Great employment opportunity for teen

 

Your kid needs some extra money?  You want a house cleaner but don’t want to commit to all year cleanings and fees?  Pay the kid?  You will be able to more easily speak to your teen about what they don’t do or do well. They’ll learn even more responsibility while earning money and no one has to drive them anywhere.  Win win! #moneysavingtips #collegesavings #summeremployment

Clear your pool in 1 day!

 

Pools can be so fun but they do require some work. 

Can you pay someone to take care of it?  Yes! 

But why?! It costs several hundred a month, here, for them to dip a strip in and maybe drop some chemicals in without looking at some important things. I have learned that your numbers can look in range but if your CSI/LSI isn’t good your will wreck your pool and your equipment. All of the numbers you typically test for, in addition to the pool temperature, is used to calculate CSI/LSI. These numbers tell if your pool could go corrosive or scaling. Neither is what you want.  Strips don’t test for this and it’s doubtful most pool places do that when they drop a quick strip in. I’m sure there are some. 

I have to say I was a little shocked it was so cloudy when I rolled back the solar cover but we had had a storm and it knocked a lot of oak pollen into the pool and the skimmer has been filling up with it quickly. SO, you can either try to clean the pollen off your winter cover and hope the waters not warming up enough to grow algae underneath or open it and clean these things a couple times a day. 

But know there’s hope for your cloudy pool. If your chemicals are in check then check the filters and skimmers. Clean, clean, clean. 

Looks like I’ll be running the pump more while these oaks are dropping so much dust pollen. Lol

#poolmaintenance #moneysavingtips #diypoolmaintenance  #learntodothingsyourself

Be the difference!

 

I know I know. It’s scary to let you middle schooler contact a teacher with a question or to check into something. But I promise if you’re there to guide them with some of the basic verbiage they’ll be doing it on their own by high school and it will #1 be one less thing on your to do list and #2 be an important lesson in life in how to handle things and begin communicating. I ONLY get involved if it’s something that either shouldn’t involve a child in the communication due to the nature or does not get resolved with the child’s attempt. These lessons last a lifetime and watching them blossom into respectful, responsible adults will be worth it. #parentingishard #nolazyparenting #teachkidsresponsibility

Do you just feel sad when the kids are sick?

 Sad?  Helpless?  Wanting to snuggle them regardless of their age?  Our sweet J (14) has had a cough for 6 straight weeks. Started with a cold and never went away.  Took him to his doctor last week and she’s thinking since his lungs sound okay it could be his allergies but he’s had walking pneumonia last year so it could be that again.  He has been so tired. But he gets up at 5 am 4 days a week for footfall workouts and then practices right after school for track until 430pm plus track meets. He was already on daily Claritin so she switched him to Zyrtec and added Flonase and a daily saline rinse in the shower after track to get anything he breathed in out.  It didn’t work. The cough has gotten wetter so today she put him on antibiotics as discussed and he will miss weights the rest of the week to get some extra rest. 

I knew he needed this but wow.  How much?  Poor guy fell asleep at 7 tonight. We got him moved to his room at 830 and he is sleeping straight through. I think he definitely needs a rest.  

Hopefully he’s good to go for his track meet tomorrow?

Our babies are always our babies. 

Best way to watch television!

 

We’ve been using Amazon Firesticks for 7 years. 

When we moved and got reliable, high speed fiber internet I was so excited. This finally meant we could get rid of having satellite service.  We don’t have access to cable at all and never have so that’s not an option. We were stuck with satellite. 

But 7 years ago we bought our first Fire Stick. We’re up to 4k now. We even have the outdoor tvs hooked up. They’re fantastic!  We can change up what we want to subscribe to and totally control our spend. I always look for Black Friday deals for a spare fire stick AND for streaming deals.  We’ve gotten Peacock for a year for $20 this way. So worth it. 

Seriously worth it to have streaming if you can and control what you watch and spend!

Fire Stick on Amazon

Pool opening 2023

 

This is our third season, 2nd pool opening and first pool opening by ourselves. We got everything power washed (losing battle with the pollen until June but whatever), pool filled, cleaned up, leaves cleaned up from under the deck, everything for the pool plumbing back together and chemical in balance.  It did take a day or two to get the salt levels up enough for the salt water generator to make chlorine but it’s been going on it’s own and now instead of an ugly gray winter cover I can see pretty turquoise water. I’m not wasting money using the heat pump yet.  We will let the sun do it’s job for a bit and then when the nights aren’t in the 40s anymore we will fire that up and swim. 

