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Fetch rewards - the best app for scanning receipts

10/12/2024

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Hi! I’m Leanna Mae. I’m the author of Happily Frugal, and I love saving money. I’ve always been very old school with my frugal ways, but this year I decided to get with the times and start trying apps. I have genuinely been impressed with the savings! I’ve got a whole blog series on frugal apps over on my frugal living page. Check those out when you’re done reading about one of my favorite apps – Fetch. It is legitimately one of my most favorite frugal apps. (I’m not saying that because of the referral code.)
 
I started using apps to scan receipts for money or gift cards a couple of months ago. My only regret is not starting years ago. In just a few months, I have gotten several gift cards that have helped me buy essentials. I’ve tried nearly a dozen apps for receipts. Let me tell you why Fetch is my favorite.
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It’s easy to use. The button to scan receipts is bottom center on the app. Some of the other apps I’ve tried don’t navigate as well as they should. Fetch is very easy. Click the camera button, snap your full receipt, make sure all the boxes are checked for date and total, and then drag it to the circle in the middle to complete the scan.
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You get more points with Fetch than other apps. Most of the apps you only get points for the receipt. With Fetch, you can also get points for buying certain items. They have a lot of grocery deals where you get additional points for buying certain things. You don’t have to select them in advance. You can favorite those deals as you scroll through, and they are easily found in the top right corner under the heart. Not only do you get points for scanning your grocery receipts, you get points for getting certain groceries. It’s like getting cash back.
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There are also more gift card options with Fetch. With most receipt scanning apps, you can choose an Amazon gift card or a Visa debit card. I absolutely love Amazon. I am always up for earning gift cards to there, but I love that with Fetch I can also get gift cards to a lot of other stores including grocery stores (Walmart, Meijer, Kroger). You can also use this to get gift cards at certain pharmacies such as CVS. Help pay for your medications. My favorite retail stores are on there including JcPenney. And you can get gift cards to restaurants. Or snap those receipts and go buy books at Barnes and Noble. They have a ton of options. Chances are I’m going for the Amazon gift card, but I love that I can get iced coffee and donuts for free from Dunkin or Starbucks.
 
If you’re looking to save on groceries, that’s a triple deal. Choose the current grocery deals. Scan your receipts. Then choose a gift card for the grocery store. Remember you can still use coupons if you’re using Fetch or other receipt apps. Plus you can use the same receipt for other apps from separate companies such as Ibotta.
 
You also have the opportunity to refer people and get points for each referral. I genuinely use this app often, and tell people about it when I get the opportunity. I actually enjoy referring people to this app because I feel like it’s going to help them get a little money back from their shopping. It’s a bit painful to buy groceries in this inflation, and Fetch makes it a little more light-hearted when we get to scan the receipts.
 
You don’t have to have a referral link. You can sign up directly to this app. If you do sign up with a referral code, you get points! My code is EPWF14. Get signed up with that. Then you’ll get your own code to share with your friends and earn bonus points. The more people you share it with, the more it will help your household afford what you need.
 
I have fun with the receipt scanning apps. They are my favorite type of frugal app. If you’d like to learn more about which apps I’ve tried and my honest thoughts, check out this blog.
 
Are you looking to save money and be more frugal? I’m the author of the workbook, Happily Frugal. It has over 1,000 ways to save money. Get your copy today and get to saving money so you can meet your financial goals and live more comfortably.
About Happily Frugal
Click the button above to get introduced to Happily Frugal.
Click the button below to buy it on Amazon.
Sign up for Fetch and scan receipts to earn an Amazon gift card and get my book for free!
Buy on Amazon
Don’t forget to head over to my frugal living page to check out the series on frugal apps to save money or make money.
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Over 40 ways to save money on Christmas expenses

6/12/2024

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Holidays are a wonderful time to gather with loved ones and celebrate. It can also be a challenge to attend every gathering when you are on a tight budget. Christmas especially can be a financial obstacle for many families. Remember being together is more important than material items. Live simple. Make memories with a from-scratch holiday gathering.
 
Let’s talk about ways to save money on Christmas expenses.


Budget

  • Set a budget before you start Christmas shopping. This is a good time to utilize envelope budgeting. Shopping with cash is an effective way to stay on track.
  • List out who you want to buy for. Narrow it down to who you are able to buy for. Allot a budget for each person.
  • Make a reasonable limit to the number of gifts for your kids that fits your budget this year without going into debt.
  • It’s okay to keep it simple. Kids don’t need dozens of gifts. You don’t need to go over your budget and put yourself in a tough spot financially to be able to spend time together.
  • Siblings can draw names to see who buys one gift for someone. Get one gift item within your budget for only one person. This helps a lot with big families.


Shopping

  • Make your own Christmas cards.
  • Buy next year’s Christmas gifts after this Christmas if you can find a good deal.
  • Skip the electronics.
  • Shop the sales! The prices drop in early November. Many stores now extend their Black Friday sales to be for several days. There’s also Cyber Monday. Look at the ads. Have the apps for your favorite stores on your phone so you can scan the barcode to catch unlisted sales.
  • Shop thoughtfully. Choose gifts with a purpose to be used.
  • Make homemade gifts.
  • Gift food and make it cute with nice jars and holiday decoration.
  • Do white elephant gifts for needed household items.
  • Check rebate apps for cash back on gift cards before purchasing any gift cards as a Christmas present.
  • Don’t forget to mail in any rebates. There are still some companies that do paper rebates to mail in (knowing many will forget to send them in).
  • It’s okay to shop vintage and pre-owned. Gifts do not have to be brand-new. Thrift stores can have great gift options.


Gifting

  • Reuse gift bags, boxes, wrapping paper, tissue paper, ribbon, bows, and tags when you are able to. Gift bags and boxes that have not been taped are very easy to reuse year after year.
  • Buy fabric gift bags. Reuse them for gift bags every year. There are holiday-themed gift bags that are reusable.
  • Wrap gifts in fabric that can be reused. Use fabric instead of tissue paper.
  • Instead of buying gift boxes, utilize boxes that you already have at home. Cereal boxes, oatmeal boxes, and other boxes your groceries come in make for a free and somewhat humorous gift-wrapping package.


Decor

  • An artificial tree will last years, but a live tree is only for one year. Choose a Christmas tree that is reusable.
  • A pre-lit tree does not last as long. Pick the trees that last longer.
  • Unplug or turn off all the Christmas lights before you go to bed. Save on electricity by not leaving them on all night long.
  • If your electric bill needs to be kept as low as possible, be more on the minimal side with electric decorations especially outside.
  • Purchase decorations that are not intended to be disposable. Buy things that will last. Don’t throw it away when you’re done with it for this year!
  • Choose quality products. Sometimes the cheaper items only last a short time before they fall apart. Invest in products that you won’t have to replace for a long time.
  • Shop clearance after the holiday/season is over.
  • Buy pre-owned decorations. Thrift stores often have holiday decorations.
  • Make your own decorations. If you have kids, this is a fun one.


Holiday meals

  • Gather at home instead of a restaurant.
  • Skip the convenience of disposable plates, cups, and utensils. Use your nice dishes and silverware for holiday meals.
  • Cook from scratch.
  • Do potluck style and have each guest bring a dish.
  • Choose low-budget side dishes.
  • For Thanksgiving and Christmas, grocery stores may have deals to get a free turkey or ham when you spend a certain amount of money. There are always stores that offer low prices per pound on turkeys the week of Thanksgiving. You could buy two turkeys on sale and save one for Christmas.
  • Shop in bulk and larger packages for the main dish, side dishes, and condiments.
  • Near the end of summer, start buying your usual side dishes for Thanksgiving and Christmas a little bit each grocery trip. Doing this requires less of a dent in the food budget for November and December.
  • You can also envelope budget for holiday meals throughout the year.


Also

A realistic tip for holidays:
If you need to, it’s okay to decline. You don’t have to attend every gathering you’re invited to. Gifts and contributing food can get expensive. 
 
 
Don’t forget to scan your receipts to make money back. Learn more about that here.


Over 1,000 ways to save money

Another option to save for Christmas is to save money on your regular monthly expenses so you can give more to others during this season.
 
Learn over 1,000 ways to save money in my workbook, Happily Frugal. Click the button below to learn all about my book.
read Happily Frugal
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Over 130 ways to make extra money

18/11/2024

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This is taken from my book, Happily Frugal. Learn more about the book here.
read Happily Frugal
There are ways to make extra money here and there or on a regular basis. Some of these are from home. Some of these you choose to go somewhere to offer services. Some are freelance work. A few are for companies. There are things listed here that will make a little bit of money and things listed that make a lot of money. Here’s the beauty of “side money”. You can choose what you want to do and choose what hours work for you. You choose how much time you need to put into it. The schedule is flexible, and your family can come first. These things can vary from one-time options to seasonal to regular. Do whatever works for you. When it comes to extra money earned in addition to your primary job, there are so many reasons we may need to do this. As you look through this list, be reasonable with how much you can do. Try out things and see what you like. Most of these things don’t need to be like traditional shift work. For example, you can do a freelance delivery service such as DoorDash after your regular job and only do 1 or 2 runs on your way home. If you work 5 days a week, that’s 20 runs a month. You don’t have to go out on your day off and work an 8-hour shift doing a side job. You can still have a day off. There are a lot of options to make extra money. If this is something you need to do, I hope you find something that fits you well and you can maintain a healthy work/life balance. Without further ado, let’s look at the options to make extra money. Find a way (or multiple ways) that work for you!
 
If you are going into people’s homes to provide services or are working in a way that puts you alone with people, please be safe. Take precautions.


One time or occasional methods to make money

  • Turn in your used ink cartridges.
  • Collect and turn in aluminum cans.
  • Some states pay you for recycling. You can make money from cans and bottles. Some companies will pay a small amount for your old cell phone and other electronics.
  • Selling scrap metal can get you some extra money. When your washer, dryer, water heater, etc… goes out don’t throw it away. Take it to the scrap yard. If you replace piping, cash it in. 
  • Donate your plasma and receive compensation.
  • Participate in psychological studies.
  • Some companies offer free products or cash compensation for testing their products. 
  • Sell your items to a thrift store that pays cash for good products.


Ways to make occasional or regular money working independently in-person

  • Home care
    • Childcare is a classic choice. You can do this in your home or theirs.
    • A mother’s helper is someone who comes to a family’s home and assists the parents with child care, cleaning, and cooking while the parents are still in the home.
    • Pet sitting actually makes decent money.
    • Cleaning houses as a profession makes good money.
    • Offer your services in cooking and meal prep. There are people who hire for this. You can cook at their house or menu plan and prep for them. 
    • Are you good at organizing? Sell home organization services helping people get their household in order.
    • Spend time with the elderly who need entry level home care.
    • House sit for people out of town.
  • Yard work is something people are always hiring for. 
    • Mow lawns.
    • Rake leaves.
    • Shovel snow.
    • Offer shrub removal or tree stump removal. 
    • Do landscaping.
    • Help someone plant their garden.
  • Handyman skills are always needed. Can you do any of these things?
    • Car wash and detailing
    • Routine car maintenance or basic repairs and replacements
    • Paint
    • Carpentry
    • Home remodel  
    • Routine house maintenance that the owners don’t know how to do or don’t have time for
    • Haul stuff or help with moving… for a fee.
    • Light installation assistance is needed by some for Christmas lights or other decorative outdoor lighting.
    • If you have the proper training for more advanced work including plumbing, electric, and HVAC, you can offer those services around your regular work schedule.
    • You can do freelance work on your own or through a company to offer handyman work, furniture assembly, help with moving or delivering, etc.
    • Sell firewood from trees you cut down.
  • Services can be offered in-person around your schedule.
    • Work as a tutor.
    • Is there anything you can teach classes on? 
    • Is there anything you are qualified to coach on?
    • What are you passionate about? Is your passion something you can offer as a service? Many services can be offered around your regular job schedule or your family’s schedule when it works for you.
    • If you happen to be musically talented, you could sing or play music at events for a fee.
    • If you’re a natural at organizing and enjoy hosting, consider being an event planner.
    • Do you enjoy photography? This can be offered around your family’s schedule.


Work independently from home around your schedule

  • If you’ve had the proper training to be an editor, that makes good money.
  • If you are good at typing, you can offer transcription services.
  • Write blogs or articles for companies.
  • If you enjoy writing, consider becoming a published author.
  • If you have graphic design skills, offer it for hire.
  • Sell illustrations or custom-make them if you can draw.
  • Create fonts and sell them for commercial use.
  • Do website design. This is something people are often seeking to hire for.
  • Offer photo editing services to busy photographers.
  • Create art and sell it. 
  • Market your talents. What are you good at? Do it for hire.


Domestic skills you can sell

If you have mastered any domestic skills that are no longer common knowledge, use that. The ability to do these things will always be needed.  

  • Have chickens and sell the eggs.
  • Be a beekeeper and sell the honey.
  • Garden. Sell some of your leftovers. Set up a home produce stand.
  • Sell seeds you’ve gathered from your garden food.
  • Start extra seedlings in the spring you can sell.
  • You can also grow flowers to sell. Sell individual flowers. Make bouquets. Start spring flowers in the pot and sell them.  
  • Offer food preservation as a service for those who don’t know how to can and dehydrate their food.
  • Make homemade jams, jellies, preserves, spreads, and condiments to sell.
  • Sell baked goods. You can also offer a menu that’s made to order.
  • Offer homemade meals made to order.
  • Make homemade cleaning supplies.
  • Make bar soap.
  • Sew. There are countless things you can sew that will sell for a good price. Remember you don’t have to buy fabric that is brand-new. You can buy clearance fabric and choose what to make because of what’s on sale. You can buy clothes and other fabric from thrift stores.
  • Offer your services as a seamstress for repairs, modifications, and handmade clothes.
  • Offer embroidery services.
  • Crochet. There are numerous possibilities. Homemade blankets are a good thing to sell.
  • Knit. Try knitting scarves to sell.
  • Weaving is also a domestic skill you can use to make products.
  • Make candles.
  • Make crafts. There are endless possibilities when it comes to crafting.
  • Build furniture.
  • Flip furniture. Freshen up thrifted finds. Reupholster chairs.
  • Make home décor. This could be as simple as painting pickle jars or making garland. You could also do pottery. There are a lot of possibilities.


Set up shop

  • Yard sales are a traditional choice to make extra cash.
  • Sell things online. Facebook can be an easy and free place to sell items.
  • Is there anything you enjoy making that you could sell? List your ideas.
  • Consider having a booth at a consignment shop you don’t have to be at while it’s selling. This could be anything from yard sale type items to antique stores.
  • Set up at a flea market. Some markets do short-term rent and others do month-to-month. 
  • Sell at a Farmer’s Market. It’s fairly low-cost to be a vendor for the season, and it’s often only one day a week that you have to go somewhere in-person.
  • Have a table at a Christmas bazaar.
  • What kind of vendor events are relevant to what you want to sell? This could be a regular thing or a yearly event.
  • Sell print-on-demand products that are printed and shipped by another company. The creator gets a portion of the sale.
  • Many people start stores out of their home. Is there any niche of merchandise that you would like to invest in and sell from home?  
  • What could you make or sell that is wanted by the communities you are connected with? For example, a cloth diapering momma could start selling cloth diapers out of her home or from a store people can visit.
  • Have a website that sells digital downloads.
  • Use an e-commerce website to sell digital downloads. This could be books, digital art, handwritten fonts, customized items.
  • Rent out tools if you have a decent selection. 
  • Rent out décor such as wedding décor or themed baby shower décor.


Make money from your property

  • Do you own property you want to sell? This is a one-time way to make a large amount of money.
  • If you happen to own a home you are not living in, you could rent it out. This can be a big money maker and regular monthly income.
  • If you have property that would work for this, rent out your rustic barn for weddings or part of your land for events.
  • If you’ve got the land for it, grow a pick-your-own flower farm.
  • What could you use your land for? You could rent it out, let a farmer use some of your acreage, build something, start a campground, have a pay lake to fish at, and more.


Get connected to the world

  • Connect with affiliate marketing. You can promote someone’s product or program for a bonus when they get business through you. Or you can create the class that offers affiliate marketing to encourage others to promote you.
  • Create podcasts that are paid or monetized with ads.
  • Make money from a website. This often requires regular blogging.
    • Have ads on your website.
    • Have ads in your blogs.
    • Use affiliate marketing links.
    • Earn commission.
    • Promote sponsored content.
    • Get paid to do reviews.
    • You can get paid to do book reviews and participate in things like book blog tours. Connect with other bloggers who review similar items.  
    • Use social media to promote your blogs and increase traffic to your website.
    • Have an email list.
    • Sell digital downloads.
    • Sell physical products.
    • Sell services that you promote through your website. 
  • If you gain a large following on social media, you can make money at it. This does take a tremendous amount of effort to gain followers and maintain each account. However, it’s something you can do from home to make money.
    • Several social media platforms offer content creators the ability to monetize their account.
    • Earn commission through affiliate links.
    • Earn ad revenue.
    • Get paid to do ads or sponsored content.
    • Be a brand ambassador. 
    • Offer exclusive content for subscribers (monthly fee).
    • Be open to donations.
    • Sometimes they launch businesses once they are popular. They may write books, introduce a clothing line, or offer something their fans can buy.


Do delivery

  • Some companies allow you to deliver packages as needed with the ability to sign up for shifts when it works for your family. You can do this locally or you can travel. (example: Amazon flex)
  • Work for a company that does food delivery. You decide your availability. (examples: DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grub Hub)
  • Deliver groceries when it works for your schedule. There are several grocery stores that offer this. (examples: Instacart, DoorDash red card, Spark Driver, Shipt)
  • Be a personal shopper. There are apps for this as well. You go shopping for them and then deliver their items to their house. (All of the companies in the above option offer delivery for retail shopping as well.)
  • Use your car for rideshare driving. Pick people up and deliver them to their doorstep. (examples: Uber, Lyft)

DoorDash, Uber Eats, Grub Hub, Instacart, Spark Driver, Shipt, Uber, Lyft, and Amazon flex are all companies you can freelance for when it works for your schedule.


Extra money working for a company

  • Virtual assistant work is becoming popular.
  • Social media management is something you can do from home.
  • If you like to teach, there are programs you can teach under someone’s brand that uses their curriculum and they take a percentage of your class fee.
  • Direct sales for a company that sells exclusively through members instead of directly to the public is an extremely popular thing to try out for extra cash.
  • Work for day to day hire around your schedule.  
  • Check the temp agencies in your area. They may have short term jobs available.
  • Work seasonal jobs. Retail jobs always hire seasonal workers for the holidays. A garden center or farm may need extra help for the summer. Search seasonal jobs in your area.


There is a lot of flexibility in this type of work

Many of these things can grow into a full income. Many of them can be a supplemental income. While it is hard to have small businesses or put in the time for side jobs, there is a lot of flexibility. You set the pace for how much you want to do. You decide when you want to do these things. Live frugally. Make extra money when you need to.


Also consider apps

  • Earn cash or gift cards by scanning your receipts. I have a blog on that here.
  • Get rebates on your groceries through apps. I have a blog on that here.
  • Make a little bit of money with referral codes. I have a blog on frugal apps I use that offer referral codes here.

There is a blog series on frugal apps to save money and make money on my frugal living page.


Better yet

Better than any of these options, save money in your budget so you don’t have to go out and work extra. Learning ways to save on your monthly expenses can make the difference between mommas being able to stay home or having to leave their babies. Developing your skills in feeding a family frugally can be what lets you be a homemaker so you don’t have to work outside the home if you don’t want to. I would love to teach you over 1,000 ways to save money. It’s all in my workbook, Happily Frugal.
learn more about living frugally here

Get your copy today!

What do you do to make extra money when you need to?
Tell me in the comments below.
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frugal apps that offer referral bonuses

12/11/2024

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If you’re looking to make a little bit of extra money from home or earn gift cards here and there, referral codes and links are one way to do that. Of course, recommend apps you genuinely use and think are worth recommending.
 
I’ll give examples below of apps I have on my phone that offer a referral bonus. Most of these offer a bonus to those signing up, and the majority of them give a reward for referring someone.
 
Once you get signed up with these apps, you’ll get your own referral code to make a little extra money or points for gift cards. All of these are apps you can sign up for directly without need for referral. However, most offer a bonus when you sign up with a referral. I’ll link to my code for each one.
 
In alphabetical order, here are 15 apps I have that you could make money from too.
 
  • Be frugal
Sign up with link https://www.befrugal.com/rs/ZLAKVTK/ to get $10. The referrer gets $10 too. Be Frugal is an online shopping app that shows you deals and offers cash back when you shop through the app.
 
  • Box Tops
Use code HHR73EAF to get 50 points when you submit your first receipt. The referrer gets 50 points as well. This app is pretty neat because it donates to the school of your choice without you having to spend any extra money to help the kids. You don’t have to have kids in the school system to be able to donate to a school.
 
  • Casey’s gas station
Use code Leanno292 for 100 points when you make your first purchase. The referrer also gets 100 points for each referral. If you have a Casey’s gas station in your area, share your code with family and friends so you can all earn points towards discounts on gas and merchandise.
 
  • Coin Out
Use link https://coinout.com/pages/refer_earn?id=AV3Y9QK
Coin Out is a receipt scanning app. Earn points when you scan your receipts.
 
  • Fetch
Use code EPWF14 to get 1,000 points or more. They ramp it up with even more points quite often. Fetch is one of my favorite apps. It’s a receipt scanning app that also lets you earn points for getting certain groceries. I use several receipt scanning apps. I get the best deals with this one. I earn gift cards every few weeks. Learn more about apps to scan receipts in this blog.
 
  • Flashfood
Use code LEAN5SC5G to get $5 off your first purchase. The referrer gets $5 when the new customer spends at least $10 on their first order. Flashfood is an app available in some areas that offers discounted food available to order online. It’s usually food that will expire soon.
 
  • Frisbee
Use link https://app.frisbeerewards.com/MI8C/refer?code=N9prb for 50 points. The referrer gets 200 points. Frisbee is another receipt scanning app I use.
 
  • GasBuddy
Use code EHF2A2L. Gas Buddy is a great app for seeing the lowest gas prices. I’ve used this for years. I signed up for their Gas Buddy fuel card a few months ago, and save several dollars every time I get gas. It’s free to get the card. It’s easy to find the discounts. This is one of my favorite frugal apps. Rewards for the referrer vary.  
 
  • Ibotta
Use code vzqbir for several dollars. The reward amounts for sign up and referral often vary. For example, it may be $5 or it may be $10. Ibotta is a very popular rebate app for groceries.
 
  • Inbox Dollars
Use link https://appview.inboxdollars.com/?rb=169482175 The referrer gets $3 when the new account earns $3 in their first month. Inbox Dollars offers receipt scanning, rebates on groceries, cash back with online shopping, and surveys.
 
  • Rakuten
Use link www.rakuten.com/R/HAPPIL620 for a cash bonus. The amount varies. Right now as I write this blog, it is $30 for the new person that signs up with a referral code and $30 for the person that did the referring. Rakuten is an online shopping app that offers cash back when you shop through the app. 
 
  • Receipt Hog
Use code zot68636. Receipt Hog is another receipt scanning app I use.
 
  • Shopkick
Use code DEAL620670. Shopkick offers points for walking into stores and points for scanning your receipts.
 
