Yesterday, my husband came home with $40 he found on the ground. Ironically, that’s exactly what you and I were going to talk about!

We’ve all heard the saying, “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” It’s meant to imply that nothing comes easy and resources are limited. YOU have to work hard for EVERY penny you earn.

But, wait! If the money we make, depends solely on us, where does God fit in?

He doesn’t. Let’s invite Him in!

Grab your budget. On the income lines, add “Unexpected Blessings from God.” I’m not kidding. You don’t have to enter a dollar amount, just give God a literal space in your finances.

I’m going to share with you some of the mind blowing experiences of “finding money on trees.” Not because we’re super saved and read our Bibles everyday, pray without ceasing or fast regularly. We simply believe that His unearned favor (grace) extends to our finances and resources.

An elderly woman saw my husband playing with our oldest child. She told him he was a great dad and put some folded up bills in his hand. It was $600.

Last year, part of our vacation was paid for from $200 found in the road, $50 found by a curb, a $250 tip from a customer and $75 found in the dryer at the resort. That’s $575.

Sometimes it’s $10 on the ground, $50 under a bush, $20 in the parking lot. Sometimes it’s resources that come from unexpected people. We laugh every time with grateful hearts! Because God is good and delights in giving His children good gifts.

Dear friend, give Him space in your finances/resources and prepare to be utterly amazed by what you find “growing on trees!”

#happyhomemakerchronicles

Your money. Every dollar. Is powerful. Say it again!

This isn’t about being cheap, nickel-and-diming or trying to get over. It’s about knowing your worth as a consumer.

The specifics I’ll share won’t apply to everyone. That’s okay! The point is to get you thinking about your situation and maximizing the money that you have. Are you ready? Here’s what helped us add money back into our budget.

Switching Car Insurance

I was blown away by this one! Apparently, you should shop for car insurance every two years to negotiate the best price. We saved $400/month by switching providers.

Two years later, I called the provider and asked for them to re-write my policy to see if I could get a better rate without switching. (You’re not supposed to know that, it’s an insider tip).

If your request is met with resistance, politely remind them that they are your first choice, but you do have other options. We saved another $100/month the second time.

Saving on Cellphone Service

I called our cell provider and asked if they would honor the new customer promotion. We have been loyal customers, with multiple devices on the plan and we pay our bill on time. Our contract was up and they gladly adjusted our plan

We saved an eye opening $125/month! We had literally been giving money away.

Cancelling Cable

We realized that we watched just 3 channels and were disgusted at the garbage that passes as entertainment. Why were we paying to have junk pumped into our home? Cutting the cord put $70/month back into the budget.

If you’re keeping track, that first year, we added $700/month or $8,400/annually from 3 simple adjustments. That’s huge!

All right, Mama! It’s your turn. What bills can you negotiate for a better rate? Comment below so we can celebrate each other!

#happyhomemakerchronicles #freedom

Hey, Mama! We need to talk. Grab your favorite beverage and pull up a chair. It’s time for a family meeting.

You want to be a stay-at-home mom (SAHM) or you want to continue as a SAHM. I’m proud of you! But, you have legit financial concerns. So did I.

Today, I’ll share two steps that worked for us, but remember everyone’s situation is different. Treat this like a buffet. Take what you want and leave the rest. Now, grab your journal and let’s get to work!

Write down your family’s purpose. Take your time and don’t skip this step! Trust me, knowing your family’s purpose is directly tied to how you manage your money. It will also anchor you during the hard times. Think and pray through- What do I want my family’s life to look like? God puts stirrings in our heart for a reason. Pay attention to that. Follow it.

Your next piece of homework is to go through a years worth of bank statements and see what you’re spending money on. For us, eating out was in our 2-income budget. But seeing the total amount spent over a year was still surprising.

Also, look for subscriptions, auto drafts, paid apps, errors, etc. You signed up for that free trial, but forgot to cancel after 30 days? Those charges add up quickly.

These steps saved us over $3k that first year, which allowed us to pay off a debt. It may not sound like much, but don’t worry, we’re not done.

For now, that should keep you busy for a couple days until our next family meeting. We’re in this together, Sis! Talk to you soon.

#happyhomemakerchronicles

“I wish I could stay home with my baby!” It’s what I heard from my co-workers when I put in my notice. It’s what I heard from friends.

I began to worry! If they couldn’t afford it on their income, how would we be able to afford it? Yet, there we were affording it, and not because we had it like that.

I kid you not! For an entire year, I worried that I would need to work outside of the home.

Even though every bill was paid.

Even though every need was met.

Even though some of our wants were met.

I listened to the people around me with kajillion dollar salaries who couldn’t afford to be stay-at-home moms. I listened to well meaning family and friends who asked how we could afford it. And I worried.

How did we make it, you ask? I’ll tell you. But for now, precious mama, bury this deep in your heart. If you have a burning desire to be home raising your children, the Lord will provide!

I didn’t get that truth early on. It took a dear friend to open my eyes to the evidence of God’s faithfulness in my life. I want the same revelation for you!

The next time we get together, I’ll give you specifics on what we did and how God filled in the gaps. But, Sis, stop worrying. You’re not alone.

#happyhomemakerchronicles