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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!

Shared Nov 6, 2013 comment

Enter to win an All Expenses Paid Trip for 2 to Bacara!

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

I’m so excited to have joined forces with some amazing bloggers to bring you a truly one-of-a-kind giveaway. Imagine Pacific Ocean breezes, services befitting royalty, and beautiful sunsets along the Santa Barbara coast.

Does that sound like something you’d enjoy? Then read on…

We’re giving away an all-expenses paid trip for two to Bacara!

If you win, you’ll be flown from anywhere in the Continental U.S. to Los Angeles where you’ll be chauffered along the beautiful coastline of California to enjoy a 3-night say at the exotic Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara. Located along the Gaviota Coast, with spectacular views of the Pacific ocean, your stay at this exclusive resort will undoubtedly give you something to talk about for years to come.

From the moment you arrive at Bacara, you will be given 5-star treatment, including massages for both of you. The 4-diamond spa will open its doors to you every day, throughout your stay, compliments of us! How cool is that?

But that’s not all!

You won’t have to fret even for a moment about making any of these plans yourselves. Along with this fabulous trip, complimentary access to this world-renowned spa, and spa treatments, you will be assigned a personal travel concierge who will make all your travel arrangements, coordinate your spa appointments and make sure every moment of your stay is perfect. Throughout your time in Santa Barbara, your personal travel concierge will only be one call away.

FINE PRINT: Travel must occur between February 2014 and January 2015. Airline and hotel blackout dates may apply.

HOW TO ENTER:

There are just two steps you need to take to enter the giveaway:

Step #1: Click on each image {or name} below to follow each website on Pinterest —>

Step #2: Fill out the form below. And that’s it — you’re entered!

**The “‘Pamper Yourself” 5-Star Weekend Getaway” promotion has ended and the winner has been notified by email. Melanie Allen- you are the winner so check your email!!**

*This promotion is sponsored and administered by the Happy Wives Club and is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Pinterest. We hereby release Pinterest of any liability. NBC Universal, iVillage, Coupons.com Incorporated and all its subsidiaries are not administrators of this promotion and thereby are fully indemnified against any action arising from this promotion. This Giveaway will run for one week starting Tuesday, November 5th at 5:00 AM PST and ending Tuesday, November 12th at midnight PST. Once the giveaway ends, winners will be chosen using Random.org and contacted within 24 hours by email. This post will be updated with the winner’s name once we’ve heard back from them. Winners will need to respond within 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. This “Pamper Yourself” contest is open worldwide, except in Puerto Rico and everywhere else where prohibited by law. Winners must be of full legal age in the jurisdiction in which they live. Airfare is provided solely from within the US (international winners must arrange own travel to a state within the Continental US).

Shared Nov 5, 2013 comment

30 Minute Rolls (Quick Yeast Rolls)

Published: by Gretchen on November 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Note from Crystal: I asked my sister, Gretchen, to share this recipe as she often posts it in her weekly menu plans and many of you have requested the recipe. It’s a favorite at our house, too!

The Easiest Ever 30-Minute Rolls (Freezer-Friendly!)

Why you’ll love these Quick Yeast Rolls

This recipe has been a favorite in our family for many years. We’ve made so many batches of these rolls that I have the recipe memorized. They are so yummy and a hit with everyone who eats them.

My friends are shocked when they learn how easy and FAST they are to whip up. You can use them as dinner rolls or buns depending on the size you shape them.

30-Minute Rolls Ingredients

This recipe makes enough dough for 40-50 dinner rolls. While the dough does freeze well (see instructions below) feel free to make half a batch if you don’t need quite that many!

3 1/2 cups warm water (110-115 degrees)
1 cup oil
1/2 cup honey
4 Tbsp instant (or rapid-rise) yeast
3 eggs
1 Tbsp salt
10 1/2 cups flour

How to Make Quick Dinner Rolls

1. Preheat oven to 425ºF.

2. In a large bowl, mix warm water, oil, honey, and yeast.

3. Cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.

4. Stir in the eggs and salt.

5. Finally, mix in the flour, a few cups at a time, and knead the full mixture for 5 minutes on a floured work surface.

6. Shape into rolls (large egg size).

7. Place shaped rolls on a greased baking sheet.

8. Cover with a towel and let rise for another 10 minutes.

9. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned.

