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Shared Nov 19, 2018 comment

The 2 Books I Read the Past 2 Weeks

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The 2 Books I Read the Past 2 Weeks

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to my weekly Book-ish post where I share what I’ve been reading and watching recently. If you missed it, you can see my Reading Goals for 2018 and 44 Books I Plan to Read This Year. 

(Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and we will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking through our links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

I didn’t get a chance to post a book post last week because were in India, but I’m excited to tell you about these two books I finished the past two weeks.

The first book was Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo. If you’ve gone to India, lived in India, or plan to visit India, I think this will be a very insightful and interesting book.

Honestly, it gave me such helpful perspective as I prepared to head to India for the second time. It was sad, intriguing, and yet it gave me hope, too.

I think it’s so easy for those of us who live in the Western world to feel like we have better answers to how to help or fix poverty. But as this book clearly shows, we don’t really understand at all what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes.

Because I had experienced some of what this book talks about and been to some of the areas the book refers to, it made the story come alive in a really vibrant way. It’s hard for me to put into words how it impacted me, but it’s one of those books I’ll be mulling on for a long time to come.

Note: There is a lot of crass language and mature topics discussed in this book. It’s real and raw and doesn’t sugar-coat anything. The author went to great lengths to present the story as accurately as possible and, there wasn’t anything she said that was refuted by people I met in India.

A big thank you to Leigh Kramer for telling me about this book and highly encouraging me to read it.

I’m a big fan of Katie Ganshert and have been wanting to read Wildflowers from Winter for awhile. I think it was her first book and I feel like the depth of her writing and character development has improved quite a bit in her subsequent books, but I still enjoyed this novel and definitely wanted to keep reading it even when I really needed to put it down and go do other things.

When I Find Time to Read

People are always asking me how I find time to read. Honestly, it’s because I love to read, because I’ve chosen to prioritize it, because I don’t have a lot of other hobbies, and because I can’t not read. Also, when you love something, you usually can find ways to get creative to find time to fit it in — even if it’s in the little nooks and crannies of life.

I wrote a post on 3 ways to find more time to read — even when life is busy. And here are 7 more ways to find time to read.

What did you read and watch this past week? Any books or movies or shows you really think I need to read or watch?

Shared Nov 19, 2018 comment

Brigette’s $69 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

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Brigette’s $69 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

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Aldi

1 large canister Quick Oats – $2.39

2 16-oz bags Shredded Cheddar Cheese – $4.30

3 8-oz blocks Mozzarella Cheese – $2.97

1 pkg String Cheese – $1.65

1 pkg Sliced Pepperoni – $1.95

2 64-oz cartons Orange Juice – $3.38

1 gallon Whole Milk – $1.34

1 32-oz tub Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt – $3.29

1 large jar Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.89

1 head Cabbage – $1.29

2 bags Frozen Riced Cauliflower – $3.78

1 large Butternut Squash (3.61lbs @ $0.39/lb) – $1.41

1 head Cauliflower – $1.89

1 bag Envy Apples (1.80lbs @ $0.99/lb) – $1.78

1 bag Gala and Granny Smith Apples (3.50lbs @ $0.25/lb) – $0.87

1 carton Grape Tomatoes – $1.39

1 bunch Bananas (2.66lbs @ $0.38/lb) – $1.01

1 16-oz bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.69

2 large cans Chicken Breast – $3.10

1 bag Baby Carrots – $0.85

1 large tub Organic Spring Mix – $3.99

1 bag Pretzels – $0.79

1 box Crispy Rice Cereal – $1.15

1 box Honey Crunch Oats – $1.29

1 box Honey Nut Oats – $1.15

1 16-oz box Butter Quarters – $2.04

3 dozen Eggs – $3.33

2 bags Rice Cakes – $2.30

1 pkg Flour Tortillas – $0.65

1 loaf Bread – $0.65

2 boxes Macaroni and Cheese – $0.50

1 24-oz jar Honey – $4.69

1 pkg Fresh Chicken Leg Quarters (5.65lbs @ $0.89/lb) – $5.03

Total: $69.43

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfasts. Choices include:

Cereal, Oatmeal, Smoothies, Fruit, Scrambled/Boiled/Fried Eggs, Veggie Omelets, Toast, Yogurt

Lunches

Cheese Quesadillas, Carrots, Apples x 2

Pretzels, String Cheese, Bananas, Cucumbers x 2

Leftovers x 3

Dinners

Hamburger Vegetable Soup (using venison vs beef), Easy Homemade Flatbread Crackers

15-Minute Chicken Fried Cauliflower Rice, Strawberry Muffins, Applesauce

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Tossed Salad, Simple Roasted Butternut Squash, Homemade Biscuits

Upside-Down Pizza (using pepperoni vs ground beef), Green Beans

Date Night (for my husband and me!), Macaroni and Cheese, Applesauce, Green Beans for the Kids

Thanksgiving Dinner: (Our plans are still up in the air – since I’m still not sure if I’m hosting and how many I’m hosting :), I didn’t buy any ingredients for this meal. I will definitely be making another trip to the store once I finalize what’s happening. We’ll for sure have Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy, Make-Ahead Butterhorns, Green Beans, and Pumpkin Pie. I always try to add in a few interesting side dishes and another kind of pie. Does anyone have any “must-make” suggestions for me?)

Chicken Soup with Homemade Noodles, Tossed Salad, Italian Breadsticks

Shared Nov 16, 2018 comment

Brigette’s $92 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

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Brigette’s $92 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.


Aldi

1 5-lb bag All-Purpose Flour – $1.15

1 1-lb box Butter Quarters – $2.04

1 bag Pecan Halves – $4.99

1 pkg American Singles – $1.25

1 pkg String Cheese – $1.65

4 8-oz pkgs Mozzarella Cheese – $3.96

2 16-oz bags Shredded Cheddar Cheese – $4.15

1 can Whipped Topping – $2.65

1 32-oz carton Nonfat Greek Yogurt – $3.29

2 loaves Honey Wheat Bread – $1.70

1 box Honey Wheat Puffs – $1.69

1 box Rice Squares – $1.79

1 box Saltine Crackers – $0.75

1 bag Oyster Crackers – $0.79

1 pkg Sliced Pepperoni – $1.95

1 gallon Whole Milk – $1.34

2 64-oz cartons Orange Juice – $3.38

1 Acorn Squash (1.87lbs @ $0.39/lb) – $0.73

2 16-oz bags Mini Cucumbers – $3.38

2 bags Organic Romaine Hearts – $3.98

2 Cauliflower – $3.78

1 pkg Broccoli Crowns – $1.29

1 pkg Zucchini – $1.45

1 Butternut Squash (4.10lbs @ $0.39/lb) – $1.60

1 3-lb bag Granny Smith Apples – $2.99

2 pkgs Blackberries – $1.78

1 3-lb bag Pink Lady Apples – $3.59

1 4-lb bag Sugar – $1.29

4 dozen Eggs – $4.44

1 jar Hot Caramel Sauce – $1.99

1 8-ct pkg Reeses – $1.25

Total: $72.06


Harris Teeter

2 3-lb bags Gala Apples – $4.98

5 Yoplait Yogurts – $1.85, used $0.50/5 printable (doubled) – $0.85/5 after coupon

10 cans Green Beans/Corn (B2G3) – $2.70

2 jars Simply Ragu – $2.50, used $0.75/2 Ragu Sauces – 11-4-18 SS; Includes 16 oz or Larger Only (exp. 12/02/18) (doubled) – $1.00/2 after coupon

2 cartons College Inn Broth – $2.88, used 2 $0.50/1 College Inn Broth or Stock – 11-4-18 RMN; Includes 32 oz or Larger (exp. 12/04/18) (doubled) – $0.88/2 after coupon

Total After Coupons: $10.41


Sawyer’s Produce

(This is a local produce distributor close to my house that occasionally offers discounts  to the general public – entire flats only. This is a LOT of strawberries, but we’ll eat quite a few strawberries the next few days, and freeze the rest. Yum!)

