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Shared Aug 20, 2013 comment

How I’m Paying to Ship 20 Operation Christmas Child Boxes Using Swagbucks

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 20, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Kimber:

Two Christmases ago, my family wanted to find an act of service that we could do in honor of my mother-in-law. We decided to pack three shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.

We shopped, packed the boxes, and took them to the drop-off location as a family. We took pictures of our kids with the boxes, wrapped up the pictures with a printed copy of the e-mail that said where our boxes ended up (Mexico), and presented the gift to my mother-in-law on Christmas morning.

I was hooked!

Last year, I eagerly shopped in October and November, hosted a fun craft night/packing party for my friends, and filled 13 shoeboxes. My only problem was, I had used most of my “shoebox budget” when I shopped.

Several friends and family members contributed cash to help pay for shipping, and my husband was very gracious about the fact that I ended up spending more than we’d planned on. But this year, I set a few goals for myself. I wanted to pack 20 shoeboxes. I wanted to shop all year long, stocking up on the best deals. And I wanted to earn the $140 for shipping ($7 per box) before November.

Shopping all year has been a joy. I have found wonderful treasures (ranging from cute notepads to warm hats and mittens) on clearance. I’ve scored great deals on hygiene items at CVS. I have collected over half of the items I need to fill my shoeboxes already, and it hasn’t even touched my budget. But that leaves one thing remaining: the shipping fees.

Enter Swagbucks!

If you’d like to track your shoeboxes, you need to pay your $7 shipping fee online using a credit or debit card. A few months ago, I made a decision: I would start saving up all of my Swagbucks.

When I reached the 10,000 point mark, I would cash out for a $100 PayPal deposit. And when I had earned another 5,000, I would again cash out for a $50 PayPal gift card.

Although OCC doesn’t accept PayPal, I planned on paying for it with my debit card and depositing the $150 from PayPal into my bank account. Voila! Shipping for 20 shoeboxes covered, plus an extra $10 to buy a few more filler items.

Our Creative Plan

But as I approached the 9,000 point mark (yay!), I realized something – I could get a better deal if I cashed out in Amazon gift cards. It is a bit more complicated, but here is the plan I worked out:

Each month, starting in June, I will use my Swagbucks to purchase 5 $5 Amazon gift cards (the maximum). By November, I will have earned $150 in Amazon gift cards, but only paid 13,500 points.

Our family frequently uses Amazon, so I will apply the $150 to our Amazon account, then use the $150 “saved” from our household budget to pay to ship my shoeboxes. With the 1500 points I’m saving this way, I can cash out for $15 in gift cards to fill another box!

How I Earn At Least 50 Swagbucks Per Day

To the new Swagbucks user, 13,500 points might seem like a huge goal. But I’ve found that just by casually using Swagbucks (as my search engine, to print my coupons from, entering codes when I see them pop up on Facebook, and occasionally using Shop and Earn), I can easily earn an average of 50 Swagbucks per day.

And if I have a bit more time to put into it (doing special offers, taking surveys, and completing other activities like the daily poll), I can earn 100 Swagbucks per day (and sometimes significantly more).

Since setting this goal for myself, I have had a lot more motivation to use Swagbucks. I am now only 3,000 Swagbucks away from my goal, and I’m getting so excited for November – shoebox packing time!

Have you saved up and purchased something using your Swagbucks? If so, you could get a $50 gift card just for sharing your Swagbucks success stories with MoneySavingMom.com readers!

Shared Aug 19, 2013 comment

Slow Down Challenge: Stopping to Smell the Roses (Day 1)

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 19, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

This week, I’m joining Jeff Goins for his Slow Down Challenge. If you want to participate, sign up for the free Slow Down Challenge email list. Also, you might consider grabbing a copy of his book, The In-Between. Jeff is such an inspiration to me as a writer and I highly recommend reading all of his books, if you have a chance!

We live in a frantic, rushing world. Busyness is a virtue, a badge of honor we proudly wear.

But where does busyness get us? Often, it just leads to exhaustion, frustration, stress, and burn out.

That’s why we need to take time to breathe. We need to soak up the sunshine, the beauty, the smells, the sounds, the wonder of life teeming around us in all directions.

Stopping to smell the roses is not only rejuvenating, it’s imperative if you want to lead a healthy, well-balanced life.

Today’s Project

Today’s project for the Slow Down Challenge is to walk around your home, neighborhood, or even your workplace, and take time to notice the things that other people might overlook. Read more here.

Here are a few things I saw:

A fall-scented candle.

