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Shared Oct 29, 2016 comment

Brigette’s $77 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

Published: by Brigette on October 29, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

1 pkg Yellow Squash – $1.49

1 3-lb bag Gala Apples – $2.99

2 bags Baby Carrots – $1.98

1 pkg Zucchini – $1.49

1 3-ct bag Romaine Hearts – $1.99

1 2-lb bag Red Grapes – $1.98

1 24-oz carton Cottage Cheese – $2.29

2 heads Cauliflower – $4.98

4 dozen Eggs – $3.00

1 bag Nacho Cheese Chips – $1.19

1 64-oz carton Almond Milk – $1.99

1 16-oz carton Egg Whites – $1.99

1 pkg Broccoli – $1.49

1 2-lb bag Green Grapes – $1.98

1 gallon Milk – $2.39

1 64-oz carton Orange Juice – $1.69

1 pkg Pepperoni – $2.19

1 32-oz box Spaghetti – $1.35

1 pint Grape Tomatoes – $0.99

1 can Pumpkin – $0.89

1 bunch Bananas (2.42lb @ $0.44/lb) – $1.06

2 cans Chicken Breast – $3.38

1 jar Dill Pickles – $1.29

Total: $52.67

Harris Teeter

6 bags Quaker Popped Cakes – $6.00, used 2 $1.25/3 printables – $3.50/6 after coupons

5 boxes Quaker Granola Bars (on sale B1G1, plus receive $3.00 off wyb 3) – $3.62

2 cans Bush’s Chili Beans – $1.60, used $1.00/2 Bush’s Chili Beans – 10-16-16 SS (exp 11/27/16), plus receive $1 rebate from Checkout 51 – $0.40 MM after coupons and rebate

2 jars Pace Salsa – $3.34, used 2 $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $1.34/2 after coupons

4 pkgs McCormick Brown Gravy Mix – $2.00, used 2 $0.50/2 McCormick Gravy Mixes, exp. 11/30/16 (RP 10/23/16 R) (doubled) – FREE after coupons

3 boxes Honey Bunches of Oats – $6.00, used $1.50/3 catalina printout – $4.50/3 boxes after coupon

2 bags Apples, reduced – $2.00

4 bags Nature’s Own Whitewheat Bread – $3.52

2 cartons Breyers Ice Cream – $5.48, used 2 $0.50/1 printable (NLA) – $3.48/2 after coupons

1 bag frozen Okra – $1.25

2 Dannon Whole Milk Yogurts – $1.00, used B1G1 printable – $0.50, plus receive $0.50/2 rebate from Ibotta – FREE after coupon and rebate

1 pkg Butterball Turkey Bacon – $2.97, used $0.55/1 printable (doubled) – $1.87 after coupon

Total after Coupons and Rebates – $24.68

Weekly Grocery Total after Coupons and Rebates – $77.35

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Oatmeal x 2

Cereal x 3

Scrambled Eggs, Toast, and Fruit x 2

Lunches

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, Carrots, Fruit x 2

Leftovers x 5

Dinners

Stromboli, Tossed Salad

Oven Fried Chicken, Garlic Mashed Cauliflower, Homemade Applesauce

Taco Salad, Steamed Carrots

Spaghetti, Green Beans, Failproof French Bread

Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup (I’m going to use leftover ham instead of hamburger), Dill Bread

Bacon and Broccoli Rice Bowls, Grapes

Scrambled Eggs with Cheese, Fruit, Morning Maple Muffins

Shared Oct 27, 2016 comment

My Sanity-Saving Tips For Thriving on a Trip Overseas

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 27, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m interested in the practical aspects of food on your international trips. I’d love to hear what you bring with you and what suggestions you have. I eat very carefully for my system to function well, from necessity. We went on a family mission trip last fall where we had no access to a grocery store. The meals were prepared for us and my system didn’t like it (not very healthy food with very few fruits and vegetables). We are going again next month and I’m trying to plan what to bring that is allowable in my suitcase (even like a hotpot and oatmeal). Thanks. -Karen D.

That’s such a great question! And in the multiple international trips I’ve taken over the past two years, I’ve definitely discovered that it can mess with your system — especially if the food is very different than what you’re usually eating, if your sleep is interrupted and fitful because of big time differences, and if you’re tired because of not getting enough sleep and long days.

I’ve learned a few tips that have made a big difference for me in how I feel while on international trips:

1. Drink Lots of Water

Every since I quit coffee (going on 10 weeks now, can you believe it??), I’ve been drinking a lot more water. In fact, I aim to drink 1 and 1/4 gallons of water every day.

This felt like a massive amount of water in the beginning, but as it’s become more and more normal for me to drink this much, I’ve noticed that I’m a lot thirstier and it’s becoming an ingrained habit to have downed at least 3/4 of a gallon of water by early afternoon!

There’s so much more I could say of the benefits of no longer being dependent on coffee and how much healthier and more energetic I feel by completely changing my eating as well as drinking a lot more water, but I’ll save that for another time. What I did want to say is that when we went to South Africa recently, I made drinking a lot of water a huge priority and I noticed a big difference in how I felt overall — not only did I have fewer stomach and digestive issues, but I also had more energy and slept much better.

I brought a water bottle with me everywhere I went and filled it up every opportunity I had to refill it. Because we were staying at a location that had good water, this worked well. When we were out and about during the day, we brought extra water bottles with us.

If you’re going to be somewhere where you won’t have access to really clean and safe water, I’d recommend bringing a water bottle with a filtration system, asking the locals what water is safe to drink, and also buying some extra bottled water at the airport in the states and just carrying them on the plane with you. It’s not great to have to lug them with you on the flight, but it’s a way that you’ll have some backup water bottles if you aren’t able to readily have access to good drinking water for parts of your trip.

2. Get as Much Rest as You Can

Your body needs sleep in order to digest your food well, among a number of other very important things. When you don’t get enough sleep — especially while traveling internationally — it can wreak all sorts of havoc on your body and inhibit your ability to really be able to make the most of your trip.

If possible, try to work out your sleep on flights so that it adjusts to what time zone you’ll be in. This has been very helpful to me on my last two trips, especially. I will keep myself awake for as long as I can so that my body more easily switches to a new time zone.

I’ve tried a LOT of different things when it comes to sleeping on long flights and the thing that I’ve found to be most helpful is to wear comfortable clothes, use an eye mask, put comfortable headphones or ear plugs in, bring your own travel blanket, and use a travel pillow like this one. I prop my feet up on my backpack, drape the blanket over me, put my seat back (the little amount that it will lean back in coach!), put my headphones in, snap the travel around my neck, and then put on the eye mask.

I’m able to sleep pretty well like this. It might not work at all for you, but I’m grateful that I can usually sleep at least 6-8 hours on a 15-hour flight to South Africa. It makes a BIG difference!

Last time around, I used this Non-Drowsy Natural Dramamine for the flight and it caused me to be a little sleepy, took away the motion sickness, but kept me from feeling completely drugged like regular Dramamine makes me feel.

When we get to our destination, I try to acclimate to the time zone as quickly as possible by only letting myself sleep during normal bedtime hours. I know that it can be tempting to want to crash at 2 p.m., but unless you’re someone who can take short naps very successfully, I’ve found it’s better to push through and make myself stay awake until at least 8 p.m. so that I can hopefully get a good night’s rest at normal bedtime hours for that time zone.

If you’re on someone else’s time table and schedule, at least try to make sure that you’ll have at least some days on the trip when you can wind down early and sleep in, if need be. I also will occasionally take some kind of sleeping aid if I’m really struggling to sleep.

Last trip, because I followed the above protocol (and was no longer drinking coffee!), I actually didn’t have any trouble sleeping at all! Which was my first international trip to not have any sleeping issues on!

3. Choose the Best Food Options You Can

You might not have a lot of food options for some (or all!) of the meals, depending upon the nature of your trip. But in many cases, you’ll at least have some options — and when you have options, choose the best options you can.

If someone is offering you food that you’ve not eaten before and it would be unkind to refuse it, you can always say, “Can you just give me a really small serving?” Or say something like, “Thank you so much. I’d love to try a little bit!”