16 cartons Strawberries – $10.00 (my kids ate one entire carton before I had a chance to snap a pic)

Grocery Total for the Week: $92.47

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Puff Pancake, Scrambled Eggs, Apples – Birthday Breakfast for my Daughter

Breakfast Provided at Church

Other 5 days: Cereal, Oatmeal, Fruit, Yogurt, Toast, Scrambled/Boiled/Fried Eggs, Veggie Omelets (everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfasts)

Lunches

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Strawberries, Cauliflower Soup

Build-Your-Own-Salad-Bar (Romaine, Chopped Veggies, Strawberries, Craisins, Pecans, Hard Boiled Eggs, Dressing) x 2

Leftovers x 2

PB and J Sandwiches, Apples, Cucumbers x 2

Dinners

Stuffed-Crust Pepperoni Pizza, Green Beans, Ice Cream Pie (Birthday Dinner)

Chicken Gravy over Rice, Tossed Salad, Pull Apart Oat Rolls

We’re hosting a Soup/Pie Get-Together at our house – everyone is bringing things. I’m making Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup and Caramel Apple-Pecan Pie.

Taco Salad, Homemade Applesauce, Roasted Zucchini

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Creamy Mashed Cauliflower, Homemade English Muffin Bread

Chili Cheese Baked Potatoes (using leftover chili from last week which I froze), Strawberries, Roasted Broccoli

Leftovers

Shared Nov 15, 2018 comment

Budget-Friendly Things to Do in Rome

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Budget-Friendly Things to Do in Rome

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Visiting Rome and want to stick to a budget? Check out all these great budget-friendly ideas of things to do!

Welcome to my series on our 10-day trip to Rome and India where I’m sharing a peek into our trip — where we went, what we learned, and how we saved money. For details on why we went to Rome and India, read this post. For more information on where we stayed in Rome, read this post.

We only had one full day to see the sights in Rome and we wanted to make the most of it — and we also wanted to keep our expenses down as much as possible. So we ended up deciding to only spend money on a few things today — the tickets to the Vatican Museum, lunch out at an outdoor cafe (we ate snacks we had brought with us on the trip for breakfast and then grabbed some inexpensive sandwiches for dinner), and gelato. We also stopped once at a convenience store to re-stock our water bottles since they were selling them for around $0.75 USD each and that was half the cost of anywhere else we found.

We opted against paying for any transportation and instead just walked everywhere. It was a LOT of walking (maybe 10-12 miles?), but it meant we got great exercise and we got to see a lot more of Rome very up close and personal!

As we were walking, we kept seeing signs advertising “American Breakfasts”. I found it interesting that this is what they consider an American Breakfast… and the price is kind of crazy high! (Scrambled eggs, toast, and coffee and orange juice for around $17 USD with the exchange rate. Say what???)

They day could not have been more perfect weather-wise. I wore comfortable shoes, leggings, a tunic top, and a heavy long sweater and that was the right outfit choice as it was cozy, and I found that when the sun was behind a cloud, I needed my sweater.

But when the sun was out, it was warm enough that I didn’t need my sweater during the middle of the day. (I also brought a lightweight scarf in the backpack and ended up using it when it cooled down in the evening.)

It was fun to pop into McDonald’s and see what they offered in Rome. It was definitely somewhat different than America!

We started the day off by visiting the Pantheon (it’s completely free to get in). I had visited here back in 2016 so it was fun to get to take Jesse here to experience it!

Jesse went around and read almost every plaque and sign and absorbed all of the historical significance. I love watching him hungrily lap up anything history-related!

Next, we headed to the Trevi Fountain (it’s free to visit). Even though the fountains were off because they were being cleaned, there were still mobs of people taking photos.

The sun was so bright and the crowds were so packed that we struggled to find any place with decent lighting to get a photo. But after multiple tries, we finally got this one.

It was a long walk to Vatican Museum and it took us over 30 minutes to get there, but it was a beautiful walk. There were a LOT of people outside St. Peter’s Basilica, and we we had to almost push through the crowds to get to the museum.

(We found out later that the pope has his general audience to the people on Wednesdays so that’s why it was so crazy crowded at St. Peter’s Basilica! I’d recommend not going on a Wednesday unless you want to get to see the pope. We didn’t realize we could have seen him… I somehow missed that in my research!)

We had purchased our tickets online in advance for the Vatican Museum. It was 4 Euros more per ticket to do this, but when we saw the huge crowds, we were glad that we had.

In the end, it didn’t save us an hour or two of extra time waiting in line to have booked our tickets ahead of time, but it definitely saved us some time and also gave us peace of mind that we would be able to get into the museum!

(I had read online that you’ll sometimes have to wait in line an hour or two just to get your tickets. And there’s a possibility that there will be so many people there that you won’t get to get tickets at all.)

The one place we knew we wanted to see for sure in the museum was the Sistine Chapel. You end up walking through a lot of the museum to get to it!

I had been to the Vatican Museum before, but it was fun to see it again (this time in a less sleep deprived and hungry state!)

The ornate-ness of everything can almost feel overwhelming! It’s inspiring and beautiful and just so much — everywhere you look!

This was one of my favorite photos from this day. It aptly captures the essence and beauty of the Vatican Museum.

And of course, Jesse stopped to read a LOT of signs and take it all in… and then he’s been telling me so many interesting tidbits from what he learned over the past week!

You’re not supposed to take any photos in the Sistine Chapel… though so many people were anyway! But I stood outside the chapel and took this photo looking in to give you a little peek!

We made the mistake of not looking for the secret passageway to get to St. Peter’s Basilica from the Vatican Museum so we didn’t end up getting to go into it because the line to get in was massive and we likely would have waited in it for 2-3 hours (it’s free to get in but because it was Wednesday and it was the day that the pope does the general assembly there were SO many people waiting in line!) But we did get some great photos outside!

By the way, on the Vatican site, it says you can’t bring backpacks in to the museum — that you’d have to check them for free at the coat check. But we were able to bring our backpacks in and they didn’t ask us to check them.

We ate a late lunch a cafe and then made our way to the Coliseum. On our way, we saw this — I guess it was a restoration of this site that had been dug up in an archeological dig? It looked like painstaking work but it was fascinating to watch!

I hadn’t gotten to spend time at the Coliseum last time we went to Rome, so I was thrilled to get to spend some time there this time! It’s so massive and impressive!