  • Swagbucks
Use link https://sbmobile.page.link/STz3 Swagbucks offers surveys and games for points, but I use it for receipt scanning. They also offer rebates on groceries. They don’t have as many deals as Ibotta, but I think it’s worth looking at. You can add groceries to your list in the app.
 
  • Upside
Use code UKJ3M. Upside is a cash back app for gasoline.


How can you make money like this?

I’ll be honest. It’s not big money. It’s just a little bit here and there. If I didn’t genuinely have the apps on my phone for my own use, it wouldn’t be enough money to motivate me to sign up for the codes. That said, I actually use these apps and make a little extra at referral codes.
 
Here’s how you can do it.
  1. Tell your family and friends in person.
  2. Post about it on social media.
  3. If the conversation arises for certain apps, tell people about how you are saving money or making a little money with such and such app. For example, Fetch is an easy app to talk about and so is GasBuddy.
  4. If you have a blog or website, see if you can add it in with your niche.
  5. Share this blog to get started talking about frugal apps to make passive money from home.
 
Tell me in the comments what your favorite frugal apps are. I have a whole blog series on frugal apps over on my web page for frugal blogs. Check that out and see how you can make a little or save a lot. Don’t forget to read my book, Happily Frugal. It has over 1,000 ways to save money. It’s all about living the frugal lifestyle and meeting your goals.
 
Learn more about Happily Frugal
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The Haitian "invasion" of Springfield, Ohio - written by a Clark County resident

17/9/2024

4 Comments

 
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I am not a political blogger. I don’t like to talk about politics. It’s a stressful topic. However, there comes a point that it’s necessary. We are in crisis here in Clark County. Springfield has made national news repeatedly due to the extremely large amount of immigrants that have come here. There’s a lot of talk, a lot of emotion, a lot of division, facts, and false information, and claims without evidence. As someone who actually lives here, I can tell you we were talking about this growing issue long before the election season came.
 
It's not about the cats. It’s about the numerous car accidents by thousands of Haitians driving without a license or car insurance. It’s about the American families being kicked out of rental homes so Haitians can be moved in with large groups at higher rent. It’s about the crime rising us to one of the most dangerous cities in Ohio. It’s about the “invaders” buying assault rifles and being aggressive. It’s about the city leaders profiting off this mass immigration. It’s about the women being followed by groups of Haitian men in grocery store parking lots. It’s about our drowning healthcare resources and hours-long lines at the welfare office that now has armed guards at the door for their 9 to 1 ratio of Haitians to Americans. It’s about what’s really happening here.
 
To be clear, I do not want any violence or threats of harm. I do not want hatred at the Haitians. I am a Christian and I do not desire violence at anyone especially for the sake of addressing excessive immigration of people escaping a terribly violent country. I’m writing this because I want the American voters to be aware of what the media isn’t telling them – as told by someone who actually lives in an “invaded” county. People need to know the truth. If millions of immigrants are going to come into our country, the issues here need to be addressed and worked on.


This is home

I grew up here. This is home. I’ve lived here over 30 years. I’m familiar with the places being talked about in the news and on social media. I’m here to tell you none of the mainstream media is reporting what’s actually happening or mentioning the most important issues. They’re hyper-focusing on viral statements made without evidence, and dismissing the validity of the entire matter. Or they’re calling it racism and xenophobia when that’s not it at all. Springfield Americans – both white and black – are united in opposing how many Haitians are coming here. Nobody cares what color they are.  
 
Before the “Haitian invasion”, Springfield had about 58,000 people. It’s not a big city. I live in a small town halfway in between Springfield and Dayton. My grandparent’s generation moved up from Kentucky because this area was booming with jobs. This used to be the place to be for working class folks. This was certainly never a rich area. It’s been on the run-down side my whole life. It’s often described as an impoverished area. I don’t remember the days it was a booming economy. I’ve watched this area struggle more and more over the years as businesses close left and right. No one would disagree that we were struggling…. and then 20,000+ immigrants moved in from a third world country who came and took over the welfare office with lines hours long. These people are coming on a refugee program that offers significant cash assistance, getting housing vouchers, and getting all the welfare programs available to Americans including “free” health insurance and quite a lot of money in food stamps. This area was already struggling. We already had one of the highest poverty rates outside of the Appalachian counties. And now we have tens of thousands more taking up resources paid for by American tax dollars.
 
They started arriving in 2018. The population growth has exploded within the last year or two. Any kind of population growth of 20,000 in a city that had just under 60,000 is going to be hard for the area to adjust to especially with housing and jobs. They continue to come. Busloads of them get dropped off at the Love’s truck stop just off I-70. More come every day.
 
As with any population that size, there are a variety of people. There are good people. There are well-educated, college-degreed people. There are business owners. There are people desperate to escape a hellacious country and start over in the land of opportunity. There are also criminals in the mix. There are gang members that have slipped in. There are rapists from Haiti here now. We can see that there are a lot of thieves in their community. There are dangerous people in the mix. They aren’t all bad. They aren’t all good either. There are people who are thankful to be here, and others who don’t like America. There are some worth welcoming, and others who are a threat to our community.
 
Why here? They say they were told there are jobs here. A temp agency in Springfield employs many of them. Or you could say exploits many of them with low wages, shady contracts, and high rent. This temp agency owner also owns dozens of rental properties. Others suspect the city officials are getting paid for it somehow. The mayor of Springfield also owns rental properties and rents to the Haitians. He is making money from them being here. Many people suspect the city officials allow this because they profit from it.
 
Most of them are here legally. They are under temporary protected status until 2026. A lot of them are asylum seekers. We don’t know what will happen when their protected status is up. Will they be deported or given citizenship?
 
The Haitians come from a third world country – the most impoverished nation in the western hemisphere – and they struggle to assimilate to the American way of life. Their country is suffering extreme political unrest and violence as they are run by gangs. The people living in Haiti struggle with hunger, violence, kidnappings, rape, gang crime, and horrible conditions as they try to survive. Needless to say, they are escaping a terrible place. There is no question about that. But is it good for our country to welcome in so many millions of immigrants? How many can we take in and how quickly? We can all agree that our melting pot of a nation was built by immigrants, and most of us descend from them. What about when huge populations of them arrive in one area? What happens when 20,000 immigrants in need of assistance gather together in a struggling, impoverished city of just under 60,000? A city full of poor folks who are barely able to buy groceries, families have moved in together, and the homeless community grows, children are hungry, and the city slowly crumbles before our eyes?
 
Some Springfield citizens welcome them with open arms.
 
Others resent them taking up resources taken from the American taxpayer who is struggling to survive. (And the state just keeps sinking more of our tax money into non-Americans.) Some resent that Americans aren’t put first by our politicians they elect in a government they pay into. Foreigners are being put first over struggling American families.
 
While others fear them, many feeling we have been invaded sheerly due to the numbers.


Let's talk about the issues

  • The most obvious issue is that there’s too many too fast. This is not a big city like Chicago or New York. We can’t handle a population growth like this. If they had immigrated in smaller numbers, this would barely be noticeable. If they dispersed, it wouldn’t be as hard to handle. Yet they continue to pour in daily (yes, I literally mean daily).
  • A new issue that has quickly risen to one of the most serious is election fraud. These people who are not American citizens are trying to vote. It caught my attention when people started mentioning places telling them to vote. It was found that the library in Springfield was handing out illegal voter registration forms. Then the Ohio Secretary of State caught an illegal absentee ballot sent out by a Haitian refugee. This was publicly reported in a press release. The Secretary of State said it was distributed by the welfare office and actually printed by the Ohio Department of Medicaid. They were told to cease and desist. Now it’s rumored that the BMV is telling them to register to vote? In interviews, some have said they plan to vote. Now do you understand why Kamala is welcoming in immigrants at insanely high rates in the months leading up to the election? Now do you see why they are being sent to red states? Thankfully, Ohio is being more diligent on election integrity. It is unclear if the immigrants actually know it’s illegal for them to vote and such lawbreaking could get them deported. This is fact not fiction, folks. These attempts at election fraud have been publicly reported by government agencies and covered by conservative media outlets. How can they get an absentee ballot unless they were accepted as a registered voter? And how many of them have slipped through the registration process and sent in absentee ballots? Perhaps, we need to do away with absentee ballots.
  • One of the most important issues is the daily car accidents making our roads unsafe. The majority of people in Haiti walk to their destination. These immigrants may have never driven a car before they got here. We’ve noticed their…newness… to operating a motor vehicle. There are 6-10 accidents a day. They’re not going to driving school. They are driving without licenses or car insurance. There are literally multiple accidents a day in Springfield because of the Haitians. Several local Americans have already been killed because of them, including one hitting a school bus. While it’s bothersome enough that they don’t get in legal trouble for driving without a license, we are mostly concerned for our safety driving on roads with unlicensed drivers who don’t actually know how to drive. People fear their children and loved ones will be hit every time they leave their house. And this is wild, y’all. This is not the new driver experience we had as teenagers. This is a group of people that don’t understand how our roads even work. They go the wrong way on one-way streets all the time. They go off the road. One local tells of watching her DoorDash driver on the app arrive to a closed road and then proceed to take the railroad tracks instead. We have never seen road safety issues like this. They hit parked cars. They hit houses. Locals post pictures and videos and collages. Keep in mind if you can’t afford to fix your car, that person has just lost their transportation to work and may lose their job because of it.
  • Many locals are irritated that we would get in trouble for breaking the law by driving without a license and without car insurance, but they don’t. We would get our cars towed, charged with a misdemeanor on first offense, and maybe even go to jail. They don’t get in trouble though. Some of them even drive cars without plates.
  • Speaking of car insurance, most Clark County residents have suffered their car insurance nearly doubling because of the massive increase in car accidents in our area. One local resident shared a video about how his car insurance for two vehicles is now so high it’s basically a third car payment. Let me emphasize again this was already a high poverty area and most of us are struggling. So now we have to pay more for insurance and also pay out of our own pockets if they smash our cars because they don’t even have car insurance. Thousands of them… driving without a license or car insurance. Yet it’s against the law for us to not have car insurance.
  • Homeowners insurance is also going up. I’m just going to go ahead and assume it’s because the Haitians are wrecking their cars into houses.
  • Obviously, we didn’t have 10,000 houses sitting empty when they showed up. A lot of the Haitians live in large groups with 20 to 25 people to a house.
  • Rent has gone through the roof. The surge in demand for housing has driven up the cost. Landlords are kicking out Americans and moving in Haitians. Yes, landlords are actually kicking out American families in favor of Haitians. Why? They make more money off them. The rent is being raised significantly all over the area – far more than being from the inflation. The Haitians live in groups and get cash assistance for being a refugee. They can pay a higher price. We can’t.
  • This is contributing to the significant increase in homeless Americans here in Clark County.
  • Some Springfield residents report Haitians making homeless camps in public places such as behind schools. This has repeatedly been mentioned at city council meetings. I have also seen photos of this posted on Facebook several times.
  • There have been claims of homeless Haitians being squatters on residential property. One video went viral of a woman speaking at the city council meeting saying they were squatters in her yard and threatening her.
  • One of the biggest issues is that they don’t follow our laws and they don’t get in trouble when they break them. Reportedly, Clark County courts have dismissed their cases because of the inability to provide them with the right to a speedy trial due to not having a translator.
  • The crime has risen. Springfield has risen to the top 5 for most dangerous cities in Ohio. It surpassed Dayton and Cincinnati! It wasn’t that long ago the rate of violent crime in Springfield was half that of Dayton. I never in a million years would have thought that Dayton would become the safer place to be. In 2022, Dayton was ranked as the 5th most dangerous city in the entire country. To my knowledge, they don’t publicize crime statistics by citizenship status.  
  • There have been so many reports of women saying they were followed by groups of Haitian men when they were at the store or in the parking lot. I can’t even begin to count how many times this has been posted locally. None of the media has acknowledged that. Some women get walked to their cars by the employees. Not enough call the police when this happens. Clark County residents know the police are short-staffed and can’t respond to every call. That has been an issue for a long time.
  • American women are being raped by Haitian men, some of them being gang raped. Is that why they call Springfield “Little Haiti” now? This has been a verified issue in Lima and Columbus. It has been posted about happening here in Springfield. I don’t know of any arrests yet for this area. I do believe women when they say they were raped or assaulted, even if they didn’t report.   
  • Many, many Springfield area residents no longer feel safe going in public in their own community. They are taking their business elsewhere. People that live in Springfield are traveling to Urbana or London or even all the way to Beavercreek to do their grocery shopping, retail shopping, and even banking. Businesses in Springfield are losing customers. This will lead to decreased hours/pay for employees due to low sales and possibly closed businesses. We have had a shocking number of businesses close this year.   
  • Speaking of shopping in Springfield, one frequently mentioned issue is how often the Haitians steal from the grocery store. They are well-known for opening bags/containers and eating what they want. They are also well-known for eating fruit even out of the containers in the produce section….and then laying it down. Springfield residents are sick of going to pick out fruit and seeing it already bitten out of. That is theft. There’s plenty of photo evidence and eyewitness testimony for that one. The Haitians seem to favor the two Walmart locations over other stores. The employees can’t keep a handle on it. One local resident posted about witnessing a Haitian bagging items he didn’t scan at the self-checkout. When the cashier said something, the Haitian man screamed obscenities at her. Welcome to the new Springfield. We need armed security in every store.
  • Those that do shop in Springfield are often going in groups now and carrying guns. This used to be a friendly place, country folk with manners that would smile and strike up a conversation in the store. Now we feel like we need guns and backup fighters just in case we are attacked in the parking lot. It’s so weird to feel like we’ve been transported to some third world country, but this is our home and our home is turning into a war zone. It doesn’t feel like America anymore. It feels like a movie.
  • Parents are upset about adult Haitian men being enrolled in the high schools here. Our school system now has hundreds of new Haitian students who don’t speak English. There are 18- and 19-year-olds being enrolled as high school freshmen. Some parents don’t want 19-year-old men in class with their 14-year-old daughters.
  • They receive excessive benefits compared to Americans. They get loads of cash assistance and food stamps. Americans who are struggling to buy food with these insane grocery prices are getting angrier and angrier that these people get $1,000+ a month in food stamps on our dime.
  • They have practically taken over the welfare office. There’s so many of them! There is now armed security at the door. When interviewed, one guard said the ratio of Haitians to Americans is easily 9 to 1. The lines are several hours long now. There used to be no line at all. Drive by and see all the Haitian immigrants waiting to get their free stuff on our dime. At the same time, Americans are reporting not getting the help they need because of how long it takes now. The Americans are taking a back-burner as Haitians become the priority.
  • People are upset that the government is taking tax money out of our hard-earned income to freely give to people from other countries before they take care of the needs of Americans. We have homeless vets sleeping on the streets. We have hungry children here. And we have no say-so in where our money goes when they take it. I think a lot of people are angry the politicians choose to help non-Americans first but they’re using our money to do it. We work so they can have things “for free” that we can’t afford.
  • It is common in our area for the manufacturing industry to use temp agencies. It’s cheaper for them because they don’t have to pay any benefits, health insurance, sick days, etc. We know the Haitians are working in some of Springfield’s warehouses. (I’m certainly not against them working.) Some are reporting these warehouses are letting go of Americans in favor of employing low-paid Haitians.
  • I’m not the only one who has noticed wages for jobs has actually gone down in this area despite the inflation and the desperate need for better pay. Some think the decrease in wages is because there are so many immigrants here now who will work for cheaper.
  • Americans are losing jobs.
  • Unemployment is on the rise.
  • Somehow the Haitians are pulling together the money to buy rental properties. They’re raising the rent. When the Americans can’t pay the higher rent, they kick them out and move in more Haitians. (This is happening over time and once a person’s lease is up.)
  • They are also somehow getting the money to buy buildings for hundreds of thousands of dollars. How are they buying million-dollar properties? They just bought a church out on 41 that is not zoned for residential use. It appears they plan to live there.
  • While I’m glad to see them owning businesses that could make them self-sufficient, some residents express confusion as to how desperate refugees coming from a third world country have the money to come here and start businesses when most of us can’t afford to rent a commercial space. I’m not against them owning businesses while they are here. I am against them being rude to American customers.
  • Some residents are concerned about infections they bring. HIV is sadly more common in Haiti. For Americans, approximately 0.3% have HIV. In Haiti, it’s approximately 2%. It is not massively high numbers as in parts of Africa. That seems to be a stereotype some locals think. They’re not coming from a country with 20% HIV or anything extreme like that. They have brought tuberculosis here and people are commenting about that, but it’s really not excessive. Anytime you’re taking in people from a third world country that has limited access to quality medical care you’re going to be taking in people with infectious illnesses and chronic diseases that have gone unmanaged. I am concerned that there may be an increase in respiratory illnesses such as the flu and covid especially when they are living 20 people to a normal size house. If we become a hot spot for covid due to this, how will that affect us? Will our jobs shut down again? Will the mandates come back in this area because of them?
  • Our healthcare resources are drowning. The hospital, private practices, and the free clinic are overrun with more than they can take. The community health center in particular is beyond swamped. Long-time locals are now reporting they can no longer get an appointment at Rocking Horse unless it’s urgent or a yearly well-visit because the Haitians have flooded the gates. The clinic keeps adding on staff, but they also keep losing staff from burnout. I do wonder if the hospital may close. I say that because I know how little Medicaid reimburses. Private insurance is essential for hospitals to stay in business. Will the hospital be able to sustain the weight of this many new Medicaid patients? Will they be able to keep sufficient staffing?
  • The Haitians aren’t all friendly. There are countless stories of the Haitians yelling at Americans, being rude, cussing people out in stores, being aggressive, and making Americans feel unsafe. The media isn’t running those stories because it goes against the narrative that this opposition is racially motivated. As I mentioned, with any group this size there is going to be a variety. When individuals in the Haitian community here are posting things like “We own this city.” and “We’re not going anywhere” with a threatening tone or some saying they are going to take over this area (gang life, much?) … Obviously, there’s cause for concern. I know the bad behavior doesn’t reflect on all of them, but this is what people are seeing. The more stuff like that happens, the more division there is. Many Springfield Americans already see them as invaders due to how many came here. When they act like that, they come across as hostile invaders. The tension is escalating. I’m sure there are wonderful Haitians mixed in the mass immigration. However, the more aggressive encounters residents have the more people want them all deported.
  • They don’t show love for America. On the contrary, they don’t seem to have much appreciation for the country that has taken them in. One cashier told the story around the 4th of July that a Haitian wouldn’t buy a case of water because it had the American flag on it. Not to mention, some of them have publicly said we need to assimilate to their culture. Now that this is getting national attention, I wish I had taken screenshots of these things as I saw them over the recent months. They are now flying Haitian flags in Springfield.
  • Rumor has it that they are buying guns. I thought non-citizens could not buy guns here. It turns out they are actually legally allowed to! There are more than a few people saying they have witnessed them buying guns including assault rifles. Reportedly, citizens have witnessed them buying AR15s! I can see how they may feel a handgun would protect them against possible hate crimes, but assault rifles are a bit much especially when the politicians who let them in want to take that kind of gun away from law-abiding Americans. Stuff like that is what is making people think about warring against them. They have also been reported to be at the range on Leffel. Curious citizens have talked to employees at stores that sell guns and all report being told they have to treat them like everyone else. Allegedly, one Rural King employee stated they have 4 or 5 Haitians a shift trying to buy guns but some of them get denied because they can’t fill out the paperwork. As we are quickly becoming outnumbered by immigrants from a country run by gangs who only know a life of violence, the idea of them being armed is a scary thought – especially with the kind of assault rifles immigrant gangs are using to terrorize Aurora, Colorado. With the growing declarations the “invaders” are being seen buying guns, it is fueling the fear that we as a nation will come to literal battle because so many millions of illegal immigrants and millions of asylum seekers from dangerous countries have crossed our borders. We are not naïve to the crime brought to America by illegals, Venezuelan gangs in Colorado taking over apartment complexes, and the human trafficking going on. It would be ignorant to think everyone is here with joy and no bad intentions. Make no mistake – criminals have crossed our borders too. I will say Springfield is a bit redneck and mostly come from country folk that have patriotism in their blood. This isn’t liberal Colorado. Outside of the city, this is a heavily conservative area. While there are some liberals in Springfield, it’s far more conservative (and big on gun rights).
  • It is suspected that there are gangs here now. We’ve heard about the Haitian gangs being housed near each other as refugees in Columbus and how that led to third world country gang violence on American streets. We wonder if the numbers continue to grow will we end up seeing Haitian gang rivalry here?
  • The littering is an issue. They throw trash everywhere.
  • There are certainly cultural clashes. One of those cultural clashes is public urination and defecation. In some parts of the world, voiding your bladder in public against a building or such is considered normal. We find that inappropriate here when they whip it out in a parking lot as if there aren’t public bathrooms everywhere in America. There have also been a few stories of them pooping on the floor in stores…. and people saying they’re doing that in the parks. That’s one of those things that are hard to believe until you’ve heard it repeatedly from multiple sources. It happens often in Haiti. It’s unacceptable here.  
  • We have all noticed the geese and ducks disappearing from the parks. Many suspect the Haitians are eating them. I grew up going to the park that is talked about the most. There used to be so many geese and ducks there. When I was little, we would go there to feed the ducks. Now there are very few. This was being talked about here last year. I don’t know of any photos or videos taken specifically in Springfield. This is something a lot of people thought was happening long before election season and any mention from politicians. Is there proof that some Haitians eat geese and ducks? Yes. Is there proof specifically from Springfield? Not much. There have been some police reports. There’s a shortage of evidence. Most people suspected or believed they were doing this before 2024.
  • I’m not going to get into the cat thing. Here’s the thing. I am an animal lover… to the point that I don’t even eat red meat. It’s hard to think about. It’s reality though that different countries and cultures have different perspectives on which animals are okay to eat. There are parts of Asia that eat cats and even some parts that eat dogs. China is actually the biggest consumer of dog meat and one of the biggest consumers of cat meat. (I can’t handle it!) Some sources say it’s normal to eat cats in Haiti, and other sources say it’s not. Given that they are a third world country and some of them are literally starving, I can’t say it’s surprising that desperately hungry people would take desperate actions. I have never been to Haiti and I am not friends with anyone from there. I can’t tell you if they do or don’t. It’s this huge controversy now. That said, there was a Facebook post that went viral. It was posted in a group for Springfield. She said her neighbor told her that her daughter’s friend’s cat went missing and was found hanging from a tree being butchered like a deer by a Haitian. I saw the post before it went viral. I read the comments and saw multiple people telling her to contact J.D. Vance’s office. Vance is not the one who made this up for some political gain. I will say this allegation of Haitians eating pets had been mentioned more than a few times before. There have been some very sad pictures and videos out there on social media, but people always disagree on where they are from. I’m not saying it’s not happening. I’m saying I can’t prove that it is. I’m also saying people are hyper-focusing on this one allegation because it is horrific and barbaric and all kinds of awful.
  • One final thing I will say is a growing number of Springfield area Americans do not want tens of thousands of immigrants coming here who practice voodoo. Haiti practices voodoo more than anywhere else in the world. It is an actual religion originating from Africa. In Haiti, it is often mixed with Catholicism. Voodoo is not focused on dolls and pins. It’s about spirits. Their goal is actually to be possessed by spirits. There are rituals and sacrifices in voodoo. Some of those sacrifices require blood or bones. Some residents have claimed the Haitians have threatened to curse them with voodoo.
  • On a side note, we’re not a big fan of the Haitians acting like they “built this city” and restored it to some former glory. They turned it into a ghetto slum with higher rent, more crime, theft left and right, and homeless everywhere in sight. It really wasn’t our goal to model ourselves after Dem big cities like Chicago. We just wanted to live safely in our hometown where it used to be a peaceful and friendly place to shop.
 
