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Shared Oct 19, 2012 comment

31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: Listia.com (Day 17)

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31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: Listia.com (Day 17)

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas

Welcome to October’s series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas. In this series, I’m highlighting simple and legitimate ways you can earn extra cash in the next two months for those of you who could use a little extra cash to help you pay for Christmas — or just for your living expenses if you’re in a tight spot right now.

If you’ve found a great way to make extra cash before Christmas that doesn’t require an outlay of cash upfront, please email me your tip. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Guest post from Shannon of Tethered Mommy

I’ve discovered an interesting (and fun!) way to earn a few Amazon cards — just for getting rid of stuff I don’t need. I use Listia.com to give away my items and receive credits that I can use to “buy” other things that I do want and need such as Amazon gift cards, Chili’s gift cards, and more.

What is Listia?

Listia is an online auction similar to eBay yet no money is exchanged (unless the winning bidder pays for shipping). Instead, credits are used to win auctions and are received when your auctions have “sold”.

How does it work?

If you have something you’d like to list, you would take a photo of it and list it using their auction platform. You’ll  choose a category, write a description, and select how long you would like the auction to run (ten days is the max).

There’s no cost to list an item and you’ll receive free credits for doing so. You can also receive free credits for offering free shipping, earning badges, and more. If your item ends with a winning bid, you’ll receive the credits for that auction.

Once you’ve accumulated a decent amount of credits, you can bid on auctions you’re interested in. The Amazon cards are very popular so I try to find some with a low GIN (Get It Now) price. I’ve won a $5 Amazon card for 2500 credits, but now that Listia is getting more popular I don’t think I’ll find one for that low again.

How much time does it take?

It take about 10-15 minutes to list an auction — basically however long it takes you to photograph your item, upload the picture, and create your listing.

How much can I earn?

The key to listing items on Listia is offering items that cost little or nothing to ship. You’ll want to offer small, lightweight items that can ship with just the cost of a stamp or two, such as CD’s or necklaces.

It’s amazing the items people will bid on! I’ve seen MyCokeRewards codes being listed and have started collecting caps myself to create an auction of my own. These codes can then be emailed to the winning bidder, saving you from having to pay shipping costs. Just make sure to include a photo of the caps because there is a rule that no intangible goods can be sold.

I recently received a TJ MAXX $10 store credit and will not be using it since the closest TJ Maxx is two hours away. Instead, I’m going to list on Listia — and that should result in a large number of credits (plus, it will only cost $0.45 to ship!)

You can also earn credits by referring your friends. When they successfully list their first auction, you’ll get 500 credits! And they’ll get 100 credits simply by joining.

You’re not going to get rich, but Listia is a great way to earn Amazon cards from things you no longer need or can’t use. Then, you can use your Amazon gift cards to purchase Christmas gifts or other things your family needs!

Shannon is a blogger at Tethered Mommy. She’s always on the lookout for ways to earn extra money when you’re “tied-up” at home.

Shared Oct 19, 2012 comment

Double Apple Whole-Wheat Scones with Caramel Glaze

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Double Apple Whole-Wheat Scones with Caramel Glaze

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Brigette Shevy

I love fall. Cool crisp mornings, bright orange pumpkins, breathtaking color, fresh apples from the orchard, football, steaming chai lattes, honeycrisp apples, sweatshirts and jeans, baking, snuggling with blankets and my sweet children, and did I mention apples?

I spend the entire year counting down the months until September, when those amazing Honeycrisp apples are finally in season (and thus semi-affordable!) at my favorite orchard.

Here’s a recipe that transforms a delicious fall favorite — caramel apples — into tender, flaky scones. These are perfect with a mug of hot tea or coffee! We like them for breakfast, snack, dessert… pretty much any time of day.

They are sophisticated enough to serve as a fancy, not-overly-sweet dessert, but simple enough for everyday. As an added bonus, they will make your house smell good for hours!