The gates were closed by the time we got there so we couldn’t go in it (you have to pay to do so), but we got to walk around the entire thing and take our time soaking it all up and being pretty awestruck by how massive it was.

On the back side of the Coliseum, there was hardly anyone and it kind of felt like we were having our own private tour! Also, if you don’t actually go inside, it’s completely free to walk around it for as long as you’d like!

After spending time at the Coliseum, we headed to the Spanish Steps. I’d not been to this area on my last trip (at least I don’t think so!) and it was so beautiful and upscale. (There were so many high end shops around here I almost felt like we had better leave because we weren’t dressed nicely enough to be walking down these streets with Gucci shops!)

We sat on the Spanish Steps for quite awhile to take a breather and to just take it all in!

Drew, Jamie, and their two kids — our fellow travelers and good friends!

On the way back to our apartment, we knew we wanted to find a gelato shop. We decided to look for one that had a lot of people at it as we’d been told that was the sign of a good shop. We found Giolitti and it had people all around and was bustling inside, so we decided to go with it!

I’m more of an ice cream person than a gelato person, but when it Rome, you need to buy gelato and then eat the entire huge cone yourself since you walked so many miles! 🙂

I’m so grateful for Jamie’s friendship and that it worked out for us to go on this trip together. Jamie has loved me so wholeheartedly and poured into me so much this past year.

We’re so different and yet we complement one another so well. Also, it’s such a gift when you can just be yourself in a relationship and you don’t have to try to be “on” or to even worry about what the other person is thinking.

We’ve experienced so much crazy together on this trip and we were talking about how much you really get to know people when you are in close quarters and experiencing long days and short nights and weird schedules and challenging circumstances (like racing through airports and barely making some of our flights because of different flight delays, spending 3 days in a hotel in India that only had primitive bathrooms, learning to eat interesting and unique foods with our hands only in India, language barriers in India, luggage that didn’t make it on our flight, many unexpected delays, jet lag, hotel rooms that wreaked of mold and smoke, days that were so hot we were dripping with sweat for hours… and so much more! I’ll be sharing about all of this in my upcoming posts!)

Trips like this bring out the best and worst in people and it’s only served to further strengthen our friendship to experience all of this together! I’m so grateful!

Have you been to Rome before? If so, what are your favorite budget-friendly recommendations? Tell us in the comments!

Next up: Our rather eventful flight from Rome to London, almost missing our flight, all of our bags not making it on the flight, and more about our first day in India. Stay tuned!

Shared Nov 13, 2018 comment

Law School Struggles, Free Groceries, and a Pregnancy Test

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Law School Struggles, Free Groceries, and a Pregnancy Test

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I had planned that Jesse and I were going to start tackling topical episodes now that we had told how we met and fell in love on my podcast. But so many of you asked me questions about our story and were so curious after the last episode and asked if we could continue sharing our story in the upcoming episodes we do together.

So in this podcast episode, Jesse joins me again for us to share more of our story — including some stories from our law school days you’ve probably never heard before. 

We also talk about the Enneagram and how it has impacted our marriage and our business and we answer the question of what it’s like for us to work together so closely.

By the way, we are still finding our groove when it comes to doing these podcasts together, but I think this one is getting closer to what you’d experience if you were sitting with us having coffee. Yes, we are pretty sarcastic with each other… and you’ll probably start to hear more and more of that as time goes on.

And you’ll likely also hear more and more from Jesse as he warms up to this whole talking to an invisible audience thing. I can also guarantee you that you’ll be hearing a lot more legalese from him since I’m always teasing him about using big legal words and attorney-speak. And he’ll probably tease me about being irritable again. Welcome to our world! 😉

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In This Episode:

[01:56] – In honor of the fact that Jesse and I are currently on an international trip, I’m sharing my 5 must-haves for international flights. Would you add anything to my list? (By the way, some of you who are following our trip closely on Instagram Stories will likely catch the fact that I misspoke when I said we were in Rome and heading to India… I was messed up and thinking that this episode was dropping last Tuesday not today when we pre-recorded this part.)

[05:44] – Phones are a privilege, not a right at our house. And I share how this plays out in our home with our oldest, Kathrynne.

[10:17] – I loved this decorating book — which is kind of crazy since I’m not into decorating at all!

[11:42] – You all were intrigued by the last episode that Jesse and I did together so he’s joining me again this week for us to share more of our story — including some of the gritty (and funny!) details of our law school struggles.

[12:28] – Confluence?? Jesse brings out his legalese and I give him a hard time for it. But really, do YOU use “confluence” in your every day speech??

[15:49] – We share why Jesse decided to go to law school, why we set the goal of doing it debt-free, and what it was really like.

[21:35] – Did you know I got over $1500 worth of products for around $50 by playing the “Drugstore Game“. I share details on this and talk about what I did with the 100 tubes of toothpaste I got paid to buy.

[24:38] – We really wanted to have kids from the time we got married, but then we thought we were going to have to give up on that dream… until I got a mysterious case of irritability and a stomach bug. (I promise I’m not a big of a grump all the time as Jesse kind of made me out to be. But hey, I teased him for using big words so I think it’s only fair he got to tease me, too!)

[28:20] – Jesse and I answer a question from a listener: “What does it look like working so closely with your spouse?”

If you have any questions that you’d like me (or me and Jesse!) to address in a future episode, email me at [email protected]!

Links and Resources:

How to Listen to The Crystal Paine Show

The podcast is available on iTunes, Android, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can listen online through the direct player we’ll include in the show notes of each episode. OR, a much easier way to listen is by subscribing to the podcast through a free podcast app on your phone. (Find instructions for how to subscribe to a podcast here.)

Ready to dive in and listen? Hit the player above or search for “The Crystal Paine Show” on your favorite podcast app.

Sponsor Spotlight

Today’s episode is sponsored by Twigby — a company dedicated to providing fantastic phone service at great prices. As I mentioned in the podcast, if you are looking for a great deal on a phone for your teen (or yourself!), I’d highly recommend checking out what Twigby has to offer.

Unlike traditional cell phone companies, they give you the ability to create your own custom, prepaid plan — without a contract or an unnecessary activation fee.

You don’t have to mess with going to a store and picking out a phone plan. You just go to their site, pick your phone plan and either switch your current phone over or get a new phone, and they get it all set up for you.

My favorite part about their service (in addition to their great prices!) is that they offer plan flexibility with the ability to change plans or phones at any time for free. You’re not locked into an expensive contract that has activation and termination fees.

They also offer Free Overage Protection, so you can rest easy in knowing that you will never be charged for overages without your go-ahead! You have complete control.

Special offer! Want to save 25% off your first 6 months of Twigby? Click here.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission — at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

WANT TO SAVE $100 FAST?!Join the FREE 14-Day Savings Challenge!

Click here to sign up!
Shared Nov 12, 2018 comment

Our Experience Staying in an AirBnB in Rome

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Our Experience Staying in an AirBnB in Rome

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Welcome to my series on our 10-day trip to Rome and India where I’m sharing a peek into our trip — where we went, what we learned, and how we saved money. For details on why we went to Rome and India, read this post.

