Elevenmoms

Hi!  I am Alyssa from kingdomfirstmom.com!  I am a SoCal native living in North Texas, wife and mother of three.  Last year, my family began a whole new journey to become debt free.  I found new and creative ways to reduce spending, and decided to share them on my blog, www.kingdomfirstmom.com.

When I first set out to investigate frugal living, I imagined it would involve a lot of sacrifice and hard work. To some degree, it has, but much to my surprise, we are spending less than ever before and living more abundantly at the same time. My spending habits have drastically changed, but my pantry and cupboards are practically overflowing. By strategically shopping with coupons, I am also able to give more than ever before to local charities in need of donations.

I believe in being a good steward of all of my resources. From cooking to cleaning to driving, there is a frugal way. I make a conscious effort to reduce waste and make less of an impact on our environment. As I watch our ever-shrinking debt decline, I am inspired to help others on their frugal journeys.

Saving money is an exciting challenge which I embrace every day.  I have truly discovered how to stretch our budget and live below our means. My passion is helping others do the same. Together, we can Save Money, and Live Better. Join me at www.kingdomfirstmom.com.

I am Amy Allen Clark and I am a stay-at-home mother of two in Indiana. I am the founder and creator of the MomAdvice.com community where I maintain the website, three blogs, and a forum where mothers can discuss the issues that are most important to them. MomAdvice.com is a community for women who are looking for ways to stay organized, stay sane, and stay within their budget.

I started MomAdvice.com when I was searching for information on problems that arise in a mother's everyday life, but could not find a site out there that catered to everything that I was looking for. After that, I decided to pool my talents with my web designer husband and create a site that offered this information for mothers in a safe web community where mothers could chat.

My work has been featured in the New York Times, Women's World Magazine, All You Magazine, The Early Show, Miami Herald, MSN Money Web sites, and I have served as spokesperson for Cascade. I am currently serving as Home Management Expert for the Kenmore Make It Simple Team. I also have a weekly segment on the local CBS news sharing tips to help moms save money through creative recipes, tips for organization, and inexpensive ideas for things to do with your children.  

A Midwest transplant from Los Angeles, I am Arianne, a former Paralegal turned freelance writer and mommyblogger now living in Chicago-land. I love to challenge people to think and to educate themselves, all the while throwing in a little snark for good fun. An advocate for natural health and green living, I fully embrace the “eco-mom” title. I’m mom of all boys, and all three of my sons have autism. They are the lights of my world, and their view on life challenges and inspires me every day.  You can read more from me and about my life at my blog, To Think Is To Create.

With the changing economy being felt all too close to home, my family and I have learned how to get the best bang for our buck as we see our budget dwindle.  Saving money while still living a full and happy life is my new passion, and I love to share my ideas with other moms to help us all do better, live better, together.


Best,
`Arianne

To Think Is To Create
Chicago Moms Blog
Stop Looking At Me
Mama Speaks

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Hi there, I'm Christine! I am a very busy mama of six extremely active children, all ages 7 and under. My kiddos keep me on my toes as I spend the better part of my days teaching and training them in the way they should go. I am the proud owner and author of From Dates to Diapers, and beyond! where I chat about my life with little ones, offer advice and encouragement, and share my thoughts and opinions on some of the greatest products and services on the market.

My husband and I enjoy traveling, going on adventures, and having fun with our children. We thrive on the looks of awe in our children's faces when they see or experience something new. You can bet there is never a dull moment in our home! I know that having fun doesn't have to cost too much money, and I enjoy the challenge of finding ways to save. It's not easy to stay within budget, but it IS doable!

I hope you come by and visit my family and me at From Dates to Diapers!

Hi! I'm Colleen Padilla, the founder and owner of ClassyMommy.com and a stay at home mom for my daughter Mackenzie and my son Kyle. In my life before Mackenzie and Kyle, I worked in Corporate America, but I've since traded in my real MBA for the coveted Master of Baby Administration!

All kidding aside, I put both my degrees to use daily with Classy Mommy as I strive to make it an indispensable website for moms featuring honest product reviews inspired by real life Mommyhood, while at the same time highlighting important social issues facing women and children in the United States and around the world. Classy Mommy's fabulous products can be easily accessed in one of the largest catalogs of independent baby product reviews on the Web.

