5 Ways to Save Money With a Smartphone

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ChangingPrepaid #CollectiveBias

Up until now I've not had a smartphone because I didn't see it as a necessary expense.  Yes, it's nice to have, but I didn't want to pay the monthly expenses for it.  Now, thanks to T-Mobile Simply Prepaid™  I have found an affordable way to have a smartphone plan.  But I didn't want to stop there!  If I'm going to have this phone, I'm going to make it earn its keep!

I've been researching the best ways to save money with a smartphone, and I'm sharing my favorite tips here!

1. Get a good deal

If I'm shopping for a new coat or a new set of pots and pans and I happen to find a great price on one while I'm out shopping, I can use a price comparison app like RedLaser, ShopSavvy, or the Amazon app to scan the barcode on an item and see if it's cheaper anywhere else.

2. Score the cheapest parking

I don't live in the city where I would need this tip on a regular basis, but hopefully I'll remember it when we travel. Apps like SpotHero can help you find the cheapest parking spots around a city. Parking a few blocks from the expensive lots can offer some significant savings.

3. Use store coupons

Many stores have their own apps with coupons and special offers. For example, Target’s Cartwheel app allows you to shop sales and coupons and add them to a shopping list. It then creates one barcode hosting all your coupons to scan at checkout.  Some stores will send coupons via text that you can show to the cashier to get a discount on your purchase.  Others have codes you can scan when you walk into the store to get a special offer.

4. Save on gasoline

If you consistently purchase gas at the lowest price, you can save several hundred dollars over the course of a year.  But driving a little ways up the road to check another gas station's prices can actually waste money if it ends up being more expensive there.  That's where an app like GasBuddy comes in very handy!  You can simply type in your zip code and it will tell you which gas station near you has the lowest price.

5. Save on the essentials

It's great to get the best price on big-ticket items, but consistently purchasing everyday items at the lowest price will also do your budget a ton of good! You can find the lowest prices on things you already buy such as groceries, household goods and clothes with apps like Favado.  Checkout51 and Ibotta also give you cash back when you buy certain items.  And Shopkick rewards you just for shopping at certain stores.  Getting a check in the mail for shopping I would normally do anyway sounds like a pretty smart idea to me!

Combined with these money-saving tips, and an affordable, prepaid smartphone, I'm now fitting a smartphone into the budget.

Prepaid plans have the reputation for having slow data or spotty networks, and a less-than-stellar selection of phones.

Introducing Simply Prepaid™ from T-Mobile!

With Simply Prepaid™ you get 4G LTE data on T-Mobile and a great selection of phones.  I got the Samsung Galaxy Avant for myself. I haven't had a ton of time to use it yet, but it seems like it is going to be a great phone!

I easily spotted the T-Mobile Simply Prepaid™ phones at my local Walmart, along with the refill cards.  $40 gave me a month of 4G LTE date with unlimited talk and text.

With the 4G data plan, I'll be able to use all the apps I've mentioned above and save myself a lot of money in ways I haven't previously been able to do!

Here's a video another blogger put together about her experience with a T-Mobile Simply Prepaid™ phone:

Buying service is as easy as purchasing a refill card.  There is no contract, and if you don't want or need phone service one month, you can simply skip out on buying a refill card.

I was honestly a little intimidated at the prospect of getting the phone, activating it, and using the refill cards with it.

I shouldn't have worried.  It was as easy as pie!  All I had to do was go to their website and follow the step-by-step instructions and I was done in a jiffy!

Now I'm good to go!

Do you have any other suggestions for saving money using a smartphone?  Have you ever tried a prepaid phone or would you like to try one?

13 Free Ways to Take Care of YOU

Many women shy away from taking care of themselves because they get the idea that it's selfish.

But you cannot pour anything out of an empty pitcher.  And if YOU are running on empty, you can't pour into the other people around you either.  Taking care of yourself is a very loving thing to do for your family.  It gives them the gift of a peaceful, calm wife and mom instead of a grouchy, irritable mess.

When you're running low on fuel and you need to recharge, it can feel like it's impossible to do anything for yourself.  There's just not enough time or money!

I understand we all can't go out and get ourselves a massage or go shopping at an upscale boutique.  So I've collected some easy, free ideas for you (many of which came from you all via my Facebook page – thanks!) so that you will have some ideas of how you (yes, you with the realistic budget and schedule!) can take care of yourself.

When you're starting to feel irritable it's time to quit folding laundry and thinking about everything on your to-do list and just relax!

Put the kids down for a nap or set them up with an activity they can do independently and try one of these:
1. Take a nap.