Kaitlynn’s art project (I love how she always has some new creative project she’s working on — usually spread out over the kitchen table!)

A stack of new books that I can’t wait to dive into… just as soon as I finish up the books I’m currently reading. 🙂

Beautiful flowers in a vase.

Coupons sitting on my dresser waiting to be filed (so thankful for all of the money we’ve saved over the years thanks to coupons!)

Are you joining me for the Slow Down Challenge? If so, feel free to share about what you learn from the projects in the comments. Or, if you’re blogging about the challenge, leave your link to your blog post below.

Shared Aug 19, 2013 comment

10 Goals For This Week

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 19, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Last week wasn’t the best week for accomplishing things on my to-do list. But it’s a new week and I’m hoping for smoother sailing!

Last week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read 3 chapters of The Borrowers to the children. Finish reading The Queen’s Smuggler with Kathrynne. ~~Finish reading They Led the Way with Kaitlynn. Read a few picture books with Silas.~~

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

3. Start our fall homeschooling schedule. {We bumped this to this week due to all the unexpected interruptions that arose last week!}

Personal Goals

4. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-22.

~~5. Start the ChaLean Extreme Program.~~ Run 6 miles.

6. Read The Myth of Multitasking, Loving the Way Jesus Loves, First: What It Takes to Win by Rich Froning, Leaving Yesterday, and Love Works.

Homemaking Goals

~~7. Work for 30 minutes on my embroidery project.~~

8. Try two new recipes.

Business Goals

~~9. Finish reading through and making typo edits to my book manuscript.~~

10. Start working on a new ebook.

This week’s goals:

Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals

1. Read 3 chapters of The Borrowers to the children. Finish reading The Queen’s Smuggler with Kathrynne. Read 3 chapters of Caddie Woodlawn with Kaitlynn. Read a few picture books with Silas.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

3. Start our fall homeschooling schedule.

Personal Goals

4. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-22.

5. Continue with the ChaLean Extreme Program. Run 6 miles.

6. Read The Myth of Multitasking, Loving the Way Jesus Loves, First: What It Takes to Win by Rich Froning, Leaving Yesterday, and Love Works.

Homemaking Goals

7. Work for 30 minutes on my embroidery project.

8. Try two new recipes.

Business Goals

9. Work on updating some posts for Pinterest.

10. Start working on a new ebook.

How did you do on last week’s goals? What are your goals for this week? I’d love to have you share your progress on last week’s goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you’ve blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let’s cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives!

You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.

Find the BEST used books deals on Paperback Swap with these genius tips!

Shared Aug 19, 2013 comment

9 Tips to Find Frugal Used Books with PaperBack Swap

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 19, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Crystal of Serving Joyfully.

One of my favorite ways to acquire books is through PaperBack Swap. Like the name suggests, it’s a site for trading books. You give away a book you don’t need and pay about $2.50 (the cost of postage) for a new-to-you one.

Since postage alone on sites like Amazon.com is $3.99, you can see that $2.50 for a needed book is a great deal! But, as a former couponer and current deal-seeker (and as a homeschooling mom in need of lots of books!), I wanted to do better.

I’ve been diligently searching this summer, and was able to get a bunch of great books for an average of $0.40 each! And that includes Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, which I intended to purchase from Amazon for around $20!

If you’d love to get your hands on some frugal used books, here are some tips to get the most out of PaperBack Swap:

1. Sign up!

Going for the obvious here. When you first sign up for PaperBack Swap and list 10 books to your shelf, you’ll get 2 free credits right away.

2. Refer your friends.

After you’ve signed up, be sure to spread the word. If a friend uses your referral link and becomes an active member, you get a free credit.

(Full disclosure: That’s my referral link above. Crystal gave me permission to use it in this post. If you’d rather not sign up through my link, you can go directly to PaperBackSwap.com)

3. List great books.

More high-quality books equals more requests, and more requests equals more credits for you.

4. Purchase credits at a discount.

Sometimes I give away books we no longer need and sometimes I’m a tiny bit of a book hoarder. In this case, credits can be purchased directly from PBS for $3.79-$3.95. However, PBS also allows members to sell up to 50 credits per month, so you can purchase credits from other members, usually for a discounted rate.

Please note — this is done at your own risk. You’ll want to make sure that you are dealing with someone who has a strong reputation on the site. I’ve done this in the past to purchase credits for as low as $2 each.

5. Become a Boxer.

Since the only monetary cost associated with the site is your shipping, reducing the cost of shipping per book reduces your overall cost. One way to do this is to trade boxes of books with other members rather than single books. There is a monthly fee for this service, but the benefits can outweigh the cost if you’re looking to trade a large amount of books.

