Never throw out an over-ripe avocado again! Head over to A Delightful Home for details on How to Freeze Avocados.
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My completely honest review of Montessori by Mom Toolboxes
Awhile back, Montessori By Mom generously sent me one of their Monthly Toolboxes to review.
Montessori By Mom is small business operated by Nathan & Teresa Hadsall. I love their concept of monthly craft and educational toolboxes that encourage kids to do hands-on, creative activities to learn and explore different themes.
If you subscribe to their Monthly Toolbox Subscription, each month they’ll send you a box that contains everything necessary for hours and hours of Montessori-inspired activities that follow a theme to engage the imagination. Most Toolboxes also contain authentic, high-quality Montessori materials.
Each Toolbox Contains:
- Themed curriculum for many activities
- Online video instruction for activities and basic Montessori principles
- Online resources (with info and printables)
- All necessary materials
- Extension activities with other materials from home
- An online community of parents and teachers
All the curriculum and materials are curated by experienced, AMS accredited Montessori teachers. They also provide an online video to explain the how and why of each activity.
You don’t have to be a Montessori expert to provide a high quality Montessori education for your children. As long as you are subscribed, you will also have access to the online community where you can ask questions and interact with other parents.
They sent us this Art Appreciation Toolbox — which had a Masterpiece Art Collection, a Make Your Own Paint Set, and Montessori Shape Work Book. There were multiple activities you could do with each item: studying the paintings, matching the paintings to the artist, talking about different types of paintings and art, trying to paint the pictures, making your own paint, talking about blending colors to create new colors, talking about paint consistencies, being creative with your own paintings and artwork, talking about different shapes and how they show up in everyday life and in artwork… and the list could go on and on.
Our favorite parts of the kit were making our own paint and trying to match the colors in the artwork and then re-create the pictures they sent. We also enjoyed displaying some of the art on the little easel they sent and changing it out periodically. It’s a great way to encourage kids to notice and appreciate art.
The Montessori By Mom boxes are designed for kids ages 3-5, however, as you can tell from the pictures, Kaitlynn (8) and Silas (6) really enjoyed them. I thought most of the activities could be for a wide range of ages.
I loved that they sent so many projects and supplies. We were able to spend a long time working on the projects and my kids were very engaged in them. Honestly, I had to get in on the fun, too.
I mean when else have I had the opportunity to make homemade watercolors and then paint with them?
I was very impressed by the quality of the materials. They weren’t cheap, by any stretch of the imagination. And they definitely sparked a lot of creativity.
However, I would say that this is not the type of box you could just hand off to your child and let them have fun with it. My kids needed some supervision, help, and guidance with the projects.
I also expected there to be more detailed instructions and ideas sent with the box. They did give quite a few activity ideas, but I would have loved for them to have been spelled out in more detail.
I think the biggest drawback for me with the Montessori By Mom Toolboxes is the price. The cheapest option is $50 per month. And while it’s a quality box that you get and it has quite a few activities that you could spend hours doing, that’s still really expensive in my book.
You can get $10 off when you subscribe through this link (referral link) and it does support a wonderful small business, but it’s still a lot of money to invest in a monthly box of activities.
If you are looking for a monthly activity box that isn’t quite so expensive, you might check out my Completely Honest Review of KiwiCo.
A $250 Shopping Spree to Cents of Style?? Yes, please!
Who wants to win a $250 Shopping Spree to Cents of Style? I’m giving away one $250 Shopping Spree EVERY DAY for the next 3 days!
If you win, you can use it to buy some of our new line of shirts with Cents of Style. Or to spend on any of the other great sales they run and adorable items they offer!
{Psst! I talked to the great folks at Cents of Style today and they are offering an ongoing coupon code to get any of the shirts in our line for $19.95 shipped! Just use coupon code CHOOSE to get this deal. Yay!}
Just fill out the form below to enter to win*:
And then come back tomorrow to enter to win again!
Yesterday’s winner was: Jen (jenr126@) — you should have received an email with your code.
