Sweet Frugal Life

Being Frugal Doesn't Make Life Any Less Sweet

How To Find Extra Money In Your Budget

By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

What you can do to have more money each month.

How would you feel if I told you that it’s possible for you to have an extra $300 each month?  It will not require getting a new job, getting a raise, starting a side hustle, or selling anything.  Sounds pretty good, right???  However, it might require a little bit of time and sacrifice.  Would you want to know more details?  Well, I’m going to give them to you!  Today I am sharing exactly how to find extra money in your budget with these two strategies.

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.”

This article contains affiliate links.  I will be compensated for purchases made through links in this post.

 

1.  Analyze Your Fixed Expenses

The first strategy to having more money in the budget each month is to analyze your fixed expenses.  Your fixed expenses are the item in your budget that you have to spend money on each month and usually stay the same.  Common fixed expenses are rent, mortgage, utilities, etc.

I encourage you to look over your fixed expenses FIRST, because these are often the expenses most people think can’t change.  But, they can!

Make a list of each of the fixed expenses you pay each month.  Once you have made your list I want you to put a star next to the items you believe you can lower.

Here are a few examples of fixed expenses that you might be spending to much money on:

Insurance:  The great thing about insurance (and I’m talking ALL insurance, home insurance, car insurance, life insurance, etc.) is that you can shop around to many different providers and agents.  First, call your current insurance agent and explain to them that you are wanting to find a way to lower the cost.  Ask politely if there is anything they can do to decrease the amount you are currently paying. 

Next, call a few different insurance providers and ask them for a quote.  After you have a few different insurance quotes you can then make the decision of whether you would like to switch to a new provider, or stay where you are.  Either way, the amount you are paying should be decreasing.  If your current agent wasn’t willing to lower the rate, it might be a good time to switch to someone new.  In many cases you might find the best deals by having your car insurance with one company and life insurance with another.

 Cell Phone:  A monthly cell phone bill can get expensive fast, fortunately there are cheaper options out there.  Look into a few alternative cell phone companies, such as Tello Mobile or Red Pocket Mobile.  We have used both of these and were so impressed with the high quality service and super cheap rates.

Cable TV:  Still paying for cable?  That’s OK, you’re not alone.  But, this is one of the easiest fixed expense to cut.  Cancel your cable and replace it with one, maybe two, streaming services.  Look into Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, YouTube TV, Disney+,  Paramount+, etc. until you find the right fit for you.

Internet:  If you haven’t negotiated the price of your internet yet, I suggest you do so now.   If you have been a loyal internet customer, they will usually work with you in lowering the price.  All you have to do is ask!

Utilities:  Try to come up with a few strategies to decrease your utilities costs.  This might include fixing seals on doors and windows, turn your thermostat up or down a few degrees (depending on the season), taking shorter showers, etc. 

If you are needing some more tips be sure to check out my two articles; How To Lower Utility Bills in Winter and How To Lower Utility Bills in Summer.

Monthly Subscriptions:  What are the subscriptions you are paying for each month?  Your subscriptions might include your TV streaming subscriptions, magazines, beauty boxes, gym membership, music subscriptions, phone apps, meal plans, etc.

Choose one, two, or maybe even all of those subscriptions to remove from your budget.

One thing that has helped me with subscriptions is to put them on a rotation.  For example, if I currently have a Netflix, Disney+, FabFitFun, and IPSY subscription, I will choose 2 of them to keep and cancel the rest. 

After a few months of using the subscriptions I kept I will then cancel those and renew 2 more.  I keep rotating my favorite subscriptions so that I can enjoy all of them throughout the year, but only paying for a few of them at a time.

Here is a quick example of what a rotation schedule might look like:

January-June:  Pay for FabFitFun and Netflix.

July-December:  Pay for IPSY and Disney+.

 

 

2.  Analyze Your Variable Expenses

The next step to finding extra money in your budget is to reduce your fun spending.  After you have examined your fixed expenses, it’s time to look at your variable expenses.

Variable expenses are the expenses in your budget that change month to month. 

Take out your list you made of your Fixed Expenses.  Now, I want you to add all of your Discretionary Spending categories to the list.  Look at each of the things that you spend your money on closely.  Put a star next to the items you think you can spend less on.

For example, your updated list might look like this:

Fixed Expenses

  • Rent
  • Insurance*
  • Car Payment
  • Cell Phone*
  • Cable TV*
  • Electricity*
  • Water*

Variable Expenses

  • Groceries*
  • Clothing*
  • Entertainment*
  • Gas
  • Eating Out*
  • Travel*

In many instances variable expenses are HARD to cut from the budget, because it is usually the spending that makes life a little more enjoyable.  I’m hoping to show you a few not so difficult tips for decreasing your fun spending.

Eating Out:  How often do you go out to eat for lunch or dinner.  Are you constantly stopping and buying a Starbucks or other treat on your way to work? 

I challenge you to cut the number of times you eat out a month in half.

So, if a normal week for you includes 5 Starbucks, 3 fast food lunches, and going out to dinner twice, cut that in half to:  2 Starbucks, 1 fast food lunch, and out to dinner once in a week.  You can do it!!!!

Groceries:  I know that we all have to eat, and groceries are a part of life.  But, are there some things you can do to lower the amount of money you spend on groceries each month?  I bet you can!

Take a look at my article, 10 Quick Ways To Lower Your Grocery Bill, to find a few tips for spending less.  Choose one (or all) of the tips in the article to start implementing into your grocery routine.

Clothing:  Another common variable expenses is clothing.  If you don’t need any clothes at this time, avoid going to any clothing stores or browsing online clothing stores. 

However, if you are needing some new clothing items, shop at discount stores, such as Ross or thrift stores, like ThredUp for the clothes that you need.  You can find good quality clothing, for a fraction of the price, if you are willing to change where you shop.

Entertainment:  If you are looking for how to find extra money in your budget, entertainment is usually a good place to look.  There are SO many cheap ways to entertain yourself and still have fun.