Since there were six of us going to Rome and India on this trip — two couples and two kids — we realized that it might be cheaper and smarter to split an AirBnB apartment rental together than to get multiple hotel rooms. It’s not something we’ve done much before, but we ended up loving this option!

I didn’t get any photos in the actual apartment, but you can see photos of the inside here. It was the perfect arrangement for all of us.

Jesse and I took one bedroom and the bathroom closest to it and Jamie and Drew took one bedroom and their kids shared the other bedroom and then they all shared the other bathroom.

The apartment had this old elevator that was so fun to use! And the views out the windows were gorgeous (see the photo at the top of the post!)

The apartment was situated right in the heart of the Jewish quarter and we were able to walk to the Coliseum, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain, Vatican City, the Spanish Steps, and more from it. Plus, within a few blocks, there were many different shops, cafes, and restaurants.

(The view out our window one morning — it was so idyllic!)

The apartment was extremely clean and they had tea and coffee on the counter and water bottles, juice, fruit, and milk in the fridge. Plus, they had towels, soaps, and shampoos in every room — just like a nice hotel! And the hosts were very gracious.

The only two issues I would point out that we had were:

1) They asked us to pay an additional $42 tourist tax when we arrived. They hadn’t mentioned this to us before and they asked for it to be in cash. We felt a little bothered that they hadn’t mentioned this and didn’t include it in the apartment fees. However, it is on their site, so it’s possible we just missed it there when we booked. And it’s possible that the government requires this to be collected separately and that it can’t be collected as part of the AirBnB fees. But I still would have appreciated it if they would have mentioned it and let us know they would need it in cash when we checked in.

2) The bathtub leaked when we drained it. We let them know and they came to check on it and offered to call someone to come fix it, but it was the second day and we just decided that Jesse and I would take “sink baths” (there wasn’t a shower in our bathroom — though there was a sprayer in the bathtub). They were very gracious and apologetic about this and I’m guessing they got it fixed as soon as we left!


Many of the buildings in the Jewish Quarter had little gold plates in front of them with names of Jews who were sent to the concentration camps during the Holocaust. It was so sad and such a poignant reminder of the turmoil and heartache from history that these buildings could recount if their walls could talk.

Rome has so many fun outdoor cafes and restaurants!

We’ve only splurged on two meals on our entire trip and this was one of them! We went to Ba’Ghetto Milky — which was just a few blocks from our apartment and specializes in Roman Jewish Cuisine and Middle Eastern Cuisine. We loved it and the service was fantastic!

Fried artichoke hearts are really common on most of the menus and it’s one of the things I fondly remember from my time in Rome!

My salad was so delicious — I was just sad I couldn’t finish all of it!

But of course, I had to save room for Tiramisu! 🙂

All in all, we LOVED going the AirBnB route and not only was it very economical, it also allowed us to feel a little bit more like we were getting a true Rome experience by staying in such a beautiful old building and area!

Have you ever stayed in an AirBnB rental? We haven’t done this much, but I think it’s something we’ll definitely consider doing in the future since this worked out so well!

I’ll be back tomorrow with a post all about our time in Rome — where we went, what we learned, and how we did it on a small budget!

Shared Nov 10, 2018 comment

Why We Went to Rome & India

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Why We Went to Rome & India

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I never would have guessed that I would fall madly in love with traveling. But y’all, I’ve gotten bitten by the bug and I can’t ever go back.

The things you experience, the ways you are stretched, the people you meet, the hilarious situations and the hard situations, the opportunities to exercise patience, the interesting food and culture you are exposed to… the things you learn firsthand that you could never fully learn from a book or movie, the new perspective you glean… It powerfully changes you.

I’m so grateful to be married to a man who adores adventure and is willing to go along with my crazy ideas — like my recent suggestion that we tag along with our good friends on a big trip they were planning.

(Side note in case you were wondering: We aren’t the type of people who just invite ourselves on someone else’s vacation! Jamie and Drew are really close friends of ours and Jamie and I had both chatted about the crazy idea of us going to India as couples. We didn’t actually think it would happen. But then I ended up going to India earlier this year and my trip sort of set this ball into motion and by a week after I had gotten back home, we decided that we’d go with them — IF a number of things fell into place. And somehow they all did — and so we said yes to the trip!)

Why We Went on This Trip

Drew is an optometrist and has a real heart to use his skills to help other people — especially those who can’t afford eye care. He had some contacts in India who told him about some pressing needs at orphanages to provide eye exams and glasses to kids who couldn’t afford them. So Drew and Jamie decided to plan a trip to India to help these kids. They wanted to take their oldest two kids (ages 13 and 11) with them and they really wanted us to come, too.

As they were mapping out details for the trip, they realized it would only cost a little bit more to buy tickets to Rome and that it might be a great way to acclimate to the time change. I was ALL OVER the Rome idea for two reasons, 1) Jesse has never been to Europe and 2) I got to visit Rome a few years ago and loved it and really wanted to go back with Jesse.

So it was settled. We’d go to Rome for a day and a half on the way to India and then we’d spend 7 days in India and then fly back home.

I’ve been documenting our trip on Instagram Stories and so many of you have expressed interest in me sharing more details, so I thought it would be fun to do a  series here on our time in Rome and India (and some ways we saved money on the trip and lessons we learned along the way!).

I’m writing this while we’re still on the trip, so it’s very fresh! But sometimes that’s the best time to write about our experiences!

The Airline We Chose

We flew American Airlines and British Airways for this trip. We looked at a lot of different ticket options and these were by far the most reasonably priced with the best flight options. If we were heading straight India, Air India would have been a more economical choice, but not by that much.

And honestly, I wouldn’t recommend flying Air India. I flew Air India the last time I went to India and the reviews online are pretty bad. My experience was fairly similar to the majority of reviews online.

The planes were older (one of the planes had a number of seats that had Duck tape on them; I’m not joking!), the planes were dirty, and the food on the flights was — for the most part — very unappetizing. The only plus of flying Air India was that I thought the flight attendants were fantastic and very warm and welcoming.

After a lot of research and price comparison, we decided to skip Air India this time and go with American Airlines/British Airways. I’m so glad we did. We almost always fly American because I am able to get gift free cards on Swagbucks for American airlines, so because we fly with them so often, we have status on their airline. This gives us perks like better seats, faster check-ins, and more.

We had never flown British Airways before, though, so we didn’t know what to expect. Well, let’s just say we were blow away by the service and graciousness of the flight attendants on the international flights.

We flew from Nashville to Chicago to London to Rome and then back to London and then onto India. On the way home, we’re supposed to fly from India to London to Dallas to Nashville.

(Note: The shorter flights from London to Rome had subpar service and all of the food and drinks cost extra money. We were able to get a cup of water for free on one, but on the second one, they never even came by long enough for me to ask for a cup of water. I know that Jamie asked for a cup of water and they never brought it to her.)

My Thoughts on the London Airport

We had never flown into London before and we were excited to get to be in a city and airport that we’d never been to before. We even went outside to ride a bus to the other terminal and then we had to ride a bus to our plane. So, I can actually say I’ve stepped foot outside in London — even if I haven’t gone outside the airport. I have breathed outside air in London… does that count for something??

