Frugal Mommie Fridays

Today I must tell you all about my recent Craigslist purchase. I have talked about ways to save money via Craigslist purchases in the past. For those of you that are not familiar with www.craigslist.com, it’s a website that allows people to buy and sell used goods at discounted prices.

Well, earlier this week I was in the market for a baby monitor. I really wanted to get another video monitor for business purposes, but of course the audio-only monitor was cheaper, so I went that route. I called the seller to find out if the monitor that she had posted was still available and it was. I was so excited when I found out that I could get the monitor that same day. We arranged a public meeting location during daytime hours (very important with Craigslist purchases). We met about 45 minutes later and the deal was done.

I couldn’t wait to put this monitor to use. A few hours later I plugged it in and there was nothing but static. I read the directions and attempted to troubleshoot the problem. After wasting about 30 minutes of my day on this thing, I gave up. I immediately called the seller back and left a non-descript message for her to call me. We have been playing phone tag every since Tuesday and I don’t know what to do. I really want to get my $15 back so it can go towards the purchase of a video monitor.

I will definitely have my power converter ready in my car when the next deal goes down. I have learned a very valuable lesson when it comes to electronic purchases via Craigslist; always test before buying. I haven’t had any problems with previous electronic purchases and if I don’t get my money back, it was only fifteen bucks. I can definitely count this as a lesson learned. Just remember to always plan ahead when it comes to spending your money. “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5).

I would love to get your feedback regarding this matter. Should I keep calling the seller and attempt to return the product in exchange for my money or should I just let it go? Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Nobody Told Me

Today is a continuation of the “Nobody Told Me Series”. This series is comprised of blogs about things that we face as mothers that most of us were not forewarned about before venturing into the realm of parenthood.

So today’s topic is, “Nobody told me that you could love an individual in such an unconditional and unwavering way.” When I was pregnant awaiting the arrival of my son I had no idea what was to come. I knew that I loved my unborn child, but it wasn’t like the love that I grew to have for him after his birth. You always hear people referring to, a mothers’ love, although, it’s hard to understand this type of love unless you are a mother. There is a special bond that forms over the first few months of your child’s life. It’s like you just want to hug and kiss them as much as possibly you can. You realize that you will actually give your life to protect your little one and his/her well-being.

Words can’t even begin to express the feeling that a mother has for her child. It’s like a supernatural power that no one or nothing can replace or come between. It’s a power that allows you to still function after months of sleepless nights. It’s a power that allows you to wipe poopy bottoms and clean up the stinkiest throw up. It’s a power that causes you to pray without ceasing when your child is sick or in trouble. It’s a power that makes you want to be the best mother that you can be. It’s a power that can only originate from the love of God.

I wish there were a way to bottle up this love, drink a little of it every day and exhibit that love to everyone. It’s not always easy to get along with everyone but we can definitely love them in a way that is pleasing unto God. Let’s make an effort to love each person that we come in contact with and display agape love in every situation. As mothers, we know that we have the capacity to love this way. So be like Nike and Just Do It!

We are also striving to be that Proverbs 31 woman and doing the best that we can, to be the best women that we can be. Our rewards will be great here on earth and even greater in heaven. As stated in the last passage of Proverbs 31 “Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” (Proverbs 31:31).

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Thank You

Today I just wanted to share the Lyrics of one of my new faves…

Thank You by Lisa Page Brooks

For every time that You protected me
When I didn’t know Your name
(Lord I say thank you).
How You loved on me and cared for me,
when I didn’t return the same, I.
(Lord I say thank you)

Now when it seemed like I was losing and I felt like giving up,
I (Lord I) I wanna say (say thank you).
Your love rushed in like a mighty flood and lifted me above, and I (Lord I)
I wanna say (say thank you).