Rent a movie instead of going to one.  Check out books from the library instead of buying them.  Invite friends over for a pot luck dinner instead of going out to eat.

When choosing cheaper forms of entertainment, be willing to try new things and get creative.  You just might find a few new favorite hobbies!

Travel:  Do you love to travel?  I do too!  As a matter of fact I love it so much that we consistently contribute money each paycheck into our travel sinking fund.

If I was needing extra money though, travel is something that can be made cheaper.  For example, plan a staycation instead of going somewhere.  Look for fun (cheap) activities you can do around your hometown so that you don’t have to pay for flights or hotel accommodations.

We love contributing to our Travel Sinking Fund, but if something came up where we needed more money in our budget, this is one of the first things we would cut.

 

Finding Extra Money In Your Budget

Now that you have examined your budget closely, and made a list of a few expenses you can decrease, it’s time to put it into action.  Look at the items you have placed a star beside on your list.  Using the tips I shared above, choose a few of your starred expenses to spend less on this week.

Keep implementing your plan even on the weeks it feels hard.  It won’t always be easy to change your spending habits, you will get spending urges!  Fortunatly, spending urges pass if we wait, so be willing to wait out those urge and remember your big money goals.

Now that you are spending less in both your variable and fixed expenses, you should have some extra wiggle room in your budget.  Make sure to use that money we found wisely, hopefully to pay off debt, save for your future, or another important expense.

You got this!  I believe in you!

 

Related Articles:

How To Budget With An Inconsistent Income

Fix Your Budget After a Day of Impulse Shopping

How To Stop Impulse Buying For Good

 

Pin To Read Again Later:

how to cut monthly expenses - tips to having more money

how to find extra money in your budget - tips to having more money each month

I hope now you understand how to find extra money in your budget.

How To Teach Kids About Money

By: Sweet Frugal Life13 Comments

Object lesson to teach your child financial responsibility.

As parents, we all want our children to succeed in every aspect of life.  One of these hopes for success is wanting them to succeed financially.  I truly believe if we can learn how to teach kids to manage money teach our kids smart money skills when they are young, they will be much better off financially as adults.  I am excited to share this great object lesson to help you know how to teach kids about money.

We talk to our kids about money constantly.  We give them chores and an allowance to help them learn how to save, work and spend wisely.  But, I wanted to teach them a little more about the money world as adults.

I began brainstorming ideas and came up with a game plan that ended up having a greater impact than I ever could have imagined.

5479DFA2-2ABC-4678-9A3D-0B2C0618A0AB

Kids Money Object Lesson:  How to Teach Kids to About Money

To begin our money object lesson we announced to the kids that we were having a family meeting and that they all needed to come join us (cue groans).  I ignored their sour face expressions and got started with our plan.

Phase 1:  The Marshmallow Bank

We started the lesson with what I called “The Marshmallow Bank.”  The point of this was to teach the kids how money grows when invested over time.

First, I gave each of the kids 5 marshmallows.  I told them that those marshmallows were theirs to do whatever they wanted with.  But, if they wanted to put the marshmallows in the marshmallow bank the marshmallows might grow.  I reminded them that the more marshmallows they added to the bank, the more they would probably get in return.

My 12 year old and 9 year old decided to put all five of their marshmallows into the marshmallow bank.  However, my 5 year old chose to eat three of his marshmallows and put the other two into the bank.

The “bank” was in my closet.  We left them there while we moved onto Phase 2!

6D1990CA-DBC1-4B19-B3AE-F045F83D6892

Phase 2:    Real Life

For Phase 2 I really wanted to give my kids an understanding of exactly where mom and dad’s money goes each month and WHY we just can’t give them every.single.thing. they ask for!  I truly wanted to help them understand adult financial responsibilities.

To prepare for the lesson, I got enough cash to resemble how much money my husband earns in one month (I did this during the first of the month when I had a bunch of cash on hand from my cash envelopes).

I obviously didn’t get out the EXACT amount of money that my husband earned, instead we pretended that a quarter was $25, $1 was $100, $5 was $500, $10 was $1,000 and $20 was $2,000.

Next, I filled three bowls with snacks.  The first bowl had cheerios in it and a $50 sign, the next bowl had fruit snacks with a $100 sign on it and the last bowl had a few mini candy bars in it with a $500 sign.

I gave the kids all of the “money” that our family has to live off of for one month.  I explained that after they paid all of their monthly bills than they could use whatever money is left to go shopping at our “store.”

The kids were SO excited about their money and the possibility to get those candy bars.  All of those bills looked like a gigantic wad of a sum to those three young kids.  They could not wait to buy out the entire store!

95346ECE-6869-4210-8767-774205715EA1

And then the bills began…

Now for the bills….(why must there always be bills to pay?!?!).

We listed off every bill that we have to pay each month and how much that bill cost us.  As we listed off each bill, the kids had to pay us from the money stash we had previously given them.

We included everything!  They had to pay for life insurance, car insurance, retirement savings, college savings, sports and piano lessons.  They paid for electricity, groceries, car repairs, and a few date nights.

We had them put money into their emergency savings account.  If it was on our real budget, the kids saved for it.  As the huge wad of cash slowly dwindled the looks on the kids faces kept dropping and dropping.

Once the bills were all done being paid my daughter exclaimed, “But where did all of our money go?!?!”  The kids had about $10 leftover, an equivalent of $1000.  Not enough to buy each of them one of the coveted candy bars.  They had to settle for a few fruits snacks and cheerios.

B88B9AEB-1497-4A7E-AD29-CF7B93D2D57E

Phase 3:  The Lesson

At first the kids were a little upset.  They were asking questions like, “So does this mean we don’t have any money?!?!”  and “I don’t understand where the money went.”

We explained to them that we do have money.  We have enough to pay for everything in our budget, everything that they had to pay for.  We have enough for the soccer camp, the piano lessons, food on our tables, the necessary clothing and occasional fun family activity.