When you have the option to eat food that you know will sit well with you, eat that. If it’s food that you feel is a little risky, take the smallest serving you possibly can while still being polite to your hosts and then eat your own snacks when you get hungry (Obviously, eat your own snacks at some time when you can do it discreetly so you’re not being un-gracious to your host… I’ve even eaten in bathroom stalls before! Sometimes, you do what you gotta do!)

4. Bring Your Own Snacks

One of the lessons I learned from my trip to Israel and Italy earlier this year is that you should always bring some snacks on international trips — especially if you’re someone prone to stomach and digestive issues.

This last time around, I made up 30 baggies of homemade trail mix — with dried fruit, nuts, and a little coconut and cinnamon. I also brought lots of Wasa crackers.

I ended up not needing as many snacks as I thought I would need, but I was so happy to have them available in my backpack as backup when we were out and about throughout the day or for an early morning breakfast if I woke up a few hours before breakfast was available at the lodge we were staying at.

5. Get Some Tummy Rub

I cannot sing the praises of Tummy Rub highly enough! This is a blend of popular oils assists your digestive system.

If you’re feeling sick to your stomach, if you have diarrhea, if you’re feeling constipated, or if your stomach feels off, massage a few drops onto your abdomen area in a clockwise direction to help alleviate symptoms. (This oil blend is already diluted with 70% coconut oil so you don’t need to worry about diluting. However, you can also make one of the recipes listed here.) I usually will apply it 2-3 times throughout the day until the symptoms clear up.

This is one oil — in addition to Thieves and OnGuard — that I will never be without on a trip. I can’t tell you how many times it’s helped our family with stomach issues!

What advice or input do the rest of you have for Karen? Leave a comment with your input!

P.S. I want to bring back the Q&A posts I used to do — maybe even on a weekly basis. If you have a question you’d love for me to answer in a post (on any topic), leave a comment on this post and I’ll consider it for a future post!

Shared Oct 26, 2016 comment

Why We Have Almost Nothing on Our Kitchen Countertops

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 26, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

When people come to our house or see pictures of our kitchen, they often ask, “How on earth do you keep your kitchen countertops cleared off?”

Yes, I might be weird, but I like to have really, really clean countertops without almost nothing on them.

I’ve always been like this. I grew up in a home where my mom modeled this. Other than a basket of towels and occasionally some bananas, there was never anything on the countertops.

And I grew to love those clean countertops so much that I knew it was what I wanted in my own home someday.

Now, a lot of people have said to me, “If I had a big kitchen, I could totally have clean countertops.”

I found this picture of when Jesse and I were first married and lived in a little basement apartment during our lean law school years. This apartment was small enough where you could plug the vacuum into one outlet and vacuum the whole apartment without switching to another outlet.

Here’s a picture of our kitchen in that basement apartment…

See? It IS possible to have almost nothing on your countertops — even in a small kitchen.

Yes, it was harder to keep the countertops cleaned in this kitchen because it was so tiny and when you made a meal, it messed up the entire kitchen. However, I loved a clean kitchen and clean countertops so much, that I made it a priority to have my kitchen look like this most of the time.

Now some people think that our kitchen is too clean and too minimalistic. I’ve been told before by people online that our home seems sterile and not warm at all because it’s too cleaned off. And I get that. What works for us, won’t work for others and that’s okay!

I’m a big believer in creating a space that works for you and your family and that makes you happy and encourages you to thrive. However, if you’re wondering how we manage to have clean countertops, here are four tips that help us keep our countertops cleaned off:

1. Only have a few appliances.

Okay, so I’m probably going to step on some appliance-loving toes here, but I don’t think you need to have an appliance for everything under the sun.

If you have a doughnut-making business, by all means, have a Doughnut Hole Baker (is there even such a thing? I may have made up a new appliance!), but if you’ve never made Doughnut Holes and never plan to, please don’t go get yourself a Doughnut Hole Baker and then have it collect dust for years.

Appliances take up a LOT of space and are usually one of the biggest reasons people need to have items on their countertops — because they have so many appliances that there isn’t room to fit all of them in their cupboards.

We stick with a few quality appliances that have multi-purpose use (in most cases) and that we use weekly, sometimes daily! These are things like: a Vita-Mix, a waffle iron, a hand-held mixer, a Bread Maker, a toaster, a KitchenAid, two Crock-Pots, and a Keurig. That’s it!

The kitchen in our first non-rental house, the house we paid cash for — I loved this kitchen so much because it was so much bigger than any kitchen we’d ever had in the apartments and duplexes we’d rented in the past. I did a tour of this kitchen and where we kept everything in it here.

2. Don’t keep what you don’t use.

I go through my kitchen very regularly and ask myself, “Do I have more than I need? What can I get rid of? What am I not using?”

If you’re just hanging onto an item because you think you might use it or if you’re just keeping it because there’s some nostalgic reason but it’s serving no purpose, taking up space, and not bringing you joy, get rid of it!

If you don’t love it and you don’t need it, find another home for it. Because there’s no point in it taking up valuable real estate in your kitchen cupboards or on your kitchen countertops!

3. Regularly clean out your pantry.

I’ve talked about having Eat From the Pantry weeks where we challenge ourselves to see how long we can go without going to the store. If you want to have some creative meals, save some money, and use up what you have, this is great way to do so.

Then, once you’ve gone as long as you can go on your Eat From the Pantry Challenge, go through the extra items and get rid of what you’re not going to use. If you’re not going to eat it and it’s not expired, donate it to a local food pantry and bless someone else.

Our current kitchen in TN — my favorite kitchen of all the houses we’ve lived in, even thought it’s a rental house!

4. Train yourself to put it away.

Want to know my best tip to get rid of stuff on your countertops? It’s simple: Train yourself to put your appliances away. Find a place for it — not on your countertops (!) — and start developing the habit of putting back what you got out.

When we lived in the basement apartment, I had to get creative when it came to where to store things. I ended up putting some of less-often-used appliances at the top of the coat closet that was right next to the kitchen. It was unconventional, but it worked and it allowed us to use that closet space fully while also enjoying clean countertops.

Try the 30-Day Clean Countertop Challenge!

Having clean countertops might seem like a lot of work and effort and it might be something that’s just not a priority to you. I totally respect that! What works for us won’t necessarily work for others.

That said, if you’re frustrated with the current state of your kitchen countertops, I want to challenge you to do a 30-Day Clean Countertop Challenge. Here’s how it could work for you:

First, go through your kitchen and get rid of items you don’t love, need, and/or use. (I highly recommend reading or listening to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up for some encouragement to pare down and make your home a space that you love and that brings you and your family joy.)
Then, find a place for the items that are currently taking up residence on your countertops. If you can’t find enough space, go through your items again to see if there’s anything else you can get rid of. Or, get creative and find other places to store items that might not necessarily be in your kitchen (i.e. my coat closet example above).
Finally, commit to 30 days of clean countertops. 30 days where you’re committed to put away everything you get out once you’re done with it. At the end of 30 days, you will likely find that you just naturally put things away — without even thinking about it!

If you hate your clean countertops at the end of 30 days, you can go back to however they looked before the challenge. But maybe you’ll fall in love with it and realize you love clean countertops, too! And if you do, I will be so happy because my mom inspired me with it and I’d love to be able to inspire you, too, because it’s made such a difference in our home!

What helps you keep your countertops cleaner? Leave a comment and tell us!

Shared Oct 25, 2016 comment

5 Things I’m Loving This Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 25, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

1. Reading the comments on my birthday post.

Wow! You all continually blow me away! Thank you for the amazing comments on my birthday post.

I wanted to respond to each and every one of you — and I wished that I could have personally hugged and prayed for each of you and told you face-to-face what you mean to me.

I am so blessed to have the opportunity to blog here and get to know some of you and have you as my online community and cheerleaders. It’s humbling and such a blessing!

2. Wearing this Life is Tough tee.

Y’all. I am in love with this tee.

