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How to Make a Full-Time Income Blogging
My good friend, Erin, who blogs at The Humbled Homemaker, has a very comprehensive post up on How to Make a Full-Time Income Blogging.
In case you missed it, be sure to check out my post on my own journey to making a full-time income from blogging.
5 Ways to Teach Children to Serve… Even On A Budget
Guest post from Kimber of Let’s Do Some Good Today
As a mother, I learned something very quickly: everything I do, good or bad, is being watched by my children – and by watching how I live, they’re learning what kind of person to be. No pressure, right?
That can be kind of scary – especially when you hear your two-year-old sternly and grumpily putting her toys in time out (“Do I really sound that cranky?). But it is also absolutely amazing when you see your children learning the good things you have modeled.
With a little bit of intentional parenting, you can teach your children to be givers. And of the many things I want for my children, I can hardly think of anything that I desire more than that.
Are you with me? Do you want to teach your children to be givers? I’m so glad!
Sometimes, you might wonder exactly how to go about that — especially when money is tight. But I believe that there is always, always something you can do to make the world a little bit better.
And by choosing to give, even when you don’t have much extra in your budget, you are teaching your children a poignant lesson that will last a lifetime.
Here are a few of my favorite ways to teach our children to give on a budget:
1. Teach them to respect their community by picking up trash.
Have you ever been to a park (or at a lake, or on a hike) and been frustrated by trash on the ground?
Whenever we’re going to be in nature, I try to remember to stick a plastic bag in my pocket. If we see a few pieces of trash while we’re out, we pick them up. As we do it, I teach my kids about what a blessing our beautiful surroundings are, and what a gift we’re giving the people behind us by making it a little bit cleaner.
2. Practice good manners everywhere you go.
Both of my children can be a bit shy, particularly my son. But every time we are checking out at a grocery store, I insist that they thank the cashier. If they have a name tag, I always read it. “Son, please tell Miss Jennifer thank you.”
It’s a very small act of kindness, and some people barely notice. Many times, however, we are rewarded with a huge smile. To be noticed and to be appreciated is something that everyone craves, and it’s extra special when it’s coming from a cute kid!
The nice thing is, after working on this for a long time, it’s now second nature to my kids. It’s not unusual for my son to pipe up with a “Thank you, ma’am!” or for my daughter to read the name tag of the employee herself.
3. Teach your children to serve those in your family.
During the month of October, we have a “service ghost” that floats around our home. When the service ghost pops up in your room, someone has done something nice for you – and you then get to pay it forward!
There’s something fun about sneakily serving others. You can adapt this to whatever holiday is coming up, or just leave behind a little note.
I’ve found that the child who does the service is usually even happier than the person who receives it. What a blessing, to learn that lesson at an early age!
4. Allow your child to earn money.
Some people are “for” allowances and some are “against” it. Whatever your stance is, if you have even just a few extra dollars in your budget, I’d encourage you to find some way to allow your child to earn money – and then to give a portion of it away.
Find a cause your child is excited about, and then find out exactly what his or her money can do. For a child, handing over a dollar might be difficult. Encourage them by reminding them things like: “Wow, you just gave the animal shelter a dollar – that buys a homeless doggy food for three days!” or “Hey, your quarters means that a kid in our neighborhood gets to have new crayons to take to school”
This makes the gift tangible, and it allows your child to see that he or she really can make a difference.
5. Find hands-on ways for them to serve.
Ask around to see if there are any places in your area that allow children to volunteer. Try to think of someone in your community who needs something that your family might be able to help with (like gardening or perhaps preparing a meal).
For my children, participating in Operation Christmas Child has been a huge blessing. All year long, they are helping me keep my eye out for great deals “for the kids”. I LOVE to see their faces light up when they see a cute toy, and rather than asking, “Can I have that?”; hearing instead, “Can we PLEASE buy that for shoeboxes?”
Another way they’ve been able to serve is by spreading quarters around town. Loading up peoples’ carts with quarters at Aldi, sticking quarters into vending machines, leaving them in coin-operated cranes, even leaving them taped on vending machines at the hospital — this is such a simple way to serve.
