master bath update reveal!

Hello again friends!

A long awaited project has finally been completed! This is probably our longest project to date due to several weeks away this summer, a sciatic nerve, and just plain busyness, but we are still really pleased with how our master bath update turned out!

After updating our guest bathroom earlier this year we knew we had to make the quality of our master bath match. Like other areas in our home, nothing had been updated from the builder grade fixtures when this house was built in the early 2000s. Of course, we wanted to stay budget friendly, but ended up spending a little extra on the vanity top. Jumping up to two sinks dramatically increases the price from a one sink vanity. Although the bathroom was already painted a light blue it was in desperate need of a fresh coat. We choose to stay in the same color family and ended up with a brighter blue color.

Here are some before photos, with our cat posing of course!

Justin used Rustoleum's Cabinet Transformations in black to update the plain oak cabinets. We custom ordered a gray and white marble vanity top from Lowes and added bead board, which really adds a lot of visual interest in the space. We also updated the lighting and other fixtures to match.

Finding mirrors to fit this space proved to be a challenge because of where the light switch and an outlet are located! I actually have 2 other mirrors that didn't work out that I need to try and sell because it was too late to return them!

Check out the after photos:

It is such an improvement! Even the tub area that I have never been crazy about looks much better now! I am still not crazy about the shower, but that is an entirely different level of updating and not quite "budget friendly." 

You may remember that when I shared some inspiration for this project here that I mentioned I had plans for a chunky shelf above the toilet. That is something that is still in the long term plans, as well as some decorating, but at the moment we have a nursery to finish! :)

Source List:

Paint Color: Sky Mist by Sherwin Williams

Toilet: Home Depot

Cabinets: Rustoleum's Cabinet Transformations Black Tint

Vanity Top: Lowe's (Marble USA, Steel Gray)

Light fixtures: Home Depot

Mirrors: Home Depot

Hooks, towel holder, toilet paper holder: Lowes

Faucet: Home Depot (clearance!)

Soap Dispensers: Target

Glass Container: Thrifted

Vase and flowers: Owned previously

DIY Budget Bathroom Makeover

Our guest bathroom makeover is finally done and it looks fantastic!

 Today's motto: Let's do this. Thanks Home Depot!

When we moved into our house in November the bathroom was painted a light green ... and I really dislike green. As in I will never, ever, decorate with green as a main color. Plus, nothing had been changed or updated from builder grade fixtures since this house was built in the early 2000s. It was time for a change.

On the plus side, this bathroom is a decent size and has a good amount of storage. And now of course it is the best looking room in our house!

Before photos:

After photos:

We choose to keep the cabinets as they are real wood. Instead we used Rusteolem's Cabinet Transformations to change the color from basic oak to black. The black made me a little nervous, but on our last bathroom project we used Expresso and it really wasn't the dark color I had wanted.

The first time I mentioned bead board  Justin wouldn't even talk to me about it. However, with some convincing, he finally agreed to try it. I'm so glad he did- it adds so much to the space! (And now he agrees as well!)

Here's the rundown on the materials:

• Paint color: Taupe by Behr
• Vanity Top: Home Depot
• Mirror: Kirklands (with a coupon!)
• Toilet: Home Depot
• Hooks, toilet paper holder, towel holder: Lowes
• Faucet: Home Depot (on clearance!) 
• Light: Home Depot
• Shower curtain and rod: Target (Gift card!)
• Art work: Goodwill (owned previously)

And if you would like to know how to convince your husband that you should change out all of the gold doorknobs and hinges? Simply make your bathroom look really nice and then he will realize how outdated the doors look! :) Another project for another day.

Linking up today with:
Thrifty Thursday

Frugal Living: Price List

Hey ya'll!

After a great weekend at a youth retreat at Fort Caswell on Oak Island (I'll share about it soon!) I am [trying] to get back into the swing of things. I want to squeeze just a few more moments out of summer!

Today I'm sharing a little project I have been working on .. creating a grocery price comparison list! I'm not going to lie .. I felt a little funny walking up and down aisles writing prices down! I promise this isn't what I do for fun .. it's what I do to save money!

When we moved a little over a month ago it quickly became apparent that grocery prices were just flat out higher here then they were in Georgia. As in milk is an entire dollar more! In addition, we have fewer grocery store options. I sure am missing Kroger mega sales and gas perks! After a few trips to the store I decided it would be beneficial to start comparing the prices of the items I buy most. I have kind of been doing this in head for a long time, but now I have different stores that I am not as familiar with.