Freezer instructions:

My very favorite thing about these rolls (other than the fabulous taste!) is that you can freeze them before cooking and then thaw them out to cook on the day you need them.

I almost always have a bag of these frozen dough rolls in my freezer because we love them that much.

In fact, Crystal asked me to post this recipe because they are so often on my weekly menu posts.

To freeze the dough, simply follow the instructions above, through step 7 (putting the dough balls on a cookie sheet). Then, instead of letting them rest for 10 minutes, immediately put the cookie sheet in the freezer.

When the dough balls are completely frozen, take them off the baking sheet and place them into a freezer bag.

To bake frozen rolls, place frozen dough on a greased baking sheet and let thaw/rise for about 2 hours.

Bake at 425º for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned.

These rolls are SO easy and delicious, and you can whip them up in just 30 minutes!! Perfect to add to any dinner! #bread #dinner #rolls #dinnerideas #budget

Tips for the Best 30-Minute Dinner Rolls

These dinner rolls are extremely fast and easy to whip up, but here are a few tips that will make the process even more foolproof!

Make sure you use INSTANT YEAST (sometimes called “rapid-rise yeast”). If you use “active dry yeast” the rolls will take more than 30 minutes to prepare.

Try to keep your dough balls uniform in size so they are all done at the same time. A kitchen scale can be helpful for this.

Start with less flour than you think you’ll need — you can always add more later if the dough is still sticky, but if you put too much flour in at the beginning, your rolls could be very dense and tough.

If you prefer softer rolls, place 15 rolls in a 9″ x 13″ baking dish and they will bake up touching the sides of the other rolls, which will reduce the amount of “crust”.

Buttered Roll on Plate with Drizzled Honey

Variations of Quick Yeast Rolls

This dough recipe is very versatile and can be tweaked or altered for so many different needs.

Add in some garlic powder and/or fresh herbs for a more savory roll.

You could also roll the dough balls in butter, then cinnamon sugar for a sweet treat.

Considering mixing your favorite shredded cheese in with the dough, or stuffing a chunk of mozzarella inside each dough ball for a deliciously cheesy surprise.

Personally, we love them best when they are still fresh out of the oven, topped with butter, and drizzled with honey… or with this whipped honey butter! Yum!

Rolls in bread basket with whipped butter and open roll

If you frequently find yourself short on time when making meals, this recipe is for you.

Dinner Roll FAQs

What is the difference between instant yeast and active dry yeast?

Active dry yeast needs to be “activated” prior to use, while instant yeast is ready for use the instant you open the package. Recipes using instant yeast do not need to rise twice like those using active dry yeast — and thus, go much faster!

How long will homemade rolls stay fresh?

Homemade dinner rolls can last for up to 5 days if stored properly at normal room temperature, but we recommend eating them within 48 hours or freezing them for later.

What’s the best way to store leftover dinner rolls?

Store them at room temperature in a tightly sealed container, preferably away from as much light as possible. Do not refrigerate as that will dry them out. If you need to store them longer than a couple of days, just put them in a ziptop bag and pop them in the freezer.

Recipe

30-Minute Rolls

Author Gretchen

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 10

If you are frequently finding yourself short on time when making meals, this recipe is for you.Why you’ll love these Quick Yeast Rolls!

Ingredients

3½ cups warm water 110-115º
1 cup oil
½ cup honey
4 Tbsp instant yeast sometimes called "rapid rise yeast"
3 eggs
1 Tbsp salt
10½ cups all purpose flour

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425ºF.
In a large bowl, mix warm water, oil, honey, and yeast.
Cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes.
Stir in the eggs and salt.
Finally, mix in the flour, a few cups at a time, and knead the full mixture for 5 minutes.
Shape into rolls (large egg size).
Place shaped rolls on a greased baking sheet.
Cover with a towel and let rise for another 10 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned.

