Looking for a non-caffeinated hot drink to replace your morning coffee? Try this Decaf Chai Tea Latte Recipe — one of my favorite drinks when I first stopped drinking coffee.
{For more tips on how to stop drinking coffee, check out this post. And you can also see my list of favorite decaf teas to drink here.}
I Decided to Quit Coffee!
As some of you know, I made some radical health changes at the end of August that have majorly impacted my life in really incredible ways — including allowing me to completely get off all of the meds and supplements I’ve been on for acne, eczema, and anxiety.
One of the big changes was going completely off of coffee. Yes, for real. For 16 weeks now, I’ve not had a cup of coffee.
I missed it really, really badly at first. Like, I wanted to cry I missed it so dreadfully.
And it didn’t help that I had raging headaches and felt lethargic for the first week after I went off of it cold turkey.
But 16 weeks later, I can tell you that the health changes I’ve experienced are every bit worth not drinking coffee. And my goal is to never drink it again.
I have so much more energy, I’m sleeping so much better, I have so much less anxiety, and I’m so much happier overall. So it’s worth it.
My Coffee Replacement
But I do love me a warm drink, so I’ve experimented with a few different healthier decaf options and have come up with one that I absolutely love.
I call it Decaf Chai Tea Latte — even though I’m pretty sure it’s not technically that. But calling it that makes me feel like it’s a little closer to coffee than it is, so just go with it, okay?!
It’s so simple to make and only takes 3 ingredients!
Ingredients for Decaf Chai Latte
- 2 chai tea bags (I love Decaf Hot Cinnamon, Stash Chai Spice, and Chai Rooibos.)
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup milk (or half & half, if you want yours to be creamier)
- cinnamon
How to Make a Decaf Chai Latte
1. Steep 2 tea bags in a mug filled with 1/2 a cup of steaming hot water.
2. While the tea is steeping, froth milk. (Jesse surprised me by buying this amazing frother and I can’t say enough about how much I love it. It makes incredible froth like nobody’s business!)
3. Pour frothed milk over tea.
4. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
5. Enjoy!
NOTES:
I like my tea strong, so I make it with two tea bags and only half a mug of hot water. You could definitely just use one tea bag if you don’t want it as strong.
Also, feel free to substitute half & half in place of the milk and it will be a lot thicker and creamier!
Want to see me make this live? Watch the video below. Oh and be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to see fun videos from me every week!
Decaf Chai Latte
Ingredients
- 2 chai tea bags
- 1/2 cup milk or half & half
- cinnamon
Instructions
- teep 2 tea bags in a mug filled with 1/2 a cup of steaming hot water.
- While the tea is steeping, froth milk.
- Pour frothed milk over tea.
- Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Love this recipe?
Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!
Related:
- Why I Stopped Drinking Coffee
- My Favorite Decaf Teas to Drink
- How I Drink a Gallon of Water Every Day
- My New Favorite Non-Coffee Drink
FREE 50+ Easy and Cheap Breakfast Ideas!!
Mornings just got so much easier with this FREE list of 50+ Easy & Cheap Breakfast Ideas for Busy Weekday Mornings!
5 Reasons I Love Our Older Vehicle
Guest post from Rosanna of Extraordinary Everyday Mom
Several months ago, I was browsing Facebook and saw that a friend had posted a question about their vehicle.
The question went something like this: “Our vehicle is just nearing the 200,000-kilometer mark and I’m looking for opinions. Should I keep driving it or buy something newer so I can actually make a little bit of money on it?”
The friend went on to say that they didn’t really have the cash to buy a different vehicle that this point, but they also didn’t want to have to worry about a lot of repairs. I was amazed by how many people suggested that they should buy a newer vehicle even though they didn’t really have the money.
I replied and suggested that they begin paying themselves a car payment each month now so that they would be able to replace when they needed to. It was clear that my opinion was unusual.
I drive a 2005 SUV with a little more than 200,000 kilometers. My husband drives a 2005 truck that’s nearing 300,000 kilometers. We maintain them regularly and neither of them has ever left us on the side of the road.
If you’ve never owned an older vehicle, you might be surprised to know there are many benefits (at least in my opinion). Here are a few of them!
1. It is paid for and has been for a long time!
If you’ve ever owned a vehicle that you don’t have to pay payments on, you know exactly how I feel. It is an incredible feeling of freedom to know that you own what you drive. It’s all yours.
2. I don’t have to worry about every little scratch.
My vehicle already has scratches and scrapes. Another new one won’t hurt.
3. It doesn’t have a bunch of gadgets.
I know this isn’t a bonus for everyone, but I’ll be honest… I’m not all that excited about keyless cars or cameras that turn on every time I turn on the blinker. I feel like simpler is better because there is less to go wrong.
4. Freedom
Because we don’t have a car payment, we have the freedom to do other things with our money. Two major things that we have been able to do are pay off debt and give more.
5. You don’t lose as much money on depreciation.
I’ve heard that a new car loses about 60% of its value in the first 4 years — after that, it doesn’t lose nearly as much value. This is important to me because buying a car is probably one of the largest purchases that most of us make that also loses significant value.
These are just 5 of the many reasons we love our older, paid-for vehicle. And just so you know, we HAVE lived the other side of this coin.
When we got married, we both came into the marriage with car payments. My husband drove a brand new car; I drove a used car I didn’t save up to buy. However, our finances were so tight that we had to sell my car and become a one-car family for many years. Even with that change, we still struggled greatly with paying for that car.
These days, we are blessed to have a vehicle that’s paid for. Now that’s something to be proud of!
Rosanna is a wife and mother who homeschools her three children. She loves Jesus, her family, Praise and Worship, writing, and hanging out with friends. You can follow her on her journey at Extraordinary Everyday Mom.