6. Network.

In the community area, there is a forum called the Book Bazaar. In that forum, members frequently request or offer “deals,” especially if you are looking to make a bulk (multi-credit) purchase.

Through this, I was able to find people willing to offer some great deals, including 25 books for 5 credits. You can also take note of, and friend, those members who tend to have books in the genres you’re interested in, and build relationships with them for future deals.

7. Ask.

When you request a book, PBS will give you the option to request more from the same member. If there are other books that interest you, ask if the member would be willing to make a deal. Even a member who doesn’t have a running deal is usually willing to throw in an extra book or two if you are requesting several.

8. Offer a Deal Yourself.

When I purchased 25 books for 5 credits, the sender spent $5.77 for shipping, but she got 5 credits. If she had sent out 5 books separately, those same 5 credits would have cost her around $12.50 in shipping.

If you have the extra books, this is a great option to get the most out of shipping and bless another member at the same time. You can do this on the forums, or right from your bookshelf.

9. Be Patient.

Patience is a virtue here. If you are able to be patient, sometimes you can wait for a deal to come available and save yourself some money. Similarly, if a book you want isn’t currently available, you can add it to your wishlist and wait for it to come available rather than purchasing it somewhere else.

It may not come available, but it’s worth waiting a while to find out. This is exactly how I was able to acquire the Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons book for such a great deal. Another member saw it on my wishlist, and offered to make it a part of a bigger deal.

Are you a member of PaperBack Swap? What has been your experience with it?

Crystal Brothers is a daughter of the one, true King, wife to a forest ranger, and full-time mommy to two rambunctious little boys. She blogs at Serving Joyfully — a blog dedicated to encouraging and equipping women to serve God and their families.

Shared Aug 19, 2013 comment

This Week’s Menu Plan (+ I’m finally back to freezer cooking again!)

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 19, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

I took a short break from freezer cooking for the summer — and I’ve missed it (and I’ve realized how much time and effort it saves me to have food at-the-ready in the freezer!). So I’m excited to get back to freezer cooking again this week!

Breakfasts

Breakfast Cookies, Oatmeal, Cereal, Eggs, and/or Fruit

Lunches

Mac & cheese, fruit
Snack-y lunch {Veggies, cheese, yogurt, fruit, crackers}
PB&J, carrot sticks, apples
Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks
Leftovers x 3

Snacks

Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Boiled eggs
Smoothies
Breakfast Cookies
Peanut Butter Toast

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

Quick & Easy Breakfast Cookies
Blueberry Cake with Sour Cream Glaze
Sloppy Joe meat
Freezer Black Beans

Dinners

Sloppy Joes, Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes, fruit, steamed veggies
Crockpot Mexican Lasagna, steamed veggies, fruit
5 Star Cheeseburger Casserole, steamed veggies, fruit
Taco Casserole, steamed veggies, fruit
Dinner with extended family x 2
Dinner out

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

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

Click here to sign up!

Shared Aug 17, 2013 comment

4 Ways to Save Money When You’re Just Too Tired

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 17, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Sara of Save Money, Live Joyfully

Fourteen months ago, we welcomed our second child, Junior. A tender-hearted little boy with a smile that could melt even the most calloused of hearts; he was also born profoundly deaf with additional developmental delays.

Since his birth, Junior has endured over 100 hospital, doctor, and therapy appointments, all the while I have sought to homeschool our older daughter and keep her enrolled in sports and activities. At the end of every day full of appointments and activities, I would come home exhausted, with no energy to make cost saving meals from scratch, compare weekly ads, or clip coupons. Gone were the days of DIY projects and Pinterest experiments.

I was just too tired to save money.

After a year of trial and error, I’ve found some helpful hints that have allowed us to stay on budget while being time and energy efficient.

1. Prioritize

This is one of the most difficult, yet freeing steps when you are lacking time, energy, or both. Every 6 months, we perform an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) with Junior’s therapists, which is basically a list of points in his development we want see progress in. Our energy then goes towards accomplishing these goals and milestones.

I also created my own personalized version of an IFSP to help streamline our household.

Make a list of your goals — short-term and long-term. If something comes up that does not fall in line with your priorities or will not propel you towards meeting your goals, you have permission to set it aside for this season of life.

We often feel like we have to “do it all”, but by creating and sticking to your priorities, you have more time and energy to put towards the most important things in your life.