I hope I’ve given you a new idea or two that you can use to teach your children to love giving and serving — EVEN if your budget has little to no wiggle room!
What works for your family?
I’d love to hear your budget-friendly ideas to help your children give back!
Kimber is a wife, a stay-at-home mom, and as of recently, a writer. She blogs at Let’s Do Some Good Today, where she shares practical suggestions of ways you can make a difference in the world. Every Thursday, she posts a new service challenge. She’d love to have you join her!
I’m 33 Years Old & I’ve Never Had a Credit Card
I was inspired by reading this post on Huffington Post to re-share this post that I wrote for another site a few years back.
People are often quite surprised to find out I’ve never had a credit card. In fact, sometimes, they have to ask three times just to be sure they heard me correctly:
“So you’ve never had a credit card?” they ask incredulously.
“Nope,” I respond.
“Like ever?”
“Right, never,” I reiterate.
“Not even when you were younger—ten years ago or something?” They continue to quiz.
“No, really and truly, I’ve never had a credit card,” I reply, again.
Usually people just end up looking at me aghast like I’m from some other planet or something. That’s okay, I’ve gotten used to the fact that I’m weird.
But you know what I’ve also never had? Credit card debt.
Yes, it’s true. I’ve never had to worry about how I’m going to pay off the credit card bill that’s coming due. I’ve never had to hassle with being harassed by credit card companies because my payment was late. And I’ve never had to dread opening up a credit card bill to see how large it was.
Do I think credit cards are evil? No. I have personally seen that there is a small percentage of people who can use credit cards without being tempted to go over-budget. If that’s you, you can skip this article altogether.
However, if you are struggling to make ends meet and you are swiping your card on a regular basis, I want to encourage you to consider switching to a cash budget — at least for a short-term experiment. Here’s why I love using cash:
1. Using cash keeps you from over-spending.
Yes, cash can burn a hole in your pocket and you can blow it. But here’s the thing: if you only use cash, when the money’s gone, it’s gone.
You either learn to pace yourself and your spending so that you have enough money to buy groceries at the end of the month, or you go without buying groceries. If you don’t have any grocery money to spend the last week of the month, you’ll probably think a lot more carefully the next month when you’re tempted to spend all your grocery cash during the first few weeks of the month.
2. Using cash forces you to evaluate your purchases.
When you use cash, you can’t mindlessly swipe a card—you have to pull green bills out and hand them over. It doesn’t take a month for the purchase to show up on your credit card bill; the pain of purchase is immediate.
This direct correlation can give you a much better grasp on your finances and on where your money is going. And it will probably also cause you to step back and carefully evaluate each purchase.
3. Using cash prevents you from betting on the future.
So many people say, “I treat my credit card like cash and always pay off my credit card bill in full at the end of each month.” That sounds great—in theory. But very few people are truly treating their credit card like cash.
Unless, before you make a purchase, you set aside the full amount of money to cover the purchase in a separate account and never touch that money until you pay your credit card bill, you are not truly “treating your credit cards like cash”.
If you don’t have the money set aside for the full credit card bill, what happens if you lose your job tomorrow or you have a major financial crisis that puts you in a big bind?
By using the bank’s money or store credit to pay for your purchases, you are presuming that you are going to have enough money to pay the bill when it comes. And if you don’t, you could end up getting hit with high interest payments on top of the money you owe.
4. Using cash guarantees you never have to pay anyone back.
When you pay with cash, you can’t buy something unless you have enough money to pay for it. This often means you have to work hard, scrimp, and save up to make a purchase.
This process of scrimping and saving can be grueling, but the satisfaction of exercising self-discipline and waiting to buy something with your own hard-earned money is every bit worth it in the long run.
And you know the best part about paying with cash? You never have to worry about paying anyone back. When you buy something, it’s yours—free and clear!
Am I the only crazy one who doesn’t have a credit card? Anyone else out there NEVER had a credit card?