I know that was a lot of bullet points to talk about, but there’s a lot going on here!


The American response has been mixed

This crisis started getting a little national attention not too long ago. Now that it’s election season, this issue here in Springfield is getting a lot of attention. We’re watching. We keep seeing all the articles and reports. Us locals are crying out for help. We see it getting national attention…but nothing is being done. Ohio Governor, Mike DeWine, did say he was going to help the Haitians with driving. He also said he was going to send additional police. At first, we thought the extra police would help with all the car accidents and maybe the crime. Instead, they showed up to guard the mayor’s house. No one is helping us. No one is stepping in to help the homeless Americans or any of the Americans in need.
 
By far the most shocking thing from all of this – as a resident of Clark County – is to see people tell us it’s not true because they heard on TV or from their preferred political party that it’s not happening. For people who do not live here and are not from here to tell those of us who are actually living here that there’s nothing wrong is mind-blowing. They censor us or gaslight us with labels of racism and xenophobia even though black Americans are just as against it as the white Americans are. Denial is a strong force.
 
It seems most people who aren’t here learn a little about the invasion, think it’s sad, and then go back to their daily life. I realize now I did the same thing these last few years as the million of illegals crossed our border and we heard about border states being overrun. I knew people in Texas were facing this issue. I foolishly thought it wouldn’t come to Ohio because we’re so far north.
 
A lot of people (again, people who aren’t even here) are denying that it’s happening and calling us liars. Most of these fired-up mouthpieces want to get angry at some hatefulness that doesn’t exist but they aren’t willing to have logical discussions about the real issues such as so many drivers without licenses crashing their cars, people being killed, people being made homeless by soaring rent, the crime rising, and the political tension escalating. They don’t want to talk about any of that. They just want to be mad at us for being upset that we’re suffering a massive immigration our city can’t handle.
 
Americans nationwide are making memes because that’s what the younger generation does now. Men used to fight wars. Now they make memes. Most of the younger generation has no backbone anymore. They’ve made this into a laughing matter. It’s not funny.
 
This has drawn another type of crowd – one that we very much do not want here. Racist groups are coming here to protest. The KKK is passing out flyers. (Is this really 2024?) The Blood Tribe has been here several times, marched downtown, and even spoken at city council meetings. The Proud Boys showed up the other day to protest. I didn’t know there were so many organized groups of racists in this country. To be clear, Springfield area residents are not joining them. We don’t want them here. We are afraid they will get violent. We are not interested in uniting with them.
 
The number of citizens coming to city council meetings keeps increasing and increasing. They’re not really listening. Speakers get their 3 minutes, but none of the officials care what they say. City leaders ignore, dismiss, and deny. Remember some of these people own rental properties with high rent they are financially gaining off the Haitians. There are so many people going to the meetings now that some aren’t being let in due to the meetings being full. Haitians have started showing up to the meetings.
 
People have taken to protesting. The protests are growing. The tension is escalating. Police are now guarding the homes of city leaders. The protests aren’t going to stop. Protests are now being scheduled at the houses of politicians.
 
Clark County citizens are doing their own investigating. They’re taking their phones to document the above issues. They’re going out to the truck stop where the Greyhound bus drops off Haitians every day, and people are taking pictures. We have noticed it’s mostly men of war age. There’s not very many children or elderly.
 
We watch the news reports as they lie about what’s happening here and make it look like we are all a bunch of bullies and racists….for not wanting to be invaded by literally tens of thousands of refugees in a small city.
 
And the response from those of us who are here? There’s some that are welcoming the mass immigration. Not very many of those, but a few. Of course, the landlords making money off them are loving their 6-figure income. The people actually living in the areas overtaken are living in fear now. The citizens are afraid to leave their homes. Americans are afraid to go to the store.
 
After Springfield started making national news and things really exploded in the media, many reporters and social media investigators came here to see for themselves. The day that they showed up at City Hall with intention to interview the city leaders there was conveniently a bomb threat. (Many locals think it was fake.) The bomb threats continued. I saw on the local news yesterday that there have been 33 bomb threats in Springfield in the last week. Colleges closed. Public schools dismissed. Cries of discrimination and bullying can be heard, but the cries of unsafe roads and women in danger do not seem to be heard. I can’t help but notice the places with bomb threats are places reporters would have possibly gone to investigate. I haven’t seen any news of who’s doing the threats though. Usually, they’re able to track them down and they announce it. We somewhat expect that sideshow to continue until the reporters have lost interest in Trump’s statements from the debate last week. Update: they announced the bomb threats were all fake. They claim the threats came from overseas… all of them. When the news showed the map of exactly where the threats came in, it was obvious those are all places reporters were going to interview and investigate. The City Hall, DMV, schools. Those locations had to be evacuated because of bomb threats. Reporters had to leave. It was a distraction. Now the news is focusing on swarming the schools with police. They insinuate it’s because of conservatives this is happening. None of the conservatives have done anything to harm these people or call for such harm. The media is intentionally making it look like Trump and his voters are dangerous the same way they played out and dragged out the Capitol Hill event.
 
And the tension escalates…
 
The more the tension escalates and the more we hear rumors of them buying guns and being at the range the more Americans are thinking this will come to literal battle.
 
Some residents have decided to move. Those who can afford to move are getting away from the city… after asking in Facebook groups if there are Haitians in Urbana or Xenia or wherever else they’re considering moving. Surprisingly, some of the smaller cities have faced the same issues. It seems none of the cities are safe. I wonder what will happen to the budget for resources when the higher income families move leaving behind the low-income households. Less money going into taxes will surely affect the budget for city resources, schools, and improvements. This area will become more impoverished.
 
Meanwhile, they bus in more and more. We are becoming outnumbered.


What happens if it continues to grow?

If it continues to grow at this rate, we will literally become outnumbered with more refugees/immigrants in this city than American citizens.
 
All of the issues discussed will get worse. The car accidents will keep killing people and hurting the personal finances of Americans. The crimes they commit will grow. The businesses will suffer their theft and loss of customers. Some businesses will close or relocate. The welfare office will have lines that are even longer.
 
The budget for resources will run out. At what point does Clark County run out of funding for welfare? Surely, there must be a budget. Will they cut off non-citizens from benefits? Or will they stop taking new clients? Most likely they will raise taxes on Americans so the immigrants can be provided for. That’s what the liberals do. They raise taxes so they can spend your money however they want even if it causes you harm.
 
I fear things will turn violent. It’s terrifying to think about. I don’t want to see a civil war of citizens versus immigrants. I don’t want to see this come to a battle. I fear the racist groups such as the Blood Tribe will attack our community. I fear Americans are in danger. I fear Haitian children in school are in danger (and I acknowledge they are being bullied). I fear businesses will close and more people will lose their jobs. I fear what this area is becoming. It’s not safe here anymore. I don’t want to see violence or crime of any kind against Americans. I also don’t want to see violence or crime of any kind against the immigrants. I would like to see this handled lawfully and peacefully. I know that entirely depends on who wins this presidential election. When did we get to a point in American politics that our lives would be so drastically different if one party won vs the other? It feels like the whole nation is at stake.


If you wait until it's in your community too...

The immigration issues and border control affect all of US because America is OURS. Unite together for border control with well-managed immigration. I think a reasonable inflow of immigration is a beautiful thing. This is the best country in the world. This is the land of freedom. This is the land of opportunity. We also need to make it a safe land. No more criminal immigrants should be allowed to stay. No more gangs from other countries should get the privilege of being here. No more rapists from third world countries should be prowling our parking lots. We need to be careful with who we let in, and we need to welcome them at a rate that does not cause harm to American cities and towns.
 
If you wait until this level of influx is in your community too, the harder it will be to fix.
 
If we wait until it’s everywhere, America will be gone. A country this big and great can only be destroyed from the inside out. Open borders will do that.


How can you make a difference?

  1. Become aware of what is happening in areas that have been invaded with extremely high numbers of immigrants.
  2. Bring awareness to this issue. Be willing to talk about it. Be willing to post about it on social media. I know politics is an unpleasant topic. It’s also unpleasant to have your hometown turn into a third world country. Choose your hard. We’re there. You have to choose to talk about it or be silent while it takes over.
  3. Vote for politicians who care about this issue and will strive to make our communities safer. This is about voting for politicians on all levels from local to presidential.
  4. Be involved in your community. Know what is going on.
  5. Document and report issues in your community to local police and also to the community through Facebook groups.
 
Stay safe. Stay aware. Be prepared. And VOTE in every election!
 
Make America SAFE again!


Solutions

  1. Border control is essential for our safety!!
  2. Build the wall! They can use the right door if they want to come in.
  3. Lawful immigration should be welcome at a reasonable number each year that does not cause harm to American cities and towns by relocating too many people in one area.
  4. Do better at keeping track of immigrants.
  5. All states should have strict election integrity. Only American citizens who are registered voters with photo ID should be allowed to vote. Perhaps, we need to do away with absentee ballots for anyone not in the military.
  6. Lock up the criminals that have crossed our border.
  7. Deport the gangs, the rapists, the criminals, and the illegals.
  8. Focus initial help in areas hardest hit such as Aurora and Springfield.
  9. Focus initial deportation on groups that are more likely to be aggressive against American citizens such as Venezuelans, Columbians, and Haitians.
  10. Stop taking money from the American taxpayers to prioritize the needs and support of foreigners over the needs and support of Americans.
 
Get involved in your community. Speak out about this issue. Let your voices be heard! Vote for safe immigration control. Be safe. Take precautions. Be prepared. SPEAK UP.


Has this affected you?

If you are local, tell me how this has affected you in the comments below. Or if it’s near you, tell me how you feel about it. If you’re not local, I still want to hear how massive immigration has affected your community.
(I won’t allow comments to be posted that are racist, hateful, or threatening.)
Leanna is a small-town Ohio girl who loves to write. She’s the author of several nonfiction books: Happily Frugal, The Subject of Salvation, and Lessons on the Author Life. She has also written many blogs, and focuses on sharing her faith through blogging. Leanna is a devout Christian, Apostolic Pentecostal. Her degree is in health sciences. She’s passionate about Jesus, her faith, writing, teaching, patient rights, and women’s health. You can learn more about Leanna Mae, her books, blogs, and services by exploring www.LeannaMae.org
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my favorite frugal apps

18/8/2024

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I’ve tried over 80 apps to save money or make money. I talk about the different types in this blog and if they are worth the time. While some are not worth the effort, others are easy to use and really do save money. Here are my favorites.
 
  • Good Rx
I use this one all the time. If you pay out of pocket for your prescriptions, you should check out this coupon app.
 
  • Gas station reward cards
This is so easy to do. It takes minimal effort. Everyone should do this. I have a folder on my iPhone with apps for every gas station around.
 
  • Gas Buddy
I always check the gas prices before I go. Every penny counts in my budget.
 
  • The apps for the grocery stores I go to: Walmart, Meijer, Kroger, and Aldi
These apps have the weekly ads, coupons, and deals. I scroll through the coupons on the apps before I go shopping.
 
  • Fetch
This is the best receipt scanning app. Use referral code EPWF14 for 1,000 bonus points.
 
  • Frisbee
I also really like this receipt scanning app because it’s so simple with no clutter. Use referral link https://app.frisbeerewards.com/MI8C/refer?code=N9prb for 50 points.
 
 
There are other apps that are useful which I talk about in the blog series on apps you can find on the frugal living page.
 
If you’re into the frugal lifestyle, check out the book Happily Frugal. It has over 1,000 ways to save money. It teaches frugal principles, budgeting, debt-reduction, hundreds and hundreds of ways to save money, goal setting, and being content with a frugal lifestyle.
 
Learn more here.
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different types of apps to save money or make money

18/8/2024

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I have downloaded and explored over 80 apps to my phone to save money or make money. Here are the different types of money-saving or money-making apps, and my honest thoughts on if they are worth the time. Some of them are awesome and everybody should try it out. Others are not worth the time it takes. Here are 16 different types of apps to save money or make money.
 

  • Gas station reward cards
This is so easy everyone should do it. It’s free. All you do is swipe your card or put in your phone number at the pump. A lot of companies offer you several cents off each gallon just for being a member. It may be anywhere from 3 cents off to 10 cents off each gallon.

  • Gas price comparison
This is quick and easy. If you have more than one gas station near you, you should compare prices before you go. Gas Buddy is my go-to app for this. You can load the map where you are or save your favorite stations to get a quick glance at the prices near you.

  • Cash back on gas
There are a few apps that will give you cash back on gasoline. It’s a bit of a hassle, but worth looking at the offers. There is also the Gas Buddy card that connects to your bank account and gives you from 2 to 25 cents back right away.
 
To learn more about different apps for saving on gasoline, read this blog.

  • Grocery store accounts/apps
It almost seems odd to create an account with a grocery store. I remember the days of paper bags and cash only. This is what we’re doing nowadays though. These apps come with savings. Get coupons. Earn points. Some even let you earn points for fuel discounts.
 
To learn more about apps for saving on groceries, read this blog.

  • Couponing
I remember the days of coupons only being paper. I was baffled when Kroger came out with digital coupons you had to scan a plastic card for. Nowadays, most coupons are coming from apps. If you want to coupon, you’ll need to download apps to your phone.
 
To learn more about where to find coupons, read this blog.

  • Rebates
I’ll be honest. I find the rebate apps to be stressful. I don’t enjoy using them. I will look at them though if money is tight. There’s a lot of fine print and reasons it won’t work. I don’t like trying to use the rebate apps.
 
To learn more about rebate apps, read this blog.

  • Receipt scanning
This is my favorite type of app to make money. I actually have fun with this. It’s so easy. All you do is open the app and take a picture of your receipt. I use a couple different ones. You can scan the same receipt one time with each app.
 
To learn more about receipt apps, read this blog.

  • Food/restaurants
If you’re going to eat out, you’ll earn points and save money with the apps. Some of them even have freebies. I’m old-fashioned and prefer to order the traditional way, but I’m also on a budget. I need to get in the habit of ordering through the apps.

  • Online deals
If you are someone who likes to shop online, consider looking at apps that show you where the deals are at this week.

  • Third party app shopping
Again for online shoppers, get deals and cash back by shopping through third party apps.
 
To learn more about apps to save money on retail shopping, read this blog.

  • Brand feedback
There are apps out there doing marketing research who will give you points for giving them feedback on different brands.

  • Opinions 
Want to give your opinion? Get points that turn into gift cards. I have tried a few of these. For the amount of time it takes, it’s not worth the investment for a small amount of money that takes forever to earn.

  • Surveys
I tried at least 7 different survey apps. Some were easier than others. All of them were a waste of time. They were mostly asking the same questions. They asked about income, education, demographics, and political alignment. For the amount of time these surveys take, it’s nowhere near worth it.

  • Games
I did not try any gaming apps. I don’t play video games or any kind of games on my phone. I did notice that many of the other types of apps try to get you to play games. I had the feeling that some of these apps are leading to gambling, but I never explored that path. If you are someone who likes to play video games, consider trying out apps that let you earn points. If you’re going to play games anyway, might as well make a little money at it. If you wouldn’t otherwise be playing games, I don’t think it’s worth the time.

  • Health/fitness
There are a few apps out there that let you earn points for exercising. I considered trying one app that gives you points for walking, but was afraid it would drain my battery.

  • Prescriptions
GoodRx is something I use every month. It saves me a lot of money as someone who pays out of pocket for healthcare. If you do not have health insurance, you should absolutely use GoodRx. Even if you do have health insurance, it may be cheaper to use these coupons for prescriptions than to use your private pay insurance.


Conclusions

I have tried a lot of apps to save money or make money. Some of these I was already using. Others were new to me as I researched for the blog series. There are a lot of apps that are a waste of time and there are apps that are luring you into shopping more, but there are also apps that are absolutely money-savers.
 
Prescription medication – out of pocket should use GoodRx
 
Gas station apps – everybody should do this
 
Gas price comparison – if you have more than one option, use this
 
Grocery store accounts – get those coupons and deals
 
Receipt apps – it takes a few minutes, but it’s worth the gift cards


Over 1,000 ways to save money

If you’re looking to save money, read Happily Frugal. The money management workbook has over 1,000 ways to save money. Get more with the money you have.
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apps to save money on groceries

18/8/2024

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In addition to sale ads from the newspaper and coupons from a variety of places (learn where to get coupons here), there are apps for your phone that can save you money on groceries.
 
  • Flashfood
Use code LEAN5SC5G to sign up and get $5 with your first purchase.
Flashfood is an app available in some areas that lets you buy food close to expiration at a discounted price directly from grocery stores. Even with chain stores, each individual store offers different deals.
 
  • Flipp
Flipp is an app that shows you the weekly ads for a variety of grocery stores and retail stores. You can favorite the stores of your choice, and get a newsfeed of all your favorites in one place.
 
  • Grocery store apps
If the stores you do your grocery shopping at have an app, you should get it. If they offer rewards cards, you should sign up for it. You can get digital coupons through the app or website (with an account). Some stores allow you to earn points towards fuel. Choose your store and see the ad for that week. Some apps allow you to favorite items. View your order history and reselect items easily. You should make an account with your grocery stores.
 
  • Coupon apps
Apps that tell you where the coupon deals are may help you save on groceries. Krazy Koupon Lady is a good one to follow. On a side note, Facebook groups for couponing have excellent help on exactly how to get the deals.
 
  • Rebates apps
After you’ve paid for your groceries, get some of that money back if you bought anything with a rebate. Learn more with this blog.
 
  • Receipt apps
Apps to scan receipts is an easy way to earn cash or points towards gift cards. Some receipt apps give additional points if you buy certain groceries. Learn more with this blog.


Over 100 ways to save on groceries

Learn over 100 ways to save on groceries and over 1,000 money-saving techniques in my book, Happily Frugal.
Read Happily Frugal
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apps to save money while retail shopping

8/8/2024

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Aside from Amazon, I don’t do very much online shopping. However, some of these apps have cash back high enough that I would look here before making any large purchases even if I had picked it out in person. If you are someone who does online shopping often, these are worth looking into to get back some money each time you shop.
 
  • Free Stuff Finder
This app has freebies and good deals on all sorts of things.
 
  • Krazy Koupon Lady
Krazy Koupon Lady is more than coupons. She also posts about low prices for online shopping.
 
  • Be Frugal
Use the referral link https://www.befrugal.com/rs/ZLAKVTK/ to get a $10 bonus once you earn your first $10 in cash back.
Be Frugal is an app that shows low-price deals and offers cash back for shopping through the app. If you shop online, this is one app that’s worth checking out. There is also a browser extension option to use on the your laptop or desktop.
 
  • Retail Me Not
This app has cash back on gift cards and online shopping.  
 
  • Rakuten
Use referral link www.rakuten.com/R/HAPPIL620
If you shop online, check out the variety of stores this company offers cash back on.


Save $$$$ money

If you’re looking to save money, make a plan with the financial lifestyle workbook, Happily Frugal. Learn more here.
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apps to save on gasoline

7/8/2024

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Gasoline is the easiest expense to save money on with apps. Here are different ways to get discounts or the best price.


Lowest prices

  • GasBuddy
Gas Buddy is the go-to app to check gas prices before you get in the car. It’ll show you a map or list of gas stations in your area. It’ll tell you average gas price and the range from lowest to highest. It even lets you pick your favorites so you can quick glance at your most frequented stations. I have used this app for years, and think everybody should have it on their phone.
 
  • Gas Guru
Gas Guru is owned by the Yellow Pages. It’s very similar to Gas Buddy. I like the vintage look to it. It also lets you select favorite gas stations. You can view the map or sort the list from lowest price to highest. I do think some of the prices aren’t updated recently. While I like the look of Gas Guru more, I think Gas Buddy is more reliable.
 
  • Waze
Waze is similar to Gas Buddy, and they offer navigation. Waze is owned by Google.


Rewards cards

This is the easiest way to save on gas. Get rewards cards for all the gas stations you go to. You no longer have to carry around a physical card. Use the app and go with a digital card. With most of them, your ID number is your phone number. All you have to do is put your phone number in at the pump for points and/or discounts. Some companies give you cents off each gallon always and other companies make you earn points to get discounts on fuel.
 
Several gas stations offer higher discounts if you pay with the app by connecting your bank card.
 
A few offer credit cards specifically for their gas station that offer higher discounts.
 
Here are several examples of gas stations in my area and the discounts they offer if you have a rewards card.
  • BP – 5 cents off always
  • Casey’s – earn points (use referral code Leanno292 for 100 bonus points when you sign up)
  • Circle K – 3 cents off for everyone, 5 cents off if you spend $500 in 365 days, and 10 cents off if you connect your card and pay with the app
  • Kroger – 3 cents off each gallon with a Kroger grocery card
  • Marathon – earn points to get 10 cents off to $1 off, and I will say it’s very quick to earn points that get 10 cents off each gallon
  • Sheetz – 3 cents off always  
  • Shell – 3 levels: silver level gets 3 cents off, gold level gets 5 cents off if you fill up at least 6 times in 3 months, and platinum level gets 10 cents off if you fill up 12 times in 3 months. If you connect your card and pay with the app, you get 10 cents off every gallon.
  • Speedway – 7 cents
  • Sunoco – 3 cents off if you use the app to pay
  • UDF – 6 cents off if you have the app, 3 cents if you only have a physical card
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Stores with gas stations

If you have a Sam’s Club membership, you can get gas at Sam’s Club which is often a lower price.
 
If you have a Walmart+ membership, you can get discounts on gas at Murphy’s.
 
Also, check your grocery stores that have gas stations. Buying groceries can earn points towards fuel discounts. Kroger and Meijer both do this. For example, at Kroger you earn 1 fuel point for every dollar you spend in store.


Discounts on gas

  • rewards cards or loyalty cards with individual gas stations
As we talked about above, you can get discounts at the gas station every time off every gallon simply by having a free rewards card.

  • GasBuddy card
Use referral code EHF2A2L when you sign up for the Gas Buddy card
The GasBuddy fuel card is free. It is a physical card they mail to you at no cost. They do offer plus and premium plans with monthly fees for higher discounts. If you get the free GasBuddy card, it takes off anywhere from 2 cents to 25 cents. You’ll pay with the card which is linked to your debit card. The savings come off automatically. You don’t have to wait for cash back. One of my favorite things with this is I can use it in combination with my rewards cards for double discounts. If I get 7 cents off at Speedway and then 20 cents off a Speedway location with this fuel card, I do actually get a 27 cent discount. You can also earn points in the app by reporting gas prices. Additionally, there are some cash back options on gas station merchandise, restaurants, and online shopping through the app.

Note: You can combine rewards cards discounts with GasBuddy fuel card discounts.


Cash back on gas

When it comes to apps to get cash back on gasoline, I have learned that they don't always work. I treat these as an extra bonus and I do NOT choose my gas station based on the cash back offers.

