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Shared Mar 27, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #19 (update)

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 27, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m so excited about how many of you are joining us for the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge! If you missed today’s assignment, you can find it here.

Today was one of those days… you know, when it feels like every time you turn around there’s another interruption or something that needs to be taken care of right now.

I finally got around to working on the windows at around 9 p.m.

And oh how they needed to be cleaned!

Jesse pitched in and helped me… he’s such a wonderful guy!

Untitled

We both realized that we don’t ever recall cleaning the top section of this window since we’ve lived in this house. And we moved here in 2010. Oops.

The pile of items we came up with to get rid of today. We’re starting to have to dig pretty deep to come up with items, but we’re still finding them!

How you do on Assignment #19? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

Shared Mar 27, 2014 comment

I’m Hosting a #CreeBulb Twitter Party on Wednesday (join in & you could win a $100 Home Depot gift card!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 27, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

On Wednesday, April 2, 2014, from 8-9 p.m. EST, I’ll be hosting a Twitter Party sponsored by Cree LED Bulbs. Our topic for the one-hour party is: Simple Spring Upgrades to Save Big Bucks.

We’ll be talking about ways to save on home improvement projects and simple ways to save around the home. It will be fun, fast-paced, and full of ideas and inspiration. I can’t wait to learn from all of you!

Plus, we’re giving away two Cree Prize Packs and each one will have a $100 Home Depot Gift Card and $150 worth of Cree LED bulbs! All you have to do to enter to win is to participate in the Twitter Party by sharing a tip, retweeting a tweet, or answering a question. How easy is that?!?

More About Cree LED Bulbs:

• The Cree LED Bulb looks and lights like a traditional incandescent, but saves up to 84% in energy – significantly lowering your energy bill.

• Cree LED Bulbs turn on instantly and are free of the mercury that is found in CFL bulbs. Unlike many low-priced LED bulbs, Cree LED bulbs are easily dimmable with most standard incandescent dimmers.

• With a 25,000-hour lifetime (compared to the 1,000 hours of an incandescent bulb), Cree LED Bulbs quickly pay for themselves and pay you back for years to come. A single Cree LED Bulb 100-watt Replacement can save you $226 in energy costs throughout its lifetime.

• Cree LED Bulbs make the perfect energy-efficient replacement for those energy-wasting incandescent bulbs, which are now being phased out. Furthermore, Cree’s industry-leading 10-year limited warranty helps you make the switch to LED with confidence.

• The new 100-watt Cree LED Bulb delivers no-compromise LED light at a price of $19.97 – the lowest priced 100-watt LED replacement bulb.

• The Cree LED Bulb has a 25,000-hour lifetime – that equates to 20+ years when used on average of 3 hours/day. In fact, an LED bulb in a newborn’s room today would probably not have to be replaced until that child goes off to college.

• In just one year, the Cree LED Bulb has become America’s best selling light bulb. So to say thanks, The Home Depot® and Cree have dropped the price on Cree LED Bulbs by up to 23%.

• On top of that, Cree’s Energy Star qualified Soft White 40- and 60-watt replacement bulbs are even more affordable thanks to instant utility rebates offered in participating markets.

Would you like to learn more about saving money on home improvements and have a chance to win a free Cree Prize Pack? Then be sure to join us on Wednesday evening at 8 p.m. EST for the #CreeBulb Twitter Party.

To participate, just follow me on Twitter (@MoneySavingMom) and join in the discussion that evening by answering the questions I ask and/or sharing your money-saving home improvement advice. I hope you’re able to make it!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. The Simple Spring Upgrades to Save Big Bucks Twitter Contest starts 4/2/14 at 8:00 P.M. ET and ends 4/2/14 at 9:00 P.M. ET. Open only to eligible legal residents of the 50 U.S. States/D.C., who are 18 years and older at the time of entry. Void where prohibited by law.

To enter: Entrants must follow @MoneySavingMom on Twitter, respond to any of the Cree Sponsored Twitter party questions and have a non-private Twitter account. Tweets must contain #CreeBulb and @MoneySavingMom to be considered eligible. Limit one entry per person or household.

Prize: Two (2) Cree Prize Packs containing: one (1) $100 Home Depot Gift Card and $150 worth of Cree LED bulbs. ARV: $250; Total ARV: $500. Limit: One (1) prize per household. The odds of winning a prize will depend on the number of valid entries received.

Shared Mar 27, 2014 comment

Study finds Aldi has the lowest prices (I’m not surprised at all!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 27, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Business Insider posted a study citing that Aldi has the lowest prices. I’m not surprised! Here’s part of the article:

The German grocery chain Aldi has the cheapest prices compared to Wal-Mart and Kroger, according to a new study.