Gretchen’s $76 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan
I went under budget on last week’s grocery purchases because I knew Dillon’s was having a Mega Sale the next 2 weeks and I wanted to stock up on baking/canned supplies. So I spent more this week than I usually do but hopefully some of these items will last us for a while.
Health Food Store
2 pkg Organic Girl Greens – Marked down to $0.99 each
4 Oranges – $0.33 each
Total with tax ($0.24): $3.54
Aldi
3 Grapefruit – $0.49 each
1 pkg Carrots – $0.99
2 Cucumbers – $0.69 each
1 pkg Rice Cakes – $1.29
1 Pineapple – $1.29
1 gallon Milk – $2.40
1 carton Half & Half – $1.89
1 Mild Salsa – $1.69
2 cans Green Beans – $0.49 (I bought these before I saw the sale at Dillons on canned veggies.)
1 pkg Grapes – $1.78
1 dozen Eggs – $1.59
Total with tax ($1.19): $17.94
Dillon’s Trip #1
(I made 2 trips to Dillon’s as the first time I just wanted to scope out the deals and hadn’t had time to print out all the coupons I needed.)
1.13 lbs Broccoli Crowns @ $0.99/lb – $1.12
1 pkg Heritage Farms Bacon – $1.99
1 lb Land o Lakes Butter – $2.99, used $0.50/1 printable (no longer available) – $2.49 after coupon
Items a part of the Mega Sale (Buy 10, Get $5 off instantly):
1 pkg Swiss Miss Cocoa – $0.99, used $0.40/1 printable – $0.59 after coupon
4 Hefty Storage Bags – $0.99 each, used 2 $1.50/2 coupon from the 8/10 RedPlum insert – $0.24 each after coupons
4 cans Carnation Evaporated Milk – $0.79 each, used 2 $0.55/2 printable – $0.51 each after coupons
1 Pillsbury Cake Mix – $0.79, used $0.35/1 printable – $0.44 after coupon
Total with tax ($1.07): $10.72
Dillon’s Trip #2
1 Yoplait Greek Yogurt – $1, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon
1.79 lbs Bananas @ $0.59/lb – $1.06
1 Kroger Cottage Cheese – $2.29
1 Kroger Peanut Butter – $1.79, used $0.45/1 e-coupon – $1.34 after coupon
1 Green Mountain Coffee K-Cups – $6.99, used $1.25/1 e-coupon – $5.74 after coupon
1 Jello Pudding (4 ct) – $2, used $1/1 catalina coupon – $1 after coupon
3 Ramen Noodles – $0.20 each
1 loaf Nature’s Harvest Bread – $2, used $0.55/1 printable – $1.45 after coupon
1 Kroger Frozen Orange Juice – $1.59
Items a part of the Mega Sale (Buy 10, Get $5 off instantly):
4 cans Green Giant Green Beans – $0.49 each
10 cans Campbells Cream of Chicken/Mushroom Soup – $0.69 each, used 2 $1/5 printable – $0.49 each after coupons
3 Pillsbury Cake Mix – $0.79 each, used 3 $0.35/1 printable – $0.44 each after coupons (My son is having his birthday in a few weeks so these will be perfect for cupcakes!)
1 box Frosted Flakes Cereal – $1.99, used Free e-coupon – Free after coupon
1 big box Cheerios – $3.49, used $1/1 e-coupon – $2.49 after coupon (I had a free e-coupon loaded on my card but it took off this one instead. I guess I will use the free one next time.)
