Testimony from Rachel of Intentionally Simple

A few years ago, my husband and I started a car savings account. Our cars were both approaching 10 years old and we wanted to have some money set aside for repairs as well as have enough money saved to pay cash for our next vehicle.

We saved for a few years, and during that time, paid for routine maintenance, repairs and new tires for one of the vehicles out of our car savings fund.

A few months after the birth of our second son, we started talking about purchasing a mini van. We had around $5,000 in savings for a new vehicle and we had the luxury of time to look for a good deal since we didn’t truly need a van at this point.

We decided to put most of our tax return into car savings. The plan was to use the money in car savings (around $8,000) plus the sale of the truck (we were hoping to get around $3,500 for the truck) to pay cash for a new vehicle. We set our budget at $12,000 or less and started researching vans.

We had been researching a few months when my father-in-law told us that a neighbor had a van for sale. The van was a 2004 Nissan Quest with 88,000 miles. It was in wonderful condition and had features like heated leather seats, power sliding doors and lift gate, and a DVD player. The best part about this van, it was well under our budget!

We paid cash for the van without even selling my husband’s truck!

A few weeks later, we sold the truck for $4,500 ($1,000 more than we were hoping, apparently trucks hold their value!) We then put all of the money from the sale of the truck back into the car savings fund so we’re nearly half way to paying cash for our next vehicle.

And, those power sliding doors really are amazing!

Rachel is a wife and mama of two boys. You’ll find her at Intentionally Simple where she blogs about choosing a life of simplicity. Her family lives minimally in a small home and lives debt free.

Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.

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Sign up for 4 free Airborne samples.

Thanks, Freebie Finding Mom!

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Get 5 free Pampers Gifts to Grow points with the code TWITB5T17PAEM13.

This code is valid through May 22, 2013.

Thanks, Freebie Shark!

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Check Walmart or Dollar Tree to see if they have Colgate toothpaste priced at $1. If so, you can use this Colgate coupon to get it free!

(Note: The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

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If you have children ages 14 and under, they can participate in the Half Price Books Summer Reading Program and get a free $5 gift certificate to Half Price Books for every 300 minutes of reading they do in a month.

This offer is valid June and July 2013.

Thanks, The Freebie Blogger!

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You can get Colgate Total Mouthwash for free May 19-25, 2013. Here’s how:

Buy 1 Colgate Total Mouthwash 250ml at $2.99
Use $1/1 Colgate Total Mouthwash CVS printable coupon
Stack with $1/1 Colgate Mouthwash from the 5/19 SmartSource insert or $0.75/1 Colgate Total Mouthwash printable
Spend as little as $0.99 plus tax , Get Back $1 ECB
Free after coupons and ECBs

Thanks, OCD Deal Mama!

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Here’s a round-up of current Natural & Organic Deals and Coupons, with thanks to Andrea from The Greenbacks Gal:

Zico Coconut Water just $3.09/liter each: Save 25% off Zico Coconut Water and pay just $3.09/liter with free shipping when you select Amazon’s Subscribe and Save. This price beats the Costco price and it comes shipped to your door.

Natural and Organic Coupons: $0.35/1 Annie’s Homegrown Product, $2.00/1 Van’s Naturals Product, $1.00/2 Celestial Seasonings Teas Coupon, $3.00/2 Seventh Generation Products, $1.00/1 Ciao Bella product For a full list of Natural and Organic coupons, go here.

Nutiva Superfoods Box Just $49.99 Delivered: Combine a $10 off coupon code with a sale on Nutiva’s Superfoods Box and get a box with superfood favorites like coconut oil and black chia seeds for just $49.99 delivered. You save $27.95!

Free Amazon Kindle Books: Amazon currently has several healthy cooking eBooks available for free download including: Superfoods, The Ultimate Healthy Eating Roadmap, Vegetable Recipes, The Food Allergy Mama’s Baking Book, and Fast Quinoa Recipes.

Andrea has been married for 21 years and has two teenage daughters. On her blog, The Greenbacks Gal, she hunts down organic deals, finds the best green steals, and shares recipes for whole food meals.

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Head on over to SmartAppsforKids.com for 26 Fun & Educational Apps you can download for free today only.

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$1.50 off one (1) Brew Over Ice K-Cup packs 12 ct
$0.75 off Ball Park Lean hot dogs
$1.10 off when you buy any FIVE (5) Gerber® Graduates® Lil Entrees®
75¢ off when you buy any FOUR (4) Gerber® Graduates® Grabbers™
$1.35 off when you buy any FOUR (4) Gerber® Graduates® Snacks
$2.55 off when you buy any TWO (2) Brew Over Ice K-Cup® packs
$1.75 off when you buy any ONE (1) bag of Purina ONE® Dry Cat Healthy Metabolism AND TWO (2) cans of Purina ONE® Wet Cat Healthy Metabolism
SAVE $2.00 on any ONE (1) Garnier® Olia™ Oil Powered Haircolor.
SAVE $1.00 on any ONE (1) MAYBELLINE® NEW YORK Color Show Nail Lacquer

(Note: The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

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I love wall decals. In fact, they are one of the few home decor things I’ve actually pulled off (er, rather, stuck on) myself!

They can transform the look of a wall or part of a wall. Best of all, they are inexpensive, easy to put on, and can be easily removed.

Jeannie is an Uppercase Living Independent Demonstrator and she’s generously giving away a $50 Uppercase Living Gift Certificate to five different winners here this week.

The possibilities are just about endless with Uppercase Living! Whether you want to add an inspirational message or a beautiful design to your decor or create fabulous personalized gifts for birthdays, new babies, graduations, and weddings, they offer something for just about everyone. If you aren’t sure which vinyl decal to choose, Jeannie would love to help you choose — or just brainstorm some ideas with you.

