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12 Quick and Cheap Lunch Ideas on a Budget for Work

Are you looking for some super easy and cheap lunch ideas for work that don't require more than five minutes to get ready? Today I will give you some ideas to help you keep taking your lunch to work without having to stand in the kitchen and cook (for very long)! I recently searched for easy lunch ideas for work, and what I found in the search results sure looked delicious. However, most of the results yielded lunch ideas that you have to cook ahead of time. Call me lazy, but I don’t want to spend more than a few minutes putting my lunch together. I want to take something for lunch that is so simple that I don't have to think about it and don't need to follow a recipe to prepare it. I want something so simple I can throw it together in five minutes or less. For real! You can make the cheap lunch ideas in this list in five minutes or less. Are they the most exciting lunchtime meals you will eat? No, of course not. But they get the job done. When you only get a 30-minute break to gobble down your lunch, you want your lunch to be ready to eat, and you want to be able to eat it quickly. That's probably why I don’t want to spend much time preparing my lunch. I barely have time to taste it! Reasons to Take Your Lunch to Work There are also great benefits of taking your lunch to work instead of buying your lunch. Let's review those first. Save Money Everyone is well aware that taking your lunch to work can save you so much money over the course of the year.  By spending less on eating out, you will be able to put that money you would have spent on restaurant food toward your financial goals. Eat Healthier You will have better control over what you are putting in your body by taking your lunch to work.  This is important if you are watching what you eat so you can lose weight or if you have chronic medical conditions you need to control, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or cardiac issues. Make Sure You Eat As I said earlier, when you only have a 30-minute break for lunch, it makes it hard to order food or go out to eat. In my situation, if I want to eat lunch, I pretty much have to take it to work.  Improves Concentration and Focus Your meal break at work is a time for you to rest and refuel so you can perform well for the rest of the day.  By eating something healthy, you won’t feel as sluggish or sleepy as you might feel after eating takeout or restaurant food. There are also things you can do to make it easier to pack and take your lunch to work consistently every day.  Some things you can do include:Make sure you have all the supplies you need to pack your lunch.  A lunch bag, cold packs, and reusable containers are necessary. Planning ahead.  This will help ensure you purchase all the food items you want to take for lunch. Keep your lunches simple. As you will see below, all these lunches are super simple. Most take less than five minutes to prepare! Get all your lunches ready ahead of time.  If you want to do it all on Sunday for the entire work week, this should not take long. Pack up everything you can in your lunch bag the night before. Do you need utensils for the lunch you are taking? Put it in your lunch bag. Are you taking pretzels, chips, crackers, or other snacks? Put them in your lunch bag the night before. Get in a routine in the morning so you don’t forget your lunch. Do the same thing every single morning when you walk into the kitchen.  This will help you not forget things as you rush out the door.Here are more tips for packing your lunch consistently every day. Quick helpful tip: If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it and you can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Then you can see for yourself how much money and time it can save you! Related posts:Manly Lunch Ideas for Your Husband to Save Money 21 Easy Frugal Meals with 5 Ingredients or Less Meal Planning on a Budget Easy & Dirt Cheap Meals for a Tight Food Budget How to Create a Meal Planning BinderNow on to my top 12 quick and cheap lunch ideas for work! 12 Quick and Cheap Lunch Ideas for Work Leftovers This is the easiest thing you could take for work.  The meal is already cooked. All you have to do is put it into reusable containers.  Depending on when you will take it for lunch, you could put it in the fridge for the next day or in the freezer until you take it to work.Cold Cuts or Lunch Meat Sandwiches Yes, I know this is super boring. But lunch meat, as it is called in this area, is a lunch staple for some people (like my husband), so I had to put it on the list. You could try different types of bread or rolls to change it up and make it more interesting. Also, try some different condiments or cheeses to spice it up.  There are tons of different flavored mustards and dressings you could experiment with. Wraps Yes, you could put your lunch meat in a wrap, but why not try a wrap full of fresh veggies, tuna salad, egg salad, or chicken salad? This brings me to my next idea.Tuna Salad, Egg Salad, Chicken Salad, Ham Salad Make a big batch on Sunday to get you through the week.  You don’t have to cook the chicken to prepare the chicken salad. You can use canned chicken. If you have an Instant Pot, making hard-boiled eggs for egg salad or to eat as a snack is quick, and the shells peel off so easily. You could have your tuna, egg, chicken, or ham salad over lettuce, in a wrap, on bread, on a roll, in a pita, with crackers, or eat it as is.Nut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches Good old PB and J sandwiches are easily made ahead.  You have to spread some peanut butter (or whatever nut butter you use) on both pieces of bread, then put the jelly on to avoid mushy bread.  You can also make a bunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches ahead of time and put them in the freezer. Grab one out as you head out the door, and it will be thawed and ready to eat by lunchtime.  Adult Lunchables Kids love Lunchables! It’s no wonder; what isn’t to like? Adults should be able to enjoy Lunchables, too. Bento Boxes are super popular right now, and you can create your grown-up version of Lunchables in them.  You can fill your Bento Box with all the snacks you enjoy eating to create a healthy meal.  Fill your box with things like rolled-up deli meats, grapes, cheese slices, apples, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, & avocado slices.Oatmeal I love taking oatmeal for lunch. It is one of the staples for my work lunches.  You could take instant oatmeal packets or make it ahead of time and take it already made.  I prefer the latter. Here is how I make it (just in case you are curious). I buy the big canister of old-fashioned (aka rolled oats). It is so cheap to buy that huge thing! I make three servings at a time.  Old-fashioned oats only take 5 minutes to cook once the water boils.  Remember that you are making three servings, so it takes under two minutes to cook each lunch serving. I then evenly divided it up into three reusable containers. I add a teaspoon of peanut butter and a tablespoon of strawberry preserves to add some sweetness, and that’s it! You could use any nut butter and preserves flavor to change it up to your taste buds. Other add-ins for oatmeal are chocolate chips, nuts, seeds, fruit, brown sugar, & honey. After I divide it into containers and put in my add-ins, I put them in the fridge to grab for lunch during the week. Then, I have three lunches ready to grab and go in under 10 minutes.  At work, remove the lid and microwave your oatmeal for one minute, and you have a super healthy, cheap, and filling lunch. Breakfast Burrito Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and I could eat it anytime! Scramble some eggs and throw them in a wrap with some cheese and a slice of deli ham, and you have a yummy breakfast burrito.  Or you could fry up a couple of eggs and put them on English muffins with a slice of cheese. Put them in reusable containers in the fridge, and you can grab them for lunches throughout the week. Heat them up in the microwave at work for a few seconds for a quick lunch!Salads Are you having a side salad with your dinner? Why not pull out a container to make an extra one for your lunch the next day? Making an extra salad when you are already cutting up veggies does not add much time to your prep work. Just leave the dressing off so your lettuce remains crisp.  You could take a bottle of your favorite dressing to leave at work if you have access to a fridge. Or use a small container to put a couple of tablespoons of dressing in to take along. Cottage Cheese and Fruit Cottage cheese is great for work lunches.  This is my other staple.  I buy a large cottage cheese container and divide it into four reusable containers.  You can either put some canned fruit on top or grab one of those small fruit cups to take along to top the cottage cheese with fruit at work.  Canned Soup There is nothing easier than opening a can of soup for your lunch.  If you don’t have access to a microwave to heat your soup at work, you could get a Thermos.  To use the thermos, heat the soup in your microwave in the morning. Then, put the hot soup into the Thermos to take with you. It will still be hot by lunchtime when you go to eat it. My husband bought one for work when he was getting tired of cold sandwiches every day.  He really likes using the Thermos, especially in the winter. Fruit and Yogurt Parfait This is a super simple lunch idea for work. It is probably best assembled at work to avoid the granola from becoming soggy. Just grab a cup of yogurt, put some fruit in a container, and take some granola to work on layering your parfait with and enjoying on your lunch break. Conclusion As you can see, becoming devoted to taking your lunch to work does not have to mean you have to work hard to prepare it. There are so many easy lunch ideas on a budget! I mean, who really enjoys prepping food for the workweek anyway?  I can think of many things I’d rather do on a Sunday afternoon instead of standing in the kitchen making my lunches for the week. Spending time with my husband and kids, going for a run, & reading a good book are just a few things I’d rather do. What would you rather do on a Sunday afternoon than make your lunches for work?  Do you have any other quick lunch ideas you can tell me about? I would love to hear them. Please let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 23 Dec, 2023

41 Old Money-Saving Ideas to Use Today

Are you looking for old money-saving ideas from many years ago?  If you are, I can certainly understand why. Times sure have changed over the years.  And post-pandemic, people are struggling more than ever to make ends meet.   While it’s essential to find ways of saving money in the modern days, sometimes looking to the past will help with inspiration and motivation for changing your spending habits.   People seemed to live so simply back in the day.  Adopting this simple way of life has proven to help people live below their means.   So, by changing the way you live to a more frugal lifestyle, you could reach your financial goals more quickly.   If you want to know the traditional ways of saving in the past so you can save money today, keep reading for some tips to consider.   Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Old Money-Saving Ideas:  Money Management We can learn a thing or two from old-fashioned ways of managing money.  However, sometimes, resorting to simple strategies and techniques can help you manage your money effectively. 1. Use Cash Using money instead of a credit card for purchases is a proven budgeting method.  The idea is so simple yet effective.  If you don’t have cash, you don’t spend money.   Many people use the cash envelope system for budgeting.  The cash envelope system divides your paycheck into envelopes based on your budget categories.  You then use the money in the envelopes to pay for your expenses.   2. Balance Your Checkbook Many people feel balancing a checkbook is a waste of time in today’s electronic banking world.  Balancing a checkbook is nostalgic and satisfying, but it’s also a great way to monitor your money. Tracking your money closely can save you money by helping you better control your financial situation. For example, balancing a checkbook helps you to:Avoid overdraft fees by ensuring you have enough money in your account to cover your expenses Identify discrepancies with your transactions Watch for fraudulent activity Catch recurring billing for unused subscriptions or free trials that have ended Know your financial position so you can make informed decisions with your spending3. Use the Team Approach Joining finances after getting married is becoming an old-fashioned way to manage money because keeping finances separate is becoming increasingly more common nowadays.   And that’s okay.  However, teaming up with your partner will help you snowball your efforts with saving money and help you pay down debt and reach your financial goals more quickly. Sitting down together to discuss your spending habits will ensure you are both on the same page.  Then, create your budget together so you are clear on where your money is going.   4. Buy Quality Items That Last Spending extra money to purchase something that will stand the test of time can save you money in the long run.  It’s tempting to buy cheaper items to save money when you are in the moment of the purchase.  And it’s impossible to know if spending a few extra bucks will result in an item lasting longer. However, doing your due diligence by researching and analyzing your different options when making a purchase can help you make the right choice, which may save you money in the long run. 5. Save Up for Large Purchases Avoiding taking on debt by saving up over time for large purchases is a traditional way of saving money.  Carrying debt is expensive.  So, paying interest on top of your principal payments can eat up a great deal of your paycheck.   Saving up for what you want or need instead of making purchases on credit or taking out a loan will help you save money in the long run.   6. Save Your Loose Change (or Use an App That Does That!) Did you ever spend hours with your parents or grandparents counting coins and putting them into coin wrappers? Then, you would hop in the car and drive to the bank to turn those coins into dollar bills.  That seemed to be the thing to do back then. Now, you can take your bucket of coins to the bank for them to feed through their coin sorter.  It’s a much less labor-intensive way to do it.   Or you could get even more high-tech and use a savings app for banking your spare change.  For example, Acorns is a savings app you might want to check out. Acorns is a micro-investing app that can help you save and invest for your future.  You can automatically save and invest your spare change. You can also invest as little as $5 at a time.  However, a personal investment account costs $3 a month, so keep this in mind.   Check out acorns here.   Old Money-Saving Ideas: Babies & Kids Having kids is so expensive.  According to Investopedia, raising a child to age 18 could cost around $272,000 in 2022!  Of course, that does not include paying for a college education.  But using some of these old money-saving ideas can help you reduce that cost.   7. Borrow Baby Equipment Borrowing baby equipment can help you save so much money!  Who wants to pay $100 for an activity center they will outgrow in 6 months or less? But just be sure there are no safety recalls on anything you plan to borrow.  Safe Kids Worldwide is a great resource for checking for recalls.   8. Buy Secondhand Clothes Buying clothes secondhand is another way to save money when raising kids.  They outgrow clothes so quickly, especially when they are babies.   Check thrift stores, consignment shops, garage sales, eBay, Craigslist, ThredUP, and Facebook Marketplace to find used kids' clothing.     9. Use Cloth Diapers Using cloth diapers is an old-fashioned way to save money.  But you have to be willing to wash them out yourself to save money.  According to thebump.com, using a diaper service for cloth diapers will end up costing you about as much as disposables would.   10. Make Your Own Baby Food Making baby food was the norm years ago.  And it can save you quite a bit of money today.   So, if you plan on making baby food, you must invest in a good immersion blender to complete the job more easily.  Also, there are tons of resources online to get started.   11. Pack Your Kids’ Lunches Back in the day, one-room schoolhouses didn’t have cafeterias!  Save money by packing your kids’ lunches for school.   12. Limit Toys Putting a limit on the number of toys your child has will save you money.  Did you ever love to watch Little House on the Prairie growing up?  That TV series comes to mind when I think about how kids grew up long ago.   Kids didn’t have tons of overpriced, cheaply made toys back then.  They were lucky to have a stuffed animal and some marbles to play with.  Don’t get me wrong.  I see the value in toys; they are essential for a child’s learning and development.   But by being choosey with the toys you buy for your kids, you will save money and help your kids place a greater value on the toys they have.   13. Send Them Outside to Play Are you looking for free entertainment for your kids?  Send them outside to play.  That’s what Caroline Ingalls did.   Finding free or inexpensive activities for your family can be a challenge.  Here are some related articles:Frugal and Fun Things to Do at Night Inexpensive Ways to Spend Time with Mom Budget-Friendly Winter Activities 75 Best Cheap Date IdeasOld Money-Saving Ideas:  Food The food budget is one area that often requires some effort to reduce.  So, let’s look at some old money-saving ideas that can dramatically cut your food costs every month.   14. Start a Garden Many people wonder if gardening can save you money.  Yes, it can.  Growing some of your produce can help to lower your grocery bill.   If you don’t have room in your yard to start a garden, try planting your favorite vegetables or herbs in containers to help save money on food. 15. Learn to Can Canning and preserving food is an old-fashioned way to save money.  If you grow any of your produce, canning and preserving your excess will help you save money throughout the year. 16. Avoid Food Waste Avoiding food waste is a traditional way to save money from the past.  Yet according to Forbes, the average household wastes $1,866 of food every year.  Just think of what could be done with that amount of money! There are many ways you can avoid food waste.  A few ways to prevent food waste are:Meal planning Organizing your pantry by placing food that will expire soon in the front Organizing your fridge by placing foods that need to be quickly eaten in the front Only buy what you will use Use up your leftovers  Freeze leftovers if unable to eat them or use them17. Stock Your Pantry and Freezer Stocking food items when they are on sale for the lowest price will help you save money on food over the long term.  Just be sure the items you are stocking up on will last until you need them. Some items that are great for stocking up on are:Canned items Jarred items Dry beans Rice Quinoa Frozen vegetables Frozen meats Boxed meals Pasta18. Eat at Home Eating at home is an old money-saving idea that can save you a great deal of cash.  In addition, eating a meal around the kitchen table is great for family bonding and conversation.   Eating at home does take work.  But once you figure out a meal planning system that works for you, it becomes much more manageable.   19. Use Coupons Using coupons was a popular way to save money on groceries in the past.  However, with the rise in popularity of electronic coupons and cash-back apps, using paper coupons is becoming quite antiquated.   Many grocery stores now have electronic coupons you can add directly to your store loyalty card or app.  It’s much more efficient than cutting out paper coupons. My favorite cash-back app for groceries is Ibotta.   Ibotta is a cash-back app for groceries that is free to download and use.  You can use it at stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, and more! You add the grocery offer to your account in the Ibotta app, take a picture of your receipt, and they deposit the money into your Ibotta account.   Ibotta can also be used with Walmart Grocery Pickup, even though you don’t get a receipt with Grocery Pickup.   20. Stop Spending on Junk Food Next time you go grocery shopping, look at your receipt to see what some of the more expensive grocery items you purchased were.  You may find that most of these items will be items that don’t provide much nutritional value.   Unfortunately, junk food tastes so good, but it’s also expensive.  Things like prepackaged cupcakes, cookies, chips, frozen desserts, and soda can wreak havoc on your food budget.   Try sticking to healthier snack foods.  Here are some more nutritious and cheaper foods you could try for snacks:Popcorn (buy a bag of kernels and pop it yourself) Pretzels (try store brand or generic) Raw vegetables (our favorites are celery, baby carrots, and bell pepper strips dipped in hummus or ranch dressing) Nuts (slightly more expensive, but the serving size is small, so they last) Tortilla chips (generic, of course) and salsa Toast with peanut butter Cottage cheese and canned fruit Yogurt21. Chop Your Own Produce It’s tempting to buy bagged lettuce and pre-chopped veggies and fruit.  But you can save money on your produce by buying it in its original form and chopping it yourself.  You can invest in a salad spinner, a good knife, and a set of cutting mats to get the job done quickly. If you want to save time, try chopping all of your produce at once and storing it in green containers in the fridge for easy access to use throughout the week.  That’s what we do with our veggies for salads, and it makes dinner prep quick and easy. 22. Bake Your Own Bread An old-fashioned way to save money is baking your bread.  However, bread-making can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process.   But it doesn’t have to be.   Bread machines make baking homemade bread incredibly easy.  You put all the ingredients in the machine, set the cycle, and press start.  The bread machine does all the hard work for you.  You can let the bread machine complete the entire bread-making process, so you have a loaf of bread when the timer goes off.  However, when allowing the machine to bake the bread, the loaf comes out square and has a hole in the bottom from the paddle.   Or, if you want a regular-looking loaf of bread, use the dough cycle for the mixing and kneading.  At the end of the dough cycle, remove the bread, shape it, place it in your loaf pan, and allow it to rise the second time.   It sounds like a lot of work, but it isn’t.  You spend most of your time waiting for the bread machine on the dough cycle or for the bread to rise again before baking.   Regardless of how you use your bread machine, you’ll save money by baking your bread. 23. Make Homemade Desserts/Birthday Cakes Desserts and birthday cakes purchased from the store bakery are expensive.  So the old money-saving idea is to bake all your desserts yourself.   Even if you aren’t into baking from scratch, a box mix is cheaper than buying premade goods at the bakery.   24. Pack Your Lunch Taking a packed lunch to work instead of getting takeout or going out to eat on your lunch break will save loads of money.  However, if you dread packing your lunch every night, there are ways to make packing your lunch easier.  Consistency is key to saving money by packing your lunch.   25. Stick to Generic/Store Brands Buying store brands is an old-fashioned way to save money on your food bill.  There is no need to spend more money to buy a name-brand item.  Many generic brands are made by the same manufacturers as the name-brand products anyway!   Old Money-Saving Ideas:  Entertainment and Leisure Finding fun things to do is important for enjoying life. But entertainment can get so expensive for a family. So, keeping your family activities simple will help keep your entertainment budget under control. 26. Hang Out at Home Spending time at home with your family instead of going out for paid entertainment (movies, dinner, arcades, shopping, shows, etc.) will save you a bundle of cash.  Research budget-friendly activities you can do at home with your family and friends.   27. Visit Friends and Family An alternative to hanging out at your home is hanging out at other people's homes.  Visiting friends and family is another old-fashioned money-saving idea.  Plan a potluck dinner with friends, have a wine-tasting party, watch movies, or have a game night for cheap entertainment.   28. Use Your Local Library Your local library is an excellent resource for cheap and free activities.  Libraries go well beyond books and movies.   Many libraries offer free speakers, classes, educational workshops, and discounted or free passes to local activities.  Old Money-Saving Ideas:  Transportation Car payments and car maintenance are costly. Here are some old-fashioned ways to save money on transportation. 29. Walk or Ride If you live close enough to your destination, try walking or riding your bike.  Not only is it great exercise, but you will also save money on gas.   30. Pay in Cash The old-school way to buy a car is with cash.  If you can save up enough money to pay for your new (used) vehicle in cash, you will avoid paying interest and won’t have a monthly car payment.   You will save money and can allocate more cash from your paycheck toward your financial goals. 31. Carpool Carpooling is remarkable for many reasons.  First, it will save you money on gas and wear and tear on your vehicle.  Second, carpooling can make a long car ride more enjoyable by conversing with friends.  Lastly, fewer cars are on the road means less traffic and less air pollution.  Carpooling is a win all around.   Old Money-Saving Ideas:  Household Costs related to owning or upkeeping a home can add up. Plus, even if you rent, your utility costs can get expensive. Here are some ways people saved money in the past. 32. Watch Your Electricity Usage Looking for ways to reduce your electricity consumption will save you money.  There are many ways to decrease your electricity costs.  Turning off lights, unplugging unused appliances, and using a programmable thermostat are just a few ways to cut your electric bill.   33. Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Doing essential home maintenance and repair on your own is a great way to save money, as people did in the old days.  Nowadays, we have helpful resources to teach you simple home repairs and upkeep.  Just Google what you want to learn to do, and you will find the answers along with YouTube videos showing you exactly how to do it. But if your repair is complicated, find a professional to do it! 34. Fix Things Instead of Tossing Them Mending and repairing items instead of throwing them out is another old money-saving idea.  Learn some basic sewing skills, have super glue on hand, and keep some tools handy so you are prepared to fix things in need of repair.   35. Give Hand-Made Gifts Hand-made gifts can be so much more meaningful than purchased gifts.  If you don’t have much room in your budget for gift-giving, you can save money by making gifts for family and friends.   36. Use a Small Amount of Product Using only the amount of product you need will help the product last longer and save you money.  For example, some beauty products are so expensive.  Buy them less frequently by using a light hand when applying them.   37. Use Up What You Have Avoid buying new products until you have used up the ones you have.  It can be exciting to try a new product.  But sometimes, trying a new product before you use up the old one can cause you to leave the old product behind, collecting dust in a cabinet and wasting your money.   38. Use Vinegar Vinegar is so cheap and has many different uses.  Using vinegar for household tasks is an old-fashioned way to save money that will save you money today.  You can use vinegar for cooking, cleaning, beauty, household, and outdoor uses. 39. Make Your Detergents/Soaps Making your detergents and soaps is not difficult and will save you money.  The hardest part is choosing the recipe you want to try!  Many detergent and soap recipes use castile soap, which has many uses even by itself.  Look for your next soap recipe on Pinterest or Google.    40. Hang Clothes to Dry Limit your dryer usage to save money on your electric bill.  Instead, line-dry your clothes outside, in the basement, or invest in a drying rack.  Even hanging up one load of wash to dry per week will save you money over the year.   41. Hang Bedsheets on the Washline There is nothing like fresh, clean, and crisp sheets that were hanging out in the sunshine for a cozy night’s sleep.  Plus, you will save money on your power bill and save wear and tear on your dryer.   Final Thoughts on Old Money-Saving Ideas Many people feel old-fashioned or traditional ways to save money are antiquated.  However, many of these money-saving ideas are still great ways to save money, even in modern days.   If you are looking for ways to live a frugal lifestyle so you can reach your financial goals, try some of these old money-saving ideas.  You will be pleasantly surprised by how much your bank account grows.

Chris Chris 24 Aug, 2023

35 Fun and Affordable Girls’ Night Out Ideas

Are you looking for fun activities to do with your besties besides heading out to the local town bar? Maybe you are wondering,” What are some things to do for a girls’ night out near me?”   It’s essential to have time away from your partner and kids to spend time with your friends. Having fun with your girlfriends is a great way to mix up a monotonous routine and re-energize yourself. Not to mention, relaxing and letting loose are great stress relievers.   So if you are looking for fun and affordable girls’ night out ideas, here are some of the best activities that don’t involve the local bar or Girls’ Night Out The Show. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here. Affordable Girls’ Night Ideas: Girls’ Night In Just because you are watching what you spend doesn’t mean you have to stay home by yourself. Invite your friends over for a girls’ night in! Here are the best affordable ladies’ night ideas that won’t bust your budget. 1. Movie Night Get cozy with your girls for a night in watching movies. Stream one or rent a cheap movie from Redbox. Complete the night with popcorn, candy (hit up the dollar store for movie theater-size boxes!), and your beverage of choice.  2. Game Night Have your friends over for a game night. You could play cards, board games, video games, yard games, or Truth or Dare. There are so many options for an entertaining girls’ night in! 3. Wine Tasting Party Have each of your friends bring over a bottle of wine and a food dish the wine complements. Critique the wine and keep your notes in a wine log (use a small notebook from the dollar store) to save for your next wine-tasting party.   4. Sleep Over Have an old-fashioned sleepover where you stay up late chatting, watching scary movies, binge-watching Friends or Grey’s Anatomy, and trying out new beauty products. Don’t forget your snacks and sleeping bags! 5. Spa Night Round up your girlfriends for a fun night of pampering and catching up. Do facials, manicures, and pedicures. Have your girls bring their favorite facial mask products and nail colors to share.   6. Bake Cookies Get together for a night of baking. Everyone can bring a recipe and ingredients. Then divide up the cookies so everyone has some of each kind to take home.   7. Adult Scavenger Hunt Hide small bags of snacks and cans or bottles of beverages around your property. Then, create a scavenger hunt and search for the goodies. Afterward, you guessed it, hang out and enjoy your snacks and drinks.   8. Dinner at Home Have your girls over for dinner. You could either cook dinner together or have each of your friends bring a dish. Try a dinner theme night to make it fun. And don’t forget the beverages to match the theme! 9. Fondue Night Chocolate fondue makes an indulgent treat for you and your girlfriends, or you could try a cheese fondue to pair with your favorite wine. Check out this fondue pot to get your fondue party started. 10. Discuss the Latest Book You Read If you and your girlfriends are avid readers, why not start a little book club? Have everyone bring a snack or drink to share while discussing the month’s book. 11. Go Shopping (In Each Other’s Closet) Let’s face it. Sometimes you feel like you have nothing to wear (even though your closet is full of clothes!). But maybe you don’t want to go out and spend money on new clothes. Your friends might be feeling that way, also.   A clothing swap could be the perfect solution for wardrobe boredom. Pull out some pieces you don’t mind trading, and have your friends bring some clothes they want to trade. Make a night out of shopping your friends’ closets. And don’t forget to swap accessories you are getting tired of too!   12. Workout Getting together with your girlfriends to exercise could be a free, unique, and fun girls’ night out (or girls’ night in).   Here are some ideas for a wide range of fitness levels:Walk Jog Jump rope (try some old-school double Dutch) Yoga (find a YouTube video) Pilates (look on YouTube) Weight training Tennis (look for a used racket at the thrift store) Try the FitOn app for a large variety of free workout videos13. Learn New Dance Moves Plan a fun night with your girlfriends to learn some new moves for the next time you go out dancing. You can find instructional videos on YouTube. Or you could forget the videos and throw your own dance party for a fun girls’ night in.    14. Have a Progressive Dinner A progressive dinner is when you eat each course of your meal at a different place. Plan a progressive dinner with your friends for an interesting and fun girls’ night in that takes place in multiple locations.  15. Learn a New Hobby Does one of your friends have a fantastic hobby you would love to learn? Plan a girls’ night in to learn about something new while sipping your favorite beverages.   16. Try Arts and Crafts Are you feeling crafty? Check out Pinterest for something unique to create to bring out your inner artist while chillin’ with your girlfriends.   Budget-Friendly Girls’ Night Out Ideas If you are tired of going to the local bar for your girls’ night out, here are some fun and frugal activities for the perfect girls’ night out.   17. Go for a Bike Ride Got a bike collecting dust in the garage? Get your girls together to plan out a fun route for riding your bicycle with scenic stops. Of course, for safety, you’ll want to plan your bike ride for a girls’ day so it’s still light outside. Also, don’t forget to stop and pose for tons of pics for social media. 18. Go Hiking Another fantastic idea for a girls’ day is hiking. Look for a national park near you to find a great place to hike. Or find a scenic hiking trail close by to check out.   19. Camping A night of camping could be just what you and your girls need to unplug, relax and catch up with each other. Even camping in your backyard could be an interesting and fun girls’ night activity.   20. Karaoke Head out to karaoke night or rent a karaoke machine to make some lasting memories with your girlfriends.   21. See a Matinee A night out at the movies with your girls can get expensive. However, if you go to an earlier film, you could still have a fun girls’ day and see the movie you’ve wanted to see at a discount. 22. Watch a Local Sporting Event If you and your friends love sports, check local colleges and universities for upcoming sporting events to watch for your girls’ night out.   23. Community Events Browse your town’s website or Facebook page for fun community activities for girls’ night out ideas. Things like fairs, carnivals, festivals, and races would all make fun activities to do with your friends.   24. Outdoor Concerts Many towns and communities host free outdoor concerts. An outdoor concert would make for a fantastic ladies’ night out activity.   25. Visit an Arcade Arcades aren’t just for kids. So gather up your girlfriends to head out for a night of fun and games at the local arcade.   26. Bowling Don’t forget about bowling! It’s also a budget-friendly activity that would make for an entertaining girls’ night out. 27. Go Out Dancing If you are looking for a more traditional girls’ night out idea, heading out to the club for a night of dancing is it. But, unfortunately, cover charges can be expensive. So if you are on a budget, look for a nightclub with a cheaper cover charge.   28. Go Roller Skating Roller skating is an inexpensive activity that would make for a fun girl’s night activity. Grab some ice cream afterward to wrap up the night. 29. Check Out Groupon Groupon is a platform that offers discounts and coupons on products and services. Groupon has tons of different categories of offers. You’ll find deals for local spas, things to do, restaurants, fitness, travel, and so much more.   So when you are looking for affordable girls’ night out ideas, be sure to check Groupon for deals. Saving money on your night out will make it even more enjoyable! 30. Head to the Museum Many local museums offer free or cheap admission. So get dressed up and head to the museum to check out the latest exhibits.   31. Get Dressed Up for Pictures Around Town Find some places around your town that would make unique backdrops for a photo shoot with your girls. Then, get together beforehand to get glammed up and head out to take some Instagram-ready pictures.   Also, you could make a photo album to remember the night on a site like Mixbook or Shutterfly. A photo book would make an incredible gift for your girlfriends for their birthdays, Christmas, or anytime.  32. Go Thrifting or Antiquing Head to the local thrift stores or antique stores with your friends to browse. You never know what you might find. For example, you could find a cool vintage shirt or the perfect vase to complete your coffee table vignette. Enjoy a night of treasure hunting for a fun girls’ night.    33. Volunteering Choose one of the many incredible charities for you and your girlfriends to donate your time by volunteering. You’ll be helping a good cause while spending a night with your friends. 34. Head to the Beach If you live within driving distance to a beach, pack up the car and head there for a fun and affordable girls’ day. Go for a few hours to relax on the sand or stay the day and check out the beach town nightlife.   35. Plan a Wine Tour Do you live near wineries? A wine tour could be the perfect girls’ day activity. Many wineries charge a small tasting fee if you don’t buy a bottle of wine, making a wine tour an inexpensive way to spend time with your friends.    Frequently Asked Questions About a Girls’ Night Out How Do You Plan a Girls’ Night Out? If you want to plan a fun girls’ night out, pick a date that works for all of your friends. Throw around some affordable girls’ night ideas and discuss the kind of budget everyone has.   Being open about the cost of your girls’ night is essential because not all of your friends may be in a similar financial position. If you or any of your friends are already living paycheck to paycheck, the last thing you want is for someone in your group to overextend themselves financially.   Once you establish a budget, all you have to do is choose your ladies’ night activity, gather any supplies you need, and show up for fun! As you can see from the list above, there are plenty of affordable and fun activities for ladies.   How Do I Host a Girls’ Night? If you and your girlfriends frequently choose to have a girls’ night in, you may want to take turns hosting the night. When you are getting ready to host a girls’ night, you’ll want to do some planning ahead to make sure everyone enjoys themselves. If you are having dinner or making food, ask everyone to bring a dish to reduce the cost and time you have to spend preparing for the night. Here are some other things you may want to plan when hosting a girls’ night in or out:Food, snacks, or restaurants you’ll eat at Movies to rent or see in the theatre Games, movies, or other entertainment Drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) Transportation to your ladies’ night activity Babysitters  Where you and your friends will sleep for the nightWhat are Some Girls’ Night Out Movies? Looking for a chick flick or wondering what to watch for a girls’ night? Here are some of the best girls’ night out (or in) movies you can find on Netflix or at Redbox:Bridesmaids 50 First Dates Pretty Woman The Fault in Our Stars Love and Basketball Made of Honor Step Up The Devil Wears Prada Miss Congeniality The Notebook Dirty DancingWhat are Some Girls’ Night Out Games? If you are planning to have a girls’ night and want some fun and crazy games, here are a few options:For The Girls Party Game Never Have I Ever (Girls Edition) Off-Topic Ladies Night Quick and Dirty Girls Night Edition Let’s Get Deep: Friends Edition 5 Second Rule BubblyWhat are Some Girls’ Night Out Quotes? Here are some fantastic girls’ night out quotes from The Random Vibez: “What happens at a girls’ night out stays with the girls.” “Happiness is…A night out with the girls.” “You might call it a girls’ night out; I call it therapy.” “There are so many beautiful reasons to be happy, and these ladies are mine.” Final Thoughts on Girls’ Night Out Ideas You don’t have to sacrifice having fun with your friends because you have a tight budget. As you can see, there are plenty of affordable but still fun activities to do with your girlfriends.   A girls’ night out doesn’t have to revolve around the local town bar. Use some of these ideas to get creative and help you plan a ladies’ night that your friends will be talking about for years to come.

Chris Chris 04 Jun, 2023

Where to Buy Cheap Clothes Online: 19 Best Places to Shop on a Budget

Are you looking for where to buy cheap clothes online? If your budget is tight, purchasing inexpensive clothing is a great way to stretch your dollars. Clothes are a necessity. However, buying expensive clothing is not.   Luckily there are many places to shop for cheap clothes online, so you won’t have to sacrifice quality or fashion for cost. You can still look great even when sporting inexpensive attire.   But where do you shop online for cheap clothes? Here are some of the best online clothing stores to shop for clothes on a budget.   Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read my full disclosure here.   Benefits of Buying Clothes Online Buying clothes online instead of shopping in stores has several benefits. Shopping online can help you to:Save time by not driving around to multiple stores Save money on gas by not going to a store Easily compare prices at different stores to ensure you are getting the lowest price Find coupon codes quickly by using money-saving browser extensions (like this one or this one) Save your energy for other more important things you want to do that daySome people say they can’t shop for clothes online because of the need to try on clothing. And I get that. However, if you want to start shopping for your attire online, try buying a cloth measuring tape to have on hand to help you with the fit. Most stores provide measurements for their clothing. So, if you find something you want to buy, compare the store’s measurements for the item to something in your closet to see if it will fit.  Of course, it’s impossible to only go off of measurements and know for sure if you will like how a piece of clothing fits. The fit of clothes also depends on fabric content.  Therefore, you’ll want to check a store’s return policy before purchasing online. You’ll want to know if you can return items to a nearby physical location or if you’ll have to ship them back to the store.   Where to Buy Cheap Clothes Online: Secondhand Clothes One of the best tips for buying cheap but quality clothing is to shop for used clothing. There are several online platforms where individuals can sell their pre-loved clothes. I love to buy secondhand clothes and have found some fantastic deals on quality items on several platforms below. Stocking my closet with used clothing is a frugal living hack I use to buy nice clothes on a budget. Plus, not only is buying secondhand clothing beneficial for your wallet, but it’s also beneficial for the planet. When you buy used clothing, you keep clothes out of the landfill.   You are also reducing the need for new product creation, which decreases consumption of the Earth’s resources and decreases pollution from factories.   So, if you are after name-brand clothing but new name-brand items aren’t in your budget, check out some of these online stores.   1. eBay EBay is an online platform known for its auction-style sales. But not everything has to be purchased by auction. Many eBay sellers offer “Buy It Now” prices that allow you to buy an item without bidding against other buyers.   I have both sold clothes and bought clothes on eBay. Selling your unwanted clothes on eBay is a great way to make extra money. It’s also an excellent platform for buying name-brand and designer clothes for cheap.   But you do have to be on the lookout for scams. One of the best ways to protect yourself is to check the seller feedback ratings and read the reviews.   Overall, eBay is one of the best places to buy used clothing online to save money. Just download the app and start browsing.   You can even buy new clothes on eBay. However, if you only want to see used items, go to the filter tab, select “condition,” and then select “used.” You can also sort by price from lowest to highest, so the cheapest clothes will be at the top of the list.   2. Poshmark Poshmark is another online marketplace where you can buy cheap new and gently used clothes via a user-friendly app. Poshmark is marketed as being a social marketplace where sellers can showcase their “closets” to potential buyers.   Poshmark is geared more toward name-brand and designer clothing than eBay. So if you are looking for famous brands on a budget, be sure to browse Poshmark. 3. ThredUP ThreadUP is an online consignment and thrift store where you can find secondhand clothes for cheap. ThreadUP’s core values revolve around sustainability, reducing clothing waste, and conserving the Earth’s resources through clothing resale.   4. Goodwill Most people know Goodwill stores are great places to find cheap clothing. But did you know they have a website where you can buy secondhand clothing?   Shopgoodwill.com is Goodwill’s online marketplace that’s run like an auction. You will find name-brand clothing (sometimes sold in lots), shoes, accessories, and jewelry.   However, if you are looking for something particular, this is not your place to shop. But if you just want to browse for something non-specific, like a new top, for example, Goodwill’s online auction may be a great place to look. 5. Etsy Etsy is well-known for handmade items. But did you know you can buy clothing on Etsy too? You will find some great vintage clothing shops on Etsy. Maeven Vintage is a favorite I like to keep an eye on.   6. ASOS Marketplace Asos Marketplace is a branch of the British online retailer ASOS. The marketplace hosts both independent brands and vintage shops. So if you are in the market for some quality vintage clothing pieces, you may want to check out ASOS Marketplace.Where to Buy Cheap Clothes Online: New Clothes on a Budget Sometimes, you don’t want to spend time browsing for used clothing to find a diamond in the ruff. But you also don’t want to overspend on clothing and go over your budget. So if you are looking for new clothes on a budget, keep reading for some of the best places to shop. 7. Old Navy Old Navy has some of the cheapest new clothing for the entire family. Old Navy also frequently has some of the best sales. When you sign up for their email list, Old Navy will inform you of the current sales and the deal of the day.   But beware! I find that Old Navy sells out quickly of sale items online. So, for example, when Old Navy has their $12-$15 jeans for the family sale, be sure to shop early on because sizes get picked out. Old Navy accepts online returns at their stores, which is a plus if you have trouble finding clothing that fits. However, Old Navy has extended sizes online, which increases the likelihood of finding clothing that fits perfectly. 8. Amazon What can I say about Amazon? Amazon has it all, including inexpensive clothing. Make sure your clothes are coming from a trusted source by checking where the items are shipped from and checking product reviews.   9. Boohoo Boohoo wants to make fashion accessible and fun for young adults. They sell both men’s and women’s clothing and have extended sizes, including plus size, tall, and maternity clothing. You’ll find the latest fashion trends at boohoo.com that are affordable to fit your budget. 10. Kohl’s Kohl’s is a department store where you’ll find great deals on clothes for the entire family. In addition, Kohl’s frequently offers discounts to use on top of their current sale prices.   However, you’ll need to read the fine print because their coupons and discounts usually exclude many of the name brands they carry. Shipping is free when you spend $35, and you can return items at the stores.   11. Nordstrom Rack At Nordstrom Rack, you’ll find popular brands sold at a discount. You will find designer brands like Lucky Brand, Micheal Kors, Cole Haan, and Kate Spade. So if you are hooked on brand-name clothing, definitely check out Nordstrom Rack.  12. H & M H & M is another great store if you shop for clothing on a budget. You will find trendy and cute clothes offered at reasonable prices.  They sell clothes for women, men, kids, babies, and home goods. You can find cheap clothes to buy and then browse the home section for a gift for someone special. 13. Clothing Under 10 Just as the name implies, you’ll find cheap clothes for under ten dollars at this online store. However, try not to get too excited because their clothing is not all priced under ten bucks.   They sell women’s and junior’s clothing, including casual wear, career wear, activewear, and sleepwear. This company is based in the United States and buys its clothes from manufacturers and distributors in the U.S.   14. Target If you are in the market for some cheap clothing, Target could be your go-to. However, it’s best to shop for clothes online at Target, especially if you are on a strict budget.   Why?   Because going into Target for one thing usually results in walking out of Target with many things! Target is excellent at marketing and merchandising inside the store. They make it very hard to resist making other purchases while in their store.     So shopping online can help take the temptation away. Plus, you can always return your items at the store if something doesn’t fit.   15. ModCloth ModCloth is for the hipsters that love the vintage or retro-inspired look. They carry regular and plus-size clothing. You’ll also find shoes and accessories in their online store. At ModCloth, you’ll find relatively cheap vintage clothes, and they frequently have discount codes you can use in conjunction with already reduced prices. It’s a shop you should check out if you like that particular clothing style.   16. TJ Maxx and Marshalls Did you know you can shop at TJ Maxx and Marshalls online? They have the same great deals on name-brand clothing you will find in their stores but the convenience of shopping from home. Plus, they offer free returns in their stores. 17. ASOS ASOS (stands for As Seen On Screen) is a London-based clothing retailer that keeps up with the latest trends and styles. You’ll find women’s and men’s ASOS branded items that are reasonably priced, especially when they run sales. They also have an outlet tab where you’ll discover steeply discounted clothing. ASOS also sells many name-brand clothing items online. These are not as cheap as ASOS branded items, but you can find some of your favorite brands for less when they are on sale. ASOS is also now the home of the popular clothing store Topshop.  ASOS bought Topshop in 2021. So, if you are looking for Topshop clothing, head over to the ASOS website to find the Topshop tab. 18. 6 pm 6 pm is an online clothing store where you’ll find clothes for the entire family, plus shoes, bags, and accessories. They are the discount retail division of Zappos.   If you enjoy wearing the top brands, definitely check out 6 pm for deals. 6 pm sells tons of different brand name clothing at 30-70% off MSRP, according to the website.   19. Lulus Lulus is an online clothing store initially based in California. Lulus sells cheap cute clothes online for women.   They sell clothing basics, dresses, shoes, and accessories. They even have a full lineup of wedding dresses and bridesmaids’ dresses for super cheap (many under $100!). What are the Best Cheap Clothing Brands? If you aren’t concerned about name-brand and want to know where to find the best cheap clothing brands, here are my top picks for affordable women’s clothing:Old Navy Target store brands (Mossimo, Universal Thread, A New Day) Kohl’s brands (Lauren Conrad, Croft & Barrow, Tek Gear) H & MFinal Thoughts on Where to Buy Cheap Clothes Online Just because you are on a tight budget doesn’t mean you can’t buy nice clothes and look great. With so many different options for buying inexpensive clothes, you are sure to find an online store that you love. Don’t forget to check out secondhand online stores for vintage finds and steeply discounted name-brand clothing to benefit your wallet and the Earth.   Where do you buy cheap clothes online? Let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 04 Jun, 2023

40 Budget-Friendly Winter Activities

I don’t know about you, but I have a love-hate relationship with winter. I hate it because it gets cold where we live, and I despise the cold weather. But I love it because I love staying home in the cozy warmth and spending time with family. But I know finding things to do in the winter can sometimes be a challenge, especially if you live where it gets cold and snows in the winter as it does here. It makes it even more difficult if you are trying to stick to a strict budget and are trying not to spend much money. That's where discovering some new budget-friendly winter activities can help you. According to Tom Corley, a financial planner, accountant, and best-selling author who studies the habits of wealthy people, the most you should spend on recreation and entertainment is 10% of your take-home pay. So let's say you bring home $2500 per month. According to his recommendation, you should spend only $250 on things like eating out, spa treatments, manicures, girls' nights, and family recreational activities. That isn't very much. Plus, if you have debt you are trying to pay off, you may want to consider keeping your fun money to 5% of your income to meet your goals faster. Finding ways to save money on the entertainment portion of your budget can be challenging for some people. It may mean cutting out certain things completely to spend money on the things that mean the most to you. Or you could stay within your entertainment budget by choosing free or extremely low-cost activities so that you can continue to spend money on other things. So here is a list of budget-friendly winter activities to help you beat your winter boredom while sticking to your budget. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here. Indoor Budget-Friendly Winter Activities Read Winter is the perfect time to read that book you have been planning on reading. You could exchange books with a friend or visit your library to find a book. Many libraries now have electronic copies of books you can sign out on their websites. Or head to your local thrift store to find a used book for a budget-friendly winter activity. Watch Movies Cold weather and snow are the perfect excuses to have a movie marathon. Or rent a movie from Redbox for $2.00 a night. Redbox also has a selection of free movies you can stream right now! Bake Cookies/Bread Try a new recipe or make one your family loves. You could browse Pinterest for a new recipe or check out my favorite recipe website, allrecipes.com. Tackle a DIY/home project Stuck at home? That is the perfect time for getting to those home projects on your to-do list. Have a Game Night You could have a family game night or invite your friends over. Some of our favorites are Uno, Monopoly, Trouble, and Pictionary. Do you have kids that love their video games? I'm sure they would love it if you played too. Have a Potluck Dinner Themed dinners are always fun. If you need ideas for dinner themes, I have a list of ideas in my free meal planning guide, or you can get just the list of theme night ideas below. Get my dinner theme night cheat sheet! Built with ConvertKit Workout Find a free workout video online or a workout app for your phone. I really like the FitOn app. It's free and has a variety of workouts for all fitness levels. Have a Wine or Beer-Tasting Night (and Then Have a Sleepover) Invite your friends over for a fun beer or wine-tasting night. Everyone can bring their favorite beverage to share and an appetizer to go with it. Find a New Hobby Some ideas are drawing, writing, painting, adult coloring books, knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, & putting together models. Start a Side Hustle Finding a new way to increase your income will do wonders to help you stay on budget and reach your financial goals more quickly. Check out these posts to help you find a new side hustle:Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a month 50+ Ways to Make Extra MoneyWork on Jigsaw Puzzles We love putting a puzzle out on the table to work on if we will be home for several days. It is fun to spend time together as a family and get everyone off of electronics. Decorate Your Home With What You Already Have Sometimes just moving furniture around or moving decorative items to different rooms is all you need to help your home feel fresh and new. Make a Family Yearbook Do you have tons of pictures just sitting on your phone or computer from the past few years? I do! I have been slowly working on getting the past several years of pictures organized and made into photo albums. You can use several great online companies to create your own family album. I have used Mixbook and Shutterfly before and have been very happy with the products I received. Mixbook is super easy and user-friendly, and with Shutterfly, you can create things right on their app. They both frequently offer steep discounts on their products. Crafts I am not what you would call a crafty person, but winter is the perfect time to work on your craft of choice! Declutter, Clean, and Organize Your Home Okay, for most people, this is not fun. But you have to admit, winter is the perfect time for getting your house organized and clean. Keeping your home clean and organized can help you feel more relaxed. It's a great stress reliever. Try a New Dinner Recipe A hearty soup, stew, or casserole is perfect for a cold winter night. Indulge in Some Self-Care Time Life is so busy that sometimes you-time gets put on the back burner. Give yourself a mani or pedi, try a new facial mask or scrub, soak in a bubble bath, or make a cup of tea and relax. Play Cards Learn a new card game or play the old classics. Rummy is the card game of choice in our house. Make a Gingerbread House If you don’t want to make gingerbread from scratch, you can buy some really nice inexpensive kits. Host a Football or Basketball Party Get your friends or family together to watch your favorite team. Keep it simple and have everyone bring a snack to share.Budget-Friendly Winter Activities to do Outside the Home Visit Local Museums Local museums usually have free or cheap entry fees for their exhibits, and often kids get in free. Visit Your Local Library Check to see if they have guest speakers or activities for kids that could bust winter boredom. Holiday Light Viewing Walk or drive around to look at lit-up homes or businesses in your area. Take a Walk Get outside and go for a walk around your neighborhood. Go on a Hike Check out state parks and nature reserves in your area. Ride Your Bike Got a bicycle that is collecting dust? Dress warm, dust it off, and go for a ride! Visit Relatives Pack up the kids and car and take a road trip to see your family. Don't forget to pack snacks for your trip to avoid spending money on food. Go Sledding Live in an area that gets snow in the winter? Make some memories by sledding with your family or meeting up with friends (you are never too old to go sledding!). Volunteer Whether at a soup kitchen, women’s shelter, or animal rescue, volunteering your time to help a good cause is an awesome way to give back to your community. Exercise There is nothing more energizing than doing your workout outside in the cold! Dress warm and go for a jog, try yoga, or jump rope. Build a Snow Fort Help your kids build a snow fort. It's a great way to get your kids away from their electronics to enjoy the season and make memories (don't forget to snap some pictures for your photo album). Attend a Winter Festival Many communities have free or inexpensive festivals in the winter to check out. Have a Bonfire and Make S’mores Invite friends or have one with your family. This is perfect for family bonding time. Test Out Your Photography Skills Take pictures during your winter activities to use in your family yearbook. Look for different background scenes around your house or town to make them extra special. Play Sports My kids love their sports. They also love when my husband and I go outside and play their sports with them. Throwing the football together, playing two on two basketball or soccer, and practicing lacrosse are some of our favorites. Create a Scavenger Hunt If you have kids, a scavenger hunt would be so fun for them. No kids? Have your friends over for an adult scavenger hunt! Have everyone contribute snacks or cans of adult beverages or sodas to hide. Create some teams and have a blast looking for the items (and enjoying them afterward!). Ice Skating Take your family to the local skating rink to learn to ice skate. Star Gazing Look for the constellations while chatting with your friends or family on a clear night. Plan a Block Party With Your Neighbors This is perfect for getting to know new neighbors and bonding with those you have known for a while. Build a Snowman This list would not be complete without adding this to it! Try making a snowman family. Final Thoughts on Budget-Friendly Winter Activities Staying within your budget can be really difficult to do, especially if you are keeping a tight budget to work aggressively toward your financial goals. However, enjoying life and not feeling deprived is important when trying to pay off debt or save for a large purchase. With some intentional spending and choosing budget-friendly winter activities, you can still have fun while working toward your financial goals. Did I miss anything? What inexpensive winter activities do you do to keep your boredom at bay while sticking to your budget? I would love to hear your ideas. Please let me know in the comments! Related Posts:Frugal & Fun Things to do at Night with Friends & Family Inexpensive Ways to Spend Time with Mom

Chris Chris 03 Jun, 2023

50 Budget Friendly Mother’s Day Gift Ideas (Under $30!)

Mother's Day will be here before you know it. Have you been trying to come up with some budget-friendly Mother's Day gift ideas for your mom? I've been racking my brain. Mother's Day is the perfect day to thank your mom, or any other mom or motherly figure in your life (mother-in-law, grandma, friend, stepmother, sister, etc), how much you appreciate them. Mother's day can get super expensive, especially if you want to celebrate more than one mom in your life. Giving gifts can be tricky sometimes because you want to give the person something special that they will adore, but if you are on a budget and funds are limited, you may have to get creative. So I wanted to share some budget friendly Mother's Day gift ideas I found that are under $30. Many of these ideas are cheap Mother's Day gifts under $20. I hope that you will find something on this list that your mom will love! Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. You can read my full disclosure here. Budget Friendly Mother’s Day Gift Ideas under $30 There are so many possibilities out there for cheap Mother’s Day gifts. So I decided to break them up by mom's interests to help you find what you are looking for quicker. For the Wine Connoisseur Mom 1. Bottle of Wine This one is super easy! Choose your mom's favorite type of wine, but surprise her with a bottle she has never tried. You could even make a cute gift basket with an assortment of cheeses and crackers to go with her wine. 2. Wine Rack I love this wine rack. The rustic design will coordinate with so many kitchens. I like how it is tall instead of wide so it won't take up a large footprint on the countertop. Shop this wine rack here.3. Electric Wine Bottle Opener Is your mom starting with arthritis in her hands? She would probably love an electric wine bottle opener! We even have one and I love it! Shop this wine bottle opener here.4. Insulated Wine Tumbler I love these wine tumblers. My husband got one for me for my birthday last year and it's perfect for keeping all my drinks cool when sitting outside in the summer. This rose gold one is beautiful. Shop this insulated wine tumbler here.5. Decanter If your mom is a red wine drinker, check out this decanter. It is so simple yet beautiful. Shop this decanter here.For the Techie Mom 6. Handbag Phone Charger This portable phone charger will give your mom peace of mind while on the go. The rose gold is so pretty. Shop this portable phone charger here.7. Tablet Stand This soft tablet stand will come in handy for your mom when she is lounging. I have one and my 2 boys each have one and we love them. Shop this soft tablet stand here.8. 3 in 1 Smartphone Grip This smartphone grip is ingenious. It will help your mom hold her phone easier, it's a small wallet, and the grip turns into a stand. Shop this smartphone grip here.9. UV Phone Sanitizer Phones are so germy! I love the idea of a phone sanitizer, especially because of COVID! Shop this phone sanitizer here.10. Tablet Sleeve Any techie mom who has a tablet is sure to love this super cute tablet sleeve! It comes in other colors if she isn't a fan of pink! Shop this tablet sleeve here.For the Fitness Loving Mom 11. Yoga mat This yoga mat comes in so many different prints. You are sure to find one your mom will love. Shop this yoga mat here.12. New Water Bottle This insulated water bottle comes with 3 different style lids and comes in tons of colors! Shop this insulated water bottle here.13. Foot Roller If your mom is a runner or walker (or if she is always on her feet), she needs a foot roller! I have one like this and love it. This set comes with three other massage balls. Shop this foot roller here.14. Wristband Phone Holder If your mom likes to exercise, maybe she could use a new phone holder. I personally prefer a wristband phone holder over an armband phone holder when I run because it keeps my phone handy at all times. I have this exact one and it works great. Shop this wristband phone holder here.15. Running Socks Socks are so important for athletes! If your mom is a runner or walker, surprise her with a great pair of socks. Shop this pair of socks here.For the Mom Who Loves Reading 16. A Book How about surprising her with the book she has been wanting? Easy enough, right? 17. Throw Blanket Your mom is going to need a cozy throw blanket to snuggle up under while reading! This one is beautiful and is on my wish list. Shop this throw blanket here.18. Book Light If your mom loves reading, check out this book light! Shop this book light here.19. Book Journal If your mom is a book lover, she may appreciate a book journal to keep track of the books she reads. This one has plenty of space to write notes about her books. Shop this book journal here.20. Book Ends If your mom has tons of books and likes to display some of them, help her keep her books organized with some cute rustic bookends. Shop these bookends here.For the Mom Who Loves Beauty & Pampering 21. Z Palette If your mom loves makeup and has tons of single eyeshadows or tons of individual blushes or bronzers, she may love this Z Palette! I had lots of older eyeshadows I never used, but I felt like I “needed” a new palette. I came across this and now I have a new palette of all my old eyeshadows! I love having them in one place and this is now the palette I reach for every morning. There are tons of tutorials online for de-potting your makeup. Just go slow and be careful! Shop this Z palette here.22. Makeup Brushes A new set of makeup brushes is so simple but so useful! I have a few different makeup brushes by this brand and love them. Shop this makeup brush set here.23. Bath Robe A cozy bathrobe is a great idea for a mom that loves pampering. Shop this bathrobe here.24. Nail Polish Set Here is a gel nail polish set in a pretty color by a popular brand! Shop this nail polish set here.25. Shower Steamers Pamper your mom with these aromatherapy shower steamers to help her relax. Shop these shower steamers here.For the Home Décor Loving Mom 26. Throw Pillow This throw pillow is so sweet. Your mom will know how special she is every time she sees it. Shop this throw pillow here.27. Picture Frame Find a cute picture frame and put a family picture in it. Check out thrift stores for an awesome frame that just needs a little love with some paint to freshen it up. Or if you want to buy mom a collage, I love this family photo collage. The pictures are so easy to switch out. Shop this family photo collage here.28. A Plant Got a plant that is doing awesome that needs to be split up? How about starting a plant for your mom in a cute little planter? Shop this planter here.29. Old Books Check out thrift stores and antique stores for old books with tons of character your décor loving mom could use for her side table & coffee table vignettes. 30. Tray Trays are so multi functional! Use them in home décor, to keep an area organized, or for entertaining and serving.   Shop this set of trays here.For the Mom Who Loves Cooking and Baking 31. Cookbook If your mom loves cooking and baking, a new cookbook would delight her. This cookbook got some really great reviews. Shop this cookbook here.32. Cast Iron Skillet Cast iron skillets are so versatile in the kitchen, making them the perfect gift for a mom who loves to cook and bake. Shop this cast iron skillet here.33. Wooden Salt and Pepper Mills Is your mom still using the same salt and pepper shakers from when you were a kid? Update her countertops with a new set of wooden salt and pepper grinders. Shop this salt and pepper mill set here.34. Tablet & Cookbook Holder for the Kitchen Moms who love cooking and baking need a stand to put their cookbooks or tablet on so they can easily see their recipes. Shop this cookbook & tablet stand here.35. Silicone Baking Mats Every baker needs silicone baking mats! If your mom goes through her parchment paper like there is no tomorrow, this would be a great idea for her! Shop this silicone baking mat set here.For the Traveling Mom 36. Packing Cubes I think these packing cubes are so smart! Our kids' clothes are still small enough to pack in our suitcases and these would be great to keep our clothes organized and easily pack and unpack. If your mom loves to travel and does not have a set of these yet, check them out! Shop these packing cubes here.37. Travel Wallet Help your mom keep all her important travel documents organized and handy in this trifold travel wallet. Shop this wallet here.38. Toiletry Bag Help your mom keep her toiletries organized and neat with a toiletry travel bag. Shop this toiletry bag here.39. Compression Socks Help improve her comfort and circulation during traveling with these compression socks. They come in a bunch of fun patterns and colors. Shop these compression socks here.40. Facial Spray Help your mom feel refreshed during and after traveling with this facial spray. Shop this facial spray kit here.For the Mom That Loves Gardening 41. Gardening Book Check out this vegetable-growing book if your mom loves gardening. It has great reviews. Shop this gardening book here.42. Gardening Kit This gardening kit has everything your mom needs if she is just starting to get into gardening (or if she could use some new gardening tools). Shop this gardening kit here.43. Watering Can Could your mom use a new watering can for her gardening? This one is cute and functional. Shop this watering can here.44. Hose Attachment Maybe your mom's garden is big and she needs a new hose attachment instead of a watering can for watering? Shop this hose attachment here.45. Personalized Garden Sign These garden signs are adorable! If my mom had a garden I would get this for her. Shop this garden sign here.For the Jewelry Loving Mom 46. Jewelry Case These jewelry cases look like they hold a ton of jewelry. I love how the top is clear so you can see the beautiful jewelry inside. Shop this jewelry case here.47. Enamel Jewelry Enamel jewelry continues to be in style this year. These hinged bracelets are so pretty. Shop this bangle bracelet here.48. Bar Necklace I love these bar necklaces. They are super cute and can be worn with so many types of outfits. Shop this bar necklace here.49. Beaded bracelet Colorful beads are also in style this year. I love these beaded bracelets with the Tree of Life charm. It symbolizes eternity, hope, and happiness. Shop this beaded bracelet here.50. Pearl Earrings Pearl jewelry continues to be on trend this year. These drop pearl earrings are classic and cute. Shop these pearl earrings here.I hope you were able to get a few ideas for your mom from my list of inexpensive and budget friendly Mother's Day gifts. These would also make great cheap gift ideas for your mom on her birthday, Christmas, or just because! Happy Mother's Day!You may also enjoy reading:70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less Money20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month12 Easy Ways to Cut Food Expenses so You Can Save More Money11 Tips to Help You Stop Eating Out to Save Money and Eat Healthier

Chris Chris 02 Jun, 2023

51 Cheap Meals to Survive Tough Times

Are you looking for some delicious cheap meals to feed your family? You are not alone. With current food prices soaring, many people are looking for inexpensive meal ideas to reduce their grocery bills.     Saving money on your food bill isn’t only crucial during tough times. You see, spending less on groceries for the long term will help you live below your means to reach your financial goals more quickly.   So here is an extensive list of budget meals to help you reduce your grocery bill. You will find plenty of healthy recipes and easy recipes for the picky eaters in your family. In addition, many of these dinner ideas cost around $2 per person. Enjoy! Tips to Reduce Food Costs to Prepare Cheap Meals Once you figure out how to save money on food to make cheap meals for your family, you will be on your way to staying under your food budget. So let’s first discuss some ways you can reduce your monthly food costs. Meal Plan The number one way to save money on food and prepare cheap meals for your family is to meal plan. When you make and stick to a meal plan, you avoid eating out, but you can also be strategic with the food you buy at the store. Need help getting started? Check out my guide on how to make a weekly meal plan with grocery list. And if you're shopping for one person, here's my complete grocery list on a budget for 1 with real Aldi prices. Plus, I've created a $57/week meal plan for singles using actual 2026 USDA prices - no more fantasy $20/week plans.   Planning meals that use some of the same ingredients will help keep your grocery bill down and help you to keep the total cost of each meal down. When you have to buy completely different ingredients for each meal, your grocery bill increases, as does the total cost of each meal.    It takes practice to be strategic with your meal plan. But once you know your family’s favorite meals that use similar ingredients, planning them for the same week will be easy.   If you need help with meal planning, you can download this free meal planner to get started. Here's a preview:This free Meal Planning Guide includes everything you need to make your meal plan. Helpful Tip: If you hate meal planning or have tried it and can’t figure out a system that works for you, you should look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off what you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person. And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here. Use Ibotta Ibotta is a cash-back app for groceries that is free to download and use. You can use it at many different stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, and more. Ibotta is amazing for saving money on food so you can prepare cheap meals for your family. You add the grocery offer to your account in the Ibotta app, take a picture of your receipt, and they deposit the money into your Ibotta account.   Ibotta can also be used with Walmart Grocery Pickup, even though you don’t get a receipt with Grocery Pickup. That’s how we use it the most.   Before starting your grocery order on Walmart, you click on Walmart through the Ibotta app. Then, it redirects you, and you start your shopping.   Once you pick up your groceries, the money gets deposited into your Ibotta account.   If you don’t have Ibotta yet, you can sign up here. By signing up through my link, you can receive up to $20 in welcome bonuses!   Also, if you use your laptop or desktop, Ibotta has a browser extension you can use instead of an app on your phone.   Buy Groceries Online Buying groceries online is a great way to control your food costs. You can quickly and easily compare prices when shopping online. In addition, you can add or remove items from your cart and know precisely what your total will be to ensure your grocery bill is within your budget. Shop at Discount Grocery Stores You will find many items at rock-bottom prices at discount grocery stores like Aldi or Lidl. And what can you make with cheap food? Cheap meals, of course! If you have not tried shopping at a discount grocery store, it’s worth a try if you want to save money on food.   Buy in Bulk Look for sales on bulk food to reduce your food costs. But be sure you check the unit price to ensure the bulk price is lower than it would be individually. Look for sales on large quantities of meat to divide up into family-sized portions and freeze for future use. Consider joining a wholesale club, like Sam’s Club, Costco, or BJ’s, to stock up on the bulk food items you need.   Avoid Food Waste Americans throw away about one-third of the food they purchase every year. So a family that spends $500 a month on food wastes around $165. Here are several ways to avoid wasting your money on food:Use up or freeze leftover food Only buy what you will use Store food appropriately Check for “Use by” dates before you purchase the food Meal plan Only purchase the items on your listLet's get started with 51 cheap dinner ideas for your family.Photo Credit: Spend With Pennies (Chili Mac Skillet) Cheap Meals for a Family Weeknight meals can be challenging, especially if you have a busy, active family. So here are dinner ideas that use many family favorites, like chicken, beef, pasta, and rice. 1. Turkey and Black Bean Tacos This quick and easy taco recipe is perfect for busy weeknights! Ideal for those who love to meal prep for work too. 2. Chili Mac Skillet Supper never fails to satisfy when you serve this Chili Mac Skillet. This cheesy, meaty meal combines ground beef, macaroni, and cheddar cheese in a thick tomato sauce enriched with beef broth. 3. Veggie Fried Rice Veggie fried rice uses rice, eggs, and any leftover vegetables you have, making it affordable and efficient. It’s an excellent way of getting children to enjoy vegetables and isn’t hard to prepare. 4. 15 Bean Soup 15 Bean Soup is a budget-friendly recipe everyone will love! It's high in protein, delicious, & easily made in the slow cooker, instant pot, or stove for under $1 per serving. 5. Cheese Ramen This cheese ramen is ready in just 5 minutes, perfect for a quick and easy meal. It uses four simple ingredients and is hearty, filling, and delicious. Both adults and kids will enjoy this. 6. Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Shells These Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Shells are a delicious meatless dinner the entire family will love. This cheesy but low-calorie pasta dish freezes beautifully for an easy make-ahead meal. 7. Cheez-It Crusted Chicken Tenders Cheez-It Crusted Chicken Tenders are full of easy, cheesy goodness! This recipe has few ingredients and is easy to make in the air fryer! 8. Leftover Rice Casserole This leftover rice casserole is perfect for saving you money and time. It’s creamy, cheesy, and so delicious! 9. Orange Ginger Chicken This Orange Ginger Chicken recipe takes a whole chicken and some oranges and, with a few simple steps, transforms it into a lovely roast dinner, complete with the most flavorful sauce. Sweet and savory with a little bit of ginger spice! 10. 20-Minute Homemade Hamburger Helper This healthier take on the American classic boxed favorite has less sodium and preservatives than the traditional boxed version. Ground beef, American cheese, and seasonings add flavor to this recipe. 11. Simple Chicken Parm Stuffed Peppers These Chicken Parm Stuffed Peppers will make a filling weeknight dinner for your family with only five ingredients. Full of orzo, ground chicken, and topped with mozzarella, these stuffed peppers are sure to please! 12. Homemade Vegetable Soup Parents and kids both love this family dinner. You can use your favorite combo of canned and fresh veggies or whatever you have on hand. It’s an inexpensive way to make a big hearty, nutritious dinner too! 13. Hamburger Stew with Rice This Hamburger Stew with Rice is an easy, budget-friendly dinner option with simple ingredients. A wholesome, family-friendly meal that is guaranteed to satisfy! 14. Sausage and Cajun Sweet Potato Sheet Pan Dinner This sausage and cajun sweet potato sheet pan recipe is easy and on the table in 25 minutes. It’s delicious as a weeknight dinner, or you can do your lunch prep for an entire week. You can customize the cajun spice to mild or spicy. 15. Dutch Oven Chicken Breast and Vegetables This dutch oven chicken breast recipe is juicy, simple, and creamy. So grab some boneless chicken breast and make this one-pot dinner! 16. Pasta e Fagioli aka Pasta and Beans This pasta and beans meal ticks all the boxes! It’s delicious, quick, easy to make, nutritious, and inexpensive! Kids love it, too! 17. Garlic Chili Oil Noodles with Cilantro These Garlic Chili Oil Noodles come together in just 15 minutes and are easy, simple, and delicious! Top the noodles with a generous amount of chopped cilantro for a fresh and tasty meal! 18. Baked Walking Taco Recipe with Enchilada Sauce This Baked Walking Taco Casserole is a straightforward one-pot Mexican dinner idea. The casserole is loaded with flavor from the taco seasoning, green chiles, and enchilada sauce. And the best part is all of the Fritos and melted cheese on top. So good! 19. 5 Ingredient Easy Chicken Curry Without Coconut Milk This chicken curry is the best Indian curry without coconut milk, cream, or even tomatoes. This low-calorie curry is made with just five simple ingredients and cooked within 30 minutes. An easy healthy chicken gravy that even beginners can cook! 20. Simple Potato Soup with Chicken Broth This Potato Soup with chicken broth can be your go-to dish when you need a low-budget comfort meal. It’s creamy, savory, and better than any lavish meal around! 21. Weeknight Easy Pan-Seared Chicken Thighs This chicken thigh recipe for perfectly pan-seared, bone-in, skin-on thighs is always a hit for inexpensive and delicious meals. 22. Rosemary Chicken and White Bean Soup Why not combine both when you can’t decide between garlic rosemary white bean soup and classic chicken soup? Rosemary Chicken & White Bean Soup is the perfect comfort food on a chilly spring day. 23. Pumpkin Curry Warm yourself up with this delicious pumpkin curry! You’ll love how this recipe combines veggies, coconut milk, and curry spices into a hearty meal. 24. Mushroom Aglio Olio This mushroom Aglio olio is a quick, easy, and budget-friendly dinner. With just six ingredients, it’s on the table in twenty minutes. 25. Super Easy Ground Beef and Rice Skillet This easy skillet ground beef and rice recipe is simple but delicious! It’s a weeknight meal the whole family will love! 26. Fasolakia (Greek Green Beans and Potatoes) Hearty and healthy Fasolakia is a Greek green bean and potato dish that is easy to make and served hot or cold. 27. Butter Spaghetti This quick and easy Butter Spaghetti recipe is deliciously addicting yet made with only four simple, inexpensive ingredients- noodles, butter, parmesan cheese, and pepper. Ready to serve in under 20 minutes! 28. Tuna Noodle Casserole This delicious recipe for tuna noodle casserole is a cheap and easy dinner for a frugal family on a budget. It’s a quick, affordable meal when you live on a tight budget and tastes great! It also makes an excellent make-ahead freezer meal recipe for a new mom or busy weeknights. 29. Keto Meatloaf Recipe Without Bread Crumbs This delicious low-carb, keto meatloaf recipe is the perfect comfort food and it is easy to make! It’s tender, juicy, and delicious, and it only takes eight ingredients and 5 minutes to prep! 30. Million Dollar Meatball Casserole This easy million-dollar meatball casserole recipe tastes like a million dollars but costs less than $12. Plus, it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. 31. Slow Cooker Vegan Chili This slow cooker recipe is delicious. It’s not only wholesome but easy to prepare. A vegan twist on this classic comfort food makes a healthy dinner loaded with nutrients and bursting with flavor! 32. Crockpot Chicken Potato Chowder This cheesy chicken soup leans on leftover rotisserie chicken and inexpensive vegetables like potatoes, onions, and carrots for a budget soup your whole family will love. Plus, if you have leftovers, no one will complain about them! 33. Slow Cooker Corned Beef HotPot Take a trip to Northumberland, England, with this delicious corned beef hotpot cooked in the slow cooker. Loaded with tinned corned beef, baked beans, potatoes, carrots, and onion, then topped with sliced potatoes. 34. Instant Pot Vegetable Beef Soup This instant pot vegetable beef soup is a delicious healthy soup recipe. This one-pot meal is packed with savory flavor and is ready in 30 minutes!Photo Credit: The Forked Spoon (Asian Garlic Noodles) Cheap Vegan Meals 35. 20-Minute Easy Vegan Chili An inexpensive, delicious & healthy one-pot vegan recipe that will be ready to eat in less than 20 minutes! This flavorful hearty chili is the perfect meal for a camp-out or when you’re hungry & need something quick to fill your belly and warm your soul. 36. Black Beans Recipe This easy, from-scratch and economical Black Beans recipe combines bold flavors like onion, garlic, and cumin with beans and transforms them into something special. Two pantry-staple SECRET ingredients are added at the end to create a wonderfully balanced flavor profile! 37. Black Bean Lentil Burger This carnivore-approved black bean lentil burger recipe is hearty, crowd-pleasing, and easy to make in under 30 minutes. Try them for a budget-friendly family meal! 38. Dal Palak (Spinach Dal) Dal Palak (or Spinach Dal) is a comforting and delicious Indian curry made with red lentils, spinach, and spices. This super healthy & nutritious dish is the perfect weekday meal and the perfect comfort food for cold winter nights.  39. Creamy Tahini Pasta This creamy tahini pasta is full of flavor and an easy weeknight dinner for kids and adults alike. A budget-friendly meal with minimal ingredients, and many of them pantry staples. 40. Dry Moong Dal This dry moong dal recipe is nutritious, flavorful, and easy on the stomach. It is made with a few readily available ingredients and comes together very quickly. 41. Healthy Cauliflower Fried Rice Cauliflower Fried Rice is a tasty low-carb stir fry your kids will think is authentic fried rice. So skip the Chinese takeout and have a healthy dinner in 15 minutes! 42. Asian Garlic Noodles Asian Garlic Noodles are a quick and easy 20-minute noodle stir-fry using noodles in a delicious sauce made with garlic, butter, soy sauce, and parmesan cheese. Perfect for anyone who loves garlic! 43. Air Fryer Veggie Chickpea Burger These super easy and flavourful chickpea burgers will be your go-to weeknight meal. They take less than 30 minutes to prepare. 44. Easy Eggplant Penne This eggplant penne is the winner if you’re hunting for some easy vegan, family-friendly meals! It’s a super easy eggplant penne recipe that ticks all the boxes! 45. Black Bean Veggie Enchilada Rotini One-Pot Pasta With a hearty, robust sauce, lots of veggies, and black beans, Black Bean Veggie Enchilada Rotini One-Pot Pasta is a delightful recipe for sharing. 46. Cabbage Soup This Cabbage Soup is the perfect hearty meal for busy weeknights or lazy Sundays. It’s easy to make, budget-friendly, and so tasty! 47. Black Bean Curry Here’s a recipe for a delicious black bean curry simmered in coconut milk and spices that will make your dinner time enjoyable! 48. Easy Stir Fry Bok Choy Easy stir fry bok choy with mushroom oyster sauce is a delicious yet straightforward recipe to prepare. It’s rich in nutrients, high in fiber, and loaded with vitamins. 49. Vegetarian Crock Pot Recipes Generally speaking, crockpot cooking is cheap, convenient, and easy to do for large families and crowds. And among the variety of creations you can make in them, crockpots are also great for vegetarian recipes, which are very budget-friendly! Check out these 6 vegan recipes. 50. Instant Pot Lentils and Rice Lentils & Rice (Mujadara) is a healthy vegan meal. Lentils and rice cooked with fragrant spices and topped with caramelized onions. You will love this one-pot version, where you don’t have to cook lentils and rice separately. This vegan, gluten-free dish is also budget-friendly and nutritious. 51. Savory Lentil Soup (Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Recipe) This lentil soup is simple to cook in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. It’s a perfect clean-out-the-fridge meal and costs only 50 cents a bowl. Final Thoughts on Cheap Meals for Your Family Even with a growing family, controlling your grocery bill is doable. Keep a list of your family’s favorite budget recipes handy to refer to when filling in your meal plan for the week. Use easy recipes to help you stick to your meal plan. Remember, good food doesn’t have to be expensive or fancy. Keep your recipes wholesome and simple to feed your family healthy meals they will love.

