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5 Ways To Save Money At Home This Season

Please note, this post is sponsored by Diamond Bloggers. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

 

Since paying down debt and saving cash can often be about as fun as getting a root canal, finding small, workable ways to save money around the house is paramount. Especially for millennial stay-at-home moms and small business owners. Which is why today I’m sharing five tips to help you get started saving this season at home.

Be proactive about paying down debt

According to a CareerBuilder survey, 40 percent of 18-34-year-olds are living paycheck to paycheck- and it’s even higher for women. Which is why one of the best ways to save money this season at home is to begin by examining how much debt you’re carrying each month. While the phrase “It’s fun to” comes up in conversation, it’s generally never followed by “pay off credit card debt.” But here’s the thing: Paying off debt doesn’t have to be boring. It doesn’t even mean giving up every creature comfort at home. Instead, becoming realistic about paying down debt simply means achieving financial freedom by becoming creative with the resources available to you. Some clever ways to pay off debt include:

  • Figuring out exactly how much you owe. As in, when’s the last time you looked at all your debts and their interest rates to devise a payoff plan? A really easy way to do this is to get a credit report card from sites such as Credit Sesame. The site gives you a free credit score, plus layout your credit history so you can see exactly how much money you owe and to whom. With this information, you can better ascertain your monthly payments and interest rate, as well as which debts are in collections.
  • Better utilizing your credit ratios. Did you know your score is affected by how much you use your credit card, even if you always pay it off? Your utilization should stay below 30% of your available credit, but the lower the better! This can help you save on interest rates for larger purchases in the future.
  • Lower your interest rates. If you’re financially treading water, due to high interest rates, it might be worth consolidating or refinancing your debt. A good resource is Fiona, a search engine for financial services, which can help match you with the right personal loan to meet your needs. If your credit score is at least 620, its platform can help you borrow up to $100,000 (no collateral needed) with fixed rates starting at 3.84% and terms from 24 to 84 months.

Increase your household income

One of the best ways to pay off debt is by simply increasing your income at home each month. While this may sound like a daunting task, there are simple ways you can generate income from home. Including InboxDollars, the web service that pays users to watch movie previews, celebrity videos, and the latest news and dozens of other videos. While you may need to watch up to 30-minutes of content per day, many users can earn up to $225.00 a month watching these videos. Funds that can go right to paying down debt or increasing savings accounts this season at home.

Other popular ways of making money from home can be made from influencer marketing, selling on ETSY, reselling on sites such as eBay and Amazon, as well as the myriad of ideas from professional side hustle experts too.

Lower your recurring monthly bills

Ending each month with a surplus of extra cash can be as simple as reevaluating how much you’re paying each month for recurring bills at home. For example, you’re probably overpaying for car insurance. And how would you know, really? Services such as Gabi. Simply link your insurance account and provide your driver’s license number, and Gabi will go to work by analyzing what coverage you have, comparing the major insurers’ rates for that same coverage in your area, and helping you switch to companies with better rates, as available. better rate.

Another great way to save around the house is to reassess how much you are spending on digital services at home. Including cable and internet services. Many families have found that by cutting the plug on cable and switching to digital services, such as Hulu and Netflix, they are able to save hundreds of dollars each year. Analyzing your cellular services or opting for shared family plans can help you save in equal measure too.

Also, consider finding ways to save on utilities at home. Easy ways to save on your electric bills each month can be as simple as unplugging everything that is not in use- toaster, Keurig, microwave, lamps, and even washer and dryer sets (if you are able to access your outlets before and after usage weekly) you don’t frequently use, to save money. One easy way to do this is to add a strip plug to computers, scanners, and chargers. Devices that can be unplugged en mass when not in use. This is particularly useful as items plugged into outlets, even when not being utilized off, still pulls electricity.

You’ll also have the added bonus of being greener at home too. Unplugging devices helps to reduce your homes carbon footprint as unplugged items consume less energy. Other power-saving measures include adding weather stripping to any doors that aren’t sealed tightly, wait until there is a full load of laundry before running the washer. Washing in cold water uses less energy, line-dry towels and blankets, load the dishwasher completely full before running it.

And lastly, consider ways you can save on your monthly mortgage. A mortgage broker once shared with me an incredibly useful rule of thumb. That by making an extra payment a year on your home, you will cut your mortgage payoff time by 4-8 years. Saving the average homeowner tens of thousands on interest payments.

Reevaluate your monthly food budget

One of my favorite ways to save each month at home is by creating a working monthly meal plan. And to do this I just: Write a menu. Make a list. Follow the list. It’s that simple.

I do this because it saves time, money, and each time I go rogue at the store, I spend much more, like say, double, than if I planned a menu ahead of time and made a list. So at the beginning of the week, I write out a menu, make a list of the whole, one-ingredient food (lower processed foods such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) ingredient, check against what I have on-hand at home already, and then place an online grocery pick-up order. This allows me the added benefit of not having to shop in-store during peak hours and I’m not tempted to purchase additional impulse buys too!