*Note: By filling out the form, you are agreeing to be added to the Cents of Style email list to be notified of sales they run. However, you are more than welcome to unsubscribe from their list at any time if you are not interested.
3 Strategies to Simplify Brown Bag Lunches
Want to start packing lunches for your kids, your spouse, or yourself to take to school or work each day? Here are three strategies to help you simplify and streamline the process:
1. Have a Plan
I know that this sounds so simple, but your success in actually following through with your good ideas and ambitions all hinges on actually having a plan. Just as you need to plan a menu for the week and buy the groceries to make those meals if you want to, you know, eat at home, you also need to have a plan for lunches you want to pack if you actually want them to be able to get packed!
Think ahead of time how many lunches you’ll be packing that week, what you’ll be packing, and what groceries you need to purchase. I recommend keeping it as simple as possible.
Don’t feel pressured by Pinterest pictures to think you need to come up with fancy new meal ideas every single day. Really, you don’t. Trust me on this.
Instead, rotate a few different sandwich options and side options throughout the week. It really won’t hurt anyone to eat the same thing a few times each week! 🙂
Write this list of lunch ideas down, write down the ingredients you need to buy, and then you can use this plan over and over again. I recommend typing it up and laminating it or keeping it in an app on your phone so that you never have do the planning work again.
If the thought of making the same thing over and over and over again just won’t work for you or your family, try a 4-week or 6-week rotating lunch menu. This is more work to plan and follow through with, but once you’ve made the plan and created a grocery list based upon the plan, again, your planning work is done.
Need some motivation to put forth the effort to plan and make lunches? How about considering how much money you’ll save by doing so.
Over the past 12 and a half years of our marriage, I’ve packed countless lunches, not only for when Jesse was in law school and then working outside the home, but also for myself and/or the kids when we are out and about for the day or on a field trip.
One time a few years ago, I sat down and did the math. And it astounded me!
I figured out that most of the lunches I’ve packed cost anywhere between $0.75 to $1.50 each (remember, that’s mostly because I’ve shop the sales, used coupons, and stocked up on items when they are at their lowest prices!). A lunch at a fast food restaurant is likely going to cost at least $4-$5 at a minimum.
Based upon these calculations, it is very safe to say that packing a lunch has saved us at least $3 each and every time. Over the course of the year, that could add up to as much as $750 saved — just for packing a lunch for one person!
And that could be a low figure. You see, if someone is eating out at nicer restaurants most days and spending $7-$12 per lunch, the savings would be significantly higher! In addition to the savings, there’s also the added benefit of homemade lunches also often being much more healthful for you as well–especially when compared with fast food meals.
2. Prep Ahead
Part of the drawback to packing a lunch is the part where you have to pack it. If only lunches just magically packed themselves, eh? 🙂
One of the best ways to make things simpler is to prep things in bulk. When you get back from the grocery store, wash and chop all the carrots and celery and store them in a little water in an airtight container in the fridge. Slice the cheese. Cut up the melon. Wash off the berries. Hard boil the eggs. Bake the chicken.
Have everything as ready to stick into a lunchbox as you possibly can. This will make packing a lunch a breeze and will give you little excuse not to actually make it happen.
I’ve also found that doing sack lunch prep the night before makes it so much easier. For some reason, I’m much more motivated and creative at nighttime than I am most mornings. Take a few minutes after dinner to figure out what you’ll be packing the next morning and even get as much as possible ready. You’ll never regret this in the morning!
A few of our favorite Make Ahead Lunch Ideas:
- Hard-Boiled Eggs
- Veggies
- Fruit
- Sliced Cheese & Crackers
- Homemade Soup — especially great for the colder months!
- Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets (these are great if you have access to a microwave at work
3. Use Your Freezer
One thing that helped me in packing lunches was to divvy up serving-size portions of muffins and cookies in baggies and stick them in the freezer. Then, when I’m packing lunches, I can just pull a few of these baggies out to add to the lunch and round things out.
Baggies of muffins and cookies are also great to have on hand for when we’ll be out and about running errands. Being prepared with our own food means we divert the urge to make a quick stop through the drive thru!
