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Shared Nov 12, 2013 comment

This Week’s Menu Plan + One-Hour Freezer Cooking

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 12, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It’s freezing cold here this week… which is making me want to spend all day in the kitchen! 🙂 Here’s our menu plan:

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Cereal, Eggs, and/or Fruit

Lunches

Lunch with friends — pizza, veggies, fruit
Mac & cheese, fruit
Snack-y lunch {veggies, cheese, yogurt, fruit, crackers, etc.}
PB&J, carrot sticks, apples
Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks
Leftovers x 2

Snacks

Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Boiled eggs
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies

Freezer Cooking in an Hour (I’ll share more how this goes later on this week!)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Waffles
Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins

Dinners

Slow Cooker Rice & Beans, fruit
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Waffles, scrambled eggs, fruit
Dinner with extended family x 2
Cheesy Chicken & Potato Chowder, Peanut Butter & Jelly Muffins, fruit
Dinner with friends
Dinner out

What’s on your menu this week? Tell us in the comments or leave a link to your menu plan post.

Shared Nov 11, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s $64 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 11, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Aldi Shopping Trip

I wanted to use the $10/$40 coupon that was available to print last week so I bought a lot more at Aldi than I usually do. I splurged on a few items that will be so nice to have around.

3 Frozen Strawberries – $2.29 each (We love smoothies for breakfast!)

1 Frozen Blueberries – $2.29

1 Cream Cheese – $0.99

1 Frozen Whipped Topping – $0.89

1 Frozen Peas – $0.95

1 gallon Milk – $1.99

1 Butter Quarters – $1.69

2 lbs Shredded Cheddar Cheese – $5.99

2 Pomegranates – $0.49 each

1 Salsa – $1.69

1 Parsley – $0.99

1 Chocolate Chips – $1.29

1 Sugar (4 lbs) – $1.89

1 Walnuts (1 lb) – $6.89

1 loaf Bread – $0.99

1 Pineapple – $1.29

1 Parmesan Cheese – $2.39

1 Celery – $1.29

1 Tortillas – $0.99

Used $10/$40 printable coupon (no longer available)

Total with tax ($3.03): $35.37

Dillons Shopping Trip

Items a part of the Mega Sale (Buy 10, Get $5 off):

2 Lever 2000 Body Wash – $2.99 each, used $3.75/2 coupon from the 10/13 RedPlum insert – $1.11 each, Got back $2 catalina (like $0.12 each after coupon and catalina)

4 Betty Crocker Cake Mix – $0.79 each, used 1 $0.75/2 printable and 1 $0.85/2 coupon from the 9/29 SmartSource insert – $0.39 each after coupons

2 Betty Crocker Mac & Cheese – $0.49, used 2 $0.25/1 coupon from the 10/20 SmartSource insert – $0.24 each after coupons

4 Campbell’s Soup – $0.49 each, used $0.40/4 coupon from the 11/3 SmartSource insert – $0.39 each after coupon (I usually always make my own from scratch but these will be nice to have handy during the holidays.)

4 Gerber Puffs – $1.39 each, used 2 $1/3 printable – $0.89 each after coupons (My toddler LOVES these and I was so excited to surprise him with some.)

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest, Garden Delight or Smart Taste Pasta – $0.69, used 2 $1/2 printable – $0.19 each after coupons

2 Green Giant Green Beans – $0.49 each

6 Powerbar – $0.49 each, used 2 $1.50/3 printable – Free after coupons

2 All Laundry Detergent – $2.49 each, used 2 $1/1 coupon from the 9/29 RedPlum insert – $1.49 each after coupons

Other Items

2 Lindt Chocolate – $2, used 2 $2/1 printable (no longer available) – Free after coupons

1 Kroger Ice Cream – $2.50

1 Kroger Dishwasher Detergent – $2.99 (not pictured)

1 Kroger Foil – $2.69 (not pictured)

5 Clif Bars – Marked down to $0.29 each

1 Cucumber – $0.75

1 Angel Soft Bath Tissue – $3.99

2.88 lbs Bananas @ $0.54/lb – $1.56

Used $5/$50 e-coupon (no longer available)

Total before coupons and sales: $82.67

Total with tax ($3.19) after coupons and sales: $28.57

Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Smoothies, Toast, Cereal, Oatmeal

Lunches

Tossed Salad, Cheese Quesadillas, Scrambled Eggs, Baked Sweet Potatoes (I got a few that were marked down at the Health Food store about a week ago.), Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

Dinners

Chicken Noodle Casserole, 30 Minute Rolls, Green Beans, Fruit Salad

Spaghetti, Tossed Salad

Salad Bar, Baked Potatoes

Venison Stew (We were blessed with the meat from an entire deer a couple of weeks ago! My freezer is completely full with venison right now.) :), Banana Muffins

Leftovers, Peaches (I canned these earlier this year.)

