Precious Readers,
I feel strongly compelled & led to take some time away from writing. I believe the Lord has called me to a season of quiet, to simply 'be still' before the Lord. I've no idea how long this time will last, nor why the Lord has brought me too it, but I do know that there are seasons that we go through in our faith & that when we come out on the other side we have grown to whole new levels. As much as I hate the thought of not writing, I greatly anticipate a time of pruning & of abiding in the Lord. I am anxious to see what this season holds for my Father & I. Thank you so much for walking with me along the Proverbs 31 journey! I pray that the Lord will continue to bless you & fill you, please pray the same for me. I'll greatly be missing sharing with you, but have no doubts about this time of quiet. When led to share again, I know that God will have shown me the reasons for this period. Please read the last few verses of Proverbs 31 & see the rewards in store for a P31W. Continue striving & Be Blessed!
Until we meet again (& we will meet again)!
Brianne
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Bang for Your Buck! Money Sense
Frugality (Wisdom in the Handling of $) is a quality that a Proverbs 31 Woman should possess. It does not come naturally for many of us. I have had to learn the skill through necessity as our household runs on one income. It is a matter of respecting my husband & of honoring his hard work when I make his dollar stretch as far as it can. I just thought I'd share some quick tips that I have learned over the last 5 years of penny pinching!
1. You're not truly free until you're debt free! My motto is live like $ is tight until I owe no one nothing. We have practiced a method snowball effect to pay off debt quickly. We began paying off smallest debt & when that was paid added the sum of that payment to the next smallest debt in order to pay it off more quickly. When that debt was paid off we added the two previous payments together & began adding that to the monthly sum of the third debt. In 5 years we now owe only on our mortgage & on a small student loan which will be paid off in April (finger's crossed!). Our goal is to then add all former amounts to mortgage payment until is it paid in full, so we live frugally until that time.
2. Needs vs. Wants, Necessity vs. Luxury: Give yourself a reality check about what you really need vs. what you want. Be honest about necessities vs. luxury items. You have to eat to live, but we shouldn't live to eat. Ground round is cheaper than steak any day. Renting a book at the library is free vs. buying one at the store. Satellite, cable, or internet are luxuries not vital. If you are strapped for $ cut out anything that is not necessary! It's amazing how much $ can be saved by doing that! In my family we have just added satellite & internet to our monthly bills..kind of wishing we wouldn't have as we could be paying an additional $100.00 towards mortgage monthly.
3. A bargain isn't a bargain if you don't really need the item. Coupons, yard sales, & clearance racks allow us to find good deals, but the truth is if we're purchasing what we don't need then we're really just unnecessarily spending $ that we could be saving. It's also a good way to get a cluttered home really fast! Don't buy if you don't need!
4. Shop with a list & don't stray from it.Create a weekly menu, make a list of items necessary for the week & don't deviate from the list! Anything not on the list is not really needed so don't buy it!
5. Don't be a brand snob! Most companies produce both a brand name & generic version of items so 9 times out of 10 you pay more for a name but would get exactly the same thing if you bought a generic.
6. Be realistic about what & how much of items you need. It is so tempting to buy more than we really need! When it comes to clothes for the kiddos, they truly don't need as much as we think they do! I have divided my girl's dresser's into 2 categories: Play Clothes & Nice Clothes. Each section has about 5 outfits. If I run out then I need to do laundry! We try to have 2 pairs of shoes for each girl: Play shoes & church shoes.
7. Learn when is best to buy used or to buy new. The Davidson's will never own a new vehicle...to my hubs it's just $ down the drain as the worth of the vehicle drops just by pulling out of the lot. In terms of clothing for my girls I generally by new. We have 3 daughters & I want what I buy to make it through all 3...that doesn't happen if I buy secondhand clothing.I have tested both ways & found that I actually spend more when I buy secondhand, because by the time it gets to my 3rd daughter it's beyond wearing. For families with different #'s of genders it might indeed pay to buy used! I have learned to be on the look out for good sales & for awesome promo codes! There are specific ways to do this in order to have real savings:
1. Shop ahead (About a month ago I bought Abigail's wardrobe for next summer on clearance)
This allowed me to spend less than half of what I would have spent otherwise.
2. Make a list of needed items before you shop & only buy what you need!
3. I allot $400 a year for clothes for the girls $200 for Spring/Summer ($100 for each nice clothes
play clothes) & $200 for Fall/Winter ($100 for each nice clothes play clothes).
4. Be aware of special sales (particularly holiday sales). I just scored an amazing deal at Carter's
online store on Labor Day. The website had 50% off of everything (EVERYTHING)! Even new
Fall items were at that price. I had set aside $100 to get Abigail play clothes for Fall & Winter, &
with the amazing sale & a promo code for free shipping I was able to purchase 9 shirts & 6 pairs
of pants! (I'll post a picture at the bottom) I was through the roof on this deal as it's one of my
favorite brands & the new arrivals were just cute as can be!
