Ruth Soukup's Blog, page 87

What to Buy at Wholesale Club Stores (and What to Avoid)

Way back in the days before I started this blog and learned all the secrets of cutting my grocery bill in half, I regularly shopped at warehouse club stores such as Sam’s Club, BJ’s, and Costco.  I always thought I was saving money. Oh sure, there were occasionally a few impulse buys (those samples are so yummy) but I was buying in bulk.  Wasn’t that a better bargain than just walking into a grocery store and purchasing items at the shelf price?

Not necessarily, as it turns out.

Once I began to do the math, I started to realize that warehouse stores aren’t always what they are cracked up to be, and on many items, the prices really aren’t that good, especially when compared to sale prices at the regular grocery store.

That said, warehouse stores do serve a purpose, and my husband and I still maintain a Sam’s Club membership for this reason. While not everything is a bargain, certain items are simply a better deal.

Of course there are a couple strategies that will save you before you even walk in the door. The first thing to know is: you don’t have to be a member to shop at the warehouse store!  Warehouse stores will offer a one-day membership for an additional 5-10% (which is still saving a bundle if you’re buying a big ticket item and if you really stick to your plan).

Another strategy is to use gift cards. Costco will allow you to use a gift card in lieu of a membership and you can walk right in the door and use the card towards your purchase! The next time a membership-holding friend goes to the store, ask her to pick you up a few $10 gift cards and use one each time you go. Easy! Check with your child’s school as well. Some schools offer gift card Scrip programs with cards to Sam’s and Costco.

The best days to warehouse shop are usually Tuesday and Wednesday or anytime during the morning or mid-afternoon on weekdays. You’ll avoid the crowds, the lines, and yes, the free samples—plus, you’ll save time!

There are a few items that warehouse stores are great for. Purchase these items at warehouse stores—these deals will likely beat even coupon prices:

Big Ticket Seasonal Items

Warehouse stores typically stock one or two top-selling items. This isn’t the place you’ll find every type of tent or every grill option. Instead, you’ll find one or two vetted options—the best options. Seasonal items such as sporting goods, camping equipment, Christmas trees and yard tools are often priced to move and to get customers in the door.

Some Electronic Items

Televisions, computers and tablets are often offered at great prices at warehouses. No, you won’t find the selection or expertise that you’d find at a specialty store like The Apple Store or Best Buy, but if you know what you want and you’re looking for a good deal you can take home right away, warehouse stores are competitive. Often they pair with a few manufacturers to offer rebates and other bonuses.

Some Jewelry

Sam’s Club, BJ’s and Costco might not the place to find the unique and beautiful setting for your dream engagement ring, but watches, tennis bracelets and classic pieces such as diamond pendants and earrings are offered at better deals than you would ever find at a jeweler. These items still have an IGI appraisal and rating and are also insurable.

Flowers

While the customized bouquets and delivery options won’t be what a florist would offer, you can get great, beautiful seasonal flowers at a warehouse store. Most bouquets are generous and they last a very long time. Typically they’re priced between $10-$20.

Beer, Wine and Liquor

If you need to stock up on a single spirit for say, a signature drink at your next party, consider purchasing the store brand. Unlike generic spirits and beers at the grocery store, warehouse brands are often highly rated and on par with others (especially for party drinks).

The wine selection at Costco is pretty renowned. They offer many basic table and popular wines at unbeatable prices. If there’s a wine you like to have on hand, consider stocking up on your next trip.

Party Foods

Trays of party foods are always a bit of a splurge, compared to DIYing it. However, if you need to stock up on items for your next get together, you can save on pizzas, pre-roasted chickens, deli trays and bakery items, especially compared to a caterer or even a grocery store deli.

Kids Coats, Snow Gear and Seasonal Clothing

Gymboree it is not, but warehouse stores have basic coats, snow pants, and other gear (as well as swimsuits and Halloween costumes) that will outfit a quickly growing youngster for a season. Kids outgrow items so fast, and younger children don’t care about the brand or design. For functional, decent quality clothing basics, warehouse shopping can offer some real steals.

Baking Goods

I’ve found that flour and vanilla are two items that are amazing deals at warehouse stores. Even with coupons, you just can’t beat the prices. $6.00 for a very large bottle of vanilla and $6.00 for a 50-POUND BAG of flour! If you go through a lot of baking staples, sugars, olive oil, or a particular spice, check the warehouse store price against your Rock Bottom Price List. You may find that a bulk purchase will save you money ounce for ounce.

Cheese Crumbles

While soft cheese (like brie or mozzarella) can be hard to use up before it goes bad, crumbled cheese like feta, blue cheese (my favorite) and parmesan are a great deal at warehouse stores. Typically they come in a large container. A handful on salad, pizza, soups and other dishes, just adds that flavor boost and fancy finishing touch.

Pet Food, Litter and Supplies

Warehouse stores offer flea and tick preventatives at a discounted price, as well as doggie clean-up bags, dog food and kitty litter. If your pet is not on a specialty diet, a 50-pound bag of food for $16 cannot be beat. Pet items can be very pricey, but comparing prices at a warehouse can beat many specialty pet stores, and even prices at Walmart, Target and the grocery store.

Shrimp, Fish & Other Shellfish

While these items do go on sale, the fish selection at warehouse stores is often quite good and high quality. A large salmon filet for under $20 can be portioned out into several meals and frozen. I find the quality beats the pre-frozen portions that are found on sale at the grocery store.

