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Shared Aug 15, 2014 comment

Why I’m SO Glad I Stopped Saying “I Can’t”

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 15, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Our family just returned today from a 12-day roadtrip to Arkansas and Missouri to spend time with both of our extended families. As usual, we spent a lot of time on the water. Because, as I’ve written about before, my family was pretty much all born with mega watersports genes.

Well, everyone, that is, but me. Somehow, I didn’t really get any watersports skills genes at all.

I’m not kidding. Trust me on this one.

So, for years on our trips to Bull Shoals Lake, I’ve contented myself with tubing, riding in the boat, watching kiddos, and (let’s be honest) hanging out in the cabin reading. Because I’ll take a good book over waterspots any ‘ole day.

I usually at least make one attempt at water-skiing on each trip to the lake. Just to make sure, you know, that I didn’t magically get injected with the watersports gene in the past 12 months. 🙂

And the attempt always ends in failure. But that’s okay, because I’ve really owned the fact that I have other gifts and core competencies and I’m good with leaving the watersports proficiencies to others.

This year, my family brought a knee board and most everyone learned how to knee board. I didn’t even consider trying because, well, I’m not good at watersports.

But as I watched others in my family learn how to knee board, it really looked like fun. Then, Jesse tried his hand at it and had a blast.

I didn’t try the knee board while we were at Bull Shoals with my family last week and I sort of regretted it. So when we were with Jesse’s family this week and they rented a boat in Branson and also rented a knee board, I started working up my courage.

I watched Jesse knee board and then watched as both of his brothers learned, too. I was inwardly debating whether or not to try.

The thought of going out and failing at it was sort of discouraging to consider. But as the afternoon wore on, I remembered how I’ve been working on being intentional about not letting “I can’ts” hold me back from trying things.

While I know that I’m not ever going to be a professional water-skiier, I don’t want to let the belief that “I’m not good at watersports” define my decisions… especially because I really did want to try knee-boarding.

So instead of chickening out, I volunteered to be the next one on the knee board. I told everyone in the boat that there was a good chance I wouldn’t make it up, but I decided to jump out in the water and give it all I had.

And y’all! I couldn’t believe it: because I GOT UP ON THE VERY FIRST TIME.

I was pretty sure I must have been dreaming or something. But no, it was true. Me, the very-inept-at-watersports girl was actually knee-boarding. And I had the time of my life!

I dropped the rope and had them circle around so I could try it again. Just to make sure that it wasn’t some fluke accident that I got up the first time. 😉

And no, it wasn’t. Because I got up on the knee board again and even attacked both wakes! And it felt amazing!

This victory inspires me to keep putting myself out there, keep trying new things, and to not let fear of failure hold me back — even when I think I won’t succeed at something. I want to stop letting the belief that “I can’t” or “I’m not good at that” hold me back from jumping out and trying things.

You never know… maybe next year I’ll even figure out how to water-ski on one ski instead of two! For now, though, I’m committed anew to stop letting the belief that “I can’t” or “I’m not good at that” hold me back from jumping out and trying things.

Shared Aug 14, 2014 comment

Man Leaves Job & City Behind & Lives Out of His Van

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 14, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I found this article on Yahoo! very fascinating:

Three years ago Foster Huntington quit his job, discarded most of his belongings, gave up his home, and hit the road — for good. Huntington, who was born in Portland, Ore., moved to New York City after graduating college in 2010 to work as a concept designer at Ralph Lauren.

Though he was just beginning his successful corporate career, a year in he began craving a life filled with more than a monotonous routine of waking up, working in an office, going to bed, and repeating it all over again the next day. Since then, the 26-year-old has traveled around the West Coast chasing surf and snow.

Now, with over 100,000 miles logged on the road, he’s managed to build a successful career living as a nomad (his photography book, “Home Is Where You Park It,” was released in May and he’s entered into partnerships with Patagonia and various other companies), and says he’ll never go back living any other way.