But, we do not have enough money for ALL the things.  We talked about why and how we make a budget each month, how some months we might budget for a fun family activity and another month we will budget for new school clothes.

As the conversation continued I could see the understanding start to set in their eyes.  They began to realize the importance of a budget and why they are told no to some of the things they ask for.  They learned the importance of saving money each month and budgeting for the many bills that come with being an adult.

Phase 4:  Investments

Now, it was time to check how our investments were doing in the “marshmallow bank.”  When I went to go get the marshmallows I tripled the amount of marshmallows each of the kids had in their bowl.

My 12 and 9 year old ended up with 15 marshmallows and my 5 year old had 6 marshmallows.  My 5 year old was a little disappointed when he saw how little marshmallows he had compared to his two older sisters.

7115F690-22A0-4DB0-ACC6-7FE4820E3832

This gave us the perfect moment to explain to the kids about investments, and how, if done wisely your money will grow.  We demonstrated how the more money you invest, the more money you will earn in return.

In Conclusion

I was so very happy with how this money lesson turned out.  My kids really seemed to understand and grasp what we were teaching them.

The conversations we had throughout the lesson were very real and mature and I am hoping this is something my kids will remember as they grow up and begin making their own personal money choices.  And once we were all done we totally let them have a few of the mini candy bars…..just because I try to be a nice mom.  Sometimes.  😉

 

Pin This Article for Later:

activities to teach kids about money

how to teach kids to manage money

Related Articles:

This is What Happens When You Give a Teen an Allowance

Teaching Kids to Help with Family Chores: Including free chore chart printable

A Financial Tale of Two Sisters

 

I hope this article helps you know how to teach kids about money.

 

 

How To Reduce Monthly Expenses

By: Sweet Frugal Life34 Comments

What we did to save more money each month.

I am not naturally a frugal person.  I was raised by two frugal parents, but I lean more towards wanting to shop and buy all of the pretty things (I’m looking at YOU Target).  It has been a huge learning process for me to become more frugal and to realize the value and beauty in cutting back and saving money.  Learning my new frugal lifestyle has been over the course of years, and quite honestly, I’m still trying to better myself.  Today though, I started thinking about all the things we have cut from our over the years, and I was blown away with the amount of money we are saving ourselves just by making a few different lifestyle choices!  If you don’t know what to cut from budget, this article is for you!  I truly hope it helps you learn how to reduce monthly expenses.

4A1D3CD1-EF44-4E1A-9EC7-77009F024281

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”

Pack Your Lunch:  $1000

Packing a lunch for work, instead of eating out with coworkers, has been our biggest money saver.  Every night I pack a lunch for my husband to take to work.  A packed lunch doesn’t need to be anything special or fancy.  Most days it’s just leftovers from dinner the night before, occasionally he will bring a sandwich.

It’s important for my husband to be sociable and build strong relationships at work.  So, a few times a year he will bring some cash to work and go out to eat with his coworkers.  There has been a few times he has joined them for lunch, and ordered something small.  You can keep these strong relationships, while bringing a lunch from home.

I was so surprised to find out this simple habit is saving us over $1000 a year!

Change your own oil:  $210

The second thing we did to reduce monthly expenses was to change our own oil.

My husband taught himself how to change the oil in our two vehicles, all it took was watching a few YouTube videos.  It takes him less than an hour to do and he claims it’s super easy.

He uses this oil drum to drain the oil.  You can deposit the oil for free at most auto parts stores.  This is not some natural talent he has, he had to get out of his comfort zone to learn this skill.  If he can do it, you can do it too!

Once you master changing your cars oil, consider looking into other car maintenance you can DIY.  My husband has changed our brake pads and spark plugs from time to time.  Honestly, I get a little nervous when he does it…..but we haven’t crashed yet!

This simple task DIY oil changes saves us $210 a year.  It’s not a huge savings, but every penny adds up.

Cut the Cable:  $480

A few years ago we decided to get rid of our cable TV.  We were actually already on a fairly cheap rate, but we decided we could do without it.  There are so many budget friendly alternative TV options available now.

You can sign up for Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, YouTube TV, Amazon Prime and more!  I recommend limiting yourself to one or two subscription services.  If we join all of them, you’ll probably end up paying more than you were paying for cable!

The best part is, you don’t even need to spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy smart TV.  Just invest in a simple, affordable Roku and you can watch each of your TV subscriptions.

We have saved $480 a year by doing this!

At Home Haircuts:  $200

I have been giving my husband at home haircuts for over 15 years now, my son has been getting them since the year he was born.  I am not a professional, hair is NOT my talent. I have watched a few YouTube tutorial videos and both my husband and son get very basic cuts.  I have made a few mistakes on both of them, but I keep learning and trying.  And luckily boys hair grows out fairly fast!  😉

All it took $20 to purchase clippers, and I’m still using the same set 14 years later!  You can find a similar pair to ours here:  Wahl Complete Hair Cutting Kit.  This one quick purchase has saved us hundreds and hundreds over the years.

These at home haircuts saves us $200 each year.

Workout at Home:  $840

Exercise is important for the human heart, body and mind.  However, I have just never been willing to pay $70/month for a gym membership.

So, my husband and I have learned how to get a good workout from home.  We go for a run or bike ride during the warm months.  We love using free YouTube workout videos (my favorites are Yoga with Adrienne and PopSugar Fitness) at home and have even scored some really cheap used gym equipment that we enjoy on a regular basis.

These at home workouts are a $840 yearly savings!

The Results:  $2730

Just by making these 5 adjustments to our lifestyle we save $2730 a year!  So, in five years we have saved $13,650!  Ten years it will be $27,300!  Those little expenses don’t seem like a big deal during the day by day, but over time they add up to be a very very BIG deal.

It really has not been hard to cut any of these things from our budget.  We have been living this way for years and honestly never seem to miss a gym membership or cable TV.  It has just become our way of life, and it’s a great life!  It can be hard to form new habits, but once you do, those habits become your way of life and you often never really look back!