1 Oscar Meyer Turkey Lunchmeat – $1.99
3 cans Casa Fiesta Refried Beans – $0.50 each
1 can Casa Fiesta Green Chilies – $0.50
4 Ronzoni Pasta – $0.69 each, used 2 $1/2 printable – $0.19 each after coupons
4 Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce – $0.99 each, used 2 $1/2 printable – $0.49 each after coupons
2 cans Carnation Evaporated Milk – $0.79 each, used $0.55/2 printable – $0.51 each after coupons
2 cans Dole Mandarin Oranges – $0.99 each, used 2 $0.40/1 printable – $0.59 each after coupons
4 Mott’s Fruit Snacks – $1.49 each, used 2 $0.50/2 coupon from the 9/28 SmartSource insert – $1.24 each after coupons
Total with tax ($3.95): $43.82
Total for all grocery items: $76.02
Menu Plan for this Week
Breakfasts
Cereal, Toast, Oatmeal, Eggs & Juice, Smoothies
Lunches
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches and Tossed Salad (we will do leftovers as well)
Dinners
French Toast, Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Fruit
Steak, Biscuits, Baked Potatoes, Green Beans
Salad Bar, Rolls
Chicken Fajitas, Chips, Fruit Salad
Chicken & Rice Casserole, Steamed Broccoli
BBQ Meatballs, Tossed Salad, Homemade Applesauce
Soft Tacos, Cheesy Rice Casserole, Grapefruit
Shared Nov 5, 2014
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Gretchen’s CVS Shopping Trip: $66 worth of items for $6.68 out of pocket!
Gretchen’s CVS Shopping Trip: $66 worth of items for $6.68 out of pocket!
CVS Shopping Trip
Transaction #1
3 Aveeno Shave Gels – $4.79 each (Buy 3 Aveeno products, Get $8 ECBs)
Used $3/2 printable
And used $1/1 printable
And used $3/$10 shaving items CVS coupon from in-store coupon machineUsed $5 ECBs from previous shopping trip
Total with tax ($1.17): $3.54, Received $8 ECBs
Transaction #2
2 Folgers Coffee K-Cups (12 ct each) – $5.99 each (Spend $12, Get $4 ECBs)
Used 2 $1.50/1 printable2 bags Hershey’s Chocolate – Marked down to $0.44 each
2 bags M&M’s – Marked down to $0.41 each
Used $8 ECBs from Transaction #1
Total with tax ($0.46): $3.14, Received $4 ECBs
Total for both transactions before coupons, sales and ECBs: $66
Total for both transactions with tax after coupons, sales and EBS: $6.68, Plus $4 ECBs leftover (like paying $2.68)
Dear mom who is so tired of living on a tight budget…
Dear mom who is so tired of living on a tight budget:
I know that you want to give up.
You’re worn down from watching every penny you spend.
You’re exhausted from carefully calculating how you’re going to stretch your grocery dollars to feed all those mouths that seem to never stop eating.
You wish you didn’t have to wait for ever until that item you need goes on sale for the lowest price so you can make it work to purchase it on your beans and rice budget.
You are tired of re-wearing the same thing over and over again. Tired of praying every time you get in the car, hoping it will start. Tired of having to turn down yet another get-together with friends because there’s no way you can afford to pay for dinner out at a restaurant.
You just want to check out of your money-strapped life and go have a latte and a massage. Or maybe money is so tight right now that you would just love to have a few extra dollars to spend on something you want at a garage sale, instead of having to reserve every nickel and dime for only the basic necessities.
Can I encourage you? The difficult choices and hard sacrifices you are making will be worth it… and they could make a major impact on generations to come.
Not too long ago, I was being interviewed by a magazine writer about raising financially responsible kids. I shared with this interviewer some of the things we’ve done with our kids, such as: letting our children handle money from the time they were young, giving our children opportunities to earn money, and encouraging our children to become givers.
As the interviewer continued to ask questions, she became more and more excited about the things I was sharing. At the end of our conversation, she said, “It seems like you’ve done so many things right as parents. Do you ever make mistakes with money or have you failed as parents when it comes to teaching your kids about money?”
I was able to share candidly with her that, yes, we’ve failed in many ways (see yesterday’s post for an example!), but because of our parents’ and grandparents’ examples, we’ve made a lot fewer money mistakes as a couple.
The sacrifices they made to live on a budget and get out of debt paved a trail for us so that it wasn’t as difficult. In addition, their sacrifices inspired and motivated us to want to stand on their shoulders and do even better than they did. We, in turn, hope to inspire our own children and grandchildren to go even farther than we have or will.
In those moments when you want to throw in the towel, when you are discouraged about your budget, when you are tired of all the short-term sacrifices, when you just want to pull out that credit card to buy something you don’t have room in your budget for, remember this: your children are watching. The example you set before them will impact them in powerful ways — either good or bad.