2. Soak in an epsom salt bath.

3. Listen to relaxing music.

4. Massage your feet with lotion.

5. Get up a few minutes before your family and enjoy the quiet.  If it's nap time, just sit quietly and rest.

6. Spend time with God.  (See: How to find time for God When You Can Hardly Find Time to Breathe)

7. Read.

8. Take a hot shower.

9. Spend time with a Godly friend, either in person or over the phone.

10. Eat some chocolate.

11. Put on makeup or pretty clothes, paint your nails, etc.

12. Exercise.

13. Write in a journal.

These ideas came from real ladies who have learned the art of self-care.  Did you notice that no one suggested spending more time on the computer or browsing their social media accounts?  The truth is, those things can leave you feeling more tired and discouraged than ever.  You might see all the picture-perfect Pinterest houses and weigh yourself down with the knowledge that your house doesn't look like that.  You might see all your Facebook friends talking about this or that wonderful thing that's happening in their lives and be discouraged that it's not happening to you.  You might see all the horrible news that's taking place in our world and be troubled by it.

Turn it off and just do something quiet.  Don't just rest your body; rest your mind and soul.

 How do you like to take care of yourself? I'd love to hear!

Homemaking While Homeschooling: Getting It All Done

Why I’m Not Writing About 50 Shades of Grey

It's impossible to pull up anything on the internet right now without something coming up about 50 Shades of Grey.

Everyone is all abuzz about the movie that's coming out this weekend. There are those that are excited to see it, and there are those who are urging Christian people not to watch it.

In no way do I think Christians have any business watching a movie that offers such a twisted view of the beauty and sacredness of Biblical sexuality.

But there are two reasons I'm not devoting an entire post to warning Christian woman (and men) against watching this movie or reading these books.

1. There will always be some new thing offered by the world, and it would be impossible to write about every single movie, book, magazine, or TV show that Christians have no business putting into their minds.
2. I don't need to put filth into my own mind just so I can be “informed” enough to tell you everything that's wrong with it. (I'm not saying I need to be completely ignorant about what people are facing, and that I shouldn't have a general idea of what message is currently bombarding people.  But I've had to click away from some articles about the movie because, even though they were speaking against watching it, there were so many details in the article itself that the same filth was still going into my mind, just through a different means.)

My goal on this blog is to help others get to know the Word of God well enough that they can apply its principles to every situation with which they are faced. I want you to have Scriptures in your mind that will help you know what's right without having to turn to a blogger or speaker to help you decide whether or not you should watch a certain movie, wear a certain clothing style, or listen to a certain song.

So without going into every aspect of the movie's plot (which I purposely did not research to protect my own mind), what is wrong with 50 Shades of Grey and every other movie, book, or song with this type of theme? What are the Biblical principles you should know that will tell you to stay away from it without even having to know all the details?

1. God's Word says to guard our thoughts and purposely put things that are good and noble into our minds.

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

2 Corinthians 10:5  Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

Psalm 101:3  I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

Proverbs 4:23  Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.

2. God's Word gives us all the information we need to make our marriages hot both physically and emotionally.

Hebrews 13:4  Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.

1 Corinthians 7:1-5  Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.  Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

Pro 5:15-21  Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well. Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.  Let them be only thine own, and not strangers' with thee. Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love. And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
And if that's not enough, just go read the book of Song of Solomon!

3. God's Word tells us what true love is.

1 Corinthians 13:5-8 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth:

 Eph 5:22-31  Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.   Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,   That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.  So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.   For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:   For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.

4. God's Word tells us to hate those that hate Him.

Psalm 101:3  I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

Psalm 139:21-22  Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?  I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies.

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If Christians would live according to God's Word, they would hate the lies that the devil is producing through media and cultural norms.  When Hollywood produces a new movie, it should be obvious that it's not something to even consider bringing into our homes.  The world hates God!  Why would I want to bring their philosophy into my home, whether that is through 50 Shades of Grey or through anything else they produce?

In fact, I would venture to say that perhaps some of the more “innocent” material is more dangerous than this latest craze because more Christians are apt to watch it since it is “not as bad.”

Do you agree?

Would you drink a glass of water with 10 drops of poison in it?  No!

But what if that glass of water only had 1 drop of poison in it?  Would you drink it then?  I didn't think so.  So why would you refuse  a movie with 10 immoral scenes in it but allow one with only 1?  Or refuse one where God's name is used in vain 10 times but allow one with only 1 use of it?