When Huntington decided to move out of Manhattan, he sold most of his personal possessions, but kept what he calls his “burning house” items. (If your house was burning, what would you take with you?) His alarm clock, however, did not make the cut. “My sleep has been a lot better,” he told Yahoo Health.

Read the full article and check out all the pictures.

Would you ever consider doing something like this? If so, what would your “burning house” items be? I’d love to hear.

Shared Aug 14, 2014 comment

We Paid Cash: A Cross-Country Move

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 14, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

A testimony from Laura

My husband was getting ready to graduate from college when we decided to move our family of four from Southern Oregon, back to our home state of Colorado — a 1,000 mile move!

Since we had been living on a college-student-sized budget, we didn’t have a lot of money to spend on moving, but we were committed to doing it debt-free.

I went to a do-it-yourself moving company to get estimates, and found that to move all our stuff would cost around $2,500, including gas and lodging. But if we chose to pare down and move our stuff in a trailer that we could haul, we could move for less than $1,000, including gas and lodging.

The largest trailer we could rent from this company was 6×12. Yes, that is six feet by twelve feet (the inside of the trailer is just 11.7 x 5.5, don’t ask me how I know that)!

Since we had been living on a very tight budget, nearly all our belongings had been purchased used and they were looking quite used. We considered that the amount it would cost to move everything was not equal to the value of our belongings, and that if we chose not to move those items (and get rid of anything we weren’t in love with), we could fit into the trailer. Besides, if the Oregon trail pioneers could move a household in a covered wagon, then surely we had no excuse!

Once we decided to move, we had a month-and-a-half before the big day. Here is what we did:

I dug through every room in the house and ruthlessly purged. I kept only the items that we absolutely used and wanted, and everything else was either listed on Craigslist or went in a garage sale pile.

I listed our furniture and nicer items on Craigslist.

Then we had 3 garage sales. At the end of these three sales, we had sold almost everything we wanted to eliminate.

Between Craigslist and the garage sales, we earned $1300!

Then came moving day. When my husband went to pick up the trailer, the trailer wasn’t ready on time, so we got $50 refunded to us. What a great way to kick off our money-saving adventure.

I packed breakfast, lunch, and dinner food in a cooler to save money on restaurants, and then we camped one of the nights.

By the time we paid for the trailer, gas, food, lodging, and even a visit to a zoo along the way, we only spent $900 on our move. That meant we had a whole $400 to get us started in our new home.

Even though it was challenging to eliminate so many of our possessions, we have what we need to get started. And though we will need to spend money to replace items we originally sold, I am confident that we will find a debt-free way to do this as well!

Laura Coble blogs over at Short and Sweet Moments and shares her journey as a mom, wife, and woman learning to stress-less and live in God’s grace. She is a mom to two boys and wife to her best friend. Her move taught her a lot about minimalist living and practicing Eccl 5:15 which says “We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us”.

Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.

Shared Aug 13, 2014 comment

PSST!! Sign up to earn money promoting our Crazy, Can’t Miss Sale next week!

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 13, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’ve got some pretty exciting news to share with you all tonight. My team and I have been working hard on a project for a number of months and we can finally let the cat out of the bag!

One of my goals as a blogger is to offer really practical tools and tactics to help you cut your grocery bill. Which is why I’m thrilled to let you know that we are now offering the Grocery University course by Carrie Isaac.

Carrie is a long-time friend of mine (her husband is actually my brother-in-law’s cousin!) and she’s been a true inspiration to me in so many areas — especially in the area of keeping your grocery budget low!

A few years ago, Carrie produced Grocery University and has since sold thousands of copies of this course and inspired countless people to cut their grocery budgets! When I found out that Carrie was planning to discontinue selling Grocery University because her plate was too full, I approached her and asked if we could buy the rights to the course.

We’re so excited to have the opportunity to now sell this course as part of the MoneySavingMom.com product line. We’ve spent the last few months updating and tweaking the course handbook a bit to match our branding, but the information is still the same valuable information Carrie put together in 2010. You can read all about Grocery University here.

Sign Up For Our Affiliate Program & Earn 50% Of All Sales!