  • Upside
Use referral code UKJ3M for an extra 15 cents off each gallon the first time you use the app.
It’s a cash back app that reminds me of Ibotta. You have to select the deal before you purchase. Then you have to purchase with a card that is connected to the app. When you’re done, you’ll confirm you purchased using a specific card. After a few days, you’ll get your cash back processed. You do have to hit $10 before you can cash out though. So, it may take a couple of times using this before you actually get the money back. Here is my experience with this app. I'm coming back to edit this blog to tell you my experience with Upside. It's November. I started using this app in July. It does NOT work most of the time. When I first downloaded it, the discounts were around 60 cents off a gallon, but it was only showing the more expensive gas stations. I used it with no problems. It took a few days for the cash to show up. Two days after I used it, the app was showing discounts around 72 cents a gallon. Of course, I didn’t need gas yet. I got so excited about this app. Then the app crashed. I started reading more reviews and a lot of people have had issues with cash back not going through or not being the amount it was supposed to be. When it came time to get gas again, the offers were only about 6 cents to 10 cents off. It does show offers for the more expensive gas stations. If it’s only around 10 cents off, it’s cheaper to go to the less expensive gas stations even without a discount. I have it used it or attempted to use it 3 times since then and all of the deals expire without giving me any cash back. For now, I still have the app on my phone and I try to use the deal BUT I do not choose my gas station based on this app at all. I will go to wherever is cheapest. I appreciate that I can use Upside with my GasBuddy fuel card and with rewards cards discounts combined.
 
  • Checkout 51
You may know Checkout 51 as a grocery cash back app, but if you click under the “extras” tab they are now offering cash back on some gas stations. However, the fine print says you can’t use this with any other coupons or rebates. I think Upside has the better discounts between the two.
 
  • Trunow
There is also a cash back app called Trunow, but I didn’t try that one because it has a lot of bad reviews.

  • credit cards with cash back
There are some credit cards that offer a percentage of cash back when you use your credit card at a gas station. For example, get 2% cash back when you use your Amazon prime visa card. To do the math, a $40 gas purchase is 80 cents cash back. I personally don't mess with offers like that because the interest rates are not worth it.


Want more tips on saving money on gasoline?

Don't forget to get your copy of my book, Happily Frugal, to learn over 30 ways to save on gasoline. How much do you spend on gas each year?


Over 1,000 ways to save money

My book, Happily Frugal, has over 1,000 ways to save money. Whether you’re looking to meet certain budgeting goals, learn how to manage your money better, or pinch pennies, this workbook will help you improve your personal finances.
Learn more here.
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apps to scan receipts for points and cash

6/8/2024

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I started trying out receipt scanning apps last month, and I already have enough to cash out for two gift cards on Amazon. You can use multiple apps for the same receipt. I will list the ones I’ve tried in order of my most recommended.


For all receipts

These apps are for any type of receipt. It can be groceries, retail shopping, restaurants, pharmacy receipts, gas stations, or online shopping. 

  • Fetch
Use referral code EPWF14 for 1,000 bonus points.
This is the best receipt scanning app out there. If you don’t use any other one, you should try this. It’s quick to get points. They give bonus points for certain groceries. You can also earn points for shopping online through the app. There is the option to play games as well.
 
  • Frisbee
Use referral link https://app.frisbeerewards.com/MI8C/refer?code=N9prb for 50 points.
I like how simple this one is. No fluff. Nice color theme. It’s simple and straightforward. You earn cash and get to cash out whenever you want. I cashed out the first time at $1.22 just to see how it worked. It was very easy. I chose an Amazon gift card and it was sent through my email straight over to the Amazon app where the gift card came off my cart’s total.
 
  • CoinOut
Use referral link https://coinout.com/pages/refer_earn?id=AV3Y9QK
This one is all about receipts and easy to use. It doesn’t take long before you can earn a gift card.
 
  • Receipt Hog
Use referral code zot68636 or use the link https://app.receipthog.com/r/zot68636
I like that they show your receipt history and how many points you got for each receipt.
 
  • Copper
Copper is actually a financial technology app that focuses more on games and surveys. I only use it to scan receipts. I kept this app because it’s quick to hit $5. Even if it’s only $5 a month for me, I don’t mind treating it like a $5 off coupon for my frequent Amazon orders. I wouldn’t use this app alone, but if I’m using other receipt apps I might as well scan this one too.
 
 
 
I also tried Receipt Jar and Receipt Pal, but I deleted them because they required email access to cash out. They don’t just want your email. They want the password to your email so they can scan it for receipts. I’m not comfortable with that. I won’t use any app that requires such violation of privacy. Most of the receipt apps offer extra points for connecting your accounts – your email, your Amazon account, your Walmart account, all the big places you shop. They are offering cash for receipts because these companies are doing marketing research on spending habits. Do be aware that cash back from apps like this is because they are paying you for your data. If you’re comfortable with that, I absolutely think they are worth taking the time to do. Some of them require email access. Some apps like this even require access to your bank card and credit cards to scan your spending. That level of privacy violation is not worth earning points and putting your bank account at risk for hackers. So, be careful what apps you choose if you want to scan receipts.
 
Fetch and Frisbee are definitely worth trying. Coin Out and Receipt Hog are quick to add to your receipt scanning time of the day. I don’t mind adding Copper to the list because I’m already using the other ones. If you just want to do one or two apps, I definitely recommend trying Fetch and Frisbee.
 
They’re easy and straight to the point. Of all the types of apps I’ve tried to save money or make money, the receipt scanning apps are the easiest to use. There’s very little time invested. I enjoy being able to get gift cards for sharing my shopping habits.


Specifically for groceries

There are also apps that are specific to groceries where you scan the receipt to get rebates or points for certain foods. You can use these in addition to the general receipt scanning apps. Read this blog for more information on apps for rebates and cash back on groceries. Also check out the frugal living page for blogs on more apps in this series and ways to save money. 
If you’re looking for ways to save money, there are over 1,000 ways to save money in my book, Happily Frugal. Every penny counts. Get your copy today, and get more with the money you have.
Learn more here.
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Apps for cash back rebates on groceries (Ibotta and more)

5/8/2024

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There are apps that will give you cash back for groceries (like a coupon that comes off after the purchase) and apps that will give you points. Some of these offer direct deposit to your bank account. Others let you choose from gift cards. They all offer Amazon gift cards. Some of these apps only have a few gift card options while others have a lot. These take a little time to plan out your groceries, but are worth looking at if you need to save as much money as possible on your groceries. I know it's not fun to have to go through these, but shopping the sales and using the coupons and checking for rebates can add up the savings. You can combine some of these apps such as Ibotta rebates with Fetch points.


Dollar-based

  • Ibotta       
Use referral code yzqbir to get $5 the first time you use Ibotta.
Ibotta is *the* cash back app for groceries. They have so many offers from so many different stores. The way it works is you choose your store, select the rebates you want, and then scan your receipt after you’ve shopped. Read the terms carefully. Some you can combine with coupons and some you can’t. This is one of the best apps out there to save on groceries. It’s definitely worth trying, and it’s free to use.
 
  • Inbox Dollars
Referral link: https://appview.inboxdollars.com?rb=169482175 for a $5 signup bonus
Inbox Dollars is a little different than Ibotta. They have surveys, offers, cash back shopping, and a lot going on with their app. If you go to the receipts tab from the bottom of the app, this is where you can get a little bit of money back for the groceries that you buy. They don’t have a ton of rebates like Ibotta does, but things like bread and eggs always seem to be on the list. You might as well get those 50 cents back. Every dollar counts.
 
  • Checkout 51
This app has been around a while, but there’s not much there. On the bright side, that makes it quick to scroll through. Rebates are only available at select stores. They do allow you to redeem multiple times. You have to get $20 in rebates before you can cash out. They are now offering cashback on gasoline as well. It usually says you can’t use this in combination with other coupons/discounts or other apps.  
 
  • Shopmium
You may have heard of Shopmium. They merged with Checkout 51 in late 2024.
 
  • Makeena
Makeena is for organic and healthy food.
 
  • Tada
I didn’t try this app because it has a lot of bad reviews with the app being glitchy. It may be worth looking into down the road.


Point-based

  •  Fetch
Use referral code EPWF14 to get 1,000 points when you sign up.
This is a great app! You can scan your receipts here to get points. You’ll get more points for getting certain groceries. Scroll through the list on the home page. There are some pretty good offers here. You can also shop through the app to earn points for every dollar you spend. You can even get points by using GoodRx. I’ve found it’s quick to get points with this app. In less than a month of using it, I had already earned a gift card to Amazon. You can redeem your points with numerous gift cards to choose from.
 
  • Swagbucks
Referral link: https://sbmobile.page.link/Stz3
You may know Swagbucks as an app for surveys and games, but they also have what they call “magic receipts”. It’s similar to Ibotta. You select the store, add the items you’re interested in to the list, and then scan your receipt. The catch is this can’t be combined with coupons and can’t be used with multiple cash back programs.
 
  • Shopkick
Use referral code DEAL620670 to get 1,000 kicks.
This one is a little different. They call points “kicks” and they give kicks for walking into stores, scanning barcodes, and scanning your receipts if you bought certain items. I’m definitely not going to be scanning barcodes in store. There aren’t a lot of items to get points on. If you want to get easy points, you can open the app every time you walk in a store. They also do points for online shopping and watching videos.


Also

  • Box Tops
Use referral code HHR73EAF to get 20 bonus points when you scan your first receipt.
Remember when we were kids and we would cut the box tops off the cereal boxes? Box Tops is an app now and you can scan your receipts to give money towards the school of your choice at no cost to you. Even if you don’t have kids in the school system, you can help kids in your community get the school supplies and resources they need just by scanning your receipt. The money goes to the kids in need.


Concluding thoughts

I will admit it’s a bit of a hassle to take the time to scroll through rebate apps after already looking through sale ads and coupons. It’s not my favorite thing to do. With these grocery prices though, I think it’s worth at least downloading and looking at. A lot of times it is cheaper to buy store brand and buy in bulk. Of course, it’s often cheaper to cook from scratch and there’s many coupons/rebates for things we don’t need. If you have a brand-name you do like though, it’s worth using these. You can also use the search bar for what is already on your grocery list.
 
Of all the apps I’ve tried to get money back from groceries, Ibotta and Fetch are my favorite. I appreciate Box Tops as well. I like being able to contribute school supplies and such for kids in my community when I can’t afford to actually buy anything. If you don’t try any other apps to get back grocery money, try Ibotta and Fetch.
 
There are over 100 ways to save money on groceries in my book, Happily Frugal. The workbook contains over 1,000 ways to save money. If your household is struggling in this 2024 inflation, you need this book!
 
Learn more here.
Happily Frugal
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where to get coupons (over 20 resources)

4/8/2024

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In today’s digital world, it can be confusing to know where to find coupons. Gone are the days that they were mainly only in the Sunday paper and we’d flip through the inserts searching for our favorite products or the best deals. Let’s talk about over 20 different places you can find coupons.
 
  • Newspaper
You can still find coupons in the Sunday paper.
 
  • Local papers/publications
Check those freebie magazines and such at your grocery stores.
 
  • Mail
Coupon inserts come in the mail for grocery stores and restaurants.
 
  • Pizza boxes/delivery bags
Don’t throw away the pizza box without looking for coupons.
 
  • Food apps for restaurants you like
If you download the apps for the places you like to eat, there are coupons and deals in there and sometimes even freebies.
 
  • Grocery store apps/websites
This is where it’s at nowadays! The coupon makers have partnered directly with the grocery stores to offer coupons in app or on the website. Sign up with a rewards account (free) to have access to coupons.
 
  • Grocery ads
Read the sale ads carefully. Some of those large print prices require a coupon. If you’re using the app, it may tell you there’s a coupon available for that product and you can click on it.
 
  • Peelies
Check your products for coupons stickered onto the product itself. For example, the laundry detergent I buy often has a $2 off coupon directly on it. I’ll peel it off and use it for that purchase or you can wait until the next purchase.
 
  • Blinkies
Some stores still have blinking boxes with coupons you can pull in the aisle.
 
  • Tear pads
Likewise, grocery stores may have tear pad coupons available.
 
  • Emails from the business
Sign up for emails from your most-shopped stores. That’s not just for groceries. Retail stores also send coupons in emails.
 
  • Ordering inserts
If you’re looking to stockpile groceries, ordering inserts is the way to get enough coupons.
 
  • By mail request
You can write to the companies of the products you like the most and request coupons.
 
  • Manufacturer website
The manufacturer website may have coupons.
 
  • Coupon apps
There are a few apps that have coupons on them or explain how to combine coupons with sales and where to get the deals this week.
 
  • Websites for printables
There aren’t very many coupon websites left especially now that SmartSource and RedPlum went out of business. You may still find a few coupons out there you can print.
 
  • Receipts
Check your receipts for coupons. A lot of fast food places offer a coupon. Some retail stores do too. Grocery stores may have coupons with the receipt.
 
  • On the Amazon product page
When you shop on Amazon, always look for a coupon box to check. It will not be added automatically.
 
  • Browser extensions
There are browser extensions for couponing that will show you the best retail coupons available. For example, I use Capital One shopping as a browser extension to automatically get discounts.
 
  • Coupon books
You can purchase coupon books for retail stores individually or for local areas.
 
  • School district discount cards
Some schools offer coupon cards for purchase. For example, my local school district sells cards for $10 that offer discounts on lots of local businesses that can be used as many times as you want.
 
  • Good Rx    
For pharmaceuticals, GoodRx is a great app to get discounts on meds.
 
 
Learn more about saving money in the money management workbook, Happily Frugal. There are over 1,000 ways to save money! Get your copy and see how much you can save when you put it into action.
 
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free (and comprehensive) budget spreadsheet

16/7/2024

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Are you tired of finding budget spreadsheets that only go over some of the expenses and can’t even be used realistically? Or maybe you’re done with all the apps and subscriptions when you prefer the old-fashioned way of using paper?
 
The budget spreadsheet from Happily Frugal is both free and comprehensive. You can download the PDF from the book’s web page here. Scroll down to where it says “free sample chapter”. You can print it as many times as you need to.
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Let’s talk about what’s in this budget spreadsheet.
 
The first section is on transportation expenses. That comes first if you need your car to get to work so you can provide for your household.
  • Car payment(s)
  • Car insurance
  • Gasoline
 
The next section is home.
  • Housing (rent or mortgage)
  • Homeowner’s insurance or renter’s insurance
  • Water and sewer
  • Electricity
  • Gas (if you have any gas appliances)
  • Garbage pick-up
 
The next section is groceries and household items. How detailed you need to be in this area of your budget will vary. Some can lump it all into one. Others may need to alternate which paycheck they use for stamps and such vs. more cleaning supplies.
  • Food
  • Toiletries
  • Cleaning supplies
  • Misc.
  • Pet food and treats
  • Stamps and stationary, office supplies
 
Then we have misc. monthly expenses. You may not have all of these expenses.
  • Credit cards
  • School expenses
  • Medical bills and health expenses
  • Health insurance
  • Life insurance
  • Child care
  • Cell phones
  • Landline phone
  • Internet
 
After all other things have been budgeted for, we have luxuries.
  • Shopping (non-grocery)
  • Eating out
  • Cable
  • Services such as lawn care, haircuts, cleaning services, or using things like DoorDash and InstaCart
  • Ticket items such as taking your family to the zoo
  • Subscriptions and memberships
  • Wiggle room – it’s a good idea to leave $50 or $100 as wiggle room if something goes over budget
 
At the end of that spreadsheet is room for any additional expenses to be written in.
 
 
You also need to budget for SAVINGS such as emergencies and retirement. Envelope budgeting throughout the year is an option for things such as birthdays and Christmas or family trips/vacations.
 
 
You have the option to make space in your budget for GIVING. Tithing is essential. Offerings for church/ministries and chosen charities can be added into your budget as able.
My financial lifestyle and wise money management workbook, Happily Frugal, has over 1,000 ways to save money. Chapter 6 takes this budget spreadsheet and teaches ways to save money in each area of the budget. Get your copy today to help you meet your budgeting goals, have more with the amount of money you have, decrease your debt, save money, and find a little fun money in the process.
read Happily Frugal
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50 ways to save money on college

15/7/2024

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I went to a great college in my area, and graduated with zero student debt. I then worked at another college for 4 years. Here is everything I learned about getting an education frugally.  
 
For over 1,000 ways to save money, get a copy of my workbook Happily Frugal. Click the button below to check out that page.
Happily Frugal
Here are 50 ways you can save money when going to college.


Choosing your school

  • Choose an in-state college. Tuition will be cheaper than out-of-state.
  • Go with a public college over a private college.
  • Choose one of the cheaper schools in your state. Quality education doesn’t have to be high price. 
  • Choosing a local school allows you to skip a lot of the campus expenses.
  • Consider community colleges. If you don’t have one near you that has the program you want, look around at community colleges that offer online programs.
  • Online colleges are often cheaper. 


Paying for school

  • If a student is able to, utilize their state’s program to take classes at a college during high school. It’s free to the student.
  • If you are a veteran, use your GI Bill. Veterans and active military may have several programs that they qualify for.
  • If you work at the college, you may get free tuition or get a discount.
  • Your employer might contribute to your degree.
  • Sometimes a person with an associate’s degree can get hired on and the company will pay for their bachelor’s degree.
  • Switch jobs to a company that does offer help with the cost of higher education.
  • Apply for grants.
  • Apply for scholarships every semester.
  • Leave student loans as a last resort.
  • If you do get student loans, pay them off as soon as possible.


Your program and classes

  • Know what you are going for before you start.
  • Have an advisor or an experienced peer help you plan out your schedule so you are sure your classes count towards your degree program.
  • You can get your associate’s degree at a community college. Then transfer for your bachelor’s degree.
  • Talk to your transfer college before taking classes to make sure your associate’s classes will be accepted.
  • Don’t bite off more than you can chew taking too many classes only to get overwhelmed and drop out. It’s okay to go part time. Go at the pace that is right for you.


Textbooks and supplies

  • Swap textbooks with your friends as long as your class doesn’t require an access code.
  • Wait until class starts to see if you need the book.
  • Double-check if the book is required or recommended.
  • Be careful not to order multiple formats of the same book such as hardcover, loose-leaf, or digital.
  • Know the return policy of where you bought the book. Keep the receipt.
  • Keep new books in new condition (and unwrapped if it’s in shrink wrap) until class starts and you’re sure you’ll need the book.
  • Shop around to compare prices from different textbook retailers and buying directly from other students.
  • Price matching on textbooks is available at some college bookstores.
  • Buy your textbooks used.
  • Rent your textbooks. 
  • E-book textbooks are usually cheaper than buying new print books.
  • You may also be able to rent the digital version.
  • If you work at the bookstore, you will likely get an employee discount on textbooks.
  • Sell your textbooks back at the end of the semester.
  • If your college isn’t buying back that textbook, try selling it to a website that buys used textbooks. I recommend price checking those websites before going in to see what your college will offer.
  • You can also sell your textbooks on the internet directly to the buyer.
  • Purchase your school supplies outside of the school bookstore. Notebooks, paper, pens, folders, book bags, etc… are much cheaper at regular stores.


At the bookstore or campus store

  • Shop clearance.
  • Shop the sales.
  • Follow their social media for announcements on good deals.
  • Show up to events at the bookstore. For example, orientation events for new students may offer a free t-shirt. Graduating students may also get a free shirt. They often have free snacks or drinks at their events.
  • Enter to win giveaways and contests at the bookstore. They have them throughout the semester. 


Being on campus and general college student life

  • Live off-campus. Have roommates if you need to. 
  • Every piece of food on campus is overpriced. Pack a lunch or snacks from home.
  • Take advantage of student discounts. Many places offer student discounts that are unadvertised. You could get discounts at restaurants, movie theaters, and more.
  • If you are a member of a society, you may get discounts at a variety of places.
  • Get familiar with the resources available to students at no extra cost. 
  • Ask what bonuses are offered to students at your school. For example, my college had a printing credit of $7.50 a semester. You could print out about 150 pages without having to pay. My college also has free Microsoft Student for all current students to be able to download.
  • Go to events on campus that are offering freebies and discounts.
College can be a wonderful investment that provides education, professional growth, and personal experiences that broaden a student’s mind. It is possible to pursue these things without tremendous debt.

How did you save money on your college education?

How much did you end up paying for your degree and college experience? Tell me in the comments below.
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Why don't Apostolic Pentecostal women cut their hair? (An explanation of uncut hair teachings)

9/7/2024

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We don’t cut it. We don’t trim it. We don’t take scissors to it or do anything to shorten it. We also leave it natural without artificial dyes. Why? In a world where we are told “split ends” look bad and you must chop your hair for beauty and color it for attraction, why would any woman choose to leave her hair natural?

As Apostolic Pentecostal women, we leave our hair uncut and natural because of the way we interpret 1 Corinthians 11:3-16.
1 Corinthians 11:3-16 (King James Version)
 
3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.
 
4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head.
 
5 But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven.
 
6 For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered.
 
7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of the man.
 
8 For the man is not of the woman: but the woman of the man.
 
9 Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.
 
10 For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels.
 
11 Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
 
12 For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God.
 
13 Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered?
 
14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?
 
15 But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.
 
16 But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.
Verse 15 says that long hair is a glory to a woman. We desire that.
 
Verse 6 says that it is a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven. We don’t want to appear in a way that is shameful or inappropriate for a woman professing holiness.
 
It also mentions in verse 14 that it’s shameful for a man to have long hair.
 
We can see this is part of gender distinction. The men have short hair. The women have long hair. There is more to it than that.
 
What does it mean for a woman to be shorn? That term isn’t used very often anymore. Many modern English translations use the term “cut off” her hair. We can make the assumption that implies short hair because in our world today for a woman to “cut off” her hair means something drastic, but assumptions are not biblical interpretations. We are living in such a different time. For centuries and centuries, traditional gender roles including dress and hair length were the norm. Well into the 1800s, many women did not cut their hair. Long hair was considered beautiful and glorious. In the 1900s feminism influenced women to become rebellious and manlike. They began wearing pants and cutting their hair short. Even 100 years ago, it was often considered scandalous and disgraceful for a woman to cut her hair short. It was rebellious even by the world’s standards of the 1920s when it became fashionable to bob their hair as influenced by the flappers (women of that era who dressed immodestly with short skirts and behaved indecently). Despite the insanity of modern times, even the secular world finds it shocking when a woman shaves her head. Even the world knows that long hair is glorious and feminine.
 
At that time this was written to the Corinthians, there were pagan temple prostitutes that were distinguished by their shaved heads. It’s reported that some cultures also shaved a woman’s head as a punishment for adultery. Women of God were not to look like these women living a life of sexual sin. And when these prostitutes and pagans would come to believe in Jesus and come into the church, it was quick to see they were a convert because of their hair. In the Jewish Encyclopedia 6th edition on page 158 it says “Among women long hair is extolled as a mark of beauty (Cant. iv. 1, vii 6). A woman’s hair was never cut except as a sign of deep mourning or of degradation (Jer. vii. 29; comp. Deut. xxi. 12).” Given this history, it appears that uncut hair would have been the norm in the early church.
 
Those who are younger women today seeking answers on this topic only have a rebellious world to measure what is normal in our culture. That does not model for us what godly women did in the early church or for centuries after that standard was established.
 
What did it mean in the days the letter was written to the church in Corinth? In verse 6 when it says “to be shorn”, the Greek word is “keirasthai”. The listed Strong’s concordance 2751 lists “Keiro” as a verb defined as “to shear” with usage “I shear, cut the hair of”.
 