Brigette’s $72 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Brigette’s $72 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Aldi
2 3-lb bags Pink Lady Apples – $5.98
1 3-lb bag Mandarin Oranges – $2.99, plus receive $0.25 from Checkout 51 – $2.74 after rebate
1 64-oz carton Orange Juice – $1.69
1 loaf Bread – $0.85
1 head Cabbage – $1.19
2 bags Spinach – $1.98
3bags Baby Carrots – $2.37
1 pkg Zucchini – $1.99
1 bunch Bananas (2.46lbs @ $0.44/lb) – $1.08
1 can Parmesan Cheese – $2.49
5 dozen Eggs – $2.95
1 64-oz carton Almond Milk – $1.99
1 pkg Frozen Peas – $0.95
2 pkgs Butter (these somehow made it to the freezer instead of on the table for the picture :)) – $5.38
1 3-ct pkg Green Peppers – $1.29
1 gallon Whole Milk – $2.49
3 16-oz cartons Egg Whites – $5.97
1 head Cauliflower – $2.49
1 box Creamy Wheat – $1.99
Total after rebate: $47.86
Harris Teeter
11 cans Beans (Navy, Black-Eyed Peas, and Kidney) – $4.11
1 box Betty Crocker Scalloped Potatoes – $1.00, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – FREE after coupon
1 box Betty Crocker Cake Mix – $1.25, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $0.25 after coupon
2 boxes Honey Nut Chex – $5.00, used $1/2 Chex Cereals, exp. 12/31/16 (SS 11/20/16), plus $1.00/2 evic – $3.00/2 after coupons
2 cans Progresso Soup – $2.94, used $0.50/2 Progresso Products, exp. 12/17/16 (SS 10/23/16), plus $1.00/2 evic – $0.94/2 after coupons
1 pouch Jello Simply Good – $1.00, plus receive $0.75 from Checkout 51 – $0.25 after rebate
10 bags Shredded Cheese – $13.11
1 tub Spring Mix Greens, reduced – $1.00
3 cans Grands Buttermilk Biscuits – $3.00, used $1/3 Pillsbury Refrigerated Baked Goods Products, exp. 12/10/16 (SS 09/18/16 R), plus $1.00/3 evic, plus receive $1.00 from SavingStar – FREE after coupons and rebate
1 Hormel Rev Wrap – $1.50, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled), plus $0.50/1 evic – FREE after coupons
1 pkg Butterball Turkey Bacon – $2.97 – used $0.55/1 printable (doubled) – $1.87 after coupon
Total: $24.51
Grocery Total for the Week: $72.37
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Cereal x 2
Oatmeal x 2
Cream of Wheat x 2
Biscuits, Scrambled Eggs, Fruit
Lunches
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Fruit, Carrot Sticks x 2
Baked Potatoes with Cheese and Broccoli, Oranges x 2
Leftovers x 3
Dinners
Grilled Chicken, Creamy Milk Rice, Tossed Salad, Steamed Green Beans
Breakfast Skillet Hash (Potatoes, Ham, and Eggs fried in a skillet and topped with shredded cheese), Apples
Christmas Banquet at our church (Dinner is provided)
Spaghetti Carbonara, Bread Machine French Bread, Roasted Veggies
Chicken Fried Rice (I don’t use a recipe, but do something similar to this and add peas and carrots), Homemade Applesauce, Spinach Salad
Simple, Perfect Chili, Carrot Sticks with Ranch Dip, Easy Cornbread
Leftovers
How I Got a Pair of Brand-New Jeans I LOVE for Just $8.99!!
Looking for a way to find cute clothes without paying high prices? I’ve got a great solution for you today — thredUP!
As I’ve talked about before, thredUP sells high-quality, secondhand women’s and kid’s clothing and accessories, with a range of great brands to choose from at up to 90% off the original retail price! They make it much easier for you to be able to wear brands that you might not otherwise be able to afford!
We’ve ordered many, many clothes from thredUP over the years and many of the clothes we’ve ordered have been items we’ve worn over and over again. I recently placed another order with them and was able to get some great deals on workout clothes + some jeans I absolutely fell in love in with!
And boy did I score some great deals! Here’s what I got…
This DanSkin Now tank was just $5.99 (originally $18).
These Eye Candy leggings were just $5.99 (new with tags — originally $19.99).
These C9 by Champion shorts were just $5.99 (originally $15).
I also found EXP Core Active Pants for $7.99 (originally $45), GapFit Active Pants for $5.99 (not shown — originally $54), and Kirkland pants for $8.99 (new with tags — originally $18).
These Divided by H&M jeans were just $8.99 (new with tags — originally $24.95).
I got this Old Navy tank top for $4.99 (originally $15) and this Victoria’s Secret tank for $4.99 (originally $24).
And are you ready for my very favorite find?? I was SO excited about these Refuge jeans! They were brand-new and were just $8.99!!!
They are perfect! Seriously! I couldn’t believe how well they fit me and that they were brand-new!
I wore them with one of my new flannel shirts, Victoria’s Secret tank underneath it (see above), and my ankle boots that I got for a steal and I just love this outfit!
6 Reasons Why I Love thredUP
- They have a HUGE selection. Seriously. It would take me hours and hours and hours to get through all the clothes they offer just in my size alone!
- They allow you to search by size, color, and brand. Because they have such a massive number of options, I love that you can really drill down to very specific searches — you can refine your search in great detail if you choose: what colors of clothes you want, what brands you want, and what price range. This allows you to really find exactly what types of things you are looking for.
- The box is always well packed. thredUP prides itself on the “unboxing” experience. When you receive your thredUP box, all of the clothing items will be hand-folded with cute thredUP tags attached to each. The items are wrapped in nice tissue paper and delivered to your doorstep in an cute polka dot box.
- They offer good deals on high quality items. One of my favorite ways to shop thredUP is to search for deals on high-quality brands I already know that I love and adore but would never pay full price for. You can often find name brand items that are in like-new condition (or even new with tags!) — for up to 90% off the retail price!
- They have lots of items for $5-8 each. thredUP has so many name brand items in the $5 to $8 range — and if you use the 40% off coupon code (below), you’ll be able to find some amazing deals!