If saving money on groceries is your priority, but you don’t think you have time, make large batches of muffins or pancakes to freeze for quick breakfasts, use leftovers for lunch, and make simple-prep dinners in the slow cooker. If spending more time with your family is the priority, look for free activities in your community and consider lowering your cable bill by eliminating channels you don’t watch, also giving your family more time together.

2. Simplify

Once your priorities are mapped out, it’s time to simplify, simplify, simplify. Simpler days, simpler meals, simpler outings. Sell items you no longer need, consider inexpensive experience gifts for Christmas and birthdays, and don’t be afraid to say no to things that don’t line up with your current priorities.

Because of our hectic schedule, meals became more basic, which meant a decrease in our grocery budget. Leftovers were eaten instead of tossed, grocery store trips had to be in-and-out, so I stuck to my list. For health concerns, Junior had to stay isolated for several months, so I didn’t have time to wander Target for deals.

I may have missed some “great deals”, but I saved more by not browsing the aisles and spending money on things I didn’t really need.

3. Focus on the “Can”, Not the “Cannot”

You may not be able to do everything, but applaud yourself on the money saving strategies you HAVE successfully used. Most importantly, do not compare yourself to anybody else. No one else has your life or is in your situation.

When I look at my friends who have time to successfully do many DIY projects and fix gourmet meals, I feel like I should be doing more. But, then I look at the ways I am able to save my family money, stop comparing, and feel good about all that I’ve accomplished instead of what I’m not able to, or have time to accomplish in this stage of life.

4. Give Yourself Grace

The first few months of non-stop appointments, we were in the car all the time. Unfortunately, thanks to my inexperience with the new lifestyle, it also meant we also ate out too much. I’ve since learned to pre-bag snacks for appointment days, and to plan ahead with a coupon if we have to eat out.

Circumstances and situations change, and seasons of life come and go. You do the best you can, give yourself grace, and keep pushing towards fulfilling your goals and priorities.

Whether you’re a working parent, single parent, or someone who just has too much on their plate, I hope these ideas will also help you save a little more, even when you feel like you’re just too tired.

Sara is a stay-at-home mom from California. She and her husband desire to seek the Lord first in their lives, as they raise a precocious 5-year old, and a 1-year old with special needs. She shares about living joyfully in all circumstances and utilizing cost saving techniques at Save Money, Live Joyfully.

Shared Aug 17, 2013 comment

Caitlin’s Target Trip: $83.23 worth of products for $2.98 out of pocket!

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 17, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

The following is a guest post by Caitlin:

I ordered some coupons off of a coupon clipping site for the Gillette shaving gel coupons and got 10 $6 off 3, 10 $3 off 2 and 10 $1 off 1 coupons. I decided to take these to my local Target to redeem.

I had to do 2 separate transactions and had my sister do the 2nd one because the coupons have a limit of 4 like coupons per transaction per household per day. I received this in total for both transactions:

*43 Travel Size Gillette Shaving Gels — $1.47 a piece

*5 full size Gillette Shaving Gels — $1.98 a piece

*BIC Flex 4 Razor — $4.78

*Nivea for Men Lotion — $5.34

Transaction #1:

24 travel size Gillette shaving gels ($1.47 each)
Use 4 $6/3, 4 $3/2 and 4 $1/1 coupons
Final Cost: FREE

1 package of BIC Flex 4 Disposable Razors ($4.78)
Use the $3 off 1 BIC Smart Source coupon and the $2 off 1 BIC Soleil or Flex 4 Target coupon found at coupons.target.com
Final Cost: FREE

1 Bottle of Nivea Men’s Lotion ($5.34)
Use the $2 off 1 Nivea Body Lotion Smart Source coupon and the $2 off one Nivea Body Lotion Target coupon.
Final Cost: $1.34

Transaction #1 OVERALL Total after coupons: $2.98

Transaction #2:

19 Travel Size Gillette Shaving Gels ($1.47 each)
5 Full Size Gillette Shaving Gels (1.98 each)
Use 4 $6/3, 4 $3/2 and 4 $1/1 coupons
Final Cost: FREE

Some Target’s will still make you pay tax after free items, but mine does not so this transaction we ended up owing nothing!!

The shaving cream deal would be better to do at Walmart because they will let you use the overage from the coupons to apply to other items.

We will donate the shaving cream to our local homeless shelter. I will keep a few to add to gift bags here and there.

Hi, my name is Caitlin. I work full-time and go to school full-time. I also have a young child which is the reason I started to coupon. I never believed that “extreme couponing” was possible, but I have come to find out that it truly is. Couponing has helped me open a savings account for my child and give back to the community with a lot of good free finds that I find!