Chris Chris 02 Mar, 2023

45+ Lunch Ideas for Work: Easy Meals To Save You Money

It’s easy to get stuck in a rut with eating the same things for lunch at work every day. So what should you do if you are tired of packing and eating the same lunch but still want to avoid ordering takeout at work to save money? You should look for inspiration for some different lunch ideas for work! And that is what you will find in this article. You will find two different sections in this article. The first section contains easy lunch ideas that don’t take more than 5 or 10 minutes to prepare. They are so simple you don’t even need a recipe. The second section contains work lunch ideas that are slightly more involved and take a bit more work. However, they are still quick, easy, and delicious.   Read on to find your next favorite healthy lunch options so you can banish lunchtime boredom and continue saving money. Lunch Ideas for Work: Quick and Simple to Prepare Below you will find lunch ideas for work that don’t require much meal prep, including cold lunch ideas in case you don’t have access to a microwave or fridge. You will want to have an insulated lunch bag and a couple of cooler packs on hand to keep your lunch cold and safe to eat. Keep reading for quick and easy lunch ideas that are budget-friendly and healthy.   1. Cottage Cheese and Fruit The combination of cottage cheese and fruit is a healthy meal option that can be prepped ahead of time and is extremely budget-friendly. Buy a large container of cottage cheese and a can of your favorite fruit. Divide up the cottage cheese into lunch containers to store in the fridge. You can either top your cottage cheese with the fruit or spoon it into a separate container to take to work. Or check out these divided to-go containers for an all-in-one option. 2. Deli Meat Sandwiches Lunch meat sandwiches are an excellent meal option when you know you will only have a few minutes to eat lunch. Sandwiches are quick to eat and filling when you are on the run at work. Try mixing and matching different meats, cheeses, spreads, veggies, and bread to avoid becoming bored with the same types of sandwiches every day. 3. Oatmeal Many people think oatmeal is just for breakfast, but oatmeal also makes a delicious and filling lunchtime meal. Plus, if you don’t have access to a microwave, you can easily take oatmeal to work in one of these.   The easiest way to pack oatmeal for lunch is to make it ahead of time. For example, you can buy a large canister of rolled oats and cook three servings at a time. It takes about 5 minutes to cook oatmeal on the stove. Then, divide the oatmeal into three reusable containers, add your mix-ins, and place the oatmeal in the refrigerator until you are ready to pack it in your lunch bag.   Some oatmeal mix-ins to try areStrawberry (or any flavor) preserves Peanut butter Honey Brown sugar Walnuts Fruit (pack separately and add after re-heating) Chocolate chipsAnother option is to buy instant oatmeal packs to take to work for lunch. Keep a bowl and spoon at work, so you have something to use to make your oatmeal. 4. Leftovers Leftover food makes great work lunches because there is no extra prep work. Just place them in a reusable container and directly into the refrigerator after dinner. You can also take certain types of leftovers to work in a thermos, even when you don’t have access to a microwave. Some dinner leftovers that work well in a thermos areSoups Casseroles Pasta dishes Rice dishes Stews5. Wraps Packing a wrap for work makes a portable and quick lunch that is easy to consume on those busy work days when fitting in a full lunch break seems impossible. Wraps are effortless to stuff with your favorite sandwich toppings, like peppers, pickles, lettuce, tomato, avocado, etc. You can go with a simple filler like lunch meat or choose salads like egg, chicken, or ham salad.   6. Adult Lunchable Sometimes, there is no time to prepare and pack a lunch, and you must resort to a grab-n-go meal. Grabbing an assortment of healthy snacks can make for a filling and nutritious lunch. Food ideas to include in your adult Lunchable areNuts Cottage cheese Peanut butter crackers Rolled lunchmeat String cheese or cubed cheese Yogurt Pretzels Fruit (fresh or canned) Pre-cut raw veggies with hummus or dressingDon’t forget to top it off with something sweet if you have a sweet tooth. A couple of cookies, a piece of chocolate, a cereal bar, a rice Krispie treat, or your other favorite goodies will help you enjoy your packed lunch even more. 7. Tuna Salad, Egg, or Chicken Salad Another excellent lunch idea for work is to take tuna, egg, or chicken salad. You can eat these salads in many different ways, making them versatile. Versatility is a good thing because it prevents lunchtime boredom. For example, you could top a bed of lettuce with them, eat them in a pita or on bread or a roll, scoop them up with crackers, or eat them with a fork.   These salads are also quick and easy to prepare. You can buy tuna or chicken salad already prepared or buy the tuna or chicken in a can and prepare them yourself. Not a fan of canned chicken? You could buy a rotisserie chicken for dinner and then pick off the leftovers to use for chicken salad for your work lunches.   Hard-boiled eggs are simple to make and easy to peel when cooked in an Instant Pot. However, if you don’t have an Instant Pot or time to make hard-boiled eggs, you can purchase hard-boiled eggs already cooked. 8. Canned Soup Taking canned soup to work is an easy grab-n-go lunch idea when you don’t have time to prepare or pack anything else. Just grab the can of soup and head out the door. You could keep a reusable container or bowl and spoon at work for the days you take soup for lunch. If you don’t have access to a microwave, take your soup to work in one of these. Your lunch will take a couple of minutes of prep work in the morning, but it will be well worth it when lunchtime rolls around and you have a hot lunch to eat. Soup makes the perfect hot lunch for work, whether canned or homemade. 9. Fruit and Yogurt Parfait Making a homemade fruit and yogurt parfait to take to work for lunch is an easy cold lunch idea. First, pack the granola separately to keep it crunchy until you are ready to eat lunch. Then layer fruit, yogurt, and granola in a bowl or reusable lunch container for a healthy and delicious lunch idea for the workplace. 10. Large Salad The secret to quickly preparing a large garden salad for your work lunch is to wash and chop some of the veggies up in advance. Cut up your lettuce and use a salad spinner to rinse it. Then lay it out on a clean dishtowel to drain the excess water while you prep other veggies. Store your pre-chopped vegetables in green containers in the humidity-controlled area of your refrigerator to keep them fresh as long as possible. When making a side salad for dinner, you can simultaneously prepare your garden salad for the next day. Add hard-boiled egg, cheese, and rolled and sliced lunchmeat for some filling protein. And don’t forget your salad dressing. If you enjoy eating salads for lunch, consider keeping a bottle of your favorite dressing at work in the fridge.   11. Breakfast Foods Your favorite breakfast foods also make tasty and filling lunchtime meals. Your imagination is the limit when taking breakfast foods for lunch. In addition, the foods you typically eat in the morning are some of the cheapest food ideas.   Here are some breakfast foods that are delicious lunch ideas for work:Pancakes: make ahead, freeze, and thaw as you need them Belgian waffles: make them with one of these, freeze, and thaw as needed Bagels with your favorite spread English muffins: try open-faced and topped with slices of tomato and swiss cheese Burritos: made with scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, cheese, salsa Scrambled eggs with your favorite add-ins: try using leftover veggies and meats from dinner to add to scrambled eggsLunch Ideas for Work: Delicious Recipes to Beat Lunchtime Boredom If you have some extra time to meal prep your lunches for the week, these recipes may be what you need to get the job done. You'll find many different types of foods, so you won't get tired of eating the same things when you're on the job. 12. Oatmeal Bliss Balls These oatmeal bliss balls are packed with healthy oats, seeds, and a touch of spice and are so easy to make. Perfect for packing up for a school or work lunch. 13. Protein Snack Pack Protein Snack Packs filled with hard-boiled eggs, almonds, hummus, and crunchy veggies are an easy and delicious lunchtime meal-prep solution. Perfect for any protein lover, these fantastic little protein snack packs are perfect for work or school lunches, post-workout snacks, or picnics in the park. 14. Banana Pikelets These healthy banana pikelets are super easy to make with just four ingredients. They freeze well and make excellent school or work lunches.Photo Credit: Always Use Butter 15. Easy Halloumi Wraps (Vegetarian) Make the halloumi wraps that everyone loves – kids and foodies included! With halloumi cheese, red pesto (store-bought is fine), avocado, and walnuts, these wraps are packed with flavor, done in 20 minutes, and perfect to pack for lunch. 16. Pink Hummus This pink hummus recipe is bright and fun and goes along with most dippers, even grilled chicken strips or steak. Kids and adults enjoy dipping crackers, vegetable sticks, and olives in the beetroot hummus. It’s great for lunchboxes! 17. Easy Spinach and Feta Muffins These delicious, savory spinach and feta muffins are easy to make and perfect for brunch, lunch, dinner, or your lunchbox. All you have to do is wash and chop the spinach and mix a few ingredients. Then bake. 18. Healthy Power Balls Super easy power balls made with dry fruits and desiccated coconut are the perfect healthy snack to boost energy enough to uplift your tiring day. 19. Chicken Bacon Ranch Wraps A good lunch is filling, flavorful, and easy to make. Enjoy a healthy and delicious family favorite lunch that’s economical and simple to make using leftover chicken. 20. Easy Filipino Style Pancit Bihon (Vegan) Quick and simple to prepare pancit bihon is a tasty Asian recipe that is great to eat any time of the day. It is vegan and gluten-free. 21. Easy Pizza Rolls This easy homemade pizza recipe will quickly become a family favorite that is easy to pack for a yummy lunch! You won’t break a sweat making your homemade dough, and the finished product tastes like pizzeria perfection! 22. Broccoli Cheese Egg Muffins Broccoli Cheese Egg Muffins are fluffy inside, with golden cheese crust on top, and are perfect for meal prep. 23. Pinwheel Sandwiches These pinwheel sandwiches are super easy to make. They’re perfect for work lunches. 24. Air Fryer Zucchini Pizza Boats This air fryer zucchini pizza is easy to prepare. Fill cored zucchini with pizza sauce, toppings, and mozzarella cheese. It takes 10 minutes to cook in an air fryer. 25. Pepperoni Pizza Muffins These muffins are a simple recipe your kids can even help you make. They take five minutes to put together and are packable lunches! 26. Crispy Pan-Fried Gnocchi This crispy pan-fried gnocchi is a simple and quick recipe to make in only 20 minutes for an easy weeknight meal or prepped for work lunches. Crispy gnocchi coated in a light sauce made with garlic, herbs, butter, and parmesan.Photo Credit: Recipes From a Pantry 27. Ranch Cream Cheese Ham Rollups Ham Roll Ups will be your favorite back-to-school lunch or work lunch solution. So simple to make, these tasty ranch ham and cream cheese roll-ups are delicious and filling. 28. Homemade Uncrustables (Gluten-Free & Allergy Free) These are food allergy-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free versions of the packaged “PBJ crustless pocket” sandwich. Make these ahead of time for a quick and easy lunch recipe or snack for the entire school or work week. 29. Salmon Salad This creamy Salmon Salad is so delicious and makes an excellent lunch for work. You can make this salad with grilled salmon, smoked salmon, poached salmon, or canned salmon if you desire. 30. Garlic Olive Oil Pasta Garlic and Olive Oil Pasta is a super easy lunch dish that is ready in 15 minutes! Everyone will love this simple and delicious pasta dish for your lunchtime meal. 31. Quinoa Pasta Salad A pasta salad with quinoa is for days when you crave a good Italian pasta salad yet want to eat a low-calorie healthy dinner! This quinoa pasta salad with a delicious and light basil balsamic vinaigrette and feta is all you need on those hot summer days. 32. Cucumber and Cream Cheese Sandwich Rolls Any age is sure to love these cucumber and cream cheese sandwich rolls. You’ll also love how easy they are to make! 33. Vegan Tuna Salad This Vegan Tuna Salad is tasty and perfect for work lunches. It’s made with chickpeas and hearts of palm, full of flavor, and seasoned with nori for a taste of the sea. Ready in 10 minutes and perfect for lunch meal prep. 34. Gluten-Free Salsa Pinwheels These gluten-free salsa pinwheels are a quick and easy appetizer made in under 15 minutes! Also known as tortilla roll-ups, this creamy snack can be eaten cold from the fridge or baked and dipped in salsa. Perfect for kids and adults alike! 35. Pesto Chicken Salad Wrap Adding pesto to this classic lunch staple brings a new flavor. This pesto chicken salad tastes super fresh and light, and it’s perfect for your weekly meal prep or lunch on the go. 36. Grain-Free Corn Dog Muffins Not only are these grain-free corn dog muffins super easy to make, but they are also full of healthy protein and a fantastic lunch idea for work. 37. Chicken Salad Without Mayo Making a Chicken Salad Recipe Without Mayo could not be more straightforward or flavorful! Instead of mayo, make this chicken salad with a delicious sweet and tangy honey mustard. A few crunchy veggies are added, becoming the perfect, light mayo-free chicken salad! 38. Spam Musubi With Egg This Spam Musubi with Egg will take you straight to Hawaii! It’s easy and flavorful with homemade sauce. They’re great as an on-the-go snack or breakfast or as part of a bento lunch. 39. Turkey Bacon Ranch Pinwheels These Turkey Bacon Ranch Pinwheels are ready in 5 minutes. They’re full of flavor and are a delicious and satisfying lunch idea for work.Photo Credit: Two Healthy Kitchens 40. Granola Crunch Apple Peanut Butter Wraps These crunchy Peanut Butter Sandwich Wraps come together in moments and are adaptable – no need to measure exact amounts! Perfect for on-the-go meals and make-ahead lunches, they’re full of nutrient-rich fruits, whole grains, and lots of protein. 41. Avocado Roll This avocado roll recipe is just what you need for an at-home sushi night or quick lunch! It’s simple to make, incredibly healthy, and comes in at a fraction of the price compared to restaurants. 42. Vegan BLT Tempeh Sandwich Don’t you love a crisp sandwich with a smoky kick mixed with avocado’s smooth, nutty taste? Then you are going to enjoy this drool-worthy Vegan Tempeh BLT Sandwich. It’s much healthier than your traditional BLT, but you’re guaranteed to be just as satisfied after your plate is polished off. 43. California Club Croissant Sandwich This California Club Croissant Sandwich recipe is an easy lunch recipe. This croissant sandwich makes a quick and flavorful sandwich. 44. Pinwheel Sandwiches These quick and easy club-style pinwheel sandwiches are the best appetizer to bring to parties and BBQs or to take along for lunch. Fresh veggies, deli meat, and cheese tightly wrapped in cream cheese and ranch-coated tortilla. 45. Air Fryer Egg Cups Egg bites prepared in an air fryer are the perfect breakfast or protein-rich lunchtime meal. They are easily customized to your taste and freeze up perfectly to stay fresh so you can meal prep your lunch ahead of time. Final Thoughts on Easy Lunch Ideas for Work Packing and eating lunch at work every day should not be a drag. After all, work lunches are a time to relax your mind and body and refuel to get through the second half of the workday. So pick a few of these lunch ideas to spice up your work lunches and finish your workday feeling satisfied.

Chris Chris 02 Mar, 2023

94 Quick and Easy Dinner Ideas for Tonight You Must Try

Dinnertime is the perfect time to sit down with your family to catch up on what’s happening in each other’s lives. But keeping up with a meal plan can be difficult, especially during busy times of the year. And waiting to decide what to eat for dinner until the day of can cause last-minute phone calls to order takeout, wreaking havoc on your monthly budget.   Having a list of simple dinner ideas is crucial to avoid the temptation to swing by the local pizza joint. Below you’ll find many delicious healthy, kid-friendly, and family dinner ideas to start your list. So read on for easy dinner ideas for tonight and future dinnertime meals. Chicken, Beef, Fish, and Pasta Dinner Ideas for Tonight 1. Five Ingredient Caprese Chicken | Seasonal Cravings This easy Caprese Chicken recipe uses pantry staples and is quick to prepare. It’s delicious, healthy, and kid-friendly!Photo Credit: Seasonal Cravings – Five Ingredient Caprese Chicken 2. Easy Italian Sloppy Joes | This Mom is On Fire These are the best Italian Sloppy Joes. They are convenient when you are short on time or energy. The toasted garlic bread topped with meat sauce and melted cheese is the ultimate comfort food.  3. Pasta with Tuna Carbonara | The Pasta Project This Italian recipe for tuna carbonara is delicious. It’s an easy go-to canned tuna recipe for quick family meals. You may already have the ingredients for this fantastic dish in your pantry. 4. Instant Pot Chicken Pasta | Simple Living Recipes This Instant Pot chicken pasta is a dump-and-go recipe with only a few ingredients. It’s easy, delicious, and ready in just 25 minutes. 5. Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta | Braised and Deglazed This Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta is a go-to recipe when you are craving shrimp AND don’t have much time. It’s quick and easy to prepare and a proven family favorite. Get our Meal Planning Guide & subscribe to our newsletter! This meal planning guide includes everything you need to start meal planning so you can eat at home more and save money!Subscribe We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time. Built with ConvertKit 6. Steak Stir Fry | Love From the Oven Steak Stir Fry that’s better than takeout! Thinly sliced beef is marinated and cooked with classic stir-fried vegetables in this easy recipe. Serve it over noodles or rice for a delicious dinner the whole family will love. 7. Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad | Barley and Sage This easy chicken pesto pasta salad is light and fresh and comes together in less than 20 minutes! With creamy pesto and mascarpone cheese, grilled chicken, spinach, and tomatoes, it’s the perfect easy meal! 8. Easy Crispy Chicken Parm | Flavor Feed This streamlined chicken parmesan delivers crispy cutlets smothered in a delicious, slightly sweet sauce and dripping with melty mozzarella in three easy steps. It’s quick, it’s easy, and it’s perfect for either a weeknight dinner or weekend guests. 9. Chicken Pot Pie Casserole | Cincy Shopper Chicken Pot Pie Casserole makes a great addition to your weeknight dinner menu. Pot Pies make for a hearty meal during the cooler months. Since this recipe uses store-bought crescent rolls for the crust, it comes together quickly. Either grill a few chicken breasts or use a store-bought rotisserie chicken for extra convenience. 10. Pasta with Broccoli | The Bella Vita This dish is healthy and delicious; you can prepare it in less than 30 minutes. It’s a great way to get your daily veggies, and you can customize it to your family’s liking.Photo Credit: The Perfect Tide – Roasted Red Pepper Gnocchi 11. Roasted Red Pepper Gnocchi | The Perfect Tide Roasted Red Pepper Gnocchi is a super easy 2-ingredient meal that comes together so fast! It’s a creamy and delicious weeknight go-to gnocchi recipe. Add your protein of choice for a filling meal to enjoy tonight. 12. Easy Beef and Noodles | Salt and Lavender You will take your pantry staples to a new level with this 30-minute beef and noodles recipe! It’s comforting, filling, and just what you need when you’re craving a cozy meal in a hurry. 13. Sausage and Cream Cheese Biscuits | Comfort Cooks Sausage and Cream Cheese Biscuits are a savory and decadent bite that is the perfect breakfast, appetizer, or breakfast-for-dinner option. You only need four ingredients and 30 minutes to make a delicious dish the whole family will love. 14. Easy Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken | Health Beet With only three ingredients and 20 minutes, this dinner recipe for Prosciutto-wrapped chicken will look like you spent hours on the meal. 15. Authentic Pasta Fagioli Recipe | Saporito Kitchen This authentic pasta Fagioli recipe includes cannellini beans, which you prepare in a dutch oven. Serve this Italian comfort food with crusty bread for one of the best soup recipes that the whole family will love! 16. Yaki Udon (Stir Fried Udon Noodles) | Drive Me Hungry Yaki udon is a quick and easy stir-fried udon noodle dish! Add vegetables and protein to this easy stir fry that’s ready in under 20 minutes! 17. Parmesan Orzo with Spinach | Two Kooks in the Kitchen You’ll want to try Parmesan orzo with spinach if you’re looking for a quick, family-friendly, easy dinner idea with good nutrition. Just 15 minutes in one pot. 18. Tortellini Alla Panna | Mindy’s Cooking Obsession Toss your tortellini in a rich and creamy parmesan sauce. You will be amazed at how quick and easy this dish is to prepare! 19. Fettuccine Alfredo | Seanna’s Kitchen Make your next fettuccine alfredo dish with this creamy and delicious homemade sauce. It’s easy to make with simple ingredients and can be ready in under 30 minutes.Photo Credit: Homan at Home – Pepperoni Pita Pizzas 20. Pepperoni Pita Pizzas | Homan at Home Pita pizzas take just a few ingredients and a few minutes. Kid-friendly and endlessly customizable, these are a fantastic weeknight option! 21. Pasta e Fagioli (aka Pasta and Beans) | Christina’s Cucina Ready in the time it takes to cook pasta, this classic and authentic Italian pasta e Fagioli recipe will have you making it all the time! Kids love it as much as adults, and only three ingredients are needed. 22. Paleo Swimming Rama | Peel with Zeal This paleo copycat version of Swimming Rama is one pot and ready in 15 minutes. It’s a perfect one-pot weeknight dinner when you’re craving something hearty and authentic. 23. Pan-Seared Maple Pork Chops | The Feast Local This fall-forward pork chop dinner can be prepared in under 30 minutes and is guaranteed to please all. In addition, this dish only uses one pan and one bowl, making it a breeze to clean up! 24. Pesto Butter Salmon | Love From the Table Pesto butter salmon is a perfectly healthy dinner. Ready in about 20 minutes and cooked with seasonal veggies all on one sheet pan, this delicious meal could not be easier. 25. Ground Chicken Chili | Recipes From a Pantry This Chicken Chili recipe is tasty, satisfying, fast, and easy to make using your pantry staples. This dish is perfect for busy weeknight dinners and your weekly meal prep. 26. Easy Four Ingredient Potato Soup Recipe | The Fast Recipe Flavorful four-ingredient potato soup with potatoes, leeks, stock, and butter is one of the simplest and best recipes. There is no need to add anything; this easy and delicious soup is full of flavor, just as it is! 27. Carne Picada | Gypsy Plate This recipe for Carne Picada meat is a perfect filling for tacos, burritos, bowls, and so much more! It’s a great easy weeknight dinner when you crave Tex-Mex flavors. 28. Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice | Savory Sweet Spoon Red Beans and Rice cooked in your Instant Pot is a simple way to get a nutritious meal on the table. No need to presoak the beans. You’ll love this recipe – perfectly cooked beans, savory sausages, vegetables, and rice in a flavorful gravy. 29. Marry Me Chicken | Budget Delicious Creamy Marry Me Chicken is a crowd-pleasing quick, and easy recipe – chicken thighs in a creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and bacon! Even better is cooking up in one pot for easy cleanup and busy weeknights. More Healthy Dinner Ideas for Tonight 30. Gluten-Free Burgers | Caramel & Cashews Skip takeout this time! This crave-worthy gluten-free burger recipe is easy, juicy, and a million times better than takeout. Use good-quality ground beef and pantry staples to prepare this delicious burger.Photo Credit: I Heart Eating – Honey Garlic Chicken 31. Honey Garlic Chicken | I Heart Eating This easy honey garlic chicken makes a delicious weeknight dinnertime meal. This dish is loaded with flavor and is ready in just 20 minutes! 32. Pan-Seared Salmon with Spinach and Fennel | Worldly Treat This healthy pan-seared salmon dish with sautéed fennel and spinach is a tasty and wholesome meal. Ready in less than 30 minutes, this is the perfect dinner for a busy work week. 33. Bacon Wrapped Chicken Thighs | Living Lou This tasty meal is ready to eat in under 30 minutes, so you’ll want to add these bacon-wrapped chicken thighs to your weekly meal plan. Kids will love this sweet and savory dish. 34. Oven Roasted Sausage and Potatoes | The Forked Spoon Simple and delicious, make this one-pan Sausage and Potatoes Recipe with onion, sweet Italian sausage, bell peppers, and baby potatoes. Enjoy this hearty, family-friendly dinner as a quick weeknight meal. 35. Five Ingredient Instant Pot Chili | The Typical Mom Instant Pot chili with only five ingredients is easy and hearty. Kids love it, and you can use pantry ingredients without meat or enjoy it with ground beef. 36. Honey Lemon Pepper Chicken | Two Pink Peonies This honey lemon pepper chicken is so easy to make. It is delicious, and you need a few simple ingredients! 37. Aglio e Olio (Pasta Without Sauce) | The Gourmet Bon Vivant The garlic, olive oil, cheese, and pasta water do the most in this Aglio e olio. It’s quick, simple, and makes the perfect busy weeknight dinner. 38. Baked Tacos | The Cozy Cook You can make these baked tacos with ground beef or shredded chicken. They are delicious when topped with cheese and your favorite toppings. 39. Air Fryer Maple Salmon | Little Nomads Recipes Try this sweet salmon recipe to help your kids discover this healthy fish. You glaze the salmon with maple syrup, add some salt, and cook them in the air fryer. So simple!Photo Credit: Meaningful Eats – Chicken Fajitas 40. Chicken Fajitas | Meaningful Eats This chicken fajita marinade is so yummy! Everyone will be asking you for this recipe. You’ll enjoy the most tender and flavorful chicken fajitas with this recipe. 41. Sheet Pan Brown Butter Salmon with Herb Potatoes and Asparagus | Sweet Tea & Thyme This easy sheet pan dinner bursts with tangy and herbaceous flavor. Toss your crispy roasted potatoes and tender asparagus spears in a lemon zest-infused brown butter with chopped fresh rosemary. Then, season the salmon and dress it in lemon juice and brown butter before baking. 42. Easy Pizza Casserole | Bitz & Giggles An incredibly delicious and simple pizza casserole baked with rotini, ground beef, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese. 43. Pan-Fried Sea Bass with Pesto | Somebody Feed Seb This recipe is a restaurant-worthy Mediterranean sea bass dish that will come together in under 30 minutes. It consists of a simple pan-fried fillet of bass served on nutritious veggies covered in basil pesto. 44. Shrimp Scampi Pasta | Amanda’s Cookin’ This shrimp pasta recipe combines two favorite ingredients for one delicious dish in around 25 minutes. It starts with extra large raw shrimp and ends with a divine garlic butter sauce. 45. Crockpot Lasagne | Recipe Rebel You can make this crockpot lasagne with SIX ingredients, and you don’t need to precook the noodles. Try this easy crockpot meal you can set and forget. Get our Meal Planning Guide & subscribe to our newsletter! This meal planning guide includes everything you need to start meal planning so you can eat at home more and save money!Subscribe We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time. Built with ConvertKit 46. Savory Zucchini Pancakes | Sustain My Cooking Habit Delicious, fresh and savory zucchini pancakes are a delight to make as a tasty dish. 47. Ravioli and Shrimp Scampi | Ask Chef Dennis Easy to make and so delicious, Shrimp Scampi served over cheese ravioli is a delightful alternative to take out. You will have this restaurant-quality dinner made in less than 30 minutes. 48. Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas | Frozen Bananas You only need 20 minutes to make these Air Fryer Chicken Fajitas. This recipe is highly flavorful, easy to make, and customizable. 49. Bisquick Chicken Tenders | The Feathered Nester These tasty Bisquick chicken tenders are a classic, kid-friendly dinner sure to please everyone. Plus, this recipe takes only 20 minutes from start to finish.Photo Credit: Low Carb Simplified – Keto Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers 50. Keto Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers | Low Carb Simplified Here’s a quick weeknight dinner that’s a keeper, especially if you love buffalo chicken! This easy, 10-minute microwave meal does not comprise flavor — it’s creamy, spicy, and cheesy with tender bell peppers and rotisserie chicken. 51. Air Fryer French Bread Pizza | All You Need is Brunch Try this Air Fryer French Bread Pizza to witness an Instagram-worthy cheese pull, crispy pepperoni, and a garlic butter bread base. 52. Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls | A Grateful Meal These Hibachi Shrimp Rice Bowls are the perfect crowd-pleasing dinner and are super easy to meal prep for the week. Plus, it only takes 30 minutes or less to make! 53. Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Pasta | The Default Cook When you don’t feel like cooking, try this 5-minute instant pot pasta. Just dump everything but the cheese in and cook, then stir in your parmesan and serve for a super easy and fast dinner. 54. Chicken Lettuce Wraps | Suburban Simplicity These wraps are an easy dinner idea on the table in less than 30 minutes. Some say this recipe is even better than PF Chang’s. This dish is also gluten-free and dairy-free. 55. Chicken Bacon Ranch Zucchini Boats | Zucchini Zone These tasty zucchini boats are an easy and flavorful 30-minute meal. All you need are five ingredients to get started. 56. Schinkennudeln (German Ham & Egg Pasta) | Maple and Mango Schinkennudeln is a simple German pasta dish featuring pan-fried noodles with ham and scrambled eggs. Make this quick and easy dinner meal for the whole family to enjoy. 57. Flank Steak with Olive and Artichoke Tapenade | White Kitchen Red Wine Delicious and easy Flank Steak with an easy olive tapenade is the perfect dinner that only looks fancy! Less than 30 minutes to make this show-stopping dinner. 58. Instant Pot Cheeseburger Macaroni | Fantabulosity This cheeseburger macaroni is a family favorite. It’s ready in 15 minutes, thanks to the Instant Pot.Photo Credit: The Soccer Mom Blog – Easy Vegetable Lo Mein 59. Easy Vegetable Lo Mein | The Soccer Mom Blog Skip the takeout! This Easy Vegetable Lo Mein recipe is faster and healthier! 60. Kung Pao Chicken | Caramel and Spice Healthier than our favorite takeaway, this Kung Pao Chicken has deeply satisfying umami flavors, all thanks to a perfectly balanced All-Purpose Chinese Stir Fry Brown Sauce. And it’s ready in under 30 minutes! 61. Sesame Chicken Stir Fry | Go Healthy Ever After This better-than-takeout sesame chicken is a marinated chicken stir fry recipe. The chicken is stir-fried using less oil than this dish’s battered and fried version. The chicken is made juicy and saucy with a secret ingredient, a low-sugar sauce with tons of flavor. 62. Coca-Cola Chicken Thighs | Fluxing Well This simple cola chicken thighs recipe calls for only four ingredients. Make it in a skillet for a quick weeknight meal. 63. Chicken Aglio Olio | Motions and Emotions This Chicken Aglio Olio is the easiest and most delicious pasta recipe you can make for weeknight meals. 64. Cajun Style Blackened Cod | Delicious Spoon Made with fish fillets, a handful of seasonings, and butter, this Cajun Style Blackened Cod is ultra flaky, with an earthy, spicy flavor that’s always a hit. Enjoy with a side of coleslaw and sweet potatoes. 65. 10-Minute Easy Spaghetti Recipe | iFoodReal Try this quick 10-minute spaghetti dish with tomato sauce, garlic, and parmesan. This million-dollar spaghetti on a budget will become your new favorite pasta dish on rotation. 66. Grilled Fish on Coconut Rice & Tropical Salsa | The Foodaholic Try this grilled fish on sweet Coconut Rice, topped with fresh tropical salsa with a touch of heat to bring you under the tropics sun! 67. Chili | Spaceships and Laser Beams This easy homemade chili recipe combines beef and beans with a robust tomato sauce and plenty of spices. It simmers away to create the perfect comfort food. It’s an easy, delicious, homemade meal ready in just half an hour. 68. Healthy Chicken Burrito Bowl | Healthy Foodie Girl This burrito bowl is packed with flavor and lightened up using ground chicken, beans, and spices. This recipe is also perfect for your meal prep routine. Take it for work lunches or reheat it for a busy weeknight. 69. Crispy Pan-Fried Gnocchi | The Littlest Crumb This crispy pan-fried gnocchi only takes 20 minutes, so it’s perfect for a busy weeknight. Crispy gnocchi coated in a tasty sauce made with garlic, herbs, butter, and parmesan makes for a satisfying and delicious dinner.Photo Credit: Little Sunny Kitchen – Chicken a la King 70. Chicken a la King | Little Sunny Kitchen This dish is a creamy, savory, and easily prepared comfort food that your whole family will devour! Dinner is ready in under 30 minutes. 71. Easy Taco Soup | Moore or Less Cooking Simple and inexpensive ingredients make up this delicious taco soup. You can prepare it in under an hour for a hearty dinner your family will love. 72. 3-Ingredient Sloppy Joes | The Short Order Cook Grab your favorite buns & make this family favorite in less than 15 minutes. This easy 3-ingredient Sloppy Joe meat is saucy, savory, & simple.  73. Gluten-Free Chicken Broccoli Alfredo | Bradish Short on time in the evenings? Then this delicious Gluten Free Chicken Broccoli Alfredo recipe is for you! Done in less than 20 minutes, it is perfect for busy families. Vegetarian Dinner Ideas for Tonight 74. Quick and Simple Spanish Rice |This Mom is On Fire Spanish rice is a quick weeknight meal when you are short on time because you can make it in under 30 minutes. Also, because this Spanish rice has added protein from black beans, you can eat it as a main course or side dish. 75. Copycat Panera Bread 10 Vegetable Soup | Seasonal Cravings This copycat Panera vegetable soup recipe can be on the table in about 30 minutes. It’s spicy comfort food that’s perfect for using up your leftovers. 76. Four Ingredient Potato Soup | Broke Bank Vegan This 4-ingredient potato soup is prepared in under 30 minutes. This dish takes minimal effort and requires little cooking experience. Each bite is rich, creamy, and smooth. It’s the perfect comfort food! 77. Vegetarian Greek Pitas | Hurry the Food Up Ready in only 10 minutes, these healthy Greek pitas are high in vitamins A, C, and iron. This dish bursts with delicious ingredients, perfect as a snack or healthy dinner. 78. Veggie Fried Rice | Clan Kitchen Veggie Fried Rice is a quick recipe to throw together using leftover rice and whatever vegetables you have in the fridge. This dish is a nutritious meal and a great way to sneak some vegetables in.Photo Credit: Dish By Dish – Gluten-Free Broccoli Casserole 79. Gluten-Free Broccoli Casserole | Dish By Dish Enjoy this warm and filling casserole of broccoli, cheddar, and rice. It’s easy and delicious. And best of all, it’s economical and easily feeds a crowd! 80. Easy Vegan Bean Burrito | Nutritiously This vegan bean burrito is easy to make in only 15 minutes. It’s a healthy, satisfying, and filling lunch idea or dinnertime meal full of delicious Mexican flavors. 81. Creamy Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff | A Mummy Too (Emily Leary) This deliciously rich vegan mushroom stroganoff recipe uses coconut cream and nutritional yeast for perfect creaminess. The paprika adds smokiness, garlic, chives, and white wine for a delicious aromatic tang. 82. Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Pesto Pasta | The Savory Cipolla This quick creamy vegetarian pasta recipe uses sun-dried tomato pesto and bursts with rich garlic, basil, and cheese! It is conveniently customizable with any veggies to create your favorite version. 83. Mushroom Stew | Nourish Plate This one-pot meal is delicious and ready in under 30 minutes. You can eat this Mushroom Stew with pasta, quinoa, rice, or mashed potatoes. This recipe is vegan, low-fat, and can be made gluten-free. 84. Sweet Potato Chickpeas Spinach Curry | My Plantiful Cooking This sweet potato chickpea curry is creamy, hearty, and incredibly flavorful. You only need a few pantry staples and 30 minutes to make this recipe! 85. Vegan Creamy Cannellini Bean and Tomato Pasta | The Vegan Larder This simple pasta dish is made in under 25 minutes and uses cupboard staples for a nutritious but comforting dish. Creamy cannellini beans and rich tomatoes make the sauce, then choose the pasta you like best to serve.  86. Spiced Vegan Cous Cous Salad | My Good Food World This quick and easy vegan couscous salad comes together in 20 minutes. It has a good balance of carbs, protein, and veggies. Full of flavors, you can enjoy this dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! 87. Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili with Quinoa | Piping Pot Curry This Instant Pot Vegetarian Chili is an easy, comforting weeknight dinner for those cold rainy, or snowy days. Made with black beans, quinoa, and veggies, it is healthy with lots of protein and fiber. The best part is you can make this dump-and-go recipe in minutes in the pressure cooker! 88. Zucchini and Leek Soup | Greedy Gourmet This Zucchini and Leek soup is vegan, healthy, and delicious. A humble dish that is quick and easy to make but is still bursting with flavor.Photo Credit: Healthy Midwestern Girl – Lentil Shepherd's Pie 89. Lentil Shepherd’s Pie | Healthy Midwestern Girl A quick and easy vegan / vegetarian twist on classic shepherd’s pie! This simple recipe using frozen mixed veggies and frozen hash browns is healthy comfort food– that’s ready in about 20 minutes. 90. Vegetarian Dumplings Soup | Profusion Curry Vegetarian dumplings soup is a simple recipe that uses store-bought vegan dumplings. It is a warm, savory, and hearty dish perfect for cooler months. 91. Tofu Chili | Birdz of a Feather Tofu is brilliant at taking on whatever flavor you add! Jazz up your meatless Monday with this simple and delicious chili. 92. Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Pasta | Chili to Choc Make this vegetarian pasta dish with linguine, crimini mushrooms, roasted garlic, and baby spinach tossed in a parmesan sauce and then topped with toasted pine nuts. It’s quick, easy, and delicious. 93. Quick Vegan Flatbread Pizza | Epic Vegan Eats In a hurry? This 20-minute flatbread pizza recipe comes to your rescue! Load it with your favorite fixing and satisfy any pizza cravings. 94. 20-Minute Easy Vegan Chili | The Carrot Underground A budget-friendly, delicious & nutritious one-pot vegan recipe that will be ready to enjoy in under 20 minutes! This zesty & hearty chili is the perfect meal when you’re hungry and need something quick to fill your tummy and warm your soul.  Start Your List of Easy Dinner Ideas Today You no longer need to look up dinner ideas for tonight anymore. Instead, try some of these dinner recipes to find your family’s new favorite meals. Then keep these recipes handy alongside your meal planner for the next time you wonder what to make for dinner.

Chris Chris 26 Jan, 2023

Easy Food To Make When You Are Feeling Lazy (50 Ideas!)

Meal planning is an excellent way to save money and eat healthier. And creating a dinner meal plan for the week is relatively easy. However, sticking to a meal plan when you are tired and don’t want to cook can be challenging.   But it doesn’t have to be. Because when you have a list of easy food to make for those times when you don’t feel like cooking, you are ready for those occasional (or frequent) times when cooking dinner is the last thing you feel like doing. So read on for meals you can whip up in no time. Tips for Finding Easy Food to Make For Dinner Your idea of simple dinners doesn’t have to mean microwaveable TV dinners. You can still eat delicious, homemade food when you need something quick and easy. Choose meals with the following characteristics when looking for easy food to make for your family. Meals That Don’t Require a Recipe When deciding on easy food to make for dinner, meals you can cook without a recipe are ideal. That’s because following a recipe and measuring ingredients takes time and effort. So if you are in a hurry or don’t have the energy to cook, pick a meal you know how to prepare. Meals With Few Ingredients Meals with few ingredients are quick and easy to prepare, perfect for when you feel lazy. Not only are they easy, but meals with few ingredients tend to be less expensive to cook, which saves you money. Meals With Little Prep Work Seasoning, chopping, slicing, mixing and tenderizing all take effort. When choosing an easy-to-make meal, pick one that can go right from your fridge or freezer to the stove or oven when you don’t want to cook. Meals That Don’t Require Constant Attention When you aren’t feeling energetic, prepare a meal for your family in your oven, Instant Pot, or slow cooker (see below for ideas!). Even though there are easy meals you can make on your stove, cooking on the stovetop requires your constant undivided attention. For an effortless meal, use other cooking methods besides your stove.Easy Food To Make: Hot Sandwiches Sandwiches are the epitome of an easy meal. And there are so many different types of sandwiches from which to choose. While cold sandwiches are the perfect lunch idea for work, hot sandwiches make excellent easy dinners. You can serve your sandwiches solo for a lighter meal or serve them with a side of French fries or tater tots made in the oven, a side salad, soup, or your favorite raw veggies with hummus or ranch dressing. Here are some of the best hot sandwich ideas, no recipe needed. Steak Sandwiches Cook up Steak-Ums and add your favorite sauce and mix-ins (try thinly sliced pepperoni, cheese, onions, sweet peppers, or banana peppers) to create the perfect filler for your steak rolls. Beef BBQ Sandwiches Few meals are more straightforward than browning up ground beef and adding your favorite bbq sauce and seasonings. Then, lightly toast your hamburger rolls in the toaster and top your bbq with cheddar or American cheese for a delicious dinner. Open Faced Tuna Melts Split and lightly toast your English muffins. Then top them with your favorite version of tuna salad. Place a thin slice of tomato and a piece of Swiss cheese on each half. Bake these in the oven until the cheese melts.   Chicken Patty Sandwiches Chicken patties may not be the healthiest form of protein available, but making them once in a while when you need to make an easy meal for your family shouldn’t wreak havoc on your health. In addition, chicken patty sandwiches are very versatile. You can make them into chicken parm sandwiches or chicken cordon bleu sandwiches or add your favorite condiments. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Grilled cheese sandwiches are an easy food to make when you need a backup meal. Backup meals are easy, go-to meals when you can’t make what you had initially planned for your meal. For example, maybe you worked late and didn’t have the time or energy to cook. Or perhaps you forgot to buy an essential ingredient for your planned meal at the store. Backup meals are invaluable to avoiding takeout when you can’t cook what you intended. Hamburgers Hamburgers are an American classic and easy to make when you don’t like cooking—no need to make your patties nowadays. Premade hamburger patties, fresh or frozen, are just as delicious as homemade versions. Make your hamburgers more interesting with various condiments and toppings. Pulled Pork Sandwiches Throw a pork butt in your slow cooker before work in the morning, and you will come home to a delicious ready-to-eat meal. Add your favorite bbq sauce to your pulled pork sandwich and serve with cole slaw and French fries.    Sausage Sandwiches Sausage sandwiches are delicious when served on a sturdy roll with sliced bell peppers and onions. Choose mild or hot sausage depending on the taste buds of your family. Italian Crescent Ring Italian Crescent Rings are a mix between a stromboli and an Italian sub. This “sandwich” uses crescent rolls, Italian meats, provolone cheese, and your other favorite sub toppings. They are easy to make and are kid-approved.   Meatball Sandwiches There isn’t much food more uncomplicated to make than meatball sandwiches. First, heat frozen meatballs in the microwave, add sauce, and load them into your roll. Next, try adding shredded mozzarella cheese and melt it in your oven. Or add some parmesan cheese and enjoy.  Easy Food To Make on the Stove Top If you are looking for easy meals to make on your stove, you have come to the right place. Even though cooking on the stove requires your full attention, one-pot meals are your best bet when you need something easy. Here are ten simple meals when you don’t feel like cooking. Spaghetti Cooking up your favorite pasta, whether it’s spaghetti or another favorite shape, makes an easy weeknight dinner. Serve it with a quick side salad and a slice of garlic bread for a cheap meal that is tasty and saves you money.   Ham Steaks Heat your ham steak in a skillet and serve with your favorite easy side dish. Toss a salad or make steamed veggies in the microwave for an easy dinner idea.  Chili Besides being an easy food to make, the best thing about chili is that you can make it the way your family likes it best. Make a large batch to eat leftovers the same week or freeze them for another easy meal the following month.     Tacos Tacos are incredibly simple to make. You could have a small taco bar with an assortment of toppings for your family to choose their favorite fixings. Serve with a simple rice side dish or black beans. Smoked Sausage Smoked sausage is an easy meal you can make on the stove or cook on your grill. If you don’t have much time, opt for the fully-cooked sausage that only needs reheated. There are plenty of recipes for smoked sausage meals online, but keep it simple if you need a quick and easy meal. Quinoa Quinoa is high in protein and gluten-free, making it the perfect base for a meatless meal. Choose a one-pot quinoa recipe to keep it simple. This Mexican quinoa recipe is healthy, delicious, and easy. Eat it as is, in flour tortillas or with crunchy tortilla chips.   Quesadillas Another easy food to make when you aren’t in the mood to cook is quesadillas. Quesadillas are easy to customize for each family member, making them kid-friendly. In addition, you can avoid waste and use up your leftover food, like meats and vegetables, in your quesadillas.   Stir Fry Stir-fry is so easy and quick to make. You don’t need to chop vegetables anymore to prepare a delicious stir-fry dish. Instead, pick up your favorite variety of frozen stir-fry vegetables to cook and add a simple sauce to the pan. Serve over white rice (easily made in your Instant Pot) for a vegetarian meal. Chicken, Rice, and Bean Burritos Rice and bean burritos are incredibly cheap to make. You can easily add shredded leftover chicken to each burrito. Or buy a rotisserie chicken and pick off the meat to use in other recipes for the week, including your burritos.   Macaroni and Cheese Whether from scratch or a box, a macaroni and cheese dinner is a kid-approved meal. Boxed mac-and-cheese meals are convenient and dirt cheap. However, they are processed and full of preservatives. So if you have the time, making homemade macaroni and cheese is your best bet for a delicious, filling, easy food to make during the week.Easy Food To Make in the Oven If you don’t feel like standing at the stove to cook, using your oven is an excellent way to cook your meal while relaxing on your couch. Do your prep work, place your meal in the oven to cook, and sit down with your feet up until your oven timer dings. Here are ten easy meal ideas to cook in your oven.    Baked Salmon Fish is quick and easy to prepare. Salmon is no exception, especially when you bake it in the oven. Marinade your salmon overnight the night before or drizzle a simple sauce over the salmon before baking it for a delicious and healthy meal.   Tilapia You can cook tilapia on the stovetop, but if you want simplicity, baking this mild white fish in the oven is the way to go. Just season and bake for a quick and healthy dinner.   Homemade Pizzas Homemade pizza doesn’t have to mean frozen pizza. Luckily, homemade pizza is simple when you use an easy-to-make or premade crust. Customize a homemade pizza with your favorite toppings, or let each family member create a personal pizza.   Frozen Lasagna Let’s face it. Lasagna is delicious. But who has the time or energy to make it after a long workday? So if your family is craving lasagna, try one of the premade frozen lasagnas for a hands-off meal.   Shepherd’s Pie Shepherd’s pie is a hearty and delicious meal that is easy to make. Traditional shepherd’s pie used ground lamb and originated in the United Kingdom. However, many Americans make a version of shepherd’s pie, sometimes called cottage pie, using ground beef. Whichever name you prefer, make this kind of savory pie with a layer of cooked ground meat and vegetables and top it with a layer of mashed potatoes. You can easily customize shepherd’s pie using your family’s favorite vegetables. Pork Chops Whether you prefer boneless or bone-in pork chops, make an easy meal with instant mashed potatoes and a bag of steamed veggies. Marinade the pork chops overnight, or try a homemade shake-n-bake style pork chop.   Baked Tortellini Baking cooked tortellini with sauce and mozzarella cheese takes this stuffed pasta to a new level. Of course, you could make it a meatless meal or add ground sausage, beef, or chopped pepperoni for an extra hearty and tasty dinner.  Sheet Pan Fajitas Sheet pan chicken or steak fajitas take some meal prep. However, once you chop the veggies and everything is seasoned, throw it in the oven, set the timer, and head to your favorite spot on the couch to relax. Don’t forget to line the pan with foil for easy cleanup.   Meatloaf Meatloaf is another easy food to make that will please your whole family. First, be sure to thaw the ground hamburger overnight in the fridge if it’s frozen. Then, mix, shape, and bake for a hearty meal with little work.   Baked Chicken Bake your favorite part of the chicken in the oven for an effortless meal. Marinade the chicken overnight to add flavor. Add a simple toss salad or some steamed veggies for a low-carb dinner. Use a Slow-Cooker and Instant Pot For Easy Meals Whether you are a slow-cooker fan or your vote is for using your Instant Pot, these cooking appliances are perfect for preparing easy meals. However, you may need to follow a recipe to ensure you add enough liquid to prevent drying out your meal in your slow cooker or triggering a burn error on your Instant Pot. Following a recipe isn’t bad; it just means your meal may not be as effortless as you had hoped. Both slow cookers and Instant Pots are excellent for people who want to prepare their food easily. Many people prefer prepping their meals in a slow cooker in the morning, so dinner is ready when you walk in the door after work. Others like the convenience of Instant Pots because they can cook food quickly, so your dinner is on the table in no time. Here are easy meal ideas that you can cook in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot with a few modifications.   Beef Roast With Potatoes and Carrots Chicken Pot Pie Pork Tenderloin Homemade Soups  Homemade Stews Rice and Beans Goulash Beef for French Dip Sandwiches Asian Chicken with Rice and Broccoli Chili Macaroni and CheeseThe easy meal possibilities are endless when using your slow cooker or Instant Pot. If you are looking for a cookbook that provides recipe variations for slow cookers and Instant Pots, check this one out.Easy Food To Make on the Grill Grilling is another easy way to prepare food when you don’t feel like cooking. Grilling is also the perfect way to prepare food in the summer when it’s hot, so you don’t have to heat your oven. Check out these simple-to-prepare food ideas for your grill.Kabobs Flatbread Pizzas Steaks Ribs Fish Foil Packs Marinated Chicken Brats  Vegetables Eggplant ScallopsFinal Thoughts on Choosing Easy Food to Make Deciding what to make for dinner when you are tired is not fun. However, a meal plan is a great way to take the thought out of dinner time. Planning easy food to make on busy weeknights can help you avoid ordering food from your favorite restaurant when you don’t have the energy to cook. Use these easy meal ideas to start your meal plan and save money while putting your feet up after work.

Chris Chris 26 Jan, 2023

10 Manly Lunch Ideas for Your Husband to Save Money

It’s no secret that packing your lunch and taking it to work can save you tons of money over the year.  Plus, it can be so much healthier than ordering food or going out for lunch! But what do you do when your other half gets tired of plain old sandwiches?  How do you prevent him from spending money unnecessarily and buying his lunch? You have to get creative!  Today I am going to help you with that.  I have some quick and easy lunch ideas for your husband (or boyfriend, partner, man, etc) that are manly. Yup, no girly, dainty lunch ideas here. Just delicious, filling lunches that will make your working man want to eat his packed lunch instead of ordering food.   Some of these are perfect lunch ideas for construction workers or other types of jobs where there is no access to a microwave. And I have some ideas down below that are non-sandwich ideas.  Most of these are cold lunch ideas.  But some could be eaten cold or heated.    I don’t have any actual recipes down below.  These lunch ideas are so simple that you don’t even need a recipe to make them.  That’s the kind of lunch I like! Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Lunch Ideas for Your Husband: Benefits of Taking a Packed Lunch to Work I already touched on two major benefits of packing a lunch for work. Both saving money and eating healthier are what I would argue to be the top reasons for taking lunch to work.  But there are a few other benefits too.  So let’s dive into the benefits first.  Packing Your Husband's Lunch Saves Money Here's the math.  Say your husband buys his lunch three days a week 50 weeks out of the year (factoring in 2 weeks of vacation). To make it easy, let’s say he spends around $10 per lunch when he orders food.  That equals $1500 a year spent on work lunches. That money could go toward so many things that would benefit your financial situation You could use it for:Paying off debt Boosting your emergency fund Starting a Roth IRA  Saving for college Replacing a worn appliance Paying for home repairs or renovations Saving for other large purchases, like a car or down payment on a home Funding a family vacationYou get the point.  Eating Healthier When I first met my husband, he never packed his lunch to take to work.  He is on the road most of his day for work, so he would swing into a fast food joint or grab a Subway sandwich for lunch. Every single day. After we got married and bought our first home, we realized just how much debt we had.   Between student loans, car payments, the mortgage, and the home equity line of credit we opened to avoid paying PMI, we were up to our ears in debt and bills. Plus, we didn’t know anything about budgeting or how to manage our money.   The first thing we did to start digging our way out from under the pile of debt was to start eating dinner at home, and we both consistently took our lunches to work.  He lost 20 pounds by changing his eating habits and taking his lunch to work. And losing weight is only one example of the health benefits of packing your lunch for work.  Because you are controlling what you put into your body, packing a lunch can also help you keep other medical conditions under control.   It really is a win-win. Be More Focused and Productive Taking a balanced and nutritious lunch to eat at work will help you stay focused because you won't feel as sluggish or sleepy as you might after eating takeout.  Also, you won’t have to decide what you will order for lunch or which restaurant you want to eat at.  And typically, fewer distractions equals more productive work.  Improve Your Feeling of Well Being Taking your lunch to work will allow for more time to eat.  You can take your time and not feel rushed, like when you are just sitting down to eat your takeout, and your meal break is already ending. We all know what happens when you slam your food…indigestion, feeling sick, bloating.   Especially food that is unhealthy! Have Time to Take a Walk or Do Some Stretching If you aren’t pressed for time, you could take a walk or stretch.  This can be especially beneficial if you have a desk job. So now you are wondering what to put in your working man’s lunch?  Okay, here we go! Manly Lunch Ideas for Your Husband #1 Change up the standard sandwich If your man is getting tired of his regular ol’ sandwich on regular ol’ bread, try ditching the bread for something else.   Some substitutions for regular bread are:Hamburger rolls Hoagie rolls Wraps Ciabatta French bread Pretzel rolls English Muffins BagelsI  bought this bread maker earlier this year and started making homemade bread.  My husband said even this small change has made his sandwich more interesting and enjoyable.  The key to making a sandwich manly is to avoid skimping on the fillings.  The more meat, cheese, and veggies, the better.  #2 Adult Lunchable (aka protein power pack) Lunchables are super popular and loved by kids.  But they make great lunches for adults too.  And they are really easy to turn into a manly lunch by including foods that are high in protein.   That’s why I like to call them a protein power pack.  Sounds much more manly than adult Lunchable, right? Some different food ideas for these are:Hard-boiled eggs Beef sticks or jerky Cut up cheese Rolled up lunchmeat Nuts Whole-grain crackers or pita chips Hummus Veggies Cottage cheese Tuna Fruit Nut butter to dip fruit or crackers into#3 Hot lunch in a thermos If your husband doesn’t have access to a microwave but is getting tired of cold food for lunch, you could always try out a thermos.   That’s what my husband did.  We got him this one on Amazon, and he loves it! If you aren’t familiar with how they work, you should heat the food up before leaving the house in the morning.   Then put the heated food right into the thermos and seal it up. It keeps your food hot for several hours.   Just make sure you get one that is shorter and wider so you can reach the bottom with a spoon or fork! Some ideas for what your husband could take to work in a thermos are:Leftover casseroles Hearty Soups Oatmeal Pasta with marinara sauce Scrambled eggs#4 Chicken, tuna, or egg salad Chicken, tuna, and egg salad are quite versatile.  You can put it on a sandwich, eat it as it is with crackers or pita chips, or put it over a bed of lettuce and veggies. If you don’t have time to cook chicken for chicken salad, you could always use canned chicken.   We use canned chicken quite a bit for chicken salad and it turns out really good. We like to add celery, hard-boiled egg, and spices to doctor it up. Or you could buy those individual packs of premade chicken or tuna salad to make it even easier to pack a lunch.   The cost would most likely be higher per ounce than making it yourself, however, it is still much cheaper than buying lunch.   #5 Meat roll-ups Meat roll-ups are another manly lunch idea.  Simply take your lunch meat of choice, put a slice of cheese on it, and roll it up.   Another version of this uses Lebanon bologna and cream cheese.  Spread a layer of cream cheese on the slice of bologna and roll it up.  Meat roll-ups would make a good alternative to a sandwich if your husband is tired of sandwiches.  Don’t forget his other favorites like chips or crackers, fruit and veggies, and something sweet to round out his lunch and make sure he doesn’t get hungry.  #6 Walking tacos or taco salad Walking tacos are made by placing the taco meat and toppings right into a snack-size bag of Doritos or Fritos.   You could precook the taco meat and divide it into containers for the week.  Put your husband’s favorite toppings into another small container to transport to work.   Your husband can just grab his bag of chips, meat, and toppings to pack in his lunch bag on the way out the door.   Heat up the meat (or it would also be tasty cold) and toss everything together either in the bag (walking tacos) or on a plate (taco salad). #7 Beef sticks and cheese Why do men love beef sticks and beef jerky so much? Beef sticks and cubes of his favorite cheese (mine loves pepper jack) would make a lunch he would look forward to eating.   Again, don’t forget the rest of his favorite snacks so he doesn’t get hungry and raid the vending machine later in the day! #8 Hamburgers Is your husband missing his usual fast food?  Why not send him to work with a healthier version of his favorite fast food meal?   #9 Pasta salad with meat Make a big batch of your husband’s favorite pasta salad and throw in some meat to give it protein and make it more filling.   You could throw in cubed ham, pepperoni, sausage, shredded turkey or chicken, or even shredded pork.   Tip: Use up your leftover meat from dinner to add to the pasta salad to decrease food waste!#10  Lunch in a bowl I love this kind of meal because you throw everything in a bowl and call it a day!  This lunch idea will require some pre-cooking and prepping. But you could make a big batch, pack some up for the week, and freeze the rest in individual containers for the next couple of weeks.   To make a bowl-style meal, typically, you pick a starch like rice, quinoa, or noodles for the bottom of the bowl.  Then throw in veggies and protein on top.     Instead of starchy food for the base, you could put your add-ins over lettuce for a healthier alternative.  Or use your meat as the base to make it super manly! Here are some super delicious-looking meals in a bowl from one of my favorite recipe websites, Allrecipes.com. Here is a quick tip for you: If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it and you just can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) right to your inbox and includes the grocery list for the meal plan!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Lunch Ideas for Your Husband: Tips for Budget-Friendly Lunches When your husband takes his lunch to work, you will definitely save a ton of money.  There is no doubt about that. But, if you put in a little more effort, you can stretch your food budget further.  I love writing about ways to save money.  So I wanted to add some ways to stretch your dollars into this post. Shop at Discount Grocery Stores My absolute favorite way to shop is with Walmart Grocery Pickup for multiple reasons (you can read about them here).   However, if Walmart is out of something or we forgot to add something to our list (which happens quite frequently), one of us will head over to Aldi or Lidl to get it.   If you don’t have an Aldi or Lidl in your area, that’s okay.  I’ve noticed other discount grocery stores have just as awesome deals! It really is amazing how much cheaper you can find things at a discount grocery store.  And usually, the quality is just as good or better than the name brands you find at a regular grocery store.   Use Ibotta Ibotta is a cash-back app that is free to download.  It works with Walmart Grocery Pickup, which is awesome!  The other thing I love about Ibotta is they have offers that aren’t brand specific.   So the offer might be for 10 cents back on any brand of apple sauce or fruit snacks.  This allows you to get cash-back on the already super cheap store brands.   If you don’t have an Ibotta account yet, you can sign up here. The average active Ibotta user makes $150 per year! And new users can get up to $20 in welcome bonuses! Buy in Bulk We head to Sam’s Club every 12-14 weeks to stock up on our main dinner items.  But Sam’s is also great to stock up on lunch items for your husband and your kids. For example, Sam's Club has the same juice boxes as Walmart, and they are actually cheaper per unit than Walmart.  Same with the little bags of Cheez-Its my boys love to take to school.   They have big boxes of beef sticks, big containers of lunch meat (you can freeze some until you need it), and tons of snacks your husband could take with his lunch. But just be sure to check the unit prices to ensure you are definitely getting a deal.Plan Your Family’s Lunches Planning what you and your family will take for lunch is important because the last thing you want is to run out of things to take for lunch or not have anything suitable to take. Then what?  You end up spending the money on lunches for the week that you were planning to use for something else. Shop Sales Keep your eye out for great deals on meats, cheeses, canned soups (to take in a thermos!), snacks, and nuts.  You can always freeze the meats and cheeses if you buy more than you need for the week.  Also, check out the discount bakery rack at your grocery store if they have one.  You will find super deals on bread alternatives like hard rolls, ciabatta, croissants, and french bread.   You will need to freeze them to use over the next couple of weeks because the items on those racks are usually near their sell-by dates. Final Thoughts on Manly Lunch Ideas for Your Husband Finding quick, easy, and manly lunch ideas for your husband for work is not always easy.  It can actually be a downright challenge. It might take some trial and error to determine what he will enjoy and look forward to eating while at work.  But once you figure out a handful of lunch ideas your man loves, you will both reap the rewards! What are your favorite lunch ideas for your husband? Let me know in the comments.

Chris Chris 26 Jan, 2023

Meal Planning for Beginners: The Complete Guide for Success

“Ugh, meal planning. Do I have to do that again?”   Is this how you find yourself thinking about menu planning? If so, you aren't alone. Many people dread the sometimes time-consuming task of planning out weekly meals. But unfortunately, meal planning is necessary.   Whether you meal plan ahead on a Sunday or you do your menu planning an hour before you need your meal cooked (I wouldn’t recommend the latter), you have to decide what to feed yourself and your family. Notice I said, “sometimes time-consuming?” Meal planning can take up a lot of your time. But it doesn’t have to.   You can reduce the time you spend planning your weekly menu for your family by finding and using a system that works for you. In addition, there are many methods and strategies to make meal planning so much easier and quicker for you.   And I’m going to explain a few of those methods below. But first, let’s start at the beginning to answer all the basic questions related to the topic of meal planning.Free Meal Plan Template Pdf There are many different systems you can use to menu plan. For example, if you want to, you could just write down your meals on a piece of notebook paper every week and call it a day. However, if you are reading this, I’m guessing you want a little extra help creating a system that can help you consistently plan your meals.   And guess what? I have a printable menu planner that can help you. I created a free meal plan template pdf you can print out and use for your menu planning. It contains everything you need to make a little binder to stay organized.   Do you need to put the pages in a binder? Nope. Use the templates in a way that will help you the most.  Here is a preview of the free meal plan template pdfs:You can download the meal planning printables here.   If you would rather not deal with printing pages for meal planning, you could opt to use an inexpensive planner. If you are reading this during the last couple of months of the year or the first couple of months of the year, you may be able to find a cheap meal planner at a dollar store.   However, if you are reading this in the middle of the year and want to go the planner route, you could find an inexpensive planner like this one that’s not dated. Using an undated planner will allow you to use the entire planner instead of starting at the month you bought it.   But if you want a free option (besides printing), my meal planning template pdf would help you start meal planning immediately. What is Meal Planning? Meal planning, or menu planning, is simply the process of deciding what you will eat for your meals. It involves choosing your meals intentionally while considering your daily activities, obligations, and commitments. Many people plan for all three meals a day, while others prefer to plan for evening meals only. Think about your family’s needs to determine which meals you will menu plan for.   What is the Importance of Meal Planning? There are many great benefits of meal planning, which is why it’s essential. Here are the main perks of planning your meals. Eat Healthier Eating healthier is a direct result of meal planning, provided you make healthy meal plans. Also, making your meal plan healthy isn’t any more time-consuming or difficult than basic meal planning. The bottom line is eating at home gives you more control over how your food is prepared and allows you to know what you are putting into your body.   Save Money Saving money is another incredible perk of meal planning. Eating at home saves so much money. If you want to live a more frugal lifestyle to save money, menu planning will help you reduce food costs. Reduce Dinner Time Stress Dinner time doesn’t have to be stressful. When you get home from work, you can feel calm and be in control of mealtime. But, unfortunately, life can be stressful as it is. So why make it more stressful for yourself? Meal planning takes the guesswork out of dinnertime. Reduce Food Waste According to an article in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, U.S. households waste about one-third of the food they buy every year. Let’s just say you spend around $450 on food each month, which equals $5,400 spent per year. Therefore, the average household is throwing away around $1,800 in food! Think about all the other things you could do with that much money.    How Do I Start Meal Planning? Getting motivated to start a task and consistently completing the task over the long term can be difficult for many people. Here are some tips to help you get started with meal planning and stick with it so you can enjoy meals at home on a regular basis. Determine Your Reason for Meal Planning There is a reason for everything you do in life.   You eat because you are hungry, work out to be healthier, sleep because you are tired, and work because you need money. You get the point! Knowing your reason for meal planning is no different. But everyone’s reason for meal planning will be different. For example, my reason for meal planning is to reduce our grocery bill and save money on food costs to allocate that money toward our yearly family beach vacation.   Your reason could be to eat healthier to help get a newly diagnosed medical condition under control. Or maybe you want to eat out less so you can save money for a large purchase you want (or need) to make. Think about your why for meal planning and use it for motivation to start and continue meal planning regularly.   Find a System Determining a system for meal planning that works for you is the key to long-term success. It’s your “how” of meal planning. There are tons of ways to go about meal planning. And not every method will work for you and your family. To determine your meal planning system, you’ll need to answer a few questions: How many meals will you plan? All three meals per day, two meals a day, or just your evening meal? How often will you menu plan? Once a week, biweekly, or once a month (see more info on that below)?   How often will you grocery shop? Weekly, every other week, or once a month? Where will you write down your meals? In a binder, on a piece of paper, in an inexpensive planner, or on a small chalkboard you can hang on the wall? Once you answer these questions, you will have developed your system for meal planning. If your system doesn’t work, try tweaking it until you find the best way to meal plan for your family. Start Slow If you are a beginner at meal planning, it’s crucial to start slow to avoid becoming overwhelmed. You could strive to meal plan for 3-5 nights per week at first. Plan meals that are easy to make, so you don’t have any excuses for ordering takeout.   Once you have been consistently meal planning for a few nights per week, strive to plan for more nights. Setting yourself up for success early on can lead to consistency in the long term.    Make it a Routine After you decide how often you will meal plan (weekly, biweekly, monthly), you’ll want to try to make meal planning part of your routine. Set aside time every week to get it done.   So, for example, if you will be meal planning weekly, determine which day you will do your menu planning and which day you will do your grocery shopping. Then, add it to your calendar to become part of your daily tasks. Helpful Tip: If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it and you just can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.What are the 5 Basic Steps of Meal Planning? As I said earlier, menu planning doesn’t have to be time-consuming. Meal planning essentially has five basic steps from start to finish. Here are the five steps that make up meal planning. 1. Take Inventory of What You Already Have Look around in your pantry, fridge, and freezer, and write down what you want to use in your menu. Identify food that could spoil if it doesn’t get used. Be sure to incorporate leftovers into your menu to avoid having to toss them.   2. Plan Your Meals Get out your meal planning template, binder, planner, notebook, or whatever you decide to use to keep track of your planned meals and start filling in your menu. Look at the busy nights and plan quick and easy meals on those nights. Leftovers would be an excellent option for busy nights. Keep a list of your family’s favorite meals to help you fill in the days. Use theme nights if you have difficulty thinking of new or different meals.    3. Make Your Grocery List Go through your meal plan and write down your shopping list. Then, write down everything else you will need for the week (or for the length of time you are shopping for).    Here is my favorite grocery list hack: Create a typed-up grocery list template consisting of all of your frequently purchased items. Allow space to write things in for other items you rarely need to purchase.   Keep this list to half a page if possible and hang the list on your fridge. Then, if you are running low on something, immediately circle the item on the list.   When you are ready to make your grocery shopping list for your meal plan, circle the items you will need for your planned meals. Then, circle anything else you need from the store, such as snacks, breakfast foods, fruits and vegetables, and food for lunches.   4. Go Shopping Now that you have your shopping list, you are ready to head to the grocery store. Choosing a specific day to head to the store will help make it part of your routine.   If it's a busy time of year for you, try ordering groceries online for pickup or have them delivered. I’m a huge fan of Walmart’s Grocery Pickup and have been using this service for several years. It is a time-saver, and I highly recommend it.   5. Cook at Home The last step of meal planning is cooking your meals. There are ways to make cooking at home easier. Plan the simple meals for weeknights. Save the meals that require a recipe for the weekends when you have more time. In addition, make sure you have the proper kitchen tools and gadgets to make cooking a breeze.    What are the 3 Basic Rules in Menu Planning? All meal planning gurus out there have different basic rules for menu planning to follow. Here are the three rules for meal planning that I live by. Rule #1: Check Your Calendar For meal planning success, you must look ahead to see if you have any prior commitments you need to plan around. For example, if your kids have sports practices on certain nights a week, you’ll want to plan quick meals for those nights.   Or let’s say you will be working overtime, and you know you will be exhausted when you get home. Maybe a frozen pizza would be perfect that night, so you can throw it in the oven and then go sit down and put your feet up until it’s ready.   Checking your calendar to plan your meals intentionally is the backbone of successful meal planning. Rule #2: Don’t Plan Meals that Require Recipes During the Week Keep meals extremely simple for your weeknight meals when you are busiest. For example, don’t plan a meal that requires a recipe during the week. Instead, save those meals for the weekends when you have more time to cook.   Planning simple menus for weekdays will help you complete the prep, cooking, and cleaning up so much faster. You could also do some meal prep on a Sunday to help streamline your weekly meals even more.   Wash and chop lettuce and veggies and store them in green containers to pull out during the week for quick side salads. Pre-cook ingredients that take longer to cook for meals, such as grains and dried beans. Assemble casseroles, so all you have to do is put them in the oven after work.  Freezer cooking is also an excellent strategy to conquer weeknight mealtime. Freezer meals aren't difficult to prepare. Prepare a double batch of your favorite meal, wrap it tightly after cooling, and place it in the freezer for future use. Rule #3: Always Have a Back-Up Meal Ready No matter how thorough you think you are when planning your meals and making your grocery lists, there will be times when you cannot cook your scheduled meal.   Ingredients get forgotten. Life happens.   To be prepared for these instances, try keeping a few back up meals on hand. Back-up meals are meals that you typically have the ingredients for or that have a long shelf life. These meals should be kept handy for those just-in-case moments.   Some examples of back up meals are:Grilled cheese and tomato soup Pasta with marinara sauce Frozen pizzas Cheese or chicken (try canned chicken!) quesadillas Deli meat sandwiches Canned soups Tuna salad or egg salad sandwiches (or served over lettuce or with crackers) Hot dogs and mac-n-cheese Big salads topped with hard-boiled eggs, rolled lunchmeat, and cubed or shredded cheeseYou get the idea! Come up with a couple of back-up meals to keep on hand in case you need them.   How Do I Make a Healthy Meal Plan? As I said earlier, making a healthy meal plan isn’t more time-consuming than making any other meal plan. To make a meal plan healthy, incorporate healthy foods and avoid foods high in fat, calories, and preservatives.   Here are some tips to make a healthy meal plan:Avoid pre-packaged and prepared foods (E.g., boxed meals, frozen prepared meals) Cook from scratch so you can control the ingredients Choose healthier ingredients for meals (E.g., whole-wheat pasta instead of regular pasta, brown rice instead of white rice, use olive or avocado oil instead of vegetable or corn oil, etc.) Plan well-rounded meals from the five food groups Focus on the proper portions of foodIf you want to improve your eating habits, creating a healthy meal plan is the first step to changing your diet. In addition, focusing on healthy eating is a great way to improve your overall health and well-being.  How Do I Plan a Menu for the Week? A great way to get started is to menu plan for one week at a time. Focusing on one week can be less overwhelming than trying to plan for two weeks or a month. If you want a step-by-step guide, check out my post on how to make a weekly meal plan with grocery list. To plan a menu for the week, you'll want to check your fridge, pantry, and freezer for food you want to use in your meal plan. Then check your calendar for any hectic nights.   Begin with planning meals for busy nights. For example, assign leftovers in your fridge or freezer for those nights. Or, a day or two before the busy night, plan a meal that yields enough to feed your family twice so you can eat the leftovers from that meal on your busy night.   Once you have the busy nights planned, go back and fill in meals for the other nights. Try to keep it simple during the week and treat yourself to a more involved homemade dinner on the weekends when you have time to make and enjoy it.  How to Meal Plan Once a Month If you’ve mastered the weekly meal plan, you may want to up your meal planning game to planning for four weeks at a time. It takes a little extra planning, but it will be so worth it in the end because you won’t have to meal plan again for four weeks. The method is the same as weekly meal planning, but you fill in meals for the entire month. Again, it’s helpful to have a list of your family’s favorite meals to pick from when filling in your monthly meal plan.  Don’t throw any of your monthly meal plans away once the month is over! Instead, use them to look back at to get ideas for future meal plans if you have difficulty coming up with meal ideas.   What are the Types of Meal Planning? There are so many different ways to create a meal plan. Successful meal planning involves choosing a method that works for your lifestyle.   For example, if you have kids active in extracurricular activities, you may find it challenging to meal plan once a week. You may find it easier to fit meal planning into your schedule every other week or once a month.   Here are five popular types of meal planning methods: Type 1: Weekly (Fully Scheduled vs. List of Meals for the Week) Meal planning once a week is a popular method. But it takes commitment to set aside time every week to get your meal planning done. Nevertheless, weekly meal planning is a great way to start menu planning. If you opt for weekly meal planning, you can schedule your meals for specific nights of the week. The other way to make a weekly meal plan is to produce a list of meals you want to have that week and decide which dinner to have each day, depending on what you’re hungry for.   Type 2: Biweekly Another way to menu plan is every other week. Biweekly meal planning is an excellent option if you dread having to meal plan every single week. Also, you could try shopping for groceries every other week to save yourself time and money.   Type 3: 2-Week Rotating Meal Plan A 2-week rotating meal plan is when you create two different biweekly meal plans and alternate them. An alternating meal plan helps prevent meal boredom because you can plan your meals so you don’t eat the same thing twice within four weeks.   Type 4: Monthly The fourth type of meal planning is monthly. I consider monthly meal planning to be four-week intervals instead of planning meals for the actual number of days in the month.  My reasoning behind this is that it’s easier to grocery shop every two weeks when planning meals for four weeks. Therefore, the extra days within the calendar month that fall outside those four weeks would be considered part of the following four-week meal plan.   Monthly meal planning can be one of the most time-efficient ways to meal plan because you only have to do it once a month. For example, you only have to check your food inventory once a month, write your meals once a month, and if you want, even grocery shop once a month! Type 5: Theme Nights If you are struggling to think of meal ideas for your meal plan, consider using theme nights to help guide your meal planning. Assign a theme to each day and write down a meal associated with the theme. Here are some theme night ideas:Pasta night Tex-Mex night Fish night Meatless night Sandwich night Leftover night Casserole night Grill night Slow cooker nightI have included a list of theme night ideas and side dish ideas in my free meal planner template pdf if you want more themes. You can download my free meal planning guide here.   How Do I Meal Plan on a Budget? Finding ways to plan your meals around your budget is a fantastic way to save money on food. You can do several things to help you create a meal plan on a budget. Here are my favorite tips for saving money while menu planning. Plan One Meatless Meal Per Week Meat can be the most expensive part of a meal. So by cutting meat out of your meal plan at least once a week, you will save money on your grocery bill.   Incorporate Leftovers Into Your Meal Plan Repurposing your leftovers to avoid food waste or intentionally cooking enough food to feed your family twice is a great money-saving strategy when it comes to meal planning.   Grocery Shop Less Frequently Heading to the store for groceries less often will help you save money. Limiting the number of times you go to the store will help you be more intentional with your grocery list. You’ll avoid impulse buys which will help you stay within budget. Use Ibotta Ibotta is a cash-back app for groceries that is free to download and use. You can use it at many different stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, and more! You just add the grocery offer to your account in the Ibotta app, take a picture of your receipt, and they deposit the money into your Ibotta account.   If you don’t have Ibotta yet, you can sign up here. By signing up through my link, you can receive up to $20 in welcome bonuses!   Use Cheap Ingredients Planning meals that use cheap foods will help you make a meal plan that comes in under budget. You can make sure you buy the most inexpensive foods by shopping at cheap grocery stores (E.g., discount grocery stores).   Buying food in bulk is another excellent way to decrease the overall price of food. In addition, watching for rock bottom prices for your frequently purchased food items will help you save money. You will create cheap meals when you use cheap (or discounted) ingredients. What is Reverse Meal Planning? Reverse meal planning is simply creating your menu from the food items you already have and then filling in the rest of the days with other meals. It involves checking your “inventory” of food in your pantry, freezer, and fridge and using up what you have on hand before planning meals you will need to purchase food for. Reverse meal planning is the strategy I recommend for menu planning because it helps to reduce food waste and saves money. So if you are looking to decrease your spending on food, reverse meal planning is the way to do it.   Final Thoughts on Meal Planning Meal planning does not need to be a complicated or time-consuming process. However, menu planning is essential because it provides many benefits for you and your family. If you want to start meal planning, use these tips and strategies to help you succeed with eating at home more and cooking delicious family meals.  

