Today’s question is from Alexa:
Do cloth diapers really save you money? If so, which brands/styles do you recommend? -Alexa
Do you have a question you’d like to ask Money Saving Mom® readers? Read the submission guidelines and submit it here.
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Are you tired, exhausted, and overwhelmed today?
Feeling weary, burned out, and just plain worn down today? I wrote a post over on The Better Mom that you need to read. It’s on 10 Practical Ways to Stay Energized as a Mom.
Most of these tips are applicable to anyone — even if you’re not a mom. By the way, some of you are going to think I’m crazy for #10, but I dare you to try it! 🙂
Top 9 Apps That Will Save (and Make) You Money
Recently, one of my readers asked for some recommendations on apps that will save and make you money. I posted this question on the Money Saving Mom Facebook Page, and based upon the input I received there, I’ve put together a list of the top 10 apps that will save and make you money:
1. ShopKick
Download the free Shopkick app and get mobile coupons plus rewards for walking into stores. Here’s what they say about it:
We’re all familiar with traditional reward programs. Shopkick is a shopping rewards program that’s, well, more rewarding. No plastic cards, no confusing rules, no extra steps. You just do what you love doing anyway—walking into your favorite stores like Target, Macy’s, Best Buy, Crate&Barrel, Old Navy, Toys”R”Us, Exxon and Mobil convenience stores, and more—and you automatically rack up über-versatile points called “kicks.” No applications to fill out, and no purchase required. That’s right—you just walk in with your smartphone and instantly earn kicks.
Right now, you can get a free $2 Target gift card, too. Details here.
2. Jingit
Jingit is a newer income-earning program that pays you to watch ads online. You can also earn money for downloading the mobile app, scanning items at Walmart, and answering a couple of questions.
To get paid, you just register for a Jingit Visa Debit Card (costs $3 from your Jingit balance to request it) and then add cash for your online Jingit balance to the Visa card. There is an earning limit of $15 per week. When you initially join, you’ll have a lower earning limit but this can be raised to $15 by inviting friends to join.
See a more in-depth explanation of Jingit here.
3. Ibotta
Have you checked out the new iBotta app? It’s another way to earn, similar to Jingit. Unlike Jingit, though, it requires a product purchase to earn the money.
However, the payout is high and it’s really simple to do. Just sign up for iBotta and download the free app. Choose any of the products that you plan to buy at the store and click on the earning opportunities and watch the videos, take the quick surveys, or read the information to add the cash to your account.
Purchase the product at an approved retailer (make sure you’re buying it when it’s on a great sale and using a coupon, too!) Take a picture of your receipt when you get home and your cash will be added to your account. You can transfer your cash to your Paypal account whenever you want to cash out.
4. RetailMeNot
The free RetailMeNot app allows you to browse all the best coupons available, get deal alerts while shopping at your favorite malls, and find thousands of online and in-store coupons. Always consult the RetailMeNot app or site before making a purchase in-store or online to see if there’s a coupon can you use to save some extra money.
5. SwagbucksTV App
Earn money for watching videos on your phone. You’ll earn 2 Swagbucks for every 5 videos watched. There’s a limit of 50 Swagbucks per day that you can earn per device, but that can add up quickly. This app is also available for Android.
6. Old Navy SnapAppy
Like to shop atDownload Old Navy’s free SnapAppy app and then take pictures of Old Navy logos to win free things. I pulled up Old Navy logos online and snapped shots of them and won a coupon for a pair of free Old Navy Flip Flops plus a $5 off any at Old Navy coupon (no minimum!).
7. Gas Buddy
Gas Buddy is a free app that allows you to find the least expensive gas in your area. You can also locate gas stations near you and see their current prices.
Dawna said: “I use Gas Buddy all the time. If I know I have enough gas to get me to my destination 30 miles away and gas is ten cents cheaper a gallon there, I’m on it!”
9. ShopSavvy
ShopSavvy is a free app that allows you to scan any barcode of any item and find the lowest online or local prices. Andrea said: “I have installed a barcode scanner on my smartphone. When shopping in a store I always scan the barcode to see if it is cheaper online. Last week I found a pair of shoes in a store for 60 dollars. I scanned the barcode and was able to find them at Amazon for 42 dollars with free shipping. The money I save using the barcode app almost pays for the Smartphone!”