If you’re a blogger or someone who loves to share deals with others via email or social media, we’d LOVE to have you on board as one of our affiliates. You can earn 50% commissions on all sales made through your referral link.

But that’s not all!

We’re re-launching Grocery University next Tuesday (August 19, 2014) with a crazy, can’t miss, one-day-only sale. We expect that this sale will be a HUGE success for our affiliates and — just to make things even more exciting — we’ll be offering 60% commissions on all affiliate sales made on August 19, 2014.

Go here to sign up for the Grocery University affiliate program (it’s free). After you sign up, you’ll have access to your referral link and graphics and everything you’ll need to promote Grocery University to your readers and friends.

And then get ready to promote this sale and (hopefully!) earn some great affiliate income.

P.S. If you’re new to affiliate marketing, be sure to read this post on what affiliate marketing is and 5 ways to maximize your success with affiliate marketing. You can also download my free ebook on How to Make Money Blogging.

Shared Aug 13, 2014 comment

Get a behind-the-scenes look at my blogging processes

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 13, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I was honored to be interviewed by iBlog Magazine recently about blogging, online marketing, and what I’ve learned from this crazy and wild adventure I’ve been on as a blogger for the past almost 10 years.

In this interview, I share a behind-the-scenes look at some of my blogging processes, how I’ve grown my team (and some key advice for those of you who are thinking of hiring a virtual assistant), my Pinterest strategy and how much time I invest in it on a daily basis, the platform I’m currently experiencing with, plus a number of lessons I’ve learned the hard way as a blogger.

If you are a blogger, an online entrepreneur, or just want to know more about the behind-the-scenes of MoneySavingMom.com, I think you’ll enjoy watching this interview. Head over here to view it.

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Aug 13, 2014 comment

Build Your Own Town on a Shower Curtain (free printables)

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 13, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Here’s a fun and frugal indoor activity!

Head on over to Mama’s Learning Corner for the instructions and printables for your kids to create their own town on a shower curtain.

Shared Aug 13, 2014 comment

Ask the Readers: How can I best utilize my iPhone?

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 13, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

ask-the-readers-blue

Today’s questions is from Jen:

My “not-smart” phone that I’ve had for 6 years just bit the dust and my husband bought me an iPhone. I’m wondering how people use these for meal plans, grocery lists, scheduling their days, etc.?

Not just apps to download, but using alarms, or other features, too. I really want this phone to be an effective tool that makes my life better and more efficient, not just another thing to distract me.

Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Shared Aug 13, 2014 comment

When you feel like you’re stuck in a deep black hole

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 13, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

She came up to me after a session at a conference I spoke at recently. She had but one thing she wanted to say: “Thank you for saving my life.”

She told me about her months-long struggle with postpartum depression. How she didn’t want to live. How she didn’t know how she could keep going in the dark hole she was in.

There seemed no way out. She was tired of waking up everyday with an oppressive black cloud hanging over her head.

She was lifeless and hopeless. And suicide seemed like the best answer.

But then, when she was at rock bottom, she read my post about my own journey with postpartum depression. And for the first time in months, she saw a ray of hope… and she realized that maybe what she was experiencing was depression.

No one had mentioned it to her. She had never even considered it as a possibility.

Had I not posted about it, she told me she didn’t think she would have made that doctor’s appointment, sought that medical help, and, after months of treatment, climbed up out of that pit of depression and starting living with energy and joy again.

News of Robin Williams’ death reminded me of this woman’s story. And of why those of us who have gone through depression need to be sharing our stories. Because if one life can be spared as a result of our willingness to speak out, it is so very worth it.

I listened to the reporters on TV and I kept hearing them say that Robin’s suicide was “incomprehensible”.

Every time they said that word, it upset me. Because those of us who have survived depression or who are struggling through depression know how far you can spiral down and how black the hole can be.

It’s far from “incomprehensible” to us who have been in that lonely, dark, and suffocating pit. As Ann Voskamp wrote:

We could tell you what we know.

