Mama Money Bags

You know that saying, "There's no such thing as a free lunch?" It's wrong! Read  Mama Money Bags  to find out why. On Tuesday, July 10, you can eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner for free (well, the entree at least!). All you need to do is wear something cow-themed. Since my family has been going to Cow Appreciation Day for at least a decade, we have an entire bag of goodies set aside for the big day. Here's my kids from a couple years ago. The visors are handmade--I drew on cow faces after turning over free visors we got who knows where. The necklaces are just stuffed cows held together by rubber bands, and another is pinned to my son's hat. And my youngest is wearing a swimming cover-up with black spots taped to it. I've seen some amazing cow costumes over the years, but since I don't want to buy things we rarely use, we make do with creating our own. I even have a shirt with a cow on the back that I wear on Cow Appreciation Day year

Do you watch how much you spend at the food store? I know I do! Meat is especially pricey, but Mama Money Bags can help you learn how to cut back. Probably the easiest way to save on meat is to buy in bulk and then divide the meat into separate meals at home. Why buy in bulk? It's cheaper per pound! I buy a large pack of boneless skinless chicken breast at Wegmans, which I then prep immediately into different dinners (for example, marinated meat, sliced chicken for fajitas, and smaller chunks of chicken for pasta). Then, I stick what I can't use right away into the freezer so it's ready for when I cook. Doing this helps cut back on take-out, too! Sometimes, though, I am super lucky at one of my local stores (usually Wegmans, Target, or Acme) and I stumble upon what my husband calls "scratch and dent" meat--aka, meat that's close to its sell-by date. It usually has a sticker or coupon attached to the packaging. Here's one from Target (similar ones

It's the last day of school over here. The big kids are already off to their last day of sixth and seventh grade, while the kindergartner and I are chilling this morning until it's time to get ready. So, what does all that mean for my  Mama Money Bags ? Let's be honest: summer is an expensive time. Thankfully, the kids are home with me because I usually transition to second shift at work. That saves a TON on camp fees. The big kids are doing one week of camp for just $65--and that includes lunch and breakfast--but it's a subsidized program through the county's intermediate unit. And my youngest may go to our local bible school with my eldest as a teen volunteer--another $20. Overall, I'll try to keep spending low, while still incorporating fun. We have some passes lined up through the local library's Museum Passport Program . Our YMCA membership starts up again soon, so that means lazy days by the pool. I usually make a calendar of fun stuff for us to

Just like almost every other woman I know, Target's red bull's eye draws me in. I've been trying to resist lately and just not go--to cut down on my spending--but it still feels like a home away from home. The red carts, the bright white floors. I can see it now... But what I love the most is the 90% off clearance that happens after most holidays or big occasions (typically Valentine's Day, Easter, summer/school, Halloween, and Christmas). I usually go with a cart--the only time I use a cart--and peruse the aisles, putting in things I'm interested in. Then, I scan to check the price before deciding what to buy. The past couple years, I've also followed All Things Target on Facebook to find hidden items included in the clearance. Like this table I picked up after Christmas one year for $9... Or this one for $8... They aren't even holiday-themed and we use them all year round! Just another way to fill your Mama Money Bags !

I thought it might be helpful to talk about no-buy months. It's discussed in detail in Mama Money Bags , but in case you didn't get a chance to read it, or just want to learn more, here's a brief synopsis. The first step is to: Think before you buy. Do you need to buy that item or will something at home be almost just as good? Did you check your stockpile? Have you used up all those tiny shampoo bottles squirreled away from your last vacation? Is there a cheaper option? Instead of getting take-out for dinner, do you have something you can make quick at home? I usually try to not spend for three to four days during the week. It's easier than it sounds, as long as you have your stockpile--items you bought beforehand on sale or steeply discounted--to back you up. For no-buy months, I do not include bills, doctor's appointments, or gas. I do include food shopping and all "stuff." It helps to plan out your week a little, too. I went food shopping on Mo

I went into Lilly Pulitzer yesterday, primarily because I saw they were giving away Duck Donuts. Anyway, while walking around with my free donut, I spotted this visor. So pretty! And I love visors! But at $38, it's a little steep for this Cheap Mom. Then I saw that items in the Tennis Collection got a free towel (not that I need another towel...). My internal debate grew strong, but so did my resolve to not buy anything. See how they did that? Lure me in with the promise of free donuts, tempt me more with a free promo... Only when I looked up the special on my phone as I walked away, I saw they excluded the "less expensive" visor from the promo. Touche Lilly P! Touche! If you want to find out more money saving tips, check out  Mama Money Bags , my e-book on Amazon Kindle. It's just $2.99 and you'll learn so much about being frugal.