This year, some of the parts of this Year of Rest have been going really deep in a few relationships and walking really closely with a few friends who are suffering some devastating losses in their life.

Some days, it feels crushingly heavy and my heart feels like it might suffocate from the pain others are experiencing and there’s nothing I can do to take it away. I know it’s exactly where God wants me to be and it’s been such an honor to walk through dark, lonely, broken, and messy — even though it hurts so much to see others struggling so much.

This t-shirt is a reminder to me that while life is tough, we are stronger than we think. I’ve certainly learned that this year.

3. Checking out new podcasts.

I recently started following some new podcasts and have been enjoying them so much! Some podcasts I’ve been loving: What Should I Read Next? by Anne Bogel, The Productivity Show, and Online Marketing Made Easy with Amy Porterfield.

Do you listen to podcasts? What are some of your favorites? I’d love to know!

4. Listening to Bob Goff preach.

This weekend, we went back to Kansas to spend a few days with our extended family. It was a great trip, but the highlight for me (in addition to seeing family), was getting to hear Bob Goff preach at my sister’s church (Life.Church).

I’d always wanted to hear him speak after reading Love Does and his sermon was such an inspiration and motivation to me in so many ways.

I think we can spend so much time talking about concepts, but talk does nothing if it’s not followed up by action. I loved how he talked about if we want to follow in Jesus’ steps, we should be going out and looking for those who are lonely, broken, hurting, and struggling and walking with them and loving them.

That’s how I want to live my life. I want to show up for people, I want to be available to people, and I want to live my life with out-stretched arms, not holding back but giving my life away.

5. Experimenting with new messy bun styles.

You know that video that I shared in my 3 Favorite Everyday Hair Styles post? I’ve been having fun experimenting with trying some of them out.

If you’ve always wondered how to do a good messy bun and just can’t get the hang of it, I’d definitely recommend watching this video. She makes doing messy buns so easy!

{And am I the only person who takes bathroom mirror photos of myself to see how the back of my hair looks? I know it seems weird, but that seems to be the only way I can really tell if I really accomplished the look I was going for. So I may have more than a few of these on my phone. :)}

What are YOU loving this week? Tell us in the comments!

Shared Oct 25, 2016 comment

BLOGGERS: Are you overwhelmed by everything you feel like you should be doing?

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 25, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

After posting my recent Blogging Income Report, I’ve heard from some of you recently who are just overwhelmed and pretty stressed by all you feel you need to do to grow your business.

I get it. I really do.

And I have been right there with you. The market is constantly changing and it can be easy to feel like there are just so many things you need to be doing to keep up.

The experts will say you need to be on all the social media platforms, blogging every week, building an email list, sending out regular emails, producing a podcast, speaking, networking with others in your field, joining a Mastermind, doing videos on Facebook Live, and, of course, producing your own products.

All the advice on everything you need to be doing “right now” can be completely and downright exhausting just to even think about and research, let alone try to implement.

And I don’t know about you, but there’s a lot of well-intentioned advice from experts that has bombed flat on its face for me.

Case in point, last year, I invested a LOT of money and time and resources on making some major changes to grow our email lists… and all that money and investment of time ended up doing absolutely nothing.

Nada. Zilch.

Well, actually, it did do something. It actually hurt our lists, caused the engagement to go down, and we ended up losing subscribers over the course of the year.

Talk about a discouraging outcome.

When we ended last year and I looked at the numbers, I realized that all that effort, all that time, all the money invested had been a complete waste.

And there was part of me that felt like such a failure. I admit I even asked myself things like, “How can you write a book called Money-Making Mom and then miss the mark so badly and cause such income loss to your business with a decision you made?”

I know that wasn’t the healthy or right response, but I totally had those thoughts going through my head. In fact, I almost felt like just throwing up my hands and saying, “Forget it! I’m never trying anything new again!”

And for a few months, I did. I figured that I’d just keep doing what I knew worked and hope that that would keep working.

But as anyone who has an online business knows, if you want to be successful, you have to constantly be learning and tweaking and experimenting. If you’re stagnant for any period of time in the online world, you will soon be on your way to dying as a business.

Earlier this year, I got to know Beth Anne from Brilliant Business Moms. She and I had had some interaction in the past when I’d been on her podcast and I’d been very impressed with her. But I didn’t really start to get to know her well until earlier this year.

And you guys, when I really starting talking shop with her, I was blown away. This girl is incredible. She’s a strategist, an experimenter, and a complete outside-the-box thinker.

As I’ve gotten to know her, I’ve fallen head over heels with her. Not only is she just an amazing person and someone I count as a dear friend (she and I now get together on a video call every month to mastermind!), but she’s also one of the most brilliant business women I’ve ever met.

I’ve sat at Beth Anne’s feet and learned so much this year. Every time we meet or talk, I come away feeling like I just drank water from a fire hydrant. 😉

And then she’ll usually follow up the meeting with a long list of other ideas to implement. The girl is ON FIRE with ideas… and they aren’t just any old ideas. Many of them are tactics and strategies I’ve never heard anyone else talk about and haven’t seen anyone else do before.

And her enthusiasm for experimenting and trying new things rubbed off on me and gave me courage to try some new things again.

One of those things was Facebook Ads. I’d heard so much about how Facebook Ads were a great business strategy but I had been scared to try them because any of my attempts in the past hadn’t panned out. It felt like I was just throwing money into a big black hole.

Well, Beth Anne completely changed my mind on that. Not only did she show me how she was using Facebook Ads to grow her business and make thousands of dollars per month, but she gave me very practical and actionable ways that we could use Facebook Ads to significantly increase our income — just by strategically marketing what we are already doing every day on Facebook.

Guess what? Not only did her suggestions work, but we’ve earned over $100,000 this past year in NET revenue by running Facebook Ads. And we’ve just barely scratched the surface of their potential!!

Yes, I think you could say that Beth Anne knows what she’s talking about and I’m living proof that her strategies work!

Sign Up for Beth Anne’s FREE Facebook Ads Class!

Want to learn from Beth Anne, too? I asked her if she would be willing to offer a free class for you all to share some of her strategies and teach you How to Make a Profit With Facebook Ads. This class will be held on Thursday, October 27, 2016 at 3 p.m. EST/2 p.m. CT.

In class, you’ll learn:

The 3 Types of Facebook Ads Campaigns that Get the Biggest Results
The Secret Audiences you Should be Targeting – the ones that will get you Subscribers and Sales for WAY LESS than everyone else is paying.
How to Set Yourself up for Success – Even if you’re Brand New to Facebook Ads
Plus, get all of your Ads Questions Answered!

Just click right here to sign up.

I can’t WAIT for you to learn from Beth Anne, as well!

Note: There will be a replay if you can’t make the live class, but it will only be sent out to those people who sign up for class. So be sure to sign up here.

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

Click here to sign up!

Fund your Christmas budget in 15 minutes a day! By participating in just a couple of these activities each day, you can add a pretty significant amount of cash to your Christmas budget!

Shared Oct 24, 2016 comment

How to Fund Your Christmas Budget — In Just 15 Minutes per Day!

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 24, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Psst! Download our Christmas Budget Boost Cheatsheet for 20 super easy ways to add $100-$300 to your gift budget by Christmas! And be sure to sign up for our Hot Deals Newsletter to make sure you don’t miss any of the hottest Black Friday and holiday deals!

If you’re looking for simple and legitimate ways to stretch your Christmas budget just a little further, you’ve come to the right place! By participating in just a couple of these activities each day, you can add a pretty significant amount of cash to your Christmas budget!

Take Surveys

While participating in surveys won’t make you rich, it is a great way to make a nice little side stream of income if you have extra time on your hands.

It takes a little while to learn what types of surveys you enjoy most and which ones are worth the effort. If you’re patient, persistent, and thorough, you will definitely earn some money. Don’t get discouraged if you end up spinning your wheels and not making a lot of progress in the beginning. Stick with it and you’ll get a much better grasp on where the best return on your investment of time is when it comes to surveys.