Double Apple Whole-Wheat Scones with Caramel Glaze

Makes 10 large scones or 16 smaller scones

Ingredients for Scones:

  • 1 large apple, peeled and chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon butter
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup white whole wheat flour (You can also use regular whole wheat, whole wheat pastry flour, or additional all-purpose.)
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 ½ Tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 5 Tablespoons butter, cubed
  • 1/3 cup applesauce
  • 1/3 cup whipping cream, half and half, or milk

Directions for scones:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine chopped apples and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for one minute. Stir in cinnamon and vanilla. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix together flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in the butter until mixture is the consistency of pea-size lumps. Stir in the applesauce and apple mixture. Add just enough cream or milk until you can form a ball of dough and turn onto a lightly floured board.

Knead lightly a couple of times and press into a circle about ¾ inch thick (for smaller size scones, press into two smaller circles ¾ inch thick). Cut into 10 pie-shaped wedges and place on an ungreased cookie sheet (for smaller scones, cut each smaller circle into 8 wedges each).

Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Let cool slightly on a wire rack and drizzle with caramel glaze (recipe below) and chopped peanuts if desired. Store in a covered container.

These are best served slightly warm (they can be reheated for a few seconds in the microwave).

Ingredients for Caramel Glaze:

  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/16 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup powdered sugar
  • 1-2 Tablespoon apple juice or milk
  • Chopped salted peanuts for garnish, optional

Directions for Glaze:

Combine butter, brown sugar and salt in a small saucepan. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-low heat. Continue to stir and cook for another minute.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Whisk in enough apple juice or milk to make the mixture a drizzling consistency (it should be fairly thin, but will harden up some as it cools).

What is your favorite way to use delicious fall apples?

Brigette is a full-time wife and mother who is blessed with three amazing bundles of energy (ages 5, 3 and 1). She enjoys music, experimenting in the kitchen, homeschooling her children, finding great deals, long-distance running, and anything chocolate.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 19, 2012 comment

Frugal Photo Friday: Home and Decor (yes, you can laugh!)

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Frugal Photo Friday: Home and Decor (yes, you can laugh!)

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Welcome to Frugal Photo Friday!  This month I am partnering with Rebekah from SimplyRebekah.com. Each Friday we are sharing pictures of simple ways that we save money. This week’s themes are home and decor.

I know, I know. I should not be writing a post on frugal decor. Because if you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know that I have just about zero skills in the home decor department.

I can gush over beautiful pictures of other people’s homes, I can appreciate my friends’ home decor finesse, but when it comes down to trying to decorate my own home, I’m a pretty hopeless case.

But since I committed to do this series, I thought all week long and came up with a few things to show you… bear with me, because it’s pretty slim pickings. 🙂

There are always amazing 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.

{Though I have to admit that my somewhat OCD self still obsesses over the fact that one of the beach chairs is crooked and overturned. I cannot believe I didn’t even notice it — until after I got the picture blown up. Oh well, it’s a reminder that even in the beautiful things in life, nothing’s ever perfect, you know?}

And 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 two 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!

Now it is your turn to share the simple ways that you save. Share your link below or on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #FrugalPhotoFriday. All of the link-up details and themes for each week can be found here.


Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 19, 2012 comment

Reader Tip: Free Educational Resources from Ambleside Online

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Reader Tip: Free Educational Resources from Ambleside Online

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Becky emailed in the following tip:

I recently discovered Ambleside Online — a free curriculum, in the sense that it tells you what to study (it doesn’t give you all the books). They are committed to keeping educational costs as low as possible, so as I’ve delved into the site and the forum/yahoo groups, I’ve found more and more free resources.

There are lots of links to free books online, free or cheap kindle books, free math, nature study, audio books, and reading resources — as well as ideas on how to implement the curriculum in inexpensive ways using the library and internet. It’s a fairy rigorous K-12 Charlotte Mason inspired curriculum. -Becky

Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 18, 2012 comment

31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: Have a Garage Sale (Day 16)

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31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: Have a Garage Sale (Day 16)

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas

Welcome to October’s series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas. In this series, I’m highlighting simple and legitimate ways you can earn extra cash in the next two months for those of you who could use a little extra cash to help you pay for Christmas — or just for your living expenses if you’re in a tight spot right now.

