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Shared Apr 23, 2014 comment

Eating From the Pantry: Day 3

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 23, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day 3 of our Eating from the Pantry Challenge and the fridge and cupboards are getting barer. And we’re almost finished with all the packing, too. Just a few little odds and ends and part of our bedroom and we’re D-O-N-E! Yay!

It was a beautiful day and we made the most of it by spending a few hours in the afternoon with some friends at the park.

Don’t you just love the beauty of farm fresh eggs?

I found a club soda in the cupboard, so I introduced the kids to it. They weren’t big fans, but I loved it with a little lime juice. So refreshing!

Popcorn is a favorite snack at our house! It’s been a few weeks since we’ve made it, so it was a great from-the-pantry snack for today!

Here’s the run down on what we had today:

Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal

Lunch: Fried Eggs, oranges, Banana Bread (I had a salad.)

Snack: Popcorn, apples with almond butter

Dinner: Baked chicken with spices, oranges, green beans

Are you eating from the pantry this week? If you are, leave a comment telling us what you ate today. Or, if you’re blogging about this challenge, leave a link to your direct blog post below that details what you ate for the Pantry Challenge today. I can’t wait to see your creative ideas!

Shared Apr 23, 2014 comment

4 Strategies to Become a Successful Speaker

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 23, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I just finished writing my first book and have been working on building a social media presence. I’m excited about these things, but I’d also really like to have the opportunity to speak at events. However, I’m not sure how to get started or how you go about building a speaking business. If you have any suggestions on where to begin, I value any input you can give me. -Jenny

Such a great question, Jenny! Congratulations on finishing your first book — how exciting!

I never set out to become a public speaker. In fact, as I shared in this post, it was truly one of the last things I would have ever seen myself doing. However, as the opportunities began coming my way and I realized this was something that God was calling me to do, I’ve sought to be intentional and strategic in developing myself as a public speaker.

Here are some suggestions I’d have for you:

1. Define Your Market

Before you even start down the journey of becoming a public speaker, I think it’s important to define your market. What audiences do you see yourself speaking to? Are you a comedian, a corporate speaker, a Christian women’s speaker, etc?

Do you see yourself giving workshops and training seminars? Or do you picture yourself being up on a keynote stage giving inspirational messages? Or are you something entirely different or somewhere in between?

Take a long hard look at what audiences you want to reach. It could be multiple types of audiences, but from the get-go, don’t just say, “I’ll be happy to speak to anyone, anywhere.” Otherwise, you’re probably setting yourself up for frustration, exhaustion, or failure.

For instance, I have three topics that I speak on: intentional finance, intentional family, and intentional business. All of my presentations fall under one of these headings. If an audience of car mechanics asked me to come in and talk on how to fix your car, I’m not their girl.

Defining what I’m about has helped me to be selective on what speaking opportunities I’ll accept. And it also helps me and my team to be able to clearly communicate what I’m about when events are interested in having me come speak.

2. Practice Your Presentations

If there is one huge mistake you can make when preparing for an event, it’s to not prepare enough. I cannot stress enough how import it is to practice your talks over and over again when you are first starting out.

In fact, I’d encourage you to practice them standing up exactly as you plan to deliver them, including using your slide presentation and any props, at least 3 full times before you ever deliver a talk on stage. If possible, ask a few family members or friends to watch these practices and give their feedback.

Yes, this takes a LOT of time upfront, but it’s SO worth it. Why? Because not only does practice allow you to familiarize yourself with the material, but you’ll also likely find places you want to rework and refine. Each practice session will make the talk just a little bit better, helping you to then deliver it with confidence and ease once you’re up on stage.

In addition, when you practice your talk multiple times, you become really comfortable with it. When the inevitable mishap occurs — such as the mic not working right or the slides not working or some other tech issue (it seems there’s always something!) — you aren’t thrown off track because you know your material well.

One final note on practicing: I’ve become a big fan of giving the same presentations over and over again to different groups. Right now, I only have 10 talks that I give. If an event asks me to come speak, those are the talks I offer.

I always tweak my talks for the specific audience and always update them so that they are relevant and fresh, but for the most part, the bones of the talk stay the same once I get them to a place where I feel like they are really strong. I’ve found that by giving the same talks again and again, they just get better with time as I learn what works best with multiple audiences.

My favorite part of traveling & speaking is getting to meet readers face-to-face!