Dinner out (using a gift card I earned from MyPoints)

Dinner with family

Shared Nov 11, 2013 comment

Being A Parent AND Pursuing A Dream

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 11, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Jim from Jim Woods Writes

When you become a parent, your dreams don’t just disappear. You might want to pursue a new career, become debt-free, grow in your relationship with God, get in shape, or maybe even all of the above. But you’re already overwhelmed — how do you pursue a dream while being a parent?

Here are five steps to help you achieve your dream.

1. Think about where you are.

Be realistic about your situation. Don’t hold back. Ask your spouse and your closest friends for their input.

Spend some time in silence and pray about it, too. It’s essential to know where you are before you map out a route to the destination.

2. Have a support system in place.

Get your spouse on the same page with you. If you are a single parent, reach out to family and friends.

Moms need support from other moms and dads need support from other dads. This could mean a phone call, meeting for coffee, or sending a text message. Don’t overlook the power of encouragement!

3. Pursue smaller, achievable goals.

A dream not broken down into specific goals is not clear enough. Life happens, time goes by, and you get off track. When you have laser-like focus, you get more done.

4. Remember life is seasonal.

If you have a newborn, sleeping patterns will be inconsistent, so you’ll have less time and energy for your dream. Over time, as your baby adjusts to a sleep schedule, you will too.

The same goes for when your family plays the “pass the cold around” game. It’s normal to feel discouraged. Use your support system to get a needed lift.

5. Don’t compare with others.

Comparison leads to jealousy. Focus on your attitude and take note when it gets negative. A great way to avoid falling into this trap is to compliment others.

photo source

Let’s apply these concepts in a real-life example:

Meet Mike and Jenny Willis. Mike is a full time engineer working 50 hours a week. Jenny stays at home with their two kids: Jimmy, 3 years old and potty training, and Jonny, 6 months old and teething. Mike and Jenny are $55,000 in debt. Their dream is becoming debt free.

1. Think about where you are.

Mike and Jenny are in a very challenging place right now. Until they get control of their finances, the debt will not just go away by itself. Mike is working a lot of hours and this must be taken into consideration too.

2. Have a support system in place.

Mike and Jenny need to support each other, both talking things through and coming to an agreement about getting out of debt. They also need to reach out to friends who can encourage them — another family who has become debt free could provide guidance.

3. Pursue smaller, achievable goals.

Working out a budget and then filling it in with actual numbers at month’s end would be a fantastic first step. There is an easy-to-use free website called Mint or a free spreadsheet template like these here. The next step could be knocking out the smallest debt owed.

4. Remember life is seasonal.

The financial situation will improve. Jonny will stop teething. Jimmy will soon be potty trained. Mike’s hours could decrease if he asks for help at work or finds another job that pays more or has less hours.

5. Don’t compare with others.

Mike and Jenny should keep their goal in mind and not be discouraged by the amazing meals and desserts in their Instagram feed.

Yes, pursuing a dream is difficult, but know it will be worth it. Remember good things do not happen overnight, so doing great things take even more time.

As you develop good habits, you’ll reshape your routine—and this will help you build momentum and grow. Challenges will come, but with support and intentionality, you can achieve amazing things.

Need more help with setting and achieving goals? Jim Woods and Erik Fisher have just released an ebook called Beyond The To Do List: Goals. It is a step-by-step practical guide featuring advice from Crystal Paine, Andy Traub, Jon Acuff, and more! All MoneySavingMom.com readers can purchase this book for only $2.99, now through 11:00am on 11/14/2013.