There are a couple of different ways you can go about creating a price comparison list. Many bloggers refer to it as a Price Book. One way is to grab a notebook and write down the price you pay for items over time to create a list. I choose to make a list of the most common items that I buy and then headed to 3 local stores to write down the non-sale price. Aldi, Wal-Mart, and Food Lion are the closest stores. There is a Harris Teeter too, but it is farther away. (But so far I am noticing they have great sales and good coupon policy!) Now, this is not a list of every single item that you can ever buy at the store, but what I buy the most often. It also doesn't really include meat and fresh produce. Those prices change and fluctuate with the season. I did however write down my "buy" prices for meat and produce that come from past experiences with sales. As I have said before, if meat isn't on sale, I do not buy it. I also usually choose my fresh produce based on what is on sale as well.

So how will a price comparison list help me save money?

• It will help me know if an item is really on sale or not and if I need to stock up!
• It will help me track sale cycles.

I was actually kind of surprised by what I discovered. For most items, Wal-Mart was just a few cents cheaper than Food Lion. Aldi was consistently cheaper on most items, sometimes up to 50 cents, and they for sure have the best produce deals. However, there are some items I never buy at Aldi because I prefer the name brand or do not care for the quality. There are still a few blanks to fill in, but hopefully this list will help us to be able to stay within our previous budget even with higher overall prices! I will definitely be adding this list to the Menu Planning portion of my Home Management Binder.

I have also heard that you can do this same thing with an app on your phone .. might be worth checking out!

What do you do to save money on groceries?

For more Frugal Living tips click here!

I'm linking up today at A Bowl Full Of Lemons and for Thrifty Thursday!

organization: creating a home management binder

Hi friends!

This is day 4 of no school and pretty much being home bound .. we did get out yesterday for a little bit and hopefully we will have some human interaction this evening! Snow is beautiful but I really didn't expect to still be at home today. I'll share about our snow adventures a little later!

The up side is that I have been working on one of my projects for January (yes I realize that it is the last day of January!) and I am ready to share it with  you. Presenting:

This has been on my "Master to do list" for a while now and I had decided that January was the time. Some of the sections still need a little work, but it is off to a good start. I used LOTS of different resources in creating my binder so I will try to include them all as references.

To get started all you need is a binder, printer, hole punch, dividers, page protectors, and something to write with.

I chose 10 different sections for my binder.

1. Calendar

This section is pretty simple - just add 12 months worth of calendars and fill out as needed! I got mine from 30 Handmade Days.

2. To Do 

Included in this section is:

• Weekly To do lists  (Organized Home)
• Monthly Goals list (Home Life Simplified)
• Master To Do List for all those ideas and projects you will get to eventually! I go here when I am ready for another project. (Organized Home)

3. Schedules

Included in this section is :

• My school calendar and information
• Justin's school calendar and information
• Church calendar 

If you have kids or other activities going on this is where you could place sports schedule and other information.

4. Menu Planning

You can check out how I do my menu planning here. In this section is simply my Menu Planner from Pin Pickles Studio. Here is another option for menu planning from Organized Home.

I might decide to add a master list of recipe ideas, we will see!

5. Organizing and Cleaning

 I consulted A LOT of different sites for this section and finally came up with my own lists! I included:

• Weekly Cleaning List
• Monthly Cleaning List
• Spring/Fall/Seasonal Deep Cleaning List

I also printed  lists from Living Well Spending Less and included them as well. If you have kids, add chore lists. I personally do not do laundry each day or clean a different section of my house each day either, but I also don't have kids and I prefer to have my house clean all at once!

6. Finances and Bills

I have shared how I organize my bills and budget before here. This area is still a work in progress and I hope to share some updates in the next few weeks!

7. Health and Fitness

In this section I included:

• Health information (Doctor, Dentist, Insurance, etc.) See 30 Handmade Days
• Workout plan
• Medical log (About: Frugal Living)

8.Gifts

In this section I included a list of birthday's and when it gets closer to Christmas I plan on adding these gift planners.

9. Contacts

I have yet to do this, but I am going to put together a list of addresses and contact information for family and friends.

10. Home and Auto

In this section I included:

• Utilities information (30 Handmade Days)
• Insurance information (30 Handmade Days)
• Home maintenance information and log (About: Frugal Living)
• Car maintenance information and log (About: Frugal Living)

And there you have it! Home binders are meant to meet your needs, so decide what works for you! I am sure mine will grow and change as my needs change and as I see what works and what doesn't work. I am already thinking about adding another section for Travel.

