Simple ways a stay-at-home-mom can save money

As a stay-at-home-mom, I love being a good financial manager. To me, it's an essential part of my job - making the most of the income my husband earns. Parenting and emotional issues aside, it just makes common financial sense to stay at home with my little one - the cost and toil of working outside the home is simply not worth it for us. For us, the long-term gains far outweigh any short-term wealth having two incomes may bring.

That said, it's still essential to be wise with every penny that comes our way, and I love the satisfaction I get from finding a great deal, making the most of what's out there. Saving just a couple dollars every month really adds up, and well, I think that makes my job as a home manager pretty important.

There's lots of great resources out on the internet, so I thought I'd share a few that have been helpful for me.

• Money Saving Mom is a newish blog started by Crystal, who has been blogging at her other site for quite a few years. The woman is a coupon and stockpiling genius. She's known for feeding her growing family for $35 a week. There are lots of really good practical ideas there, so if you're into saving money with your everyday household chores, you should make this blog a regular read.

• Dave Ramsey is my money management guru. Here's a great list of links, all relating to him and his ideas.

• Paperback Swap or Cash4Books are two great book sites. At Paperback Swap, you can exchange books via snail mail for free with other readers - it's a great way to expand your library. And at Cash4Books, they pay you to sell your books with them.

• Coupon Mom is, in my opinion, the best place to find printable coupons for just about any store you can imagine.

• Frugal Hacks is a great database of blogs dedicated to frugality. Recently, Like Merchant Ships posted some great ideas on using the Pottery Barn catalog for inexpensive decoration ideas.

• If you're interested in working from home, WAHM is a great place for moms to get ideas for income.

There are so many resources out there, and I've barely touched the tip of the iceberg. Stay tuned for more articles dedicated to practical, frugal ideas for the stay-at-home mom!