Some Produce

A word on produce—there are deals to be found here. Avocados, for example, can often be found at 6 for $3. Lemons, pineapple and other fruits can also be a great deal. Keep in mind that not all of the produce is cheaper—and it can be a really bad idea to purchase highly perishable fruits and veggies (berries, spinach, lettuce) in such large quantities. I don’t make a special trip for produce, but I always check the prices to see if there’s a great deal on something while I’m there.

Dairy Milk, Almond Milk, Cream and Butter

Heavy cream is hard to find on sale, so if I have a big baking project coming up, I stock up. Butter is also available a good price and can be frozen, if needed. Almond milk and soy milk can be found in quantities of two or three, but if your family goes through a lot of non-dairy milk, they’re much cheaper at warehouse stores. Regular milk is usually a dollar cheaper and if I’m already going to the warehouse store, I pick some up!

What You Probably Won’t Save On:

There are some items that just aren’t such a “deal” especially if you’re a coupon shopper. There are, of course, exceptions, but as a rule of thumb, never buy anything larger than your family can use before the expiration date.

You probably won’t save on these products, especially if you have a coupon or shop sales elsewhere:

Cereals
Coffee
Soda, juice and sports drinks
Bathroom sundries like razors, toothpaste, shampoo
Canned goods
Cereal bars
Ready-to-bake items (like Pillsbury)
Cleaning supplies like dishwasher detergent, laundry soap, dish soap
Cereal bars, granola bars and pre-portioned snacks
“Junk food” chips, cookies, crackers

With a few smart strategies, warehouse shopping can be great deal, so long as you know up front which items you’ll save on and what to skip.  To determine whether a membership is right for your family, assess whether the items listed are ones you buy frequently.  Depending on your needs, you may find that it is well worth the cost, or not so much.  One great alternative to check out is saving on household goods through Amazon Subscribe and Save.  Check out this detailed post for more info and a price comparison!

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Do you shop at warehouse club stores such as Costco, Sam’s Club or BJs?  Why or why not?

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Thrifty Thursday {Week 98}

Happy Thursday!  I’m getting ready to head to Austin, Texas for the ReWrite conference later this afternoon!  I will be speaking there about one of my favorite topics–using Pinterest to build your platform! Behind the scenes, my team and I have been busy getting ready for the spring session of Elite Blog Academy.  Doors will be opening April 14th, but you can sign up now to be added to the waiting list.  (Our fall session completely sold out, so be sure to add the date to your calendar!)

In other news, our Secret 13 Essay Contest finalist this week was Amanda. You can read her journey here.  Be sure to check it out–it is definitely thought-provoking!  There is still a little time to submit your own entry for a chance to win an all expenses paid cruise for four on the Carnival Sunshine, so be sure to check out all the details HERE!

 

Here are the most clicked links from last week:

1. Family Balance Sheet  { Meet Jen & Her Husband: They paid off $212,000 in 48 Months }
2. Laura Sue Shaw { Financial Habits to Start Right Now }

3. Letters from Sunnybrook { How I Save on Groceries Without Coupons }

4. Snail Pace Transformations {What Being Debt Free Looks Like for Our Family}

5. Thrifty Little Mom {Enjoying Life While Dumping Debt}

6. A Debt Free Stress Free Life {3 Lies Debtors Like to Tell}

7. Thrifty Frugal Mom {What I Spent & Saved Archives}
8. Retired by 40 { Why I’m Not Paying for My Daughter’s College }
9. The Debt Myth {How We Paid Off Our Mortgage 10x Faster Than Normal}
10. Pulling Curls {Put Menthol on Feet for Night Coughs}
 
Never linked up before? Here’s how:

Scroll down, find the little blue “Add your Link” Button and click on that.
Follow the instructions on the next page – add a great image of your project and an interesting title. Make sure you link to the direct page of your budget friendly post – not the main page of your blog!
Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by!
Please link back to this post somehow. There are badges available here; a simple text link is just fine too.

Feel free to tweet about Thrifty Thursday so others can join the fun, and don’t forget to check back here Sunday morning to see which posts have been featured this week at Weekend Wandering!

If this is your first time here I also invite you to check out my blogging guide, How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul).  It is a fantastic resource if you are interested in building your blog, getting more traffic, or learning how to monetize!  Or, if you have read the book and are still looking to take your blog to the next level, I encourage you to check out Elite Blog Academy.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Crockpot Beef Burritos

Ready for another super easy freezer meal that your whole family will love?

If you read this blog regularly, you already know that I am a little obsessed with “cheater” freezer cooking. Not only are these simple meals quick & easy to throw together, they save us a ton of money on groceries (and especially on eating out.)  Better yet, they make our sometimes hectic weekdays SO much simpler!  There is nothing better than knowing at the end of a crazy day that dinner is already in the crockpot!

These flavorful beef burritos were a huge hit with both my husband and kids.  To make them as part of a freezer cooking day, just split the meat & marinade into multiple bags, then throw it right into the freezer–no cooking required!  Making it ahead of time is not necessary, though, as it is equally delicious just marinated at room temperature.  You can also easily divide this recipe in half!

Here is what you need:

2 small (2-3 pound) chuck roasts (or one 5-6 pound roast cut in half)
2 packets taco seasoning
3 10 oz cans Rotel tomatoes or diced tomatoes with chiles
1 onion
For cooking day:
flour tortillas
sour cream
salsa
avocado
shredded lettuce (optional)
Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
 

Step 1: Chop onion; set aside.

Step 2: Mix together tomatoes and taco seasoning ; stir in onion and set aside.