Do you see, friends?  God calls us to be holy!  If we would just obey that, there would be no need for article after article to be written urging Christians to stay away from the latest movie.  We would see the message of anti-holiness that it proclaims and run far away because our spirits would be grieved.

But because we have embraced the “one-droppers”  since they “aren't so bad”,   it becomes easier and easier for what is very obviously sick, perverted, anti-Christian (no pun intended), and anti-God to weasel its way into our homes, lives, thoughts, and eventually actions.

1Peter 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation…

It all boils down to holiness.  Just like a banker can immediately recognize counterfeit money because he studied the real thing so much, let us study God's Word.   Let us get to know Him on such an intimate level that when something comes across our radar that contains even one drop of “poison”, our internal radar will immediately engage and we will know to stay away.

Let's get to know God so that we may be holy like Him.

The Night I Walked Out on My Family

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched three little noses press against the glass of the window.  Everything in me longed to run back inside and scoop them up in a big hug and tell them it would be all right.

But I started the Suburban and pulled out of the driveway anyway.  I knew we would all be okay even if they didn't know what was going on.

I didn't know where I was going.  I was just going.

My first instinct was to head up the road to my mom and dad's house.  “No,”  I told myself.  “I am not going to run to mommy and daddy.  I need to run to God.”

So I purposely drove the opposite direction.  I didn't know how far I'd drive.  I was just driving, crying great big ugly cries, and praying completely unintelligible prayers.

“God, I'm thankful the Holy Spirit is interpreting my prayers and interceding for me right now, because I cannot form a coherent sentence if my life depended upon it,”  I said aloud.

Only I don't think it came out that clearly.

The thoughts were swirling a mile a minute.  “I can't believe I'm doing this.  What is wrong with me?  The kids aren't going to understand.  My husband doesn't have a clue what my problem is.  Dear God, please help me!”

I kept driving, praying, crying, and I threw a little steering-wheel beating in there just for good measure.

Every time I saw a turn-around spot on the highway, I was tempted to head back home and finish my crying in the driveway just so the kids would know mommy would be back after a while.

But I kept driving.  I needed more time.

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I finally saw a turn-off to another road that would take me in a big circle back toward  home.  “I'll go that way,”  I thought.  I'll know exactly where I'm going and I can turn my thoughts away from “Where am I going?” to the bigger problem at hand.

As I drove, I tried to figure out what had brought me to this point.

I had been planning to make pizza for dinner.  It was already getting late and everybody was getting hungry.  Little feet went pitter-patter behind me as I walked toward the kitchen.  “I'm tired, but this should be easy,” I thought to myself.  “I've already got the crust made.  All I need to do is spread some sauce and cheese on and pop it in the oven.  Dinner will be ready soon and we can eat and get these kids to bed.”

But when I opened the refrigerator I was dismayed to find there was no cheese.  “I thought we had cheese!  Oh great.  Now what are we going to have?  I need to feed these people so they can go to bed!” I thought.

I walked back down the hallway with my shoulders slumped in discouragement.  Little feet went pitter-patter behind me again.

I peeked my head into the computer room where my husband was working.  “I was going to have pizza for dinner, but I just found out we don't have any cheese.  Now I don't have a clue what we're going to eat,” I told him in a pleading voice.  The reason I used a pleading voice is that I really meant, “Can you please make some dinner magically appear or give me an idea of something I can make in a hurry?  I really need to put the kids to bed because I need some quiet and alone-time.”  Only I didn't say that.  All I said was that we didn't have any cheese.  So he just looked back at me and said “Oh.”

“Oh,” was not what I was hoping to hear.  I was desperately hoping to hear “Honey, go in the bedroom and relax.  I'll take care of dinner.”  But all I got was “Oh.”

I walked back down the hallway, little feet once again going pitter-patter behind me.  But now there was another sound being added to the pitter-patter.  “Mom, we're hungry.  When are we going to eat dinner?”

“Just…STOP,” I said through gritted teeth, trying with all my might not to explode.  I knew if anyone else spoke I would blow my stack.  I needed to retreat – and fast.  So I went into my bedroom and shut the door.  Hard.  I wasn't really trying to slam it, I was just trying to make my getaway as fast as possible.

“Why don't you slam that door a little harder?” my husband hollered from the other room.

“Seriously?!  Did he just say that?  I'm trying so hard not to yell at people here!  I'm not allowed to be frustrated?”

“These people have been following me around all day, and I'm just trying to get away for a second!”

So get away I did.  I grabbed the keys and my phone and walked out the door.

And now as I found myself driving alone in the dark, I tried to make some sense of the situation in which I found myself.