Did you wake up feeling like a grouch this morning? Turn your day around with this 10 helpful tips!

Shared Aug 16, 2013 comment

10 Things To Do If You Wake Up Feeling Like a Grouch

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 16, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Okay, so after writing the post about the Laundry Party on Monday evening, some of you might be thinking I’m an ultra-cheerful mom who turns everything into a celebration. Just to keep it real, I had to confess to you all: I woke up feeling like a grouch yesterday morning.

There were a lot of little discouragements that contributed to my attitude, but nothing that was worthy of my all-out grouch mode. Truthfully, I wanted to sit and sulk and nurse my grouchiness. And I did that for the first little bit of the day — even raising my voice at petty little things the kids did.

But then I realized where this would take me: if I didn’t buck up and get a grip on my bad attitude, I’d have a miserable day — and so would everyone else in my home! So, I asked God to please help me have more joy and then started my day looking for things I could do to help me have a more cheerful attitude.

Here are 10 things that helped me:

1. Turn On Some Music

I love listening to instrumental music — especially on days when I’m feeling a little uptight. Turn on whatever music helps to put you in a cheerful mood.

Want to take it a step further? Don’t just listen; sing along. It’s basically impossible not to feel better after a few minutes of singing!

2. Light a Candle

I love fall-scented candles, even when it’s not quite fall yet. Having a pumpkin-flavored candle wafting through the house today made me smile and look forward to the chilly fall days that are just around the corner.

3. Dress For the Day You Hope to Have

It might seem petty, but there’s something about getting dressed up that makes me feel a lot more motivated and energetic. Try it and see if it works for you, too!

(For the record, “dressed up” can mean whatever you want it to — a little makeup and earrings to go with your jeans and t-shirt or donning that cute dress and putting your hair in an updo. It’s up to you… just so long as it’s not jammies or sweats! 🙂

4. Clean Something

Pick a small task — not something overwhelming. It will make you feel fulfilled to start and finish something.

I chose to scrub down the top of my oven. Seeing it all shiny clean the rest of the day was very rewarding.

5. Eat Something Healthy

Fuel your body well. Sometimes, hunger can be at the root of a bad attitude.

Make yourself a plate of some cut up fruits, veggies, and protein (nuts, hard boiled eggs, chicken, etc.) to munch on. Eat these first before hitting the carbs or sweets and you’ll feel a lot better the rest of the day.

6. Drink a Cup of Tea

As I’ve cut back on coffee, I’ve started drinking a lot more tea. I’ve become a big fan of teas that are especially designed to relax and soothe you — such as the Yogi Honey Lavender Stress Relief tea. Put a dash of honey and milk in it and it’s the perfect treat for those difficult days.

7. Tackle a Project

Find a small project to start and finish. Set the timer and get busy. It amazed me how quickly I was able to get this basket of laundry folded and put away when I set my mind to it. It was such a simple thing, but tackling it and completing it was very fulfilling.

8. Try a Change of Scenery

Sometimes, getting out and going somewhere or even just taking a walk around the block in the fresh air and sunshine will do wonders for your sanity. For me, that meant chucking part of my afternoon routine to spend an hour snuggling with my kids and watching a movie was just the change of pace I needed.

9. Count Your Blessings

There is always something to be thankful for. And it’s amazing how even difficult things can remind us of how blessed we are.

10. Do Something for Someone Else

Sitting and sulking never changes anything, but putting energy and effort into blessing and serving someone else might not change our circumstances or take away our burdens or struggles, but it can certainly help to lift our spirits.

What helps you feel more cheerful and joyful on days when you wake up feeling stuck in a funk?

Want some practical help with setting up your day for success? Be sure to grab a copy of my brand-new online course, Make Over Your Mornings.

This 14-day online course includes videos, a workbook, and step-by-step projects and is designed to help you revolutionize your productivity, streamline your routines, invest your time in things that truly matter, and find more joy and peace in the process.

If you’ve ever wished that you could figure out how to get more done, have more organization in your life, and find time to spend on things you love, the Make Over Your Mornings Course is for you. Find out more about it here.

Shared Aug 16, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s $55 Grocery Shopping and Weekly Menu Plan

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 16, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Dillons

I only had time to go to one store this week and I chose Dillons. I spent a little more since we were out of town last week and I didn’t get groceries…not to mention our refrigerator was almost bare.