3. Offer Your Services

Once you’ve defined who your ideal audience is and you’ve created and practiced some talks, it’s time to get out there and start speaking! For many people, this can be the hardest part.

But here’s the thing: it doesn’t have to be really difficult to find audiences to speak to if you’re not too picky about who your audience is. There are many community centers, libraries, and even nursing homes that will allow you to come in and speak. All you have to do is call and offer!

Sure, there might only be a handful of people who show up, but speaking to just a small room of people can be great practice in the beginning. Plus, if you mess up or struggle through sections, you’ve only embarrassed yourself in front of a small group!

These small audiences might not be your long-term ideal audiences, but don’t be discouraged by that. Realize that every small opportunity is practice and preparation for the bigger opportunities. You usually have to do a lot of small things well before you are ready for the bigger opportunities. So give your very best to each audience, no matter the size!

As you become more comfortable with speaking, seek out other opportunities. Maybe offer to give a workshop at a local conference or church, offer to speak at schools or other community groups. You probably won’t get paid for these opportunities, but take them anyway. When you’re starting out, just be grateful for any opportunity to practice your presentations in front of a live audience!

4. Refine Your Speaking

After you’ve had 5-10 speaking opportunities, go back to the drawing board. Consider what’s working and what’s not.

When I first started speaking, I was just so grateful for any opportunity that I would speak on pretty much whatever I was asked to, within reason. I quickly learned what kinds of talks and subjects worked for me and what didn’t. I wouldn’t have known, though, had I not gone out there and tried.

Go back to step number one and see if you need to re-define your market at all. Start deciding which 3-5 talks are your favorites and really working on refining and tweaking those.

If possible, I wholeheartedly encourage you to hire a speaking coach. If you’re interested in hearing more about this, read this post on how my speaking coach, Michele, has completely changed my entire approach to speech preparation.

I also highly, highly, highly recommend attending the SCORRE conference. I went last year — mostly dragging my feet — and the whole process and training transformed me from the inside out.

Not only have I become a much more dynamic speaker as a result of SCORRE, but I’m all-around more confident in who I am, what I am about, and the message I’m called to share. If you want to improve as a communicator in any field — speaking, writing, blogging, and more — do yourself a huge favor and attend SCORRE.

For more tips on improving as a speaker, read my post on how I got over my lifelong fear of public speaking.

What advice and suggestions do the rest of you have for Jenny?

photo credit

Shared Apr 23, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: Spent $6.47 total for 6 items!

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 23, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Target Shopping Trip

Transaction #1

3 Speed Stick Gear Deodorants – $3.99 (Buy 3, Get $5 Target gift card), used 2 $2/1 printable AND 1 $1.50/1 coupon from the 4/6 SmartSource insert – $2.15 each after coupons

Total after coupons: $6.47, Received $5 Target gift card

Transaction #2

I decided to use the gift card for a few grocery items I needed to get.

1 Market Pantry Lunchmeat – $2.50, used $1/1 Target printable AND 5% off Cartwheel coupon – $1.42 after coupons

1 Frozen Spinach – $1.77, used 5% off Cartwheel coupon – $1.68 after coupon

1 Cool Whip – $1.52

Used $5 Target gift card

Total after coupons and gift card: $0.00

Total for both transactions: $6.47

Shared Apr 22, 2014 comment

Eating From the Pantry: Day 2

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 22, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s Day 2 of the Eating From the Pantry Challenge. I made a pan of Baked Oatmeal this morning before we headed out for an early morning appointment. This recipe is always a winner.

A good friend came over today to spend the day with us. She made Banana Bread for us while she was here to use up some bananas we had in our freezer. This is such a delicious recipe!

For lunch, Kathrynne decided to eat some of the jar of jalepenos. She dared me to try some, too, but I passed. 🙂 I’m kind of a wimp when it comes to hot stuff!

I made Barbecue Chicken for dinner tonight. I just poured the rest of a bottle of barbecue sauce over chicken breasts and then baked them. Super easy and yummy, too!

Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal

Lunch: Cheese slices, crackers, applesauce

Snack: Chips, apples with almond butter

Dinner: Barbecue chicken, Banana Bread, green beans

How an 18 Year-Old is Earning over $40,000 from YouTube Each Month! This story is SO inspiring!

