Thriftism

If you want to know more about getting a sample box sent to your home every week, check out our Money Makers and Freebies page or visit our post on PINCHme Perks . WHAT I GOT THIS WEEK The sample box I got today had around $42.02 worth of samples that were primarily self care and food products. This was a huge haul this week with many full size samples. This week was definitely worth the few surveys needed to earn these samples. Below I break down the approximate price/value of each product I got this week. Watch for reviews of some of these products coming soon.  Garnier Fructis Nourishing Treat 1 Minute Hair Mask ($0.41) 3.4oz Pack - $3.49 (WALMART PRICE) Sample only contained 0.4 ~ $0.41 Garnier Fructis Nourishing Treat 1 Minute Hair Mask Breathe Now Natural Sinus Relief - 4 Capsules ($1.66) Full Size - 60 Capsules  - $24.95  Sample only contained 4 ~ $1.66 Click picture capture to get your own free sample (just pay S&H...

Healthy, high protein meals seem to come at a premium. Protein is likely the most expensive portion of your meal and your grocery budget. Don't let this drive your grocery spending through the roof or let this prevent you from enjoying a high protein and healthy meal. Lentils are a wonderful alternative to meat as a source of protein and provide a plethora of additional benefits. Think high fiber, high in nutrients, and very affordable. We decided to capitalize on the cost savings of lentils by created a meal with lentils as the main focus. This lentil casserole is simple to make, is very fulfilling, and tastes great without costing a fortune. It is also a bit of a variation from the typical rice and beans meals people generally revert to when trying to save money. What You'll Need 1.5 Cup Water 2 Cup Lentils 1 Large Onion 1 Lb Carrots 2 Cloves Garlic 2 Cans (14.5oz) Diced Tomatoes 1 tsp Cumin 8 oz Shredded Cheese Prehea...

If you want to know more about getting a sample box sent to your home every week, check out our Money Makers and Freebies page or visit our post on PINCHme Perks . WHAT I GOT THIS WEEK The sample box I got today had around $16.92 worth of samples that were primarily self care products. While many of these were repeats from previous weeks, they are all very useful and still worthwhile to complete the surveys. Below I break down the approximate price/value of each product I got this week.  Garnier Fructis Nourishing Treat 1 Minute Hair Mask ($0.41) 3.4oz Pack - $3.49 (WALMART PRICE) Sample only contained 0.4 ~ $0.41 Garnier Fructis Nourishing Treat 1 Minute Hair Mask Vagisil Intimate Odor Block Wash ($1.81) Wash 8 oz - $8.57  Sample only contained 1.69 oz ~ $1.81 Vagisil Odor Block Wash Gillette Endurance Clear Gel Deodorant, Cool Wave, 0.5 Oz -2 ct   - $2.14  Gillette Endurance Clear Gel Deodorant, Cool Wave, ...

September is here and fall is upon us. Are we still staying within our thrifty budget?  For a quick reminder, we run our budget solely on my income of $2,400/month which gives us a gross income of $31,200. We do not include health insurance in our budget as ours is currently covered by our jobs, but if this was our household income we would also be taken care of by insurance subsidies. We do not include all discretionary spending such as traveling or major home renovations, but we do include all entertainment, grocery, dining out, and every day expenses. It is our essentials budget that we live on before adding in trips! If we can do it, so can you! The Budget Our goal budget is balanced with total income minus expenses equal to zero. Numbers in red are expenditures, while black is income. The green background indicates under budget. Red squares point out our overspending.  We did change up the budget a bit to reflect that the student loan...

Happy September. We are back will another update on our 2018 goals. Some are falling short and some have surpassed expectations.  How are your goals coming along? Financial Goals Gain Employment (Race) ☑ Done - Race started working in February. Save 50% of our income We are back on track with this goal. While April was a rough month and we were a bit low in June, we definitely made up for those months in July. We actually saved over 100% of our income (carry over from June). August was another good month with 80% of income saved. This brings our annual total savings to 78% - much higher than the 50% we were aiming for. I am not posting both with and without mortgage anymore as the extra payments on the mortgage are increasing our net worth and should therefor count as savings. We are also planning on paying off the mortgage this year and will then start putting money back into our regular savings.   Increase passive dividend income by ...