Hint: Be sure to use a separate e-mail address for your survey companies. Your inbox will be very full with surveys, and you don’t want it clogging your regular inbox. Plus, it makes it much easier to set up a separate email address for all your survey companies, so that you can just log into your inbox once per day and read through the emails/take the surveys versus having to wade through your regular inbox to find all of the survey opportunities.

If you’re looking for legitimate survey companies to sign up with, here are the tops ones I recommend:

1. Pinecone Research – This one is my favorite survey company, because I’ve found that it offers the most surveys for the best pay — $3 for each survey completed. This one can be competitive to get accepted into and they only open their doors for a couple days each month! Go here to see if they’re accepting applicants right now and apply to get started. (If they’re not accepting applicants, check back at the first of each month for a better chance to get in!

Reader Ali shared her testimonial on Facebook: “I love Pinecone. It’s what helps with my Christmas Stocking shopping. I earn around $200-$250 per year!“

And Amy shared her great experience, too: “I have been using Pinecone for several years now, and I make about $100-$150 per year. It’s a great income booster.“

2. SayMore – This is a newer survey site from the well-established market research firm Sago (which means they’re credible, reliable, and trustworthy!) You’ll earn $0.50-$3 per survey (and sometimes more) on average, and you get to cash out for your first rewards at $5. Choose from gift cards like Amazon, Starbucks, Apple, Target, Walmart, and more!

3. Inbox Dollars – You’ll get paid to read emails, search the web, take surveys, and more. I loved earning free gift cards from Inbox Dollars when Jesse was in law school and I had a lot more time than money.

4. Branded Surveys – This is a really fantastic survey company that gets great reviews! You’ll get $1 just for signing up, and you can cash in for $10 through PayPal once you hit 1,000 points.

5. Survey Junkie – This reputable company gets really great reviews! It is known for a low minimum payout threshold and a quick & easy first payout. You can cash in for $10 once you reach 1,000 points. Choose from PayPal funds, direct bank transfer, or a gift card of your choice!

6. Lifepoints – This reputable research panel gets great reviews on Trust Pilot. The sign-up process is really simple and you’ll get 10 points just for signing up. Most survey payouts are between 50 and 150 points and don’t take longer than 20 minutes to complete. And the best part? They have a super low minimum payout threshold of $5, so it’s quick and easy to get your first payout!

7. MySoapBox – This online research company collects feedback from their members on products, services, and experiences. As a panelist, you’ll have the opportunity to complete activities to earn points. Once you hit 25,000 points, you can trade in for a $25 gift card of your choice.

Other Easy Ways to Earn Each Day

1. Swagbucks – If you’ve been following my blog for any length of time, you probably know how much I love Swagbucks. This is one of the easiest ways to earn gift cards to go towards your Christmas budget each year, and it’s a company I’ve been using to earn gift cards for years now!

Like I mentioned above, Swagbucks is not just a survey site. It’s much more than that! In fact, Swagbucks started out as solely a search engine, but they’ve morphed into much more over the past decade. They now offer many different ways to earn more Swagbucks — making it much easier to earn enough Swagbucks to cash in on their prizes. Some of the most popular ways to earn Swagbucks are doing online searches, signing up for offers, printing coupons, completing special offers, or taking polls.

The Swagbucks that you earn can then be redeemed for a variety of different free items, such as Amazon gift cards, Starbucks gift cards, and much more!

Be sure to check out our complete Swagbucks guide, which includes my full Swagbucks review. And don’t miss all of the real Swagbucks Success Stories from MoneySavingMom readers!

2. Ibotta – This is one of my favorite money-making apps, and it’s a great way to save money on groceries and more — without clipping coupons! With this app, you’ll get cash back on grocery and retail purchases. Go here to learn everything you need to know about Ibotta.

How to Make it Work For You

So what’s the trick to funding your Christmas budget in just 15 minutes per day? Don’t try to do too much. Pick a few ways to earn, and stick to them consistently throughout each week. Over time, the trickles of earnings will add up to multiple gift cards per month to add to your Christmas fund!

Here is just one example of how to easily add $25+ to your Christmas fund each month:

1. Spend no more than 5 minutes each day using Swagbucks to easily earn enough to trade in for a $5 Amazon gift card each month.

2. Download Ibotta and cash in for rebates on products you’re already buying when you grocery shop! Earn at least $20 in rebates before Christmas to cash out, and add it to your Christmas fund! This requires very little extra time each week when you shop.

3. Sign up for one or two legitimate survey companies, and carve out 10-15 minutes each day to take surveys. Try for the ones that have the most earning potential for the time put in.

As you can see from this example, you’ll earn at least $25 in gift cards each month by investing 15-20 minutes per day at the most! And if you have extra time and you’re pretty serious about funding your Christmas budget, you could really up your earning potential!

Shared Oct 24, 2016 comment

Gretchen’s $52 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 24, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Dillons

2 pkgs Butter – $2.99 each, used 2 $1/1 e-coupon – $1.99 each after coupon

1 Kroger Sour Cream – $1

1 pkg Kroger Unbleached Flour – $1.79

2 Kroger Frozen Pizza – $1 each, used $0.50/2 e-coupon – $0.75 each after coupon

2 Kroger Peanut Butter – $1 each

1 Romaine Lettuce – $0.99, used 20% off SavingStar.com rebate – $0.79 after rebate

2 Simple Truth Grain Bread – Marked down to $0.75 each

1 Pineapple – $0.99, used $0.25/1 Checkout 51 rebate – $0.74 after rebate

5 lbs Laura’s Lean Ground Beef – Marked down to $2.99 each (I was SO excited to find this! We love this brand of ground beef but rarely find a good deal on it.)

2.4 lbs Bananas – $1.42

1 bag Potatoes – $1.50, used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate – $1.25 after rebate

Total after coupons and rebates: $30.92

Aldi

2 dozen Eggs – $0.99 each

1 gallon Milk – $2.54

1 can Kidney Beans – $0.49

2 cans Black Beans – $0.59 each

2 cans Chili Beans – $0.49 each

1 pkg Chicken Drumsticks – $1.74

1 can Pumpkin – $0.89

1 can Diced Tomatoes – $).49

1 jar Spaghetti Sauce – $0.99

1 pkg Corn Chips – $0.79

1 Baking Powder – $0.99

1 Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate – $1.19

1 can Green Beans – $0.49

1 bag Gala Apples – $1.49

1 pkg Roma Tomatoes – $1.49

1 pkg Baby Carrots – $0.99

2 Cucumbers – $0.59 each

Total: $21.87

Total for both stores: $52.79

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Eggs, Pancakes, Juice x 3

Cereal x 3

Oatmeal

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Carrot Sticks, Celery x 2

Sliced Apples and Peanut Butter, Crackers, Celery

Mac & Cheese, Sliced Veggies

Salad Bar

Baked Potato Bar

Out to eat (using a gift card someone gave us!)

Dinners

Baked Chicken Drumsticks, Mashed Potatoes, Tossed Salad, Toasted Simple Truth Bread Loaf

Lasagna, Tossed Salad, Biscuits

Chili with toppings, Homemade Bread, Sliced Veggies, Brownies

Chicken Noodle Casserole, Steamed Veggies (from freezer)

Venison Roast (I’m SO excited to have 30+ lbs of venison in our freezer again, thanks to my husband’s hunting skills!), Potatoes, Carrots

Hamburger Vegetable Soup, Pumpkin Muffins

Leftovers

Shared Oct 24, 2016 comment

How I Actually Became Content With Simplicity

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 24, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Sarah of The Jelly Jars

I never thought I would struggle with the desire for more clothes or a bigger house, the comparison trap with neighbors or friends, the belief that bigger is better.

You see, my husband and I had spent the last year living in a 900 sq. ft. apartment with three young children, we gave away 1/3 of our possessions, and I became an expert at living off of a bare-bones budget as he completed his graduate degree and worked part-time at a church.

If anything was going to teach me how to live simply, it was that year… or so I thought.

But there is a difference between living simply and being CONTENT with living simply.