10. Price-Matching
This isn’t an app, per se, but I had to mention this because it’s a fantastic way to use your smartphone to save money. Before checking out at any store that price-matches (such as Walmart or Target), always check your phone to see if you can find a lower price somewhere.
Lisa said: “I had to buy my son a graphing calculator for school the next day. The cheapest in our area was at Best Buy. While in line I looked up the exact calculator in amazon and showed them my phone. They matched the price and I saved $26!”
What are your favorite apps to save and earn money? Tell us about them in the comments!
Shared Jan 8, 2013
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Q&A: Help! How do we stop spending more than $1,000 per month on groceries?
Q&A: Help! How do we stop spending more than $1,000 per month on groceries?
Carrie contacted me through the Money Saving Mom® Facebook Page with the following question:
HELP!! I’m failing my family at staying within our grocery budget. I know all the things I’m “supposed” to be doing, and I’m just not approaching it in a logical, orderly enough way to accomplish these things.
Will you help me by reviewing the “basics” – reminding me of what I should be doing, and perhaps showing me some things I’m missing?
I know I should clip coupons more. I forget.
I know I should buy sales more. I forget.
I know I should stay away from brand names. I’m picky.
I know I shouldn’t buy “extras.” I’m lazy.
I’ve tried carrying a calculator with me through the store. I get overwhelmed.I *do* make a menu.
I *do* make a list from the menu.
I *do* look at what we already have in the house so as not to duplicate.
I *do* shop Costco to save on bulk items.
I have downloaded the Safeway app to receive extra savings.But I invariably go over budget on groceries every month. We are a family of 5 (one child being an infant) and we budget $700/month ($350/paycheck) for groceries, yet I usually end up spending closer to $1,000.
This is ridiculous! I’m better than this! I shouldn’t be having this problem. What are some practical steps I can be doing to help get on top of this and be proactive from the front end so I’m not squeezing to make ends meet every two weeks?? -Carrie
First off, Carrie, please don’t beat yourself up, okay? Do you know how many people have never even considered having a grocery budget or menu-planning? You’re already doing a lot, so cut yourself some slack and be encouraged that you are doing some things. And doing something is always better than doing nothing.
After reading your email a few times and contemplating it, here are my thoughts on some action steps you could take to start finding success in lowering your grocery budget:
1. Stop Telling Yourself You Can’t
As I encouraged people to do in 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life, you’ve got to remove the word “can’t” from your vocabulary. If you tell yourself that you can’t, than you will believe that you can’t. When you believe that you can’t, then you invariably won’t.
It’s totally okay to deliberately decide, “I am not going to focus on lowering my grocery bill because I need to focus my energies on X.” Or to purposefully commit to keeping your grocery bill as is (or even raising it) because you want to support local farms or buy fair trade products or you are choosing to eat all organic as a family.
None of these things involve “can’t”, they involve choice. There’s a big difference there.
2. Aim to Lower Your Grocery Bill By 1-3% Every Month
Instead of trying to overhaul your grocery bill overnight, set a goal to lower your grocery bill by 1-3% every month. While this might not seem like this will make much of an impact, over time, your savings will really start to add up. And, by doing it gradually, it will seem a lot less overwhelming and doable.
3. Analyze What You’re Spending that $1,000 Per Month On
Gather up your receipts from the past few shopping trips, if you have them, and take a good look at where that $1,000 is going. What are the areas where you’re spending the most? Right off the bat, you might realize you’re spending an exorbitant amount on meat or diapers or produce.
Whichever area is the biggest spending culprit is the area I recommend that you focus your energies on lowering.
4. Pick One Money-Saving Technique to Focus on Per Month
Rather than trying to work on a bunch of different areas of your grocery budget, just focus on one specific and realistic money-saving technique per month. Use the analysis you did in step #3 to decide which area to focus on first.
For instance, maybe you are spending a lot on produce. For the next month, plan your meals around the few different fruits and vegetables that are in season and on sale that month. Focus on this money-saving technique only for a month.
Don’t worry about that long list of other ideas you come up with when you’re reading frugal blogs. You can add those things to an ongoing list of money-saving ideas you want to implement, but only worry about adding one new thing each month.
