy snacks and have some good conversation as you enjoy the changing colors on your drive.
- Host a costume party. This is a tradition that I love doing with my hubby. Each fall we host a costume party with a few friends and it’s super fun. Grab some old costumes from family or that you have and dress each other up. Enjoy games and a night with other couples as well.
- Fall Photo shoot. Grab your camera and head out to a new town, the big city or your own home town. Take selfies and enjoy the time together discovering new places and taking pictures of your memories.
40 Things To Do On A No Spend Weekend!
You’ve heard of a no spend month and even week but why not take it one step smaller and start with a no spend weekend! Wither you want to start with a no spend weekend or go big and don’t spend the whole month, here is a list of things to do that are FREE during that time!
- Have a picnic
- Hike
- Bike Ride
- See a free movie in the park
- Read a book
- Build a Fire
- Visit a free museum
- Volunteer
- Play a board game
- Host a Potluck
- Take Pictures
- Camp in your backyard
- Host a game night
- Go star gazing
- Garden
- Wash your car
- Declutter your home/phone or computer
- Play Video Games
- Make a budget
- Write/Make Goals
- Organize the pantry
- Fishing
- Do a garage sale
- Bake together
- Paint a picture
- Movie night
- Water balloon fight
- Geocaching
- Site seeing
- Visit the library
- Park
- Paint your nails
- Knit a hat
- Color a picture
- Blanket Fort
- Visit the Pet Store
- Plan a trip
- Visit relatives
- Back Massage
- Craft with your kids
There’s lots more but this should get your mind turning! From playing outside, around the house, with the kids or around the town, you can make it through your no spend time frame while making memories with your family!
5 Tricks to Help You Stay Active in the Cold Weather
Do you find it harder to work out in the Wintertime? Â Do you struggle to stay active in the cold weather? Â I know I always develop a little bit of the Winter blues, whether itâs from less sun or what, I donât really know, but I do know that I used to really struggle to exercise during this time of the year. Â I have found some tricks though that help me to work out more and stay more fit regardless of the temperature outside.
If you are wanting to be able to do the same thing, here are 5 tricks to help you stay active in the cold weather.
- Just do it. Â It may seem impossible, but sometimes you just need to push past that little voice that is telling you not to exercise and just do it. Â You wonât regret it.
- Invest in cold weather clothes. Â There are some amazing sportswear companies out there and they have awesome cold weather wear. Â Invest in some and head outside for a walk, a jog or even a bike ride. Â Itâs invigorating in the cold weather.
- Turn on the TV. Â Â Seems easy enough, right? Â Great workout DVDs and workout in the comfort and the warmth of your own home. Many of these videos can be fun too! Â I like these because the kids can join in and have fun being active with mom and/or dad.
- Join a sports league. Â Â Many churches and parenting clubs offer adult sports leagues such as volleyball and basketball. Â These are all indoor sports, but can be a ton of fun and will keep you fit.
- Join a gym. Â A gym is definitely an easy way to stay active during the winter. Â If you are concerned about the cost, many gyms offer sign up discounts and you might also consider checking into your insurance coverage as many offer gym discounts as well.
5 Tips for Beating The Clutter Taking Over Your Home
Do you find yourself buried in non-stop clutter in your house? Â Between our busy schedules and precocious children, it is hard to keep a house clean. Â Clutter is just inevitable, right?
Well, there are some tricks that you can do that will help you keep the clutter monster at bay. Â If you are anxious to learn some of those tricks, here are 5 tips for beating the clutter taking over your home that you can start practicing right now.
- The 1 Item Rule. Â Here it is: Never go into a room without picking up at least 1 item to put away or throw away. Â If you find yourself doing this each time you walk into a room, you will develop a habit which will help you to keep your home and the rooms within it tidy and clutter free. Â It doesnât have to be big items either. Â If there is an errant hair tie laying on the table, pick it up (can you tell I have a teenage daughter?), or a small piece of paper, etc.
- Put stuff away. Â Seems easy enough, right? Â The problem is that many of us will have stuff out and think we will be putting it away later on, but oftentimes we donât. We let stuff sit out until it makes us crazy. Â This is another thing that becomes easier after time once you develop a routine and a habit.
- Buy less stuff. Â Many of us shop for fun or because we find good deals. Â But do you really need all of the items you have found to buy? Â My guess would be no. Â Next time you are shopping, think about whether or not you actually need the item and you wonât have to try and figure out where to store it.
- The no Knick Knack Rule. Â Make it a rule in your home to never have Knick Knacks in your home. Â Knick Knacks will make your home feel more cluttered and frankly, they are a pain in the butt to keep dusted and clean. Â You are better off without them.
- Give the kids chores. Â If your children have the responsibility of chores they are more likely to clean up after themselves throughout the day. Â This in itself will keep the clutter at bay.
5 Tricks to Saving Money on Stocking Stuffers
As we have recently discussed, the holidays are expensive. Â Very, very expensive. Â Between Thanksgiving and Christmas, all of the food you have to buy, all of the gifts you need to shop for and this doesnât even include any traveling expenses that you run into. Â Because of this, I try to break down all of the expenses into manageable categories. Â Take stocking stuffers for example. Â There are some great ways to save big on stocking stuffers and down below we are going to talk about 5 of those things.
- Plan. Â Just like with anything else, you need to plan your stocking stuffer shopping. Be sure to write out a list of who all needs stocking stuffers and shop from that list. Â
- Budget. Â Iâm sure you have already set aside a budget for your gift expenses, right? Â Â You need to do the same thing for stocking stuffers. Â The truth is, stocking stuffers are typically small little gifts, but the price can add up quickly if you havenât set limits for yourself. Â Be sure to create your budget and follow it.