Step 3: Divide beef into 2 gallon size freezer bags ( be sure to label bags first.) Divide tomato mixture over top of beef.

Step 4: Thaw if frozen; cook in crockpot on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours, until beef falls apart easily with a fork. (Note:  Thawing is not absolutely necessary–you can also cook from frozen, just add an additional hour or two in the crockpot.)

Step 5: Serve with tortillas, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, cheese, and avocado.

    Print This!    




Recipe: Crockpot Shredded Beef Burritos

Summary: The beef cooks to perfection in the crockpot and then the fun begins, building your own burrito!

Ingredients

2 small (2-3 pound) chuck roasts (or one 5-6 pound roast cut in half)
2 packets taco seasoning
3 10oz. cans Rotel tomatoes or diced tomatoes with chiles
1 onion



Following items for cooking day only:
flour tortillas
sour cream
salsa
avocado
shredded lettuce (optional)
shredded cheddar cheese (optional)



Instructions

Chop onion; set aside.
Mix together tomatoes and taco seasoning ; stir in onion and set aside.
Divide beef into 2 gallon size freezer bags ( be sure to label bags first.) Divide tomato mixture over top of beef.
Thaw if frozen; cook in crockpot on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours, until beef falls apart easily with a fork.
Serve with tortillas, sour cream, salsa, lettuce, cheese, and avocado..

Preparation time: 5-7 minutes

Cooking time: 6-8 hours on low or 4-6 hours on high in crockpot

Number of servings (yield): 16

 

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The Value of Real Connections (Secret 13 Essay Contest Finalist)

 Living Well Spending Less: 12 Secrets of the Good Life shares 12 secrets for seeking—and finding—the Good Life in our day to day lives. From time management and goal-setting to managing our homes and finances, these practical and concrete strategies can help each of us discover a life rich with purpose. Even so, a life well lived is not so much about what we have as who we are, and ultimately each one of us holds the key to our own secrets. Secret 13 is the truth that YOU have uncovered as you discover your own Good Life. 

Each week for 12 weeks we will select one finalist’s essay to feature here at Living Well Spending Less. At the end of the 12 weeks, Living Well Spending Less readers will vote on their favorite #Secret13 story, and the essay with the most votes will win a 7 day cruise for 4 on the Carnival Sunshine! Today’s post is our seventh finalist in the Secret 13 Essay Contest. For more inspiring Secret 13 stories, be sure to check out our Blog Tour!

Hello, I’m Amanda. I live in Colorado Springs with my husband, our two rambunctious toddlers, and our dog. My garden spade, my cookbooks, my hiking shoes, and my piano are some of my favorite things.

I make myself rather scarce in the world of social media, and I don’t have my own blog. But, I do my share of Facebook browsing and read plenty of blog posts. Because of this, I sometimes find myself thinking my thoughts in the form of Facebook updates (someone please tell me I’m not the only one) or composing blog posts (usually rants in response to something else I’ve read) in my head.

So, without further adieu, here is what my brain composed when I read about Ruth’s #Secret13 essay contest. I think it’s essential to be talking about how to navigate this world filled with technology and media, and how to do it well. I need to hear this as much as anyone else, and putting it into words makes me more accountable. So this time I decided to write it down.

 

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What is MY Secret 13? Value connection with real people over connection with screens.

A sales representative came to my door today. “Who do you have your cable and internet with?” he asked. “Well… we don’t have either right now,” I replied. This has happened a couple of other times, and I’m not sure if any of the salespeople believed me or not.

But it’s true. The past year has been an experiment for our family. At the beginning of the year we decided to cut extra expenses so that we could finish paying off student loans faster. One of the things to go was our internet connection — making this the first time our family has gone without wifi for an extended period of time. Aside from saving money, my husband and I also wanted to prove to ourselves that it wasn’t something we really needed.

Therefore, right now, my only daily internet connection is my smartphone, and we don’t have cable or Netflix. (Side note: we keep our TV packed up in a box when it’s not in use. Try it!)  Since we use a pay-as-you-go phone plan with very limited data, we pay $50 a month, making our cost-per-month for technology and media a whopping total of… $50. (We could be shelling out, hypothetically, $75 for a contract cell phone plan, $40 for internet, $50 for cable, and $10 for Netflix. $175 total. And that’s rather “basic” I think. I’m sure we could be paying much more than that with other options.) So one benefit to this experiment is more money in the bank.

But money isn’t what’s really at stake here.

The real change has been in our habits. We have to work for our media. It’s not our go-to family activity; instead, it’s a special treat.  It’s not an easy distraction if we’re bored, stressed, or avoiding our other tasks. The computer and the TV aren’t sitting there in the center of the room calling to us to watch the news, read one more blog, check out Instagram, or just kick back and surf channels for the evening. If we want to watch a movie, we check out what’s available from the library or put one on hold. (The library is an excellent resource for all kinds of things, including movies, even though it does require us to delay our gratification a little bit. ) There are some things I can do with 500 mb of data on my phone, but other times I have to wait and use internet somewhere else. I have learned it is good for me to wait.

So you can probably see that “media” is a rather small part of our lives right now, and our time is not centered around it. Which means we have more time for long conversations, games, puzzles…time to read book after book to the kids. We can cook involved meals together and sit around the table with friends. There’s time to hike and enjoy the outdoors, and there is space to just think or rest without distraction or noise. This is some of the stuff of the “good life.” It’s what our family enjoys, and I don’t think we would choose to do these things as often if our lives were overloaded with media.