As I approached the halfway-point of my loop back home, I realized the road to my parents' house was coming up.

“I might as well call mom and see if she has any cheese,”  I thought to myself.  People are still going to want supper when I do get back home.

Ring.  Ring.  Silence.

“Great!  My phone just died.  When mom tries to call me back, she won't be able to reach me.  Then she'll call David and he'll tell her that I left without telling him where I was going.  Then she'll be worried.  I'd better just drive up there and knock on the door.”

Five minutes later, my dad answered the door and asked what in the world I was doing.  I don't typically show up at their house at night, without my family, and without having called first.

“Well, I tried to call but my phone died,” I said, trying to hold my voice steady.  “I wanted to know if you had any cheese.”

But a daddy's girl can't hide things from him.  He just grabbed me in a big hug and said “What's a'matter?”

I blabbered a bunch of incoherent stuff, and my parents didn't say much of anything, which was really all they needed to say.  They just said “I'm sorry.  We're praying for you.”  And my mom said stuff like, “I remember those days.”

Oh.  And she gave me some cheese.

I felt a bit better when I left their house, but I still needed to figure out why I was so upset.

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I didn't have a real “Aha!” moment, but between the first leg of my drive, the time spent at my parents', and the drive the rest of the way home, I gradually figured out what the problem was.

There was nothing wrong with me.  I just flat-out needed a break.

I homeschool the kids, my husband does the grocery shopping for me, and we rarely go anywhere besides church.

I'm with these kids 24/7 every. single. day.

And while I love them with all my heart, one can only stand so much noise.  One can only have oatmeal-covered fingers clinging to her skirt for so many hours a day before she needs a personal time-out.

And now that the kids are older, I'm not even getting the quiet of a nap time any more.  (They're supposed to have “quiet time”, but…well…you know how that goes.)

I'm often awakened in the morning by the baby, which means I have zero time to myself from the moment I set my feet on the floor until I get into bed at night.  And then my poor husband wonders why I scoot away from him and hardly say a word besides a mumbled “G'night.  Love you.”

Thankfully, since I did figure out what the problem was, he and I have talked this over, and we're working on a solution.

We'll probably start with my doing the grocery shopping alone rather than having him do it for me.  But I wouldn't mind for my breaks to be a little more fun sometimes too.  🙂

So what lessons would I like to share from my experience?

1. Even when you think you're communicating with your husband, that may not actually be the case.

I was trying to tell my husband I was desperate for a break, but the only message he got was that we didn't have any cheese.  And then he thought I was slamming the door about it!  The poor guy is not a mind reader.

If you need something, tell your husband exactly what you need without hinting.

This is something we've tried to do our entire marriage – he to try to read through my hints, and I to be more direct in saying what I mean.  Obviously, we've still got work to do!

2. Give yourself a break.

I think homeschooling moms and moms of toddlers and preschoolers may be in the most danger of experiencing mommy burn-out since they are always with their kids, but I would venture to say that all moms need to be careful to take some time out for themselves.  And if you're an introvert like me, some actual ALONE time, not just a date with your husband or a night out with your friends.

I'd like to share some practical ways moms can take time out for themselves, but this post is rather lengthy already, so watch for a follow-up post soon with some ideas!

Have you ever hit your limit as a mother?  How did you handle it?

Find more mom-to-mom encouragement on Facebook!

Thou Shalt Not Have Dirty Floors!

I don't know about you, but I really enjoy reading blogs and browsing Pinterest or Facebook during my kids' nap time.  I have found quite a few ladies who post really good ideas and who encourage me to continue improving in my homemaking skills.

Sometimes I'm encouraged to enjoy the days, no matter how exhausting they are.
Sometimes I'm challenged to be more present with my children.
Sometimes I'm reminded to do a better job doing little things to show my husband I love him.
Sometimes I get a kick in the pants to just get up and clean my house instead of reading about the best way to do it!

But almost inevitably I see this phrase come up in the comments on these types of posts:

“Shame on you for heaping more guilt onto women already pulling their hair out trying to do everything they need to do for their families!”

“Really?” I wonder. I don't think the intent of the blogger was to make women feel guilty. I assume the intent was to encourage women to be striving to take the next step.

I get that women are busy.  Believe me, I do – because I'm right there with you!

I get that you're exhausted, and I know that sometimes thinking about doing “just one more thing” feels like it's going to push you over the edge.

But here's the thing.  Sometimes that guilt you feel?  Sometimes that guilt is a good thing.