So don’t throw in the towel. Don’t give up on your budget, even though it’s tough.
Your children and grandchildren will thank you one day for your wise money management… and that will make it all worth it.
Don’t quit! The best is yet to come!
Cheering for you,
Crystal
7 Ways We Saved In October
I saved by fixing my eye glasses at home.
I saved by making Homemade Foaming Handsoap.
I saved by making my own Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice.
I saved by eating oatmeal for breakfast.
We saved by getting more proactive with earning more Swagbucks to get more free gift cards.
I saved by working out at home.
We saved by cutting Silas’ hair at home.
The winner of the $100 Target gift card from the last How I Saved post giveaway is Lynn {lynn1015@}. Her comment on how she saved:
My most money saving thing this week is preparing full salads with protein for my husband’s lunches using Sam’s whole cooked chicken $4.98 & romaine in a bag for around $3. It is paired with marked down produce from a local produce store and he loves it! I have a salad container which is great with it’s own space for dressing so it’s not soggy at all. The chicken lasts ALL WEEK even with a generous amount of chicken daily. Lastly, my husband is surprised daily as I mix up the veggies, and protein occasionally with left overs from dinner so he’s REALLY a happy and HEALTHY husband! I’m happy for the $$ saved too!
What were some of your favorite ways you saved in October? Any savings victories or goals reached you’d like to share?
2014 Goals: October’s Update
Jesse and I spent time really discussing what my focuses should be for 2014 and we nailed down four areas that are my priorities for this year:
- Marriage: to continue to invest time and energy to strengthen and nurture our marriage and make it one of the greatest priorities
- Mothering: to continue to invest in our children with the goal of teaching them character, life skills, and raising them to be responsible adults
- Myself: to make my health a priority and to invest in my personal growth as a Christian, business owner, writer, speaker, and leader
- MoneySavingMom.com: to invest time into blogging — not just overseeing the business and my team, but making writing content pieces one of my top blogging priorities
Having these specific areas determined at the beginning of the year is really helping me to prioritize and giving me much clearer direction on when, where, and what to say no to this year.
Here’s an update on how I’m doing (or not doing, as is the case with many of these!) on my goals this year:
Marriage Goals
1. Read 6 marriage books. (I’ve almost finished 5 marriage books so far.)
2. Write 50 love notes to Jesse. (I’ve written 40 love notes so far.)
Kaitlynn with the French Toast that she made almost entirely by herself!
Mothering Goals
3. Read 40 books aloud to the kids. (We’ve finished 9 books so far — yes I’m probably going to fall woefully short on this goal this year.)
4. Finish memorizing Romans 1 together.
5. Go through a cooking course with the kids. (I have been teaching the kids quite a few different cooking skills the past month. We haven’t done any official course, but they’ve learned a lot more cooking skills this year.)
Personal Goals
6. Read through the Bible. (I paused this goal to instead dive into the She Reads Truth Hospitality study that I got at Allume. I am LOVING it — and it’s been a great change after years of just reading straight through the Bible. I’ll probably blog more on this soon just because I love it so much!)
7. Memorize Romans 2. (I’m working on this.)
8. Run a 5K race and go through P90X again.
9. Read 150 books/ebooks. (I’ve read 73 books so far this year.)
Blogging Goals
10. Write 150 substantive content pieces for the blog.
11. Write 50 DIY/Recipe posts for the blog. (I’ve written 37 DIY/Recipe posts so far.)
12. Blog about/participate in the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge.
Did you set goals for 2014 yet?
If you’ve posted an update on how you’re doing on your goals for 2014, I’d love for you to share your link in the comments. Or, if you don’t have a blog, feel free to just leave a comment with an update on how you’re doing on your goals. Let’s encourage one another to live lives of intention and purpose!
If you’re brand-new to goal-setting, be sure to read my post on How to Change Your Life By Setting Goals.
12 Months to a Healthier You: November’s Challenge
Expressing gratitude doesn’t require money. It doesn’t require much thought or effort. But it can change our whole outlook on life.