Chorus
I’ll be thanking You and praising You for the rest of my life.
For I’ve come to know the power of Your love and sacrifice.
(thank You for your sacrifice)
I appreciate all that You do
(everything You do, and I want to say)
Just want to say thank you

Well, how You kept your hand upon me though I’ve often gone astray,
Yeah I ….(Lord I say thank you).
And how Your spirit gently led me back to safety in Your way,
I wanna say, Lord I say thank You.
(and I’ll be thanking You)

Chorus
I’ll be thanking You and praising You for the rest of my life.
For I’ve come to know the power of Your love and sacrifice.
I appreciate all that You do (I just want to say)
Just wanna to say thank you (all of my days) ,
Just want to say thank you.

Bridge
(And I’ll give You praise)…just want to say thank you. Lord I thank You.
(Lord I thank You. Yes I do.
Right now I just want to say thank you)
I wanna say! (I wanna say wanna say)
I wanna say thank you. (I just want to say)
I gotta say! (Gotta say, gotta say it, thank you) I gotta say thank you!
(Now you’ve been good) I want to say
(And I want to say)
I want to say thank you
(That you’ve been kind)
I’ve gotta say
(Gotta say, please just let me say)
I’ve gotta say thank you
(You made a way)
I want to say
(You let me see a brand new day)
I want to say thank you
(You never let me go astray)
I gotta say
(And I gotta gotta gotta say)
I gotta say thank you
(Thank you for my family)
I want to say
(Thank you lord for keeping me)
I want to say thank you
(Thank you Lord for bringing me through)
I’ve got to say
(And I thank you for my husband too)
I gotta say thank you
(Thank you Lord for saving me)
I wanna say
(Thank you Lord for loving me)I wanna say thank you
(And I gotta gotta gotta say)
I’ve gotta say
(I want to say, gotta say thank you)
I’ve gotta say thank you
(Thank you thank you)

Hope you enjoyed the lyrics, this is a great song to listen to. We should all take time to say Thank You. “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.” (Chronicles 16:34) Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

The Heat Is On

Happy Monday! Well, it’s the start to another week in what feels like one of the hottest summers ever in the ATL. As I sit at the computer my thermostat is not going below 77 degrees and it is set at 70. I have to figure out if there is a malfunction with the air-conditioning unit or if it’s just way too hot to cool off below a certain level. If there’s anyone out there that can offer up some advice on this matter please leave a comment on the homepage.

I was so disgusted when I opened the electric bill on yesterday. I couldn’t believe that it was almost $300! You all know how I am when it comes to sticking to the budget. Well, guess who didn’t factor in $300 for the electric bill for this month. It seems as though the AC unit has been working overtime to try to keep the house cool, but it doesn’t seem to be working very efficiently.

This morning I was in the processes of transferring some files over from the old computer to the new computer when I realized that I was almost completely drenched in sweat. I turned on the oscillating fan and it seems to be offering up some relief, but not much.

I have called around to find out what may be wrong with the AC unit and I was told to check and try a couple of things. If by this time tomorrow none of that stuff works I will be forced to bite the bullet and have a technician come out to have a look-see. To combat the ridiculous bill, I am thinking about turning the AC up to about 85 every night this week. I will just go old school and put the windows up and turn all of the fans on.

I know that this hardcore tactic may prove to be uncomfortable for a few nights, but the opportunity cost is worth it to me. In life, sometimes we have to endure some discomfort to get to where we want or need to be. However, no matter what our situation or circumstance is, we can always find comfort in our Lord and Savior. The Word says, “May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant.” (Psalm 119:76). So I guess I will be doing a lot seeking comfort in Lord this week!

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Frugal Mommie Friday

Today I would like to venture into the realm of coupons. As most of us know coupons can definitely add up at the check out line and save us a lot of money. However, many people don’t realize that there are numerous ways to utilize the use of coupons. Coupons can be doubled and sometimes tripled in value. If you want to find out if your local grocery store doubles or triples coupons, simply ask.

Many of us get the Sunday paper just for the coupons inside. However, you may not realize that there are lots of websites available with free coupons to print out. Some of these websites are, http://www.mycoupons.com, http://www.coupons.com, and http://www.grocerycoupons.com, just to name a few. If you are interested in finding more of these websites go to a search engine such as Yahoo or Google and type “coupons” in the search box.