A few of our favorite Freezer-Friendly Lunch Ideas:
- Freezer-Friendly Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
- Freezer-Friendly Banana Bread
- Easy Morning Glory Muffins
- Homemade Energy Bites
- Brown Bag Burritos
- Homemade Pizza Pockets
- Southwest Roll-ups
- Best Ever Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
Looking for more make-ahead sack lunch ideas? Check out my Lunchbox Freezer Cooking series. And speaking of prepping ahead of time, you might also want to check out my post on 8 Make Ahead Breakfast Ideas.
Note: MightyNest sent us some products to try out. Here are the products featured in the pictures in this post: Blue Lunchbox, Green Ice Pack, Neon Green Container, Divided Container, Black Lunchbots Rounds, Silver Insulated Bottle, and Green Din-din Spoon and Fork Set.
Shared Jul 28, 2015
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48-Hour Giveaway: Dressing Your Truth Course + $200 Gift Card (1 Winner)
48-Hour Giveaway: Dressing Your Truth Course + $200 Gift Card (1 Winner)
I am SO excited to be bringing you another Dressing Your Truth Giveaway! The last Dressing Your Truth giveaway was one of the most popular and most-talked-about giveaways I’ve ever done.
In fact, since then, I’ve had reader after reader come to me and thank me for recommending this course and tell me how much it’s transformed their life and how they think about what they wear.
For those of you who missed my first review, here it is:
I first heard about the Dressing Your Truth® Course from a reader who highly recommended it to me and suggested that I look into it.
At first, I didn’t really think it was something for me. After all, I’m the girl with the minimalist wardrobe. The girl who only wore a few colors. The girl who would happily wear the same thing over and over and over again.
But as more and more people recommended it, I decided to just at least take a peek at it. I was intrigued enough that when the folks at Dressing Your Truth asked if I’d write a review of their program, I told them I’d consider it.
However, I said I would only write a review on two conditions: 1) That I loved the program and found it to be very helpful and 2) if they’d do a giveaway for my readers.
In all honesty, I didn’t think I’d like the program. I thought I’d probably watch one or two of the lessons and decide it just wasn’t worth my time or your time. So I doubted I’ll actually end up even writing a review or running a giveaway.
Boy, was I ever wrong!
I actually ended up finding the entire course utterly fascinating! And many, many of you who have been with me in person over the past few months have not only heard me passionately sharing about it, you’ve also probably noticed that I’m gradually shifting over to wearing much more bold and bright colors.
Why? Because going through the course helped me to really solidify what type of person I am and what colors and styles really mesh with my inner personality and bents. It’s been amazing to me to realize that when I dress in accordance to the type of personality I have, I feel much more confident and energetic.
What is the Dressing Your Truth Course?
In the Dressing Your Truth course you’ll discover which of the 4 Types of beauty you express, plus learn the tools for how to express your true beauty through your clothes, accessories, makeup and hair.
This 3-hour course teaches you about the 5 elements of style—color, fabrication, texture, design lines, and pattern—and how to determine what type of person you are and how you should dress for that type. It shares in-depth suggestions for not only clothes, but also accessories, makeup, and hair.
By helping you learn exactly what looks best on you, the Dressing Your Truth course not only transforms your outward appearance to match your inner true personality, but it also saves you a lot of time and effort because you’ll be able to streamline your wardrobe down to those styles and colors and patterns that look best on you and fit your personality type.
Caveat: Some of the parts of the course are a little “out there” and borderline weird. But overall, I found the course to be very interesting and engaging, very thought-provoking, and very eye-opening to me. In fact, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to approach clothes and how I dress in the same way again as a result of going through this course.
It’s been close to 10 months since I’ve gone through the course. Since then, I’ve slowly weeded out the items from my wardrobe that aren’t my type. I’ve found that knowing exactly what works for me makes getting dressed and shopping for clothes so much easier. I can almost instantly spot what will and won’t work, I have much more confidence about putting outfits together, and more and more, people are asking ME for input and ideas on their clothes and outfits!!
