When we found out we were expecting our first child we knew we had to cut our expenses.  We had already discussed the fact that I had always wanted to be a stay at home mom.  My amazing husband fully supported me in that desire.  Also, after looking at childcare costs, it was actually better for me to stay at home and him to pick up a few extra hours of overtime.  Below are just a few of the ways that we managed to cut our monthly expenses:

1)  StraightTalk

We saved about $125 each month by using StraightTalk as opposed to other major cell providers.  We were able to use cell phones that we already had, and we actually have a better plan.  This is a step we were hesitant to take at first, but now we wish we had taken it sooner!  We have unlimited, talk, text, and data for a little less than $50 (per line) each month!  We have had NO problem with service, and the customer service is wonderful!!

2)  Home Phone

We had a home phone for several years, mainly for our alarm system.  However, we were able to pay a small fee and get our alarm system switched to cellular and connected to our cell phones.  This saved us about $30 per month.  The monthly alarm bill did go up a little, but the savings still outweigh the cost!

3) Cable TV/Antenna TV/Netflix

We had the nice package of all the good channels, plus a couple sports channels.  It seemed our bill just kept going up, even though our channel selection didn't.  So, we totally cut out the paid tv.  We purchased a $15 antenna at Wal-Mart and we watch Netflix.  Aside from missing the new HallMark movies (me) and the occasional football game/hunting show (my sweetheart) we really don't miss cable tv.  Netflix has a plethora of shows and movies, the kids have no clue anything has changed, and the money saved is wonderful!

4)  Meal Planning

Sometimes I can go a bit overboard and plan extravagant meals that require more expensive ingredients...but, as long as I plan ahead I am able to stay well within my grocery budget.  I also grocery shop every other week, as opposed to weekly trips to the grocery.  I limit my larger stores (SAMS) to every other month/every couple months depending on how long my stock of supplies lasts.

5)  Eating at Home

The more I can cook myself, the less money we spend.  Seriously, look at the receipt the next time you eat out.  How much money was just spend on a drink?  Do you know how much cheaper it is to drink the exact same thing at home?  Especially sweet tea!  Wow!  Not to mention if you eat in a 'sit down' restaurant and have to add a tip to the meal.  Buying the ingredients and putting them together myself saves quite a bit of money.  And now, thanks to Pinterest, you can get recipes for your favorite dish from your favorite restaurant!   When we do eat out, we look for places we have a coupon for, or that offer a 'Kid's eat free' night.

6)  Using Cash

I don't like to carry cash around.  I am terrible about getting to the bank/ATM to get out the cash I need for the week, BUT, when I remember to use my cash, it helps me not overspend.  I don't spend that much per week simply because I am home the majority of the week.  But, every once in a while a Sonic Happy Hour drink is necessary!  I have a set amount of money for my sweetheart and I for each pay period.  I also try to set aside a certain amount for gas.  Any spending money that is left over goes to a separate part of the wallet to be saved for a future splurge!

7)  Creating/Following a strict budget

Creating the budget wasn't to difficult...following it...Yikes!  I have learned that if I log into my bank account every day or every couple days it helps me follow my budget.  It only takes a couple minutes each morning, and I am better able to keep track of where the money is being spent and how much is left.


Even our best plans can turn into a train-wreck sometimes.  There have been times when we have totally strayed so far from the budget it wasn't even funny!  But, when you don't allow yourself extra room, you have to learn to stick with it.  Any extra money that is left in the budget goes either towards paying off a bill (hospital, car, house, etc...) or to savings.  Depending on the amount it may be split between bill pay/savings.

What do you do to stick to your budget?  I would love to hear back from you!

Baked Parmesan Garlic Fries

I absolutely love to eat potatoes...almost any way they can be fixed! Growing up I always thought it was a treat to have 'home made french fries'.  My mom would peel and slice the potatoes and pull out the little Fry Daddy and fry them.  Oh my...they were delicious!!!  We eventually started baking them in the oven.  This is much easier in that we don't have to deal with hot oil - especially nice when you have babies running around!  Either way you cook them, they are delicious!!  I usually make mine with garlic and Parmesan, just for a little extra flavor,  However, you can make them with any flavor you desire, and the toppings are endless!!

I begin by peeling my potatoes.  If you wash yours thoroughly you can leave the peeling on if you prefer.  I then slice my potatoes to the desired thickness.  My husband prefers much thicker potatoes, similar to steak fries or potato wedges.  Once the potatoes are peeled and sliced I place them in a bowl.  I then lightly drizzle them with Olive Oil and add my seasonings.  I use Garlic Powder, Salt, Pepper, and Grated Parmesan.

Spread the potatoes evenly on a baking sheet/stone.

This is just a glance of the fun that happens around me when I am cooking! :)  

Bake the potatoes at 425F, for approximately 20 minutes. Time will vary depending on the thickness of the potatoes.

You can top with bacon, cheese, onions, peppers, or even just eat them like they are!  Enjoy!  Let me know your thoughts or suggestions! I love those comments! :)

My First Deer...

I have never had a problem eating or cooking deer meat.  So, when I married my wonderful mountain man, I was thrilled he enjoyed hunting and more than happy to use the meat from the deer he killed.  This has saved us a great deal of money in just the (almost) 5 years we have been married.  The past couple years though, we have become a one income family.  Which means I look for any way to save us money each month.  Although using the deer meat sounds totally free...it isn't.  Each year we have to purchase a hunting license, then each deer has to be processed ($55-$75 approx).  While that is still cheaper than purchasing meat at the grocery store (not to mention this meat has no preservatives, additives, or extra hormones) it was not always easy to find the extra money in that lump sum...

Well...I got to thinking...scary!  Why don't we do this ourselves?  We have family that does, it doesn't seem that difficult.  So, when my sweet husband called me that he had killed a deer, and to ask what I preferred that we do with it, I told him I really wanted us to try and process it ourselves.  He said, 'Are you sure?'  I said, absolutely!  We can do this!  Well, we did it!  We had a few hiccups though...

I had seen an electric meat grinder at a local store, so I planned on going out to buy that first thing in the morning.  For some crazy reason though, I decided to research that grinder before I went to the store...well, the reviews were not wonderful.  So, I tried to find other meat grinders in stock near us, that were affordable - guess what - NO LUCK!

So, we pulled out the hand grinder...oh my!!  I pray we never have to use that hand grinder again.  It served its purpose well, but hand grinding almost 40 lbs of meat was no picnic.  I didn't even do the majority of the grinding...I was packaging!  However, we DID process our own deer!  I am working on getting our electric grinder ordered ASAP!



Have you ever processed your own deer?  Do you have an electric meat grinder?  If so, what recommendations do you have?  I will be sure to update you on what we get and how it works!

Blogging...

So, in all honesty I never thought much about blogging...I always tell people I am not a grammar fanatic.  However, I find myself correcting people's facebook posts.  Seriously, I wish it would allow you to edit and fix other peoples grammar (although, some may say that about my grammar...)!  I also never considered myself a writer with much to say.  However, I stumbled into this very fun outlet for my busy busy mind, and I love it!!  I am not always the person who blogs on a regular basis.  In fact, you will find large gaps in my blogging (especially around the time of the birth of my children).  But, I do enjoy sitting down and putting my thoughts into words.

I don't see this as something that will make me rich.  Although, I wouldn't complain if it did! However, I have made a little bit of money by doing it!  I suppose I'm writing this to simply say, If you enjoy writing, you never know who will enjoy reading what you have to say about things, and hey, if you can make a couple dollars, then why not!   So, go write something and share it!!