The next month, if you’re feeling comfortable with that focus area, add in something else, like shopping with cash or planning meals that use less expensive ingredients.
5. Don’t Compare Yourself to Other Bloggers or People You See on “Extreme Couponing”
Finally, it’s easy to become discouraged when you see savings of like 80 to 100% on blogs or the Extreme Couponing show. You can feel like you just don’t measure up because you’re over there working really hard and only seeing 30% savings.
Don’t compare yourself to anyone else but yourself — unless you want to end up feeling discouraged. You can only do what you can do. Plus, I promise that those folks who are highlighting their amazing 99% savings shopping trips are not seeing those kinds of savings every single shopping trip.
What advice do the rest of you have for Carrie? I’ve love to hear!
For step-by-step help in lowering your grocery budget, be sure to check out my 31 Days to a Better Grocery Budget series.
Shared Jan 8, 2013
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One thing that will make a remarkable difference in your goal-setting success…
One thing that will make a remarkable difference in your goal-setting success…
I’m over on MomLife today talking about the importance of goal-setting. And I’m sharing one of the key ways to follow through with your goals.
What do you think that key thing is? Head on over to MomLife to read more.
Reader Tip: Inexpensive Cell Phone Data Packages with Ting.com
Lonni emailed in the following tip:
I work from home doing graphic design, with two young boys (3 and 1). My husband and I weren’t necessarily looking to cut our cell phone costs, but we wanted to switch to a plan where I could access email while I was away from home. We looked at the major carriers, but a data plan just simply was not an option on our current budget.
We searched around until we found a great low-cost cell phone carrier called Ting.com. They offer pay-as-you-go, no contract (and no fees to cancel), and “pay for what you use” cell phone plans. They also allow you to create an a la carte plan based on the amount of text, data, minutes you’d like to use.
So far, we’ve been able to use all the bells and whistles of a smartphone while paying LESS than we paid for a minutes-only plan with our other carrier. It’s truly amazing and so nice to know I can cancel my plan at any time if needed without penalty.
Shared Jan 7, 2013
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52 Different Ways to Save at Least $100 This Year: Bake Your Own Bread (Week #1)
52 Different Ways to Save at Least $100 This Year: Bake Your Own Bread (Week #1)
Every Monday in 2013, I’ll be sharing a different way you can save $100 this year. If you do all of these things, you’ll be able to save over $5,000 this year alone! Many of these things will likely be things you’re already doing, but hopefully all of you will pick up at least a few new ideas or some inspiration from this series.
Week #1: Bake Your Own Bread
There’s something about the smell of homemade bread wafting through your house. Not only does it smell so welcoming, but fresh-from-the-oven bread is beyond delicious! Best of all, you can save over $100 per year by making your own homemade bread!
I love to use my homemade bread machine to mix up the dough for homemade bread. It makes it so simple — and it takes less than five minutes to measure and dump all the ingredients into the machine and clean up the little bit of mess you made.
What If You Don’t Have a Bread Machine?
If you don’t have a bread machine, don’t go out and spend a bunch of money on one. Instead, ask around and see if any of your friends have a bread machine they aren’t using that you could borrow. Or check area garage sales, Craigslist, or thrift stores.
You can also use a KitchenAid or Bosch to mix the dough. Or, you can just do it the old-fashioned way and just knead it by hand — but that does make it more time-consuming.
How Much Can You Save By Making Your Own Homemade Bread?
Kristen from The Frugal Girl did a very thorough investigation into how much it you’ll save by making your own homemade bread. She estimated that you’ll save at least $0.50 per loaf if you typically buy the very cheapest bread on the market (that typically sells for $0.99 per loaf). However, if you typically buy a little bit higher quality bread (that usually retails for $2-$3 per loaf, than you’re going to be saving $1.50 to $2.50 per loaf.
So, if you usually buy 2 loaves of bread each week, that’s a savings of $156 to $260 per year. And if you make all of your own homemade breads, such as cinnamon rolls, pita pockets, breadsticks, rolls, and more, you’re going to save even more!
My Favorite Simple & Easy Homemade Bread Recipes
My Favorite Homemade Bread Recipe
Do you make your own homemade bread? What are some of your favorite homemade bread recipes?