Merriam Webster defines shear as
Transitive verb
1a: to cut off the hair from
1b: to cut or clip from someone or something
1d: to cut or trim with shears or a similar instrument
 
Interestingly, before scissors were called scissors they were called shears.
 
This is why we don’t cut our hair. We believe the bible is still relevant today. We believe this is still for us. We follow the teachings of the early church. Even if it is contrary to what is considered normal in our culture, we are set apart for the Lord and follow after His ways. Sometimes following the bible will be counter-cultural. We won’t argue reasons to resist obeying this.
 
Dedicating our hair to be uncut is an act of obedience. We are obeying the scriptures even if it is a sacrifice for our flesh’s desires or personal preference.
 
This is a covering for us (verse 15). There is power on our head when we obey this (verse 10).
 
If you are on the fence about whether or not to follow this, I encourage you to obey the scriptures and see how it changes your perspectives. Sometimes we don’t have full understanding of something until after we follow it. The Holy Spirit may give you conviction on this or allow it to be weighing on your mind if you are cutting your hair. Once you stop cutting your hair, you will see things differently. You will see a godly beauty in what is His design. Natural hair is not chopped; it is not straight across; it does not look like a blade has been taken to it. It is not what the world calls most attractive. Remember as holy women we are called to adorn ourselves in godly ways, not worldly ways (1 Timothy 2:9-10, 1 Peter 3:3-4). What is beauty as a godly woman is different than what is beauty to a world that seeks to define women by their body’s level of attraction. Our natural hair often reflects nature. The branches of a willow tree are thicker at top and thin out near the ends. Yet we see its beauty. The natural ends of uncut hair often split like tree roots. Yet this reflects nature, and is not ugly. It’s not about length. Some of us have hip length hair. Others have knee length (and on occasion even longer). Still others only grow to the middle of their back. There are many Apostolic women that have long and thick hair. There are also many who have thin hair and struggle to get it to grow due to health reasons or aging. The glory is in the obedience to God.  
 
Holiness is always right. This is a holiness standard in all Apostolic Pentecostal churches because it has been the practice of Christian women since the beginning of the church and it was the practice of Jewish women before that. Be willing to be set apart (2 Corinthians 6:17).
 
We leave our hair uncut and natural to be obedient to scripture, covered as we pray, and to have power (authority) on our heads as long hair is our glory (honor).
 
 
Tell me where you are at in your uncut hair journey in the comments below.
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How can people save money on groceries? Here are over 100 ways!

1/7/2024

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The cost of groceries has skyrocketed astronomically in this inflation. Many families are struggling to buy food. Many can’t buy as much as they want. Though I can’t fix the inflation, I can tell you all the ways that I save money on groceries. There are over 100 options here!
 
I’m the author of Happily Frugal. My money management workbook has over 1,000 ways to save money. Let’s talk about ways to save on groceries. Make sure to get your copy today to get more with the money you have. Learn more here.
Get your copy


The top 10 things

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1. A budget is essential.  
2.  Skipping the restaurant or drive-thru saves a lot. 
3.  Menu planning is a massive money saver. 
4.  Know what you have at the house before you go grocery shopping. Organize your kitchen. Keep an inventory of your pantry.
5.  List out what you need before you leave the house. Don’t go to the grocery store without a written plan of exactly what to get.
6.  Choose the affordable stores to shop at.
7.  Buy in bulk.
8.  Focus on whole foods. Choose fewer prepackaged meals.
9.  Cook from scratch. Make it yourself whenever you can.
10. Have a garden and preserve your food.


General savings tips

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  • Get rewards cards at grocery stores and drug stores. They’re free and you’ll get deals you couldn’t get without them.
  • Buy bigger and buy in bulk. That goes for food and toiletries. There are rules to buying in bulk though.
    • You have to be able to afford to buy more than you have to have right now.
    • You have to know you like that product and that brand.
    • You have to know it will not go bad before it is all used up.
    • You have to have room for it in your fridge or in your house.
    • Do compare the price per ounce in the different size packages. On occasion, bigger packages are more expensive than the midsized container.
  • Investing in a deep freezer will allow you to buy food in larger amounts which is cheaper. There are a lot of things that would be more affordable if you could buy it in bulk and freeze it. An extra freezer is also beneficial for gardening.
  • Buy generic brands or store brands. Generic can be just as good as name brand.
  • Take advantage when stores are willing to match local competitor’s ads.
  • Certain stores also have an app that will reimburse you if local competitors have lower prices on specific items.
  • Some grocery stores offer a senior discount or senior days.
  • Some stores offer discounts when you use your own cloth shopping bags instead of the plastic bags. It’s better for the environment and if it’ll save you money, why not?
  • Consider signing up for emails from the stores you shop at regularly. Many emails offer discounts.
  • Real life tip: It would help to not go grocery shopping when you are hungry.
  • Be aware of expiration dates. Throwing away food that has expired is like throwing away money. If you know something is going to expire soon, use it up as soon as you can. You can go through your pantry every month and put the food that will expire within the next month or two in a separate section to be used first.
  • Go get your groceries instead of paying for a delivery service.
  • If you need to have your groceries delivered, make sure you aren’t allowing substitutions. If they are out of the brand you wanted, the substitute item may be more expensive than what you had budgeted for.


Where to shop

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  • Learn what the low-cost grocery stores are in your area. Explore different stores. You may also want to try different areas. Grocery stores in higher income areas are often more expensive especially if they are a specialty store. Lower-income neighborhoods have more affordable groceries.
  • Shop at discount stores.
  • There are also bakery outlets.
  • Shop at Farmer's Markets. It's healthier and good for the local economy (always support your local farmers). I have noticed Farmer’s Markets in higher income areas are more expensive than the grocery store. Markets in lower income areas have lower prices. Try smaller markets as well.
  • Look for home produce stands in your community.
  • Try pick-your-own farms.
  • Be willing to go to more than one store. Even with the low-cost stores, each one has their items that are better than others. If you’re in the habit of going to the grocery store once a week, consider rotating what stores you shop.


Prepare before you go

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  • Know what you have at the house before you go buy groceries and can't remember what you need. Keep an inventory of your pantry.
  • Know what you are getting before you go shopping. Have a list of exactly what you need to get for the time period before you plan to go grocery shopping again.
  • Get into a routine of checking sales, looking for coupons, glancing through rebate apps, and planning out what you are going to buy.


Menu planning

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  • Use coupons. Check out the next chapter for the 101 on couponing.
  • Menu plan before you go grocery shopping. Make sure to make use of what you have in the house.
  • Plan your meals around what is on sale. You can look at the grocery ads in the Sunday paper. Nowadays, you can check the website or the store’s app to see what the sales are.
  • Menu plan with what’s in season.
  • Buy more whole foods and less prepackaged readymade meals.
  • Cook from scratch as much as possible to save the most on your food budget.
  • Portion control to eat healthy serving sizes. Overeating leads to overspending.


What food to buy

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  • Look at the food that is marked down. It will need used soon, but these savings add up.
  • You can also ask employees when food gets marked down. Get to know the clearance habits of your local grocery stores.
  • Don't get more than a few dollars’ worth of unplanned items. Pay attention to how many things you pick up that you did not plan for in the budget.
  • Shop the sales. It doesn’t have to be somewhere you normally shop. If you see a good deal on groceries you need, try stopping by.
  • Limit the snacks. Prepackaged snacks add up to big expenses especially with kids. Put a healthy limit on how many snacks a day and what kind of snacks.
  • Buy the whole version instead of the prepared version. For example, buy the fruit itself instead of the container with the same fruit already cut.
  • Choose the cheapest option of the food you want. For example, boxed pancake mix is cheaper than frozen pancakes. Buying bags of dry beans is cheaper than canned beans. Buying the potatoes to make mashed potatoes is cheaper than buying potatoes in a box and much cheaper than buying mashed potatoes ready for the microwave. When you are deciding what you want to eat, look at the price differences with all the ways you can buy that food to make.
  • Eat less meat. Meat is expensive to buy. Making it part of the meal instead of the main course will save you some money. Having vegetarian days of the week will save you money. 


Make it yourself

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  • Find someone to teach you how to really cook if you don't know how. If you've got the basics down, you should be able to experiment with videos and cookbooks. You’ll learn as you go.
  • As you go through the grocery store, ask yourself if you can make something yourself instead of buying it. Do you know how? And do you have the time? The majority of things we buy that are prepackaged we can actually make ourselves in the home kitchen.
  • There are some things that it’s cheaper to buy readymade. Consider the cost of storebought vs. homemade.
  • Make freezer meals.
  • Can food that is a readymade meal.
  • Soups can be made at home instead of buying soup in a can.
  • Buy oats to make oatmeal on the stove instead of instant packets.
  • Pancake mix and waffle mix is very cheap compared to buying frozen waffles and frozen pancakes. Make it yourself from a box mix or from scratch.
  • Consider side dishes available at the store that you can actually make yourself. For example, hashbrowns are simply shredded potatoes. You can make potato wedges and fries yourself too.
  • Grate your own cheese instead of buying shredded cheese in the bag.
  • Making pizza at home is much cheaper than most pizza places. Even with buying the pizza crust at the store, this is still a big money saver.
  • Make butter in a mason jar, hand mixer, or butter churner.
  • Apple butter can be made at home.
  • Make gravy from scratch.
  • You can make all your own sauces, jams and jellies, preserves, and such.
  • Start with learning biscuits and breads. If you can learn how to make these very low-cost foods from scratch, you will always have something filling to eat.
    • Make your own biscuits. The rolls of biscuits at the store cost three times as much compared to making your own. Drop biscuits are very easy to learn how to make. Then move on to rolled biscuits. Along with that, you can use glasses/cups to cut the biscuits instead of buying a biscuit cutter.
    • Make rolls yourself.
    • If you can make biscuits, you can make English muffins.
    • Make tortillas at home.
    • Learn how to bake sandwich bread. It’s extremely cheap to make. The taste of fresh bread is worth the time it takes.
    • Dessert breads have many possibilities. You can make banana bread, apple cinnamon bread, pumpkin bread, monkey bread, and so much more.
    • Try your hand at creating sourdough bread.
    • Eventually, you can learn how to make artisan breads as well.
    • Bagels can be made at home too.
  • Instead of purchasing baked goods packaged and ready to eat, look at the boxed option. These are low-cost and still easy to bake.
    • Cake mix in a box is significantly cheaper than buying a cake from a bakery.
    • Boxed mix for brownies is also much cheaper than buying brownies already baked.
    • Muffins are cheap and easy to make from a boxed mix.
    • You can take your muffin mix and make bread from it too.
  • Any luxury baked goods you see in the grocery’s bakery section can be made from scratch for less money. There are many things our generation has become accustomed to others cooking for us. We are able to make these things on our own. It saves money. It tastes better fresh. If you enjoy cooking, you’ll certainly save your family money on groceries. Here are some examples of things we can skip buying at the store and make ourselves.
    • Basic sheet cakes are easy to make from scratch.
    • You can also make your own icing.
    • Make cupcakes.
    • Make muffins.
    • Cookies are easy and fun to bake from scratch.
    • Cinnamon rolls are easy to learn how to make.
    • Cobblers and crumbles are easy to make.
    • Pie takes a little effort to learn, but you can do it.
    • Cheesecake is a hard one to master, but you can learn to make your own.
    • Donuts are easier to make than you think.
    • Learn how to make your own pastries of all kinds.
  • You can make your own noodles.
  • Try making veggie noodles from zucchini or butternut squash. It’s lower carb, healthier, and can be free if you grow your own veggies. Sweet potato noodles are also a tasty option.
  • Use a flour grinder or countertop grain mill to make your own flour.
  • Try your hand at making condiments. You can make mayo, ketchup, ranch dip, tartar sauce, pickles, and more.
  • Learn how to make snacks at home. For example, potato chips can be made at home. Many snack bars can be made in the home kitchen. Pretzels can be made in your kitchen too.
  • Even some candies can be made in the home kitchen such as chocolate covered pretzels, muddy buddies, buckeyes, fudge, potato candy, and more.

I know we don’t have the time to make everything ourselves. These are simply some examples of ways you can save money by making food at home. Remember a lot of these things can be frozen or canned. You can make it in advance. You don’t have to make each one of these things the day you want to eat it.

Try it out and gain the skill.
 
Use those skills if you need to financially
or if you prefer to because homemade food tastes better.


Beverages

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  • Cut out soda pop and sugary beverages.
  • Make water your main beverage.
  • Get your water from the tap (provided that you have safe drinking water).
  • Single serve coffee cups are far more expensive than buying coffee by the container.
  • If you consistently only have one cup of what you usually get in the single serve cups, try buying a container of instant coffee or cappuccino. You stir it in hot water like you do with hot chocolate. You can make one cup at a time without adding the tiny cups to the landfills or adding the cost to your grocery budget.
  • Buying the larger containers of coffee is cheaper per serving.
  • Make your own iced coffee at home. This is easy and saves so much money.
  • Buy hot chocolate in the container instead of individual packets.
  • Buy beverages in bulk.
  • Buy your beverages in liters or gallons instead of buying individual bottles.
  • If you drink tea, make it from tea bags. It is significantly cheaper to make sweet tea using a large box of 100 tea bags than it is to buy sweet tea by the gallon.
  • You can also buy your tea in loose form.
  • Buy powdered drinks to mix at home instead of buying the container ready-to-drink. You can buy containers of powdered tea, powdered lemonade, packets of juice, etc…
  • Juice concentrate is cheaper than buying juice in the bottle.
  • For cooking with milk, use cans of evaporated milk instead of fresh milk in the gallon.


Gardening

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  • Grow your own food as much as you are able. You can grow vegetables and fruits. You can also grow herbs for cooking. You can even grow plants to make medicine with.
  • Some things can be grown from kitchen scraps.
  • Collect seeds from your food.
  • Network with family and close friends to grow different things and trade.
  • Some people also forage for mushrooms or berries. It’s important to know what is safe and can be eaten.


Food preservation

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  • Preserve your garden food.
  • Preserve fresh food you bought too.
  • Freeze food.
  • Can your food in mason jars.
  • Dehydrate food.
  • Freeze dry fruits and veggies and even entire meals.


Use it all

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  • Don't throw away leftovers.
  • If you don’t want to eat the same thing again, use your leftovers in something new.
  • Save the grease from the skillet. You can sauté vegetables in it. You can make gravy with it. You can scramble eggs with it.
  • When you bake a turkey or whole chicken, save the stock to make soups with.
  • One way to avoid waste is to choose items that aren’t disposable. For example, you can choose to cover a dish with aluminum foil or you can choose to buy a casserole dish with a lid that can go in the oven. Be intentional about avoiding disposable items when you are able to.
  • Reuse deli containers and any containers with a lid that you get from the grocery store.
  • Reuse empty containers of butter and sour cream for storing leftovers.
  • Reuse twist ties from your bread bags.
  • Wash and reuse glass containers from sauces, pickles, etc. You can also reuse the plastic containers from peanut butter or jars like honey-roasted peanuts.
  • Before throwing away small containers your food came in, consider its use in the garden to start seedlings.
  • Before throwing something away, look at it and think about what else it could be used for.


What are your favorite ways to save money on groceries?

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Tell me in the comments what you are doing to save money on groceries.

Get your copy of Happily Frugal to learn over 1,000 ways to save money. Live more comfortably with the money you do have. It's a financial lifestyle and money management workbook. Living frugally is a lifestyle.
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A bible study on receiving the Holy Spirit (getting the Holy Ghost) by Leanna Mae

10/6/2024

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Have you received the Holy Spirit since you believed? What it means to receive the Holy Spirit can be a controversy among different churches. Some say we receive it automatically when we believe. Others say we have to pray for it. Some say it’s essential. Others don’t. What does the bible say? We should be following the example the early church laid as the foundation for us. If they got the Holy Spirit then, we can have it today too. We must be sure to follow the bible and pursue the same things the early church did.
 
This is taken from the book, The Subject of Salvation. There is a slideshow and more content on the bible study page. You can also read my own story of receiving the Holy Spirit here.
 
Let’s look at the scriptures and then discuss what they mean.


Scriptures

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I’ve chosen a few highlighted verses here. All of the scriptures on the topic are referenced in the image above.
 
(All verses in the text are taken from the American Standard Version.)
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Ezekiel 36:27-28 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep mine ordinances, and do them. And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.
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John 3:3-8 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
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John 4:23-24 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for such doth the Father seek to be his worshippers. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship in spirit and truth.
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John 7:37-39 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, from within him shall flow rivers of living water. But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believed on him were to receive: for the Spirit was not yet given; because Jesus was not yet glorified.
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Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, when the Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
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Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
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Acts 2:38 And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
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Acts 4:31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken wherein they were gathered together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
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Acts 8:12-17 But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed.
Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
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Acts 10:44-48 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word. And they of the circumcision that believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
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Acts 19:1-7 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples: and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given. And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John’s baptism. And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus. And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And they were in all about twelve men.
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Romans 8:5-17 For they that are after the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death; but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace: because the mind of the flesh is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can it be: and they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, he that raised up Christ Jesus from the dead shall give life also to your mortal bodies through his Spirit that dwelleth in you.
So then, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh: for if ye live after the flesh, ye must die; but if by the Spirit ye put to death the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For ye received not the spirit of bondage again unto fear; but ye received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him.
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1 Corinthians 6:17-20 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.
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Galatians 5:16-25 But I say, Walk by the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are contrary the one to the other; that ye may not do the things that ye would. But if ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these: fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousies, wraths, factions, divisions, parties, envyings, drunkenness, revellings, and such like; of which I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that they who practise such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.
If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.
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2 Timothy 1:13-14 Hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. That good thing which was committed unto thee guard through the Holy Spirit which dwelleth in us.


Elucidation of this topic

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To elucidate is to explain or make something clear. We are interpreting the scriptures here piece by piece.
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  • The Holy Spirit is a gift. (Acts 2:38)
  • The Spirit is sent in the name of Jesus. (John 14:26)
  • The Spirit resides with you and will be in you. (John 14:15-17)
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  • The Holy Spirit is the spirit of truth. It guides us. (John 14:16-17, 26)
  • It is a helper. (John 14:16-17)
  • God chose us to pour out his Spirit on. He is our God and we are his people. It is given to believers. We receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (Ezekiel 36:27-28, Galatians 3:14)
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  • Some people say you receive the Spirit automatically when you believe, but in the bible they prayed to receive the Spirit. (Acts 8:12-17, Acts 19:1-7)
  • God will give you the good gift of the Holy Spirit if you ask him. (Luke 11:9-13)
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  • People need to repent before baptism of both water and Spirit, but you can receive the Spirit before baptism (Acts 10:44-48) or after baptism (Acts 8:12-17, Acts 19:1-7).
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  • When people received the Holy Spirit, they had the evidence of speaking in tongues (Acts 2:3-4, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-7). Without there being evidence of being born of the Spirit you wouldn’t know if somebody had received the Spirit. In Acts 8:12-17 Peter and John knew that they did not have the Spirit, then they prayed for them, and they knew they had received the Spirit. Also in Acts 19:1-7 Paul knew that the disciples in Ephesus had not received the Holy Spirit. They were baptized and it says the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues.
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  • You have to be born of the Spirit to enter heaven. (John 3:3-8)
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  • You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. (Acts 1:8)
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  • Don’t stop at receiving the Holy Spirit. Walk in the Spirit. Live by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:16-25)
  • You can live according to the flesh or live according to the Spirit. People who live according to the Spirit set their minds on things of the Spirit and those who live according to the flesh set their minds on things of the flesh. If you are in the flesh, you cannot please God. However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if the Spirit of God dwells in you. (Romans 8:5-17)
  • If you do not have the Spirit of Christ, you do not belong to Christ. (Romans 8:9-11)
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  • You are a temple of God. His Spirit lives inside you. (1 Corinthians 3:16)
  • We know that God abides in us by the Spirit that he has given us. (1 John 3:24)
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  • If we live by the Spirit, let’s follow and keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)
  • Produce fruit by being filled with the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)


Contemplation Questions

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  1. What does it mean to be born again?
  2. How is a person born of the Spirit?
  3. When did God pour out his Spirit?
  4. Who receives the Spirit?
  5. Do people receive the Spirit automatically or do they pray to receive it?
  6. How do you know if you have received it? Is there any evidence?
  7. What does it mean to live by the Spirit or walk in the Spirit?
  8. What does it mean to focus on the things of the Spirit instead of the things of the flesh?
  9. What kind of lifestyle/behaviors do you put down when you have the Spirit living in you?
  10. What is the fruit of the Spirit?
  11. Have you received the Holy Spirit?
  12. How do you know that you have the Spirit of God living inside you?


Speaking in tongues

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  • Speaking in tongues is evidence of receiving the Spirit. (Acts 2:4, Acts 10:44-48, Acts 19:1-7)
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  • Speaking in tongues is prayer. We speak to God when we speak in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:1-28)
  • Our own spirit prays when we pray in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:14-15)
  • It builds us up spiritually. It is edifying to the one speaking in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:4)
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  • We should pray to interpret what we are speaking in tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:13)
  • Sometimes it will be interpreted. (1 Corinthians 12:8-11 and 28-31, 1 Corinthians 14:27-28)
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  • It is not to be forbidden in the church (1 Corinthians 14:39), but there should be order in the church (1 Corinthians 14:27-28, 40).
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  • The Spirit makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:26-27)
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  • We are instructed to pray in the Spirit always. (Ephesians 6:18)


Contemplation Questions

  1. What is speaking in tongues?
  2. Why do people do it?
  3. When do people speak in tongues?
  4. When does somebody first speak in tongues?
  5. Is speaking in tongues evidence of being born of the Spirit?
  6. Is it necessary to have the evidence when you receive the Spirit?
  7. How can it be interpreted?
  8. What does the Holy Spirit do when you pray in tongues?
  9. What do you feel it means when the bible talks about speaking in tongues?
  10. Who should you pray in tongues in front of?
  11. How often should you pray in tongues?
  12. Have you received the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues?
Have you received the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues since you started following Jesus? If not, seek after it today. If so, share the message. People need the Holy Ghost!
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A bible study on baptism by Leanna Mae

10/6/2024

0 Comments

 
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Hello and welcome. This is an introductory bible study on baptism. It’s taken from the book, The Subject of Salvation. Please feel welcome to ask questions in the comments, and I will try to reply to each one. This is also available in slideshow form and video on the bible study page.
 
Baptism is one of my favorite topics. If you are seeking on this topic, I invite you to study the scriptures and pray for understanding. Getting baptized is a beautiful experience. You can read the story of my own baptism here.
 
Let’s talk about baptism. We’ll start with the scriptures and then get into discussing what they mean.


Scriptures

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I've chosen several scriptures to highlight. All of the verses regarding baptism are referenced in the image above.