If you have products that you purchase frequently, you can call the manufacturer direct and tell their reps just how much you use and love their products and ask if they have any coupons available. In addition, you can also go to the manufacturers’ website to print out coupons or sign up to receive specials and discounts.

We are all doing our best to work within our designated budgets. It’s not always easy, but we have to work with what we have. I know that some of these things may be time consuming, but a little bit of time could potentially save you a lot of money. It’s an opportunity cost kind of thing. Take a little extra time before your next shopping trip to collect some coupons for use. Just remember to always plan ahead when it comes to spending your money. “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5).

Keep me posted on how much money you save on your next shopping trip by leaving a comment at the end of one of the posts on savedmom.com. Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Nobody Told Me

Today is a continuation of the “Nobody Told Me Series”. This series is comprised of blogs about things that we face as mothers that most of us were not forewarned about before venturing into the realm of parenthood.

So today’s topic is, “Nobody told me that taking my first vacation without my child would be so emotional.” In the beginning of May, hubby and I took a much needed 7 day cruise. This was the first time that we were ever away from our son for more than two nights. Before leaving I was so confident that I wouldn’t get emotional or cry as a result of the time apart from our little munchkin. Boy was I wrong. About 2 days into the vacation I curled up in the bed and cried like a baby. I felt so bad for leaving him for that long. The worst part was that we were on a cruise so I couldn’t really talk to him. Then, the moments in which I could talk to him, I didn’t want to because I thought it might upset him. In my super emotional moment, hubby consoled me and assured me that he would be just fine without us; which he was.

I am a sensitive person by nature, but I really thought that I was going to be a tough cookie when it came to me being away from him for seven days. Well, of course I learned otherwise. I had two or three more emotional moments during the course of that week, but I enjoyed my vacation nonetheless. At the end of the vacation I couldn’t wait to get back home, but you will never believe what happened upon my arrival. I walked in the front door and my son just stared at me with this semi-angry look on his face and then he turned away from me. My heart dropped at his reaction to my return. I thought that he would have been completely overjoyed when he looked at my face, but that dream didn’t come true. A few minutes later he warmed up to me and it was like I had never left.

I know that some of you may be reluctant about being away from your kids for an extended period of time, but we ALL need time away. If you can just get two or three days away from everything to relax and rest, your mind, body and spirit will thank you for it. I remember watching the television show, Better, a few months ago. The topic was, “The importance of taking vacations without the kids.” Well, the psychiatrist that they interview actually said that we should vacate away from the kids every six weeks. I thought to myself, first of all who can afford that and secondly how on earth would one find a babysitter that often for at least 3 days of duty. Well, I think if we can just get maybe a weekend every quarter or 2-3 times a year, that’s good enough for me. Taking vacations without the kids is nothing to feel guilty about. We all need our quiet time every once in a while.

We are also striving to be that Proverbs 31 woman and doing the best that we can, to be the best mothers that we can be. Our rewards will be great here on earth and even greater in heaven. As stated in the last passage of Proverbs 31 “Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” (Proverbs 31:31).

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Word Wednesday

Today is officially “Word Wednesday” otherwise known as “Hump Day.” We’ve made it half way through yet another week on the wonderful, exciting and bumpy road of motherhood. Therefore, some of us are looking for some encouraging words to make it through the rest of the week with Joy and Peace. At night before my son goes to bed, in addition to reading bible stories, I read him a passage out of Prayers That Avail Much, First Blessings for Your Child by Germaine Copeland. Mommies we have to keep our children prayed up and constantly put Gods Word in their hearts.

Sunday’s passage read, “May I be a blessing to you, and teach you how to get along with others. I ask God to give you His wisdom that is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not twofaced. May He create in you a desire to be like Jesus.” It seems as though there are people that are sharing this space with us that have a difficult time getting along with anyone. I find that it’s a bit difficult having to interact with someone that is always negative and doesn’t seem to make any effort to get along with others. People don’t realize that it takes so much more energy to be contrary than it does to be pleasant.