What I noticed in myself is that as soon as we were able to move out, move into a single-family home and my husband started making a salary again, my old thought processes so easily returned. It’s like I had just put band-aids on the symptoms without actually working on my heart issue of needing, wanting, desiring more.

Here is how I am actually, truly, completely becoming content with simplicity:

1. I limit how much I shop in stores.

I have learned that when I actually go into stores (Hobby Lobby and Target are my biggest problem places!) I see things I want and think that I need. This either causes me to covet and become discontent with my actual life, or to make impulse purchases to fill a perceived need in my life and spend money unnecessarily.

Until I am able to go into Target and buy the one thing I actually need without throwing unnecessary items in my cart and have to explain a $100.00 surprise purchase to my husband, I buy my mascara off of Amazon.

2. I reorient my thinking through gratitude.

This is such a simple practice that has revolutionized my days. It is so easy to look at the things we wish we had — a bigger house, a bigger yard, different neighbors, a bigger paycheck.

If I dwell there though, I’m not living in my present moment, I’m only becoming more jealous and dissatisfied, frustrated with my perceived lack. If I push back against those thoughts though and instead point out what I can be grateful for, I’m no longer restless.

Instead of wishing for a different neighborhood, I see the neighbors I have on this street and how glad I am to live near them. Instead of wishing for a bigger house, I remind myself of our old apartment and how spacious this house is compared to that.

Gratitude changes everything!

3. We pay for items with cash.

Paying with cash gives me an objective barometer for spending.

Instead of pulling out the credit card and buying anything I want, cash limits me in the best way. It keeps me within my budget boundaries and I can’t argue with the envelope if there’s simply nothing more in it left to use.

4. We only keep what we actually need.

About every six months, we go through our house and evaluate if we actually need an item. I ask myself if it actually serves a purpose in the home or if it is valuable (either sentimentally or monetarily), and if it doesn’t do either of those, we donate it or put it in the garage-sale pile.

5. I engage with my people in real ways.

I pull my daughters onto my lap and we read a book or we find leaves in the front yard and trace them with sidewalk chalk or we make pancakes for dinner and I let them crack the eggs. We build a fort with sheets from the closet or we have a tea party or we bake cookies to hand out to neighbors.

I have found that as I dive deeper into relationships with my “right-now people”, my heart is full and is less inclined to need material possessions to fill any emptiness. Actually being in relationship with people in my right-now life fills my life more than any $10.00 shirt from Target ever could.

Rather than seeing simplicity as limiting, it is possible for simplicity to instead be a pathway to freedom.

As I look at life through the lens of gratitude, limit temptations I encounter, only keep what we need, and fill my life with relationships rather than possessions, little by little I am learning how to actually become content and it has changed everything.

Sarah Sandifer is a mama to three rambunctious little girls and is married to her college sweetheart who now serves as an Army Chaplain. She writes about grace and bravery and how it all helps us to become more deeply who we are over at The Jelly Jars.

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Shared Oct 22, 2016 comment

6 Ways to Teach Children Good Money Management

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 22, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Sue of SueSundstrom.com:

As my husband and I transitioned from a dual income household (without children) to a single full time income after having children, we have adopted more frugal habits (out of necessity!), and have always avoided credit card debt.

We’re doing our best to instil these same habits into our children through what we teach them about money. Today, I’m sharing 6 ways we do this.

1. Alert them to media influences.

Children learn to want more by watching advertisements. The media has incredible influence.

When they were very little, my children watched their favourite shows on a children’s channel that didn’t have any adverts. During this period, the only time I had a challenge with ‘wants’ was when we were shopping together and they saw what they liked in the shops.

When my children got a little older, they switched to a TV channel geared towards primary school aged children, which did show advertisements in between shows. We noticed a significant increase in their desire for things as soon as they switched!

My husband and I talked to them about the subtle messages found in marketing and explained how some of the messages enticed them to buy.

By making them more aware, they became better critical thinkers and they no longer just blindly believe every message.

2. Be firm and don’t give in to instant gratification.

When we went to the supermarket, I would hardly ever give in to demands for toys and treats, and so they got used to not being able to buy a toy just because we went to the shop.

My typical response when I got a request from them was ‘Put it on your birthday list or Christmas list’. This helped them have a ‘cooling off’ period on things – often, later, what they wanted didn’t seem as important anymore and wouldn’t even make it on the ‘gift list’.

Teaching them to think twice before buying something has led to them adopting more of a ‘delayed gratification’ approach – now, on their own, they will often work out for themselves whether or not something is worth the cost. For example, we were at a theme park the other day and after my eldest son saw the cost of the ‘Fast queue pass’ option he said, ‘It’s not worth it – look how much it is, and it’s not even for most of the rides that we want to go on’.

This showed me that he had learned some restraint when it came to spending!

3. Teach the value of working for money and saving up.

Our children have generally had to save up themselves for bigger purchases, like a Playstation or their own tablet, because we wanted them to learn how to save and wait for something.

The hard work involved in saving for it means they appreciate and look after it better too, plus they learn the value of work.

I loved how our sons got really creative and made their own things to sell at the bottom of our driveway, including creating drawings and finding unused toys, books and DVDs to sell. Some kind neighbours bought from them (out of pity I think!) But they learned some valuable lessons of resourcefulness, creativity, persistence and courage – it took courage to stop passersby and ask them to buy from them. They were bolder than I would have been!

They also learned to create their own ‘marketing’ signs, like ‘Buy now!’ and ‘Sale’ or ‘Buy one get one free’.

Then they offered to do things around the house. My youngest son cleaned our car, they both folded clothes, and put aside birthday money. They learned to be patient and save up.

4. Help them be immune to the need to constantly ‘keep up’.

I don’t want my children to feel they MUST have the latest and greatest of every new iphone, technology, clothes or home decor fashion… so I made sure to try and to demonstrate to them that it’s really not important to me. Now, that is the attitude they have too.

My sons don’t care about having tons of clothes or lots of games and things to ‘keep up’ with others. Thankfully, they are still immune to it. Now, sometimes when I offer to buy them another shirt, they say, ‘Oh no thanks. I don’t need one’ !

5. Model spending within your budget

It’s fairly common for my son to lean over my shoulder and ask about what I’m doing when I’m filling in our budget on the computer. I

I am grateful to be able to use those moments to teach him the value of always knowing where your money is going and how much you have available as discretionary spending money.

6. Teach them about giving

Giving is another important part of money management.

My husband and I both support children in extreme poverty through Compassion International, and our boys know about these two children who have very little materially. They know that our contribution helps ensure these children get the opportunity to go to school, and to escape poverty.

We hope we are teaching our boys to be givers through our example — as well as how grateful they should be that they are wealthier than most of the world’s population.

When they are a little older we’d like to take them on a mission trip to visit children in disadvantaged situations. This will give them a perspective that will probably change their lives like nothing else could!

How about you?

What are your best tips to teach children good money management?

Sue Sundstrom is a coach and writer who is passionate about helping people fulfil their dreams. Get more tips and inspiration on how to live fully by visiting her blog.

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Shared Oct 22, 2016 comment

Brigette’s $64 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

Published: by Brigette on October 22, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi

(I had plans of buying more fruit and vegetables at Aldi, but they were out of almost everything.:( Some weeks are just like that, and you make the most out of what you ended up with!)

