Wednesday, June 13, 2012

New favorite survey/sample site!

www.crowdtap.com

Crowdtap is my new favorite site right now. I just earned my first $10 amazon gift card from them and it was so easy! They do lots of house parties (if you dont know about those, I will post later lol), sample shares, and even give free Old Navy clothes away! I have never been selected for the Old Navy clothing parties, but lots of people have. The biggest thing with Crowdtap is staying active on their site. The more points you get, the higher your level is, and the more opportunites you get. If you are not a member yet, sign up! You wont be disappointed!

Hello!

Hello. I wanted to introduce myself. My name is Stephanie. I am married now for three years to my wonderful husband Kyle. We have 2 children, Kayley 3, Benjamin 1, and have a new bundle on the way in December. My husband and I both work full-time on alternating shifts so we can raise our kids and survive financially.

I am starting this blog because I am embarking on a new journey.  News of my third child was definitely a surprise, and we realized that two full-time working parents would just not work for three kids 3 and under!  So after I have this baby I will be going part time at work. I have worked full-time since I was 18 so this is very scary for me. What makes it even harder is that my husband and I always manage our own bills and spending money since our income is virtually the same.  Now, I will be handing over my measly paychecks to him to manage our bills. I don't know how to cope with not having my own money! This will be about a $15,000/yr pay cut for us so I have decided to make some changes in our lives.

We have always lived pretty comfortably on our income. Meaning.... when I want that Chipotle burrito bowl, I get it. My daughter needs a better pair of shoes for an outfit, I buy them. No, we do not have enough to buy high end electronics whenever we want or anything like that, but small purchases were fine. Now, I need to start cutting all this out. I am looking to trim bills down such as cable. I don't really need 200 channels. Sure its nice, but no. Eating out budget is gone! Anything I can think of to add to my savings is happening.  Now savings is a whole different ballgame... WE HAVE NONE!!! I know, I know... we must be crazy.  We are horrible savers. I have 6 months to get as much money saved up as possible before I cut back at work so I don't worry myself into an early grave.

So this blog will be about all different things. Couponing... yes I know there are a million, but its an important part of saving money. Freezer cooking, sewing, survey sites, organizing my home better so I can accommodate my growing family, etc. It will be about everything that has to do with managing my family, but mostly saving money. Remember, this is a journey for me.  I obviously don't know how to save, but know I need to learn. I feel blogging will help me be accountable, and also give me an outlet during this crazy transition I am making. If anyone is reading this, thank you, and I hope you enjoy. Feel free to leave tips at any time :)

~Stephanie