If you’ve found a great way to make extra cash before Christmas that doesn’t require an outlay of cash upfront, please email me your tip. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

A series on earning money wouldn’t be complete without me talking about garage sales — especially since I’ve sort of garnered a reputation for having smashingly successful garage sales. After many years of hosting and earning thousands of dollars from garage sales, I’ve learned much through trial and error.

Here are my well-proven top 10 tips for having a successful garage sale:

1. Collect Clutter Year-Round

I have an ongoing Garage Sale Stash. When I come upon something we no longer need or use and I don’t know anyone to pass it onto, I stick it in a box in our garage. Once a box fills up, I start another. And another.

Without much effort at all, by the time it’s the month of our annual garage sale, I usually have at least 8-10 boxes of stuff collected.

2. Have a Plan

A successful garage sale does not happen without organization. At least a week before the sale I go through my home from top to bottom and clear out clutter. At least 2-3 days before the sale, I take an afternoon to price everything and organize it. And then the day before the sale, I devote a few hours to final organization, posting an ad on Craigslist, getting the cash and signs together and so forth.

Do not wait until the last minute to pull off a garage sale. Either it will flop or you’ll run yourself ragged–or both. If you’re in a new location or you’re new to hosting a garage sale, I’d suggest that you start getting organized at least 3-4 weeks in advance.

Getting Organized for a Garage Sale

::How are you going to display items? Do you need to borrow or make a clothes-rack?

::Do you have enough table space? If not, check and see if you can borrow tables from friends or put together some makeshift tables out of plywood and boxes.

::What signs will you be using and how many do you need? Where will you be displaying the signs to best direct traffic to your home? Drive the routes people will be coming and decide on these locations so you’re not scrambling the morning of the sale.

::Who is going to put the signs out the morning of the sale? Designate someone for this ahead of time and let them know specifically where to place the signs.

::How much cash should you have on hand and how will you keep it in a safe location?

::Do you need to purchase a license for running a garage sale in your area?

::Do you have enough help?

3. Team Up

One of my best “secrets” for success when it comes to garage sales is that I never do them on my own. I always find friends or family to team up with.

Not only does this arrangement mean you have more stuff to sell and more variety in sizes and types of things offered, it also means you have more help. Divvying up the responsibilities between 3 or 4 people makes a garage sale much more manageable. Plus, it just makes it more fun when you’re doing it with friends and family!

4. Location, Location, Location!

If you want to have a garage sale that flops, pick a location which is off-the-beaten-path and hard to get to. That’s a surefire way to lose a lot of business.

Don’t live near a busy intersection? Well, look for alternative locations like a friend or relative’s home.

This is probably the key to our garage sale success. We live right between two very heavily-trafficked streets. We put up some good signage and the crowds descend!

5. Timing is Everything (well, just about!)

I don’t advise planning a sale in the freezing cold Winter or the blazing hot Summer. Choose a time of the year when the weather will be very pleasant and try to check the weather forecast ahead of time to make sure rain is not expected when you’re planning your sale.

In addition, find out what days of the week are best for yard sales to run in your area. When we lived in Kansas City, I found people usually only held sales on Friday and Saturday. However, where we live now, Thursdays are a big yard sale day and seem to garner the most traffic.

6. Clearly Mark Your Prices

It’s easy to want to just stick a big sign on a table saying that everything on that table is a quarter, but, in the long-run, it is much more efficient to go ahead and put price stickers on everything. Instead of having to make up prices on the spot, people will know exactly how much something is. In addition, some people are too shy to ask the price of an item, so you’ll lose a sale if an item isn’t marked.

I’ve found it’s easiest to invest the few dollars it costs to buy pre-priced stickers for most of my items as this makes pricing a snap. I try to have variety in pricing with plenty of $0.25 or less items. I’ve found that when people pick up one thing to buy, they are more likely to pick up other things as well, so have lots of $0.25 items and it might help you sell some of your larger-ticketed items, too!