Cheapism, a product review site, purchased 37 items from each of the three chains’ locations in the Columbus, Ohio area to compare prices.

Aldi’s basket total came to $72.30, compared to Wal-Mart’s $85.88 basket and Kroger’s $93.73 basket. With savings available from the Kroger Plus Card, however, Kroger’s basket total dropped to $86.78.

Read the full article.

And if you’ve not shopped at Aldi yet, what are you waiting for? Read my article on how we save close to $1,000 per year by shopping at Aldi.

Thanks, Kathi!

Shared Mar 27, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #19

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 27, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home

I’ve set aside the month of March to really focus on organization in my home and life. And I’d love for you to join me!

Day 19 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life!}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and wipe down your windowsills and trim around your windows (if you didn’t wipe these when we wiped down the baseboards earlier this month).

::Clean your windows and blinds and/or window treatments. If you want to get really ambitious, you can take the screens off (if you have screens) and clean the outside of your windows. Or, you can just use window cleaner and clean your windows on the inside. Dust or wash your blinds. Remove any washable window treatments and launder them.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

Note: If you work outside the home or have a really busy week with little time for extra projects, just do the bolded project above.

Get Your Free Ebook + Printable Checklists

I put together an ebook with encouraging articles, all the daily assignments, plus printable checklists so you can know exactly what’s planned for the month and to allow you to work at your own pace, if you’d like.

To grab your free ebook so you can participate in this challenge, just fill out the form below with your name and email address. You’ll need to confirm your email address and then your free ebook will be sent to you instantly.

Are you planning to join us today?

Shared Mar 26, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #18 (update)

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 26, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m so excited about how many of you are joining us for the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge! If you missed today’s assignment, you can find it here.

I was so excited to realize that all the purging and cleaning out I’ve been doing little by little over the past few months has really been paying off — because the closets didn’t need much cleaning out at all! Yay!

The worst closet was the girls’ closet — and it was in pretty good shape!

The pile of clothes I found to get rid of.

How you do on Assignment #18? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Mar 26, 2014 comment

Sometimes it’s NOT too good to be true!

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 26, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Immy emailed in the following tip:

Everyday I get dozens upon dozens of emails, from all sorts of companies, those I shopped with, entered a giveaway for, etc. Usually I look over the subject line and then click “delete”.

Though one specific email caught my eye in the past two weeks.

Rue La La sent me an email with the subject line stating “A $25 Credit means one thing. Mandatory shopping spree.” At first I figured it meant $25 off a large value… but when I opened the email, it just told me I had a credit. No stipulations!

At first I was just going to ignore it. After all, if I bought something on their site, wouldn’t I have to pay shipping? I decided to go on anyway and look around, mainly to see if I could purchase something in the $15 range and see if the credit would cover shipping.

It did! Plus it told me that once you pay your 9.95 shipping, you ship free for the next 30 days. I bought a Rockflowerpaper “Cassis” Canvas Beach Bucket Bag at $15.90.

Tax was $0.99 and shipping was $9.95. After my $25 credit, I only owed $1.84.

Strangely enough it happened again… this time, with The Grommet! I had subscribed on a whim, and a week later I received an email titled “We have a welcome gift for you.” – it was a $10 credit. So I went to the site and looked around.

I had been meaning to pick up a new strainer for the kitchen, and right now on the site is a strainer device called a “silpoura” for $9.95. I decided to add it to my cart and see what shipping would run me. It was only a little over $2.00 — making my checkout total only $2.09!

So going forward, I’ll definitely being paying closer attention to my emails! -Immy

Shared Mar 26, 2014 comment

Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages (I loved this book!)

Published: by MSM Team on March 26, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Not too long ago, I finished reading Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages by Shaunti Feldhahn. I highly recommend it.

In fact, if you’ve heard me give my Say Goodbye to Survival Mode presentation recently, you’ll remember that I read the Fantastic Five for Him from this book. I loved the five simple but highly impactful things Shaunti shares that wives can do to show their husbands they love him. And my husband (and other guys I’ve asked) have agreed that the list is spot on!

If you are married or planning to get married, do yourself a favor and get a copy of this well-researched book. It’s filled with encouragement and practical ideas on how to have a happier marriage.

Even if you don’t agree with everything in the book, I’m pretty positive it will make you step back and examine how your actions and attitudes toward your spouse.

Want a little sneak peek of some of the contents of this book? Watch this short video above that Shaunti recorded for my readers on the little things that make a big difference in a marriage.

Shared Mar 26, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #18

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 26, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home

I’ve set aside the month of March to really focus on organization in my home and life. And I’d love for you to join me!

Day 18 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life!}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and vacuum the main living areas of your home.