- They make it easy to return. If an item doesn’t fit you, you can log into your account within 14 days from when it’s delivered to say that you want to return it. You can then print a postage paid shipping label and return slip.
thredUP also offers an easy way to clean out your closet. You can check their website to see which brands of your secondhand clothes they take and what the payouts are. Simply order a thredUP Clean Out Bag, fill it with items you no longer want, and place it at your door for pick-up.
Would you like to try thredUP?
thredUP is offering MoneySavingMom.com readers a special offer! The first 100 readers to place an order and use coupon code MONEY40 at checkout will get 40% off your purchase (up to a $50 discount). This coupon is valid for new thredUP customers only.
Have you tried thredUP before? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts on your experience with it.
Would you help me make a difference in South Africa?
I’m getting ready to do something I rarely ever do. I’m hesitant to do this, but I know many, many of you are looking for ways to make a difference and many of you have asked me for input and ideas on how you can make a difference.
So this week, I’m asking you to carefully and prayerfully consider opening up your hearts and your pocketbooks to make a difference in South Africa.
You all know that I’m intensely and deeply passionate about South Africa and making a difference there. I’ve had the opportunity to go there three times in the past two years and I’m already looking forward to when I can go back again (and our kids are begging that they can go with us again next trip!)
Our family feels like part of our hearts forever remain in South Africa. We love the people. We love the amazing hope that is shining forth in the midst of great need. We love the food. We love the warmth of the people. And our South African friends have become like family to us — even though so many, many miles separate us.
And in all honesty, for me personally, South Africa is like a second home. I know a number of the leaders and some of the locals, I’ve learned some of the basic Afrikaans and Tswana words, I’ve tried a lot of the South African food, I’m familiar with the location of where things are, I know some of the history and stories, the 16-hour flight to get there and back doesn’t seem crazy long anymore, I can find my way around at the stores, I can converse with the locals and understand their accent, I feel very comfortable at the Centres and interacting with the children — even if they can’t speak English, and I’m not even that scared of elephants in the wild!
You all know that this is something our family is personally very invested in. Since I went the first time, our family has had the privilege of covering the operational costs of the Take Action Ministry there. I don’t share this for any other reason than for you to know that this is a ministry our family is very personally invested in.
To have the privilege of partnering with Take Action Ministry to impact the lives of hundreds of children and adults and communities just gives me goosebumps. I love the work that God is doing in South Africa. And I love that God has given our family the opportunity to play a small part in all of it.
As I’ve blogged about our trips there and the work being done there, many of you have asked for ways you could also be involved. So today, in a very uncharacteristic fashion, I’m coming to you and prayerfully asking that you’d consider giving two one of the two opportunities this week:
- Spend $10 & Get a Printable Christmas Fun Kit — all proceeds will be donated to South Africa to help finish building a Community Centre in Maubane, South Africa. Read all about this opportunity here.
- Purchase a Power of Moms Programs For 25% Off — ALL proceeds will be donated to South Africa to help finish building a Community Centre at Maubane, South Africa. There are six difference programs to choose from and prices start at $13.50. Read more about this opportunity here.
Thank you — from the bottom of our hearts — for considering be a part of the work happening in South Africa. I can’t even begin to tell you how much it means to our family. And more importantly, your willingness to be part of this will make such a difference in so many lives on the other side of the world.
Need proof of the difference you are helping to make? Read this post. And just thank you so much! The fact that so many of you want to be involved and make a difference overwhelms and humbles me!
Interested in Going to South Africa to Serve?
If you are interested in going to South Africa to serve, there are opportunities to serve through the Abba’s Pride Kid’s Camp, the Abba’s Pride Internship Program, and through Butterfly Change for Children. I have personally met and spent time with the people involved in each of these ministries and couldn’t recommend them more highly.
These would especially be amazing opportunities for teens or young adults — or even a 6-week or 3-month mission trip as a family. If you have more questions, feel free to ask me and I’m happy to do my best to answer them or to connect you with those involved in these ministries.
This Month’s Blog/Business Income Report (October)
Thinking of Starting a Blog? Over the years, I’ve received many requests from folks for help on how to start a blog and how to make money blogging.
That’s why I put together this comprehensive guide on How to Make Money Blogging with updated information and links. It includes step-by-step help on how to set up your blog, get started, and make money from blogging. Go here to learn how to make money blogging and get started today!
In 2005, I discovered this thing called “blogging” and decided to try it out. I was a brand-new mom at the time, had recently quit working as a nanny, and was hopeful I could make enough on the side through online ventures to be able to replace my income and be able to stay home.
My husband was in law school and we were living on a beans and rice budget, trying to stay out of debt.
We never, ever dreamed that my little blog idea would grow into what it has become. In all honesty, when I started MoneySavingMom.com, I remember telling people that I hoped to make a side income from it.
I never could have imagined that by the end of 2008, I’d be making full-time income from blogging! And in all my wildest and craziest dreaming, I never would have envisioned that this blog would allow my husband to come home full-time, would provide the means for us to support ministries we love dearly (in the US, in the Dominican Republic, and in South Africa), and would enable us to provide incomes for our small (but amazing!) team.
How I Make a Full-Time Income from Blogging
Over the years, I’ve heard the question again and again and again: How do you actually MAKE money blogging?? People seem intrigued by the idea that our family actually makes a really good income from this blog and other related online ventures.
In these monthly posts, I want to give you a comprehensive and detailed look at our different income streams and expense streams to give you a better idea of what’s working, what’s not working, and how I actually make money blogging.
I always find these posts fascinating and inspiring when I read them from other bloggers. It helps me to learn the real nitty-gritty details of what is and isn’t working, how bloggers are diversifying their income, and what they are experimenting with.
Some bloggers share these types of posts and include specific numbers of exactly how much they make every month. I’ve opted not to do that because I feel like sometimes people can get hung up on numbers and miss the bigger picture. Instead, I want share detailed percentages of our income and expenses — not only will this give you a very accurate picture of our earnings, but it will be something that is relatable, no matter the size of your blog or the income you make.