Shared Apr 22, 2014 comment

How an 18-Year-Old is Earning $40K Per Month on YouTube

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 22, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I was intrigued and inspired by reading this story on Yahoo! yesterday:

Though you may not know her name (yet), Bethany Mota is a superstar. Millions of young girls are familiar with this “Mota-vator,” an 18-year-old YouTube personality who has built herself a media and fashion empire — all from the comfort of her Northern California bedroom.

Now with her own clothing line at retailer Aeropostale, Bethany’s rising stardom goes far beyond her “MACBARBIE07” — a YouTube channel that’s generating an estimated $40,000 per month and has garnered over 300 million views since she launched it. She is an inspiration to pre-teens everywhere who’ve ever struggled with boredom, shyness and bullying.

Home-schooled as a child, Bethany entered public school in junior high but decided it wasn’t for her after a devastating bout of cyber-bullying in 2009. Bored, lonely and looking for an outlet, she redirected her energy into an unexpected hobby: creating YouTube videos for girls just like her that offered make-up tips and fashion advice, among other things.

Read the full story.

While I’m not a huge fan of the whole teen celebrity culture, I thought Bethany’s story was quite inspiring — especially for those who are feeling “stuck” where they are in life or discouraged by hurtful comments others have made.

Bethany has built a massive platform, all by herself without any funding or experience. Not only is she impacting many lives, but she’s also making pretty downright incredible income, too.

She could have chosen to let the bullying demoralize her. She could have decided there was no hope or future for herself since she was shy, introverted, and lived in a really small town.

But she didn’t. And I think her story can serve as a motivation to anyone who is feeling frustrated or overwhelmed by the circumstances you find yourselves in.

No matter your situation, you have a choice: you can become a victim or you can become a victor. Which will you choose today?

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Shared Apr 22, 2014 comment

Do It Yourself: Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 22, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Kojo-Designs.com shows you how to make homemade baked sweet potato chips.

Do you have a fun and frugal DIY idea to share? I’d love to hear about it! Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.

Shared Apr 21, 2014 comment

5 Ways to Stay Sane While Moving

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 21, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This week, we’re preparing for our sixth move in 11 years. We’re not quite as adept at this as some of you military families who move like 10 times every two years or something (!), but prepping for this move has gone so smoothly and I really think a lot of it has to do with tips and tricks I’ve learned from multiple moves.

For those who may be in the midst of a move or may be planning a move later on this year, I wanted to share five ways we’re staying sane while moving:

1. Start Early

As with most things in life, starting early can be the key to your organization and success. Back in November, when I found out we were moving, I started to mentally think of everything we’d need to do to prepare for this move.

In the past, I’ve made a notebook with sections for three months before, two months before, one month before, three weeks before, two weeks before, and then each day of the week of the move. This time around, I’ve relied more on Google Calendar to keep track of all the big and little tasks.

As I think of tasks that need to be done, I’ve added it to my Google Calendar and assigned each task a due date. I haven’t always gotten everything done on the specific day a task was assigned to, but the beauty of Google Calendar is that I can easily move things to a different day, if need be.

Figure out whether paper or paperless system will work best for you. Then, start brain dumping all of the tasks into your system. Getting them out of your head and assigned to a date will take a load off your shoulders and will help you stay on track.

Read my guest post on Living Well Spending Less on 7 Ways That Google Calendar Simplifies My Life.

2. Clear the Clutter

Before you begin packing, one of the best things you can do is get rid of as much excess clutter that you can. For the past four months, I’ve been slowly going through our home from top to bottom evaluating everything in our home and deciding what to keep and what to pass on, sell, or get rid of.

This time around, knowing we were moving cross country, I was highly motivated to let go of anything I wasn’t absolutely sure we loved and would use after we moved. Truly, it’s been really freeing for me!

And best of all, I’ve been surprised and encouraged with how simple packing has been. The effort to pare down and keep things pared down has paid off in big dividends.

Struggling to know what to keep and what to get rid of? Here are 5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Clutter.

3. Break Tasks Down

Instead of approaching tasks in big chunks, break them down into bite-sized pieces. Think of the steps you need to take to get to the finished task and then assign a few pieces of those steps to each day.

This is one of the benefits of starting early — you don’t have to cram a bunch of projects in at the last minute. You can just do a few bite-sized pieces of tasks and within a few weeks, you’ve accomplished a LOT.

I’ve been breaking up the packing by room and area. So for instance, instead of tackling a whole room, I’ll just tackle a closet, a few cupboard, or a section of the room at a time. By doing a few of these areas every day, we’ve made quick progress on packing — and it’s not felt overwhelming or exhausting!