Take a look at your budget and lifestyle.  Can you find a few things that you could change in order to save money?  I promise the pay off is so worth it!

Related Articles:

Pin This Article for Future Reference:

how to save more money each year - budgeting tips

easy ways to cut your budget - how to save more money

How to reduce monthly expenses with these budget cuts.

DIY Bathroom Cleaner

By: Sweet Frugal Life14 Comments

How to make Homemade Bathroom Cleaner at home!

Want to make your own DIY bathroom cleaner?  It’s easy, cheap and quick!  Plus, it only takes ingredients, ingredients you probably already have inside your home.  These is a very easy homemade bathroom cleaner recipe that will only cost you a few pennies and a couple of minutes to whip up.  No need to go to the store!

I have been busy Spring Cleaning my house.  This usually takes a few weeks to do.  But, I get it done eventually!!  My least favorite room to clean in the house is the bathroom.  I’m sure I am not alone in this!  I always put this job off for days!  However, if I am going to clean the bathroom, I might as well be doing it with a cleaner that I know was affordable and environmentally friendly, right???  Right!

Years ago I started making my homemade bathroom cleaner and have not looked back since.  Making your own DIY bathroom cleaner is so easy and is a great way to save money!  Store bought cleaners are expensive!

0993DEC3-352E-42D3-91BA-7EDC189B3C86

“We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.”

How To Make DIY Bathroom Cleaner

The first thing you need to do to make this homemade bathroom cleaner recipe is to gather your supplies.  For this recipe you will need:

Put the plastic spray bottle in the sink (it can overflow).

Add the 2 tsp of baking soda and 1 cup vinegar to the spray bottle.  Allow the foam to settle and then add the rest of the ingredients.

59FAC7DB-93DA-4C24-A478-AF833AC6FDF6

Pour 1/3 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup dish soap and 1 1/2 cups water into the spray bottle.

Put the lid back on and then shake well.

This solution should last for 6-12 months.  I use it to clean the toilet, sink, countertops, shower and bath.  It’s basically your one stop shop for bathroom cleaner!

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 cup vinegar
  • 1/3 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup dish soap
  • 1 1/2 cups water

Instructions
 

  • First, add the baking soda to the spray bottle and then add the vinegar.  I do this in the sink, and do it slowly because it will foam.
  • Squeeze the foam out and then add the rest of the ingredients.  After all of the ingredients are added put the lid back on the bottle and shake it up really good.  That's it!  You are ready to tackle the bathroom!  This lasts me about a year and I use it for every part of the bathroom; the toilet, sink, countertops, shower and bath.

 

93933508-4A73-4095-ADA0-802884FE04AC

Enjoy This Cheap Bathroom Cleaner Recipe

Alright, well, now that I have taught you how to make my favorite DIY bathroom cleaner, I suppose it’s time to go actually clean the bathroom!  If I know I am saving money, I am much more happy about the job!

Do you make your own cleaners?  Have you noticed a savings when doing so?

 

 

32A111BE-B7BA-4416-A634-62C3572B267F

Related articles:

Homemade Outdoor Window Cleaner

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Mix Recipe

How to Make Homemade Butter

 

Pin this article for future reference:

Homemade Bathroom Cleaner Recipe

easy bathroom cleaner recipe to make

I hope you enjoyed this DIY bathroom cleaner recipe!

Deciding What To Plant In Your Garden

By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Wondering what is the best things to plant in the garden?  I’m here to help you decide!

I am so excited that Spring is here! The snow has (finally!) all melted around my house and I’ve been anxiously checking my garden every day.  I can’t wait to start planting little seeds.  There is nothing more exciting to me than planting a tiny little seed into the ground and watching it grow into a beautiful plant producing a bountiful harvest. It’s so satisfying!  If you are trying to decide what to plant in your garden this year, here are a few steps to help you make the decision!

Trying to decide what to plant in my garden each year can be a lot of fun!  I love receiving my Burpee Seed Catalog each year and planning what to plant and when.  It usually involves a lot of big dreams of a huge garden bearing lots of produce….and zero weeds…..  To bad it never ends up exactly that way!  😉

While fun, this is also one of the most important steps to gardening.  If you are wanting a successful harvest, it’s crucial that you think hard about what to plant.  Not every seed is right for every gardener.

Questions To Ask Yourself When Planning Your Garden

Here are a few questions you can ask yourself when deciding what crops to plant.  They should help you make the best decision about what will be best for you personally to grow.  Let me know in the comments if you have any other gardening questions!

best things to plant in garden - planting a garden

What Produce Does Our Family Enjoy?

One of the first questions you should ask yourself when deciding what to plant in your garden is what fruits and vegetables does your family enjoy eating the most? 

It’s really easy to get carried away planting “this” vegetable and “that” vegetable, many people often forget to focus on the foods their family eats most often.  If you have a bountiful harvest, but nobody will eat it, then it’s not worth planting in the first place….right????  Right!

Spend a minute thinking about the produce you buy weekly at the grocery store, and then make a list of these grocery staples to help give you some gardening inspiration.

For example, my list would look like this:

  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Bananas
  • Oranges
  • Strawberries
  • Grapefruit
  • Watermelon
  • Broccoli
  • Spinach
  • Onions
  • Lettuce
  • Tomatoes
  • Peas
  • Corn
  • Green Beans

Now, this is a list of the produce I buy for my family most often, but not everything on this list will grow well in my garden.  This is where the following questions come in.

 

What Grows Well In My Climate?

The next question you need to ask yourself is what grows well in your specific location.  I would love to tell you exactly what to plant and when, but there’s a good chance your growing season/climate will be very different from mine.  

The first step to learning what will grow well in your location is to find out what zone you are in.  Your planting zone will tell you when to plant which crops.  You can easily find your planting zone here.

For example, I live in Zone 5.  This means that I have a shorter growing season than somewhere like Zone 9.  The crops that grow well in Zone 5 can differ from the ones in Zone 9.