Maybe you feel frustrated when you see a post about spending more time with your kids.  “Stop! I don't have time to spend more time with my kids or I totally would!” you think.  And I don't doubt that in some situations that's the case.  Single moms single-handedly keeping the household afloat?  I can see how that would be hard.  Dealing with chronic illness?  Been there, done that.  Not easy.

But what about those times when the real reason you feel guilty is because deep down inside you know that the reason you can't  spend more time with your kids is because you are spending your time on the wrong things?  There are plenty of things you can do that are actually good things, but because they take away from what's best, they're not right.  If that's the case, the guilt you feel – though it hurts – is a good thing, not something from which to run away or about which to become angry.

So what could be classified as “good guilt” and what qualifies as “bad guilt”?

(Update: After having my husband read over this post to make sure it made sense, he offered the suggestion that we clarify the terms a little bit.  While the Bible uses the term “guilt” in both a positive and a negative way, I think it may be easier to differentiate if we use different terms altogether.  So we'll say that “bad guilt” is condemnation, either from our own flesh or from the devil.  “Good guilt” is conviction from the Holy Spirit.  Condemnation beats us up.  Conviction builds us up.   Condemnation hurts because it says we are not good enough and we never can be.  Conviction may sting because the truth hurts, but it offers hope for change. )

“Bad guilt” says:

“My home should be decorated like this or I'm not making my home a haven for my family.”

“Good guilt” says:

“I haven't been using my time wisely and I need to spend more of it creating a peaceful atmosphere in my home.”  Or…it may say nothing at all!  Not everybody is called to decorate their house a certain way, and there's nothing wrong with that.  Your home can be a haven without the latest Pinterest look.

“Bad guilt” says:

“I am a lousy homemaker.  If I would get my act together, my house would be *this* clean. (Insert perfect standard of cleanliness here.)”

“Good guilt” says:

“I've been lazy, and according to the Bible, that displeases God.  It's time for me to roll up my sleeves and get to work.”  Or…it may say nothing at all!  You may be in a season of life where, in spite of great efforts, your house still stays a mess.  And that's perfectly okay.

“Bad guilt” says:

“If I were the right kind of mom, I would be playing with my kids daily, doing crafts with them, etc., etc., etc.”

“Good guilt” says:

“I need to change my priorities.  I've been spending too much time on the good, and not enough time on the best.”  Or…it may say nothing at all!  A good mother isn't measured by the number of crafts she does with her kids each week, the number of minutes she spends playing with her kids, or how few times she yelled today.  Her only responsibility is to do what's best for her family rather than trying to measure up to someone else's standards.

How do I evaluate whether I'm experiencing good guilt or bad guilt?

There are 2 simple ways to tell:

1. Bad guilt is based on someone else's standards.

When you look at how everyone else lives and you don't live the same way, bad guilt begins to set in.  Instead of measuring yourself against others, measure yourself against God's Word.  Does God's Word say, “Thou shalt never have a sticky floor?”  No?  Then why are you beating yourself up about your sticky floor just because someone else has that as her personal priority?
Good guilt asks, “What does God think of me?  Is how I'm spending my time best for my home and family?

2. Bad guilt is something you do to yourself.

No one can physically twist your arm and say “FEEL GUILTY, OR ELSE!”  If you feel guilty for no valid reason, that is because you are measuring yourself against the wrong standard.  Switch out your measuring stick and the guilt will disappear.
Good guilt is something the Holy Spirit does in your heart, prompting you to change your actions to be more in accordance with God's Word.

Bad guilt aims to hurt your feelings; good guilt aims to change your actions.

What should I do when I'm experiencing guilt?

When you leave the computer feeling guilty and depressed, even though there's nothing you can possibly do to change your actions, you must make a deliberate choice to change your thoughts instead.

How can you change your thoughts?

You put truth into your mind via God's Word.  You spend time reading God's Word instead of reading man's words.  You spend time telling your struggles to God instead of to your friends.  You spend time listening to uplifting music and meditating on the words instead of letting your thoughts swirl unchecked.  You memorize scripture so that it takes up so much room in your mind it automatically crowds out the faulty thinking that tries to sneak its way in.

And in those times when you get up knowing the guilt you feel is completely legitimate?  You just get to work making the changes you know you need to make – immediately.

The temptation is to sit around and bemoan all the time you've wasted and in the process you're wasting more time!  If your guilt brings no action it is doing you no good.

What are you going to change today, friend?

Do you need to spend more time thinking on truth?

Do you need to make necessary changes in your life?

Let's stop being angry at our feelings of guilt and deal with them in a healthy way!

Blessings to you and your family,

MaryEllen