Not having internet is inconvenient in ways, of course. It’s required “sacrifices” of sorts. But we must consider: what are we sacrificing when we choose to while away the hours scrolling through Facebook and watching dozens of TV shows. Do we look our family members in the eye? Do we spend quality time together? Do we read and learn together? Do we know our neighbors? Do we serve our communities? Do we sit and think, do we let our minds rest, do we allow space and margin in our lives? We all like to say we’re busy, too busy for many of these things, but why then do we have so much time to spend in front of our screens? Why are we glued to our smartphones? Trust me, even with the changes our family has made, I am still often as guilty of this as anyone else!

Please don’t hear me wrong. Technology isn’t bad, and in fact it has a lot of good to offer. (We aren’t luddites. I have a smartphone remember?) But what are we letting it take from us? What are we being robbed of?

#Secret13: value real connection with our families, friends, and communities over connection to screens, our devices, our mindless entertainment.

I don’t necessarily think this looks the same for everyone. I don’t think it’s about a precise formula that will automatically put your priorities in order. But we all need to consider what we’re sacrificing… because we’re all sacrificing something. I would rather sacrifice my screen time than good, true, quality time with my people, time for pursuing a worthy hobby, time spent helping others, or just the quiet space to ponder and think.

I wish I could say that this experiment has been a complete success for me. Unfortunately the temptation is strong to pick up my smartphone anytime it strikes my fancy. Sometimes it’s far too easy to choose browsing my phone over truly investing in my two toddlers (ages two and one). One of my goals for this year is simple: to put down my phone! One step I’ve already taken in this area is giving my phone a “curfew”. I plug it in to charge in the kitchen at night instead of letting it be the last thing I look at before I go to sleep or the first thing I see when I wake up.

We all have different situations. And we aren’t all going to give up internet or TV. But what changes could you make? Maybe you could move your TV to a different room, or pack it up when it’s not in use, so it takes more effort to watch it. Perhaps you could consider only owning one TV. Try going a few months without internet. Put a password lock on the internet browser on your phone that only your spouse knows.. so that your phone is just a phone for the majority of your day. Take a break from Facebook. Limit yourself to watching one movie a week. Take a vacation and truly unplug.

I do encourage you to look critically at your screen time. Consider what you might be missing out on. People are more important than screens. So turn off this computer and put down your phone. I think there is much to be gained.

 

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Want to enter for a chance to win an all-expenses paid cruise for four on the Carnival Sunshine?  In 750-1200 words, please share your own Living Well Spending Less® story. It could be a challenge you faced in your own life and the lesson you learned as you overcame it, or a personal story about how something within one of the chapters of Living Well Spending Less: 12 Secrets of the Good Life personally affected or changed you.

Next, send a copy of your essay to secret13@livingwellspendingless.com. Be sure to also include your name and blog name (if you have a blog), as well as a photo of yourself and any other photos you’d like to include.  For more details about the contest and how to enter, please check out our Secret 13 Contest Page!

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How to Get a Part Time Job

Today I am thrilled to be introducing you to a young woman who blew me away when I met her last September.  She started her blog, Teens Got Cents, when she was just 15 years old, after listening to Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover audiobook with her mom.  She decided to get serious about learning how to earn and save money, and began blogging to share the wisdom she was gaining with her friends.  I can only pray that my own daughters will have such good heads on their shoulders when they are fifteen!

 Today Eva is offering some fantastic tips for teens trying to land their first part-time job.  I hope you will take a minute first to welcome Eva to LWSL, and then to share this post with all the teens you know!

xoxo, Ruth

 This is a guest post from Eva Baker of TeensGotCents

Getting a part time job is a rite of passage for most American teens. It’s a great way to earn extra money that can be saved for college expenses, buying your first car, but especially important on Friday night when you want to go to the movies with your friends!

It seems like it would be easy for most teenagers to get a job but that isn’t always true.

Many of my friends have found out the hard way just how competitive the job market is for teenagers. Some have been trying for more than six months to find a position. Having a job as a teen is more important than ever if you want to prepare well for your financial future.

In the last two years of blogging I have had the privilege of speaking with and interviewing a number of business owners and hiring managers from all over. As I continued to have these conversations I noticed a few ideas repeated over and over by these employers when I asked for their best advice for teens seeking a part time job.

Although the process can seem overwhelming there are 5 practical steps you can take, even as a young teen, that will help you secure an awesome part time job. None of the steps are that difficult but they will take a commitment from you. Obviously, I can’t guarantee that you will get a job immediately but if you stick it out and put in the work I can say that you will stand out from all of the other applicants!

Complete the application thoroughly and be neat.

It might seem silly to even have to say that but the managers I have spoken to say they get incomplete applications every single day. Guess what happens to those applications? Yep, you guessed it, they get thrown in the trash. And you don’t want that to happen to you. Be careful to fill out everything accurately and completely. Use your best handwriting if it is a written application.

Some business owners say they get 10 – 20 applications a day on average. They just don’t have time to follow up with a teen that won’t take the time to fill out an application carefully. It would be a good idea to have a friend or family member look over the application before you turn it in just to make sure you didn’t miss anything. At the very least double check it yourself and correct any errors.