Other ways I save on groceries is by buying in bulk. For items including vitamins, crackers, tortilla chips, almonds, pistachios, in-season fresh produce, organic frozen fruits and veggies,
coconut oil, honey, agave, and laundry detergent.  This helps me to also prepare healthier foods at home such as DIY dried fruit, bakes breads, and dressings too.

Reconsider what financial freedom looks like to you with Brice Capital

Once you’ve gotten a hang on your projected path to debt-freedom, figuring out how to achieve financial freedom is your next step. Because financial peace is often better obtained with the help of proper long-term investment strategies. Then to make this dream a reality, seek the assistance of professional firms such as Brice Capital.

Professionals that can help guide you through the process of tracking your finances, creating working monthly budgets, and tasking the guesswork out of creating retirement plans for yourself and your family. You can find assistance from Brice Capital financial planners, who can take the guesswork out of everything from helping you consolidate debt, to taking a realistic look at your income, and even setting more obtainable goals to help get you where you want to be financially.

But do consider, that before you contact Brice Capital, it would behoove you to make a list of your goals so you are ready to meet with their financial team. Steps to help ensure your easiest path to financial freedom for yourself and your family in the years to come.

Brice Capital can also help with steps such as getting a clearer picture of your current financial situation, helping yourself and your family get on the same page with your finances, and to discuss better ways your family can live within your means and become committed to living within your means at home.

Even if things aren’t as financially tight for you and your family in your current season of life, finding ways to become better equipped for your financial road ahead is key. With the above-mentioned savings tips and professional advice from Brice Capital, finding ways to save around your home this season has never been easier.  While finances can be difficult to sort through, in the beginning, this is still a valuable investment for your future at home too.

Now I want to ask, how are you saving at home this season? Leave your tips in the comments below.

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101 Free Family Summer Activities

Summer may be the ultimate time of year to a time to relax and get away, but tell that to kids who are bouncing off the walls. Or espousing the dreaded I’m bored eighteen hundred times a day.

As parents, we want each summer to be more memorable than the next but its often hard to come up with ideas for activities that are family-focused, sensory-prone, yet fresh and new each year. Ideas that are both fun and frugal too. Especially if your child is too young to for ye ole’ summer camp this season.

It’s also important to remember that there are only eighteen summers that we as parents can take advantage of the course of our children’s lives. So we need to be able to make the most of each and every bright sunny day and warm summer nights each week with our children.

101 Free Family Summer Activities

So with this in mind, I’d like to share with you 101 free fun family-focused ideas for the summer:

  1. Go to the Library: Most libraries around the country offer free summer reading programs that encourage kids of all ages to read, and often host other activities like, parties, storytelling events, children’s book clubs, and puppet shows. Check out libraries in neighboring towns too – they might offer something your regular branch doesn’t. Click here to find local libraries.
  2. Tour a Local Business: Local restaurants are often open to giving kids a behind-the-scenes look at a working kitchen during slow times if you stay for lunch. Many factories offer tours, which can come with freebies to take home. Call ahead to find out this summer!
  3. Free Museum Passes: Many museums and cultural institutions, like botanical gardens, children’s museums, zoos, and aquariums, that offer free programs to children, parents, and educators (and homeschoolers) before noon weekdays. But even the ones that charge admission often offer free or reduced-rate days or hours weekly or monthly. Also, check Children’s Science and Art Museum calendars for special summer activities – many offer classes, concerts, and tours just for kids. Bank of America offers such free passes too!
  4. IKEA: Ikea has supervised playrooms for potty-trained kids. Take turns with other moms shopping while the kiddos get a play date on the cheap!
  5. Home Depot: Home Depot runs free weekend project workshops for kids ages 5-12 for Home Depot every third Saturday of the month. Book your free project today!
  6. Michaels: Micheals holds free and $2.00 project demos and classes that will keep creative kids happy, ages are craft-specific.
  7. Apple stores: Apple Stores run free 3-day Apple Camp where kids ages 8-12 learn how to make films. Check out these programs here.
  8. Whole Foods: Whole Foods offers free in-store kid’s summer cooking classes; check your local store for details.
  9. Barnes & Noble: Barnes & Noble offer free storytime. Check with stores in your area to see what they have planned here.
  10. Visit a Farm: Check with farms in your area to see if they offer tours for your pint-size volunteer.
  11. Volunteer: Develop the spirit of service in your kiddos by plugging you both into a great non-profit or volunteer opportunity this summer. Whether it’s cleaning up a local park, walking dogs at an animal shelter, or visiting residents at a nursing home, summer is a great time to introduce children to the joys of giving back. Search for opportunities in your area here.
  12. Catch a Movie: Beat the heat this summer with a free movie from your local library. Or if your willing to pay a little, Regal Cinemas’ Summer Movie Express offers $1.00 movies on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings each summer, and Cinemark Summer Movie Clubhouse movies are only $0.50 per movie, per child. Check theaters in your area for similar deals.
  13. Take a Hike: The great outdoors is always open and waiting for little explorers with REI’s free Kids’ Adventure Journal, where young hikers (ages 6-12) can log notes and draw pictures about their experiences.
  14. Tour National Parks: Each national holiday, America’s National Parks offer free or reduced admittance to families all summer long. Click here to check out dates for parks in your area.
  15. Geocaching: Allow your pint-sized anthropologist to explore, find and log adventures this summer with geocaching. Your only one app and a car ride away from finding your family’s next hidden treasure. Click here to find out more today!
  16. Bake cookies: Celebrate National Ice Cream Cookie day by baking your own cookies and making ice cream at home this coming August 2nd!
  17. Volunteer at a nature center:  Invest your kiddos talents and skills to make a difference in helping wildlife this summer by volunteering at a local nature center. Contact your state’s forestry department for opportunities for your family this season!
  18. Make a family yearbook: Get a jump-start on holiday year-in-review cards by going to Canva to create free family yearbook e-cards for friends and family this coming holiday season!
  19. Have a luau in the backyard: Learn about Hawaiian and Polynesian culture this summer by throwing your own luau this summer. The Dollar Tree also hosts plenty of low-cost items to get you started.
  20. Visit the beach and collect shells: Connect a day at the beach with prehistoric history with just a few seashells and free worksheets for kids! Click here for more details.
  21. Make a fort out of cardboard boxes: Explorer early American westward expansion and the Oregon Trail by making your own cardboard forts. Click here to learn more.
  22. Visit a farmer’s market: Give your kiddos a true appreciation for the unsung heroes that are local farmers with a trip to your local Farmer’s Market this summer!
  23. Stage a neighborhood scavenger hunt: Develop your kiddos sense of awareness with a DIY neighborhood scavenger hunt. Click here for free idea sheets!
  24. Pick berries: Check with your local co-op to find local organic berry picking dates in your area. Keep the fun going by introducing kids to the skills needed for zero-waste canning.
  25. Pack a picnic: Pack a zero-waste picnic with nothing more than mason jars and great treats. Then head out with your kiddos for a free summer playdate at the park!
  26. Sit under a tree: Nothing beats sitting under the shade of a tree in summer. Especially while listening to free e-books for kids from Guttenburg Press!
  27. Learn a language: Introduce the kiddos to foreign languages with the free Dualingo app for kids this summer. Available for both ios and Android.
  28. Go canoeing at a local lake: Many public lakes offer free canoeing days for kids each summer. Check your local parks and recreation department for dates and times in your area.
  29. Build sandcastles: Head out to the beach and practice your engineering skills while building sand castles this summer. Also, see if your area hosts professional sandcastle building festivals to give kiddos inspiration for future beach builds too!
  30. Write and illustrate your own book: Check out Mystorybook.com and have your kiddo publish their own free e-book this summer.
  31. Campout at home: Create a campsite in your back yard. Cook outdoors. Sleep under the stars. All without leaving working toilets behind!
  32. Clean up trash at a local park: Contact your local parks and recreation department for kid-specific trash pick-up days and help your kids develop a sense of civic pride this summer!
  33. S’more competition: Create a backyard smores competition. See who in your family can create the most imaginative smores recipe this summer!
  34. Make homemade pizza: Create homemade pizzas at home with the kiddos while learning about Neopolitan pizza history this summer. Click here for ideas.
  35. Create summer collages: Go for a walk and then make a collage from nature objects you find along the way. Click here for ideas.
  36. Wetland Conservation: Head to a creek and look at the ducks. Explore wetlands and learn about wetland conservation too. Click here for more ideas.
  37. Set up a lemonade stand: Teach proprietary skills and a strong worth ethic by helping your kiddos set up and run a lemonade stand this summer. Click here for more ideas!
  38. Teach Multiculturalism: Introduce issues of multiculturalism, ethnicity, worker’s rights, human rights, and compassion from the Education for Students video series on Youtube!
  39. Practice your origami skills: Pick up origami paper at the Dollar Tree and create DIY origami installations while learning about Japanese origami culture at home. Click here for an awesome video series to get you started!
  40. Go biking on a trail: Learn useful navigational skills while biking with your kiddos this summer. Click here to find trails in your neck of the woods!
  41. Learn your family history: Interview an older relative about what life was like when they were young. Take this information and create a family tree.
  42. Mini-Chef Monday’s: Get your kiddos into the kitchen with you developing kitchen skills while watching other littles and their parents online too! Click here for more information!
  43. Create a summer reading list: Print out a list of children’s books that have won Caldecott Medals. Visit the local library and read as many of these titles as you can this summer.
  44. Create salad spinner art: Learn about basic physics, prisms, and modern art all with just a salad spinner, tempera paint, and paper this summer. Click here for more information!
  45. Create shadow puppets: Create a shadow puppet theater and then put on a show with your characters with items sitting around your home.
  46. Plant a garden of herbs and veggies: Teach kids about germination and photosynthesis by planting an at-home kids garden at home. Click here to request free seed packets by mail!
  47. Make a sidewalk chalk mural: Learn about Amerian mural art by making your own sidewalk murals at home. Click here for lesson sheets.
  48. Learn about engineering: Teach your kids about engineering with free games, articles, worksheets, movies, apps, and activities on Engineering.com.
  49. Free kids learning classes: Keep the school year going on a budget with free summer school learning classes from Khan Academy online.