Another great way to find out what grows well in your climate is to ask other gardeners in your area.  If you have neighbors or friends who enjoy gardening, ask them what they enjoy growing most and have had the most success with.

Once you have determined your zone, start researching the best crops for that zone.  This can easily be found using a google search.

 

How Much Garden Space Do I Have?

The size of your garden is a huge factor when deciding what to plant.  If you have a small garden, you might not want to plant crops that take up a large amount of space, like pumpkins, corn or watermelon.

If you have a smaller garden, I recommend planting crops that need a smaller space, such as spinach or carrots.

And, if you are planting in containers, you will want to only plant what grows best in containers.  I’ll share a few ideas below with you.

Plants That Grow Well In Containers:

  • Tomatoes
  • Potatoes
  • Beets
  • Herbs
  • Lettuce
  • Onions
  • Peppers
  • Strawberries

Plants That Need A Lot Of Space To Grow:

  • Corn
  • Pumpkins
  • Bush Beans
  • Peas
  • Raspberries

Plants That Grow Well In Small Gardens:

  • Lettuce
  • Onions
  • Potatoes
  • Beets
  • Peppers
  • Tomatoes
  • Radishes
  • Pole Beans

 

What Crops Are Most Expensive To Purchase At The Store?

If you are gardening as a way to save money, which I recommend, try to focus on growing the produce that is most expensive to buy at the store.  

A few of the crops I have found that are cheaper to grow than buy are:

  • Bell Peppers
  • Tomatoes
  • Herbs
  • Squash
  • Lettuce
  • Berries
  • Green Beans

One of the great parts of gardening is the ability to preserve what you grow, so that you can use it throughout the year.  This is especially important for the produce that is most expensive.

Bell peppers and berries can easily be frozen using the flash freeze method I talk about here.  Herbs can even be frozen using the ice cube method taught here.  This gives you even more bang for your buck all year long.

 

How Much Time Do I Want To Spend Gardening?

Gardening is time consuming, that is just a fact of life.  In order to get grow and harvest a garden, you will need to be able to donate some of your time to each crop.

If you enjoy gardening and want to spend more time on it, than you might consider growing more high maintenance crops, such as”

  • Green Beans
  • Peas
  • Fruit Trees
  • Corn

If you are looking for some easy to grow, least time consuming crops, I would consider:

  • Carrots
  • Potatoes
  • Beets
  • Onions

 

So, still wondering, “What should I plant in my garden?”

If this is your first year planting a garden, I always recommend starting small.  Choose a few of your favorite vegetables, that will grow well in your area to plant this year.  If it goes well then you can add a few more next year.

It truly takes trial and error before you find the right crops to plant in your garden, but you will figure it out.  I believe in you!

Want a little inspiration?  I’ll share what I am planting this year! 

This year I am planting:

  • Peas
  • Green Beans
  • Pumpkins
  • Corn
  • Onions
  • Carrots
  • Potatoes
  • Beets

I usually plant tomatoes and peppers, but have finally (and a little reluctantly) decided they are just to difficult for me to grow in my very windy garden spot.  And that’s ok!  

Happy planting!!!

 

Related Articles:

 

Pin For Future Gardening Inspiration:

what should i plant in my garden - gardening tips for beginners

what to plant in the garden - gardening tips for beginners

I hope this article helps you decide what to plant in your garden.

Quick Waikiki Chicken Recipe

By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

Looking for a new easy chicken recipe to try?  You’ll love this one!

Do you ever eat a recipe and it immediately brings you back to your childhood?  Like when the smell, taste, and look of a specific dish reminds you of something you use to eat regularly as a child?  That is what this Waikiki Chicken Recipe does for me.

This was a staple on the table when I was a child, and I love getting to make it for my own kids.  Plus, it is so easy!  Which is always a HUGE win in my book!

This Waikiki Chicken is a very simple and frugal dinner to prepare, making it perfect for those busy nights.  All it requires is mixing a few ingredients together and cooking a couple of chicken breasts.  I love meals that require little prep work!

Gather Your Ingredients

First, you will need to gather all of your ingredients.  For this recipe you will need:

  • 3-5 chicken breasts
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp cooking oil
  • 1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple
  • 1/2 cup barbecue sauce
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp ground mustard
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded, cut into rings

How To Make This Easy Waikiki Chicken Recipe

First, heat a couple of Tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

While the oil is heating, stir the flour and salt together on a plate.

Using a fork, dip each chicken breast into flour and then add it to the hot oil.

Let the chicken cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

While the chicken is cooking stir the crushed pineapple (undrained), barbecue sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar and dry mustard together in bowl.

It might not look pretty, but it tastes great!

Once the chicken is done cooking, pour the pineapple mixture over chicken in skillet.

Cover the skillet and allow the chicken to cook in the pineapple mixture for 30-40 minutes.

Garnish the chicken with green pepper rings and serve over hot steamed rice.

This is the perfect quick to fix dinner recipe.  It requires very little prep, and is always a favorite with kids and adults!

 

Waikiki Chicken

Easy, quick to fix chicken recipe.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 Tbsp Oil
  • 3-5 Chicken Breasts
  • 1/2 cup Flour
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1 8-ounce can Crushed Pineapple
  • 1/2 cup Barbecue Sauce
  • 1 Tbsp Cornstarch
  • 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Mustard
  • 1 Green Bell Pepper Cut Into Rings

Instructions
 

  • Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat on stove.
  • Stir flour and salt together on a plate.
  • One by one, dip chicken breast into flour mixture and then add to hot skillet.
  • Let chicken cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Turning occasionally.
  • Stir together undrained pineapple, barbecue sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar and mustard. Pour over chicken in skillet
  • Cover skillet and let cook on low heat for 30-40 minutes.
  • Garnish with sliced bell pepper and serve over rice.
Keyword chicken, easy dinner recipes, waikiki chicken

In Conclusion

I hope your family loves this Waikiki chicken recipe as much as my family has!  It just might become your new family staple, you never know!