Let me tell you, that completely surprises me each and every time it happens. But I’m always more than happy to share what I’ve learned! If I can help someone else have the same experience I’ve had in discovering what styles and colors best suit their personality, I’m all about that!
Since I last ran a giveaway, the course has been updated to include new information, more transformations and a member’s area called DYT Life that helps you apply the information beyond your outer appearance.
Want to Go Through the Dressing Your Truth Course for FREE?
One reader will win both the Dressing Your Truth online course and a $200 shopping spree to spend in the Dressing Your Truth online store! This life-changing course also includes hours of personal style training, DYT Club Membership, outfit guides, monthly online events, and much more. The Dressing Your Truth online store features customized apparel, jewelry, accessories and makeup—all handpicked for each of the 4 Types of beauty.
To enter, click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. One winner will be chosen and posted next week. This giveaway ends Thursday, July 30, at 11:59 pm, CST.
Introducing our new Retail Sales Coupon Database!
Many of you have fallen in love with our Grocery Store Coupon Database so you’ll be excited to know that we now have a new feature on our site — the Retail Sales Coupon Database, powered by SaleHoot.
This Retail Sales Database will keep you updated on coupons and offers for online stores that I know many of you regularly shop at. Be sure to check it out before making an online purchase to see if there’s a coupon for what you’re planning to buy.
Head over here to check it out. You can access it all the time by click on the Retail Sales button in the header above on MoneySavingMom.com.
You can search by coupon type, sale offer, or sale category.
And/or you can search by store name.
You can thumbs up any sales you love or share the sales on Facebook or Twitter.
Please note: We’re just testing this out over the next little bit and hope to add more features to it down the road. We welcome your feedback and suggestions.
Shared Jul 27, 2015
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Looking for a simple way to make a little difference on a tight budget?
Looking for a simple way to make a little difference on a tight budget?
This Back to School season, Dollar General and Unilever are teaming up to create a brighter future for our children by helping to nurture minds and bodies through affordable meal solutions and literacy program.
Looking for a way to make a difference but are short on cash right now? Here’s something simple you can do: Head to Dollar General’s Facebook page, fill out the form here, and share how you plan to help create a brighter future with the hashtag #DGBrightFuture.
It literally takes seconds to do and for everyone who shares how they plan on creating a #DGBrightFuture, Unilever will donate $1 to the DG Literacy Foundation — up to $20,000!
It’s a simple and free way to make a small difference!
Legal Disclaimer: Between 6/22-8/16/15, Unilever will donate $1.00 to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for every person who supports the Unilever Bright Future Movement. Maximum donation of $20,000. For information on the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, see here for more details. For information on the Unilever brightFuture Movement, visit this link.
{This post was underwritten by Lunchbox. Read our disclosure policy here.}
I’d love to meet you in San Diego on August 15, 2015!
Our team is so excited to be bringing our one-night Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event to San Diego on August 15, 2015!
This evening will be encouraging, inspirational, and actionable. I’ll be sharing from my heart and giving you practical steps to take to:
- Stop living life feeling stuck, exhausted, and overwhelmed
- Determine your most important priorities & find time to invest in what really matters
- Break free from the lie that whispers “I’m not good enough”
- Move past loneliness and build authentic friendships with other women
If you could use a boost to live with more intention, joy, and purpose, you won’t want to miss this special one-night event!
San Diego Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Event Details
When: Saturday, August 15, 2015 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM (PDT)
Where: Canyon View Church of Christ, 4292 Balboa Avenue, San Diego, CA 92117
What: A night of encouragement, laughter, inspiration, and getting to meet other local MoneySavingMom.com readers. Plus, I’ll be sticking around afterward to get to meet and hang out with everyone who comes!Go grab your tickets here. And invite a friend, too!
Psst! We have a special group rate for those who’d like to invite a group of women to come.
Any questions? Submit them here and we’ll be glad to answer them for you!
And if you’re planning to attend, be sure to RSVP on the Facebook Page here and then share the link with others you think would love to attend, as well.