10 Goals For This Week
Have you set goals for this week yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Start by setting just a few small and simple goals, write them down, and work on them a little bit every day.
Here’s my list of goals for this week:
Family/Marriage/Mothering Goals
1. Play a game with the girls.
2. Write a love note to Jesse.
3. Weekend trip with Jesse for our 10 year anniversary!
Personal Goals
4. Memorize Romans 1:1-4.
5. Extra rest and liquids to help me recover from the flu.
6. Finish reading For the Children’s Sake, Lead Your Family Like Jesus, A Woman’s Place: A Novel
Homemaking Goals
7. Do the Freezer Cooking in an Hour session.
8. Finish 25 rows of the scarf for Kathrynne (I finish Kaitlynn’s scarf a few weeks ago and am now working on a matching scarf for Kathrynne.)
Business Goals
9. Work on the second round of edits for chapters 4, 5, and 6 of my next book.
10. Finish two guest posts for other sites.
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.
This week’s really, really simple menu
Silas, Kaitlynn, and I are recovering from the flu and Jesse and I are leaving on a weekend trip in a few days and the kids are staying with Grandma and Grandpa, so this week’s menu (for those days that we’re home) is super simple and easy:
Breakfasts
Oatmeal, Cereal, Eggs, and/or Fruit
Lunches
Mac & Cheese, fruit
Chicken Noodle Soup, crackers, veggies
Snack-y lunch
Cheese quesadillas, carrot sticks
Leftovers x 2Snacks
Fruit/veggies
PopcornFreezer Cooking in an Hour (stay tuned on Thursday when I’ll share a play-by-play on how this goes!)
Homemade Freezer Biscuits
Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Taco Meat
Crockpot Apple Butter (I bought two big boxes of apples on a special a few months ago and froze some of them so I’m going to try using them in this recipe. We’ll see how it works with frozen apples!)Dinners
Fend For Yourself (since I was sick — I think they had Cheese Quesadillas and soup that my friend brought over. Honestly, I was so out of it on yesterday that I’m not even sure!)
Chicken Noodle Soup, bread, fruit/veggies
Easy Crockpot Chicken Fajitas, fruit
Slow Cooker Fiesta Chicken Soup, biscuits, fruit/veggies
Chili Tortilla Bake, fruit
What’s on your menu this week? Share details and/or your link to your menu plan in the comments.
5 Ways to Improve Your Health AND Save Money
Looking for a few easy ways to improve your health without breaking the bank? Keep reading for 5 simple, frugal ways to do just that!
Guest post from Pam.
The start of another New Year is the perfect time to make healthy changes in your life. Most of us start a new year feeling optimistic and ready for a change.
I know thousands of us will include “eating better” and “getting in shape” as some of our New Year’s Resolutions. However, a tight budget may make those resolutions seem difficult to achieve.
To help you out, I’ve compiled five ways you can improve your health and save money!
1. Look for gym deals.
January is the perfect time to join a gym. Most gyms are offering great sign up deals to cash in on the New Year “get fit” resolution.
In addition to traditional gyms, check out your local YMCA, fitness studios, and personal trainers. You might also look into joining with a friend – often a gym will give you a 2-for-1 discount if you just ask.
2. Eat in season.
Just because it’s not the middle of summer when the garden is full of produce doesn’t mean you can’t find seasonal food to enjoy.
When you visit the grocery store, look to see what is on sale in the produce department. Those items are most likely your seasonal ones, and will typically be the best price.
Look for winter markets – more and more cities are starting to add them to entice those of us who love the summer farmer’s market for our produce. Not sure what is local for your area? Check out this great guide.
3. Plan a Menu.
Once you start spending more on those organic food items, it becomes even more important to use them up! Menu planning is a great way to ensure you are only buying what you need (thus saving money).
However, don’t just plan out your dinners. Think about snack foods or breakfast items you can make early in the week and then enjoy all week long.
Plan menus that use that local and seasonal produce. Check your grocery ads to see what is on sale to help you create your menu plan.
4. Use those scraps.
Use up all the food you buy – if you’ve paid good money on that organic, free-range chicken and organic celery, it just makes sense to use the bones and scraps to make delicious chicken stock – it’s healthier and easy in the crock pot.