2 Kroger Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, frozen (3 lb bags) – $4.98 each

1 Kroger Frozen Peas – $1

2 Kroger Shredded Cheese (8 oz) – $1.50 each

1 Kroger Butter – $2.59

1 Liberte Yogurt – $1.25, used $0.50/1 printable (doubled) – $0.25

5 Quilted Northern Bath Tissue (4 double rolls) – $1.89 each, used 2 $1/1 coupon from the 7/14 RedPlum insert and 3 $0.55/1 blinkie coupon – $1.16 each after coupons (For some reason, Dillons only doubled one of my coupons. I didn’t say anything as I figured it was good for me to get used to no more double coupons which starts August 2o here.)

1 Cheetos – $2.50, used Free e-coupon (no longer available) – Free after coupon

1 Kroger Flour – $1.64

1 Kroger Chocolate Chips – $1.59

2 Kroger Value Canned Green Beans – $0.65 each

1 Welch Grape Jelly – $1.97

1.77 lbs Organic Bananas @ $0.67/lb – $1.19

1 Moms Best Cereal – $1.99, used $0.75/1 e-coupon – $1.24 after coupon

0.99 lbs Broccoli @ $0.99/lb – $0.98

1 Romaine Lettuce – $0.99

4 Blueberries (pint) – $0.99 each, used 2 $0.50/1 printable – $0.74 each after coupons (Amazing price and we love blueberries so I was super excited about these!)

3 lbs Fuji Apples – $3.99

1 Dillons Milk (gallon) – $1.99

0.91 lbs Roma Tomatoes @ $0.99/lb – $0.90

0.79 lbs Green Beans @ $1.69/lb – $1.34

1 Green Pepper – $0.79

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

4 General Mills Cereal – $2.49 each, used $6/4 e-coupon – $0.99 each after coupon (These are the giant boxes so it’s like getting the regular boxes for $0.49 each!)

1 Turkey Hill Ice Cream – $1.99

Total before coupons and sales: $114.04

Total with tax ($4.47) after coupons and sales: $55.89

Menu Plan for This Week

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Toast/Homemade Bread

Lunches

Macaroni & Cheese x2 (We’re having friends over twice this week and are doing Mac & Cheese both times), Leftovers, Grilled Cheese, Fruit Salad, Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches

Dinners

Homemade Cheese Pizza

Italian Chicken, Tossed Salad, Fruit Salad

Brown Bag Burritos (from the freezer), Green Beans, Tossed Salad, Apples

Pasta Salad, Biscuits, Fresh Blueberries

Chicken & Rice Casserole, Steamed Broccoli

Date Night

Dinner at my parents

Shared Aug 16, 2013 comment

Join me on August 22nd at 3:00pm EST for a Live Q&A on Google+!

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 16, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Mark Your Calendars!

On Thursday, August 22, 2013 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST I’ll be doing a live Q&A on Google+! During that hour, I’ll be answering as many of your pre-submitted questions as possible. There’s no set topic for the event — so feel free to ask me anything and I’ll answer as many questions as I can!

This will be a fun way for us to just get to hang out live for a bit. (I wish it could be in real-life — but virtual chatting can be the next best thing to real-life chatting!) You can just show up and tune in or you can participate in the live chat that will be happening at the event page during that time, too.

There are two ways you can submit your questions ahead of time:

1. Fill out this quick form.

2. Post your questions as a comment on the Google+ event page.

I’ll pull questions from both places and answer them during the live event. It’s likely that I won’t be able to answer every question that’s submitted — but, if I can’t get to your question, you may see your question used as inspiration for a future Money Saving Mom® blog post!

To watch the Q&A session live, just head over to the Google+ event page at 3:00pm EST on August 22nd. You don’t have to have a Google+ account to watch the event (but if you’d like to participate during it by leaving comments on the event page, you will need to have a Google+ account).

We hope you’ll join us on August 22, 2013 — and feel free to invite your friends, too!

By the way, don’t forget you can follow Money Saving Mom® on Google+ and join the Money Saving Mom® Google+ Community!

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

Click here to download!

Shared Aug 16, 2013 comment

SmarterBucks: Shopping that helps pay down your student loans (Featured Sponsor)

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 16, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Post written by SmarterBucks

What’s the catch? Is this too good to be true? These are some of the questions that we regularly get about SmarterBucks.

SmarterBucks is a free program that allows you to earn rewards that help pay down your student loans. While this isn’t an eliminate-your-student-debt-in-one-fell-swoop kind of program, SmarterBucks promises that there’s no catch. Just an innovative approach to rewards from a company that’s dedicated to getting you out of student debt faster, one dollar at a time.