The London Heathrow airport was quite massive, but everyone who worked there that we encountered was so kind and warm and helpful. We had to go through security again in order to get on the Rome flight and, since they don’t offer TSA Precheck, we had to take all our liquids out and put them in baggies. The guy at security was super helpful and gave us baggies to use + pointers on the best way to get everything into the bag and maximize the space.

One thing that caught us off guard was the fact that they don’t assign gate numbers for flights until pretty close to the departure. This might be common practice in many countries, but it’s not something we’ve encountered before and it took a bit adjustment for us mentally to just have to go to the correct terminal and then wait for the gate to be shown on the board.

I also cracked up about this sign for the restrooms. I’m not sure what the designer had in mind when the ladies’ hips/body shape was drawn like this, but I had to walk quite a long way to go get my phone and go back and take a picture of this for you all. Are there a lot of bathroom signs like this in London or is it just at the airport?

Are there any specific questions you have or topics you’d like for me to cover as I share about our trip? I’d love to know!

Shared Nov 9, 2018 comment

The one book I read this past week

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The one book I read this past week

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Welcome to my weekly Book-ish post where I share what I’ve been reading and watching recently. If you missed it, you can see my Reading Goals for 2018 and 44 Books I Plan to Read This Year. 

(Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, and we will be compensated when you make a purchase by clicking through our links. Read our disclosure policy here.)

This past week, I finished reading Cozy Minimalist Home by Myquillin Smith. I’m not into decorating, but since I surprised myself by loving her first book (The Nesting Place) so much, so I decided to go ahead and read this one, too

I loved her simple and straightforward approach. She walks you through step-by-step details on how to not just be a stuff collector or stuff manager, but how to set up your home so that it serves you and your family and those you have into your home.

My favorite part — since I’m really visual — is where she shares how to quiet a room and what types of thing you should include in a room and shouldn’t include in a room. 

The book was an easy and fun read — and left me feeling inspired to actually decorate (which is a big deal, if you know me well!) In fact, I was reading it at my hair appointment and got so excited that I called Jesse on the phone as soon as I was done to tell him my ideas of things we’re going to re-arrange and redo in our house!

What have you been reading or watching recently? Leave a comment and let us know!

Shared Nov 9, 2018 comment

Gretchen’s $66 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

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Gretchen’s $66 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

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Dillons

4 bags Kraft Shredded Cheese – $1.99 each, used 3 $0.75/1 Ibotta rebate – $1.42 each after rebates

1 Thomas English Muffins – $2.49, used $2/1 e-coupon – $0.49 after coupon

1 Chobani Yogurt – $1.25 after coupon, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon

1 dozen Eggs – $0.59

1 giant box Cheerios – $4.49, used $2/1 e-coupon – $2.49 after coupon

2 lbs Ground Beef – $2.99 each

1 Kroger Peanut Butter – $1.79

1 Kroger Frozen Broccoli – $1

1 bag Flour – $1.59, used $0.40/1 e-coupon – $1.19 after coupon

1 bag Sugar – $1.59

10 cans Green Giant Veggies – $0.49 each, used $1/10 e-coupon – $0.39 each after coupon

3 cans Red Gold Tomatoes – $0.49 each, used $0.90/3 Ibotta rebate – $0.19 each after rebate

2 cans Mandarin Oranges – $0.85 each

2 boxes Annie’s Mac & Cheese – $1 each, used $0.50/2 e-coupon – $0.75 each after coupon

1 Barilla Pasta – $1.39, used $1/1 e-coupon AND $1/1 SavingStar.com rebate – Free plus overage after coupon and rebate

2 lbs Bananas – $0.98

1 Kraft Parmesan Cheese – $2.49

1 pkg Kroger American Cheese – $1.59

Used $5 off e-coupon sent to me

Used $0.10 Ibotta rebate

Total after coupons and rebates: $27.82

Aldi

1 bag Kettle Chips – $1.39

1 lb Butter – $2.49

1 bag Frozen Chicken Breasts – $5.99

2 Half & Half – $1.79 each

2 jars Pasta Sauce – $1.49 each

1 gallon Milk – $1.79

1 Sour Cream – $0.99

1 bag Marshmallows – $0.89

1 pkg Moo Tubes – $1.55

2 Cucumbers – $0.89 each

1 pkg Ramen Noodles – $1.94

1 pint Grape Tomatoes – $1.79

2 cans Pineapple Chunks – $0.95 each

1 Green Leaf Lettuce – $1.29

1 Baking Powder – $0.99

1 Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.89

1 loaf Bread – $1.49

1 bag Pretzels – $1.06

1 pkg Applesauce Cups – $1.49

Total: $38.43

Total for both stores: $66.25

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

English Muffins, Eggs, Toast, Cereal, Bananas

Lunches

Hard Boiled Eggs, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Tossed Salad, Cheese/Crackers/Veggies, Mac & Cheese, Yogurt/Applesauce, Lunch with in-laws (I’m bringing Five Cup Salad & Cinnamon Bread.)

Dinners

French Toast, Eggs

Hamburger Vegetable Soup, Homemade Bread

Cheese Pizza, Breadsticks, Tossed Salad

Spaghetti, Biscuits, Green Beans

Hamburgers (using buns from the freezer), Chips, Corn

Sour Cream & Cream of Mushroom Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

Leftovers

Shared Nov 7, 2018 comment

How Busy Women Can Find More Time to Read (podcast with Anne Bogel)

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How Busy Women Can Find More Time to Read (podcast with Anne Bogel)

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As of Monday, we hit 50,000 downloads of The Crystal Paine Show. Y’all! I can hardly believe it!

Your support and cheerleading as I’ve started this new endeavor has truly blessed me more than I can adequately express. After dreaming of having a podcast for over 4 years, this just feels surreal.

Thank you for tuning in each week, for subscribing, for telling your friends, and leaving reviews. You all are the best!

On this week’s episode, I’m going to tell you about one of my favorite ways to earn free gift cards by scanning my grocery receipts, we’ll talk about how to help your kids be more careful and avoid online bullying, I’m sharing about a book that impacted me when it comes to friendship.

Anne Bogel joins me for a fun (and inspiring!) conversation about how busy women can find more time to read and where to find great book recommendations (plus insider tips on why Anne doesn’t read on airplanes and how she survived book tour!). And then I close out the show by sharing the short list of things I try to do every single morning.

Powered by RedCircle

In This Episode:

[01:46] – Did you know you can earn free gift cards just for scanning your grocery receipts? Yup, I tell you about the free app I use to do this!

[04:44] – Online bullying is a real thing and it’s something that we need to help our teens know how to navigate. I share some of the ways we are seeking to do this in our home with our oldest, Kathrynne.

[08:05] – My book of the week is a book that I actually almost didn’t finish… but I’m so glad I did because the second half was just so good!

[11:28] – This week’s guest, Anne Bogel, shares her top tips for busy women who want to find more time to read.

[13:05] – Struggling to find books you will love to read? Anne talks about where to start and how to find great book recommendations (and she gently disagrees with me on the method I share for how I find great book recommendations!)