Have some heels from your loaf of bread? Make bread crumbs. Try to think like our ancestors and find ways to use all the little bits of leftovers. You’ll eat better and save money!
5. Set a savings/health goal.
Set a goal for yourself to find one area where you can save money and improve your health. Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to do it all at once. Then, when you accomplish one, go ahead and try another.
Some great examples of simple goals: change your coffee routine – learn how to make a delicious coffee at home versus going out; make your own yogurt; start using one homemade “green” cleaner versus the store bought version.
The list could go on and on, but by making one change at a time, you’ll consistently be saving money and taking a small step towards better health.
Pam Howard is a Certified Holistic Health Coach located in Noblesville, IN. She works with busy moms (and others) to help them create a balanced, healthy, vibrant life.
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Click here to download!
Shared Jan 5, 2013
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A Peek Into Our Week: A train trip to Kansas City, Legoland, New Year’s Eve, snow, and sickness
A Peek Into Our Week: A train trip to Kansas City, Legoland, New Year’s Eve, snow, and sickness
By popular demand, I’m bringing back the A Peek Into Our Week feature on Saturdays — to give you a little behind-the-scenes look into what’s gone on in our household each week.
It snowed this week — and it stayed cold enough that the snow actually stayed on the ground a little! My kids were so excited to play in it, even if it was freezing cold.
Above, they found some tracks in the snow. So we spent some time that day researching various animal tracks on the internet and discussing the difference in the way animals leave tracks based upon whether they hop or walk on all fours. I then assigned Kathrynne the project of coming up with a hypothesis for what kind of animal it was, how it was walking (hopping or walking on all fours), and had her draw the tracks and her hypothesis.
This intertwining of our life with our learning is one of the parts of homeschooling that I just absolutely love — and the kids do, too! In addition, I’m pretty sure that they all end up getting a lot more out of it than if I were just reading textbooks alone.
Kaitlynn is turning into quite the little fashionista and I typically get a chuckle every morning when I see what she’s picked to wear. She’s definitely got her own style going and I don’t think she gets an iota of it from me. 🙂 Here, I think she may be trying to color block.
Oh and don’t miss the high heels. She wears them also every single day!
Our family gift for Christmas was a train trip to Kansas City. We’ve never ridden a train before — outside of something like the train ride at Silver Dollar City — and our kids have been asking us if we could take a family trip via train. Convinced by this guest post on riding the train, we booked our tickets for a train trip to Kansas City and got up at 2 a.m. to get to the train station for the train to leave at 3:30 a.m.
I’m not sure that we fell in love with the whole train trip experience, but our kids had an absolutely blast… especially because we went to Legoland while in Kansas City.
Apparently, we weren’t the only people who had the idea of going to Legoland! 😉
But waiting in line was worth it because we all really enjoyed ourselves. It’s always wonderful when every single person in the family thinks the trip was a home run success!
They had a karaoke area at Legoland complete with live mics and a choice of songs. Kaitlynn, of course, made a bee line for this.
Kathrynne and I were laughing talking about how different Kaitlynn is than the two of us. For sure, Kathrynne and I would never volunteer or be excited about doing karaoke in front of all sorts of people we don’t know at Legoland! 🙂
After our long Legoland excursion, we spent some time walking around Crowne Center and then headed to A Street Car Named Desire for dinner. Here’s three of our very tuckered out party.
It was fun to eat in a streetcar, but our excitement was a little hampered by the couples at a table really close to us who were performing acupuncture at their table. I kid you not, two of the folks at the table had four long needles sticking out of each of their wrists! It was definitely something I’ve not quite ever seen in a restaurant before!
It didn’t take long before both Silas and Kaitlynn completely crashed at dinner! The train left Kansas City at midnight and we made it back home around 5 a.m. It was a little exhausting but so much fun!
We celebrated New Year’s Eve by going on a double date with Jesse’s sister and her husband while Grandma and Grandpa babysat (the double date at a nice restaurant was a Christmas present from Jesse’s parents). It was a wonderful way to close out the year!
2013 has had a bit of a rocky beginning, but that’s life sometimes. Silas came down with a high fever on Wednesday evening and I spent the next two days pretty near glued to his side trying to comfort him and nurse him back to health. He started showing signs of improvement on Friday just in time for me to come down with it.