Here are some other resources and inspiration I used when planning out my binder:

30 Handmade Days
The Nest Effect
Moms By Heart
Organized Home
Dimplicity Craft Blog
A Bowl Full of Lemons
Money Saving Mom

I am also linking up at A Bowl Full of Lemons

Frugal Living: Meal Planning 101

  

When we have guests over, they almost always comment on my menu board. (It's actually a DIY project you can check out here). People can't believe that I actually write  out what we are going to eat for the week! My response is always, "But how do you do know what to buy when you go to the grocery store without a plan?" So today I thought I would share a little bit about how and why I plan out our meals.

Growing up my family traveled to the grocery store almost everyday. Sometimes more than once. I had decided a long time ago that wasn't going to be me! I didn't have time and extra money to spend on gas and food that may or may not be on sale.

So why menu plan? 

1) Menu planning is one of the biggest ways you can save money on groceries! When I first started menu planning in college my goal wasn't necessarily to save money. However, my list-making, plan-everything-out personality soon found that it was great benefit! You can make menu's based on what you have in your pantry, what is on sale, and limit your impulse buys.

2) Menu planning saves you time and stress! You do not have run to the store, you are not standing in front of your fridge wondering what you can eat, and your less likely to be tempted to go out or bring something home. You can look ahead on your schedules and see when you need a quick and easy meal or even if left overs would be okay.

3) When you do go to the grocery store you have a purpose and you're not wondering around buying things on impulse (well, hopefully!) It also limits the number of trips you make to the grocery store, which in turn saves you more money and more time. 

 4) Menu planning helps you make healthier choices. 

5) I grew up eating around the table with my family and that was important to me to bring into our marriage as well. Even though there are only 2 of us, we sit at the table and spend time together over dinner. Menu planning allows us to do that because we can cook together and then focus on eating together.

So, what's my method?

There is no right or wrong way, you just have to find what works for you.

To get started, all you need is a notepad or you can find some really cute printables online like this one! I took the weekly meal planner sheet from this website and made it to where I can fit 4 weeks on a paper front and back. I only meal plan for dinner, so this works well for me!

1) The first thing I do is take stock of what I already have in my pantry, fridge, and freezer. Of course you will want to consider things that are reaching their expiration date and need to be eaten. I try to make meal ideas with items I already have on hand before buying new ones. 

2) Next, I consult my homemade Recipe Book and Pinterest of course to come up with around 12 or so meals. My goal is usually to have 2 weeks worth of meals on hand so that I can limit my grocery store trips to 2-3 times a month. This is where the meal planning sheet comes in. I write out our main dish and sides and whatever ingredients I might need. Most people probably do not list ingredients, but it is helpful for me. I write in pencil just in case something comes up or I change my mind about what I want to eat! :)

3) My next step to is to check out the weekly ads and coupon match ups. I use Southern Savers and I am a huge fan! I check out what fruits and vegetables are on sale, especially at Aldi. (Huge fan of Aldi, I save so much on produce there!) I see if meat is on sale somewhere and if I need to try and buy more. And of course I see what other items would be good stock up prices. There are many things that I practically never buy if they are not on sale. Our grocery budget is modest but we honestly do not sacrifice on anything. Things like chips or sweets are never bought without a good sale and I never buy chicken or beef unless it is on sale (Although Wal-Mart and Sam's prices are good) When I do buy it, I buy a lot, divide it up into portions, and freeze it. I am not an extreme couponer by any means and I have actually been a little burnt out on couponing lately, but I do use them when I can and it does save me money. (The key to couponing is to match it with a sale price.)

4) Then I make my grocery list using my menu and looking to see if there are other items I am low on. All that is left is traveling to grocery store and transferring the menu to my chalkboard! The chalkboard is helpful in our family so that when my husband is making dinner he knows where to look. (Although he still asks me a dozen times!)

And that's it folks! Simple, and a huge time and money saver! 

** Another way we save money on groceries is eating our leftovers! We eat them for lunch and sometimes again for dinner. I hate to waste food, so we often have sides again with a new main dish. You do not realize how hard it is to cook for 2 people until your fridge is overflowing with leftover food! Sometimes I might even freeze something for another time.

For more tips on menu planning and saving on your grocery budget, check out these links below:

 Grocery Sale Cycles

Bacon In My Pocket 

Learning to Coupon 

How Our Freezer Saved Us Money 

How to Save Without Couponing 

Free Menu Planning Sheets 

Why Menu Plan? 

7 Meal Planning Tips 

Frugal Atlanta Part 2: Weekend Hiking Adventures

Wondering how I have spent the last few weekends? Or looking for some more frugal outings in the Atlanta area? Hiking is the answer to both questions and Fall is the perfect time. We have been hiking several times in the past few weeks. If you missed my first post on frugal outings in the Atlanta area, click here.