Notes

When the dough balls are completely frozen, take them off the baking sheet and place them into a freezer bag.

To bake frozen rolls, place frozen dough on a greased baking sheet and let thaw/rise for about 2 hours.

Bake at 425º for 8-10 minutes, or until slightly browned.

Nutrition

Love this recipe?

Make sure to share and save it on your favorite platform below!

Pin Recipe

Shared Nov 5, 2013 comment

Do It Yourself: Homemade Wood Floor Cleaner

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 5, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

HomemadeGinger.com shows you how to make homemade wood floor cleaner.

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.

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Nov 4, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s Harris Teeter Super Double Coupon Shopping Trip: $87.78 worth of products for $6.12 out of pocket

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 4, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

My sister, Gretchen, is staying in South Carolina with my other sister, Brigette. They went shopping at Harris Teeter to take advantage of their Super Double Coupon Event. These deals are available through tomorrow (November 5, 2013):

1 Febreze NOTICEables Warmer Kit – $3.49
Used $2/1 coupon from the 10/27 P&G insert
Used $2/1 Harris Teeter e-coupon
Free plus overage after coupons

2 Lindt Excellence Chocolate – $3.29
Used 2 $2/1 printable
Free plus overage after coupons

2 McCormick Spice – $1.79
Used $1.75/2 coupon from the 10/6 RedPlum insert
$0.04 after coupons

2 Cheerios at $3.49 – On Sale Buy One Get One Free
Used $1/2 peelie coupons (found on boxes)
Stacked with $0.50/1 Harris Teeter e-coupon
And used $0.50/1 SavingStar.com rebate
$0.49 each after coupons, Plus received $0.50 SavingStar.com rebate

2 Kix Cereal at $3.49, On Sale Buy One Get One Free
Used 2 $0.75/1 printable
$0.24 each after coupons

2 Chex Cereals at $3.75, On Sale Buy One Get One Free
Used $1/2 printable
Stacked with $1/2 Harris Teeter e-coupon
And used $1/2 SavingStar.com rebate
$0.29 each after coupon, Plus received $1 SavingStar.com rebate

2 Wheaties at $3.69 – On Sale Buy One Get One Free
Used 2 $0.75/1 printable
Stacked with $0.75/1 Harris Teeter e-coupon
And used $0.75/1 SavingStar.com rebate
Free after coupons, Plus received $0.75 SavingStar.com rebate

1 Tresemme Shampoo or Conditioner – $3.50
Use $2/1 printable
Free after coupon

2 Cracker Barrel Cracker Cheese Slices – $3.99 each
Used 2 $1.50/1 Kraft First Taste printable
Stacked with $2/2 Harris Teeter e-coupon
Received $1 catalina for buying 2 Cracker Barrel Slices
Free after coupons, Plus received $1 catalina back

2 Barista Prima Coffeehouse K-Cup Packs – $5.99 each
Use 2 $2/1 printable
$1.99 each after coupons

2 Peet’s K Cups (10 ct) – $5.97 each (EVIC special)
Used 2 $2/1 printable
$1.97 each after coupons

Pillsbury Cookie Dough – $2.99 each
Used $1.50/2 printable
Stacked with $1.50/2 Harris Teeter e-coupon
And used $1.50/2 SavingStar.com rebate
$0.75 each after coupons, Plus received $1.50 SavingStar.com rebate

Pantene Hairspray – $3.50
Used $1/1 printable
Stack with $1.50/1 Harris Teeter e-coupon
Free after coupons

Total before sales and coupons: $87.78

Total with tax ($0.41) after sales and coupons: $6.12, Plus received $1 catalina AND $3.75 SavingStar.com rebates

Shared Nov 4, 2013 comment

It’s Not Too Late to Start Saving + FREE Frugal Gift Guide

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 4, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Kalyn of Creative Savings Blog.

We budget for groceries, household supplies, mortgage payments, and even entertainment funds. But have you ever thought about budgeting for Christmas?

I mean, it makes sense, right? The busiest time of the year can also be the most draining on our wallet.