P.S. Don’t live in the San Diego area and want to have us bring this one-night Say Goodbye to Survival Mode event to your church or women’s group in late 2015 or 2016? We’d love to chat with you about that! Just fill out this form here and we’ll be in touch with more information on dates we have available and how we can serve your church or women’s group.
Gretchen’s $40 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan
Dillons
1 Kroger Shredded Cheese (16 oz) – $2.99
1 loaf Nature’s Own Bread – $3.39, used $0.20 Ibotta rebate – $3.19 after rebate
1 Kroger Half and Half – $1.99
3 half gallons Dillons Milk – $1 each
1 General Mills Chex Clusters – $2.99, used $1/1 printable AND $1 Checkout 51 rebate – $0.99 after coupon and rebate
2 Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Energy Cereal – $2 each, used 2 $0.50/1 printable – $1.50 each after coupons
2 pkg Frozen Waffles/Pancakes – $1 each, used $0.75/2 e-coupon – $0.63 each after coupon
1 Zone Bar – $1, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 Lara Bar – $1, used $0.40/1 e-coupon – $0.60 after coupon
1 dozen Dillons Eggs – $2.53
8 Larabars/ZoneBars – Marked down to $0.25 each, used $0.20 Ibotta rebate
1 Skinny Cow Iced Coffee – $1.67, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1 bag Oranges – Marked down to $0.99
1 bag Apples – Marked down to $0.99
1 bag frozen Peas – $1
1 Cottage Cheese – $1
1 Horizon Grahams – Marked down to $0.99
2 Ramen Noodles – $0.20 each
1 bag Kroger Spinach – $2.50
2 Squash/Zucchini – $1.11
1 bunch Tomatoes – $1.33
1 Old El Paso Refried Beans – Marked down to $0.59, used $0.50/1 e-coupon – $0.09 after coupon
1 bag Organic Carrots – $1.50, used $0.20 Ibotta rebate – $1.30 after rebate
1 Green Leaf Lettuce – $0.99
1 Broccoli Crown – $0.70, used $0.20 Ibotta rebate – $0.50 after rebate
4 Cucumbers – $0.50 each
Total with tax after coupons and rebates: $40.90
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfast
Cereal & Juice x 3
Toast & Eggs x 3
Protein Waffles, Eggs, Fruit
Lunches
Crackers/Cheese/Fruit/Veggies x 2
Macaroni & Cheese, Veggies
Tossed Salad, Cottage Cheese
Baked Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches, Fruit
Leftovers
Dinners
10 Minute Baked Ziti, Biscuits, Tossed Salad
Chicken/Squash Skillet, Tossed Salad
Pancakes/Waffles, Eggs, Fruit Smoothies
Venison Stew, Steamed Peas, Homemade Bread
Dinner with family
Chicken Drumsticks, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans
Chicken & Rice, Tossed Salad
Large Family Meal Planning
Have a large family or just wonder how they stay organized? Head on over Free Homeschool Deals for Jamerill’s post on Large Family Meal Planning.
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
Gretchen’s $1.56 Target Shopping Trip
Target Shopping Trip
1 Hunts Snack Pack Pudding – $0.91, used 25% off Cartwheel coupon – $0.68 after coupon
2 Dr Pepper – $0.88 each, used $1/2 printable – $0.38 each after coupon
2 Bounty Basic Paper Towels – $0.97 each, used 2 $0.50/1 printable – $0.47 each after coupon
2 L’Oreal Hair Stylers – $3.99 each, used 2 $2/1 Target printable AND $1/1 printable AND $2/1 printable AND 10% off Cartwheel coupon – $0.29 each after coupons
2 Divergent DVD’s – $8 each (On Sale Buy One Get One 50% off), Used 2 $5/1 printable – $1 each after coupons
Used $5 Target gift card from last week’s shopping trip
Total after coupons: $1.56 (I only had to pay tax!)
4 Books You Should Read This Summer (July edition)
In June, I started a little mini summer series with recommended reads. If you missed the first post, read the 4 Books I Think You Should Read This Summer (June edition).