I started keeping a gratitude journal two years ago. It helped me to keep a positive, thankful attitude in the midst of some health problems I was experiencing.
But once those health problems were resolved, I saw such benefit in recording my blessings every day, that I continued doing it. To keep it simple, I’ve just been using the one-line-a-day journal my mom gave me for Christmas.
Every morning, when I first wake up, I read my Bible, pray, and write down at least one line of blessings from the past day. Some days it’s easier to come up with blessings than others, but I can always come up with at least a few good things from the day before — even if it was a hard day.
I’ve found that starting my day by recounting the blessings from the previous day puts me in a different state of mind. And it gets the day started on a great foot! Plus, it reminds me to live with a grateful, thankful spirit.
Will You Join Me?
During the month of November, I’d like to encourage you to join me in this practice. Get creative in how you record your blessings each day: Buy a journal at the dollar store, use a notebook you already have, share your list on Facebook or Instagram, post it on your blog, or write it on a white board or chalkboard on your wall each day. Whatever works for you! The important thing is to take time to recount and write down your blessings!
Psst! Coming later this month, I’m releasing a brand-new Gratitude Journal. We’ll have it available in our online store and it will be available in some bookstores nationwide, as well. If you’d like to go ahead and purchase a copy, it’s available to order from Amazon already.
Are you joining us for the November Challenge to write a list of a few things you’re thankful for everyday? Let us know if you’re joining us by leaving a comment on this post. I’ll be blogging my list of blessings every Monday and would love for you to join me and share your blessings on that post each week, too!
OVER-SPENDING EVERY SINGLE MONTH?Grab these FREE Budgeting Sheets!
Click here to download!
10 Goals For This Week + An Update on Last Week’s Goals
We got back from our visit to Kansas last night and are buried in a lot of laundry and catch up today. It was good to visit, but it’s always good to get back home, too!
Our three hanging out with three of their cousins in Kansas
I’m headed to the Hearts at Home conference on Friday and Saturday (will any of you be there? I’d love to get to meet you!) and then to Colorado Springs for the Platform Conference and some filming with Focus on the Family. I’m excited because my whole family gets to come and meet me in Colorado on Sunday and stay through Wednesday. Jesse’s sister and her husband live close by, so they have graciously offered to watch our kids while we are at the Platform Conference together.
I’m very excited to take Jesse with me to The Broadmoor (where the conference will be). I had the opportunity to go there once before for a spa day — a gracious gift from my publisher — and I said that I’d jump on the chance to get to go again and take Jesse. So while I’m really excited about the Platform Conference and am honored I was asked to speak there, I am equally excited that we get an all-expenses-paid working getaway trip together at such a beautiful place!
There are many, many times when running our own business is grueling and just plain hard work, but then there are opportunities like this that make you just want to pinch yourself and say, “I can’t believe I get to get paid to do this!” 🙂
Last week’s goals:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1. Read aloud with the kids and/or listen to Kathrynne read Sir Bentley at least three days.
2. Write a love note to Jesse.Personal Goals
3. Work on reviewing and memorizing Romans 1 and Romans 2:1-3.
4. Finish at least two books.
5. Run or exercise at least 4 times.Business Goals
6. Review/do final edits for chapters 1-9 of my book. Work on chapter 10.
This week’s goals:
Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals
1. Read aloud with the kids and/or listen to Kathrynne read Sir Bentley at least three days.
2. Write a love note to Jesse.
3. Take Kaitlynn on a special outing.
Personal Goals
4. Work on reviewing and memorizing Romans 1 and Romans 2:1-4.
5. Write 2 thank you notes.
6. Finish at least two books.
7. Run or exercise at least 4 times.
Business Goals
8. Finish book draft and send book out to five people who are going to critique it before I turn it into the publisher.
9. Finish & practice my talk for the Platform Conference.
10. Tweak my talks for the Hearts at Home conference.
How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives! You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.