5. Break down your spending. For ex. I spent $100 on 15 items. That equals $6.67/item. I will get
3 uses out of each item (3 daughters each get to wear the clothing) so that averages out to a
spending of $2.22/item...to me that's a great bargain!
6. Research before you buy! Different stores have different sales. Take the time to see which sales
save you the most. Right before I found the 50% off sale, I nearly spent my allotted $ at a store
with only 35% off....that would have made a big difference in bang for my buck.
7. Mix & Match clothing is awesome! Consider the option of making most of your child's clothing
mix and match. If any shirt can go with any pant, you get tons of looks with just a few items.
A big perk is your child can pick out her own clothes & have a good chance of getting it right :)
8. Determine your own personal style & don't feel pressured to conform to trends. In a fashion trendy focused society it's easy to get caught up in trying to be stylish. There's nothing wrong with that desire, but I have found it both more fiscally wise & more rewarding to determine my own style & to shop accordingly. I personally like a boho/country casual style & when I dress that way I feel attractive & like myself! I've stopped trying to fit in & decided to just be myself. That decision instantly allowed me to save $ & to invest in clothing that I can wear until it wears out! I don't have to get rid of items as each trend ends & I don't feel pressured to buy new as the new styles come out.
9. With your spouse determine an amount at which you must discuss before you spend. For my husband and I that amount is $25. If an item is over that we talk about it first, below that we get it if needed. This gets rid of impulse shopping & eliminates sneaky spending.
10. Budget, Budget, Budget & Stick to It! Make a list of expenses. Add up income, subtract expenses (don't forget extras like gas for car, birthdays,eating out, & etc), see what remains after all is paid. Decide how much you want to pay extra towards debt, & how much you want to save. It might surprise you to see just how much you really do spend! When you let yourself slide on your budget, it's a slippery slope to getting back on track so be diligent in sticking to it!
I hope that those tips can make a difference in helping you begin or continue on a goal of financial freedom! In the writing of this post I am convicted to get back on track!
Abigail with her loot! 9 Shirts & 5 pants (Mix & Match) for $100!
1. You're not truly free until you're debt free! My motto is live like $ is tight until I owe no one nothing. We have practiced a method snowball effect to pay off debt quickly. We began paying off smallest debt & when that was paid added the sum of that payment to the next smallest debt in order to pay it off more quickly. When that debt was paid off we added the two previous payments together & began adding that to the monthly sum of the third debt. In 5 years we now owe only on our mortgage & on a small student loan which will be paid off in April (finger's crossed!). Our goal is to then add all former amounts to mortgage payment until is it paid in full, so we live frugally until that time.
2. Needs vs. Wants, Necessity vs. Luxury: Give yourself a reality check about what you really need vs. what you want. Be honest about necessities vs. luxury items. You have to eat to live, but we shouldn't live to eat. Ground round is cheaper than steak any day. Renting a book at the library is free vs. buying one at the store. Satellite, cable, or internet are luxuries not vital. If you are strapped for $ cut out anything that is not necessary! It's amazing how much $ can be saved by doing that! In my family we have just added satellite & internet to our monthly bills..kind of wishing we wouldn't have as we could be paying an additional $100.00 towards mortgage monthly.
3. A bargain isn't a bargain if you don't really need the item. Coupons, yard sales, & clearance racks allow us to find good deals, but the truth is if we're purchasing what we don't need then we're really just unnecessarily spending $ that we could be saving. It's also a good way to get a cluttered home really fast! Don't buy if you don't need!
4. Shop with a list & don't stray from it.Create a weekly menu, make a list of items necessary for the week & don't deviate from the list! Anything not on the list is not really needed so don't buy it!
5. Don't be a brand snob! Most companies produce both a brand name & generic version of items so 9 times out of 10 you pay more for a name but would get exactly the same thing if you bought a generic.
6. Be realistic about what & how much of items you need. It is so tempting to buy more than we really need! When it comes to clothes for the kiddos, they truly don't need as much as we think they do! I have divided my girl's dresser's into 2 categories: Play Clothes & Nice Clothes. Each section has about 5 outfits. If I run out then I need to do laundry! We try to have 2 pairs of shoes for each girl: Play shoes & church shoes.
7. Learn when is best to buy used or to buy new. The Davidson's will never own a new vehicle...to my hubs it's just $ down the drain as the worth of the vehicle drops just by pulling out of the lot. In terms of clothing for my girls I generally by new. We have 3 daughters & I want what I buy to make it through all 3...that doesn't happen if I buy secondhand clothing.I have tested both ways & found that I actually spend more when I buy secondhand, because by the time it gets to my 3rd daughter it's beyond wearing. For families with different #'s of genders it might indeed pay to buy used! I have learned to be on the look out for good sales & for awesome promo codes! There are specific ways to do this in order to have real savings:
1. Shop ahead (About a month ago I bought Abigail's wardrobe for next summer on clearance)
This allowed me to spend less than half of what I would have spent otherwise.