[16:32] – Anne has an incredibly full and varied life and yet she still finds lots of time to read. She tells us her personal tips and tricks for making reading a priority in her own life.

[19:57] – I ask Anne a kind of selfish question — one that I’ve been really curious about for a long time. I loved her answer and it gave me a lot of food for thought when it comes to why I love the books I love.

[22:18] – What is Anne reading right now? And how did she end up reading three different books based on Pride and Prejudice? And what’s saving her life right now?

[26:54] – Today’s Q&A segment question is all about what my morning routine looks like. I share the things I do every morning to start my day well.

If you have any questions that you’d like me to address in a future episode, email me at [email protected]!

Links and Resources Mentioned in the Show:

How to Listen to The Crystal Paine Show

The podcast is available on iTunes, Android, Stitcher, and Spotify. You can listen online through the direct player we’ll include in the show notes of each episode. OR, a much easier way to listen is by subscribing to the podcast through a free podcast app on your phone. (Find instructions for how to subscribe to a podcast here.)

Ready to dive in and listen? Hit the player above or search for “The Crystal Paine Show” on your favorite podcast app.

Sponsor Spotlight

Today’s episode is sponsored by Twigby — a company dedicated to providing fantastic phone service at great prices. As I mentioned in the podcast, if you are looking for a great deal on a phone for your teen (or yourself!), I’d highly recommend checking out what Twigby has to offer.

Unlike traditional cell phone companies, they give you the ability to create your own custom, prepaid plan — without a contract or an unnecessary activation fee.

You don’t have to mess with going to a store and picking out a phone plan. You just go to their site, pick your phone plan and either switch your current phone over or get a new phone, and they get it all set up for you.

My favorite part about their service (in addition to their great prices!) is that they offer plan flexibility with the ability to change plans or phones at any time for free. You’re not locked into an expensive contract that has activation and termination fees.

They also offer Free Overage Protection, so you can rest easy in knowing that you will never be charged for overages without your go-ahead! You have complete control.

Special offer! Want to save 25% off your first 6 months of Twigby? Click here.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, we may receive a small commission — at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!

OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!

Click here to download!
Shared Nov 5, 2018 comment

This changed the way I dressed!

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This changed the way I dressed!

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

If you’ve been following my blog for a long time, you know that for years I said, “I’m not a fashionista!”

I felt so inept when it came to putting together cute outfits and I felt like anytime anyone complimented me on my outfit, I needed to apologize for someone or deflect the compliment by saying something like, “Oh this shirt?? I just pulled it out at the last minute and I don’t really like it.” Or, “Thanks, but I don’t really know this dress is my style.”

I said these things because I felt so insecure about my ability to put outfits together and I constantly second-guessed myself. When I realized how much I was doing this and how much I wished I could figure out how to put cute outfits together, I finally decided to do something about it.

  1. I started paying attention to what I liked. I began noticing outfits that other people wore that I liked and started a mental checklist of what my tastes were. I also poked around on Pinterest and Instagram and paid attention to simple and frugal outfits that other people posted that I liked.
  2. I gave myself permission to try new things. I let myself actually buy some new styles and colors — to try out and see what I thought.
  3. I learned about what outfit formulas were. I joined a program that taught me about outfit formulas and how to put together outfits — and then it gave you a few weeks of outfit formulas to follow and experiment with.
  4. I kept experimenting and paying attention. I surprised myself so much by loving the outfit formula program and being challenged to follow the formulas. I even got brave and posted pictures of my outfits for almost an entire month on social media and learned so much from seeing the photo of myself and hearing feedback from you all. It helped me to define what I like, it helped me to realize a lot of things I was doing wrong, and to figure out what was working and what wasn’t working.

Now, over a year since I did that outfit formula program, I dress very differently and I find so much joy in putting together outfits. And I know what works for me and what doesn’t. I never thought this would be possible, but it’s true!

Would YOU Like to Feel More Confident Putting Outfits Together?

If you struggle with putting outfits together, I’m so excited to let you know that the program that I went through has this amazing resource available called The Big Book of Outfit Formulas.

This book will give you the same hands-on help I got to figure out how to put together outfits AND you’ll get over 300 Mix and Match Outfit Ideas! You all, this downloadable resource is G-O-L-D!

This downloadable book includes details on how to figure out what you should have in your wardrobe, how to put outfits together, and it has photos of 300 different outfits for every single season + holiday and work wear outfits.

If you want to figure out how to look cute without a lot of effort, this book is for you! You’ll have almost a full year of different outfit ideas to choose from — and it will show you how to do this with minimal pieces for each season!

The Big Book of Outfit Formulas is usually $49, but you can get it for just $29.97 until tomorrow evening (Tuesday, November 6, 2018) as part of The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle Flash Sale.

Yes, Don’t Miss The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle Flash Sale!

Remember when I posted about The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle earlier this year? It was a collection of 129 different products worth over $3000 individually — but was bundled together for just $29.97 for a few days.

If you missed it when I posted before, I’m thrilled to let you know that it’s back again as a last-chance Flash Sale until midnight on Tuesday! You’ll get access to:

There are resources on getting more organized, time management, freezer cooking, budgeting, making money from home, parenting, chore charts for kids, printable planning sheets, fitness, weight loss, menu-planning, and much more!

(And if you already purchased it, what are you waiting for? Go log into your account and download The Big Book of Outfit Formulas + so many other fantastic resources!)

Look What Else You Get in The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle!

When you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle, not only do you getThe Big Book of Outfit Formulas mentioned above, but you also get access to the Full Year Wardrobe Plan for Moms. I don’t like the styles of these outfits as much, but it’s pretty amazing how they show you how to get 239 different looks from 62 different pieces.

Plus, you’ll get access to an online course called Outfit Mastery. I haven’t gone through it yet, so I can’t speak to it and I honestly didn’t think that the photos on the sales page were that appealing or my style. But if you need extra help, you’ll also get this course (which says it’s a step-by-step video e-course that will help you conquer your wardrobe, define your own style and never agonize over “what to wear” again) when you purchase The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle.

So what are you waiting for?

Through Tuesday at midnight only, you have one last chance to get The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle — including the three fashion resources list above — for just $29.97! In addition to fashion, this huge library of resources has something for pretty much everyone! It covers home management, decluttering, mothering, DIY-ing, your marriage, organizing, budgeting, making money from home, plus much more!

Remember, this offer ends Tuesday at midnight and this is your final opportunity to get the bundle.

Ready to purchase? Just click below…

BuyNow

Want to learn more? Read more about this amazing bundle here. 

P.S. Remember, this offer ends Tuesday (November 6, 2018) at midnight! Get it while you can!

Shared Nov 5, 2018 comment

Looking for a job as a social media manager?

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Looking for a job as a social media manager?

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This week, we’re going to be talking about some ways to make more money online this holiday season. One of those ways is by working as a social media manager for other blogs or online businesses.

It’s just a given nowadays that businesses should have an online presence. However, so many small business owners are completely swamped with just trying to run their business and having to try to keep up with a Facebook Page and an Instagram or Pinterest account can feel overwhelming.

That’s where a social media manager can come in and not only take a huge load off their shoulders, but also help them build their business and increase their income through a strong social media presence.

