Being Mindful of Money & Saving in 2015

We've always been pretty mindful of our money. We've learned some hard lessons about debt, getting out of it and saving. I'm pretty thrifty, I shop with coupons all the time, buy mostly stuff on sale and we save for big purchases. 

But, I know in 2015 we have some financial goals we want to meet. And in order to accomplish them we're going to have to be a little more mindful and strategic. Here's how I'm being a bit more mindful in 2015 with our money.

01// Having a Double or Nothing Savings Plan.

I'm sure you've seen those 52 week savings plan all around the internet. You know those one's where you save $1 the first week, $2 the next week, $3 the third week and so on till you're at $52 for the 52nd week in the year. And at the end of the year you've saved $1378 without even trying. This year I decided we've save double since we could in addition to what we're already saving. I'm using this worksheet to track it and just put away double the amount that it says on the worksheet instead. 

02// Buying only when things are on sale, clearance or I have a discount.

I mentioned above that I already do this a lot, but there are times when I don't always do this. Like those times when you walk into Target and think if I don't buy this now, they won't have it when I come back!?! Yeah, those are really just mind games I play with myself and really a lie from the enemy to get me to break my budget rules. The last six months of last year I started doing this philosophy, and you know what I learned? Everything goes on sale, always. Old Navy always has a sale, do not buy that clothing item till it goes on sale. Two, it's worth waiting for a sale or coupon. At least it is for me. So this year I committing to only buying items if they fit into one of those categories above, it'll also give me time to really think about if I need the item. 

03// Waiting till I run out of something before buying more.

This is specifically for toiletries and beauty products. I consider myself kinda a product junkie, I love trying new products but under my sink is beginning to look a little crazy outta hand. So this year I've committed to using every last drop of lotion, dry shampoo, hairspray whatever before buying more. 

04// Making sure there's a place & purpose for everything new thing we bring into our home, or we don't.

Last year I participated in White House Black Shutter's 40bagsin40 days challenge. And it was quite a learning experience after going through and purging our home, donating and getting rid of what we don't use or need. I regularly twice a year go through our home anyway, I also get rid of my kid's clothing or donate it as they grow out of it. But this challenge showed me even more that I need a purpose and a place for everything in our home, otherwise it's just clutter and a waste of money. Having this mind set is going to make me much more intentional about the things we purchase. 

These are just some of the ways we're trying to be more intentional this year with our money, I'd love to hear some of your own thoughts? What ways are you trying to save more or be more mindful this year? Share them in the comments below. 

5 Ways to Keep Date Nights Affordable.

Do you love date night?

Good, me too! 

My husband and I love date night, to be honest with you when we were first married sans kiddos we had date night once a week, every week. Then kids came along, and we didn't have much of a budget like we did in our early on in our marriage and date night kinda fell to the wayside. 

But in the last couple years we've really realized how important and vital regular date nights are. So we've made it a priority to spend quality time together and make it affordable too. I wanted to share with you how we try to make date night as affordable as possible to that it's no excuse not to have one.

So here we go, let's jump in.

01// Find a FREE baby sitter.

If you're like us we don't live near family at all, so using family as a baby sitter wasn't an option for the longest time. Since we couldn't rely on family we did the next best thing and we swapped baby sitting with friends. We had friends who had small kiddos of their own and we'd take turns watching each other's kids when we wanted to go out on a date night. They'd go one week and we'd go the next. It was an awesome arrangement and we never felt bad for not paying them since we swapped duties so each couple could have a date night. This is a great option if you don't have family living near by.

02// Split Meals.

The portions in most restaurants are crazy HUGE and more than we ever need to each. Stay on budget by splitting a meal together and splurging on drinks and desserts! 

03// Use coupons & deals.

We are not above using a Groupon for date night, or another deal we've found online or in the paper. We often get circular ads in the mail and I always search those too, because we've tried quite a few new restaurants using those deals. Groupon is also another fave because we can do fun things for a great price. 