My hope is that these detailed reports not only help give you a better picture of how I make money blogging, but I hope they inspire you with new ideas on how you can increase your income or improve as a blogger or online entrepreneur.
Ready for the numbers? Here’s our income and expenses report for the month of October 2016:
October Income
Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. All of the products listed below are products and services we’ve used before. If you have any questions about any of the income or expenses, you can leave a comment and we’ll do our best to reply.
All Revenue Streams
- Affiliate advertising (See a detailed breakdown of all affiliates we earned income from below.) — 53.2%
- Sponsored Posts — 29.1%
- Banner ads (We mostly work with AdThrive for this. Erin lists more ad companies here.) — 13.7%
- Digital products (Sales of Make Over Your Mornings, Make Over Your Evenings, and Make Over Your Year) — 4.0%
Affiliate Revenue Streams Detailed Breakdown
Want to know more how affiliate programs work? Be sure to check out my post on How to Make Money Blogging.
- Amazon Digital Services — 42.7%
- EPANTRY — 16.5%
- Dedicated Media, Inc. — 12.5%
- Other (Survey Sampling International, LLC, DiscountMags.com, 23 Publishing, SecureN1 Transactions, Escalate Network, CotterWeb Enterprises, The Selling Family, Topcashback, LinkShare, Ultimate Bundles, and more) — 10.2%
- Commission Junction — 3.8%
- Creative Trust –3.8%
- ShareASale — 3.4%
- My Savings, Inc. — 2.4%
- Bloom Media — 1.7%
- Bluehost — 1.5%
- Impact Radius — 1.5%
October Expenses
- Payroll expenses — 37.2%
- Advertising and Promotion — 13.4%
- Subcontracted services — 11.8%
- Web-based tools (InfusionSoft*, Feedblitz, GoDaddy, Dropbox, Harvest, etc.) –11.1%
- Computer, hosting, Internet expenses — 8.3%
- Health insurance — 5.1%
- Partner & Affiliate Payments (Sign up for our affiliate program for our products here.) — 4.9%
- Other (Office space rent, PayPal fees, shipping/postage fees, merchant account fees, bank service charges, utilities, travel expenses, wifi, etc.) — 4.5%
- Professional fees (for our CPA, payroll management, etc.) — 3.6%
Percentage of Income Versus Expenses
We have had a huge increase in companies wanting to partner with us for sponsored posts. While I’m still really, really picky about what opportunities I’ll take, I’ve been excited for this additional income stream — especially since our income from sidebar advertising has gone down pretty significantly this year as I have said no to pop-up ads and other ads that I felt like would be annoying to my readers.
We also have made some changes in how we’re promoting Amazon deals and been more strategic in tracking which Amazon deals are performing the best and focusing on sharing more of those deals here. In addition, we’ve been doing more with Facebook Ads to promote these to audiences on Facebook that aren’t seeing them through organic reach.
This has really begun to pay off and it’s exciting to see Amazon being such a strong income stream for us again!
Overall, October was a really great month for us — which was an encouragement after such a dismal September.
Recent Experiments
1. Moving Our Email System to ConvertKit
As I told you about last month, we’re still in the process of making the switch from Infusionsoft to ConvertKit. The move has proven to be more complicated than we expected and we’ve had to work through a number of hiccups and glitches that have happened along the way. We’re still pressing forward with this, but I think it’s going to be a more time-consuming process than we’d hoped.
2. Setting Up a Featured Instagram Account
So, I have been mulling over this Instagram idea for a few months and finally decided to go for it. And I’ve been completely shocked by how well it has done!
What was the idea? Well, it was to set up a very targeted niche Instagram account.
You see, I have around 67,000 followers on my main Instagram account and I love that account. It’s my happy place. It’s where I share things that don’t necessarily fit on MoneySavingMom.com but that I’ve been mulling over, learning, or that I’m excited about. I’ll share quotes I’ve loved, lessons I’m learning, books I’m reading, peeks into our life, and musings on topics such as motherhood, marriage, and more.
I’ve carefully protected that Instagram account and don’t promote many deals or sales on there. However, when I do promote deals, people love them and they always do really well.
For the past few months, I’ve been contemplating how to share more deals on Instagram without overloading my personal account with promotional stuff. I briefly considered just posting more. I average around 4-6 posts on Instagram most weeks, so I thought that maybe I could double or triple the amount I was posting and then have 1/3 of my posts be deal posts.
But the more I thought about the realities of that, the more I realized that it just didn’t sit right with me. It would require a lot more work, it would mean that I wasn’t able to let some of my really thoughtful and heartfelt posts sit there for 24-36 hours like I like them to, and it would mean that I’d be completely changing up what people had come to expect from me on Instagram.
So instead of trying to produce more content posts just so I could also include more deal posts, I decided to instead set up a separate deals-only Instagram account. I picked a name that clearly told exactly what my intentions were for the account (@AllTheBestDeals). And then I decided to tell people exactly what they could expect from the account:
As you can see, while the account name uses keywords, I branded it by including my name followed by MoneySavingMom. I also made it clear that I’m personally curating these deals myself — to give more value to them. I added info about texting for deals as this is something that’s been really effective for us since we started offering it recently.
I set up a Link In Profile account so I can link each individual post to a separate affiliate link and can post multiple links every day. And then I went in and added six posts to start things off — so people could get an idea of exactly what I’d be posting. Plus, I always think it’s good to have at least 5-10 posts before you announce things to world.
I then posted about it on my Facebook Page and my Instagram account letting my followers know I had set up this account. I had set a goal to grow the list to 2,000 to 3,000 within a week. It’s always hard to get something brand-new like this off the ground and I’ve found that once you have a few thousand followers it seems that gives it enough legitimacy that it will then start to take off on its own. 
I’ve been thrilled that so many people are interested in following this deals-only account! So far, I’ve only had it for 10 days and I’ve already passed up the 3,000 mark! (If you’re interested in great deals, be sure to follow the account here.)