Jim Woods is a writer, dreamer, husband, and dad in Nashville TN. His passion lies in helping others turn ideas into action. He’d love to connect with you on his website or on Twitter @jimwoodswrites.

top image credit

How to eat on a beans-and-rice budget -- even when someone in your family HATES beans! This is such great advice and really creative!

Shared Nov 9, 2013 comment

How to Eat on a Beans-and-Rice Budget when Your Husband Hates Beans

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 9, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Kelly of KellyWiggains.com

How do you make frugal meals if you can’t use beans?

When I first started menu planning, shopping sales at the grocery store, and learning about the grocery game, every single site, every blog post, every sample menu plan featured beans — and for good reason. Beans are incredibly healthy, incredibly cheap, and incredibly versatile.

One problem: My husband hates beans. He says eating beans is like eating “little packages of dirt.”

I’ve tried every variety, texture, and flavor combination in the bean repertoire, and I’ve yet to change his mind. So I’ve finally figured out ways I can still have a frugal budget and avoid serving beans to my husband.

1. Beans at Lunch

My husband may not like beans, but my boys and I love them (unfortunately, my daughter stands firm in the anti-bean club). I often make bean-and-cheese burritos, nachos, or beans and rice for lunch. I love making a huge batch of refried beans in the crockpot (using this recipe) and portioning the beans into freezer bags.

2. Add Beans Last

Anytime I make something requiring beans, I figure out a way to include the beans as an option. Mexican Stack-Up, Taco Salad, Chili, Build Your Own Burritos/Fajitas/Chalupas — these are all cheap and tasty meals, and I can make my kids’ plates heavy on the beans and my husband’s heavy on everything else.

3. Double the Rice

The second half of the beans-and-rice budget doesn’t have to play second fiddle. My husband loves rice, and I find ways to use rice as much as I can.

4. Blended Black Beans

I’ve added pureed black beans to our favorite brown bag burritos. My husband noticed the flavor, but he didn’t mind it as much as usual. If you have a bean-hater in your family, see if you can sneak some blended ones into your burrito filling.

I would also encourage you to find other frugal meals that make your family happy. My husband happily eats the following:

1. Roasted Chicken

I can get a whole chicken on sale for under a dollar a pound. My family loves roasted chicken as well as chicken salad, quesadillas, chicken and rice, and chicken tacos from the leftovers.

2. Breakfast for Dinner

One of our standbys — we usually make pancakes or waffles with a side of scrambled eggs and sometimes sausage or bacon when it’s on sale.

3. Hard-Boiled Eggs

Though my husband gets funny looks in the teachers’ lounge, one of his standard lunches includes 2 hard-boiled eggs, a hunk of cheddar cheese, an apple or pear, and some saltine crackers. Eggs are a super simple and healthy protein alternative for the bean-hater.

4. BBQ Chicken Sandwiches on Homemade Rolls

I buy bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts for about 99 cents a pound on sale. I can make these into boneless skinless chicken breasts using this method, or I can remove the skin from one breast and cook it in a crockpot with BBQ sauce. I shred the meat with two forks. I make up some of these 40 Minute Dinner Rolls, and we have a tasty and frugal meal using only one big chicken breast for my family of 5.

5. Chicken-Fried Rice

For this classic skillet meal, I use leftover rice, leftover chicken, a bag of frozen veggies, an egg and some soy sauce. My husband loves it!

Do you have a bean-hater in your family? If so, how do you still eat on a beans-and-rice budget?

Kelly blogs about everything from Literature to Living. An English teacher by trade, Kelly left the classroom a few years ago, but she still tries to convince those around her to read and write. She loves to connect her reading to the real world around her. Her blog is a place for book lovers and book skeptics alike, offering concise book recommendations, tips for reluctant readers, along with stories and observations about her life. Kelly writes at kellywiggains.com.

Shared Nov 8, 2013 comment

52 Ways to Save $100 Per Year: Get Organized {Week 35}

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 8, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

It might sound ridiculously simple — and it is! But it’s true: being organized will save you money. In fact, it could save you at least a few hundred dollars (or more!) per year. Here are 7 ways being organized saves you money:

1. You can plan a weekly menu.

By planning a menu, you won’t be scrambling to figure out something for dinner at the last minute. This saves you time, sanity and countless unnecessary trips through the drive-thru lane.