If you are looking for more easy recipes, be sure to check out my Recipe eBook, Mel’s Home Cooking.  This is the spot where I shared our family favorite, quick to fix recipes for easier home cooking!

 

Related Articles:

Freezer Chicken Recipes and How to Freeze Bulk Chicken

Easy Tin Foil Dinner Recipe

Three Easy Beef Roast Recipes

 

Pin For Future Reference:

waikiki chicken recipe - easy chicken dinner recipe

easy throw together dinner idea - frugal recipes for dinner

easy chicken recipe - waikiki chicken recipe

Enjoy this quick Wakiki Chicken Recipe!

How Do Bloggers Make Money

By: Sweet Frugal Lifecomment

How to earn money from a blog.

Can I be real honest with you for a sec???  I always feel a little funny handing out blogging advice.  It’s true that this little blog is 3 years old, but I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing half of the time!!  So, when I get asked “how do bloggers make money?” (which I am asked quite frequently), I try to answer the best as I can….but in reality I’m still trying to figure that out for myself!  

This blog was started three years ago when I was desperately trying to find a way to earn some extra money from home, while still being able to be a stay at home mom to my three kids.

I do earn a small income from blogging each month, which I am so very grateful for!  It’s not anywhere close to a full time income, and I am betting that most of the other blogs you read earn much more than I do.

So, I am definitely NOT a blogging expert, I am still trying to figure it all out myself.

However, I do believe I can answer the question, “How do bloggers make money?”  And, I hope to answer it in this article.

How Do Bloggers Make Money

There are many different ways to earn money from a blog, but in this article I am going to focus on the four main income streams:

  1.  Ad Revenue
  2. Affiliate Marketing
  3. Sponsored Posts
  4. Sell Products

I have personally earned money from each of these different ways, so I can speak from experience that these are real ways that bloggers earn money.  Each of these different income streams will be discussed in more detail below.

1.  Ad Revenue

Ad revenue is my biggest income source from my blog.  You may have noticed that I have a few ads in this article.  There is one over on the side and a few in between the text.

To start earning money from ads you will need to join an ad network.  Some of these require a certain number of pageviews before you can be accepted, such as Monumetric and Mediavine. 

If your blog is new, and traffic low I recommend using Google Adsense for ads.

2.  Affiliate Marketing

Another great way that bloggers can earn money is through affiliate marketing.  Affiliate marketing is a partnership between you and an online retailer.  When you recommend one of the retailers products using an affiliate link, and someone makes a purchase from your recommendation, you will be given a small commission.

The commission is usually low, but it is still a great way to make money on your blog because it’s so easy!  Just share products that you love and feel that others would love too!

To get these affiliate links just sign up through a few affiliate programs.  My favorites are:

The best way to find affiliate networks is to google a company or product you like with the words, “affiliate program.”  There is an affiliate program out there for almost anything, you just have to do the research to find it!

3.  Sponsored Posts

Sponsored posts are another opportunity available for bloggers to earn money.  A sponsored post is when a brand or company pays a blogger to write an article about their product or company.

If you look closely at bloggers articles you will see some of them disclose at the top of the article that it was a sponsored post written for the company, here is an article I wrote for Turbo Tax.  This disclosure is required when writing sponsored posts and lets us as readers know that the blogger was compensated for the article.

The best way to receive a sponsored post offer is to e-mail brands that you want to work with, asking if they would like to partner with you.  For more information about what this e-mail should look like check out this article.  It was very helpful to me when I was learning!

4.  Sell Products

And lastly, bloggers can earn earn money from a blog by making and selling their own products.  A product can be anything from an eBook, a course or class, an app, etc.  Really there is no limit to products that a blogger can create to make money.  If it’s something that will benefit from your readers, than it is worth creating.

I have created two products that I currently sale.  My eCookbook, Mel’s Home Cooking and a course all about helping others be more frugal, Quick Start Guide To Frugal Living.

Grow Your Audience

Here’s the thing though, none of these methods will make you money unless you have an audience reading your blog. So, while you should be implementing some of these methods to earn money on your blog, you should also be working on growing your audience.  It really goes hand in hand!

So, how do you grow your audience?  Well, that is the question of almost every blogger out there!  With three years of experience, I am STILL trying to find the answer, but I can tell you a few things that I have learned a long the way.

1.  Be Genuine

Honestly, my biggest piece of advice is to be genuine in your writing.  Write from the heart, share your truth, and share things that will be beneficial to your readers.

I ask myself this question when deciding what to write or not, “Would you share this information to your best friend?”  If the answer is “no” then I know that it isn’t an article worth sharing, if the answer is “yes” then I write it.  My readers have become my “best friend” in a sense, I write to them as if they are a dear friend who I want to help and encourage.

2.  Use Social Media

Promote your blog regularly on social media websites.  One of the best way to get eyes on your blog is to share it.  Share your articles regularly on social media sites such as Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, etc.  The more often you share, the more eyes you will get on your articles.  In my experience, Pinterest is the best social media platform for increasing blog traffic.

3.  Focus On SEO

SEO (search engine optimization) is something I ignored for the first two years of my blog because it just felt to confusing to me.  That was a huge mistake!  Once I finally focused on SEO, and began to write my articles in a way that would please google, I finally saw my traffic grow.

One of the best recommendations I can give to help you with SEO is Debbie Gartners eBook, Easy On Page SEO, it truly changed my blog for the best.  She explains SEO in easy to understand terms, which is exactly what I needed!

4.  Grow Your E-Mail List

Another must for bloggers to help them increase their blog traffic is an e-mail list.  Having an e-mail list gives you the ability to send your subscribers new blog articles, affiliate links you enjoy and new products you have created.

The best way to grow your e-mail list is to offer free resources to anyone who subscribes to your e-mail list.  For example, I offer these Free Budgeting Cheat Sheets, when a reader signs up to receive this freebie they will also be subscribing to my newsletter.