I wasn’t here when Jesus walked this earth, but I’m pretty sure that he made an effort to get along with everyone that he came in contact with. As Christians, we are striving to be more like Jesus everyday of our lives. In doing, so we should also have the attitude of Jesus, an attitude that is pure, peaceable and gentle. James 3:17 says, “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” There are so many lessons that we teach our children simply by example. If we are exemplifying the traits and characteristics listed in James 3:17, it’s very likely that they will too.

Having a good attitude really does get you much further in life. People will want to hire you, do good things for you and simply be in your company. Also, when you have a good attitude and a positive outlook, you feel much better and you are more prone to living a healthier life. So the saying, “Don’t worry, be happy” should ring true everyday of your existence.

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Planning At Its Best

Well, my husband and I have been in the midst of planning for another baby. We’re not expecting yet, but have been planning on getting pregnant since January. It seems like every time we set a month to get started, we decide to delay based on a specific situation or circumstance. The latest month that we declared as “Get Pregnant Month” was August. Now we have found yet another reason to delay Operation Next Baby!

Our family and friends have kind of made fun of us for setting a date, per say. I’m starting to wonder if we should just stop setting dates and just let things progress naturally. I have always been all about strategically planning EVERYTHING, but maybe it’s time to let the reigns go a bit. My loved ones are always getting on me for being super organized and pre-planning everything to the T. Although, going through life planning every single event and moment doesn’t leave much room for God’s plan, now does it?

Maybe pre-planning every phase of life isn’t exactly what God had in store. Maybe if I allowed God to do all of my pre-planning I wouldn’t get so frustrated when my “Super Plan” doesn’t work out quite the way I wanted. God already set the best plan for us in motion, it’s just up to us to fall in line and follow suit. The Word says, “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11). So the next time you and I find ourselves getting frustrated because something didn’t exactly go as we planned it, we should let go and let God!

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Nobody Told Me

Today is a continuation of the “Nobody Told Me Series”. This series is comprised of blogs about things that we face as mothers that most of us were not forewarned about before venturing into the realm of parenthood.

So today’s topic is, “Nobody told me that my evenings would feel like a race to the finish line!” My husband and I were just talking the other night about how our evenings are so consumed with our son that we hardly ever seem to have time for each other anymore. We go through the evenings as if it were a race to the finish line and when we get there we are usually pooped!

For most parents an evening with the kids is comprised of dinner prep, homework, meal time, bath time, brushing teeth, getting clothes out for the next day and the bed time routine. After having a full day, the evening seems to be so full of one consuming task after another. Before having children I didn’t understand why my friends with kids hardly ever had time to chat on the phone in the evenings, but now I totally get it. However, we must remember that we can’t get so caught in the routine that we don’t take time for us and/or our marriages. I also had to realize that if a night goes by here or there with a not so well thought out meal or no bath that it’s okay. Life will go on and we will all survive.

We are also striving to be that Proverbs 31 woman. Just remember that none of us are perfect and we all doing the best that we can to be the best mothers that we can be. Our rewards will be great here on earth and even greater in heaven. As stated in the last passage of Proverbs 31 “Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” (Proverbs 31:31).

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Word Wednesday

Today is officially “Word Wednesday” otherwise known as “Hump Day.” We’ve made it half way through yet another week on the wonderful, exciting and bumpy road of motherhood. Therefore, some of us are looking for some encouraging words to make it through the rest of the week with Joy and Peace. At night before my son goes to bed, in addition to reading bible stories, I read him a passage out of Prayers That Avail Much, First Blessings for Your Child by Germaine Copeland. Mommies we have to keep our children prayed up and constantly put Gods Word in their hearts.