Chris Chris 26 Jan, 2023

76 Healthy Meal Prep Breakfast Ideas

Breakfast is supposed to be the most important meal of the day. Eating breakfast helps get your body fueled up for the day’s activities. But making a healthy breakfast for your family when you rush to get ready for work and get the kids out the door for school can seem impossible. Learning how to meal prep breakfast will help save time and your sanity on busy mornings. In addition, it is possible to eat a healthy breakfast, even when you are short on time. Read on for meal prep tips and delicious breakfast recipes you can make ahead for your family. How to Meal Prep Breakfast: Tips to Make Your Life Easier Getting into the habit of meal prepping is beneficial for many reasons. First, preparing some or all of your food in advance can save time and stress on busy mornings. In addition, you can save money when you don’t hit up the convenience store on the way to work. And when you are on a tight budget, planning cheap meals for your family and eating at home is the way to go. Here are the best tips to get you started with meal prepping. Develop a Meal Plan You'll need to have a meal plan before you start meal prepping. Meal planning is when you determine what you will eat. Meal prep is when you make your meals. Meal planning is a great way to get on track with eating at home more often. And when you eat at home, you can eat healthier and save money. If you're cooking for one, here's a realistic $57/week meal plan for singles that eliminates food waste.   If you need help getting started with meal planning, you can download our free meal planning guide to get you started. This meal planning guide includes all the basics for successful meal planning.   Here is a preview:You can download this free meal planning guide here. Helpful Tip: If you hate meal planning or have tried it and can’t figure out a system that works for you, you should look at the $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you. All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person. And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.  Decide When To Meal Prep Breakfast Once you have your meal plan, setting aside time to get your breakfast meal prep completed is essential for success. If you are meal-prepping for the workweek, you may want to block off time in your schedule on a Sunday to get it done. Try to stick to prepping around the same time each week to get into a routine and be consistent. Mise en Place “Mise en Place” (pronounced MEEZ ahn plahs) is a French term for gathering, preparing, and organizing all the ingredients and equipment, you’ll need to prepare your meal. You’ll cut, chop, slice, grate, and measure your ingredients before cooking them.   Gathering and preparing all of your ingredients ahead of time will make your life easier when doing your breakfast meal prep. You will save time and work more efficiently when you mise en place.   Be Prepared With Meal Prep Containers and Food Wraps Nothing can ruin your flow more than not having the meal prep containers or the food wraps you need to complete your breakfast meal prep. Avoid the frustration of having to run to the store after cooking your breakfasts for the week. Be sure to keep a variety of containers and wraps on hand.   Think about what you will need to store your prepped meals. Do you need plastic wrap, compartmentalized containers, mason jars, or reusable glass meal prep containers? Stock up on the containers you will use most often to stay prepared.   Keep Your Prepared Breakfasts Organized When making a large batch of one type of breakfast to portion out and freeze for future use, don’t forget to label the individual portions with the contents and date. Then, store them with the oldest items on top for easy grab and go in the morning.   If you have a chest freezer, think about picking up inexpensive plastic bins or wire baskets to keep your food organized. Some items, like breakfast sandwiches, can easily get lost in the bottom of a chest freezer, so keep them corralled in one spot. 76 Healthy Meal Prep Breakfast Ideas Breakfast shouldn’t be boring. Preparing various foods to kickstart your family’s day is essential for eating healthy and getting the nutrients they need. Here is a massive list of breakfast ideas for your breakfast meal prep. You will find many different muffin recipes, overnight oats, chia seed pudding, egg cups, waffles, and more. Enjoy! 1. Vanilla Protein Baked Oats These baked oats are healthy, satisfying, and perfect for when you want to meal prep breakfast. If you are looking for healthy breakfast recipes, the entire family will love to try this one. 2. Biscoff Overnight Oats An easy-to-make simple breakfast that packs in nutrients is excellent for meal prep. Plus, it tastes like a yummy treat. 3. Air Fryer Breakfast Eggrolls There’s nothing better than the crispy shell of an egg roll filled with deliciously flavorful ingredients. Why stick to traditional flavors when you can get creative? Make these fantastic breakfast Air Fryer Egg Rolls for breakfast on the go. 4. Chocolate Baked Oats These easy Chocolate Baked Oats are the perfect healthy breakfast when craving something sweet! They’re made with ten simple pantry staples and take 10 minutes to throw together before baking. These are excellent for weekend brunch, weekly meal prep, or a delicious healthy dessert. 5. Blueberry Baked Oatmeal You can mix up this baked oatmeal recipe in minutes. You can bake it in muffin tins or freeze individual portions for a quick and easy make-ahead breakfast. 6. Protein Overnight Oats These healthy protein overnight oats are a healthy and delicious plant-based breakfast perfect for meal prepping! 7. Carrot Cake Oatmeal This carrot cake oatmeal recipe not only packs in a portion of veggies into your breakfast, but it’s packed with texture, will satisfy your sweet tooth, and will keep you full until lunch. 8. Keto Sheet Pan Pancakes Making a large batch of pancakes is always time-consuming. However, these keto pancakes are ready in less than 30 minutes. These sheet pan pancakes are fluffy, buttery, and delicious. Enjoy a keto breakfast recipe perfect for meal prep and made with only a few ingredients. 9. Sweet Potato Corn Hash This sweet potato corn hash is a warm breakfast that combines fresh vegetables, herbs, and a touch of spice. This dish is easy to make and reheat for a quick breakfast on the go. 10. Chili Con Queso Egg Cups These simple egg cups with chili con queso couldn’t be more straightforward. Make them for a quick morning meal on the go, and stash the extra in the freezer for later! They also make a great appetizer. 11. Potato Borek Potato borek is a delicious Turkish pastry made of a cheesy potato filling wrapped in crispy thin yufka sheets. These savory vegetarian pies are a great snack, tasty breakfast on the go, or a perfect appetizer for parties and gatherings. 12. Savory Crepes Savory Crepes just may be the perfect make-ahead breakfast. Always a special treat and so easy to make! 13. Broccoli and Cheese Breakfast Muffins Give your day a healthy start with these tasty broccoli cheese breakfast muffins, which will keep you going until lunch. Then, freeze a batch for a quick and easy healthy breakfast. 14. Air Fryer Bacon and Egg Cups Bacon and egg cups cooked in an air fryer are a must-try breakfast if you are always rushing for school, work, or just being an active family. They are quick and easy to make, with everyday ingredients. 15. Gluten-Free Steel Cut Oat Banana Muffins These breakfast muffins are simple to bake, healthy, and gluten-free. So if you are craving bakery-style muffins that are naturally sweet and delicious, these are it. Photo Credit: Live to Sweet | Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins 16. Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins These yummy Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins are soft and moist. The peanut butter streusel is a fantastic topper for these double chocolate muffins! 17. Healthy Double Chocolate Muffins (With Oatmeal and Yogurt) These easy muffins are made with simple ingredients and are so moist and delicious! They freeze well and are perfect for breakfast on the go. 18. Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats These apple cinnamon overnight oats are spiced, sweet, and delicious. A perfect meal for breakfast you can make the night before. 19. Instant Pot Porridge This porridge gives you a hot breakfast, ready when you wake up. The leftovers freeze well, so you can reheat them when needed. 20. Healthy Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos These breakfast burritos are the perfect nutritious breakfast for hectic mornings. Make a batch of these burritos on the weekend and then heat one on your way out the door during the week-breakfast is ready in 30 seconds! 21. Crunchy Cinnamon Granola With Egg Whites This crunchy cinnamon granola made with egg whites is a favorite with its classic oats and honey flavor with vanilla and cardamom. It also has flax and chia seeds for extra protein and fiber. 22. Instant Pot Sausage Spinach Quiche Here is a versatile crustless quiche that combines sausage with fresh spinach for a healthy breakfast. It’s also perfect for parties and picnics; you can easily pack it for a delicious lunchtime meal. 23. Oatmeal Pancakes Without Banana Fluffy, soft oatmeal pancakes without bananas are the perfect breakfast to start your day. Add fresh fruit like apples or blueberries to make these healthy pancakes a quick breakfast. 24. Cranberry Breakfast Bites These Cranberry Breakfast Bites are an ultra-quick and straightforward way to fill up on antioxidant-rich fruits and healthy fats in the morning. 25. Sausage Egg and Cheese Muffins Learn how to make these sausage, egg, and cheese muffins for a quick healthy breakfast. Perfect for breakfast on the go! 26. Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffins These individually portioned spinach egg muffins are fantastic when you are in a hurry. So go ahead and make a batch to freeze and enjoy later. 27. Breakfast Egg Muffins Breakfast is so effortless with egg muffins. You can make egg muffins precisely as you like in a muffin pan. Try making them using cooked breakfast meats like ham, bacon, or crumbled sausage. Or fill them with diced vegetables and top them with different herbs and cheeses. 28. Pumpkin Chia Pudding Pumpkin Chia Pudding is a delicious breakfast to celebrate fall. Just combine six ingredients, refrigerate and enjoy all week. 29. Healthy Red Velvet Protein Pancakes These Red Velvet Protein Pancakes are easy and healthy. Place the ingredients into your blender to combine, cook them on the stovetop, and enjoy them with your favorite toppings. Perfect for when you want to meal prep breakfast to make ahead and freeze.Photo Credit: Cinnamon & Sage Co. | Feta and Spinach Egg Muffins 30. Feta and Spinach Egg Muffins These feta and spinach breakfast egg muffins are perfect for those days you need breakfast on the go. They are easy to make and so yummy. You can easily customize this recipe with whatever you have in your fridge. 31. Zucchini Muffins with Applesauce You will love these easy zucchini muffins with applesauce because they’re quick to make, moist, and fluffy. These muffins are an excellent way to get your veggies in. They are the perfect breakfast meal prep food. 32. Stuffed Everything Bagel and Cream Cheese Bites These Dunkin copycat everything bagel and scallion cream cheese bites combine your favorite parts of a bagel and turn them into a convenient on-the-go breakfast food. The best part is that they are easy to freeze and are made in the air fryer. 33. Waffle Cookies The chewy texture and sweetness make these waffle cookies a perfect, simple dessert cookie the family will love. Make them in your waffle iron for easy prep and cleanup. 34. Healthy Chewy No Bake Granola Bars This recipe is the only recipe for granola bars you’ll ever need. Easy, delicious, and customized portable snack or breakfast treat packed with nutrients and flavor! 35. Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal This delicious baked oatmeal with walnuts is the perfect Fall and Winter breakfast. This recipe is quick to prepare with no eggs and no refined sugar. Try this healthy oatmeal for a great start to your busy day. 36. Sausage Breakfast Casserole This sausage breakfast casserole makes a simple and delicious breakfast meal. Baked in a 9×13 pan, this casserole is perfect for your weekly breakfast meal prep. 37. Simple Bircher Muesli Here is a healthy, quick breakfast you can make the night before. Then, simply add your favorite topping in the morning and enjoy! 38. Oat Flour Waffles Delicious, naturally gluten-free oat flour waffles are a great breakfast idea on any day of the week. These airy on the inside and crispy on the outside waffles are easy to make and freeze well. 39. Apple Cinnamon Granola Homemade Apple Cinnamon Granola is a crunchy fall treat perfect for breakfast or a snack right out of the jar! 40. Vegan Breakfast Casserole This super easy Vegan Breakfast Casserole is just what you need for a comforting make-ahead breakfast! It’s completely meatless, gluten-free, allergy-free, and packed with plant-based protein from a chickpea flour egg, veggies, hashbrowns, and dairy-free cheddar cheese! A perfect savory brunch recipe for feeding a crowd and freezer-friendly! 41. Microwave Egg Breakfast Bowls Prep several of these Microwave Egg Breakfast Bowls in mason jars ahead of time for a grab-and-go breakfast. Add an egg, pop it in the microwave, and you have made your breakfast. 42. Low-Calorie Waffles Waffles are a healthy, kid-approved meal perfect for your weekly meal prep routine. First, make them and freeze them until needed. Then, add their favorite toppings after reheating in the toaster or microwave for a home-cooked school morning breakfast. 43. Easy Breakfast Casserole This easy breakfast casserole can be made the night before and cooked in the morning. Make it with hearty ingredients that will keep you full until lunchtime. 44. Maple Brown Sugar Oatmeal Muffins These maple brown sugar oatmeal muffins are a delicious, portable breakfast. They freeze well and make an excellent prep-ahead breakfast. 45. Banana Pikelets These healthy banana pikelets are super easy to make with just four ingredients. They freeze well and make excellent family-friendly breakfast for when you’re on the go.Photo Credit: Veggie Inspired | Overnight Chocolate Chia Pudding 46. Overnight Chocolate Chia Pudding This Chocolate Chia Pudding is an easy make-ahead breakfast that tastes like dessert! 47. Breakfast Egg Muffins Egg Muffins are the perfect grab-and-go and make-ahead breakfast for busy mornings. These tasty egg cups are light, fluffy, and loaded with ham, bell peppers, and cheese. 48. Egg and Sausage Casserole Load this easy Egg & Sausage Casserole with cheese, peppers, onions, and spices. It is perfect for brunch or a potluck, especially around the holidays. The add-ins are customizable & you can prep them in advance. 49. Easy (Kid-Approved) Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins Do you need a simple breakfast that your kids can grab on their own or a quick snack idea for busy afternoons? These delicious banana chocolate chip muffins are a family favorite and easy to make. 50. Freezer Breakfast Burritos Make your morning more manageable with these Freezer Breakfast Burritos. Wrap scrambled eggs, breakfast potatoes, veggies, and melted cheese in a soft tortilla for the perfect make-ahead breakfast item. 51. Easy Banana Bread These banana muffins are ready to grab and go in the morning! With almost half a banana in each muffin, they’re especially great for picky eaters. 52. Mango Chia Pudding This make-ahead breakfast pudding combines delicious flavor, protein, and fiber to keep you full all morning! This quick and easy breakfast is an easy way to start your day off right. 53. Sugar-Free Flourless Banana Muffins These Sugar-Free Flourless Banana Muffins are a tasty blender recipe made with Greek yogurt, oats, and no added sugar. 54. School Breakfast Pizza The school breakfast pizza is easy to make ahead in a sheet pan and then freeze and reheat as needed. It’s a nostalgic dish that everyone is sure to love. 55. Blueberry French Toast Casserole Rather than slicing and dipping individual pieces of bread, this blueberry French toast casserole is more of a dice-and-pour recipe. Read: EASY. Start with challah bread, potato bread, or soft French bread, and you’ll have a ready-to-heat breakfast. 56. Bisquick Sausage Muffins Kickstart your mornings with a savory start. These Bisquick sausage muffins are a must-make. They have only four ingredients, and they are simple to make. Get your day started with protein and carbs for lasting energy. 57. Egg-Free Banana and Blueberry Muffins These egg-free banana and blueberry breakfast muffins are light, healthy, and taste divine for breakfast on the go! 58. Maple Sausage Brunch Bites This Potatoes Romanoff-inspired award-winning breakfast dish, made with hashbrowns, sour cream, cheese, onions, and maple sausage, is the perfect solution for when you want to meal prep breakfast. It’s make-ahead, portable finger food that’s easy to reheat. 59. Egg Muffin Cups You can’t go wrong with egg muffins for your breakfast meal prep. They are easy to make and so versatile. These spinach egg muffins are the perfect breakfast for a quick healthy meal!Photo Credit: Zardy Plants | Banana Bread Vegan Baked Oats 60. Banana Bread Vegan Baked Oats This pan of hearty, sweet, delicious baked oatmeal is the breakfast MVP! Make it once, and you’ll have enough for most of the week. Plus, it’s naturally sweetened, and it tastes like a dessert. 61. Zucchini Apple Carrot Muffins These zucchini apple muffins are moist, fluffy, and perfectly sweetened. They store well and are freezable too. 62. Copycat Starbucks Egg Bites These copycat Starbucks egg bites are close to the real thing. But you can make them in your kitchen, with your favorite mix-ins, and so much cheaper. 63. Chicken Sausage Patties with Pear and Sage With sweet fresh pear and earthy sage mixed in, these chicken sausage patties (or chicken breakfast sausage) are an excellent make-ahead dish you can enjoy as a quick and easy breakfast meal, lunchbox addition, or protein for dinner. 64. Vegan Applesauce Muffins These vegan applesauce muffins are so delicious. These muffins make a healthy breakfast you can feel good about serving your family. 65. Simple Oatmeal Protein Cookies Oatmeal protein cookies are easy, vegan, & gluten-free! Using peanut butter, flax, & cinnamon, they make a yummy & healthy breakfast option! 66. Protein Pumpkin Muffins These pumpkin muffins are full of protein, low in sugar, and can last up to a week. These are great breakfasts or snacks for anyone with a keto or low-carb diet. 67. Vegan Quiches Vegan Quiches are bite-sized appetizers or a quick and easy breakfast. These little bite-sized savory treats are perfect for any occasion full of vegetables. 68. Egg Bites with Hatch Chile Cheddar Cheese Hatch Chile egg bites are a great grab-and-go breakfast, perfect for busy mornings. 69. Banana Waffles Learn how to make the best banana waffles. This Belgian waffle recipe is light and fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside. They will be a hit every time. 70. Nutella Overnight Oats Easy Nutella overnight oats are a delicious hazelnut breakfast recipe. They are perfect when you want to meal prep breakfast in advance for ready-to-go meals throughout the week. 71. Crustless Keto Mini Quiche This crustless keto mini quiche is a perfectly portioned make-ahead meal. Everyone will love getting a delicious little quiche all to themselves. 72. Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches Pre-made sandwiches make the perfect grab-and-go breakfast meal. These are simple to make and freeze and are even a great lunch idea for your husband. 73. Western Omelet Cups An easy-to-prepare, protein-packed breakfast, these Western Omelette Cups are great for busy mornings and can be made ahead to heat, grab and eat! 74. Breakfast Bagel Sliders These Breakfast Bagel Sliders are layers of toasty bagel, sausage, scrambled eggs, melted cheese, and Everything Bagel seasoning. These sliders can be made in less than an hour and are sure to be crowd-pleasing. 75. Peanut Butter and Jelly Overnight Oats These Peanut Butter & Jelly Overnight Oats are the perfect make-ahead breakfast for busy mornings. Kid-friendly, healthy, and full of fiber and protein, there’s no better way to start the day.Photo Credit: The Forked Spoon | Freezer-Friendly Croissant Breakfast Sandwich 76. Freezer Friendly Croissant Breakfast Sandwich Make these warm and delicious breakfast sandwiches with egg, cheese, and ham piled between a soft butter croissant. They are freezer-friendly and perfect for a quick and easy breakfast, lunch, or simple dinner. Final Thoughts Learning how to meal prep breakfast is essential for eating healthy and saving money. In addition, preparing your breakfast ahead of time helps to ease into your day on those hectic mornings. Try using these meal prep tips and delicious breakfast recipes to start your day off right.

Chris Chris 26 Jan, 2023

100 Best Self-Care Ideas To Feel Better

Self-care is a growing topic of interest, and for a good reason. With stress levels soaring for many people, finding time to maintain or improve one’s overall wellness is of utmost importance. Learning new ways to take care of yourself, including your physical health, emotional wellness, and mental well-being, can lead you down the path to happiness and a healthy lifestyle. What is Self-Care? In short, self-care is anything you do to improve your health and well-being. Your idea of me-time can look very different to others. For example, self-care can be anything from participating in physical activity or relaxation techniques to attending support groups or meeting one-on-one with a counselor. Any action you perform to nurture yourself can be considered self-care. Why is Self-Care Important Self-care is important because it helps you feel good about yourself. But there are many more fantastic benefits of caring for yourself. Here are the most popular reasons to develop a self-care plan. Cope With Stress High-stress levels affect you mentally, physically, and emotionally. Many self-care activities make excellent stress-management techniques and help you to relax. Some people prefer calming activities for reducing stress, while others opt for blood-pumping activities, such as exercising, to manage stress. The key is to find the best stress-reduction techniques for you and do them consistently. Avoid Burnout Caring for others is a tough job. Whether you are a caregiver for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or other health problems or have babies or adolescents to care for, you are at risk of feeling burned out from putting others’ needs first. Incorporating self-care into your daily routine will help you recharge, be resilient, and avoid symptoms of burnout.  Maintain Good Mental Health Research suggests taking time out of your busy day for me-time helps fight depression and anxiety. Regularly practicing self-care enables you to relax and feel good about yourself. It can help you feel happier and reduce feelings of overwhelm. However, paying attention to your mental health and acknowledging when you need to talk to a mental health professional or counselor should not be overlooked.   Boost Energy Levels Exhaustion occurs when life pulls you in too many directions, and you don’t have time to nurture yourself. Chronic fatigue and feeling run down are detrimental to your well-being. Getting adequate rest and participating in the self-care activities you enjoy will allow you to be the best version of yourself.   Physical Well-Being Research has linked daily self-care to less illness by boosting your immune system and decreasing the risk of cancer, stroke, and heart disease. Excellent self-care activities to promote physical well-being include exercise, yoga, and pilates.  100 Self-Care Ideas to Start Your Self-Love Routine If you are looking for some of the best self-care ideas, look no further. Here are 100 cheap or free ways to give yourself some love. A few of these are unusual self-care ideas, so read the entire list to find a new way to participate in self-love.Take a nap Read a book Exercise Meditate Give yourself a mani or pedi Daydream Make a cup of hot tea and relax Do a word search  Take a hot bubble bath  Play with your pet Hug your kids Chat with your partner Give yourself a foot massage (try a massage ball or roller) Stretch your tight muscles Dance like no one is watching Give yourself a facial Run your oil diffuser Clean and declutter one area of your home Watch your favorite movie Listen to your playlist Make your favorite coffee at home Sit in the sun for a couple of minutes to get your vitamin D Work in your garden Care for your house plants Color in an adult coloring book Progressive muscle relaxation Draw or paint Write in your journal Exchange massages with your partner Eat dinner by candlelight Turn off electronics  Play a board game with your family Try a new yoga pose Play solitaire Plan your next getaway or road trip Call a close family member to chat Take a walk Listen to your favorite podcast Window shop Jump rope Lounge in the shade  Star-gaze Bake your favorite treat Try aromatherapy with essential oils Use deep breathing techniques Browse your community library Attend a support group Find a free event in your community Review your finances and budget Pray Call a friend Develop a bedtime routine (and stick to it) Come up with a bucket list Watch your favorite comedian Go for a hike Swim at your community pool Look at old photos Create a photo book online Put together a jigsaw puzzle Binge-watch your favorite TV series Eat your favorite ice cream Have a bonfire with friends Go fishing Browse Pinterest and create a board for your next home project Head to your local museum Say daily affirmations to yourself Let go of things from the past that is weighing on your mind Pick up some fresh flowers for your home Cook a healthy dinner for you and your partner Drink enough water every day Participate in an activity you have wanted to try Light a candle  Stay off social media for a day or longer Find a new hobby Take a steamy shower (try a shower steamer) Make a healthy smoothie Get dressed up, even if you are working from home or running errands Listen to an audiobook during your commute Write personal or financial goals for yourself (and then crush them!) Start a gratitude journal (write something every day) Try a weighted blanket to help you relax Go on a picnic (don’t forget to take off your shoes!) Try manifesting Learn how to “dry brush” your skin before your shower Experiment with your makeup (and then take beautiful selfies!) Do a brain dump (write down everything on your mind) Write down and memorize your favorite motivational quotes Do a workout from the FitOn app (it’s free!) Read a self-help book Learn a new language Try out a new hairstyle Watch the sunrise or sunset Head to the beach with a friend for the day Head to a beautiful location for a photo shoot with your friends or family Go for a drive with the windows down and listen to your favorite song Spend time with your mom Volunteer at a charity Make a to-do list when you are feeling stressed Try a satin pillowcase and use a pillow spray Do something nice and unexpected for someone elseSelf-Care Quotes and Affirmations Participating in self-care activities takes some initiative on your part. If you don’t proactively set aside time for self-love, days or months can pass by, and before you know it, you aren’t feeling your best.   Even though it’s best to take time every day to participate in self-care, we all know life happens. But having a list of affirmations or quotes to think or say to yourself can be enough to get you through a rough day, even when you don’t have time for yourself. Below is a list of self-care quotes and affirmations to keep a positive mindset between your favorite self-care activities.  25 Self-Care Quotes for Self-Reassurance Don’t let others judge you or make you feel guilty for taking the time to focus on yourself. Self-care is necessary for happiness and being the best version of yourself. These self-care quotes will help you understand the importance of taking care of yourself first.   “Every one of us needs to show how much we care for each other, and in the process, care for ourselves.” –Princess Diana “An empty lantern provides no light. Self-care is the fuel that allows your light to shine brightly.” –Unknown “The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.” –Anna Quindlen “If you don’t love yourself, nobody will. Not only that, you won’t be good at loving anyone else. Loving starts with the self.” –Wayne Dyer “People who love themselves don’t hurt other people. The more we hate ourselves, the more we want others to suffer.” –Dan Pearce “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.” –Sir Edmund Hillary “To accept ourselves as we are means to value our imperfections as much as our perfections.” –Sandra Bierig “Loving yourself isn’t vanity. It’s sanity.” –Katrina Mayer “Beauty begins the moment you decide to be yourself.” –Coco Chanel “You have to believe in yourself when no one else does—that makes you a winner right there.” –Venus Williams “Nothing external to you has any power over you.” –Ralph Waldo Emerson “Be who you are and say how you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind.” –Dr. Seuss “A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” –Phyllis Diller “Happiness doesn’t depend on outward conditions. It depends on inner conditions.” –Dale Carnegie “By making time for self-care, you prepare yourself to be your best so you can share your gifts with the world. Rest and self-care are so important. When you take time to replenish your spirit, it allows you to serve others from the overflow. Self-care isn’t selfish. You cannot serve from an empty vessel.” –Eleanor Brownn  “Self-care isn’t selfish. It’s self-esteem.” –Ashley Judd “Selfishness at the expense of others is bad. Self-care for the betterment of others is good.” –Richie Norton “Self-care is how you take your power back.” –Lalah Delia “Carve out and claim the time to care for yourself and kindle your own fire.” –Amy Ippoliti  “Self-care is your fuel … Whatever the road ahead or the path you’ve taken, self-care is what keeps your motor running and your wheels turning.” –Melissa Steginus “One person’s self-care isn’t necessarily another’s—there is going to be a lot of individuality.” –Gail Saltz, M.D. “Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” –Lucille Ball “If you have the ability to love, love yourself first.” –Charles Bukwoski “It’s not selfish to love yourself, take care of yourself, and to make your happiness a priority. It’s necessary.” –Mandy Hale “It is so important to take time for yourself and find clarity. The most important relationship is the one you have with yourself.” –Diane Von Furstenberg 25 Self-Care Affirmations for When You Need a Boost Sometimes there isn’t enough time in the day to participate in an entire self-care activity. But there is always time to say a few motivating one-liners to yourself to feel better. The trick is to find a few affirmations that resonate with you. Then, memorize them and repeat them when you need an instant boost.   “I love myself.” “I am loved.” “I am proud of myself.” “I am intelligent.” “I am honest.” “I am grateful for the life I have.” “I matter.” “I am in charge of myself.” “I love my body.” “My work matters.” “I am successful.” “I am an amazing mother.” “I am a loving wife/partner.” “I make a difference in the world.” “I am perfect just the way I am.” “I have done the best I can.” “I will be happy today.” “I won’t give in to negativity.” “I forgive myself for my mistakes.” “I have so much to look forward to.” “Times are tough, but it is only temporary.” “I can and will do this.” “I am proud of myself for my accomplishment.” “I am worthy of any compliments I receive.” “I can do anything I set my mind to do.” Self-Care Matters for Your Wellness Taking time every day to participate in a self-care activity is just as crucial for your wellness as getting enough sleep or eating healthy foods. Whether you have a day to spend on self-love or only a few moments to say your daily affirmations, self-care is vital for your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Use these lists of self-care ideas, quotes, and affirmations to get started on your self-care routine.

Chris Chris 03 Jan, 2023

10 Ways to Develop and Keep a Positive Money Mindset

Trying to keep a positive attitude about money can be difficult, especially if you are living paycheck to paycheck and struggling to make ends meet. There could be many different negative thoughts going through your mind about your situation and relationship with money like:I'm never going to be able to stop living paycheck to paycheck. I'm never going to have enough money. I’m never going to get out of debt. I’m never going to be able to retire.Today I’m going to help you to find some ways to put a stop to the negativity and begin to turn those negative thoughts into positive ones that will help you get on the right track to a better relationship with money. First, though, you should understand what a positive money mindset is. When someone refers to money mindset, they are referring to the thoughts and feelings you have in relation to your money. These thoughts and feelings are what guide and influence your behaviors with how you use your money from day to day. So as you can imagine, people that have negative thoughts regarding money tend to not use their money in a way that is going to be helpful to their financial situation.   When negative thoughts are present, it makes it difficult to make good decisions about money. A negative money mindset tends to develop over time and can sometimes be a product of how you were brought up. Were your parents always complaining about not having enough money? Did you see your parents struggling with their finances and never really taking action to fix them? Many times people don’t know how to fix their financial situation which causes a vicious cycle of negativity and difficulty with making good financial choices. Learning the basics of personal finance can help you take control and empower you to turn those negative thoughts and feelings around. People that have positive thoughts and feelings about money tend to utilize their money in ways that promote financial wellness. They are making good decisions about money from day to day. Even people with a positive mindset have debt, but they are taking action to work towards paying down their debt and improving their financial situations. Here are some tips you can use to help change your money mindset from negative to positive and keep it positive. Of course, not all of these ideas will work for everyone, but I hope you can use some of them to get you started on thinking positively and putting a stop to negative thoughts. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   10 Ways to Develop and Keep a Positive Money Mindset #1 Visualize your long-term life goals What do you want your finances to look like in one year, five years, ten years, etc? What are you dreaming about being able to do with your life once you reach your financial goals? Do you want to retire? Do you want to be able to decrease your hours at your current job to part-time? Do you want to be able to stay at home to raise a family? These are examples of long-term life goals around which to focus your long-term financial goals. Visualizing your life goals will help you to figure out your “why” for your financial goals. Write these goals down and read them frequently to keep yourself motivated and keep a positive money mindset. #2 Create realistic short-term financial goals for yourself As I said in the previous section, writing your life goals to reread frequently to help refocus yourself is important. However, it is also important to make your short-term money goals realistic and attainable. You see, it is the baby steps that will help you stay motivated to work toward those long-term goals that can take years to achieve. Seeing progress being made and feeling each success as it occurs is key to keeping a positive money mindset.#3 Find inspiration to motivate yourself Find a few personal finance blogs that really speak to you and follow them to keep you inspired and keep your mind working on new ideas for your situation. Find some money quotes or words to live by, memorize them, and say them to yourself when you find your thoughts turning negative. Or you can write them down and keep them handy to read them when times get tough. #4 Surround yourself with other people who have a positive mindset about money Suppose you have friends that always seem to have a positive attitude about money, spend time with them and pick their brains. Find out what they do to keep positive about money. Chances are they will love talking about how they got to where they are, and they may be able to offer you some ideas.#5 Limit time around people that always seem to be negative or complain about money Let’s face it, being negative is much easier than being positive, especially if you are going through a tough time. Negativity also spreads like wildfire, so limiting time with those people who you know are usually negative will help you stay in a positive frame of mind. #6 Start a journal to express your feelings about money Sometimes you have to get things off your chest. If you are starting to have negative thoughts, or if something has happened that was out of your control, write about it, and then let it go. After you get the negativity out, make sure you counter it with positive thoughts, as well as actions you can take to get your mindset and financial situation back on track. #7 Educate yourself In order to keep a positive money mindset, it will really benefit you to know the basics of budgeting and saving. Being knowledgeable about money basics will help you to make good decisions about allocating and spending your money. You could strive to read one new article or blog post on personal finance per day to help you to broaden your knowledge base. Or, if you enjoy reading books, check out some of these top personal finance books to help educate and motivate yourself:The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas StanleyThe book that started my obsession with personal finance is Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach. I highly recommend it if you and your spouse or partner start at square one with your finances as we did. Knowledge will help to empower you to make better decisions, which will, in turn, help keep your money mindset positive.#8 Create a budget Creating a monthly budget and sticking to it will help you to meet your short-term financial goals. Budgets help you to make good decisions about where to spend your money. They help you get started on the path to financial wellness, which will help you to keep that positive money mindset. If you need help starting a budget, check out my post on creating a budget. You can also download my Budgeting Workbook to help you create a budget that works for you. #9 Spend wisely So let's say you have a budget and have been doing an awesome job sticking to it. You even started paying more on your debt and started to put some money into an emergency fund every month! You decided you want to reward yourself and feel you deserve to spend some money on yourself. But you are wondering if this is okay. Yes, it is! I strongly believe everyone deserves to treat themselves once in a while. You should not feel like you are depriving yourself of things you really want because that definitely won't help you maintain your positive mindset. You could become frustrated, feel like things are unfair, and decide to give up on your goals. We do not want that to happen! That being said, it is super important to think about what you are going to spend your money on. If you are going to spend money on something, take time to really think about your purchase and figure out what will bring you the most joy and happiness. Wait to buy the item for 2 or 3 days to make sure you still really want it. Limit yourself to spending your money on things that really deserve a place in your life and your home, and that will be special to you for years to come. #10 Give to a good cause or charity Donating your time through volunteering, donating your unique skills or expertise, or donating money, no matter what amount, to a good cause will go a long way to helping you keep a positive outlook on life and feel better about yourself. When you feel good about yourself, you will radiate positivity, which will carry over to all aspects of your life, including your money mindset. Take the time to choose a charity that resonates with your life, and you will help to make a positive difference in someone else’s life. Final Thoughts Developing and keeping a positive money mindset about money can be difficult, especially if you are in a lot of debt and living paycheck to paycheck. However, you can definitely do it. By determining your long-term and short-term goals, creating a budget, keeping yourself motivated, surrounding yourself with positive people, and educating yourself, you will set yourself up for financial success and improve your money mindset. How do you keep a positive money mindset? Please let me know in the comments!  You may also enjoy reading:3 Steps to Help You Set Financial Goals and Avoid Failure Budgeting for Beginners in 6 Easy Steps 5 Tips to Help You Cope with Financial Stress so You Can Sleep Better at Night

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

13 Easy Ways to Cut Food Expenses to Save Money

Are you having a tough time keeping your food budget in check? Or maybe you realize the damage your high grocery bills do to your household budget?   And now, perhaps you are looking for ways to save money on groceries so you can spend less on food and put your money to work for you elsewhere. You came to the right place! I will give you some tips to help you spend less money on food and cut those food expenses way back. Food expenses can totally bust your budget if you aren't careful. I was wondering how much the average family of four actually spends per month on groceries, so I checked out the U.S. Department of Agriculture website. In 2018, a household consisting of two parents and two children spent an average of $644 a month on the thrifty side and $1287 a month on the liberal side. What a range! Let's get your household on the lower end of this range using money-saving strategies. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   13 Easy Ways to Cut Food Expenses Here is a list of simple ways you can cut your food costs so you can start spending less on your grocery bills right away. #1 Cook at Home I know this is a no-brainer. But I have to mention this, even though it's pretty much a given when you are trying to cut your food costs. Eating at restaurants and getting takeout is crazy expensive. We cook about 99% of our meals at home, and I believe this is the number one way we keep our food expenses down. It was rough at first. But over time, we started to enjoy cooking at home and trying new recipes. When you make a delicious meal at home, try to estimate what you think the same meal would have cost you if you ordered it at a restaurant. If you start to think about the amount of money you are saving, it will help you stay motivated to stick to your meal plan and continue to eat at home. Related Post: How to Stop Eating Out to Save Money #2 Meal Plan When people find out that I meal plan for a month at a time, they want to know how that's possible. But it’s actually not that difficult to do. I use a monthly planner similar to this one for my meal planning. Then I take inventory of what we have on hand in the pantry and freezer. After that, you fill in the days. Once you get some rotation, like having fish on Monday, chicken on Tuesday, pasta on Wednesday, etc., it doesn’t take that long to fill in the blanks. I usually try to plan simple meals during the week when we are busy with school, sports, work, etc., and more involved meals for Saturdays and Sundays when I know we will have the time to cook. If you would like to start meal planning and need a simple meal planning system to get organized, you can download my Meal Planning Guide here. It includes everything you need to create your own meal-planning binder. Here is a preview of my Meal Planning Guide:If you would like to read more on meal planning, here are some of my other posts on the topic:How to Make a Weekly Meal Plan With Grocery List Cheap Weekly Meal Plan for 1 ($57/Week Using 2026 USDA Prices) How to Create a Meal Planning Binder for Successful Meal Planning Super Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights The Easy Way to Make a Monthly Meal Plan for Beginners Ultimate Guide to Meal Planning on a Budget Meal Planning: The Complete Guide for Success#3 Try $5 Meal Plan If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it and you can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Then you can see for yourself how much money and time it can save you! #4 Integrate Leftover Meals Into Your Meal Plan Another way to cut food expenses is to integrate leftover meals into your meal plan. This goes hand in hand with creating your meal plan. Usually, around once every two weeks, I plan a meal that makes enough to feed my family of four a second meal. You could strive for once every week if you really want to save money. So, for example, we might have chili and corn muffins for one meal. Then later in the week, we will use the leftover chili for chili tater-tot casserole. By making enough to feed your family a second meal during the week, you are essentially cutting the cost of your meal in half. Another easy way to integrate leftovers into your meal planning is to make enough food to freeze half of it to use the following month. These types of meals you make ahead and freeze for the future are called freezer meals. Cooking large batches and freezing the food into family-sized portions is a great way to help eat at home during those busy weeknights when you don't think you will have time to cook. Just pull the meal out the night before to thaw in the fridge, and all you have to do is heat it up when you get home from work. Related Posts: How to Reuse Leftover Food to Avoid Waste #5 Plan One Meatless Meal Per Week Buying meat can really explode your grocery bill. By planning for one meatless meal per week, you can really save a lot of money on your groceries. There are some awesome vegetarian and meatless recipes out there on the internet, and I love allrecipes.com to find something new. There are so many healthy alternatives to meat. My favorite lately has been quinoa. Other meatless meal ideas are cheese ravioli, bean and rice burritos, breakfast for dinner, and black bean soup with cheese quesadillas. #6 Shop Every 2 Weeks I don’t know about you, but whenever I step foot in a grocery store, I want to throw extra things in the cart. If I go shopping when I’m hungry, forget about it! There goes my food budget. So the least amount of times I walk into a store, the better. If you are like this too, then you should try doing your grocery shopping every other week. It takes some time and planning. However, once you get into the routine, you most likely will not want to go back to shopping every week. Here are a few little tips and tricks I have for you that will help you not forget anything since you will only be going to the store every two weeks. My first trick is to list everything you normally buy at the store every week. Type it up so you can easily print it out or make copies when you need more. You will hang that list on the fridge (or keep it handy elsewhere) and circle things that you are running low on as you see them. If you go to the grocery store (as opposed to shopping online), you can even put your list of items in order by how the store is laid out. Then as you are walking through the store, you can just pick everything up in order on your list. Sounds good, right? Before you go to the store, you can get your meal plan out and circle all the other things you will need for your two weeks of meals. So everything you will need for your planned breakfasts, lunches, and dinners will be circled on your list. Also, you may want to leave space on your list for write-ins. In the event you have something different and new planned for dinner, you'll want a spot to add the ingredients that you will need to your list. This is what we did for the longest time when we shopped at a regular grocery store, and it really helped us remember everything. Having the list accessible is key because you want to circle things right away if you notice you are running low on them. Also, if we had a coupon for an item, we would write a “C” next to the item to remind us to check to see if the store brand is cheaper than the name brand with the coupon. Seriously though, shopping every two weeks will help you cut your food expenses. You should give it a try. #7 Use Grocery Pick Up As I said, I tend to throw stuff in my cart if I am in the store. So it’s even better for my budget not to step foot in a grocery store at all. The temptation is real! We have been using grocery pick-up at Walmart for a while now. I love it, and I’m pretty sure my husband does, too, since he was stuck doing the grocery shopping much of the time. We do all of our shopping from the comfort of our couch through the Walmart app. Now, don’t get me wrong, it's easy to add extra things you don’t really need to your cart. That does take some willpower. But when you do your shopping through an app, like the Walmart Grocery Pickup app, you can add and subtract things from your cart so that you can stay within your budget. It's so much easier to keep track of your grocery bill when you shop online because you see the total right in front of you. Plus, now you can use the free cash-back app, Ibotta in conjunction with Walmart Grocery Pickup. The best part is, Ibotta has some coupons that allow you to choose any brand you want, so you can even choose Walmart's store brands for some major savings. If you do not have Ibotta yet, you should get it. It's a cashback app that is totally free to download and use. New users can get up to $20 in welcome bonuses by using my link! You can sign up here if you want to get cashback on your groceries. If you would like to read more about Walmart Grocery Pickup, you can read my review here. You can also check here if the Walmart near you has Grocery Pickup. #8 Shop at Discount Stores After we stopped shopping at a regular grocery store and cutting coupons, before we started using Walmart’s grocery pickup, we would do most of our shopping at Aldis. A friend of mine at work would talk about how much she loved Aldis and how much money she saved. Then I decided to hit up Aldis to check out their snacks for our beach vacation a few years ago. I was skeptical of the quality of their products, but I was pleasantly surprised. Plus, they have an awesome money-back guarantee if you really don’t like one of their products. A Lidl store also just opened near us, and I’ve been heading there if we forgot something we needed for our meal plan or if Walmart was sold out of something. You can really save a lot of money to cut food expenses when you shop at discount grocery stores. New to Aldi? Here's my complete budget grocery list for one person with real Aldi prices - $47.83 for 3 weeks of meals. #9 Use Loyalty Cards If you want to (or have to) continue shopping at a regular grocery store, don’t forget your bonus/loyalty card. Using a grocery store's loyalty bonus card is a must to save money. If you forget your card, don’t forget to ask the cashier if they have one they could scan. Usually, they will do that so you can still take advantage of their sale prices and discounts even if you don't have your card with you. #10 Watch for Sales to Stock Your Pantry or Freezer If you have extra room in your freezer, a separate freezer, or some extra shelves to store some nonperishables, stocking up on items when they are on sale will really save you money and help you cut food expenses. For example, we buy 10 pounds of ground beef when it's at a rock-bottom price (we have a small chest freezer for storage). If you are willing to go to a couple of different stores to get the lowest price on staples for your pantry, it will save you quite a bit of money. #11 Buy in Bulk Many times you'll pay a lower price when you buy items in bulk. Sometimes joining a membership club like Sam’s Club, Costco, or BJ’s can help you to save money to stay within your grocery budget. That being said, it's important to check unit prices to make sure you are actually getting the lowest price on the item. Occasionally, I have found better deals on things if they are on sale at another store (not in bulk) than buying the same thing in bulk. So make sure you do some research before buying. #12 Use Coupons This is another obvious way to cut food expenses that I want to talk about. I used to use coupons. When we got the Sunday paper, I would do my best to keep up with cutting them out and filing them in our coupon binder system. I used to look for coupons on websites that you could download and print. Coupons are best used in conjunction with store sales in order to save the most money. Unfortunately, I really never got that good at couponing, and it became too time-consuming for me, especially after having kids. So I no longer cut coupons for groceries. But I do clip coupons for toiletries that I buy regularly, like eye drops, toothpaste, shampoo, lotions, etc. I find that those coupons are best used for toiletries at stores like Target or Walmart, where the prices are already the lowest you can find. I would not recommend buying toiletries at the grocery store unless they are on sale for at least as low as the regular price you can buy them for at a Walmart or Target.  Just check prices on the apps to compare before you buy. As I mentioned earlier in the post, we do use the Ibotta app for getting cash back on groceries. It's really easy to use. All you have to do is open the app, choose the offers you want, and go shopping! Then you will have to take a picture of your receipt and upload it directly on the app. Ibotta reviews your receipt to confirm your purchases, and you get your cashback! #13 Plan and Budget for Eating Out at Restaurants Everyone needs to treat themselves once in a while. So leave room in your food budget for eating out or getting some takeout, whether it be once a week, once every two weeks, or once a month. Figure out what works best for your budget and family, and enjoy yourself! Just don’t forget to take advantage of restaurant coupons you may get in the mail, gift cards you receive, or daily specials that restaurants may offer. You work so hard during the month to save extra money. It’s ok to splurge once in a while. You deserve it! I would love to hear everyone else’s tips for cutting food costs. Please leave me your best tips in the comments section and let me know what you think of mine.

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

15 Dollars an Hour is How Much a Year?

Are you wondering what 15 dollars an hour equals out to per year? Maybe you are looking for a new job that pays at least that much or you are trying to figure out what a budget would look like for 15 dollars an hour. Perhaps you are wondering if you could actually live on 15 dollars an hour. Whatever your reason for researching how much $15 an hour is per year, I have some answers for you! Questions that you may be thinking are:How much is $15 an hour every month? A week? How much is $15 dollars an hour when working part-time? What are some jobs that currently pay $15 an hour? What would a budget look like if I made $15 an hour? What are some tips and tricks to live more comfortably off of $15 an hour?Plus, the current federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, however, the Biden administration has been pushing to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2025. This will make it much easier to find a job to make at least that much. I am going to help you with answers to these questions as well as some others you may have!  Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   15 Dollars an Hour is How Much a Year? How much would your gross pay (before taxes) be per year if you made $15 an hour? I am going to break this down for you based on working the standard 40-hour workweek.  To figure this out we have to multiply 40 hours a week by 52 weeks by $15 per hour to get the yearly amount. 40 hours x 52 weeks = 2,080 hours per year 2,080 hours per year x $15 = $31,200 per year You might think to break this down monthly, you could just divide $31,200 by 12.  However, I would caution you not to figure out your monthly income this way because it will vary depending on how many paydays fall within the month (usually 4, sometimes 5 when paid weekly, and usually 2, sometimes 3 when paid biweekly). Let me show you what I mean.  $31,200 divided by 12 = $2600 per month However, when you figure out how much your paycheck would be per week, you would multiple 40 hours by $15 an hour. So 40 hours x $15 = $600 per week So if there were 4 weeks in the month and you got paid weekly, you would make $2400 that month ($600 x 4).  See how that is less than what you got when you divided the total by 12? If it happens to be one of those months that have an extra week, and therefore you will be getting 5 paychecks for the month, your gross pay for the month would be $3000 ($600 x 5).   See what I mean?  So you will need to look ahead at the month to see how many paydays you will have when planning your budget.   This is so important! How much will my after tax pay (net pay) be if I make 15 dollars an hour? This is much harder to answer because it is not as straightforward as just crunching some numbers!   The best thing for you to do to get an estimate of how much you will be bringing home is to use an online income tax estimator calculator.Sample after-tax pay for 15 dollars an hour in Arizona For this example I used married filing status, no allowances, or extra withholding. Here is the calculator I used if you would like to check it out for your state and filing situation. You have to figure in your filing status (if you are filing as single, married filing jointly, etc), the number of dependents you will be claiming, and any other amount you usually have withheld from your paychecks for tax purposes. Your income taxes also depend on the state you live in.  There are actually some states that don’t have income tax! There are 7 states that do not have a state income tax:Alaska  Florida Nevada South Dakota Texas Washington Wyoming2 others, New Hampshire and Tennessee, don’t tax earned wages (source).   Plus don’t forget to consider all of your other deductions from your paycheck, such as medical insurance, dental insurance, 401K/403b contributions, and disability insurance when figuring your take-home pay.  How much is 15 dollars an hour part-time? Part-time status varies from employer to employer, but generally, you are considered part-time when you work less than 30-32 hours a week.   Some examples of how much part-time income you would make for 15 dollars an hour are as follows: 20 hours per week Weekly $300 Yearly $15,600 25 hours per week Weekly $375 Yearly $19,500 30 hours per week Weekly $450 Yearly $23,400 Keep in mind these totals are before taxes and other deductions are taken from your paycheck! How does it compare to the federal minimum wage? The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour.  Someone making $7.25 an hour working 40 hours a week would make a total of $15,080 in a year, which is $16,120 less than making $15 an hour.   Can you survive on 15 dollars an hour? Being able to live off of $15 an hour depends on many things. There is definitely not a straightforward answer to that question either. Some things it will depend on are:The cost of living for where you live The amount of debt you have If you are a one-income or two-income household The number of children/dependents you have The type of lifestyle you have or want to have If you are living with roomates or renting a room to someoneComparison to Federal Poverty Level for Family of four The federal poverty level for a household of four people in 2021 is $26,500.  So if you are making $15 dollars an hour, you are above the poverty level.  And $26,500 equals out to $12.74 an hour when working 40 hours a week.   How does 15 dollars an hour compare to the median household income? The median household income for the United States was $68,700 in 2019.  For a 40 hour work week, this comes out to $33.03 an hour.  Keep in mind this is household income.  If two people living together both made $15 an hour, their household income would be $62,400 bringing it very close to the national median income.   Example Budget for $15 an hour Here is a sample monthly budget for someone making $15 dollars an hour based on a 4 week month. Check out this source to help you determine your budget percentages.  Jobs that pay 15 dollars an hour Here are some jobs that pay $15 dollars an hour [source]:Tips to live on 15 dollars an hour If you will be or currently are living on $15 an hour, you may need to figure out how to find more money in your budget to spend on the necessities.  As you can see by the sample budget 15 dollars an hour can be quite tight to live on.  However, there is hope! There are things you can do to help stretch your budget and help your money go further.  Here are some tips that could help you.   Live in a less expensive area Where you live will play a big part in being able to survive on 15 dollars an hour.  The largest part of a budget is usually your housing costs. So if you are looking for a place to call home, do some research to find the most affordable housing that meets your needs.   This brings me to my next tip… Determine your housing needs vs. wants Not only will living in an affordable area help stretch your dollars, deciding what you truly need in a home will also help your money go further.   Do you definitely need a three-bedroom apartment or could you get away with a two-bedroom with a loft?   Do you absolutely need one and a half bathrooms or would one bathroom suffice?   Do you need a garage or carport or would off-street parking be okay too?   You get the idea.  Keeping your housing budget in check is key to living comfortably no matter how much money you make.   Create a budget and stick to it Once you have the housing portion of your budget figured out, you will need to figure out a reasonable, workable monthly household budget.   Sticking to a budget is much easier said than done so you want to set yourself up for success by being realistic with all of your expense categories.   You will want to continuously monitor your budget and make changes as needed to help you stick to it.  Live Below your means Living below your means is key to financial wellness.  Living below your means helps you pay off debt, save for large purchases, grow an emergency fund, and save for your future.   Being mindful of the more expensive areas of your budget, like your housing costs, car payments, insurance costs, and your food budget can help you live within your means. Besides the housing tips above, consider buying a cheaper used car instead of a brand new car that you would have to finance for 5 years, shop around for the best deals on your insurances, and cut back on eating out.   Oh and start meal planning, which is my favorite way to save money!  By the way, Ibotta is my favorite cash back app for groceries! It is free and so easy to use! You can even use it for Walmart Grocery Pickup! If you don't have Ibotta yet, you should really try it. You can sign up for Ibotta here! Live more frugally Many people confuse frugal living with being cheap.  Frugal living is about making intentional decisions when spending your money to benefit you in the future.  Being cheap is just well, being cheap!  Everyone’s frugal lifestyle will look different.  Why?   Because everyone has different priorities.  Frugal living is about spending less on things that don’t matter to you so you can spend money on the things that do.   Just to give you a personal example, we do not eat out but maybe a handful of times a year, including fast food and takeout.   We just don’t see the value in spending money on already prepared food when we can make delicious, healthy meals at home.   But we do spend money on going to the beach every year because that is something we value as a family.  We want to give our kids memories from family vacations at the beach because my partner and I never had that growing up.   Establishing your priorities and limiting spending on things that are not important to you will help you stretch your money when living on 15 dollars an hour.  Pay off Debt Paying off your debt will free up money in your budget.  You can then put this extra money to work for you in ways that will benefit your future and your family’s future.   You could use your extra money to:Save for a down payment on a home Save for a family vacation Save for a much-needed home remodel Increase your emergency fund savings Increase your contribution to a retirement savings account Start investing in index fundsSet up an Emergency Fund Having a stockpile of cash in a savings account for “just in case” can help you to live on 15 dollars an hour.  An emergency fund will help prevent you from going into debt if something crazy and expensive happens.   True story…when I was home on maternity leave with my first son, we had a water line leak in our front yard.  The water company guy came out, stuck his ear to a pipe to listen, and confirmed it was indeed a leak.   I could have told him that! My yard was flooded!    He informed us that because it was on our property it was our responsibility to get the leak fixed and the water company was not responsible to pay to have it fixed. Long story short, we called in a plumber, they dug up our front yard, fixed the leak, and left us with a $2,000 bill.   Our emergency fund saved us from putting that $2,000 on a credit card when I was not working and home with our newborn.   Emergency funds are essential when living on a single income or living on a small income.   Find cheap entertainment Entertainment can definitely blow up your budget, making it difficult to live on 15 dollars an hour.  Get creative to find inexpensive ways to have fun with your partner and family.   Revamp your date nights to do activities that are cheap but still fun and romantic.  Look for ways to entertain your kids at night and on the weekends that don’t cost a lot of money.   Check out my post on inexpensive things to do at night for some frugal ideas.  What to do if 15 dollars an hour just isn’t enough If you are finding that making 15 dollars an hour just isn’t cutting it, you could find a way to make more money.  There are tons of ways to make extra money every month.  You just have to take some time to figure out what will be best for you and figure out how to fit it into your schedule.   Here are some ways to increase your income. Ask for a raise If you know you have been doing an awesome job at work, why not ask for more money?   Work overtime Volunteer for working overtime if your company allows it.  Working overtime and getting a higher pay rate may work out better financially for you than starting a side hustle or looking for part-time work Find part-time work I know working a full day at your day job and then heading to a part-time job is no fun.  I’ve been there and done that and totally get that it is exhausting. However, if you aren’t into starting a side hustle and you aren’t able to get overtime hours at your day job, it is definitely an option that can help you survive.     But make sure that it is going to be worth your time. If possible, try to be selective when choosing your job to make sure you will reap the benefits of working all those hours.     Start a side hustle There are tons of things you could do to start a side hustle that doesn’t require much or any extra training.  Some ideas are:Babysit Clean houses Walk dogs Resell items online Flip furniture Drive for Lyft or Uber Deliver food for Door Dash or GrubHub Run errands for the elderly Mow yards and landscaping Give private lessons for your special talents (music, art, dance, sports)Take online surveys Online surveys will not make you rich, however, you can earn a few extra bucks from the comfort of your couch! Use that extra money to fill your gas tank, put it into your emergency fund (every little bit helps!), or buy a small gift for someone.   My favorite survey site is Survey Junkie.  You just complete the surveys to earn virtual points, then redeem those points for money in your Paypal account or e-Giftcards! You can sign up here for Survey Junkie to get started! Plus, here are two of my more popular posts on making extra money you could check out for more ideas:Realistic ways to make an extra $500 a month 50+ ways to make extra moneyFinal Thoughts Living on 15 dollars an hour can be doable with the right budget and lifestyle.  However, if that is not enough to support your family, there are plenty of ways to increase your income.   Striving to live within your means by creating a budget you are able to stick to, living more frugally, and finding ways to bring in more money can help you live more comfortably and reach your financial goals no matter how much money make.  

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

3 Steps to Help You Set Financial Goals and Avoid Failure

Have you been thinking about trying to set financial goals for your family? But maybe you are also thinking one or all of these things:I have no clue where to start or how to go about setting goals. I don't even know what a realistic goal is for me at this point. What do I do once I set these goals?If you are thinking any of the above things about how to set financial goals, then keep reading because I'm going to help you figure it all out. I am going to help you set financial goals, give you ideas to help you develop a plan of action, and give you tips on how to stick to your plan! You see, setting goals is a big part of what I do for my day job as an occupational therapist. I evaluate an individual, determine what their strengths and deficits are, and collaborate with the person to come up with realistic goals that are obtainable so they can transition back home with their loved ones. So I have a bit of experience with setting goals, over 20 years to be exact. They might not be goals that are money related at my day job, but I use the same exact concept. My goal writing framework is going to help you create appropriate and attainable financial goals so you can get control of your finances and live your best life! Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   I just wanted to mention one thing before we get started. I am not including saving for retirement as a long-term goal as it relates to this blog post. Yes, you do have to plan for retirement and set a retirement goal. However, once you figure out your retirement savings goal, establish your plan, and arrange for contributions to your retirement accounts, you should pretty much be on autopilot (besides increasing your contributions as you are able) with working towards your retirement goal. The “long-term” financial goals I am referring to in this post are goals that could be accomplished in anywhere between 2-10 years. Your long-term goals will require you to monitor your progress over time by using your intermediate goals (or mini long-term goals, as I like to call them) to ensure you are staying on track for meeting your long-term goals. There is a reason I prefer to set goals like that. And the reason is that it is so hard to stay motivated when working toward goals if there is no end in sight (or if it is many, many years down the road). Using intermediate goals to work toward your long-term ultimate goal will help you stay super motivated because you will see and feel the successes sooner. Okay, let's get started and set financial goals. Step 1: Brainstorm & set financial goals Set your long-term goal first The first thing you are going to do is brainstorm. Use the brainstorming and goal-setting worksheet I created to help you! I personally feel that working backward is the easiest. What I mean by that is to think about your long-term goal first. Ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish financially in 5 years (or 2, 3, 4, etc. years)?” You are going to pick the number of years for your long-term goal based on what you want to accomplish. You want it to be realistic and obtainable in the amount of time you choose. Some ideas on what you could base your long-term goals around are:I want to have all my credit cards paid off. I want to rid myself of student loans. I want to be debt free. I want to have a 20% down payment saved to buy a home. I want to have a year’s worth of expenses saved in an emergency fund.Keep in mind your goal needs to be more specific than those examples. You want to have a set dollar amount and a time frame with your goal. Just make sure it is realistic and achievable.For example, if you live in an area where the average home cost is $500,000 and you decide you want to save 20% down so you can buy a home in 5 years, you want to make sure it is realistic for you to save $100,000 in the designated time frame. In other words, avoid setting yourself up for failure! Spend some time crunching numbers before you decide on your long-term goal. So using that same home-buying example, if you know you have an extra $750 every month to put toward your goal of buying a home, a more realistic goal might be to save 10% for a down payment ($750 a month x 12 months = $9000 per year x 5 years= $45000). That is $5,000 short of meeting your goal of 10% down or $50,000. You can then figure out how you will come up with that extra $5000 (equivalent to finding an extra $1000 to save each year) to bring you to your 10% or $50,000 down payment goal. Let’s take another example. Say your long-term goal is to pay off $30,000 of student loan debt in 4 years. You will need to pay off around $7500 of it each year (probably a bit more than that, depending on your interest rates, but let’s just say that’s what it is for simplicity's sake). You will have to pay around $625 per month to achieve this goal. If you don’t have that much per month to pay off your debt, you are going to have to modify your goal. You could extend the goal time frame by a couple of years to bring that monthly payment down. Or you can get creative. You could find a way to bring in more money each month and direct that money toward your debt, or you could find ways to cut costs every month to come up with the money you need to pay off your student loans. So when you are writing your long-term goal (and all of your goals, for that matter), you have to be realistic about it. Please don’t set yourself up for failure by making goals that aren't achievable for you. It will only make you frustrated and could cause you to lose your motivation. I would suggest working toward one long-term financial goal at a time, especially if it is rather large, like in the examples above. Otherwise, you may get overwhelmed, which can throw you off track. When you reach that goal, you go through the same brainstorming and goal-creation process again for the next goal you want to achieve.Intermediate Goals (Mini Long-Term Goals) So after you figure out what your long-term goal is going to be, you need to come up with intermediate goals. Again, you don’t want to go overboard. I would suggest sticking to 2 goals that you could accomplish in 6 months to 2 years. The point of these goals is to help you reach your long-term goal. You want to look at them like stepping stones down the path to your long-term goal. These two goals should be directly related to your long-term goal. Let’s use our two examples from earlier to set some intermediate goals. Long-term goal: I want to save $50,000, so I have a 10% down payment on a $500,000 home in 5 years (Keep in mind this is just an example…I do not usually advocate for only putting 10% down on the house, but that's a whole other post). Potential intermediate goals:I will save $12,000 towards my down payment in 18 months. I will have a total of $25,000 saved toward my down payment in 3 years.If you want to, you could continue to set intermediate goals in this way until you have figured out your entire plan for meeting your long-term goal. However, I like only to set two goals at a time, and here is the reason. Life happens! Things don't always go as planned. If your situation changes and you are no longer bringing in the money you thought you would, or if you get a promotion and you are now bringing in more than you were expecting, you wouldn't have to go back and change every single goal. You would just have to readjust those goals you set.Let's look at the second example. Long-term goal: I want to pay off $30,000 in credit card debt in 4 years. Possible intermediate goals:I will pay off $8,000 in credit card debt in 1 year. I will pay off $16,000 in credit card debt in 2 years.As you can see, these are directly related to working towards your long-term goal. As I said earlier, this is important because these intermediate goals are going to keep you on track and motivated toward your big goal. Once you reach these intermediate goals, you are going to write some new intermediate goals. Let’s say you achieve your 2-year goal of paying off $16,000 of credit card debt in only 18 months. It’s time to celebrate! Then you want to crunch more numbers to set some new realistic and obtainable intermediate goals to keep moving in the right direction. Now let’s just say one year went by, and you did not reach your first intermediate goal. You are going to want to reassess your second intermediate goal to see if it is still realistic and attainable. There are many reasons why your goal could become unattainable. A couple of reasons could be a decrease in hours at work, an unexpected medical expense, or a pandemic. If you crunch numbers and just don’t think you will be successful in obtaining your goal, you should rewrite the goal to make it attainable. There are two reasons to rewrite your goals if they should become unachievable. The first reason is for your mental health so you do not get yourself stressed out about attempting to reach a goal that is actually out of your reach. You do not need that extra stress on your shoulders, especially since it is avoidable by taking the pressure off of yourself and creating a second intermediate goal that is achievable. The second reason is to get yourself back on the right track to achieving your goals. If you continue with your unachievable goal, you are setting yourself up for failure. As I said before, try to avoid that! You can get yourself back on course by reevaluating your situation. Maybe you won’t be as far along as you originally anticipated, but you could always try to make up that difference in your future intermediate goals.Short term goals Okay, now you have one long-term and two intermediate goals. It’s time for short-term goals. This is where it’s now time to get a little creative. Your short-term goals do not have to relate to your long-term goal and your intermediate goals directly, but they should help you work toward achieving good overall financial health. This will, in turn, help you to achieve your intermediate goals and, eventually, your long-term goal. Short-term goals should be achievable in up to one year. I wouldn’t suggest having any more than four short-term goals at a time. It could be overwhelming and cause frustration for you. If you reach them, then go ahead and set some new goals. To decide on some short-term goals, you will want to assess your financial situation and think about some small changes you could make now that will benefit you in the long run. Some examples of what you could make your short-term goals about are:Pay off a small bill Open a savings account and automate a recurring deposit Sign up for your employer 401K and begin depositing at least up to the company match Save on cable bills by calling the provider and asking for a cheaper package (or get rid of cable altogether) Decrease your monthly food expenses by meal planning Create a budget using our 2026 budget templates to track your progressAgain, you want your goals to be measurable and obtainable. So let’s just say you have a $150 medical bill you have been paying $15 per month on, and you just want it gone. Your goal could be to pay off this $150 medical bill in 3 months. Now you should have your long-term goal, two intermediate goals directly related to your long-term goal, and a couple (no more than 4) short-term goals in mind. Go ahead and write them down. You can use my printable goal writing worksheet to help you! It is free and will be sent to your email so you can download it and start using it today!Step 2: Come up with a plan for reaching your goals Developing your plan for reaching your goals is just as important as setting goals that are realistic and achievable. In order to reach your goals, you will have to take action. Goals do not get met by being a bystander. The actions you take will depend on your goals. For example, will you need to bring in extra money every month to meet your savings goal? Or do you need to consolidate debt at a lower interest rate in order to get it paid off in the desired amount of time? These are just some examples. You should look at your personal goals and think about what you can do to help yourself succeed in reaching your goals. Here are some questions to ask yourself and possible answers to help you figure out a plan. How am I going to come up with extra money every month?Cut back on expenses Get a part-time job Start a side hustle Use your income tax refund toward it Sell your stuff Start a no-spend challengeRelated posts:No-Spend Challenge Guide: Rules and Tips for Success Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month 50 Ways to Make Extra Money So You Can Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck Frugal Living: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less MoneyHere is an example from my life. When we decided we wanted to move out of our tiny first home so we could start a family, I created a long-term goal of saving 20% for a down payment on a home that was more conducive to raising a family. I wrote down how much money I wanted us to have saved for the next couple of years for my intermediate goals. In order to achieve our yearly goals, we had to bring in quite a bit more money every month. Back then, I didn’t know what a side hustle even was, so I ended up getting a second job to bring in that extra money. At the time, we didn’t have kids, so it wasn’t a big deal for me to go work at a second job after finishing up at my day job. Nowadays, that would not work for us since we both have full-time jobs and two young children to take care of. The point I am trying to make is you have to figure out what is going to work best for you. What you do to bring in extra money is going to depend on many things, like family commitments and your daily schedule.Where and how are you going to deposit money (if the goal is to save)? You will have to decide where you will stash that extra money if you have a goal to save up for something. You want to keep that money safe, which means not investing the money you will need in the near future in the stock market. You will also need to decide if you want to automate the deposit or not. If you know you will have a certain amount of money every month to save toward your goal, you could automate your deposit. However, if your extra money varies from month to month, you may want to set up a deposit each month. When we were saving money for the down payment, I decided to open an online money market account to take advantage of a higher interest rate. I didn't automate my deposits since my income from my second job varied so much. It would be a good idea for you to open a separate savings account for the money that you are saving for your long-term goal. By keeping it separate, you will decrease the likelihood that you will attempt to use it for something else! Take a look at an Axos High Yield Savings Account if you are in need of opening a separate account. Which debt will you target to repay first (if the goal is debt repayment)?Debt with the lowest balance: use the debt snowball method Debt with the highest interest rate: use the debt avalanche methodIf your long-term goal involves paying down debt, you are going to want a game plan for how to tackle repaying it. There are different methods for repaying your debt. The two most popular are the debt snowball method and the debt avalanche method. Debt Snowball Method While you are paying the extra on the smallest debt, you continue to pay the minimum on all of your other debts. If you think of how a snowball is made, it starts off small, builds up, and gets bigger as you keep rolling it. In debt repayment using this method, you would start with paying the smallest debt you have and pay the minimum, as well as any extra you can afford to pay on it. After the smallest debt is paid off, you would take the total amount you were paying on the smallest and put all of that money toward the next smallest debt while you continue to pay the minimums on all the others. You keep with this pattern until, finally, you are down to your last and largest debt, at which time you are paying way more than the minimum and will pay that off in no time!Debt Avalanche Method This is where you make a list of all your debts and their interest rates. You find the one with the highest interest rate and start paying the minimum, plus whatever else you can afford to pay on it. At the same time, you are paying the minimum on all your other debts. After you pay off the debt with the highest interest rate, you then take all the money you were paying on that, and you start paying on the debt with the second highest interest rate. Keep paying those minimums on all the others. Again keep going in that pattern until everything is paid.  There is also something called the debt snowflake method. This method is best used in combination with one of the other methods. It involves taking small amounts of money that become available to you and putting that money toward paying down your debt sooner. So, for example, say you get a Rakuten check in the mail. Instead of cashing it and spending it on something, you would immediately use it toward whichever debt you are focusing on paying down at that time. So which is better, the debt snowball method or the debt avalanche method? You will have to decide which method will be best for you. Which method do you think will keep you the most focused and motivated toward reaching your goals? The debt snowball method may keep you motivated and excited about paying down your debt because you will see and feel the successes sooner. As you pay the smaller debts off, you will feel like you made a dent in your progress because that is one less bill you have coming in, which in turn will help you stay motivated and driven. On the other hand, the debt avalanche method tackles the debts with the highest interest rates first, which will save you money in the long run because you will save some money on interest. This can take longer to see and feel the successes during your journey because debts with higher interest rates can take longer to pay off.Step 3: Take action and stick with it! The third step in goal setting is taking action. You can create goals and come up with a plan, but if you don’t take action and make changes to your current financial situation, it will be difficult to reach those goals! Here are some ways to stay motivated and stick to your action plan:Work together with your spouse or partner. Have weekly or monthly meetings to talk about your progress toward your goals and decide on changes together.Keep a visual aid of your progress. Whether it be a spreadsheet or a printable that you can color or fill in as you meet your smaller goals, keeping a visual aid that you can look at often will help you stay motivated.Don't deprive yourself. It is important to enjoy life as you are living it. Find ways to experience joy and happiness as you work toward your goals.Keep a positive money mindset. By staying positive even when times are tough, you can help yourself get back on track toward reaching your goals.Be kind to yourself. Everyone makes mistakes; it is human nature. No one is perfect. If you find that you have made a money mistake, figure out what went wrong, learn from it, correct it, and move on.Celebrate the small successes! This will help you stay motivated and will help you realize how far you have gotten with all your hard work and efforts.So whether your goal is to pay off your debt or to save for an awesome family vacation, start working on your plan and stick with it! If your plan should become derailed, make the needed revisions, and get yourself back on track. Most importantly, keep a positive mindset! With some perseverance and hard work, you will reach your goals! To have my free goal writing worksheets sent directly to your email, click here. What are your financial goals? Do you have a plan for achieving those goals? Please leave me a comment and let me know!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

$40,000 a Year is How Much an Hour?

If you are looking for the answer to the question, “$40000 a Year is How Much an Hour,” you have come to the right place. Maybe you landed a job that pays $40,000 per year. Or you are trying to find employment that pays at least that much. This article will explore the answers to your questions about making $40,000 a year.   $40000 a Year is How Much an Hour? If you make $40,000 a year, the hourly rate is $19.23 an hour. Here is the math: $40,000 divided by 2,080 (number of work hours in a year) = $19.23 per hour 40K a year is $19.23 an hour when working a 40-hour work week. However, if you work more than 40 hours a week, you can multiply the number of hours you work times 52 to find the number of hours you work in a year. So, for example, say you work 45 hours each week and get paid a $40,000 annual salary. The number of hours you work per year would be 2,340 (45 x 52). Therefore, your hourly wage working 45 hours a week and making 40K a year would be $17.09 (40,000 divided by 2,340). Here is the equation for how to calculate your hourly pay when getting paid a fixed salary of $40,000 a year:  40,000 divided by (Number of hours worked per week x 52 weeks) = Hourly wage You can plug in your typical number of hours worked into the equation to find your hourly rate of pay. $40,000 a Year is How Much a Week? You would make $769.20 a week with a salary of 40K per year ($19.23 per hour x 40 hours) before taxes (gross pay). 40K a Year is How Much Biweekly? When you get paid biweekly, you get a paycheck every other week (not twice a week). So if you got paid biweekly, your paychecks would be $1,538.40 (weekly pay x 2). $40,000 a Year is How Much a Month? The pay you would get per month when making $40,000 per year would depend on the number of paychecks you receive during the month. You will not get an accurate monthly pay if you divide $40,000 by 12. Be aware of this when calculating your monthly income while making your budget. When getting paid weekly, most months, you will receive four paychecks. However, depending on how the days fall and what day of the week you get paid, you may receive five paychecks some months. When paid on a Friday in 2022, there are four months in which you will get paid five times: April, July, September, and December. In 2023 the four months you will receive five paychecks are March, June, September, and December.   During the months that you receive four paychecks, your monthly income will be $3,076.80 before taxes and deductions. During the months that you receive five paychecks, your monthly salary will be $3,846.00 before taxes and deductions. When paid biweekly, most months, you will receive two paychecks. However, you will receive three paychecks two months out of the year. During the months you receive two paychecks, your income will be $3,076.80. However, if three pay periods fall within one month when getting paid biweekly, your monthly income will be $4,615.20. $40,000 a Year After Taxes If you would like to calculate your after-tax pay for the state you live in, try this calculator. For example, here is a sample paycheck for a resident of Arizona who makes $40,000 a year (after taxes, no deductions) using this online salary paycheck calculator. We already calculated weekly earnings to be $769.20.Federal Income Tax: $58.47 Medicare Tax: $11.15 State Income Tax: $20.77The weekly take-home pay after taxes would be $631.12. Other Considerations for a 40K Salary If you are making a 40K yearly salary or hope to find a job making at least $40,000 yearly, there are other factors to consider when it comes to your paycheck. The following are things to think about that are related to your hourly compensation and overall job satisfaction.    Overtime Working overtime can be a perk or a downside to working for a company. Working overtime is a terrific benefit that allows you to temporarily or permanently increase your income. In addition, overtime compensation is a great way to pay off debt, save money, and work toward your financial goals. Paying attention to your work-life balance is vital for your mental and physical wellness when working overtime hours. However, many companies require a certain amount of overtime hours, which can result in exhaustion and job burnout. In addition, mandatory overtime can cause job dissatisfaction and dislike, leading to a high employee turnover rate within the company. According to The Fair Labor Standards Act, employees categorized as exempt employees are ineligible for overtime pay. A salaried employee is typically classified as exempt; however, exceptions exist. So, usually, working more hours as a salaried employee does not lead to bringing home more money.   On the other hand, full-time hourly employees (nonexempt employees) can benefit from overtime pay because companies must compensate for overtime work with a time-and-a-half pay rate. Regular rate of pay is the amount an employee is paid for each hour worked up to 40 hours per week. Therefore, employees should receive overtime pay when working more than 40 hours a week. When calculating overtime, you take your regular pay rate and multiply it times one and a half (1.5) to determine your overtime pay rate.  $19.23 per hour x 1.5 = $28.85 overtime rate Paid Vacation Time vs. Paid Time Off The answer to the question, “$40000 a year is how much an hour,” is $19.23 when you work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks per year. However, if your employer offers you paid vacation or paid time off (PTO), chances are you don’t work every week out of the calendar year.   Paid vacation time is slightly different than PTO. If you are given paid vacation time at your place of employment, you have a specific amount of time that can be used for time off from work for relaxation. Typically if you have time allotted specifically for vacation time, you will also receive sick time or sick leave. However, if you receive a bank of PTO for your time off, it is used for both vacations and when you are ill and can’t go to work. Having vacation time or paid time off from work is a benefit of being a full-time employee. However, many companies don’t give vacation time or a PTO benefit to employees who work fewer hours than what is considered full-time. In addition, the number of hours considered to be full-time varies from company to company. For example, full-time status at some companies may start at working 30 weekly hours or more, and others consider full-time to be at least 37 hours worked in a week. Bonuses Depending on your position and job within a company, you may qualify for bonuses if you achieve or help the company achieve specific goals. Bonuses are a great way to increase your income to pay off debt or save. However, don’t forget bonuses are taxable. So you won’t see your paycheck increase by the same amount as your bonus.   Sample Budget for a $40,000 Salary Creating a realistic budget is key to living below your means. Whether you make 40K a year or 100K a year, spending more than you make each month is detrimental to your financial situation.   Many people find using budget percentages an excellent way to create a realistic budget. A set percentage for each household budget category will help you determine the appropriate amount you should be spending on each line item in your budget.   Here is a sample budget using percentages for someone who makes 40K a year. I used the after-tax amount for someone living in Arizona, as outlined above.   Weekly take-home pay after taxes $631.12 x 4 = $2,524.48 Budget Category | Percentage | Budgeted Amount Housing | (25%) | $631.12 Utilities | (10%) | $252.45 Phone/Internet | (5%) | $126.22 Food | (10%) | $252.45 Car Payment/Gas | (10%) | $252.45 Insurance | (10%) | $252.45 Entertainment | (5%) | $126.22 Savings | (10%) | $252.45 Debt | (10%) | $252.45 Miscellaneous | (5%) | $126.22 Total $2,524.48 Your budget categories and percentages may differ from the sample. For example, if you are debt-free, you may want to allocate the extra money in your budget to your savings category.   Keep in mind that you want to pay yourself first. If you aren’t familiar with this phrase, it simply means you want to prioritize saving for retirement before spending money in your paycheck. The easiest way to pay yourself first is to contribute to a company-sponsored retirement account. If your employer doesn’t offer one, open an IRA or Roth IRA and automatically deposit money into it each month.   Is 40K a Year Good? Many people want to know if their yearly salary is “good.” Unfortunately, the answer is that it depends. There are many factors to consider when deciding if your gross salary (before taxes) is good.   If you live in an expensive city, have debts to repay, and have a family to provide for, 40K a year will likely not cut it for you. However, if you live in an area with a low cost of living, are single, and have no debt, then a $40,000 a year salary could be a fantastic salary.   However, there are many ways to save money to help stretch your net pay. Spending intentionally and living a frugal lifestyle can help you live on less money. In addition, finding ways to make extra money through a side hustle can also help you bridge the gap if your income does not cover your monthly expenses.   Final Thoughts on $40000 a Year is How Much an Hour Now you know how much $40,000 a year is per hour. You can use the equations above to calculate hourly rates for other specific yearly salaries. Also, don’t forget there are many ways to increase your income if 40K a year is not enough money to support your lifestyle. You could grab some overtime hours at work, find a part-time job, or make money online or through a side hustle. The possibilities are endless. Determine what will work for you and get started!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck With These 5 Simple Tips