I did some Cheap Mom shopping yesterday. You see, I had the $10 CVS coupon that I got from taking a survey (previously mentioned in this post about "making up" money ). Since it expires in about a week, and because I noticed our shampoo stockpile was getting very low, I stopped at CVS on my way home from work. I bought three bottles of Pantene and a bag of Tide Pods--I'll be sure not to eat them. All that right there retails for almost $20 at CVS and I spent $1.06! How? Here's a quick rundown so you too can learn how to fill your Mama Money Bags: - Pantene was on sale for $4 each with $3 ExtraBucks when I bought three. I looked in the ad and on the signs in front of the product. - There was also a $1 Pantene coupon that I loaded onto my CVS card via their app. - Making it $11 minus my $10 ExtraBucks, for a total of $1.06. - The three bottles resulted in $3 ExtraBucks being printed out. - There was a $2 Tide coupon that I also loaded onto my CVS card via t

Tomorrow, Friday June 1, is National Donut Day. I don't really know why donuts need a day of their very own, but guess what it means? Freebies! To quote Homer Simpson, my husband's favorite cartoon character, "Woohoo!" In my neck of the woods, that means freebies from a variety of places. First, I'm headed to Edible Arrangements for a free edible donut--which isn't really a donut at all, but they must have wanted in on the game. It's a slice of an apple dipped in chocolate. A store opened up right around the corner from my home, so it will be my first visit there! Next up is Duck Donuts for a free plain (boring) donut--I think they'll sprinkle cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar on it if you ask. (Still boring.) But you can't complain when filling your Mama Money Bags! If I'm not sick of donuts at that point, I may treat myself to a coffee and get yet another donut for free at Dunkin Donuts . I'm expecting Wawa to also offer some sp

Rainy weekend. I spent a good chunk of it counting box tops. You know, those tiny little rectangles that come on products you buy--cereal, soup, baggies, even mac and cheese. They look like unless junk. But you know what? Those tiny rectangles added up to nearly $800 for my youngest daughter's school this year. Here's an example. Things I collected on my weekly walk around the neighborhood. I admit it: Mondays are my favorite days of the week for collecting these goodies. Looks like a bunch of garbage, right? Right there, my friends, is the equivalent of 65 cents! Yes, I know we're not talking about earth-shattering amounts of money, but when it comes to free money you find, maybe, just maybe, 65 cents really isn't too bad. Week after week, it really adds up. Plus, I contribute my own box tops, and my daughter's class is suddenly giving $65, even though we're the only ones who bothered collecting them. To quote a recent episode of my favorite sit

One of the easiest ways to put more into your Mama Money Bags is to cut back up front. Less is more, after all. Here in my part of Pennsylvania, PECO supplies our electricity and gas for heat. They send these handy dandy charts every month to show you how you compare to your neighbors. Here's my most recent one, which says we are more energy efficient than our efficient neighbors. The thing is: our mid-century almost 3,000 sf house isn't efficient at all. I just do little things every day to save electricity. Exhibit A: my clothing rack. We have an electric dryer, but I usually hang and entire load to dry on this Ikea folding metal rack all year long. It's at least 10 years old, and yes, I do about a load of laundry every day, which isn't too surprising with a family of five. Other ways to save on energy: --Leave the overhead lights off. When I work (often from home typing on a laptop) I just use one small lamp with an LED light bulb. --Adjust your therm

I went shopping the other day by myself. My favorite kind of shopping--when I head to the stores with multiple freebies and coupons. See all that stuff? Two Victoria's Secret undies ($10.50 each) and $5 facial mask, $2.99 card from Hallmark, $5.50 lotion $12.50 shower gel from Bath and Body Works. About $42 worth of items for--wanna take a guess? $1.06! How? You know when those cashiers ask you for your phone number or email at checkout? Well, you should be giving it to them! Then, months later after you haven't been a very good customer (because you are a Cheap Mom and didn't have any coupons) they send you really really good deals to get you to come back into the store. Gap just sent me $20 for FREE this way! I bought my youngest daughter two shirts, a pair of leggings, and a dress for less than $5. Anyway, for this latest shopping trip: --Victoria's Secret sent me a coupon for two free undies with any purchase, so I bought the facial mask (on sale fo

Mama Money Bags is now live! Starting tomorrow, it will be on sale for just .99 cents--two days only--before going back up in price to $3.49. If you like  Mama Money Bags , please leave a review and follow my blog, Facebook page, or Twitter. I'm also dabbling in LinkedIn, Pinterest, and GoodReads. It's a whole new world of social media out there! To celebrate the new e-book, Marla Being Born  will also available for FREE on Sunday and Monday. Download it and enjoy! Entertainment without spending a cent--that's a great way to start filling your Mama Money Bags.