1. Undone: Making Peace With an Unexpected Life
Do yourself a massive favor and read this book! I cannot recommend it highly enough. Michele is one of the most gifted communicators I’ve ever met, but more than that, she’s one of the most Jesus-filled people I’ve ever known. Michele’s story will inspire you, move you, and leave you feeling empowered that you, too, can face overwhelming odds and unknowns with courage and bravery.
You can read more about Michele and her journey here. I’m so grateful for her.
2. What Alice Forgot
I really enjoyed this book. While it wasn’t written from a Christian perspective and had some swear words in it, the book was well-written and really caused me to step back and examine my own marriage and relationships to see if I’m making small choices that would, over time, have devastating consequences. Highly recommended if you like novels that will really make you think and dig deep.
3. Anchored
Okay, confession time: I haven’t completely finished this book. But I’ve enjoyed it so much that I had to recommend it to you in this post. It will probably make you both laugh and cry… and you’ll wish you had enough time to read it in one sitting. But then you’ll want to make it last so that you can savor it, too! 🙂 You can read more of my thoughts on this book here.
4. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh
This book starts out a little slow and then quickly picks up the pace and becomes incredibly engaging. In fact, this has been one of our all-time favorite read alouds ever. Every single member of our family enjoyed it and was sad for it to be finished. Yes, even Jesse. 🙂 It’s a great book to read aloud and savor and enjoy as a family.
What have you been reading recently? What are 4 books you think everyone should read this summer?
Overcoming My Shopping Addiction
Guest post Elizabeth of Witty ‘N’ Pretty
The world we live in values beauty above all else. The more beautiful a person is, the more value they have. It’s no wonder people, women in particular, lack confidence. We try to make up for our shortcomings in many ways.
For me, I tried to make up for mine by shopping because in my mind, the more expensive things I owned, the more value I had.
Every time I bought something, I experienced two things.
First, was happiness, because I felt prettier and more valuable.
Then I felt guilt, because I knew I couldn’t afford what I was buying.
When I bought something I couldn’t afford, it counteracted the happiness because my value was decreasing. The lifestyle I wanted was unattainable for a girl still in college.
For whatever reason, I couldn’t come to terms with that. I didn’t accept it until I maxed out a credit card and ended up using student loans to fund my shopping trips.
I knew I had to change, so I did.
Since I’m confessing my struggles to you, I may as well say that the temptations to shop and spend money never completely go away. However, I learned to ignore the little voice inside my head telling me to spend, spend, spend.
Eventually, you’ll learn how to do this too… here’s how I’m just doing that:
1. Cut up the credit card.
Yes, the most precious piece of plastic you own will be in little pieces after the scissors gets through with it.
Having a credit card in your wallet tells you that even if you can’t afford something at that moment, your line of credit will let you buy it anyway.
Chop up those cards!
2. Write it down… with an actual pen.
Write down anything and everything you buy and exactly how much it cost. This allows you to see where your money goes and any trends in your spending.
I noticed two things about myself: I liked to drink overpriced coffee and I liked to look good doing it. Knowing this helped me take the next step toward addiction recovery.
3. Stop doing the things that cause you to spend money.
For one month, I didn’t allow myself to buy anything but food and gas. It didn’t matter what was on sale or how great of a deal it was (I love getting a bargain), I wasn’t going to buy it.
At first, this is like giving up the last life ring on a sinking ship. You feel like you’re going to drown. Just like anything else though, it becomes routine.
4. Retrain your brain.
For the longest time, I honestly believed that my worth and my attractiveness was based on how many Kate Spade bags I had and the car I drove.
During my month long shopping break, I focused on building my confidence up. I tried to find beauty in the talents I had and the personality I was born with. I talked with mentors and people I trusted to help me find my self-worth.
Truthfully, I’m still finding my worth. I believe it’s a journey though. It can’t be done in a month or even a year. I still appreciate pretty things, but I don’t place my worth in them.
Do I struggle with wanting these things? Of course, but I can say “no” to myself now. I understand and respect my financial limits and still see value in who I am.
Some may scoff and wonder what’s wrong with me, I can only tell them that everyone struggles with something and being addicted to shopping was my “something”.