  50. Teach your kids typing: Teach your kids valuable typing and computer science skills online for free from NitroType.com this summer! Teach your kids f
  51. Teach your kids how to budget: Start your children on the part of debt-free living early in life by creating a kids-friendly budget this summer. Click here for more ideas!
  52. Visit a fish hatchery: Teach kids about fish and water safety with a free trip to a fish hatchery. Contact your state forestry department for locations.
  53. Plant a butterfly garden: Teach kids about metamorphosis up close and personal by planting a butterfly garden at home.
  54. Pretend to be pirates for a day: Dress up in costumes, plan a treasure hunt, and challenge your kiddos to walk the plank. Then learn about the real Blackbeard, colonialism, and Carribean pirate culture here. Later you can recreate your summer fun on September 16th this year for Pirate Day at your local Krispy Kreme, where when you dress up like a pirate you get a free doughnut!
  55. Cow Appreciation Day: Raid your closets and play chests for your best DIY cow costumes. Then mosey on over to your local Chick-Fil-A restaurants on July 11th for a free meal on Cow Appreciation Day!
  56. Free Behind-the-Scenes Tours: Make communication and multimedia come alive this summer by contacting your local tv station to set up a free kid-friendly tour this summer!
  57. Microsoft Youth Camps: Check your local Microsoft Store for free in-store Youth Spirit kids computer science camps this summer!
  58. Free Bowling: Strike up two free games of bowling every day of the summer with free bowling pass coupons from KidsBowlFree.com.
  59. Reward your kids for reading: Reward your kids reading this summer by enrolling them in the Pizza Hut Book-It Summer Reading Program!
  60. Go to college: Many colleges and universities hold free overnight, week-long dorm-style summer learning camps for middle-school aged kids each year. Camps designed to prepare tweens for college live. Contact schools in your area to find participating institutions this summer.
  61. Free Camps for Military Families: Click here to see listings for free all-expenses-paid camps for children of active military and veterans this summer.
  62. Tour historic homes: Check with your state’s historic league to find free historic home tour dates in your area this summer.
  63. Kids Skate Free: Treat your kiddos to a day of free skating this summer at participating Kids Skate Free rinks. Click here for more information.
  64. Free AMF Bowling: Register your kids for the Summer Games program at AMF so they can enjoy free bowling every weekday this summer from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. and weekends from until 4 p.m. The Summer Games program runs May 22nd through September 4th. Click here for more information.
  65. Scholastic Summer Challenge: From May 8th to September 8th, kids can log their minutes spent reading and unlock online activities, earn rewards, and even enter to win books from Scholastic online. Click here for more information.
  66. TD Bank Summer Reading Program: By reading 10 books and recording them in the TD Summer Reading Form, your kiddos can earn $10.00, which is deposited into a Young Saver account. Kids in kindergarten through 5th grade are eligible for this program.
  67. Pottery Barn Kids Book Club: Every Tuesday from 11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., join other local parents and kiddos at Pottery Barn for free story time sessions this summer! In addition, kids will receive a special free gift after attending five sessions. Click here for more information!
  68. Free App Friday’s: SmartAppsForKids lists free educational and art learning apps for kids, for both ios and Android, each Friday at 8 am EST. Also, check out their list of the 100 best free apps for toddlers, preschoolers, multilingual, and special needs students too!
  69. Youtube Videos: Check out this list of the best YouTube family-friendly children’s learning channels!
  70. Kindle e-Books: Check out this list of awesome free Kindle e-books, learning games, videos, and learning software this summer!
  71. Lego Magazine: Click here to score a free 2-year subscription to LEGO Club or LEGO Club Jr. Magazine for your child!
  72. Turn the backyard into a carnival: Create a carnival at some with DIY face painting and DIY Palette games.
  73. Create Totem Poles: Create DIY Totem Poles and introduce your kiddos this summer to awesome Native American history!
  74. Perform Shakespearean Play: Learn about Shakespeare, the Globe, and all things Elizabethan and then put on your own kid’s Globe-style play! Click here for more information!
  75. Learn about Bollywood: Check out this list of some of the best Bollywood family-friendly movies for kids. Also, check out this Bollywood dance routine video for kids and then create your own Bollywood-style dance number at home this summer!
  76. Learn about the Hispanic Culture: Learn about the Hispanic culture, music, art, language, and cuisine this summer at home! Click here for free lesson plans!
  77. Learn about the African American Experience: Teach your kids about the rich cultural heritage of the African-American experience, created by several renounced African-American professors, and NPR and PBS personalities this summer with resources found here.
  78. Learn Riverdance: Teach your kiddos about Irish Culture and then try your hand at traditional Irish Riverdance this summer at home!
  79. Introduce your kids to Opera: Introduce your kids to opera, learn about famous composers such as Verdi, and then watch Hansel and Gretel the Opera!
  80. Stargazing: Learn about stargazing and identify as many constellations as possible. See if there are any local astronomy groups for kids in your local homeschool co-op or public school central offices.
  81. Learn with Starwars: Bring the Force into your home this summer with free, fun Star Wars-themed learning materials online here.
  82. Puppeteering: Teach your kids how to create and mastering puppeteering at home this summer. Click here for more information!
  83. Kabuki Theatre: Learn about Kabuki Theatre history and then throw your own performance at home this summer!
  84. Learn about Aesop Tales: Teach your children valuable moral tales by learning about Aesop this summer!
  85. Norse Mythology: Teach your children about Norse mythology, culture, religion, and history. Click here for free online lesson plans!
  86. Free Piano Lessons: Receive free online piano lessons for kids from the Hoffman Academy of Music, here.
  87. Splash Pad Fun: Check your local parks and recreation department for times and dates of free summer splash pad activities this summer.
  88. Free Cooking Lessons: Cook with your kiddos this summer with free interactive online cooking lessons from the Chop Chop Cooking Club!
  89. Free Vocal Lessons: Receive free beginner vocal lessons for kids online from the Pitch Perfect Media.
  90. Learn about baseball: Teach your kids the history of America’s best-loved sport and then break out your baseball gloves and start a game, Sandlot style.
  91. Go fossil hunting: Bring out your inner archeologist and try your hand at a public archeological dig in your area this summer.
  92. Learn about Women’s History: Teach your kiddos about women’s history this summer with these free online lesson plans.
  93. Learn Civics: Schedule a tour of your local courthouse and municipal building to teach your kiddos hands-on examples of civics and local politics this summer!
  94. Visit a fire station: Help your kiddos learn about fire safety by scheduling a tour of your local firehouse. Then reward your local firefighters by bringing them a homemade meal you and your kids make at home!
  95. Game night: Take in a family game night at home or challenge other families online on the Hasbro Family Game Night site!
  96. Online Family Talent Show: Bring the whole family online with Google Hangouts, Skype, or Facetime. Then have each family member perform a 2-minute skill or talent. Take turns enjoying the fun with friends and family far and near for free this summer!
  97. Visit a police station: Visit a police station. Familiarize your family with your neighborhood precinct. Also, learn at home about ways to prevent police brutality, racism, and create dialogues for positive cultural tolerance for others in your own community. Then create a family police interaction strategy with your family this summer.
  98. Teach kids about voting: Teach your kids about voting and create your own mock-family election at home!
  99. Host a debate: Teach your kids about open dialogue and positive communication skills by learning about the history of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and then throwing your own debate at home this summer!
  100. Make a comic: Click here to learn basic comic book drawing techniques for kids and then have your kiddos try their hand at making a comic book this summer!
  101. Become an Olympiad: Teach your kids all about the Olympic games and they have your hand at creating a DIY Olympic games at home with your kids this summer!