Since we pretty much always have multiple families involved when we run a garage sale, we just mark initials on all our price tags and then keep a tally sheet in a notebook as things sell. It adds a bit more time when customers are checking out, so it’s good to have at least two people working the money table–one to keep track of the tally sheet and one handle the money and making change.

7. Price Things to Sell

When I go to a garage sale, I expect to pay yard sale prices. Unless something is brand-new with the tags on, I am not going to pay more than a few quarters for it, if that. When I am pricing my own items to sell, I always try to price things at what I feel would be a good bargain if I were buying the item at someone else’s garage sale.

I’d rather price something on the low end and have someone actually buy my item, than to have 25 people pick up the item and put it back down on the table because it is too expensive.

8. Advertise well

The marketing of your sale is usually the number-one factor in how well your sale does. You can have great items, great prices and a great location, but if you don’t tell people how to get there, they won’t find it on their own.

Put some time and effort into making a number of quality, clearly-readable signs which you put in conspicuous places to easily lead to your home. The brighter, bolder and bigger the sign, the better.

I have also found Craigslist to be the most-effective marketing tool for advertising a garage sale. And did I mention it’s free to advertise on Craigslist? I usually advertise the day before the sale and then re-post a revised ad each day of the sale. The more details you can put in your ad, the better. Tell specific items, specific brands, and specific sizes.

When people search for items on Craigslist, if they are looking for what you’re selling–even if they aren’t looking at garage sales–your item will pull up in searches for them. So the more descriptive you can be in the listing and title, the better.

Of course, don’t write a book; just focus on your hottest sellers. And please use proper grammar and spelling. Sometimes, it’s the little things that make a big difference!

9. Mark Things Down on the Last Day

Things are usually pretty picked over by the last day of the sale. That’s the perfect opportunity to get creative and hand out rock-bottom bargains! We found that running “Fill a Bag for a Buck” is extremely effective. In a recent garage sale, we got rid of around 25 bags full of stuff in a few hours by doing this.

We’ve also done it where everything was half-price the last day. Or, if we have quite a bit of stuff left and we’re feeling ready to close up shop, we’ll just say that everything is free the last hour.

10. Don’t forget the cookies and lemonade!

What better way to teach your children entrepreneurial skills and let them earn a little money in the process than to have them set up their own little cookie and lemonade stands at the sale? Or, if it’s cold outside, try selling hot chocolate, coffee, and fresh cinnamon rolls. One yard sale, we even set up a pancake griddle and sold pancakes hot off the griddle on Saturday morning.

Baked goods–like homemade cookies and bars–sell extremely well at our garage sales. In fact, my younger brother  made around $100 from selling cookies at a recent garage sale!

What are your best tips for having a great yard sale? I’d love to hear!

photo credits: Louisa_catlover; Chiot’s Run

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 18, 2012 comment

Apple Crisp Pizza

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Apple Crisp Pizza

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

My trusty kitchen helper, Silas, made this Apple Crisp Pizza with me this afternoon.

We used this pie crust recipe since it’s one of those no-fail pie crusts.

I couldn’t find my one lone pizza pan (can you believe I’ve survived almost ten years of marriage with one pizza pan?!), so I made this on a cookie sheet instead.

The end result was just as I expected — delicious. I ended up baking it for a little longer than it recommended as the center crust wasn’t quite baked. I’m thinking that it might work even better to pre-bake the crust a bit, then top with apples and the crumb topping.

Click here for the Apple Crisp Pizza recipe. It’s a winner — especially if you love apples, apple pie, and apple crisp!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 18, 2012 comment

Do It Yourself: Shaker Peg Towel Hooks

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Do It Yourself: Shaker Peg Towel Hooks

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SimpleOrganizedLiving.com shows you how to make shaker peg towel hooks for less than $5.