2 bags Tortilla Chips – $2.38

1 10-lb bag Russet Potatoes – $3.49

1 bag Baby Carrots – $0.99

1 bunch Bananas (2.33lb @ $0.44/lb) – $1.03

1 20-oz pkg Zucchini – $1.99

2 cans Green Beans – $0.98

1 32-oz carton Half and Half – $1.89

1 Cauliflower – $2.49

1 64-oz carton Orange Juice – $1.69

1 Pomegranate – $0.69

1 8-oz pkg Cream Cheese – $1.29

1 pkg Chocolate Chips – $1.79

1 gallon Milk – $2.39

2 dozen Eggs – $1.50

2 16-oz cartons Egg Whites – $3.98

1 2-lb bag Pears – $1.78 (somehow these didn’t make it on the receipt, so I didn’t actually get charged for these)

Total: $28.57

Harris Teeter

5 boxes Kellogg’s cereal – $14.95 – received $5 off WYB 5 (store promotion), plus used $1/3 Harris Teeter evic, and $1/3 Kellogg’s Cereal, exp. 11/13/16 (RP 10/02/16 R) – $8.00/5 boxes after coupons and promotion ($1.60/box – NOT the greatest price, but cheaper than Aldi)

1 pouch Idahoan Loaded Potatoes – $1.15, used FREE catalina printout – FREE after coupon

2 Domino Fliptop Sugars – $3.78, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – $0.78/2 after coupons

5 jars Barilla Pasta Sauce (B2G3) – $5.58, used 2 $0.75/2 Barilla Sauce, exp. 12/4/16 (RP 10/09/16) (doubled) – $2.58/5 after coupons

1 box Uncle Ben’s Rice – $0.99, used $0.50/1 catalina printout – FREE after coupon

1 box Colgate Toothpaste – $0.99 (used a raincheck), used $0.50/1 Colgate Toothpaste, exp. 10/29/16 (SS 10/16/16) (doubled) – FREE after coupons

10 8-oz bags assorted Shredded Cheese (B2G3) – $13.16

2 bags Stonefire Naan Pitas – $2.99, used 2 $0.75/1 printable (doubled) – FREE after coupons

1 carton Earthbound Farms Organic Spring Mix – $2.00

1 carton Grape Tomatoes, reduced – $1.00

1 bag Gala Apples (3.33lbs @ $0.99/lb) – $3.30

3 tubs I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter – $3.00, used 2 $0.60/1 I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! Product, exp. 10/23/16 (RP 09/25/16 R) (doubled), plus $0.50/1 Harris Teeter evic – $0.10/3 after coupons (we normally only use real butter – but at this price, I will find something to do with this!)

1 can Kraft Parmesan Cheese – $3.00, used $0.75/1 printable (doubled), plus $0.75/1 Harris Teeter evic – $1.25 after coupons

2 pkgs La Band Tortillas – $1.98

1 64-oz carton Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk – $3.00, used $0.75/1 printable (doubled), plus $0.75/1 Harris Teeter evic – $0.75 after coupons

Total: $35.71

Grocery Total for the Week: $64.28

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Cereal x 3, Scrambled Eggs and Toast (Veggie Omelettes for me) x 2, Oatmeal x 2

Lunches

Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Fruit x 2

Lunch at the Park with Friends – I am bringing No-Bake Cookies

Build-Your-Own-Tossed Salad (using leftover Romaine from last week, fresh veggies, hard boiled eggs, shredded cheese, raisins, and nuts) x 2

Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Lentil Soup, Corn Muffins with Honey Butter

Chicken Gravy over Rice, Green Beans, Apple Slices

Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup, Fresh Veggie Plate, leftover Corn Muffins with Honey Butter

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Carrots, Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes

Dinner with Friends – We’re having Tacos and I’m bringing tortillas, chips, and No-Bake cookies

Pizza (I normally make my own crust, but since I got Naan bread for free this week – we’ll be using that!)

Leftovers

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

Click here to download!

Shared Oct 21, 2016 comment

Life Doesn’t Have to Be Perfect to Dance Through It

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 21, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

On afternoon, on our recent trip to South Africa, we drove to the Horn of Salvation After Care Program.

We were a number of days into the trip and I was beginning to feel the affects of the time difference, the long days, and the different-than-my-usual foods we’d eaten. My stomach was completely out of sorts, my head was pounding, and my body was worn out.

I just wanted to go back to the lodge and crawl in bed for a few hours. But we’d planned to go to visit this new After Care Program, so I tried to set aside how icky I was feeling and just focus on being fully present.

As we got out of the van and went to meet the leaders of this After Care Program — Pastor Robert and his very-pregnant wife, Mokgadi. They were beaming with joy and so thrilled to have us there.

I looked around for a building or tent or something where they would be running their program… and then I realized that the program for all the children in their community was being held at their small house and in the small yard area right behind their house.

Mokgadi told us how she just loves investing in these children and teaching them to read — something that they often don’t learn at school because most teachers in this area do not have the skills to really educate children (they are more just “child-minding”, they told us).

Because of her efforts in this community, the educational levels of the kids of the community have gone up significantly and they now have a 95% pass rate — which is incredibly high for this area!

I also felt so inspired in just the first 15 minutes! Then we went to the back of their house to see the children and their After Care Program.

You guys. I was so humbled by what I saw.

Here is a couple who doesn’t have much money, a woman who has her own children and is pregnant, and yet they are literally giving their lives away and throwing open the doors of their home to make a big difference in the lives of these children.

They don’t have much at all, but they are giving what they have. And it is making a huge impact.

It wasn’t just in test scores, though.

At the end of our visit, they said the kids wanted to dance for us. I figured that meant one dance or something… forgetting that this is South Africa and there’s really no such thing as one dance or one song. 🙂

Pretty soon, all the girls had changed into adorable grass skirts made out of recycled grocery sacks and bread bags. They brought out an old drum. They set up chairs for us. They circled around us.

And then, underneath the hole-y tarp on the dusty South African ground in the middle of a community full of great poverty, these children BROUGHT IT.

They danced and they sang and they danced and they sang.

It was loud, it was lively, and it was L-I-F-E to my weary body.

Their joy was contagious. I forgot all about how tired I felt, how my stomach was queasy, and how I just wanted to crawl in bed.

Instead, I was on the edge of my seat, soaking up the way these kids were celebrating and singing and dancing their hearts out.

I want to forever hold this moment of time in my memory. When — in the midst of so much poverty and need — there was celebration and hope.

We can all learn so much from these kids. Life doesn’t have to be perfect to dance through it.

Let’s stop waiting for perfect and start savoring and celebrating right where we are.

Shared Oct 20, 2016 comment

My 3 Favorite Everyday Hair Styles (in 10 minutes or less!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 20, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Sponsored post by Mirum Shopper.

So, you all know that I’ve said for a long time that I’m not much of a fashionista at all. However, this year, in an effort to not let myself live stifled by long-held mantras like, “I’m not a fashionista”, I’ve been challenging myself to try a lot of new things — like new clothes and styles and hair styles.

You know how I love quick and easy and simple. So when it comes to new hair styles, my biggest criteria is that it has to be something I can do in 10 minutes or less.

And I’m so excited to report that I’ve found a number of looks that I love that meet that “Must Take 10 Minutes or Less” criteria!

Today, I wanted to share three of these looks with you, in case you’re looking for some new hair inspiration:

1. A Side Braid

This is a simple way to dress up any hair style. You can do a regular braid or a Dutch Braid.

I like to wear my hair like this when I have some waves or curls leftover from the day before (if I curled my hair). I just pin it back with two bobby pins on the side.

You can also pull it back into a pony tail or back into a messy bun like I have it here and here.

2. A Classic Bun

I have fallen in love with this style. It’s so, so easy to do.

This works best on Day 3 or Day 4 hair. I use some dry shampoo to help give a little more texture and help it stay better (this is my favorite dry shampoo).

You can pull it straight back and up into a bun or do a side part and then a bun. I have both looks shown above.

I recommend using lots of bobby pins and hair spray (this is my favorite hair spray).

Want to see a video on how to do this look or want some great Messy Bun ideas? Watch this video here (I did Messy Bun #5 in the photos above).

3. Straight & Sleek

I’m so excited that I’ve finally figured out how to get my hair really straight and sleek. And I love wearing my hair this way — and this is one of Jesse’s favorite ways for me to wear my hair! If you’re interested, I wrote a step-by-step tutorial on how I get my hair to look like this here.

Once I’ve straightened my hair, it only takes me a few minutes of running the straightener through my hair again every day over the next few days and it looks straight and sleek and stays all day long.

A Textured Look Hair Tutorial

Walgreens asked me if I’d try out a textured look with their tutorial and recommended products. I actually can’t remember the last time I’ve tried to do a textured look, so it was fun to experiment and try this out.