4. Accept Help

If someone offers and you can use the help, take it! We’ve been blessed to have family members and friends help us with packing, getting our yard ready, hauling off large items, watching our kids, having us over for dinner so we didn’t have to mess with cooking, cooking dinner for us, encouraging us, and praying for us.

We feel so blessed to have such a great support system around us here… and it didn’t just happen; it’s because we’ve intentionally sought to foster community here and to be available as we were able to help and bless others, too. Relationships are about give and take and it’s such a gift when you have these kinds of friendships!

We are looking forward to planting roots and plugging into a new community where we’re moving to so that we can hopefully develop deep friendships and relationships there, too.

5. Pack With Unloading in Mind

When packing, think strategically about unloading and unpacking, too. For instance, we’ve not seen the house that we’re moving to, but I’ve taken time to study all of the pictures and videos we have so I can get a very good grasp of where we’ll put most of our furniture items, which rooms we’ll need to switch around, and what is going to go where. This makes unpacking so much more efficient and organized.

In addition, I cannot stress the importance of labeling your boxes well. We’ve been labeling boxes not only with details on what room they are from, but also with specifics on what’s in them.

I mentally know which rooms are getting transferred where in our house so I’ll be able to make sure the correct boxes (mostly!) end up in the correct rooms. This alone saves a lot of time. Plus, if the contents of the boxes are clearly labeled, it makes it much easier to find what you need quickly after you have the correct boxes in the correct rooms.

Finally, I try to think ahead to what we’re going to need as soon as the moving truck pulls up. We always pack a few boxes that have cleaning supplies, toilet paper, rags, and other essentials and put that box on the truck last. That way, it’s the first box unloaded when we arrive.

This solves so much frustration and guarantees that you’ll have at least some basics on hand right away. Life is always better when there’s toilet paper and cleaning supplies handy! 🙂

What are your best tips and tricks for staying sane while moving? I’d love to hear them!

Shared Apr 21, 2014 comment

Eating From the Pantry: Day 1

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 21, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We kind of cheated a little today on the Eat From the Pantry Challenge… we’d already scheduled to go out to dinner with my parents tonight and my parents offered to bring dinner over for my kids and my siblings who are babysitting them.

So I didn’t have to make anything for dinner, but we are using a gift card for dinner that we’ve had sitting at our house for a long time and wanted to use up before we moved. I guess that counts for something, right? 🙂

Anyway, here’s what we ate today:

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Lunch: Turkey sandwiches, apples, and chips (I had a salad!)

Snack: Finished off some ice cream some friends had brought by last week.

Dinner: Out to eat with my parents using a gift card

Today was a pretty simple and rather uneventful Eating from the Pantry day, but I have a feeling it will get more interesting as this week progresses and our cupboards become more bare. Stay tuned. 🙂

Are you eating from the pantry this week? If you are, leave a comment telling us what you ate today. Or, if you’re blogging about this challenge, leave a link to your direct blog post below that details what you ate for the Pantry Challenge today. I can’t wait to see your creative ideas!

Shared Apr 21, 2014 comment

Enter to win a Two-Sided Organic Mattress from My Green Mattress!

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 21, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

In celebration of Earth Week this week, My Green Mattress is giving away a two-sided Pure Echo Mattress with organic cotton/natural wool cover valued at $599!

This medium firm organic mattress includes comfort layers made of organic cotton and natural wool. It is not only chemical-free and pesticide-free mattress choice but because it’s two-sided, it can be flipped so it lasts longer!

Adding a second side to your mattress not only extends the life of a mattress but also is great if there are spills or if the bed develops a wear pattern. Just simply flip the mattress over and you have a new surface to work with!

This Pure Echo mattress is made from organic cotton. If you’re interested, you can read more here on why choosing organic cotton is important.

>>Click here to enter to win a Pure Echo Mattress from My Green Mattress!<<

You can enter to win up to six different times! This giveaway ends on Monday, April 28, 2014 at 11 a.m. EST.

(Note: This giveaway is underwritten by My Green Mattress. Read my disclosure policy here.)

Shared Apr 21, 2014 comment

How To Define Success For Yourself

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 21, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Jamie of From His Presence

Have you ever looked at successful people around you and felt discouraged? Have you ever felt like you can’t measure up?

I used to feel that way all the time. I had such big dreams, and was working so hard to achieve them. However, I was discouraged most of the time.