Classy Mommy keeps me busy as I have a great time hamming it up for the camera in video product reviews and offering exclusive giveaways for my readers. Prior to founding Classy Mommy, I studied anthropology as an undergrad at Cornell University and earned my MBA in marketing from Cornell's Johnson School of Business. I also worked in sales and marketing for Ford Motor Company, Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Schering Plough, and Wells Fargo – but nothing compares to being a mom!

I’m Denise Sawyer of www.thecentsiblesawyer.blogspot.com and I am learning to live LARGE on LESS. I am a full time second grade teacher at a public school in Georgia. I started blogging as a way to meet like-minded people while beginning my frugal journey. My blog has attracted many moms that are long time savvy shoppers as well as moms that are just finding their way in the penny-pinching lifestyle. We’ve built a community that shares the love and wants everyone to score the best deals, and that is why you’ll find lots of great tips, grocery and drugstore deals, giveaway items, and freebies at The “Cent”sible Sawyer. 

As one of the Wal-Mart Eleven Moms I am probably the newest mom! My husband and I are expecting our first child in March of 2009. This is what drives my obsession to learn to live on less! I grew up in a one-income family with a mom who stayed at home until my brother and I were both in school. I feel that this has impacted the person that I am today in a big way, which is why I am making it my mission to become a stay at home mom and to go from living on two full time incomes to one. I am a firm believer that if you are a wise steward with what you are given, God will be your provision and take care of the rest! By honoring Him with my finances He will see that I am MORE than provided for.

Living frugally isn’t easy, but it isn’t a burden either. The best advice I can give is to do the best you can do and try to pick up one new frugal habit at a time – one that fits your life-style. Don’t beat yourself up for one bad week (or even a rough month!), just pick it back up and keep on going!

Join me on my frugal journey as I stack my coupons, pinch my pennies and discover the best deals all over town and online!

My name is Erin Gifford of www.CouponCravings.com and I’m a working mom of three young daughters (ages 5, 3 and 14 months) living in the Washington, DC area. By day I work as a communications director for a major online media company and have spent the last ten-plus years reaching out to moms on the benefits of various programs, including an online grocery coupon service, two children’s safety coalitions and a tutoring service.

I started CouponCravings.com in May 2008 after taking a serious interest in coupons and saving money through my work on Shortcuts.com, a paperless online coupon service. Much of my day-to-day work for Shortcuts.com involves reaching out to mommy bloggers, and I quickly decided I wanted to become one too!

My money-saving tips have been featured in USA Today, Cincinnati Enquirer, Los Angeles Times and WashingtonPost.com. I am also working with All You magazine as a featured blogger on their new Daily Savings blog and am a contributor at BlissfullyDomestic.com, a site dedicated to making life easier for moms.

In addition, I am a freelance writer and have written articles for Pregnancy, ePregnancy, Natural Health, GRAND, Big Apple Parent, Washington Family, TulsaKids, Coastal Family, Parent Guide, ePregnancy.com, MediaBistro, and more. I graduated from the University of Virginia with a double major in Economics and Communications.

Hello, my name is Heather B. also known as “The Domestic Diva” from thedomesticdiva.org. I am a freelance writer who specializes in honest product reviews. I started blogging back in 2004 when I decided to record my pregnancy with my first son. My ever-growing passion for my new hobby soon developed into a business as I discovered more and more people wanted to hear what I had to say.

Now two pregnancies later, thedomesticdiva.org has grown leaps and bounds. Through my love of honest product reviews I’ve gotten to work with so many wonderful companies. For instance in April of 2008, I attended my first mom bloggers event hosted by Sony Electronics. Now it is my honor and privilege to be working with yet another great company, Wal-mart. Many who know me know how much I love to save money. Some people may call me cheap, others frugal, but I just call it smart! Why pay more for something when you can get the exact same thing for way less?

Saving money is not hard you just have to know a few tricks of the trade. Please check out thedomesticdiva.org to see my “Reviews & Reality (un)Scripted” as well as my exclusive viral videos.

I’m New York mama Jenn Fowler from Frugal Upstate. Since 2006, I’ve been writing about simple ways to save money doing simple things you’ve never even considered. One hint: it’s not all about clipping coupons and buying on sale!

My motto is use what you’ve got, get creative and save. I started by stretching what I had for longer, reusing stuff and making do without all the little needless extras. Along the way, I figured out that frugality is fun—like the way you feel when you find a designer dress at a yard sale for $5.