(All scriptures in the text are American Standard Version.)
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Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
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 Mark 16:16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that disbelieveth shall be condemned.
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John 3:1-8 Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: the same came unto him by night, and said to him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except one be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born anew. The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
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Acts 2:38 And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
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Acts 2:41 They then that received his word were baptized: and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls.
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Acts 8:12-17 But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. And Simon also himself believed: and being baptized, he continued with Philip; and beholding signs and great miracles wrought, he was amazed.
Now when the apostles that were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: for as yet it was fallen upon none of them: only they had been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
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Acts 8:35-38 And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch saith, Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
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Acts 10:44-48 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all them that heard the word. And they of the circumcision that believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Spirit. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
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Acts 19:1-7 And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper country came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples: and he said unto them, Did ye receive the Holy Spirit when ye believed? And they said unto him, Nay, we did not so much as hear whether the Holy Spirit was given. And he said, Into what then were ye baptized? And they said, Into John’s baptism. And Paul said, John baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on him that should come after him, that is, on Jesus. And when they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Spirit came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And they were in all about twelve men.
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Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on his name.
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Romans 6:3-8 Or are ye ignorant that all we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection; knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away, that so we should no longer be in bondage to sin; for he that hath died is justified from sin. But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him;
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Galatians 3:26-28 For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ. There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus.
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Ephesians 4:5-6 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.
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Speaking of the flood, 1 Peter 3:21 which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ;


Elucidation of this topic

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To elucidate is to explain or make something clear. We are interpreting the scriptures here piece by piece.
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How did baptism start?
John the Baptist said he was baptizing for repentance, but one greater than him would come and baptize people with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Jesus was baptized. Jesus himself taught the disciples how to baptize. We learn from Acts 18:24-28 and Acts 19:1-7 that the baptism in the early Christian church that the disciples were practicing was different from John’s baptism. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism (Ephesians 4:5-6). There is only one correct way to baptize. There is a baptism with water and a baptism of the Holy Spirit.
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What does baptism mean?
In baptism, we are buried with Christ into his death and we will be united in the likeness of his resurrection. Our old self is crucified with Christ so that sin will no longer enslave us. If we died with Christ, we will live with him (Romans 6:3-8). In baptism, we are buried with Jesus and raised with Jesus through our faith in God (Colossians 2:9-13). Baptism in Jesus’ name is for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). It washes our sins away (Acts 22:16).
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Who gets baptized?
Only believers in Jesus were baptized. The bible only makes mention of people choosing baptism who were old enough to choose the faith. There is no mention of babies or young children being baptized.
 
In Acts chapter 19 verses 1 through 7 there were people that had been baptized into John’s baptism of repentance that Paul taught about the proper way to be baptized. They were then baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus and received the Holy Spirit. If a person has been baptized and it was not done properly, they should get baptized again.
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When did people get baptized?
People got baptized immediately after or soon after they believed. Those who received the word were baptized (Acts 2:41). People got baptized both before and after receiving the Holy Spirit.
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How did the early church baptize people?
A biblical baptism is one of being immersed and being raised up. The words baptize and baptism are Greek words. Baptize is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizo which means to immerse. The root word is bapto which means to dip. The ‘o’ was changed to an ‘e’ to give us our verb baptize; a verb is an action word. The noun form is the Greek word baptisma which is where we get our word baptism. There was no confusion or controversy on the meaning of this when it was written. No one baptized by sprinkling or pouring on water. The Greek-speaking people understood the instruction to be baptized is an instruction to be immersed (go fully under).
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We can also see from the context of scriptures this is how they baptized. Jesus was baptized in a river and it talks about him coming up from the water. In Acts 8:35-38 it says they went down into the water. Romans 6:3-8 and Colossians 2:9-13 talk about being buried with Christ and being raised with him. To be buried, you go under. To be raised, you come up. A person being baptized needs to be fully immersed in the baptismal waters.
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What name should you be baptized in?
A lot of churches baptize “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”. There are also churches that baptize “in the name of Jesus”. Are they both the same? Does it matter? Is one a valid baptism and another invalid? Is one way right and the other way wrong? What does the bible say?
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Matthew 28:19 says to go and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. In Acts 2:38 we are taught to repent, be baptized in Jesus’ name for the forgiveness of sins, and that we will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 8:12-17 tells us about people who had been baptized in the name of Jesus, but still needed the Holy Spirit. In Acts 10:44-48 the Gentiles (non-Jews) received the Holy Spirit and Peter commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. In Acts 19:1-7 there were people who had been baptized into John’s baptism that Paul taught about the baptism we are supposed to have and they got baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 1:11-17 Paul asked the quarreling Corinthians if they were baptized in the name of Paul. After the Christian church began, every mention of a baptism that states the name it was done in says it was in the name of Jesus.
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Jesus himself taught the disciples how to baptize. He made sure they had it right. Earlier in this book, I mentioned that all scripture is accurate. All of the New Testament is relevant for us. Matthew and Acts are equally accurate and relevant. Remember your interpretations of bible verses should never contradict other bible verses, but they should complement other verses. The way you interpret things should have bible verses all supporting each other. This is one of those subjects you really need to keep that in mind with. It is not a directive to listen to the instructions in Matthew or listen to the instructions in Acts. Matthew 28:19 and Acts 2:38 mean the same thing.
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Some denominations say they baptize in the name of the trinity. That is not following the instructions given. Some denominations say when the bible says to baptize in the name of Jesus that is an abbreviation for “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. Why would God abbreviate that? Of all things, why abbreviate something so important? And how do you get J-e-s-u-s out of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? The interpretation that baptism in the name of Jesus is an abbreviation for baptism in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit is unbiblical. There are also denominations that say baptism in “Jesus’ name” only means in the authority of Jesus. You’re supposed to use the authority of Jesus’ name without actually saying his name?
 
To baptize “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit” is to baptize in God’s titles. What is God’s name?
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If you were to hand me a pen and ask me to write down my name, I would write “Leanna”. I wouldn’t write “your name”. Likewise, if I asked you to write down God’s name, you would write “Jesus”. I doubt you would write “God’s name” on the paper.
If a man wanted to write a check to pay a debt, he has to sign his name on the check for it to be cashed. Would he sign “Father, Son, and Husband” or would he sign his name? Being a son and a husband and a father are his titles. What’s his name? It’s his name that pays the debt. 
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The name of the Son is Jesus. Jesus tells us he has come in his Father’s name (John 5:43) and that the Father will send the Holy Spirit in his name (John 14:26). God’s name is Jesus. There is no other name by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
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When we are instructed to be baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we know that “the name” is JESUS. We are baptized into Christ. We are buried with Christ in baptism and raised in Christ. We need to be baptized in the name of who we are being buried with and raised with and saved by — Jesus. The bible says we need to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Is baptism necessary?
This is an important question. Some churches say yes. Some churches say no. What does the bible say? What does God say about it? If you believe and are baptized you will be saved, but if you do not believe you are condemned (Mark 16:16). You must be born again. You must be born of water and of the Spirit. Without being born again you cannot enter heaven (John 3:1-8). We are told to repent and then be baptized in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Baptism saves us by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:21).
 
It doesn’t say it’s optional. It doesn’t say it’s symbolic. We are commanded to be baptized. It is cleansing. It washes our sins away. Baptism buries us with Christ and raises us with him. It is saving. It is essential.


Contemplation questions

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  1. What is baptism?
  2. What does it mean to be baptized?
  3. In the bible, who gets baptized?
  4. In the bible, when do people get baptized?
  5. Why does a person get baptized?
  6. Do you have to be baptized?
  7. What happens when somebody gets baptized?
  8. Do you have to be immersed in the water (go fully under)?
  9. What name should you be baptized in?
  10. Are you baptized?
  11. If yes, was it done according to the bible?
  12. If not, are you going to be baptized the same way they did it in the bible?
Have you been baptized by immersion in the name of Jesus for the remission of your sins? If not, what are you waiting for? Find an Apostolic Pentecostal church (all of them baptize this way) and obey the scriptures. If you have already obeyed this, share the message and reach as many people as you can.
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Being a keeper at home is spiritual warfare

28/5/2024

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Being a keeper at home is spiritual warfare. I do not interpret this scripture to be focused on personal finances despite many people in today’s time claiming only the rich can afford for women to stay home. The context is on what kind of behavior and lifestyle is befitting for men and women pursuing holiness. This scripture also addresses gender roles according to God’s design. This is New Testament. It is still relevant. It is still something we should seek to obey – even if it is counter-cultural.
 
Society has reached a point they are not even willing to discuss biblical gender roles or family dynamics because people have already made up their mind they are going to rebel against the Word of God. They criticize it. They attack women who desire this lifestyle. And they dismiss it – completely unwilling to discuss the matter spiritually (not just financially). Feminist ideologies have infected the church to the point that people despise God’s design if it doesn’t suit their lifestyle preferences.
 
Yet there are many of us women who see this scripture and it speaks to our hearts because God created us for this purpose and hard-wired us to fulfill this role. Women like this still exist. There are still keepers at home and many more women who desire to follow this biblical lifestyle.
 
No words are by accident in the Word of God. It doesn’t say unemployed woman or stay-at-home mom. It doesn’t say housewife or even homemaker. It says keeper at home. It actually doesn’t even specify wives. This is for all women.
 
Titus 2:1-8 (KJV)
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.
 
Verse 5 says young women are “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”
 
It’s important to use an accurate and literal bible translation.
 
Different translations use different terms.
  • Having care of the house (Wycliffe)
  • Keepers at home (KJV)
  • Keepers of their own houses (Young’s)
  • Workers at home (ASV, NASB, WEB)
  • Working at home (ESV)
  • To work in their homes (NLT)
  • Homemaker (NKJV, HCSB)
  • Makers of a home (AMP)
  • Fulfilling their duties at home (NET)
  • To be busy at home (NIV)
  • Domestic (RSV)
 
This can be a little confusing when translations word it differently. Being a homemaker at heart and being a keeper at home are not the same, are they? Making a house a home isn’t the same thing as being busy (working) all the time. Domestic could surely mean a lot of things. Are we disobeying the bible if we aren’t baking enthusiasts with spotless houses? Taking care of the house makes sense when you come together as a team dividing the responsibilities of providing a home and caring for it. Is that it? Just clean the house and cook dinner? Is that falling in line with being holy and loving and chaste and good? Just make sure the dishes are done? Let’s take a look at the original languages in an interlinear bible.  
 
Word-for-word
Self-controlled pure keepers at home kind being subject to the own husbands so that not the word – of God should be maligned
 
A literal translation would be
Titus 2:4-5
So that they may train the young women to be lovers of their husbands, loving their children, self-controlled, pure, keepers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands so that the word of God should not be blasphemed.
 
Reference: Strong’s Greek 3626 (only used once in scripture)
 
There are two slightly different words referenced here: oikourgous and oikourous. Early manuscripts used the word oikourgous. The origin of that word is oikos (a house, a dwelling) and ergon (work). This is why some translations say “worker at home”. Other manuscripts have the Greek text using a slightly different word. They use “oikourous” which originated from the word oikos (house) and ourous (keeper, watcher, or guardian). Thus, these manuscripts were translated to say “keeper at home”. There’s only one letter difference. I won’t attempt to declare one text more accurate than the other. Either way, these words have similar meanings.
 
Strong’s exhaustive concordance defines oikourgos to mean domestically inclined stating the word is from oikos and ouros (a guard; be “ware”), a stayer at home; i.e. domestically inclined (a good housekeeper) – a keeper at home.
 
Thayer’s Greek lexicon offers 3 meanings.
  1. The (watch of) or keeper of a house
  2. Keeping at home and taking care of domestic affairs
  3. Domestic
 
In ancient Greece, oikos referred to the family and the house and the family’s property. Keeping watch over your house was also keeping watch over your family.
 
Keeper at home….
 
What does it mean to be a keeper at home? I don’t think that’s a statement of financial privilege as many now say in these times it’s a matter of money to stay home. I don’t think it’s a statement of household finances at all. This chapter is talking about behavior and character. Holiness in lifestyle is not restricted to the financially privileged.
 
I think this is a statement of spiritual warfare.
 
It doesn’t say homemaker in the original languages. It doesn’t say bake pies and host tea parties as we may think of nostalgic 1950s housewives perfecting the domestic arts. It makes no mention of shining the windows and having perfect appearance. Nor does it say stay home when your kids are little, then go back to work. It’s not talking about making a house a home with cleanliness and nice wax melts. Cooking and cleaning and tending to the home are aspects of housework, but the most important thing you are keeping after is precious in the kingdom.
 
What does it mean to be a keeper at home? A keeper is someone who is responsible for something. A keeper is defined as a person who manages or looks after something or someone. You keep after your home. You are the keeper of your children. You are the guardian of what is allowed to have access to your children. It is the mothers who are home with their children that set the environment. It is the mothers who play worship music while she is cleaning and leads prayer before lunch. It is the mothers who are present that keep watch over what their children view on a screen. They monitor the tablets and the internet and protect their children from the harm that could come. They guard the gate keeping boundaries with conviction. They keep watch for the attacks of the enemy and know the devil is prowling to snatch away the little ones. While the husbands and fathers are away at work to provide for their family, the wives keep after the home. The husbands are the head of the household, but the mothers are the keepers of the home.
 
Women are not unused by the kingdom.
 
What mothers do in the home is kingdom work.
 
When I think about being a keeper at home, I do not think of sitting on the couch in my pajamas scrolling through my phone all day. I think of keeping my littles home under my care instead of under secular influence. I think of how staying home allows families to homeschool and keep their children from the anti-bible indoctrination of public schools. I think of the time spent with them compared to how few hours I’d get if I were working. I think about how whoever children spend their day with is the main influence in their worldview. I think about family prayer, homemade meals at the table, the chalkboard with a daily bible verse, daily bible study, praying together, raising them in an atmosphere of worship and praise. Keeping watch over them at home is keeping watch over what has access to them. The devil always wants to snatch the children. It is the parent’s job to be on guard for the ways the enemy seeks to destroy. It is the mother who stays home that has round-the-clock guardianship over their entertainment, the screens they can see, the music that will shape their thinking, the books that will tell them about the world. Being a keeper at home is to keep guard physically and spiritually over the children God has gifted parents. Nowadays it’s also keeping them safe from the increasing crime, the school shootings, the human trafficking that is everywhere now, and the predators that lurk.
 
And, yes, keeping over the home also includes keeping things functioning. Cook the meals. Do the dishes. Another pile of laundry doesn’t feel like anything glorious. Cleaning the home and making it a pleasant place for your family is endless work, but it is kingdom work. This is where you raise your family. This is where your children learn to love Jesus and serve God. You are teaching them life lessons in your simple home even if there are toys everywhere.
 
That doesn’t mean you have to make the best sourdough bread in town. While domestic skills are necessary life skills and many homemakers need to be frugal to be able to have this lifestyle, let us not confuse the spiritual need for keepers at home with the Instagram-glorified domestic influencers (don’t get me wrong, I admire them too). No woman can excel at every domestic skill. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. This is primarily a spiritual role, not a baking competition. This role has a purpose with eternal value.
 
I am reminded of the gatekeepers in 1 Chronicles chapter 9:17-34. They would guard the gate and tend to the house of God. It was their job to guard the entrance and keep out anyone or anything unclean. They were stationed as gatekeepers. Verse 27 says they spent the night around the house of God because the watch was committed to them and they were in charge of opening it morning after morning. The bible even mentions here that they had charge of the utensils, the furniture, the flour. Some prepared the bread. Some were over that which was baked in pans. This was kingdom work. They were serving the house of God doing these things. It may not be a glorious position, but it is an essential position. What would happen to the house of God if no one guarded the gate? It would be defiled.
 
1 Timothy 5:14 (NASB 1995)
Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach;
 
There is also plenty to be said for keeping house without children in the home too. There is value in serving your husband instead of serving an employer. Spare time can always be used for kingdom work by serving the church or serving others in need. For countless years, it was the women who would check on the elderly and bring a meal to the sick or help a neighbor. The homemaker is the backbone of society. When you remove women from the home and they are no longer able to serve others, those in need must rely on (and pay for) companies to do what families and church ladies used to.
 
What would happen to your home if no one kept it? The simple things undone cause disorder and steal peace.
 
We can see quite clearly what has happened to an entire generation of children left to the keep of institutions to be raised by daycare all day and public school until they are an adult. Schools are highly politicized nowadays and lean so far left these kids can’t think straight. The rainbow flags fill the classroom even in elementary school, children being taught to approve of and celebrate sin. Teachers with different values are raising children born to Christian parents, and we wonder why the younger generation is losing their parent’s convictions. Their parents didn’t raise them for most of the hours in the day.
 
Look at what has happened in families since feminism lured women out of their homes and into the workforce.
  • Marriages are broken.
  • Nearly half of marriages end in divorce.
  • Overall, 69% of divorces are initiated by women. Interestingly, among couples with degrees, college-educated women initiate divorce 90% of the time.
  • Many couples choose not to marry at all. 40% of births are to unmarried mothers. In some states, it’s over 50%. Unmarried women are more likely to be on welfare. Ultimately, this affects our healthcare system when labor and delivery units are not being reimbursed well from state insurance leading to many units closing. The domino effect there is closing maternity units leads to worse outcomes for pregnant and birthing women as well as their babies.
  • Men abandon their wives and their children more than ever before.
  • Approximately, 1 in 4 children do not have a father in the home.
  • Over 18 million children do not have a biological father, adoptive father, or stepfather in the home.
  • These children living without an involved father are twice as likely to die in infancy, more likely to be abused, more likely to use drugs and alcohol, 7x more likely to get pregnant as a teenager, 2x as likely to drop out, more likely to commit crime, more likely to go to prison, and are 4x more likely to live in poverty.
  • Not to mention these single mothers often need to work multiple jobs and long hours. The less time they can spend with their children is the less influence they have over their faith and values.
  • Gender roles are stressed and twisted. Many women struggle being in relationships with men who expect them to work outside the home (often the same number of hours they do) but the men don’t split the responsibilities of cooking and cleaning equally the way they do finances. It puts the weight on the woman to be the breadwinner and the housekeeper.
  • As there are fewer and fewer masculine men who desire traditional gender roles, women lose interest in marriage.  
 
Everything falls out of balance when Mom has to do Dad’s role too. One person can only do so much.  
 
While many mothers long to stay home with their children, it is necessary to point out that you can’t do it alone. It takes a marriage for a woman to be able to be a keeper at home. And it takes a man willing to step up to the responsibility.
 
In the 1950s over 80% of mothers stayed home. By the late 1960s, that had dropped to just under half of moms. It continuously dropped reaching 23% in 1999. Now we are seeing a turn around. Around 25% of mothers are now staying home with their children.
 
A 2019 Gallop study found that only 39% of women prefer a homemaker role while 23% of men prefer homemaking (for themselves) over working outside the home. Women with a college degree are more likely to prefer working.
 
If a mother financially must leave her children to make money elsewhere, she is tasked with finding childcare that aligns with her Christian values. Sometimes it takes a village, but it is a shame when women have to do it all. We are designed to be inter-dependent.
 
What about families that can’t afford it?
That’s absolutely valid. It is getting harder and harder to survive on one income. It used to be a man could support a large family on his own from one job. When more and more women went into the workforce, the economy adapted to a two-income household. Then marriages fell apart and single-parent poverty became a plague. There is no easy solution. Following the world’s ways of chasing money will only make it harder for women to stay home with their littles. The world’s solution is to eliminate the children. Have abortions. Go on birth control. Choose smaller family sizes for financial reasons. Choose to be “child-free”. For most households, choosing biblical gender roles means genuine financial struggle. It takes sacrifice to make it work. Godly women must choose a man who is in alignment with following this lifestyle even when it’s hard. And the women who stay home often must be frugal and self-sufficient. The bible is not against women working from home or having an income. Proverbs 31 makes it clear that women often worked with their hands to create things (at home) they could sell. That didn’t require them to leave their homes for a 9 to 5. Our priorities must be in order. It is the husband’s job to provide. It is the wife’s job to tend to the work of the home. He is the head of the household; she is the keeper of the home. Both must manage money very well to make it work in today’s economy that begs for a two-income household to maintain a culturally expected standard of possessions.
 
What happens spiritually when the biblical (traditional) family unit falls apart?
When men stop going to church with their families, their wife and children are far less likely to stay in church. As we’ve surely all seen, once daddy is gone many children stop coming. There are always exceptions and people who stay in church despite the odds, but realistically the father leads the family in church attendance for the majority of families. Women are more likely to work in career fields such as retail or restaurants that require them to work on Sundays thus making them unable to attend church. Many single mothers work multiple jobs and are simply unable to schedule in church as well.  
 
The demise of the biblical family unit as God designed it is one of the greatest threats to the continuation of the church. Each generation goes to church less and less. Without children in church, the older generation passes away and there aren’t enough young families to fill the pews. Without families in church, eventually churches don’t have enough tithing members to keep the doors open.
 
Tragically, most churches no longer teach biblical gender roles or family structure at all because it has become so controversial. If you want revival, you have to bring back and strengthen the family unit.  
 
What does the devil want for the family?
He wants destruction. The enemy’s goal is to get the family out of church and away from God. He wants to keep you distracted and too busy for the bible study you wish you had time for and the prayer life you need. The devil is always prowling and he seeks to destroy marriages and the family unit so he can snatch the children. If he can’t rip apart your marriage, he’ll surely exhaust many women in their pursuit of work/family balance while they chase after money and still try to be a homemaker.
 
Society is training women for college and career with focus on money and material items. Meanwhile, God’s design for marriage and family is increasingly criticized and abandoned. Even in conservative churches, many women choose the way of the world following their careers instead of staying home to take care of their family. Few churches teach their congregation to follow biblical gender roles and let the wife be a keeper at home when financially possible.
 
What does God want for the family?
God wants a family that serves Him and glorifies Him. He wants holy people set apart from the world who live righteously despite being surrounded by promiscuity and all kinds of sexual sin. He wants purity for his people. He designed the family unit as a system with a purpose. He wants obedience to his design. Gender is his creation. Gender roles is his structure. God wants men that lead and women that submit to that godly leadership. Children are a blessing. Guard the young ones spiritually. Will you strive to follow that design?
 
What happens if the gatekeeper leaves the family unguarded?
The enemy is at the gate.
 
Keep your home – the whole house. Keep after your children. Keep after your marriage needs. Keep after your territory. Guard what God has given you.
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Over 120 ways to save money on your wedding

7/5/2024

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Hello to the frugal brides out there. Are you searching the internet trying to figure out how to afford the wedding you want? It’s so much more expensive than we realize, isn’t it? I want you to have your dream wedding. I know realistically you have a budget. We can’t all spend tens of thousands on this big event. I’ve compiled a list of over 120 ways to save money on your wedding. This is taken from my book, Happily Frugal. Make sure to get your copy and utilize the workbook. It has check boxes in each section of the budget as categorized below.
Learn more about Happily Frugal here.
Learn more
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It’s wedding time. We have 5 goals.
  1. Be united in marriage as husband and wife.   
  2. Have the wedding of your dreams.
  3. Do not borrow money from anyone. The days of parents paying for weddings should be over. It’s 100% the couple’s responsibility to pay for their big day.
  4. Stick to your budget.
  5. Have one of the happiest days of your life.
All 5 of these things are possible. You can have a dream wedding on a budget.
 
The average wedding in America costs $33,391!!!
That’s according to The Knot’s survey for 2017 weddings.
That doesn’t even include the honeymoon. That’s a lot of money!
Let’s talk about how to not spend that much money.
 
Here are over 120 ways you can save money on wedding expenses.
 