What Does a Social Media Manager Do?

A social media manager is someone who oversees all (or some!) of a business or blogger’s social media accounts. This could include:

  • Posting regularly — Sharing about the business, sharing related articles and links, fostering engagement and community, posting inspirational quotes or funny memes, and/or encouraging interaction through comments.
  • Monitoring comments and messages — Regularly checking on comments and messages left and responding to them graciously and promptly.
  • Designing graphics — Possibly using Canva, PicMonkey, or an app to create graphics for social media (some businesses have a graphic designer they use for this).
  • Taking photos or videos — If you are a social media manager for a local business, part of your job, might be attending events that the business is at or is hosting and taking photos and videos to use on social media.
  • Researching ways to increase engagement — Watching trends and reading articles and listening to podcasts to learn what is working and not working for other companies and getting ideas of ways to experiment and improve.
  • Editing videos to post —  Possibly editing videos to include on the business’ social media platforms.

What Skills Do You Need?

If you love social media, are generally pretty organized, enjoy interacting and helping people via social media comments, are thorough and professional, can pay close attention to detail, and work well independently, then you are a great candidate for being a social media manager.

Most social media managers I know don’t have any special degrees, they’ve just been willing to put in the time and effort to learn and become proficient.

How Much Can You Make?

Honestly, the sky is pretty much the limit if you are working virtually as a social media manager. And best of all, you can usually charge a monthly rate for your services for companies, instead of an hourly rate.

This means, that as you learn tricks for streamlining and becoming really efficient and fast, you could fairly easily work up to making an average of $20-$25 per hour — and I know many social media managers who are making quite a bit more than this as they’ve honed their skills!

You can also usually work for multiple companies, since most social media manager positions would require no more than 2-4 hours per week per company.

So let’s say that you work for 5 different companies and work 2-4 hours per week for each company and you charge $300 per month per company. That means you would be working 10-20 hours per week and making $1500 per month.

That’s a pretty fantastic part-time income — and you get to work from home, you get to set your own hours, and you can work from anywhere!

How Do You Get Started?

If you are interested in becoming a Social Media Manager, I’ve got a fantastic resource for you to help you get started! I was so excited about this course when I discovered it and spent hours this weekend going through it to make sure I felt comfortable promoting it to you all.

And yes, this course lived up to my expectations — and then some!

It’s called Social Side Hustle and it walks you through everything you need to know to start your own Social Media Manager business.

In Social Side Hustle, you’ll learn:

  • Why there is such a need for social media managers and how you likely have the skills (or can learn the skills) to start this business
  • What kinds of services you can offer as a Social Media Manager — and what a client is typically going to expect you to do.
  • How to structure your pricing and not overcharge or undercharge
  • Creative and proven techniques for landing longterm clients — and how to prevent issues and stress in business relationships
  • Fantastic time-saving tips for being more efficient and effective in posting to social media so you can make your clients happy and earn more per hour
  • How to keep track of your responsibilities and stay organized as a business owner
  • And so much more (and yes, I know that lists like this usually say that, but there was just so much in this course that I couldn’t list it all off here!)

This course will give you everything you need to know to get your business up and running — and turning a profit! — very quickly! All you need are a computer and a willingness to learn!

I’ve Got Some Amazing News For You!

Social Side Hustle is usually $197 but it’s included as one of the 129 resources bundled together in The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle Flash Sale. Which means that until tomorrow evening at midnight, you can get this course + 128 other cool resources for just $29.97!!!

Even if you don’t touch any of the other resources in The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle, if you go through Social Side Hustle and work for one client for a few hours, you will easily make that $29.97 back. And I hope you make thousands more than that off of it — and I think you will if you just follow the steps outlined in the course!

So what are you waiting for?

Through Tuesday at midnight only, you can get Social Side Hustle as part of The Ultimate Homemaking Bundle Flash Sale for just $29.97! In addition to this course, you’ll get a huge library of resources on topics like home management, decluttering, mothering, DIY-ing, your marriage, organizing, budgeting, making money from home, plus much more!

Remember, this offer ends Tuesday at midnight and this is your final opportunity to get the bundle.

Ready to purchase? Just click below…

BuyNow

Want to learn more? Read more about this amazing bundle here. 

P.S. Remember, this offer ends Tuesday (November 6, 2018) at midnight! Get it while you can!

Shared Nov 3, 2018 comment

My biggest grocery shopping trip in a long time!

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My biggest grocery shopping trip in a long time!

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m currently challenging myself to stick with a $70 grocery budget for our family of five. This includes almost all of our breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners + most household products (toiletries, laundry soap, etc.).

For live updates, be sure to follow my Instagram Stories. See all posts on my $70 Grocery Budget here.

Note: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links and we will be compensated if you click through and sign up. Read our disclosure policy here.

We went shopping twice this week. Jesse ran by Aldi to pick up a few staple items and then I went and did a BIG shopping trip at Kroger today.

ALDI Shopping Trip:

  • Olive Oil Spray — $1.49
  • 24-oz bag of Chocolate Chips — $2.79
  • Oil — $1.85
  • Salt — $0.39
  • Brown Sugar — $0.95
  • Cheddar Cheese — $1.69
  • Shredded Wheat Cereal — $1.39
  • Hamburger Buns — $0.85
  • Ramen (my kids love Ramen and have been begging me to buy it!) — $1.94
  • Total with tax: $14.32

Jesse and I leave on Monday for Rome and India. We’re so excited that all of the details of this trip worked out and I’ll be sure to share lots of pictures and videos on Instagram.

We’re going with another couple we are really close friends with and will be gone for 10 days. My mom is coming to watch our kids and I didn’t want her to have to worry about doing much grocery shopping while we’re gone, so I went ahead and did a big stock up trip at Kroger today.

Check your Kroger account or app to see if this $10 off $50 digital coupon is available for you. It was for me, but some people told me they didn’t have it offered in their account.

I am LOVING the Friday-Saturday deals available at Kroger this week + the buy 10, Get $5 off deals. There were SO many great deals that I had a hard time choosing which ones I was going to stick with!