Sunday’s passage read, “In the name of Jesus, I loose your mind from thoughts of fretting and anxiety. I bind you to God’s peace, which transcends all understanding. May this peace guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.” After reading this passage I started to really think about the words “fretting and anxiety.” I knew what the words meant, but I looked up their formal definitions. The definition of anxiety is: “distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune.” The definition of fret is: “to feel or express worry, annoyance, discontent, or the like.” When we see words like fear and worry we know that these things are not from God. The Lord wants us to be filled with joy, peace and happiness; not worry, fear and distress.

We should all strive to be at complete and total peace everyday of our lives. When you are truly in the rest of God, you should experience a peace that transcends all understanding. “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7). As parents we can speak life and peace to our children by binding them to God’s peace as the passage above states. The Word tells us, “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 18:18). So whenever you are having a moment that is not so peaceful, bind your mind to God’s peace and get ready to enter the rest of God.

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Parenting Through a Storm

We all have situations in life that we face where we feel that we just need to be left alone and take time for ourselves. However, as parents, we don’t always have the option of doing so. Have you ever faced a difficult situation, but couldn’t fully ride out your emotional rollercoaster because you didn’t want your child to know that something was wrong?

We try so hard to create a loving and healthy environment for our children to grow up in. We do our best to make sure that all of their needs are met. We even make personal sacrifices so that they can have the things that we didn’t.

When we are going through a “rough patch” many of us try to hide the negativity from our kids, but in doing so we don’t always properly allow ourselves to face the reality of our situation. How do we find that happy medium of parenting properly and mending our wounds? I don’t know the answer to this question. I just know that with God all things are possible. “Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."” (Matthew 19:26) We have to learn how to not lean to our own understanding, but to look to God and His Word to bring us through whatever it is that we are faced with.

No matter what may be going on in your life, just continue to show love to your child as God continually shows His love towards us. "Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever." (Psalm 136:2) Parenting is not always easy, but the blessing of parenthood is so wonderfully amazing!

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Frugal Mommie Friday’s

I will pick up where we left off on last Friday and give you all an update on the status of the two major purchases. I did purchase the computer this week, but decided to delay the freezer purchase. After the budget talk on Sunday with hubby, we realized that we needed to delay the purchase of either the computer or the freezer. After much thought the decision was made to delay the freezer purchase. With the help of our wonderful neighbor and friend, my husband and I decided to purchase an E-Machine computer bundle online at a great price.

There was just one missing piece to the puzzle; the bundle came with everything except a monitor. So we did a little more research and found a monitor on the same website for $99.99. Unfortunately, this would push us over our $300 budget for a computer, so yet another decision had to be made. After much thought we came to the realization that if we could somehow avoid paying shipping on the monitor purchase, we could squeeze the complete package into the budget. Well, the website that we were purchasing the computer bundle from offered free shipping on orders of $100 or more and less than 25 pounds. There was just one problem; adding the monitor to the bundle would bring us over the 25 pound weight limit and purchasing the monitor separate would keep us under the $100 minimum purchase amount!

So what’s a girl to do? How about me and my bright ideas led to a frantic search on the website for an item under $10 to add to the monitor purchase in an attempt to avoid shipping costs. Well, there I sat at my computer with the bundle purchase in one window on the computer and an item for $7.99 that I found on the website in another window. I hit the “Complete Purchase” button in the bundle window and low and behold after checkout my order summary included the item that cost $7.99! How did this happen? How can I make it go away? This was supposed to go along with the monitor purchase so that I could avoid paying S & H and now it was in with the bundle order! What a blunder on my behalf!

I immediately called the company to have this item removed. While on the phone with the representative I was told that because these items shipped from a different location it may not be removed from the order before shipping out. He said we would just have to wait and see. Of course, when UPS rang my bell yesterday they had two boxes instead one and to make a long story short I may have to come out of pocket to ship it back!

The moral of this Frugal Mommie story is… Bargain hunting is great, but please know when to draw the line in the sand! I’m thinking about just looking on Craigslist for a computer monitor instead. Due to budgetary constraints the monitor purchase is postponed until further notice. Side note to purchasing items on Craigslist: ALWAYS HAGGLE. I normally shave 10-50 percent off of the original price after speaking to the seller. I will discuss haggling in further detail in a future posting. Just remember to always plan ahead when it comes to spending your money. “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5).