Last weekend the hubby, some of my family, and I spent Saturday afternoon hiking at Sawnee Mountain Preserve in Cumming, GA. We hiked up to top of Sawnee Mountain to see the Indian Seats and enjoyed  a view of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance.

2 weekends ago Justin and I took a shorter hike up Arabia Mountain, which is part of the PATH system in Dekalb county. We had been on other parts of the walking/biking trail, but Arabia Mountain was new to us and very close to home. I am dying to go back for a sunset hike!

During September my hubby's youth spent a Saturday afternoon hiking Stone Mountain and then stayed for the Laser Show. We had a great time!

Other ideas in the Atlanta area include Sweetwater Creek and Panola Mountain. Check out this website for more ideas!

Here's to getting outside and enjoying the rest of the weekend!

Frugal Atlanta Part 1

When we moved to the Atlanta area a little over 2 years ago, I missed home terribly. Since then, I've settled into our life here and gotten used to having things nearby. There are TONS, and I mean TONS of things to do here in Atlanta. So, I have compiled a list of my favorite activities and some tips on how to visit for cheaper! (please note this is in no way a comprehensive list!)

1) Piedmont Park

Nestled in downtown Atlanta, it is a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle! It is by far my favorite Atlanta destination! You will find playing fields, a playground, a pool, walking paths, numerous festivals throughout the year, and plenty of open space perfect for biking and having a picnic, all with the city skyline in the distance. We enjoyed ice skating there last winter as well!

Depending on where you're able to park, this can be a FREE family activity. If you have to park in the parking deck, they do charge by the hour.

2) Georgia Aquarium and World of Coke

The Georgia Aquarium is a great family outing and the World of Coke is interesting! We've been to both places a few times and it is fun to see all of the animals and taste different Coke products from around the world. These attractions are located beside Centennial Olympic Park, so you can make a pit stop to play in the  fountain as well.

The absolute best deal for the Aquarium and World of Coke is Teacher Appreciation day in August or September. Each teacher and one guest gets in free to both attractions! During the summer the Aquarium also has discounted tickets after 6pm. Park across the street from the park for cheaper parking then the Aquarium parking deck as well.

 

3) Stone Mountain

A favorite destination of many locals, Stone Mountain has a lot to offer! For the truly frugal, picnicking, hiking and the Laser Show are free! Sitting and playing out on the lawn is part of the experience as you wait for the show to start! You only pay for parking (the parking pass is worth it if you will visit a few times!). I must warn you though, the hike is not a easy one. Or, you can buy an attractions pass and ride up to the top of the mountain. With the pass you can also participate in the high ropes course, ride the train, lots of kids activities, mini golf, and much more. You can find coupons for Stone Mountain easily. Stone Mountain also offers a Teacher Appreciation day (we went in June). My ticket was free and I received a pretty good discount on any other tickets I purchased.

 

4) Zoo Atlanta

A great family trip for all ages! I have seen a variety of deals for the zoo, including a Groupon and of course  Teacher Appreciation Day. You can find coupons easily as well. However, the best deal is offered through the local library system (PINES). You can check out the Zoo Atlanta DVD and when you turn it back in you will receive 4 free tickets (2 adult, 2 child)! I had to wait for a few weeks on a waiting list before getting the DVD and you only have 7 days once you turn it in to use the tickets, but it is still a great deal! We just gave away the children's tickets.

5) Brave's Game

My husband is a big Brave's fan so we try to attend games a few times a year. There are a variety of ways to save some money on a game. First, you can just buy general admission seating. Depending on the game, you can get in for less $10! Personally, I like these seats better because you can see everything, including Atlanta at night. Last year we bought a deal where we received 4 "free" tickets and 6 half price tickets. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the company! This year, there was an Amazon Local deal where you paid $7 to have $30 to bid on a website for tickets. The seats we ended up with were great and I would try it again! Our gas company (Gas South) gave us free tickets last year for signing up and also offers discounts. Check around online before you buy!

6) Atlantic Station

Atlantic Station can be described as a city inside a city. It is fun area of downtown Atlanta that offers living, shopping, dining, and working, all within walking distance. And it is also home of Ikea! There are many festivals and other events that also take place there. Of course, the way to make a visit to Atlantic Station frugal is the use of coupons! Armed with restaurant and retail coupons, you can shop at at Ikea with your Ikea card, and then visit H&M, Old Navy, and other stores.

That's all for today! Check back for more frugal ideas soon!