Are you tired of getting stressed out every month when you have bills coming due because there isn’t enough money in the bank to cover them, and you don’t get paid for another week? Maybe you are tired of losing sleep at night over your finances, and you are ready to stop living paycheck to paycheck once and for all. You might be thinking, “How can I possibly do this if there is no extra money each month?” or “How in the world do I begin to figure out how to make this work?” Please keep in mind getting out of debt is not a sprint. It is a marathon that can sometimes take several years to accomplish. You have got to be patient with yourself. There may be times when you don’t think you will ever see the light at the end of the tunnel. But with some persistence and hard work, you will reach your goals. Getting motivated to stop the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle is the first step you need to take. If your heart and mind aren't into it, it will be very difficult to accomplish. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck: How to Stay Motivated Staying motivated can sometimes be tough to do, especially since breaking the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck can be a long and difficult road. Here are some ideas for how to stay motivated to stop living paycheck to paycheck and live more comfortably. Start a Journal Keep track of your emotions and your thoughts at the start of your journey and as you progress. You could start out by writing about how you felt when you decided enough was enough. Did you feel angry, upset, frustrated? Or maybe you felt relieved, happy, and reassured that you finally made the decision to make changes to stop living paycheck to paycheck. Did something happen that triggered your decision and those emotions? Write about your goals and what you hope to accomplish. Write about how you feel throughout your journey and about how you feel as you are achieving your goals. Go ahead and write about it all. Put those feelings on paper. Not only will writing in a journal about your emotions help you feel better by getting your thoughts out, but the journal will also serve as a resource that you can read back through to keep yourself motivated. Have a Family Meeting to Get Everyone on the Same Page This is especially important if you have kids old enough to realize that certain things are being done differently at home than how they used to be. For example, they might be wondering why Sunday night is no longer the night that you order pizza, and now it's the night you make your own pizza at home. Let everyone contribute to the conversation and discuss their feelings. By allowing kids to think of ways they could help to reach the family goals, they will feel important, empowered, and excited to help. When everyone is on the same page, it makes it easier to work together as a team to accomplish the goal. Working together also will help keep each other motivated. When one team member is wavering, the other members are there to provide strength and encouragement. Create a Visual Aid of Your Progress Visual aids do wonders for motivation. There is something about seeing your progress on paper that makes it more real and more tangible. You can create a visual aid yourself, or there are many free printable templates online you can download, print, and customize. Hang your visual aid on your fridge or keep it somewhere your whole family can see it so everyone can keep track of the progress and stay motivated.Find a Good Friend to Confide In I’m not saying you should share everything (unless you want to) because I know finances are a very personal thing. Think of it sorta like having a workout buddy; to help keep you accountable and motivated. The two of you may have different ideas to share for reaching your goals more quickly. It would also be helpful to have someone there to support you and understand what you are going through, especially if times get tough. Now on to the tips to stop the vicious paycheck-to-paycheck cycle. Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck: 5 Tips to Break the Cycle for Good #1 Get in the Right Mindset First things first. You have to get yourself both mentally and emotionally ready when you are beginning the process of breaking the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. Because let’s face it. It is going to be difficult. Getting ahead on your bills is not an easy thing to do. You have to be really ready to work at it to make it happen. If it were easy to do, millions of people would not be anxiously waiting for their next paycheck to be able to buy groceries or pay their bills. Over half of Americans lived paycheck to paycheck in 2021 [source]. Working towards saving money and getting out of debt in order to stop living paycheck to paycheck will definitely test your patience and your willpower. But I’m here to tell you it is possible. You can do this. And I’m going to help you as much as I can by giving you some ideas on how to go about getting started on your journey. But first, as I stated earlier, get yourself prepared. Any negativity you may have toward money, in general, needs to be let go of. Try to embrace positivity and enthusiasm for your money goals. If you need help with that, check out my post on shifting your money mindset here.#2 Buckle Down on Your Budget If you don't have a budget, now is definitely the time to create one. If you would like a step-by-step guide to creating a budget, check out my post on creating a budget that works. For 2026 specifically, I've created budget templates for $45K, $65K, and $75K salaries that include real numbers for every category—not vague percentages, but actual dollar amounts you can use as your starting point. These templates use the Survival-First approach that got me out of the paycheck-to-paycheck trap. I also made a free printable budgeting workbook that goes along with the beginner's post. If you would like it, you can get it here. If you already have a budget, now is the time to recheck all of your numbers. You are going to have to figure out what your total monthly income is. Use your net income, what you actually bring home. Be sure to take into consideration all your income. If you have some income that varies from month to month, use the lowest amount it possibly could be so you don't overestimate. Once you have your total income figured out, you need to make a list of all of your monthly expenses. Every last one. You don’t want any surprise expenses throwing your entire budget off. If you download my free budgeting workbook, I have an extensive list of expense categories in there to help you so you don't forget anything.This is where it will get slightly more complicated. You have to differentiate between essential expenses and non-essential expenses. Essential expenses are those expenses that are necessary in order to live. They also include any debt you might have since you are required to make monthly payments on debt. Things like your rent or mortgage, groceries, utility bills, car payments, student loans, taxes, homeowners insurance, renters insurance, & gas for your car are all essential expenses. If some of your essential expenses are paid yearly, for example, real estate taxes or homeowners insurance, you can budget for them monthly by dividing the total amount by 12 to figure out how much you should set aside every month for them. Non-essential expenses are those expenses that you choose to spend your money on. They are those things you don’t really need but want. Some examples of those are dining out, entertainment, subscriptions, clothing and accessories (beyond what you need), manicures, and electronic purchases, to name a few. Once you have your income and expenses, it’s time to crunch the numbers. If your number is negative and your income does not cover your expenses, you will need to figure out where to cut back. The first place you are going to look to cut back your expenses is your non-essential expenses. See if you can make a few changes there to get your bottom line positive. Maybe you could decide you are only going to eat out once a month, or maybe you will do your own manicures and pedicures at home. Challenge yourself to find that extra money within your budget. Once you looked at your non-essential expenses, go ahead and check out your essential expenses and see if there are any items on that list you could save on. Could you lower your utility bill by taking shorter showers, adjusting your heat or air conditioning settings, or installing a programmable thermostat? Could you start monthly meal planning to both decrease your grocery expense and decrease the number of times you dine out? By the way, that’s what I do. I love meal planning. It is a total sanity saver for me.Monthly meal planning does take some thought and time at the beginning of each month, but it saves so much time in the long run! If you would like to learn how to create a monthly meal plan, check out my step-by-step guide here. How about getting rid of cable tv or, at the very least, calling your cable provider to see if there are any cheaper packages that would work for you? There are so many creative ways to save money in your budget. Sometimes it takes some planning and phone calls to make it happen. If you are looking for some ways to save money on your expenses every month, check out 20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month. If you would like to live more frugally by spending your money more intentionally, check out 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Spend Less Money. If you are still struggling to get your bottom line in your budget out of the red, you may need to find ways to make some extra money. You could find a part-time job. Another option is to find a side hustle that works for you. Check out my post on 50+ Ways to Make Extra Money or Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month to get some ideas.There are so many different ways to make money outside of your full-time job without actually going out and getting a part-time job. Just to give you an example, when we had outrageous daycare costs that come with having two kids in daycare, aka our “second mortgage payment,” we started a small eBay business. We sold our own stuff on eBay, and if we went to a garage sale or thrift store, we looked for items we could resell. That side hustle worked well for us at that time in our lives because we were able to work on it nights and weekends and still be home with the kids.  Some ideas for other side hustles are:Babysitting Selling stuff (eBay, Poshmark, Craigslist, Etsy, garage sales) Dog sitting, walking, or grooming Uber/Lyft driver Delivering food Mowing lawns Tutoring Catering or preparing meals for people (especially the elderly!) Cleaning houses Personal trainer Giving music lessons Doing hair or makeup PhotographerDecide what your interests and skills are and see how you can work a new side hustle into your schedule. You can check out another list of extra income ideas to find something that could work for you. #3 Start an Emergency Fund Now that you found extra money in your budget or are making some extra money every month, you are going to want to open a savings account. This is going to be your emergency fund. Your emergency fund will only be for emergencies. You should have this money set aside specifically for unexpected expenses that come up so you don’t have to use the credit cards you are trying to pay down. Some examples of things you would use your emergency fund for would be:Car repairs Unexpected medical bills Household repairs such as plumbing repairs or furnace/air conditioning repairs Replace a broken appliance, such as a washer or dryerThe goal is to stop living paycheck to paycheck. You are going to accomplish this by finding ways to save money and getting rid of your debt. Developing a habit of saving money monthly will help you move forward with your goals. Having money set aside will help you avoid putting money back on a credit card that you are working so hard to pay down. Any amount you can deposit into that savings account every month will help. It doesn’t matter how insignificant you think it is. Just deposit it! It will add up over time, and before you know it, you will have a nice amount saved. The most common recommendation for the amount to have saved up in an emergency fund is three to six months' worth of expenses. The more conservative recommendation is six to nine months' worth, and some financial people say you should have a full year of expenses saved. I think you should save as much as you can to help you sleep better at night. People that have a single-income household are probably going to want more in their savings than households with two incomes. Figure out what your magic emergency fund number is and try to reach it.#4 Destroy That debt So now you are putting some money in savings and, at the very least, making your minimum monthly payments on all of your consumer debt. You also now have some extra money every month (by cutting back on your expenses or making extra money) to really tackle that debt. Which debt should you pay down first? Well, there are several methods to pay down your debt systematically. The first one is the debt snowball method. If you think of how a snowball is made, it starts off small, builds up, and gets bigger as you keep rolling it. In debt repayment using this method, you would start with paying the smallest debt you have and pay the minimum, as well as any extra you can afford to pay on it. While you are paying the extra on the smallest debt, you continue to pay the minimum on all of your other debts. After that is paid off, you would take the amount you were paying on the smallest debt and put all of that money toward the next smallest debt while you continue to pay the minimums on all the others. You keep with this pattern until, finally, you are down to your last and largest debt, at which time you are paying way more than the minimum and will pay that off in no time! The second method is called the debt avalanche method. This is where you list all your debts and their interest rates. You find the one with the highest interest rate and start paying the minimum, plus whatever else you can afford to pay on it. At the same time, you are paying the minimum on all the others. After you pay off the debt with the highest interest rate, then you take all the money you were paying on that, and you start paying on the debt with the second-highest interest rate. Keep paying those minimums on all the others. Again keep going in that pattern until everything is paid.  There is also the debt snowflake method. This method is best used along with one of the other methods. It involves taking small amounts of money that become available to you and putting that money toward paying down your debt sooner. So, for example, say you get a Rakuten check in the mail. Instead of cashing it and spending it on something, you would immediately use it toward whichever debt you are focusing on paying down at that time.So which is better, the debt snowball method or the debt avalanche method? You will have to decide which method will be best for you. Which method do you think will keep you the most focused and motivated toward reaching your goals? The debt snowball method may keep you motivated and excited about paying down your debt because you will see and feel the successes sooner. As you pay the smaller debts off, you will feel like you made a dent in your progress because that is one less bill you have coming in, which in turn will help you stay motivated and driven. On the other hand, the debt avalanche method tackles the debts with the highest interest rates first. This will save you money in the long run because you will pay less money on interest. This can take longer to see and feel the successes during your journey because debts with higher interest rates can take longer to pay off.#5 Celebrate Your Successes So now you are saving money every month, you started paying down your debt, and you are well on your way to stop living paycheck to paycheck! Find ways to celebrate your victories (within your budget!) as you progress along with your journey. Celebrating the baby steps along the way will help you to stay on track and to reach your long-term goals. Final Thoughts Trying to stop living paycheck to paycheck is no easy task. Getting yourself motivated and staying motivated is half the battle. But by getting in the right money mindset, creating a budget that works for you, having an emergency fund, paying off your debt, and celebrating your small wins, you will be well on your way to living the life you want. What are your favorite ways to save money in your budget? What debt payoff method do you prefer? How do you celebrate your financial victories? Please let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

50+ Ways to Make Extra Money & Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck

It's no wonder so many people are looking for ways to make extra money nowadays. Many people feel the economy from the pandemic has been so much worse than the 2008 recession, and many are still struggling to make ends meet. Somewhere between 50-78% of Americans were living paycheck to paycheck even before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an article written in the Washington Post. And at the peak of the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, more than 17 million Americans became unemployed, according to CNBC. Making extra money with a side hustle has become the norm for many people. And because of COVID, there are lots of people who are looking for easy ways to make extra money from home. So it's a good thing there are tons of legit ways to make extra money! Today I am going to give you a bunch of ideas for how to put extra cash in your pocket. I hope that you will find a couple of possibilities on this list that could help you bring in extra money so you can live more comfortably and reach your financial goals. Let's get started! Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use and love. Ways to Make Extra Money from Home Blogging This is first on my list because starting a blog is not as difficult as you might think. I am one of those people who are clueless when it comes to any kind of techy stuff. So if I can start a blog, you can too! The urge to start a blog began after I had my second son, and we had two kids in daycare. Our childcare costs were slightly more than our mortgage payment. We actually nicknamed our childcare expense “the second mortgage.” I thought if I could just start a blog and make enough money to at least be home part-time with my kids, that would reduce our childcare expenses. Well, it never happened, and we ended up selling stuff on eBay to help cover our childcare expenses instead (more on that below). So fast forward five years, and here I am doing the thing I dreamed about doing for what feels like forever! My kids are out of daycare, of course, but it is awesome to try something new and learn some new skills. Now blogging isn't a get-rich-quick type of side hustle. So you may want to pick some other side hustles to make extra money while you are building and growing your blog. In order to start this blog, I needed to find someone to show me the ropes in a very slow, step-by-step way. I came across Suzi Whitford of startamomblog.com. I loved the way she explained things on her blog, so I signed up for her course. Her Blog by Number course is awesome! She holds your hand through the entire process and helps you with all the techy stuff of blogging (which I desperately needed). She also helps you with some other basics of blogging in her course, like how to write different blog posts and how to use Pinterest to get more traffic to your blog. All I have to say is, if you need help starting from square one, her course is the best! I highly recommend it! The other thing that made me nervous about starting a blog was all the legal mumbo jumbo that I had no clue about. Specifically, I'm referring to the Terms of Use, Disclaimer, and Privacy Policy pages that are required on your site. I came across a lawyer, who is also a blogger, that writes legal templates for bloggers. Her name is Amira and her website is aselfguru.com. You have got to check out her legal templates if you are thinking about starting a blog or if you want to upgrade your templates from the free ones you found online. Her templates are so easy to use (I'm talking if I can do it, anyone can do it!), and they gave me so much peace of mind. If you would like to learn more about these awesome resources that will help you start the blog you have always been wanting to start, check out the post I wrote about them here.Taking Surveys Participating in online surveys will not make you rich. However, if you are bored and have some time to spare, taking surveys can help you make extra money online. Survey Junkie allows you to share your opinions while getting paid for it from the comfort of your couch! You earn virtual points that you can redeem for PayPal or e-Giftcards. Sign up for Survey Junkie here. Swagbucks is another way to make some extra money on the side. With Swagbucks, you earn points that you can trade in for PayPal Cash or gift cards just by taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos, and playing games.  You can earn gift cards for your favorite brands like Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Target, and more! Many Swagbucks members earn between $25 to $100 per month which they can use to save for a vacation, use for fun money, or use to cover expenses.   If you would like to check out or sign up for Swagbucks, you can do so here!   Teach English Do you love teaching? How about teaching the English language online with VIPKid? You can set your own schedule and work from home teaching kids one on one. You need a 4-year degree. However, the degree can be in any field. Proofreader If you love reading and are great at catching errors when reading, you could possibly become a proofreader. There are many companies that will hire proofreaders, and many do not even require an English degree. Or you could become a freelance proofreader and work for yourself. Virtual Assistant If you are organized, love social media, and are tech-savvy, you could become a virtual assistant and work from home. Some companies you could check out to get started are FlexJobs, Fiverr, and Upwork. Transcriptionist Transcriptionists listen to audio and type what they hear. Being a transcriptionist can allow you to work from home and make your own schedule.Resume Writing Do your friends and family come to you for help with their resumes? If you have a knack for writing resumes, you could potentially start your own side hustle, helping people create awesome resumes to make extra money! Selling Printables If you have great graphic design skills, consider creating digital printables to sell to make extra money. You could create planners, templates, printable art, calendars, and so much more. Freelance Writer If you love writing, becoming a freelance writer could be the way to go for you. You don't need any formal training to become a freelance writer. There are tons of guides online to help you get started writing so you can make extra money. Bookkeeper If you are super organized and good with numbers, you could become a bookkeeper and work from home, helping businesses manage their expenses & income by managing their bills & receipts, doing payroll, & keeping track of sales.Part-time job or side hustle ideas to make extra money fast Babysit As I said earlier, and you may already know, childcare is so expensive! Many people are looking for babysitters to take care of their kids in their homes while they are at work. Even providing before or after-school care for school-age kids that aren't old enough to be by themselves is an idea so their parents don't have to pay for that service at a daycare. Of course, there is always babysitting on weekends too. Lawn Care and Landscaping Mowing lawns and taking care of other people's landscaping could be an option if that is something you enjoy doing. As the population ages, there are going to be more people looking for help with lawn care. Clean Houses This is another thing that people have a hard time doing as they get older! I mainly work with the geriatric population for my day job and see people almost every day that will need help with cleaning and homemaking when they return home from rehab. There is a ton of opportunity there for making extra money. Cook or Cater Do you love cooking for other people? You could turn that passion into a side business. My neighbor actually did this when he was laid off during the pandemic. He loves cooking and makes meals for people. He didn't advertise. He used word of mouth to find leads. Again, another group of people that will need help with their meals is our aging population. House Sit Many people make extra money by house-sitting. This could involve collecting people's mail and newspapers, putting out their trash and recycling, and just checking on their houses while they are away to make sure everything is okay. Tutor You could definitely make extra money by tutoring. No teacher's degree is needed! One of our babysitters, who is in college, has a part-time job tutoring kids.Pet Sitter or Walker Pets are like part of the family, so of course, people are always looking for someone to look after their furry friends while they are at work or on vacation. My coworker has a pet sitter that comes over to take her dog out every day. The sitter does this for multiple people and makes out well in the money department. Pet Groomer or Trainer This is more involved than pet sitters and walkers, but if you are good at grooming or have a way of training animals, this could be a goldmine! Drive for Uber or Lyft I hear about people making a nice amount of extra money by driving for one of these companies. Deliver Groceries Delivering groceries to people, whether through a company like Instacart or just delivering to people who are not able to get to the grocery store, can help you make extra money. Help People Decorate Their Homes Got an eye for design? Many people may be willing to hire you to help them pick out paint colors, furniture, and accessories. My good friend is awesome at picking out paint and home décor, and she doesn't even have a design degree. Definitely an opportunity there! Wedding Planner or Party Planner People just don't have time nowadays to plan events. If you are good at planning and organizing events, this could be a business op for you (or at least a way to make extra money on the side)!Give Private Music or Singing Lessons Are you a musician or singer? Why not cash in on those talents by giving private lessons? Making Baked Goods Baking and selling things like wedding cakes, birthday cakes, desserts for holidays, and even dog treats could be a way to make extra money. Personal Trainer or Workout Buddy Maybe you are a personal trainer, but you want to expand your clientele beyond the gym you work at and take on some private clients. Or maybe you like working out and would enjoy helping someone else stay motivated to work out. Why not become a workout partner or buddy for someone who doesn't have anyone to work out with? Help them stay motivated, help them “show up,” and stay accountable for their workouts. Coach or Give Private Sports Lessons If you love teaching others how to play a sport or improve their game or skills, this could be perfect for you! Handyman (or Woman) Are you great at fixing or replacing things around the house? People will pay good money to have someone help them with things they can't or don't know how to do themselves. For example, we saved money by paying someone we know to install a couple of new exterior doors in our home instead of paying the installers from the home improvement store. It was a win for us and a win for our friend! Photography Are you awesome at taking pictures? There are a few ways for you to make extra money on the side as a photographer. You could take pictures at weddings, parties, and events or take engagement or family photos. Or you could sell your photos to an app, such as Agora Images. Makeup Artist If you love doing makeup and are good at it, you could make extra money by offering your talent to others. Weddings and proms would be a great start for building your clientele.Caregiver for the Elderly The demand for elderly caregivers will only rise as our baby boomer generation ages. You don't even need to be a registered or licensed nurse or nursing assistant to be a caregiver for some agencies. There are agencies that hire people just to sit with elderly people and supervise them. You may need to help them with their meals, laundry, pick up their groceries for them, or help them with their house cleaning. Woodworking and Refinishing or Flipping Furniture Installing crown molding or other decorative trims is sometimes too complicated or time-consuming for people to do on their own. So if you know how to do this, you could make extra money by offering your services to others. Or you could find dated furniture for super cheap at thrift stores, on Craigslist, or other online marketplaces and give it new life by refinishing it or painting it. Then turn around and resell it for profit. Painter Sometimes people just don't want to deal with painting their walls or houses and prefer to hire someone to do it. Find a Part Time Job If you want a steady, stable income and you don't want to bother with trying to find customers or leads for side jobs, then getting a regular part-time job may be the way to go. Be a “Gofer” Kind of along the lines of a caregiver, but you would work for yourself; being a gofer could involve running errands for people. You could do things like pick up their groceries, take them to doctor appointments, and pick up their medications. Takeout Delivery Delivering pizzas, delivering food for Grub Hub, and delivering food for restaurants are great ways to make extra money.Professional Organizer Are you hyper-organized and really, really good at it? You could sell your services and help people organize their homes to make extra money. Musician Do you play an instrument or play in a band? Why not try to get some gigs playing at weddings, receptions, parties, events, etc, to make extra money? Power Washer How about making use of that power washer you bought that you use once or twice a year by helping others power wash their homes, decks, patios, etc.? Put it to good use and make extra money! Bartender If you know your mixology, you could make some extra cash by bartending on the side. You could either get a part-time job as a bartender somewhere, or you could work for yourself and offer to bartend for family and friends at events such as weddings, birthday parties, & family reunions. Framing Pictures and Art Does anyone know why professional framing is so expensive? I had a piece of art framed, and man, was I in sticker shock. I never ended up getting the second piece framed because of the cost. So if you know how to do this, you could make some nice extra cash while saving someone else a boatload of money at the same time. Rent Out a Room Got an extra bedroom available in your home? Consider finding a roommate to rent out the room in order to make extra money every month.Help People Move No one likes packing up their stuff and moving. Capitalize on that by offering your help with packing and moving someone's belongings to put some extra money in your pocket. Become a Referee Do you know all the rules and regs of a particular sport? Consider becoming a referee to make some extra cash. Lifeguard or Teach Swim Lessons If you are great at swimming and love being in the pool, becoming a lifeguard or offering to teach swimming lessons could be for you. Teach Summer School If you are a teacher and want to make extra money, consider teaching summer school. Increase Your Hours at Your Job Maybe you can work overtime at your job. It never hurts to ask. Your boss might be grateful for the offer. Ways to Sell Stuff to Make Extra Money Sell on eBay Selling on eBay is quite easy. As I said earlier, we did this to make extra money when we had two kids in daycare. We would work on selling our stuff after the kids went to bed. We sold coffee mugs, children's clothes, books, and anything else we could find lying around the house. You can also hit up thrift stores to find items to resell. Sell on Poshmark Poshmark is for selling clothes and accessories. So if you like to update your wardrobe frequently, why not sell the clothes you no longer wear on Poshmark to make extra money? Sell on ThredUP ThredUP is an online consignment shop where you can buy and sell used clothes. So if you have clothes that are a brand that is in high demand, this may be the place to sell them.Sell Your Stuff at Garage Sales Make extra money fast by having a garage sale. Coordinate with your neighbors to have a neighborhood yard sale to attract a ton of customers. Sell Your Stuff on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace We use Craigslist quite a bit to sell stuff we no longer want. We had the most luck selling outgrown baby stuff like our highchairs, strollers, booster seats, pack-in plays, baby seats, and those floor baby activity centers. No one wants to pay full price for new baby stuff when it can be purchased secondhand for much cheaper and in great condition. Just make sure there are no product recalls on your items before trying to sell them. Sell Crafts at Craft Shows Are you crafty? How about trying to sell your crafts at craft shows? Sell on Etsy Etsy is an online shop for selling handmade items. So you could open a store and sell your crafty things on Etsy as well. Become an Amazon Seller Many people make a full-time income selling on Amazon. To get information and to see if it is something you would like to try, check out their beginner's guide here. Final Thoughts on the Best Ways to Make Extra Money As you can see, there are a ton of ways to make extra money. Just think about the skills you have, what you enjoy doing, and how you will fit them into your schedule to figure out what money-making avenues will work for you. I hope I gave you some fresh ideas today to help you make extra money! By creating and sticking to a budget, saving money on monthly expenses, and increasing your ability to make extra money, you will be well on your way to stoping that paycheck-to-paycheck living. Plus, you will get your financial-related stress under control so that you can sleep better at night! I would love to know what you do to make extra money from home and online! Please let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

$60,000 a Year is How Much an Hour? A Simple Breakdown

Let’s face it, making a good salary is important for living a comfortable lifestyle and providing for your family’s basic (and not so basic) needs.    But what is considered a good salary?  How do you know if you are making a good salary?  How does your salary compare to the average salary for where you live?   These are all questions you may be thinking at certain times throughout the year.   These questions may cross your mind when your yearly performance review is coming up, when you are looking for a new job, or when you are sitting down to create your monthly budget. And it’s completely normal to wonder if your salary is up to par.  Today I am going to take a deep dive into a specific salary amount to break it down for you. I am going to answer the question, “$60,000 a year is how much an hour?” You can use this as a resource to help you break down other salary amounts.  For example, maybe you are wondering how much $50,000 a year is per hour, month, or week. Or maybe you are wondering what $70,000 a year is after taxes per hour, month, or week.   Whatever your salary is, just plug it in wherever I use $60,000 and get your calculator to help figure out your personalized numbers. Okay, let’s get started!Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   $60000 a Year is How Much an Hour? I am going to base the hourly rate on working 40 hour weeks, 52 weeks per year.   There are 2,080 hours in a year (40 hours a week times 52 weeks per year). $60,000 a year divided by 2,080 hours equals an hourly rate of $28.85. 60K a year is $28.85 per hour when working 40 hours per week every week of the year. If you get paid a salary (as opposed to an hourly rate) and you want to see what you are getting paid per hour based on the number of hours you put in for the week, just replace the 40 hours with the number of hours you work.   Let’s just say you have been putting in 50 hours a week and you get paid a $60,000 salary. This means you would be putting in a total of 2,600 hours throughout the year (52 weeks times 50 hours per week). So a salary of 60K working 2,600 hours total for the year would equal out to $23.08 per hour ($60,000 divided by 2,600).   Now let’s just say you are a really efficient employee and can do your job in 35 hours per week.  This would mean your total working hours for the year is 1,820. And a salary of 60K working that many hours a year would equal out to $32.97 per hour.   So if you are getting paid a $60,000 salary, go ahead and plug in the number of hours you work to determine your hypothetical hourly rate.   $60000 a Year is How Much an Hour after Taxes? We determined that $60,000 a year is $28.85 per hour when working 40 hour work weeks.  Now you might be wondering what $60,000 a year is after taxes are taken out. It gets a little more complicated now.  The amount that is deducted from your pay for taxes depends on where you live (for state and local taxes), the number of dependents you claim, and any additional amount you request to withhold for tax purposes. But first, you have to figure out what your taxable income is.  Your taxable income is your income after all of your pretax deductions come out. That is the number that is taxed.  Here are some examples of pretax deductions:Employee sponsored retirement account contributions Medical insurance premiums Dependent Care Spending Account contributions Dental Insurance premiums Vision Insurance premiums Health Savings Account contributionsHere is a pretty neat Salary Paycheck Calculator from adp.com.  You can enter your state, filing status, 401k, and HSA pretax contributions to get an estimate of what your after-tax income will be.   Did you know there are 9 states that don’t have state income tax? These are:Alaska Florida Nevada South Dakota Tennessee Texas Washington Wyoming New Hampshire (doesn’t tax earned wages)However, according to this article by Investopedia, that doesn’t mean these states are easier to live in when it comes to affordability.  For example, Alaska has a high cost of living mainly due to its remote location.   In other words, you have to do your research and think about all the different factors that play a role in a location’s cost of living if you are looking for a more affordable place to live.   How Much is $60,000 a Year Weekly (40 hours per week)? Since $60,000 a year is $28.85 an hour, your weekly gross (before tax pay) for 40 hours a week will be $1,154. Here is the math:  $28.85 x 40 = $1,154  If you work 50 hour weeks:  $28.85 x 50 = $1,442.50 If you work part-time hours, say 25 hours per week, and make that pay rate: $28.85 x 25  = $721.25 How much is $60,000 a Year Weekly after Taxes To figure out how much $60,000 a year is per week after taxes I used the calculator I told you about above.   Here is an example of after-tax weekly pay for $60,000 a year in Arizona with no pretax deductions and filing as single: Gross pay  $1,154 Federal      $155.41 FICA          $71.55 Medicare   $16.73 State         $31.16 Net pay     $879.15 How Much is $60,000 a Year Biweekly? Getting paid biweekly is when you get a paycheck every other week.  Many companies pay their employees biweekly.   When you get paid every other week, it can be a bit trickier to budget.  You’ll have to be careful you don’t run out of money in your account before any bills come due that second week of the pay period. Anyway, biweekly pay for a salary of $60K a year based on 40 hour work weeks will be $2,308. $28.85 x 80 = $2308 How Much is $60,000 a Year Biweekly after Taxes? Using the same specifications as I did above (Arizona resident, filing single, no pretax deductions) here is the after-tax biweekly estimated pay using the salary paycheck calculator: Gross pay $2308.00 Federal     $310.82 FICA         $143.10 Medicare   $33.47 State         $62.32 Net Pay    $1758.29 How Much is $60,000 a Year Monthly? I am going to break down what your monthly pay would be when making $60,000 a year.  But keep in mind some months you might have 4 paychecks and some you might have 5 paychecks when getting paid weekly.   If getting paid biweekly some months you will have 2 paychecks and some you will have 3 paychecks. This is super important to keep in mind when budgeting.  You don’t want to figure out your monthly pay by taking your yearly pay and dividing it by 12 and then base your budget on that number.  Trust me, it won’t work out well.  So just be careful when determining your monthly income when making your budget.  Figure out the number of paydays that fall within the month every time you make your budget. As I said your weekly (gross) pay when you have a salary of 60K a year is $1,154.  $1,154 x 4 paydays for the month = $4,616 $1,154 x 5 paydays for the month = $5,770 And if you get paid biweekly when you have a salary of 60K a year your gross income for those 2 weeks would be $2,308. $2,308 x 2 paydays for the month = $4,616 $2,308 x 3 paydays for the month = $6924 For example, I actually get paid biweekly at my day job and my paydays are on Wednesdays.  So March and September of this year were 2 months I technically had 3 paydays fall within one month.  If you can budget with just 2 paydays (in the case of biweekly pay) or 4 paydays (in the case of weekly pay) you could really take advantage of those months with the “extra” paycheck by making plans for that money to help you reach your financial goals. Some things you could do with the “extra” paychecks are:Pay down debt Earmark for a planned large purchase (i.e house downpayment or car) Boost your emergency fund Save for a family vacation Invest for your future Anything else that would help you progress toward your financial goalsHow Much is $60,000 a Year Monthly after Taxes? I put together an example of monthly pay after taxes if either getting paid weekly (4 paydays per month) or biweekly (2 paydays per month) using the Salary Paycheck Calculator for someone who makes $60,000 per year.   This is for California, no pretax contributions, and filing single: Biweekly Gross pay $2,308.00 Federal $310.82 FICA $143.10 Medicare $33.47 State $98.30 SDI $27.70 Net Pay $1694.61 The estimated monthly after-tax income in this scenario is $3,389.22 (Biweekly net pay x 2). Weekly Gross pay $1154 Federal $155.41 FICA $71.55 Medicare $16.73 State $49.15 SDI $13.85 Net Pay $847.31 The estimated monthly after-tax income is $3,389.24 (Weekly net pay x 4) So go ahead and play around with that calculator for your scenario to see what $60,000 a year would be monthly after taxes for you.Jobs that make $60,000 a Year It’s difficult to pinpoint specific jobs that make right around $60,000 a year.  This is because there are several factors that can affect your salary.   Here are some variables that affect salary according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:Holding special credentials or licensures Amount of experience or skill level Different industries Having more responsibility or more complex job tasks Where you live and the supply/demand for the job Demonstrating success on the job and a high level of performanceThat being said, there are jobs with a range of between $60,000 a year and $79,999 that you don’t need a college degree for, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Here are some examples:First-line supervisors of non-retail sales workers Postmasters and Superintendents Gambling managers Transit and railroad police Locomotive engineers Lighting technicians, media and communication equipment workers Claims adjusters Chemical plant and systems operators Police and sheriff’s patrol officersAnd here are some examples of jobs within that same salary range that require a bachelor’s degree:Chemist Budget analyst Project management specialists Web developers Occupational health and safety specialists Fashion designers Registered nurses Credit analysts Accountants Insurance underwritersSample Monthly Budget for $60,000 a Year Let’s use the Arizona example for this sample budget.  Biweekly after-tax pay as stated above is $1,758.29.  So monthly after-tax pay would be $3,516.58. I used budget percentages to help come up with a budget for a salary of $60,000 a year.  Using budget percentages can help you determine if you are overspending on an area of your budget.   For example, if you are in the market for buying a house, you should aim to keep all of your monthly combined housing costs (i.e. mortgage, taxes, homeowners insurance) to no more than 25-28% of your after-tax income.    This will help prevent you from overspending on the purchase of your home.   Here is a great article that goes into more detail and where I found the budget percentages for this sample budget.  Is $60,000 a Year Good? Asking if 60K a year is a good salary is just looking for other people's opinions and perceptions.  The best way to answer this is, it depends. The national average salary in 2020 was $56,310.  This would put a salary of $60,000 a year above average.   Many people would definitely consider a salary of $60,000 a year to be a good salary.  However, before you decide if $60,000 a year is good or not, there are other factors to consider.   Some factors to think about before you decide if $60,000 a year is good in your situation are:If you live in a single income or dual-income household If you have children or dependents to support The cost of living for where you live If you have a lot of debt Your lifestyle or the type of lifestyle you would like to liveSo a salary of $60,000 per year for a single person, with no debt, and residing in a low cost of living area would probably be a great salary. But if the person has to support a family, has debt, and lives in an area with a high cost of living, then $60,000 may not cut it.  Tips to Live on $60,000 a Year If you are making a salary of $60,000 a year and it’s not cutting it for your situation, there are things you can do to help stretch your dollars.  Finding ways to reduce expenses and save money will help live more comfortably on $60,000 a year. #1 Create (or revise) your budget Creating a household budget that works will go far to help you live more comfortably, no matter what your salary is.  If you need some help creating your budget, you could try using my free budgeting workbook. It includes:A cover sheet for your budget binder (if you will be using one) A worksheet to help you brainstorm your expense/budget categories A budget template to keep track of how you are doing on a monthly basis A large list of possible budget categories/household expenses to help you make your budgetYou can download my free budget binder here. You may also enjoy reading:Budgeting for beginners in 6 easy steps The purpose of a budget & why you need one#2 Spend intentionally When it comes to sticking to your budget, controlling your spending is the key to success.  Budgets aren’t typically that hard to make, it’s sticking to them that is the problem for many people. Making intentional decisions about how you want to spend your money will help you stick to your budget.  Intentional spending is all about decreasing your spending on things that aren’t meaningful to you and spending your money on those things you highly value. Intentional spending is the core principle of living a frugal lifestyle.  And living a frugal lifestyle can help you achieve your financial goals.   I love writing about living frugally.  I give partial credit to converting to living a frugal lifestyle for helping my husband and I pay off a boatload of debt when we first got married.  The other thing that helped us pay off our debt is increasing our income. A really simple way to make a few extra bucks each month is by taking online surveys. Two survey companies I have used before are Survey Junkie and Swagbucks. Survey Junkie is an online market research community.  When you participate in Survey Junkie, you get to share your opinion to help brands improve their products.   After you complete surveys, you will earn virtual points that you can trade in for Paypal cash or e-Giftcards for places like Amazon or Target.   You can sign up for Survey Junkie here.   With Swagbucks, you earn points that you can trade in for PayPal Cash or gift cards just by taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos, and playing games.  You can earn gift cards for your favorite brands like Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Target, and more! Many Swagbucks members earn between $25 to $100 per month that they can use to save for a vacation, use for fun money, or cover expenses.   If you would like to check out or sign up for Swagbucks, you can do so here!   If you are looking for ways to increase your income you may enjoy reading:Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month 50+ Ways to Make Extra Money#3 Pay off your debt Paying off your consumer debt is a no-brainer when it comes to living more comfortably.  The less you owe to other people every month, the more you have to help you work toward your financial goals. But we all know paying off debt isn’t easy, especially if you are living paycheck to paycheck.  Developing an action plan for paying off your debt can help you get the ball rolling and get you moving in the right direction.   In order to develop a plan of action to pay down your debt, you will want to list all of your debts.  Write down the amount of the loan and the interest rate. Then determine if you will use the debt snowball method to pay down your debt or the debt avalanche method.  If you aren’t familiar with these methods, you can find more information about them here.  Once you determine which method you will use, list your debts in the order that you will be paying them down based on which method you chose.   Find ways to save money on your everyday expenses to put toward paying down your debt.  There are lots of ways to save money on your household expenses.  It just takes planning and sometimes a little creativity to find ways to save. If you are looking for ways to save money, you may enjoy reading:Frugal Ways to Save Money on Beauty Products 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less Money 20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month#4 Save up an emergency fund Saving money in an emergency fund can help you live more comfortably on $60,000 a year.  How? Because when you have money saved up to use for unexpected expenses, you won’t feel as stressed or anxious about your money situation.   And when you aren’t feeling stress and anxiety, you are more likely to be calm and happy.  Financial-related stress can affect your overall health and well being so it’s important to minimize this stress.   Also, if you are carrying debt that you are in the process of paying off, having an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses can help prevent you from going further into debt. #5 Consider living in a low(er) cost of living area If a salary of 60K isn’t cutting it for you and you live in a high cost of living area, searching for a home in a location with a lower cost of living could help.   And that doesn’t always mean moving across the country or to another state.  Sometimes just moving to another neighborhood in the same city or town is enough to make a big difference.   Final Thoughts on $60,000 a year is how much a hour When you make $60,000 a year, it comes out to an hourly rate of $28.85 an hour as long as you work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year.   If you are wondering what $60,000 a year is after taxes, try using the salary paycheck calculator I referred to above to get an estimate for your specific situation.   If you find that a salary of 60K a year is not enough to support your basic needs, budgeting and reducing household expenses can help.   Living below your means by adopting a frugal lifestyle and paying off debt will also help you to live more comfortably no matter what your salary or hourly pay is.   If you would like my free budgeting workbook to help you get started with creating your budget, you can download it here.   What are your best tips to save on household expenses?  Please leave your tips in the comments. 

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

The Beginner’s Guide to Managing Your Money Better

Are you trying to start managing your money better but not sure how? Maybe you are tired of living paycheck to paycheck. Or maybe you are overwhelmed with your debt and unsure how to start paying it down. Perhaps you want to start living below your means to save for your future and work toward financial freedom. Whatever your reason for your desire to take action with your money situation, I am here to help! I totally get where you are coming from because I have been there. I was in a ton of debt, overwhelmed, and had no clue how to change it. I graduated college with almost $40,000 in student loans and credit card debt. Then I bought my first brand new car, which looking back, I really couldn't afford. I met my husband, who also had a boatload of debt. We got married and bought our first house together. We had close to $80,000 in debt when we started our lives together, not including our mortgage. Sounds like a great start in life, huh? When our first mortgage payments started rolling in, I quickly realized that I knew absolutely nothing about managing my personal finances. The only thing I knew how to do was write out a check and balance my checkbook (aside from using a credit card and paying the bill, of course). High schools (at least where I live) do not teach kids how to manage money, like how to create a budget, set financial goals, reduce spending, develop a healthy money mindset, avoid lifestyle inflation, start an emergency fund, or even save for retirement. It's almost as if I was supposed to make lots of money mistakes so I could (eventually) learn from them and then try to figure out how to change my ways to stop making those nasty mistakes. Why can't a high school class teach kids all that stuff? I know that could have saved me a lot of stress and anxiety. Maybe we wouldn't have started our lives together, buried under a crazy amount of debt. But… I would not have realized my true passion if that didn't happen. Before I got into all that debt, I thought finance was boring. Back then, I was gung ho about becoming a healthcare professional. I had blinders on, and all I could see in front of me was helping people recover from illness and disability. Don't get me wrong, I love working in healthcare, but going into debt got me started on a new personal obsession. Little did I know this personal obsession with getting out of debt and working toward financial independence would take over my world. I'm not a finance professional, and don't pretend to be one. Much of what I know is self-taught through reading and studying books, magazines, and blogs. So even though I do not have a college degree in finance, I have figured out how my family can live below our means, pay off a boatload of debt, and have the money to live what I consider a very comfortable lifestyle even while raising two kids. You don't have to be an expert to figure out how to live within your means. All you have to do is educate yourself to learn some actionable tips to get yourself started in the right direction. I'm here to show you that anyone can accomplish their goals through dedication, hard work, and being intentional with their money. No finance degree is needed! Ready to get started managing your money better? First, here are some tips to help you be more successful in managing your money. Then, keep reading for frequently asked questions about how to manage money. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Money Management Tips for Success Here are a few important money management tips to help you be more successful with managing your money. #1 Educate Yourself The number one way to set yourself up for success with managing your money is to learn everything you can about personal finance. Being knowledgeable about money basics will help you to make good decisions when it comes to your money. You could strive to read one new article or blog post on personal finance per day to help you to broaden your knowledge base. Or, if you enjoy reading books, check out some of these top personal finance books to help educate and motivate yourself:The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki I Will Teach You to be Rich by Ramit Sethi The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas StanleyThe book that started my obsession with personal finance is Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach. I highly recommend it if you and your spouse or partner start at square one with your finances as we did. Knowledge will help to empower you to make better decisions, which will, in turn, manage your money better. #2 Get Your Finances Organized To set some financial goals for yourself, you have to know where you are starting from. Getting your finances organized so you can clearly see what you need to do to get yourself on the right financial track is so important. Take some time to get all of your statements together. Figure out your assets and debt totals to set realistic goals for yourself. Create simple spreadsheets to track your debt, bills to pay, and savings. Or write everything down and keep it organized in a notebook or binder. Keeping everything organized will make it much easier to pay bills on time. Related post: How to Organize Your Finances, Even if You are Naturally Disorganized If you need help getting your budget organized, you can download my free budget binder printables. Here is a preview:Here is what it includes:Budget Binder Cover Sheet Monthly budget worksheet to get your expenses organized Monthly budget template A large list of budget categories/expenses to help you not forget anythingIf you would like these budget printables, you can download them here. #3 Get Real With Yourself and Get in the Right Money Mindset When someone refers to a money mindset, they are referring to the thoughts and feelings you have in relation to your money. These thoughts and feelings are what guide and influence your behaviors with how you use your money from day to day. I like to use positive and negative terms to describe someone's money mindset because it is easier to understand. Other financial people use the words scarcity and abundance to describe a person's mindset. A scarcity money mindset is when someone feels like they never have enough money and always feel stressed and scared of not having enough. An abundance money mindset is when a person feels that they have enough or will be able to have enough to feel at ease and have a sense of security with their money situation. Whether you use positive/negative or scarcity/abundance to describe your mindset, it's important to figure out where you stand. If your thoughts and feelings lean toward the negative/scarcity side, you might have some work to get yourself in the right frame of mind to work on those goals. This is because it can be difficult to stay on track or get back on track when you have a bump in the road if you haven't mastered your money mindset. Related post: 10 Ways to Develop and Keep a Positive Money Mindset #4 Set Goals Goal setting is an important part of managing your money. If you don't have goals to work towards, how will you know what to do with your money? Your goals help guide your decisions on how you should manage your money. But setting goals can be tough! It's hard to know if what you hope and want to accomplish in a certain time frame is actually realistic or not. And setting realistic goals is important to keep yourself motivated. As you start to feel the success of meeting your goals, the momentum helps to keep you going to keep achieving your short-term and long-term goals. The SMART goal method is a popular method for goal setting. This was developed by George Doran, Arthur Miller, and James Cunningham in their 1981 article “There's a S.M.A.R.T. way to write management goals and objectives.” Being specific with what you want to accomplish, setting measurable goals that are achievable and realistic, and setting a time frame to reach them will give you a helpful start to creating goals that will work for you. Related post: 3 Steps to Help You Set Financial Goals and Avoid Failure #5 Track Your Spending Knowing where your money is going is important in adapting your spending habits and routines. You could create a simple spreadsheet (or use pen and paper) to track the amount of money you are spending in all the expense areas of your budget. To track day-to-day spending, save your receipts and tally them up for the day or the week to make it easier to keep track of. Once you fully understand where your money is going, it makes it easier to modify your spending habits to manage your money more easily. #6 Reassess Your Progress Frequently It will be hard to successfully improve how you manage your money if you aren't constantly reassessing where you stand. How would you know if you are moving your financial situation in the right direction? It's important to know if your budget is working, how much money you are putting away in your savings accounts, your debt totals, and your asset totals at all times. Then you can make changes appropriately that help you stay aligned with your financial goals. Common Questions About Managing Your Money How do I create a budget? Creating a budget that works for you and your family can take trial and error. First, you will want to list all sources of your income. Then list all the fixed expenses you must pay monthly, like your mortgage or rent, utilities, insurance, etc. You may include what you want to deposit into a savings account under your fixed expenses. That way, you are putting money in savings before spending it on the things you don't necessarily need but want. Try not to forget anything in your fixed/necessary expenses! Subtract your necessary expenses from your income to see what you have left over. The money left over is what you will use for the non-essential things you want to buy, like eating out, personal care, and entertainment. You will have to cut back on these budget categories if you have difficulty living below your means. Related posts:Budgeting for Beginners in 6 Easy Steps Budget Categories ListHow do I reduce my expenses to save more money? If your monthly expenses are higher than your income, you will have to take a good look at every expense to decide if there is a way to lower the expense. For example, if your electric bill has been super high, think about how you are using your electricity. If you have a furnace or central air that runs on electricity, try adjusting the temperature in your home so that it is not running as much during the day and/or the night. Another idea would be to lower your cable bill by canceling it altogether and subscribing to a less expensive service or looking at your plan to see if you could enroll in a cheaper option. Related Post: 20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month A large line expense in many people's budgets is the money spent on groceries. There are many ways to save on your food budget, including meal planning. Meal planning takes some work, but you will reap the benefits by saving money on your food budget. Related posts:Ultimate Guide to Meal Planning on a Budget Easy and Dirt Cheap Meals for a Tight Food Budget How to Create a Meal Planning Binder Quick and Easy Ways to Reuse Leftover Food Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme NightsFinding ways to lower your expenses can take some time and work, but it could definitely help you live within your means. Living below your means is crucial to meeting your financial goals and achieving financial wellness. How do I live more frugally? Living frugally is a lifestyle choice that can help you live within your means. Many people confuse living frugally with being cheap. Living frugally is when you intentionally save your money instead of spending it on things you don't really need. You buy what you need and will use that will add value to your life, and nothing more. You look for deals on the things you want to buy and do research, so you do not overpay for things. But if something will add a lot of value to your life and make you happy, you will spend your money on it. Being intentional with what you are spending your money on is key. On the other hand, being cheap is when you go out and buy the least expensive thing because you don't want to spend your money. The item is usually of inferior quality and ends up breaking or not lasting very long, causing you to buy another one. There usually is not much thought or planning put into the purchase. Some examples of how to live more frugally are shopping for quality clothing at second-hand stores, using coupons, buying food in bulk and freezing it into smaller portions, and buying a used car instead of a brand-new one. You can download my frugal living checklist if you want some help living a frugal lifestyle. It includes worksheets to develop a frugal living plan, a huge list of frugal living tips, and a frugal living tracker to track your frugal wins. Here is a preview:You can download the frugal living checklist and tracker here. Related posts:How to Develop a Robust Frugal Mindset 13 Awesome Benefits of Frugal Living Frugal Living: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less MoneyHow do I avoid lifestyle inflation? Keeping up with the Jones and lifestyle inflation is real! It is happening all around us, all the time. Whether it is buying a new car when you get a promotion, putting in a pool because your neighbor just got one, or spending money on the newest gaming system because it's the “in” thing that year, lifestyle creep can break your budget and put a halt to working toward your goals. Lifestyle inflation makes it extremely difficult to get out of debt, save money, and meet financial goals. When you start spending more and more money on your living standards as your income increases, budgeting becomes increasingly difficult, and the next thing you know, your budget no longer works for you. How do I stop living paycheck to paycheck? Living paycheck to paycheck is so common in the United States. So common, in fact, that somewhere between 50%-78% of Americans were living paycheck to paycheck before the pandemic, according to an article in The Washington Post. This number is astounding. If you are part of this statistic, I'm here to tell you that you can break the cycle. As I said earlier, living within your means is not easy today. But, if you want to break the cycle, you must get motivated and determined to make it happen. Buckling down on your budget, starting an emergency fund, spending less money, and finding ways to increase your income will help you get started in the right direction. Related posts:5 Tips to Help You Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck and Live More Comfortably How to Live Below Your Means: Benefits and Tips for Success 9 Tips to Improve Your Financial Wellness so You Sleep Better at Night 19 Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month 50 Ways to Make Extra MoneyHow do I decrease my money-related stress? Are you losing sleep at night because you are anxious or worried about your money situation? It is no secret that money issues can cause major stress in someone’s life. Getting yourself on the right financial course will do wonders to decrease your stress level. If you are stressed out, it's important to find a few ways to relieve your stress that work for you. Some activities that can help you destress include exercise, journaling, talking to a friend, listening to music, doing yoga, or meditating. The important thing is that once you figure out what helps you destress, start incorporating that activity into your daily life. Related Post: 5 Effective Tips to Deal with Financial-Related Stress Final Thoughts on Managing Your Money Better If you are overwhelmed with your money situation and don't know where to begin with getting your money under control, sometimes it is helpful to take a step back and start at square one. By getting everything organized, getting in the right money mindset, setting some goals, and tracking your spending, you can get yourself off to a great start. Focusing on your budget and decreasing your monthly expenses to live within your means are key to reaching your money goals. Plus, finding ways to make extra money will help you meet your goals and achieve financial wellness more quickly. But don't forget to celebrate the little successes along the way to keep yourself happy and motivated! Managing your money better is not about depriving yourself. It's about adapting how you use your money to live your best life. Sign up here to subscribe to my newsletter and get my free Budgeting Workbook! Pin for later!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

21 Best Ways to Save Money to Live Comfortably

Inflation is causing everyday living costs to rise by leaps and bounds. However, many employers cannot give workers yearly pay increases to keep up with the inflation rate.   So what should you do when everything around you increases in price, but your income is barely rising? How do you offset the inflation rate so you and your family can continue living your current lifestyle? If you need fast results, extreme frugal ways to save money shows how to save $500-900/month with a 90-day sprint plan. Finding the best ways to save money on everyday expenses is an excellent way to live more comfortably. In this article, you will find money-saving tips to help you reduce household expenses and live below your means, even with inflation soaring. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here. Best Ways to Save Money: Household Finances Sometimes the best way to save money is to revisit your household financial plan and money goals. Paying closer attention to managing your money can pay off big time in the long run. Here are money management tips that will help you save more cash every month. Make a Budget A budget is a fancy name for a spending plan. Creating a budget allows you to dictate how you will spend your income. Each dollar gets assigned a job to do, whether paying the electric bill, paying down debt, or saving for a large expense. For 2026, we've built ready-to-use budget templates for $45K, $65K, and $75K salaries. A budget will help you save money because you can identify where you are spending too much money. Then, develop a plan to reduce those expenses so you can channel that money elsewhere. Use Cash Cash for specific budget categories, which you tend to overspend on, is one of the best ways to save money during the month. You can use the cash envelope system for budgeting to help you organize your money. Cash envelopes are simply envelopes labeled with the budget category for which you are strictly using cash. You stop spending on that budget category once the money in your cash envelopes is gone.   Pay Off Debt Debt is expensive. Focusing on paying off the high-interest consumer debt you have is a fantastic way to save money. Once the debt is gone, you will have that extra money to put toward your financial goals.    Automate Your Savings Automatically depositing money from your paycheck to a savings account is one of the best ways to save money each month. Making the bank transfer automatic eliminates the possibility of spending the money before it lands in your savings account.  Use a High-Yield Savings Account A high-yield savings account will help you save more because you will passively earn money on the cash you deposit each month. There are many outstanding online high-yield savings accounts available. However, one you should check out is the Axos High-Yield Savings Account. No monthly maintenance fees and minimum balance requirements make this account accessible for nearly everyone.   Check out the Axos High-Yield Savings Account here. Best Ways to Save Money: Food Food prices have been rising sharply over the past few months, making it harder to buy groceries and stay within your monthly food budget. However, plenty of money-saving strategies help stretch your grocery budget. Here are some of the best ways to save money on food.   Meal Plan Meal planning will not only help save your sanity on busy weeknights, but it will also help you save money on food. Start with a simple weekly meal plan with grocery list to save up to $300 a month. Making last-minute stops at the grocery store on your way home from work to pick something up for dinner is not suitable for your wallet.   Planning your meals out for the week will help you strategize your grocery spending. You can meal plan around what you already have in your pantry, fridge, and freezer to spend less at the grocery store.   Cooking a double batch of one meal is often cheaper than buying the ingredients for two different meals. Also, getting creative and using your leftovers to make other meals to feed your family is a frugal way to save money. Helpful Tip: If you hate meal planning or have tried it and can’t figure out a system that works for you, you should look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person. And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Eat at Home Eating out gets expensive, especially for families. Limiting the number of times you eat at a restaurant will help put more money in your pocket (and bank account). Budgeting for eating out is crucial to avoid overspending and allows you to still enjoy yourself once in a while.   Pack Your Lunch You can save so much money by packing a lunch to take to work. Invest in a nice lunch tote, some reusable containers, and cooler packs to make carrying your lunch to work a breeze. If the thought of packing a lunch every night makes you cringe, do all of your meal prep on a Sunday for the entire week. Try a variety of lunch ideas, so you don’t get bored. But keep your noon-time meals simple to make them easy to prepare.   Use Ibotta Ibotta is a cash-back app for groceries that is free to download and use. You can use it at stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, and more. You add the grocery offer to your account in the Ibotta app, take a picture of your receipt, and they deposit the money into your Ibotta account.   Ibotta can also be used with Walmart Grocery Pickup, even though you don’t get a receipt with Grocery Pickup. That’s how we use it the most.   Before starting your grocery order on Walmart, you click on Walmart through the Ibotta app. Then, it redirects you, and you start your shopping.   Once you pick up your groceries, the money gets deposited into your Ibotta account.   If you don’t have Ibotta yet, you can sign up here. Signing up through my link can receive up to $20 in welcome bonuses!   Shop at Discount Grocery Stores Shopping at discount grocery stores is one of the best ways to save money on groceries. They are some of the cheapest grocery stores around. You won’t find many brand names in a discount grocery store, but the quality of the store brands is usually just as good as the name brand version. Don’t forget your reusable grocery bags, and be prepared to bag your groceries at places like like Aldi or Lidl.   Try Grocery Pickup Ordering groceries online and using curbside pickup is an excellent way to control your grocery bill. Why? Because you can see the running total of your groceries and remove items from your cart as needed to keep your food costs under budget. In addition, picking up your groceries instead of going into the store will help you avoid impulse buys.   Best Ways to Save Money: Spending Habits Spending habits can make or break a budget. Adopting a few of these tips over the long term will help you get your spending under control and to save more money each month. Stop Impulse Spending Impulse spending can easily break a budget. If you see something you want while shopping, wait it out for a few days to see if you still want the item. If you do, shop around for the best deal on it. Or find a less expensive alternative that you like. Buy Used There are many items you can save money on by purchasing them second-hand. Search for used items in gently used condition on popular marketplaces, like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, eBay, and Poshmark. Check out garage sales and thrift stores for used items. Here are things you may want to consider buying used to save money:Clothing Accessories Toys Cars Sports Gear Exercise Equipment Furniture BooksTry a No-Spend Challenge A no-spend challenge is when you stop spending money on non-essentials. Examples of non-essential items in the budget are clothing, eating out, and entertainment. A no-spend challenge is an excellent way to reduce your spending for a specific time, allowing you to save money for your financial goals.  Shop Around and Negotiate Shopping around is an incredible way to save money, especially when making a large purchase. Taking advantage of special sales throughout the year and planning your purchases around the sales will help you to get a great deal. Also, try not to be shy when making a large purchase. Asking for a price match and negotiating the price could save you lots of cash. Use Rakuten Rakuten is a cash-back app you can use to get cash-back at over 2,500 stores online, and it’s free to sign up.   How it works is Rakuten gets a commission from the stores for sending customers their way. Rakuten then shares the commission with you in the form of cash-back.   You get paid every three months via Paypal cash or a check. In addition, there is a mobile app and a browser extension so you can use Rakuten on your phone, desktop, or laptop.    If you didn’t join Rakuten yet, you could check it out here. Best Ways to Save Money: Monthly Expenses Reducing your monthly expenses will help you live below your means. There are many ways to save money on your household expenses. Cutting costs on some of your expenses may take a bit more legwork than others, but in the end, you will save money over the long term. Refinance Your Mortgage Your mortgage payment is likely your most significant monthly bill if you own a home. Check to see if you can save money on your monthly payment and the interest you pay on the life of your loan by refinancing to a lower interest rate.   Cut the Cord Breaking up with your cable company is doable nowadays. Many free on-demand and live streaming apps could take the place of cable TV. Finding a cheaper alternative to cable can save you hundreds of dollars a year, making it one of the best ways to save money on your monthly expenses.   Find a Cheaper Cell Phone Plan There are tons of options when it comes to cell phone plans. If your cell service provider doesn’t have a plan that fits nicely in your budget, shop around to find a cheaper plan you can afford. A pre-paid phone plan, like Tello or Mint Mobile, can be a great way to save money and avoid overage fees.   Lower Your Utility Bills There are many ways to save money on your utility bills. Making your home more energy-efficient and finding other ways to save money on your utilities can help lower your monthly payments. Here are some ways to reduce your utility bills to save money.Turn off lights Use timers on lights Hang cellular shades or insulating curtains Do laundry in cold water Set shower timers for kids Use a programmable thermostat Hang some clothes on a drying rack Only run a full dishwasherShop Around for Insurance Insurance premiums can vary significantly between companies. Shopping around for car insurance, homeowners insurance, renters insurance, and life insurance can help you find the best deals. Save money by bundling your different insurance policies with the same company. Also, ask about other discounts you qualify for that could lower your premiums.   Final Thoughts on the Best Ways to Save Money The rising cost of living doesn’t have to ruin your budget. First, look at your budget categories to see where the best ways to save money are for you. Then, use these money-saving tips as a guide to help you identify areas where you can reduce costs to live below your means.

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

20 Best Cheap Furniture Stores to Decorate on a Budget

Buying a home is the largest purchase you will ever make. So large that you may have very little money left over to furnish your new home. The last thing you want to do is to rack up credit card debt to buy furniture for your new digs.   Enter cheap furniture stores. Many stores sell furniture that won't break the budget. Instead, these stores sell furniture and home decor items that are both budget-friendly and on-trend.   Here is a list of the best cheap furniture stores to furnish your house or apartment on a budget. Don't forget to bookmark this article the next time you wonder, “Where are the cheap furniture stores near me?”   Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here. Best Cheap Furniture Stores: New Furniture So you just bought a home or moved into your new apartment. Now you are looking to furnish your home but don't have a lot of extra cash to pay for expensive furniture or home decor. No worries! There are plenty of places that sell nice furniture at an affordable price. So check out these cheap furniture stores the next time you need to buy new furniture on a budget.   Overstock Overstock was established in 1999 and has developed into a substantial billion-dollar online retail store. Overstock's mission is to provide quality products, outstanding value, and superb customer service to help customers create the home they always wanted.   From dining room furniture to bedroom furniture to outdoor furniture, Overstock has a massive selection of inexpensive furniture from which to choose. You will surely find a piece (or two or three) that fits your style. Also, if you sign up for their email list, you can receive coupons and notifications of special sales or discounts they offer. Wayfair Wayfair is another online retail store where you will find an enormous selection of furniture and home decor products. They are known for being one of the world's largest online retailers offering 33 million products. Wayfair offers incredible customer service, so you can confidently order from them. Their product offerings make it easy to find what you are looking for in the price range you need. Whether you are looking for a sectional sofa, chaise lounger, or recliner, you'll find plenty of budget-friendly options from which to choose.   Ikea Ikea is a Sweden-based company founded in 1953 as a mail-order catalog business. It has grown into a global brand offering home furnishings that are both affordable and modern. The company values sustainability and focuses on using resources carefully.    Ikea's goal is to offer products that will better many people's everyday lives. These affordable products make furnishing a home possible, even for people on the smallest of budgets. Some of their top-selling items include their Billy bookcases, Kallax shelving, Malm bed frames, Ektorp sofa, and Lack end tables.   Bob's Discount Furniture Bob's Discount Furniture store is another excellent option for finding inexpensive furniture that fits your budget. The store's mission is to provide quality furniture for a price everybody can afford. Bob's Discount Furniture has retail locations around the country and online shopping for your convenience.   Bob's Discount Furniture offers a variety of home furnishings, including furniture, mattresses, bedding, curtains, and accent pillows. You are sure to find items that fit your budget and style. Walmart Everyone knows Walmart has just about everything, including cheap furniture and home decor. Look for inexpensive furniture online for the best selection. In addition, you can shop Walmart's furniture clearance for even more savings. You'll find everything you need to furnish your house or apartment at Walmart. Walmart is a one-stop shop for superior convenience.   Target Target is another fantastic place to find inexpensive furniture. Target is another low-cost retail store like Walmart and offers low prices on any home furnishing item you could ever need. You'll find plenty of choices for couches between $300 and $500 and coffee table options under $100. Check Target for your home furniture needs. Amazon Amazon has it all, including cheap furniture. You'll find living room furniture under $300 and inexpensive area rugs to match. Amazon is also a great place to find kids' furniture, such as bunk beds, upholstered kids' chairs, and desks. Whether you prefer farmhouse style, industrial, modern, or retro, you are sure to find furniture that fits your home and budget on Amazon. World Market World Market is not the cheapest furniture store on this list, but if you shop their sales, you can find great deals on quality furniture and decor items. World Market focuses on value and affordability so that its designs and styles are accessible to anyone. You'll find everything from furniture to kitchen gadgets to lighting and area rugs at World Market. You will even find gift ideas at World Market for birthdays, holidays, weddings, or any other special occasion.   Ashley Furniture Ashley Furniture is a famous family-owned company well-known for supplying affordable furniture to more than 20,000 stores. Their sofas start at $399.99, and they have coffee tables under $200. You can receive a discount on your first Ashely Furniture order by signing up for store emails. Signature Design by Ashley is a division of Ashley Furniture that is also sold at other retailers, such as Big Lots, Wayfair, and Overstock. Definity check out their products if you want quality, affordable furniture.   Big Lots Big Lots may not be your first thought when looking for cheap furniture stores. But they are a store you may want to check out when looking to furnish your home on a budget. Currently, their most inexpensive sofa is $299.00. They also have a few couch options under $400, making them one of the cheapest places to buy living room furniture on this list. In addition, if you are looking for home office furniture, Big Lots has desk chairs, desks, and storage options that could meet your needs.   Home Depot Home Depot is most likely not the first store to come to mind when you are furniture shopping. However, when browsing the website, you will notice all types of furniture. In addition to the specific categories, such as living room furniture, bedroom furniture, and home office furniture, other featured categories include entertainment centers, baby furniture, kid's furniture, and mattress sets. The variety of furniture offered and the low prices make this an excellent store for finding cheap furniture. Wholesale Clubs If you are already a Sam's Club, Costco, or BJ's Wholesale member, check out their furniture shops for discounted home furniture prices. Browse their online furniture for the best selection when shopping at one of these wholesale clubs.   Ross Ross is another off-price retail chain, like TJ Maxx. They can sell name-brand items for less because they source their products directly from manufacturers. While Ross mainly focuses on passing the savings to customers by selling cheap clothing, the store also has a decent size furniture selection. You will mostly find smaller pieces of furniture like accent chairs, ottomans, side tables, and benches at Ross stores. Ross is also an excellent place to find tabletop decor if you want a room refresh.  Best Cheap Furniture Stores: Secondhand Furniture Sometimes there isn't money in the budget for new furniture. And that's okay. There are a few great places you can find cheap secondhand furniture. Secondhand furniture often needs some love, like a deep cleaning or fresh paint. But you can save money and help the planet by buying used furniture instead of new furniture. Thrift Stores Look for cheap but quality furniture at your local thrift stores. Many thrift stores support a good cause with their earnings. So not only can you find a great deal, but you can feel good about your money going to help others.   Goodwill Goodwill is a nonprofit organization that provides job training and services to people with barriers to gaining employment. You can shop Goodwill online or in stores to find some great deals. Goodwill doesn't merely have cheap clothes. You can also find some great used furniture there.   Craigslist Craigslist is an online marketplace for buying and selling items. You can search for cheap furniture near you by selecting the area you live in when completing your search. But you'll have to be prepared to pick up your furniture. Most people can't or won't deliver their used furniture to you when you buy it. So be careful and safe when picking up items. Don't go alone and try to meet in a public place, if possible.  Facebook Marketplace Facebook Marketplace is another way to buy and sell items online and where people sell their unwanted furniture. Like Craigslist, you can search by location and usually will have to pick up your items. Sometimes you can even find free furniture to snag for your home.   eBay eBay is another online marketplace worth browsing if you want cheap furniture. You can search where you live if you want, but you will have the best options by not limiting your search area. The great thing about eBay is that the sellers need to set their shipping costs for each item when it is listed. So you will know the shipping cost for an item while browsing the listings. Some sellers even offer free shipping for their listed items. Don't forget to check the seller's feedback rating to make sure you are buying from a reputable seller.   Yard Sales, Garage Sales, or Estate Sales Yard, garage, and Estate sales are also great places to find the best cheap furniture. The main drawback of buying furniture at these types of sales is you won't know what they have until you go. So if you are looking for something particular or need some furniture asap, these types of sales are not the way to shop for furniture. However, if you don't urgently need a couch to sit on so you don't have to sit on the floor, collecting secondhand furniture pieces over time is a great way to save money on furniture (and get that designer mismatched furniture look).   The Curb While not technically a store, you can find cheap or free furniture out on the curb while driving around. People who want to get rid of furniture without a hassle will sometimes place nice furniture on the curb outside their homes with a free sign. Of course, there's no guarantee with this furniture, and occasionally free furniture may need some love (i.e., a fresh coat of paint), but you definitely won't find cheaper furniture elsewhere.   Cheap Furniture Stores FAQ Where Can I Find Really Cheap Furniture? The best places to find really cheap furniture are online stores and marketplaces. Amazon, Walmart, Target, Ikea, and Big Lots are the most affordable furniture stores. While Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Goodwill, and eBay are the best places to find the cheapest used furniture.   Where Can I Find Free Furniture? There is no shame in looking for free used furniture! It's a frugal thing to do. Why not save money and reduce landfill waste? Keep your eyes peeled while driving in your neighborhood to spot-free furniture placed on curbs. Make sure there is a free sign on it before taking it.   You can also get free furniture hand-me-downs from family members, friends, or coworkers. For example, have a friend downsizing or moving far away? Inquire about what they will be doing with their furniture. They may opt to unload it rather than have to pay to store it or move it. Is a family member talking about replacing a piece of furniture? It doesn't hurt to ask about their plans for the old furniture piece.  How Do You Get New Furniture on a Budget? Making and sticking to a furniture budget when hunting for new furniture is key to staying out of debt. But how do you find new furniture that is budget-friendly? Start by shopping at cheap furniture stores. Then, you can go one step further and look for discount codes when shopping online or store coupons when shopping in person. Also, check your favorite cashback apps and browser extensions when shopping online to find the best deals. For example, you can check Ibotta, Honey, Rakuten, and Capital One Shopping to find discounts.   If you don't have these apps yet, you can sign up using the following links: Ibotta Honey Rakuten Capital One Shopping What is the Cheapest Month to Buy Furniture? The cheapest months to buy furniture are February and August since most furniture stores bring in new styles in Spring and Fall. In addition, stores tend to discount their current stock at the end of Winter and Summer to make room for their latest styles.  Other times of the year when you'll find great deals on furniture are during holiday sales. Look for discounts during New Year's, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, and Thanksgiving (Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales).   Final Thoughts on the Best Cheap Furniture Stores There are many ways to save money on furnishing your home. Focusing your furniture hunt on the cheapest furniture stores during sales is a surefire way to save money. However, don't forget to consider secondhand furniture for your home. Buying used furniture is excellent for your wallet and the Earth.

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

Christmas Preparation Ideas: 17 Tips to Save Money and Your Sanity

Are you looking for some Christmas preparation ideas so you can be ready for Christmas early this year? There is so much to do when preparing for Christmas and the holiday season that it can be incredibly overwhelming and stressful, especially if you wait until the last minute. I hate being stressed around the holidays!  It makes it so hard to enjoy the spirit of the season, the festivities, and of course spending time with family. I found this out first hand the year I had my second son. Christmas snuck up on me so fast that year!  He was born at the end of August.  The next thing I knew, it was December and I had not prepared for Christmas at all! Boy was I stressed that year.  And guess who does all the Christmas preparation in our house?  Yup, you guessed it, yours truly! I vowed to never wait until the last minute to prepare for Christmas again!   Ever since then, I start my Christmas preparation in September.  And as it turn out, September is when many people start preparing for Christmas. In September I like to start making lots of lists. I make lists of the people I need to shop for, possible gift ideas, and Christmas supplies I need for wrapping gifts, making gifts, baking, holiday meals, and decorating our home.   Then in November, I start shopping.  I like to start shopping in November for the things I want to buy online.  By doing this, I have plenty of time to shop around for the best deals and of course, have my items delivered early so I have plenty of time to wrap them.   But the bulk of my Christmas preparation is done the week after Thanksgiving when I take a few days off from work to get ready for the holidays while the kids are in school.   It’s during these couple of days that I do our Christmas decorating.  I also wrap and tag all the gifts I already bought and send out my Christmas cards. It has been working out really well for the past few years.  So today I wanted to share my Christmas preparation ideas with you so you can get ahead too! If you are trying to plan ahead and get a jump start on your holiday prep, keep reading for my best tips to help you save money and your sanity this holiday season.Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Christmas Preparation Ideas: 17 Ways to Save Money and Your Sanity #1 Make a game plan The key to being prepared for Christmas is to get organized.  Making lists is a great way to put your ideas and thoughts on paper so you don’t forget them. As I said earlier, I usually do that in September.  But if you think you need more time to plan and organize, starting much earlier in the year will help. As you start making lists for all of your Christmas festivities, you are beginning to create your plan.  Here are ideas for lists to create:Holiday meal planning and ingredients needed People to shop for and possible gift ideas Christmas supplies you need List of people you send Christmas cards to and their current addresses#2 Create a budget Creating a Christmas budget is a must!  The last thing you want to do is to go into debt from spending too much money during the holidays.   After you make your lists, think about the amount of money you will need for each list.  Come up with a budget based on what you feel is appropriate to spend.   Assess your savings and decide if you will need to make extra money for Christmas.  Earmark your Christmas money in a sinking fund to keep it safe and untouched so you have it when you need it. There are many ways to make extra money for Christmas.  Here are some examples of ways to make extra money:  Take online surveys for Paypal credit or e-Giftcards using Survey Junkie Have a yard sale, garage sale, or sell your stuff on apps like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist Sell unwanted items online (eBay, Poshmark, ThreadUp) Pick up another side hustleRelated posts: Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month 50 Ways to Make Extra Money #3 Create a holiday bucket list A bucket list is a list of experiences you one day hope to have.  Why not write a bucket list for the holidays?  You could start some new Christmas traditions with some ideas from your bucket list. Some frugal ideas for your holiday bucket list are:Drive around your neighborhood to see the lights Have a Christmas movie marathon Have a game night with friends and serve holiday drinks (egg nog, mulled wine, hot cocoa, Christmas punch, holiday sangria) and snacks Have a chocolate fondue dessert night Read Christmas stories Get family or friends together to bake cookies Make a gingerbread houseRelated Posts:  Budget-Friendly Winter Activities#4 Check for Christmas supplies you need Taking advantage of holiday sales and clearance after Christmas is a great way to save money while stocking up on the things you will need for next year.   Make a list of items you are getting low on while wrapping gifts this year so you can be on the lookout for those clearance items after the holidays. Then you will be all set for the following year! However, if you didn’t do that last year, take inventory of what you currently have and what you need for this year so you can look for sales on those items.   Some supplies to check your inventory for are:Gift wrap Bows Gift tags Tape Clothing boxes Tissue paper Gift Bags Christmas cards (if not ordering custom) Christmas decor#5 Shop for gifts throughout the year Picking up gifts for people throughout the year can be super helpful to spread the cost of gifts out over the course of several months instead of buying everything a month or two before Christmas. Check out seasonal clearance and shop sales for items to have on hand for last-minute gifts (for example if you forgot to add someone to your gift list).    Don’t forget to check out TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Ross is if you have any of those stores nearby.  They often have seasonal clearance throughout the year on top of their already low prices.   Some inexpensive gift ideas to pick up during sales for work gift exchanges, hostess gifts, and neighbor gifts are:Candles Cute dishcloth/towel sets/oven mitts Journals Notepad/pen Picture Frames Bag of gourmet coffee Hot chocolate assortments Tea assortments Chocolates/seasonal candy Cozy socks Shower gel/bath salts Hand lotion Manicure set Nail polish Small baskets or trays Change purse or clutch Kitchen utensils Bottle of wineSome of these things would also make great stocking stuffers or you could combine a couple of them in a small basket to make a nice gift basket for someone. #6 Make homemade gifts ahead of time Another Christmas preparation idea is to make your homemade gifts ahead of time.  This will definitely help you keep your sanity!   The last thing you need to be doing during the busiest part of the season is making soap, knitting a blanket, or pouring candle wax! If you will be putting together gift baskets, you could prepare those early too.  Then you can make a list of exactly what you need to complete them.  #7 Meal plan for December If you don’t meal plan for any other month of the year, at least try to meal plan in December!   December is such a busy month and to add on the stress of deciding what to have for dinner every night, you could seriously drive yourself nuts. As you may know, I am a huge advocate of meal planning.  I actually love monthly meal planning for my family.  I love only having to do it once every 4 weeks.  Now if you really hate meal planning, you could try $5 Meal Plans. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month for the service!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Then you can see how much time, money, and stress meal planning can save you! #8 Pick up ingredients when on sale Once you have your holiday menu figured out, you can save money on your Christmas meals by buying your ingredients when they are on sale. Don’t forget to use Ibotta for your groceries!   Ibotta is a cash-back app that is free to download and use.  It can be used at so many different stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, and lots more! You just add the money-back offer to your account in the Ibotta app, take a picture of your receipt, and they deposit the money into your Ibotta account.   Ibotta can also be used with Walmart Grocery Pickup, even though you don’t get a receipt with Grocery Pickup.  That’s how we use it the most.   Before you start your grocery order on Walmart, you click on Walmart through the Ibotta app.  It redirects you and you start your shopping.   Once you pick up your groceries the money gets deposited into your Ibotta account.   If you don’t have Ibotta yet, you can sign up here. By signing up through my link, you can receive up to $20 in welcome bonuses!   Also if you use your laptop or desktop computer, Ibotta has a browser extension you can use instead of an app on your phone.  You can download the browser extension here.  #9 Bake ahead of time Another Christmas preparation idea is to bake your cookies ahead of time and freeze them (if they freeze well). If your family loves Christmas cookies and you usually bake tons of different kinds of cookies, making some of them ahead of time will definitely help with your holiday work load. If you prefer them fresh (and not previously frozen), why not freeze the dough so all you would have to do is thaw the dough and bake the cookies?   #10 Use money-saving apps In order to save money around the holidays, it is important to plan ahead. Plan everything so you can use money-saving apps! If you wait until the last minute to buy the things you need, there is less of a chance of finding a deal on them. When planning your Christmas meals (or any meals for that matter) don't forget to check Ibotta for money-back offers. If you don't have Ibotta yet, you can sign up here. As I said earlier, it's totally free to download and use! Why not get cash back on the things you were going to buy anyway? Rakuten (used to be Ebates) is another cash-back app that is free to use. If shopping on a laptop or desktop computer, use their free browser extension. Just click on the store you want through the Rakuten app or website and you will earn cash back in the form of a check or Paypal after qualified purchases. Fetch Rewards is another app you can use to save on groceries. You just take a picture of your receipt after you shop and you can earn rewards points towards gift cards. #11 Plan your Christmas card Get a jump start on your Christmas cards.  Decide on your picture and order your cards early if you are getting custom cards made. Make sure you have all of the correct addresses handy so you can start writing them out as soon as they arrive.   #12 Make travel plans early Another way to prepare for Christmas is to make your travel plans early.  If you need to book a flight or hotel room, booking them early rather than waiting until the last minute will help you ensure you get the flight and room of your choice. #13 Prepare for overnight guests If you will be hosting overnight guests, being prepared with the proper linens, blankets, pillows, and extra toiletries will help your guests feel at home. If the room doesn’t get used except for once a year at Christmas, a deep cleaning may be needed to ensure your guests are comfortable.   By getting ready for your guests ahead of time, you will have one less thing you need to do while you are busy preparing other things for the holiday.   #14 Make sure your cleaning supplies are well stocked Don’t forget to stock up on cleaning supplies.  If you have more visitors than normal at your home over the holidays, you may need to do some extra or last-minute cleaning. You could be in the middle of doing a last-minute cleaning for your bathroom before guests arrive only to realize you are totally out of toilet scrubbers (trust me, it does happen!).  #15 Plan your holiday party This may seem like a no-brainer, but preparing for Christmas by planning your holiday party ahead of time is definitely a sanity saver and a money saver.   Make a list of everything you need for your party. Include every last detail.  Food, drinks, decorations, games, people to invite, party favors, date, location, time,…everything.   So you don’t forget anything. #16 Keep your lists for next year You know all the lists you made this year?  Your gift list, your party list, your holiday meal list, and your grocery lists for your holiday meals?  Keep all of them in a safe place for when you start your Christmas preparation next year. Keep them in a binder or folder labeled Christmas and place them where you will remember where they are.   Then all you have to do next year is tweak the lists a bit.  By keeping your gift lists, you will know exactly what you gave everyone and you won’t accidentally give people the same type of gifts again next year.   #17 Get your rest It is so important for your sanity and your health to get your rest when preparing for Christmas.  You don’t want to run yourself down to the point where you get sick.   Christmas is supposed to be a joyous time of year to spend with family and friends. Getting your much-needed R & R will help you feel your best during the busiest time of year.  Final Thoughts on Christmas preparation ideas Preparing for the holiday season is no simple task.  But planning ahead and getting a jump start on preparing for the holidays will help you save money and feel less stressed. And preparing for Christmas can get so expensive.  Many people go into debt around the holidays.   But you don’t have to. Making a game plan and creating a holiday budget will help you spend your money intentionally for the holidays.   And finding ways to make a little extra money, shopping sales, and using money-saving apps will also go far in helping you avoid the dreaded Christmas debt.   As you prepare for the holidays, don’t forget to get enough rest so you can enjoy the holiday cheer and magic of the season with your family and friends.   Do you have any other Christmas preparation ideas?  I would love to hear them! Please let me know in the comments.  