Dress Appropriately

You know your favorite shorts and that tank top you love to wear? And those really comfy flip flops you’ve had for 3 years? Don’t even think about it! Even if you are just stopping in to pick up an application you need to dress appropriately. One of the managers I interviewed said that he has had young people show up in swimsuits to drop off an application. Surprisingly, he didn’t call them in for an interview…

That said, you don’t have to wear a business suit either. If you are picking up or dropping off an application wear business casual clothes. For the guys it might be a pair of khaki pants and a shirt with a collar. A nice blouse with a pair of pants or a skirt would be perfect for the girls. Dress shoes are not necessary but definitely leave the flip flops at home!

You might want to step it up a bit for an interview but it may not be necessary. A nice business casual outfit will probably be perfect for most teens. Unless you want to intern at a law office. You will probably want to pull out the suit and dress shoes at that point!

 

Prepare a resume

I know, I know. You are in middle school or high school and you don’t have anything to put on a resume. Right? Wrong! A high school resume can be an important part of getting you that dream job! As a student you most likely have accomplishments and have been involved in activities that demonstrate leadership abilities. When a hiring manager sees the resume you have prepared it lets them know a little bit more about who you are. It shows that you have taken the time to go above and beyond to demonstrate that you can be a good employee.

Letting them know about any volunteering you have done is also an important part of a high school resume. Again this shows something about your character and demonstrates that you are going to be a great addition to their team. And the time you spend putting a resume together is never a waste because you can include it in your college application packets as well!

Research the company

At this point your perfect application has been reviewed and your high school resume has gotten the attention of the hiring manager. Dressing well has made a great first impression when you dropped off the application and you have gotten an interview! Now what?

Make sure to take the time to research the company before you go to the interview. Read a little about how the company got started, what their mission statement is, and how they invest back into their community. Having even a basic knowledge about the business will help you be more prepared for the interview.

Many times at the end of an interview you will be asked if you have any questions about the job or about the company. You can’t ask an intelligent question if you know nothing about the business! Once you have done a little research write down a few questions that you can ask during the interview. This small time investment really shows that you want the job. Looking super smart is just an added bonus!

 

Practice!

If you are anything like me you are going to be really nervous when it comes time for the interview. The good thing is that the person interviewing you understands! However, you still need to make an effort to do the very best you can to be confident, know the right things to say, and be well prepared.

The best way to do this is to practice. Ask a parent or a friend to sit down with you. Let them ask the questions an interviewer might ask and practice answering. It would be even better if you did this with more than one person. You can even look up what the most popular job interview questions are so you know what to expect and can practice answering those specific questions.

There is no way you can anticipate everything they might ask but a little practice will go a long way to helping you be as prepared as you can possibly be!

These steps will go a long way to ensure that you get a great part time job. Being persistent is also a big factor in determining if you get a job or not. You can’t just go in once, drop off an application, and get the job the next day. You might have to go in ten times to prove how serious you are but it will be worth it in the long run!

 

 

 Eva Baker founded TeensGotCents to help herself and other teens discover tips and advice on preparing for a stable financial future. When not discussing smart shopping, handling high school and college expenses, finding a part time job and getting the most out of life, you will find her cuddling her cat, watching Netflix, or pinning ideas for her wedding. You can connect with her on Facebook and Pinterest!

 

 

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Weekend Wandering

Happy Weekend!  After a week in the Dominican Republic with Compassion International, today I am headed home.  I can’t wait to see my girls and my husband, but I will definitely be leaving a piece of my heart behind, and honestly?  I can’t wait to come back.  Will you join me in sponsoring a child this week?

Of course while I was gone, you guys had some awesome posts to share!  Here is what I loved this week:

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First of all, these Light and Fluffy Chocolate Chip Pancakes from Burnt Apple are made healthy with white whole wheat flour and yogurt!

These Banana & Macadamia Nut Muffins from Cozy Country Living would also make a great breakfast option!

 These Orange Lime Sweet Rolls from The Hard Times Kitchen sound really yummy too!

This recipe for Garlic Bacon Parmesan Potatoes from Thrifty Jinxy could be made for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

These Spinach Artichoke Calzones from A Mind Full Mom are quick, easy and full of flavor!

Family Balance Sheets shares the secret to Cheap but Tasty Homemade Croutons and Garlic Bread! They look so good!

I love lemon desserts in the winter–they just remind me of brighter days yet to come! This Lemon Pound Cake from Kleinworth & Co. sounds perfect!

This Easy Napoleon Pastry from Frugal Living NW tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen but it actually comes together in minutes and requires no baking!

Moving onto some DIY projects…Living Chic on the Cheap shares tips for making this DIY Fabric Covered Pin Board. So cute!

These cost effective Homemade Dryer Sheets from View From the Fridge are reusable & made with your favorite essential oils!

These tips on How to Save Money on Children’s Clothes from The Budget Mama are awesome. I totally agree with tip #4!

Growing Up Mom shares her 7 tips on How to Find Hidden Grocery Store Savings. What a great resource!

Suffering with cabin fever? These 6 Budget Friendly Ways to Enjoy Winter from Debt Free Divas are just the thing to snap you out of it!

Finally, The Busy Budgeter shares The Ultimate Money Saving Checklist. Which includes 200 ways to reduce your spending, increase your savings and reach your financial goals!

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What did you love this week?

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Just One

It’s been a long week.  In fact, by this point, you might even be a little sick of hearing me talk about Compassion and the Dominican Republic and all the reasons why you should sponsor a child.

I get it.  I really do.  Extreme poverty is heavy, and it is overwhelming.

It feels so big.  So widespread.  So endless, as far as the eye can see.  No matter how many people you try to help, there will always be a line out the door. No matter how many kids get sponsored, there will always be one more.

