May 2009

Welcome to Centsable Savings Stories and Struggles!

I am always looking for frugal shoppers to share their stories. If you’ve ever thought about sharing your story, please email me at centsable.katherine[at]gmail.com. More details are at the end of this post.

This week we are featuring Deana, a brand new blogger at The Frugal Homeschooling Mom, where she blogs about free and cheap resources for moms and also free and cheap resources for homeschool-preschool. After 5 years of teaching in public school, now she is focusing on the education of her own daughter, three-year-old Laynie while also working to become a wise spender/saver/earner. She lives in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Thanks for sharing your story, Deana!

Our Decision to Live on One Income

After spending 17 months crying in the car while traveling to and from my job as a teacher (and sometimes even at work) because all I wanted was to stay at home with my baby, my husband finally gave in and said I could. I was elated, to say the least. However, it made a huge difference in our family’s income. I made more than my husband did, so we lost the majority of our income, plus some pretty nice state benefits. Now, we’re living off of his income and trying to pay down debt with every penny of the meager income I earn keeping my friends’ children in my home. But I’ve never been happier and my poor hubby is happy, too! We both agree that having me stay home was the best decision we ever made. We have been blessed beyond our wildest imagination, and we attribute it all to our purposeful decisions to follow God’s will for our family and to be better stewards of our finances.

Big and Small Changes

I’ve learned to live a very different life than I used to. I learned from two sources: my friend Jennifer who taught me the tricks of “couponing” and Dave Ramsey. We no longer have a lot of the luxuries that we once thought we “needed.” No cell phones, just the basic cable TV (you know, just the local channels), few dinners out, no brand name clothing unless it’s second-hand or bought on clearance, no convenience foods unless I get them free or really cheap with coupons, etc. I’ve sold a lot of unnecessary knick-knacks from my home and a lot of our clothing at consignment stores and yard sales. We’ve made lots of small changes, too. For example, we use cheaper and longer-lasting bar soap instead of body wash with loofah sponges, and I make my own cleaning supplies. I use coupons like a crazy woman, and I scan the weekly grocery and drug store ads to maximize my coupon savings. As a result we only spend about $50-$70 per week on groceries. Every little thing has truly added up, and I’ve saved (earned) our family over $400 a month in this way. It’s a much simpler life, and after a year and a half, I don’t feel like I’m missing anything. Actually, I am enjoying life more now than I ever have. Simpler IS better.

My Plan for the Future and My Blog

My little girl, Laynie, is such a joy. Now that she’s almost three years old (as of June 26^th) I’m really beginning to come up with a plan for homeschooling her when she begins elementary school. Since I have a M.Ed. degree and I taught public school for 5 years, I’m looking forward to it. In preparation for that, I am beginning to find activities to do with her to prepare her for an official pre-K curriculum in the fall of 2010 when she’s 4. For now, I am searching the web for free or really cheap resources and activities to fuel her love for learning now.

So, as I am searching the web and gathering information, I figured, why not share what I find with other people who may be looking for fun and educational things to do with their own preschooler? In addition, I’m really getting good at finding ways to save money and earn money, and people keep asking me, “How do you do that?” So, I started my blog in March, The Frugal Homeschooling Mom. I’m learning as I go, but it’s been a fun endeavor. I try to focus my posts on free and cheap stuff for moms like me (most of them I have tried myself so I know they’re worth passing along), and free and cheap resources for a homeschool-preschool. The homeschool resources will eventually serve as a store of information as I homeschool any other future children we may be blessed with. I’m gaining new readers every day and meeting some great new friends. Thankfully, so far no one seems to mind that my grammar isn’t always perfect! It feels good to know that the hours I spend researching can benefit other people, too.

Each week we feature a different shopper’s story. Centsable Savings Stories are the stories of people just like you who are working toward reducing their budgets, bargain hunting, living a more frugal lifestyle and constantly learning along the way. If you are interested in sharing your family’s successes and struggles, please contact me at centsable.katherine[at]gmail [dot]com. Blogger and non-bloggers are both welcome to participate. Click here to read the stories of shoppers featured in the past.

Now it’s time to share your great deals for the week! Mr. Linky has been having issue this week so please leave a link in the comments below.

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