- Shop at the dollar store. Â The dollar store has many awesome stocking stuffer ideas! Â I tend to avoid cheap dollar store toys for the kids, but I stock up on coloring books, flashcards and even books and candles there. Â There are plenty of ideas for kids and adults.
- Coupon. Â Toward the holidays you will start seeing coupons good toward toys, fragrances, makeup, etc. Â Pair these coupons with sales and you can spend pennies on the dollar for these items that always make good stocking stuffers.
- Shop clearance. Â I shop clearance all year long to score deals for Christmas, including stocking stuffers. Â I always peruse the clearance section in toys, makeup, accessories and more. Â You can find some amazing deals this way!
Family-Friendly Halloween Dinner Ideas
Halloween is coming fast and there are so many fun dinner ideas for those nights leading up to Halloween and especially Halloween night. If you’re like me, Halloween day and night can be pretty crazy busy. So there are some really easy dinners that you can do on Halloween night and be stress-free too.
- Papa Murphy’s Jack-O-Lantern Pizza. This is a tradition on Halloween night for our family. This is a pizza you can pick up anytime of the day and have it ready at night before the trick-or-treating begins.
- Dinner in a Pumpkin. My mom would make a similar version of this every year. It’s pretty cool to actually cook a meal on a pumpkin. Very festive and fun.
- Baked Pumpkin French Toast. Breakfast for dinner? Yes!! This would be super yummy on the day of Halloween or any dinner leading up to Halloween.
- Pumpkin Soup. On those chilly nights, this would be perfect. Grab some yummy bread and dip it in this yummy pumpkin soup.
What is your favorite dinner to have on Halloween?
How To Get The Last Drop Out Of Your Beauty Products & Make Them Last Longer!
The cost of makeup can add up and when you find that perfect shade or mascara, itâs sad when itâs gone. So make your makeup last longer with these few tips to get the last drop out of your beauty products.
- Foundation â add a little bit of face lotion to your foundation and shake the bottle up to get use out of any leftover.
- Plastic tubes â before you throw them out, cut off the end and scrape out whatâs left. Iâve done this with my foundation tube I have and Iâve gotten another couple of days out of it! You can also do this with your toothpaste too.
- Fix crushed eye shadow â pour just a little rubbing alcohol into the tray until the crumbles come a paste. Press them back together and let dry.
- Dried mascara (gel liner or cream shadow) â If youâre mascara starts to go dry or get a little clumpy, add a few drops of saline solution inside. I love this tip and use it all the time!
- Dried out powder â take a piece of packaging tape and laying it against the powder. This will take the hard layer on top off and make your powder look like new.
- Low on mascara â drop your tub into a warm glass of water to loosen the product along the sides of the tube. (Side note: mascara expires after 3 months)
- Lip gloss â if itâs starting to run low and itâs your favorite color, pop off the rubber ring on the neck to get a few more uses out of it.
- Broken lipstick â I know my kids have broken a few of mine and I wish I would have known this trick before I tossed them out. You can fix them by melting it back together with a lighter! Hold the flame close enough to melt the broken edges of the stick without burning them. The press them back together and smooth the seam with your finger before it cools and dries.
- Nail polish â we have kids that love to use the nail polish and sometimes they get stuck closed. If this is the case â dip the handle in a cup of warm water to loosen it. (dropping the whole bottle in could cause the color to change)
- Fragrance testers â we all get some in the mail but did you know you could pour a few drops of unscented lotion on them to make your own fragrance lotion.
Hopefully these tips will help save your money when it comes to your beauty products and help you get the last drop out of your favorites!
5 Tricks to Saving Money on Thanksgiving Dinner
The holidays are expensive. Â So very expensive, but they donât have to be. Â You may think I am kidding, but Iâm not. Â There are some really simple and really easy ways to save money during the holiday season that you can start implementing now, to make this your most budget-friendly holiday season yet.
So, letâs start with Thanksgiving. Â Here are 5 tricks to saving money on Thanksgiving dinner that you can start to work on now.
- Plan in advance. Â Start planning your Thanksgiving meal now. Â Talk to family and find out who will be hosting the holiday dinner and you may find out that you donât have to cook! Â If you are in charge of dinner, start planning your meal now so that you can start your shopping early.
- Start your shopping now. Â You have just over a month until Thanksgiving, that means that you are well within your timeframe that you can start shopping for your Thanksgiving groceries. Â No, you obviously donât want to buy your perishable items too early, but you can start buying your canned and frozen goods now. Â There are already lots of good deals out there. Â At my local supermarket, they had a sale on frozen, bagged cranberries for just $0.89. Â You can bet I bought those early. Â Also, keep your eyes out for canned veggies, and even frozen turkeys! Â Not only are you giving yourself more time to find deals, but it will be less out of pocket at once which is nice.
- Shop around. Â Starting in late October, you will start seeing lots of great holiday sales. Â Be sure to shop around and score deals where you can. Â Many stores even offer free or greatly reduced turkeys when you spend a specific amount of money on other groceries.
- Plan a potluck. Â Why not plan for your Thanksgiving feast to be a potluck? With everybody bringing something, everyone will save money. Â
- Skip the alcohol. Â Alcohol is expensive. Even a cheap bottle of wine will cost you $10+ (and one bottle of wine wonât cut it with a big guest list). Â If you simply choose to keep alcohol off of your holiday menu and you will find that you save quite a bit of money.