Following these money saving methods could easily allow you to have a nice wedding for $5,000 or less. With a really tight budget, it is possible to have a simple wedding for less than $1,000. A low budget wedding is not a bad wedding. All weddings are beautiful.


priorities

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  • First thing first, know that you do not need everything wedding pros tell you that you need. You do not need to pay ridiculously high prices for what you want. You do not need the grandest material items or the hottest styles. What you need is to stay focused on what you are doing. You are getting married. You are being united with the person that you love. You are not throwing an elaborate party for the sake of throwing a party. A wedding reception is a celebration of two lives being joined. It’s not a show off of how much money you have. Keep in mind what really matters.
  • Skip the wedding planner if that doesn’t fit into your budget.
  • Strive to do this without going into debt. What amount of money are you comfortable spending? How long do you have to save up for that?
  • Create a budget carefully. Be determined to stick to your budget, but also make it realistic. This is your wedding. You want what you want. Don’t deprive yourself of everything nice. Just don’t go overboard.
  • In your budget, prioritize the top things that are most important to you. For example, the rings, the photos, and the video footage will last your entire marriage. The food will last a few days. The flowers will last a little while. The decorations are for one day. The dress will only be worn for a day or two. Decide what the top things are that you don’t want to skimp on.
  • Be selective with who you choose to invite. The bigger the wedding guest list the bigger the budget needs to be.
  • Be serious with RSVPs. If you give them the privilege of being invited to your wedding – which means you want them there enough to pay for it – then you deserve the courtesy of a timely response. RSVP is required to save your seat.
  • Don’t invite dates. It is way too expensive to invite your cousin and a fill in the blank date that you two don’t even know.
  • Ask if there are discounts for paying in full early.
  • Negotiate when the prices are too high. If you can’t afford it, then get it somewhere else. That business may or may not be able to be flexible with their charges. They do have a business to run and their own bills to pay.
  • Don’t tell the vendors it’s for a wedding if you don’t have to. Renting a reception hall for a family gathering and a wedding can be two different prices. The same goes for cakes and flowers.
  • Pass on the fancy rehearsal dinner. Keep the rehearsal casual.
  • Strive for simple.


the location for the ceremony and reception

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  • Don’t get married in a big city like New York, LA, or any metro area. Prices will be much higher. Get married somewhere that wedding vendors don’t have a lot of clients. It is much cheaper to get married in a rural area.
  • Have your wedding during the week instead of on the weekend.
  • Have your wedding outside of peak wedding season. Weddings are usually held May through November. If you can get married sometime in December through April, this will save you money.
  • Have your wedding in the morning and be home by that night. Reception vendors tend to charge more for later bookings.
  • Have your ceremony and reception in the same place instead of paying for 2 separate places to be rented and decorated.
  • Choose a more affordable venue. Your church may be free or low cost. Parks are very affordable. Event centers that aren’t wedding specific are less money.
  • If you are having a small wedding, a backyard wedding with family and friends can be beautiful.


the stationary

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  • Skip the save-the-date announcements. They are cute, but the cutesy gifts can be pricey. You can go digital with your save-the-date.
  • Make the invitations yourself. You can buy fill in the blank cards in bulk or print your own invitations if you have a printer that can print cards or photos.
  • Order custom-made invitations and other stationary directly from a printing company.
  • Make the programs yourself or with family and friends.
  • You can also make other paper crafts yourself such as the name tags for the tables.
  • To save on stamps, hand deliver the invitations to the people you know you will see or can easily stop by their house.
  • You can also hand deliver some of the thank you cards.
  • Buy blank thank you cards in bulk at low-cost stores. There’s no need for thank you cards to be custom-made for your wedding.
  • For an extremely tight budget, you could skip the stationary and go with a more casual invitation style. You can make digital invitations to email out to your guest list. Digital invites are free to do.
  • You could also compromise between paper invites and digital invites. Buy paper invitations for family and close friends. Send a digital invite to everyone else.


the wedding party

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  • Don’t let the wedding party get too big. The more bridesmaids and groomsmen you have the more money you are spending. Think about how much money you have to spend on each bridesmaid: their dresses, their shoes, possibly their jewelry, the flowers they’re going to carry, the gifts you’re going to buy them, etc… It adds up quickly. Then there’s attire and gifts for the groomsmen. Best man and maid/matron of honor may get additional gifts. There’s also the ring-bearer and the flower girl(s). The bigger the wedding party the bigger that part of the budget has to be.
  • Rent the attire for the wedding party.
  • Try shopping right after prom or homecoming.
  • Shop for your bridesmaids’ accessories such as shoes and purses somewhere besides the bridal shops and formal retailers. Department stores can have cute accessories.
  • You can make your own bridesmaid dresses.
  • Pre-owned bridesmaids’ dresses are still good dresses.
  • There are a lot of nice dresses that aren’t made for formal occasions. Your bridesmaids could get matching dresses from any store. The wedding party doesn’t have to be formal. I’ve also seen bridesmaids wear matching skirts and dress shirts or sweaters. That’s affordable and can be worn again.
  • Consider letting the wedding party not be 100% matching. Let them go with a color and choose their own dress. That may give some flexibility in each person’s budget.
  • Sometimes a bride and groom will ask the wedding party to purchase their own attire.
  • Skip hiring a makeup artist for the bridal party.
  • Skip paying for manicures for the bridal party.
  • Skip the wedding party. Focus on the bride and groom. It’s all about the couple anyway. Some people are content without a wedding party. For others, they dream of having their sisters and friends as bridesmaids. Do what is right for you.


the bridal attire

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  • Some brides choose to buy a dress for the ceremony and another dress for the reception. Purchasing only one dress is a big money saver.
  • It’s not uncommon for women to buy a new dress for the rehearsal. That’s not necessary. You can skip that for a little savings.
  • Designer brands are going to cost quite a lot more. Choose a brand that isn’t associated with high price tags.
  • Choose simple elegance. The more elaborate a dress is the more expensive it is going to be. It’s up to you how much you’re comfortable paying for a dress intended for one day.
  • Shop at bridal stores that are in less visited areas. They are more likely to have lower prices than stores in big cities.
  • Buy a dress off the rack and alter it yourself.
  • Choose less expensive fabrics for your wedding dress.
  • Consider renting a wedding dress.
  • The bride can buy a formal dress not labeled as a wedding dress. You may be able to order it in white. You can also wear a colored dress. There are gorgeous dresses out there in many colors that would make a great wedding dress. While brides are spending around $1800 on average for the dress alone, ordering a formal dress not intended for brides can easily be less than $200.
  • If you or someone close to you is very talented at sewing, you can make your own wedding dress.
  • A pre-owned wedding dress is fine.
  • You can borrow a wedding dress from a friend.
  • You don’t have to buy new clothes. There are a lot of people who get married in clothes they’ve owned for a while. Not having a $$$$ wedding dress doesn’t make your marriage less valid. Do what you can with the budget you have. It’s okay for the bride to wear a nice church dress and the groom to wear a suit he regularly wears to church.
  • Choose to buy outfits that you can wear again. It used to be common for women to wear colored dresses and that dress would then become a nice church dress.
  • Casual weddings are the right fit for some couples. You’re allowed to wear a sundress for your wedding. The groom is allowed to wear khakis and a button up shirt with or without a tie.
  • Make your own veil.
  • Skip the veil if you want to.
  • Don’t buy your shoes from a bridal store. You can get dress shoes at a department store.
  • You can also wear nice shoes that you already own. If you’ve got a pair of shoes you love that would look great, why not?
  • Style your own hair or have a close friend do your hair.
  • Go light on the jewelry and accessories. A simple look is a timeless bride.


the rings

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  • As with all things, shop around. A diamond ring of similar style and quality can be very different prices depending on where you’re shopping. Christmas time and Valentine’s Day always have sales on wedding rings.
  • Save money by getting fewer carats of gold.
  • You can save a lot by going with a diamond that’s fewer carats. The carat of a diamond is its weight. Try buying just shy of a carat and half carat mark.
  • You can save a large amount of money by choosing a gemstone other than a diamond. A diamond is beautiful and it is traditional, but there are other beautiful gemstones. White sapphire can be a more affordable option for a similar look. If she loves rubies, why not consider a ruby with small diamonds on the side? Do inquire about the durability of daily use on the gemstone of interest. Diamonds are the hardest gemstone and good for wedding rings. Some gemstones may be too soft to wear every day for 50 years.
  • Cubic zirconia or moissanite can be an option.
  • You would save a lot of money if you chose plain wedding bands with no gemstones.
  • Something else you can do is to get plain bands when you get married. Then save up the money to buy your dream rings.
  • She doesn’t have to have an engagement ring plus a wedding band. One ring is perfectly beautiful.
  • Tungsten is a cheaper metal that can be used as an alternative to gold. They also come in a variety of colors and patterns.
  • Titanium wedding bands are cheaper than gold, but look fairly similar to white gold.
  • Stainless steel rings are a very affordable option. They are long lasting and very durable. They can look pretty similar to gold rings. They also come in colors. You can get a stainless-steel band for under $20. The cheapest ones are plain bands. They can have patterns on them. They can have diamonds or other gemstones. They’re very creative looking. You may be able to get both his and her rings plus engravings for less than $50. Stainless steel bands may not be what you had in mind, but if you don’t have room in the budget for gold and diamonds this allows you to have a very affordable set of rings.
  • Wooden rings are also an option. They can be plain or have gemstones.
  • You can find decent pre-owned wedding rings for sale. A vintage ring from a family member can be sentimental… and free.
  • Silicone bands only cost a few dollars.
  • While rings are the norm in our culture, they are not absolutely necessary. Some religious groups do not wear jewelry at all. Others may not wear rings out of their own personal preference. It is possible to get married without a ring for either spouse. Couples may or may not purchase rings at a later date.


the wedding cake and other food

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  • The more guests you have the more food you have to buy. Smaller weddings are more affordable.
  • Consider catering from restaurants instead of catering companies.
  • Don’t serve alcohol.
  • Have a morning wedding with coffee and brunch instead of a meal.
  • Skip serving a meal to a large group of people by having an evening wedding with dessert afterwards.
  • Have a buffet.
  • Wedding cakes do not have to be tiered. You can get sheet cakes for much, much cheaper. You can have multiple smaller cakes of different flavors with different looks for a lot cheaper than you can have one big, fancy cake. You could make several round cakes that are one layer, creatively display them on a cake table with decorations, have the same amount of food to eat, and save a ton by it not being tiered.
  • Have the family get together and bake smaller cakes. Of course, you want people that are good at baking and cake decorating using recipes that you two have tried and like.
  • Make your own wedding cake.
  • Choose a cake alternative such as cupcakes or pie.
  • For a smaller wedding with only close family and friends, have a potluck. You provide the main dish. Ask family and friends to bring in side dishes and desserts to share.
  • It’s a waste of money for leftover food to be thrown away. Make sure people take home the food or donate it.
  • If you’re going to have favors that are food, see what you can make yourself or purchase in bulk affordably.
  • If your budget is really tight and you are having a small wedding, you can do the ceremony at a low-cost location such as church, a park, or even at home. Then have everyone go out to eat at your chosen restaurant after the ceremony. Or you could have your ceremony near restaurants and people can bring their food back to the church or to a park for a picnic. A wedding at the park followed by a picnic is an option.


the flowers

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  • Choose flowers that are native to your area. Exotic flowers are a gorgeous way to break the bank.
  • Choose flowers that are in season where you live.
  • Choose less expensive flowers. Roses are gorgeous, but not inexpensive. There are plenty of other flowers that are pretty that don’t cost as much.
  • You can get flowers from Farmer’s Markets and grocery stores cheaper than a floral shop. Many also have beautiful flowers. Inquire about purchasing in bulk or planning ahead to order for your wedding day.
  • In season, purchase directly from a flower farm.
  • Go with smaller or simple bouquets.
  • Grow your own flowers. Ask family and friends to help you with this. This does require an engagement that lasts long enough to be able to plant them and tend to them. You also need to be able to arrange them nicely in a timely manner.
  • Again, the size of the wedding party is going to increase costs. The maid of honor and each bridesmaid will have a bouquet.
  • Fake flowers from craft stores can be a budget option.
  • Have the flower girls scatter fake flower petals from a crafts store. That’s cheaper than real flower petals and you don’t have to worry about stains. You could put them back in the box after the wedding to be passed on to your family and friends.
  • Your centerpieces at your reception don’t have to have flowers. You could do a few flowers on certain tables, but choose non-floral décor for the guest tables.


the decoration

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  • Hit the clearance section after the season is over. If you know you’re getting married next year in October, buy the decorations this November and December.
  • Make the decorations yourself. Go to an affordable craft store and make the decorations at home.
  • There are tons of baskets, jars, and decorative glass to be found at thrift stores. Get creative.
  • Instead of matching centerpieces, try decorating each table with its own unique look using what you can find.
  • If you have bought linens and accessories, keep them to let family and friends borrow for their events or donate them to the church to be used by others for free. If your family or any friends do this, consider borrowing what they offer.
  • Depending on the area you live, you may be able to rent decorations for a few days cheaper than it costs to buy them.


entertainment

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  • If you are having a live band, musicians, or a DJ, stick to the schedule to avoid being charged for going over the time stated in the contract.
  • Use CDs with a good stereo instead of paying for a live band.
  • Make your own playlist and connect it to a speaker.
  • If you do want live music, ask someone you know that would enjoy taking a little bit of their time to play an instrument and/or sing.


photography and videography

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  • Choose a photographer who is experienced, but fits the budget. Make a reasonable budget for this. Photography is an expensive business to run. I do recommend ordering photos through your professional photographer. One bad way to save money is getting the photo disc and ordering prints from your local department store. The quality of the photos will not be the same.
  • Ask guests to take pictures with their cameras or even their phones and send them to you within 2 weeks so you have all the pictures that were taken.


the honeymoon

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  • One week is cheaper than two. A weekend getaway is likely affordable even by those with a strict budget. Make the most of this new chapter in your life.
  • Make your honeymoon somewhere in the continental U.S. that is not a common tourist destination. Of course, leaving the country will be your most expensive option. A tourist destination will be expensive. What are the biggest things you want from your honeymoon? Do you want to be on a beach? Do you want to be in a cabin stargazing while nestled in the mountains? Where are all the places you can get that? Choose lesser-known beaches or mountain towns. You can also look at the surrounding areas to your dream honeymoon. What are the options within an hour of that dream destination that’s a bit out of your budget? A hotel 20 minutes from that tourist town can be a very different price than the hotel in that tourist town’s downtown area right next to all the activities. You may be able to afford that destination you thought you couldn’t if you stay a short commute away.
  • Schedule your honeymoon outside of peak travel season.
  • Rent somewhere that has a fridge and stove so you can buy groceries and cook instead of eating out.
  • If needed, you can take your honeymoon a while after the wedding. Take a few paychecks to save up some money for the honeymoon.
  • Some people will skip a honeymoon for financial reasons. Nobody wants to miss out on their dream honeymoon, but forgoing a honeymoon is a reality for quite a few couples. If you can’t afford to do a honeymoon now, maybe you can save up and have a really nice couple’s vacation for your one-year anniversary.


One more thing...

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I should mention one more thing. Eloping is an option. You could have a last-minute wedding in a park with family and friends. You could do a casual ceremony at your church and skip the formal reception. Courthouse weddings are a choice. Eloping can be a financial choice. It could be a personal preference of the couple. Either way it’s the most affordable way to get married. Do what’s right for you.

All of these things being said, you certainly don’t have to do each one of these things. Figure out your budget. Do what you are able to within that budget. Plan your dream wedding. Get as close as you can.


Here are two more things you can do...

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Here are 2 more things that can give you more money in your wedding budget.
  1. Start saving back for your big day long before you get engaged. Single ladies do this all the time. Envelope budget, bride-to-be!
  2. Once you are engaged, utilize chapter 6 in this book to the max. Take your savings and add the money to your wedding budget.
Learn more about the book
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What did you do to save money on your wedding? Tell me in the comments below.
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What I actually do as a doula

22/9/2023

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You’ve heard that a doula is a professional support person for birth, but maybe you’re not sure what that means exactly. Here is a breakdown of the things that I do prenatally, at the birth, and postpartum.   
 
I serve the Dayton, Ohio area as a birth doula.


Prenatally

We have a couple of prenatal appointments.
  • Our first appointment includes the intake. This is where I get to know the family and more about what they want for their birth. I ask about learning styles, preferences on a lot of things, and go through a list of things they may want more information about.
  • We talk about birth plans! I want to know what is important to them. Things don’t always go as planned, but it always matters to me to know what matters to them. I want to know what’s most important, what they are looking forward to most, what they fear, and how they feel on different things such as pain management or interventions.
  • We also talk about their experience so far in the healthcare system with their maternity care. I ask them how they feel about their care, how they are being treated, how communication is going, etc.
  • We talk about patient rights.
  • We also talk about navigating communication in the healthcare system.
  • If they are not happy with their care, I offer insight on birth locations and providers that may align more with the care they are looking for.
  • My favorite appointment is the class on coping with contractions. We talk about a lot and really focus on learning the different options for preparing to labor.
  • I assist the dad in learning how to take care of his wife during birth.
  • If momma wants to have other family members or friends support her birth, they are invited to the prenatal on coping with contractions. I will teach them how to support birth as well.
  • If they need it, we can go over the basics of childbirth education. In that, we also talk about ways to help labor progress and what kinds of things I can do that may help them have a shorter labor and smoother birth.
  • If needed, I also have a breastfeeding basics class we can do an additional appointment for.
  • If requested, I can attend one prenatal appointment with their provider.
 
Outside of those appointments, we keep in touch.
  • I’m available by phone whenever they need me. That’s not just for the birth. If they have questions prenatally, they can text me anytime.
  • The client may give me a quick update after prenatal appointments with their provider.
  • I check in by text every now and then to see how everything is going.
  • I am always available for education and support related to their pregnancy, birth, postpartum, or healthcare. Ask me anything.
  • I share resources in the community or online that they have asked for or I think may be helpful to them.
  • I email or text educational links and videos.
  • I write handouts and blogs by request.
  • I can also research questions for them so they don’t have to take the time to do so. Want to know the top-rated car seat? I’ll do that research for you. Looking for statistics on something? Let me hunt that down for you. This saves the parents time, and I enjoy research.
  • As we reach the end of the pregnancy, I double check my list of the topics they wanted more information on.
  • I also send emails/resources to prepare for postpartum.
  • Of course, I send breastfeeding education as needed.
  • My goal is to get mothers and their husbands as prepared for birth educationally, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as I can.
  • I also pray for my clients to have healthy babies and healthy pregnancies + births.
 
Throughout the pregnancy, we communicate regularly. I get to know them better and that allows me to serve them better at the birth. 


At the birth

When it’s time for the birth, I come as soon as they want me to. Some want me right away. Others want to let things pick up for a bit first. Some want me to meet them at home. Others want me to meet them at the hospital. If she goes into labor naturally, it tends to be at night. There’s something about going out to my van in the middle of the night carrying all my bags in the cool air under the stars that I absolutely love. It’s invigorating. I’m a night owl to the core, and am more than happy to head out to work at 2am.
 
Support looks different depending on where she is at in labor. This is also highly individual. In early labor, things are generally pretty casual. I may be fairly hands-off because she doesn’t need any hands-on support yet. As things get more intense, I get more hands-on. There’s a stereotype that women don’t like to be touched during transition. For some, that’s true. For others, they get clingy during transition (which is actually my preference). What support looks like is going to vary a lot from person to person and birth to birth. I always tell my mommas what I need most from them is to be comfortable communicating with me. Don’t hesitate to tell me what you want and don’t want. I am here to serve you.
 
LABOR
Here are some things that I typically do during labor. What needs done when is a very intuitive process.
 
Physical support:
  • Hip squeezes for days. I do a lot of counter-pressure.
  • Prenatally, we talk about and practice different coping techniques. I take notes on what they like and what they don’t. When it comes time, I gently remind them of the things they can do. I never tell them what to do. I always word it as options and there are always alternatives. It’s 100% okay to say you don’t want to try that right now. We’ve got plenty of things to choose from.
  • I offer suggestions on coping if they seem like they need it.
  • I offer suggestions on positioning.
  • I get out the support supplies I bring. I also get out the supplies in the hospital room such as birth balls, peanut balls, squat bars, etc. I’ll give a quick reminder how to use them. In labor, I won’t go over all the options with each support tool. I’ll give one or two and see how she feels about it.
  • Throughout labor, I will offer different support supplies or bring them near if we need them. I find some support tools are better at different points in labor. What we do in early labor is different than what we do in transition. Typically, people pick a few tools and those are what they prefer. No one uses all the tools in the bag, and that’s okay. We’ll find what works best for her specifically.
  • I come with my walking shoes on. We walk the halls a lot. We also squat in the halls, do counter-pressure in the halls, and smile at the other mommas doing the same. As we are walking, I carry whatever she needs me to. If she’s on a wireless monitor that has a box and strap, I’ll carry it for her. If she has an IV, I’ll roll it. And I might fan her with the hand fan I keep in my front pocket as she labors. One of the things I usually have in my pockets is a hand fan.
  • This one might sound weird, but I pay attention to how long it’s been since she peed. A full bladder can hinder the uterus from contracting. If I notice their contractions are spacing out, I’ll ask if they need to pee. Sometimes they have a hard time knowing if they have a full bladder because there is increasing pressure from the baby moving down.
  • If they get nauseas, I keep alcohol swabs in my pocket. I can dodge for an emesis bag quickly. If they throw up, I clean them up (and the floor or whatever it hit).
  • Bloody show can happen before labor or not. It can be a little bit or a lot. Sometimes it’s drip drops. Other times it runs down their leg a bit. If they get messy, I glove up and wipe them off. If it’s on their thighs, I always ask if they’re comfortable if I clean their thighs off before I touch them.
  • I am big on consent. I check in with her often to see what she wants, how she’s feeling about it, what she’s okay with, if she’s comfortable, and seek feedback from her. We talk about this prenatally as well. I always want people to feel safe with me. For example, in my class on coping with contractions I teach hip squeezes for counter-pressure. I will ask if she’s comfortable if I squeeze her hips. Anything that might be personal space for them, I want to check in and make sure they are comfortable with that kind of touch. I know for me birth is normal life and I’m both aware and comfortable, but for them this type of care is vulnerable and they may not know what to expect.
  • If they want to get in the shower, I help them with that. I will get the water going, help them into the tub/shower, and stay by their side. Sometimes I will take the showerhead and spray hot water on their back. Other times, I will do counter-pressure while they are in the shower. If they want to actually shower and get cleaned up, I can help with that. They may want a full shower especially if they’ve been in labor a while or they may just want hot water on their back. The shower is a great option when active labor is getting intense.
  • If the exercise of labor is making her warm, I’ll grab a cool washcloth. These are great on the forehead or neck. I also have ice packs I can fill up with ice or cold water for her to hold onto or put on.
  • On the other hand, if she’s cold I’ll go get her a warm blanket and try to keep her cozy. Sometimes people will go back and forth between hot and cold with all the hormones.
  • Another way I support them physically is by bringing a drink of water to them. Depending on the hospital, I may be the one to go refill the water or it may be a nurse.
  • I also bring them their snacks. If she needs me to open it and/or hand it to her, I’m right here.
  • I do whatever I can to comfort the laboring mother and help her cope with the process.
  • If she needs a hand to hold, I’m here. If she needs to lean on me, feel welcome. Whatever you need, let me know or just go ahead and we’ll roll with it.
  • The mother leads how hands-on or hands-off she wants people to be. If she wants hands-on support, I’m right there. If she wants to lay down and rest a few minutes, I’m either on the couch or sitting on the chair by her side. If she needs some space, I totally understand.
 