04// Have a date night at home.

Save on gas by staying home. Order your favorite take-out put the kids to bed and hang out. This can be anything you want to do at home.

05// Every once in a while do something that's totally free and costs nothing.

After all the point is to spend quality time together not about about the amount you spent to do so. Go on a walk together and chat, or play those board games you never play and make a fun night together at home.  

5 Ways to Save on Kids Clothing

1. Buy out of Season
This is one of my favorite ways to save on clothing. End of the season sales are the best for scooping up swimsuits for next year, boots for the winter and much more. Make a list of items that you are looking for and always have it handy for when the end of the season is near you can get those items at a great price!
2. Shop second hand, Garage Sales and Consignment
I always have great luck when I shop garage sales. I don't go often, but when I do I look for things that are in good condition or I don't buy them. This is also a great place to get clothing that you don't mind your kids playing in or getting dirty. I always buy my kids winter stuff from these places since we don't use it year round and only when we visit Iowa during holidays it doesn't make sense to buy "new" every year.
3. Shop Sales & Clearance Racks
Can I tell you something? I don't buy a single thing for my children that isn't already on sale or that I don't have a coupon for! Why? Because the very next week it'll be on sale, so why buy it if it's not?! Places like Old Navy, Gap, The Children's Place and many other kids clothing stores are always running sales. Sign up for their email lists and get coupons emailed to you that you can use as well. 
4. Trade with Family & Friends
This is great if you have nieces & nephews, friend's kids that are older than yours that you can swap with. Have a big swapping party and trade clothing with friends and family. When you're done with it give it back to be used again or donate them. 
5. Shop Unexpected Places
I always love finding deals in unexpected places. Couple weeks back I was at Tuesday Morning, which is a discount home store and way in the back were some racks of clothing for kids. I ended up finding some great items in that rack. My tip, don't be afraid to check out the whole store and see what they have to offer. You just might find some great deals. 

What are some of your favorite ways to save on clothing for your kids? I'd love to hear some of your own money saving tricks!

Five Ways to Boost Your Savings Account

I'm frugal. I love a good deal & bargain too! But, I haven't always been this way. When I was in college and not very money savvy and very uneducated about my money saving was the last thing on my mind. 

As I got older and when I was newly married I became more aware of where my money was actually going. These days I'm all about saving your money where and when you can. Shopping clearance racks, and trying not to pay full price for anything! I also believe in having an emergency fund, a regular savings account and saving for the things you want and not going into debt for them.

Today, I wanted to share with you 'Five Ways to Boost Your Savings Account." These are simple, practical and all ways that I've used to save and add money to my family's bank account.

1. Keep a change jar. You can save a lot by throwing all that loose change into a jar and letting it add up. We're currently saving ours and adding it to our kid's savings accounts when it's full. 

2. Use Your Tax Return. If you're getting something back this year instead of spending it before you even get it, commit already to add it to your savings account! 

3. Save $5 a week. This might not seem like a lot but again it adds up. Skip your weekly latte or drive through eating out trip and save that money instead. When you don't know where to start, start small. I find that everyone usually has an extra $5 they can add to their savings. Over time this adds up, and when you can afford to save more do it! 

4. Commit to a 52 Week Savings Plan. You may have seen these before where you save each week for a year. The first week you save $1 for week one, the next you save $2 for week two and so on till you're saving the same amount each week for the week you're on. By the end of a year you could save $1378! You can find more info about that here.

5. Skip eating out once a month. If you're a family who eats out a lot this is a good one for you. Commit to skipping this at least once a month and adding what you would have spent in eating out together put that back into savings. I know my family when we eat out we spend a minimum of $30, that's a lot over a year! Celebrate by cooking a meal at home together instead! 

I really love Dave Ramsey's book The Total Money Makeover, if you haven't read it yet I highly encourage it. What are some of your favorite money saving tips? Share them in the comments below.