5 Ideas to Make Extra Cash TODAY!
Guest post from Angie of The Work at Home Wife
Cash crises will happen. There will be a time when you simply don’t have the cash on hand to pay for an emergency; or maybe you just don’t feel said emergency is worthy of dipping into your savings. Or maybe you just have a little time on your hands that you would rather spend making money over spending it.
Whatever the situation, there are numerous opportunities to work today and get paid today.
Since you are looking to have cash in your hand by the end of the day, we are focusing on local ideas. The 5 ideas below provide the opportunity for you simply show up, do the job, and walk away with a check. No minimum payments or waiting for a pay date to roll around like online!
Work Today, Get Paid Today
1. Clean Out Your Closets
You need money now, so there is no time to plan a yard sale or post eBay auctions. You need to find who needs or wants your stuff and get rid of it ASAP – for cash on the spot.
See if you get any bites on your local Facebook Buy/Sell/Trade Group or Craigslist, or head straight to Plato’s Closet or Once Upon a Child to cash in.
2. Donate Plasma
Many larger cities have clinics that will pay $35 to $50 for plasma. The Red Cross recommends you donate plasma no more than once every 28 days.
3. Babysit
Every weekend there are parents in your community wishing they had a reliable, responsible babysitter so they could go out to dinner and a movie. That could be you!
Put out the word and you may have more work than you can handle. Pets and the elderly may also need paid companions.
4. Odd Jobs
Maybe there aren’t a lot of kids in your neighborhood. There are still so many services you can offer for some quick cash. Walk the dog. Run errands for the elderly. Do a little lawn “dooty.”
You don’t need to love the task enough for it to become your day job. You just need to be able to tolerate long enough to do a good job and get paid.
5. Lost and Found
Don’t forget to turn over those couch cushions and check the pockets of your coats and purses. You can almost always find a few forgotten bills hiding around the house.
These are just a few ideas to get some extra cash in your hands ASAP.
When it comes to finding ways to make money locally, Facebook can be your best friend. You no longer have to rely on a calling tree to get your message out. Hop online and post a message of your availability both on your private profile and any local groups that allow this.
Do you have any other quick-cash ideas to add to my list?
Angie Nelson has been a home business owner since 2007. She firmly believes saving money is just as important as making it. Visit her blog The Work at Home Wife for more money-making and money-saving tips.
How to Make 20 Holiday Meals for $150 at ALDI
I Am That Lady shows you how to make 20 Holiday Meals for just $150 with ingredients purchased at ALDI.
Visit her site for the recipe links and shopping list. You can also purchase a detailed printable menu plan, if you’d like.
Gretchen’s $37 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan
Dillon’s
1 loaf Nature’s Own Bread – $2, received $1 back from Snap by Groupon AND $0.25 back from Ibotta
1 can Kroger Cream of Chicken Soup – $1
1 pkg Keebler Town House Crackers – $2
1 box Honey Nut Chex – $2.99, received $0.25 back from Ibotta
1 can Psst Cream of Chicken Soup – $0.89
1 gallon Dillon’s Milk – $2.50, received $0.25 back from Ibotta
1 bag Kroger Tortilla Chips – $1.25
0.99 lbs Roma Tomatoes @ $0.99/lb – $0.98
1 Cucumber – $0.79
1 Quaker Cranberry Almond – $2, used $2/1 printable – Free after coupon
1 Barbara’s Organic Cereal – $2.50, used $1/1 printable – $1.50 after coupon
1 pkg Steaks – Marked down to $4
1 Romaine Lettuce – $0.99, received $0.25 back from Checkout 51
1 pkg Kroger Tortillas – $1.79
1 pint Half & Half – $1.59
1 Kroger Peanut Butter – $1.79
Total with tax: $28.05, plus received $2 back in rebates
Homeland
1 Deans Guacamole Dip – $1.50, used $0.55/1 printable (doubled) – $0.40 after coupon
1 Minute Maid Orange Juice – $2.99, used $1/1 printable (doubled) – $0.99 after coupon
2 All Laundry Detergent – $2.99 each, used $1/1 printable NLA (doubled) $1/1 coupon from the 9/28 RedPlum insert (doubled) – $0.99 each after coupons
2.16 lbs Navel Oranges @ $0.99/lb – $2.14
2 lbs Challenge Butter – $3.99, used $1/1 printable (doubled) and $0.55/1 printable (doubled) – $2.44 each after coupons (I was super happy to get butter at this price as it’s $3.49 at Aldi right now!)