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

How to Develop a Robust Frugal Mindset

Are you trying to build a frugal mindset so you can start living a more frugal lifestyle, but it just isn’t working for you like you thought it would?   Maybe you tried meal planning for a few weeks, but now you are back to ordering takeout or circling the drive-thru more than just once or twice a week. Or perhaps a couple of weeks ago you made a decision you weren’t going to spend money on clothes, home decor, or _________ (insert your obsession here), and now you just got done buying some new stuff because you felt like you deserved it.   Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you try to make a change with longstanding habits, if your heart and mind aren’t fully in it, it can be so hard to change!  I find this to be true in so many areas of my life.   For example, I have tried hard to be a morning person and wake up early to write, work out, or even just have time to eat breakfast before I go to work for the day.  But when my alarm goes off, my hand automatically goes right to the snooze button.   And I find myself drifting back to sleep for another 5 minutes…and then another 5 minutes…and another 5 minutes. I’ve also made several attempts to stay on top of my house cleaning and even made a schedule to try to clean one little thing after work every day.   One thing.   One little thing every weekday that would take me 10 minutes to clean, but would make a huge difference in the time I have to spend cleaning on my cherished weekends.   Do you think I could keep up with it?  Nope.   My point is, habits are so incredibly hard to break.  If you are used to ordering food during the week or buying your favorite things whenever you want them without thinking twice about it, that is going to be pretty hard to change. But it is possible…if your heart and your mind are ready for that change.   That is where building a frugal mindset comes into play.  Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   How to Develop a Robust Frugal Mindset What does it mean when you have a frugal mindset? You might be wondering what a mindset actually is.   According to an article in Psychology Today, a mindset is a belief that dictates how you react to a situation.  Your mindset can help you identify situations that would benefit you, or your mindset can set you up for failure.  You may have read a lot about money mindset lately.  It’s been talked about by lots of financial gurus, and for good reason (check out my post on money mindset here).  Your money mindset is what influences how you handle your money.   So as you can imagine, money mindset is so important when it comes to being successful with reaching your financial goals!   But today I want to write about how you can develop a strong frugal mindset.   While money mindset deals with your overall beliefs and values about money, a frugal mindset deals more specifically with your beliefs about spending.  A frugal mindset means that you are using your money intentionally today to help better your financial life in the future.   Many people think being frugal is synonymous with being cheap.  This is not so! Being frugal is about making well-thought-out, planned decisions about how you will spend your money so you can live the life you want to live.   It is not about being a miser and hoarding your money.  A frugal lifestyle is a way of life that allows you to make choices about how you live your life without letting money influence your choices.   If you are just starting to learn about frugal living, check out my post The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Frugal Living to learn more.   Now onto what you have been waiting for…how to develop your frugal mindset!   The steps I am going to walk you through below coincide with my Frugal Living Workbook.  You can download and print out my workbook to follow along with this post.   Download your Frugal Living Workbook here.Steps to developing a frugal mindset 1. Determine why you want to modify your mindset As I said earlier, changing the habits that you have had for years is not an easy thing to do.  So determining why you want to transition to a frugal mindset and a frugal lifestyle is super important!   You see, when you actually sit down and think about why you want to change, it will help you to understand yourself better.  And becoming fully aware of your current money situation is the first step to making changes! So go ahead and write down the reason you want to develop a frugal mindset somewhere so you can easily refer back to it.   Next, try brainstorming other ways that living frugally will help improve your overall life and happiness.  Go ahead and make a list to help you organize your thoughts. Once you find your purpose and see how living frugally will benefit you, it will make it easier to get motivated to make changes.   2. Have a family meeting Sit down with your partner to talk about why you should start living more frugally.  You will need to work together as a team to find success.   Brainstorm a few ways each person can help contribute to your family's new frugal lifestyle. Maybe your partner will start packing his lunch for work most days. And perhaps you are willing to start doing your own manicures. The key is that you work together to make a plan. If you have kids, you may want to consider including them in your discussions.  If you can get your kids thinking frugally from a young age, you can really help to set them up for financial success in the future.  3. Brainstorm how to make more lifestyle changes This is where the fun starts (at least I think so)!  Here is a quick exercise to help you start getting in the frugal mindset! I want you to make 3 different lists. In the first list, I want you to write down the things that you value most that you don’t mind spending money on.  These should be things that are your priority because you can’t (or don’t want to) live without them.  Just to give you an example, here are some things of high priority that I would include on my list:Family vacations Sports fees for the kids Going out for ice cream as a family Special gifts for family and friends Pool membership for the summer Home projectsThese are things that are important to us that we spend money on, even though we are quite a frugal-minded family. After you do this, see if you can come up with some ideas on how to spend less money on these things.   Here are some examples of how we save on some of the things above:Look for ways to save money while on our beach vacations (see the list here) Research local pool membership fees and join a less expensive pool Use coupons, the Local Flavor app, or Groupon for ice cream (or buy store-bought and have ice cream at home) Use Rakuten when shopping online for gifts or look for sales, coupons, promo codes, etc DIY as many home projects as possibleFor the second list, I want you to write down the things that don't really matter to you that you want to stop spending your money on.  These should be the things that don't add value to your life that you could live without. Things like subscriptions, frequently eating out, new clothes, home decor, etc. Then do the same thing as you did above and write down how you will stop or decrease your spending on those things.   So maybe you will cancel a monthly subscription, plan to eat out only once a week, limit your clothes purchase to things you absolutely need, and shop for home decor items at thrift stores (or stop buying altogether).   You get the idea! For the third list, I want you to do the same thing, but with your household expenses.  So I realize most of your household expenses are necessary (electric, gas, mortgage, water bill, etc), however, some of those expenses could potentially be reduced with a little thought and action. Make a list of your household expenses that could be reduced.  Then brainstorm ways you could reduce each one.  So maybe you could have a programmable thermostat installed, hang some of your clothes to dry instead of using the dryer, turn lights off more consistently, trade in your newer car for a reliable used one that you wouldn't have a payment on, or refinance your mortgage for a lower interest rate.  Again these are just examples of potential ways you could spend less money on your expenses to allow you to live more frugally.  You'll have to come up with things that are appropriate for your situation. The importance of this exercise is to get you thinking more frugally and start to work toward that frugal mindset!  Once you can develop your frugal mindset, intentional spending becomes so much easier and a lot less like work.   4. Begin implementing changes slowly Once you have a few frugal ideas to try, start implementing them one at a time.  Don’t try to change too many things at once or you risk becoming overwhelmed, confused, and burned out.   And those things are never good!   The important thing to remember when implementing the frugal ideas you came up with is that you are doing this for a reason!  Everything you do should have a reason or else what is the point of doing it?   Don’t forget to read back over your reason for making the change to a frugal mindset and your list of how making this lifestyle change will benefit you in the long run.  5. Keep track of frugal wins Small wins and successes over a period of time can be so motivating!  Keep a log or journal of your transition to a frugal mindset and frugal lifestyle so you can read back over them.   I have included a tracker to log your frugal wins in my Frugal Living Workbook.  You can download it here!  6. Surround yourself with frugal-minded friends One more thing you can do to help develop a strong frugal mindset is to hang out with your friends that are frugal people.  Frugal people totally get each other lol!  Try to avoid spending a lot of time around people that tend to be materialistic, critical, or narrow-minded, at least until you are in the frugal flow and have built your frugal confidence!   Peer pressure and keeping up with the Joneses are real.  And those two things could potentially throw you off course for developing your frugal mindset.   Benefits of a frugal mindset Now that you know how to build your frugal mindset, let’s talk about the benefits of having a frugal mindset! Live below means When you have a frugal mindset, it helps you to live below your means.  In other words, you don’t spend more money than you bring in.   How does having a frugal mindset help you to not spend money you don’t actually have? When you have a frugal mindset, you look at your spending options very closely and carefully.  You start to analyze your tentative purchases before you decide to buy them.   When someone has a frugal mindset, the person typically will analyze the purchase before buying by asking themselves the following 6 questions:Do I need the item? Will the item bring me happiness or joy? Can I borrow the item? Can I make the item? Can I buy the item secondhand? Where can I find the best deal on the item?When you get in the habit of asking yourself these types of questions about possible purchases, it helps to avoid impulse buys.  It also helps you to decide if something is really worth spending the money on and bringing into your life (and home). The less you buy, the fewer bills you have.  The fewer bills you have, the easier it is to live below your means.   Check out my guide for how to live below your means here.  Live a more simple, minimalist lifestyle Having a frugal mindset also helps you to live more simply.  You aren’t as focused on the newest, bright, and shiny material things.   Bringing fewer new things into your home will help you to live a more of a minimalist lifestyle.  You will have fewer things to clean, fewer things to take care of, and fewer things to find spots for within your home.   Having a frugal mindset helps you to focus on what is most important to you (your values, and beliefs) and helps you to make decisions regarding your spending based on those things.   Less stress and worrying about money Another awesome benefit of a frugal mindset is feeling less money-related stress.  If you are living below your means and don’t have a large amount of debt, you will feel better about your financial situation.   You will be able to relax more easily, sleep better at night, and worry less about money.   Reach financial goals more quickly A frugal mindset will help you to reach your money goals more quickly.  Whether your goal is to pay off debt, save for a family vacation, live off one income to stay home with your babies, or save for a down payment on a home, having a frugal mindset and living more frugally will help get you there.   Reach financial wellness Financial wellness is your ability to effectively manage your finances over time.  It includes being able to pay your bills on time, save money for the future, handle unexpected expenses, and staying on track toward meeting your long-term financial goals. When you have a frugal mindset, you are basing your spending decisions on your values, beliefs, and goals.  A frugal mindset will help you to keep your money under control and achieve good financial health.   Reach financial independence (FI) Ever heard of FIRE?  Financial Independence Retire Early has a whole community of like-minded people who are working towards having enough passive income from investments so they don’t have to work to pay for their living expenses ever again.   Having a frugal mindset and living a frugal lifestyle is a way of life many people in the FIRE community adopt to help them reach financial independence (FI).  And the thing is, it works! Spending intentionally and living frugally has helped many people reach FI.  Of course, frugal living isn’t the only aspect of achieving FI, but it is definitely an important part of it.   Don’t forget to print out my Frugal Living Workbook to help you on your journey toward developing a frugal mindset and living a more frugal lifestyle.   Now let’s talk about how you will know you have built your robust frugal mindset!How to know if you have developed a frugal mindset See a difference in your spending habits You will definitely notice a change in your spending habits when your mindset has changed.  You’ll begin to think through every purchase before you make it.   You know those 6 questions I mentioned earlier in this post that frugal-minded people use to decide if they will make a purchase or not?   Those questions will become second nature to you and you won’t even realize you are thinking them in your head when you go to buy something.  You’ll also notice fewer impulse buys when you are shopping! Watch your debt start to dwindle When you have transformed your mindset into a frugal one, you will begin to notice your debt decreasing.  As you free up more money from changing your spending habits, you will be able to make larger monthly payments to pay down your debt more quickly.   See money in your account at the end of every month Lastly, you will start to see that you have money left over after paying all your bills every month.  If you have been living paycheck to paycheck, this will be such an awesome feeling!   You can put that money to work for you in so many ways.  Some different ways you could use that extra money are:Funding a 3-6 month emergency fund Saving for a down payment on a home Increasing your retirement account contributions Investing in low-cost index fundsThe bottom line is, having extra money left in your account every month is a great sign that you are working your way toward financial wellness.  Keep up the good work! Final Thoughts Developing a frugal mindset is not something that happens overnight.  Your heart and mind need to be ready to make a change.   But by figuring out your purpose and goals for changing your mindset and developing an individualized plan of action for you and your family, you can set yourself up for success. The hard work and dedication you put into changing your mindset and living more frugally will ultimately help you and your family live a happier, more fulfilling life.   Do you have a frugal mindset?  How did you find success when developing your frugal mindset?  Please let me know in the comments! 

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

21 Easy Frugal Meals with Five Ingredients or Less

Are you looking for quick, frugal meals for busy weeknights? Or maybe you are looking for some easy frugal meals because you don't like cooking but you are trying to save money by not eating out? As a working mom of two boys who are active with sports year-round, I'm always on the lookout for easy meals. And as you may know, I am a super frugal mama who loves saving money! So I am always looking for really easy frugal meals that can be quickly thrown together before I have to cart my kids off to sports practices. I try to avoid meals that have complicated recipes and loads of ingredients during the week so I can get dinner on the table as quickly as possible. And I figure if I am always looking for different easy meal ideas, other moms probably are too! So I reached out to some of my favorite frugal living and personal finance bloggers to find out what their favorite throw-together (aka easy) frugal meals are. And today I am going to share them with you! All of these meals have 5 ingredients or less (besides common ingredients you probably already have in your pantry) so they are really quick to make. And since they only have 5 ingredients, they are also super frugal meals! Included with the meals are the approximate prices of the ingredients and the total cost of the meals. I have also broken down the cost per serving so you can see how frugal these meals really are! I am sure you will find a few meals on this list that your family will love. Important side note: These amazing women have some incredible blogs with tons of valuable information about money and how to live a more frugal lifestyle! You will find information on:Budgeting & paying off debt Family finance Frugal living Saving money Investing Financial wellness Financial independence Earning more money Meal planningAnd so much more! So be sure to check out each and every blog (just click the links provided) for tons of valuable information that could help you improve your finances. There really is something for everyone on these ladies' blogs, no matter where you are on your financial journey. You may even find your new favorite personal finance or frugal living website(s)! Okay, let's get back to the easy frugal meals! Enjoy!21 Easy Frugal Meals for Busy Weeknights #1 Cheeseburger Pasta from Katelyn at Hey You Finance Servings: 4 Ingredients:1 can cheddar cheese soup – approximately $1.50 1 can tomato soup – approximately $1.50 1 lb ground beef – approximately $4.00 1 lb pasta shells – approximately $1.00 1 cup water, or more as you see fit.Directions:Ground the beef in a skillet until cooked completely. Drain the grease. Add the soups, pasta, and water, and bring to a boil. Stir thoroughly. The water will cook the pasta while the flavor of the soup soaks in. Add more water if pasta is not getting done. Once pasta is cooked, let sit for a minute to cool, and enjoy! Add your own seasoning to taste.Total cost: approximately $8 Cost per serving: $2 #2 Veggie Frittata from Kari at Money for the Mamas Since I'm a finance blogger, it makes sense that I despise wasting money; thus, I hate wasting food. Yet, no matter how hard I try, something always seemed to get a bit squishy, moldy or sour. (Yikes!) I heard of a tip a while back and instantly knew this was what I needed in my life and my fridge! We have a clear plastic tub (like an 8×12 size) with a label that says “eat now.” Every other day I go through the fridge and see if anything is starting to go a bit south. If it is, then I put it in the tub. If my husband or kiddo needs a snack, they know this is the food to go to first! If we don't have a meal already prepped for the night, I throw a frittata together with whatever veggies are in that tub. (I also keep a few bricks of frozen spinach in my freezer to bulk the frittata up if need be.)   The flavor combos are infinite, so many different things to add in! You can use any veggies, and it will be great! It also helps that I keep some flavorful cheeses (goat, pepper jack, sharp cheddar, etc.) which helps keep the flavor profile of the frittata exciting. It's never just “plain veggie frittata.” Servings: 4 Tools:a 10′ cast iron skillet cutting board knifeIngredients:6 – 8 eggs (If you have fewer veggies, then use eight eggs; if more veggies, use 6) $2.00 1/4 cup milk – I use 2% (skim would be too watery) 1 tsp salt (depending on other salty ingredients like bacon or sausage) a few grinds of pepper (to taste) 1-2 Tbs oil Whatever veggies you have on hand – about 2 cups worth give or take 2 tsp minced garlic Cheese (if you want) $2.00 Already cooked meat option (optional) – bacon, Canadian bacon, breakfast sausage pieces $2-$4Directions:Heat oven to 400 with your rack in the middle Mix the first five ingredients in a bowl, set aside Chop up veggies into bite-size bits, set aside In your cast iron, heat oil to a shimmer Sautee your veggies – do the hard, crunchy ones first (like onions, broccoli, etc.), then after a few minutes, add in your lighter density ones (i.e., mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes, etc.).   Clear a circle in the middle of the pan, add garlic, cook until fragrant, and mix it all together. Don't forget to add salt & pepper to taste! Cook for a few minutes. Add in pre-cooked meat if using any – make sure it's in bite-size pieces. Lastly, add in your leafy greens, if using any, sautee for a few minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes. Spread veggies out evenly in the pan, and slowly pour in the egg mixture, careful not to push the veggies to one side.  Sprinkle cheese and herbs on top if using any. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes; ovens may vary, so just be sure it's not jiggly in the center.Total Cost: $4-$8 Cost per serving: $1-$2Photo Credit: Unsplash #3 Spaghetti Squash with Tomato Sauce from Maria at Call It Adventure If we look at our monthly expenses, we'll be amazed at how much we spend on food and meals. Every frugal family has its way of managing food expenses. For example, meal planning is an important habit that can save an average family hundreds of dollars per month. Unfortunately, the idea of meal planning seems quite intimidating when you are new to frugal living. It's much easier to start with just a couple of simple recipes with a short list of ingredients. Spaghetti Squash is one of my favorite recipes to help you transition into a frugal lifestyle and save money and time. Servings: 2 Ingredients:One medium spaghetti squash (halved lengthwise and seeded) $4.00 4 cups marinara sauce $2.00 salt & pepper to taste Optional: Parmesan cheese, fresh basilPreparation:Put squash into a preheated oven at 400 F. Wait until squash becomes soft (around 60 minutes depending on the size of the squash). Alternatively, you can microwave it for 30 minutes. Take out spaghetti squash from the oven. Use two forks to scrape the strands. Mix into sauce or pour tomato sauce over strands Add salt and pepper to taste. Top with parmesan cheese if you like.Total cost: $6 Cost per serving: $3 #4 Cafe Rio Chicken from Tana at Debt Free Forties My kids are notoriously picky eaters, and their tastes change from day to day, which makes finding meals we all enjoy quite the hurdle. However, this Cafe Rio Chicken crockpot meal is one they always love to eat! It's tangy and perfect for fall or winter – and so incredibly easy to make. Prep time is about 10 mins, and the longer you let it cook, the easier the chicken is to shred and the more the flavors combine. Not to mention it's very cheap to make at only $1.70 per serving! Servings: 6 Ingredients:4 – 6 chicken breasts ($3.18 a pound average; about 1.5 pounds, so $4.77) 1 cup of Zesty Italian dressing ($1.48, generic brand) 3 tablespoons of dry ranch dressing (about one packet) (50 cents) 1/2 cup water 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic 1/2 tablespoon chili powder 1/2 tablespoon ground cuminSides:Rice ($1.48 for the entire bag) A bag of frozen steamer veggies ($1.97)Directions:Combine all ingredients in a crockpot, and cook on low for 4 – 6 hours. Once cooked, shred the chicken. Serve over rice and with a side of steamed veggies fresh from the microwave!Total Cost: $10.20 Cost per serving: $1.70Photo credit: Unsplash #5 Chili from Jane at This Mama Blogs Our most favorite frugal meal is chili which I only cook with three main ingredients: ground beef, kidney beans, and tomato sauce. I usually cook a huge batch of chili and make different meals with it! You can eat it by itself, pair it with rice, crackers, bread or chips, put in a tortilla wrap or salad, and more! For a family of 4, it only costs $5-7 per meal, depending on where you buy the ingredients. More frugal tips:  prepare x2 or x3 of this batch and divide the leftover into several portions, store each portion in a Ziplock bag and freeze! Heat it up when you need quick meals or snacks—perfect for busy days! Servings: 41 lb of ground beef $3.88 (Walmart) 2 cans of tomato sauce $0.31 x 2 = $0.62 (Walmart) 2 cans of red kidney beans $0.62 x 2 = $1.24 (Walmart)Common Spices (use to taste):Paprika Chili powder Cayenne pepper Salt Pepper SugarDirections: Just sauté the ground beef with garlic and onions, a bit of vinegar, and soy sauce if you have it. Then, season with paprika, chili powder, and a bit of cayenne powder, salt and pepper, and sugar. Add in the tomato sauce, beans, and some water, and bring to a boil.   Optional**:** Add slices of celery Total Cost: $5.74 Cost per Serving: $1.44 #6 Cheap and Tasty Cold Pasta from Martina at Stack Your Dollars This meal is so cheap and easy to make, I put it together while in a hotel room, and it only took me about 30 minutes! It’s delicious, healthy, and very filling. It’s also one of the go-to meals I recently started making while buying groceries on a budget of $200/mo!  The main ingredients needed are any type of pasta you like and Italian dressing. After that, you can throw in any food that you have on hand. Here are two ways I’ve recently made my own (both approximately $5 and 4 servings):Photo Credit: Stack Your Dollars – Cheap & Tasty Cold PastaPhoto Credit: Stack Your Dollars – Cheap & Tasty Cold Pasta Servings: 4 The main ingredients needed are any type of pasta you like and Italian dressing. After that, you can throw in any food that you have on hand. Here are two ways I’ve recently made my own: Version 1 ingredients:Rotini Pasta= $0.87 Italian Dressing= $1.00 Onion= $0.69 Grape Tomatoes= $1.48 Broccoli (frozen)= $0.96Version 2 ingredients:Bowties Pasta= $0.87 Italian Dressing= $1.00 Onion= $0.69 Carrot= $0.99 Broccoli (frozen)= $0.96 Black Beans= $0.81Directions: First, cook the pasta with a little bit of salt. While waiting on that, cut up the ingredients that you’d like to add. When the pasta is almost done, add the broccoli until soft but not mushy. Then, drain and wait to cool or pop it in the freezer for a bit. The last step is to toss in the Italian dressing and mix it all together then serve.  For extra pizazz, you can also add some garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano to the mix. But it tastes great either way; Enjoy! Total Cost: $4-$5 Cost per serving: $1-$1.25 #7 Quick and Easy Burrito Casserole from Melissa at Adventures of Frugal MomPhoto Credit: Adventures of Frugal Mom – Quick & Easy Burrito Casserole Servings: 4-6 Ingredients:1 pack of frozen burritos $4.24 14 oz can of enchilada sauce $1.62 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese $3.00 1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (optional)- depends on the price of one tomato, about $1.00 sour cream (optional) $.92 4 cups shredded lettuce $2.38Directions:Place burritos in a casserole dish. Cook 20 minutes according to the directions on the package. After 20 minutes, take the burritos out, cover them with enchilada sauce and cheese and cook another 10 minutes. Once the burritos are done cooking, top with tomatoes and lettuce. Serve with sour cream if you would like. Enjoy!Total Cost: $13.16 Cost per serving: $2.19-$3.29 #8 Tilapia, Rice, Broccoli, and Salad from Alyssa at The Life Hunt My go-to meal is a quick fish dinner. I use the frozen family pack of Tilapia fillets and thaw them out the night before. To pair with the fillets, I steam some broccoli, heat up some healthy rice and quinoa in the microwave, and toss a salad. Servings: 4 Ingredients:4 frozen tilapia filets: $6 Broccoli head: $1.50  Seeds of Change Rice/Quinoa Mix: $2.50 per bag Romaine head $3.00 Salad dressing $2.00Directions:Thaw the tilapia out the night before Season with butter, lemon, salt, pepper, and chili flakes Bake in the oven for 14-17 minutes (depends on how flakey you prefer your fish) Steam a head of broccoli Heat up a bag of rice/quinoa mix. It takes only 90 seconds. Toss a salad and serve! Add some lemon wedges and avocado slices if you want 🙂Total Cost: $15.00 Cost per Serving: $3.75 #9 Korean Beef Bowl from Minda at Cents and FamilyPhoto Credit: Cents and Family – Korean Beef Bowl Servings: 3 Ingredients:1/4 cup brown sugar  3 tbsp soy sauce, dark preferred  2 tsp sesame oil $2.98/bottle 3 cloves garlic, minced $1.87 per jar 1 lb ground beef $3.88 chopped green onions – optional  rice $1.48 for entire bagDirections:Pan-fry the ground beef till done and drain the fat. Mix the top 4 ingredients in a bowl/measuring cup. Add the mixture to the ground beef in the skillet and pan-fry for another 2 minutes. Serve with rice, green onions, and add favorite sides (see picture).Total Cost: $10.21 Cost per serving: $3.40Photo Credit: Unsplash #10 Buttered Noodles with Broccoli from Laurie at Cents and Order We love this one because it's easy and it's comfort food with a bit of nutrition! Servings: 4 Ingredients:16 oz. your favorite pasta $1.00 4 T. real butter $2.98 for 16 oz 8 oz. frozen or fresh chopped broccoli $1.00 (frozen)Directions:Cook pasta as directed. Throw broccoli in 10 minutes after pasta started and cook until pasta is tender. Drain, return to pan. Mix in butter until melted and well covered. Add salt and pepper.Substitutions: Peas, carrots, zucchini, or any of your favorite vegetables!  Total Cost: $4.98 Cost per serving: $1.25 #11 Old Fashioned Home Made Goulash from Merissa at Little House LivingPhoto Credit: Little House Living – Old Fashioned Homemade Goulash Servings: 4 Ingredients:1 pint Canned Tomatoes (Can also use 2 cups canned diced or stewed tomatoes. Do not drain) $1.00 for store bought 16 oz. Pasta $1.00 1 pound Ground Beef $5.34 1 medium Onion $.78 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic  Salt and Pepper To tasteMerissa's Tip: This recipe is perfect for using home-canned tomatoes because you need the liquid for cooking the pasta. You can use fresh tomatoes but you will need to add some kind of liquid (water or beef broth) to be able to cook the noodles. Directions:Brown up hamburger first with onion.  Add in the garlic.  Pour in tomatoes and all the liquid with them. Add in the noodles and cook until the noodles are al dente.Total Cost: $8.12 Cost per serving: $2.03 #12 Easy Cheese Chili and Tortilla Chips from Latasha at Arts & Budgets Servings: 6 Ingredients:1 pound organic ground chicken $3.18 2 cans of red kidney beans $1.24 2 cans of organic diced tomatoes $1.96 1 package of Siete Mild Taco Seasoning – 1.31oz $2.99 Violife vegan cheddar cheese $5.49 Pepper and onion seasoning for taste (optional) Tortillas chips $1.74Directions:Cook the ground chicken Add kidney beans & diced tomatoes Simmer for 15-20 minutes Add the taco seasoning Add cheese and season to taste Serve with Tortilla ChipsTotal Cost: $16.60 Cost per serving: $2.77 #13 Creamy Sausage and Potatoes from Lydia at Thrifty Frugal MomPhoto Credit: Thrifty Frugal Mom – Creamy Sausage and Potatoes Servings: 5 Ingredients:1 lb ground sausage $3.57 1 medium onion, chopped $1.00 4 to 4 1/2 cups diced potatoes (no need to peel) $3.98 for a 3 lb bag 2 tbsp flour 1 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 cup milk parsley (optional)Directions:Cook Sausage and onion until browned. Add enough water to cover sausage, cook for 10 minutes. Do not drain. While sausage is cooking, dice potatoes. Add potatoes, salt, and pepper to the pan of meat. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Whisk milk and four together until smooth. Add to sausage and potato mixture and cook until just thickened. Top with parsley. Enjoy!Total Cost: $8.55 Cost per serving: $1.71 #14 Sausage and Peppers Served Over Rice from Jill at Organizational Toast This is one go-to frugal meal we love: Sausage and Peppers served over rice. The rice and peppers really fill out the recipe so it can feed our family of 4 easily! You can also serve with garlic bread and fruit to round out the meal! This is a meal I shared in my Frugal Walmart Meal Plan. Servings: 4 Ingredients:Great Value Italian Sausages (5 Count) – $3.66 Great Value Frozen Pepper & Onion Blend  – $2.33 Rice (2 cups) – $.50 Salt, Pepper, Italian herb blend, 2 TBS spaghetti sauce (optional)Directions:Brown the sausages whole Once browned, take them out of the pan and slice into quarter-inch slivers Return them to the pan to cook all the way through After the sausages are cooked through, add the frozen peppers and season to taste with salt, pepper, and a dried Italian herb blend Optional: Add 2 tablespoons of spaghetti sauce Cover and let the peppers cook through. Serve the sausage and peppers over a bed of riceTotal Cost: $6.49 Cost per serving: $1.62 #15 Easy Homemade Tomato Soup from Theresa at In The Game Investing Servings: 6 Ingredients:2-3 garlic cloves ($1.98 for jar of minced garlic) 1 small diced onion ($1.00) 4 cups chicken broth ($1.33) 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes (can mix with spicy crushed tomatoes) ($1.84) 1/2 cup heavy cream ($1.60)Seasonings:Olive oil Red pepper flakes (to taste, if desired for spice) Saffron thread (if desired for spice) Salt and pepper to tasteDirections: In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and lightly brown (approximately 15 minutes). Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, saffron, salt pepper, and red flakes (if desired). Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook until desired consistency. Use an immersion blender to puree to perfect consistency. Add cream and heat through. Serve with your favorite Grilled Cheese sandwich or enjoy by itself!  Total Cost: $7.75 Cost per serving: $1.29 #16 Ranch Chicken from Shannon at Making Frugal FunPhoto Credit: Making Frugal Fun – Ranch Chicken Servings: 4-6 Ingredients:Ranch packet: 69 cents (check out her recipe for how to make ranch seasoning from scratch!) 1/4 cup Parmesan: 2.49 1/4 cup traditional bread crumbs: 2.69 1/4 cup milk Boneless skinless chicken breasts (approx $3/pound depending on location)Sides:Potatoes $2.70 for 3 large Bag of frozen veggies $1.00Directions:Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In one medium bowl, combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, and ranch seasoning packet.  Fill another small bowl with 1/4 cup of milk. Dip each chicken breast in milk, and then coat in breadcrumb mixture.  Place all chicken breasts in a shallow baking dish. Bake chicken for about 10 minutes, then flip and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the middle (about 10-15 more minutes, depending on thickness). Remove from oven and serve with veggies and a baked potato.Total Cost: $9.88 Cost per Serving: $1.65 #17 Beef Casserole and Dumplings from Emma at Tuppennys Fireplace Servings: 4 Ingredients:400g (3/4 lb to 1 lb) diced beef ($3.50 or £2.50) 2 white onions (free from our veggie garden or aound $1.50) 3 carrots (free from our veggie garden or around $.82 for 1 lb bag) 2 cloves garlic (as above or $.92) 1 box dumpling mix ($0.69c or 50p) Seasoning and herbs (salt, pepper & paprika)Directions: As I am both unconfident and a lazy cook I run with throwing everything except the dumpling mix into the slow cooker, ensuring the carrots and onions are at the bottom. Add a little water but not too much as slow cookers keep all vegetable liquids in. Cook on low for about 5 hours. 45-60 mins before you want to eat, make up the dumpling mix as instructed (mine is simply to add water), make it into balls, and add it to the casserole. I find the dumpling mix very sticky so I use spoons to make the balls, saves me getting it all over my hands! To make this recipe cheaper you can reduce the beef quantity and increase the vegetable content. I try to get the beef when it's reduced in price because that's just being frugal, isn't it?! Total Cost: $7.43 Cost per serving: $1.86Photo Credit: Unsplash #18 Baked Potatoes with Toppings from Charlotte at Looking After Your Pennies Servings: 4 Ingredients:4 Baked Potatoes ($3.98 for 3 lb bag)Charlotte's favorite toppings (cost varies – about $2-$4):Grated Cheese Baked beans Coleslaw Cottage cheese ChiliDirections: Bake the potatoes in the oven, or if you are in a hurry, cook them in the microwave. Top with your favorite toppings and serve! Total Cost: $5.98-$7.98 Cost per serving: $1.50- $2.00 #19 Crockpot Chicken Taco Bowls from Megan at Megan Makes Sense Servings: 4 Ingredients:1 lb chicken breast: $6.00 1 packet of taco seasoning: $0.30 1 can black beans: $0.75 1 can yellow corn: $0.75Directions: Throw all ingredients into the crockpot on low for 8 hours. Shred the chicken and serve with rice, tortilla chips, taco shells, or lettuce. This meal is a great way to mix up your meal prep during the week since you can use the chicken/beans/corn mixture in a variety of ways. It’s super easy to make and easily scales if you want to make a larger portion to save for later. Total Cost: $7.80 Cost per serving: $1.95 #20 Beef Fajita Soft Tacos from DeShena at Extravagantly BrokePhoto Credit: Extravagantly Broke – Beef Fajita Soft Tacos So, the thing that makes this recipe unique is that it's super simple, very fulfilling, tasty, and it's very similar to something you might get from Chipotle for less than half the price per person. Plus, it has almost no artificial ingredients and I purchase all the ingredients from Walmart except the shredded cheese which I get from Krogers. Serves: 4 Ingredients:14 oz. John soules frozen beef fajita strips ($9.48 per family size bag) 8 Ole' Extreme Wellness high fiber tortillas ($3.58) 14 oz bag of frozen peppers and onions ($2.33) 7.5 oz. Sargento 4 State Shredded Cheddar cheese ($2.99)Directions: I toss the whole bag of frozen beef into the pressure cooker for about 15 minutes to get the meat really tender. You could also defrost in the microwave and steam on the stove with about 1/2 cup of water and cover with a lid. Then, I add the entire bag of frozen veggies along with the meat inside the pressure cooker and cook for about 5 more minutes. Season with salt and stir. Then, I heat about 2 tortillas at a time in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Next, I lay each tortilla on a plate, scoop in an equal portion of the meat and veggie mixture, add 1/4 cup shredded cheese and that's it! When the meat mixture is hot the cheese begins to melt. You can top them with lettuce, pico de Gallo, guacamole, or Picante sauce if you prefer. Total Cost: $18.38 Cost per serving: $4.60Photo Credit: Unsplash #21 Black Bean Soup & Cheese Quesadillas from Lisa (me!) at Adapt Your Dollars This recipe for black bean soup was given to me many years ago by a patient I had at the nursing home where I work. She called it 3-2-1 Black Bean Soup (3 cans of black beans, 2 cups of water, and 1 jar of salsa). Servings: 4 Ingredients:3 cans of black beans (drained and rinsed) $1.86 2 cups of water 16 oz jar of salsa ( we use mild, but can use medium or hot) $2.00 Soft taco flour tortillas (medium or large size) $2.00 Bag of cheddar shredded cheese $2.00Directions:Combine black beans, water, and salsa in a large pot. Bring to boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes While the soup is simmering, heat up the frying pan for quesadillas Place flour tortilla in the pan, cover half of it with cheese and fold the tortilla in half. Brown on each side and make sure cheese is melted. Optional: Serve with sour cream, salsa, & guacamole This recipe yields a large batch of soup, so freeze leftovers for a quick side dish in next month's meal plan!Total Cost: $7.86 Cost per serving: $1.97Photo Credit: Unsplash How to Make Frugal Meals Are you wondering how to turn regular meals into frugal meals? Or maybe you are looking for an answer to one of these questions:How do you make a meal for your family that is cost-efficient? How do you make a meal with the least amount of waste or with the best use of resources (food and time)?There are several ways to keep your meals cost-efficient, and therefore, frugal. Once you start using some of these tips and tricks, you will be well on your way to cooking easy frugal meals for your family at home! Here are my top 5 favorite tips to help you start cooking ultra frugal meals! Meal Plan Meal planning is key to cooking your family frugal meals and eating at home. Meal planning allows you to save money on groceries and avoid food waste by planning meals that use some of the same ingredients. For example, ever find an old, half-used container of sour cream in the back of the fridge from who knows when? That happened to me all the time before I started meal planning years ago. To avoid throwing out forgotten about containers of food, plan your meals with thought and purpose. Related Posts:How to Make a Weekly Meal Plan With Grocery List Cheap Weekly Meal Plan for 1: The $57 Reality Check Meal Planning on a Budget How to Create a Meal Planning Binder Super Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights The Easy Way to Make a Monthly Meal PlanUse Leftovers Many of the bloggers that contributed their favorite easy frugal recipes in the section above refer to using up what you have on hand. This means cleaning the fridge out and using up any leftovers you have in other meals. There are many easy ways to use up leftovers. Some ways to use up your leftovers are:Use them in casseroles Eat them for lunch Put them in soups Top a salad with leftover meat Incorporate them into a bowl style mealIf you would like to read about other ways to use up leftovers, check out my post here. Being intentional with your ingredients and avoiding waste will help you make frugal meals. Keep meals simple Frugal meals are typically very simple meals with few ingredients. As you can see by the recipes above, frugal meals usually only have a couple of main ingredients. The main ingredients in frugal meals are usually wholesome, natural, and unprocessed foods that are nutrient-dense. By keeping your recipes simple (5 ingredients or less!) and using real food, your meals will end up being ultra frugal.Photo Credit – Unsplash Go Meatless Making meals for your family that are meatless will result in extremely frugal meals. Since the meat is usually the most expensive part of any meal, cutting out the meat will save you money. However, be sure to substitute the meat with something equally dense in nutrients to keep your frugal meals healthy. Challenge yourself to plan one meatless meal per week. There are several meatless meal ideas above you could try! Other meatless meal ideas include:Baked cheese ravioli or tortellini Homemade pizzas Vegetable soup Mexican Quinoa Grilled cheese and tomato soup Rice and bean burritos Breakfast for dinner (waffles, pancakes, French toast, eggs, hash browns) Meatless chili Whole wheat pasta with marinara sauce Veggie burgers or black bean burgersIf you have meat lovers in your family that can't go without meat, try serving smaller portions of meat and larger portions of the side dishes to decrease the cost of the meal. Shop at discount grocery stores Shopping at discount grocery stores will save you a ton of money on groceries. And cheap ingredients equal frugal meals! My favorite discount grocery stores are Aldi and Lidl. However, if you don't have one of those near you, you can do a quick Google search to see if you are near another discount grocery store. If you don't have any discount grocery store near you, try doing your grocery shopping at Walmart. The value and quality you get with Walmart's store brands are incredible! Plus, you could try Walmart Grocery Pickup to save time and money. And shopping for groceries online can really help you stick to your food budget. I love Walmart Grocery Pickup for so many reasons! You can read my review of Walmart Grocery Pickup here. If you would like to read about more ways to save money on groceries and meals, take a look at these posts:Easy and Dirt Cheap Meals for a Tight Food Budget How to Stop Eating Out to Save Money and Eat Healthier Ways to Cut Food Expenses so You Can Save More MoneyFinal Thoughts Incorporating frugal meals into your lifestyle is a big part of taking control of your finances. Monthly food costs are one of the largest line items in a household budget. But food costs can be easily reduced. By being intentional with your meal plan and using money-saving tips when buying your groceries, you will be able to create easy frugal meals for your family, even on those crazy, busy weeknights. Why not start with some of the delicious meals recommended by the personal finance and frugal living bloggers above? Also, don't forget to check out all of their amazing blogs! You will find so much incredibly valuable information to help you manage your money better and reach your financial goals! What are your favorite easy frugal meals? Please share them in the comments!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

Super Easy Meal Planning With Dinner Theme Nights

Meal planning isn't a favorite pastime for most people. And it can be very time-consuming. Plus, it takes so much thought and energy. You have to decide what you want to eat for the week, find recipes, make a grocery list, and go to the store. So exhausting! Not to mention all the time you have to spend cooking what you planned so you don’t end up throwing out the food you bought because it went bad.  It’s no wonder the food budget is one of the easiest parts of a household budget to bust.  And no wonder many people despise meal planning. However, when you do your meal planning with dinner theme nights, it can make it much easier and help you despise it less. If you despise meal planning less (even a tiny little bit less than you did), it will be easier for you to stay consistent with your meal planning and continue to eat at home, saving you boatloads of money. If you have kids, eating at home as a family is even more important! According to an article in the NY Times, children tend to be healthier when they eat dinner with their parents. They tend to have lower rates of obesity, higher self-esteem, and lower rates of substance abuse. Those facts alone can help get you motivated to start meal planning so you can eat at home more, have healthier kids, and of course, save money. Plus, saving money on your food costs is key to staying within your budget, paying off your debt, and reaching your money goals. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products and services I love. You can read my full disclosure here. Easy Meal Planning With Dinner Theme Nights Here are some ways using dinner theme nights can make your meal planning effortless:It will help you quickly decide on the meals you want to make. Once you have a food theme night rotation and your family’s favorite meals, it’s a matter of filling in the blanks on your meal planner.It will help you be quicker at cooking your meals. After you have a few different meals for each theme night, the more you make them, the quicker you will get at making them. You will become more efficient in the kitchen because you won’t have to read recipes constantly.It will help you create your grocery list more quickly. Again, once you learn the meals that will be in your theme night rotations, you won’t have to look back at the recipe to check for the ingredients that you need to put on your list.Today I’m going to give you a big list of dinner theme night ideas. I will also give you some examples of what we eat under some of the different themes. I have created a cheat sheet for this list of dinner theme ideas, and it's included in my Meal Planning Guide. You can use this free guide to create a meal-planning binder. The Meal Planning Guide includes:Cheat sheet for dinner theme nights Monthly meal planner and sample monthly meal plan Weekly meal planner with grocery list section Favorite meals list Inventory list for pantry, fridge, and freezer Tips for meal planning successIf you would like this free Meal Planning Guide, you can get it here. Or, if you just want the list of dinner theme ideas, you can get it below. As a bonus, I included a bunch of easy side dish ideas so you can get started with your meal planning right away. Get my theme night cheat sheet! Built with ConvertKit As you will see below, some of the food ideas I give you for the themes could possibly go under more than one theme. That's because some themes are named for the main dish, and some themes are named by the type of cuisine. When you start meal planning with dinner theme nights, you will only be picking a couple of themes off of this list that you think your family would enjoy the most. Real quick: If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it, and you just can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Let's get started with dinner theme night ideas. Ideas for Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights Fish or Seafood Night                 Tilapia, salmon, tuna melts, tuna steaks, flounder, haddock, crab cakes, salmon cakes, tuna patties, shrimp Chicken Night                 Salsa chicken, BBQ chicken, stuffed chicken, breaded chicken, chicken marsala, honey garlic chicken, rotisserie chicken, chicken parmesan Ground Beef Night                 Meatloaf, shepherd’s pie, Sloppy Joe’s, homemade hamburger helper, goulash, hamburger steaks with gravy, chili mac, stuffed peppers, Jamaican Patties Pasta Night                 Baked Ziti, spaghetti, ravioli, tortellini, lasagna, stuffed shells, fettuccine alfredo, garlic butter linguinePizza Night                 Frozen pizza, make your own pizza, make your own stromboli Meatless Night                 Look for recipes using quinoa, rice, beans, lentils, vegetables, and pasta for a meatless night. Bowl Night                 Serve your protein in a bowl with rice, beans, lentils, quinoa, vegetables, or pasta to make it “bowl night.” Taco Night                 Chicken tacos, beef tacos, fish tacos, burritos, taco casserole, taco salad Leftover Night                 Raid the fridge to eat up all the leftovers from the week. Kid-Friendly Night                 Chicken nuggets, fish sticks, mac-n-cheese, pizza, sliders/hamburgers, grilled cheese & tomato soup, make-your-own nachos, chicken patty sandwiches, hoagies, hot dogs. Sandwich Night                 Rubens, tuna melts, French dip sandwiches, knock-off Beef-n-cheddars, hamburgers, chicken or tuna salad, sausage sandwiches, club sandwiches, BLTs.Soup Night                 Try homemade or use canned soups. Some homemade soups to try are turkey noodles, black bean soup, ham and bean soup, chicken rice, beef, and barley soup. Casserole Night                 Ham and potato casserole, tuna noodle casserole, chicken noodle casserole, chicken pot pie casserole, chicken with broccoli and rice casserole, taco casserole Stir Fry Night                 Use your wok (or skillet!) to cook up some delicious stir fry. Burger Night                 Hamburgers, veggie burgers, sliders, black bean burgers, turkey burgers Wrap Night                 Make wraps with your favorite kind of lunch meat; chicken Caesar wraps, or veggie wraps. Tex Mex Night                 Besides tacos & burritos, you could make quesadillas, enchiladas, rice & beans, Spanish rice, Mexican pizza, taco casserole, nachos, Mexican lasagna, and Mexican quinoa. Asian Inspired Night                 Besides stir fry, you could make beef with broccoli, Asian chicken, honey garlic chicken, egg rolls, egg roll in a bowl, chicken teriyaki, fried rice, lo mein, sweet and sour chicken, crab rangoons, and orange chicken.Grill Night                 Use your grill for burgers, steaks, chicken, pork chops, flatbread pizzas, sausage, pork tenderloin, and ribs. You could also try foil packets for fish or a wood plank for salmon on the grill. Instant Pot Night                 Some of our favorite meals to make in our instant pot are beef with broccoli, creamy vegetable soup, ranch chicken tacos, steaks with gravy, turkey breast, ham & bean soup, and honey garlic chicken. Slow Cooker Day                 Prepare your favorite meals in your slow cooker before work, and your meal will be ready when you return home. Breakfast for Dinner Night                 Our favorites are pancakes, Belgian waffles, scrambled cheesy eggs, home fries, sausage & gravy over biscuits, omelets to order, and creamed chip beef. Baked Potato Night                 Have a baked potato bar so everyone can choose their own toppings (bonus: use up leftovers as toppings!). Vegetarian Night                 Focus your meal on vegetables and wholesome grains. Salad Night                 Get all the fixings and let your family build their own salads. There you have it. Twenty-five different dinner theme nights for you to help you become a meal planning pro. You, however, only need to pick a couple of themes that will work for your family. You don’t even need to pick seven themes if you don’t want to. I really only use 3 or 4 themes consistently to help me complete my monthly meal plan. For example, the themes I use on a consistent basis are fish night, chicken night, pasta or meatless night, and sandwich night. In my house, Mondays are fish nights. The four rotations I use for our fish night are salmon, tilapia, salmon cakes, and tuna melts. My Mondays are done for a month. It’s as simple as that. Tuesdays are usually chicken night, but chicken night. I will rotate things like salsa chicken, BBQ chicken, chicken pot pie, stuffed chicken, and chicken tacos. On occasion, I will also put Instant Pot honey garlic chicken or Asian chicken on the meal rotation.Wednesday is pasta night. My go-to’s for rotation are frozen ravioli, spaghetti with either meatballs or chicken parm, Italian sausage tortellini, tortellini bake, baked ziti, and Swedish meatballs with egg noodles. We love cooking up something super simple on Friday nights after a long, busy week at work. So I generally will put some kind of sandwich on for dinner on Fridays. The sandwiches we eat most often are meatball sandwiches, chicken patty sandwiches, sausage sandwiches, grilled cheese, and tomato soup, & club sandwiches. After I have all my theme night meals filled in, I go back and fill in the blanks with other things my family requested or new recipes to try. You have to take into consideration appointments, sports practices, working late, etc., in your meal plan. If you don’t, it will be much harder to stick to your plan. So if you are looking at your calendar and you see you have a busy night coming up, plan something really simple (I mean grilled cheese and tomato soup type simple) or plan to have leftovers that night. Now let’s talk about side dishes!Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights: Side Dishes Everyone does side dishes differently. Some people may only eat a type of starch with their protein, while others may only eat vegetables alongside their proteins and skip the starch altogether.  If you typically have either a starch or a vegetable with your main course, come up with a list of side dishes that your family enjoys and pick from that when you are creating your meal plan. If your family is like my family and you eat both a starch and a vegetable at just about every meal, it may be easier if you come up with a couple of starch side dishes and a couple of vegetable side dishes that will be your go-to for each theme. For example, when you have some kind of fish for dinner, plan to have a noodle side dish and a salad. If you are having a chicken, plan to have a rice side dish and your family's favorite vegetables. If you are having tacos, keep it simple with black beans as a side dish or black beans and rice if you like both. You get the idea. If you keep everything extremely simple for yourself, it will be easier to stick to your meal plan. Try not to spend too much time deciding on your side dishes since that will add quite a bit of time to your overall meal-planning routine. When I go back through and add my side dishes to my meal plan, it literally takes me a second or two to decide what to make. Also, don’t plan any side dishes that are too complicated during the week. Save those for the weekends when you have more time. Final Thoughts on Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights When you complete your meal planning with dinner theme nights, you are developing a dinner rotation schedule that will help you create a meal plan you can easily stick to. Sticking to your meal plan is key to keeping your food budget under control. Not only will meal planning help prevent phone calls to your favorite pizza shop or evening drives through the drive-through, but it will also help you to keep your grocery bill down. If you are looking for more ways to save on your food expenses, check out my post on 12 Easy Ways to Cut Food Expenses. Also, if you don’t have Ibotta yet, you absolutely must get it! It is a cash-back app that is free to download and use. There are no subscription fees or pushes for in-app purchases, which is awesome. Plus by signing up through my link, you can receive up to $20 in welcome bonuses! If you don't have Ibotta, you can sign up here. If you would like my printable list of food theme nights, you can get it below. It includes my list of 25 theme night ideas, plus I included a bunch of easy side dish ideas as a bonus. Get my theme night cheat sheet! Built with ConvertKit You may also enjoy reading:Monthly Meal Planning for Beginners 11 Tips to Help You Stop Eating Out so You Can Save Money 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less MoneyDid I forget any dinner theme nights? What theme nights do you use when meal planning? Let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

What To Do With Leftover Food: 12 Quick and Easy Ideas

Does your family complain about leftover nights? Or maybe they don't mind leftovers, but they get tired of eating the same meal two nights during the week. There are many easy ways to reuse leftover food so that you don't have to eat the same thing twice. And using up your leftovers reduces food waste. In addition, incorporating leftovers into your meal plan means one less meal to buy, which will save you money. Read on for tips for reusing your leftover food. What To Do With Leftover Food: Food Safety Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products and services I love. Some people are scared to eat leftover food for fear of getting sick. However, if handled properly, leftover food is safe to eat. Let's cover the basics of proper handling of leftover food. In order to keep you and your family safe from foodborne illness, a few methods of handling leftover food need to be followed. According to this article from the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service on the safe handling of food, these are some guidelines to follow to decrease the risk of getting sick from bacteria growth in food:Cook food to proper temperatures Keep food out of the “danger zone” where bacteria grows (between 40 degrees and 140 degrees Fahrenheit) Wrap leftovers well Refrigerate food promptly Use food within 3-4 days If you aren't using it within 3-4 days, freeze it immediatelyAs long as you are careful with how you are handling your leftover foods, they are perfectly safe to eat. Incorporating leftovers into your meal planning can really help to make dinner time easier, help you to spend less time in the kitchen, and help you to save money. Meal Planning With Leftover Food Meal planning is one of the best ways to save money on food. Planning your menu will help you avoid stopping at the grocery store after work to pick up ingredients for your dinner, which can help prevent impulse buys and overspending. In addition, integrating meals that repurpose leftovers into your meal plan will help you save even more money because you'll end up buying fewer ingredients. If you need help with meal planning, you can download my free Meal Planning Guide. This includes a sample monthly meal plan, monthly and weekly meal planner printables, tips to help you succeed with meal planning, and more. I’ll send it directly to your inbox, and you'll also receive some other helpful surprises. Here's a preview of what it includes:Download your free Meal Planning Guide here. Helpful Tip: If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it and you can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!  All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Keep reading to learn what to do with your leftovers! Easy Ways to Reuse Leftover Food to Save Money1. Turn the Leftovers Into a Casserole Do you typically have a decent amount of leftover food after each meal but not enough to feed your family twice? Turning those leftovers into a casserole is a fantastic way to use them. For example, leftover chili can be turned into chili tater-tot casserole, leftover chicken can be turned into cheesy chicken and rice casserole, and leftover ham into ham and potato casserole. You get the idea. Pair any protein or meat with a cheap food to turn it into a simple, inexpensive, and hearty weeknight meal. If you usually don't have much leftover food, plan to make a little extra one night to turn into a quick casserole for a busy night. Don't forget about including leftover side dishes in your casseroles also. Vegetables can easily be thrown into a casserole to make it healthier, mashed potatoes can be used for Shepherd's pie, and cooked pasta can be used in many different ways. 2. Eat Leftover Food as a Side Dish Eating leftovers as a side dish is a great way to use up foods that can't be used easily in another dish. For example, soup is a dish that can't be changed into something else. However, you could serve it as the main course with a side salad or garlic bread on the first night. Then on another night, plan to have a simple sandwich, such as a BLT or grilled cheese, and enjoy the soup on the side. Have leftover casserole but not enough to feed your family a meal? Try the casserole as an accompaniment to something else.3. Use Leftover Food in Sandwiches or Wraps Turning leftover chicken into chicken salad, ham into ham salad, or even just using leftover chicken breast to make a chicken breast sandwich with lettuce, tomato, bacon, etc, is easy and quick. Turn leftover pork, steak, or fish (be careful if you are reheating so it doesn’t dry out) into a wrap, and add your choice of fixings. 4. Top a Salad with the Leftovers Chicken, pork, steak, shrimp, and fish would all be deliciously served on a bed of lettuce and vegetables. 5. Turn Leftovers into Tacos, Fajitas, or Quesadillas Take any leftover protein and turn it into a Mexican-inspired dish. Quesadillas are especially easy to prepare for busy weeknights and are perfect for when you don't have a lot of leftover meat or veggies. Adding cheese will bulk up the meal and make it more filling. Serve your tacos or fajitas with a side of black beans or Spanish rice for a super frugal meal.6. Use Leftovers in Soup Adding your leftovers to a homemade soup is an easy and delicious way to repurpose them. Leftover chicken can become chicken noodle soup, leftover turkey can become turkey rice soup, and leftover ham can become ham and bean soup. You could also add your leftover vegetables to any soup you want to make. 7. Have a Clean Out the Fridge Night This may not be creating a different meal out of your leftovers, but if you accumulate a lot of leftover food but not enough of one thing to use in a specific meal for the whole family, have a “clean out the fridge” night. Everyone can pick which leftovers they want for dinner from the fridge or freezer, and you won't have any food waste. 8. Take the Leftovers to Work for Lunch Leftovers make packing lunch for the next day incredibly easy. You won't have to think about lunch ideas for the week when you plan on taking leftover food. Pack your leftover food into a reusable container immediately after dinner and place it in the fridge for a grab-and-go lunch.9. Use Leftovers in a Bowl Meal Bowl-style meals allow you to experiment with different flavors and textures. An easy way to make a bowl meal is to use a type of grain, such as rice or quinoa, on the bottom and then top the grain with anything and everything. Leftover proteins, vegetables, and legumes are the perfect toppings to create a delicious and frugal meal. 10. Throw Leftovers in an Omelet or Egg Scramble Just have a small amount of leftovers? Use them the next morning in your omelet or scramble some eggs, throw in your leftovers, and melt some cheese on top. 11. Use Leftovers in Fried Rice This is a great way to reuse leftover food. Using your leftovers to make fried rice is easy and tasty. Throw some egg rolls in the oven, and you have an easy Asian-inspired meal!12. Use Leftover Food as Pizza Toppings This is another easy way to use leftovers when you don't have enough for a second meal. Just about anything tastes great on top of homemade pizza. Conclusion Learning how to reuse leftover food is a simple but effective way to save money on your budget while cutting back on food waste. It’s also a huge help when it comes to monthly or weekly meal planning because you can easily plan a simple meal using leftovers for your busy nights. Try one of these tips in your next meal plan to save time and money. You may also enjoy reading: Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights Tips to Help You Stop Eating Out to Save Money and Eat Healthier 12 Easy Ways to Cut Food Expenses Manly Lunch Ideas for Your Husband to Save Money

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

11 Valuable Tips to be Financially Sound and What it Means

Do you sometimes wonder how it would feel to finally be financially sound?  Maybe you have been trying to become financially stable for a while now, but just can’t seem to quite get there. Becoming financially sound can do wonders for your mental health and overall well-being.   Because feeling overwhelmed by your financial situation can lead to a significant amount of stress.  And stress can lead to a myriad of other problems. So today I am going to tell you about the meaning of financially sound, how to tell if you are financially sound, and tips to help you work toward becoming financially sound. Let’s get started!Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Meaning of Financially Sound What does it mean to be financially sound? Simply stated, being financially sound means having good financial health, or being financially stable.  When you are financially sound, you are in control of your financial situation.  You have achieved a state of financial wellness and are not stressed about money. If you are financially sound, you have very little, if any, debt.  You are not struggling to pay your bills and are not living paycheck to paycheck.   You also have an emergency fund and are actively saving for your future and other large expenses.  A sudden unexpected expense will affect you very minimally because you have the means to pay for it. You also have all your financial ducks in a row with regard to having the appropriate insurance coverage for you and your family and all of your estate planning is completed.   You essentially have nothing money-related to worry about when you are financially sound.    What is a synonym for financially sound? There are many synonyms of being financially sound.  Here are some that come to mind:Financially stable Financially well-off Good financial health Financially fit Financially healthy Financially solidWhat does it mean to make financially sound decisions? The phrase “financially sound” can also be used to describe decision-making regarding money.  If you are making financially sound decisions, you are making good choices with how you are managing your money.  The decisions you are making are helping you to achieve your financial goals.  Your decisions are not causing you any financial setbacks. What does it mean when you are not financially sound? The meaning of not financially sound is simply the opposite of financially sound. So not financially sound means to be financially unstable or to not have good financial health.   When you are not financially sound, typically you will feel overwhelmed by your financial situation.  You may feel stressed about your situation and worry that you will not be able to pay your bills. You also may be living paycheck to paycheck, have quite a bit of debt, and have minimal money saved in an emergency fund or for retirement.  How to tell if you are financially sound The definitions above should give you a good idea if you are financially sound or not.   However, to help you understand your situation even further, here is a list of questions to ask yourself to determine where your financial situation stands. If you answer yes to most of these questions, you are more than likely financially sound or close to being financially sound!   If you answer many of these questions with a no, keep reading below to learn some tips to help you get on your way to becoming financially sound!Can I pay my bills on time? Do I sleep well at night because I don’t worry about my financial situation? Am I debt-free besides my mortgage? Do I have 3 to 6 months of expenses saved in an emergency fund? Am I contributing to my retirement account? Do I have a will and trust set up and all my other estate planning completed? Am I properly insured with all the different types of insurances I need? Is my net worth positive? Do I have money left over after paying all my bills each month? Do I know the basics of how to manage my money?How did you do?  If your answers were mostly yes, awesome!  If you answered no to many of these questions, keep reading!   I have some tips to help you get started working on being financially sound.   Tips to help you be financially sound #1 Assess your current financial situation In order to figure out where you want to get to, you have to first know where you stand.  So assessing your current financial status will help you figure out what you need to do to become financially sound.   You will want to make a list of all your debts and assets to determine your net worth.  You can create a simple spreadsheet or write everything down on paper. When determining your net worth, you first list all of your assets.   Your assets are things like:Savings account balances Retirement account balances Home Equity Taxable investment account balances Certificates of depositThen list all your debts.  So things like:Credit card balances Home mortgage balance Any second mortgages or HELOCs Car loans Student loans Medical debtAfter listing everything, subtract your debts from your assets to determine your net worth. After you figure out your net worth, whether it is a positive number or a negative number, you will be able to set appropriate goals for yourself to work towards being financially sound. #2 Create goals When setting financial goals for yourself, try to make them realistic and attainable.  Because by making goals that are realistic, you will set yourself up for success.   The last thing you want to do is set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are out of reach.  This could lead to becoming overwhelmed and frustrated with your financial situation. Remember, becoming financially sound does not happen overnight.  So setting smaller, reasonable goals that you are able to reach will help you stay motivated. Since you already have your list of assets and debts, you can start there with your goals.  Some examples of goals you could make that are based on your assets and debts are:Pay off the remaining $8,000 car loan in 1 year Pay off $1000 of medical debt in 6 months Pay off $5000 of credit card debt in 8 months Increase my 401K contribution to 10% of my pay by the end of the year Increase my emergency fund by $1000 in 3 monthsYou get the idea!  But just choose one goal to work on at a time.  You don’t want to feel overwhelmed just from thinking about all the goals you have.   That could lead to becoming frustrated and could cause you to throw in the towel.   Looking at the big picture (your net worth) is a great starting point for making some financial goals for yourself.   If you would like some help setting goals, check out this post on goal setting here.   Once you choose a goal, it’s time to come up with a plan for reaching your goal.  #3 Make a plan After you choose your financial goal to start working toward being financially sound, you will want to develop a plan of action. If your goal is to pay off debt, you will want to determine how you will do that.  Will you use the debt snowball method or the debt avalanche method (see below)?   Do you need to rework your budget (or create one) to free up extra money to pay down your debt? If your goal is to spend less money every month so you can save money in an emergency fund, maybe you want to cut back on your monthly expenses, live more frugally, or start a no-spend challenge. Or if your goal is to max out your 401K at work.  How will you do that?  Will you increase your contribution by a certain amount each month until you reach the goal?   Or will you do it more gradually by increasing your contributions a little this year and a little more next year? Got it?   So your current financial situation (looking at your assets, debts, and your net worth) will help you determine what your goals should be.   And your goals will help you create your plan of action for working toward being financially sound. Related Posts:20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month Frugal Living: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide Budgeting for Beginners in 7 Easy Steps No-Spend Challenge Guide:  Rules and Tips for Success How to Live Below Your Means#4 Build your financial knowledge Learning all you can about how to manage your money effectively will help you become financially sound.  There are tons of great personal finance books out there! Some of my favorites are:The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins Rich Dad Poor Dad by Ramit Sethi The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley Smart Couples Finish Rich by David BachOr you could find some personal finance blogs to read.  There are so many great blogs out there that are full of information that can help you become financially sound.   Knowledge will give you the confidence to make financially sound decisions.   And all the good decisions you make with your money will help you to become financially stable.   #5 Insure yourself appropriately Making sure you are financially protected in the event something major happens will not only help you be financially sound because you are lowering your (and your family’s) risk for financial devastation, it will also help you sleep better at night!   According to Forbes, the 7 insurance policies everyone should have are:Health Insurance Life Insurance Disability Insurance Auto Insurance Home Owners or Renter’s Insurance Liability Insurance  Long Term Care Insurance#6 Get your will and estate planning done Getting your will and a trust set up if you have kids is so important!  However, I definitely know how easy it is to keep pushing it off! We didn’t have a will and trust set up until well after our second son was born.  I was quite guilty of procrastination with that.   I mean, who wants to think about who would take care of your kids in the event both you and your partner would die?  It’s just not a pleasant thing to think about or talk about. But it is so necessary!  And I was so relieved once it was done.   Getting your will and estate planning done will help you become financially sound.  How?   By making sure all of your assets get allocated the way you want them to be in the event of your death.   Here are 6 estate planning documents you should have, according to Investopedia:Will and Trust Durable Power of Attorney Beneficiary Designation Letter of Intent Healthcare Power of Attorney Guardianship Designations#7 Boost (or start) an emergency fund Having an emergency fund is so important for being financially stable.  An emergency fund is money you set aside that is only to be used if there is a sudden unexpected expense that you aren’t able to cover with your paycheck or your checking account.   So having a nice size cushion of money set aside will help prevent you from taking on extra debt.   Typically financial experts recommend you have 3-6 months of living expenses saved in your emergency fund.   My thoughts on that are to put enough money aside in your emergency fund that will help you sleep better at night.  If you are comfortable with 3-6 months of living expenses, great! Some people may feel they need more than that saved up and that’s fine too.  It really depends on your situation.   For example, if you are a single-income household, you may want more than 3-6 months saved.   Or if the number of hours you can work at your job varies throughout the year, like for example with seasonal work, you may want more money saved in your emergency fund.   Don’t forget to put that money in a safe place that is easily accessible, like a high yield savings account.   You never want to invest your emergency fund money in the stock market! #8 Invest for your future But you do want to start saving and investing for your future.   There is no time like the present to start saving for your retirement.   Even if you have debt you are paying down, you should try to contribute something to a retirement account.  Something is better than nothing.   Set up your contributions to have them automatically deducted from your paycheck.   Or if you don’t have an employer-sponsored retirement account, check into setting up your own Traditional IRA or Roth IRA.   Try to pay yourself first.  Allocate money to your retirement accounts before you pay your bills.   Sometimes it helps to think of contributing to a retirement account as another monthly expense to make sure the money gets put aside.   Saving and investing for your future will help you become financially sound over time.  And because of compounding interest, you want to start investing as soon as possible.    #9 Pay off debt In order to be financially sound, paying off debt is so important.  Paying off your debt will free up extra money in your budget to use for reaching your financial goals.   There are different ways to go about paying off debt. One popular way to pay off debt is the debt snowball method.  Dave Ramsey is a well-known advocate for this method of debt repayment.   To pay off debt using a debt snowball, you pay extra money on the debt you owe the least amount on while paying the minimums on all the other debts.   When the smallest debt gets paid off, you start putting all the money you were paying on that debt toward the next smallest debt.  Keep paying the minimums on all the others. You keep going in this pattern until finally, you are paying down your largest debt with all the money you were paying on all of your other balances.   Another well-known method is the debt avalanche method.  This is the method I used to pay off my student loans back in the early 2000s without ever knowing there was a name for it.   In the debt avalanche method, you list your debts in order starting from the highest interest rate down to the lowest interest rate.   Then you throw all your extra money at the debt with the highest interest rate, while paying the minimums on the others.   Once you knock out the debt with the highest interest rate put all that extra money toward the debt with the next highest interest rate.  Continue in that pattern until all your debt is paid! Here is a little example.  Say you have these 3 student loans you need to repay: Student loan #1 $19,050 at 4.5% Student loan #2  $9,000 at 8% Student loan #3  $7,000 at 6.5% So using the debt snowball method, they would be paid off in this order: First: $7,000 at 6.5% Second:  $9,000 at 8% Third:  $19,050 at 4.5% But for the debt avalanche repayment method, this is the order in which they would be paid off: First:  $9,000 at 8% interest Second:   $7,000 at 6.5% interest Third:  $19,050 at 4.5% interest  The debt snowball method is popular because paying off the smallest balances first would result in quick(er) wins.  These smaller wins can give you the motivation to keep paying down your debt. However, using the debt avalanche method would result in less interest paid on your debt in the long run.   But it’s up to you to decide how you will do it.  Think about which method makes more sense for your own situation to help you choose.     So in order to be financially sound, develop your plan of action for paying off debt and don’t give up!   #10 Live below your means In order to be financially sound, living below your means is key.  Living below your means simply means spending less than you make. If you are living below you means, you will have money left over each month to use toward reaching your financial goals.   And if your goal is to be financially sound, then you will succeed so much faster by living below your means! But becoming financially sound is only one benefit of living within your means.  Other benefits of living within your means are:Feel less stressed Argue less with loved ones about money Have more flexibility and choices during major life decisions Reach your other financial goals more quicklyLiving a frugal lifestyle will help you to live below your means.  Living frugally is all about being intentional with your spending habits.   Many think living frugally is synonymous with being cheap. Or people think that you have to deprive yourself of the things you want when living frugally. This is not so!   Without going into too much detail in this post, frugal living is about determining what is important to you and spending your money on those things.    Then you find ways to save money and reduce your spending on the things that you don’t value and you don’t care about.   If you want to read more about how to live below your means or if you would like to read up on how to live more frugally, here are some other posts to check out:How to Live Below Your Means:  Benefits & Tips for Success 5 Tips to Help You Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck Frugal Living:  The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less Money How to Develop a Robust Frugal Mindset Awesome Benefits of Frugal Living#11 Increase your income Increasing your income can definitely help you be financially sound.  Having extra money to put toward your financial goals will help you achieve them more quickly. There are tons of ways to increase your income!   Picking up overtime at work, asking for a well-deserved raise, getting a part-time job, or starting a side hustle are all ways to increase your income. Many people start a side hustle outside of their day job for extra money.  And starting a side hustle is a great way to diversify your income!   Here are some side hustle ideas:Give private lessons (music, sports, art, or any other talent or skills you have) Become a dog sitter or walker Resell items on eBay, Poshmark, Facebook Marketplace, etc Deliver food  Drive for Uber or Lyft Start a blog Babysit and/or provide before and after school care Sell baked goodsYou could even earn a few extra bucks by taking surveys from the comfort of your couch!  Survey Junkie is a popular website for taking surveys. You can check out Survey Junkie and sign up here! For more ways to earn extra money, check out these posts:Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month 50+ Ways to Make Extra Money How Much is 6 Figures a Year?  Plus 5 Ways to Boost Your IncomeFinal Thoughts on being Financially Sound Many people dream of one day being financially stable.  But it doesn’t have to just be a dream.   Being financially sound is a reality for many people.  And it could be your reality.   But it doesn’t just magically happen on its own, nor does it happen overnight.   If you want to be financially sound, start taking action with your money.  Start making the changes that you know you need to make.   I know I gave you a large list of tips for becoming financially sound.  Just start chipping away at them one by one.  Make a checklist and check each one off as you accomplish it.   And before you know it, your dream will be your reality.  You will have a financially sound family and be living your best life!   What is one of the financial goals you want to accomplish to work toward becoming financially sound?  Please share it in the comments!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

Frugal vs Cheap: What’s the difference?

Many people think being frugal and being cheap means the exact same thing.  Before I adopted a more frugal lifestyle, I was one of those people who thought that.   However, when I first discovered the FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early)  movement, I very quickly learned that frugality and cheapness are two very different concepts. Living a frugal lifestyle is one of the foundations of FIRE.  Frugal living helps you to live below your means so you can crush your savings goals and eventually be able to have the ability to choose how you spend your time (after achieving financial independence).   So today I am going to explain the key differences between being frugal and being cheap and tell you some characteristics of both to help you differentiate between the two.Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Frugal vs Cheap: Definitions According to dictionary.com, frugal means: “Economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful” And “entailing little expense; requiring few resources” Cheap means: “Costing very little; relatively low in price; inexpensive” And “Of little account; of small value; mean; shoddy” As you can see, the actual meanings are quite different.  So when someone’s spending habits are called “frugal” it means that the person uses their resources effectively and carefully in a way that benefits their money situation.   When “cheap” is used to describe how someone spends their money, it is referring to the actual amount they spend, the cost of the items they buy, or refers to the inferior quality of an item purchased.   Let’s dive in a little deeper into each meaning. What does it mean when you are frugal? We talked about the meaning of the word frugal, but what really does it mean to be frugal and live a frugal lifestyle? A frugal person spends their money intentionally on the things that matter the most to them. They put their priorities first when deciding what to spend their money on. A person’s priorities are based on their values.  And values are those things that are most important to a person. Here’s a quick example: Let’s say you put a high value on taking family vacations and traveling. But you know if you don’t watch what you spend on other things, there isn’t going to be enough money in your vacation fund to take a trip next year.   So what do you do?   You significantly cut back on other things you have been spending money on to save more in your vacation fund so your family doesn’t miss out on taking a trip next year. Some things you might cut back on are eating out, going to movies, and expensive salon visits.  You could also find ways to save on household expenses, like saving money on groceries, getting your cable bill lowered, and shopping around for cheaper insurances.   You are spending your money carefully and intentionally based on your priorities and values.   So your frugal lifestyle is going to look very different than my frugal lifestyle because everyone has different values. There are lots of people on the internet sharing tons of different frugal living tips.  And it’s helpful to read about all of them.   Do you want to know why? Because then you can pick and choose the tips that are relevant to your situation.  Some tips I read seem downright crazy!  But that’s because I can’t apply them to my life.   The key to making the transition to a more frugal lifestyle is developing an individualized plan of action that works for you.   Obviously, if you live in an apartment in the middle of the city you aren’t going to be able to hang your clothes out to dry to save on electricity that a clothes dryer would use!  But maybe you can ride a bike, walk, or carpool to work to save on transportation costs.   A frugal lifestyle needs to be catered to your life.  You can’t adopt someone else’s!  Characteristics and signs of a frugal person #1 Frugal people spend intentionally The number one characteristic of a frugal person is the act of spending intentionally.  Frugal people tend to have decent self-control when it comes to making purchases. There is very little room in a frugal lifestyle for impulsive spending.  Just about every dollar has a purpose and that purpose is generally well thought out and planned.   Now, I am not saying frugal people do not splurge or deviate from the plan at all, it definitely happens.  But frugal people generally like to stick to their plan in order to reach their end goal.  #2 Frugal people focus on value for the money As I said earlier, living a frugal lifestyle is generally goal-driven.  There is a reason behind spending less on those things that aren’t valued.   And when a frugal person does have to spend money on something that was not in the plan, say to replace an appliance, for example, frugal people tend to look for the best value for their money. Let’s use the appliance example to dig deeper.   One might think a frugal person that needs to replace a kitchen appliance would go pick out the most inexpensive one they can find. Not so.   A frugal person would do research to find the best deal on a quality appliance in hopes of it lasting a long time so they don’t have to spend money on another one when it breaks.   A frugal person would do research by reading customer reviews to ensure quality, checking prices at different stores, and searching for sales or discounts.   #3 Frugal people are not wasteful Since frugal people like to get the best value for their money, they do not waste the things they spend their money on.   Frugal people think of waste as throwing money away.   Whether it’s waste from buying more than you need and not being able to use it up or waste from buying something inexpensive that breaks right away, any kind of waste is avoided like the plague in a frugal lifestyle.   #4 Frugal people love saving money, but not at the expense of others Frugal people love saving money, but not if it means someone else will need to pay extra.  People that are frugal typically are in tune with proper etiquette involving money.   #5 Frugal people do not have homes full of stuff Since people that are frugal spend intentionally in order to help them achieve their money goals, they tend to have fewer material things. Many frugal people even consider themselves minimalists because they prefer not to spend their money on stuff that will fill up their homes.  Is being frugal a bad thing? After reading about the characteristics of frugal people, do you think being frugal is a bad thing?   I may be biased since I am a frugal person, but I think being frugal is a very beneficial way to live.   Living a frugal lifestyle has helped us get to where we are today, which is debt-free (except a small amount left on our mortgage) while raising 2 kids.   If you are living with debt and struggling to make ends meet, I think converting to a frugal lifestyle could help you! Related Posts:How to Develop a Robust Frugal Mindset Awesome Benefits fo Frugal Living Frugal Living: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help you Spend Less MoneyWhat does it mean when you are cheap? As I said earlier, the word cheap refers to things that are inexpensive.  It's also used to describe the quality of an item.   So when someone is being cheap, it means they try to spend the least amount of money possible on everything they buy.   Cheap people prefer to buy inexpensive things because they don’t want to part with their money, even if it means the items are of inferior quality.   Characteristics and signs of a cheap person #1 Cheap people focus on price instead of quality The main priority of people that are cheap is to not spend money.  When buying something, cheap people focus on the final cost of the item.   If deciding between buying 2 things, someone that is cheap will typically choose the item that is less expensive, even if it is an inferior product.   #2 Cheap people avoid spending money Cheap people avoid spending money on anything and everything.  They tend to have what is referred to as a scarcity money mindset.   A scarcity money mindset is when someone feels that they will never have enough money and they can’t do things or buy things because they feel they don’t have money to spend. A scarcity mindset often begins from childhood experiences and is carried over into one’s adult life.  This type of mindset is often based on fear or anxiety. #3 Cheap people save money at the expense of others Ever split the bill with friends at a restaurant only to come up short because someone didn’t chip in enough to cover their part plus a tip?   Yup, that’s what people that are cheap tend to do!   #4 Cheap people constantly are replacing things that break As I said before, cheap people tend to choose the least expensive products, even if the product is inferior.  This results in frequently replacing things that break or wear out.   #5 Cheap people tend to be called cheapskates by people they know Cheapness does not go unnoticed by others.  So if your friends tend to joke about how cheap you are or call you a cheapskate, it might be time to step back and reflect on your relationship and attitude about money. Assess your money mindset.  Do you feel like you will never have enough money and that’s why you don’t want to spend it?  It might be time for some self-help to get into the right mindset.Is being cheap a bad thing? Being cheap definitely has a negative connotation.  And it is a bad thing when a person tries to save money at the expense of others.   Is being stingy different than being frugal or cheap? The definition of stingy is: “Reluctant to give or spend; not generous” And both frugal and cheap are listed as synonyms for stingy on thesaurus.com.  So one might argue that being stingy is the same as being cheap and being frugal. However, being frugal is about carefully planning how you spend and use your money.  It is not about being reluctant to spend or give or about buying the most inexpensive things to save a buck.  Nope. Being frugal is a lifestyle someone chooses to live so they can use their money in the most efficient way that allows them to enjoy life and do the things that matter the most to them. How to be frugal without being cheap So hopefully I provided enough of an explanation about frugal vs cheap that will help you to understand how they are different.   So now maybe you would like to learn how to be more frugal instead of being cheap? Or perhaps you were never cheap to begin with, but I sparked your interest in learning how to be more frugal so you can reap the rewards? Here are some of my best tips for being frugal without being cheap. Decide why you want to live frugally The first thing to do when you decide you want to be more frugal is to determine your why.  Why do you want to start living more frugally? What is your goal? Determining why you want to live more frugally will help you follow through with it.  Just saying you want to live frugally is much easier than actually living frugally.   Since frugal living is about making intentional decisions with your money, you will need to make some lifestyle changes. And change is tough. As I said earlier, your reasons for wanting to live frugally will be different from my reasons.  Here are some ideas on why someone would want to start being intentional with their spending and saving habits:Save money for a big purchase Feel less stressed about money Decrease hours at work Stay home with a new baby Pay off debt Plan more family vacations Work toward financial wellness Achieve financial independenceSo think about your why and write it down.  Keep it handy and look at it often.  This will help you stay motivated as you begin your frugal lifestyle.  Develop a frugal mindset As you know, a money mindset is your feelings and beliefs about money that guide your actions and how you use your money. So as I said earlier, a scarcity mindset is a belief that you will never have enough money.  This belief leads to holding on to your money and being cheap or stingy with your money. A frugal mindset refers to the belief that spending intentionally will help you be happier and live the life you want to live.     Getting in the right mindset will help you to live frugally instead of being cheap. Related Posts:How to Develop a Robust Frugal Mindset Awesome Benefits fo Frugal Living Frugal Living: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help you Spend Less MoneyDetermine your priorities Once you know your why and you got yourself in the right mindset to start living frugally, you have to decide what your priorities are. This is where you should start thinking about the big picture.  What are the most important things to you?  What are your priorities?  What do you value most in life? Once you figure those things out, the pieces of the puzzle will start to come together. You will know what is important to spend your money on and what you could care less about spending money on.   Find ways to save money on the unimportant things Once you know your priorities, you can start to figure out ways to save money on the things that don’t matter to you.   Or you could cut them out of your budget completely and stop spending any money on them.   There might be things that you don’t care about but you have to spend money on them because they are necessary.   This is where you can get creative to figure out how to save money on unimportant things. Focus on value over price Focusing on value instead of price is a sure way to be frugal instead of being cheap.  Frugal people like to get the most bang for their buck.   Looking at an item’s quality will help you determine how long it will last and decrease the chance that it will break quickly or easily causing you to have to purchase another one.   Give or donate money to charity or a good cause Living a frugal lifestyle helps you live below your means, which frees up extra money.  Donating money to your favorite charity will not only help a good cause, it will help you feel good about yourself and the way that you are using your money.  Quiz:  Are you frugal or cheap? Here is a fun and quick quiz I found to see if you are frugal or cheap! I scored a 30, so according to the quiz, I’m frugal!  How did you do? Let me know in the comments below! Final Thoughts on Frugal vs Cheap There is a fine line between being frugal vs cheap.  If you are finding that you have been cheap instead of frugal, there are ways to change that! Taking the time to think about why you have been cheap and assessing your current money mindset will help you determine the cause of your actions with your money. After all, the first step to making changes to your situation is acknowledging the need to change.   If you keep your goals and priorities in mind and focus on using your money intentionally, you can live a frugal lifestyle instead of being cheap.   How have you been living, frugal or cheap?  How did you do on the frugal vs cheap quiz?  Let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

How Many Work Hours in a Year? All the Details You Need

Are you looking for the answer to the question, “How Many Work Hours are in a Year?” If so, you have come to the right place. Knowing the number of regular working hours in a year can be helpful for two reasons. First, you can easily calculate your annual pay by multiplying your hourly wage by the total number of hours worked throughout the year. Second, when salaried, you can figure out your hourly pay rate by dividing your annual income by your average working hours. These two formulas can help you quickly convert your hourly pay to annual income and vice versa. Read on for more details and to find out how many work hours are in a year. How Many Work Hours in a Year? Here is the quick answer to your question: There are 2,080 work hours in a year when working 40 hours in a week. 40 hours worked per week x 52 weeks = 2,080 work hours If you want to calculate your yearly gross income, take your hourly pay rate and multiply it by 2,080 hours. For example, if you are considering a job that pays 18 dollars an hour, the yearly income for that hourly rate is $37,440 (2,080 x 18 = 37,440). Side Note: Overtime work is not included in this equation. A typical eight-hour day and five working days per week are assumed. Number of Workdays in a Year There are 260 workdays per year. 52 weeks x 5 days per week = 260 workdays a year Remember, this is a general rule of thumb when calculating how many work hours in a year and the number of workdays in a year because the number of workdays can vary slightly from year to year.  If you only need the approximate answer, you got it. But if you want to know exactly how many work hours and workdays are in a year, keep reading.  The number of workdays in a year depends on how the days fall. Here is why:   52 weeks in a year x 7 days per week = 364 But there are 365 days in a standard year.   So, 52 weeks x 5 workdays per week = 260 workdays.   If the extra day falls on a weekday, we have 261 workdays a year or 2,088 work hours. It’s complicated, right? However, there is one more thing to consider, leap years. How Many Work Hours in a Leap Year? Leap years occur every four years. The number of days in a leap year is 366.   If both the 365th day and the leap year day are working days, then we have 2,096 work hours in a year. 2,080 work hours + 16 work hours if the extra days end up being workdays = 2,096 The Complete Answer to How Many Working Hours and Workdays in a Year The complete answer to “How Many Work Hours in a Year” is between 2,080 and 2,096 hours. In addition, there are between 260 and 262 workdays in a year.   What About Overtime? Some companies require employees to work mandatory overtime hours, while others give you the option to work overtime. Any hours worked over 40 hours a week are eligible for overtime pay. The standard overtime rate is typically time and a half. So if you get paid 15 dollars an hour, you would be paid $22.50 for each hour of overtime you work. The opportunity to work overtime can be advantageous. Overtime compensation can help you reach your financial goals, like paying off debt, saving for a large purchase, or investing more money for retirement. However, working many hours of overtime can be detrimental to your work-life balance. So it's crucial to balance your need to work overtime with your family life to ensure you don't start to develop burnout at work. You'll need to determine how many work hours should really be in your year. How Many Work Hours in a Year 37.5? Now you know the number of work hours in a year if you work a full-time, 40-hour workweek. But what if normal working hours for full-time at your employer start at 37.5 hours a week, and you would rather have that work schedule?   Here's the number of work hours in a year for employees working 37.5 hours a week: 37.5 hours of work per week x 52 weeks = 1,950 work hours in a year How Many Work Hours in a Year Part-Time? Part-time status varies from employer to employer. Part-time employees may not be eligible for benefits and health insurance. So it's important to understand the difference between full-time employment and part-time status at your workplace, especially if you are considering reduced working hours. Employees that work PRN, or on a casual basis, are sometimes thought of as part-time employees. Even though working casually comes with a flexible schedule, per diem workers are typically not eligible for benefits. Here is a chart that shows the number of work hours in a year for different weekly hours worked.  Then all you have to do is multiply your hourly wage by your total hours worked in a year for the part-time hours you want to work to determine your income.How Many Work Hours in a Year Minus Holidays & Vacation? Many people don’t work the full 52 weeks out of the year. Taking time off from work to relax and rejuvenate your mental and physical well-being is essential. Everyone needs a rest period once in a while. Paid vacation time and paid time off (PTO) vary significantly from employer to employer. In addition, many people use these phrases interchangeably, but they are, in fact, different. The difference between paid vacation time and paid time off is that paid vacation time is used specifically to take time off from work to relax. It is usually pre-approved time off and is separate from sick time or sick leave.  On the other hand, PTO is used for any reason an employee is absent from work. For example, reasons someone could use PTO includes time off for vacations, sick days, maternity or paternity leave, jury duty, doctor’s appointment, etc.   Paid holidays also vary depending on where you work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, full-time employees average seven to eight paid holidays per year. However, some people are lucky enough to get around ten public holidays, while others may not receive any.   Let’s say you get two weeks of PTO or vacation days and ten days of holiday pay. This equals 160 hours that you wouldn’t have to work.  In this example, you would have 1,920 work hours in a year.   2,080 – 160 hours = 1,920 work hours per year How Many Work Hours in a Month? To determine the total number of work hours in a month, you count the number of weekdays and multiply times 8 hours. Months have 20, 21, 22, or 23 weekdays in them. For example, if there are 23 workdays in the month, your hours actually worked would be 184.   23 workdays x 8 hours = 184 work hours this month How Many Work Hours and Workdays in 2022? To determine the number of work hours in a particular year, you must count out the workdays and multiply times 8.   As I pointed out earlier, the number of working hours in a year varies from year to year but is between 2,080 hours and 2,096 hours, depending on how the days fall and if it’s a leap year or not.   Here are the number of work hours and workdays in the next few years (holidays included):How Many Hours in a Year? Are you looking for the number of total hours in a year?   There are 8,760 hours in a year.  Here’s the math: 365 days per year x 24 hours in a day = 8,760 hours in a year And for a leap year (a leap year occurs every four years), there are 8,784 hours in a year. 366 days in a leap year x 24 hours in a day = 8,784 hours in a leap year. Final Thoughts on How Many Work Hours in a Year Interestingly, we spend around 24% of the hours out of each year working when we work 40 hours per week. So that's about one quarter of our year. (2,080 work hours divided by 8,760 total hours in a year = 0.237 = ~24%) And if we get the recommended 8 hours of sleep every night, that means we spend around 33% of the hours out of the year sleeping. (2,920 hours of sleep per year divided by 8,760 hours in a year = .333 = ~33%) In total, we are either working or sleeping around 57% of the time during the year. That puts things in a different perspective, right? It makes me stop and think about how I spend the other 43% of my time during the year. With less than half of my time available to spend how I want to spend it, I want to make the most of my time and live life to its fullest. How do you want to spend your time?