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.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 17, 2012 comment

31 Ways to Earn Cash Before Christmas: Have an Autumn Food Stand (Day 15)

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31 Ways to Earn Cash Before Christmas: Have an Autumn Food Stand (Day 15)

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas

Welcome to October’s series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas. In this series, I’m highlighting simple and legitimate ways you can earn extra cash in the next two months for those of you who could use a little extra cash to help you pay for Christmas — or just for your living expenses if you’re in a tight spot right now.

If you’ve found a great way to make extra cash before Christmas that doesn’t require an outlay of cash upfront, please email me your tip. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Guest post from Davonne of DavonneParks.com

We’ve all seen the classic lemonade stand, but something a little more unique is an Autumn Food Stand, complete with hot chocolate, cider, and freshly baked goodies. My daughters and I have had these together and we’ve learned a lot of ways to make it successful.

CelebrateAutumn

1. Use what you have.

There’s no need to spend money on tables, signs, and food. Just look around your house and see what you can “borrow” for the stand.

We put our for-sale items in baskets or on dinner plates, and we’ll cover our table with a party tablecloth that’s left over from a previous event. The items we sell vary depending on what we have on hand.

A brownie mix in the pantry means we’ll sell fresh baked brownies. Frozen or refrigerated cookie dough can be popped into the oven as well.

2. Keep it simple.

We’ve made our own hot chocolate mix and baked brownies from scratch for previous food stands and while our customers loved that, it didn’t increase sales, so the extra prep time involved actually cut our profit-per-hour in half.

3. Make your stand cute.

Having a colored tablecloth and a sign hanging in the front of the stand are good. Balloons or little pumpkins on or around the table are great. Coming up with a cute name for the stand is a fun touch.

4. Clearly list prices on the sign.

People in our area won’t pay more than $1 per item. Items priced at $0.50 or less sell even better.

5. Enlist your children’s help.

My daughters sell much more than I can. When they step away from the table, people drive right by even if I’m holding my daughters’ spots for them.

We attract sales when they’re at the table and ready to sell. I keep my kids in their seats by bringing coloring books and crayons outside, offering complimentary cookies when they start to look tired, and singing songs with them when the sales are slow.

If you don’t have children, borrow a friend’s child, make an afternoon of it, and share the profits!

6. Location, location… location?

We live on a quiet street, and I decided that we could easily double our profits if we had a busier location to sell. I found a spot, received permission, lugged our gear over, and…. watched the cars whiz by (in a 35mph zone).

We ended up making less per hour than we make when we set our stand up in front of our house.

7. Pay attention to the weather.

Hot chocolate and hot tea don’t sell well when it’s 85 degrees outside. Nothing sells when it’s raining.

8. Choose good hours.

On weekdays, we’ve found that we make the most money from 4 to 6 p.m. Sales on Saturdays tend to trickle in all day.

9. Be sanitary.

This probably goes without saying, but keep your kitchen and hands clean while making the food. Wrap everything in advance by placing individual items in plastic wrap or placing two goodies into each snack bag.

Keep a bottle of hand sanitizer on the food stand table, and let the customers see you wash your hands before touching food or drinks.

10. Provide large servings.

We make more sales when we sell large cups of lemonade or hot chocolate for $0.50 than we do when we sell small cups for $0.25. We also sell cookies better when we put two in a baggie for $0.50 than when we wrap them individually for a quarter.

11. Offer a “deal”.

When we offer half priced refills on drinks, most people will drink two cups. We always offer a buy-four-get-one (or two!) free deal. People generally take us up on that offer, and then leave a tip.

Additional information:

We don’t advertise for these sales. We just set up when we’re ready and let the cars stop when they see us.

I can plan on making about $10 per hour when we have a food stand. We spend about an hour of prep time, two hours actually hosting the stand, and just a few minutes putting things away when we’re finished. After we subtract supply costs, we usually end up with $30 or so in profit.

Note from Crystal: Some areas have strict laws concerning selling food. Before setting up a food stand, please check local ordinances to make sure it is allowed in your area.

Have you ever had a food stand before? If so, I’d love to hear your tips, ideas, and suggestions.