I can go into pool care over time  I’ve learned a lot about the different levels to keep everything at to have a well maintained salt water pool.  Right now my CSI is at .06 so it’s great.  I am only messing with individual levels when the CSI is in jeopardy.  Alkalinity, PH, CYA or calcium alone is never what you focus on  it’s a combination that matters that makes it corrosive or scale forming.  Neither are good.  If you want to keep your pool balanced I suggest the Pool Math app  it’s fantastic for tracking your numbers and calculating CSI for you  

#poolcare #patiocleanup #springcleaning #poolopening #readyforsummer

Solar cover reel with tow

 May still tweak the straps some because solar covers are not cut square and definitely don’t lay square but this work makes taking it off and on so much easier.  #poolcoverbudget #moneysavingtips #poolstuff

New look

 

I’ll share more in a video of this whole idea but it started with a large round table taking up too much space under our deck and everyone ended up getting separated when we had a gathering. So some research and brainstorming was done to create this and come within the budget we set for this long term solution. 

I LOVE it!

#patiofurniture #patiodecor #patiodesignideas #outdoorgatherings

Versatile Easter gifts for older kids

 

Do you want simple, inexpensive Easter gifts for older kids?  This is what we do.  After the youngest was old enough to understand, so just a few years ago, I bought these cute little tins from Hobby Lobby. I simply get each kid a gift card to their favorite drink or eating place and put a little candy in there. It’s easy and stress free and you can do gift cards for as little or as much and you can afford and reuse the tins every year. And they leave them on the counter until the candy is gone yet they look super cute in them making them not annoy me. Lol. #inexpensiveeastergifts #easterforolderkids #moneysavingtips

Ambience lighting??

 

You are gonna love this combo.  Share this with someone else who might too. 

Combine these awesome USB powered fairly lights in cool white or warm white (mine are warm) with a cute little 2 foot tall indoor palm from @nearlynaturalfloral . Stick the pot of the palm in a woven cover and it’s perfect for livening up my living room and the lights at night are pretty and soothing.  The best part is you add in the @kasasmarthome Kasa smart plug to plug the usb into and you can schedule them to come on whenever you want or you can turn them on from your phone. I have tons of Kasa products and this is ONE of them for sure!  And if you’re anything like me and can’t keep a plant alive these plants are well worth it. 

Check out the links to these items in my Pinterest above ⬆️⬆️⬆️

The Nearly Natural palm I have is no longer there but this one is on sale and a little bigger and probably the same price I paid 3 years sago!  It’s a steal!

Here are the usb fairy lights  I have them in warm for inside and cool white for my Christmas decor outside  

I have tons of Kasa products but here are the smart plug minis so you can create a schedule or just turn things off and on with your phone.  Great for so many things.  And they make outdoor plugs like Wi-Fi outdoor plug which I have a couple of  never worry about leaving lights on again!

#fairylights #pluginfairylights #nearlynaturalfloral  #kasasmartdevices  #kasasmartplugmini #moneysavingtips

Parenting with the goal of self sufficiency

 

This is our goal. Not just self sufficiency from us but to be able to just do so much for themselves and know when to hire if you have to. We teach them household maintenance. I’ve taught my girls how to fix a sink, wire an outlet, switch or plug.  Today the  work was outside work so J was ready. He helped me out with a lot of things and learned how to run a power washer. I think he ended up liking it. Lol. But it was one less thing I had to do and now he knows one more thing. 

Pretty porch furniture fix up

 

These used wicker chairs were some of my favorite the preowned purchases from a few years ago. Just $100 for the set and added some inexpensive black/white Walmart outdoor cushions. They were already a tad worn when we got them and they’ve gotten some sun over the past few years so it was time to spruce them up. I bought black Rust-Oleum automotive semi-gloss acrylic enamel x2. I cleaned both chairs up as well as I could and then started spraying them. On the smoother areas and a couple of wicker areas I wiped shortly after spraying so that the brown would show through but there would still be enamel on the chair to protect it. Now they match each other in color when they didn’t before. I love them and the front porch looks amazing!

