HOW TO BECOME A WORK AT HOME MOM or STAY AT HOME MOM - PART 1

I've mentioned before that I was extremely blessed in my first marriage to have been a Stay At Home Mom for 12 years. That decision was made when my second child was born and we were faced with the cost of 2 children in daycare. 2 children turned into 3 and I was a full blown homemaking, cookie baking, over-organized, adult conversation deprived, sweat pants wearing Mommy. I never gave in to the mini-van however! SUV with a third row seat was my mommy mobile of choice!

Those years taught me so much about being a mom, a wife and a homemaker. You can read more in my "ABOUT ME" Confessions HERE.

Fast forward through the diapers, first days of school for all 3 of my children and into our life today - this year they are or will be ages 19, 15 and 10 and I'm a GrandMommy! In the midst of the fast forward, there were many life lessons, experiences, trials, failures & successes that all brought me to where I am today and who I am. Funny how life does that.

It is in that respect that I can tell you, without a doubt, and with great clarity, that I am a Work At Hom Mom. The Stay At Home Mom & Work At Home Mom terms tend to get lumped together. Having been on both sides of that fence, I'm here to clarify the differences.

No, this is not a debate! Both roles are equally time consuming, have their ups & downs and are commendable. With that said, it is my intent to share my experiences as a Work At Hom Mom and as a Stay At Home Mom, for so many of you that email me daily and have a desire to do so, as well, with no clue how to budget and transition your finances and/or lifestyle into either one.

If you choose to be a Stay At Hom Mom, I am here to share the ups & downs of being at home, as well as some insights and tips for how to live on one income. I will be publishing a series of posts, just for you, titled "Becoming A Stay At Home Mom".

For those of you that would like to begin building an income in order to become a Work At Home Mom, whether to replace your current workplace income or to begin a new venture in your life, I will be publishing a series of posts, just for you, titled "Becoming A Work At Home Mom".

Stay Tuned...both of these series of posts will be jam packed with lessons, failures & successes that helped me along the way!

Please leave me a comment below and let me know if you consider yourself a Work At Home Mom (WAHM), Stay At Home Mom (SAHM) or if you work outside the home!

FREE SAMPLE WRIGLEY EXTRA DESSERT DELIGHTS GUM

Yummy New Freebie! You can get a FREE SAMPLE of Wrigley Extra Dessert Delights Gum by using promo code 353637.

Flavor choices: Key Lime Pie, Mint Chocolate Chip, or Strawberry Shortcake.

I picked the Strawberry Shortcake. I bet this one doesn't last long! Hurry over Here to request yours!

FREEBIES IN MY MAILBOX TODAY- 08/07 MAIL CALL

Freebies In My Mailbox Today: Mello Yello T-Shirt from My Coke Rewards(No points redeemed-just a free offer of the day!), 5 Day Supply of Schiff Mega Red Omega 3, RiteAid Coupon for $2 off GoodNites, Coupon for FREE Bottle of Ensure, 2 Glidden Paint Tester Bottles,Bottle of Simple Green Cleaner w/ $2 off Q.

What was in your Mailbox today?

Fill your mailbox with Freebies! View tons of photos of my mailbox goodies HERE, then be sure to CLICK HERE to checkout all of the Free Stuff I've posted lately that you can get, too!

SATURDAY BLOG HOPS - BLOGGERS JOIN & READERS VISIT MORE BLOGS!

I've linked up on a few super fun Saturday Blog Hops & Giveaway Linkys! Bloggers be sure to join us and Readers have fun visiting all my blogging friends and entering some awesome Giveaways!

Bookmark this post because I'll be adding more Saturday & Giveaway linkys throughout the day!

PRINTABLE COUPON $1.50 off any 4 PETER PAN PEANUT BUTTER,CHEF BOYARDEE, BANQUET & MORE!

I just found this awesome PRINTABLE COUPON for $1.50 off on any 4 of these items/brands, as pictured above:

-PETER PAN PEANUT BUTTER
-CHEF BOYARDEE CAN OR MICROWAVE
-HEALTHY CHOICE FROZEN MEAL
-ORVILLE REDENBACHER'S GOURMET POPPING CORN (any 3pk or larger)
BANQUET FROZEN MEAL
MARIE CALLENDER'S FROZEN MEAL

This will make for some great savings on some of my household staples when matched up to a sale!

FREE 2 WEEK SAMPLE from Pro-Biotiks FACEBOOK FREEBIE

Hurry over to get this Facebook Freebie ! 2 Week Supply from Pro-Biotiks -your choice from the following 5 different sample options:
Bio-35™
Bio-35™ Iron Free
Bio-35™ Gluten Free
Pro-Cal™ tablets
Pro-Cal™ softgels

I bet this one goes fast, so grab yours before they're gone!

THE FRUGAL MOM'S GUIDE TO ONCE A MONTH COOKING - SAVE TIME & MONEY !