Frugality isn’t scary, it’s a gradual process that I’m still learning myself. I try different frugal skills, some of which stick, and some that don’t. I have fabulous successes and ridiculous failures. I possess no special skills except tenacity and the belief that I can figure it out. And my favorite part is sharing and learning from my readers.

My kids inspired me to take up the frugal cause. I was a career Army officer working with guns and tanks, about a world away from my blissfully domestic life today. After the birth of my first child, I decided to stay home full time. A typical New Yorker, I wanted it all: a good life, happy kiddos and a fat wallet on one less paycheck. I was determined to prove to the world that we don’t need more money to keep up our quality of life.

I’m also a suburban subversive, plotting to reinvent the way we stay-at-home-moms think about keeping up with the Joneses. Here’s an example: last year I instituted a $10 gift limit at my daughter’s birthday party. No one complained, and gift limits started popping up on Christmas parties and friends’ invites. Quietly, we frugalites will take over the world!

Remember, every frugal tip isn’t for everyone. Try one new frugal skill and see if it works. Even just a few can and will make a difference in your lifestyle (and your bank account).

My name is Jennae Petersen and I am the relatively young mother of one precocious little girl and 2 stepsons. I'm a graphic designer by trade and a lover of interior design by nature — literally. I am the chief blogger at GreenYourDecor.com, a site dedicated to eco-friendly home décor products, projects, tips and inspiration.

With the concept of "green" becoming as prominent as it is these days, many people see it as a fad that will eventually die out like the latest fashion trend. Those who know better understand it is a way of life.  You don't have to go around hugging trees (though you can if you'd like to), but it's about living more consciously.

Since my family began our mission to go green, we've made a lot of changes in our spending habits.  We prefer to buy organic food products when we can, and we've switched to products that come with less packaging, like blocks of cheese instead of slices, or frozen juices instead of bottled. We've switched to cloth towels and napkins instead of paper, and we buy recycled paper products whenever we can. So while green living has a notorious reputation for being prohibitively expensive, it actually helps you save money by learning to consume less and be more conscious of what you are buying.

The flip side of that is that quality green products, particularly when it comes to larger purchases like furniture, will be more expensive at the outset — sometimes greatly so. But I'd personally rather spend more for a sofa that will likely last long enough to pass down to my children and may never end up in the landfill rather than buying its cheaper counterpart that will probably have to be replaced in a few short years. Not to mention that greener sofa won't contain any of the potentially toxic chemicals likely to be found in its alternative.

Overall, my goal is to encourage everyone to learn to consume less, both for your everyday needs and long-term purchases, a huge part of what frugal living is all about. Buy what you need, and buy with quality and sustainability in mind, and you'll do your part to save the Earth one dollar at a time. 

And if you think green living is frumpy or style-challenged, think again! Join me at GreenYourDecor.com to find ways to make your home green without sacrificing style. There is lots to see and learn!
 

I’m Jessica Smith of www.JessicaKnows.com and I’m a Mom that believes you can have it all! I love staying home with my preschooler and love my job working virtually for www.JessicaKnows.com you’ll be able to find all my blogging and online projects in one place.

Saving money is a constant challenge for my family. With our packed schedules and fast-paced life living in the Washington, DC Metro area, being conscious of our spending habits isn’t always easy. We are also committed to living a more eco-friendly life as well. Growing our own vegetables and using cloth napkins versus paper when possible are two examples of how we achieve both of these goals. What works for one family might not work for another. My advice? Do what works best for you!

Stop by and say hi at www.JessicaKnows.com     

Hi, or should I say hei - in my native language Finnish. My name is Katja Presnal, and I am an European living in New York. I met my American husband 11 years ago and we have lived in several countries and 7 different states together. Even our three children were all born in different countries! I used to work in the fields of marketing and PR before getting married, but my husband building his career as a helicopter pilot and us moving so often forced me to get creative and I started building my own career from home, with three children.

I founded my first corporation two years ago and I have been blogging since June 2007 at my blog Skimbaco Lifestyle. My youngest one just started Kindergarten this year, and for the first time I am able work full time and really start pursuing my goals as a PR and social media consultant. I am passionate about inspiring other moms who also want to work from home and I like finding creative ways not just to save money, but make money. I also write Ladybug Landings, a site offering tips for mompreneurs and bloggers.