::Vacuum your carpeted closets. Sweep or mop the floor in those closets without carpet. Remove all items from the closet floor and get rid of clutter, trash, and items that don’t belong in that closet.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

Note: If you work outside the home or have a really busy week with little time for extra projects, just do the bolded project above.

Get Your Free Ebook + Printable Checklists

Are you planning to join us today?

Shared Mar 26, 2014 comment

107 Ways to Save Your Family Money Big Time

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 26, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Head on over to The Better Mom for a great article with 107 Ways to Save Your Family Money Big Time.

Shared Mar 25, 2014 comment

Q&A: How do you plan for unexpected expenses?

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 25, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

How do you plan for unexpected expenses (like a broken boiler, car repair, or medical emergency) and stay on your budget? Every month, I feel like we have a $400-$600 chunk of money that we spend and didn’t plan to. -Christa

Christa, thanks for asking this question. It’s one that many people wonder about and struggle with. I thought about your question and talked to my husband to get his input and here are our thoughts:

1) Plan in Advance

While there are some expenses that blindside you, there are many more expenses that you can plan for. For instance, your car will eventually break down or need repairs, you will have medical expenses at some point, and your home will need repairs.

Start expecting these things to happen and begin planning for them ahead of time. Look at your budget from the last year and see what categories were most likely to have those unexpected extra expenses.

2) Pad Your Budget Categories

You won’t know exactly how much you’re going to need in each budget category, but begin thinking ahead to what could possibly be breaking down or needing repairs in the next few months or few years and start preparing for those extra expenses ahead of time. By doing this, you aren’t completely caught off guard or put in a bind when you need to pay those repair bills.

We put extra money aside in a number of our budget categories each month — money for medical expenses that may be coming, money for home repairs that may need to happen, money for car repairs that will likely be needed. Each month, if we don’t need this extra money, we just keep setting it aside and building up a reserve. This way, when the “unexpected” expenses pop up, we’ve already planned ahead for them.

Note: If you don’t have the extra wiggle room in your budget to pad your budget categories, look at your budget as a whole to see if there are any areas you can cut back in to free up money to pad those categories that you’re continually in the red in right now. If there aren’t any areas or things you can cut, it’s probably time to start looking for ways to increase your income.

3) Beef Up Your Emergency Fund

I also highly recommend beefing up your emergency fund. If you end up with extra expenses one month and your pre-budgeted money doesn’t cover it, you have your emergency fund to fall back on. This makes the unexpected expense an inconvenience rather than a true emergency.

Consider making short-term sacrifices, taking on a few short-term side jobs, or selling items you own to give you some extra income to put toward building and increasing your emergency fund. (Need some ideas? Check out my series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas.)

What advice and suggestions do the rest of you have for Christa? I’d love to hear!

photo credit; photo credit

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

Click here to download!

Shared Mar 25, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #17 (update)

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 25, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I’m so excited about how many of you are joining us for the 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge! If you missed today’s assignment, you can find it here.

It was cupboard cleaning day! And yes, that’s an onion growing in our cupboard. 🙂

Ick! We definitely needed the cupboard-clean out!

Lots of crumbs in the lazy susan!

And that looks much cleaner!

And the 7+ things I found to get rid of, including a random plastic water gun I found on the garage floor, an alarm clock that no longer works, and more.

How you do on Assignment #17? I’d love to have you share your progress and success with us so we can be inspired. Either post a link to your blog post below or leave a comment with your update.

Shared Mar 25, 2014 comment

Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: Spent $8.16 for $48.83 worth of products

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 25, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Target Shopping Trip

Transaction #1

2 Similasan Eye Drops – $6.49 each, used 2 $5 coupon from the 3/2 SmartSource insert – $1.49 each after coupons (Buy 2 – Get $5 Target gift card)

Total: $2.98, Received $5 Target gift card (You can find more details on this deal here.)

Transaction #2

1 LeapFrog Letter Factory Adventures – $4.99, used $2/1 printable – $2.99 after coupon (We LOVE the Leap Frog DVDs so I was thrilled to get another one to add to our collection!)