That — depression is like a room engulfed in flames and you can’t breathe for the sooty smoke smothering you limp — and suicide is deciding there is no way but to jump straight out of the burning building.

That when the unseen scorch on the inside finally sears intolerably hot – you think a desperate lunge from the flames and the land of the living seems the lesser of two unbearables.

That’s what you’re thinking — that if you’d do yourself in, you’d be doing everyone a favor.

I don’t know what was going through Robin’s head and heart when he made a decision to end his life, but I do know the desperation that can take you to that place.

If you are in that desperate place right now, I want you to know that there is a way out of that pit.

Please, please, please, don’t hide your pain and hurt and desperation. Reach out to family, friends, and wise professionals. Find a safe place to talk about how much you’re struggling. Schedule an appointment with your doctor. Talk to your pastor or counselor.

Don’t try to hold on and pretend you are okay when you feel like everything inside of you is screaming out that it’s not. There is hope. There is healing. Reach out today and ask for help… before it’s too late.

Shared Aug 12, 2014 comment

Sign up for the FREE 10-Day Rise & Shine Challenge

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 12, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Do you want to get up earlier and make the most of your mornings? If so, go sign up for the FREE 10-Day Rise & Shine Challenge from The Abundant Mama.

The challenge starts August 18, 2014. I’m all signed up and I’m thinking of blogging through the challenge to help us start our Fall schedule off on the right foot. Want to join me?

Shared Aug 11, 2014 comment

We Paid Cash: A Fixer-Upper Home

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 11, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

A testimony from Katie

On May 8, 2014, a fairly new dream for us came true. My husband and I paid cash for a house!

We knew that our long term rental agreement would be coming to an end, but the thought of committing ourselves to a 30-year mortgage seemed very scary and frankly, suffocating. We were weighing our options for the better part of last year, all the while I was perusing a local real estate company’s website.

A house listed at $10k caught my eye, but because I thought it was in a not-so-nice neighborhood, I dismissed it. When the priced dropped to $8k I showed my husband. We drove by and were pleasantly surprised by the neighborhood. We made an offer that day and set the closing date a couple of months out so we could save up.

We are not wealthy at ALL. My husband works full time at a non-profit and I work part-time at a different non-profit. We have two kids of our own and are currently raising my two nephews after my sister lost her battle with cancer.

Even still, we were able to save up the $8000 and paid cash for our fixer-upper home!

Here is how we saved:

$2500 = Tax Refund

$2000 = Savings Account

$500 = Paypal cash earned from using Swagbucks. Yes, Swagbucks helped pay for our house.

$300 = My husband’s mileage and phone allowance. (He gets reimbursed monthly.)

$3200 = 3 months of my salary. I normally do not earn this much in 3 months but I have a very understanding boss who let me work extra shifts and also found some helpful but unnecessary work for me to do.

So all that amounted to $8500, which was the cost of the house plus closing. We lived off one income for those three months, we cooked everything from scratch, and did not so much as wish to turn on the air conditioning. It’s hot here!

We are currently restoring the house back to it’s 1940 glory — and we are NOT going into debt to do it! We will use my earnings to make needed updates.

For instance, the 1940’s electrical system is not up to code and we are currently replacing it. Everything we use to repair the house is recycled, upcycled, hand-me downs and we have had a few gifts along the way. We hope to spend this Christmas there.

MoneySavingMom.com has helped us immensely over the years and I would never have even thought of paying cash for a house if I had not been reading this site. If you are interested in following along with our house progress, you can do so at our blog, The 8K House!

Have you saved up and paid cash for something — large or small? Submit your story for possible publication here.

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

Click here to download!

Shared Aug 8, 2014 comment

10 Chicken Crock Pot Freezer Recipes and Shopping List

Published: by MSM Team on August 8, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Saving You Dinero shares 10 Chicken Crock Pot Freezer Recipes. Plus, she also shares her Shopping List for making these recipes.