But I’m not just excited that I’ve been able to grow the following so quickly, I’ve also been thrilled (and a bit shocked!) at how well the idea is working. Over the past 10 days, at least 5-10% of all our affiliate sales have come through the links on this really small (compared to the rest of our audience) account!
How cool is that??! Plus, I’m having so much fun seeing what posts do best on it, what people are interested in, and what types of products convert.
This Month’s Featured Question
This month’s featured question is from Johanna:
“Hi! You’ve been talking about being an Amazon Affiliate, but unfortunately I live in Missouri. Yep. Can’t use it. Do you have any suggestions for other affiliate networks?”
YES, Johanna! I do! While it’s a really unfortunate that you can’t use Amazon Affiliates as a source of income, there are so many other affiliate networks out there that can help you diversify your income well. Here is a list of some of my top-earning affiliate networks:
- Panthera Network
- Linkshare
- CPADNA
- Escalate Media
- ShopHer Media
- Commission Junction
- ShareASale
- Savings.com
- CenterPoint Media
- Glitter Network
- Coupon-printing (Coupons.com, RedPlum, and SmartSource)
- Amazon
- TopCashback
- Pepperjam Network
- Impact Radius
Amy has a great list of many different affiliate programs here, too!
I also highly, highly recommend reading my post on 5 Strategies for Maximizing Your Earnings With Affiliate Marketing.
Highly Recommended Blogging Resources
- How to Blog for Profit Without Selling Your Soul by Ruth Soukup
- Building a Framework: The Ultimate Blogging Handbook by Abby Lawson
- Brilliant Pin Promotion Course by Beth Anne Schwamberger
- FB Brilliance: The Ads Course for Business Builders
Want to Start Your Own Blog?
I’m here to help! Check out my comprehensive guide on How to Make Money Blogging with updated information and links. It includes step-by-step help on how to set up your blog, best practices for blogging, and all the details on how to make money from blogging.
Also, if you haven’t done so already, be sure to sign up for my FREE 5-day course on How I Make a Full-Time Income From Home. This video course will give you an inside peek into my blogging and business journey, will share lots of inspiration and hard lessons I’ve learned in the process, and will encourage you with ideas on how you can make a part-time or full-time income from home, too.
Previous Income Reports
More Posts on Blogging
-
- Help! I Want to Start a Blog, But Isn’t the Market Already Saturated?
- Help! I Want to Start a Blog, But I Can’t Figure Out What I Should Blog About!
- The 3 Most Important Things You Should Do After You Start a Blog
- Why I Think You Should Break the “Blogging Rules”
- 5 Questions to Ask When You Feel Like Quitting Your Blog
3 Ways to Improve Your Budget Overnight
Have you struggled to make a budget work for you? Do you wish you could set up and actually stick with a budget? Are you hoping that 2017 will be the year you actually figure out how to make budgeting work for you?
For my friend Jessi Fearon of The Budget Mama, facing the fear of needing to file for bankruptcy was the catalyst in her life changing decision to finally get her budget on track. I’ll let her tell her story…
At 21 years old, I was facing an eviction notice on my door and having to file for bankruptcy. I was flat broke, but you would have never known that by looking at me. In fact, not even my own parents knew how broke I really was because on the outside, I had a brand new sports, a luxury apartment, and a designer wardrobe.
All on an Administrative Assistant’s salary of about $18,000 a year.
I looked like I had it all, but in reality I had nothing. Despite growing up in a home where budgeting was made a priority I decided that I knew better than my mama’s wisdom and figured that budgeting was just for broke people.
It was budgeting that saved my life – literally. When I realized the severity of my situation, I finally made the decision to sit down and write out a budget like my mom had taught me.
It wasn’t easy, but by accepting responsibility for my money mistakes I was able to pay off all that debt and start breathing again.
Finally getting my budget on track was not easy and is still a continued work in progress, but through trial and error, my family and I now have a working budget. I can tell everyone with confidence that budgeting has saved my life.
This Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. EST), Crystal and I will be offering a free live workshop: Budgeting for Real Life: 3 Methods to Improve Your Budget Overnight.
We’ll teach you:
- How to overcome your fear of budgeting and how to get started right away.
- How to make sticking to a budget possible. (Yes! It’s possible!)
- How to avoid having to record a million and one transactions every month.
It doesn’t matter what stage of life you’re in, everyone needs a budget. I want to share with you my quick tips to a successful budget!
Click here to sign up and reserve your spot for Thursday’s class.
We are so excited to help you get started on your budgeting journey! See you there!
Note: If you can’t make it to the live class, register anyway and we’ll send you a link to replay after the class is finished.