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

How Much Emergency Fund Money You Need for Peace of Mind

Saving enough money for an emergency fund seems daunting for many people. But it doesn’t have to be challenging for you. Developing a savings plan to reach your emergency fund goal is the best way to get started with filling up your bank account.   So how much emergency fund money should you have? Unfortunately, this question doesn’t have a one size fits all answer. Keep reading to determine how much money you should have in your savings account.   How Much Emergency Fund Money You Should Have The money you need in your emergency fund depends on several factors. But most financial experts recommend you stash away three to six months of living expenses for emergencies. However, certain circumstances may warrant saving more than the typical recommendation. Here are a few situations where you may consider bulking up your emergency fund to six months or more of living expenses. You Live in a One Income Household If either you or your partner doesn’t work, consider beefing up your emergency fund in case the working partner loses their job or isn’t able to work. Saving six months’ worth of living expenses or more can help you sleep better at night. You Support Several Dependents With the cost of groceries rising, having multiple mouths to feed is becoming increasingly expensive. Not to mention the cost of clothing and shoes, childcare, tuition, extracurricular activity fees, and healthcare for dependents aren’t getting any cheaper. Consider your monthly expenses for dependents when determining how much emergency fund money you need. Your Job is Highly Specialized If you have a distinct skill set or the field you work in is highly competitive with a saturated job market, it may be difficult to find another job if you should become unemployed. Boosting your emergency fund to cover more than the recommended three to six months of expenses may be in order. You Live in a High Cost of Living Area Your money won’t go as far if you live in an area with a high cost of living. Everything from car repairs to home repairs will cost you more money. Saving more than the recommended three to six months’ expenses in your emergency fund can help you handle higher costs if needed. Your Job Isn’t Stable If you work a per diem, seasonal, or temporary job, you may want to have more than the minimum recommendation saved in your emergency fund. Going for an extended time without work can wreak havoc on your finances and cause you to take on debt. But having extra money earmarked for when you don’t have an income can help you avoid financial-related stress. You Have a Medical Condition That Makes Working Difficult Chronic and persistent health issues make working a job difficult for many people. A well-stocked emergency fund can ease your mind so you can focus on your health. In addition, having a large bank of money to fall back on when you cannot support yourself is necessary for your financial well-being. You Have a Large Amount of Debt Suppose you have a mountain of debt, whether secured, unsecured, or a combination of the two. In that case, consider having a heftier emergency fund as a backup if you would lose your income due to job loss or inability to work.   If you cannot meet your monthly unsecured debt (i.e., credit card debt) obligations, you could acquire late payment fees, your interest rates may rise, and your debt could go to collections. If you miss payments on secured debt, such as your mortgage or car loan, you could eventually go into foreclosure, or the bank could repossess your car. Having a cushion of money is imperative to avoid these situations.How to Save for Your Emergency Fund If you’ve concluded that you don’t have enough emergency funds, you may wonder how you will save enough to feel secure. A savings plan will help you decide how to boost or start your emergency fund. Keep reading for help with developing your savings plan. Decide on Your Goal You will first want to decide how much emergency fund money will help you sleep better at night. As stated earlier, the typical recommendation for liquid assets is three to six months’ worth of living expenses. However, if you have extenuating circumstances, you may consider saving between six months and a full year of living expenses. Add Up Your Monthly Expenses You’ll want to include your financial obligations when adding up your monthly expenses. But don’t include monthly costs that aren’t completely necessary for survival. For example, contributing to your child’s 529 plan can temporarily be stopped if you should need to turn on survival mode.   You also can exclude discretionary costs, like money you use for entertainment or eating at restaurants when adding up your monthly expenses. Why? Because if you lose your job, you would want to reduce your spending as much as possible to help your emergency fund last.   Calculate Your Emergency Fund Number Once you determine the number of months you want to save up for and add up your non-discretionary monthly costs, you can calculate your emergency fund number—multiply your number of months by your monthly expenses. For example, if you want to save six months of expenses in your emergency fund and have $3,200 in monthly obligations you want to cover, you would need $19,200 in your emergency fund.   Develop a Savings Plan Saving money is challenging for most people. And just thinking about saving such a large sum of money can make you feel hopeless and cause you to throw in the towel before you even start. Creating a plan to stash cash in an account for your emergency fund is essential for meeting your goal.   Saving that much money for an emergency fund is not an easy task and could take many months to years to accomplish. To develop a realistic plan, you will want to determine the amount of money you can save from your monthly salary. Then, divide your emergency fund goal by the amount you can save. For example, say you have an extra $300 monthly for your emergency fund. It would take around five years to meet your $19,200 emergency fund goal.   Save Money Five years may seem like a long time to meet your savings goal. However, there are ways you can increase the amount of money you save each month so you can meet your goal more quickly. Here are a few ways you can increase your emergency cash.Find extra money in your budget: Can you save on your monthly expenses and put that money toward your savings goal (I.e., reduce your grocery bill, get rid of cable TV, reduce your cell phone bill)? Temporarily reduce your “fun” money (money spent on entertainment, eating out, clothing) and live frugally. Deposit your tax refund directly into your emergency fund account Pick up overtime at work, if possible Find a part-time job Start a side hustle Pay yourself first: have money automatically deposited from your paycheck into your savings account, just like you do with your 401K contributions.Emergency Fund FAQ If you still have questions about the ins and out of emergency funds, here are a few frequently asked questions about the topic.   What is an Emergency Fund? An emergency fund consists of money you put aside for an unexpected expense or a financial emergency.    How Much Emergency Fund Money is Enough? The phrase “personal finance is personal” is famous for a reason. Everyone’s financial situation is different. What may be enough emergency fund money for one person or family may not be enough for another. That’s why you should consider your situation to determine how much emergency fund money you need for your peace of mind. Where is the Best Place for Emergency Fund Money? You should keep your emergency fund money separate from your checking account. In addition, you’ll want to keep your money safe by depositing it in the appropriate type of account. For example, don’t invest your emergency funds in the stock market or mutual funds. Instead, you’ll want your safety net money in an account insured by the FDIC, such as a savings account.   Since you (hopefully) won’t need to withdraw money frequently from your emergency fund account, take advantage of high-yield savings accounts or money market savings accounts to accrue interest on your money.    What is a Good Emergency Fund? Most people will want to accumulate a three to a six-month emergency fund. Most financial advisors consider this amount of money in savings a fully funded emergency fund as a rule of thumb. However, there are always exceptions to rules. Consider your circumstances to determine if the money you plan to put aside is right for you. What is the Difference Between Your Emergency Fund and Savings? You should keep your emergency fund money separate from other savings accounts. You will use your emergency fund to pay unexpected expenses that arise that are out of your budget. Therefore, you’ll want to keep that money untouched and separate from other cash. It’s best practice to keep your emergency fund money in a different account from where you stockpile cash for your savings goals. Final Thoughts on How Much Emergency Fund Money You Need Saving enough money in an emergency fund is a stepping stone to financial security. But knowing how much emergency fund money you need for peace of mind can be a challenge for many people. Use this guide to help you determine if you need to save more than the recommended three to six months of expenses.

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

How much is 6 figures a year (and 5, 7, 8, 9 figures)?

Are you wondering what people mean when they say they make 6 figures a year? Or maybe you have a goal for yourself of bringing in a 6 figure salary but aren’t exactly sure how much that is. Today I am going to tell you about what a figure means as it relates to your salary and what kind of jobs are out there that make 6 figures a year. Since a 6 figure salary is quite a bit above the average salary in the United States, I am going to tell you about 5 figure salaries and ways to boost your 5 figure salary to help you get closer to making a six-figure salary. I’ll also go over what 7 figures, 8 figures, and 9 figures mean as it relates to money.   Let’s get started!Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   How much is 6 figures a year? What is a 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 figure salary? What is a figure as it relates to someone’s salary? You might be wondering what a figure actually is. A figure is just another name for a digit. Look at each number in your salary and count the number of digits.  Don’t include the cents portion of a salary, just the numbers to the left of the decimal point.   So if you make 35,000 you make a 5 figure salary.  If you make 35,000.50 per year, you still make a 5 figure salary because you exclude the cents. Got it? Okay, let’s go a little deeper.  How much is 5 figures a year? A 5 figure salary is any yearly salary ranging between $10,000 and $99,000 a year.  Like I said earlier, just count the number of digits. You may notice that this is quite a large range.  And you’re right.  There is $89,000 between the low end of a 5 figure salary and the high end of a 5 figure salary. What is the average 5 figure a year salary? According to CNBC, women earn an average of $45,084 annually between the ages of 25 and 34, $52,572 annually between the ages of 35 and 44, and $52,260 annually between the ages of 45 and 54. Men earn an average of $50,076, $64,428, and $66,092 for those age ranges respectively.   Notice how women’s salaries are lower?  And the average salary for women decreases between the 25-34 age range and the 35-44 age range? See how the average salary for men increases between those same age ranges? This is described as the gender pay gap.  Women tend to earn less overall than men and their peak earning age is lower than a man’s. According to Forbes.com, women get paid about 80 cents for every dollar a man makes.  I am not going to go further in detail about that in this post, but you can check out the article here if you are interested in reading further.  The best way to close that gap according to Forbes is to ask to be paid what everyone else in your job position with your experience is being paid, regardless of gender.  What jobs make the average 5 figure salary? Here are some jobs that don’t require a degree that pays around $50,000 per year (source): Executive Assistant  Salary: $51,976 What they do:  Report directly to senior management, coordinate the day-to-day communications with clients, prepare documents for team members, and schedule appointments and meetings. Property Manager Salary: $51,903 What they do: Deal directly with renters, leasers, and tenants, schedule maintenance and repairs for properties, collect rent and respond to tenant issues. Retail Store Manager Salary:  $44,437 What they do:  Ensure the completion of daily operations for the store, lead and supervise store employees, and address customer service issues with customers.   Police Officer Salary:  $53,567 What they do:  Work to protect and uphold the laws for the community. Title Examiner Salary: $46,579 What they do:  Research real estate and insurance documents to determine legal ownership of property. Fitness Manager Salary: $49,764 What they do:  Manage the daily operations of a fitness center, supervise fitness center employees, create exercise programs for clients. Hotel Manager Salary:  $48,961 What they do: Manage the day-to-day operations of the hotel, supervise hotel staff, initiate marketing programs for the hotel. Food Service Manager Salary:  $47,767 What they do:  Responsible for managing daily operations of food service establishment, lead and manage staff, handle customer service, ensure the business is profitable.   Electrician Salary:  $51,775 What they do:  Skilled trade worker who installs, repairs, and inspects wiring for lighting, panel circuits, and other electrical components Emergency Medical Technicians Salary:  $44,383 What they do:  First responders to medical emergencies, possess emergency medical technician certificationHow much is 6 figures a year? So now you know a 5 figure salary is up to $99,000.  A 6 figure salary is anything between $100,000 and $999,999.   When people say they make 6 figures a year, they are saying they make over $100,000 a year.   How much is 6 figures monthly? Someone that makes $100,000 a year makes around $8,334 a month before taxes and deductions.   How much is 6 figures weekly? Someone that makes $100,000 a year will make around $1,923 a week before taxes and deductions.   How much is 6 figures per day? There are a total of 261 working days in this calendar year (assuming a 5 day work week). That means someone that makes $100,000 a year would make $383.14 per day. How much is 6 figures an hour? In order to make $100,000 a year, you would need to make $47.89 an hour (assuming an 8-hour workday, 5 days per week). Is six figures a lot of money? It depends.  If someone makes $100,000 a year but spends most of it, then that person would probably think that it isn’t a lot of money. However, if a person making that much money lives below her means, watches her spending, sticks to a budget, and saves much of what she makes, then $100,000 is plenty of money.   Is 6 figures a good salary? Again it depends.  Not only does it depend on the person, their lifestyle, and their spending habits, but it also depends on where the person lives.   The cost of living varies greatly in our country depending on where you live.  New York City and San Francisco, CA are known to be 2 of the most expensive cities to live in (source). A salary of $100,000 will not go very far in a city where the cost of living is high.  Someone that lives in a city with a high cost of living may need a much higher 6 figure salary. But if a person makes a low 6 figure salary and lives in a city with a low cost of living, there would be a much higher likelihood of living quite a comfortable lifestyle (if the person is spending intentionally and living below their means). Living in a city with a low cost of living is something to consider if you are trying to stretch your dollars.  Some cities that have a low cost of living relative to other areas of the United States are: Wichita Falls, TX Fort Wayne, IN Montgomery, AL Toledo, OH Oklahoma City, OK Augusta, GA Louisville, KY Topeka, KS Palm Bay, FL Huntsville, ALLearn more about these cities and other cities with low costs of living here. Jobs that make 6 figures a year that require a college degree Many jobs that pay a 6 figure salary require a college degree and are highly skilled jobs.  Here are some examples of those types of jobs that pay a 6 figure salary (source): Anesthesiologist $261,000 Surgeons $252,000 Chief Executive Officer $193,850 Nurse Anesthetist $181,000 Petroleum Engineer $156,000 Computer and Information Systems Manager $156,000 Marketing Manager $149,000 Lawyers $145,000 Human Resource Manager $129,000 Pharmacist $125,000Jobs that make 6 figures without a college degree Even though many jobs that pay 6 figures a year do require a college degree, there are jobs out there that pay 6 figures that you don't need a degree for.   However, those jobs still require training and job experience.   Here are some jobs that pay 6 figures without a degree, according to Indeed.com:Senior Consultant $96,952 Senior Web Developer $98,811 Risk Manager $100,759 Sales Director $101,000 Senior Account Manager $101,000 Director of Operations $102,753 Account Executive $103,391 Product Manager $104,000 Senior Sales Executive $114,500 Pilot $114,000How much is a 7 figure salary? A 7 figure salary is a salary between $1,000,000 and $9,999,999.  Someone that earns 1 million dollars up to just under 10 million dollars earns a 7 figure salary.   How much is an 8 figure salary? 8 figures is between 10,000,000 and 99,999,999.  So an 8 figure salary refers to making 10 million dollars to just under 100 million dollars. How much is a 9 figure salary? 9 figures is between 100,000,000 and 999,999,999.  A 9 figure salary refers to making 100 million dollars to just under 1 billion dollars.   Check out this chart for a quick recap on 5 figures, 6 figures, 7 figures, 8 figures, and 9 figures per year!Now that you know what 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 figure salaries are, let’s talk about ways to boost your income!   How to increase your income to make closer to 6 figures a year Just because you don’t make 6 figures a year doesn’t mean you can’t increase your income to bring it closer to 6 figures and live a more comfortable lifestyle!   The way to make more money is to take action.  Because if you don’t take action, nothing will ever change! Sure, you might get your couple of percentage point raises every year.  But in order to truly make more money so you can live more comfortably, you can’t be a bystander.   So here are my top 5 favorite ways to take action and increase your income! Blogging The reason that blogging is my number one way to increase your income is that it is super cheap to start a blog.  I honestly can’t think of any other business you could start that would be cheaper than blogging. Now, blogging definitely won’t make you rich overnight.  Nor will it make you rich in 6 months (at least for most people that don’t know what they are doing at first like me!).   But if you remain consistent and persistent, there is sooo much money-making potential!  Check out this article in Forbes about this well-known blogger that makes over 6 figures a year while sailing a luxury sailboat! Michelle’s story is incredibly inspiring.  Plus she has tons of fantastic information on her blog.  You can check it out here.   So if you have a hobby, talent, or something that you are knowledgeable and passionate about, blogging could be a great side hustle for you.   Like I said earlier, blogging is so cheap!  You can start your blog for as little as $2.95 a month through Bluehost. Bluehost is the hosting service I use and love.  If you are thinking about starting a blog, you should definitely consider Bluehost.  They also include a free domain name for the first year. Check Bluehost out here.  Become a reseller Another one of my top ways to make extra money is by reselling.  Reselling is just buying used or second-hand goods and selling them for profit.   My husband and I used to be a reselling team a few years back.  We started it because we wanted to make extra money when both of our boys were in daycare at the same time. If you have (or had) kids in daycare, you certainly know how expensive it is!  Money was pretty tight back then.  I mean geez, our daycare bill was more than our mortgage payment!  Totally ridiculous, but unfortunately necessary as we both work full time. Living on one income was not an option for us (if only my 20-year-old self knew then what my 40 something-year-old self knows now…).   Anyway, many people make a full-time income from reselling!  It is definitely a decent side hustle for making extra money.   The one drawback (and the reason we stopped doing it) is that you have to find time to source items to resell.  And sourcing items can be quite time-consuming.   We used to spend so much time looking through thrift shops and garage sales.  Until we didn’t have that time anymore when our kids started school and playing sports.   But if you have some extra time to spend sourcing items, this could definitely be an option for you to increase your income! Sourcing the items is by far the hardest part (but the most fun part!).  The easy part is listing and shipping the sold items.   Oh, and by the way, we primarily sold on eBay.  I also sold some items on Poshmark.  But there are other platforms you could try out too! Turn your hobby into a side hustle If you have a hobby, you could totally turn it into a side hustle to make extra cash!  Think outside the box to figure out how to turn your passion into a money-making machine.   For example, could you sell your services?  Could you make a product to sell?  Could you teach others how to do your hobby or talent? Here are some more specific examples:Excel at a particular sport? Give private lessons, become a coach, or become a referee. Love to bake or decorate cakes?  Sell your goods, make wedding cakes or birthday cakes, offer classes to teach people your skill. Have a good eye for design?  Sell your design services, start a blog on design/decorating, find a second job as a designer Awesome at DIY?  Sell your DIY services, flip furniture, teach people your skill, start a DIY blog Love dogs?  Become a dog walker, dog sitter, dog groomer, or dog trainerYou get the idea!  Brainstorm a way you can turn your favorite pastime into a side hustle to earn extra income.   Ask for a raise As I said earlier, being passive about your money situation is not going to get you anywhere.  Why not increase your income to get it closer to 6 figures by asking your boss for a raise? The worst that can happen is that you will get a no for an answer.   But if you back up your request with all the ways you are an awesome employee, it will make it so much harder for them to say no.   If the answer is still no and you don’t feel you are getting paid what you are worth, you might have some deep thinking to do… Hunt for a better paying job Gone are the days when people stay at one job for 40 years.  If your employer is not a good fit for you, you are miserable at work, or you aren’t getting paid what you are worth (and they won’t give you a raise), it may be time to search for another job.   Increasing your income by finding a higher-paying job will do wonders to boost your financial situation, as long as you don’t succumb to lifestyle creep (aka lifestyle inflation).     Lifestyle creep is when you increase your spending as your income increases. As you can imagine, it's really bad for your financial situation. Lifestyle creep makes it difficult to pay off debt, save money, and reach your financial goals. It makes it nearly impossible to achieve financial wellness and financial independence. Finding a higher-paying job was how I boosted our income back when we were in our 20’s. That one strategic financial move allowed us to pay off a boatload of debt and save 20% down for our current home. If you have gained experience in your field, but are still at an entry-level job making entry-level pay, consider putting your feelers out to see what you could make somewhere else.   You could always take that information back to your current employer to point out what you are really worth in order to negotiate a higher salary.   Final thoughts on the question “How much is 6 figures a year?” Making 6 figures a year is a goal for many people.  However, making 6 figures a year is not enough to ensure financial stability and financial wellness. It also matters how you manage your money.  Achieving a goal of making 6 figures, but then increasing your spending and succumbing to lifestyle creep is not going to help you achieve a better financial situation. The key to achieving financial wellness is increasing the gap between your income and expenses. Keeping your spending in check, living below your means, and saving for your future will help you achieve financial wellness, and eventually financial freedom. And even if you don’t ever make 6 figures a year, you can still live a life free from debt and financial stress. You will need to take action and adapt or modify how you are using your money to make your money work harder for you so you can live the life you always dreamed of.   What is your favorite way you have made extra money? Please let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

How to Create a Meal Planning Binder for Successful Meal Planning

Do you keep saying you want to start meal planning? But you don’t have the time to sit down and decide what you are going to feed your family for the whole week? Maybe you tried meal planning, but life got too hectic, and your meal plan failed miserably. Or perhaps you are planning your weekly meals, but you absolutely hate doing it and wish it could be streamlined in some way. If any of these things ring true with you, then you need a meal planning system in place that will help you easily create your meal plan and stick to it. Today I am going to help you with that! There are many ways to create a system for meal planning.  But today I am going to focus on helping you create a meal-planning binder. First, let’s talk about the benefits of having a meal plan and sticking to it. The way I see it, there are three main benefits of making and sticking to a meal plan. First and foremost, meal planning allows you to control what you are putting into your body, making it much healthier for you and your family than getting takeout or going out to eat. Secondly, you are going to save so much money by meal planning! The less you eat out, the more money you will save. Lastly, there is nothing better than a good old-fashioned meal, where you sit around the kitchen table with your family!  You will create an atmosphere that will allow for family bonding and togetherness.  It will create the kind of memories your kids will remember when they get older.  That makes it worth it, don’t you think? Okay, so let’s get talking about how to create a meal planning binder! Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read my full disclosure here.   How to create a meal planning binder The benefits of having a meal planning binder (or another meal planning system) are clear.  You will have all of your meal-planning paraphernalia in one place. When you are organized and have everything together, you will be able to quickly and easily grab your binder and start meal planning! So the first thing you have to do is gather all the supplies to create a meal planning binder. But real quick…as you know, meal planning will definitely save you money. If you want to save even more money by getting cashback on some of the groceries you were going to buy anyway, you should definitely try Ibotta. Ibotta is a cash-back app that is free to download and use. New users that sign up through this link can earn up to $20 in welcome bonuses! So if you don't have Ibotta yet, you can sign up here. Also, if you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it, and you just can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you (and you've already tried a meal planning binder without success), you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Related Posts:How to Make a Weekly Meal Plan With Grocery List Meal Planning on a Budget Quick and Easy Ways to Reuse Leftover Food Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights The Easy Way to Make a Monthly Meal PlanMaterials you will need to create a DIY meal-planning binder Binder The ring size will depend on the number of pages you will keep in it.  If you will be doing weekly meal planning and plan to keep all of your previous weeks of meals, you may want a one-inch binder.  If you are doing monthly meal planning or weekly meal planning on a monthly calendar, you may be able to get away with a half-inch binder. Also, decide if you will keep any recipes in your binder.  If you use any handwritten recipes or prefer to print recipes out (instead of going online every time you need them), you may want the larger ring-size binder. I would also suggest using a binder with a see-through pocket on the front, so you can put the current week’s meal plan inside the pocket to refer to.  Here is an example of a binder with a clear front pocket. Blank notebook paper or my meal planning guide printables You can definitely use blank notebook paper in your binder to create your meal plan.  But if you want meal planning sheets that are a little more user-friendly, you can download my meal planning guide for free meal planning binder printables.  The free meal planning binder printables you'll receive are:a cheat sheet to help you get started a monthly calendar a sample monthly meal plan a weekly meal planner with a grocery list a place to write your family’s favorite meals an inventory list ideas for theme nights and side dishes tips for successYou can download my meal planning guide here, and I will send it right to your inbox!Clear pockets/page protectors (optional) If you are keeping recipes in your binder, you may want to consider getting some of these clear page protectors to keep them in.  These clear pockets will protect your recipes from spills and splatters when you are referring to them while cooking. Dividers A set of dividers in your meal planning binder will help keep you organized.  You can separate your binder into sections like “meal plan,” “favorite meals,” “food inventory,” and “recipes.” Once you have your binder set up, it’s time to determine your method of meal planning to figure out the best way to use your new meal planning binder to set yourself up for success. Meal Planning Methods I’m going to tell you about three different ways you can meal plan so you can figure out how best to use your new meal planning binder so it works for you! Weekly meal planning Creating a meal plan weekly is probably the place to start if you are brand new at meal planning.  Weekly meal planning will keep you from getting overwhelmed when trying to come up with meals for your family. If you need to meal plan breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you may also want to meal plan weekly or do a 2-week rotating meal plan (see below). I only meal plan our dinner meal.  This allows me to meal plan for four weeks at a time.  If I had to meal plan all 3 meals a day, I don’t think I would be meal planning in 4-week intervals. That would be way too overwhelming!2-week Rotating Meal Plan In order to create a 2-week rotating meal plan, you come up with two weeks’ worth of meals and then just repeat that same meal plan starting in week 3.  A spin on this method would be if you could come up with two different 2-week meal plans, then alternate them so you won't eat the same thing twice in a month. This would work well if you could come up with 28 different meals (7 days a week times four weeks) that your family likes to eat.  But if your family eats leftovers, you will not need 28 meals because you can strategically plan for leftovers within your meal plan. If you would like to incorporate leftovers into your meal plan and want to learn some ways to repurpose your leftovers, check out my post on how to reuse your leftovers.  Monthly meal planning I call it monthly meal planning, but really you are meal planning for four weeks at a time.  This is what I have been doing for several years, and it really has made a difference in decreasing dinner-time stress. Since I have been doing it for so long, my system for meal planning is quite streamlined.  I use a store-bought monthly planner to write in my meals. I write our food inventory on the “Notes” lines next to the month. Then I just fill in the four weeks with our meals.  I use some theme nights to help me fill in my meal plan.  If you would like more info on dinner theme nights, you can find my post about it here. Don’t feel like you have to go out and buy a monthly planner to start with.  They can be quite pricey.  I buy mine every year at Dollar Tree, so if you are reading this at the beginning of the year, you might be able to find one there. Otherwise, I have included a blank monthly calendar and an inventory list in my meal planning guide to get you started. You can download my meal planning guide here. The thing I like most about meal planning for four weeks at a time is that you only have to meal plan once every four weeks! Let’s face it, meal planning isn’t the most fun thing to do in life, but it’s gotta be done if you want to eat at home and save money! Now that we talked about three different ways to use your new meal planning binder, let’s talk about grocery shopping.Decide When You Will Grocery Shop After you decide which method you will be using for meal planning, you will have to determine how often you will go grocery shopping.  If you are weekly meal planning, you will have to shop for groceries weekly.  If you are meal planning with the 2-week rotating meal plan, you could grocery shop weekly or biweekly. If you decide you are going to try meal planning for four weeks at a time, you will have to decide if you will grocery shop weekly, every other week, or monthly.  Yup, some people actually only grocery shop once a month! We grocery shop every other week, which seems to work best for our schedules.  We do end up hitting up Lidl or Aldi on the off weeks for things we forgot, things Walmart was out of, or things we ran out of (i.e., milk).  But when we go into Lidl or Aldi, we only get what we need.  Everything usually fits into one or two reusable shopping bags.  Another thing to consider when deciding how often you want to shop is how much space you have for storing food.  Do you have a large enough pantry to store the dry goods you will be purchasing for two weeks at a time? Do you have enough freezer space to store your frozen foods for two weeks? These are all things to consider when deciding how often to go grocery shopping.Determine Your Mode of Grocery Shopping After you create a meal planning binder, decide on your method for meal planning, and determine how often you will grocery shop, you will want to decide on how and when you will obtain your groceries. Will you go into the store for your groceries? Will you shop online and do grocery pick-up? Or will you shop online and have your groceries delivered? What weekday will be best for you to do your grocery shopping? Take into consideration your work schedules and your children’s after-school and weekend activities when determining how and when you will do your grocery shopping. For example, we prefer to shop online and do grocery pick-up on a Saturday morning every other week.  It fits into our schedule the best at that time.  My brother-in-law and sister-in-law have a newborn baby, and they find it easiest for them right now to order their groceries online and have them delivered. So think about what will work best for your family and try to stay consistent with it. The more consistent you can be with meal planning and grocery shopping, the more it will become part of your routine.  This will make it easier to stick with your meal planning schedule and help you to eat at home more! Final Thoughts You do not have to spend a lot of time and energy on creating your meal plan.  Once you have a handful or 2 of meals your family enjoys, it’s just a matter of putting them into a rotation that will meet the needs of your schedule and time constraints.  When you create a meal planning binder and use it consistently to help you with meal planning, you are setting yourself up for success with eating at home.  The nights of ordering takeout or packing the kids up in the car to go out to eat will start to become few and far between as you develop your meal-planning routine. So go ahead and download my free meal planning guide to help you create your meal planning binder to start eating at home more so you can eat healthier and save money! What systems have you used for meal planning? Have you tried the meal planning binder system?  I would love to hear! Please let me know in the comments.

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

How to Make Money Online For Beginners:  33 Great Ways

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have been looking for jobs that allow them to make money from home online.  Some people are looking for full-time employment, and others are just looking for a side job to make extra money from home. Fortunately, there are many different ways to work from home.  This post will focus on how to make money online for beginners. However, even if you have never made money online before, there is sure to be something on this list for you. For a few of the jobs on this list, you can make $100 a day easy.  Some of these online jobs will allow you to make money fast, and others may take a little more time to build up an income.   Working from home has many benefits besides the obvious one of not having a long commute to the office every day.  Other benefits of working online are:Flexible work hours Being able to work from anywhere you have an internet connection Being home with your kids when they don’t have school  Being able to supervise or provide care to an elderly family member  Spending less on gas each month Saving money on clothes because you don’t need to buy office attire Having more time in your day for other things like working out, cleaning, hobbiesIt’s no wonder so many people want to work from home and make money online.  If you want to earn money from home, keep reading to find your perfect work-from-home job.   Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here. How to Make Money Online for Beginners:  Selling Online One of the best ways to make money online for beginners is to become an online seller.  There are so many platforms you can use for selling online, and you can sell just about anything nowadays.   When selling online, the amount of money you make is directly related to the amount of time and effort you put into it.  Here are a few ways beginners can get started with making money online. 1.  Sell on eBay If you want to try selling online, eBay is an excellent place to start.  The eBay app is easy to use, and you can start selling your items quickly.   To get the hang of it, you can try looking around your house to see if you have anything you want to try to sell.  Try listing your items first to get the hang of listing and shipping.   You’ll need to take pictures of the item you want to sell, upload the images to the app, and fill in the item specifics and description.  It’s as simple as that, and anyone can do it.  Before you list anything, check the recently sold listings in the app for something similar to the item you want to sell to make sure it’s worth your time and effort to list. You don’t want to go through the effort to photograph and list an item that only sells for a dollar or two.  There are much better ways to use your time to make money online as a beginner than selling an item for a few bucks.   2.  Become an Amazon Seller Selling on Amazon is another way to sell online to make money as a beginner. However, once you source your items, you must determine if you will fulfill the orders yourself or want Amazon to fulfill your orders. If you are fulfilling your orders yourself, you must keep your inventory in your home as you would with eBay.  The other option is to use Amazon’s FBA program.   FBA stands for “Fulfilled by Amazon.” If you decide to go this route, you will need to ship your inventory to Amazon for them to store and ship to buyers.  Amazon charges extra fees when using their FBA program, so make sure you do your research.   3.  Sell on Poshmark Poshmark is another online sales platform.  Poshmark is different from eBay and Amazon because the focus is on clothing and shoes.  Designer and name-brand clothing and shoes do the best on Poshmark. However, I have had success selling cheaper and less-known brands.   Like eBay, Poshmark also has a straightforward app you can download to your smartphone.  The easiest way to start is by selling unwanted clothing and shoes.  Once you figure out what sells the best, you could head to thrift stores and yard sales to find clothes and shoes to resell to make money online as a beginner. 4.  Become a Dropshipper If you don’t have room in your home to store inventory (and don’t want to do Amazon FBA), you could become a drop shipper.  A drop shipper is a person in between the customer and the manufacturer that creates an online storefront for selling products.   The drop shipper is responsible for marketing the product.  Once the product sells, the manufacturer gets notified and ships directly to the customer.   Drop shippers have the most success choosing a product niche (or specialty) to sell.  Choose a niche you enjoy because you want to learn everything about your selling products.   Related Posts:Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month 50+ Ways to Make Extra MoneyHow to Make Money Online for Beginners:  Create a Product and Sell It Brainstorming and creating a product to sell can be a great money-maker.  If you have a creative side or excel at thinking of new ideas, this method for making money online could be perfect for you.   5.  Make and Sell Crafts You could try making and selling your crafts online to earn money if you are crafty.  One of the more popular places you can sell your homemade goods to make money online as a beginner is Etsy.  Opening an Etsy shop to sell your crafts is a great way to make a side income and scale it to a full-time income.  The possibilities are endless when it comes to selling crafts on Etsy.  Here are some ideas:Wood decor Jewelry Leather crafts Zippered pouches/change purses Painted dishes Painted flower pots Tote bags Pet lovers crafts Hair accessories Coasters Bookmarks Key chains Candles6.  Sell Printables Etsy is also a popular sales platform for selling printables.  Printables are instant downloads that customers can print at home or have printed at a place like Staples.   Creating professional-looking printables takes practice, but once you master a graphic design website like Canva or Photoshop, you can build a whole library of printables for your Etsy store.  The nice thing about selling instant downloads is that you don’t have to keep inventory in your home.   Some printables that sell on Etsy are:Coloring pages Weekly or monthly planners Calendars Wedding related items Meal planners Checklists Health trackers Art Financial templates and planners7.  Create and Sell a Course If you are well-versed in something and want to share your knowledge with people to make money online, you could create a course and sell it. There are different platforms you can use to create your course.  The most popular platforms are Udemy, Teachable, Thinkific, and Kajabi.  There are many benefits to creating an online course.  When you create an online course, it can be a great source of passive income.  When you are finished making the course, you can sit back and let the sales roll in (after marketing it, of course). You can create a course from anywhere, even when traveling, as long as you have an internet connection.  Plus, making and selling a course online will reach many people.   8.  Write and Sell eBooks on Amazon Another way to make money online for beginners is by writing and selling eBooks on Amazon.  So if you are an expert or knowledgeable about a topic, writing a book and self-publishing it with Kindle Direct Publishing could be the ideal way to make money.   Amazon makes it easy to sell your eBook on its platform.  You follow the prompts, enter the correct information about your book, upload your book, set your price, and hit publish. Amazon has to review and approve your eBook, usually within 24 to 48 hours. Once approved, Amazon will notify you via email that your book is listed and for sale.   9.  Create and Sell Low Content Books Low-content books can be lucrative for a beginner to make money online.  Low-content books are books that have very few words inside.  They may contain prompts to help the buyers of these books with writing or drawing.  Examples of low-content books are:Journals Planners Coloring books Logbooks Guest books SketchbooksThe covers of low-content books are usually well-designed and attractive, helping them stand out to buyers.   10.  Design T-shirts Designing t-shirts and selling them online is another avenue for making money online for beginners.  If you are creative or artistic, selling t-shirts with your designs could make a fun and profitable online business. Once you develop your designs, you must decide how to print them.  There are a few different options for inventory management.  You could have them printed in bulk and keep the inventory until sold.  Or you could use a print-on-demand service, which would help avoid having money tied up in inventory costs.  How to Make Money Online for Beginners:  Use Your Talent If you have special or unique skills, use those to your advantage when searching for ways to make money.  Think about what you are good at and use those qualities to make money online.   11.  Proofreader Proofreading is a popular job that lets you make money online from home.  If you are good at spelling and grammar, proofreading may be an excellent option for beginners looking to make money online.   You don’t need a degree to get started with becoming a proofreader.  Check out Fiverr and Upwork for proofreader jobs.  Once you start getting some work, create a portfolio of your work and customer testimonials to help you land proofreading gigs with higher pay. 12.  Graphic Designer If you have a detailed eye for design and know how to use design software like Photoshop, you could make money online from home as a new graphic designer.    While it could help you land a job, you don’t need a degree in graphic design to get an entry-level job.  Many companies will fill graphic design positions with individuals with impressive portfolios demonstrating their competence.   Once you get a portfolio, you can look for freelance design jobs online.  Dribble is a great place to start your search.   Don’t forget to network.  Networking with other professionals is a great way to connect and find job leads.   13.  Teach English Teaching English online is another way to make money from home.  You can get a job teaching English without a degree; however, most schools require teachers to have a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification.   Anyone who speaks English fluently can become TEFL certified.  You don’t need a college degree, and many TEFL certification classes are online. VIPKID is one of the most popular companies for teaching English online.  However, they only recruit teachers from Canada and the United States.  The pay range is $15-$22 an hour to teach English through VIPKID. 14.  Become an Online Life Coach If you are passionate about helping people live their best lives, becoming an online coach could be an opportunity to make money online.  People look for coaches to help them with a wide range of life skills.  Some different areas of coaching are:Business Personal Finance Health Fitness Relationship Career DivorceAs a coach, you empower and guide people toward meeting their goals.  You would offer support, encouragement, advice, and motivation to help them succeed.   If you want to become an online life coach, getting a life coach certification is a good idea.  Becoming certified will show you are dedicated to helping others improve their life skills.   15.  Freelance Your Talents You could become a freelancer if you have one (or many) marketable skills.  Freelancers work for themselves to earn money on a per-job basis.  Since freelancers are self-employed, they need to pay their own income taxes.   Freelancing is a popular side hustle because you can easily find jobs online for many different skills.  Some different types of freelancers are:Writers Computer programmers Graphic Designers Editing/Proofreading Marketing Virtual Assistants TranscriptionistsSome popular online platforms to find freelance work are:Dribble Upwork Fiverr Toptal LinkedIn16.  Tutor Online Online tutoring is a popular way to make money online for beginners.  If you are knowledgeable in a specific subject, this could be a great way to make money online. Some tutoring companies do not require more than a high school diploma or GED to become a tutor.  However, many companies require a tutoring certification or proof of your expertise on the subject you want to tutor. If you want to make money by becoming an online tutor, it’s best to check out the different platforms to determine what qualifications they require for employment.  Here are some online tutoring platforms to check out (but there are many more!):Education First Tutor.com TutorMe Skooli Yup Varsity Tutors Chegg TutorsHow to Make Money Online for Beginners:  Learn a New Skill Sometimes you need to learn a new skill to find a suitable job to make money online.  However, I’m not talking about going to college to learn skills.   Tons of skills can be self-taught.  If you are a go-getter, learning a new skill to make money online may be fun and rewarding.   17.  Start a Blog Starting a blog could be your go-to if you want a fun and rewarding way to make money online.  You do not need any special skills or talents to start a blog.  The critical thing to remember when you contemplate starting a blog is that you should enjoy writing.   You can start a blog about almost anything, but it’s a good idea to choose a topic that interests you because you will be writing about it a lot.   You don’t need to know much about the technical side of blogging because there are many inexpensive courses you can take to get started.  Here is my favorite blogging course for beginners.    Also, blogging is super cheap to start.  Starting a blog can be as cheap as $2.95 per month through this hosting service.   When starting a blog, remember that you won’t make an income overnight or even in a few months.  Blogging is a long-term commitment that requires consistency.   So yes, starting a blog is easy, and you can make a lot of money online by blogging.  However, the hard part is sticking with blogging long enough to generate income.   Related PostsBest Blogging Resources for Beginner Bloggers 5 Tips to Avoid Feeling Overwhelmed as a New Blogger18.  Affiliate Marketing Affiliate marketing is a way to make money online by promoting a company’s product or service.  You will receive a small commission when you send a new customer to the company.  To make money with affiliate marketing, you will first need to become an affiliate for a company.  You will then place your affiliate link somewhere; others will see it and click on the link.   When a person clicks the link, a cookie (a tracking file) is stored on their computer or phone for a certain period.  You make money if the person buys the product or service within the cookie’s duration. But where do you put this link, you ask?  Blog posts, YouTube Channels, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and emails are some places you can put links. However, you must identify the link as an affiliate link.  Some affiliate programs have other rules and regulations you need to follow also.  If you want to learn more about affiliate marketing, here is the best (in my opinion) course on the topic.   19.  Virtual Assistant Becoming a virtual assistant is a popular avenue for making money online.  It’s something a beginner can get started with quickly.   A virtual assistant performs tasks for a client, giving the client more time to focus on other things.  Some of the duties of a virtual assistant can include the following:Answering emails Scheduling Organizing files or other documents Bookkeeping Making travel accommodations Answering phone calls Book appointments Update social media Any other administrative dutiesVirtual assistants should have superior written and verbal communication skills.  Virtual assistant jobs are listed on job listing websites like indeed.com or flexjobs.com. 20.  Pinterest Virtual Assistant If you love Pinterest, becoming a virtual assistant to make money online could be perfect for you.  You may already know Pinterest is a visual search engine that helps business owners and bloggers drive traffic to their websites. Many business owners and bloggers don’t have time to manage their Pinterest accounts but know it is essential to have a presence on Pinterest to increase traffic and sales.   So they outsource running their Pinterest Account.  That is where Pinterest virtual assistants come into play.   A Pinterest virtual assistant will help clients create pins, pin and repin pins, write descriptions for boards and pins, and manage this popular Pinterest scheduling app.   Pinterest virtual assistants are in high demand.  Find clients through social media, job boards, and word of mouth from people you know.   21.  Buy and Sell Websites Flipping websites has been gaining popularity and can be a lucrative way to make money online for beginners.  If you know how to grow a blog, this could be a great way to make extra money, or you could turn it into a full-time income.   Here are the basics of how it works to flip a website. First, you buy a blog for cheap from a site like Flippa. Next, you upgrade it by improving its appearance and adding SEO-optimized content to help increase traffic.  Then you resell it for a profit.   Blogs that make money will sell for more than blogs that don’t make money.  So monetizing the blog you want to flip will help to improve your profit margins when reselling.  How to Make Money Online for Beginners:  Use Your Influence If you desire to put yourself in front of an audience, establishing yourself as an influencer could be a lucrative way to make money online.   22.  Start a YouTube Channel Starting a YouTube channel is a way to share your knowledge, entertain others, and review products in front of an audience.  If that sounds fun, starting a YouTube channel and monetizing it could be a great way to make money online. There are several ways you can monetize a YouTube channel.  Some ways you can make money are ad revenue, selling merchandise, crowdfunding, licensing your videos to media, affiliate marketing, and brand sponsorships. 23.  Start a Podcast Another way to make money online for beginners by using your influence is to start a podcast.  Podcasts can grow your audience, whether you have a blog or social media following.  Podcasts can be monetized in various ways, similar to YouTube channels. You can make money online with a podcast through affiliate marketing, brand sponsorships, crowdfunding, advertising, and creating branded merchandise to sell.   How to Make Money Online for Beginners:  Traditional Ways Are you looking for a more traditional way to earn money online?  Here are tried and true methods for earning income by obtaining online work.   24.  Transcriptionist A transcriptionist converts audio into text by typing what they hear. Therefore, transcriptionists must have exceptional attention to detail and type quickly and accurately.   Transcriptionists can work from home to make money online.  Many jobs for general transcriptionists typically don’t require formal training.  However, the more specialized medical or legal transcriptionists usually require extra training or certifications.     25.  Customer Service Representative Becoming a virtual customer service representative is another way to make money online for beginners.  Customer service reps help customers by answering product questions, assisting with billing problems, and tracking orders. You may need to talk to customers over the phone, chat online, or respond to emails.  Customer service jobs typically only require a high school diploma.  But you will need good communication skills and be personable when interacting with customers.   26.  Data Entry Data entry is a popular way to make money online from home.  Data entry clerks get paid to input information into spreadsheets and other documents.   To land a data entry clerk job, you must type well, be detail-oriented, and know your way around a computer.  Typically you need a high school diploma.  However, some companies may require a certification.    27.  Land a Traditional Job That’s Online Other traditional work-from-home jobs could be all or partial online work.  Here are other classic online work-from-home jobs:Accounting Engineering Program Manager Recruiter Account Manager Nurse Case Manager28.  Medical Coder To become a medical coder, you will need specialized training and certification by passing an exam.  Once certified, medical coders work in the healthcare industry to ensure insurance is billed correctly for the services provided.   Many companies allow medical coders to work online from home.  So even though becoming a medical coder requires extra training to learn the trade, it could be a lucrative way to make money online for beginners. 29.  Translator You could become a translator and make money online if you speak a foreign language fluently. What’s the difference between a translator and an interpreter?  A translator works with written text, and an interpreter deals with spoken language.   If you are trying to locate translation jobs for beginners, you can check many websites to find translator work.  Some are freelance websites, and others are companies that hire translators.  Here are some to check out:Gengo TextMaster ProZ Translate.com Unbabel Rev Tethras30.  Bookkeeper According to Indeed.com, bookkeeping is one of the top-paying jobs you can perform at home.  It is a great way to make money online for beginners because you don’t need any particular degree or certification to be a bookkeeper.  Many bookkeepers teach themselves how to use computing software like Quickbooks.   Bookkeepers help their clients maintain their statements, create financial reports, and monitor for discrepancies in financial records.  You can become a freelance bookkeeper and find your own clients or a bookkeeping job at a company or organization.   How to Make Money Online for Beginners:  Easy Ways to Make Money Online Making money online doesn’t have to be like working.  Here are some easier ways to earn money online.   #31  Take Surveys or Watch Videos Online If you are trying to determine how to make money online for beginners, taking online surveys for gift cards and Paypal cash is a no-brainer when making extra cash.  It’s a straightforward way to bring in a few extra bucks each month.   My favorite survey sites are Survey Junkie and Swagbucks. Of course, you won’t get rich by taking surveys or watching videos on these sites, but you can make extra money with them.   With Swagbucks, you earn points that you can trade in for PayPal Cash or gift cards by taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos, and playing games.  You can earn gift cards for your favorite brands like Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Target, and more! Many Swagbucks members earn between $25 to $100 per month, which they can use to save for a vacation, use for fun money, or cover expenses.   If you want to check out or sign up for Swagbucks, you can do so here!   Survey Junkie is an online market research community.  When you participate in Survey Junkie, you can share your opinion to help brands improve their products.   After completing surveys, you will earn virtual points to trade in for Paypal cash or e-Giftcards for places like Amazon or Target.   You can sign up for Survey Junkie here.   #32  Sell Your Photos If you love taking pictures, selling your photos is another easy way to make money online. In addition, it would be a fun and rewarding side hustle if you enjoy photography.   Narrowing your photography niche is an effective way to develop your brand and style.  To determine your niche, think about what you enjoy photographing.   Do you love capturing nature’s beauty in pictures?  Or maybe you enjoy traveling to new places and photographing cultural diversity.  Wherever your interest lies, determining what you want to be known for and building your brand will help you succeed and make more money. Some websites to check out for selling your photos are:Stocksy Getty Images iStock Photo Etsy Adobe StockThere are so many more sites you can use to sell your photos.  Research and locate a website that aligns with your needs, wants, and goals for selling your photos.     #33  Cashback Apps Spending money on necessities is inevitable.  You have to spend money to live.  So why not make money online on the things you have to buy anyway?   You can do this by using cashback apps.  There are three different cash-back apps I use and love.    Ibotta Ibotta is a cash-back app for groceries that is free to download and use.  You can use it at stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, and more! You add the grocery offer to your account in the Ibotta app, take a picture of your receipt, and they deposit the money into your Ibotta account.   Ibotta can also be used with Walmart Grocery Pickup, even though you don’t get a receipt with Grocery Pickup.  That’s how we use it the most.   Before starting your grocery order at Walmart, you click on Walmart through the Ibotta app. Then, it redirects you, and you start your shopping.   Once you pick up your groceries, the money gets deposited into your Ibotta account.   If you don’t have Ibotta yet, you can sign up here. By signing up through my link, you can receive up to $20 in welcome bonuses!   Rakuten Rakuten is an app you can use to get cash back at over 2,500 stores online, and it’s free to sign up.   How it works is Rakuten gets a commission from the stores for sending customers their way.  Rakuten then shares the commission with you in the form of cashback.   You get paid every three months via Paypal cash or a check. There is a mobile app and a browser extension to use on your phone, desktop, or laptop.    If you didn’t join Rakuten yet, you can check it out here. Honey Honey is a browser extension that helps you find the best deals when shopping online so you can save money.   You download the browser extension, and with a couple of clicks, it finds and applies the best coupon codes to your cart, so you don’t have to spend time searching for one. If you don’t have Honey yet, you can find it here.   Final Thoughts on How to Make Money Online for Beginners Learning how to make money online for beginners is not always easy.  But I hope I have given you a few ideas to pursue to earn money from home, whether you are looking for a full-time income or extra cash.   Before jumping into something, spend time researching to ensure the money-making method you choose is right for you. Then, develop an action plan to set yourself up for success if you transition into a new online job.   What do you do to make money online?  Please let me know in the comments.

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

How To Make Money Without a Job: 16 Epic Ways!

Are you looking for an alternative way to make money outside of the 9 to 5? Whether you desperately want to quit your job or just want some extra income, you'll find something on this list that suits your needs and interests. According to a new report by Gallup Inc., only 30% of the U.S. workforce are engaged by their work, which means that 70% of Americans spend 35 or more hours a week doing something they aren't passionate about! Working under these circumstances can drain your energy and take a toll on your mental and physical health. But what if we could make a living in a way that offers more flexibility, less time commitment, and more income? This article explores making money without a job (or at least a “traditional” job). There are some great options to consider, from blogging to taking paid surveys to becoming a day trader. A few of the ideas we will cover are investments that can provide you with spendable cash flow. Others will offer you equity growth, which increases your net worth and gives you more job flexibility in the future. Some of these ideas could even provide both. Alternatively, some of the items below are not investments at all but are instead ideas that can produce extra money for you for either little or no work. You can combine a couple of flexible side gigs to invent your perfect mix. Ready to learn how to make money without a job? Let's do this! I rank each money-making method on a scale of effort, with “10” requiring the most hustle to make moola and “1” being utterly effortless money in the bank. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   How To Make Money Without a Job 1. Invest in Dividend Stocks Effort Level Required: 2 I started with this one because it's one of the easiest ways to make money without a job. But you do have to have money to start with. Dividends are cash or stock payments made by companies to shareholders (usually quarterly). If you have a sum of money at your disposal, investing in dividend stocks is an excellent way to produce a (relatively) stable source of cash flow and spending money. So, how does it work? Let's say you invested $100K in a company paying an 8% dividend yield. In this case, you would receive $8000/year from the company in the form of dividends (or $666.66/month) without doing anything! That's actual spendable money in your bank account (pre-tax). If managed correctly, dividend investing can be a great way to grow your wealth and provide passive income. It does take effort to find and pick the stocks, hence the “2” on the scale. Now, you can undoubtedly make money investing in regular stocks as well. But they won't all offer regular spendable money. Before you invest, learn how to make your money work for you by comparing a few investment philosophies. Not sure how to buy stocks? Why not try an investment app? If you Google “Acorns vs. Robinhood vs. Webull vs. M1 Finance,” you'll find lots of info on various brokerages. 2. Invest in Real Estate Effort Level Required: 2-6 Depending on Investment Type You may have heard that real estate is a fantastic vehicle to build wealth. Well, you heard right. You just need to uncover a real estate strategy that works best for you. The approach you choose will determine how much effort is required. Own Your Residence The easiest way to get into the real estate game is to own your residence. You have to pay rent anyway, so you may as well turn it into an investment. That's a “3” on the effort scale. If you're strapped for cash but want to buy a home, a duplex can be your ticket into the market! You live on one side and rent out the other. Genius! That's “4” on the scale. You can even use the rental income to help you qualify for the loan. Rental Properties Another way you can use real estate investing to make some income is to own and rent out a property yourself. It's not entirely passive income (more like a small business effort), but it gives you myriad advantages over a typical 9-5 job. I give this a “6” on the effort scale. If you're not so keen to manage a property yourself, you can look into investing in turnkey rental properties. Basically, instead of running the property yourself, you control the managers. It's much more passive than renting out properties yourself but typically provides you with lower returns. This is a “3” on the scale. Real Estate Syndication & Crowdsourcing If you're looking for truly passive income, real estate has another avenue you can take advantage of: real estate syndications and crowdfunding. The total rates of return (or IRR) on these partnership and group deals are often lower than that of turnkeys and actual properties. However, they can work out to be higher if you take advantage of the research available on the modern real estate syndication platforms. Look up Fundrise vs. DiversyFund vs. CrowdStreet, and you will find great information. As you can glean from that last statement, there is still research and decision-making involved in real estate syndication, so it gets a “2” on the effort scale. 3. Save on Taxes Effort Level Required: 3-4 By doing your taxes efficiently, you're saving yourself money without putting in much work. In this way, you're “making money” without a job! The approach to saving on taxes will differ depending on your situation. Namely, whether you work as a W2 employee or own a business will determine the difference. Paying less tax as a W2 employee will be more challenging, but it's still possible. If you own a business, you will have a far greater chance of paying less tax! I know not everyone owns a business, but you can work around that. Find a way to start a side hustle, perhaps with an evening part-time job online, and take advantage of the awesome business tax deductions that way. If your side hustle takes off (congrats!) and you start making extra money, you would be wise to learn how to incorporate yourself. By creating an INC or LLC, you may be able to save even MORE money in taxes! Last but not least, if you are pondering whether you'll get the best tax results with TurboTax vs. H&R Block vs. an accountant, I'd say it depends on your situation. If you're very young and have simple finances, you can do taxes on your own using something like TurboTax. But, for most relatively higher-income individuals, you should pay someone else to do it. You will save money by spending money on someone who knows how to save you money! The real difference a good accountant makes is that they can provide tailored advice and tax planning. Hiring an accountant is A MUST if you have numerous assets and investments. Just be aware that you will need to provide your accountant with an accurate set of books. And that leads me to my next idea. 4. Manage Your Finances Effort Level Required: 4 The most reliable way to save money is to keep track of your earnings and spending. And as the adage says, “A penny saved is a penny earned.” Poof! More money without a job! Why? It's simple math. If you're spending more than you earn, you aren't actually making any money! You are just working for debt. And you certainly won't have any cash to invest and help grow your nest egg. So, enter personal bookkeeping, which allows you to identify the areas of your life where you have the most significant overspending issues. Once you know how much you spend in a given category annually, you can make changes in your habits and amass some data for creating a budget to stick to your financial goals. This information is part of a financial planning process that can get you on the road to financial independence! The first step to managing your finances is to buy the right software! Research potential options such as Personal Capital vs. Mint vs. Quicken. A relatively small investment in the appropriate software can have a substantial positive impact on the health of your finances. If you're a business owner, you'll need to compare Freshbooks vs. QuickBooks vs. Quicken to hone in on the bookkeeping software that's most beneficial for you. 5. Get a Cashback Credit Card Effort Level Required: 1 Another way to take advantage of cashback is through credit cards. I like cashback (instead of other rewards) from my credit cards because it's completely flexible and easiest to access and use. If I want to use it for travel, I can, or if I want to put it in an investment account, no problem. The following credit cards all have pretty good cashback deals, which could make you some easy money. This information is accurate as of 12/10/2021.Wells Fargo Active Cash Card – Earn $200 in cashback after spending $1000 in the first three months. Then earn 2% cashback on all purchases! $0 annual fee. Chase Freedom Unlimited – Get a $200 bonus after spending $500 in the first three months. Then 1-5% cashback on various categories. $0 annual fee. Discover It Cash Back – Get 1% cashback on all purchases automatically and 5% on everyday items like groceries, food, and gas. The bonus offer is an unlimited match to your cashback in the first year! Blue Cash Preferred Card from American Express – Earn $300 when you spend $3000 within the first six months. $0 annual fee in year one, then $95. Get 1-6% cashback on various categories. Citi Double Cash Card – There is no bonus offer currently, but you make 2% of your purchases back by paying your minimum payments on time.Cashback credit cards are the only category I gave a “1” on the effort scale. 6. Shop Using Cashback Apps Effort Level Required: 2 Do you consistently spend hundreds of dollars a month on clothes, food, and travel? If so, you'll be pleased to know that apps like Ibotta and Rakuten provide cashback rebates in thousands of different stores, hotels, and even airlines! Your only work is to sign up and shop based on their requirements. You'll earn money in the form of cashback without having to do so much as getting off your couch. If you buy groceries online, Ibotta is a simple way to make money off your purchases, and they add up quickly! Seriously! I enjoyed a free turkey plus all the fixings this year for Thanksgiving. 7. Lend Out Your Cryptocurrency Effort Level Required: 4 If you own cryptocurrency, you can lend it out via platforms like Gemini and earn up to 8% APY! This idea can be a hipster way to put your money to work (and make some sweet passive income for yourself). But the downside is that, like dividend stocks, you need to start with some money. Fair warning: when you lend out your crypto through a platform like this, you take a certain amount of risk. You're allowing Gemini to lend it to other folks to use in their margin accounts. Theoretically, that should be fine, as Gemini would margin call your crypto back before disaster strikes. But you never know! Gemini is not the only crypto trading platform out there, but Gemini seems to offer some of the highest rates I have found, particularly on their Gemini coin, which is throwing out 8% currently. Note that rates do vary depending on the currency you're lending. I made this an effort level “4” because there is a huge learning curve if you don't know much about cryptocurrency. But once that is over, it gets easier. 8. Become a Day Trader Effort Level Required: 10 Does your 9 to 5 job make you feel trapped? If you HATE the bureaucracy of a 9 to 5 and LOVE being in charge of your schedule, you can become a day trader of stocks, cryptocurrency, and options for both. OK, OK, day trading is not a workless endeavor. But if you are merely looking to escape a 9 to 5 for something more exciting, it's an option. I also included it because it seems to be a big thing right now. Day trading was also a big thing back in the late '90s when no one could lose money on internet stocks. People quit their regular jobs to day trade. Cut to 2001, and they were all looking to get their everyday jobs back. And unfortunately, they had far less money than when they quit their jobs. So just to warn you, unlike with a day job, there is the risk of losing all your money when you day trade. It's certainly not for the skittish, and in all honesty, it will be a lot of work. If this STILL sounds like a good idea, there are many trading platforms to choose from. Most will even guide you through the basics! 9. Become a Hard Money Lender for Real Estate Investors Effort Level Required: 3 Yet another way to make money via real estate is to become a hard money lender. Meaning a loan of money you already have. Do you see the pattern here? Money makes more money! (It seriously helps in life to have money.) The idea here is that you'll lend out money to real estate investors who will use your money to buy the property and likely flip it. They will pay you a set percentage of your capital every month in exchange for you trusting them with your money. There is the chance that your borrower will be unable to pay back the loan with hard money lending. But, if you can stomach this chance, the returns can be pretty lucrative, reaching upwards of 10% per year. You can (hopefully) foreclose on them if they don't pay and get some or all of your money back by selling the property. I have researched this topic and found The Norris Group a helpful resource. They also act as a broker to get your money lent out. That said, there are a variety of brokers that can help you do this. I gave it a “3” because of the research needed and that you may have to chase down your money if things go wrong. 10. Invest in Alternative Assets Effort Level Required: 4 When people think about making money outside of their job, they usually think about stocks, real estate, and side hustles. Usually, alternatives are not even on the radar. Alternative assets include real estate notes, business loans, oil wells, art, or anything that earns monthly or quarterly income (paid out via cash flow) or appreciation. Platforms like Yield Street can help you navigate the confusing (but potentially very profitable) world of alternative asset investing. Like crypto, I gave it a “4” due to the learning curve. 11. Become a Blogger Effort Level Required: 11 (wait, are you serious, or is that just a Spinal Tap joke?) No article titled “How to Make Money Without a Job” is complete without the mention of blogging. But I'm just going to burst your bubble now and tell you that blogging takes A LOT of work. I would go as far as to say that it's genuinely disingenuous when a blogger tells you blogging can be passive income. Anyone who tells you that blogging is passive income is just trying to get you to click on their affiliate marketing links. Seriously though, if you like the idea of blogging and can stick it out for the long term, it can be an extremely profitable endeavor. It is affording you the income of a VERY healthy 9 to 5, without all the stress and bureaucracy of one. If you decide to start blogging, you should join a blogging group early. I joined The Money Mix Insiders, and it improved my blog (and my blogging knowledge) tremendously! 12. Skip Directly to Affiliate Marketing Effort Level Required: 10 If you were wondering how to make money with a blog, one of the primary ways is affiliate marketing (remember, I just made a joke about that above). Affiliate marketing is when you sell another person's product and receive a commission. If you're interested in making money online, but the thought of writing endless blog posts doesn't appeal to you, you can cut right to the chase and instead get started with affiliate marketing. There are thousands of products and services you can promote and endless resources to teach you to be an affiliate marketing master. Like blogging, affiliate marketing takes a lot of work, so it's more like a job. But you'll be your own boss, and you have the potential to earn big bucks. 13. Take Paid Surveys Effort Level Required: 3 Do you spend tons of time on social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat and wish you could be more productive instead? Does turning all that wasted time into money sound good to you? Then you should consider paid surveys! They don't take much work, and if you're spending time on your phone anyway, why not make some money? I'll admit you can't make a ton of money doing online surveys, but it can provide supplemental cash. And it's entirely on your schedule and pace. If you want to dig deeper into the online survey game, I wrote an article entitled Is Survey Junkie Legit? It will likely answer a lot of questions for you. 14. Life Insurance Effort Level Required: 4 Not many people know this, but you can use your life insurance as a retirement plan and get tax-free growth while you are working. Part of the reason people don't know this is because most financial gurus and bloggers always say, “Life insurance isn't an investment. If you want insurance, just buy insurance. Don't try to mix the two. It's a bad idea,” etc. I kind of felt that way too. But then I read this book called The Lost Science of Compound Interest written by Curtis Ray. Admittedly, it's a comprehensive sales brochure for a retirement planning product that uses life insurance, called an MPI account. But it's still a good book! It's pitched as having the ability to compound your wealth at a higher-than-average rate while protecting your principal, eventually providing long-term tax-free retirement income, and then passing the wealth tax-free to your heirs. Sound too good to be true? That's what I've endeavored to find out. I vetted this product extensively and even created one of my epic spreadsheets to test the math. Here is a little peek for you folks that like spreadsheets! Anyway, long story short, I opened an account for my son, wife, and me. So I guess that says it all. I like the MPI account because, at the very least, it tries to solve the undeniable problems with conventional retirement planning (of which there are some big ones). And it likely can (eventually) dish out higher than average tax-free retirement income. It's a “4” because you need to do the research and decide for yourself. 15. Ask for a Raise at Work Effort Level Required: 2-3 Have you contributed quality work to your company and are not getting the raise you think you deserve? Well, it could be because you didn't ask! Though technically you are still working, asking for a raise might yield more money for you at the cost of just speaking up. In this way, asking for a raise at work isn't so much “making money without a job” but instead “making more money without much effort.” You absolutely do have to be your own advocate in life, and that statement directly applies to getting paid what you deserve at work. I owned a company with over 35 employees, and it always amazed me how uncomfortable people were with asking for raises. It was good for me in that I wasn't dishing out raises every year for each person. But make no mistake, there were always a few people asking for raises EVERY year. So if you haven't had a raise in over a year, ask. Better yet, take some time to figure out how to perform better, take on more responsibility at your job, and then bring that golden info with you when you ask. Employers don't just like to give out raises because you have been there for yet another year. Instead, they want to give raises as a “thank you” for good performance and, more importantly, as an incentive for you to keep it up and hopefully take on more. The last thing they want is to pay you more, give you an extra week of vacation, then have your performance flatline or go down. So instead, try to be entrepreneurial about your job, look for ways to improve, perform at a high level, then ask for commensurate compensation. You have to make them so scared to lose you because of the insanely great job you do that they will pay you what you want so you don't leave and go work for the competition. 16. Play the Lottery Effort Level Required: 2 Though the chances of you winning the lottery are slim, you are technically giving yourself a chance by playing it. It might become your favorite way to make money without a job if you win it! What is life without a little bit of fun? I gave it a “2” because you have to drive back to the store to collect your winnings! Recap: How To Make Money Without a Job So there you have it: 16 unique ways to make money without a job! Most of the methods covered in this post involve some work and aren't entirely passive, but they all provide you with an alternative to working a typical 9-5 to make money. As a quick recap, they are:Dividend Investing Real Estate Investing Saving on Taxes Managing Your Finances Getting a Cashback Credit Card Shopping Using Cashback Apps Lending Out Your Cryptocurrency Becoming a Day Trader Becoming a Hard Money Lender for Real Estate Investors Investing in Alternative Assets Blogging Affiliate Marketing Doing Paid Surveys Using Life Insurance As a Retirement Plan Asking for a Raise at Work Playing the LotterySo what are you waiting for? If you're sick and tired of your day job, pick something off this post and start making money without a job. Get good at it, and who knows, maybe you'll replace your J O B altogether! This post originally appeared on Wealth of Geeks.Joe DiSanto Website |  + postsBio Joe DiSanto is a fractional CFO and consultant for small businesses and high-income individuals. Throughout his career in Los Angeles, he built multi-million dollar businesses, produced critically acclaimed documentaries and an Emmy-winning TV show, invested millions in real estate, and semi-retired at age 43. He now helps others achieve their career and wealth goals by sharing a lifetime of fiscal know-how via his website, Play Louder. This author does not have any more posts. Categories Make Money

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

How to Organize Your Finances: 10 Simple Tips for Success

Did you make a New Year's resolution this year? If you haven't yet decided on a New Year's resolution, it's not too late. It's never too late to make the decision to make changes to your habits or lifestyle. Even if it's later in the year, you can still make the commitment to change something you aren't happy with. As you are thinking about what you want your New Year’s resolution to be, think about your financial situation. Are there any improvements to be made there? Here are some questions to think about to determine where you can take action to improve your situation:Do you have debts to pay off? Do you have an emergency fund? Are you saving for retirement? Are you saving for college? Is your spending out of control?In order for you to improve your financial situation, you should organize your finances. And organizing your finances is a necessary step toward achieving financial wellness. Since learning to organize your finances is the first step to getting control of your finances, I want to give you some tips today to help you organize your financial life. First, let’s talk about the consequences of financial disorganization. Financial disorganization can cause you to:Miss bill due dates Be unaware of the amount of debt you are accumulating Lose important documents Increase your risk for identity theft Have a lower credit scoreAs you can imagine, there are lots of benefits to keeping your finances nice and tidy. When you organize your finances, you will:Keep up with paying your bills on time Know where you stand financially at all times Easily find important documents Make budgeting easier Achieve your financial goals Get motivated to organize other areas of your lifeOkay, now that we got that out of the way, on to the important stuff. Here are ten tips to help you successfully organize your finances. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Simple Tips to Help You Organize Your Finances #1 Identify where you will keep all your important documents The first thing you should do when organizing your finances is to designate a secure place to keep your important documents. Designating a spot will help you keep your paper clutter under control. We all know what happens when there is lots of paper clutter! Important things get buried and lost. Then you spend hours looking for that one document you need. We've all been there. Some examples of what you want to keep in a secure place would be:Your will and trust Active insurance policies (car, life, malpractice, renter’s, home owner’s, etc.) Tax paperwork Record of closed/paid-off accounts Bank statements you want to keep Car titlesI keep important documents like these in a file drawer. But that is just what works for us. There are so many options for storage, especially when you are short on space or cash. Get creative! You could use an expandable accordion-style file, a plastic bin that accommodates files, a storage ottoman, a cardboard box, or a small bookshelf with binders or folders. You also may want to invest in a small fireproof safe to keep some of the more important documents protected. Some documents you may want to store in a small fireproof safe are:birth certificates marriage certificates social security cards passports home deeds insurance information copies of your health insurance cards#2 Designate a spot for incoming bills and statements that need to be paid Having a designated spot will help prevent bills from getting lost in piles of mail on the counter. Separate your bills from your other mail as soon as you bring your mail inside. You could put them in a folder, a letter sorter, a basket, a small desk bin for paper, or a designated drawer. Signing up for paperless statements is a great way to decrease the amount of mail you get in your mailbox. It will help make the paper clutter more manageable. It's good to try to take care of your “keep” mail pile weekly. Pay the bill and then file or shred the statement when finished. #3 Keep a shredder handy Shred any documents or statements that contain any personal information. Gone are the days when I rip up my mail and toss it in the trash. I err on the side of caution and shred EVERYTHING, to the point that my husband gets super annoyed with me. Keeping a shredder handy will help you avoid a pile of stuff that takes you forever to shred when you actually get around to it. A great idea is to keep your shredder in a basket to “hide” it. This keeps it accessible so you can keep up with your shredding. #4 Keep track of your bill payments This is probably the best tip out of all of them. Knowing exactly what bills you have, when they are due, and keeping track of when they are paid is key to keeping your finances organized. You can create a bill pay checklist on paper to keep with your checkbook. Or you could create a simple Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheet to track everything. Just type the name of each of your bills down in the first column. In the next column, type in their due dates (you could list them in order of when they are due). Then, list the months across the top. Each month when you pay the bill (whether it's automatically paid or if you do it manually), enter the amount you paid in the proper box. You can sum up each column and each row to see what you are spending each month and for all of your individual bills. This simple technique will go a long way in helping you organize your finances so you don't forget to pay a bill. #5 Designate a time and place every month to pay your bills and set a reminder on the calendar. It would be a good idea to base your designated bill pay times around when you get paid and when your bills are due. For example, my husband and I both get paid every other week, and our paydays fall on the same week, so I pay my bills and update our checkbook ledger two times a month. If you get paid weekly, you may need to set time aside every week to pay your bills. Try to figure out what will work best for you and actually schedule a time block for it on your calendar, write it in your planner, or put a recurring reminder on your phone so you don’t forget. It’s also an excellent idea to designate a place in your home where you will sit to pay your bills. Try to keep that area cleaned up to make it easier to grab your bill pay supplies, sit down, and get to work. This brings me to my next tip to help you organize your finances. #6 Keep all your bill pay supplies together and handy Paying your bills does not have to take that long. Sometimes the most time-consuming part of paying your bills is finding your checkbook and ledger, finding passwords, logging into your laptop, finding a pen that has ink, locating your envelopes, stamps, and return address labels, and digging through your pile of mail on the counter to find your statements. Another idea would be to keep your budget with all your bill pay supplies so you can monitor how you are doing with sticking to your budget each time you pay your bills. If you need help with creating a budget that works, feel free to check out my post here. By keeping things together, organized, and ready, you are increasing your likelihood of being successful with paying your bills on time. If you need help creating a budget, you can try this free budget workbook. Here is a preview:#7 Keep your passwords safe Use a password book to keep track of website names, user ids, and passwords for all your accounts. This is especially helpful if you have a lot of accounts that you regularly have to log into to pay your bill. This is also important if you are the main bill payer in the household like I am. If anything happened to me, my husband would know exactly how to access our accounts, which brings me to the next tip for organizing your finances. #8 Talk to your partner about your finances This is so important for peace of mind! It would not be a good situation if the person in the household responsible for managing the finances became incapacitated (this sadly actually happened in our family). To prevent that from happening to you, talk openly and frequently with your partner or family about the household finances. My husband is not a personal finance nerd like me and has no desire to participate in managing our money. He knows I’m pretty good at it, and he lets me do my thing. However, if anything ever happens to me, my husband knows where all of our documents are, how my bill pay spreadsheet is organized, and where to find all of our passwords. He also knows what to do with our finances in an emergency. I’ve even told him what he should do with the life insurance money if I would die. I know, so morbid, right? The bottom line is communication with your spouse or partner is so important! #9 Keep track of your net worth Your net worth is just all your assets minus your liabilities. Knowing your net worth is important because you will know exactly where you stand financially. Knowing where you are can help you determine your next steps to improving your financial situation. There are several ways to go about keeping track of your net worth. You can use good old paper and pen, create a simple spreadsheet, use financial software, or try one of the many free financial apps. #10 Consolidate your accounts My final tip is to consolidate your accounts if it makes sense for your situation.  It's much easier to manage your money when you don’t have a million accounts to keep track of. You really don’t need to have several checking accounts and several basic savings accounts. It just makes it harder and more time-consuming to keep track of where your money is located. Keep it simple! Don't overcomplicate things. So really assess your accounts and look for ways to consolidate to make your finances more streamlined, uncomplicated, and easier to manage. Final Thoughts on How to Organize your Finances The importance of organizing your finances is sometimes greatly underestimated. However, you need financial organization in order to improve your situation and maintain good financial health. By keeping all of your financial documents organized and easily accessible, taking care of bills and statements when they arrive at your house, having proper storage for all of your financial-related paraphernalia, and communicating with your partner, you will set yourself up for success with managing your finances and meeting your financial goals. Don't forget to grab your free budget binder! Do you have any financial organization systems or tips that work for you? I would love to hear them. Please leave me a comment and let me know.