And now I feel even more sorry for him because this flu is nasty! At the same time, though, I’m grateful that it’s just the flu… there are many worse things in life to be dealing with than a high fever and achy body.
How was your week? Did anything interesting or exciting happen at your house? Tell us about it!
Shared Jan 5, 2013
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Freebies in My Mailbox: Betty Crocker, Nivea, Caress, and Herbal Essence
Freebies in My Mailbox: Betty Crocker, Nivea, Caress, and Herbal Essence
Here are the freebies I’ve gotten in the mail over the past week:
Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
Nivea Body Wash
Caress Body Wash
Coupon for a free 1.7-oz bottle of Herbal Essence
What freebies have arrived in your mailbox this week?
By the way, if you want to start getting great freebies in your mailbox, just start signing up for the freebies I post every day that interest you. Within 4-6 weeks, your mailbox will start filling up with great freebies!
It’s Amazing What You Can Do With Spare Change
Testimony from Jan.
For several years now, we have been saving our change in a jar starting at the beginning of each new year.
Then, during the Holidays, we dump it out on the table, count and roll it, then go through the Gospel for Asia wish list to see what we can buy.
This past Christmas, we were able to buy:
- a pair of pigs
- a sheep
- two chickens
- a mosquito net
- a blanket
- a tambourine
- a drum
Everyone in our family got to pick something and tell why they thought it would be a good idea, then we made our list.
This year we purchased all this and had 17 cents left toward next years gifts!
What do you do with your spare change?
4 Guaranteed Ways to Wake Up More Excited About Your Day
Do you leap out of bed every morning thrilled to meet the day and all its adventure? Or, do you find yourself dragging your feet around in the morning, dreading your day and all that it contains?
If the latter describes you, here are four ways to give yourself a boost in life and to help you start living with more zest:
1. Let Go of Complacency.
I’ve been reading 20,000 Days and Counting by Robert D. Smith and am inspired at his question: “100 years from now, what will you have left behind?”
He challenges readers to consider how many days you’ve lived so far. According to the calculator on his site, I’ve lived 11,418 days. That’s a lot of days and I know that I’ve not lived all of them to the fullest.
You’ve only got one shot at life, so don’t waste it. You were made for more than the status quo.
Do something. Start somewhere. Today is the first day of the rest of your life — however long you have to live. Don’t waste it!
2. Stop Living in Fear.
Fear cripples and suffocates the life from you. It keeps you from even trying. It whispers things in your ear like, “You’re not good enough.” “You’re not qualified enough.” “You’re a failure.”
If you want to stay forever stuck, keep listening and believing those lies. They will bring you down and suck the life out of you.
I read the autobiography of Chuck Norris last year and loved how he said (my paraphrase), “Instead of running from my fears, I force myself to face them head-on.”
He talked about how he was deathly scared of public speaking. He made himself accept speaking engagements and opportunities again and again until he finally got over his fear and now it doesn’t bother him at all.
What are you afraid of?
3. Quit Listening to the Naysayers
There will always be people who disagree with you, criticize the choices you’ve made in life, or are just plain negative. That’s a fact of life.
The surest way to live a miserable life is to try and please everyone. It’s impossible… but you can sure run yourself ragged trying.
Now, let me be clear: If you’ve offended a friend, you need to do your best to make things right. If someone has a legitimate concern about the direction you’re headed or something you’re doing, you definitely should listen to them and take their counsel into consideration.
However, if your life is being picked apart by Negative Nelly and there’s no basis for the negativity, you gotta stop letting her bring you down. You can’t control what other people say about you, but you can control how you let it affect you.
Did you get that? It’s their problem, not yours. Remind yourself of this when you can’t seem to do anything right by someone else. Most of the time, it’s not because there’s anything wrong with you; it’s because they are insecure themselves. And they try to make themselves feel better by criticizing someone else.
Tactfully remove yourself from negative people and situations as much as you can. When it’s not possible to avoid the negativity, picture an invisible shield between you and the negative person and tune out their unfounded attacks remembering that they are unfounded.
In addition, do not respond to negativity with negativity. That only fuels the fire more. Either don’t respond at all or respond with genuine love and kindness.