The opportunities I wanted just weren’t coming. Certain people weren’t responding the way I wanted them to. I couldn’t compare to all the accomplished people around me. My efforts to be successful were not working!

Then one day, I realized I was trying to copy other people’s success instead of running in my own lane. I realized I needed to define what “success” meant for my own life.

So I thought about it a bit and wrote down this definition of success for myself:

“Success for me means to make continual progress toward my destiny in this age and in the age to come.”

When I wrote that sentence, I suddenly felt a level of relaxation that I had not experienced in a long time. Before that day, I had been measuring my level of success by:

How I compared to other people who were doing what I wanted to do;

How people treated me or responded to me; and

The opportunities that did or did not come my way.

However, when I defined success for myself, I realized that I did not need to compare myself to other people in order to live a successful life. I did not need to wait for people to give me the opportunities I wanted in order to feel successful. Instead, with God’s help, I can be successful in the way that He has called me to be.

Do you feel like you’re batting at thin air, trying to measure up to other people’s success? If so, why don’t you take a moment and define success for yourself? Here’s how:

1. Decide what are the most important things to you in life.

It would be horrible to get to the end of life and realize that you were successful at all the wrong things. So determine now what your priorities are. Write them down in order.

2. Make sure your definition of success only depends on things you can control.

You can’t control how people treat you. You can’t force opportunities to come your way. All you can do is what you can do.

However, you can live intentionally. You can control how you treat other people, or how you respond to tough situations. You can control how ready you will be when that longed-for opportunity comes your way.

3. Write down your definition of success.

Put it somewhere you can see it and refer to it often. It will help you remember what’s truly important in your life.

You weren’t made to fill someone else’s skin; you were made to fill your own. By defining what a successful life means to you, you can free yourself from always trying to measure up.

Jamie Rohrbaugh is a wife, financial analyst, Sunday School teacher, musician, and unlikely worship leader from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Her passion is to encourage and equip people to live powerful lives and to function in their gifts. She blogs at From His Presence about how to live ordinary life in God’s manifest presence.

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Shared Apr 21, 2014 comment

Join Us for an Impromptu Eat from the Pantry Challenge!

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 21, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Since we’re moving to TN next week, I’m on a mission to use up everything in my freezer and refrigerator this week. So we’re doing an impromptu Eat from the Pantry Challenge.

We are going to buy milk, eggs, and bread. But other than that, I’m going to try to just use up what we already have here.

I’ll be posting an update every evening this week (through Friday evening), sharing what meals we came up with based upon what we already have on hand. I already have our basement pantry packed up, so this is going to make it even more of a fun challenge. 🙂

Want to join us? If you plan to join us for this Impromptu Eat from the Pantry Challenge, leave a link to your blog below. And then come back every evening and I’ll have a link-up for you to share what you ate from the Pantry that day. This should be interesting — and I can’t wait to see what you come up with to make!

Shared Apr 21, 2014 comment

6 Goals For This Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 21, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

We’re moving to Tennessee next week, so this week is focused on wrapping up the packing, last-minute details, and more goodbye get-togethers.

Last week was a hard week for me. I think the reality of the move really sunk in and I had to process and grieve what we’re leaving behind. I shared the above picture on Instagram and said:

Half of my house is now officially in boxes and ready to be moved to TN. It’s been a bittersweet week of goodbyes… But these flowers on my kitchen table remind me of the beauty of new beginnings, new adventures, and new community that is ahead. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement as we take another leap into the unknown and trust God to continue to guide us one step at a time.

I’m so grateful for the memories we’ve made in Kansas and the wonderful five and a half years we’ve had to live so close to family. Ever since we moved back in 2008, we felt like our time here was probably just a season, so we’ve tried to really treasure our time here. And we’re so very grateful for it!

After a week of processing, I woke up today feeling really excited about the future… There are many doors of possibility and opportunity awaiting us in TN and God has confirmed over and over again that this is where He’s leading us. So I’m looking forward to what’s in store for our family as we make this move. Whatever lies ahead, I know it’s going to be an adventure! 🙂

Here are my six goals for this week:

Last Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

~~1. Finish reading More All-Of-A-Kind Family with the kids.~~

~~2. Write a love note to Jesse.~~

~~3. Have an at-home movie date with Jesse.~~

Personal Goals

4. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-29.