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. I would LOVE for you to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Word Wednesday

Today is officially “Word Wednesday” otherwise known as “Hump Day.” We’ve made it half way through yet another week on the wonderful, exciting and bumpy road of motherhood. Therefore, some of us are looking for some encouraging words to make it through the rest of the week with Joy and Peace. At night before my son goes to bed, in addition to reading bible stories, I read him a passage out of Prayers That Avail Much, First Blessings for Your Child by Germaine Copeland. Mommies we have to keep our children prayed up and constantly put Gods Word in their hearts.

Yesterday’s passage read, “I thank the Father that we are His people, and you, our precious child, will live in a peaceful dwelling place, in a secure home, in an undisturbed place of rest.” It’s very unfortunate that so many children grow up in broken and dysfunctional homes. When children are nurtured in that kind of environment, in many cases they grow up to be broken adults. I’m sure that just about any psychiatrist will tell you that many of the emotional problems that adults have stem from them having a childhood in which their homes were filled with disarray.

We have an obligation as Christian parents to raise our children in a peaceful and functional environment. Our children should see healthy relationships being cultivated instead of constant arguing, cursing and fighting. When these behaviors are displayed to children they become victims of emotional abuse. As a youth mentor, I have talked to many teenagers that have tarnished views of how a household should operate because of the things that their parents and/or family members did or said in front of them. The word says, “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.”(Isaiah 32:18) What are you doing to make your home a peaceful place?

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Communication 101

Over the weekend my hubby and I sat down to have the much dreaded budget talk. This really shouldn’t be a subject that spouses dread discussing, but for us, on Sunday night it was. As most of you all know I am very anal retentive when in comes to most things in life. I am very structured and super intense when it comes to saving money and getting out of debt.

You see, a little over two years ago hubby and I decided that we would use Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover (TMMO) plan to get out of debt and build wealth. We started out super focused with gazelle intensity. We were reorganizing our finances, selling everything that didn’t have a pulse, and paying off bills left and right. Several months into the program my husbands’ intensity level began to wane, as my intensity grew stronger and stronger. Hubby continued to go along with the plan, but I could tell he wasn’t as excited about it as I was.

A little over a year into the TMMO I noticed that it seemed as though my husband was starting to build up resentment about the whole thing. This became very frustrating to me because I felt like he was always trying to buck the system in some way. He didn’t feel as though his expendable cash amount for the month was enough, he wanted to start making large purchases and he felt as though I was hording all of the money for credit card bills.

I realized that there was a major disconnect that needed to be mended. According to the “rules” of the TMMO, husband and wife should have a budget meeting once a month to discuss expenditures and budget issues. Well, we had not been adhering to this rule. For one my husband didn’t really care to talk with me about the budget because of his resentment and I didn’t really care to discuss it because I didn’t want it to turn into something negative.

So months and months have gone by since our last budget meeting, but on Sunday night that all changed. We started this budget meeting with prayer, which was what we should have been doing all along. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6) I am so happy that we finally sat down and formally communicated about the issues regarding the budget. We both had an opportunity to express our feelings and come to a consensus about how money will be handled going forward. I didn’t necessarily get the outcome that I wanted nor did my husband, but we came to an agreement that we are equally content with.

This is one example that communication in relationships is key. Weather it be a marriage or a mother-child relationship, there must be some level of continuous communication so that dissention and resentment don’t have the opportunity to build. The enemy will use anything that he can to throw us off course in our lives, but it is up to us to do all that we can to stay positive and to always walk in love. As parents, we should exemplify this for our children as we raise them the way that the Lord intended. Keeping the lines of communication with your children open could one day save a life.

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Frugal Mommie Friday’s

First off I want to take a few moments to say thanks to all of you who have left comments or sent emails regarding the “changes” in my blog style/format. It’s so refreshing to know that you all are enjoying what you’re reading. Please keep all comments coming, weather it be constructive criticism or positive feedback. There is a “Comments” link below each post on the blog site (www.savedmom.com).

