The first time I had toilet paper delivered, I was almost ashamed of myself. I mean really, what did the post man think?! “Man, this Myers woman is so lazy she can’t even leave the house to get her TP…wonder what’s in all these other boxes?”

Dear Mr. Postman – I’m so sorry you deliver approximately 6 packages to our house per week. Thank you so much for putting them into my car so someone won’t burglarize my toilet paper. You are a man of honor and chivalry. God bless you.

PS – I am not making meth.  [Read more…]

Post by Contributing Author, Vanessa from Bible Beer and Babies

My husband and I have always been avid travelers. In our first years of dating and marriage, we enjoyed a major vacation every three to four months — and thankfully had the income to do so. Even after our son was born, we still managed to get away as often as we could — taking him to Hawaii when he was six months old and on an Alaskan cruise when he was 18 months old. We had to slow down a bit, though, when it was more than just two plane tickets.

Hint, flying isn’t cheap! Once the kids hit that magical age of two, air travel expenses can become too great for most families. They certainly did for us.

And so we’ve had to get a bit creative and smart about our travels. Now with school winding down and summer approaching (even though my winter coat is still being used here in Wyoming), we are looking to squeeze a family vacation into both our calendar and our budget. [Read more…]

I’ve been asked to put together a little video about homemade cleaners – what do I actually use? I have a few favorites, and I’ll show you them below. I’ll also include the links that I talk about in the video.

I do purchase a lot of my items from Vitacost because the price is right, y’all.

NOTE: In the video I talk about using Windex – since shooting this video a few weeks ago, my friend Helen told me about a new product called ecloth for cleaning mirrors and windows. I ordered some and LOVE THEM!!!!! They work with only water and you just wash them like normal towels.  I purchased my window ecloths from Milk Allergy Mom with FREE SHIPPING!!!! And no, I am not an affiliate who is trying to pad my pockets. 😉

Scum Buster Bar from The Prairie Homestead

Grapefruit Seed Extract

Easy All Purpose Cleaner

Barry and I really don’t go on as many “dates” as we should. Most of the time when we leave the house together, we end up at the grocery store. Quite romantic. Lately, our favorite date is to put the kids to bed early, pop a big bowl of popcorn, talk and watch a movie. If you’re looking for good date ideas, that one’s a winner.  It’s easy, it’s frugal, and we enjoy it.

I’ve already talked about cheap ways to have a good date. But, I know it’s a popular topic with you guys – having a date is hard without breaking the bank. First you think you need a sitter – then you go out to eat – then you perhaps go to a movie (or the grocery, which is MORE expensive. Ha!). I’m partnering up with The Grocery Shrink and a few other bloggers to give you some great ideas for frugal dates. Today is my post – Date Night Scavenger Hunt. Having fun doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg – usually the best fun is FREE. 🙂 You can quote me on that.

Pinterest is full of thousands of different DIY projects. No longer are we allowed to “play dumb” and say, “Well, I don’t know how to make that.” NO. Pinterest has taken away our innocence. Now, in the span of 10 minutes we can pin a zillion things and learn how to do them all from our own home.

So, you know we shop at lot with Amazon. Now, let’s tackle another online place where I shop – Tropical Traditions. Since discovering that I really do love coconut, and not the “stuff” they sell at the store labeled as “coconut,” I’ve really embraced Tropical Traditions. They offer GREAT stuff that I cannot find locally – and when you live in the country, that’s a lot of stuff. However, I wouldn’t trade where I live for anything in this world…so it’s nice to have the option to shop online.

Is Tropical Traditions the cheapest place? No, it’s not…but you can find stuff from them you cannot find easily in other places AND their business ethics are fantastic. I’m not sure about you, but I would rather pay a little extra and support someone with good ethics than to give money to someone I’m not entirely sure about.

[Read more…]

See my first post about Once a Month Shopping if you missed it.

Judging by the feedback from my last post and pictures on Instagram, y’all are super interested in Once a Month Shopping. And I know why – because after three months of doing it, I am totally hooked! You have asked lots of questions, so I am here to answer them and share an update on how it’s going.

First, let me remind you that I first learned about how to do this using the book My Grocery Budget Toolbox from my friend Anne over at Authentic Simplicity. It’s a great book for anyone looking to maintain their sanity and do the best by their grocery budget. And no, I’m not an affiliate – the book is just awesome. If you are really ready to make this change, you’ll love this book! [Read more…]

Y’all have been very interested in my use of soap nuts. I think a lot of you are like, “That’s cool, but I can’t wash my laundry with nuts. That’s just weird. And it makes me get the munchies.” So, you just watch me and think in the back of your head, “Awww, she’s so cute being all cheap and stuff.”

But really, after using Soap Nuts (FTC, that’s an affiliate link…in case you want to air your dirty laundry any time soon) for two years, I am totally hooked. They are so easy and so frugal. I’m a convert for life – even with the odd comment about dirty, wet dog. (See video.) [Read more…]

Before I had kids, my weekly grocery shopping trip was a highlight. I would spend hours preparing…and I would visit about 5 stores, only buying the cheapest items at each store. I was giddy with excitement the whole day. This was when I was also doing coupon workshops. Man, how things change.

Now that I have kids, I have become a hermit. I stay close to home and don’t like venturing out of my shell home. The idea of spending hours on a grocery list, visiting 5 stores, and toting two children – one who can’t walk yet and one who DOES and uses it – kinda makes me want to check myself into a loony bin. Can I get a witness?! [Read more…]