~~5. Exercise four times.~~

6. Finish reading ~~Though Waters Roar~~, In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day, and ~~Praying for Boys.~~

This Week’s Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Finish packing up the house.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

3. Take the kids on a fun outing.

Personal Goals

4. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-29.

5. Exercise four times.

6. Finish reading Secrets of Dynamic Communication, The Busy Homeschool Mom’s Guide to Daylight, and Chasing Francis.

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.

Shared Apr 19, 2014 comment

Swagbucks Paid for My Snorkel Gear

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 19, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Jen:

I’ve been using Swagbucks for almost 5 years now. I started after my first child was born when a frugal friend referred me.

Early on, I used Swagbucks to help pay for diapers and wipes on Amazon.com. Now I use them for almost anything from Starbucks gift cards or to help pay for birthday and Christmas gifts on Amazon.

My husband works a demanding job and I stay home with our 2 kids. His work recently rewarded him by sending him to a conference in Hawaii, and I got to go too! We were very excited, but we also knew that in general, Hawaii is a rather expensive place to visit.

I started researching frugal things to do in Hawaii, but my husband had the best idea — he loves snorkeling and said we should take our own gear. All the beaches in Hawaii are public, so we could snorkel almost anywhere.

I didn’t have gear, so my husband turned to Amazon to find something for me. He found a good set for around $40, and since I had been saving my Swagbucks for a while, I had more than enough saved to cover the cost of the snorkel set. I was so excited to show my husband that I got them for free as he sometimes makes fun of my Swagbuck addiction. 🙂

As far as earning Swagbucks, I devote a few minutes everyday to it — sometimes I spend a little more time depending on what’s going on at home and if there are any promotions. I only get on a computer once a week, so I do most of my earning on a smartphone.

I always do the Daily Poll and the NOSO (No Obligation Special Offers). These are good for 3 easy Swagbucks.

I search throughout the day as I need information. I also use the search feature to connect to sites like Money Saving Mom. I’m going there anyway, so I take the second to type it into the search field at Swagbucks.

I use the Swagbucks TV App on my phone which gives me 2 bucks for every 5 videos — a little better than doing it via the computer.

I also check the Swagbucks Blog and Facebook pages every so often. There are often Swag Codes for 2-6 bucks. These sites keep me informed of promotions — for instance, every year on their birthday Swagbucks gives away tons of Swagbucks via Swag Codes.

When I can get on a computer, I check the special offers on the homepage. I do occasionally find something that interests me.

I love Swagbucks. It has been a great way for us to fill in some of the holes in our budget over the years. It won’t make you rich, but it can give you that little something extra when you need it.

Shared Apr 19, 2014 comment

4 Ideas for Frugal Parent/Child Dates

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 19, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post by Kimber

This year, I’ve had a fun opportunity to spend two hours a week, one-on-one, with my sweet kindergartener. Once a week, my 3-year-old son is in preschool until 2:00pm, while she gets out at noon. I quickly realized that this little chunk of time is precious… so we instituted a tradition: Mommy-Daughter lunch dates!

I know what the most frugal idea is for a lunch date: make it yourself. But she and I both love going out to lunch, and frankly, it’s a splurge-worthy treat for “just the girls”!

Our lunch dates are a special thing for us, and it’s worth spending a little bit of money on. But our weekly adventures could easily end up costing us at least $50 a month. So here are a few tips I’ve learned to make our dates more affordable:

1. Use coupons.

This is a no-brainer, I know. But make sure you look all over as you never know where coupons might be “hiding”!

I’ve found Chick-Fil-A and Panera coupons in the back of our phone book. Schools and libraries often offer free kids meals as rewards. Check out RetailMeNot’s app (or website) to see what deals are available at your favorite restaurants.

If you have the Ibotta App, check for restaurant rebates. And if there are any restaurants you love, sign up for their e-mails and keep an eye out for great deals! Instead of asking, “Where should we eat today?”, I tell my daughter, “These are the places we have coupons for. What sounds the best?”

As an example, right now I have an iBotta rebate for $1.75 back if I buy an $8 “Southwest Pairings” meal at Chili’s. I also have a free kid’s meal coupon that they e-mailed me. So after my rebate comes through, I will have paid under $10, tip included, for a meal for both of us at our favorite lunch spot.

2. Don’t feel like you have to order two full meals.

If your children are like mine, a lot of the fun of going out to eat is to get a meal that comes with a little prize. But it’s okay to think outside the box. If I have a coupon for a free appetizer, we’ll share an appetizer and then share a meal. Or sometimes we’ll order several things off of the dollar menu.