4. Jump Outside Your Comfort Zone
Jon Acuff posted the above quote that asks a fantastic question: “When was the last time you did something for the first time?”
Does jumping out of the safe zone scare you? Well, then take a tiny baby step. And then another tiny baby step. Whatever you do, though, don’t stay put.
One thing that helps me is to ask myself, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” In most cases, there are pretty much only two “worst case scenarios” when trying something new: a) You try something and fail at it — which isn’t bad at all, as I already hopefully convinced you of just a minute ago. b) You try something and decide you don’t like it. In that case, there are a billion other possibilities of things you can try next.
I loved this quote from Michael Hyatt that I heard on his Platform University video that I watched yesterday morning:
“The most interesting things in life happen just outside your comfort zone.”
I’ve found this to be true in my own life. There are so many amazing experiences, relationships, and experiences I would have missed out on if I had stayed in the safe zone.
Sure, it’s scary, but if you’re willing to take the risk, I promise that you’ll end up finding it really rewarding. Plus, I’ve discovered that when you start pushing yourself outside your comfort zone, your comfort zone moves. Things that were once completely daunting to you can become exhilarating and invigorating.
And no matter what happens when you get outside of your comfort zone, I promise that it will be more inspiring than staying stuck in a rut.
What helps you wake up more excited about your day — and your life? I’d love to hear!
Change Your Life in 2013 With One Word
Last year, I created an ambitious list of 12 habits — one for each month. This, in addition to a rather-overwhelming goals for 2012 list.
It was too much. I felt somewhat burdened by the long list and the big ambitions. And truthfully, I felt behind most of the year.
This year, not only did I create a simpler list of goals, but I also decided against creating a list of habits to try and implement each month. Instead, I decided to choose a word to make as my focus for the year.
The idea of having a one-word focus is not original to me. Ann Voskamp has been blogging about it for the last three years and there’s even a book called My One Word that released just recently.
I spent the last two weeks of December contemplating which word would best encompass the direction God has been leading me in my life recently. I finally landed upon two words. I know, I know, that sort of ruins the “one word” thing, but I’ve never been one to follow the rules, have I?
My words for 2013? Margin and discipline.
Why I Chose the Word “Margin”
As most of you know, I tend to be a little Type A. Okay, maybe more like a lot Type A according to some people.
I like to have a plan. I like to be productive. I like to check things off a list.
I don’t like surprises or spontaneity. Well, unless it’s carefully planned. 😉
Ever since my 30 minutes of quiet this summer and reading Love Does, I’ve been challenged to work on becoming more laid back and focusing on enjoying the moment — instead of always trying to get things done and stay productive.
So I’m being intentional about allowing more room for margin in my life in 2013. More time to just be instead of do. More time to embrace the moment instead of stressing about productivity. More time to soak up the moments. More time for quiet.
Why I Chose the Word “Discipline”
So, this might sound like the exact opposite of Margin, but it’s actually not. In fact, I think that Margin and Discipline can be paired together beautifully. You see, by being disciplined in my everyday life, it enables me to enjoy margin. That might sound all whacked out to those who are Type B or Type Z, but you’ll just have to be gracious and cut this Type A gal some slack, okay? 🙂
The area that I’m specifically focusing on when it comes to discipline in 2013 is getting up at the same time (or around the same time — I’m shooting to be up no later than 6 a.m.) every single morning and then exercising, showering, and dressing by 8 a.m.
I’m really good about getting up early some mornings and really good about exercising, showering, and dressing at the beginning of the day some mornings, but it seems like it’s been more hit and miss recently. I’ll get up at 4 a.m. for a few mornings and then I’ll be so tired that I’ll sleep in until 8 a.m. on the weekends.
Some days I’ll run a few miles before the crack of dawn and be showered and dressed by 7 a.m. Other mornings, I never get in the exercise or shower.
While this might not seem to extreme or anything, this lack of consistency is having a trickle down affect in many areas. In addition, I want to set a good example for my children, just as my parents set for me.
After some long discussions with my husband, we both agreed that making this an every single day thing could be one of the best things I do for my year — and maybe for years to come. So that’s basically my desire with choosing discipline as one of my words for 2013.
Have you chosen one word for 2013? Tell us what it is in the comments.