Being frugal doesn't mean being miserable. Frugality involves looking at your goals and spending your money wisely to bring them to fruition. For several years, we were ultra-frugal in just about every category in order to get out of consumer debt. This was difficult, but so worth it in the end. We pretty much sent … Continue reading Does Being Frugal Have to be Difficult?
Category: Finances
Life Update, Free Financial Trackers, Plus a Giveaway!
Well, how's that for a title? Yesterday was Mother's Day, and I hope you had a very blessed day with your family. Mine was both perfect and hard at the same time. That's life sometimes, isn't it? We decided to stay frugal and drove the Cherohala Skyway for the first time. Ah, there were so … Continue reading Life Update, Free Financial Trackers, Plus a Giveaway!
An Abundant Mentality
While getting ready in my bathroom this morning, I had to pull up on the door really hard to make it close. My husband spent Monday trimming two of our windows, but there are many left to go. The back of our house is still a shade of pink, while the rest is a fresh, … Continue reading An Abundant Mentality
How This Busy Mom Tracks Bills
I've got a sleeping baby in my arms. That's usually how it goes, right? No matter, I pull out my phone and scroll to my financial apps. Bank account. Check. Credit card. Check. Other credit card. Check. Within about five minutes time, I'm finished. I've taken a look at our family's finances, and I know … Continue reading How This Busy Mom Tracks Bills
Creating an Emergency Fund for Your Family
So, you want to get out of debt and give your family a brighter future. Congratulations! That's fantastic! Realizing that changes need to be made in your financial picture is the first step towards freedom. Unfortunately, now is also the time that many people think, "I'd love to do that, but there is just no … Continue reading Creating an Emergency Fund for Your Family
Now is the Time to Work on Your Finances
"I may not be the primary breadwinner, but I can help my husband's paycheck stretch by making good choices."This has been my attitude about money. As wives and mamas, we can make a significant impact on our family's finances by making good choices and learning about budgeting. As of right now, 35% of money currently … Continue reading Now is the Time to Work on Your Finances
Our Journey towards a Simpler Life || Part 3
Read the first part of our story here. Read the second part of our story here. The day dawned early. I crawled out of bed at my mother in law's home, my pregnant body still sore from the long ride to Georgia the day before. But goodness, was I ever hopeful. We were going to … Continue reading Our Journey towards a Simpler Life || Part 3
Our Journey towards a Simpler Life || Part 1
Simple living. Back in 2012, this concept wasn't even on my radar. Now, this is the type of lifestyle I want most of all. I'd love to take some time to share our story with you. I like to hear about the journeys other families have embarked on, and so I thought y'all might care … Continue reading Our Journey towards a Simpler Life || Part 1
Letting Go of Materialism for the Sake of Our Children
Hair color and lots of make up. Dooney & Bourke bags. Many trips to Kohl's and Belk. New cars every few years. These are a few of the things I've given up over time. In the beginnings of my Christian walk, I was worldly. Worldly and materialistic. These two things are quite the combination! We … Continue reading Letting Go of Materialism for the Sake of Our Children
So…It Looks Like We are Buying A House
Guys...it looks like the deal is almost done, and we will be closing on our new home this week! It is totally bittersweet because we will once again have a mortgage. At the same time, we will also have five acres again, and my mini farm dreams will hopefully come true! Related: Life During Quarantine … Continue reading So…It Looks Like We are Buying A House
Young Women Think Making Money is More Important than Raising a Family
According to this article in The Federalist, "Significantly more Americans ages 13 to 22 say it's important to buy a home and make 'a lot of money' than to marry, have children, and commit to a faith." What a sad statistic this is. And yet, how can we blame young people for feeling this way, … Continue reading Young Women Think Making Money is More Important than Raising a Family
Rethinking Our Mortgage Plans
After having our ninth child, our house has seemed to have grown smaller. Baby gear fills an entire corner of our living room, and our bedroom is filled with newborn clothing and accessories. Despite being on a mission to pay off our house, I started looking at properties for sale on my phone last week. … Continue reading Rethinking Our Mortgage Plans
How Debt Hinders a Stay-at-Home Mom
Debt. It is such an ugly word which has a hold on so many of our lives. I know it did mine! For so many years my husband and I were slave to the lender, and we aren't out of the woods yet. By the grace of God we are close, with only a little … Continue reading How Debt Hinders a Stay-at-Home Mom
Sacrifice During Our Debt Free Journey and Ideas to Help Moms Stay at Home with Their Children
A couple of days ago, I wrote an article about how we can afford to be stay at home moms. In this post, I mentioned that our family has paid off over $260,000 worth of debt within the last three years and have received just a tad of push back. Because of this large amount … Continue reading Sacrifice During Our Debt Free Journey and Ideas to Help Moms Stay at Home with Their Children
We Can Afford to be Stay At Home Moms
We live in a two income culture where it is sometimes plain hard to keep our heads above water. And yet, our families need us to be at home. The security a stay-at-home mom brings to her family is priceless. So what's a mom to do? Can our families survive on a single income in … Continue reading We Can Afford to be Stay At Home Moms
Gratitude During Our Debt Free Journey
My family has been riding the highs and lows of our debt free journey for some time now. Today we reached another milestone. We now owe $29,945 on our mortgage. Glory to God! We have scrimped and saved, looking for each and every penny we could throw at our consumer and vehicle debt, then my … Continue reading Gratitude During Our Debt Free Journey
$31,699 Left on Our Mortgage
Ladies, I'm beyond grateful and excited because as of today, $31,699 is left on our mortgage. Lord willing, we will see the $20k's within two weeks or so. We are almost three years into our debt/mortgage free journey. I'm so grateful to God for how far He's brought us. All glory belongs to Him. So … Continue reading $31,699 Left on Our Mortgage
This is What He’s Put Before Us
Today is The Day of Atonement, the holiest day of the year for some. Over the past ten days or so, I've been reflecting on my life and ways I can make some changes to better serve God. We've been on quite the roller coaster ride over the past three years. We've moved twice while … Continue reading This is What He’s Put Before Us
Life in Our Home || October 2019
When I look back at the past month, I see a flurry of activity. As we prepare for the birth of our ninth child, things have been busy! Throw in birthday parties for three children, dropping our first child off at college, and the continual settling into our new home, and I must admit that … Continue reading Life in Our Home || October 2019
Downsizing, Again?
Hello, friends. As I type, I'm sitting in the living room of our new-to-us cabin. We have downsized, yet again. This time it's more in the manner of land instead of house size. We now live on 1.5 acres instead of 6. The land is both hillside and rocky, not at all usable like our … Continue reading Downsizing, Again?