Keep an eye out for used but still good outdoor furniture. So worth it. 

#outdoordecoronabudget  #moneysavingtips #usedfurniture ##spruceyourporcb #rustoleumenamel

This is a mom’s love

 Moms never stop loving, worrying and celebrating their children. From the moment they arrive…..no matter how they arrive. #adoptionandbio #allmykidsmatter #momslove

New decor for Spring I’m ready

 

🌷🌼🌱It was a nice Saturday and it feels like Spring so it was time to get some things done.  I’ll post one of the projects in a few days but this was the other project. 

So easy to switch these out by the season. Two small totes hold everything including the grapevine pumpkins for Halloween. I can just grab a tote and switch out lights and flowers. The pots are just cheap plastic pots, spray painted black with rocks to weigh it down and hold the stems of decor. 

I threw the lights and Christmas decor into the tote and exchanged out with some red and white flowers for Spring. I get all of the decor from Amazon and it has worked quite well and way cheaper than flowers that I’m terrible about remembering to water on the porch. 

Check out the links ➡️➡️Red Flowers White Flowers and Tall Grass Greenery

Or check out my blog in my bio for more Pinterest links including these. 

#affiliate #Amazonfinds #moneysavingtips #inexpensiveoutdoordecor #springflowers #cheapoutdoordecor

The perfect placemats for your table

These woven placemats are really great. They were true to size and consistent enough in color to look really great on our table. We were using cheap fabric mats I’d gotten on clearance years ago but they were starting to show a lot of wear. 

I wanted our table to look a little nicer, now, and a little more finished. These were in various sizes to fit as a charger for any size plate.  I chose ones that would only extend past our plates by about 1” so that we’re less likely to get food on them and have to clean them. But big enough to see and protect my table from our ceramic plates. And best of all we use the extra placemats as mats or hot pads for our hot foods to also protect the table. Now the table looks nice, AND FUNCTIONAL, whether it’s just us or if we have guests.  

They do shed slightly in the cabinet we keep them in but it’s fairly minimal considering they’re natural fibers. 

Do yourself a favor and dress up your table a little bit. Find the link here ⬇️⬇️

Woven Placemats

Or in my Pinterest link

Changing seasons….in the kitchen

 

I love this centerpiece.  I have three seasons worth of flowers I can just easily switch out. Batteries in the fairy lights and I’m good to go. Once you turn them on they come on at the same time every day. And because I love the crispness of the white flowers I leave those in from now until fall!!

All of these items were TJ Maxx and Hobby Lobby finds and if you know me anything Hobby Lobby was 40% off.  

#easydecor #minimalistdecor #inexpensivedecor #springcenterpiece

Fantastic over the shower caddy

 

I was able to get these in both black and stainless steel for two of our showers that didn’t have enough space for more than one persons personal cleaning items. These were even enough for two girls to share and have plenty of space for everything. Nothing had to be left on the shower surface itself. They do come with permanent adhesion pads to put the caddy on and give it extra support at the bottom of it, just down from the shower head. However I didn’t want to worry about gunk getting trapped so I didn’t use it. They seem to hold in place pretty well and they look nice and hold large bottles well. 

Get your shower caddy today

Or see ➡️ in my Pinterest link

Felt chair pads that rock!

 

Do you need to protect your floors from you chairs but don’t want them totally noticeable?  For black chairs, these are the answer. 

I had clear felt caps and they were fine enough for protecting the floor but I didn’t like that they were so noticeable. I found these square caps on Amazon and in black and they’re PERFECT. I’m so happy with this purchase. They fit great and don’t standout.  Now if I can eventually find the perfect square clear caps for my brown chairs. For now they’re round and clear. 

You won’t regret these. 

Link ⬇️ 

https://amzn.to/40fjVxq

Follow for more inexpensive ways to protect your investments (aka wood floors). 

Stellar new pantry organization

 Don’t get me wrong. I LOVED the vertical airtight containers I got from Amazon. But then I found these horizontal airtight storage containers that are 3.2L instead of 2.8 and they’re horizontal. Which means no pasta hiding behind pasta. And the great part was I took all of those vertical containers and repurposed them to store all of the coffee and koolaid we had in the same shelf making it look even neater. I love neat spaces. We don’t have a large house for the number of people living here so organized storage and space saving ideas are key. This makes me feel so good!  I love cleaning and organizing. 