While those beautiful decorations might be impressive to guests at your Christmas party, and expensive gifts loved on by your kids {for that day, at least!}, none of it is truly necessary.

It’s time to take a break from all the stress, and put a halt to the spending.

Even though a budget seems constricting, it’s actually quite freeing, and you might even have fun trying to create the best Christmas you can on a small budget.

Start saving for Christmas… now!

For years, Christmas has become another column in my budget spreadsheet {I’m an Excel geek!}, but for those of you who follow Crystal’s cash envelope system, that works perfectly fine too. Just set aside a specific amount each week or month, exclusively for Christmas.

Then, when it’s time to start buying gifts or holiday treats, you’ll have a good amount saved up to freely dip into for whatever you need.

And even thought it’s already November, don’t think it’s too late to start saving. Although I personally like to start saving in January, it’s certainly better to have a little stash saved up than none at all.

Calculating a Christmas budget

If you’re not sure exactly how much you spend on gifts, decorations, etc. make your best guess and divide the total amount by how many weeks we have left before the BIG day.

That’s the amount you’ll need to set aside each week to afford your kind of Christmas.

But what if the number is too much or too high for your budget to handle right now?

Then a few things need to happen:

Reassess what you really “need” to have an enjoyable Christmas season
Pare down the gift giving
Look for ways to cut costs, and reduce the amount you usually spend
If you don’t want to pare down or cut costs, then find a part-time income to help pay for the extras

It’s certainly not fun to deal with a huge bill after the Christmas festivities are over, nor is it the smartest thing for our budgets. But if we plan for those expenses in advance, we can be much better prepared when they do come.

In the meantime, continue to maximize every dollar, scout out the deals, and follow frugal blogs to help make Christmas more budget-friendly.

And if you need a little help in the gift-giving department, I’ve just released a FREE frugal gift guide based on personality types. Every gift included is $25 or less, so you’re sure to find something in there!

Do you have a Christmas budget? When do you start saving?

Kalyn Brooke is a full-time writer and blogger, living in beautiful Southwest Florida with her news photographer husband, and one super adorable bunny, named Twix. She works from home as the owner and author of CreativeSavingsBlog.com, and as a virtual marketing assistant for a variety of bloggers and websites. Small budget living is her passion, book hoarding her weakness, and a well-stocked freezer full of ice cream an essential luxury.

Shared Nov 1, 2013 comment

New budgeting tool from Dave Ramsey: My Christmas Budget

Published: by MSM Team on November 1, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

The Christmas shopping season is upon us! Don’t let your spending get out of hand and ruin your budget.

For a helping hand, check out the new budgeting tool from Dave Ramsey called My Christmas Budget.

More than a simple budgeting tool, My Christmas Budget will help you get and stay organized for this season’s Christmas shopping. The My Christmas Budget website is mobile-friendly, so you’ll always have your Christmas shopping budget at your fingertips.

To learn more, read 5 Ways Our Christmas Budgeting Tool Will Change Your Life from Dave Ramsey.

Shared Nov 1, 2013 comment

Less Coming In, More Contentment

Published: by Crystal Paine on November 1, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of October, I’m following along with Edie & Ruth on their 31 Days of Less & More journey. I’d love for you to join in by reading the posts and completing the projects, or just sit back and read along each day.

Less Coming In, More Contentment

Jesse was going through old financial statements not too long ago and we were aghast to read the numbers. During the first year he was in law school, there were six months when we made less than $900 — and some months it was as low as $650. I recall that season of our lives fairly vividly, but seeing those numbers on paper again after a number of years have past was a shock to our systems.

Our rent alone during those months was over $500. I’m still not sure how we made it on so little! No wonder we rarely ate meat and did so many other pretty “extreme” things. (Yes, we had money in the bank to cover most of law school, but that money was locked up in CDs and we’d both decided that it would be untouchable to us except in the case of a dire, life-threatening emergency.)

Our commitment to live within our means and stay out of debt was hard. There’s no doubt about that.