Here’s what I did to get the textured look above (with thanks to Walgreens for the tutorial):

First, I washed and conditioned my hair with the TRESemmé® Moisture Rich Shampoo and Conditioner. I especially loved the shampoo — it left my hair feeling so soft and silky.
Then, I towel-dried my hair and prepped my hair for styling by applying Nexxus® Diametress Lavish Body Gel Spray.
I blow-dried my hair a little and then put it in a few loose braids and let it air dry overnight.
In the morning, I took out the braids and tousled my hair with my hands and put some Dove Refresh+Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo on my roots to give it a little bit more texture. This was so easy to use and I really liked how this dry shampoo worked.
Then, I sprayed Nexxus® Comb Thru Touchable Hold Finishing Mist, added a side braid and pinned it back, and then used the Nume Curling Wand to add some wave.

I was happy with the finished look. It’s definitely very different than how I usually wear my hair, but it was fun to try something new. Jesse wasn’t so sure when he first saw it, but he decided that it was growing on him. 🙂

When I went to record my Facebook Live this morning, people kept commenting on how amazing my hair looked. So even though I’m not sure that I love the look, a LOT of other people seemed to really, really like it.

Want some more hair inspiration? Walgreens put together the Get Your Style Fix tutorial page. There are five different hair styles to choose from: Curls, Volume, Texture, Smooth, and Shine. Each style has easy to follow step-by-step instructions, plus a video tutorial!

Wondering what products to use? Walgreens also has product recommendations for each look on that page.

Plus, right now Walgreens is helping you save on these hair styling products! Through October 29th, you’ll get 3,000 Balance Reward Points when you purchase 3 Nexxus®, TRESemmé®, Dove or Suave® products.

Would you like to win a $100 Walgreens Gift Card?

I have a $100 Walgreens gift cards to give away! To enter to win, head over to this post on my Facebook Page and leave a comment sharing what your fall style is going to be. I’ll choose a winner from the comments to win a $100 Walgreens gift card!

{This post is sponsored by Mirum Shopper Opinions. The giveaway portion is sponsored and provided by MoneySavingMom.com. Read my disclosure policy here.}

Shared Oct 19, 2016 comment

National Consumer Panel: A testimonial from a 3-year panelist!

Published: by crystal on October 19, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Looking for creative ways to stretch your budget and earn a little extra? The National Consumer Panel (formerly known as Nielsen Home Scan) is accepting new applicants in many locations right now!

I loved this testimonial that reader Shannon sent in about her experience as a 3-year panelist:

“I have been an NCP panelist for 3 years. You are asked to scan anything you purchase, using their handheld scanner. For some smaller stores you need to enter the purchase price for each item and for other larger stores you do not need to enter prices. Once all items are entered you enter the total bill amount and payment that was used. It can be time consuming, depending on how much you buy. It typically takes me no more than 30 minutes a week to scan in all my purchases.

I am at a platinum level (3 years), which means I earn 245 points every week I scan. If you scan every week during a month, you earn 350 a month. On your anniversary date you earn 1,000 points. I also signed up to participate using my Amazon purchases, so once a month I download those and earn 1,000. I do not always do surveys but there are probably 8-10 surveys a month I could answer, with each one usually earning 150 points. Based on the above points, if I were to scan every week and do every survey offered (assuming 8 a month), in a year I would earn 12,740 points for weekly scans, 4,200 points for scanning each week, 12,000 points for submitting Amazon purchases, 1,000 on my anniversary date and doing 96 surveys would net me 14,400 points. This would be a grand total of 44,340 points for the year.

When you first sign up for NCP, you earn 150 points a week. I always purchase the Amazon gift cards with my points. A $25 gift card is 21,000 points and a $50 gift card is 41,000 points.

They also have contests throughout the year where you can earn extra points. NCP has great sweepstakes (although I have never won anything) and gives away weekly, monthly and quarterly cash prizes.”

You can go here to read another reader’s testimony about how she uses NCP to get AT&T discounts and earn Amazon gift cards!

Sign up here to get started with National Consumer Panel.

Shared Oct 18, 2016 comment

3 Important Lessons I Learned When I Was 34

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 18, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This month, I turned 35. I’ve been reflecting on this year of my life the past week and realizing that so much has happened in the last year.

I wrote a post last year on 3 Important Things I Learned When I Was 33 and I found that post recently and read through it and was inspired to write another post about what I learned when I was 34.

1. I Am Stronger Than I Realized

“You’re not athletic.” I told myself this lie for years. I let it dictate my decisions. I let it stifle me from even trying dozens of things.

This year, I committed to stop letting the voices in my head and the lies I’ve believed about myself limit the choices that I make and be the labels that I wear.

So, I stopped saying, “I’m not athletic” and, at my husband’s crazy encouragement, I started a weight-lifting program.

I told myself I would stick with it for 6 weeks. I was sure I would hate it.

And I did… for the first 3 weeks. I dreaded it. I made up excuses to try to get out of it. I got overwhelmed at trying to learn how to do the exercises.

Some days, I felt like I was going to throw up or pass out. Some days I cried during the workout. Most days, I got frustrated because it was so stinkin’ hard.

But for some reason — probably because I am about as stubborn as they come — I didn’t give up.

I kept showing up. I kept giving it my all — even when it felt like my all was pretty pathetic.

Little bit by little bit, I started actually liking it. I got a little stronger. I pushed myself a little harder. The exercises and proper form got a little easier. And I began to see muscles in places on my body that I’d never seen them before.

It’s now been almost eight months since I began this program and I have fallen madly in love with weight-lifting. For real.

Y’all. I’m here to tell you that I AM athletic and I am a whole lot stronger than I ever knew I was.

I’m also living proof that there’s so much freedom when you stop letting the voices in your head and the lies you believe about yourself limit the choices that you make and be the labels that you wear.

You are stronger than you think. You are braver than you know.

This year, I also challenged myself outside my comfort zone by recording myself on live video on Periscope and Facebook Live, traveling to two new countries by myself, snow-boarding, hand-lettering, and indoor rock-climbing.

Here’s what I’m learning: I’m not going to love everything new I attempt, but challenging myself to get brave and just jump out and try — even when it scares me or I think I won’t like it or be good at it — has stretched me as a person and shown me that I’m stronger than I think I am.

Best of all, I’ve discovered a few things I absolutely love that I never thought I would and would have never known that I would fall in love with them had I not tried them and stuck with them for a few weeks (i.e. weight-lifting and live video).

I’ve missed out on a lot in life by sitting on the sidelines in the safe zone. I don’t want to camp out there anymore! There’s a world of excitement and thrill and color just waiting to be discovered… Right outside my comfort zone!

2. Life Has More Meaning When I’m Not Addicted to Productivity

Last year around this time, I hit business burnout in a bad, bad way. I was beyond tired.

I had lost my joy, my enthusiasm for running a business, and my inspiration for blogging.

In fact, for the first time in 10 years of running a business, I began seriously considering quitting. This idea was so appealing to me that we started a series of in-depth talks with a large company interested in buying MoneySavingMom.com.

I was so ready to walk away from it all. But instead, I decided to do something radical: I declared a Year Of Rest, and I said no to just about everything.

It wasn’t easy. Trust me. It was agonizing. It felt like I was walking away from everything I had worked so hard to build and I worried that I was making a huge mistake.

But I knew I couldn’t keep living like I had been living. It was sucking the life out of me and leaving me drained dry.

I’ve spent the last 10 months untethering myself from being chained to a worth based on productivity, prying my hands off of my tight grip on trying to control so many things in my life, and stepping way back from my usual highly-driven, task-oriented focus.

I’ve shut out a lot of noise (unsubscribing from business email newsletters, unsubscribing from business podcasts and blogs, and cutting way back on the number of how-to and must-do types of books I usually read).

I’ve walked away from great opportunities. I’ve stopped trying to be on the cutting edge of running an online business. I’ve embraced smaller numbers, smaller opportunities, and a smaller team. I’ve walked away from a lot of things that I once held onto very tightly.

