Sunday, July 31, 2011

Lamb That Came Home: Useful Ways to be Weird

Lamb That Came Home: Useful Ways to be Weird: "Debt is normal. Be weird! Quote from man who is truly helping to transform Matt and my financial life. Dave Ramsey, we thank you for helpin..."

Useful Ways to be Weird

Debt is normal. Be weird! Quote from man who is truly helping to transform Matt and my financial life. Dave Ramsey, we thank you for helping us open our eyes and helping us pay off some stupid tax. I would suggest to everyone who would like to find there way out of debt or just make a real change in there savings account to look him up! I am just going to give you a list of ways that are mostly practical that can increase your income and decrease your spending.
1. At home haircuts! I bought pair of clippers from Walmart for under $20. Matt and Little's hair grows fast so this paid for it's self the first time I used it. It also come with scissors so I am able to cut bigs hair, too!
2. Coupons. This can be easy or hard depending on how big you go. I am not an extreme couponer at all! I normally only save 15-30% of our grocery bill but every penny helps. We also us groupons and living social a lot to be able to find fun places to go or different restaurants that we normally wouldn't eat at for usually at least a 50% discount.
3. Order water out to eat. We usually get water or Matt and I switch back and forth. If I really need a drink of soda with my meal, I just take a drink of his but usually that saves us about $7 a meal if you are a at sit down restaurant.
4. Reuse anything you can! We take paper bags and make puppets, walmart sacks for bathroom trash bags and I am a huge reusable bag person! I probably have 15 of them!
5. Piggybacking off of 4. Reasors and Target both have a five cent discount per bag off your bill. If you have just five bags you made a quarter extra!
6. Buy "new-to-you". We do this quite a big also. We go to yard sales, Goodwill, consignment and craigslist.We have been able to buy some very nice things that we would not have normally been able to afford from these places. Be careful you check to make things work or are in good condition.
7. Making money: Sell stuff you don't use or need! I use craigslist and yard sale also to get rid of clothes or toys and household items I have no need for anymore also. Great way to start your $1000 emergency fund.
8. Odd jobs. This one is big for me! I have done lots of things to make quick money. I have grocery shopped for people for a fee, I clean the church,babysit, Matt does computer repair. Find out what you are good at or can make and sell what you do best!
9. Open your own business. This one can be very time consuming and can require a large investment. I have a home based business but right now it is very part time but I am hoping to pick up soon once things settle into the school year.
10. Be creative! You know ways that are easy for your family to cut back. Also lots of people are great with money and they may be able to help you sit down and look at your budget and find ways were money might be leaking out without you realizing it!
11. Sign for online freebies or accounts. Lot of times new websites will give you a credit on there account for signing up for the first time. Like No More Rack gives you $10 credit and a chance to earn free gifts if your friends sign up! Also Swagbucks you can earn "bucks" that you can change in for gift cards! I paid for half of Christmas and a few birthdays with these Amazon gift cards!
Here are a few more Dave quotes and a few sites to sign up for for some money saving places to shop:
If broke people are making fun of your financial plan, you’re on track.
What can you do when you have no payments? Anything you want!
Debt is dumb, cash is king and the paid off home mortgage has taken the place of the BMW has the status symbol of choice.

The average millionaire drives a three year old car and clips coupons.
If you live like no one else, later you get to live like no one else.

An emergency fund changes a crisis into an inconvenience.
Living Social:   https://livingsocial.com/redeem_invite/5211124-walker?ref=lnk
Groupon:        Click the Groupon Widget
Seize the Deal:  http://www.seizethedeal.com/users/new/cSzQUl47L
Swagbucks:     http://swagbucks.com/refer/WALKERMOMMY2 or click the Swagbucks Widget
NoMoreRack:  http://www.nomorerack.com/?cr=43082

Saturday, July 30, 2011

Lamb That Came Home: Coming Out of Hiding

Lamb That Came Home: Coming Out of Hiding: "I'll admit it, I have been hiding and for quite a while now. Which is in part of the reason it has taken me so long to write this post. I ha..."

Friday, July 29, 2011

Lamb That Came Home: Coming Out of Hiding

Lamb That Came Home: Coming Out of Hiding: "I'll admit it, I have been hiding and for quite a while now. Which is in part of the reason it has taken me so long to write this post. I ha..."

Coming Out of Hiding

I'll admit it, I have been hiding and for quite a while now. Which is in part of the reason it has taken me so long to write this post. I have also been busy but not so much that I couldn't take the time to write. I am going to admit to you what I have been allowing myself to believe for years now. I thought I was a fake. I didn't even know it till last night. I have believed the lies of Satan that I was just a fake Christian. That every kind thing I have done, every act of worship and every praise that I have given my Savior was fake. Satan has been whispering to me for years that everything I have been doing to give honor to the Lord was just for show and that if people really knew me, they would know that I wasn't a real Christian because I didn't have the relationship with Jesus like normal Christians. But that is not true and I will not believe the lie anymore. I am a Christian and I give my life to Jesus everyday. I serve people every way I know possible not because I want people to see but because I have given my life over to Jesus. I want to be transformed to look more like Him and if people see my good deeds that they would give glory to God for allowing me to do whatever He has blessed me with the ability to do. If you are struggling with this feeling I would pray and encourage you to seek lots of prayer from family and your minsters and church family. This is key in breaking down the wall that Satan puts up around your heart. While a good portion of my church family was in Colorado this week at the NYR (National Youth RoundUp) I was alone at the church cleaning a lot. I don't do silence well so I broke out my iPhone and download some podcast from College Heights Christian Church, my home church in Joplin. By allowing myself the time to truly listen to what the Lord was speaking to my heart and through talks I had with our youth minster, I was able to see for the first time since my divorce, that God is still wanting to use me. He wants to use a broken hearted divorced woman to show others that you can come out of places you never thought you'd be in and transform your life with His power. You wants to use YOU! As most of you know, Joplin suffered a major storm. I would say ninety percent of my family lives in or on the borders of Joplin. God will use the broken hearts of Joplin for healing and show people His glory. How amazing it was to listen to Randy talk about how the Church (meaning God's people not just CHCC) were able to help so many people during this disaster in there lives. I pray for you now, reading this. Allow God to work in your life. If you have be baptized since birth and never swore a day in your life and if you a broken hearted widow like Ruth, allow the Lord to be the ruler of your life and see all the blessings He has in store for you.