Liz is a young, 20-something with a passion for living a beautiful, debt-free life. After graduating college, she realized how important it is for her to get her finances together and start sharing how you can have a great lifestyle for a lot less. She blogs at Witty ‘N’ Pretty.
5 Surefire Solutions to Help You Stick With Your Budget
Struggling to follow through with that budget you’ve set? Here are 5 tried and true tips, tricks, and tools to help you actually stick with your budget:
1. Create Motivational Goals
Want to have more momentum when it comes to saving more and spending less? Set some realistic but inspirational goals.
Goals give you purpose, passion, and drive. They make short-term sacrifices more worth it, because you know you have long-term benefits in mind.
Wishing you could pay cash for Christmas, pay down your credit card debt, save for a piece of furniture, or even pay off your mortgage faster? Sit down and look at your current budget. See if there are areas you could streamline or cut back in.
Do the math on how much you could save or put toward your debt if you were to cut back $10 or $30 or even $50 every week. Knowing that these cuts are going to propel you toward your end game more quickly will inspire you to follow through with them over the long haul.
2. Focus on the Bite-Sized Chunks
If you want to discourage yourself, look at your savings goal or debt left to pay off as a whole. It probably looks mammoth and insurmountable. And you’ll want to quit saving or paying down debt immediately because it feels so overwhelming.
This is why I’m a big fan of breaking your big goals down into small pieces. If you want to save up $500 to pay cash for Christmas this year, don’t think about the $500 amount as a whole. Cut it down into the amount you’d need to save each month (about $42) and then the amount you’d need to save each week (about $10.50).
When you look at the weekly amount, it feels much more doable. And you can start to get creative to come up with simple and outside-the-box ways to shave that $10.50/week off your current budget.
In addition, you’ll be much more apt to stick with your budget if you feel encouraged from the get-go and like pulling off your goal is actually a reality, not some far-fetched, pie-in-the-sky dream idea.
3. Pay With Cash or a Prepaid Card
You all well know that I’m a big advocate of using cash. The beauty of cash is that it gives you instant self-discipline: when the money’s gone, the money’s gone.
You can’t go over-budget when you only use cash. Well, I mean, you can, but you’ll be robbing another budget category to do so.
You also can’t spend more money than you actually have when you only use cash. It’s a very visual way to be able to track how much money you have to spend.
However, I know that cash is not always practical in every situation. It’s impossible to pay with cash online and some people find that it burns a big hole in their pocket — causing them to spend more money than they would if they swipe a card.
That’s why an alternative to cash you could consider would be using a prepaid card. It works very similarly to cash in that you can’t overspend with it — once the money is gone off the card, you are done being able to swipe it (unless you refill it). So it gives you instant self-discipline, too.
Using a prepaid card is especially a great option if you’re wanting to stick with a specific budget in a specific budget category. For instance, if you set a budget for your Christmas gifts and you want to make sure that you don’t go over it, if you designate your budget amount as the amount on the card and you don’t use anything but the card for Christmas gift purchases, you’ll be guaranteed more likely to stick with your budget. Plus, you can use the card both online and offline.
4. Use a Money-Tracking App
Money-tracking apps and websites can not only help you set up your budget, but they can help you continue to stay on track with it. There are a variety of apps and sites out there — each with their pros and cons.
These apps and websites typically take you step-by-step through the process of creating your budget and will then give you real-time reports on how much you have to spend in each budget category. As you make purchases or deposits, you can update your budget in just a few seconds.
Used well and updated daily, it’s almost like a virtual cash envelope system — without having to mess with any cash or coins at all. Plus, the pie charts and information available at your fingertips will help you better know exactly what your current financial picture looks like and encourage you to continue to stay on track with your budget.
5. Get an Accountability Partner
I cannot stress the importance of having some built-in accountability when it comes to budgeting. You need people to help you stay the course, even when the going gets tough.
Accountability can be found in many different places. It could be monthly Budget Meetings with your spouse. It could be posting your financial goals on your refrigerator in graph form and updating your progress on saving or paying down debt as you gain momentum. It could be a goal app like Commit.