Mama Money Bags is just about ready; just putting the finishing touches on it! My sister Korren ( www.korrendesign.com ) designed the cover and I absolutely love it! So what goes into writing an e-book? Honestly, patience, stubbornness, and time. Now that I'm here, sitting with my second finished e-book, I keep wondering why I never tried to publish on my own before. I've come up with a few answers. First , and probably the biggest reason, is because this is the first time in 13 years that all of my kids are in school full-day; it's also the first time I am a part-time employee (70%) instead of a full-time one without kids around all day. I do miss them, but summer is coming soon. Second , my coworker (also an author of e-books) said to not start another project before you finish the first one. That single piece of advice helped me so much! I am always starting and stopping some project or another. Even though I have the beginning of my next book laid out in my hea

My kids' school district was on lock down this morning because someone robbed a local gun shop. Sadly, news like this doesn't surprise me much anymore. We live in a scary world, and not all of the money saving ideas in the world can change it. Love can though. Sometimes. And, of course, events like this always bring up a memory from when I was a little girl. We were home one sunny morning. Gunshots. My dad and brother rushing outside to help our shot and bleeding neighbor, cops swarming around our house, telling me to stand in between the windows against the wall, wrapping me in a blanket. Somehow I got to school that day, and it was on lock down, too. Sometimes it feels like a dream or a nightmare since I was only seven or eight at the time, but then I go looking for the news story and am reminded about it all over again. Shooting in Somers, NY 1983 My parents still live in the same house; their neighbor is still one of the men listed in the article. And time has marched

Happy Mother's Day! Since Mama Money Bags is mostly meant for women who are looking for ways to save in this crazy economy, I just wanted to say enjoy your special day. Enjoy the little crafts your kids make you and their snuggles. That's what it's all about. Whether you're already a Cheap Mom like me or just starting out on a frugal lifestyle, know that you are strong and can make the changes needed to better your financial situation. As for me, like always, I picked out my own gifts. Hey, it's who I am and I own it proudly. I'm getting a Flynn Rider key chain, Disney pajamas from the outlet, and Austenland on DVD. My husband actually did the buying, but I was very detailed about what I wanted and even gave him some coupons to use. Most of all, though, I'm looking forward to my kids' gifts. My youngest daughter said I can't look in her backpack until Sunday and my son is busy at work on a new comic called Cheap Mom and the Saver (apparentl

One way I fill my Mama Money Bags--especially after an unplanned purchase--is to "find" or "make up" extra money. It's not money I work for usually; it's unexpected finds that help out my weekly budget. After the sample sale, in which I bought the Barefoot Dreams robe I talked about on my last post and am currently wearing, I set out to make back the $33 I spent on 6 items--but wasn't necessarily planning on spending. It's been 3 days and I've already made it back, plus more. - $12 comes from Kidzeyes, a survey site my older two kids have participated in for about 5 years (see picture below). - $3 comes from a free Hallmark card that they're giving away every Friday through July. I needed to buy a card for my nephew's graduation; this free one is great. - $20+ comes from Coke rewards--22 cap codes got me coupons for a free large soda, large popcorn, and black ticket to AMC. - $10 comes from a CVS survey they sent me after I had to

#lovemyqvcjob Okay, pretty sure that by hashtagging that, I'm good to go. As a QVC employee--I write product descriptions for them--a benefit is being able to go to the weekly sample sale. Now, for a Cheap Mom like me, the sample sale is like a Holy Grail of sales, up there with Black Friday. So many deals! Today's find was better than most though. A Barefoot Dreams robe for $6--a savings of almost 96% (although I'm lacking the matching socks). It was love at first sight--me and the robe. It's soft and supple and perhaps one of the most exquisite things I own. That said, the steeply discounted price makes you start thinking about prices and items differently. What's really worth $150? What's really worth $6? Why do things cost what they do--yes, I know all about supply and demand, but should we actually pay it? And, most importantly, what's going into your Mama Money Bags? That said, it's certainly nice to treat yourself to a bit of luxury now and

I'm now on day four of not spending anything. To be honest, I'm starting to miss it a little, and that's the interesting part of budgeting and managing your finances. I think we're almost programmed to want to spend money--on food or a thing. It fills a void, a boredom, if you will. It gives a rush. Update: I only made it four days in a row this time; next week is always a new challenge.

The main idea behind Mama Money Bags is putting you in control of your personal finances. You have the power to save for your goals, your future. You have the power to get yourself out of debt. One way I accomplish this is through no-buy months, which are full of no-buy days in which I spend absolutely nothing. I didn't buy anything today, nor yesterday. It takes planning and resourcefulness, dare I even say stubbornness? Yes, because I'm a pretty stubborn person. Try it tomorrow. Don't spend a cent on anything, and see how you do. Could you do it again the day after tomorrow (wasn't that a movie? Love my sci-fi!)? My exceptions are bills, gas, and medical co-pays. Report back if you want as you start filling your Mama Money Bags!

After creating this blog over three years ago, I finally am doing something about it! My new e-book, Mama Money Bags , is coming soon. It's full of ideas to help mamas all over take control of their personal finances so they can live their best life possible. Stay tuned! In the meantime, you can find me at: https://www.facebook.com/MamaMoneyBagsBook/ https://twitter.com/MamaMoneyBags?lang=en https://amzn.to/2IxhBOf