2 Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal – $2.48, used 2 $1/1 printable AND 2 $1/1 Target printable – $0.48 each after coupons

2 Garnier Fructis Hair Cream/Gel – $2.96 each, used 2 $0.75/1 Target printable AND 2 $2/1 coupon from the 3/2 RedPlum insert – $0.21 each after coupons

1 Angel Soft Bath Tissue (6 double rolls) – $3.29, used $0.50/1 Target printable AND $0.45/1 coupon from the 3/23 RedPlum insert AND 15% off Cartwheel coupon – $1.92 after coupons

3 Iams Wet Cat Food – $0.59 each, used $2/3 printable – Free after coupon

2 CoffeeMate Creamer – $1.99 each, used 2 $1/1 printable AND $1/2 Target printable – $0.49 each after coupons

4 Up&Up Baby Wash/Shampoo – $1.49 each, used 2 $2/2 Target printable – $0.49 each after coupons

2 Dial for Men Bodywash – $2.99 each, used $2/2 Target printable AND 2 $1/1 coupon from the 3/16 RedPlum insert AND 20% off Cartwheel coupon – $0.59 each after coupons

Used $5 gift card from Transaction #1

Total: $5.18

Total for both transactions before coupons, sales and gift card: $49.83

Total for both transactions after coupons, sales and gift card: $8.16

Shared Mar 25, 2014 comment

Swagbucks Paid for Bose Speakers for My Husband

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 25, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Kelly

I know many of my fellow MoneySavingMom.com readers can relate to this statement: our family is on a (tight) budget.

We’re working to pay off student loans, saving for a down payment on a home, and managing all of the usual day-to-day expenses — food, transportation, and dog supplies.

Normally our situation doesn’t bother me, because thankfully our needs are covered and we know we’re fortunate to have any money left over to save for a future home. But having the money left over to save has meant sacrificing in other areas. We eat out less and have eliminated all purchases that would fall under the category of “splurge.”

In 2013, we established a Christmas budget early in the year to allow ourselves time to set aside those funds each month. I was excited, because even as early as last January, I knew what I wanted to get for my husband (this never happens, and usually I’m scrambling in November to come up with ideas.)

For a long time, he has admired a set of Bose speakers, but because they fall staunchly in the “splurge” arena, they have been out of the question. As we worked through our budgeting process, my heart sunk as I realized there was no way to make the numbers mesh for this one $200+ purchase.

I thought about our situation for days afterwards. My husband is a hardworking and generous person who has worked countless extra hours to help us get closer to our dreams. I felt that he was so deserving of this gift that I just HAD to make it work.

Enter Swagbucks!

I had started using Swagbucks a few years ago but lapsed when I went to graduate school and hadn’t thought too much about the site until a friend mentioned she was a new user. I decided to log back on and was excited to see I had a few hundred points still left in my account.

I wasn’t convinced I could earn enough to purchase the speakers, but thought my worst case scenario was earning a couple of Amazon gift cards — which wouldn’t be bad either!

I was glad to see some additions to the site that made it much easier to earn points since the last time I had used it. After many hours of surveys, videos, NOSOs, and polls, I am excited to tell you I cashed in all of my Amazon gift cards earned from Swagbucks for the speakers, with time to spare!

I am overjoyed to be able to give my husband this gift, and even more so, that I can do it without it messing up our budget in the least. It was so exciting to see his face on Christmas morning and am so thankful to Swagbucks for making that happen!

Shared Mar 25, 2014 comment

Do It Yourself: 3-D Star Out Of Cardboard

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 25, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Puddle Designs shows you how to make a homemade 3-D star out of cardboard.

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 Mar 25, 2014 comment

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home: Assignment #17

Published: by Crystal Paine on March 25, 2014 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

4 Weeks to a More Organized Home

I’ve set aside the month of March to really focus on organization in my home and life. And I’d love for you to join me!

Day 17 Assignment

::Get dressed in something that makes you feel great {there’s something about dressing in clothes that make you feel great that just gives you more energy and zest for life!}

::Sit down with a cup of coffee or tea, refer to your list of weekly goals, and make a list of no more than 5-7 specific things you want to accomplish today.

::Complete your morning routine {if you don’t have a morning routine, take some time to create one today! Read my How to Develop a Routine That Works–And Stick With It series for step-by-step help.}

::Set the timer for 15 minutes and do a quick-clean of your bathroom. Need specific directions? Read this article on How to Clean Your Bathroom in 15 Minutes.

::Clean out and reorganize your kitchen cupboards and pantry.

::Find 7 items to get rid of today. Throw them out, stick them in a donate or garage sale box, give them to a friend who can use them, or list them on Craigslist or eBay.

Note: If you work outside the home or have a really busy week with little time for extra projects, just do the bolded project above.

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

More About Cree LED Bulbs:

Day 19 Assignment

Get Your Free Ebook + Printable Checklists

Are you planning to join us today?

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

Day 18 Assignment

Get Your Free Ebook + Printable Checklists

Are you planning to join us today?

1) Plan in Advance

2) Pad Your Budget Categories

3) Beef Up Your Emergency Fund

What advice and suggestions do the rest of you have for Christa? I’d love to hear!

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

Target Shopping Trip

Enter Swagbucks!

Day 17 Assignment

Get Your Free Ebook + Printable Checklists

Are you planning to join us today? If so, leave a comment below!

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