It could be reading books and blogs that inspire you to practice better money management. It could be joining an online group or online community of others who are seeking to get out of debt.
For best results, choose multiple accountability sources — some that are in-person and regularly check-in with you and some that are just motivational online or offline resources that serve as reminders to stick with your budget and keep going.
You don’t have to always feel like you’re falling off the Budget Bandwagon! Implement at least a few of these tips and tools and you are bound to experience much more budgeting success!
What helps YOU stick with your budget? Tell us in the comments!
6 Non-Phone Work at Home Options
Guest post from Anna of Real Ways to Earn
Let’s face it — phone jobs are fairly common in the work-from-home world. A quick “work-from-home” keyword search on any popular job site will likely bring you pages and pages of results for phone-oriented work.
The obvious downside to phone jobs is that many people have legit reasons for not being able to do them. Maybe you have a loud background at home due to kids or pets. Maybe you’re hearing impaired. Maybe you don’t have a land line phone — or any phone — and can’t get one. Maybe you simply aren’t a people person and the idea of talking to strangers on the phone all day doesn’t appeal to you. Or maybe it’s a combination of all of the above!
Gratefully, there are quite a few non-phone options out there if a work-at-home phone job just isn’t in the cards for you. Here are 6 different options:
1. Chat Support
Chat-based customer support is the same as phone support, the obvious difference being that instead of helping customers via live conversation, you’re doing so via chat and email so it is completely non-phone.
Apple and Needle are two reputable companies that are frequently hiring chat agents to work at home.
2. Search Engine Evaluation
This type of work is also referred to as “Google Rating.” The work is more complex than I can explain in a few sentences, but to sum up, you are basically helping to ensure that major search engines like Google and Bing are providing the absolute best results possible for every search query typed in.
People who tend to excel at search engine evaluation are usually very internet savvy, good at doing online research, and well-versed in popular culture.
Some reputable companies to consider for search evaluation include Leapforce, Lionbridge, and Appen.
3. Freelance Writing
Freelance writers take on writing assignments from either personal clients or through content sites, blogs, and so forth. The great thing about freelance writing is that it’s one of the most flexible non-phone jobs out there. You can work any time of the day or night and take as many breaks as you need provided that deadlines are met.
Two companies that are almost always accepting new writers are Textbroker and Demand Media. However, you’ll earn the most money as a writer if you work to find private clients so you can set your own rates.
4. Transcription
Transcribers listen to audio files and type what they hear. While this may sound easy enough, it actually requires a lot of patience and concentration. Simply put, not everyone is cut out for it. It’s one of those things you just have to try out and see if it’s a fit for you.
The three most common types of transcription are general, medical, and legal. General is the easiest type of transcription to break into as a beginner because many companies will consider you with no past experience.
Verbal Ink, Focus Forward, and Quicktate are a few reputable companies with regular openings.
5. Test Scoring
As a remote test scorer, you’ll be scoring student’s standardized tests and essays. This is usually project-based work. In most cases, you’ll need at minimum a college degree to qualify. Some companies may require that you have a teaching degree, too.
Reputable companies that frequently have home-based scoring openings include Pearson and ETS.
6. Virtual Assisting
Virtual assistants have clients who need help with day to day things and provide that help — virtually. While it’s true that there are many virtual assistants who do phone work, not all do.
Most virtual assistants have different skill sets and the work they do will revolve around these skills, such as writing, graphic design, or social media management.
Some well-known companies that regularly hire virtual assistants include Fancy Hands and Worldwide 101. You can also go into business for yourself as a VA and get some private clients. That’s usually the most lucrative route.
As you can see, there are plenty of non-phone options in the work from home world! Hopefully these suggestions will have you doing some serious thinking about which industry you should pursue for non-phone work and be well on your way to getting started.
What about you? Do you have a non-phone work at home job you love?
Anna Thurman is a work at home mom and blogger. She’s been researching and writing about work from home jobs since 2010. Her findings are published via her website, Real Ways to Earn.