Total before coupons and sales: $36
Total with tax after coupons and sales: $11.65
We went to my parent’s house last night and my Dad sent 6 lbs of ground beef home with us. So we also have 6 lbs of FREE ground beef in our freezer. I have the best parents ever in case you didn’t know! 🙂
Total for all grocery items after coupons and rebates: $37.70
Menu Plan for This Week
Breakfasts
Cereal x 3, Toast, Oatmeal, Fruit Smoothies (from frozen fruit)
Lunches
Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches and Fruit/Veggies, Tossed Salad, Leftovers (My son asks for a PB&J sandwich every single day. So that is pretty much all we do for lunch these days.)
Dinners
Mexican Lasagna (from freezer – I froze this a couple weeks back), Steamed Broccoli
Sour Cream Enchiladas, Tortilla Chips and Dip, Fruit
Chicken and Veggies in the Crockpot, CopyCat Texas Roadhouse Rolls
Steak, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Tossed Salad
BBQ Meatballs, Biscuits, Tossed Salad
Pancakes, Eggs, Fruit
Out to Eat
The Year I Cried on Christmas – and Why I Wouldn’t Change It
Guest post from Kaley of Cha-Ching on a Shoestring
I remember it well… the Christmas of 2011.
We had just finished opening the massive pile of gifts under my in-laws’ tree. About 90% of these presents had been shopped for, purchased, and wrapped by me — and then schlepped from PA to NY on Christmas Eve in our blue Camry.
I remember clearly that we had quite a time trying to cram all the gifts in our little car. We had stuffed and smooshed until each gift was squeezed very carefully into every possible crevice available and strict instructions were given to limit breathing lest my beautifully wrapped gifts become less perfect in any way.
And now it was Christmas morning, and we were surrounded by the usual piles of torn wrapping paper and bows tossed to and fro, and the strangest thing began to happen to me. I sat surveying the room and all its chaos… and rather than gratefulness welling up, a small lump in the back of my throat began to form and I found myself running to hide in the bathroom because really – who is allowed to CRY on Christmas Day?!
Why the Tears?
As I pondered my heavy heart on what was meant to be The Most Joyful Day, I was able to pinpoint two causes:
1. I couldn’t believe that all this rushing from gift to gift could possibly be what Christmas was all about.
2. I was exhausted from late nights baking, wrapping, and packing that week.
I promised myself in that moment that Christmas would be different next year.
Christmas – and my preparation for it – has changed drastically since that day. And I can honestly tell you that I revel in the Christmas season now.
Here are three changes that I’ve made:
November is my month to get things done.
Throughout the month of November, I hold a freezer baking session, finish my shopping, wrap all my gifts (if possible!), and finish any DIY projects. When December arrives, I am fully ready to soak up the traditions and meaningful ways that our family honors this holiday.
We’ve changed our focus on gift giving.
I no longer buy a gift just because it’s on sale. We give a smaller amount of gifts, but they are gifts that I know my children will love. We also take our time on Christmas morning to savor each gift as it’s being opened.
I hold myself accountable.
To help hold me accountable, I created a Facebook group called The Merry Little Christmas Project. Our Christmas-loving community focuses on encouraging each other to have a simpler, more organized, and more meaningful Christmas. We hold daily 20 Minute Missions throughout the month of November to tackle our To Do lists and we daily inspire each other to Do Christmas Well.
I remember the year I cried on Christmas – and how deeply it has changed me – and looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Kaley Ehret is wife to Wes and Mom of three very active, very awesome boys. She’s fluent in Star Wars Speak and Coupon Lingo – and if you tell her she’s funny, she’ll be your friend for life. She blogs about finding creative ways to save money at Cha-Ching on a Shoestring – and wants to help the world learn to live large on a limited budget and have a Merry Little Christmas too.