In the past, when money has been really tight, I’ve fed my kids a big, healthy snack right before we’ve gone out to lunch. You’ll spend way less, but you’ll still have the fun of a lunch date.

3. Earn gift cards.

There are several ways I do this. One is to use Swagbucks – I’ve cashed in several times to pay for dates. Sometimes I will use other survey sites, cash out, and use my cash to pay for lunch. I’ve ordered gift cards using our credit card points. I’ve even used my Jingit debit card to pay for lunch at Sonic.

Since all of this is “extra” money, I don’t count it in my budget. And it’s fun to do a little bit of extra survey-ing (or Swagbucks-ing), knowing that the end result is a date with my sweet little girl.

One more tip – check out websites that sell discounted gift cards, like CardCash.com. I just cashed out my Swagbucks account for a $50 Paypal deposit. I am planning on turning around and using that money to buy discounted Chili’s and Applebee’s gift cards, saving me around 10%!

4. Ask for gift cards as gifts.

This isn’t something I’d ask for from many people – in fact, we specifically request no gifts at our kids’ birthday parties. But if you have family members who ask for gift ideas for birthdays or Christmas, you might suggest a gift card for lunch.

It doesn’t have to be expensive – I’ve told family members that even a $1 gift card to buy an ice cream cone would thrill my kids. I’d much rather my kids get a gift card (and a fun date with Mom) than more stuff.

These are a few of the things I’ve done to help pay for my special lunch dates with my daughter. Would I have saved money by staying home? Absolutely.

But I am so, SO glad that I’ve taken this special time once a week to create memories. We’ve had so much fun, and we’ve even stuck to our budget.

What are some ways that you’ve inexpensively “dated” your spouse, significant other, or children?

Kimber is the happy mom of two beautiful kids and the wife to a hardworking man. She has lived in five states, and she’s currently loving life in Texas. She loves reading, chatting, napping, and shopping year-round for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.

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Shared Apr 19, 2014 comment

12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge: Week 15 Check-in

Published: by Crystal Paine on April 19, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Are you joining us for the 12 Months to a Healthier You Challenge? If so, it’s the weekend and guess what that means? It’s time for our weekly check-in to post our progress.

April’s Challenge:

We’re focusing on developing the habit of cutting back on sugar. I encourage you to set a simple and doable goal for eating less sugar and to stick with it.

New to this challenge? Read more details on the plan for this year here.

My Goals for Cutting Back on Sugar During April

My goal for April is to cut back on sugar — which is hard for a girl like me who has a strong sweet tooth! I’m going to make it my goal to only eat dessert once a week and to cut back on the sugar I use in my coffee on a daily basis, too.

I’m also hoping to keep up with January’s habit of exercising at least 4-5 times every week, February’s goal of eating a big salad at least six times a week, and March’s goal of drinking 8 glasses of water a day.

This Week’s Progress:

Believe it or not, this eating less sugar thing is becoming a HABIT for me… which is something I never thought I’d say. I look forward to eating dessert once a week, but I’m not craving it every day like I used to. That’s a pretty massive shift for me! I’m also noticing that our family as a whole is eating healthier as a result of this challenge.

In other news, I hit my water goals four out of the seven days, exercised four times, and ate a salad at least every day.

How Are YOU Doing?

Leave a comment telling us how you did on your exercise goals this past week. If you’re blogging about this challenge, leave the direct link to your blog post about the challenge below. Are you on social media? You can also share your progress on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter by using hashtag #12MonthstoaHealthierYou.

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

1. Define Your Market

2. Practice Your Presentations

3. Offer Your Services

4. Refine Your Speaking

What advice and suggestions do the rest of you have for Jenny?

Target Shopping Trip

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

1. Start Early

2. Clear the Clutter

3. Break Tasks Down

4. Accept Help

5. Pack With Unloading in Mind

What are your best tips and tricks for staying sane while moving? I’d love to hear them!

1. Decide what are the most important things to you in life.

2. Make sure your definition of success only depends on things you can control.

3. Write down your definition of success.

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

1. Use coupons.

2. Don’t feel like you have to order two full meals.

3. Earn gift cards.

4. Ask for gift cards as gifts.

April’s Challenge:

My Goals for Cutting Back on Sugar During April

This Week’s Progress:

How Are YOU Doing?

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