For more Crockpost Freezer Cooking ideas, check out the following links:

Shared Aug 7, 2014 comment

9 Money-Saving Vacation Tips

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 7, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Jackie

Months ago, my daughter had a field trip to Charleston, SC, and the carriage ride was a part of her package cost. My teacher husband was one of the chaperones and after the carriage ride, he told the driver how much he enjoyed the tour and shared that our family was returning for a vacation.

The driver gave him a business card signed with admission for 4 adults. Wow, that was a $100 gift! It pays to compliment the driver.

When we arrived back in Charleston a month later, our two oldest kids served as the adult price and we decided to hold our 4-year-old for no charge and pay one child admission for our 6-year-old at $14.95. We could have paid $155, but only had to pay $14.95 thanks to my complimentary husband and a blessing from the driver.

We enjoy almost all our vacations in this fashion — knowing we are using our resources wisely and saving money while enjoying ourselves. If you’re planning an upcoming vacation, here are 9 ways we like to save that might work for you, too:

1. Plan Ahead With Freezer Meals.

When I’m on vacation I like to be in the kitchen as little as possible. By planning ahead with freezer meals, we not only save time and energy by having our meals prepped, we also save money for extra entertainment.

I pack a cooler full of frozen food of homemade versions of waffles, pizza bagel bites, lasagna, marinated meat or chicken, muffins and/or desserts or snacks. Once the cooler is packed to the brim, it doesn’t thaw. I’ve had frozen food last overnight when tightly packed with solid casseroles and such.

If hotel/motel space is an issue for freezer cooking, a plug-in griddle, hot pot or sandwich maker could provide some quick inexpensive meals to offset dining costs.

We scan our destination to look for entertainment or restaurant coupons. This year on Groupon, we saw the Children’s museum with half-price tickets. We opted out since we’ve done it several years in a row, but I’ve seen specials on everything from spas, plantation tours, riverboat cruises, and Aquariums.

It’s worth checking out.

3. Find Restaurant.com Deals or Local Specials.

We typically eat out at least once during our vacation week, and it’s often using a coupon from Restaurant.com or eat during the lunch hours. Another option is sharing a meal at night.

This year we splurged and took advantage of Sonic half-priced shakes after 8 p.m. for a family walk on the pier. We visit the water park on Tuesdays when admission is half-price and pack our own lunch. Visiting the restaurant or calling ahead about specials can save a great deal of money. Our theme park cost us $60, but it would have cost us $120 on a different day.

Another treat our older kids enjoyed was a reusable Kangaroo cup. The cup was $7 upfront and they enjoyed a bike ride to the gas station for a 25 cent slushy refill, which would have cost $5 each. I ended up giving in to the daily unhealthy splurge since it was a vacation and thankfully, there are no Kangaroo stations in NC.

4. Look for Free Movies/Music on the Beach.

We check out the local website to see what’s happening. An outdoor movie was showing and we popped our own popcorn and brought water. It was a frugal movie night for the whole family.

State parks offer fun activities for the whole family. The state park nearby cost $1 per person and there is a free water splash play area and playground. They also offered family and kid’s activities centered on nature, some which were free. It pays to do research before traveling.

5. Visit Chick-Fil-A on Cow Appreciation Day.

Chick-Fil-A Cow Appreciation Day only happens once a year. Dress like a cow for free chicken. You bet we jumped on the opportunity to wear spots on our black and white attire and sport a mask for any meal on the menu.

Our family of six saved over $45 for dinner. This is a franchise celebration so our cow attire traveled!

6. Pack Picnics with Frozen Water Bottles.

One of our favorite activities to do is go on picnics and rather than picking up lunch, we go for our own healthy options consisting of deli meat, cheese, and whole grain bread. I often pack grilled chicken pitas with leftover grilled chicken and shredded mozzarella cheese. I wrap them in foil and place them near a frozen water bottle to stay cool for hours.

A recycled juice bottle filled with water and frozen water stays cooler longer and you have fresh cold water when thawed.