When creating your e-mail list, I suggest doing so with Convert Kit.  I have been so happy with them!

In Conclusion

If you have ever asked the question, “How do bloggers make money?” I hope that this article helped you learn a few of the different possibilities out there.  It is not an easy job, but it is one that is doable!  I am so grateful for the extra spending money I make each month from my blog.

Let me know if you have any questions, I am always happy to help!  I love to chat about blogging!

Related Articles:

Pin This Article For Future Reference:

bloggers earn money - how to make money from a blog

make money as a blogger - how do bloggers earn money

bloggers make money - earning money from a blog

Answering the question, “how do bloggers make money?”

Allowance For Teens: A Great Teaching Tool

By: Sweet Frugal Life5 Comments

Teaching Teenagers To Manage Money Well.

It’s so important for kids to learn how to manage their own money from a young age.  I truly believe if we teach them to do this while they are young, they will have much less money problems when they get older.  Which is why I believe that an allowance for teens can be a great teaching tool.  

I begin giving my kids an allowance at age 8.  You can read more about my reasoning why they receive an allowance and how much I give them here.

Once my kids turn 13 their allowance is increased, but they are also required to pay for most of their own clothes and a few other expenses.  This is an important teaching tool to help prepare them for the adult world.

Why An Allowance

I know many of you might be wondering why an allowance for teens is a good idea.  This is honestly a question I get a lot, and I understand the confusion.

An allowance is not a handout.

Let me repeat, An allowance is not a handout.

If done the right away, giving your teenager an allowance is not going to spoil them, make them lazy, or teach them to look for handouts.  

Let me explain using this example:

Child without an allowance comes to me and says, “Will you buy me these $50 pair of jeans?”  My response would probably be, “Those are to expensive, let’s try to find something cheaper.”

This child might learn two things from this moment:

  1.  Mom is cheap and won’t let them buy what they want.
  2. Mom gets to decide what is worth spending money on, not them.

But, if your teenager is given an allowance along with the responsibility to buy their own clothing the situation could go like this:

Child with an allowance comes to me and says, “Mom, I really want to buy these $50 jeans, but that would take all of my money.  Do you think I could fine them cheaper somewhere else?”

In this situation the child is learning to:

  1.  Make their own decisions about how to spend their money.
  2. Deciding for themselves what items are splurge worthy.

Either way the money for the jeans is still coming from my pocket, but with the allowance the child is able to learn how to manage their money themselves.

My Experience.

So, this afternoon I had a fun shopping trip with my 13 year old daughter.  I happen to love shopping (yep, frugal AND a shopping lover!) and I love quality time with my kids, so it was a GREAT day!

However, shopping trips with my daughter tend to bring some stress (for me) and anxiety (for her).  Read more below for what happened today….

the Travel Kings

My daughter has inherited my frugal ways…..to the extreme.  She hates to spend money, it actually gives her a little bit of anxiety to even consider spending any money…..and I get stressed because there are times when she NEEDS to spend her money, and I wish that she would.

Spending money is part of living…..I mean….we all need to wear clothes, right?!?!?.  It’s important for kids to learn that spending isn’t the problem, over spending is the problem.

Today’s Shopping Trip

So, today we were on a mission.  My daughter had a list, and she wanted to buy it all….without spending a lot of money.

I, on the other hand, wanted her to buy everything on the list without feeling any anxiety or guilt.

Our list included:  2 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of track shoes, a dress, and a swimsuit.

It was QUITE the tall order for my daughter the saver, but we were determined to make it happen!

I let her make the decisions about where to go (she chose the discount store Ross and the second hand store Runway Fashion), what to buy, and how much to spend.

She thought carefully about each decision, she calculated and recalculated how much she was spending, she said no to many things and yes to a few things.  I was a proud mama as I stood by and watched!

A few times she looked at me for advice, and I would always reply with the same questions; “Do you NEED it?  Do you LOVE it?  Will you WEAR it often?  Is it WORTH the money?”  As I walked her through these questions she was able to feel confident in her decisions.

The Perfect Shoes

Three hours later we ended the day at the mall sipping on Jamba Juice and feeling proud to have found everything on the list all at the right price (yay!).

While at the mall we noticed a store having a big going out of business sale.  Ignoring my advice about spending triggers, we decided to pop in for a quick browse.  This is where my daughter excitedly proclaimed that she had found “the perfect shoes”…..and I’ll admit, they were pretty darn cute!

E479A2DA-225A-4D42-8A18-3564ABDA3592

The price was right, the fit was perfect, and she was smitten…..but they weren’t on her list…..she didn’t need them….and she was feeling a lot of anxiety and guilt about buying them.

My sweet daughter worried that she shouldn’t make this purchase, she didn’t want to waste her money and spend unwisely.

I assured her that she has always been wise with her money, she saves a large sum of her allowance each month, she always pays her tithing, she still has plenty of money in her “spending” jar…..and it is OK to spend a little bit of money on something that just makes you happy!

So.  She bought the shoes!  You better believe this frugal-tight-wad-mom was so proud of her for making that decision!

And….guess what, she has been on cloud 9 all day because of it!  The shoes haven’t left her feet, she’s been showing them to everyone in the family and has been pairing them with different outfits.

4B9AEA1C-7B34-42A6-8832-8F8D95874EEE

In Conclusion

THIS is why we give teens allowance.

Today, I kept my mouth shut and let my daughter take control of her shopping experience.  She made the decision to only buy used or discounted clothes.  It was up to her to decide what was “splurge” worthy and what wasn’t.  She learned to budget, she learned to say no, and she learned to say yes.

She was able to come home with less money in her pocket, but also a feeling of accomplishment and confidence.

This is a girl who is preparing for the adult world of spending.

 

Pin this article for future reference:

Teens and allowance - how to teach kids about money

allowance for teens - giving teens an allowance

You Might Also Be Interested in These Other Articles:

A Financial Tale of Two Sisters

Money Lessons for Kids: The night we taught our kids the TRUTH about money

The life lessons that taught me to budget for JOY while living in the present!