So those are my 101 suggestions for free, fun, and frugal family-friendly summer activities for kids! I hope this list will inspire you to think outside the box when it comes to planning fun and frugal activities for your kiddos this summer at home! So now, I have to ask, how do you and your kiddos plan to have fun this summer? I’d love to hear about it below!

101 Free Family Summer Activities

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How to stop being a stuffaholic

 13 Tips to stop being a stuffaholic!

Picture a place. A place where each room was filled to capacity with piles of things. Some lovely. Some not. Lots of laundries needing to be folded, magazines were thrown about, piles of papers in abundance, mail collecting by your doorway, and kitchen counters covered with belongings, most of which were from who knows where.

A time when seemingly every square foot of my home was covered in games, toys, papers, books, manuals, legal books, clothing, and all things dusty. I the blink of an eye I moved from a newlywed collecting articles for a new life of wedded bliss towards a home full of chotzskys, clutter, and chaos. I had turned into a full-fledged stuffaholic.

Had there been a 12-step plan for Stuffaholics Anonymous, I would have been the perfect test subject for treatment.  I can see myself standing up and saying, Hello, my name is Nicole, and I’m a Stuffaholic. So, how did I get myself and my family to stop being stuffaholics? Slowly, over time. Specifically, in the past year while in the process of becoming a minimalist I was forced to examine why I was a stuffaholic. This soul-searching didn’t take long as I knew where all of this stemmed from.

My cluttered home and my cluttered emotional state stemmed from my childhood, a fear of the unknown. Growing up I remember my grandmother keeping two toasters in our home, one for use and a spare. She would often tell me that items in a home should be maintained like Noah, in pairs. And through this experience, I slowly over time developed the just-in-case disease. The disease that tells you that you cannot be happy or productive without the things you think you may one day need. This fear of the unknown was at the root of my unnecessary spending from year’s past, was causing me anxiety, and was turning my house into the set from Sanford and Sons.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. And when in my own home I saw the evidence of just-in-case’isms at work I was taken back.  We owned toolboxes full of tools, just in case we need to fix something. My kitchen was full of appliances just in case we want to prepare a new, different sort of meal.

We even have closets full of clothes I knew we’ll never wear just in case an occasion should arise. What was worse? Many of these items were hugely valuable assets, costing hundred upon hundreds of dollars that only get used occasionally, such as televisions in spare rooms, gaming systems, formal furniture, appliances, and expensive handbags, jewelry, and shoes. In the grand scheme of things, my home lay as a monument to the incredible waste of natural, economic, and emotional clutter.