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

How to Save Money From Your Salary: 11 Simple Tips

Learning how to save money from your salary is the first step you should take when working toward your financial goals.  Did you recently land a new job with an excellent salary?  Or are you in the process of rethinking the way you handle your current paycheck?   Whatever your reason for wanting to learn how to save money from your salary, I have you covered!   It doesn’t matter if you have a salary or are paid hourly. The methods for saving money from your paycheck are the same.   What does matter is that you take charge of your paycheck and make sure your money is going where you need it.   Money is a tool that needs to be put to good use to benefit from having it.  You want your money to work for you so someday you won’t have to work for it!  Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   How to Save Money From Salary: Pay Yourself First The phrase “pay yourself first” means depositing a set amount of money into a savings account before you spend anything.   Typically this refers to depositing money into a retirement account so that you can save it for your future. However, it also refers to putting money into a savings account to be earmarked for other reasons.   Other reasons you may want to save money from your salary by paying yourself first are to:Save money in an emergency fund Save for a large purchase, like a new appliance Save for a down payment on a house or car Save for a family vacation Save up for an elective medical procedure or surgery Save up for upcoming time off from work (like for childbirth or medical leave)How to Save Money From Salary:  Reduce Your Taxable Income There are different savings vehicles you can contribute pre-tax dollars that decrease your tax bill for the year by reducing your taxable income. As you may know, Traditional IRAs, 401K, 403b, and 457 plans are funded with pre-tax dollars. Since contributing to your employer-sponsored retirement account occurs before any taxes are deducted, you reduce your taxable income when you contribute to these tax-advantaged accounts. Simply stated, you are giving less money to Uncle Sam and instead investing it for your future.  Not a bad deal, right? And if your employer offers a company match, be sure to contribute enough to get the full benefit.  It’s free money, and you don’t want to miss out on that. If you have a high deducible health insurance plan, you could also take advantage of a Health Savings Account. The money you deposit into your HSA is pre-tax money, which reduces your tax liability for the year while you save for medical expenses. How to Save Money From Salary:  Use a High-Yield Savings Account Ideally, you will pay yourself first by contributing to your retirement account before spending any money.  You can also directly deposit cash into a high-yield savings account, like an Axos High Yield Savings Account. A high-yield savings account is a type of bank account where you earn a higher interest rate on the money you deposit than you would earn with a regular savings account. You have to claim your interest on your tax return at the end of the year. The Axos High Yield Savings Account is my favorite online savings account because there are no monthly maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements.  So when you need the money, you won’t be penalized for withdrawing as much as you need.   How to Save Money From Salary: Automate Your Paycheck Automating your paycheck means directly depositing a specific amount into each of your accounts.  You won’t have to take your check to the bank to cash it when you choose to automate it. When you pay yourself first, you will want to automate your contributions to your retirement account and deposits to your savings accounts.   The remainder will go into your checking account, and this money is what you will use to pay your expenses.   The great thing about automation is you don't have to think about it. You don't have to remember to transfer money into your savings account during the month; it just happens. It's perfect for when you want to save money from your salary. How to Save Money From Salary: Know the Truth About Your Spending Habits If you want to learn how to save money from your salary, you need to figure out where your money is currently going.  Tracking your spending will help you find out. You’ll want to decide how long you will track your spending.  Typically, monitoring for a whole month or even two months will give you the best idea of where your money is going. Save all your receipts from your everyday spending and write down the amounts of all of your household bills.  Then sit down and total up all those receipts and write down all of your purchases. What you see could be a real eye-opener.  There is a possibility you will be able to identify precisely where you need to cut back.   Or, maybe it’s not so apparent where to cut back.  If you already don’t spend much on odds and ends throughout the week, your household expenses could be where you need to focus your attention when trying to save money from your salary. How to Save Money From Salary: Develop a Spending Plan (AKA Budget) To save money from your salary, you will need to make a budget.  When you make a budget, you will need to know your income and expenses.  Make sure your income covers your expenses, and you’re golden!  When your income covers your costs, you are living below your means.  Living below your means is crucial to meeting your financial goals and achieving financial wellness.   Living below your means is also essential for reducing financial-related stress.   If you need help creating a budget, I have a free printable budget binder to help you.  The binder includes:A cover sheet A budget worksheet A budget template A list of potential budget categories.   A goal writing worksheetHere is a preview:If you would like my free printable budget binder, you can grab it here.   If you are having a hard time getting your income to cover your expenses, you can do things to help.  And even if you aren’t having a hard time paying your household expenses, you may want to learn more ways to save money from your salary.  How to Save Money From Salary:  Reduce Household Expenses Finding ways to reduce your household expenses will help you save money from your salary or paycheck.  Here are some ways to save on household expenses. Housing Since your housing is typically the most expensive part of your budget, it makes sense to assess where you can save money there first.   Refinance Your Mortgage Lowering your interest rate will help reduce your monthly payments and the amount of interest you pay over the life of your home loan. Get Private Mortgage Insurance Canceled If you bought your home with less than 20% down, chances are you are paying PMI. However, if the value of your home has increased, another appraisal may qualify your home to have your PMI canceled sooner.  Check with your lender to find out. Shop Around for Homeowners Insurance Finding the coverage you need for a cheaper premium will help you put money in savings from your salary. Food Budget Your food budget is a large part of your household budget. But, if you aren’t careful, your food costs can quickly get out of hand.  Here are some ways to save money on food. Meal Plan Meal planning is the best way to save money on food because it helps you avoid buying takeout on busy weeknights or nights you don’t feel like cooking.   When making your meal plan, you can plan quick and easy meals for the nights when you have other obligations.  You can cook ahead for these busy nights, and then all you have to do is heat your food. If you need help with meal planning, I have some great resources for you.  I have several posts to help you and a free meal planning guide to get you started with a simple system for meal planning.  Here is a preview of it:If you would like my free meal-planning guide, you can download it here.   Here are some of my other posts that can help with meal planning:Meal Planning on a Budget How to Create a Meal Planning Binder Easy Ways to Reuse Leftover Food Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights Monthly Meal Planning for BeginnersHelpful Tip: If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it, and you can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at the $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off what you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Use Ibotta Ibotta is a cash-back app that is free to download and use.  You can use it at many different stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, and more! You add the grocery offer to your account in the Ibotta app, take a picture of your receipt, and they deposit the money into your Ibotta account.   Ibotta can also be used with Walmart Grocery Pickup, even though you don’t get a receipt with Grocery Pickup.  That’s how we use it the most.   Before starting your grocery order at Walmart, you click on Walmart through the Ibotta app. Then, it redirects you, and you start your shopping.   Once you pick up your groceries, the money is deposited into your Ibotta account.   If you don’t have Ibotta yet, you can sign up here. By signing up through my link, you can receive up to $20 in welcome bonuses!   Shop Online for Groceries Shopping online can help you save money on your food costs, allowing you to save more money from your salary.  You can avoid impulse buys and overspending by not going into a grocery store. The best part about shopping online is seeing the total of your grocery bill before you pay.  Seeing the cost of your grocery bill allows you to remove or add things to your cart to stay under budget.   There are many more ways to save money on food which will help you be able to save money from your salary.  Here are more of my posts that will help you save money on your food budget:Easy Ways to Cut Food Expenses Tips to Pack a Lunch for Work Consistently Every Day How to Stop Eating Out to Save Money and Eat Healthier Cheap Food Items for Your Tight Budget Pros and Cons of Walmart Grocery PickupEntertainment Your entertainment expense (aka fun money) is another area of your budget that can quickly get out of hand.  But reducing these expenses and still having fun is doable.  Here are some ways you can cut back on entertainment expenses:Plan frugal date nights Use Groupon to find deals on entertainment in your area Entertain at home Look for cheap or free activities to do with friends and family Eat at home more Budget for eating out at restaurantsLooking for ideas for budget-friendly activities or date nights?  Check out these posts:75 Best Cheap Date Ideas Frugal and Fun Things to Do at Night with Family or Friends Inexpensive Ways to Spend Time with Mom Budget-Friendly Winter ActivitiesTransportation Saving money on your car expenses will help you put more money in your bank account from your salary.  Here are some ways to save on car expenses and transportation.Buy a used car Plan your route to save on gas Shop around for car insurance Bundle your car insurance with homeowners insurance or renters' insurance Ride your bike or walk if possible CarpoolUtilities Your utility bills are an excellent opportunity to save money from your salary.  There are tons of ways to reduce your utility costs.  Here are a few ideas:Take shorter showers (set timers for kids) Decrease the temperature of your water heater Be sure to turn off the lights Install a programmable thermostat Use a rain barrel for gardening Only run full dishwashers and washing machines Replace incandescent light bulbs with LED light bulbs Use timers for outdoor lights Use ceiling fans Turn the water off when shaving or brushing your teeth Use insulating curtains and blinds on windowsHere are other posts on saving money: 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less Money 20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month How to Save Money From Salary:  Try a No-Spend Challenge If you are spending too much of your salary, a no-spend challenge could help.  A no-spend challenge is when you freeze your spending for a pre-determined amount of time.  It helps to reset your spending habits and save money.   The main idea behind a no-spend challenge is that you don’t spend any money on unnecessary things.   You only spend money to pay your bills.  You don’t spend money on shopping, eating out, entertainment, etc.   When doing a no-spend challenge, you determine the length of time.  It can be for a weekend, a week, two weeks, months, or any length of time you want to try.   How to Save Money From Salary:  Live a Frugal Lifestyle After reading up on how to save money from your salary, you may feel you are ready for a lifestyle change.  Living a frugal lifestyle will help you save money from your paycheck continually. Frugal living is all about intentional spending habits. First, you decide your priorities and what matters most to you. Then, the things you value are what you spend your money on.  You will also decide what budget areas you want to cut back on when determining your priorities. As a result, you will reduce your spending easier on the things you do not value.   For example, my family puts a high value on taking family vacations. We do not value eating out at restaurants or getting takeout.  So to fund our vacations every year, we save money by eating 99% of our meals at home.   The real fun starts when you get into a frugal mindset.  Then you will want to try to save money on everything, even the things you don't mind spending money on.   If you want to learn more about living a frugal lifestyle, I have you covered!  Take a look at some of these other posts:  Frugal Living:  The Ultimate Beginners Guide 13 Awesome Benefits of Frugal Living How to Develop a Robust Frugal Mindset Frugal vs. Cheap:  What’s the difference?How to Save Money From Salary:  Pay Off Debt Debt is so expensive.  Whether you have student loans, car payments, credit card debt, or other personal loans, getting rid of your debt is key to living below your means.   Paying off your high-interest debt will help you save money from your salary.  There are different strategies for paying off your debt.  Some people advocate paying off debts from the smallest amount to the largest amount (debt snowball method). Others advocate paying down the highest interest rate debt first (debt avalanche method).  Then moving to the debt with the next highest interest rate, and so on.   You should choose whichever method will keep you motivated and moving in the right direction. For example, when my husband and I paid down our debt, we started with the highest interest rate because it made the most sense to us.  But you should do what you feel will be best for your situation.       If you would like to read more about paying down your debt and becoming financially secure, here are some other posts you may like:11 Valuable Tips to Become Financially Sound 9 Tips to Improve Your Financial Wellness 5 Tips to Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck How to Set Financial Goals to Avoid FailureHow to Save Money From Salary:  Gradually Increase Your Savings My last strategy for saving money from your paycheck is gradually increasing your savings rate.  Increasing the amount of money you contribute to your retirement account and your regular savings account in small increments will make saving money easier.   You could try to increase your retirement account contributions by 1-2% every year.  Or, every time you get a raise, you could increase your contributions by that amount.   For example, if you received a 3% merit raise, you could increase your retirement account contribution by 3%.  Or you could split it and increase your retirement contribution and your regular savings deposit by 1.5% each.   The key is to steadily save more and more money from your salary as time passes.  Increasing your savings rate will help to improve your net worth and set you up for a secure financial future.   Here are a few other questions that people frequently ask about saving money from your salary.How Much Money Should I Save From My Salary (What Percentage)? The 50/30/20 rule is a simple money management strategy you can use to guide your budgeting.  Under this strategy, you would divide your take-home pay into three categories.   50% of your take-home pay would go toward your necessities.  Necessities are your rent, mortgage, utilities, debt repayment, insurance, etc.  Your necessities include the items in your budget that you pay for, like clockwork every month.   30% of your take-home pay would go toward things you want.  You can think of it as your fun money or the money you use for your non-essential budget expenses.   However, if you have a significant amount of debt, decreasing your fun money to 10-15% is an option, so you can use that extra money to pay down your debt.   The 20% in the 50/30/20 rule is the percentage allocated toward savings.  Keep in mind this is just a general rule of thumb.  You will need to adjust this number based on your savings goals.   You want to consider your long-term, intermediate, and short-term financial goals when determining how much money you should save from your monthly salary.  Ideally, when saving for retirement, you want to increase your savings rate each year, with the goal being 20% of your paycheck.  However, I know that can be a high savings rate to achieve.   Try increasing your savings rate by the amount of your yearly raise every year.  Then your paychecks won’t change, but your savings rate will increase.   If you are saving up for something specific, say a down payment on a house, you will want to do the math to determine how much money you will need to save each month for your goal.   If you need $30,000 saved in 5 years, you will need to save $500 a month to reach that goal ($30,000 divided by 60 months).  If that is not possible, you’ll need to decrease the amount or increase the time frame.   How to Save Money From Salary in the Bank? The best way to save money from your salary in the bank is to automate it. First, decide the amount you want to save and then have that amount directly deposited from your paycheck into your savings account.   Setting a recurring monthly deposit to your savings account will help prevent you from spending it because that money will bypass your checking account.   If you haven’t automated your savings deposit yet, talk to the HR department where you work.  You’ll need to fill out a direct deposit authorization form.   How Can I Save Money on a Small Salary? Saving money on a small salary when there isn’t much money left over after paying the bills can prove to be a challenge.  However, it is possible.   You can use the same tips as above, but you may need to scrutinize your budget even more.  In addition, stack as many ways to save money on your expenses as possible to build up extra cash in the bank.   Looking for ways to increase your income can also help you save money on a small salary.  Luckily, there are tons of ways to bring in more money. Starting a side hustle, finding a part-time job, working overtime, or even asking for a raise are all tried and true ways to make extra money.   Here are some other posts you may find helpful:$15 an Hour is How Much a Year? Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month 50+ Ways to Make Extra MoneyFinal Thoughts on How to Save Money From Salary Saving money from your salary is a vital part of living below your means and reaching your financial goals.  But it isn’t always easy to do. When you live paycheck to paycheck and don’t have extra money to spare, it can get quite frustrating when trying to save money. However, using some or all of these tips can help get you on the path to saving money and improving your finances. So take action today to start saving money from your salary so you can watch your bank account grow.  What tips do you have for saving money from your salary? Let me know in the comments.

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

I Don’t Want to Work Anymore: Why & What to Do

Is the first thing you think when you wake up during the workweek, “I don’t want to work anymore?”   And then you think, “but I need the money” so you drag yourself out of bed? We have all been there at some point in our lives.  It’s a normal part of life to want to take a break from the rat race once in a while. And rightly so.  Working is exhausting and when you work for a long stretch of time without any kind of physical and mental pause, it can downright drive you nuts! But if you are feeling like you need (or want) a more permanent break, it might be time to look deeper into your life (and your job) to find out why. There are lots of reasons why you might be thinking you don’t want to work anymore.  And I am going to cover some of those today.   I will also give you some ideas on what to do when you don’t want to work anymore.  Unfortunately, most people can’t just quit their jobs because they don’t want to work.   You probably have bills to pay, mouths to feed, health insurance to carry, and other necessary financial obligations.   So what can you do if you really don’t want to work?  Keep reading for some ideas.  I don’t want to work anymore: Why and what to do Is it normal to not want to go to work? That’s a tough question to give a straight answer to.  Why?  Because everyone has a different work ethic.  The value of working at a job is different for everyone.     According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, work ethic is a set of values that are centered on the importance of doing work; the belief in work as a moral good.  There are many articles that refer to work ethic as a characteristic that is innate, or one that you are born with.  Others say work ethic can be taught and learned.   Whichever is the case, it doesn’t matter for our discussion.  What matters is that you think about what is normal work ethic for you. So to answer the question, “Is it normal to not want to go to work,”  the answer is yes for some and no for others. If you happen to be one of those people that doesn’t value work, then not wanting to go to work is probably a frequent thought you have.   But if you typically value working as part of your life, then no it probably isn’t normal for you to not want to work anymore.   If you are a person that usually values going to work and now all of a sudden you don’t want to work anymore, then that could be cause for concern.   You may want to do some soul searching to figure out the cause of your shift in mindset.   Let’s talk about some reasons you don’t want to work anymore.Why do I feel like I don’t want to work anymore? Feeling job burnout Job burnout is when you feel physically or emotionally exhausted at work and you don’t feel like you are accomplishing what you think you should be.  So feeling burned out at work can make you not want to work anymore.  But if you can get to the bottom of your reason for feeling job burnout, your mindset about working may change.  According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of burnout can also be related to depression. So if you are feeling any symptoms of burnout, talk to your doctor.  Here are questions to ask yourself to assess your job burnout symptoms as per the Mayo Clinic:Have you become cynical at work? Do you force yourself to go to work and then have a hard time getting started? Have you become irritable with coworkers, customers, or clients? Do you lack energy at work? Are you having a hard time concentrating? Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements? Are you using food, drugs, or alcohol to feel better? Have your sleep habits changed? Are you experiencing headaches, stomach, or bowel problems?To find out more information on job burnout, like causes of burnout and how to handle it, check out this great article on mayoclinic.org.   Being stressed Feeling stressed out about circumstances at work or a situation at home can cause you not to want to work anymore.   Maybe you have a deadline coming up on a project you are struggling to finish.  Or maybe you are having a dispute with a family member and it’s taking its toll on you. Whatever the cause, stress can take a major toll on you both physically and mentally.  So it is important to learn how to destress so you can get yourself refocused on your priorities.   There are many ways to cope with stress.  But not all stress management techniques will work for everyone.  So it’s important to figure out a few techniques that will work for you.  Some ideas for stress relief are:Deep breathing Meditation Exercise Yoga/stretching Outdoor activities: hike, bike, walk Listen to music Dance Play with your pets Talk it out Write in your journal Use aromatherapyIf you are having trouble managing your stress, talk to your doctor.  Feeling taken advantage of The feeling that you are being taken advantage of at work because of your heavy workload can be very overwhelming.   And feeling overwhelmed at work is enough to make you feel like you don’t want to go to work.   Workload expectations can grow over time.  As you gain more experience and can finish your workload more quickly, many companies will give you more work to do.   And many times your pay doesn’t increase with the workload.  So that feeling of being taken advantage of can be very real.   You could try discussing these concerns and feelings about your job with your supervisor.  Maybe you could work together to figure out a resolution (i.e. more pay for a heavier workload).   Feeling uninspired Feeling uninspired or unfulfilled at your job could cause you to feel like you don’t want to work anymore.   Maybe you have been working at the same company for years and you have witnessed all the changes the company has made and you’re not a fan of them. Or maybe your job just isn’t what you expected it to be and you know it’s not a good fit for your personality. It may be time to check out some other employment options.  Or maybe there is a different position within the same company you could apply for that would be more fulfilling. The desire to spend more time with family Are you thinking you don’t want to work anymore because you want to be able to spend more time with family?   Maybe you have a baby on the way.  Or maybe a family member is not doing well and you want to be able to be there for him or her.   Feeling like you are missing out on time with family members can cause you to not want to go to work.   Not getting along with your boss or coworkers Animosity in the workplace is a common reason for not wanting to go to work anymore.  I mean, who wants to be around people they don’t see eye to eye with?  Animosity can cause you to feel uncomfortable and can turn any normal situation into a very stressful one.  Which, of course, is not good for your overall well-being.  What to do when you don’t want to go to work anymore? #1 Develop a plan for passive income If you have decided you don’t want to work anymore, you will have to develop a plan to get there.  Because, if you are like most people, you can’t just quit working without some kind of income or money coming in.  You will always have bills to pay, necessities to buy, and mouths to feed.   So if you have decided you don’t want to work anymore, you will need some kind of passive income stream for when you stop working.  Passive income is money that you earn without actively working for it. Many forms of passive income take work, and sometimes, an investment upfront before there is a passive cash flow.  Some forms of passive income take a small amount of work just to maintain the cash flow.   And passive income takes time to grow.  So start brainstorming your plan for passive income right away if you don’t want to work anymore.   Here are some types of passive income:Rental income Dividend-paying stocks Affiliate income Renting out your car Renting out your storage space (i.e. garage or shed) Sell digital products on Etsy Start a blog Sell stock photos Create an e-book and sell it online Start a CD ladderOnce you decide on the passive form(s) of income you want to pursue, you will want to set goals for your plan.   #2 Set a goal Goal setting is an important part of any financial plan.  Quitting your job is no exception!  If you have in your mind that you don’t want to work anymore, you should decide on your end goal.  What is a realistic time frame that you can achieve your goal? 5 years? 10 years? 15 years?   And what exactly do you want to accomplish in that time frame?  For example, a goal you could set would be to grow an Etsy business for selling printables to $1000 a month of income in 5 years.   This is just an example.  You may be able to grow an Etsy business to that level of passive income in less time or it may take more time.   My point is, having a plan and setting a goal are the first steps to following your dream of not working anymore. #3 Pay off debt Having debt will make it so much harder not to work.  If you don’t want to work anymore, and you have debt, focusing on paying that off will help put you in a better position not to work.   Let’s face it, debt is expensive.  The average credit card interest rate is 16%!  And debt makes it difficult to reach your other financial goals.  So work on paying down that debt right away if you don’t want to work anymore.   Related Posts:Valuable Tips for Becoming Financially Sound How to Live Below Your Means: Benefits and Tips for Success 5 Tips to Help You Stop Living Paycheck to Paycheck Beginner’s Guide to Managing Your Money Better#4 Cut expenses Finding ways to reduce your monthly expenses while you are paying down your debt will help you twofold.  By cutting down on your monthly expenses you will be freeing up more money to throw at your debt.   Once your debt is paid off, you will have all that extra money to use toward your financial goals.  And you will need less money to live off of. There are tons of ways to reduce your household expenses.  Here is a shortlist:Meal plan Shop at discount grocery stores Eat at home more Take your lunch to work Refinance for a lower interest rate Shop around for insurances Lower your utility bills Get rid of cable Work out at home Look for a cheaper cell phone planAs I said, these are just a few ways you can reduce your monthly expenses.  If you would like to read about other ways to save money, check out these posts:20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Spend Less Money No-Spend Challenge:  Rules and Tips for Success Frugal & Fun Things to do at Night with Friends and Family 21 Frugal Ways to Save on Beauty Products#5 Live a frugal lifestyle Developing and living a frugal lifestyle will be important if you don’t want to work anymore.  Living frugally is all about spending your money intentionally.   Reducing your monthly expenses is important for living below your means.  And living a frugal lifestyle goes hand in hand with reducing your monthly expenses.   Many people associate living frugally with being cheap or being a “tightwad.”  This is not so!  Living a frugal lifestyle is about spending your money on the things that matter most to you and not spending money on things that you don’t value.   For example, one thing my family places high value on is going on vacations.  So we make sure we budget for a family vacation every year.  That is something we willingly spend our money on.  Something we don’t value is going out to eat.  So we end up eating 99% of our meals at home because we prefer not to spend money on food that someone else cooks.   Since we don’t go out to eat much, that is part of our monthly budget that we can cut way back.  And because I meal plan for a month at a time, I am also able to keep our grocery expenses super low.   See how living frugally and reducing your monthly expenses go together?   If you would like to read more about living frugally, check out some of my other posts:Frugal Living: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide 13 Awesome Benefits of Frugal Living How to Develop a Robust Frugal Mindset Frugal vs Cheap: What’s the Difference?#6 Save money If you have decided you don’t want to work anymore, you will need lots of money saved up.   The amount of money you need depends on if you want to completely stop working altogether or if you are planning on working, but in a different capacity (i.e still working on your side hustle). You will want quite a bit of money in an emergency fund.  Most financial advisors say you should have 3 to 6 months of living expenses put away in a safe place (NOT the stock market). A safe place to put your emergency fund money would be in a high yield savings account.  Then you would be earning passive income in the form of interest on your money.   If you don’t want to work anymore, you will also want to be saving money in your employer-sponsored 401K (or another type of retirement account) while you are still working.  Try to contribute as much as possible to your retirement account.  If you are in the process of paying down debt and you need your full paycheck right now, try to at least contribute enough to get the full company match, if your company has one.    Once you stop working, there are still options for saving for retirement, which I am not going to get into. But Investopedia has a great article you can check out here if you are interested. If you don’t want to work anymore, it would also be a good idea to have another savings account to use for other things.   Having a savings account that is separate from your emergency fund money will help prevent you from using your emergency fund for something besides an emergency.   And having that extra cushion of money will help you feel financially secure.#7 Increase your income If you have decided you no longer want to work, you may want to try to increase your income while you are still working.   This will allow you to save more money and build a nice cushion of cash.  There are many ways to increase your income.     The easiest ways to increase your income are:Ask for a raise at your current job Work overtime hours if they are available Find a part-time jobBut if you don’t want to work anymore, working overtime and finding a part-time job may not be appealing to you, even if it isn’t permanent. Another way to increase your income that I believe is easier than asking for a raise at work is taking online surveys, watching videos, or playing games to earn money or gift cards. Now getting paid to take surveys online will not make you rich.  But you can put a few extra bucks in your pocket to use for whatever you want.   And the best part is you can do it from the comfort of your couch! My favorite survey sites are Survey Junkie and Swagbucks.  Here is some information about them so you can decide if you would like to give them a try. Survey Junkie is an online market research community.  When you participate in Survey Junkie, you get to share your opinion to help brands improve their products.   After you complete surveys, you will earn virtual points that you can trade-in for Paypal cash or e-Giftcards for places like Amazon or Target.   You can sign up for Survey Junkie here.   With Swagbucks, you earn points that you can trade-in for PayPal Cash or gift cards just by taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos, and playing games.  You can earn gift cards for your favorite brands like Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Target, and more! Many Swagbucks members earn between $25 to $100 per month that they can use to save for a vacation, use for fun money, or cover expenses.   If you would like to check out or sign up for Swagbucks, you can do so here!   Of course, there are other ways to increase your income while you are still working.  Starting a side hustle to make extra money may be the way to go.   Why?  Because the amount of money you make from your side hustle is directly related to the work you put into it.  You have the potential to turn your side hustle into a money-making machine. And a side hustle could be turned into your main source of income when you don’t want to work anymore at your day job.   This brings me to another frequently asked question.How can I make money if I don’t want to work? As mentioned earlier, you will still need income when you decide you don’t want to work anymore.   And there are essentially 2 ways to bring in income, passively and actively.   Passive income is income you make that is not associated with working a job to get a paycheck.  You have cash flow coming in but you don’t have to do much, if anything, to maintain it.   Of course, the opposite is when you have to work to make money.  You are actively performing a task and getting paid for it.   If you don’t want to work anymore, you will have to figure out how you are going to bring in your income.  Will you have passive income to pay for your living expenses or will you still have to work to make an income?   I gave you a list of passive income ideas above.  But if you need more ideas, check out this list here.  The other thing you could do to make money even if you don’t want to work anymore is to start and grow a side hustle while you are still working.   Use your hobbies, skills, and interests to find something you will love to do.  Then when you are ready to stop working, you can continue your side hustle.   And it won’t necessarily feel like work if you love what you do.   Here are some possible side income ideas:Become a reseller Flip furniture Start a blog Babysit Become a caregiver for the elderly Teach private lessons based on your skills/hobbies Become a virtual assistant (VA) Learn to do hair, nails, or makeup Become an event planner Start an errand-running business Cater Sell baked goods Walk dogs or dog sitFor more ideas and ways to make extra money check out these posts:Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month 50+ Ways to Make Extra MoneyFinal Thoughts on “I don’t want to work anymore” It’s normal to feel like you don’t want to go to work once in a while.  But if you wake up often feeling like you don’t want to go to work, there may be other underlying issues. Take time to think about your job, your home life, and your mental health.  Figure out what the real reason is for not wanting to work and try to address the issue.   Maybe you will find you do want to work after all. But if you still feel like you don’t want to work anymore, you will have to develop a plan for how to survive (and thrive) without working.   It won’t be easy, but many people have done it.  And you can too.   What kind of passive income ideas do you have?  Are you working on a side hustle to prepare to leave your job?  If so, what’s your side hustle?  Let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

Liquid Net Worth: Meaning, Calculation & Example

Liquid net worth is what you have in cash and cash equivalents after you subtract your liabilities from your liquid assets.   Many people are familiar with the personal finance phrase net worth because it's a pretty straightforward calculation. You take your total assets minus your total liabilities to figure your net worth.   Knowing your total net worth is beneficial because it allows you to keep track of where you are on the path to financial freedom or independence. However, strictly using your net worth to determine your financial position can be dangerous when it comes to emergency preparedness. It would help to understand your liquid net worth when calculating your overall net worth. Your liquid assets are the assets that will come to your rescue if you ever find yourself in a precarious financial situation.   Here are the most common questions about liquid net worth answered. What Does Liquid Net Worth Mean? Liquid net worth is the amount you have leftover in cash or cash equivalents after subtracting all of your liabilities.   The meaning of liquid net worth is different from net worth in that net worth includes all of your assets, including those that can't be quickly converted into cash.   What are Liabilities? Your liabilities are any money you owe to someone else. Your liabilities are your debts. Examples of liabilities are:Home Mortgage Credit Card Debt Student Loans Personal Loans Car Loans Income Tax Debt Medical BillsWhat Assets are Considered Liquid Assets? The meaning of the word liquid when it's not related to finance is “a substance that flows freely but is of constant volume.” Therefore, liquid assets are your assets that can quickly and easily be sold or cashed out without losing value. Here are examples of liquid assets. Cash Cash is a liquid asset in the form of coins or banknotes. Cash is in its most liquid form. Checking and Savings Accounts Your money is a liquid asset in checking and savings accounts because you can quickly and easily withdraw your cash. Also, your money does not lose value if you need to access it immediately. Money Market Saving Accounts Money market savings accounts are also considered liquid assets. Money market accounts are a type of savings account but with extra features. Usually, the bank issues a debit card for a money market account, and the account comes with the ability to write checks. Money market savings accounts typically have higher interest rates than regular savings accounts. However, there is usually a limit of 6 transactions per month, and many money market accounts have balance minimums.   Cash Equivalents Cash equivalents are liquid, short-term investments (less than 90-day maturity periods) that are very low risk. Examples include bank certificates of deposit (CDs) with a 3-month maturity or a no-penality clause, short-term government bonds, and money market funds.   Stocks and Bonds (Outside of Retirement Accounts) Investments in mutual funds are liquid assets only if they are outside of a retirement account. However, these investments are less liquid than money in a savings account. But, they can be quickly sold for cash if needed.   What are Assets that are Not Considered Liquid Assets? When calculating your liquid net worth, it's essential to know which assets not to include. For example, illiquid assets are assets that you can't quickly convert into cash. Therefore, you shouldn't include these assets in your liquid net worth total.   Real Estate Real estate is not considered a liquid asset because it can take a long time to sell a house. You can't convert your equity into cash quickly and easily, and there are fees associated with selling a home.  Can you sell it fast by lowering the price if you need to? Sure, you can sell it at a discount to unload it quickly. But by lowering the cost, you are reducing the profit you could have otherwise had by waiting to sell it at its fair market value.   If you own investment properties, they also aren't considered liquid assets. Selling real estate can take a long time, and market value can vary, so you may not get what you believe your property is worth.   Cars Cars also should not be included when calculating your liquid net worth. Can you sell it quickly to turn it into cash in an emergency? Possibly. But as with real estate, there are fees involved with selling a car, and you may have to sell it at a significant discount.   Retirement Plans The money you have in a retirement account is not considered a liquid asset unless you are of retirement age. If you aren't old enough to access your retirement plans without incurring a penalty, any money held in a designated retirement account is not a liquid asset. So your 401K is not counted as part of your liquid net worth when you are under 59 and a half. Personal Possessions Personal possessions like jewelry, art, or antiques should not be considered a liquid asset when determining your liquid net worth. The reason is that these items can take a significant amount of time to find a buyer, which would prevent them from being converted into cash quickly. In addition, personal possessions can be challenging to place a monetary value on, and they could sell for much less than market value if you need to unload them right away.   Can I Use Non-Liquid Assets When Determining Liquid Net Worth? It would be best not to use illiquid assets when determining your liquid worth. Doing so will superficially inflate your perceived liquid net worth. In addition, believing you have a higher liquid net worth than you do could cause you to be unprepared financially in an emergency.   That being said, if you want to include your non-liquid assets in your liquid net worth, it's best to discount the assets for a more realistic liquid value. By discounting the assets before factoring them into your liquid net worth, you can account for fees, transaction costs, or getting less than fair market value for the asset upon liquidation.   For example, if you want to sell your house to convert your equity to cash, there will be selling fees. Also, if you need money fast and you drop the price for a quick sale, this would cut into profits, thus leaving you with less cash on hand. How Do I Calculate My Liquid Net Worth? To calculate your liquid net worth, add up the value of all of your liquid assets and subtract your liabilities from your liquid assets.   Total Liquid Assets – Total Liabilities = Liquid Net Worth Example of a Liquid Net Worth vs. Net Worth Calculation Joe is 45 years old. Here are all of his assets:His total assets are: $490,000 Here are his liabilities:His total liabilities are: $121,000 So his total net worth would be $369,000 ($490,000 – $121,000). At first glance, Joe's net worth looks great. However, let's calculate his liquid net worth now.   Here's a look at his assets again. The liquid assets are starred.Here is his liquid net worth: $25,000 – $121,000 = -$96,000 Joe would have a negative liquid net worth because his liabilities are far greater than his total liquid assets. Not having enough liquid assets could pose a problem if Joe ever needed a significant amount of money for an emergency or if he lost his income. What Should My Liquid Net Worth Be? Joe has $25,000 in liquid assets. Some may argue this is enough in liquid assets to serve as Joe's emergency fund. However, this would depend on his monthly expenses. Most financial advisors recommend having enough money set aside to cover 3-6 months of living expenses.   If Joe’s expenses totalled around $4,000 a month, $25,000 would be enough to cover his living expenses for 6 months (6 x $4,000 = $24,000). However, if his living expenses were $5,000 a month, he would not have enough liquid assets to cover his six-month expenses.   The amount of liquid net worth you should have is a personal decision. No one can answer that but you. Sure, people can make recommendations. But you are the one that needs to determine that number.   Funneling your money into an illiquid asset, such as a 401K, is essential for securing your future and growing your total net worth. However, your liquid net worth is an important indicator of your current financial health.   You can determine your minimum liquid net worth by deciding on the amount you need in your emergency fund. Think about the amount of money you need readily available that will allow you to sleep at night and not worry about money. For example, if you need $20,000 to cover four months of expenses, you should strive to have at least that amount in liquid net worth.   Your emergency fund should be kept in a safe, easily accessible place, like a high yield savings account.   My favorite online high-yield savings account is Axos Bank. There are no maintenance fees, no balance requirements, and a low minimum deposit of $250.   You can check out Axos bank here.   What is a Good Amount of Liquid Assets? A good amount of liquid assets is whatever amount you need to sleep at night and not worry about money. Your emergency fund will be part of your liquid assets, so a good first step is determining the amount of money you need for that. Take your monthly expenses and multiply that by the number of months you want to be able to cover in the event of an emergency. Your emergency fund should be the minimum amount of liquid assets to have.   What is Your Liquid Net Worth by Age? According to CNBC.com, the median liquid net worth for a 35 to 44-year-old is $91,300. For a 45 to 54-year-old, it's $168,600. And for a 55-64-year-old, the median liquid net worth is $212,500. The average liquid net worth is much higher at $436,200, $833,200, and $1,175,900 respectively.   The average liquid net worth is much higher because those numbers become skewed by people with extremely high net worth. So use the median numbers when comparing your liquid net worth because those numbers are more common and realistic for most people.   How to Increase Your Liquid Net Worth Fast If you find you don't have enough liquid assets to support a 3-6 month emergency fund, you may want to increase your liquid net worth. Here are some tips for improving your liquid net worth quickly. Pay Down Your Debt (Liabilities) If you are carrying debt, the quickest way to increase your liquid net worth is to decrease your liabilities. However, many people find it easiest to start with the smaller bills first when faced with many liabilities.   For example, focusing on paying off a small amount of credit card debt before tackling a sizeable medical bill may help stay you stay motivated. In addition, paying down your debt will help you stop living paycheck to paycheck and free up more money to boost your liquid net worth.   Save More Money Finding ways to save money every month is essential to increase your liquid assets and helps you achieve good financial health. In addition, living a frugal lifestyle can help you put more cash in your pocket (or bank account) to improve your finances and live more comfortably.  There are many ways to cut your household expenses, from meal planning to shopping around for cheaper insurance. Multiple small reductions in your monthly costs will add up over time. Be sure to designate where you want your newfound money to go, so you don't end up spending it. Sell Non-Liquid Assets If you want to increase your liquid net worth, consider selling illiquid assets. For example, do you rarely use one of your cars? Why not sell it to put money in your bank account? Liquidating assets for cash is a sure way to bulk up your bank accounts. Boost Your Income Increasing your income is a great way to improve your financial situation. There are tons of ways to make more money. Asking for a raise at work, working overtime, or picking up a part-time job are all straightforward ways to bring home more money.   If you want to make money on your own time, start a side hustle to make extra cash. The possibilities are endless when it comes to starting a side hustle. But, of course, the easiest thing to do is turn your hobby into a business.   If you are up for learning something new, blogging is a great way to earn a side income. There are so many free and cheap courses to get you started. This course is the one I used to start my blog.   Once you start a blog, you may want to consider joining a Mastermind Group, so you have mentors that help you grow and monetize your blog more quickly. Blogging is a long-term endeavor, so a supportive and helpful group to have your back is a must! However you choose to increase your income, the important thing is what you do with your extra money. Avoid lifestyle inflation and live below your means to make the most of your money.   Final Thoughts on Liquid Net Worth Calculating your liquid net worth will give you an idea of where you stand financially. In addition, knowing your current money situation will help you establish appropriate goals to work toward achieving financial wellness. And achieving good financial health is a stepping stone to financial freedom.

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

How to Live Below Your Means: Benefits and Tips for Success

Are you struggling with trying to figure out how you can live below your means?  Maybe you or your partner made some less than optimal decisions with your money and now you are fighting to keep yourselves afloat.   Or maybe you have been living paycheck to paycheck for as long as you can remember and are tired of feeling stressed about your financial situation.   And now you are committed to making some lifestyle changes but you don’t know where to begin.  You are totally not alone!   Tons of people are living paycheck to paycheck and have absolutely no wiggle room in their budgets to handle any sudden expenses that could arise.   According to CNBC, 63% of Americans are now living paycheck to paycheck since the COVID-19 pandemic.  Many people are going further into debt just to pay their monthly expenses.   Learning how to cut costs and make financial decisions to help you live below your means takes dedication, time, and planning.  This is especially true if you have been living above your means for a while. Even if you have been spending more than you make for a long time, I am here to tell you it is possible to turn your financial situation around.  You just need to adapt the way you are using your money so that you can put your money to work for you to reach your financial goals.   It’s all about making changes.  That is the key.  And you should try to make changes right away so you can start living below your means as soon as possible.   So keep on reading to learn more about living below your means.Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   What does it mean to live below your means? Living below your means simply means spending less than you make.  If you are living below your means, you will have money left over after paying all of your monthly bills. The money you have left over could be used for things like paying down debt, saving money in an emergency fund, investing to build wealth, and so many other important financial things!   This leftover money will help you to work toward financial wellness and ultimately financial independence.  That is why living below your means is so important for your future.   Here is a quick example of what living below your means could look like: Total Monthly Income (after taxes and paycheck deductions):  $3,250 Total Monthly Expenses:  $2,800 Difference:  $450 This person would have $450 to use every month to help improve his or her overall financial situation.   Sounds awesome, right?  Of course it does.  And there are tons of other benefits of living below your means! Why should you live below your means? Let’s talk about all of the key benefits of living below your means.   Reach your financial goals more quickly If you do not have money left over at the end of each month, it will be very difficult to reach any financial goals you may have.  So let’s just say you want to pay off some credit card debt so you can start saving for a down payment on a home.  If you don’t have the money to pay more than the minimum on your credit card, it will take you much longer to pay that card off.   This will prolong meeting the goal of saving for a down payment for a home. Feel less financial related stress Not having any extra money leftover at the end of the month can be very stressful.  And stress can cause a multitude of medical problems!   Living below your means can help you avoid feeling stress because of money problems.  This is because you can put that extra money to use in a way that will help you achieve financial wellness, which leads me to my next point! Reach financial wellness, and eventually, financial independence quicker Financial wellness is when you have your money situation under control to the point where you are paying your bills on time, have money in an emergency fund, and are saving for your future.   If you have achieved financial wellness, you don’t feel stressed about money, money isn’t causing disruptions with your relationships, and you aren't losing sleep at night because of money problems.   If you would like to read more about achieving financial wellness, you can check out this post I wrote on the topic.   Financial independence is when you no longer need to rely on working to bring in an income to pay your expenses.  You have enough income from your investments or other passive forms of income to pay your living expenses forever.   Living below your means is a stepping stone to reaching financial wellness and financial independence. Less arguments and fighting with loved ones Did you know money is one of the top 5 reasons people get divorced?  Money related stress is real and it wreaks havoc on relationships.  Living below your means will help you feel less stressed, which will help to avoid arguments and full blown fights with loved ones about money.   More flexibility and choices when making big life decisions Living below your means is a great way to give yourself more choices and flexibility when it comes to making big life decisions.   You are basically giving yourself more freedom to make the choices you want in life.  Here are some examples of the kinds of choices you could potentially have more freedom to make:making a career or job change starting a family and staying home with the baby for a period of time decreasing hours at work funding and starting a side hustle taking a leave of absence from work to care for sick loved ones helping other family members financially when they are strugglingThese kinds of things may not be possible for you if you are not living below your means.  How do you live below your means? If you are not currently living below your means, you will need to make some changes with the way you are using your money in order to have extra money left over at the end of every month. Here are some tips to help you be successful with living below your means this year. Get in the right mindset If you are not mentally ready to make some real changes with how you are managing your money and your spending habits, it will be very difficult to find success with living below your means. Any kind of change is difficult. If you have been managing your money a certain way for many years, changing your ways is going to take time and effort. There will bumps in the road that could throw you off course. You may feel like throwing in the towel and giving up. Being in the right money mindset will help you to be patient with yourself during these bumps in your journey to living below your means. Instead of giving up, a positive mindset will help you to problem solve through any difficult situations that may arise so you can get yourself back on track. If you would like some tips on how to get in the right money mindset to get motivated to start living below your means, check out my post on ways to develop and keep a positive money mindset. Track spending If you are spending every last dollar every month, you should start with tracking your spending.  I think it’s best to track your spending for at least a full month.  If you can track your spending for 2 full months, that is even better. Once you track your spending, you will have a better picture of where your money is going.  And once you know where it is going, it will be easier for you to make changes with your spending habits.   Create a budget After you track your spending and figure out where you will be making changes with your spending, you will want to make sure you have a realistic budget set up.  If you have a budget set up, you will know exactly how much money you should have left over after paying all of your monthly expenses (including fixed, variable, and discretionary).   If you need help creating a budget, you can download my free Budget Binder.  It includes a financial goal writing worksheet, directions for creating a budget, a budget worksheet to help you figure out all of your expenses, a huge list of budget categories, and a budget tracker.   If you would like to read more on budgeting, you can check out my post Budgeting for Beginners in 6 Easy Steps.Live frugally Once you have your budget set up, you can start to find even more ways to cut your expenses.  Frugal living is about being intentional with your spending habits.  It is about learning ways to spend less money on the things that don’t really matter to you so you have more freedom to live your life the way you want to live it.    Converting your lifestyle to a more frugal lifestyle will definitely make it easier to live below your means.  But getting in a frugal mindset and living frugally does not happen overnight. It is common for people to convert to a frugal lifestyle over a longer period of time.  As you start to live more frugally little by little, these small frugal wins start to stack up over time and make a difference in your financial situation.   If you would like to learn more about how to start living a frugal lifestyle, you can download my frugal living workbook.  It includes worksheets to help you start living more frugally, a frugal living checklist of 99 frugal living tips, and a tracker to help you track your frugal wins for a full year!  Or check out some of my other frugal living posts:Frugal Living:  The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide 27 Frugal and Fun Things to do at Night with Family or Friends 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less Money 20 Ways to Save More Money Every MonthStop keeping up with the Joneses I know it can be so tempting to go out and buy all the latest and greatest gadgets, electronics, and cars.  This can be especially tempting when your friends go out and buy them! But with these new toys comes lots of bills and debt.  So if you want to live below your means, you will want to avoid financing these things and taking on more debt to purchase them. Avoid comparing what you own to what other people own. Many times those people that have all the latest toys are living above their means with a ton of debt. Avoid lifestyle inflation/creep Getting raises and advancing in your career is a great way to widen the gap between your income and expenses.  Try to avoid a phenomenon called lifestyle inflation as your income grows. Lifestyle inflation is when your spending increases after your income increases.  An example of this would be trading up to a more expensive car when you get a promotion at work.  Lifestyle inflation makes it much harder to live below your means and meet your other financial goals.  Instead of spending more money when you receive a raise at work, try using that extra money toward your financial goals.   Adopt a minimalist lifestyle Minimalism is about purging your home of the clutter and the things that don't provide value to your life. It is about living a life of simplicity and removing distractions from your life so that you can focus on the things that matter most to you. Minimalism can help you to live below your means. As you purge your home of the belongings that don't give you happiness, it helps you to realize the importance of intentional living and spending. This can help you to avoid filling your home back up with material possessions you don't need. Once you adopt a minimalist lifestyle, it will spill over into other areas of your life. Simplifying and organizing your finances will allow you to understand and track your financial situation and make changes more easily. For example, do you really need 5 different savings accounts for each of the purchases you are saving for? Probably not. Avoid debt If you are trying to live below your means, you will need to avoid taking on unnecessary debt.  So think about any big ticket purchases you have coming up.  Are you looking to buy a home soon?  Make sure you will not be stretching yourself too thin with a big mortgage payment.   According to Chase.com, you should use the 28% rule when determining the amount you can spend on your home.  This states that your total housing costs (including mortgage payment, taxes, and insurance) should be less than 28% of your gross income.   If you think you need to replace your car soon, think about buying a used one.  If you have to finance a car, keep the loan term as short as possible to decrease the amount of interest you will be paying over the life of the loan.     Before you go car shopping, figure out your price range.  You can use online calculators to crunch some numbers to figure out what to spend on a car based on what you want your monthly payments to be and the probable interest rate.  Have an emergency fund Keeping money in a designated savings account earmarked for emergencies will help prevent you from taking on more debt in the event of a financial bump in the road.   Many financial institutions say you should have 3-6 months of expenses saved up for emergencies.  Having this money set aside will help you to live below your means because you will be prepared to handle unexpected financial difficulties and decrease the likelihood of taking on more debt.   Think of you and your partner as a financial team It is so important to be on the same financial page as your spouse or partner.  Talk about and set financial goals together.  Come up with a game plan to achieve your goals.  Review your progress toward your goals frequently so you both know where you stand.    Financial goal setting will help you get in the right mindset to live below your means.  If you don’t have established goals, it is much easier to spend any extra money you could have otherwise put toward reaching those goals.   If you need help with goal setting, you can find my post on setting financial goals here.  Educate yourself about money Educating yourself about money is one of the best things you can do for financial situation. By educating yourself, you are setting yourself up for making the best decisions about your money. There are so many great books on personal finance out there! The one that got me hyped up about paying off our debt when we first got married and bought a house was Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach. I highly recommend it if you and your spouse or partner are trying to get your financial situation under control. Other great reads are:The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas Stanley The Simple Path to Wealth by J L Collins Financial Freedom by Grant Sabatier The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey Your Money or Your Life by Vicki RobinYou don't have to go out and spend money on books to educate yourself. There is so much information on the internet for free. Try looking for a couple of personal finance blogs that you enjoy reading and subscribe to them. Increase your income Finding ways to increase your income is a great way to get you living below your means! There are tons of ways to increase your income!  Some ideas for increasing your income are:Asking for a raise at work Getting overtime hours approved Finding a better paying job or position within the same company Getting a second job Starting a side hustleIf you are looking for different ways to make extra money, here are 50+ Ways to Make Extra Money. How do you know if you are living below your means? Let’s take another approach to this question.  Here are some signs to look for to warn you that you are living ABOVE your means:You have credit card debt You don’t have an emergency fund You are stressed about money You are losing sleep because you can’t stop worrying about your financial situation You aren’t able to save even 5% of your income You aren’t putting money in your 401K because you are scared your paycheck won’t cover your bills You don’t have a budget set up You and your spouse or partner are fighting about moneyThese are just a few signs you could be living above your means.  It is not a complete list! Final Thoughts Living below your means is a big part of living a happy, healthy life.  Your financial situation can affect all areas of your life including your physical health, mental health, relationships with family and friends, and work.   Once you have decided you want to make changes to your spending habits and live below your means, you will need to come up with an action plan.  Sit down with your partner and talk about how you can work together as a team to get in a better financial situation. After you track your spending, feel free to download my Budget Binder to help you create a simple household budget. If you are looking for ways to cut expenses and be more intentional with your spending, my Frugal Living Workbook can help!  Do you have any other tips to help someone live below their means?  Please let me and everyone else know in the comments!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

The Easy Way to Make a Monthly Meal Plan for Beginners

When you get home from a long day of work, do you find yourself wondering what you should make for dinner? Then you look in your refrigerator or freezer only to find out you don’t have anything in there you feel like making. And your kids are telling you they are hungry and asking you what’s for dinner. Then you blow your food budget by ordering a pizza, getting curbside pickup, or fast food. Let me tell you, I have been there. It is no fun coming home from work when you are exhausted and trying to figure out what to make for dinner when all you want to do is sit down and put your feet up. But ordering takeout really adds up. And if you want to save your food budget, then meal planning is where it's at. Prior to the pandemic, The Shelby Report conducted a study of more than 3,000 consumers and found that only 3-4 meals were cooked at home per week. Think how much money-saving potential was lost there! I’ve been doing monthly meal planning for a few years now, and let me tell you, it is a lifesaver. Meal planning saves money, time, and of course, headaches! If you are looking for more ways to cut back on your food budget, check out my post, 12 Easy Ways to Cut Food Expenses. Monthly meal planning is actually quite simple, especially once you have a rotation of meals that your family loves. I created a step-by-step guide to help you get started on monthly meal planning. This guide will make meal planning easy and help you stick with it to help your family eat healthily and, of course, save you money. I call it monthly meal planning, but actually, I meal plan for four weeks at a time to keep it simple. We do our food shopping every two weeks. Also, I don't plan breakfast and lunches because we don't really need to.We always ensure we have a variety of quick and easy breakfast foods for busy mornings when we are trying to get out the door. So we have cold cereal, oatmeal, bagels, bananas, & toaster pastries for the kids. I also make pancakes and Belgian waffles over the weekend to either use during the week or freeze and use as we want them. Then we typically make a big breakfast on Sundays with eggs, hash browns, toast, etc. We also are very boring lunch eaters! I either take cottage cheese with fruit, oatmeal with a hard-boiled egg, or leftovers for lunch. My husband and kids take sandwiches with different lunch food items, like yogurt, fresh fruit or fruit cups, crackers, chips, nuts, pretzels, etc. Keep reading to learn exactly how I plan our evening meals for four weeks at a time! Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products and services I use and love. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. You can read my full disclosure here. The Easy Way to Make a Monthly Meal Plan for Beginners Real Quick: Before I get started on how to create a monthly meal plan, I just wanted to tell you about this awesome service. If you have been trying to meal plan for a while and it just isn't working for you, you could try $5 meal plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox, and you also get the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And the service is only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here. You could use this as a last resort if you don't have the time to meal plan on your own. Alright, here's how to create a monthly meal plan! 1. Stock your freezer before starting your monthly meal planning Okay, so this will take some money upfront to get you started. But once you have some meal options in the freezer, deciding what to make will be so easy! If you don’t already have a separate freezer, you may want to consider investing in one if you are going to start stocking up on frozen food items. You could look on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace for a used one if a new one is not in the budget. Or you could organize the freezer so you have and utilize every last inch of it for storage. Baskets or storage bins like these may help you get your freezer organized so you can see exactly what food you have at any given time. Stocking up when there are sales or when you buy in bulk will save you some trips to the grocery store, which in turn will end up saving you some money. We bought a small chest freezer on sale years back when I first started meal planning. Now we head to Sam’s Club once every 12-14 weeks to restock our freezer. We stock it with things like tilapia, salmon, ground beef, meatballs, ravioli, chicken breasts, pork chops, and steaks. If you don’t have Sam’s Club near you, try Costco, BJ’s, or watch for good sales at your local grocery store to buy in bulk.2. Obtain a planner to use for your monthly meal planning Now that your freezer is stocked, you need a place to write down your meal selections. I buy a planner every year from Dollar Tree for my meal planning. I find that the monthly planners work the best for me because I meal plan for four weeks at a time. But even if you will be meal planning on a week-by-week basis, the monthly meal planner is nice because you can easily look back to see what you had planned the previous week without having to flip the page. I personally like the monthly planners with the column down the side for “notes.” The notes column is where I write down my food inventory (more on that below). This planner is laid out just like the one I have and love. I personally like using a planner because I like having the previous month’s meals to look at for ideas, and I also keep track of upcoming appointments, days that school will be closed, when my last haircut was, etc. It really helps keep your whole life organized. However, you don't have to go out and buy a planner to start meal planning. I have created a Meal Planning Guide to help you create a monthly meal plan or weekly meal plan, whichever you decide! My Meal Planning Guide contains a free monthly meal planner printable, a weekly meal planner template with a grocery list section, a sample monthly meal plan, dinner theme night ideas, an inventory list, and more! You can take a quick peek here:My free Meal Planning Guide includes everything you need to make your meal plan! You can download my free Meal Planning Guide here. 3. Write in upcoming appointments, sports practices, events, etc. Not only will writing in all your appointments keep your life organized, but it will also help you immensely with your meal planning. So on nights when you have to get your kid to a sports practice or nights when you have a doctor's appointment, plan a meal that is quick and easy. I love doing leftover meals or meals I had already made previously and had in the freezer for these nights. Or you could even make your meal the night before and heat it up when you are ready to eat.4. Write down your food “inventory” As I said, I love using an actual monthly planner for my meal planning because they have those lines for notes next to the month that is perfect for writing down the things you currently have. I go to the freezer and write down all of the main course foods we have. This is important to do at the beginning of each four-week interval that you will be meal planning for. That way, you know exactly what you have on hand. Then you won't go to pull it out of the freezer, only to find out you don't have it anymore. I also write down the number of bags of vegetables and other frozen foods we usually have on hand, like french fries, on my food inventory list. This will help you when you go to create your grocery list based on your meal plan because you will know what you need to buy and what you already have on hand.5. Begin filling in your meals Now is the time that you want to start penciling in your meals. Definitely use a pencil because you will need to erase and rearrange some things as you are planning. I would start with the nights when dinner will be tough, like those nights with appointments and sports practices. So if you think you want to do a leftover night on those nights, figure out which meal will yield enough for leftovers and pencil that in a couple of days before the night with the appointment. For example, I might plan to make an Instant Pot meal on a Sunday night since many of the recipes for that tend to feed our family twice. Then I would plan to have the leftovers on the busy night of the week. By the way, we love our Instant Pot and highly recommend them because they are easy to use and cook delicious meals so quickly! If you have a slow cooker you love to use and are thinking about buying an Instant Pot to try, check out this cookbook. We have this, and everything we have made from it has been delicious. It gives you both the slow cooker version and the pressure cooker (Instant Pot) version for each recipe. If you have a busy night, you could also plan a quick meal. Some examples of quick meals we have during busy nights are grilled cheese and tomato soup, baked tilapia, or cheese ravioli. You can also develop a nightly meal rotation or themed meal night that works for you and your family. So, for example, Mondays are usually fish nights for us. So the first Monday might be tilapia, the second Monday might be salmon cakes, the third Monday tuna melts, and the fourth Monday of the month salmon. You could do the same thing with the rest of the days of the week to really make it easy. One night you could designate as chicken night, one beef, one pasta, one meatless/vegetarian night, one pork, one soup night, etc. This ensures you get a nice variety of meals and your family doesn’t complain about having the same things over and over again. Once you come up with the meals your family loves, it is easy to plan each month by filling in the blanks.6. Fill in side dishes and vegetables This is the easy part! Once the main courses are filled in, you can fill in the side dishes. Try to keep it super simple here. So to use our fish night as an example, if we have tilapia or salmon, I usually will plan a side dish consisting of noodles. We use Knorr Sides a lot because they have a nice variety of flavors, and they are easy and quick to prepare. If we have chicken, I like to plan to have a rice side. If we have a sandwich, I like to have French fries or pierogies. As for the vegetables, we usually buy romaine lettuce, a bag of spinach, baby carrots, celery, and green pepper to cut up for salads. We cut some of the fresh produce up ahead of time and keep it in green containers in the fridge to save time when making salads during the week. Since we only grocery shop every two weeks, I meal plan to have fresh produce during the first week. Then when that runs out, I use frozen vegetables during the second week. 7. Make a grocery list of items you need The last part of monthly meal planning is creating your grocery list. You have to decide how often you want to go to the store. For us, every two weeks works the best. First, we add all of the regular items we use for breakfast, lunches, and snacks. It helps to make a list of all of your regular items so you don’t forget anything, especially if you are going to limit the number of times you go into a grocery store to try to save money. Then you look at your dinner meal plan for each day you will be shopping for and write down the ingredients you will need.Since you already stocked up on the meats and “main courses” for the month, you will only need to add any extras to complete the meals, such as side dishes, condiments, or seasonings you may need. Side note: If you really want to make it easy to do your grocery shopping, I recommend trying grocery pick-up. We use Walmart’s Grocery Pickup, and it saves us so much time. We start our grocery list early in the week and add things when we see we are getting low on them. You can schedule the time you want to pick up your groceries in advance and continue to add things to your cart throughout the week. You can now even use Ibotta in conjunction with the Walmart grocery pick-up app! Ibotta is a cash-back app that helps you save money on groceries without having actually to clip coupons. Some of their offers on groceries don't require you to purchase a name brand, which we love because you can buy Walmart's store brand and still get cashback! If you have not signed up for Ibotta yet, you can do so here. You can get up to $20 in welcome bonuses by using my link to sign up! Conclusion As you can see, making a monthly meal plan for your family does not have to be complicated. The hardest part is choosing meals everyone in your family will love. If you do find it too difficult or time-consuming to create a monthly meal plan, start with two weeks or even a weekly meal plan using these same steps. It will get easier as you figure out your meals; before you know it, you will be planning for a month at a time! How do you do your meal planning? Do you have any other methods that work for your family?  I would love to hear them! Please leave them in the comments section!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

Ultimate Guide to Meal Planning on a Budget

Has your food budget been out of control lately?  Are you trying to start meal planning on a budget so you can save money on food costs? The food budget is one area that gets out of hand so quickly and easily.  It only takes one or two nights of ordering takeout to blow up your food budget. But luckily, the food budget is also one of the easiest parts of a budget to reduce.  With a little thought and planning, you can very easily get your food expenses back under control. Meal planning is not difficult, but it does take some time to do, especially in the beginning if you are just learning how to make a meal plan.   There is meal planning…and then there is meal planning on a budget.  Meal planning on a budget takes slightly more forethought than just throwing together any old meal plan. Today I am going to tell you some super simple tips and strategies to help you start meal planning a budget.   Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Meal Planning on a Budget: Benefits Eat Healthier If you have read any of my other posts on meal planning, you probably know that I am a huge advocate of meal planning for more than one reason.   Meal planning on a budget not only helps you to spend less money (see below), but it also helps you to eat healthier.  Many of you know that I am a healthcare professional, so I always like to mention the health benefits of meal planning and eating at home. When meal planning on a budget, you want to incorporate and purchase foods in their most natural state.  The reason is that once the food is processed, cooked, cut, or chopped it tends to be much more expensive to buy.   Food is also generally much healthier to eat when it is consumed without being processed in some way.  Also, by preparing food yourself, you have control over what you are putting into your body. Meal planning could potentially help you to meet any nutritional goals or weight loss goals you have for yourself.  For example, if you are diabetic, meal planning could help you get your diabetes under control since you would be able to control what you are putting into your body (as opposed to getting takeout).    Less Dinner Time Stress Another benefit of meal planning is less craziness at mealtimes.  Meal planning is a total sanity saver for me! Knowing what you will be eating for dinner well in advance helps to put your mind at ease and be much more relaxed as you leave work for the day. Because I don’t know about you, but my brain is fried after a long day on the job.  Full-time jobs can be so demanding physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Why put yourself through more stress when you leave your job?  Also, the constant nagging and complaining by hungry kids can be enough to drive you nuts!  By meal planning, you can avoid all that! Spend Less on Food and Eat at Home More As I said earlier, meal planning on a budget can help you spend less by choosing to use ingredients and meals that aren’t already processed or prepped in any way.  By buying food in its most natural state, you can save a bunch of money. For example, buying lettuce by the head instead of buying pre-chopped and bagged lettuce will save you money because it typically costs less per ounce, and it also tends to last much longer than bagged lettuce.   The more you can eat at home, the more money you can save on your monthly food budget.  Meal planning will help you avoid circling the drive-thru when you are getting hangry, or your kids are whining because they are hungry and you don’t have anything planned for your dinner meal. Live More Frugally Meal planning on a budget will allow you to live more frugally.  After all, frugal living is about spending intentionally according to your personal values.  Meal planning is a big part of frugal living.   Planning your meals allows you to spend more of your money where you want to spend it, especially if spending money on food is not something you place a high value on.   If you would like to read more about the benefits of frugal living or how to live a more frugal lifestyle, check out some of my other posts:Awesome Benefits of Frugal Living Frugal Living: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less MoneyI also have a frugal living workbook you can download for free. It includes worksheets for you to develop your own action plan to live more frugally, tons of frugal living tips to help you brainstorm more ways to live frugally, and a yearly tracker to watch your frugal wins stack up! Here is a preview:You can download my Frugal Living Workbook here.  Meal Planning on a Budget: Tips for Success Stay Organized One of the secrets of successful meal planning on a budget is to keep yourself organized.  You should have all of your meal-planning paraphernalia in one place. In order to do that, it is good to develop some kind of system that will help to keep you organized.  You could either buy an inexpensive monthly or weekly planner, or you could create a meal planning binder.   If you decide a binder is the way to go, you can keep your weekly or monthly meal plan in there, along with blank grocery lists, a list of your family’s favorite meals, and blank inventory sheets.  You can also put some clear sleeves in the binder to hold your frequently used recipes for safekeeping. Here is my meal planning guide that has everything you need to get a meal planning system in place:You can download my Meal Planning Guide here for free. I have included all of the things I mentioned above, plus a sample monthly meal plan, theme night and side dish ideas, and some tips for successful meal planning.   Keep a List of Favorite Meals Keeping a list of your family’s favorite meals can help you get your meal planning done in no time!  If you come across a super simple, budget-friendly meal your family loves, write it on the list so you don’t forget about it! You can schedule those meals once a month, once every 2 weeks, or once a week depending on how much your family enjoys it. Cook Ahead for Busy Nights Weeknights can be so incredibly hectic for busy families!  Between sports practices, doctor or dentist appointments, music lessons, homework, other school activities, and church-related activities, there is not a lot of time for cooking! If you know that you have one of those nights coming up, cooking your meal ahead of time and just reheating it can really help with sticking to your meal plan.   I will typically look ahead on a Sunday to see what we have going on that week and prep anything I need to in order to help the busy night go more smoothly.   Use Freezer Meals Using freezer meals can also help you stay on budget with your meal planning!  If you can get into the habit of making a few meals and throwing them in the freezer for those crazy nights I talked about above, you will be ahead of the game! A freezer meal is simply just a meal you make ahead and put in the freezer until you want to eat it.  Calling it a freezer meal makes it sound way more complicated than it is!  Just pull it out the night before you want to enjoy it to thaw in the fridge and reheat after work.   Just about anything could be turned into a freezer meal!  Some of our favorites are chicken taco meat, black bean soup, gravy for Swedish meatballs, and beef barbecue.   Plan One Meatless Meal a Week Another way to stay within your budget when meal planning for a family is to plan one meatless meal per week.  Unless you find a great sale, meat can really blow up your food budget.  If you can find four different meatless meals your family enjoys, you already have one day per week for a month planned out! Some of our favorites are black bean soup and cheese quesadillas, pasta with marinara sauce and salad, breakfast for dinner (eggs, toast, pancakes, waffles), & cheese ravioli with garlic bread. We also have a couple of different quinoa recipes we enjoy. Incorporate Leftovers If your family doesn’t mind eating leftovers, you can incorporate leftovers into your meal plan to keep your food costs down.  There are lots of ways you can use up your leftovers in your meal plan. A few different ways to reuse your leftovers are:Making double to feed your family the same meal twice the same week Making double and freezing half to have a different week Using the leftovers in a different recipe Having the leftovers as a side dish to another mealIf you would like to read some other ways you can repurpose your leftovers, check out my post on how to reuse your leftovers here.  Meal Planning on a Budget: Steps to Make Your Meal Plan #1 Obtain an Inexpensive Meal Planner or Make a Binder When trying to plan meals on a budget, you, of course, want to avoid spending a lot of money on a planner.  There are a few inexpensive options on Amazon.  Here is one of my favorites:Although it is on the smaller side, the planner above is under $10 and isn't dated, so you can start using it any month of the year. It has both monthly and weekly pages, which is nice if you start out meal planning weekly but want to switch to monthly meal planning. It also has the “Notes” section down the sides of the monthly pages, which is perfect for writing down your freezer and pantry inventory. You can check out this planner in more detail here. If you live near a Dollar Tree, they also have some nice monthly planners!  That is actually where I get mine every year.  I like using them because I plan my meals for a month at a time.  I like being able to see the full four weeks when doing my planning.   The one I usually buy from Dollar Tree has the “Notes” section down the side of each month, like the Amazon planner I mentioned above.  This is where I list my freezer inventory every four weeks, so I know exactly what we have when I start my new meal plan. However, I have only seen them toward the end of the year or the very beginning of the year.  If you are trying to get in the habit of meal planning in the middle of the year, they may not have them anymore.   If you think you need more than a store-bought planner to get yourself organized, the binder system may be a better option for you. Or if you don’t want to spend any money whatsoever on a meal planner, you can download my free meal planning guide. As I said earlier, it includes everything you need to create a meal-planning system to get started planning and eating at home more. Download my free meal planning guide here.   #2 Decide How Often You Will Meal Plan Next, you will want to decide if you will plan your meals for one week, two weeks, or a month.  Think about your family’s schedule when deciding on this. How busy are you right now with your kids' extracurricular activities?  Will you have time to sit down and meal plan once a week?  Or do you think finding the time to sit down to plan your meals is more realistic every two weeks or even once a month?   It may take some trial and error to get yourself in a routine.  As you may know, I only do my meal planning once every four weeks, which I love.  It takes me between half an hour to an hour from start to finish to create a four-week plan. The more you do it, the easier it gets.  Once you get your normal meals figured out, it’s just a matter of filling in your days (more on that below).   Trust me, the hardest part is getting started and making it a habit!  #3 Take Inventory After you have decided how often you will start meal planning, you want to look in your fridge, freezer, and pantry to see what you already have.  Make sure to look all the way in the back to be sure you don’t miss anything!  This will help you to spend less on your upcoming grocery bill and avoid food waste if you already have some leftovers in your fridge or other ingredients in your pantry that need to be used up. Write down on your inventory list all of the things you want to try to use up.  These are the things you will start filling in first on your meal plan.   #4 Write Down Upcoming Appointments Fill in any upcoming appointments you or your family members have on your meal planning calendar, especially the ones that could interfere with your meal preparation.  This will help you to plan a super simple meal or plan to have leftovers that night.   #5 Start Filling in Your Meals Now is the fun part!  Start filling in your meals on your calendar.  I would suggest you use a pencil that has an eraser on it. Trust me. You will need to erase things.   So start with the meals you already have on hand and fill those in when you think you might want them.  Then fill in the remaining days with other meals your family enjoys. If you know exactly when you will be doing your grocery shopping, you could plan those meals around the current sale items at the store you shop at.   If you are unsure when you will be able to get to the grocery store, just plan what you know your family will eat.  Remember, your meal plan is not set in stone!  Change it up as needed.   You could check the ads the night before you will be shopping and make some last-minute changes to save money. If you are having a hard time figuring out what to fill in on your meal plan menu, you can try using theme nights to help you come up with some ideas.  You can check out some theme night ideas here.   After you fill in the main courses, you can go back and fill in the side dishes. First, plan to use anything you already have in your inventory for those.  Then go back and fill in the side dishes you will need to buy. If you would like a sample monthly meal plan, I have included one in my free Meal Planning Guide. My guide also has a list of theme night ideas and side dish ideas that could help you fill in your meal-planning calendar more quickly.   Download your free Meal Planning Guide here.  #6 Make Your Grocery List After you figure out your entire meal plan, you can create your grocery list.  I like to keep a typed-up list of all the things we regularly buy on the fridge.  Then we will just circle the items on the list when we notice we are running low on something.   If you do that, you can use that same list to circle all of the things you will need for your upcoming meal plan.  Take your time and think through what you will need for each meal.   It is so easy to forget things when making your grocery list.  It happens to us quite a bit!  But when it happens (and trust me it will), it’s okay!  You could always switch up what you are supposed to have that night with another night so you can stop at the store after work the next day to pick up the forgotten ingredient.   Another idea is to have backup meals on hand.  If you do forget an ingredient or two for a meal, you could resort to something you already have in your pantry or freezer.  Some ideas for super simple backup meals are:  Pasta with marinara sauce Macaroni and cheese Chicken salad (using canned chicken) Tuna melts Sandwiches Hot dogs Canned soup Frozen pizzas Grilled cheese#7 Do Your Grocery Shopping The last step to meal planning on a budget (besides cooking your meals, of course!) is doing your grocery shopping.  How often you do your grocery shopping will be based on how often you will be meal planning. If you are meal planning once a week, you will have to go once a week.  If you are meal planning for two weeks at a time, you could go once a week or once every two weeks. If you are meal planning for four weeks at a time, you could go to the grocery store once a week, every two weeks, or once every four weeks. Even though I create a meal plan every four weeks, I find that grocery shopping every two weeks works best for our schedule.  You just have to figure out what will work best for your family.   We also find that using Walmart Grocery Pickup makes it so easy to shop!  I wrote a review on Walmart Grocery Pickup because I love it so much.   If you don’t have a Walmart near you (you can check if there is a Walmart that participates near you here), you could try another store’s online shopping to see if it works for you. The best thing (in my opinion) about doing online grocery shopping is the ability to see your total before you checkout.  When trying to stay within a certain food budget, this is so valuable!  You can very easily add or remove things from your cart to stay within your food budget.  Let’s get into how to do your grocery shopping when you are on a tight budget.  Meal Planning on a Budget: Save Money on Groceries Shop Less Frequently Going to the grocery store less often is a good way to keep your food budget under control.  Temptation is real! Especially if you usually do your shopping after work when you are tired and hungry.   Shop Online for Groceries As I mentioned earlier, shopping online and picking up your groceries is a great way to stick to your food budget.  Not only is it easier to control how much you are spending by having the running total right in front of you, but you don’t have to go inside the store, which can help you avoid impulse buys. Stock Up During Sales Keep a log of sale prices on your frequently purchased food items so you can recognize a good deal when you see one.  This will help you take advantage of sales and save money on items that are usually quite expensive, like lean ground beef. I started doing this because I would always forget what I paid per pound for my meats when they were on sale.  This helped me to identify rock bottom prices so I could stock up when I could buy them at the lowest price.   Use Ibotta Ibotta is my absolute favorite cash-back app!  It is super quick and easy to use, and you don’t have to clip coupons.  It can also be used with Walmart Grocery Pickup, which is awesome!   Ibotta can save you money when you use it for the things you were planning to purchase anyway.  Plus, I love how they have some cash-back offers that can be used on any brand for an item (even Walmart’s store brand!).   If you don’t have the Ibotta app yet, you can download it here.  New users can get up to $20 in welcome bonuses just for signing up.   Buy in Bulk Buying some things in bulk can help you to spend less money and stay within your food budget.  However, be sure to check the unit price just to make sure it is actually cheaper.   We shop at a wholesale club once every 12 weeks or so for some of our main meal items.  We buy things like tilapia, bags of meatballs, chicken breast, salmon, and ravioli.   We also buy a large pork loin to cut up into several meals of chops, country-style ribs, and roasts.   Meal Planning on a Budget: How to Stick to Your Plan Determine Why You Need to Meal Plan Deciding why you want to get in the habit of meal planning is important because it will help you stick with it.  Many people decide to start meal planning to eat healthier and spend less money.   But what is your ultimate goal?  Do you want to eat healthier to lose weight or get a medical condition under control?  Do you want to spend less money so you can have extra money to pay off debt or fund a family vacation? The key is to figure out what motivates you personally.  Once you know what motivates you, it will be easier to stick with your meal planning, even if you really aren’t feeling it.   Stock Your Pantry and Freezer Keeping your pantry and freezer stocked with backup meals and meals that are simple to prepare can also help you stick to your food budget.   A meal plan is just that, a plan.  Just because you created a plan doesn’t mean you have to stick to it every single day.  One of the goals of meal planning is to limit your spending on already prepared food from restaurants since it can get so expensive for a family to eat out.   There will be days when you are completely exhausted from a long day of work and just don’t feel like cooking what you planned.  And that’s okay!  Open your freezer, pull out a frozen pizza, throw it in the oven, and lounge on the couch until the timer goes off!  Keep it Simple I love simple meals, especially during the week.  Try to plan the more complicated meals for weekends when you have more time to prepare them.   My rule of thumb that I like to follow is no recipes during the week.  If I have to look at a recipe, I am not making it when I get home from work.   My only exception is if I’ve made the recipe several times and I just have to glance at it quickly to remember the exact measurements.  If I have to read step-by-step instructions, forget it! Mix it Up As much as I love having set meals that my family enjoys, I do enjoy trying new recipes and new meal ideas.  This helps to combat meal boredom and prevents complaints from the family about being tired of eating the same things all the time.   However, I generally would save those new recipes for the weekends unless you have a simple one.  Also, have a backup meal in your freezer or pantry in case your new recipe doesn’t turn out as you expected!   A failed meal is a perfect excuse to order takeout or get fast food.  By having a backup meal, you can avoid using that excuse! Budget for Eating Out and Treat Yourself It is nice to take a break and let someone else cook for you once in a while.  Plus, it is important to enjoy yourself while you are working toward your money goals.   So it’s okay to get takeout or go out to eat. Just try to plan for it when figuring out your food budget.  It’s typically those last-minute decisions to order takeout or go out to eat that cause you to blow your budget. Avoid going over your budget when eating out by planning ahead, looking for restaurant coupons, using gift cards, going out to eat earlier, and using money-saving apps like Local Flavor or Groupon.   Final Thoughts on Meal Planning on a Budget Creating a meal plan when you are on a tight budget is totally doable.  It will take some time and effort to get yourself into the habit of consistently meal planning so you can eat at home more often. Once you develop the habit and find a set of meals that your family loves to eat, it will become so much easier to stick with.   But remember, your meal plan is just a plan!  You can feel free to change it on the fly if it isn’t working out for you in some way.  Trial and error are important to figuring out what will work the best for you and your family. Try not to think of meal planning as just another chore that needs to be done.  Think of it as one way you can help your family be healthier, happier, and live a more comfortable life.   What are some things you do to meal plan on a budget?  Do you have any tips or tricks that help you stay within your food budget?  Please let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

Personal Budget Categories List:  The Ultimate Guide

Are you looking for a budget categories list for your household or personal budget?  Look no further because I’ve got you covered.   A household budget can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. For example, you can put together a simple budget binder or create an elaborate budgeting spreadsheet. Creating a household budget can be tricky because there is a mind-boggling number of ways to do it.  But making a budget doesn’t have to be head-spinning.   The key to making a budget that you can stick to is determining a budgeting system that works for you.   If you are a beginner at budgeting, keeping it simple is best.  Finding a simple budget template is ideal when just starting.   If you need a simple budgeting system, I have free downloadable printables you can use to create a budget binder.   Here is a preview:It has everything you need to get started with budgeting.  Here is what it includes:Budget binder cover sheet Financial goals worksheet Worksheet to organize your budget categories and subcategories Monthly budget template List of typical budget categories If you would like to download it for free, you can find it here.  Household Budget Categories List I will give you an extensive list of possible budget categories and subcategories.   There are over 100 budget categories and subcategories listed below.   Don’t worry. You won’t need to use all of these categories!  My goal with this list is to help you brainstorm your ideal budget categories to help you get organized to make a budget that works for you.   Keep reading below to find out how you can use these categories and subcategories to create a budgeting system. Income When creating your budget, you will want to know exactly how much money you have coming in.  If your paycheck varies from month to month, use the minimum amount, to avoid overestimating your income.   Also, only include income that you can count on.  Don’t include money you are not guaranteed to make when estimating your income for budgeting. Here are examples of income:Income from salary Bonuses Side hustle income (only guaranteed income) Child Support Alimony Investment incomeHousing Your housing expenses will make up the largest portion of your budget.  Housing expenses are considered essential expenses.  Here are some possible subcategories for the housing category portion of a budget:Mortgage/Rent Homeowners Insurance/Renters Insurance Property taxes School taxes Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) Homeowner’s Association Fees (HOA) Home repairs/maintenance (use a sinking fund-see below) Pest control Yard servicesUtilities Utilities are also considered an essential expense when budgeting.  Utility expenses can get out of hand if you aren’t careful.  Saving money on utilities and other expenses can take effort, but your efforts will be rewarded with more money in your bank account.  Here are subcategories for utilities:Gas/Oil Electric Water Sewer  Trash/recycling Phone Alarm system Internet TV (cable, satellite, streaming)Food Budget The food budget is another expense category that can grow exponentially without realizing it.  If you are trying to find extra cash each month to pay down debt or save for other financial goals, the food budget is a great place to start.    Groceries Restaurants Holiday meals Alcoholic beveragesDebt Paying down your debt is one of the best ways to live below your means.  Here are a few subcategories that are considered consumer debt.Student loans Credit card debt Personal loans Medical bills Car loansSavings “Pay yourself first” is an important phrase to remember.  You want to save money from your paycheck every month before paying your bills.  This ensures you are setting money aside for your future.  Retirement accounts Emergency funds College savings accounts  Investments Other savings funds (vacation, down payments, etc.) Sinking fundsInsurance Buying insurance coverage is an essential part of a budget because you want to be prepared if something unthinkable happens.  Here are a few different insurance types you may need to include in your budget:Health insurance  Dental insurance Vision insurance Life insurance Umbrella insurance Disability insurance Liability insurance Long term care insurance Malpractice insuranceCar/Transportation Transportation costs (besides car payments) are important to consider when creating your budget.  Here are possible transportation expenses you could have:Gas Car maintenance/repairs Tolls Parking fees Public transit costs (train, subway, bus) Car inspections EZ passChild-Related Child-related expenses can add up.  For example, if you have to pay for childcare to work outside of the home, these expenses can be as much as your mortgage depending on where you live.  So don’t forget to take advantage of a Dependent Care FSA to offset childcare costs if your employer offers one.  Daycare/babysitters Preschool Summer Camp Lunch money Sports fees Private lessons/extracurricular activities Orthodontics Glasses Diapers Formula Haircuts AllowancesPet-Related Pets are like part of the family and will need to be accounted for in your budget.  Vet bills are expensive.  If you know your pet will need to see the vet, try saving money in a sinking fund, so you are prepared to pay the bill when the time comes.  Veterinary bills Medications Grooming Boarding Pet sitter/walker Pet training FoodEducation College and private school tuition are steep.  But those aren’t the only education expenses to think about when budgeting.College tuition Private school tuition Books Room and board School supplies School uniformsEntertainment and Recreation The entertainment budget is the first area to look at when you need to cut back on expenses.  Even though it is important to designate some money as “fun money” in your budget, these expenses are considered non-essential.Dining out (could go under food or entertainment) Subscriptions Memberships Concerts Movies Toy purchases Gambling Bars/clubs Hobbies Vacations Spending moneyHealth and Personal Care Personal care is one of those categories that could contain both essential and non-essential expenses.  For example, getting your nails done at the nail salon would be considered non-essential, but going for a scheduled therapeutic massage to relieve pain could be an essential expense.Prescriptions Doctor visits Salon visits Spa visits Makeup Haircare Toiletries Clothing and shoes Gym memberships or fitness classesGiving Donating to charities or giving to your religious organization are sometimes forgotten when establishing a budget. Be sure to incorporate giving into your budget.Gifts Charitable donations TithesMiscellaneous Use this category as a catch-all for expenses that don’t fit anywhere else or aren’t consistent monthly expenses.  You may want to assign your miscellaneous category to a sinking fund line item in your budget.   A sinking fund is used to set aside small amounts of money every month to pay for other expenses that aren’t in your monthly budget.  For example, some people use sinking funds to save up for planned upcoming expenses, such as a home repair or a vacation.   But you could also use sinking fund money for unexpected or forgotten budget items or expenses, like school pictures, parking or speeding tickets, or a new dress to wear to a wedding.  Forgotten Budget Items Forgotten budget items happen.  It’s called life.  So there is no way you can budget for every single purchase you will have to make, even if you are the most detail-oriented person.  There will be expenses you forget about.   Here are some examples of budget items that are frequently forgotten about:Special occasion clothing/shoes/accessories Gifts  Printer ink Doctor co-pays and deductibles HVAC yearly maintenance visits Vitamins/cold medicines Postage Party expenses/decoration/cakes/foodSimple Budget Categories Methods If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the personal expense budget categories and subcategories I just gave you, it’s okay.  However, the best thing to do when feeling like that is to keep things simple.   Use Budgeting Percentages Don’t worry too much about all the subcategories if your head is spinning.  Keep it simple by organizing your budget by main categories.  So your main categories might be:Housing Transportation Utilities Food Debt Saving Medical/Insurance Entertainment/Leisure Personal spending MiscellaneousAfter deciding on your main budget categories, you’ll want to assign each category a percentage of your paycheck.  So here is an example of categories with typical budget percentages:Housing 25-35% Transportation 10-15% Utilities 5-10% Food 10-15% Debt/Saving 10-20% Medical/Insurance 10-20% Entertainment/Leisure 5-10% Personal spending 5-10% Miscellaneous 5-10%Again this is just an example.  The range is there to give you an idea of a typical percentage to spend on the individual categories.  Go ahead and tweak the numbers to fit your needs.   For example, if you are in the process of paying down debts, you may want to spend less on your entertainment category to allocate a higher percentage of your pay to your debts/savings category.   50/30/20 Budgeting Rule Another option for using simple budget categories is to use the 50/30/20 budgeting rule.  The 50/30/20 rule is a simplified way to assign budget category percentages.   Using this rule, you would spend no more than 50% of your take-home pay on necessary expenses, 30% of your paycheck would go toward things you want, and you would save 20%.  Rules are made to be broken, right?  So if you have a debt to pay down, you could decrease the 30% for wants to 20% (or lower) and use the 10% difference to pay down your debt.    Alternatively, if you don’t have debt, you could increase your savings rate percentage and lower the percentage allocated for wants.   Budget Categories and Subcategories Methods When using categories and subcategories for budgeting, creating your budget can get more involved.  However, you may not need to use subcategories for every category in your budget.  But suppose you are noticing you are spending more in one particular category.  In that case, you may want to break that category down into subcategories to better track where your money is going.   Zero-Based Budgeting If you intend to use categories and subcategories in your budget, you may want to assign every dollar of your income to a category.  This is called zero-based budgeting.   With zero-based budgeting, every dollar you earn has a distinct purpose.  Therefore, after completing your budget for the month, the amount of money you should have leftover is zero dollars.   If you subtracted all of your expenses from your income and you have money left over, awesome!  Go ahead and assign that extra money to a category that will benefit you or someone else.   For example, you could put that extra money into your savings category.  Or you could put extra money into your giving category.   Remember, with this zero-based budgeting, you are giving every dollar from your income a job, so you shouldn’t have any money left over at the end of the month.   Household Budget Categories List:  Things to rememberCreate your budget before the month starts.  You’ll want to make sure you have a working budget in place before the month begins.  Make a budgeting date with your partner to get it done. Be prepared to modify your budget.  Budgets don’t always work the way we want them to.  Keep this in mind and keep an eye on your budget so you can make changes if you need to.Budgeting takes practice.  If you are just starting with budgeting, it may take a few months to figure out what budgeting method works best for your lifestyle.  Be patient with yourself as you learn the ropes.You can get my free budgeting template printables here if you need some help getting organized when creating your budget.  It includes everything you need to make a budget binder, including a list of categories and subcategories.Final Thoughts on Personal Budget Categories List This list of spending categories is not exhaustive of every budget category out there.  However, it includes the major expense categories present in a typical personal budget.   Whether you are looking for budget categories for young adults or budgeting categories for a family, these categories will help you make a successful budget.