2. You can buy gifts ahead of time.

When you find a great deal online or in-store, you’ll be able to take advantage of it for an upcoming birthday or holiday, instead of waiting until crunch time and having to buy something at full price. As an added benefit, you’ll likely be able to put more time and thought into a meaningful gift rather than just throwing something together at the last minute.

3. You’ll have the time to clip and organize coupons.

When you plan ahead, you’ll have time to print coupons for things you’re already planning to buy. Or even to match coupons to items that are already at rock-bottom prices at your local store.

4. You can buy in bulk.

If you’re organized, you’ll be able to take the time and effort to buy extras of items when they are free or at rock-bottom prices. You’ll also know what you have on hand already and how much you regularly use of items you buy.

5. You’ll avoid late fees.

When you have your life in order, you’re much more likely to pay bills on time, return books to the library before they are due. It’s amazing how much this can save in late fees and library fines!

6. You can find what you own.

Having a place for everything and keeping everything in their place saves you a lot of time looking for lost items, plus it prevents you from spending money to replace items you can’t find.

7. You’ll remember to call and ask for discounts.

When you’re organized, you’ll have time to call and try to re-negotiate fixed rate bills annually. Things like internet and phone packages are often negotiable — and we’ve saved hundreds of dollars over the years by calling once a year to ask if they have a better rate they can give us.

How does (or would) being organized save you money?

photo credit

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Nov 8, 2013 comment

Reader Tip: How I’m earning Walgreens Balance Rewards and staying fit!

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 8, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

April emailed in the following tip:

After reading Gretchen’s Walgreens shopping trip recently, I wanted to see how many points I had on my card. When I realized I was just below 1000 points and wouldn’t be able to redeem many points in my next transaction, I was disappointed.

That is until I saw that I could sign up for the program that tracks your exercise activity. I believed it was set up for walking but there is a way to record running activity or other exercise such as yoga. For every mile you walk or run, you can earn 20 points!

I logged my running mileage from that week and was easily able to earn 130 points to add to my account which brought me above the 1000 point range. I recently ran my first half marathon and had trained all summer between 15-25 miles a week so I wish I had realized this earlier!

Hope this can help others earn a few free points — especially with the holiday shopping coming up! -April

Shared Nov 8, 2013 comment

Homemade Dill Bread

Published: by MSM Team on November 8, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Brigette Shevy

Dill Bread is one of our favorite bread recipes! This flavorful loaf is perfect for Fall, since it goes fabulously with hearty soups and stews.

My Mom often served it with Italian dishes like spaghetti and lasagna, and there were rarely any leftovers (probably because some of us children liked this bread even more than the main dish – and we love lasagna!).

The original recipe comes from a church cookbook published many years ago. I’ve adapted the dough for the bread machine to make it easier (it actually turns out even better for me that way), but I’ve also included the original by-hand instructions.

While it’s absolutely amazing fresh from the oven slathered with butter, it also makes incredible grilled cheese sandwiches the next day!

Dill Bread

3 ½-4+ cups flour (I use a combination of whole wheat and unbleached)
¼ cup sugar
1 ½ teaspoons dill weed
2 Tablespoons dry minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 scant Tablespoon (1 package) instant active dry yeast
1 ½ cups milk
1/3 cup butter
1 egg

By Hand Instructions: In a large bowl, combine 1 ½ cups flour, sugar, dill weed, minced onion, salt and yeast. Mix well. In a small saucepan (or microwave), heat milk and butter until very warm (120-130 degrees). Add warm liquid and egg to flour mixture and blend at low speed until moistened. Beat 3 minutes at medium speed. Stir in additional flour until dough forms a ball. Knead on a floured surface for 3-5 minutes, adding additional flour if necessary. Cover and let rise in a greased bowl in a warm place until doubled in size, about 50 minutes. Punch dough down and proceed with instructions for both methods.

Bread Machine Instructions: In a 2-lb bread machine, add in this order (or in the order recommended by your specific bread machine manufacturer): cubed softened butter, sugar, dill weed, onion, salt, egg, and warm milk. Add 3 ¾ cups flour and yeast. Run the short dough cycle. Check at the beep and add additional flour if needed (for some reason, I have to use more flour in the bread machine vs by hand – so I sometimes add up to ½ cup more flour). Remove dough and proceed with instructions for both methods.