Davonne Parks is an author who is passionate about striving to make the most of her time, using her talents for good, and inspiring others to do the same. She blogs at DavonneParks.com and she just released her first eBook, 28 Days to Timeliness: Tips and Confessions from a Semi-Reformed Late Person.

Shared Oct 17, 2012 comment

Apple Peanut Butter Muffins

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Apple Peanut Butter Muffins

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. It sounded like a creative twist on traditional apple muffins and I mostly just wanted to experiment with it out of curiosity.

The end result? Definitely yummy. Different, but yummy. The peanut butter chips add a fun surprise and jive well with the apple flavors.

Are these the best muffins I’ve ever tasted? No, but they are good and hearty and perfect for fall!

Here’s my rendition of the recipe (because, oh yes, you know I tweaked it! :))…

Apple Peanut Butter Muffins

  • 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I think whole-wheat flour would work well, I was just short on time so I didn’t have a chance to grind any fresh!)
  • 1 cup raw sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 cups apples (peeled, cored, and finely chopped)
  • 3/4 cup apple juice
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter chips (I snuck a few mini chocolate chips into mine, too, but I think the PB chips are better.)

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon together. Stir in apples. Mix apple juice and oil together. Whisk in egg and stir well.

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Spoon about 2 Tablespoons batter into greased or paper lined muffin cups. Sprinkle with peanut butter chips. Spoon more batter on top.

Bake at 400 degrees for 17-20 minutes until done.

Makes 12 muffins. Recipe adapted from The Pajama Chef

Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 17, 2012 comment

Health Food Store Shopping Trip

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Health Food Store Shopping Trip

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I stopped by the health food store earlier this week and was excited to pick up a few deals:

Health Food Store Shopping Trip

5 boxes of Organic Valley butter — marked down to $1.99 each
Lifeway Kefir marked down to $0.99
Ezekiel Tortillas — $2.89
3 loaves of bread — marked down to $0.99 per loaf
Pears priced at $0.99/lb. — $3.08 total
Raw cheese from a local farm — $6.59

Total with tax: $28.40

I was SO excited about the butter deal! I was almost out and now I’m stocked up for awhile!

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Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 17, 2012 comment

Ask the readers: How do we afford regular date nights on a budget?

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Ask the readers: How do we afford regular date nights on a budget?

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Today’s question is from Amanda:

My husband recently came to me and explained that he wanted us to have a weekly date night instead of our usual once-a-month date. I would love to go on a date with him every week but there is just no way financially that we can swing it every single week. (This would also include a sitter.) We were guessing that it would cost about $250 a month to have a date night each week with a sitter. That is more than we spend on groceries. If we do that we won’t have money to put in savings. Help! -Amanda

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

Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 16, 2012 comment

31 Days to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: Write for Revenue-Sharing Sites (Day 14)

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31 Days to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas: Write for Revenue-Sharing Sites (Day 14)

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas

Welcome to October’s series on 31 Ways to Earn Extra Cash Before Christmas. In this series, I’m highlighting simple and legitimate ways you can earn extra cash in the next three months for those of you who could use a little extra cash to help you pay for Christmas — or just for your living expenses if you’re in a tight spot right now.

If you’ve found a great way to make extra cash before Christmas that doesn’t require an outlay of cash upfront, please email me your tip. I’d love to hear it and possibly share it during this series!

Guest post from Alaina of Telecommuting Mommies

Freelance writing may sound like it’s only for the pros. However, on many writing sites that pay by revenue-sharing, anyone can share their knowledge and get paid for it. Get started now and you may have enough time to earn some cash before the holidays.

What Are Revenue Sharing Writing Sites?

Revenue-sharing sites are websites that pay freelance writers based on page views or page clicks. They are often referred to as revenue-sharing sites because the amount they pay is based on the amount of money they are earning from traffic to your articles. They pay you a portion of that money, thus, sharing their revenue with you.

What Are the Differences Between These Writing Sites Compared to Others?

The internet is full of freelance writing opportunities, but unless you are a recent journalism or English major, most of them are going to want some kind of experience — even if it is just publishing on your own blog.