WOW! This is a super deal on a must have resource, if you have ever considered once a month cooking! The Frugal Mom's Guide To Once A Month Cooking was written by a Frugal Mom & blogger, just like you and I, Candace Anderson of FrugalMom.net.

I've looked at many cookbooks for once a month cooking and rarely find one for less than $24.95. Cookbooks in general are so expensive! I scour my local thrift stores and yard sales and am overjoyed when I find them! To get a deal on them is rare and for a specialty cookbook like this one, it's even harder to find!

When I saw this one at a total cost of just $12.95, I knew I had to share it with you! Once a month cooking is growing in popularity and so like all things, so will the prices on items relating to it!

Here's an overview of some of what you'll get in this awesome resource:

:Complete step-by-step instructions for giving you a freezer full of meals.
*Over 70 family-friendly recipes tested by Frugal Moms.
*The ability to save money with once a month cooking.
*A simplified life that gives you more time to enjoy the things you love.
*Once a month cooking forms that will organize your cooking sessions.
*An online community to support you on your new journey.
*Instant delivery! Since this is an ebook, you won't have to wait for it to arrive in the mail or pay hefty shipping fees!
*Formatted to print from your printer on 8 1/2" x 11" paper.Perfect for storing in a 3-ringed binder.
*Bonus Ebook - Bulk Cooking for the Freezer: Ground Beef

As I always say, "knowledge is power", and if you have considered once a month cooking to help you budget, save money and time, this is one resource that will definately get you started and help simplify the process!

CLICK HERE to check it out for yourself!

PRINTABLE COUPON $2.50 off PLAYTEX GENTLE GLIDE - PRINT YOURS NOW

Head on over for this new PRINTABLE COUPON for $2.50/2 Playtex Gentle Glide! This will make for a great deal when combined with a sale!

Don't forget to go back after printing to print your coupons a second time!

FRIDAY=MEGA SWAG BUCKS DAY !! MSBD=UP TO 1000 SWAGBUCKS FOR 1 SEARCH!

Aside from the obvious reasons why I love Friday's, I have one more reason to T.G.I.F. - Friday = Mega Swag Bucks Day!

Every Friday is Mega Swag Bucks Day (MSBD), which means better odds of winning BIG Swag Bucks denominations! Just by searching as you normally do you can win large bills starting at 30 to 1,000 Swag Bucks on ONE search !

For you newbies out there, on Mega Swag Bucks Days, TSG gives away "mad" Swag Bucks... upwards of 400,000 Swag Bucks to be precise!

So, make sure you're doing your web searches today with SwagBucks! I'm working on my second $50 Amazon Gift Card for the month, so the big ones today will come in handy!

If you have no idea what "swagbucks" is, you can check out my posts Here to learn more and see all the cash & gift cards I've gotten from SwagBucks!

WHY I NEVER SHOP TAX FREE WEEKEND + WHEN IT IS & IS NOT WORTH IT

Today is the beginning of the TAX FREE Weekend here in North Carolina. Call me a scrooge, because I never have and doubt I ever will shop during the tax free weekend!

Why, you ask?

Let's think about it. Tax Free - that means you get a discount of what 7.75% ? I think that's the current sales tax rate (unsure but it's close if not correct!) So, basically, using that number, you will save $7.75 for every $100 dollars you spend.

Hello ? I do 110% better than that on a daily basis with coupons matched up to sales.

It must be the "sound of it" that drives consumers out to fight for parking, struggle to get down isles and stand in long checkout lines. It certainly can't be the savings percentage. I guess I'm the odd ball out, because 7.75% discount is completely not even worth the time it takes to try to find a parking place! Much less to deal with the aggrivation of over crowded stores!

The only time that I would remotely consider hitting the Tax Free Weekend, would be for a very large purchase, like a computer. The tax free policy applies to computer purchases that are below $3500. So, if you're planning on that large of a purchase, then it might be worth it, though I still think comparing sales prices and stores might even get me more of a discount than 7.75%.

Here's how the purchasing breaks down for this weekend:

North Carolina's Tax Free Weekend: Aug. 6-8, 2010

Applies to:

•Clothing, footwear, and school supplies under $100
•Sports and recreation equipment under $50
•Computers under $3,500
•Computer equipment under $250

I'll leave to you all to fight the crowds on this one. I haven't hit the stores on this weekend and I'm certainly not gonna start this year either!

What about you? Are you heading out to brave the crowds this weekend?

ARM & HAMMER PRINTABLE COUPONS LIMITS RE-SET! PRINT UP TO $10.50 WORTH NOW!

The ARM & HAMMER PRINTABLE COUPONS have been Re-Set! WOOHOO! I love getting these because several of the Arm & Hammer brand items go on BOGO sale often, allowing me to use 2 coupons and get a super deal on their Dryer Sheets, Cat Litter, Detergent & Cleaning Products.

You will receive your Print Link in email. These are smartsource coupons, so go back to the original print link to print them for a second time!

CLICK HERE to signup via email. You will get a confirmation with the link to print up to $10.50 worth of coupons from Arm & Hammer® Clumping Cat Litter.