How do we even make sense of it all?

The simple answer? We can’t.

But that shouldn’t be an excuse to turn away.

There is a famous story about a little boy at the beach who, during a low tide, is busily throwing starfish back into the ocean. There are thousands of them dotting the shoreline, and a man walks up to him and asks “why even bother—you can’t possibly save them all. Do you really think anything you could do would make a difference? The boy is silent for a minute, but then he stoops down, grabs another starfish, and says simply “it made a difference to that one.”

Today we walked for almost two miles in the noonday sun to visit Elba and her three young children. It was hot—almost unbearably so, and the air was sticky and heavy with the sour smell of garbage. The closer we got to the dirty, polluted river, the worse the smell became and the more desperate the neighborhood seemed. Tiny cement block homes devolved into patchwork shacks of scrap wood, tin, and cardboard.

Finally we arrived. Unlike our previous home visits, Elba didn’t invite us in to sit down. Through the open doorway of their tiny tin dwelling, I could see that there was nothing to invite us in to.  There was no place to sit. No couch, no chairs, not even a bench. The tiny room held two small battered tables, and a small portable cooktop stove.

That’s it.

So we stood there, somewhat awkwardly, in the dirt-floored space outside the door. Elba told us, quietly, that she lived there with her three children and that life was hard.

What an understatement.

She explained that the land they lived on was prone to frequent floods from the nearby river, and that any time the heavy rains came, her family would have to leave everything behind and head for higher ground. What few things they did own, they lost several times a year. She said she lived in fear any time the skies turned gray.

She also explained that she had lost nearly all her eyesight, which meant she couldn’t work. She tried to help her mother sell snacks and drinks, but in a poverty stricken neighborhood, money is tight everywhere. Her vision was correctable, but the contact lenses she needed to be able to see cost 7,000 Pesos—the equivalent of $175 US dollars—and she simply couldn’t afford them.

But even though life was hard, she had big dreams, she told us, and she wanted a different life for her kids. She wanted to see them succeed in life, to follow their own dreams.

“And what are those dreams?” I asked?

Alba turned to her daughter Darlene Zabala, wanting her to answer for herself.  The little girl immediately shrank back into the doorway, covering her face in embarrassment. She was too shy to speak.

The mama in me recognized that deer-in-the-headlights look immediately.

I’ve seen it many times before.

Wanting to comfort her, I quickly spoke up. “At home, I have a little girl who’s just like you. Her name is Maggie and she is eight years old, and she is very smart, just like you. But even though she is very smart, she is also very shy and so sometimes people don’t know just how smart she is because she is afraid to talk.”

Seeing her eyes light up just the tiniest little bit, I continued, “but you know what? Even though she is very shy, God sees her and knows how special and smart she is, and God sees how special and smart you are too, and he loves you very, very much.”

I handed her a necklace that my friend Lisa Leonard had given me to share—the same necklace Compassion is giving away to anyone who sponsors a child this week—and showed her that it was the same necklace I was wearing. I explained what it said, that she was so very loved, and that from now on, whenever I looked at the necklace around my own neck, I would think of her.

And then she smiled.  It was a small, shy, half-smile, but a smile nonetheless.

And my already tender, fragile heart finally shattered into a million pieces.

It was too much.

In that moment, I wasn’t simply observing someone else’s struggle, I was living it.

That little girl could have been my little girl. She had the same mannerisms, the same quiet demeanor, the same strong spirit….even the same pink tutu hanging in the makeshift closet.

And I also know what it is like not to see—until getting eye surgery six years ago, I was considered legally blind. Without corrective lenses, I couldn’t see two feet in front of me. And here was a mom, doing the best she could to raise her kids in some of the most horrific conditions imaginable, and she can’t even see.

It could have been me.

When poverty has a face and a name, it changes things.  It makes it real, and once it is real, you can’t ignore it. As Lisa put it, “if everyone could see what we’ve seen this week, there would be a waiting list to sponsor these kids.”

If I’ve learned anything this week, it is that I can’t help every child, but I can make a difference to the one right in front of me.

I can see that one.

I can let her know that she is precious and loved, and she matters, to me and to God.

You can too.

Please sponsor a child this week.  Hundreds are still waiting for someone to see them, but you only have to see one.  Just one.

Please don’t wait any longer. Start right now. I’ve seen firsthand what $38 a month will do in the lives of these kids, and friends, it is BIG. Huge. Completely life changing. It is the difference between hope and despair. And it might break you too.

But it will be worth it.

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Thrifty Thursday {Week 97}

Happy Thursday!  This week I am in the Dominican Republic with Compassion International.  It has been a pretty intense week so far, and I’m not going to lie–I’ve cried.  A lot.  And I’m not normally a crier.  But these kids have my heart and they are not letting go. Our goal is not only to raise awareness about some of the incredible work Compassion is doing in that country, but to help 300 kids find sponsors this week!

I would love to invite each of you to follow our journey online, on Instagram, or by following #compassionbloggers on Twitter, and to consider making a difference in the life of a child this week through sponsorship.  Your money does so much here–I’ve seen it firsthand!