2. Make a list of needed items before you shop & only buy what you need!
3. I allot $400 a year for clothes for the girls $200 for Spring/Summer ($100 for each nice clothes
play clothes) & $200 for Fall/Winter ($100 for each nice clothes play clothes).
4. Be aware of special sales (particularly holiday sales). I just scored an amazing deal at Carter's
online store on Labor Day. The website had 50% off of everything (EVERYTHING)! Even new
Fall items were at that price. I had set aside $100 to get Abigail play clothes for Fall & Winter, &
with the amazing sale & a promo code for free shipping I was able to purchase 9 shirts & 6 pairs
of pants! (I'll post a picture at the bottom) I was through the roof on this deal as it's one of my
favorite brands & the new arrivals were just cute as can be!
5. Break down your spending. For ex. I spent $100 on 15 items. That equals $6.67/item. I will get
3 uses out of each item (3 daughters each get to wear the clothing) so that averages out to a
spending of $2.22/item...to me that's a great bargain!
6. Research before you buy! Different stores have different sales. Take the time to see which sales
save you the most. Right before I found the 50% off sale, I nearly spent my allotted $ at a store
with only 35% off....that would have made a big difference in bang for my buck.
7. Mix & Match clothing is awesome! Consider the option of making most of your child's clothing
mix and match. If any shirt can go with any pant, you get tons of looks with just a few items.
A big perk is your child can pick out her own clothes & have a good chance of getting it right :)
8. Determine your own personal style & don't feel pressured to conform to trends. In a fashion trendy focused society it's easy to get caught up in trying to be stylish. There's nothing wrong with that desire, but I have found it both more fiscally wise & more rewarding to determine my own style & to shop accordingly. I personally like a boho/country casual style & when I dress that way I feel attractive & like myself! I've stopped trying to fit in & decided to just be myself. That decision instantly allowed me to save $ & to invest in clothing that I can wear until it wears out! I don't have to get rid of items as each trend ends & I don't feel pressured to buy new as the new styles come out.
9. With your spouse determine an amount at which you must discuss before you spend. For my husband and I that amount is $25. If an item is over that we talk about it first, below that we get it if needed. This gets rid of impulse shopping & eliminates sneaky spending.
10. Budget, Budget, Budget & Stick to It! Make a list of expenses. Add up income, subtract expenses (don't forget extras like gas for car, birthdays,eating out, & etc), see what remains after all is paid. Decide how much you want to pay extra towards debt, & how much you want to save. It might surprise you to see just how much you really do spend! When you let yourself slide on your budget, it's a slippery slope to getting back on track so be diligent in sticking to it!
I hope that those tips can make a difference in helping you begin or continue on a goal of financial freedom! In the writing of this post I am convicted to get back on track!
Monday, September 10, 2012
An Invitation to Meet Face-To-Face
This morning I had the pleasure of attending a Mommy & Me Bible study, & my time there was just the confirmation & nudging I needed to move forward with what I feel God has been calling me to next. An amazing young mother has stepped out in faith to begin this study. She is truly a Proverbs 31 Woman & is encouraging other wives & mothers to be also. This blog has been my endeavor to do the same, but I feel called to do more! All of that to say this:
I am inviting you Proverbs 31 Women (P31W) to join me in imitating the study I was a part of today. Twice a month we would meet for about 2hrs (children welcome! Perhaps with childcare during?) to begin walking out & diving deeper into this Proverbs 31 Woman lifestyle. I'd love to find a way to provide a sitter to watch over the kiddos & to give you a break! By no means do you have to have children in order to attend though! We can munch on some snacks & invest in one another's lives! The first book we would go through is "Created to be his Help Meet" by Debi Pearl...it is an amazing breakdown of God's expectations for us as wives. Each meeting we would go through 1-2 chapters & discuss. (This is the book also being followed by the group I attended today) Ideally I'd love to start in November & to meet through the winter months. It's a good time for us to shake loose of cabin fever as it often begins to set in.
Please please let me know what you think of this idea! I will take care of all the details & make it happen if there is interest, but I don't know if you don't tell me :-)
Eagerly awaiting your feedback!
I am inviting you Proverbs 31 Women (P31W) to join me in imitating the study I was a part of today. Twice a month we would meet for about 2hrs (children welcome! Perhaps with childcare during?) to begin walking out & diving deeper into this Proverbs 31 Woman lifestyle. I'd love to find a way to provide a sitter to watch over the kiddos & to give you a break! By no means do you have to have children in order to attend though! We can munch on some snacks & invest in one another's lives! The first book we would go through is "Created to be his Help Meet" by Debi Pearl...it is an amazing breakdown of God's expectations for us as wives. Each meeting we would go through 1-2 chapters & discuss. (This is the book also being followed by the group I attended today) Ideally I'd love to start in November & to meet through the winter months. It's a good time for us to shake loose of cabin fever as it often begins to set in.
Please please let me know what you think of this idea! I will take care of all the details & make it happen if there is interest, but I don't know if you don't tell me :-)
Eagerly awaiting your feedback!
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