Click on horizontal airtight containers  to purchase. 

#affiliate

Will the kids appreciate what they have?

 The short answer is they will. 

Eventually 

But until they learn how to work hard for something and to be responsible for taking care of things they won’t. But this can all be taught. 

We try to show them exactly how to behave and how to spend. They may not always listen but it’s always going to be with them and as they get older I see a lot of our teachings coming out. They know what’s right. For sure. They lived it for years, by example. 

Spending and saving is such a big lesson that, as parents, even if you don’t struggle you have to consistently teach kids what to do. What happens if their world falls apart and they have no coping or financial skills to fall back on?  I get off budget from time to time but I know how to reign myself in very quickly and where and how to save money.  And we talk openly about it at the dinner table as a family!

The kids in this house learn the same. It’s a skill that’s so valuable.  No pun intended. So we don’t spend a lot on their first car. You can spend $2k or $10k and still have it break down, hit in the school parking lot etc. We attempt to find a car that seems taken care of mechanically and then clean it up. Then they have something to take care of. Something to appreciate the day they save their own money and buy their first nice car. And they pay their own insurance so they DON’T want an expensive car. 

And then maintenance is yet another thing we teach them. How to change your own tire, your own oil.  Our 23 year old replaced the window motor to his car the other day. Our 26 year can fix almost anything. They learned by watching us fix and do things on our own and knowing what their limits are. They both extremely handy!

Don’t be afraid to teach your kids everyday skills. It’s not the schools job. They can only do so much in the time they’re given. If you don’t know these things maybe find someone who needs some help but is willing to teach your kid a new skill. 

#teachakidtofish #moneysavingtips #parentingishardwork #teachbyexample #stopoverspending #teachkidsselfsufficiency #teachkidsresponsibility #teachkidsrespect #teachkidsmoney

New containers to love and organize

 

THESE!!  Right here. 

I still love the 2.8L vertical airtight containers for drink mixes but the horizontal 3.2L are the 💣!

They fit 4 packages (a box) of saltines, multiple packages of spaghetti and lasagna and perfect for boxes of Mac and Cheese for a large family. 

I LOVE that I can stack them up by type and not have to try to see what’s behind what. These make my organizational heart happy and make me less anxious when I open the pantry door.  And I’m not wasting the ones I emptied because I have been repurposing them for storage of others items and the kids who don’t live here (or move out) will take some. There aren’t many left. 

Seriously. What are you waiting for?  If you see your food, you don’t waste your food. Money saved right there! 

All Amazon items that I love are in my Pinterest or here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1ZVLDT6/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_6MHD6P5ZWQ38FFJVQE79?linkCode=ml1&tag=mindfulfrugal-20

#affiliate

Love these roman shades

 https://amzn.to/41Kyk6l

 AMAZON…..when you can’t find an item for the price you want to pay.  I checked a local store for these same Radiance cordless blinds in the color I wanted and they were $15 more!

We got them from Amazon and had them up quickly. We originally didn’t have a trim piece dividing up the two windows so we decided that would look better with a set of shades so my husband quickly added that the night before Amazon delivered the shades. 

I was hesitant for cordless to roll up smoothly or evenly but I love these. And no more morning sun glaring in your face but yet we maintained some of the natural wood look we love.  

Now, should we get rid of the curtains and rod or change the curtains and soften a bit??

#affiliate

Motor vehicle sales tax refund

 

In talking to my husbands coworker tonight I thought of something a lot of people don’t realize or may not know. For states like Missouri where you continuously pay sales tax on motor vehicles you can get a refund of sales tax if you buy first and sell later. Most people probably trade in.  But sometimes people have cash (as you should aspire to) to buy vehicles. And when you do you may find your new vehicle first and sell your other vehicle after. If you sell your other vehicle within 180 days of selling the other vehicle you are entitled to a refund of taxes paid on the other vehicle.  For example, if you paid $10k for your new car and sold your old one for $3k you would pay approximately $800 in areas of Missouri.  With the refund form you would get approximately $240 of that $800 back.   It’s a simple process and worth it.  

Bring the refund form plus the bill of sale that is attached to the title and you’re ready to go. 

https://dor.mo.gov/forms/426.pdf    

#vehicletaxrefund #keepyourmoney #moneysavingtips #motorvehicletaxes