Gretchen’s $51 Grocery Shopping Trip and Menu Plan
Aldi
2 Pineapple – $1.29 each
2 Cucumbers – $0.49 each
1 bag Frozen Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts – $5.99
1 bag Chocolate Chips – $1.49
1 box Frosted Flakes – $1.29
1 lb Butter – $2.69
1 Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.89
2 dozen Eggs – $0.78 each
1 Vegetable Oil – $1.85
1 loaf Bread – $0.99
1 can Tuna – $0.65
1 bag Baby Carrots – $0.99, used $0.25/1 Checkout 51 rebate – $0.74 after rebate
1 bag Frozen Strawberries – $2.09
Total after rebate: $24.79
Dillons
2 Barbara’s Cereal – $1.99 each, used 2 $1/1 printable AND $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate – $0.86 each after coupons and rebate
2 Kraft Dressing – $1.49 each
1 Kroger Ice Cream – $1.98
1 pkg Sargento Shredded Cheese – $1.99, used $1.25/1 e-coupon (no longer available) – $0.74 after coupon
1 pkg Kroger Shredded Cheese – $2.49, used $0.65/1 e-coupon – $1.84 after coupon
1 Nutella – $2.49, used $2/1 e-coupon – $0.49 after coupon
1 Simply Ground Peanut Butter – $1.49, used $0.75/1 e-coupon – $0.74 after coupon
2 half gallons Milk – $0.99 each
1 bag Frozen Broccoli – $1
1 pkg Dove Ice Cream Bars – $4.39, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 pkg Sunbelt Bakery Granola Bars – $2.50
3 lbs Ground Beef – Marked down to $1.99 each
2 pkg Pasta – Marked down to $0.25 each
1 pkg Kroger Cream Cheese – $1.25, used $0.50/1 e-coupon – $0.75 after coupon
1 Sheba Cat Food – $0.70, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 pkg Kroger Rice – $0.89
1 pkg Betty Crocker’s Sugar Cookie Mix – $2, used $1/1 e-coupon (no longer available) – $1 after coupon
3.06 lbs Bananas – $1.81
Total after coupons and rebate: $26.89
Total for both stores: $51.68
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Cereal x 3
Eggs & Toast x 3
Oatmeal and Smoothies
Lunches
Tuna Sandwiches, Sliced Veggies
Baked Potato Bar
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Sliced Veggies x 2
Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Sliced Pineapple/Apples
Leftovers x 2
Dinners
Meatloaf, Rolls, Green Beans
Tacos, Rice
Chicken Noodle Casserole, Steamed Broccoli, Pumpkin Muffins
Homemade Cheese Pizza, Veggies
Pancakes, Eggs, Sliced Pineapple
Roast, Potatoes, Carrots, Homemade Bread
Leftovers
Brigette’s $65 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Brigette’s $65 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6
Aldi
10lb bag Russet Potatoes – $3.49
1 20-oz pkg Zucchini – $1.99
1 pint Grape Tomatoes – $1.29
2 jugs Lemonade – $2.98 (these are for a Christmas cookie decorating party with friends)
1 pkg Chocolate Chips – $1.49
1 pkg String Cheese – $2.79
3 bags Baby Carrots – $2.37
2 cans Pumpkin – $1.58
1 pkg Mushrooms – $1.29
2 16-oz cartons Egg Whites – $3.98
1 gallon Whole Milk – $2.49
1 canister Quick Oats – $2.39
1 64-oz carton Almond Milk – $1.99
2 boxes Crispy Oats Cereal – $2.38
1 box Honey Nut Oats – $1.19
1 bunch Bananas (2.66lbs @ $0.44/lb) – $1.17
1 bag Broccoli – $1.49
2 loaves Bread – $1.70
1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $2.99
1 bag Romaine Hearts – $1.99
1 Smoked Ham – $8.83 (I will dice this and freeze – and it will last us for multiple meals)
1 Spicy Mustard – $0.99
1 Salsa – $1.89
Total: $54.74
Harris Teeter
2 boxes Rice Krispies – $5.00, used $1.00/2 printable, plus $1.00/2 evic – $3.00/2 after coupons
2 boxes Domino Powdered Sugar – $1.98, used $0.50/2 Domino Brown or Confectioners Sugar, exp. 12/3/16 (RP 09/25/16 R) – $0.98/2 after coupons
10 cans Tomatoes – $3.70
10 cans Green Beans – $2.76
Total: $10.44
Grocery Total for the Week: $65.18
Weekly Menu Plan
Breakfasts
Cereal x 2
Oatmeal x 2
Eggs, Toast, and Fruit x 3
Lunches
(Some friends gave us a whole box of apples from an orchard, so lots of apples for us this week!)
Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Apples, Carrots x 2
Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Mini Peppers, Bananas x 2
Leftovers x 3
Dinners
Three Cheese Baked Spaghetti (I’ll be substituting ricotta for the cottage cheese, and ground venison for the hamburger), Green Beans, Tossed Salad
Hamburgers on the Grill, Baked Potato Wedges, Parmesan Roasted Broccoli (I do something similar to this, except I leave out the pine nuts and the basil)
Turkey Gravy over Basmati Rice, Tossed Salad, Roasted Carrots
Best Ham and Bean Soup Ever, Skillet Cornbread, Homemade Applesauce
Ham and Cheese Omelets, Brown Sugar Biscuit Twists
Grilled Chicken, Biscuits, Green Beans
Leftovers
4 Tips to Save on Smartphone Service
Ruth emailed the following tips:
One thing that I often see when looking at money-saving ideas is to get rid of your smartphone. It’s usually assumed that smartphone service is very expensive… however, that isn’t always the case!
My husband and I have two smartphones, a Samsung Galaxy S5 and a iPhone 6s. We pay a combined household total of no more than $30 per month (occasionally less than that). This includes unlimited texting for both phones, unlimited minutes for both phones, and 2.5 GB of data per phone. (We don’t get overages on data though. When we use up our data, the speed just slows down). We use Cricket Wireless.
Here’s the tips that have helped us to keep our bill so low.
1. Avoid monthly contracts
Monthly contracts keep you locked into the same provider for long periods of time, reducing flexibility. They also “bake in” the price of that discounted smartphone and more, actually costing more in the long run than paying full price for a phone.
It’s cheaper to purchase your phone up front and go with an out of contract option. We chose Cricket Wireless, which does solely month-to-month service with no contract option. If we don’t pay our bill on time, we just wouldn’t have service until it’s paid.
2. Find good deals on phones and own them outright
Android phones, as a rule, tend to have a more variable price range than iPhones. I’ve had two iPhones, one that was purchased on an amazing deal and one that was a hand me down from a relative after they upgraded. (I offered to buy it from them but they had decided on giving it to me)
If I had been unable to find deals on iPhones, I would have gotten an Android.
3. Take advantage of multi-line discounts
Our current provider, Cricket, offers amazing discounts on multiple lines. They allow up to 5 lines on the same account. We found 3 other friends who also wanted to save money and added them to our account. The cost is lower for all of us this way.
4. Find discounted refill cards.
Sometimes we can find Cricket refill cards for sale online at a discounted rate. One time we found a $30 refill card for $27 and another time we found a $30 refill card for $28.50. That doesn’t save a huge amount, but since it only takes about 5 minutes to buy the refill card and add to our account, it’s actually a pretty good “hourly wage” for very minimal effort.