7. Bring Your Own Bikes.

Bike rentals cost up to $30 a day. We purchased our own and take them with us. My husband found an inexpensive bike rack on Craigslist and we’ve picked up a bike or two from garage sales for less than $10. Our bikes go with is so our older kids and at least one parent can enjoy riding, saving us at least $100 per person for the week.

8. Make Breakfast To-Go and Snacks To-Go.

A fast food breakfast is not always the healthiest or most frugal. I plan ahead for an early morning departure and boil eggs, pack cheese sticks, unsalted almonds, mini-whole wheat bagels with light cream cheese or homemade muffins and reusable water bottles.

Snack ideas include homemade trail mix with low-sugar cereals, pretzels, nuts and dried fruit. I make no-bake granola bars and spread peanut butter crackers on whole wheat crackers to avoid vending machines.

If we want ice cream, we stop by the grocery store and for a box verses the vendor. Large families can benefit from a box of treats verses paying $5 each. I found a half-price box of sorbet pops and the kids enjoyed two treats.

9. Rent a Vacation Home With a Clean-it-Yourself Option.

We rent a house two rows back from the beach front — which is cheaper. Walking two streets over is great exercise. In addition, our home rental does not require a cleaning service so there is no additional fee. We clean it ourselves upon departure because we’d be doing it anyway at the end of the week at home. Everyone pitches in and it gets done quickly and saving anywhere from $60 to $100.

Consider a vacation rental in early August when the price drops. Homeschooling families can take advantage of late August or early September with fewer crowds and the best rates.

Camping is another frugal option that could be considered. We enjoy half-price savings at many campgrounds through Passport America.

How do you save money while on vacation?

Jackie Brown is a mom of four sharing Christ through Freezer Cooking. She makes abundant freezer meals for her family while inspiring others to bless the poor and the needy with their freezer bounty.

Shared Aug 6, 2014 comment

5 Days of Unrushing My Schedule in Pictures

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 6, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m prone to take on too much. To pack my days too full. And to end up in a state of busyness. Which then leads to rush.

I wake up feeling behind and then go throughout the entire day feeling like I need to work as quickly as possible, to get as much done as possible, because I have too much to do.

When I feel like this, I don’t feel like I have time to stop and savor anything.

I don’t have time to look into my child’s eyes and really listen to the story they are trying to tell me.
I don’t have time to stop and call my good friend when she texts me to say she’s feeling completely overwhelmed.
I don’t have time to sit and just be with my husband, even though his quality time love tank is running dry.
And on and on it goes.

Instead, I’ve got “Very Important Things” to accomplish. But in the process of trying to accomplish all my “Very Important Things”, I shortchange the Very Most Important People in my life.

Over the past few years, I’ve been simplifying my life. Paring down and cutting out the non-essentials. Saying “no” to the mediocre or even the good in an effort to say “yes” to the best.

And most of all, I’ve been working on learning the art of being fully present in the moment. Not thinking ahead of where I need to be in 30 minutes or what I still need to accomplish. Not stressing over what hasn’t been done yet. Not mentally reviewing how far behind I am. Just giving myself wholeheartedly to what is in front of me.

As I said, I’m still working on this… and it may be a lifelong journey for me. Which is why I’m especially excited that my friend, Lysa TerKeurst, has another amazing book coming out called The Best Yes. I heard Lysa share a powerful message on this topic at the SheSpeaks Conference and it made me ever so eager to get a copy of this book and read it STAT.

There’s no such thing as hearing this message too often. Plus, knowing Lysa, this book is going to shake up my thinking, cause me to really analyze my decisions and priorities, and overall mess with me in a really good way. Because that’s just what Lysa’s writing and messages do for me.

I’m already preparing to have my toes stepped on. 😉

In the mean time, I’m following along with Lysa’s 7-Day Unrush Your Schedule Instagram Challenge. I’m looking for everyday opportunities to stop and take time to be fully present, to be quiet and just soak up my surroundings, and to really savor the life right in front of me.

