Finding "Extra" Money - Endorse

Another way I earn money to deposit into our House Fund is using the Endorse application on my smartphone.  Each week (usually mid-week) I get a message on my phone asking what's on my shopping list for the week.  Many are generic items, like crackers, fast food, diapers or pet food, but sometimes it's specific things like Mountain Dew or Zatarain's.

All you do is take a picture with your Smartphone of your receipt and Endorse will credit your account.  Each item is worth different - from 10-100% cashback.  Some things are 10% with the option of upgrading to 50% cashback if you post it to your wall on Facebook. 

Receiving your cashback bonus is easy.  Once you accumulate $20 (only took me a few weeks!) you can request a check.  Otherwise I cashed out sooner because I used my Paypal account. 

What are you waiting for?  This is the easiest way (along with Ibotta) I've earned money!

Financially Fit Friday

“When real faith grips you, you develop a mind-set that looks for the best in everything, refuses to give up, finds a way around or through every obstacle, and presses on to victory.”
- Norman Vincent Peale

Have you started a money makeover? What are you planning on paying CASH for? What bill are you paying off? Share a bit of your story! No story is too small to share! Real life stories keep Carrie motivated. Catch up on Our Story to see how far we’ve come.

Emergency Fund - $1000 – Stocked

House Fund – Goal $20,000.00 by 3/31/2013. The house we put an offer in fell through, so we are starting from scratch. I have a new drive to work like crazy and stock pile more savings! We have paid off 1/2 our medical bills and will be reimbursed for them over then next 6 weeks now. Tuition is due at the end of February (hope to use part of our tax return for that). Otherwise, we can start putting all our money back into our House Fund!

According to the bank, we have all we need for our down payment (5% as of Feb 1st) and all the other fees and escrow money. So from here on out it's all extra money to use to fix the new house up or to put a bigger down payment (which is what we're going for). 

• Deposited $0 in spare change (I haven't gone to the bank yet)
• Deposited $3 from a survey
• Deposited $20.02 from Upromise.  (Ask me for an invite and you'll get a bonus $5 and I will, too!)
• Deposited $131.35 from leftover income - we had massive bills show up (tuition, fuel pump and struts replacements on our vehicles, medical bills).  At least we are keeping up with bills.  Our checks from Samaritan Ministries have started to arrive to pay off our medical bills!  Next week I'll have to withdraw a little bit to cover the tuition bill for this semester unless I have an amazing tipping weekend :)
• Currently Saved $8,948.96

The following are the other loans we currently have, but will put them on the back burner as we save for a house bigger than a 2-bedroom for our family of SIX! We plan on keeping the duplex we currently own, and renting out the side we currently live in, thus earning more money each month that will pay these off for us

Hubby’s Student Loan as of 10/01/2011 $9395

• Outstanding Balance is $8,658.31

My Student Loan as of 10/01/2011 $6480

• Outstanding Balance is $5,937.74

Family Loan $3000 – I was told to keep this and put this towards a new house, since the person doesn’t need this money right now. Bonus

Finding "Extra" Money - Spare Change

As we save up for a house, I'm always on the lookout for creative ways to add to our House Fund.  One of the easiest ways for us is to not spend any of our spare change.  We use cash for nearly everything we buy, like groceries.  If the total is $49.06, I give the cashier $50 and take the 94c in change and put in my coin purse.  I used to deposit this weekly, but our bank is on the opposite end of town, so now I deposit it once a month or whenever I get to the bank.  In 2012 we deposited about $200 just in change.  We'd have more, but we use gift cards through the Scrip program at the kids' school that helps pay down their tuition.  Otherwise, it would be VERY easy to at least double this every year!

What's a creative way you save? 

Financially Fit Friday

“When real faith grips you, you develop a mind-set that looks for the best in everything, refuses to give up, finds a way around or through every obstacle, and presses on to victory.”
- Norman Vincent Peale

Have you started a money makeover? What are you planning on paying CASH for? What bill are you paying off? Share a bit of your story! No story is too small to share! Real life stories keep Carrie motivated. Catch up on Our Story to see how far we’ve come.

Emergency Fund - $1000 – Stocked

House Fund – Goal $20,000.00 by 3/31/2013. The house we put an offer in fell through, so we are starting from scratch. I have a new drive to work like crazy and stock pile more savings! We have paid off 1/2 our medical bills and will be reimbursed for them over then next 6 weeks now. Tuition is due at the end of February (hope to use part of our tax return for that). Otherwise, we can start putting all our money back into our House Fund! 

According to the bank, we have all we need for our down payment (5% as of Feb 1st) and all the other fees and escrow money. So from here on out it's all extra money to use to fix the new house up or to put a bigger down payment (which is what we're going for).

• Deposited $7 from selling things on Facebook
• Deposited $3 from a survey
• (Deposited 73c in interest last week, forgot to mention that)
• Deposited $0 from anything else we did - we had massive bills show up (tuition, fuel pump replacement, medical bills)  I'm looking forward to our tax return so we can get further ahead!  At least we are keeping up with bills.  I'm thankful for that.  Several years ago I would have admitted myself to the Looney Bin!
• Currently Saved $8,794.59

The following are the other loans we currently have, but will put them on the back burner as we save for a house bigger than a 2-bedroom for our family of SIX! We plan on keeping the duplex we currently own, and renting out the side we currently live in, thus earning more money each month that will pay these off for us

Hubby’s Student Loan as of 10/01/2011 $9395

• Outstanding Balance is $8,658.31

My Student Loan as of 10/01/2011 $6480

• Outstanding Balance is $5,937.74

Family Loan $3000 – I was told to keep this and put this towards a new house, since the person doesn’t need this money right now. Bonus

New Children

My kids decided to dress in the opposite gender's clothes...

Introducing...

Derricka, Evan, Victoria and Sylvester ;)

Financially Fit Friday

“When real faith grips you, you develop a mind-set that looks for the best in everything, refuses to give up, finds a way around or through every obstacle, and presses on to victory.”
- Norman Vincent Peale

Have you started a money makeover? What are you planning on paying CASH for? What bill are you paying off? Share a bit of your story! No story is too small to share! Real life stories keep Carrie motivated. Catch up on Our Story to see how far we’ve come.

Emergency Fund - $1000 – Stocked

House Fund – Goal $20,000.00 by 3/31/2013. The house we put an offer in fell through, so we are starting from scratch. I have a new drive to work like crazy and stock pile more savings!  We have paid off 1/2 our medical bills and will be reimbursed for them over then next 6 weeks now.  Tuition is due at the end of February (hope to use part of our tax return for that).  Otherwise, we can start putting all our money back into our House Fund!  We look at two more houses today - wish us luck!

According to the bank, we have all we need for our down payment (5%) and all the other fees and escrow money.  So from here on out it's all extra money to use to fix the new house up or to put a bigger down payment (which is what we're going for). 

• Deposited $14.57 in spare change (2 weeks worth)
• Deposited $30 in leftover income
• Deposited $4 from selling items on Facebook
• Currently Saved $8,784.59

The following are the other loans we currently have, but will put them on the back burner as we save for a house bigger than a 2-bedroom for our family of SIX! We plan on keeping the duplex we currently own, and renting out the side we currently live in, thus earning more money each month that will pay these off for us

Hubby’s Student Loan as of 10/01/2011 $9395

• Outstanding Balance is $8,658.31

My Student Loan as of 10/01/2011 $6480

• Outstanding Balance is $5,937.74

Family Loan $3000 – I was told to keep this and put this towards a new house, since the person doesn’t need this money right now. Bonus