Our traveling lifestyle gets easily expensive, so we try to make smart choices and buy less. I am always thinking for new creative ways to save money without sacrificing the lifestyle we want to live. My motto: usually the ecological is also economical, and our family is committed to green living. Looking forward sharing my lifestyle and money saving tips with you! I would like to personally invite you to visit Skimbaco Lifestyle.

I’m Lori, also known as A Cowboy’s Wife.  I’m a mother of three boys and have been happily married to a real cowboy for fifteen plus years. After teaching myself the ropes of the "world wild web," I now use my sites to reach out to women in various forms including helping others with blogging tips and teaching affiliate marketing at bloggingcents.com.  I use my personal blog, www.acowboyswife.com  to chronicle my reflections about ranch life, kids, marriage, and photography. You can also find me critiquing products and services, from various companies, at cowgirlcritiques.com. My pride and joy though is my food blog, www.mywoodenspoon.com  where I was recently hired by Kraft to create an original recipe using Velveeta.  You’ll find home cookin’ recipes with fun foodie talk there so stop on by and say howdy!
 
Although I’ve only been blogging since Feb. 07’, I have developed a readership that trusts me.  They believe in me and know that I will do my best to help them achieve their goals on and offline.  I take pride in that relationship with them and hope to make them proud by joining this exceptional group of ladies and of course, Wal-Mart.
 

I am Lucretia M. Pruitt, also known as GeekMommy, an ex-college professor and professional computer geek. Before my daughter was born in January of 2003, I had every intention of going back to work teaching CIS at the collegiate level when my maternity leave was over. But best laid plans don't count in little feet, little toes, and the overwhelming desire to spend every possible moment with your children instead of hapless undergrads - so I found myself instead becoming a full-time, stay-at-home Mom in April of that year.

Suddenly going from 2 incomes to one strains the best of budgets, so along with learning to change diapers and play peek-a-boo, I learned how to stretch a dollar just a little further than before.  Still obsessed with technology, I try to balance being a Geek and a Mom and I use the Internet for both - finding bargains and great friends online, as well as learning new ways of saving money & living well at the same time!

Hi! I’m Lynnae of BeingFrugal.net! My family has been living on one income in a two-income world for the last 10 years. It’s not always easy, but I have learned that it is possible to live well without spending a lot of money.

I started blogging in May 2007 to chronicle my experience with trying to get out of debt and live a more frugal lifestyle. I’ve had lots of successes…and a few failures, too. But the important thing is that I’m continuing to learn.

A bit of a rebel, I believe in driving paid off cars until they die, spending less than I earn, and kicking credit cards to the curb. I don’t worry about the need to keep up with the Joneses, because a lot of time the Joneses are in debt.

Now that my youngest child is heading off to kindergarten, I have more time to dedicate to BeingFrugal.net and my new project, Frugal Mom Reviews. My goal is to encourage those who want to spend less money, no matter where they are in their frugal journey.

My latest challenge is trying to take on a more eco-friendly lifestyle. I’ve tossed the paper towels and napkins, and this year I started my first garden. When the weather permits, I like to line dry my laundry, too.

Feel free to come over and say hi at www.beingfrugal.net! You’ll find some great tips for living more while spending less! And hopefully you’ll be convinced that Being Frugal is a great way to live!

I have been married to my husband for 13 years and have 2 children, 2 dogs and 2 cats. In 2006 my husband was diagnosed with a degenerative disease so saving money became even more crucial but I will always remember Phillipians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. " My once small time hobby of pinching a few pinnies here and cutting a few coupons there turned into a neccessity.Through my experiences in life I have learned there are many people struggling with everyday life and are looking for information on saving time and money. Thats why I created my "Ministry".
 
In 1996 Morestealsanddeals.com was formed which is now called ConsumerQueen.com. The original purpose of the website was to help other families struggling and in very simular situations like us feel good about being able to contribute so much just by clipping a few coupons..  ConsumerQueen.com has grown extensively over the past 2 years with over 8,000 members across the United States.  While members get great deals and awesome savings on things that their families use everyday, many members "pay it forward" by donating some of the name brand items that they receive for free or at a very low cost to local churches and shelters. ConsumerQueen.com has been and always will be a free site for all whom wish to register. Members of our website also enjoy our outstanding giveaways and product reviews.
 