I remember we’d pay our tithe money, our rent check and our basic utility bills and then we prayed that somehow the rest of the money would stretch until the next check would come in. How we were going to afford basic necessities was constantly looming over our heads.

And yet, those months were some of the most precious and memorable in our lives. We saw God provide for us in amazing and unexpected ways. We learned to be wildly creative. We were forced to be incredibly entrepreneurial.

Most of all, we discovered that contentment is a state of the heart, unaffected by outward circumstances.

We didn’t have money to buy anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary. And often, we didn’t have money to buy even what seemed like a necessity.

It was so good to learn that stuff doesn’t buy happiness. It’s easy to say that, but living it really solidified it for us.

I tested and tried out the theory — out of necessity — and I learned that it’s really true. You can be wildly fulfilled and content even in the leanest times.

To this day, even though our financial state has changed a great deal, I just don’t spend much money. Because stuff is just stuff. Time with people and making memories matter so much more than the things we own.

Contentment is a choice. So choose today to bloom where you’re planted. Choose to make the most of whatever situation you find yourself in. Choose to stop focusing on what you don’t have and start being thankful for the many blessings you do have.

And remember, no matter what difficulties you might be dealing with today, somebody else would love to be in your shoes.

For more on this topic, check out Ruth’s post on Less Coming In and Edie’s post on More Contentment. I promise you’ll be inspired and blessed!

Shared Oct 31, 2013 comment

Reader Tip: Check your Kroger account for My Best Customer Exclusives

Published: by MSM Team on October 31, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Lauren emailed in the following tip:

I logged into my Kroger account this morning and discovered “My Best Customer Exclusives” under the “Coupon” section. I was pleasantly surprised to find four “free” coupons! I have been following Kroger’s weekly Free Friday Download and was a tad disappointed not to find a coupon in my inbox last week. Well, this discovery more than makes up for it! If you have a Kroger account, I definitely suggest checking your account for freebies in the “My Best Customer Exclusives” tab in the coupon section.

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

Click here to download!

Shared Oct 31, 2013 comment

Less Holiday Stress, More Memories

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 31, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of October, I’m following along with Edie & Ruth on their 31 Days of Less & More journey. I’d love for you to join in by reading the posts and completing the projects, or just sit back and read along each day.

Less Holiday Overkill

I love the Christmas season. I love the sights, smells, tastes, sounds… all of it. But you know what I don’t love? That so many people feel rushed, hurried, and frazzled during Christmas.

The heart of Christmas is not about impressing people or running around at a crazy, frantic speed. And making either of those things your focus is certainly not going to help you celebrate and savor the season!

Here are three ways you can simplify the busy holiday season:

1. Pare down the gift-giving.

Evaluate your gift list: Do you really need to give a gift to your uncle’s neighbor’s dog? I’m pretty sure Fido will survive just fine without another fancy chew toy, so save your money and use it to buy gifts for those you really care about or want to bless.

Creating limits for how many gifts you buy helps to simplify things. I know some families who give their children three gifts in three different categories (such as: something to wear, something to read, and something fun).

Our family doesn’t have specific limits or categories for what we give our children, but we’ve opted to just keep it to a few really meaningful gifts for each child. This allows us to really savor each gift as it’s opened, instead of being overwhelmed by a massive pile of presents.

2. Prioritize.

If you want to have a stress-free and simple season, you aren’t going to be able to do everything. Take 15 minutes sometime in the next few days to sit down and write out what the important things are for you and your family this Christmas season. Each person’s list is going to look different—and that’s perfectly okay.

Maybe you love to make homemade gifts but you really couldn’t care less about sending out cards. Perhaps you want to volunteer your time to bless those who are less fortunate but you really don’t have any desire to attend a lot of parties with people don’t know very well. Or, you really want to do fun and meaningful activities with your children but you really don’t enjoy baking at all. Know what you want to invest your time and effort into this holiday season, then say no to opportunities and invitations that aren’t in line with your priorities.

Download free Holiday Planning Worksheets from LivingWellSpendingLess.com

3. Plan ahead.

After you’ve decided upon your priorities for this holiday season, it’s time to make a game plan. Look at your calendar and commitments for the next eight weeks and think of everything you can do to prepare ahead of time so you’re not scrambling at the last minute.