For those who don’t follow me on Instagram, I thought it’d be fun to share some of my photos from the past few days here…

Day 1: Saturday

Enjoyed a few of my favorite things today: a quiet day at home, a mason jar full of The Shrinker, metal straws, comfy pj pants–at 4 pm in the afternoon(!), and purple nail polish (I’ve been experimenting with different DIY mani colors while working on growing my nails out and have discovered that purple makes me feel alive and energetic!)

Day 2: Sunday

We’re back on the road again today… This time on our way to Arkansas and Missouri for time with both of our extended families. Enjoying getting a lot of reading done on our drive, including this pre-release copy of Living Well Spending Less by Ruth Soukup.

Day 3: Monday

My view right now… So thankful for a quiet week to unplug at Bull Shoals Lake and for lots of laughter and memory-making with our extended family.

Day 4: Tuesday

A peek into my day today: Grandpa teaching Silas how to water ski, watching Kathrynne in her element on skis on the water, and Silas loving cheering for his sister’s success!

Day 5: Wednesday

Today: this man of mine (@jessepaine) took me to rent jet skis and we jetted away the afternoon together, soaking up the sunshine, the beautiful lake views, and the fresh air. It was good for my soul. And also? So thankful for this man and the life of adventure we share together. After 11 1/2 years and lots of ups and downs, I’d still marry him all over again in a heartbeat!

What about you? What have you done to “unrush your schedule” this week? Have you taken time to just stop and savor the everyday?

Want to join me in this challenge? If so, you can post your pictures on Instagram using the hashtag #unrushme. I’d love for you to tag me (@themoneysavingmom) so I can be inspired by how you’re slowing down and really soaking up life!

Shared Aug 6, 2014 comment

How I Got Two Bottles of Sunscreen for Just $2.13 Out of Pocket!

Published: by MSM Team on August 6, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Katie recently emailed to tell us about her successful search for a deal on sunscreen:

I’ve been on the hunt for deals on sunscreen. Today, I hit the jackpot!

It’s just my husband and me, so I knew we wouldn’t need more than two bottles. But still, sunscreen is expensive. They can easily run $10+ per bottle! Totally not in our budget.

For weeks, I would watch the coupons & sales on sunscreen, to no avail. It was just too expensive still.

Well, today I stopped into my local CVS to return a Redbox movie (I used a free Redbox code thanks to a tip I found here on MoneySavingMom.com!) and pick up a gallon of milk ($2.69 after a $1 ExtraCare reward… which is a great deal on milk in our area!) Then, I spot them. Bottles of name-brand sunscreen marked 75% off!

I found a bottle of Aveeno for myself at $2.75 and a bottle of Banana Boat for men for $2.63. But wait. There’s more…

I quickly took out my phone and searched my Checkout 51 and iBotta apps. There was a $2 rebate on Checkout 51 for the bottle of Aveeno! Yay! There was also an iBotta rebate for $1.25 off the Banana Boat bottle. Score!

Here’s how my total broke down before tax:

Aveeno sunscreen:
$2.75 (the price after the 75% off discount at CVS) – $2 Checkout 51 rebate = $0.75

Banana Boat sunscreen:
$2.63 (the price after the 75% off discount at CVS) – $1.25 iBotta rebate = $1.38

I was so excited over this deal, I just had to share! I’m a drugstore deal gal time and time again… and today just happened to be my extra special day at CVS!

Katie works full-time at a local university and is pursuing her master’s degree. Her husband is teaching at a local university and working on his PhD. Thanks to tips from MoneySavingMom.com and lots of hard work, they’ll BOTH graduate debt-free!

Shared Aug 6, 2014 comment

Paid Viewpoint: Earn Cash for Answering Questions

Published: by MSM Team on August 6, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Victoria sent in the following testimonial about Paid Viewpoint:

I was wondering have you heard of Paid Viewpoint before? I just recently found it and really like it, your readers might too.

It’s a survey company that pays you for each and every survey they send you, no screening you out after minutes of answering questions to earn nothing. It is certainly not a high income earner but it is another small snowflake source of income people can add to their at home work snowball.

You can sign up for Paid Viewpoint here.

Read Victoria’s full post here.

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