Both Methods: Shape dough into a round loaf. Cover and let rise on a greased cookie sheet until doubled in size, 30-45 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until done (cover with foil if necessary to prevent overbrowning). Brush top with additional butter if desired.

Makes one large round loaf

Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy (ages 6, 4, and 2). She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.

Shared Nov 7, 2013 comment

5 Ways to Teach Your Children to Be Givers

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 7, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

As parents, we want to train our children to be lifelong givers. Not only will it impact many lives, but it will give them so much blessing and fulfillment in return.

Here are five ways we’re seeking to teach our children to be givers:

1. Model It

More is caught than taught when we’re raising children. We can tell our kids how important giving is. We can read them stories of people who give generously. We can stress how much of a difference we can make in the world. But our actions will always speak louder than words.

Let your children see you giving generously — whether that’s opening your home up to those in need, serving in a local soup kitchen, going on a missions trip, giving to a charity near and dear to your heart, or sacrificing time and effort to help someone who is struggling.

We involve our children in much of our giving. We collect money as a family to give to causes we believe in. We often have them right next to us when we’re reaching out and serving those who are struggling. We write letters to our Compassion children. In the big and little things, we want to model a life of giving for our children.

2. Teach It

While modelling giving in front of your children is the highest priority, it’s also imperative to teach them why we give. Don’t expect them to just pick up on it all on their own. It’s important to help them understand the why behind the what.

We’ve sat our children down from a young age and explained to them the reasons behind why we’ve chosen to stay out of debt, to live simply, and to not use credit cards. It’s not just so that we can be in a better financial situation, but so we can be in a position to give generously.

As opportunities arise while we’re living life, we continue to talk with them about how blessed we are when we give. When they participate in a giving project with us, we talk with them about how it makes them feel, about what an impact they are making, and how we want to continue to live simply so we can give generously.

3. Simplify It

Giving doesn’t have to be big and elaborate. It’s often the simple things that can make a big difference.

Look for opportunities that might seem small, but that are perfect for a young child to be apart of. We love Operation Christmas Child for this reason. It’s something that the whole family can be involved and a project that our children get really excited about.

We also encourage our children to earn money by jobs around the house and then to use some of that money for giving projects. Last year’s family giving project was spear-headed by the girls. And they’ve decided to do the same this year and have been working hard to fill the money box with cash they’ve earned from chores.

4. Practice It

As often as is possible, give your children little opportunities to serve and give. Develop the habit looking for ways to bless others from a young age. A life of giving is borne out of practicing the attitude of serving again and again until it becomes your natural response.

Have them help you around the house. Encourage them to do things to bless their grandparents or elderly neighbors. Give them chances to give up what they’d like to do or have in order to help or bless someone else.

5. Celebrate It

Giving is so much more fun when you celebrate it! Find the joy and excitement that comes from giving anonymously.

Give lavishly of yourself for others and you’ll be so blessed in return (Need some encouragement in this? Go get yourself a copy of Love Does by Bob Goff.)

And most of all, praise your children when you see them being givers. Celebrate their giving spirit and it will only inspire them to give more generously in the future!

This post was underwritten by Shultz Photography School. Their mission is to teach moms & dads the secrets of professional photography. Why? Because the images you take of your kids, as they do ‘actual life,’ are the photos that matter most. Hands down. They will tell your family story and shape your legacy. Shultz Photo School is a step by step, web-based class that’s self-paced and custom-fit for busy parents.

photo credit; photo credit; photo credit

Shared Nov 7, 2013 comment

Did you see this amazing deal?

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 7, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This is an incredible deal that you won’t want to miss!

Get over $800 worth of Healthy Living ebooks + $150 worth amazing bonuses for just $29.97 (this week only!)

Click here for a fun video from me (yes, I’m just a bit excited about this deal!) and all the details on this can’t-miss package!

Shared Nov 7, 2013 comment

Do It Yourself: Gratitude Journals

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 7, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

AllThingsTarget.com shows you how to make homemade gratitude journals out of Comp Books.

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.

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

Click here to download!

Shared Nov 7, 2013 comment

Should you make it or buy it?

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 7, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I love this post from Anne at Modern Mrs. Darcy:

I don’t like to make gifts just for the sake of making them. I want them to be worth my time and trouble. But it’s hard for me to tell in advance which projects are going to be worthwhile, and which ones are going to give me headaches. Because if a handmade project is going to give me a headache, well–I’d rather just buy it.