Make sugar cookie dough ahead of time and freeze it so it’s ready for that cookie-decorating party or to give to your neighbors. Go ahead and buy all of the necessary items to make the goody baskets for the homeless shelter. Buy or make hostess gifts to have on hand for last-minute party invitations. Check your closet to make sure you have outfits for the holiday parties you’ll be attending. Finish your shopping early and avoid the mad rush of crowds and traffic the final few days before Christmas.

The more you pare down, prioritize, and plan ahead, the more you’ll be able to relax and soak in all the memories and moments of the holidays — and focus on celebrating the reason for the season. And that’s what will really matter long after the elaborate decorations, fancy parties, and expensive gifts are forgotten.

More Memories

One thing that has helped us to slow down and just enjoy December is to create a Christmas Bucket List. We all sit down as a family and choose a few things that each of us really wants to do for Christmas.

Last year, the girls wanted to build a snowman, play in the snow as a family, decorate Christmas cookies, and go ice-skating. I wanted to do an Advent project and take the girls to the Nutcracker, Jesse wanted to go look at Christmas lights as a family and watch one of our favorite Christmas movies together.

By the time we’re done discussing our Bucket List, we’ve come up with a great list of memorable activities to do together and since everyone gave their input, there’s something (or more than one thing) on the list that each person will really enjoy.

We spread these activities out during the whole month of December, doing a few items each week. Because our list is not long and overwhelming and because we have four weeks to do it, we’re able to really take time to enjoy each thing and create beautiful memories.

This tradition has been one of the best things we’ve ever implemented to help us stay focused, calm, and intentional during the Christmas season. And it also helps us to say “no” to most of the other ideas and opportunities that come up that aren’t already on our list.

Related Articles:

For more on this topic, check out Ruth’s post on Less Holiday Overkill and Edie’s post on More Memories. I promise you’ll be inspired and blessed!

Shared Oct 30, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s Walgreens Shopping Trip: $25.45 worth of products for $5.56 out of pocket

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 30, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Walgreens Shopping Trip

Transaction #1

1 Tums Chewy Delights – $4.50
Used $1/1 printable

Redeemed 2,000 Balance Rewards (like $2)

Total with tax ($0.32): $1.82, Received $4.50 Register Rewards

Transaction #2

1 Colgate Total Toothpaste – $3
Used $0.50/1 coupon from the 10/27 SmartSource insert

1 Excedrin – $5.99
Used $2/1 in-ad coupon
And used $1/1 coupon from the 10/13 SmartSource insert

1 Mentos Gum – Marked down to $0.37 (filler item)

Used $4.50 Register Rewards from Transaction #1

Total with tax ($0.53): $1.89, Received $2.50 Register Rewards (for buying Colgate) AND 2,000 Balance Rewards (for buying Excedrin – like $2)

Transaction #3

1 Tums Chewy Delights – $4.50
Used $1/1 printable

1 Bounce Ball – Marked down to $0.49 (filler item – my little boy was thrilled about this!) 🙂

Used $2.50 Register Rewards from Transaction #2

Total with tax ($0.36): $1.85, Received $4.50 Register Rewards (for buying Tums)

Total before coupons, Register Rewards and Balance Rewards: $25.45

Total with tax after coupons, Register Rewards and Balance Rewards: $5.56, PLUS $4.50 Register Rewards and 2,000 Balance Points (like $2) leftover

Shared Oct 30, 2013 comment

Ask The Readers: Cost-effective filtered water?

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 30, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s question is from Christina:

My husband and I do not like drinking the water from the faucet so we buy 24 ct. cases of water. They are about $2.99 per case, but I notice I drink less water than I should because I hate having to keep buying cases of water.

We are considering getting a filter for our kitchen faucet (expensive to start and filter replacements are also expensive) or getting a Culligan water dispenser. Which do you think would be more cost effective? -Christina

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Less Surface Clutter, More Art

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 29, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

During the month of October, I’m following along with Edie & Ruth on their 31 Days of Less & More journey. I’d love for you to join in by reading the posts and completing the projects, or just sit back and read along each day.

