Thrifty Mom

When Luke and I got married, I knew that we would never be rich. In fact our most affluent days are probably in the past. When we both worked and our little ones were still a ways in the future, we had what I would call extra income. Extra income is money for those things that you want as well as the things you need. It now has been years since there was a time that we thought of something we wanted and just went out and bought it without scrimping, saving, coupon clipping, budgeting, gift card using, or just forgetting about it.....or begging my mother to buy it (if I'm being honest).

When you go into the ministry you are definitely not in it for the money. One of the best books I have ever read on the topic of Ministry Wives is Dorothy Patterson's Handbook for Ministers' Wives. In her book she gives many tips for living a thrifty life.

This was once a Hardback copy, but as you can see - it gets read ALOT!

I think that after 6 years of marriage I have finally honed my thrifty skills and begun to helping my family get by on little while still living comfortably. You can always just get by on nothing, but the stress of going without everything, can finally get to you.....I have experienced it. There have been months that we have gone without buying a single item other than food, gas & bills of course. You can do it when you have to, you can do it and still live a normal-ish life, but after a while you just need things that aren't edible :)

I am not a Super coupon-er. I have no idea how you can get 1,000 dollars worth of groceries for ten dollars and I'm not sure that it's always ethical the loop holes you have to go through to do it. I do however clip coupons from the Sunday paper or print diaper coupons off the internet to help the grocery bill out a little and always go to walmart for the bulk of our shopping. Even if it's super busy, a further drive, and taking over the world I can't help it, it is really cheaper to go there, you can't beat their prices on most items. I do go through the ads and make trips to Safeway etc. if they have poptarts for $1.29 a box because Joshua could eat 5 poptarts for breakfast if you let him. 

 Here are a couple of super great deals that I've come across lately:

12 shirts & 3 pairs of pants  for Joshua less than $20.00

6 shirts, 2 pairs of pants and 1 pair of Puma shoes for Jonas $11.00.

Super Cute Timberland Sandals $4.00

I also bought Luke a pair of Keens that looked like they'd never been worn. Only $6.99, I wish I had a picture of them but he is ALWAYS wearing them :) If I can get him to take them off anytime soon I'll put a pic up.