If she gets an epidural, I sit by her while she rests. I keep watch. We can chit-chat if she’s up for it. I can help the nurses reposition her, but I won’t reposition a patient with an epidural by myself. If there are two nurses in the room, they may do it. If there’s one, I help. Whether or not they want help varies by the individual nurse. Even with an epidural, I am still helping with peanut ball positions.
 
Emotional support and mindset:
  • I encourage.
  • I also listen and validate. I hear you. If you tell me your back hurts, I’m not going to say something like “You’re doing great!” I’m going to ask if you want to try the TENS machine or get in the shower or whatever I can suggest to actually help you. I hear you.
  • I pay attention to how they are coping. When the mind hits its limits, the body may need something else for relief.
  • I talk to them in between contractions. I try not to talk to someone during a contraction while they are focusing.
  • I follow her lead on how talkative we are. In early labor, we chat more. As things progress, we get more quiet and calm. We go more inward and intuitive with the process. There is a quietness to labor. There’s a lot of in between moments.
  • I hold space for her. I’m here. Whatever you need, I’m here to support you. Sometimes that looks like companionship coming alongside someone in moments that they are coping well on their own.
  • Labor is a process to get their baby from their womb to their chest. I occasionally direct their mindset to be focused on the purpose here by talking about the baby. How much do you think she’ll weigh? He’ll be here soon. If they have a name picked out, I think it helps to use their name and talk about the person that is joining their family. 
  • We can talk through things and process things. If she has a decision to make and she wants to talk through it, we do that. If she needs help processing how things are going, we can talk about it.
 
Spiritually:
I run a Christian business. My classes and doula services are faith-based. In the coping with contractions class, we talk about trusting in Jesus, having scriptures to remind us of truth, and we have faith-based affirmations.
  • If they’ve got flashcards made with scriptures, we can hang them up in the birth space if they want to.
  • If they have affirmations made, we can hang those as well.
  • I do have flashcards and pens in my doula bag if they want to make them. I also have tape.
  • I have several playlists of worship music. I encourage them to make a playlist with the kind of worship music they like. If they don’t get time to do that, we can either pick something as we go or we can use my playlists. Worship is the thing that changes the atmosphere more than anything else. They may prefer things to be quieter, but if they are up for music let’s worship during labor.
  • If they want to, we can pray. I pray for my clients prenatally and pray on the way to them or the hospital as well. Some want to pray together and others don’t. It’s totally up to them.
  • We also talk about God throughout care. I try to keep things Christ-centered.
 
Environmentally:
The environment of the birth space is also something I work on.
  • I want to nurture a calm environment.
  • I can dim the lights for them or go turn them off.
  • I can put up string lights. I adore these!
  • If we are at home, we can light candles. If we are in the hospital, I can put out electric candles or battery-operated tealights.
  • If they brought anything that comforts them, I may ask them if they want that item. Sometimes they’ll bring their own blankets because hospital blankets aren’t very cozy.
  • If mom is up for it, we can play worship music or nature music. I have plenty of playlists with worship music. I also have a whole bunch of playlists with nature music, rain sounds, ocean sounds, soft piano, and other soothing sounds. All of those playlists are publicly available on YouTube.
  • I strive to cultivate the birth space to be how she wants it to be.
 
Socially:
  • I will ask prenatally who they want there at the birth. I can help them facilitate communication on this.
  • I’ll usually hit the call button for them. Sometimes they get nervous or are hesitant to hit the button. Let me know what you need and I’ll let them know.
  • Depending on the topic, I can talk to the staff about what they want. The patient has to answer any medical questions and anything they have to consent to, but if it’s things like “She wants to know if she can have Zofran.” or “Are there any more pillows available?” I’m more than happy to talk to the staff for the momma in labor.
  • We can navigate communicating with the staff. If there’s something that’s bothering the mom, let’s talk about how we can address it. If she has questions but doesn’t know quite how to ask about something, I can offer suggestions for communication. If there’s an issue with a lack of consent, I will direct attention to the patient by saying things like “Are you okay with ____?” politely and very much in front of the healthcare worker who did not get consent as they should. Or if it’s something like her wanting to emphasize part of her birth plan, I can aid in communication with the staff and we can talk about what that looks like first.
 
Progress:
  • One of the things I do in addition to support is help aid labor progress. We’ll do lots of movement. A natural birth is an active birth. I’ll help the birthing mother be calm and relaxed as much as possible. We’ll use things like dim lighting to help melatonin kick up the oxytocin. We’ll get on the birth ball. We may use a peanut ball. I’ll ask what station baby is at with each exam, and I’ll recommend positions based on fetal station to help them through that section of the pelvis. Doulas do more than support birth. We help labor go faster and smoother as well.
 
Education:
I am passionate about education. I love to teach. I continue teaching in the birth.
  • I answer whatever questions I can.
  • If it’s a question their provider or nurse needs to answer, I can use the call button for them or remind them about the question next time they come in the room.
  • I explain what things are and what they are for.
  • If something is being done and I can tell momma doesn’t know what’s going on but the staff isn’t explaining it, I’ll explain what they’re doing (or ask mom if she has any questions).
 
Also:
  • I take a thousand pictures. I don’t have a professional camera. I have an iPhone and I will literally take hundreds of pictures.
  • I support the dad as well. I help him help her. I guide him in coping techniques and supporting birth. I check in to make sure he is staying hydrated and has eaten something.
  • I guide the other support people in how they can support this momma.
  • I get to stay at the bedside. That is unique to doula work. The nurses spend little time at the bedside. Even if they are in the room, they have to focus on meds and monitors and charting. They don’t get to help very much with labor support. One of my favorite things about doula work vs considering going into nursing is that I genuinely get to be at the bedside taking care of people.  
  • I’m a steady person that doesn’t clock out or trade out. That brings them comfort to have someone consistent. In the hospital, they see the doctor very little before delivery. The nurses pop in and out, but may have more than one patient. They do shift work. You will go through several nurses during your time in L&D. There are techs and other workers who make their way in and out of the room as well. Then there are baby nurses and sometimes NICU. That doesn’t count postpartum nurses and lactation consultants. There may also be residents and students that all trade out with shift work. I stay. You will have the same doula your whole pregnancy, your whole labor no matter how many days it is, during delivery, and after birth. After so many hours, I may need to run home to tend to my family or take a shower. I try really hard not to need to leave people though. If that means I’m there for 20some or 30some or even 40some hours straight, that’s why I pack a bag. When the hours pass and it seems like it’s shift change already, I’m not leaving you.
 
DELIVERY
  • Sometimes delivery comes quickly and other times we have more time to work with. If there’s time before we start pushing, I like to have a couple things ready. I want to make sure her water is full. I like a freshly cold washcloth ready. Lip balm needs to be out and quickly accessible because all that breathing baby down can cause chapped lips. I also like to put peppermint oil on cotton balls inside a sandwich bag she can sniff if she gets nauseas. That’s what I like to have set up.
  • Prenatally we go over options for delivery positions. Sometimes those plans change. Before we get to that point, I’m going to ask if she still wants such and such. A good provider will try different positions and different pushing techniques to find what works best for that person. What works well for one doesn’t always work well for another. It can be a good thing to try different positions.
  • Depending on the provider and staff, I may help coach pushing. This is more likely with midwives.
  • I may be the one (or one of the people) counting if that is the style of pushing they are doing.
  • I am at the bedside right next to her during delivery. If she is delivering on her back with her legs in stirrups/leg rests, I am likely holding a leg (if she is okay with this position).
  • I’ve got sips of water to give, lip balm to put on as needed, and I may be putting a cool washcloth on her.
  • I give reassurance that things are going normally (when they are). It can be overwhelming to deliver a baby, especially when things are taking a while and surely feels far longer than it is.
  • I check on Dad and any support people to see if they are doing okay. I also want to make sure in advance (if there’s time) that Daddy and any support people have had something to eat in recent hours and have water to sip on. Delivery can actually take a few hours. Especially first-time mommas, they may be pushing for 2 or 3 or sometimes even 4 hours.
  • One of my goals during delivery is to calm and steady. Sometimes daddies and lay support people can get panicky when it comes time to push.
  • I take pictures as able. Sometimes I will hand my phone off to one of the staff so they can get some great shots of the delivery. If the mom wants me to, I can focus on pictures and step back a bit to get photos of the delivery. We talk about in advance what kinds of pictures she wants and doesn’t want.  
 
What if she has a c-section?
In a c-section, I can come in the OR and sit by the mother for delivery. I’m a hand to hold and someone to talk with the momma. We can play music if she wants. I can take pictures. Doulas are for c-sections too. The OR can be a scary place, and I believe the attitude of the people around her make a difference in her birth experience.
 
What if there are complications?
It depends on what’s going on. In most cases, I am able stay right by her side. In some cases, I may need to step back if it’s an emergency. Or I may be right there if it’s an emergency. It depends on what’s going on and largely depends on how the provider + staff responds. Really more than anything else it depends on if that hospital and that particular provider and those particular nurses are comfortable working with a doula at the bedside during the specific event. In cases where I do have to step back, I will return to her side as quickly as possible.
 
One of my biggest goals in a medical complication or an emergency is to be the calm presence. I want to stay by their side and comfort them. If they know something is going on and they don’t understand what is happening, I don’t want them to look up at me and see fear or panic. No matter what, God is in the room. There’s a whole team in here to take care of this. They train for this. If I’m able to stay at the bedside, I will be talking to the momma during the complication and trying to offer comfort or distraction (if distraction is appropriate). I want to be calm and comforting during complications. I think that makes a big difference in experiencing complications. If the people around freak out, that’s a drastically different birth experience than if the people surrounding her stay calm.
 
RIGHT AFTER BIRTH
  • I take as many pictures as I can. I know those first moments after birth the memory can become a blur. I want to photograph every little detail, the wrinkles on the baby’s toes, the vernix on their skin, their parent’s hands on them, all the things. I will try to take videos too. I want the parents to have a clip of their baby’s cry on their first day here.
  • I stay by Mom’s side during stage 3 (delivery of the placenta).
  • If able (and this depends on the staff) we can show the parents the placenta.
  • I encourage skin to skin during the golden hour. 
  • I stay on typically an hour or two after delivery. I sometimes stay longer than that. It depends on their needs. I want to get them settled in and comfortable before I go.


Postpartum

  • We schedule our postpartum follow-up appointment whenever the mother wants to. It can be a week later or 2 months later. Whatever works for her. That postpartum appointment is to discuss the birth, process through things if need be, ask about her healing physically, make sure the baby is doing well, assess breastfeeding, and ask how the whole family is doing.
  • I check up on mental health again about 2 months postpartum.
  • I personally end services at 12 weeks instead of 6 weeks because I want to make sure they are stable and well-adjusted.
  • If they have any questions about newborn care, they are welcome to ask. I can text info, send videos, share resources, or refer to the appropriate source.
  • In the early postpartum days, we may continue to talk/text fairly often. As the weeks go on, they settle into their new family and we talk less.
  • At 3 months postpartum, I formally close services. I’m still here though if they need to contact me.


Breastfeeding support

  • The level of breastfeeding support a doula provides is going to depend on the additional credentials she has gained. Some have lactation training and some do not. I am a certified breastfeeding specialist. I am able to help with establishing breastfeeding and uncomplicated cases. If there are issues with lactation or the baby’s ability to eat, I may need to refer to pediatricians or IBCLCs.
  • I teach breastfeeding positions.
  • I teach how to get a proper latch.
  • I answer their questions.
  • If they haven’t breastfed before, we’ll go over the basics.
  • After the birth and again at the postpartum appointment, I will check on baby’s latch.
  • I’ll check in via text and ask how breastfeeding is going. I want to make sure baby is gaining weight well and diapers are what they should be for a healthy breastfed baby.
  • We can do additional appointments for lactation support if needed.


Overall

  • Overall, it is my job to help a woman and her husband/partner prepare for the birth physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
  • I want to improve outcomes. Doulas make a difference. Read this blog to learn more about how doulas improve outcomes.
  • I want to improve their birth experience. I want you to feel safe, respected, and honored during your birth experience. I want you to feel well-cared for. I want you to be empowered. I want you to be supported. That’s why privately hired doulas that don’t work for the hospitals are such a great asset.
  • I take the time during each pregnancy to really get to know that family and think on how I can best support them.
  • I stay with you. I don’t clock out. After so many hours, I may need to go home for a break to check in with my family, feed my pets, take a shower, get something to eat, etc. I try really hard not to need to leave. Sometimes labor can last a few days. I do have pets that have to be fed. I need to eat as well. Usually, my family can take care of things at home and I can stay with the momma as many hours as she needs. Typically, I am able to stay even if that means working 40 hours straight (after about 30-35 hours awake I need a little nap). I don’t want to clock in and clock out. I want to genuinely come alongside families and journey with them.
  • I continue to check-in with families postpartum.
  • And I pray for my clients and students.
 
This is what I do as a doula.
 
As Christians, we are each called to serve others. I love that God called me to serve in this way. It’s a beautiful career. If you want to be supported by a doula or you are seeking education, I’d love to hear from you. I serve within about an hour and a half of Dayton, Ohio.
 
Here is my doula page.
 
If you had a doula at your birth(s), what was your favorite thing she did for you?
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Extremely low budget foods

23/6/2023

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We all have times that money is extra tight and the food budget is crunched. Here is a list of extremely low budget foods. If you need a list of over 100 ways to save on food, read Happily Frugal.
This is from chapter 12 in my book, Happily Frugal.
Learn more about Happily Frugal
 Breakfast
  • Eggs and toast
  • Oatmeal from steel cut oats
  • Pancakes
  • Muffins
 
Lunch or dinner
  • Peanut butter sandwich
  • Grilled cheese sandwich
  • Tuna sandwich  
  • Egg salad sandwich
  • Mayo, lettuce, and tomato sandwich
  • Pantry dump casserole
  • Veggie stew (potatoes, carrots, green beans, top with sour cream)
  • Vegetarian chili
  • Tuna noodles
  • Any pasta that is noodles with sauce and veggies or beans, but no meat or expensive cheese
  • Boxed mac and cheese
  • Spanish rice casserole
  • Bean burritos
  • Spaghettios
 
Side dishes
  • Biscuits
  • Hashbrowns
  • Homemade bread
  • Bread and butter
  • Potatoes any way you like them
  • Green beans
  • Corn 
  • Cornbread
  • Stuffing
  • Beans
  • Rice (white, brown, Spanish, packets of flavored rice)
 
Snacks
  • Hard boiled eggs
  • Crackers and peanut butter
  • Cheese and crackers
  • Toast with butter or jelly
 
Dessert
  • Popcorn
  • Gelatin dessert
  • Pudding
  • Cake that is homemade – even from a box it’s cheap per serving
  • Muffin bread (take 2 muffin mix bags and make a loaf with it)
 
Others
  • Anything from the garden
 
What else can you think of? Comment below.
 
Get Happily Frugal Here
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Birth support from family and friends

17/3/2023

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This blog is for comfort measures from family and friends as birth support. For coping methods the woman can use and her support people can help with, see the coping with contractions blog.
 
Come into the birth space with reverence and respect. Listen to the birthing mother. Communicate on how she wants to be cared for. Wholeheartedly support her choices that she decides are right for her. Birth is a sacred space. Supporting birth is to work on sacred grounds.
 
Support what she wants for her healthcare and her body throughout maternity care especially birth. Genuinely support her preferences for her birth and her baby.
 
Refrain from talking about yourself or your preferences and the choices you would make. Stay focused on supporting her. Be careful not to pressure someone to make different choices based on what you feel is best. Do not downplay someone’s birth plan or breastfeeding goals due to your own experiences not following plan. Support her and if you can’t help her through something find resources for her.
 
Encourage her. Believe in her. Meet her emotional needs. Speak her affirmations and remind her of the scriptures that comfort her.
 
Listen to what she’s saying. Hear her. We need to find balance between statements of encouragement and statements of validation. For example, if she says “My back really hurts!” and her support partner says “You’re doing great!” that doesn’t really help her. Eventually, she will feel her statements are being dismissed and no one is really listening. Acknowledge that you hear her saying her back hurts. Ask how you can help or try a few suggestions for her back pain. Encouraging statements mean a lot coming from someone you love, but we need to use active listening skills too.
 
Offer guidance on different things y’all can try. It may be better to discuss an option in between contractions rather than during. Use suggestions rather than commands. Instead of “Do this.” or “Try this.” think about saying things like “Do you want to try ____?” or “I wonder if it would help if we _____.” or “How do you feel about doing ____?” We want to speak in a way that respects autonomy and has the patient leading their care.
 
Ask for consent before trying something for the first time especially if it’s an intimate technique. For example, hip squeezes are loved by many women but if they’re not familiar with that technique it may catch them off guard to have someone come up behind them and grab them. If possible, explain or demonstrate on yourself where you’ll put your hands for a method.
 
Use the coping techniques that provide her with some relief or comfort. Communicate about what those things are. Read the blog on coping with contractions.  
 
Invite feedback on your support. Is she comfortable? Welcome communication such as “Let me know if anything is uncomfortable” or “Please be comfortable telling me what you like and don’t like or if you want me to adjust anything.” Pregnancy has its discomforts and sometimes what is fine non-pregnant can be uncomfortable during pregnancy especially towards the end. Also communicate that you are here to support her and please let you know if there’s anything specific she wants. Remind her to not hesitate to ask to be served. This is her time to be catered to.
 
Help her get into her rhythm and work through each contraction.
 
Nurture her.
 
Meet and match. Then guide her in the right direction. Meet her where she is at. If she needs guidance in breathing better or vocalizing in a more open way, match what she is doing. Breathe/vocalize with her. Then guide her.
 
Influence the environment to be calm and comfortable for her.
 
Pray over her and the baby. Pray together (when she’s up for talking). 
 
Worship together. Help her build worship playlists to prepare for birth. You can play worship music during labor (if she’s up for music). You can also worship without music if she prefers the room to be quieter.  
 
Simply love on her. Be by her side. Be a companion of support and comfort.
 
Pamper her. Make her feel special. A birthing woman should be pampered just as much as a bride.
 
Sometimes family members and friends struggle seeing their loved one in pain. It can be tempting to want her to have pain relief. If she does not want an epidural, don’t push her to get an epidural. Make peace with this pain having a purpose – to bring forth life. This is something her body is designed to do. Trust in that. If she feels like she failed at her goals, this will impact how she views her birth experience for the rest of her life. On the flip side, it’s okay if she genuinely changes her mind on her own. Support her in however the journey goes.
 
As labor intensifies, the support she needs will change. This is normal. If you have a doula with the birth team, the doula will guide you in support throughout the process. Remember your presence and emotional involvement is the greatest support. Love her through it.
 
Know that we never really know how a woman will feel during labor. Some want to isolate; others want to stick close to their comfort people. Some want to hug on you; others don’t want to be touched. Some are quiet; some are loud. All of these things are normal and okay. Don’t take it as rejection if a laboring woman gets to a point that she doesn’t want to be touched. Her body can get overwhelmed with stimulation as it comes closer to delivering.
 
Throughout pregnancy, discuss birth preparation. Try out the different coping techniques and comfort measures. Practice with her. Let her guide you in how support feels best to her.
 
 
 
What did your family and friends do to support you? Comment below.
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Birth support from husbands

17/3/2023

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This blog is for comfort measures from husbands/partners supporting their wives during labor and delivery. For coping methods the woman can use and her partner can help with, see the coping with contractions blog.
 
Support is going to be unique to each person. What’s her love language? How do you comfort her outside of pregnancy and birth?
 
Your presence and emotional involvement matters most.
 
Above all, it is daddy’s job to be her safe space and protect her birth space.
 
Guard the boundaries with visitors and contacts (cell phones going off) so she can focus on what her body needs to do.
 
Support what she wants for her healthcare and her body throughout maternity care especially birth.
 
Be her advocate.
 
Encourage her. Believe in her. Meet her emotional needs. Speak her affirmations and remind her of the scriptures that comfort her.
 
Listen to what she’s saying. Hear her. We need to find balance between statements of encouragement and statements of validation. For example, if she says “My back really hurts!” and her support partner says “You’re doing great!” that doesn’t really help her. Eventually, she will feel her statements are being dismissed and no one is really listening. Acknowledge that you hear her saying her back hurts. Ask how you can help or try a few suggestions for her back pain. Encouraging statements mean a lot coming from someone you love, but we need to use active listening skills too.
 
Offer guidance on different things y’all can try. It may be better to discuss an option in between contractions rather than during. Use suggestions rather than commands. Instead of “Do this.” or “Try this.” think about saying things like “Do you want to try ____?” or “I wonder if it would help if we _____.” or “How do you feel about doing ____?” We want to speak in a way that respects autonomy and has the patient leading their care.
 
Use the coping techniques that provide her with some relief or comfort. Communicate about what those things are. Read the blog on coping with contractions.
 
Invite feedback on your support. Is she comfortable? Welcome communication such as “Let me know if anything is uncomfortable” or “Please be comfortable telling me what you like and don’t like or if you want me to adjust anything.” Pregnancy has its discomforts and sometimes what is fine non-pregnant can be uncomfortable during pregnancy especially towards the end. Also communicate that you are here to support her and please let you know if there’s anything specific she wants. Remind her to not hesitate to ask to be served. This is her time to be catered to.
 
Help her get into her rhythm and work through each contraction.
 
Nurture her.
 
Meet and match. Then guide her in the right direction. Meet her where she is at. If she needs guidance in breathing better or vocalizing in a more open way, match what she is doing. Breathe/vocalize with her. Then guide her.
 
Influence the environment to be calm and comfortable for her.
 
Pray over her and your baby. Pray together (when she’s up for talking). 
 
Worship together. Help her build worship playlists to prepare for birth. You can play worship music during labor (if she’s up for music). You can also worship without music if she prefers the room to be quieter.  
 
Simply love on her. Be by her side.
 
Pamper her.
 
Sometimes daddies struggle seeing their wives in pain. It can be tempting to want her to have pain relief. If she does not want an epidural, don’t push her to get an epidural. Make peace with this pain having a purpose – to bring forth life. This is something her body is designed to do. Trust in that. If she feels like she failed at her goals, this will impact how she views her birth experience for the rest of her life. On the flip side, it’s okay if she genuinely changes her mind on her own. Support her in however the journey goes.
 
As labor intensifies, the support she needs will change. This is normal. If you have a doula, the doula will guide you in support throughout the process. Remember your presence and emotional involvement is the greatest support. Love her through it.
 
Know that we never really know how a woman will feel during labor. Some want to isolate; others want to stick close to their comfort people. Some want to hug on you; others don’t want to be touched. Some are quiet; some are loud. All of these things are normal and okay. Don’t take it as rejection if a laboring woman gets to a point that she doesn’t want to be touched. Her body can get overwhelmed with stimulation as it comes closer to delivering.
 
Throughout pregnancy, discuss birth preparation. Try out the different coping techniques and comfort measures. Practice with her. Let her guide you in how support feels best to her.
 
 
What did your husband do to support you? Comment below.
 
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Leanna Mae

Apostolic Pentecostal Christian

international author

maternal-infant wellness educator

birth doula

breastfeeding specialist
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