Resources that once lost did little more than cause phantom power leaks and collect dust. With time and consideration, I have been able to curb a lot of spending, shopping, and unnecessary accumulations in my home. And so you may be asking, what can be done to cure this need to bring more and more things into our homes? Here are the thirteen tips to help you curb shopaholic tendencies:

Tune out Marketing

Advertising and marketers know us very well.  They are so well-versed in ways to make us want their shiny new stuff. But unlike children are drawn to Saturday morning cartoon commercial propaganda, we now can control both our emotions and purse strings. We can simply say no to spending. Turn off the commercials, unsubscribe from email listings, recycle your weekend advertisements, and put marketers on the back burner.

Utilize the Sharing Economy

Utilize public service first. Before buying books check out your local libraries, before purchasing music check out Youtube or Pandora to listen to the music for free.

Borrow before you buy

Need a tool? Ask a neighbor. Utilize the tools knowledge, and help of friends, family, and neighbors first.

Adopt a potluck lifestyle

You don’t need a house full of dishes, service pieces, platters, and the like. Have only dishes, cups, plates, and utensils you both love and utilize lately. When it’s time to entertain ask others to bring pieces from their homes with them. Being a gracious host sometimes means allowing others to be generous to you as well.

Consider a Capsule Wardrobe

Sometimes pairing down your items capsule wardrobes, wardrobes consisting of under 37 pieces, allows users to laser focus on making the most out of the least amount of clothing options you already have on hand. You can wear your truths right on your sleeve. No credit cards needed!

Conduct a household inventory

Before you shop look in your closet, check your pantry, check your fridge, look in cabinets and cupboards to make sure you’re not buying unnecessary duplicates. If you have enough shoes, dresses, electronics, DVD’s, food items to last you a season, just stop! You don’t need to buy another couple of outfits from Gymboree, a new purse, or another soon-to-be-lost kitchen gadget.

Carry a shopping list

Make a list of what you plan to buy and what you plan to spend on each item before you shop. Buy only from your list. This can greatly help eliminate unnecessary spending in-store.

Put items that you want to buy on hold for one week

Placing unneeded items that you want to buy “on hold” for one week. And at the end of the week, you might find you really didn’t need it after all.

Sales are for suckers

Not every sale is worth shopping. But it’s worth noting that most sales, for nearly everything, are cyclical and will be back around in one seasons time. I tell myself there will be more sales.

Bring cash

Leaving your credit cards at home and using only cash will help you see just what a true financial impact overspending can have on your budget and on the clutter coming into your home.

Track what you spend

Don’t fudge the numbers. Track your spending by writing down everything that you bought this month. Put down the exact price. You need to see where your money is going. You may be shocked at what you see. You may be surprised to see how easy it will be to stop budget leaks too!

Purpose your time

In lieu of spending, use the time you would have been shopping to find ways to pay down credit card debt.  Start by making a list of all of your credit cards, the balance due, minimum payment due and interest rate. Put the card with the highest interest rate at the top. Plan to pay off that balance first. Talk to creditors about lowering the interest rate. You might need to liquidate stuff to pay off debt too!

So, those are my tips for ending stuffaholic ways. And just so you know, it’s not so much about stuff. It’s about subtracting the clutter to allow more joy into your life. And guess what? Those who live lean think about stuff as much as “stuffaholics” do. Only we think first about the “what” and the “why” of the things we have purposefully chosen for our homes, life, and families.

What it’s like to live lean is to live with more intention, less debt, and without the fear of the just-in-case prison we have created for ourselves. It’s like living for today. No more, no less.

I challenge you to put away the excuses. Stop it’s impossible to do with children, minimalist style is cold, I couldn’t live with as little as I think you live with, one-channel thinking, obsessed with neatness notions. You have permission to pack away your stuffaholic notions in a drawer or closet. For it’s just not true. You can be debt-free. You can live with less. You can do without clutter and stuff. Think intentional creature comforts, not clutter.

You can live without excess. You can have a home that has soul, space, and tranquility – even with a toddler, even with pets, and anything else you hold near and dear. You may be thinking that living without being a stuffaholic may not be for everyone, but it’s something to think about.

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Better Ways To Finance Graduate School This Season

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This post was sponsored by College Avenue Student Loans. All opinion expressed are my own, thank you.

 

“You’ll never make it,” they said. “You’re just not smart enough,” they explained. Those were the comments I heard from my extended family growing up when the topic of me attending college was discussed. And though their words were meant to demoralize and discourage, they became my personal anthem of progress when it came time for me to not only attend but to flourish and ultimately graduate from my university. With not just one but two collegiate degrees.

Their words also propelled me to make the decision to attend graduate school. I could provide myself with not only a large and more diverse educational background but also provide myself with a way to better differentiate myself in today’s increasingly competitive job market.

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Luckily, I’m not the only one who considers attending graduate school a no-brainer. According to the Federal Reserve, earning an advanced degree offers a substantial payoff, with graduate degree holders earning 30 percent more than those with only a bachelor’s degree. And with the ever-changing needs of employers across various private and public sectors desiring professionals who continually upskill themselves, graduate programs can help new students and returning students alike in immeasurable ways.

