My husband and I hardly saved a dollar when we first got married. We were both full-time students, living in on-campus married housing, eating box meals and disagreeing about our financial plans pretty regularly. My husband and I did not see eye to eye when it came to money. It has taken effort on my part to stay focused on saving while not trying to restrict my husband from … [Read more...]
Teaching Kids Financial Responsibility
Welcome to Mom Motivation Mondays where weekly contributing writers share their motherhood experiences to encourage you to find the joy in being a mom. {This week: Post by Heather} I remember feeling proud I wasn’t the mother who bought her kids something every time we went to the store. (Insert eye roll here.) Imagine my surprise, after a couple of years, when my … [Read more...]
Becoming A Stay-at-Home Mom
What really solidified my desire to focus on becoming a stay-at-home mom was my miscarriage. Getting attached to that baby so fast, having only weeks to celebrate the new little life, and then to have to let go of that life in such a gruesome way, made me realize how precious time is-particularly when you have a little being to nurture. Now I look at 8 years of being a … [Read more...]
40+ DIY Gifts for Kids: Infants, Toddlers, Preschool, School Age
Living on one income means I have to watch our budget when it comes to buying Christmas gifts-and a lot of other things! DIY gifts for kids are a way to create more personal holiday gifts for kids that will get a lot of use. If you have an infant at home, a toddler, a preschooler or children who are school age, these 40+ DIY gifts for kids cover every age group. A bit of … [Read more...]
4 Money-Saving Tips for Families
This post is sponsored by Giving Assistant for Moms Affiliate. Please view my disclosure. These 4 money-saving tips allow you to keep more money in your pocket while also giving to charities that you choose. You do not have to spend a lot of money to give your children a good life and become financially stable. I make it my mission to be as frugal as possible just so I can … [Read more...]
Complete Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms: Resources for Living on One Income
Being a stay-at-home mom for some is a choice, but for others it is the ONLY choice. We make staying home with our children possible by our planning, focus on our budgets and money management. These are fancy terms, but setting up a budget spreadsheet for your family is not complicated. Living on one income is possible. I have included my own personal Excel spreadsheet that I … [Read more...]
H&R Block Tax Preparation Services
This post was sponsored by the Shopathome.com Blogger Team on behalf of H&R Block. Please view my disclosure. I have e-filed our taxes using H&R Block for about 6 years now. (Long before agreeing to write this post on behalf of H&R Block as a member of the Shopathome.com Blogger Team.) I have been working through each tax season using their online services. … [Read more...]
Is Preschool Worth It?
I have been asked frequently by readers, “Should I send my child to Preschool? Is preschool worth it?" Having taught Preschool and also waited to send my son to school until much later than most moms I know, I can offer a few factors to consider when deciding to homeschool or enroll your child in a preschool program outside of your home. Of course our children need to … [Read more...]
6 Tips for Teaching Children Money Managment
Teaching children money management is one of the great skills I learned from my parents was money management. Lessons such as how much money it takes to buy certain things, how to set up a budget, being mindful that what goes out better not exceed what comes in, and self-esteem from inside, not from accumulating ‘stuff’ on the outside. These are linked, but separate skills, … [Read more...]
Setting Up Your Home Budget {Free Download}
Setting up your home budget is as easy as filling in the blanks with this free budget template you can download. Moms are often the accountant, financial adviser, and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). What my husband makes (and how well I invest and manage what we already have) has to cover what we need, and then, we worry about what we want. (Or, at least, that is the goal!) I … [Read more...]