Here are the most clicked links from last week:

1. Graceful Little Honey Bee  { 35 Frugal Foods to Buy When Your Broke }
2. Debt Free Divas { The 5 Worst Financial Tips I’ve Followed }

3. Early Bird Mom { Why We Quit Homeschooling }

4. Sarah Titus {10 Easiest Ways to Earn Extra Income from Home}

5. Earning & Saving with Sarah Fuller {How 24 Hours can Save Your Budget}

6. My Love for Words {The Biggest Decluttering Mistakes}

7. The Budget Mama {Our One Income Budget for our Family of Four}
8. Aspired Living { Five $1 Breakfast Meals }
9. Outside the Box Mom {How to Blow Your Grocery Budget}
10. Retired by 40 {Why I No Longer Do Surveys for Money}
 
Never linked up before? Here’s how:

Scroll down, find the little blue “Add your Link” Button and click on that.
Follow the instructions on the next page – add a great image of your project and an interesting title. Make sure you link to the direct page of your budget friendly post – not the main page of your blog!
Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by!
Please link back to this post somehow. There are badges available here; a simple text link is just fine too.

Feel free to tweet about Thrifty Thursday so others can join the fun, and don’t forget to check back here Sunday morning to see which posts have been featured this week at Weekend Wandering!

If this is your first time here I also invite you to check out my blogging guide, How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul).  It is a fantastic resource if you are interested in building your blog, getting more traffic, or learning how to monetize!  Or, if you have read the book and are still looking to take your blog to the next level, I encourage you to check out Elite Blog Academy.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Everything We Have

I hit the snooze button twice this morning, not wanting to get out of bed, the thought of facing another emotionally grueling day weighing heavily on my heart. I pull the blankets over my head.

I can’t do it, I think, my heart can’t take any more. I don’t have anything left to give.

And it’s not that I don’t care, or that I don’t want to help, or that I’m not interested in the incredible work being done here.   Every child I have met so far has stolen a little piece of my heart. I do care. I do want to help.

So much.

But the reality of poverty is painful. It’s hard to take in. Impossible to fathom until you see it close up. And to be perfectly honest, it makes me want to turn away, to go back to the comfortable life I know. My heart just isn’t big enough.

Just 10 more minutes.

You committed to an entire week, a quiet voice whispers, so get up. There is still more to see.

After a quick shower, I open my Bible, not to any page in particular. This is how my morning devotions usually go—no structure, just whatever verse I happen to land on. This morning it falls open to the story found in Matthew 19:16-28.

A young man approaches Jesus and asks what good deeds he must do to receive eternal life. Jesus tells him that there is only one who is good, but that if he wants eternal life, he must keep the commandments.

This isn’t quite enough for the guy. He presses a little harder, wanting to know exactly which ones. At this point you can almost see Jesus rolling his eyes, but he answers anyway. He tells the man not to murder or commit adultery or to lie or steal, and to honor his father and mother and love his neighbor as himself.

The guy then says he’s done all that but it doesn’t feel like enough.

That’s when Jesus hits him with the gut punch:

If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.

The man walks away sad, because for him, this is not a small request. He’s a rich guy with lots of possessions—things he’s really quite attached to.

Jesus turns to his disciples and explains that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.

The disciples are looking at each other wondering who could possibly qualify for heaven, but Jesus assures them that although with man this is impossible, with God all things are possible and that the way to eternal life is to give up everything for him, because in heaven, those who were first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

I have to admit that this one is not my favorite story in the Bible. I’m far more like the rich young man than I would like to admit—not too eager to give away all I have, just to follow Jesus.

That’s just crazy talk, right?

I close my Bible without taking too much time to think about what this story really means. I say a quick prayer, asking for strength to make it through the day, that the love of Jesus will somehow shine through me, even if I don’t feel like I have anything left to give.

And then we make our way to the center. After our day in the country yesterday, we are back in the ghettos of Santo Domingo, this time on the other side of town. In the bus we learn that we will be visiting a center that serves 375 sponsor children, but that also has what’s known as a CSP—Child Survival Program.

The name is not intended to be dramatic—this program, for children birth through age three, is literally a lifeline in this community. Mothers learn skills like basic nutrition, how to hold and nurture an infant, and how to keep their homes safe for toddlers. They also learn vocational skills that allow them to earn a sustainable wage. Infant mortality in these neighborhoods is high. This program reaches the most defenseless members of society.

But before we get to tour the CSP facility, the sponsor children in the center have put together a program for us. A few children sing, and a few more dance, and we all pray together. And then one young boy, no more than 12 or 13 years old, announces that he will be sharing the day’s message.

It’s from Matthew 19:16-28.

That’s right about the time I get hit with the gut punch.

Why this story, I can’t help but wonder, when these kids are the poorest of the poor? What could this story possibly have to say to them?

But this little boy does have a point, and it’s a pretty simple one.

Jesus wants everything we have.

He wants our whole heart, even when we feel like we have nothing left to give.

And for the rest of the day, that one simple point keeps coming back as I see it lived out in the lives of these people in the most concrete of ways.

I see it in our translators who bring so much more to our experience than the gift of communication. They don’t simply translate a language, they bring light and laughter and tears and wisdom. They don’t hold back an ounce of enthusiasm or a drop of compassion. They are fully in it. They give everything they have.

I see it in the kind-hearted leader of the Child Survival Program who speaks with pride about the 75 mothers she and two helpers nurture each day. Without complaint, they make home visits to each family twice a month, which means daily treks into dangerous neighborhoods and seemingly hopeless situations. Her greatest joy is seeing these mothers succeed. She gives everything she has.

I see it in the determined faces of the first parents we visit, parents who are determined to create a better life for their kids, a mother who is finding a way to attend university classes despite the strain on their already strapped finances and limited resources.  I see a father who will do whatever it takes.  They are giving everything they have.

