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ACF stands for America’s Cheapest Family by the way, it’s a book I bought last year after it was given a positive review at The Simple Dollar. The book covers all aspect of saving money and spending wisely, one of the biggest takeaways though has been their budgeting system.
Like most people (I think?) I used to muddle along and as long as my bank balance was ‘in the black’ I thought I was doing just fine, until of course the car broke down and we hadn’t accounted for the …

One major thing I’ve done in the last year to simplify my finances is to get a flexible mortgage. This type of mortgage allows you to overpay and take payment breaks. All excess funds go into a savings pot which is offset against the mortgage lowering the interest to be paid, and, in turn reducing the monthly payments. I like the fact that we can build a cushion in the savings which we can use to take a break if something happens and we could do with …

I recently wrote my top ten money saving strategies that are ensuring we can live off one wage, whilst I stay at home with my daughter Erin. Also providing me with the option of returning to full time education in the near future.
Now it’s time for seven false economies that have tripped me up along the way.
1. Shop Brand Nappies
You may think (like I did) that nappies are a perfect way to save some cash, after all, the supermarket brand versions can be as much as 40% …

For the past 20 months I’ve been a stay at home mum, and for the most part we’ve lived off one wage, this situation sets to continue as next year I’d like to go back to college.
Over the summer I’ve looked at our budget and expenditure in depth. I’ve figured out the main ways that we will be able to continue to afford ourselves the luxury of choosing to invest in the future, which will pay off both monetarily and in our longterm happiness.
1. Get What You’re …

A while back I wrote an article about keeping costs low as a new mum, it’s time to update that article with ideas suitable for toddlers and the parents of.
Food
Milk
We moved from powder milk to full fat milk as soon as Erin was 12 months (recommended earliest age). Not only is the carton milk cheaper it’s also ready made – our mornings became that little bit smoother as a result.
Breakfast
I buy weetabix in bulk packets, for non weetabix days we have granary toast. These options are inexpensive and …