Almost all regular freelance writing companies will want writing samples submitted showing where you have previously been published. For this reason, inexperienced writers will find these assignments or jobs hard to come by.

Revenue-sharing sites, for the most part, do not require prior experience. Some do not even have an application process, just sign up and start writing.

The pay is obviously another big difference between revenue-sharing sites and others. These companies can afford to take on inexperienced writers because they are not paying up front. This means they can take a chance on writers who will prove their worth by bringing in the traffic.

What Are the Advantages of Working With These Types of Sites?

  • No waiting period to getting started, and no long application process. Some sites allow you to sign up and start immediately.
  • Flexibility to work as much or as little as you want. No deadlines or minimum number of articles to stay on with the company.
  • Earnings of an article over time have the possibility of being greater. For most sites, your article remains there indefinitely. This means that an article could continue to earn money for many years.
  • Experience publishing articles on reputable websites that can then be used as writing samples to apply for freelance writing jobs that pay up front. Writing for the revenue sharing sites that offer some sort of editing process before your article is published can also be a great learning experience. Pay close attention to what changes were made and why.
  • Freedom to write about the topics you are interested in. Many writing sites will assign you certain topics or titles, while most revenue sharing sites give you the freedom of creating your own topics and titles based on your knowledge and background.
  • Ability to use your own affiliate links, meaning that you can earn money by linking to affiliate besides the money you are earning for the article.

What are the Disadvantages of Writing for These Sites?

  • No guaranteed income; putting in time and energy without knowing what the outcome will be. Money from your articles may take a while to start coming in.
  • Minimum cash out amounts that many sites have mean it may take a while to see your first check. This all depends on how quickly you can start driving traffic to your articles and how much traffic it adds up to.
  • Lack of editing process means not having a second pair of eyes on an article — however, most sites do allow you to edit your own articles if you spot an error after hitting that publish button. Brush up on your grammar using sites like Grammar Girl before getting started.
  • Quantity of articles that you need to write to start earning a decent income. Depending on expectations for income, you’ll need to write a lot! Those who make a lot of money from revenue sharing sites often make that money from the sheer volume of articles they write.
  • Marketing yourself and your articles by learning how to write with SEO and keywords in mind, as well as promoting them on social networks is part of the process that some consider a disadvantage, but this will help immensely in getting traffic.

What are the Best Revenue Sharing Sites to Get Started With?

  • Squidoo — Sign up and start writing immediately. Write about any topic, and you can include affiliate links.
  • Hubpages — No application process but you need to sign up for your own Google Adsense ID and set it up.  Affiliate links allowed.
  • Helium — No experience required. Some articles include a small upfront payment. Participation is required in rating the other articles on the site in order to continue earning on your own articles.
  • ExpertsColumn — Sign up and get started, low minimum payout of $5.
  • Firehow — How-to website, no experience required.
  • Suite101 — Includes a proofreading process, but they are currently in the middle of a relaunch, so check back soon. Previously they did require an application process, not sure what the new process will be.

Have you worked for revenue sharing sites before? If so, tell us about your experiences!

Alaina shares her twelve years of work-from-home experience at her blog Telecommuting Mommies. She also opens up her personal life as a homeschooling, blogging, work at home Mom of four at The Maestro Mom.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 16, 2012 comment

Do-It-Yourself: How to Texturize Your Walls

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Do-It-Yourself: How to Texturize Your Walls

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

Guest post from Jenny of Suscipio

When our family moved into our current home almost eight years ago, it was in excellent condition, just very outdated. The house was built in 1984 when brown was apparently very popular. It had brown carpet, brown paneling, brown built-in book shelves… you get the picture.

One of the last rooms to be updated in our home was the dining room. Although it is one of the most used rooms in our home and one of the central rooms, it was one of the last I got around to. Why? Because I hate to remove wallpaper and it had wallpaper.

I did not want to remove the old wallpaper and then smooth the walls and make the necessary repairs to cover any and all blemishes. One day while visiting my neighbor, I asked about her textured walls in her kitchen and dinning room. She explained how simple it easy it was to create beautifully texturized walls.