With that in mind, I’ve created this handy flowchart that helps me decide whether a handmade project is likely to be worth it–or not.

Read the whole post and download the printable flowchart at Modern Mrs. Darcy.

Shared Nov 6, 2013 comment

We Paid Cash: New Bikes

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 6, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

A testimony from Jessica

My family and I live in a great house on the edge of town. Now that my kids are getting older, we decided that we should start biking more into town. The only problem was that no one but my husband had a bike!

We started looking on Craigslist to find a tag-a-long bike for my son (age 5) and a bike and trailer for myself and my daughters (age 3 and 1 1/2).

We were quite surprised to find a double tag-a-long that my two oldest could ride for $225. We also were able to find a good deal on a bike ($125), helmet (new from Craigslist, $25) and a trailer ($25).

All of this took some time to wait for just the right items since we live in a small town and didn’t want to add the cost of gas to our purchase.

In order to be able to afford the $400 cost of our new bikes I worked hard to sell things that I was able to clean out of our house.

It took several months and some deep closet digging, but I did it! I learned a few things along the way that made the process successful.

Facebook Sale group

I got hooked up with a local sale group on Facebook, and this is where I had the most success. Living in a small town, it was great to be able to sell things locally. I also discovered that people would be willing to buy one or two shirts from me since they didn’t have to travel far to pick them up. Selling things $1 or $2 at a time takes a while, but it still helped.

Craigslist

Craigslist worked better for larger items that didn’t have much of a market in my small town. I would usually list items first on Facebook and if they didn’t sell within a day or two put them on Craigslist.

Word of mouth

I sold a couple of larger items to friends that I knew were looking for them. I am able to sell some of the clothes my daughter outgrows to my sister.

Jessica is a stay-at-home mom of three young kids (5, 3, 1) and wife to an amazing husband!

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

Shared Nov 6, 2013 comment

Last call! Apply to be a part of my Book Launch Team!

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 6, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

In case you’ve not had a chance to sign up yet or you missed my post about this last week, I just wanted to post a quick reminder since the sign-up form for this will only be available through November 8, 2013…

I have some incredibly exciting news to share with you today! After months and months and months of effort on my part and the part of my fantastic team, my new book is done and headed to the printers.

Say Goodbye to Survival Mode: 9 Simple Strategies to Stress Less, Sleep More, and Restore Your Passion For Life will officially release on January 21, 2014. It’s packed with both practical ideas and big-picture perspective that will inspire you to live life on purpose.

I’m so very thankful and humbled to have the opportunity to share a message in it that I’m not only immensely passionate about, but that I also believe has the power to impact hundreds of thousands of women across the globe. I’ll be sharing much more about the book in the weeks to come (you won’t want to miss the HUGE giveaways and other fun things we have planned for the launch!), but for this post, I’m writing to invite you to join me in an exclusive opportunity.

Join the Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Launch Team

We are putting together a special “Say Goodbye to Survival Mode Launch Team” — made up of people who want to join with us in helping to spread the word about the book. But it’s not just about spreading the word, it’s about showing others how to thrive in life, not just survive it.

As a launch team member you will get exclusive access to read a digital copy of the book in advance, the opportunity to interact with me and other launch team members as a community via a private Facebook group, and access to several other special resources (top secret stuff that we can’t share just yet :)).

To be apart of the Launch Team, we ask that you:

A) Read the digital copy in advance
B) Agree to help us spread the word in any way you can during the timeframe requested
C) Post a review on a retailer site
D) Interact with the launch team community by sharing ideas, etc.

We’ll provide everything you need to help get the word out. We have an amazing group of folks in place who will be running the Launch Team and you are going to love working with them!

If you’re interested in being apart of this opportunity, just fill out the Launch Team Sign Up Form here by November 8, 2013.

On November 9, we will select around 1000 people from all submissions and notify them via email. (I wish we could select everyone but in order to keep things manageable and enable us to interact one-on-one, we’ve decided it’s best to stick with just 1000 people on our launch team. However, even if you’re not one of those chosen, everyone who signs up will get a sneak preview download of the book!)