Also, by obtaining your master’s degree, you develop transferable skills that apply to various jobs, organizations, and industries, such as analytical, interpersonal, organizational, communication, and advanced technological skills. Skill sets that are often transferable and can help you become both a versatile employee and a more valuable asset to hiring managers and recruiters.

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A graduate degree can also help you move into more senior roles, including management and leadership. Many companies not only recognize the benefits of earning your master’s degree but encourage their employees to get one through tuition reimbursement. In fact, 38 percent of employers nationally require applicants to have previously obtained a graduate degree as part of their educational requirements.

For these reasons, you may already be considering expanding your educational opportunities to include graduate coursework. Which leaves one of the largest and final decisions in attending, wondering if a graduate degree is worth the financial cost?

For me, it was. It was a key investment in my financial plans for the future. I’d like to say that I was able to pay for my continued education out-of-pocket, but this was not a reality in my world. I was not in a position to take on non-traditional payment plans and graduate student loans were my most viable financing option. Which is why I implemented the use of graduate student loans to obtain my degree.

My graduate student loans allowed me to borrow enough money to attend school and by doing so, I was also to obtain a degree that gave me the opportunity to implement new lucrative career opportunities in place. I knew I would not be borrowing more money than I expected to make in my first year at a firm. Coupled with setting a personal goal of working while attending school in an effort to pay down accrued interest, I felt at peace with borrowing money for school. And why, despite being a debt-free blogger, I’ll always encourage people to take out graduate student loans if they make financial sense to attend graduate school this season.

And I wasn’t alone. According to the College Board, in 2015-16 alone, 5% of master’s degree recipients, 20% of doctoral degree recipients, and 50% of professional degree recipients borrowed $100,000 or more to fund their graduate school study. As many MBA programs can cost tens of thousands of dollars for each potential student, and the average medical school degree can set students back upwards of $180,000.

Which is why, like me, you’ll likely need to borrow to help pay for a graduate degree after all scholarships, grants, and personal savings options have been exhausted. This makes private graduate student loans one of your next best bets to finance your educational pursuits for graduate school.

For those looking to find smarter graduate student loan opportunities, I encourage you to consider College Ave Student Loans as an option when financing your graduate degree.

College avenue Student Loans

College Ave offers new and returning students a better overall loan experience. From helping you find your best graduate school loan to providing borrowers with budget-friendly repayment options, this company makes borrowing fast and easy. They also provide applicants with a simple-to-use application process. It’s so simple that you can complete your application from any mobile device in minutes and find out instantly if your loan approved. Plus, borrowers can choose the loan term that works best for them and their budget with clean, concise borrowing terms upfront.

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Graduate student loans are designed with students in mind, and College Ave takes the stress and guesswork out of paying for college or graduate school by putting you in charge of how your student loan will best fit within your budgetary needs this season. Coupled with helpful online tools, no origination fees, and great customer service, these loan programs can be one of your best bets for obtaining private loans for postgraduate, masters or professional degrees to help advance your educational career paths too!

When it comes to balancing the cost of school with other financial priorities and going to graduate school, you’ll be faced with big decisions that require even bigger investments. Which is why borrowing from College Ave can help make your graduate school dreams a reality. Leaving you more time to learn, study, and grow as a student in your own right.

Now, friends, I want to ask, are you considering getting your graduate degree this season? And if your educational future includes student loans, what are your biggest concerns in securing this type of educational funding? Leave your comments below!

 

This post was sponsored by College Avenue Student Loans. All opinion expressed are my own, thank you.
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Getting Over Financial Stress

Financial problems are the biggest cause of stress in America. It creates anxiety and has been known to lead to mental breakdowns.

The uncertainty surrounding the country’s economic state, and whether they will still have a job to go to does not help some people’s situation. There are many that are desperate to get out of debt, but first of all, they need to learn to cope with the stress, or it will be counterproductive and all their efforts could be in vain.

Identify Which Debt Causes The Most Stress

Start by making a list of everything you owe, including who it is to and how much. Then mark them in the order of which ones cause you the most stress, as that is the first one you should tackle. If, for instance, it is a bank loan or a credit card, try to pay just a few dollars extra each month. You may be surprised how quickly the balance comes down when you do this.

When you have got rid of that debt, look at the next most stressful, and the money you were paying off the first one add to the payments of the second. The debts will start to reduce quicker than you might think, and each time you cross one off that original list you will have a great feeling of accomplishment.

With credit cards, it can also help if you take advantage of zero interest offers, as at least then the payment you make is reducing the debt instead of only paying off the interest each month. Checking out card guru is possibly the easiest way to find the best deals for credit cards. Just makes sure you use all of the right information to make an informed decision.

Be Realistic And Positive

You need to be realistic about how long it will take you to clear your debts, and think of it in a positive way. Don’t tell yourself that you will never be debt-free. If it is going to take five years, then think how happy you will be when the five years is up. Also remind yourself that as each of those five years pass, the amount you will owe will be reduced, and that has to be a plus.

Negative thinking will not help your situation at all, and the debts will make you even more stressed unless you are positive about your plan to clear them.