Understanding the program is the first step in taking advantage of it, so here’s a quick tutorial on how it works:

Step 1: Sign up for SmarterBucks. It’s free and only takes a couple of minutes.

Step 2: Designate a loan in the SmarterBucks system. Before your rewards can become extra student loan payments, you need to tell SmarterBucks which student loan you want to pay down first. The program accepts all types of student loans – federal or private – and even has tutorials to walk you through the process of finding the name of your loan servicer (the company who manages your student loan repayment) and deciding which student loan to pay down first.

Step 3: Earn SmarterBucks rewards. There are currently six ways for users to earn rewards, all designed to integrate with the spending and activities you do already:

SmarterBucks Marketplace: Shop online through the links found in the SmarterBucks Marketplace. You’ll earn anywhere between 1%-16% back in SmarterBucks rewards on your purchases. Retailers include Target, Walmart, J.Crew, Bath and Body Works, Groupon, and hundreds more.

SmarterBucks Surveys: Take online, brand-sponsored surveys and earn anywhere between $1-$5 in SmarterBucks for each survey completed.

SmarterBank® Visa® Debit Card (optional): To earn rewards on all your everyday spending, apply for a SmarterBank® Visa Debit card and earn SmarterBucks rewards with every non-PIN purchase made with the card.

Gifted Rewards: Get friends and family in on the action by asking them to earn rewards on your behalf as a SmarterBucks Gifter.

Contributions: Instead of birthday or holiday presents, ask for one-time or recurring cash contributions direct to your SmarterBucks account.

Monthly Giveaways: All SmarterBucks member are automatically entered into SmarterBucks’ monthly student loan payment giveaway, worth anywhere between $1,000-$2,500 in SmarterBucks.

Step 4: Watch your rewards become extra student loan payments. Each month that you have earned at least $15 in rewards, SmarterBucks will automatically make a payment on your behalf toward the student loan that you’ve designated in the system. Earnings under $15 are rolled over to subsequent months, and there are no earning caps or blackout dates.

Step 5: Get out of debt faster and for less. Every dollar you contribute in SmarterBucks, on top of your regularly scheduled payments, is worth up to 2-3 times that amount in interest savings over the life of your loan. So not only are you repaying your loan faster, you’re also saving money.

If you want to learn more about SmarterBucks, check out the SmarterBucks website or read how real SmarterBucks members are taking advantage of the program on the SmarterBucks Blog.

Shared Aug 16, 2013 comment

Swagbucks Paid for My Daughter’s School Supplies

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 16, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Today’s Swagbucks success story is from Meredith:

I had signed up for Swagbucks last Christmas, but I didn’t use it at all. I thought it was going to take up too much time and didn’t give it much thought.

I had 100 Swagbucks sitting in the account until July 1st, this year. Then it happened… we got the fliers for school supplies. My daughter is starting Kindergarten this year, and even though we are stable enough to buy her the items she will need, I hadn’t been planning on anything much beyond glue sticks and crayons!

Since my husband and I are big Amazon shoppers, we have been playing an Amazon “game” for years now. With our cash envelope system, we have a rule — when you pay, you can’t use coins. So if an item is $2.01, you have to pay with $3.00. The $0.99 goes into a jar and is changed out at the Coinstar for an even-exchange Amazon gift card (this works for us considering our bank will not accept loose coins in bulk.)

So when I got my daughter’s school supply list, my first instinct was to check our change jar. However, I was disappointed to find only about $15.00 in there. I wanted to be able to purchase items that would last for several years… so I figured I would go back on Swagbucks and give it a try.

The first week, I didn’t do much; just the NOSO, Daily Poll, and searches. However, after that first week, I started with surveys and explored more. I was easily meeting my daily goal which gave me even more Swagbucks.

Here are some things that gave me a lot of Swagbucks: Jun Vidoes, Encrave, Games (Up to 10 Swagbucks per day on free play), Surveys in the Dashboard, Surveys in Special offers, and searching.

Within three short weeks, I had made enough, along with my $15.00 in the Amazon fund, to buy my daughter a new Jansport backpack, a new lunchbox, and a new water bottle (she got to pick them out).

So now, thanks to MoneySavingMom.com, I am a faithful Swagbucks user! I can also say that I have $15 dollars in my Amazon account left over to go toward my next purchase — Christmas gifts!