I’m so very grateful for each of you and the excitement you’ve already expressed about Say Goodbye to Survival Mode. Your support means more to me than words can express.

Sign up to be considered for the Launch Team today!

Shared Nov 6, 2013 comment

Ask the Readers: Any words of advice for paying off our $103,000 in student loans??

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 6, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s question is from Sara:

My husband and I do everything we’re supposed to . . . we plan meals meticulously, we shop at Aldi, we have been hunting for Christmas deals all year, we have no car payments or credit cards, we refinanced our house for a better interest rate, we dropped down to one car, and now we are even reorganizing our schedule so we can completely eliminate daycare fees (I am a work-at-home mom.)

But we have one debilitating financial problem that plagues us: $103,000 in student loans!

We had no idea what we were doing when we signed up for college, and we’ll be paying for it for the rest of our lives. We want to do Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover, but we’ll be in the debt snowball phase FOREVER. I’m wondering how we’ll ever keep up the intensity required to pay off all that debt for almost a
DECADE!

MY QUESTION: Is anyone else out there trying to pay off an extraordinary amount of student debt on an ordinary income? Has anyone had success? Encouraging stories would be greatly appreciated!

Note from Crystal: here is an inspirational story about another reader who paid off $170,000 if student loans!

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

Shared Nov 6, 2013 comment

Swagbucks Paid for My Husband’s Genuine Leather Messenger Bag

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 6, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Katie:

My husband, Nick, is a full-time PhD student and a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the university where he is pursuing his degree. At the age of 25, he is pursuing his dream of becoming a college professor, and for that, I’m very proud!

He is a full-time student in addition to teaching at the university part-time as a Graduate Teaching Assistant during the regular school year (it pays for tuition and provides a cost of living stipend — yippie!) and working as a lecturer in the summer. I work full-time and am also a graduate student. To sum it up, we’re both very busy and very frugal!

I am an avid MoneySavingMom.com follower, and so when I started noticing all of the posts and information about people paying for all kinds of things via Swagbucks, I decided to join the Swabucks club! I took surveys, watched movies, used the search tool bar, and took advantage of special offers to earn Amazon gift cards to pay for all kinds of things.

My observant husband noticed all the wonderful gift cards I was earning, and he wanted to join in on the fun. So he did!

Just three short months ago, my student/teacher hubby joined Swagbucks with the goal of earning enough Amazon gift cards to purchase a brand-new, genuine leather messenger bag. He was done with backpacks and wanted something more professional. He was also looking for a high-quality bag that would last as long as possible.

He found a great genuine leather messenger bag on Amazon that got rave reviews, but it came with a price tag of $129.99. He made it his goal to pay for the messenger bag by the time school started back up in the fall.

And he did it! Nick cashed in his Swagbucks to purchase this fabulous messenger bag, and I couldn’t be more proud of my intelligent, hard-working, FRUGAL hubby!

This year, my hubby will be attending school in style… with a great new genuine leather messenger bag all thanks to Swagbucks!

Katie: Can you email me so I can send you your $50 gift card for submitting your story? Thanks so much!

2hr Cleaning Checklist

2hr Cleaning Checklist

FREE DOWNLOAD: 2-Hour Cleaning Checklist!

Breakfasts

Lunches

Snacks

Freezer Cooking in an Hour (I’ll share more how this goes later on this week!)

Dinners

Aldi Shopping Trip

Dillons Shopping Trip

Menu Plan

1. Think about where you are.

2. Have a support system in place.

3. Pursue smaller, achievable goals.

4. Remember life is seasonal.

5. Don’t compare with others.

1. Think about where you are.

2. Have a support system in place.

3. Pursue smaller, achievable goals.

4. Remember life is seasonal.

5. Don’t compare with others.

1. Beans at Lunch

2. Add Beans Last

3. Double the Rice

4. Blended Black Beans

1. You can plan a weekly menu.

2. You can buy gifts ahead of time.

3. You’ll have the time to clip and organize coupons.

4. You can buy in bulk.

5. You’ll avoid late fees.

6. You can find what you own.

7. You’ll remember to call and ask for discounts.

How does (or would) being organized save you money?

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Dill Bread

1. Model It

2. Teach It

3. Simplify It

4. Practice It

5. Celebrate It

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

Facebook Sale group

Craigslist

Word of mouth

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