Making small steps towards your debt-free life is the secret to Strategic Financial Solutions. If you do not expect your dent to reduce in huge amounts each month, you will not be so disappointed when they do take time to pay off. But never forget what your aim is, and be proud of yourself for each small achievement you make.

Make The Most Of Your Income

Believing that your income is not enough to pay your way is the first step toward financial ruin. Focus on using your income wisely. Only spend what you really have to and try to reduce your living expenses. Simple things such as buying supermarkets own brands and having less meat in your diet can reduce your shopping bill significantly, and that spare money could go toward clearing your debts.

Friends, do you have steps you take to getting over financial stress at home? Leave your tips in the comments below.

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The Aspects Of Your Lifestyle You Should Aim To Improve

We’re all trying to improve our lifestyles on a continuous basis. If there’s a meaning to life then it’s probably something to do with being healthy and happy, so your goals should revolve around pursuing a better state of physical and mental wellbeing. If you want to make an improvement to your daily routine then these are the aspects of your lifestyle you should aim to improve.

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Your diet.

When it comes to following a healthy diet that’ll benefit your lifestyle in the long run, the most important thing to remember is that fad diets will not help you. Not only are they incredibly unhealthy for you in the sense that they lack the nutrition your body needs but short-term diets will only give you short-term results with regards to weight loss. If you want to improve your weight and overall health in the long-term then you need a long-term diet. It’s as simple as that. You should aim for healthy sustenance, even if it means you achieve your weight loss goal more slowly; you’ll be able to maintain that healthy weight permanently.

Plant-based food is always worth including in your diet. It’s all about eating natural food that lacks excessive processing and still contains plenty of nutritional goodness as a result of that. So much food in the modern world is heavily manufactured and severely lacking in the nutrition our bodies need whilst still being overloaded in terms of calories, salt, added sugars, and so on. If you really want to improve this aspect of your lifestyle then you should try to make your meals as organic as possible.

Your career.

You might also want to improve your career. After all, a job shouldn’t just pay the bills; it should be fulfilling on a personal level. Obviously, you still want a job that affords you the necessities in life, but that doesn’t mean you have to compromise in terms of career satisfaction. You should search for opportunities that will give you financial stability whilst appealing to your character traits. If you’re a social individual then you might want a career in sales, for example. If you’re a caring individual then you might want a career involving charity work or perhaps even something in the healthcare industry. You could consider this midwifery program. That would give you the qualifications necessary to have a successful career.

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Your house.

A house is more than four walls and a roof to keep you sheltered; it’s a place that you should be able to call home. You shouldn’t feel as if you simply make do with the appearance and feel of your humble abode. It should make you healthy and happy. It’s a part of your daily routine, even if you spend a big portion of your day out at work. You should be able to come home to a pleasant and inviting place. Start off by creating an inviting entrance. You could repaint your front door in a bold and inviting color. Maybe you could even hang some flower baskets on either side of the door to create a natural, vibrant, and welcoming entrance to your humble abode.

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The Ultimate Guide For Saving Money When It Comes To Healthcare

The financial side of healthcare can be incredibly daunting. We all, understandably, want the very best care possible while spending as little money as possible, and it is easy to see why sometimes, one is neglected in favor of the other. It doesn’t have to be that way though – it is possible to save money when it comes to health care, and that is what we are going to explore in this article.

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Practice Preventable Healthcare

The first step to saving money on healthcare is to take responsibility for your own health and do what you can to reduce your risks of needing medical attention. If you smoke or drink more than the recommended weekly amount of alcohol, cut down or stop. Eat a healthy, balanced diet and keep an eye on your weight – being too overweight or underweight increases the risk of illness. Take care of your teeth as well as it is thought that gum disease may be linked to heart disease.

As well as this, take advantage of the free preventative services which are covered by the Affordable Healthcare Act. These include blood pressure screening, vaccines, annual wellness visits, cholesterol screening, and many others. Catching the early signs of illness will save you money further down the road – and potentially save your life.

Compare the cost of medicine and procedures

Just like anything else, shop around when it comes to purchasing medicine or booking a procedure, as some places will be less expensive than others Look at generic medications where possible, as pharmacists do, and compare prices across drugstores. If you need things like glasses or hearing aids, visit a few different stores. You can find a wide range of glasses and hearing aid styles to suit your needs, all for different budgets.

Understand your health care plan coverage

Many plans have extras added on which aren’t always well advertised, for obvious reasons. Make sure you go over your plan with a fine tooth comb and take advantage of anything that you are entitled to. The plan may have nurses on call to give advice on any minor issues, saving you an expensive trip to the doctor’s office. Some offer things like acupuncture or chiropractic treatments for free.

Question everything

Don’t be afraid to question everything when it comes to your healthcare. It is not only your pocket you are thinking about, but your health, so ask about anything that is not clear. Remember, medical centers are also, sadly, businesses that are there to create revenue for their owners, so at times, there can be a conflict of interest. However, if you are struggling to pay for appropriate healthcare, you may find that your doctors or providers are amenable to negotiation of some sort. You also need to check that your bill is correct and that nothing extra has been added on by mistake.

By following some of these tips, you should be able to save some money without compromising on your healthcare.

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