We enjoy smartphones because of the many perks on them, such as budgeting apps, GPS, etc. It’s good to realize that for those who prefer to keep them, there are ways to keep the cost very reasonable.
Ruth has 3 kids, ages 10, 7, and 4, and homeschools. Her family has recently become debt free and are always looking for ways to continue to manage their resources well.
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
Our 10 Favorite Christmas Picture Books (& one of our frugal yearly traditions!)
Our 10 Favorite Christmas Picture Books (& one of our frugal yearly traditions!)
A Frugal Christmas Tradition: Christmas Picture Books
Making memories together doesn’t have to be complicated and costly! One of my favorite Christmas traditions is to read picture books with the kids. And even though they are 11, 9, and 7, they still humor me and listen in. I think they enjoy it, too! 😉
When they were younger, we’d get a stack of books from the library, wrap up the books individually, and they’d get to unwrap one per day during December to read. (You could also turn this idea into an Advent Countdown Activity, too!)
This year, we’re skipping the wrapping part since it’s not the thrill it once was when they were younger, but we’re reading one Christmas or winter-themed picture book together every night — either after dinner at the table or right before the kids go to bed.
We stopped by the library earlier this week and checked out a big stack of Christmas books (our library has a limit of 30 books checked out at a time!)
I was excited to find some new-to-us library books to read this year along with some of our longtime favorites and am looking forward to making more December read-aloud memories together.
This is such a simple and frugal tradition, but it’s one we’ll probably always look back on in years to come with so many fond memories.
Our 10 Favorite Christmas Picture Books:
- The Christmas Story
- The Gingerbread Boy
- Gingerbread Baby
- Gingerbread Friends
- The Mitten
- B is for Bethlehem
- The Baby Born in a Stable
- White Snow, Bright Snow
- The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey
- Great Joy
What is one of your family’s favorite Christmas books? Leave a comment so I can check to see if our library has it!
I share more about this tradition here on yesterday’s YouTube video. By the way, you can subscribe to my YouTube channel for new money-saving ideas, simple recipes, and practical home management ideas every week!
More Posts to Read:
- Looking for more frugal Christmas activities? Check out the Simple Christmas series I did back in 2012 for lots of great ideas!
- Don’t have a good library nearby or can’t find Christmas books at your library? Check out my post on 8 Ways I Get Books for Almost-Free.
Reader Tip: 10 Ideas to Teach Children to Give
Jennifer emailed in the following tip:
As a parent, we want our kids to be kind and generous with others, but we all know this does not come naturally to most children. So, how do we teach them to give to others when they would rather focus on their own needs and wants?
Here are a few ideas…
- Lead by example (obviously listed first for a reason!)
- Pay them for doing chores or use an allowance system and teach them how to give, save, and spend wisely (give 10% to a church or charity, save 10%, and give 10% to missions every week).
- Help them think about where they would like their money to go (homeless shelter, an orphanage, missionary children, etc.)
- Find a specific project you can all work towards as a family (make scarves or collect food and supplies for a homeless shelter).
- Save money for a specific need.
- Do yard work for a widow or elderly neighbor.
- Make a meal for a shut-in or someone who is ill.
- Buy Christmas presents for children of military personnel or people in prison.
- Prepare an Operation Christmas Child box.
- Make birthday or Christmas cards for people in a nursing home or hospital and deliver them in person.
Don’t forget to ask you family for their ideas… and write them down. You might be surprised by some of the ideas your children think of and how excited they might be!
Do you have other ideas? Share what your family has done!
Jennifer Brannon is a wife, mom of three kids, and a former missionary kid with a passion for helping kids and their families become interested in missions. She is the author of “Missionary Kid Stories” and blogs at Families For Missions.
Simplify Your Mornings with Make-Ahead Breakfasts
Guest post from Rosanna:
My life has felt crazy busy lately… and this Fall, it got a little crazier!
Along with being a wife, mother to 3, gardener, entrepreneur, and helping with the farmette we’ve been blessed with, I gained the title of ‘teacher’ when we began homeschooling our 2nd and 3rd graders.
I knew we needed a good start to our days or they could be utter chaos… so I started with the idea of make-ahead breakfasts!
My 7 year old and I put the breakfasts together one day a week, and it is AMAZING to have homemade yummy breakfasts ready to pop in the oven or warm in the microwave or toaster as soon as we wake up in the morning!
Here’s how we prepared for our little cooking marathon:
1. Make a list of breakfast foods our family enjoys (specifically ones that can be made ahead.)
2. Make the list of groceries we’ll need and head to the store.
3. Set aside an hour or two to prep your breakfasts.
The mixes took my 7 year old merely minutes to throw together in bags.
The waffles, english muffins and bread (which I made from start to finish) took a bit longer.
Many of these recipes could actually be completely cooked and then frozen, but we prefer some things (like pancakes) made fresh, so the mixes worked great for our family!
These are the breakfast items we made (times 4)
1. Sourdough english muffins (we eat these with poached eggs)
2. Sourdough waffles (completely cooked, and then frozen)
3. Pancake mix– we have our favorite recipe completely memorized, so all I do when I make it is add eggs, vanilla, sour cream or greek yogurt to the mix, and voila, fresh, melt in your mouth pancakes!
4. Baked oatmeal mix — add wet ingredients the night before.
5. Steel cut baked oatmeal mix — just add the wet ingredients the night before.
6. Granola — we all love it served with homemade yogurt, and fresh fruit.
7. Homemade bread — I always keep it in the freezer for french toast, eggs and toast, etc.
With just one afternoon of prep, we had approximately 20 breakfasts well on their way to being made, and it saved me SO MUCH TIME!
I am planning to do another breakfast day very soon, and invite you to consider joining me in feeding our families nutritious, hot breakfasts in a stress free way!
I live with my wonderful husband and children in beautiful Lancaster, Pennsylvania. We raise our own meat and vegetables, and I have a passion for good food:). I work from home, homeschool, and enjoy my country life! I would love to connect with you on instagram.