Shared Aug 16, 2013 comment

Reader Tip: Stock up on school supplies for Operation Christmas Child

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 16, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Jeri emailed in the following tip:

I thought this might be a good time to let readers know (or remind them) that since school supplies are so inexpensive right now, this might be the perfect time to stock up for Operation Christmas Child. Purchasing some extra glue sticks, rulers, pencils, etc. now can be a great contribution for those who are filling shoe boxes. It’s a great ministry and one worth checking into! -Jeri

Shared Aug 16, 2013 comment

Gretchen’s Target Shopping Trip: Spent $3.49 for $22.49 worth of products

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 16, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Target Shopping Trip

2 Motts for Tots Juice – $2.08, used 2 $1.50/1 printable – $0.58 each after coupons

1 Market Pantry Bread – $1.29, used $1/1 Target mobile coupon – $0.29 after coupon

2 Bic Soleil Razors – $4.78 each, used 2 $2/1 Target printable (no longer available) AND 2 $3/1 coupon from the 8/11 SmartSource insert – Free after coupons

2 Drawing Paper – $1.50 each, used 2 $1.50/1 Target printable (no longer available) – Free after coupons

2 Hormel Rev Wraps – $1.79 each, used $1/2 Target printable AND $1/2 coupon from the 8/11 SmartSource insert – $0.79 each after coupons

Total before coupons: $22.49

Total with tax ($0.90) after coupons: $3.49

Shared Aug 15, 2013 comment

When It Feels Like Life is Exploding

Published: by Crystal Paine on August 15, 2013 | This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Yesterday, I tried to heat up some hardboiled eggs in the microwave. For the record, that was not a good idea. 🙂

As I was cleaning up the egg particles that had exploded all over every nook and cranny of the microwave (I had to use an old toothbrush to get some of it cleaned up from the crevices of the door!), I realized how fitting this egg explosion was — because it has pretty much felt like my whole week was a series of one mess or explosion after another.

I said earlier this week that I was back to regular blogging this week… and I totally expected to be. But I failed to really take into consideration what all was on my plate this week — and then there were some unexpected curveballs thrown in there, too:

We were out of town all last week, so I came home to piles of emails, work projects, and laundry. (And my assistant was out of town all of this week — we’re so glad she was able to go on vacation, but boy did I realize how much I rely on her help!)
The first pass of my book was due back to my publisher on Wednesday. Finishing this required a number of hours’ worth of work on Monday and Tuesday. (The first pass is the version where it’s all laid out exactly as it will go to the printers — my mom and I went through it with a fine-toothed comb trying to catch each and every typo or other error).
A child accidentally spilled a big glass of iced tea on Jesse’s computer causing it to stop working and resulting in a $250 repair bill.
Our car was in the shop for half of the week… and they were unable to figure out what the issue was.
I forgot to take my sinus/allergy medication at the end of last week and paid for it this week with a chronic headache that sent me to bed a few times because it was so severe.
And then, my blog’s server had major issues which resulted in it being down or crawling at a snail’s pace much of Tuesday and Wednesday. When we finally got everything worked out and up and running again, something happened somewhere that locked everyone on my team (including me!) out of my blog. (We are in the process of switching servers to resolve this problem and prevent it from happening again in the future.)

My visions of a quiet, organized, calm week definitely didn’t materialize… but I tried to count my blessings in the middle of the messes:

I’m grateful we were able to take a vacation as a family — we made many memories and it was a wonderful time away.
I’m thankful for my assistant and all she does to help relieve my workload — I’d be sunk without her!
I’m humbled to have the opportunity to write another book and am so thrilled to see it coming together so beautifully!
I’m thankful we had money set aside to pay for the computer repairs and the car repairs. Both cases could have been worse and more expensive.
I’m grateful for my sinus/allergy medication — without it, I would be in constant pain.
And I’m so thankful that it’s been years since we’ve had blog/server issues to the severity that they were this week. I’m also very grateful for Joy from FiveJDesign.com and her technical expertise — there’s no way I could figure out how to fix and resolve these issues on my own!

In reality, these issues this past week were so minor. Yes, they were inconvenient. Some of them were costly. Some of them took a lot of time to deal with. But none of them were life-threatening. None of them were permanent or even long-term.

So in the midst of mess, I’m grateful. So very grateful.

And maybe next week things will be a little more smooth sailing? We’ll see!

Summer Bucket List

Summer Bucket List

FREE Summer Bucket List!!

Enter Swagbucks!

Our Creative Plan

How I Earn At Least 50 Swagbucks Per Day

Today’s Project

1. Sign up!

2. Refer your friends.

3. List great books.

4. Purchase credits at a discount.

5. Become a Boxer.

6. Network.

7. Ask.

8. Offer a Deal Yourself.