Get 10% Off Your Order Through Monday, May 20, 2013

Any orders placed by Monday, May 20th will receive 10% off their total (before shipping and tax.)  To receive this special discount, readers can either contact Jeannie directly (via email – jeannie@decor8words.com or phone – 760-622-6268) or place an order through Jeannie’s website.

If you contact Jeannie directly, she’ll take the 10% off before you pay and if you place an order though her website, she’ll reimburse you for the 10% off amount.

Interested in Hosting a Party or Becoming a Demonstrator?

If you are interested in hosting a party, please visit Jeannie’s website or contact her directly. If you are interested in becoming a demonstrator, you can sign up through Jeannie’s website. Please enter in code 419017 when prompted for a Demonstrator ID number and then contact Jeannie for more information on becoming a demonstrator.

Also, be sure to follow Jeannie’s Facebook Page for current specials, giveaways, and lots of photos for inspiration to Uppercase Your Space!

To enter to win a free $50 gift certificate to Uppercase Living Gift Certificate, just click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. Five winners will be chosen and posted on Tuesday. This giveaway ends Saturday, May 18, at 11:59 pm, CST.

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But, um, I made it as far as the taco meat and ran out of time.

Such is life, eh? I promise — barring some unforeseen events — that I’ll make the muffins next week. Because I really, really want to try them myself. And I know some of you are anxious to hear whether I like them or not.

By the way, thank you so much for how you all have been patient and forbearing with me as I’ve navigated this new season of life where I’m traveling and speaking more. It’s been a new adventure — and there have definitely been growing pains as a result.

We’ve put a lot of prayer and thought into the direction it seems God is leading us, and we’re excited about what the future holds. But in the process, I’m still working on finding a good balance so that I’m keeping up with the blog (which is a significant priority for me), while also making sure that my family is my most important priority — and that I’m taking care of my health, too.

I’m nowhere near doing a perfect job (and I don’t ever expect to figure out what anything near “perfect” looks like!), but I feel like we’re really starting to fall into a healthy groove and I’m so thankful. Thank you, each of you, who are sharing in this journey with us and are so patient and understanding. I appreciate you all so very much!

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Every week day in May, I’m challenging my readers to try to find at least 7 things to get rid of. These can be big or small things, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that you actually throw them out, sell them, donate them, recycle them, or find someone else who can use them. Think you’re up for the challenge?

I flew into Nashville today to speak at the Teach Them Diligently Conference this weekend. Both my flights were delayed about an hour each. But it all worked out and I got to spend the evening with a friend of mine, Angie Smith.

I was reminded all over again why I love her so very much! (If you’ve not read her books and don’t follow her blog, you should! She’s hilarious and inspiring!)

Before I left this morning, I cleaned out my sample tub. I use almost all the free samples that come in the mail, but I find that there are a few I think I’ll use that then just end up hanging around in there forever and just take up space. So I cleaned these out and came up with eight samples to get rid of. Yay!

How did your clutter-busting go today? Link up your blog post and/or Instagram pictures below. Or, leave a comment telling us how many things you got rid of. Let’s clear our homes of clutter so we can be more productive and efficient!

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Sign up for a free U by Kotex sample pack.

Thanks, Freebie Shark!

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

Contented at Home has a post listing dozens of free classic Kindle books that are always free.

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

I’m excited to be speaking at the MOPS National Convention in Kansas City in October.

As part of their promotional campaign, they asked me to shoot a quick video with a money-saving tip. I thought some of you would enjoy watching this video with two quick ways to save at least $5 to $10 on your grocery bill in less than 10 minutes.

Links mentioned in the video:

Coupon Database

Local Store Deals & Coupon Match-ups

What’s your best tip for shaving $5-$10 off your grocery bill in 10 minutes or less?

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Download a free copy of Cooking Without Measuring.

Download a free copy of Weekend Activities for Kids.

Download a free copy of The Best Homemade Cleaners.

Thanks, Living on the Cheap!

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Sign up for the Betty Crocker email newsletter and you’ll get up to $250 per year in coupon savings!

(Note: The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

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Beginning on Sunday (May 19, 2013), you’ll be able to get Huggies diapers for as low as $4.67 a package. Here’s how:

Buy 3 Huggies Jumbo Pack Diapers, Pull-Ups, or GoodNites at $10 each
Use $2/1 Huggies Diapers coupon from the 05/19 SmartSource insert
Or use $1.50/1 Huggies Little Movers Slip-On Diapers Printable
Or use $1.50/1 Huggies Little Movers Slip-On Diapers Printable
Spend as low as $24 plus tax out of pocket, Get back $10 ECB
As low as $4.67 each after coupons and ECBs

Thanks, My Frugal Adventures!

(Note: The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

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Cheez-Its and Keebler Snacks are on sale for $0.99 at Walgreens this week. Use the $0.70/1 Keebler coupon to get these for just $0.29 each.

Cheez It or Keebler Snacks $.99
Use $.70/1 Cheez It or Keebler Snacks Coupon
$0.29 after coupon

And don’t forget to sign up for the Keebler Family Rewards program to earn rewards when you purchase Kellogg’s products.

Thanks, For the Mommas!

(Note: The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!

Check the Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs at your local Walmart store the next time you’re there. The Economical Homemaker found $1/1 peelies on the hot dogs at her store. Since they were priced at $1.50, that made them just $0.50 per package after the peelie coupon.

Make 2013 your most disciplined, productive year ever! Get 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life today!