Do you give your teens allowance????

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Mix Recipe

By: Sweet Frugal Life21 Comments

How to make Cream of Chicken Soup Mix from scratch!

Did you know that you can make your very own Cream of Chicken Soup Mix from scratch?  Yep!  You can!  And guess what, it’s also incredibly easy and super cheap to whip up (hooray, I love easy and cheap!).  I am so excited to share my tried and true cream of chicken soup mix recipe with you today.

Truthfully, I really don’t like buying the canned soup in the store, but sometimes I just want a good old fashioned recipe with Cream of Chicken Soup in it, ya know???

I came across this recipe years ago and have been using it regularly ever since.  It tastes so much better than the cans, and is a lot less processed.  I use it in soups, stews, casseroles, etc.  All you need is a little water added to the mix and you’re ready to cook!  Easy peasy!

FF61C34A-590C-405D-A31E-86CBAF63F074

How To Make Cream Of Chicken Soup Mix From Scratch

This cream of chicken soup mix recipe only takes a few minutes to mix together.  You can even skip a step by just mixing it all together right in the jar rather than a separate bowl.

All it takes is four simple ingredients….and you probably already have these sitting in your pantry!  I love when that happens.

Ingredients

To make this cream of chicken soup mix recipe you will need:

  • 1 3/4 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp dry milk powder
  • 3 Tbsp chicken bouillon powder
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp dried chopped onion

Mix all of the ingredients into a bowl and you are done!

To turn your mix into a soup just whisk together 1/2 cup soup mix with 1 1/4 cups water.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!  Let me know if you try it, I would love to hear if you like it or not!

Cream of Chicken Soup Mix Recipe

5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 1 3/4 Cups Flour
  • 1 1/2 Cups Dry Milk Powder
  • 3 Tablespoons Chicken Bouillon
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Dried Chopped Onion

Instructions
 

  • Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.
  • And you are done!  I like to store my mix in a quart sized mason jar.

To Use

  • When ready to use, just mix 1/2 cup of soup mix with 1 1/4 cups water and substitute in any recipe calling for a can of Cream of Chicken Soup.  Be sure to write the instructions on the jar lid, so you'll always remember!  😉

After making your soup mix write the instructions on the lid of the jar so that you always remember the correct ratio for making your soup!

83AFC343-2628-4674-A801-9AC93D944B6F

In Conclusion:

I hope you enjoy this easy cream of chicken soup mix recipe.  It’s been a staple in our house for years and is one of my favorite frugal hacks!  I truly hope it helps you save some extra money like it has helped me!

Don’t forget to pin this recipe for future use:

how to make cream of chicken soup mix

homemade cream of chicken soup mix

 

Related Articles:

What to do with your bulk chicken; including 6 Freezer Chicken Recipes

Homemade Graham Cracker Recipe

What I Learned From the July Pantry Challenge

Make this Cream of Chicken Soup Mix Recipe today!

Easy French Bread Recipe

By: Sweet Frugal Life18 Comments

I can’t wait to show you how to make French bread at home!

Have you been wondering how to make French bread at home?  This easy French bread recipe is where you should start!  I turn into my kids favorite person every time I make it!  It is soft and light and tastes perfect as a side for soup or pasta.  You must try it!

Easy French Bread Recipe

To make this easy French bread recipe you will need the following ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups warm water
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. yeast
  • 3 Tbsp. canola oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 5 1/2 cups flour

First, in a stand mixer gently mix the water, sugar and yeast together.  Let it stand for 10 minutes until yeast is dissolved.  It should be frothy and bubbly.

Next, add the rest of the ingredients.  Make sure to add the flour slowly, mixing it in as you go.  You might need a little less flour or a little more. 

I add a little flour and then mix for a minute and then add a little more until the dough looks right.  The dough will be done when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl when mixing and be slightly sticky.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a tea towel.  Place it in a warm spot and let it rise for ten minutes.  After rising gently punch the dough down in bowl.  Do this for two more times for a a total of 3 punch downs and 30 minutes of rising time.

Split dough in half and shape into two loaves.  Place them on a greased baking sheet to bake.

Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes.  Once it’s done cooking brush with butter to make the crust soft. Slice and serve.  ENJOY!

Have you ever made homemade French bread?  It is so fun!  And this recipe is easy to make ahead and freeze for later!  Sometimes I freeze the dough in a freezer bag, and then let it rise, shape and bake later.  Other times, I make the bread and freeze it after it’s baked!  Whatever works best for you!

Soft French Bread Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 cups warm water
  • 2 Tbsp. sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. yeast
  • 3 Tbsp. canola oil
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 5 1/2 cups flour

Instructions
 

  • Mix the water, sugar and yeast together. Let it stand for 10 minutes until yeast is dissolved. It will be frothy and bubbly.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients. Make sure to add the flour slowly. You might need a little less or a little more. I add a little flour and then mix for a minute and then add a little more until the dough looks right. You will want it to pull away from the sides of the bowl when mixing and be slightly sticky.
  • Place the dough in a bowl and cover. Let it rise for ten minutes and then gently punch the dough down in bowl. Do this for two more times for a a total of 3 punch downs and 30 minutes of rising time.
  • Split dough in half and shape into two loaves. Place them on a greased baking sheet. I will usually freeze half the dough in a freezer bag to use for another dinner.
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes. Once it’s done cooking brush with butter to make the crust soft. Slice and serve. ENJOY!

In Conclusion

You can easily make homemade French bread yourself!  Let me know if you try this recipe.  I would love to hear how it worked for you….and I might just come over and sneak a few bites ;).  Happy baking!

Related Recipes:

Liked what you read?  Pin it for future baking!

easy french bread recipe

how to make french bread - homemade french bread recipe

Enjoy this easy French bread recipe, you will love it!

Terms and Conditions

Disclaimer