Saying no over and over and over again has given me space to figure out what’s really important to me, what really excites me, and what I really love. It’s freed me up to have clarity and focus and inspiration and energy like never before.

I’ve slept more. I’ve laughed more. I’ve developed a few new deep friendships. I’ve tried new things (and I’ve surprised myself by loving some of them!) I’ve stopped obsessing so much over things I can’t change.

I’ve started wearing the color purple again. I’ve tried new foods, new styles, new drinks, and new experiences. I’ve gained a few pounds and not freaked out about it.

I’ve started volunteering at church in the children’s ministry. I’ve joined a women’s Discipleship Group at our church.

I’ve even given myself freedom to spend money on things “just because” — like discounted flowers and water balloons. I’ve become a lot more spontaneous. I’ve let myself sleep in without setting an alarm.

I loved deeper. I’ve trusted more wholeheartedly.

I’ve asked myself hard questions about the future. I’ve considered the why behind what I’m doing. I’ve let other people see the under-belly of who I really am without pretending. I’ve welcomed people into my messy.

When I chose “Rest” as my word this year, I had no idea just how much it would impact and transform my life!

3. You Have to Feel the Pain to Heal the Pain

That said, here comes the real and raw stuff (because a beautiful journey also includes some pain and messiness, doesn’t it??)…

I’ve talked about the Year of Rest multiple times on the blog and on social media. So many people have commented with things like, “I’m sure that’s been amazing!” Or, “Are you feeling all rested and refreshed?” Or, “It must be so incredible.”

The truth is: It has been wonderful — but not at all in the way I was expecting. I was expecting a year of rest to be filled with more sleep, more time with my family, more fun, more reading, more time for things I love. And it has been that… and that’s been wonderful.

But what has completely caught me off guard is that it’s also been a year of ugly crying. I’m not a crier, usually. I can be the only one in a group to experience something deeply touching without ever shedding a tear. I’m known to be stoic and non-emotional.

That’s all changed this year, however. I’ve probably cried more tears than I have in all the past 20 years put together.

As I’ve been weaning myself off my addiction to “hustle” and intentionally sought quietness and stillness in my life, I’ve struggled to figure out who I am without all of the noise, the accolades, and the accomplishing.

I’ve realized that the busyness was a bandage I tried to slap on. Instead of addressing deep wounds and aches and longings in my soul; I tried to medicate with productivity.

It felt good in the moment. It numbed the pain. It filled the empty spaces. And as long as I kept up the out-of-breath living, I didn’t have to confront the reality or deal with the broken parts of me I’d rather hide.

I realized that instead of dealing with the pain and hurt and hard situations of life over the past number of years, I’d stuffed them down deep, pretended they didn’t exist, and heaped on more busyness to distract myself.

As I’ve asked myself, “What does my soul need?” I’ve realized that self-care in this season has been me allowing myself to cry. Allowing myself space to really feel. To acknowledge the pain. To open up with safe friends in safe spaces about how much my heart feels broken by situations in my past.

Self-care has meant letting other people see the under-belly of who I really am. It’s meant welcoming people into the authentic messiness and rawness and not apologizing.

It’s been ugly and real… and oh so healing for me! Allowing myself the space and permission to feel, the permission to acknowledge the pain, and welcoming people in to see that I’m a broken, hot mess some days, has made me so much stronger, happier, and healthier than I’ve been in, well, probably ever.

Would You Do Me a Birthday Favor?

If you’re usually a quiet reader here, I’d LOVE it if you “de-lurked” and left a comment on this post introducing yourself. Hearing from my readers is one of my favorite things, so if you have a moment, I’d love to hear a little about you — where you’re from, how long you’ve been reading here, and anything else about you/your family that you’d like to share. Thanks SO much!

Shared Oct 17, 2016 comment

Gretchen’s $46 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 17, 2016 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Dillons

2 Kroger Pizzas – $1 each

1 Belvita Breakfast Biscuits – $2.99, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 pkg Spaghetti – $0.77

1 bag Kroger Tortilla Chips – $1, used $0.10/1 Mobisave rebate – $0.90 after rebate

1 bag Kroger Shredded Cheese (16 oz) – $3.47, used $0.65/1 e-coupon – $2.82 after coupon

1 can Hunts Spaghetti Sauce – $1

1 Kroger Cottage Cheese – $1.25

2 Quaker Life Cereal – $1.47 each, used $1.10/2 e-coupon AND $1/2 Checkout 51 rebate – $0.42 each after coupon and rebate

1 Romaine Lettuce $0.99

2 lbs Bananas – $1.18, used $0.25/1 Ibotta rebate – $0.93 after rebate

1 Kroger Peanut Butter – $1.50

1 Kroger Cream Cheese – $1.25

Total after coupons and rebate: $14.25

Aldi

2 cans Green Beans – $0.49 each

1 bag Frozen Chicken Breasts – $5.99

1 gallon Milk – $2.58

1 Unsweetened Applesauce – $1.89

1 bag Potatoes – $2.49

1 dozen Eggs – $0.99

1 loaf Bread – $0.99, used $0.10/1 Mobisave rebate – $0.89 after rebate

1 bag Spinach – $1.79

1 Celery – $1.29

1 lb Butter – $2.69

1 bag Navel Oranges – $1.99

1 pkg Roma Tomatoes – $1.49

1 bag Red Grapes – $1.98

1 Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate – $1.19

1 pkg Rice Cakes – $1.29

1 pkg Baby Carrots – $0.99

2 Cucumbers – $0.59 each

Total after rebate: $31.69

Total for both stores: $46.24

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Cereal x 3

Toast, Eggs, Juice x 3

Oatmeal

Lunches

Peanut Butter & Jelly on Rice Cakes, Carrot Sticks, Grapes x 2

Tossed Salad Bar

Baked Potatoes, Cottage Cheese

Cheese, Crackers, Fruit, Veggies

Fish Sticks, Oranges, Cucumber Slices

Leftovers

Dinners

Brown Bag Burritos (from freezer), Chips & Salsa, Tossed Salad

Spaghetti, Biscuits, Green Beans

Savory Crescent Chicken Pockets, Tossed Salad

Pancakes, Eggs, Fruit Salad

Cheesy Hamburger Potato Soup, Homemade Bread, Sliced Veggies

Grilled Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Spinach Salad

Leftovers

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

Aldi

Harris Teeter

Weekly Grocery Total after Coupons and Rebates – $77.35

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

1. Drink Lots of Water

2. Get as Much Rest as You Can

3. Choose the Best Food Options You Can

4. Bring Your Own Snacks

5. Get Some Tummy Rub

What advice or input do the rest of you have for Karen? Leave a comment with your input!

1. Only have a few appliances.

2. Don’t keep what you don’t use.

3. Regularly clean out your pantry.

4. Train yourself to put it away.

Try the 30-Day Clean Countertop Challenge!

What helps you keep your countertops cleaner? Leave a comment and tell us!

1. Reading the comments on my birthday post.

2. Wearing this Life is Tough tee.

3. Checking out new podcasts.

4. Listening to Bob Goff preach.

5. Experimenting with new messy bun styles.

What are YOU loving this week? Tell us in the comments!

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Dillons

Aldi

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

1. I limit how much I shop in stores.

2. I reorient my thinking through gratitude.

3. We pay for items with cash.

4. We only keep what we actually need.

5. I engage with my people in real ways.

1. Alert them to media influences.

2. Be firm and don’t give in to instant gratification.

3. Teach the value of working for money and saving up.

4. Help them be immune to the need to constantly ‘keep up’.

5. Model spending within your budget

6. Teach them about giving

How about you?

Aldi

Harris Teeter

Grocery Total for the Week: $64.28

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

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

1. A Side Braid

2. A Classic Bun

A Textured Look Hair Tutorial

Would you like to win a $100 Walgreens Gift Card?

1. I Am Stronger Than I Realized

2. Life Has More Meaning When I’m Not Addicted to Productivity

3. You Have to Feel the Pain to Heal the Pain

Would You Do Me a Birthday Favor?

Dillons

Aldi

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

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