I’m going to do something bloggers don’t do. I’m going to share real numbers. Here is exactly how we profited from our homes and how we afforded our dream home just before our fortieth birthdays. You don’t have to make big bucks to plan and grow wisely. It also doesn’t happen overnight. Nope, this is not… Read More How we afforded our dream home
Ten years ago Marcello and I were renting an over-priced, dumpy apartment with rusty appliances and brown stuff leaking from the shower. We were $18,000 in credit card debt and unsure how we would ever be able to buy our first house. Today we live in our dream home with a guest house for Marcello’s… Read More How we paid $18,000 of credit card debt in a year
What are you saving for? An emergency fund? Home renovation? Pay down debt? Vacation? Whatever it is, you can kickstart that dream by having a spending freeze. I told you last Thursday that we are moving! It’s all very exciting, but also very expensive. Home inspections, appraisals, surveys, mold tests, title reviews, moving, hook-up fees… Read More How to do a spending freeze
If you follow me on Instagram maybe you saw that Marcello and I have started date nights twice a month! We paid off our minivan with our tax refund and money we had saved. (Insert the Carlton dance.) Little savings add up and now we have an extra $300 a month. Keep getting those deals and stashing the… Read More Date night ideas and ways to save
Last month our budget was really off. And that happens sometimes, but the problem is I’m still not sure exactly what went awry! Marcello and I were racking our brains and looking at statements, trying to find what we missed, but never found the answer. So I designed these budget tracker printables to keep in my purse so… Read More Budget tracker envelope printables
Last week I worked to get our finances, office space, computer, calendar and school papers in order for a clean slate in the new year. Here’s what went down: Purge The first step in getting my little office space organized is to go through the year’s accumulated papers. I file what we need to keep and recycle what… Read More Ideas to organize your home office & budget
Not every Christmas is the same. Some years cost less, some cost more. This year ours costs less and we plan on giving more. We’ve decided to budget Christmas expenses at $325 for this family of five. This includes decor, kids’ crafts, presents, cards, wrapping supplies, everything except the kids’ Christmas pajamas (which I bought on sale last month).… Read More Our Christmas budget
My five year old is starting to learn the value of a dollar. Ok, he doesn’t realize the value, but he has figured out that it can buy him things! I’ve known this time was coming and my wheels have been turning on how to allow him to earn money, but stay clear that some chores we do… Read More Kids chore chart to earn money
I’ve been experimenting, studying and learning how to lower our grocery budget and it’s working! My monthly budget is at least $200 less than I was spending two years ago, and even with one more kid, our pantry is fuller and we eat healthier. I’ve covered some of what I do in How I Save Money to be a… Read More Grocery shopping and feeding a family on a tight budget
When I decided to quit my job and stay home with our first son, Marcello and I whittled away our budget as tight as we could. We looked at each bill and examined all of our spending habits under a microscope to make it work. You can read that super long list of of cost-cutting tips in… Read More Shopping choices that save my family $2.5K a year
With holidays coming up, I thought I’d share some fun toys that are sure to be a hit but won’t hurt the wallet. Here are my picks for inexpensive kid gifts for boys or girls: Sticker book: Kids and stickers. They love them. I bought my boys these sticker books after hearing about their daily misery of a precious… Read More $10 or less: Toys
The biggest reason I started making baby food is to give my kids the most fresh and nutritious food I could in their first year of life. The second is to save money. And the third is for the environment, because God knows I owe it after putting three babies in diapers! My husband and I have… Read More How to make baby food in 45 minutes a week and save 50 percent