So we are switching up our Friday mix and sharing ways for mommies to save money. I’m sure we all could use a little money saving advice from time to time. Well, I am currently in the market for a deep freezer and a new computer and I am hoping to find a good deal this Fourth of July weekend. As most of you know I am taking it back to the olden days by getting seasonal fruits and veggies from the local farmers markets and my garden then freezing them for consumption during the winter months. Therefore, it’s definitely time for a back up freezer for food storage. I also recently found out that I have to get a new computer ASAP. So that means it is time to bite the bullet and make two major purchases over the next few weeks.

I am all about saving money and finding a good deal so the first place I looked was Craigslist (www.craigslist.com). For those of you that have not yet ventured into the world of Craigslist, get ready! You can find people in your local area selling just about anything that you can imagine, yes, anything! Please be forewarned that there are certain precautions that you need to take when purchasing goods from these random people. It’s always a good rule of thumb to meet during the day in a public place or a police station parking lot to make the exchange. Safety first! Craigslist is also a good place to get rid of items that you no longer have any use for (in decent condition, of course).

I started thinking about it and I realized that buying these items second hand may not be such a good idea. Yeah, I will save money today, but what will the quality or life expectancy of these used items be? When making appliance/electronic purchases on items that need to last for a while, Craigslist might not be the best route. So, now I’ve been looking online in the 4th of July ads.

Shopping during holiday sales is a sure way to save money. After you find a good price that you feel somewhat comfortable with, take it a step further and see if you can find a coupon for that particular store. Online coupons are the best. Just go to a search engine like Google or Yahoo and type in what you are looking for. For example you could simply type “Sears Coupons” into the search engine and watch what happens. You’ll be surprised at all of the coupons that are readily available online.

At this point I am knee deep in my freezer/computer search. I will be sure to let you all know how it turns out. Just remember to always plan ahead when it comes to spending your money. “The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty.” (Proverbs 21:5).

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.

Nobody Told Me

I have been inspired to start a “Nobody Told Me Series”. The “Nobody Told Me Series” will be comprised of blogs about things that we face as mothers that nobody told me or warned me about. I will write on these topics as I feel led.

So today’s topic is, “Nobody told me that being a mom meant washing clothes would become an almost everyday task!” I can remember during my life before children (L.B.C.) I only had to wash clothes about once every two weeks and now I feel as though I wash clothes once every two days!

Sometimes I feel as though I should have a quarter machine attached to me because I feel like I am running a Laundromat. Now don’t misinterpret what I am saying as complaining because I thank God that I have an able body to do laundry, clothes to launder, running water and laundry powder. It’s just that nobody ever told me that laundry would be a frequent task on the list of things to do once embarking upon motherhood.

I often wonder if it’s even worth it to fold the clothes and put them away considering that they will just be dirty and ready for the laundering cycle to start all over again in a matter of days. I used to watch HGTV (Home and Garden Television) and wonder why these women were so concerned with having nice large laundry rooms. I just didn’t know that this is because mothers spend 1/8 of their adult lives doing laundry (this is not true statistical data, just a wild guess)! So the next time that you are on your seventh load of laundry in a given week, know that you are not alone. We’re all living out our mommie mission one day at a time.

We are also striving to be that Proverbs 31 woman. Just remember that none of us are perfect and we all make mistakes, but our rewards will be great both here on earth and in heaven. As stated in the last passage of Proverbs 31 “Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” (Proverbs 31:31).

Until our next appointed meeting time. Stay tuned for more words of encouragement and inspiration for M.O.M.’s near and far! Please share this blog with as many people as you know (www.savedmom.com), we have so many lives to touch. Feel free to post a comment and/or subscribe (if you are reading this from your inbox visit the site address referenced above to post a comment). If you would like to submit prayer requests send them to info@savedmom.com. Thanks for your continued support!

Mommie Blessings,

Saved M.O.M.