I see it in the overpowering love of the grandmother we visit next, who is somehow caring for her three grandchildren—one severely disabled—in ramshackle shed barely shielded from the elements, located on the bank of a river that floods regularly. Despite circumstances too grim to even fathom, she doesn’t complain. She doesn’t know how not to give everything she has.

If they, who have nothing, can give so much, than shouldn’t I, who has everything, do the same?

It’s a simple parable, one that doesn’t end the way I’d like it to.  In my version, Jesus tells the guy he’s doing a great job, that he has followed all the rules and kept all the commandments, and that he gets an A.  In my version, Jesus tells him to give himself a pat on the back and sends him off on his way to enjoy his comfortable life filled with pretty things.

But Jesus says follow me.

That path isn’t easy.  It’s not comfortable or safe. And I’m going to be honest–that path scares me.

But today that path started with the children right in front of me, by giving them everything I had.

And while it may have felt woefully insufficient, in that moment, it was just enough.

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Will you consider sponsoring a child this week?  Click here to find out more.

P.S. If you sponsor a child this week you will also receive this beautiful limited edition necklace from Lisa Leonard–just a small token of thanks for saying yes!

P.P.S.  Be sure to visit Lisa, Bonnie, Bri, & Holley for more inspiring stories from our time here!

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Breaking the Cycle of Poverty

It almost felt intrusive, being there, filling up her tiny living room with our questions, some of them incredibly personal.

And “tiny” doesn’t even begin to describe the very cramped space.

My arms could span the width of one end to the other, and between the threadbare couch, 2 chairs, a cloth-covered crate serving as a coffee table, antiquated refrigerator and compact stove, there was no room to move. I had to duck just to get inside the doorway.

I had thought the home we visited yesterday was small, but that one was almost a mansion compared to this.

Despite the lack of space, it was carefully kept, and Arita beamed with pride as she welcomed us in to her home. She couldn’t offer us food—her solitary shelf was bare and she had none to give—but her smile was more than enough.

My friend Edie often reminds me that hospitality isn’t welcoming people into our perfect homes, it is welcoming them in to our imperfect hearts.

Arita, in her own way, seemed to know this instinctively. Perhaps it was learned from her mother and grandmother, who stood by, watching proudly from the doorway. There was no room for them to come in, but they came anyway, just to say hello.

Four generations showed up just to welcome us with open arms.

There were four of them living there together—Arita, her husband Elvis, their four-year old son Joelvis, and one year old daughter Yolanny—sharing this two room space. She proudly told us that her husband was the father of both children, no small accomplishment in a neighborhood full of broken families. She told us how the house they were living in wasn’t theirs, but the man who owned it was a friend who let them stay for free.

She explained that money was tight, and often non-existent. Her husband worked in construction, but those jobs were few and far between, and that to make ends meet, her mother and grandmother would try to help out, but that they didn’t have much either. They were a family of survivors, and they survived by sharing what little they had with one another.

She then began to tell us about her son Joelvis. She explained, carefully, through the help of our interpreter, that he is slowly going blind, most likely as a result of the heavy pollution in the area, but that Compassion is helping him. With tears in her eyes, she told us that she didn’t know what they would have done without that help.

His condition is serious and requires the care of doctors in the city, which is an hour away. On the their last visit they discovered that he needed special prescription glasses that would cost 5000 Pesos,–roughly the equivalent of $116 US.

It may as well have been a million.

5,000 Pesos, she explained, is more money than any of them see in a month. Without the Compassion program to step in and assist, they would have no hope of helping their son, their grandson, their great grandson.

It has meant everything to them.

Four generations of poverty, but in each one of them a new sense of hope.

The Compassion sponsorship program is so much more than just a check each month. This is not welfare. This is not charity. This is not a band-aid.

It is the opportunity to create a better life.

Compassion focuses not just on helping the whole child, but the whole family as well. Through a Christ-centered curriculum that is specifically tailored to fit the community the child is in, children are guided in four core areas—spiritual growth, physical needs, emotional development, and cognitive development.

Children learn essential life skills, not just for themselves, but skills that they can bring home to their families and share. Just as importantly, tutors make home visits twice a month to make sure parents are soaking in these new life skills and finally learning, bit by bit, exactly how to break this cycle once and for all.  Arita and her family are gaining skills that can bring better paying jobs and long-term employment

It’s almost impossible to capture a whole day of experiences, of people, of moments, of stories in one hopelessly inadequate blog post. There is so much I want to say, so much I haven’t shared, so many tears that have flowed, just in the past twelve hours.

There is so much I want to say, but I know that there aren’t enough words, and that even if there were, it might not make a difference anyway. But the one thing I want to leave you with is the thought that has struck me again and again:

So little does so much here.

Your dollars matter.

Even more than a chance to change a child’s life, even more than the difference between hope and despair, those dollars are the chance to finally break the cycle of poverty for an entire family.

I’ve seen firsthand what those dollars can do.

I think sometimes we neglect to act because we wonder if what we have to offer could ever make a difference in a world full of so much need.  But this is your chance. I can’t tell you every family’s story, but I can tell this one.  You may not be able to save the world but you can make a difference in the life of one family.

Isn’t that enough?

 

*   *   *

Click here to sponsor a child.

P.S. If you sponsor a child this week you will also receive this beautiful limited edition necklace from Lisa Leonard–just a small token of thanks for saying yes!

P.P.S.  Be sure to visit Lisa, Bonnie, Bri, & Holley for more inspiring stories from our time here!

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