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Category Archives: Saving money

4 Moms Share Some Favorite Frugal Tips

Colby (5) and Nick (4) display their opposite personalities

One morning last week Mark said, “Hey, let’s go camping…….today.”. Five hours later we were packed and on our way Yes, we’re last minute like that and, trust me, 5 hours is pretty good for all the laundry, packing, shopping and food prep we had to get done, not to mention the fact that our…

How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract

homemade vanilla extract

Vanilla extract is super simple to make at home and it’s more economical to make than to purchase at the store. This is all you need: Homemade Vanilla Extract Ingredients: 6-12 high quality vanilla beans (We purchased our from saffron.com) Bottle of vodka Simply split the vanilla beans in half length wise Place them in…

Tithing and Saving on One Income: 4 Moms

Many people in today’s society don’t believe that they can raise their family on one income, add to that a larger than average number of children and homeschooling and just surviving may seem impossible. This week 4 Moms who have lived this challenge are going to share our thoughts on saving, tithing and thriving with…

Composting Trash Can Tutorial

compost composting trash can colby drill

My brother-in-law gave us the idea for this simple DIY compost bin in a trash can. Since we had just put our house on the market, and since the compost pile out back was less than desirable, this contained option seemed like a good solution. The trash can keeps the compost contained and “neighbor friendly”. …

4 Moms Make Time for Managing the Budget

4 Moms parenting hardback

Menu planning and cooking for a large family, keeping up with the laundry and housework, homeschooling and being a wife and mother, when does a busy mom of many find time to balance the budget? In our house the answer is simple, I don’t. For the first several years of our marriage I was responsible…

Feed Your Family for $0.50 a Person: 4 Moms

4moms parenting cover

Feeding a large family on one income certainly adds interest to menu planning. This week the 4 Moms are challenging ourselves (and you) to feed your family for $.50 per person. Our normal budget for the evening meal is $1 per person, but we have several meal options that are less than this (and lots…

7 Simple Money Saving Tips

Wouldn't you rather have a houseful of these?

I’m answering another question from Facebook today. Amanda wanted to know some of my frugal tips. Buy used. Furniture, clothing, dishes, towels, sheets, home decor, etc. can all be found used.  We shop mostly yard sales, but second hand shops can be useful for harder to find items (like boys blue jeans sans holes in…

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Bella (1) enjoying her hot chocolate

We enjoy hot chocolate, especially during the winter months. Every Sunday morning we get up and gather in the family room to read our Bibles while sipping a cup of hot cocoa. {Bella (1) does not sip, she gulps and beware the person who tries to help her hold her cup when she pauses for…

Weekend Links: Christmas Decorating and More

christmas gifts packages

The children and I have been scouring Pinterest for ideas to decorate using items that we already have. We paired these simple mason jar, Epsom salt candle holders with fresh greenery from our back yard, gold organza fabric (left over from a previous project), sparkly red and gold ball ornaments and the old classic string-of-lights-in-mason-jars…

Tips for Feeding a Large Family on a Budget {4 Moms Linky}

Rising food prices hit every family hard, but for large families with a single income, food can be a significant percentage of their budget and it is a particular concern.   Today the 4 Moms of many are sharing some tips to stay within the food budget even with rising costs. Eat whole foods I know that many…