Less Surface Clutter

As you probably already know, I’m not really into surface clutter. In fact, Ruth & I are a lot alike.

I’m positive that some people would come to my house and think it’s entirely too empty. But we love the uncluttered look. Here are four reasons we don’t have a lot of clutter:

1. It simplifies things because I have less to clean up. The less stuff you have, the less stuff you have to take care of.

2. It makes things easier to find. When you don’t have as much stuff, it’s easier to put things away.

3. It provides breathing room. I love wide open spaces — they allow my soul to breathe and make life feel calmer.

4. It saves money. The less you buy, the more you usually save. Plus, the less you have, the less you have to pay to maintain.

More Art

That said, I’ve come to actually love having a few things on my walls. I like to put things on the walls that remind me of wonderful memories, inspire me, or make me smile.

{Truth be told, I don’t think I’ve really ever physically hung anything on my walls — my friends and family are so great to help me out there! If it weren’t for them, I doubt I’d ever actually get anything up on my walls. It’s completely not a core competency of mine!}

There are always incredible photo canvas deals floating around the internet and they are a fantastic way to pull off a big wall-hanging on a budget. I took advantage of one of these to blow up a photo I took on that amazing cruise my husband and I took. This photo hangs in our beach-themed bathroom and is a constant reminder to me of a special memory.

This is my favorite wall in our home. I smile every time I look at the beautiful faces of my children and I am reminded that the years are fleeting as I see how much they’ve grown up since we had these pictures done late last year (the one with them in green is with their cousin and was taken three years ago — amazing to see how they’ve grown up since then!)

Photo deals abound on the internet or in the newspaper. We usually use a coupon or a Groupon voucher to get a great deal and I only get professional photos done of everyone once a year.

You can purchase frames at the dollar store (you can paint them to match your decor, if you’re handy like that!) or with a coupon at Hobby Lobby or Michael’s. Then, just switch out the photos every year or six months — and you have wall art on a dime.

Oh and that Family decal? I purchased it with a Groupon voucher. Love it!

For more on this topic, check out Ruth’s post on Less Surface Clutter and Edie’s post on More Art. I promise you’ll be inspired and blessed!

Shared Oct 29, 2013 comment

Swagbucks Paid for Our Home Projects

Published: by Crystal Paine on October 29, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Alisha

In April 2012, we bought a new house. With moving came a lot of small expenses that you don’t usually think about when you move – specifically for us, new decorations, curtains, paint and some much needed yard work. While we have a budget amount for home furnishings, home improvement and yard work each year, we knew the amount we budgeted for these items was only enough for maintaining – not for starting from scratch.

So my husband and I decided to use Swagbucks for Amazon and PayPal gift cards to buy things we wanted for our new house instead of taking the money from savings.

We made a list of things we wanted to buy and fix, along with the prices, then put the items in order of priority. Anything that we could buy on Amazon at a good price, we added to our Amazon “wish list,” and everything else we bought by getting PayPal gift cards then transferred the money to our checking account. Over the last year, we have accomplished and/or bought the following:

• Wall decals
• Paint
• Curtains
• Shelves
• Picture frames
• Wall Art
• Plants/Dirt/Mulch/Landscape Timbers
• Energy Efficient Lightbulbs

It has been fun to “save up” for, and buy items as the gift cards arrive, all while not impacting our yearly budget or savings. We know we could have simply taken the money from savings and done everything at once, but it was nice to keep the money in savings and slowly improve things around our house, room by room, yard area by yard area via Swagbucks instead.

Now that we’re done with most of our “to-do” list, we’re using Swagbucks to buy our daughter’s upcoming birthday presents (all are on a wish list at Amazon) as well purchasing household and toiletry items that we can’t find for free playing the “drugstore game.” Going forward, I’d love to be able to buy all gifts in 2014 using Swagbucks gift cards!

Alisha: Could you email me so I can send you your $50 Amazon gift card as a thank you? Thanks so much!

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