Deals are broken down by store and explained so people new to couponing and those who have years of experience can all understand every deal. Every member is encouraged to post deals and to brag about their shopping adventures.I think my eyes were really opened up about couponing the day I walked out of a local Albertsons towing 3 grocery carts behind me that totaled $1880 and I only paid $19. I was able to provide enough groceries for my family and had plenty left over to donate to my church as well as the battered womens shelter. Now this was one of my more extreme shopping trips but I still to this day am able to usualy save 50 to 75% off my grocery bill if not more. ConsumerQueen.com is featured on news, radio and newspapers. I one day hope to have a job working one on one with consumer promotions. Snapple Lady here I come! You can see our media here: http://www.consumerqueen.com/?page_id=298
 
The Site also offers video Product Reviews and shopping adventures at: http://www.youtube.com/consumerqueen.com
 Anyone can be a "Coupon Queen" it just takes a little bit of dedication and self dicipline. I am very excited to be apart of  Wal-mart's 11 moms program and I hope you are blessed beyond measure with everything you learn here.
 

Hi, I am Mercedes of Common Sense with Money. I am a Certified Public Accountant and MBA who left the workforce to become a stay-at-home mom for my two sons ages 3 1/2 years and 10 months old. I was born and raised in the country of Honduras where I grew up learning how to be resourceful with the limited income that we had.

I started my blog in October of 2007 because I wanted to share my money saving efforts with other people. We are a family that lives a frugal lifestyle while still being able to achieve the goals we have set out for our future. I wanted people to see that you can not only "make it on one income" but you can thrive on one! In the last year we have spent less and received more. This has allowed us to increase the amount we save towards retirement and the college education of our children.

Helping other people live better, spend less, and save more is something I am very passionate about. I combine simple frugal living tips and smart shopping techniques to help moms across the U.S. become better home economists. Please stop by to visit me at Common Sense with Money

I’m Merlene Paynter of Frugalous.com. Having been a SAHM for the past 18 years I have lots of experience in juggling a household budget on a single income.

Recently divorced, I now have the challenge of raising two teens as a single parent on an even tighter budget. To add to the changes I’ve sold the home I raised my kids in for the last 12 years and we’ve moved into an apartment. Now we have the challenge of trying to cram our old lives into a tiny apartment!

I’ve been online in one form or another since the mid-90s and was the owner and creator of popular 1990s children’s website “Maddy Mayhem’s Kids Stuff!”, contributed to several books that time including Internet for Kids for Dummies, AOL Canada’s Online Handbook, and The Canadian Internet Handbook.

I’ve recently begun Frugalous.com as a blog about living a frugal lifestyle in a fabulous way. I’m proud to be a part of the Elevenmoms community and working with these amazing women who make up Elevenmoms.

Hi! I'm Monica, the owner and author of Mommy Brain Reports! I am a California girl, born and raised. I'm a wife, and mommy to our amazing twin girls. My girls love to keep me busy and I cherish every moment I get to spend with them, just watching them learn and grow. From the moment we found out we were having twins, we knew we'd have to get creative and learn how to make our money stretch just a little bit further.

I began writing Mommy Brain Reports in June of 2008 as a way to help other parents make more informed choices when shopping for their family. There just wasn't enough information out there for a lot of the items we were looking at for our girls, and I wanted to do something about it.

Over the last few months, Mommy Brain Reports has grown into a great site, where I can also give away many of the items that I review. Along with reviews and giveaways, I like to keep up with great deals I find on the Internet, and local area fun (and usually free or very low cost) places and events to take your family! It's not easy to go out on a budget, but it's possible, and I'll show you where you can do it!

I'm Tara Kuczykowski of Deal Seeking Mom, and I'm a work-at-home mom to five kids, ages six and under. In addition to bringing you the best freebies, steals, and deals online and in stores on Deal Seeking Mom, you can also find me blogging at Transcription Talk about all things related to working from home as a general transcriptionist. 

Staying at home with my children is important to me, and I've learned how to successfully stretch my budget through couponing and seeking out the best deals in order to do so. As you can imagine, five children can be quite expensive (especially when they all need new shoes at the same time), but we've found many creative ways to cut the costs.

I started blogging without any real intentions when a good friend of mine started a blog. Before I knew it, I had a successful blog with tons of ideas to further Deal Seeking Mom and to expand it. Now I only need to find the time to do all the things I would like to do. 

I find helping other moms achieve their financial goals to be satisfying and a rewarding experience. Learning how to be frugal need not be an overwhelming proposition. Small changes can reap big rewards, so come on over to Deal Seeking Mom to learn the basics!