My LOADED up cart! I ended up saving $100 after coupons and deals!! Here’s what I bought…

Kroger Shopping Trip

  • 5 Solero — $1.99 each on Friday and Saturday with the Kroger Digital Coupon
  • 3 Handi-Foil Pans — $1 each on Friday and Saturday with the Kroger Digital Coupon
  • 7 BirdsEye Steamfresh — $0.75 each when you buy 10 participating items
  • 5 BirdsEye Frozen veggies — $0.75 each when you buy 10 participating items
  • 2 boxes of Cousin Willie’s popcorn — $1 each when you buy 10 participating items
  • 2 cans of Campbell’s Cream of Chicken soup — $0.49 each when you buy 10 participating items
  • 3 cans of RedGold Tomatoes — $0.39 each when you buy 10 participating items, submit for $0.90 Ibotta rebate = $0.09 each
  • 1 Lays Stax — $0.69 when you buy 10 participating items
  • 1 Pringles — $0.99 when you buy 10 participating items
  • 1 Palmolive — $1.49 when you buy 10 participating items, used $0.50 Kroger Digital Coupon = $0.99
  • Jef-Puffed Marshmallows — $1.25 (I thought my $1/1 Digital Coupon was going to come off since it was still showing in my account even though I used it last week, but looking on my receipt, it looks like it didn’t come off.), submit for $0.25 Ibotta rebate
  • 3 boxes Creamette Pasta — $0.49 each when you buy 10 participating items
  • 1 ALL Laundry detergent — $2.49 each when you buy 10 participating items, used $1/1 Kroger digital coupon, $1.49 after coupon
  • 2 boxes of Betty Crocker Brownie Mix — $0.75 each when you buy 10 participating items
  • 1 box Betty Crocker Cake Mix — $0.75 each when you buy 10 participating items
  • 1 Capri Sun — $1.79 each when you buy 10 participating items
  • 5 Halo Top — $1.99 each when you buy 10 participating items
  • Milk — $1.99
  • 5 Kroger Yogurts — marked down to $0.39 each
  • Private Selection Hot Cocoa — $0.67, used $0.50/1 Kroger Digital coupon = $0.17 after coupon
  • Chobani — free with Free Friday coupon
  • 2 pounds of ground beef — marked down to $3.79 and $3.29
  • 2 pounds of Ground Turkey — marked down to $3.19 each
  • Bagged Salads — marked down to $1.29 and $1.99
  • Kroger Eggs — marked down $1.29, submit for $0.25 Ibotta rebate
  • 5 packages of Smithfield Bacon — $2.99 each on Friday and Saturday with the Kroger Digital Coupon
  • 5 Post Honey Bunches of Oats — $0.99 each on Friday and Saturday with the Kroger Digital Coupon
  • Used $10 off $50 Digital coupon
  • Used $3 On Your Next Order coupon
  • Total with tax: $82.82 (saved $100.54!)

What I Spent This Week

Total spent: $97.14 (and yes, it’s technically “over” our $70 budget, but since I was buying ahead for the next two weeks (see above), I’m okay with that!)

Cashback Earned This Week: 75 points from Fetch Rewards for scanning my receipts + $1.50 for scanning my receipt on iBotta

Note: When you see the meals below, please remember this: I buy ahead often. Which means that when I find a great deal on something I know we’ll use, I buy as much as I can afford in our budget to have on hand.

This means that you aren’t going to see all of the groceries my shopping trip that I used to make all of the meals we ate.

Please also remember that I’m putting this out there and it’s not a perfectly balanced menu. This is just really what we ate — and I hope that it encourages you to see the real-ness and lack of perfection here. ?

What We Ate This Week

Breakfasts:

  • Cereal, Oatmeal, Pumpkin Pancakes, Scrambled Eggs, Yogurt, English Muffins (from the freezer), Bagels (from the freezer)

Lunches:

Snacks:

Dinners:

  • Saturday: Dinner out
  • Sunday: Fend For Yourself — snack-y food and leftovers
  • Monday: Pumpkin Pancakes, Eggs, Fruit
  • Tuesday:  Jesse and I went out with friends to celebrate my birthday (finally! We’d been planning to do it earlier in the month but it didn’t work out. We went to a Virtual Reality place in Murfreesboro and then had planned to eat dinner at The Green Dragon, but when we got there, they weren’t serving food anymore so we got pretzels — the only food they had! — and drinks and then ordered from McDonald’s on the way home because we were so hungry and basically everywhere was closed because it was late!) and the kids had turkey sandwiches
  • Wednesday: Turkey, Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Fruit
  • Thursday: Frozen Pizza, Fruit
  • Friday: Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole, Muffins, Salad

Whoa! This grocery shopping trip and weekly menu plan for a family of 5 is SO inspiring!

Shared Nov 3, 2018 comment

Brigette’s $68 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

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Brigette’s $68 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.


Aldi

1 gallon Whole Milk – $1.35

2 cartons Coconut Water – $4.98

4 dozen Eggs – $4.52

1 10-lb bag Russet Potatoes – $3.49

1 pkg Zucchini – $1.45

1 large Bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $2.29

2 cans Diced Tomatoes – $0.70

2 cans Tomato Sauce – $0.38

1 can Tomato Paste – $0.25

2 pkgs Freeze Dried Fruit – $4.98

2 pkgs Organic Blueberries – $3.98

1 carton Organic Grape Tomatoes – $1.99

1 16-oz pkg Medjool Dates – $4.89

2 bunches Bananas (4.16lbs @ $0.38/lb) – $1.58

2 Celery – $1.78

1 5-ct bag Avocados – $2.69

1 large jar Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.49

2 2-lb bags Honey Crisp Apples – $3.98

2 bags Lemons – $3.78

1 2-lb bag Yellow Onions – $1.09

1 bag Organic Romaine Hearts – $2.69

1 large tub Organic Spring Mix – $3.99

1 pkg Baby Carrots – $0.75

1 16-oz bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.69

1 bag Cilantro – $0.85

1 Cauliflower – $1.79

1 3-oz bag Fresh Ginger Root – $1.29

1 pkg Hamburger Buns – $0.65

1 loaf Honey Wheat Bread – $0.85

1 jar Pasta Sauce – $0.85

1 pkg Deli Sliced Cheese – $1.15

1 can Table Salt – $0.35

Total: $68.54


Harris Teeter

I went to Harris Teeter earlier in the week when they were doing a 3-day Double Dollar Coupon sale. None of these exact deals are available any longer, but after double coupons, sales and rebates (from Ibotta, Checkout 51, and Fetch Rewards) – I actually MADE about $2.00 to “buy” everything in the above picture!

Grocery Total for the Week: $68.54

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Everyone is responsible for making/cleaning up their own breakfasts. Choices include:

Cereal, Oatmeal, Yogurt, Fried/Scrambled/Boiled Eggs, Veggie Omelets, Fruit, Smoothies

Lunches

Chili Cheese Baked Potatoes, Apples, Cucumbers

Build-Your-Own-Salad Bar (Romaine/Spring Mix, Shredded Cheese, Craisins, Nuts, Hard Boiled Eggs, Avocados, Assorted Chopped Fresh Veggies and Fruit, Dressing) x 2

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches, Carrots, Bananas x 2

Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Pearl’s Chili (recipe from “Trim Healthy Mama” cookbook), Raw Veggies and Dip, Cornbread (recipe from a church cookbook)

Shepherd’s Pie (recipe from a church cookbook), Bread Machine Buttery Rolls, Tossed Salad,

Fried Chicken Strips, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Cauliflower, Homemade Freezer Biscuits

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Green Beans, Macaroni and Cheese

Spaghizza, Tossed Salad, Easy Italian Breadsticks

Venison Burgers on the Grill, Grilled Zucchini/Onions/Peppers, Apples

Leftovers

Shared Nov 2, 2018 comment

I’m giving away a free HP Chromebook! Enter to win!

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I’m giving away a free HP Chromebook! Enter to win!

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Who wants to win a free HP Chromebook?!?! I’m giving one away this week!

To enter, simply join our new Facebook Group. Then click here and leave a comment on this Facebook post telling me why you want to win!

This giveaway will be open through November 7, 2018.