Materials you will need:

  • bucket of joint compound
  • putty knife to apply the compound
  • paint (if you’re removing wallpaper)
  • glaze
  • rag or old t-shirt

I started by removing the old wallpaper using some solution I bought at the home improvement store. After the walls dried, I painted them a khaki color.

Next, I started applying the compound. Depending on how you want your walls to look — prominently raised edges of compound or more of a smeared on look — depends on how much and with what pressure you apply the compound. I started on a wall that would be behind an armoire to practice.

Scoop out some compound using your putty knife and scrape it on the wall. You may want large semi circle motions or just swipes here and there. I chose swipes with some pressure, but not too much. The more pressure you apply, the deeper the compound grooves will be.

Per my experience, I would not make a very raised and grooved wall in a place where people spend some down time, like by a telephone or the bathroom toilet. The raised ridges of compound will be picked off by bored fingers.

I let the compound dry overnight, and the next day, I mixed together a 2- to-1 ratio of glaze. For our dinning room I used 2 parts Mocha to 1 part clear.

Using a balled-up old t-shirt, I dipped it in the glaze, wiped off the excess and rubbed it over the wall, paying special attention to areas I wanted to look a little darker. The glaze gets darker in the ridges and swipe grooves than on the rest of the wall.

I did this same technique in a laundry room bathroom that had pretty rough looking wall after wallpaper removal. I painted on a can of grayish taupe I found on the ‘oops!’ shelf at my home improvement store, applied the compound and used a metallic like glaze.

Both projects were pretty quick, very easy, and turned out great.

Jenny seriously likes ice water, Lawrence Welk, marching bands, and Nutella on a spoon. She saves her loves for God, her husband of 20 years, and their 7 children — whom she homeschools. She blogs at Suscipio.

Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 16, 2012 comment

Sign up to be an affiliate for my ebook on self-discipline (launching next Tuesday!)

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Sign up to be an affiliate for my ebook on self-discipline (launching next Tuesday!)

Published: by on   |  This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy here.

After a long hiatus from offering ebooks, I’m excited to be jumping back on the bandwagon, with the help of my fantastic team! We have a number of new ebooks in the works and we’re launching a brand-new ebook next week on October 23, 2012.

21 Days to a More Disciplined Life is based upon my hugely popular blog series with that same name. We took the blog series, rewrote it, added a lot of new material, created some helpful printables to it, and packaged it all up into a beautiful ebook that will be releasing next Tuesday.

I’ll have more details on how you can purchase the ebook next Tuesday — along with a three-day $0.99 sale that you won’t want to miss!

Best of all, I have an affiliate program for those of you who’d like to promote the ebook and sale and earn a 50% commission for doing so! If you are interested in becoming an affiliate and sharing about this special 3-day sale next week, here’s how to sign up:

::Go to my brand-new site and read about 21 Days to a More Disciplined Life to see if the ebook would be a good fit for you to promote to your blog readers or on your site or email list.

::If so, go to JvZoo and sign up as an affiliate.

::Log into your JvZoo account and go to my affiliate page and click on the green button that says “Request Affiliate Approval”. That’s it! You’re good to go for our launch week next week! I’ll be in touch with some affiliate graphics and more details to help you successfully promote the ebook.

::Plan your blog posts and emails to go out early on my launch date next Tuesday (October 23, 2012)! Make sure to insert your unique affiliate link (click on the green “Get Links” button) into your posts so that you get credit for each sale.

Thanks for joining me on this new adventure! I think you’ll really be blessed and inspired by the ebook — and I can’t wait to send lots of affiliate payments out to you all!

Money Saving Mom
Shared Oct 16, 2012 comment

Educational Freebie: Fall-Themed Playdough Activities

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Educational Freebie: Fall-Themed Playdough Activities

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Living Montessori Now has a number of Fall-Themed Playdough Activity ideas well worth checking out. You might consider making this homemade Pumpkin Pie Playdough to go along with these activities!