10 Things You Can Sell To Make Extra Cash
Guest post from Beth of Living With Beth:
Wouldn’t it be great if you could find some extra money lying around your house? You could use it to pay cash for unexpected expenses such as medical bills or big purchases such as braces or a swingset for the kids.
Fortunately, you probably already have stuff in your closets, garage, attic or basement that you could easily turn into cash.
Here are some examples of items that could be worth money.
1. Holiday Decor
Those old Christmas decorations that you no longer use could generate some cash. If you have a ceramic Christmas tree with electric lights from the 1970s or 1980s, you could sell it on eBay or Etsy during the holiday season for $75 to $100.
Unique, vintage Halloween and Easter decorations can also sell for decent bucks during the appropriate time of year. Older and unique items sell best. They don’t have to be in perfect condition, but you’ll need to take excellent photos and include accurate descriptions.
2. Power Cables and Chargers
Do you have a box of old power cables and chargers? People often need new chargers to replace ones that stop working. Each of your extra cords could fetch $10 to $20 or more.
I once sold an old laptop power cable for $15 on eBay. A few months ago, my lawn trimmer bit the dust. I trashed the trimmer and sold the power charger for $20 on Amazon.
3. Your Old Smartphone
Wireless carriers usually offer a trade-in credit for your old smartphone, but you may get more by selling it yourself on eBay or Amazon. Even if the device has problems like a broken screen or a dead battery, you might still be able to sell it on eBay for a few bucks, provided you’re upfront about the issues.
4. Home Decor
If you moved or got new furniture at some point, you might have old curtains or other home furnishings in storage — all of which could be worth cash!
Years ago, after we moved to our current home, I sold some nice curtains on eBay for around $40 and a lovely fireplace screen with tool set on Craigslist for $75.
5. Old Cameras and Electronic Equipment
A few years ago, I sold an old, non-working laptop computer on eBay for about $40. Granted, it’s not much, but it’s better than having it take up space in a closet. I removed the hard drive first and made it clear in my product description that the laptop was for parts only.
We own our own cable modem to avoid paying rent to the cable company. When I upgraded to a better modem, I listed the old one on Amazon and sold it right away for $20.
I also had a really nice 35mm Minolta camera with extra lenses and filters purchased in the late 1980s. I’d used it for many years, up until I bought my first digital camera, then it went into storage. I recently sold it on eBay for $39.95, including all of its accessories.
6. Coats and Jackets
If your family’s closets contain coats or jackets that no longer fit but are in excellent condition, they could be worth $10 to $20 or more. Vintage Levi’s denim jackets could fetch $75 to $100 on eBay.
I’ve sold new or like new jackets from Target and Walmart for $10. It might not seem like a lot, but it adds up when you start cleaning out closets and unloading this type of stuff.
7. Sports and Swim Gear
Bikes and trikes aren’t the only things that you can sell when the kids are done with them. I’ve recently sold swim flippers and floaties on eBay. You might also try selling roller blades, skateboards, baseball mitts or sets of outgrown knee and elbow pads.
8. Gift Cards
Gift cards can, in some cases, lose value over time or even become worthless if the store or company goes belly-up. If you can’t use a gift card right away, there’s a good chance you’ll never use it. You may as well sell it on eBay rather than see it go to waste.
9. Unused Gifts
A couple of months ago, I decided to get rid of a silver plated serving tray with lid which had been a wedding gift. I had never used it and couldn’t think of any occasion when I would need it. I polished it to remove the tarnish and sold it for $21 on eBay.
10. Old Music CDs
Alas, most of your music CDs collected from past decades are worthless. However, some of them still have value.
A few weeks ago, I went through more than 150 CDs from boxes in the garage. I scanned them using the free Amazon Seller smartphone app to find out what they were fetching.
Roughly 10 percent of them were selling for $5 or more, which was my threshold for whether I’d list them for sale. The very next morning, one had already sold for just under $20.
A few more have sold since then, and I still have many for sale. My CDs will stay listed on Amazon until they either sell or I remove them. Amazon doesn’t charge anything to list items. They take a percentage of the sales price after the item sells.
A CD is most likely to sell if it contains some sort of unusual compilation of songs, such as music from TV shows, or if it’s a soundtrack from an obscure movie or a popular theatrical show from the 1990s or 1980s.
How About You?
What other items would you add to this list?
Beth McIntire is a writer and technology professional. She blogs at Living With Beth, and is the author of the book, “The Ultimate Guide to Getting the Most Cash for Your Stuff.”
Gretchen’s CVS Shopping Trip: Spent $1.71 out of pocket!
CVS Shopping Trip
I haven’t been to CVS in a while but this week is one of my favorite weeks to shop there and after I went, I realized how much I’ve missed it. I plan on going back for the Black Friday freebies as well. 🙂
Transaction #1
2 Ocean Spray Juice – 2/$3 (Buy 2, Get $3 ECBs)
1 can Green Giant Green Beans – $0.99 (Buy 1, Get $0.99 ECBs)
1 Colgate Total Toothpaste – $3
Used $0.50/1 printable
And used $2.50/1 CVS coupon from the in-store coupon machineUsed $5 ECBs I earned from downloading the CVS app on my phone
Total: Free, plus received $3.99 ECBs
Transaction #2
2 pkgs Oreos – $0.99 each (I needed these for my son’s birthday cake I’m making this weekend and this was the best price around town.)
Used $1.15/2 Checkout 51 rebate1 Purex Laundry Detergent – $1.88
1 Opti-Free Contact Lens Solution – $7.99 (Buy 1, Get $2 ECBs)
Used $5/1 printableUsed $3.99 ECBs from Transaction #1
Total after coupon, ECBs and rebate: $1.71, plus received $2 ECBs
Total for both transactions before coupons, ECBs and rebate: $18.84
Total for both transactions after coupons, ECBs and rebate: $1.71 plus $2 ECBs leftover