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

Eating Out Is Expensive: 12 Tips To Kick the Habit

Let's face it. Eating out is expensive. But who wants to cook dinner every night after a long day at work? And yes, it's true that cooking and eating at home takes work. However, it will save you so much money that you can use for other important things, like building an emergency fund or saving for a down payment on a house. There are many ways to make cooking at home easier and more enjoyable so you can continue to eat at home. Keep reading for tips to help you feed your family at home instead of eating out. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Eating Out is Expensive: 12 Tips to Kick the Habit 1. Make a Meal Plan If you want to stop eating out to save money and eat healthier, meal planning is a must. I personally like to create a meal plan for four weeks at a time. And I only meal plan for the evening meal. This allows us to complete our grocery shopping every two weeks, which works great for our family because I don't enjoy grocery shopping. Please don’t think you have to try to meal plan for four weeks at a time. That is just what I like to do. However, if you are interested in learning how I do our meal planning, check out my post on how to make a monthly meal plan. Meal planning definitely gets easier the more you do it. The first few weeks will be the hardest, especially if you are trying to mix things up and not duplicate a meal. If meal planning is brand new to you, start small. Strive to create a meal plan for one week at a time and progress from there. If you are still struggling to create a rotation of meals your family enjoys, try using theme nights to help with meal planning. Head over to my post on dinner theme night ideas if you would like some help! Related Posts:How to Make a Weekly Meal Plan With Grocery List Meal Planning on a Budget: The Ultimate Money-Saving Guide How to Create a Meal Planning Binder (Free Meal Planner Printables) Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights Monthly Meal Planning for BeginnersIf you need more help with meal planning, I have a free printable Meal Planning Guide you could use to get started. It includes everything you need to start meal planning so you can stop eating out to save money.My free meal planning guide includesTips for success Dinner theme night ideas Monthly meal plan template Sample monthly meal plan Weekly meal planner with grocery list section Favorite meals list Inventory list for pantry, fridge, freezerYou can download the free meal planning guide here. 2. Use an Inexpensive Meal Planning Service If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it, and you can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   That is only $1.25 per week to have your meal plan done for you. It's definitely a win if you have difficulty keeping up with your meal planning. So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Then you can see how much money and time it can save you so you can stop eating out to save money! 3. Use Up all leftovers Since eating out is expensive, but cooking at home all the time seems daunting, having leftovers are crucial. They make cooking at home so easy. I love leftover nights! Not only is that one less meal you must come up with in your meal plan, but it also saves a lot of money. Try eating leftovers on nights when you are too busy to cook a meal, for example, when you have an appointment, or your kids have after-school activities. When you are making your meal plan, try to plan one meal that yields enough to feed your family a second night. Or if you have smaller amounts of leftovers on several nights, you could have a “clean out the fridge leftover night” where everyone can choose which leftovers they want to eat. Here are some meal ideas that I use that yield enough to feed my family of four a second night, whether by itself or combined with something else.Lasagna Chili Baked Ziti Instant Pot Chicken Tacos Instant Pot Ham and Bean Soup Mexican Quinoa Ham and Potato CasseroleIf there is not enough of one type of leftovers for a second meal, try incorporating your leftovers into another recipe. For example, when we have chili, there is usually quite a bit leftover, but not enough to have a full second meal of chili. So I will use that chili in a casserole-style recipe. My favorite is chili tater-tot casserole. If you would like more ideas on using up your leftovers, check out this post.4. Make a Complete Grocery List There is nothing worse than starting dinner only to realize you forgot an important ingredient at the store. How frustrating! If you want to stop eating out to save money and eat healthier, trying not to forget any ingredients at the grocery store is important. After you make your meal plan, try to ensure you put everything you need for your meals on your grocery list. We figured out how to prevent this from happening (most of the time!). We created a master grocery list that we make copies of and then hang it on the fridge. On that list, you want all your regular items for breakfast and lunches each week, plus ingredients you use frequently for dinners. As you use the last of something or notice a product getting low, circle it on your list. Circle all the items you need for your week's breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Then, go through your meal plan and circle everything you need for all your evening meals. If there is something unusual you will need that’s not on your list, write it in. Then you are all set to go to the grocery store or create your grocery order for pick up (that’s what we do). Oh, and don't forget to check Ibotta for money-saving offers! It is 100% free to download and use, and there are no subscription fees. Plus, you can earn extra cash with special bonuses and offers in their app! You can sign up for free here. By signing up through my link, you can earn up to $20 in welcome bonuses! 5. Stock Your Freezer, Fridge, and Pantry with the Basics I like to keep our pantry stocked with the basics, so I don’t have to buy those things every time I buy groceries. Some items we keep in the pantry are spices, bread crumbs, oils, pasta, rice, quinoa, and canned foods (diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, black beans).   I like to always have minced garlic and eggs in the fridge. In the freezer, I usually keep several different kinds of frozen vegetables to substitute them in recipes if needed. You can throw together a backup meal if needed by keeping your pantry and freezer stocked with the basics. Back-up meals are great if you forget one of the main ingredients for a planned meal. Having some readily available backup meals will help you stop eating out to save money.6. Cook Meals Ahead of Time for Busy Nights Let’s face it. Sometimes, there is just no time to cook. So sometimes we will make our entire meal ahead of time if we know a night is going to be crazy busy. Then all we have to do is heat it up in the microwave. Planning ahead will help you stop eating out to save money and eat healthier. Consider cooking your meal the night before or even the weekend before you have an upcoming busy night. If you make your meal the weekend before, throw it in the freezer (see below) and pull it out to thaw in the fridge a night or two before you need it. Cooking meals ahead of time is also helpful if you know you are going to be working later than normal and will be exhausted by the time you get home. This will help avoid the fast-food drive-thru or a phone call to the pizza joint. 7. Make Freezer Meals Freezer meals are meals you make in advance to put in the freezer. You can double or triple a recipe and divide them into appropriate portions for your family. Just put them in the freezer until the night before you eat them. Pull out a meal and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then you have a meal you can heat up for those crazy busy nights.8. Do Food Prep Ahead of Time If possible, prepare some food ahead of time to help you stop eating out to save money. Prepping food ahead of time will save a ton of time, and cooking will be much easier. The main thing we prep ahead is our vegetables. We chop romaine lettuce, green pepper, and celery ahead of time for salads and keep them in some of those green containers that help your produce last longer. Then it just needs to be thrown into some bowls for salads when it is time for dinner. Some vegetables can also be chopped up and frozen for easy use in recipes. Onion is one vegetable we do this with since we use it so frequently. Or you could also buy frozen pre-chopped vegetables to save even more time. Precooking certain grains like rice or quinoa ahead of time is a huge time saver since they take a while to cook. The same goes for dry beans if you like to use them in your recipes.   9. Use Your Slow Cooker Slow cookers are a great way to save time and make cooking easier. Just throw everything in the slow cooker in the morning, and your meal is ready by the time you get home. We have gotten some awesome recipes from this slow cooker cookbook. They are super easy and delicious! Tip: Use slow cooker liners for easier cleanup!10. Use Your Instant Pot If you have some time in the morning before you go to work, cooking your meal in your Instant Pot in the morning on a day that you know you are going to be busy after work is super helpful. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, I highly recommend them! You can make delicious meals in it, and many recipes involve just throwing everything in the pot and setting it to cook. It can’t get much easier than that! If you use your slow cooker and Instant Pot frequently, or you are just thinking about getting an Instant Pot but usually use your slow cooker, you have to check out this cookbook. We have it and love it. 11. Listen to Music or the News While You Cook Do you get bored while cooking? Keeping yourself entertained by listening to music, your favorite podcast, or the news can help to pass the time. It definitely makes cooking and cleaning up after dinner more enjoyable and tolerable. You can use your cooking time as self-care time. Just pop in your earbuds and get in the zone. 12. Get Everything Out and Ready Before Starting: Mise en place (French phrase, pronounced meez ahn plas) I didn’t know the act of getting everything out and ready to go before starting to cook your meal had a name. Did you? It is a huge time saver and helps cooking go much more smoothly. So you want to chop and measure all your vegetables, grease your pans, and get all the ingredients and spices that you will need. You also want to have all the utensils, measuring cups, and measuring spoons you need ready before you start cooking your meal. Eating Out is Expensive: Final Thoughts on Eating at Home Cooking most of your meals at home can seem overwhelming at first. It's so much easier and more convenient to pick up the phone and call your favorite restaurant for take-out. However, if you are trying to live more frugally so you can spend less money, eating at home more often to stay within your food budget is a must. If you use some of the tips I shared, you will develop a routine to stop eating out to save money, eat healthier, and reach your financial goals. Do you have other tips to help others stop eating out to save money? I would love to hear them! Please let me know in the comments. You may also enjoy reading:Easy Tips to Help You Consistently Pack a Lunch for Work Every Day Easy Frugal Meals with 5 Ingredients or Less Manly Lunch Ideas for Your Husband to Save Money Easy & Dirt Cheap Meals for a Tight Budget My Favorite Kitchen Tools for Easier Cooking Quick & Easy Lunch Ideas on a Budget for Work

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

The Purpose of a Budget and 10 Awesome Reasons You Need One

Are you wondering what really is the purpose of a budget?  Maybe you are just starting your personal finance journey and researching everything you can about budgets. Or maybe you are on a mission to get your financial situation under control and want to know all about budgeting, including the purpose of a personal budget and the benefits of having a budget.   You came to the right place!  I am going to tell you the purpose of a household budget and lots of reasons to have one.   I also have a post about how to create a budget, if you are looking for a step-by-step approach to making a budget.   Also, you can download my free printable budgeting workbook to help you get started making your budget.  Here is a preview:My budgeting workbook includes the following:A cover sheet for your binder (if you will be using a budget binder) A worksheet to help you get your expenses organized A monthly budget template A large list of budget categories/household expenses to help you to not forget anythingYou can download my free budgeting printables here.Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   What is the purpose of a budget? The purpose of a budget is to develop a plan for how you are going to spend your money.  And having a spending plan is so important for your overall financial wellness. Controlling your spending and living below your means is the key to reaching your financial goals.  If you spend more than you make, how will you save and invest money for your future? But creating and sticking to a budget is not easy.  Your budget needs to be realistic for your situation.  If you create a budget that is so strict that you can’t follow it, you will be setting yourself up for failure.   And I don’t want you to fail.  I want you to succeed.  That is why I created this website.  I want to help people who aren’t familiar with how to manage their money to learn the basics of money management and personal finance.   Why? Because I was there once too.   Budgeting is a big part of getting yourself started down the road to financial wellness.  Matter of fact, it’s pretty much the starting point.   If you don’t have a budget, there is no time like the present to make one.  You can use my free budgeting workbook to get started. As I said I wasn’t always knowledgeable about budgeting and personal finance!  I had to learn the hard way how to manage money.   When my husband and I first started our lives together, neither of us knew anything about managing money.  We had quite a bit of debt when we got married. One of the first things we realized was that we needed a budget.  Our budget helped us quickly be able to see that we were spending way too frivolously.   Once we started budgeting and spending less on things we didn’t need, we were slowly able to start paying off our debt and saving money, which are two great benefits of having a budget.   Speaking of benefits, here are 10 reasons you need a budget in your life!10 Awesome Reasons You Need a Budget #1 You control your money, not vice versa When you create a budget, you are deciding how you will spend your money.  Assigning all of your money a “job” and putting it to work in a way that benefits your situation is so important. Because when you are in control of your money, you know exactly where all your money is going.  If you don’t know where your money is disappearing to every month, you are more likely to go into debt and start living paycheck to paycheck.   This is when your money starts to control you.  Living paycheck to paycheck is a vicious cycle that can be hard to break once it starts.   Creating a budget that works will help you avoid living paycheck to paycheck. #2 Helps you free up money to pay off debt As I said, the purpose of a budget is to create a spending plan for your money.  When you know where all of your money is going, it makes it easier to make changes to your spending plan so you can free up money to allocate for something else, like paying off debt. For example, say you have been allocating 10% of your budget to entertainment expenses.  But you had an unexpected medical bill come up.   You can easily reduce your entertainment budget to 5% so you could use the other 5% to pay down your medical bill. If you didn’t have a budget and you weren’t aware of the amount of money you were spending on entertainment, it would be hard to know where you could realistically cut back to pay off your bill.   #3 Boost your savings A budget can also help you increase the amount of money you are putting away to save for upcoming purchases or investing for the future. If you have a budget, you will be aware of how your income relates to your expenses.  So if you know you have a tight budget where there isn’t much extra money after your expenses are paid, you can make the decision to either cut back on certain expenses or find ways to increase your income.   In order to save up for a large purchase (like a down payment on a house or a car), you will be more successful if you both cut back on expenses and increase your income.   A budget will help you easily spot expenses you can cut back on and know how much extra you have at the end of the month.#4 Determine areas you are overspending on When creating your budget, you can use percentages of your income as a guideline for determining the dollar amount you should be spending on each category. Here is a sample of budget percentages from thebalance.com:Housing: 25-35% Insurance (including health, medical, auto, and life): 10-20% Food: 10-15% Transportation: 10-15% Utilities: 5-10% Savings: 10-15% Fun (entertainment and recreation): 5-10% Clothing: 5% Personal: 5-10%So let’s just say your monthly household income is $3,000.  According to these budget percentages, your food costs should be between $300 and $450 dollars a month.   That works out to $75 to $113 dollars on groceries a week, based on a month with 4 weeks in it. That’s not that much depending on the number of people you have in your household.  So if you have been spending $150 a week, you will quickly realize you are overspending on your food expense. Luckily the food budget happens to be one of the easiest parts of a household budget to control. So if you find your food expenses have been running high, there are plenty of ways to reduce your food spending. Not to get off-topic, but meal planning is an awesome way to get your food budget under control.  I am a huge fan of meal planning and have a few posts about the topic. Here are some of my posts if you are interested in learning more about meal planning:  Meal Planning on a Budget: The Ultimate Money-Saving Guide How to Create a Meal Planning Binder for Successful Meal Planning Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights The Easy Way to Make a Monthly Meal PlanHelpful Tip: If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it and you just can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Okay back to the purpose of a budget and the benefits of budgeting! #5 Helps you live a more frugal lifestyle As I said earlier, a budget helps you to live within your means.  Creating a budget encourages you to determine your spending priorities.   As you determine your budget percentages for your budget categories, you are deciding which categories are the most important to you.  Which categories will you assign a higher percentage of your take-home pay and which will you try to cut back on? You are being intentional with how you want to spend your money.  And living frugally is all about aligning your spending habits with what is most important to you. I am mainly referring to your non-essential expenses for this, not your essential expenses.  Examples of non-essential expenses are entertainment, self-care, travel (could be earmarked in a sinking fund), and clothing.   Examples of essential expenses are housing, utilities, and insurance premiums.  Yes, there are ways to cut back on essential expenses, but you can’t usually just cut them completely from your budget. As I said, prioritizing your spending to align with your values and the things that are important to you is the backbone of a frugal lifestyle.   For example, we prioritize taking family vacations over frequently eating out at restaurants.  So we earmark money for our vacations in a sinking fund in our budget.   We don’t spend money on going out to eat so we can put money away to take a nice vacation every year.  #6 Reach your financial goals more quickly Creating and sticking to a budget will help you progress toward meeting your long-term financial goals. Meeting your money goals comes down to being in control of your money and effectively putting your money to work for you. It is a good idea to frequently revisit your budget to ensure it is working.  By assessing your money situation on a continual basis, you will notice when you need to adapt or modify something.   This will help you to keep improving your finances and working toward your goals. #7 Decrease financial related stress The purpose of a budget is to monitor your income and spending so you know when you need to make changes.  If you don’t have a budget, you are setting yourself up for overspending, debt, and living paycheck to paycheck. And that can cause some major financial-related stress.  So why not avoid that stress altogether by making a budget you can realistically stick to? If you would like to download my Budgeting Workbook, you can do so here!   #8 Less fighting with your partner Money is a huge source of fights in a relationship.  This is especially true when you and your partner have different views on spending.   Sitting down together to develop a budget you both can agree on will help to reduce the arguments about money.   It’s important to compromise in a relationship, and compromising about how your money will be spent is no exception.  Creating a budget together is a way to figure out a spending plan that each partner can be happy with.   #9 Achieve financial wellness Having and sticking to a budget is a stepping stone to financial wellness.  Financial wellness is essentially when your finances are in a healthy state.   You are able to pay your bills on time, save money, handle unexpected expenses without difficulty, and be on track toward meeting your financial goals.     If you have achieved a state of financial wellness, you aren’t stressed about money and you don’t lose sleep at night over money.   A budget can help you get there! #10 Reach financial independence Lastly, following a budget over time can help you reach financial independence.  Financial independence is when you have enough income through investments or other forms of passive income that you no longer need to work for a paycheck.  Your passive income will pay your living expenses for the rest of your life.   Have you ever heard of FIRE?  It stands for Financial Independence Retire Early.  It is a movement where you save and invest aggressively to be able to achieve financial freedom so you can quit working your job to pursue other interests.   Many people striving for financial independence (and FIRE) save and invest 50% or more of their income!  That would be very difficult to do without having and sticking to a budget. Final Thoughts on the Purpose of a Budget In short, the purpose of a budget is to help you get your monthly money situation organized so you can easily monitor your spending habits to ensure you are progressing toward your short-term and long-term financial goals.   As you can see there are many awesome benefits to having a budget.  From living without financial-related stress to achieving financial wellness, the benefits are real.   So if you are currently without a household or personal budget, taking time to create one you can stick to will help you improve your financial situation over time. You can download my free Budgeting Workbook to help you get started with creating your personal budget.   What is your favorite benefit of budgeting?  Let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

Thoughtful and Frugal Father’s Day Gift Ideas

Father’s Day is right around the corner. Are you looking for some thoughtful, yet frugal Father's Day gift ideas for dad (or your husband) for that special day without spending too much money? Father's Day seems to come so quickly after Mother's Day. It's a good idea to start thinking about gift ideas for your dad by mid-May. That will give you around a month to decide on a gift and shop around for the best price. If you are buying a gift for your husband, look and listen for little clues he may leave indicating he wants or needs something. Many times these little clues go in one ear and out the other. But if you listen closely, he may give you an excellent idea. It's hard to come up with new ideas year after year. Sometimes you may need some inspiration. Below is a father's day gift guide for the special man in your life. But first I want to give you some ideas for free or cheap things to do with your dad because sometimes there is just no money in the budget for gifts. Also, many dads prefer spending time with their families over receiving a gift.  Here are some free or cheap ideas perfect for spending time with your dad and making memories.Go on a picnic Rent a movie Go fishing Go to the shooting range Play cards or board games Go out for ice cream Go mini-golfing Talk (for real-not text!) on the phone Make a meal for him Send him a handwritten letter and updated pictures of the family Go hiking Work on something together (car, wood project, landscaping, home project, etc) Go bowling Go out for pizza or make homemade pizzas Meet for coffeeDon’t forget to check Groupon for deals on other experiences or gifts that are available in your area. I love Groupon because you can save quite a bit of money with it. Okay, on to frugal Father’s Day gift ideas. By the way, these gift ideas would actually make great gifts for any man in your life for birthdays, Valentine's Day, anniversaries, or just because. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  I only recommend products and services I love.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Thoughtful and Frugal Father's Day Gift Ideas For the Dad Who Loves Fitness Resistance Band Set This resistance band set has everything the dad you are shopping for will need for resistance training, plus it comes with a nylon carry bag so he can easily take it anywhere he wants to work out. Shop this resistance band set here.Pushup Stand Help the dad in your life perfect his push-ups with these pushup stands. Shop this pushup stand here.Exercise Dice These exercise dice are an awesome gift idea for anyone who loves working out. They are definitely a unique idea. Shop these exercise dice here.Activity Tracker Watch This budget-friendly activity tracker got great reviews. It is sleek looking and comes in a few different colors. Shop this activity tracker here.Ab Wheel Roller Kit This ab wheel roller kit comes with the wheel, knee pad, push-up bars, and resistance bands. Fitness junkies are sure to love this. Shop this ab wheel roller kit here.For Outdoorsy Dads Headlamp Headlamps are so handy. They are perfect for dads that love to camp, hunt, or fish. Shop this headlamp here.Plasma Lighter How about a plasma lighter that lights regardless of if it's windy or rainy? It's perfect for the dad in your life that loves backpacking and the great outdoors. Shop this plasma lighter here.Camping Hammock This camping hammock comes in a 1 person or 2 person size. Outdoorsy dads will love this! Shop this camping hammock here.Multitool Hatchet This multitool camping accessory is a 15-in-1 hatchet! It's perfect for hiking, camping, fishing, backpacking, and hunting. Shop this multitool hatchet here.Survival Kit Another awesome gift for the dad that loves the outdoors, this survival kit comes with 17 different tools. Shop this survival kit here.For the Dads Who Love to Cook or Grill Instant Read Meat Thermometer This instant-read thermometer is versatile. It can be used while cooking inside or for grilling. Shop this instant-read meat thermometer here.Cast iron reversible grill/griddle I love gadgets for the kitchen that multi-task. This reversible grill/griddle combo is made of cast iron so you know it is durable. Shop this reversible grill/griddle here.Burger Press If your dad loves to make burgers, he will love this burger press! This burger press shapes and stores hamburger patties. You can freeze the burgers right inside this. Shop this burger press here.Heat Resistant BBQ Gloves These heat-resistant BBQ gloves are perfect for grilling and smoking food! Shop these BBQ gloves here.Grilling Accessory Kit This grilling tool accessory kit contains everything a dad would want. It even comes with a storage case. Shop this grilling tool accessory kit here.For the Beer, Wine, or Spirits Loving Dad High-End Corkscrew This high-end corkscrew is beautiful and functional. Shop this high-end corkscrew here.3-in-1 Insulated Can Cooler My husband has this 3-in-1 insulated can cooler and loves it. It works with 12 oz and 16 oz cans or can be used as a glass. Shop this 3-in-1 insulated can cooler here.Whiskey Gift Set This whiskey stones gift set is perfect for dads that love bourbon and scotch whiskey. Shop this whiskey stones gift set here.Craft Beer Tasting Glasses Kit If the dad in your life loves craft beer, he will love this beer glass set! Shop this craft beer glass set here.Cocktail Shaker Set This cocktail shaker set would be a great gift for a dad that loves mixing his drinks or mixing drinks for other people. Shop this cocktail shaker drink mixer here.For the Dads Who Love Golfing Golf Ball Shag Bag This golf ball shag bag will make any golfer's life easier while practicing his swing! Shop this golf ball shag bag here.Wet and Dry Amphibian Golf Towel This wet and dry golf towel is perfect for golfers to clean and dry their clubs and hands with the same towel. Shop this wet and dry golf towel here.Pop-Up Golf Chipping Net Help your golf-loving dad practice his swing easily with this pop-up golf chipping net. Shop this pop-up golf chipping net here.Putting Trainer Help your dad practice his putting with this putting trainer. Shop this putting trainer here.Leather Golf Logbook Help the dad in your life keep track of his best games with this leather golf log book. It is handmade in the USA. Shop this leather golf logbook here.For the Techie Dads 3-in-1 Charging Stand This 3-in-1 charging stand is perfect for the dad who has multiple Apple products. It can charge his iPhone, watch, and AirPods. Shop this charging station here.Wireless Earbuds These wireless earbuds got awesome reviews and are budget-friendly. Shop these wireless earbuds here.Tile Mate Item Locator Does your dad always seem to forget where he puts his phone, keys, and other personal items? He may enjoy a Tile Mate item locator. Shop this Tile Mate item locator here.UV Phone Sanitizer Phones are full of germs. Help protect your dad by getting him a UV phone sanitizer for Father's Day. Shop this phone sanitizer here.Solar Charger This solar charger will help your dad keep his phone charged up even when outside. Shop this solar charger here.For the Dad Who Loves His Car or Truck Roadside Emergency Kit If your dad loves being on the road, help him feel prepared with a roadside emergency kit. Shop this emergency kit here.Waterproof Car Trash Can Help your dad keep his car clean and tidy with this handy car trash can. Shop this waterproof car trash can here.Portable Air Compressor Pump for Car Tires Maybe your dad could use a portable pump for his car tires? Shop this portable air compressor for car tires here.Car Cleaning Set If your dad is obsessed with keeping his car clean like mine is, he is sure to love this car cleaning set. Shop this car cleaning set here.Portable Car Vacuum A portable car vacuum is another nice idea for the dad that is obsessed with a clean car. Shop this portable car vacuum here.For the Dad Who Loves to Travel Packing Cubes Packing cubes are a must-have for the dad who does a lot of traveling. Shop these packing cubes here.Luggage Locks These luggage locks are TSA approved and would make a nice gift for a dad who travels. Shop these luggage locks here.Travel Power Strip If your dad has multiple devices he needs to charge at one time he may like this travel power strip. He won't need to worry about not having enough outlets. Shop this travel power strip here.Travel Laptop Backpack This travel backpack has lots of convenient features to make traveling easier for your dad. Shop this travel backpack here.Travel Book If your dad wants to see more of North America, this travel book got great reviews. Shop this travel book here.For the Dad Who Loves His Coffee Cold Brew Coffee Maker Cold brew coffee is supposed to be less acidic than traditionally brewed coffee. This cold brew coffee maker comes in 1 quart and 2-quart sizes. Shop this cold brew coffee maker here.Electric Coffee Grinder This coffee grinder would make a great gift for the dad who wants to grind his own coffee beans. Shop this coffee grinder here.French Press Coffee Maker Another great gift for the coffee-loving dad, this French press coffee maker is sure to make your dad happy! Shop this French press coffee maker here.Gourmet Coffee Sampler Why not treat your dad to some gourmet coffee for Father's Day? This sampler box has 4 different roasts in one box. Shop this gourmet coffee sampler here.Insulated Travel Mug What coffee-loving dad wouldn't enjoy a new Thermos travel mug? This one holds 16 ounces and has a handle to make it easier to hold. Shop this travel mug here.For the Handyman Dad Magnetic pickup tool with light This tool will help your dad pick up magnetic items like nuts, bolts, and screws in tight spaces, is telescoping, and it has a light on the end. Shop this magnetic tool here.14-in-1 Multitool Every dad has to have a multitool. This 14-in-1 tool will be super handy for your dad. Shop this multitool here.Universal Socket Set This universal socket set would make a great gift for the dad that is always using his tools. Shop this socket set here.Gauge Shape Duplicator This gauge shape duplicator will help your dad copy and duplicate an object profile easily. It can be used for tiling projects, laying flooring, woodworking, and other many other uses. Shop this gauge shape duplicator here.Key-Shaped Multitool Here is another multitool with some different uses that could come in handy for the handyman dad. Shop this key-shaped multitool here.Conclusion for Frugal Father's Day Gift Ideas There are many ways to make your dad feel special on Father’s Day, even if it isn’t in your budget to buy him a gift.  Think about what your dad values most and the things he enjoys doing to come up with a Father’s Day gift he will cherish.  You can use the list of ideas I gave you today for inspiration for a budget-friendly but meaningful gift for all the dads in your life. What other inexpensive gift ideas do you have? Please let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

11 Easy Tips for Bringing Lunch To Work Every Day

Have you been spending too much money during the week on work lunches? Do you want to start bringing lunch to work to save money and eat healthier? According to health.com, buying lunch five times per week could cost you around $2400 per year. Think of all the other things that extra money could do for you. Spending less money and being able to save more money is not the only benefit of bringing lunch to work. Other benefits you could have when you pack a lunch for work every day are:Eat healthier Lose weight Feel more energetic and more productive at work Improve your feeling of well-being (less indigestion, bloating, etc.) Have more time to stay active by getting up and walking aroundIt isn’t hard to start bringing lunch to work every day. Once you have a system for getting your lunch ready and a few meals you enjoy eating, it will be super easy. I promise! The hardest part will be remembering your utensils. That’s why you could keep a set of utensils at work if you forget them. So here are the things you can do to make sure you pack a lunch for work every day so you don’t have to raid the vending machine. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Tips for Bringing Lunch To Work Every Day 1. Decide Your Why Figuring out why you want to start bringing lunch to work will help you stay motivated. I gave you some generic ideas above on the benefits of taking your lunch to work. But you should decide on what your specific reasons or internal motivators are. Why do you, as an individual, want to start being more consistent with taking your lunch to work instead of buying takeout or going out to eat? Maybe it’s because you want to save for an awesome family vacation. Maybe you are expecting a child and trying to pump money into a savings account to prepare for when you are on maternity leave. Perhaps you would like to lose some weight or eat healthier to get other medical problems under control, like diabetes or high blood pressure. I have two reasons I consistently pack a lunch for work every day. My first reason is that I am super frugal and prefer not to spend my money on prepared food if I don’t have to. I would rather save my money for awesome family vacations and experiences. My second reason is that I don't have time to order food or go out to eat at work. I get exactly 30 minutes to eat. If I want to eat, I have to take my lunch. So decide on your own personal “why” and then set a goal for yourself of the number of times a week you would like to pack a lunch for work.  Goals are a huge internal motivator, whether financial goals, life goals, or just a simple little goal for packing your lunch for work. Goals help you to get in the right mindset and help you set yourself up for success in all areas of life. Helpful Tip: Write your “why” down and keep it with you at work so you can see it every day.2. Be Prepared With Meal Prep Supplies If you are planning to pack a lunch for work every day, you will need the appropriate supplies. The supplies you need will depend on your work environment and the kind of food you will be taking for lunch. If you don’t have access to a microwave, you will need to take cold food items or buy one of these. My husband does not have access to a microwave and was getting sick of sandwiches every day. We got him a thermos, and he loves it. So if we have leftover soup from dinner, he takes it for lunch. You may also need meal prep containers, a cute lunch bag, a travel silverware set, some reusable sandwich and snack bags, and cold packs. Helpful Tip: Besides Amazon, Marshalls, TJ Maxx, and Ross are great places to look for discounted lunch supplies. 3. Plan Ahead This is a given, but you will need to decide on the foods you want to eat for lunch.  Remember to put these items on your grocery list so you don't forget to buy them. When we used to go to the grocery store for our groceries (we do Walmart Grocery Pickup now), we had a typed-up grocery list with just about everything on it we normally bought. This helped us to remember all of our regular breakfast and lunch items that we always needed. Helpful tip: Type up a master grocery list and put the food items in the order of your grocery store aisles to make it super quick to get through the store. Just circle the items you need to buy when making your list for the week. 4. Keep Lunches Simple The easier it is for you to prepare and pack up your lunch, the more likely it will be that you will continue bringing lunch to work. I don't like packing my lunch, so the quicker and easier it is, the better. I like to keep it super simple. I guess you could also say I am a boring lunch eater. I’m not crazy about sandwiches, but I will take one if need be. My favorite lunch is oatmeal and a hard-boiled egg. I also enjoy cottage cheese and fruit for lunch. I cook three servings of oatmeal (I buy the big canister of old-fashioned oats) ahead of time and add some peanut butter for extra protein, and strawberry preserves for sweetness. Divide the oatmeal into three containers and throw them in the fridge. Take the lid off at work and microwave it for 1 minute, and it’s ready to eat. It’s so easy, not to mention delicious and healthy. Helpful Tip: If you love hard-boiled eggs but hate the time it takes to boil them, try an InstantPot. We make a dozen hard-boiled eggs at a time in the InstantPot, and the shells can be peeled off so easily when cooked like that. For more ideas on super simple lunch meal ideas, check out:Quick & Easy Lunch Ideas on a Budget Manly Lunch Ideas for Your Husband to Save Money5. Prep Your Lunch for the Week All at Once This is a huge timesaver. As I said, I make three servings of oatmeal for the week. The other two days, I take cottage cheese and fruit. I even measure out my cottage cheese ahead of time into my two servings for the week. Then I grab and go. If you are planning to take food that is more involved to prepare, consider cooking everything on Sunday and dividing it into food prep containers. Helpful Tip: You could cook for two weeks at a time and freeze half of the food. Then pull it out of the freezer the following Sunday and divide it up for your lunch meals the second week.6. Only Pack What You Enjoy Eating Lunchtime is not the time to try new foods or force yourself to eat healthy foods you are not necessarily a fan of. What will you do if you don’t like what you brought or aren’t feeling it come lunchtime? Maybe you would hit up the vending machines, cave into adding your name to the takeout order your coworkers are putting together, or possibly go out and get something that sounds tasty. You will want to pack things for your lunch that you are excited to eat and food you enjoy. Lunchtime at work is a time to relax and refuel so you can get through the second half of your day and be happy and productive. Helpful Tip: If you are taking something you never had before to work for your lunch, just be sure to pack a couple of other things you know you will enjoy eating. 7. Revive Leftovers for Your Lunch Meal Do you usually have plenty of leftovers after dinner? If you want to start bringing lunch to work, start with your dinner leftovers. But try changing your leftovers to create something new for lunch to avoid boredom. For example, if you have leftover ham, try ham salad with crackers or put it in a pita. Leftover chicken? Try a chicken salad sandwich, BBQ chicken wrap, or slice it up to put on top of a salad. Leftover steak? Try turning it into a steak quesadilla using a tortilla and shredded cheese. Leftover fish? Put it in a soft taco shell with salsa, lettuce, and cheese. The idea is to keep yourself from getting bored or tired of eating the same thing for lunch as you did for dinner the night before. Helpful Tip: If you are taking leftovers, prepare them for your lunch the next day by putting them directly into your container before putting them in the fridge. Check out this post if you would like some more ideas on how to change up your leftovers.8. Keep a Backup Lunch at Work If you have a fridge or freezer available at work, consider taking something to keep there as a backup in case you forget your lunch or if, for some reason, your lunch becomes inedible (like dropping your food container on the floor because you are in a hurry). If you don’t have a fridge or freezer access, you could even keep a few things at work in your desk or a cabinet. Some ideas are instant oatmeal packets, rice or noodle bowls that you add water to, and microwave and protein meal bars. Plus, if you find yourself super hungry and without a snack, you have something available to eat. Helpful Tip: Store some other necessities at work, if possible, to make it easier to enjoy your food while on the job. For example, keep a mug and spoon at work to make your instant oatmeal. You could also keep salt, pepper, or other special seasonings or condiments you like at work. 9. Pack a Dessert or Small Treat As I said before, you want to look forward to eating what you take for lunch. Pack something you love to complete your meal when bringing lunch to work. Pudding, yogurt, a couple of cookies, a piece of chocolate, or your favorite fresh fruit are some ideas for you. Helpful Tip: Don’t forget to pack some snacks for those mid-morning or afternoon munchies. You could take a box of granola bars, protein bars, or your snack of choice to keep at work so you have them when you get hungry.10. Pack Up Most of Your Lunch the Night Before Make sure you get everything ready that you possibly can the night before. This will help prevent you from forgetting things. It will also ensure that you don’t skip out on bringing lunch to work because you were running late and didn’t have time to get everything ready. Pack a lunch for work to the point where all you have to do is grab your lunch bag and throw in your refrigerated items and cold pack (if needed). Make sure you put your utensils in your bag. Put your pretzels, chips, etc., into a bag or container and put them into your lunch bag the night before. Helpful Tip: If you typically take pretzels, chips, crackers, almonds, etc., in your lunch for work, you could portion them out into bags or containers for the entire week all at one time to make packing your lunch even quicker. 11. Develop a Morning Routine Get yourself into a routine when you enter your kitchen in the morning. Get your things ready for work in the same order every single morning. This will help your time in the kitchen flow, be more efficient, and help you to remember everything. Helpful Tip: Leave a note somewhere you will see it reminding you to take your lunch with you. Do this at least until taking your lunch becomes a habit. You could leave your note by your car keys, on the front door, by your coffee pot, etc. Final Thoughts on Bringing Lunch to Work If you want to try to change your spending and eating habits and start bringing lunch to work every day, there are many things you can do to help yourself succeed with it. Things like having the right supplies, planning ahead, doing your prep work, and establishing a morning routine can go a long way to helping you reach your lunchtime goals. Taking your lunch to work every single day does take some effort and planning. However, it will be worth it when you reach your personal goals, whether your goals are health or financial-related. Also, it is nice to treat yourself and splurge once in a while! Don't be hard on yourself if you abandon your packed lunch in favor of ordering out with your coworkers. How do you stay motivated to take your lunch to work? Do you have any helpful tips or tricks to share? I would love to hear them! Please leave me a comment to let me know.

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

Why Can’t I Save Money? 17 Reasons You May Be Struggling

We all know saving money is essential for your future. But what if stockpiling cash doesn’t come easy to you? What if you’ve tried everything you can to grow your cash cushion but haven’t been successful? You might have even asked yourself, your partner, or your close friends, “Why can’t I save money?” Unfortunately, determining the answer to that question requires a thorough assessment of your financial situation because the answer is not always obvious. To help you identify your problem, here is a list of 17 reasons you may struggle to save money.  Why Can't I Save Money? 17 Reasons You May Be Struggling If you are wondering why you can’t save money to save your life, you will need to think closely about your money situation. There may be one or more factors involved that are causing the problem. Keep reading to explore several reasons you could be overlooking. 1. You Don’t Have a Plan For Your Money Having a plan for your money involves budgeting. You will have more difficulty saving cash if you don’t have a budget. Tracking your spending for a couple of weeks will help you establish your spending plan. Of course, not all budgets need to account for every last dollar bill you earn. But you should have a general plan for your money to help you determine what you can spend and save. Then, when you stick to a budget, you can start saving money. 2. You Are Spending Too Much Money on Food Housing, transportation, and food are most households’ three highest monthly expenses. While housing and transportation (car payments, insurance, and gas costs) are relatively stable, food costs can quickly get out of hand if you aren’t careful. If you are having difficulty saving money, look at your food bill. You may have been spending more at the grocery store lately or eating out more frequently.   There are plenty of ways to save money on food costs. However, meal planning is one of the most significant ways to save money on groceries and avoid takeout. Being intentional with your meals will help decrease food waste and prevent unnecessary trips to the grocery store. In addition, eating at home promotes healthy eating and family bonding time.      3. You Aren’t Living Below Your Means If you often think, “Why can’t I save money?” chances are good you aren’t living below your means. Consistently spending more money than you bring home every month will cause you to use credit cards for your necessities, leading you into debt. Tracking your income and expenses will help you determine areas for reducing spending. Frugal living is one way many people can live below their means. Having a frugal lifestyle is when you choose how you spend your money based on your values and what is most important to you. For example, choosing to drive an older vehicle because it’s paid off instead of leasing a new car every three years to save money for a family vacation is how a frugal person considers their priorities when spending money. Frugality is about making intentional decisions to spend less and save more with your money. 4. You Have Too Much Debt Chronic overspending leads to debt. And debt is expensive, so if you have debt, whether from credit cards, car loans, personal loans, or student loans, that could be why you are having difficulty saving money. Paying down debt and getting rid of your credit card debt will help free up money so that you can stash your cash in a savings account. Try to negotiate your debts and determine a debt payoff plan to get out of debt as soon as possible. 5. You Don’t Make Enough Money Not earning enough money so you can save money from your salary every month may be why you struggle to boost your savings. Many factors can impact how far your paycheck goes. Things like being in a single-income household, living in an expensive area, and having a growing family can make it challenging to make ends meet.   If you aren’t earning enough money to make ends meet and save money, asking for a raise, getting a higher paying job, finding a second job, or starting a side hustle are ways to increase your income.   6. You Don’t Have Any Financial Goals Financial goals are so crucial for saving money. If you don’t have a plan for your money, it will be hard to be motivated to manage your money effectively. Long-term goals, for example, saving for retirement, are essential. However, short-term and intermediate-term goals are also important because these goals are stepping stones to your long-term goals. By experiencing small wins as you reach these smaller savings goals, you will stay motivated to work toward the much more challenging, long-term goals.  7. You Succumbed to Lifestyle Creep Lifestyle creep, also known as lifestyle inflation, is when your spending increases as your paycheck increases. Getting a raise or promotion at work and then upgrading your car or home is a prime example of lifestyle creep and why you wonder, “Why can’t I save money?” even after a significant raise. Instead of trading up on material things, try living the same as you did before your increase in pay and saving your extra income.   8. You Don’t Have a Cash Cushion Not having an emergency fund is another reason you may have difficulty saving money. Let’s face it. Emergencies happen—your water heater breaks. Your car leaves you sit. You may need to take extended time off of work for health issues. Any significant unplanned expense can cause you to take on debt if you don’t have an emergency fund. A mountain of debt will lead to living paycheck to paycheck, which makes it impossible to save money. Aim for at least three to six months of expenses in your emergency fund. 9. You Are Paying Too Much for Your Vehicles When you want to save money from your paycheck, you’ll need to reduce your expenses. A high monthly cost for many people is car payments. Experts recommend keeping your car expenses to less than 20% of your income. For example, if you make 15 dollars an hour, you may bring home around $1800 monthly after taxes, which means your car payment, car insurance, and gas expenses should be less than $360. Spending less money on this area of your budget will help you free up cash for saving. 10. You Enjoy Shopping-A Little Too Much Consider your spending habits if you are wondering why you can’t save money. Do you have frequent impulse buys? Is shopping your coping mechanism for stress or other negative emotions? Or is online shopping one of your favorite pastimes when you are bored? Overspending on material things is detrimental to building your savings account. Try a no-spend challenge to help reset your spending habits. Deposit the money you avoid spending into your savings account to get a jump start on your financial goals.   11. You Aren’t Automating Your Savings “Pay yourself first” is a famous phrase that means saving money for retirement or short-term financial goals before you pay your expenses. Just like you set up automatic contributions into your employer-sponsored retirement account, automate a set amount of money to be deposited into your savings account from each paycheck. Paying yourself first will ensure you save money before it hits your checking account, where you can easily spend it. 12. You Think You Don’t Have Extra Money to Save You may have a preconceived notion that you need a certain amount of money to deposit into your savings account. However, no amount is too small to save. Even small amounts add up over a year. For example, were you five dollars under budget for your groceries this week? You could put it in your savings account. Did you get your monthly cable bill reduced by twenty dollars? Deposit that money each month. If you get in the habit of banking any extra cash, you will start to see your savings account grow.   13. You Buy Everything New If you’ve never bought anything used, now’s the time to start if you want to save money. You can purchase secondhand clothes online through apps like eBay, Poshmark, and ThredUp. Or check your local Goodwill or thrift stores. Check Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist for furniture, home accessories, workout equipment, power tools, and even appliances. Let someone else absorb the bulk of new car depreciation by purchasing a used vehicle. Before heading to a store to buy something new, shop around for a used version for significant savings.       14. You Are House Poor A house is typically the most expensive purchase you will ever make. But your mortgage shouldn’t prevent you from saving money. A good rule of thumb is to keep your housing expenses under 28% of your income. So if you earn $3400 a month, your mortgage, homeowners insurance, and taxes should be less than $952.   15. You Only Will Buy Name Brands Spending money on name-brand clothes, accessories, food products, furniture, and other items will cause you to spend more cash than necessary, making it harder to save money. Instead, try shopping for knockoffs, generics, and store brands to save money. Or, as a compromise, shop at off-price retailers like Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls for name-brand items for less.  16. You Live In An Area With a High Cost of Living Certain areas in the U.S. are costly to live in or near. If you live in any of those areas, your money will not go as far. Paying more for housing or rent, food, and other necessities will make it challenging to put cash in your savings account. If you live in or near the following areas, you are most likely paying more for your basic living expenses. That may be a reason you can’t save money.New York, NY Washington, D.C. Honolulu, HI San Francisco, CA Los Angeles, CA Seattle, WA Oakland, CA Boston, MA Orange County, CA San Diego, CA Arlington, VA Alexandria, VA Bethesda, MD17. You Are Keeping Up With the Joneses “Keeping up with the Joneses” is a phrase used to describe when people buy material things that their friends or neighbors have to portray a similar social or economic status. Spending money on something beyond your budget to show you are as successful or well-off as others is a surefire way to spend the money you could have otherwise saved. Keeping up with the Joneses is a big reason many people can’t save money. Take a look at your spending habits to determine if this is the reason you can’t save money. Final Thoughts If you are tired of constantly thinking, “Why can’t I save money,” it might be time to explore your current spending habits and financial situation. Just because you have difficulty saving money now doesn’t mean you will always struggle. Use these examples to examine your financial situation and determine how to modify your spending habits to save money and live your best life.

Chris Chris 01 Jan, 2023

75 Best Cheap Date Ideas to Keep Things Interesting

Are you looking for some of the best cheap date ideas because you want to do something fun with your partner but you don’t have much money to spend? If you are trying to figure out what couples can do for fun without a lot of money, you came to the right place.   Since I am always looking for cheap date ideas near me, I figured you would be too!  I put together a list of cheap date night ideas and totally free date ideas to help you plan a fun date with your partner. Do you remember when being called a “cheap date” was a bad thing?  It was definitely something my husband used to joke with me about earlier on in our relationship.   We don’t joke about it anymore though.  Since we have become two very frugal people, we love planning fun and frugal date nights.   Planning some alone time with your partner is so important.  Whether you are looking for free date ideas at home or want to find some of the cheapest date nights possible, I have you covered!  But first I have some tips for how to turn a typical date night into a frugal date night.  Let’s get started!Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   How to save money on date nights The cost of going out on a date with your partner can really add up.  But here are some ways you can reduce the cost while still going out and having a fun date night. Budget for your date night Creating and sticking to a household budget is important for living within your means and reaching your money goals.  And as you may know, sticking to a budget can be really hard, especially when money is tight. But you don’t have to sacrifice your quality of life to stick to your budget.  It is important to have fun and enjoy life while you are working towards your financial goals.   Incorporating your date night expenses into your budget will allow you to enjoy a weekly, biweekly, or monthly date night without accidentally using the money you need to pay other bills.  Creating a budget doesn’t have to be difficult.  You can use my free budget binder printables to help you get started.  Here is a preview:You can get my free printable budget binder here.  Save on the babysitter The going rate for a babysitter varies greatly depending on where you live. In my area, we can expect to pay around $15 an hour for a babysitter on the weekend.   That can really add up!  Let’s just say the sitter comes over at 5 so you and your partner can go out to eat.  Then you decide to catch a movie at 7:30 afterward.  Figure around a 2-hour movie.  It would be around 10 until you get home.   You are looking at paying the babysitter $75 for the evening in that scenario.  Add that to what you spent on dinner and a movie and that’s a pretty steep evening out.   There are definitely ways to save on babysitter costs.  Here are a few to try: Use a free family member:  If your kids have grandparents or great-grandparents, they may love babysitting for you to spend some extra time quality time with their grandchildren. Date night kid swap:  If you know another couple with kids, take turns going out on date nights while the other couple babysits.   Share a babysitter with another couple:  According to thebump.com, it’s typical to start with the average babysitting rate for your area and then add $.50 to $1 to that for each additional child.   So say the average rate is $15 an hour for one child.  Add 3 more children at $1 more per hour and the rate per hour would be $18.   Now say 2 of those children are yours and 2 are your friends’ kids.  Instead of paying $15 an hour, when you split the cost, you end up paying the babysitter $9 an hour.   Use coupons or discount codes There isn’t any shame in using coupons for a cheap date night.  It’s a frugal thing to do!   Here are some ways to look for coupons or discount codes:Google Search Browser extensions (Rakuten, Honey) Restaurant websites Signing up for newsletters Newspapers Local magazinesUse Groupon Groupon is a marketplace that offers vouchers for discounted goods and services.  They have deals for restaurants, events, and different activities.  You buy the voucher ahead of time and then use it when you want to (within the specified time frame). We have bought Groupon deals when they offer vouchers that cost $10 for $20 worth of food at certain restaurants near us. It’s like having a 50% off coupon! Also, Groupon participates with cashback sites like Rakuten and Swagbucks.  So when using these cashback sites when shopping on Groupon, you can also get cashback on your Groupon purchase.   Check for Groupon deals near you here! Pay attention to the time of your date Many activities are cheaper when you do them earlier in the day. For example, check out early-bird specials at your local restaurants.  Or switch it up and do a lunch or breakfast date since these meals tend to be cheaper than dinner.   Or if you are going out for drinks, why not go out for a happy hour to take advantage of drink specials and then head home to cook dinner together.   Want to go to a movie?  Check out the matinees to save money on your movie tickets.   Use gift cards If you and your partner enjoy going to different restaurants or doing different activities that aren’t cheap or free, request gift cards when your family asks you what you want for holidays or your birthday.   Or you can earn your own gift cards to pay for your date nights by taking online surveys.  You could set your date night budget for the current month based on what you earned the previous month taking surveys. Two of my favorite survey sites are Swagbucks and Survey Junkie. With Swagbucks, you earn points that you can trade-in for PayPal Cash or gift cards just by taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos, and playing games.  You can earn gift cards for your favorite brands like Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Target, and more! Many Swagbucks members earn between $25 to $100 per month that they can use to save for a vacation, use for fun money, or cover expenses.   If you would like to check out or sign up for Swagbucks, you can do so here!   Survey Junkie is an online market research community.  When you participate in Survey Junkie, you get to share your opinion to help brands improve their products.   After you complete surveys, you will earn virtual points that you can trade-in for Paypal cash or e-Giftcards for places like Amazon or Target.   You can sign up for Survey Junkie here.  Best Cheap Date Ideas #1  Grab a coffee Go out for a cup of coffee (any time of day) and sit and chat. #2  Go out for ice cream Hit up your favorite ice cream store or look for a new one to check out. #3  Visit the local museum Many local museums offer free or cheap admissions. Keep your eye out for a cool new exhibit for a cheap date idea. #4  Go out for happy hour Enjoy a discounted drink while catching up with each other.  Take advantage of appetizer specials for a cheap dinner.   #5.  Go out for dessert Eat dinner at home and head out later in the evening for a tasty treat. #6  Have a picnic Pack a meal and head to the park to sit on a blanket in the grass to eat and enjoy each other’s company. #7  Go roller skating Head to the local roller skating rink to rent some skates and skate to the music. #8  Go for a hike Live in the city?  Head out of town to find a rural area to explore.   #9  Go for a bike ride No bikes?  Borrow or rent some for the day. #10  Go mini-golfing Rounds of mini-golf tend to be fairly inexpensive. Practice your putting and have a little friendly competition. #11  Head to the driving range Buy a bucket of balls and practice your golf swing with your partner.   #12  Go to a matinee Daytime movies are usually cheaper than going to the movies in the evening.  #13  Work out together Go for a run, lift weights, jump rope, or do a HIIT workout.   #14  Do yoga or pilates Find a video on YouTube or check out the FitOn app #15 Take a self-defense class together This one may cost a bit more than some of these other ideas, but it could prove to be money well spent.  #16 Watch a movie at home Veg out on the couch in your PJs and check out free movies on your streaming service or rent a movie from Redbox for cheap.  Make some popcorn and have your favorite beverages for a relaxing night in. #17 Binge watch your favorite TV series Buy your favorite ice cream and toppings and get comfy for marathon TV watching. #18 Stargaze Take a blanket outside in the backyard to lay on to look for the constellations. #19  Hang out on your patio or deck with your favorite beverages Don’t forget the music! #20  Roast marshmallows for an after-dinner treat And make smores.   #21 Have a fondue night Chocolate fondue makes a fun after-dinner activity.  Dip pretzels, marshmallows, strawberries, bananas, animal crackers, or vanilla wafers for an indulgent dessert. #22 Visit the bookstore There are still bookstores around that have little cafes and sitting areas inside them.  Grab an interesting book to look through together and drinks (or drink to share!).  #23 Head to the library Many libraries have free guest speakers.  Then look for a new book to check out to take home. #24  Cheer on the local sports teams Check the local high school or college (if you have one near you) websites for upcoming sporting events to attend. #25  Play in the snow Get all bundled up, make a snowman or snow angels, then head inside for some hot chocolate.More Cheap Date Ideas & Free Date Ideas #26  Decorate (or redecorate) your home This doesn’t have to be expensive.  Even just rearranging furniture or moving decor items to different rooms can help your home feel fresh.   #27  Paint a room Complete that paint job you have been meaning to do.  Watch for sales on paint at your local paint store.   #28  Garden together No green thumb?  Research which plants do well in your zone and head to the nursery to pick out a few.  Or start a little collection of houseplants.  Rescue dying plants off the clearance rack at the local home improvement store.   #29  Play cards Strip poker anyone?  Or be more conservative with a round of Rummy 500 or another favorite card game.   #30  Have a spa night Give each other facials, massages, or soak in the tub together. #31  Put together a jigsaw puzzle Check out eBay, yard sales, or thrift stores for cheap puzzles. #32  Take a walk around the neighborhood Make it a nice long walk to get your steps in while chatting about what’s going on in your lives. #33  Have a board game night Keep it intimate with just the two of you or invite friends over to join in the fun #34  Plan a potluck dinner with friends Everyone brings a dish to share to keep the costs down.   #35  Go kayaking Rent or borrow a kayak to head out to a nearby lake. #36  Go camping Even pitching a tent in your backyard could be memorable! #37  Check out a nature reserve Just search for “nature reserves near me” in Google to find the reserves closest to you. #38  Head to the casinos But stick to the penny slots. #39  Look through old pictures and reminisce Check out each other’s baby pictures and pictures from when you were kids.  Look at old pictures from when you were first dating.  And don’t forget about your wedding pictures.   #40  Create a picture book online together Mixbook and Shutterfly are both super easy to use.  Sign up for their email to get discount codes sent directly to you.  Or download the Rakuten browser extension to help you find the best coupon code. #41  Watch your wedding video Re-experience the emotions from your big day. #42  Learn a new hobby Choose something you both want to learn to do.  Figure it out together by reading blogs and books about your new hobby. #43  Participate in your partner’s hobby Taking time to explore your partner’s hobby is a great way to bond. #44  Go wine tasting Do you have some local wineries near you?  Get dressed up and head out to taste some of the local wine.  Many tasting rooms offer a number of samples for a small fee.  And many don’t charge for wine tasting if you end up buying a bottle to take home. #45  For craft beer lovers Head to the store to choose 6 different beers for your 6 pack.  Head home and create your own little flight of beer to taste and critique together.   #46  Make beer together Buy a beer-making kit to try your hand at brewing!   #47  Have a bonfire Head outside to hang out by the fire pit. #48  Have a budget meeting I know, it doesn’t sound fun.  But sometimes you have to make it a “date” to get this done.   #49  Daydream about your future Spend time talking about where you see yourselves in a year, 5 years, 10 years, and even 30 years.   #50  Share your life goals Talking about your goals is a really intimate thing.  If you are naturally an introvert, putting your thoughts out there can be difficult to do.  Prepare for your “date” by each of you writing down your list of goals.  Then compare to see how many are similar.  Fun Free & Cheap Date Night Ideas #51  Create a bucket list Are there lots of things you want to do and places you want to visit?  Brainstorm together to create your couple’s bucket list.  Then make plans for checking one off the list.   #52  Go antiquing, to flea markets, garage sales, or thrift stores Look for a cool new antique or vintage item to add to your home. #53  Visit the farmers market Shop for some delicious produce and homemade foods while supporting the local farmers. #54  Cook dinner at home Try out a new recipe.  Or plan a multi-course meal.   #55  Bake something tasty together Cakes, cookies, or pies.  Make an old family favorite or search for a new recipe.    #56  Play billiards Head to your local pool hall to play a few games. #57  Go bowling Many bowling alleys have special discounted nights. Or check to see if the price of a game varies depending on the time of day. #58  Go swimming Head to the community pool to relax and hang out. #59  Head out for karaoke Enjoy listening to others sing or show off your stuff.  #60  Make homemade pizza Pick up a Pillsbury pizza crust or a pizza crust mix, sauce, and your favorite toppings for a fun make your own pizza night at home.   #61  Play the sports you played as kids Get outside and play basketball, throw a football or baseball, kick around a soccer ball or any other sport you like.  Teach each other how to play your sport of choice. #62  Head to the arcade Play your favorite arcade games from the past to feel like a kid again. #63  Have a video game night at home Hook up your old (or new) game system for some friendly competition.   #64  Go fishing or hunting together But don’t forget your hunting or fishing licenses!  #65  Look for cheap or free events in your town Many towns host free outdoor concerts, races, fairs or carnivals, community days, and other festivals.  Check your local websites and Facebook pages for upcoming events.   #66  Use Groupon to find deals Look for new activities to try at a discounted price. #67  Volunteer Volunteer at your favorite non-profit or charity.  Food pantries, animal rescues, Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross, hospitals, retirement homes, and churches are all possible places to volunteer. #68  Start a blog If you and your partner are looking for a new hobby or want to make money with a side hustle, starting a blog could be a great option.  And talk about cheap! Starting your blog with Bluehost starts at $2.95 a month.  Check out Bluehost here.  #69  Play tennis Tennis is a fun game to play even when you aren’t a tennis pro.  Pick up an inexpensive racquet at Walmart (or find one used at a thrift store, garage store, etc) and head to the nearest courts. #70  Go to the beach This would be a really cheap date idea if you live within driving distance of a beach.  Pack food and drinks for the day and head out. #71  Visit a nearby city Plan a day sightseeing in a city you have been wanting to visit.  Look for free or cheap places to tour on your trip. #72  Visit a zoo Admission to large zoos can be quite pricey, but the smaller local zoos are inexpensive and would be fun to visit for a cheap date night.   #73  Go to a car show Does one of you love cars?  Watch for local car shows to plan a cheap date night.   #74  Play laser tag Look for a laser tag facility near you for an inexpensive date night or borrow your kids’ laser tag game for a cheap date idea at home.  #75  Go for a scenic drive Head out for a drive.  Depending on the season you could check out tree foliage, holiday lights, or look for wildflowers.  You could also look for old covered bridges or check out the scenery near lakes or rivers.  Take a look at this website for more ideas in your state.   Final Thoughts on Best Cheap Date Ideas There you are!  75 best cheap (or free) date night ideas.   There are plenty of date night ideas to do with your partner when you are broke or low on cash.  Don’t feel like you have to do the same old thing every date night because you can’t afford to do anything else.   Spice it up a little by picking something totally different to do.  Next time you are looking for fun things to do as a couple when you don’t have money, refer back to this list for ideas.   What are your favorite free or cheap date ideas?  Please let me know in the comments! 

Chris Chris 22 Nov, 2022

27 Frugal and Fun Things to do at Night with Family or Friends

Are you looking for some fun things to do at night with family or friends that won’t break the budget? Have your kids been whining lately about being bored and not having anything to do now that it’s summer break? Or maybe your friends have been wanting to get together but you really don’t have money in your budget to be going out to eat or out to bars.  Not to mention, you would also have to pay a babysitter to watch the kids.  Entertainment can get so expensive, whether it’s for your family or friends! But it definitely doesn’t have to.  There are lots of cheap and fun things to do at night! Many things to do at night at home are even free.  If you are looking for some fun family night activities or some fun things to do at night outside with friends, keep reading to get some frugal ideas!27 Frugal and Fun Things to do at Night with Family or Friends Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  I only recommend products and services I love.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Real quick: If you will be purchasing any groceries or other products for your get togethers with friends or family, you have got to check Ibotta for cashback offers! If you are new to Ibotta, it is a cash-back app that is free to download and super easy to use! If you don't have the app yet, and you sign up using this link, you can get up to $20 in welcome bonuses. Ibotta also has a browser extension to help you earn even more cash back when using your personal computer. You can get cashback at over 800 retailers for groceries, clothing, personal care and more. Check it out here! Okay, back to the reason you are reading this! 1. Watch Movies A movie night is a great way to spend time with your family or friends.  Stream a free movie or pick up a movie from the Redbox for a super cheap night.  Pop some popcorn for the family or if your friends are coming over, have everyone bring their favorite snacks to share. 2. Bake Cookies/Bread Baking with your family is a great way to bond.  Kids really seem to enjoy helping to measure, mix, and pour ingredients.  Baking is also a fun activity to do with your friends. Have everyone bring their favorite cookie recipe, bake the cookies, and then divide them up so everyone gets some of each kind to take home. 3. Have a board game night You could have a family game night with the kids or invite your friends over for some fun.  Take it from me, be careful if you play men against women with your friends…the competition can definitely cause some disputes among couples! Some of our favorite games are:Uno Attack Monopoly Trouble Pictionary Air Catch Phrase Cranium Clue Scattergories4. Have a video game night Video games can also be fun and frugal entertainment.  We love playing Super Mario Brothers as a family. Back in the day before we had kids, we used to go to our friend’s house to play Guitar Hero. We had so much fun on those nights! Have all your friends bring a video game over to play while hanging out and enjoying some snacks and drinks. 5. Invite friends or family over for a potluck dinner Keep it easy and frugal by having everyone bring their favorite dish to share.  You could even have a theme night and have drinks to coordinate with the food. 6. Try a new hobby You never know what your kids might develop an interest in.  Some ideas are drawing, writing, painting, coloring, knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, stamping, & putting together models. Do any of your friends have hobbies you would love to learn?  Start a monthly group or club so you and your friends can get together once a month to learn new hobbies. 7. Have a beer or wine tasting night Okay so this one isn’t kid-friendly, but it is fun! Everyone can bring their favorite drink to share. Turn it into a sleepover so everyone stays safe (and to continue hanging out the next morning with some coffee). 8. Crafts Browse Pinterest for a fun craft to try.  There are tons of kid-friendly crafts out there and lots of crafts that would be fun to do with your girlfriends.  9. Play cards Learn a new card game or play the classics. Rummy is the card game of choice in our house right now. Other kid-friendly ideas for card games are Crazy Eights, Go Fish, Pig, War, Spit, and Old Maid. Card game ideas to play with friends are Rummy, Blitz, Golf, Hearts, Blackjack, and Poker. You could also start a card club and get together once a month with friends to play cards. 10. Host a sports party Get your friends or family together to watch your favorite teams. Keep it frugal and simple by having everyone bring a snack to share.11. Have a spa night Give yourself and your daughter a mani or pedi, or try a new facial mask or scrub.  This would also be a fun night with your besties while you share a bottle of wine and catch up on life.  12. Volunteer Whether it be at a soup kitchen, women’s shelter, or animal rescue, volunteering your time to help a good cause is an awesome way to give back to your community.  It will also teach your kids some valuable lessons on giving and helping others. 13. Exercise With your family you could take a walk in the evening, find a yoga video on YouTube, have a push up or sit-up competition, or jump rope.  Some exercise ideas to do with your friends are to try a fun aerobic video (check out the FitOn app for some good ones), go for a walk or run in the evening, or do some weight training together.  14. Camp in your backyard Most kids would love to go camping in the backyard, even if you don’t actually sleep out there all night.  You could pitch a tent, roast some marshmallows, and tell spooky stories (or funny ones if you have young kids). You could also invite friends over to camp in the backyard to make a new memory.  This would be a fun way to reminisce about your childhood memories and catch up on what’s going on in everyone’s lives now.15. Jigsaw puzzles Working on jigsaw puzzles together is a fun way to spend time together as a family and get everyone away from their electronics. 16. Check the community calendar for events Many communities have free or cheap activities and events you could go to with your family or friends.  Festivals, races, community days, speakers, and conventions are all possibilities. 17. Carnivals and fairs These will only be cheap to do if you put a limit on how many rides or games your kids can do.  This would be a good way to teach them about the value of money.  If they want to go on more rides or play more games than the limit you impose, they could use their own money to pay for them.  Going to carnivals and fairs with your friends to walk around would be a fun way to hang out.  You may even run into other people you know from your childhood that you haven’t seen for a while.  18. Create a scavenger hunt If you have kids, this will be tons of fun for them. They will enjoy searching your property and home for items.  You could have little treats or prizes for them, such as a popsicle or baked good, when they complete their scavenger hunt lists. Have your friends over for an adult scavenger hunt! Have everyone contribute small bagged snacks or cans of adult beverages or sodas to hide. Create some teams and have a blast looking for the items (and then enjoying them responsibly afterwards!). 19. Star Gazing Go outside on a clear night, lay on a blanket, and look for the constellations. 20. Have a bonfire and make s’mores Hang out around the bonfire (or fire pit) and makes some s’mores with your family.  Invite your friends over to socialize and catch up on life while enjoying your s’mores.   21. Plan a block party with your neighbors This is perfect for getting to know new neighbors and bonding with the neighbors you have known for a while. It would give your kids a chance to play with different kids in the neighborhood.  22. Explore your town Go for a walk through your town with your family to look for different things to do, new restaurants to try out, and new shops to browse. Head out for a night on the town with your friends.  Look for inexpensive places to hang out or just walk around and see what the night brings. 23. Binge watch TV shows or series Look for a show your family has been wanting to watch and start watching it from season one.  Get your friends together and pick a show to binge watch while indulging in some snacks and drinks.  24. Miniature golf Take your kids or meet up with friends for a round of mini-golf.  Don’t forget to check for discounts or coupons in your local community magazines and flyers.  You could also check Groupon for discount codes. 25. Outdoor concerts Outdoor concerts are typically free or much cheaper than concerts at a venue.  Look for some family-friendly concerts to treat your kids or get your friends together to enjoy some music.  26. Outdoor game night Plan a family outdoor game night or invite your friends over for a night of games.  Some fun games to try are:Bocce Ball Badminton Wiffle Ball Slammo Corn Hole Ladder Toss Flag Football27. Host an ice cream party Plan an ice cream bar for your friends or family.  Get a big tub of ice cream and have a variety of toppings for your family to choose what they want.  If you are inviting friends over, ask everyone to bring one topping to contribute to the party to keep the cost down.  Final Thoughts Finding fun things to do at night does not have to be expensive.  There are so many fun things to do at night with your family or friends that are budget-friendly. Don’t forget to check for coupons, discounts, and cashback offers when buying items for your gatherings or when looking for things to do near you.  If you can find good offers on the products you were going to buy anyway, that is a huge frugal score! I always check Ibotta for cashback offers on everything I buy at the store. If you don't have Ibotta if you sign up using this link you can get up to $20 in welcome bonuses! You can also check Groupon for discount codes for fun things to do near you.  Also, don’t forget to check your community magazines and flyers for special discounts.  If you are looking for more ways to save money, not just on entertainment, check out 20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month and 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Spend Less Money. Did I miss anything? What are some fun things to do at night that you and your family or friends love to do? Please let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 22 Nov, 2022

Budgeting for Beginners: 6 Easy Steps to a Successful Budget

Are you trying to break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck? Have you determined that you are participating in too much frivolous spending? Are your credit card bills starting to get a bit out of hand? If so, you probably need a budget. Budgeting for beginners can seem like such a daunting task. If you need some help getting started with creating a simple budget, you can download our free budgeting workbook. This workbook includes everything you will need to create a simple budgeting system to help you get your finances under control. Just use these printable pages in a binder to help you get organized. This is what our budgeting workbook includes:Budget Binder Cover Page Goal Writing Worksheet Instructions for Creating Your Budget Budget Worksheet Budget Tracker A Large List of Budget CategoriesYou can download this Budget Workbook here! Budgeting is extremely important to understand exactly how much money is coming in and where your money is going out. Creating a budget is not difficult. It just takes time and accuracy with your numbers and calculations. The hardest part is staying motivated and sticking to your budget! Budgeting for Beginners in 6 Easy Steps If you are trying to learn how to budget, you have come to the right place. Budgeting is the first step to curbing overspending and improving how you manage your money. A budget is simply a spending plan. It's a tool you use to track your spending to help you live within your means. Work through these steps to make a realistic budget for your household. Step 1: Write Down Your Financial Goals It's important to start by thinking about your financial goals and writing them down. Why is this important, you ask? Everyone should have some goal in mind, as this will help you stick to your budget. Put your written goals somewhere you will see them and think about them often. It is helpful to look back at your written goals to remind yourself why you don’t need that new purse or that specialty coffee every morning. Looking back at what you wrote and reading your goals often can help you stay on track. Everyone’s goals will be different, and everyone has different internal motivators. Some different goals and reasons to create and stick to a budget are:Pay off credit card debt Start an emergency fund Start a vacation fund Make extra payments on your mortgage Stop living paycheck to paycheck Save for a down payment on a home Fund a home improvement Achieve financial wellness Reach financial independenceThe other thing I want to add is that it's important that you sit down with your family or significant other and discuss your goals together. Everyone needs to be on the same page for a budget to work. You can’t have one person following the budget and another spending carelessly. Communication is so important! So have a family meeting to talk about goals together so everyone understands the purpose of the budget. Step 2: List Your Income Grab some paper (or my Budgeting Workbook), a pencil, and a calculator, or get your computer ready to create an excel spreadsheet. The first thing you want to do is list all sources of income. The important thing here is to list all regular or fixed amounts of money coming into your household. You want to use your net pay, the actual amount your check is for after taxes and other deductions are taken out. For example, things like:Regular paychecks Child support Pensions/401k distributions Rent checks from tenants Disability checks Social Security checksIf you have variable income, in other words, it changes significantly from month to month; you could do one of two things. You could opt not to include it in your monthly income list if it is a very small amount. The other option would be to take the lowest amount it could possibly be and use that number. This will ensure that you are not overestimating your monthly income. If you do end up overestimating your income, you could run out of money and not be able to pay some of your bills, which defeats the purpose of having the budget in the first place. A few examples of variable income that you have to be careful not to overestimate are:Interest/Dividends from investments Per diem or PRN work Income from online sales platforms, such as eBay Seasonal work Side hustles that are not stable incomeSo go ahead and make your income list on your paper or spreadsheet. Step 3: List All of Your Monthly Fixed Expenses Now you will start listing all of your recurring monthly essential fixed expenses. These are those bills that show up like clockwork every single month. Some examples of fixed expenses are:Rent or Mortgage HOA fees Taxes Utilities Travel expenses (i.e., gas, routine car maintenance) Car payments Child Support payments Credit card payments GroceriesWrite the name of the expense and then the usual amount next to it. You may have to dig out a previous statement to determine the amount you typically pay if you don’t know it. If you don’t have a statement, sign in to your account online to look it up. This is where it can get slightly more complicated. Certain fixed expenses can vary significantly from season to season and month to month throughout the year. For example, your electric, natural gas, propane, or oil bills may vary greatly between summer and winter, depending on what fuels your furnace and hot water heater. If you have fixed expenses that change like this, you could change the amount you budget for every season for these expenses to the highest amount it could be during those months within that season. That way, you won't underestimate the cost of the fixed expense. The other way you could account for these changing expenses is to use the highest amount for each month throughout the year. If you can afford to budget for the highest amount throughout the year, you could take the extra money during those months when the bill is lower and use the money towards reaching the financial goals you wrote down in Step 1. For example, you could put that extra money toward paying down your credit card debt or depositing that money to boost your emergency fund. One other thing to think about for your expenses is those expenses that you pay yearly. For example, we do not have our property or school taxes escrowed into our mortgage, so we are responsible for paying those yearly. If you have any large yearly expenses it would be helpful to divide that expense by 12 to figure out the amount you need to put aside monthly. Then you will have the money so you can pay that large bill when the time comes during the year. You could create a sinking fund to deposit the money into that you are putting aside each month for your large yearly expenses. A sinking fund is a separate savings account that you use to hold the money you will need for future expenses. Then you know you won't accidentally spend the money you need for your fixed expenses that you pay yearly. The category on your budget would be called “sinking fund.” To figure out how much money you should allocate into your sinking fund when figuring out your budget, you take all of your yearly expenses, add them up, and divide by 12 (as long as you are figuring it out 12 months in advance). A good practice is to make a budget category for your emergency fund if you don't already have one. If you begin to look at putting away money every month into a savings account as a line item in your budget, it will become more automatic, and you will have money saved in no time. Step 4: Subtract Expenses From Your Income Here is the moment of truth. Add up your fixed monthly expenses and subtract those expenses from your monthly income. If your number ends up positive, move to Step 5. If your number is negative, you will want to go back to your expenses and see where you can cut back to get your income to cover your expenses. If you need to find ways to cut back on your monthly expenses, check out 20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month. If you are still having trouble getting your expenses to be less than your income, you may need to find a way to increase your income. Some ways to increase your income are:Ask for a raise at work Look for a higher-paying job Get overtime approved Find a part-time job Start a side hustle Sell your stuffIf you break even or have a small amount left over after your expenses are deducted, you still may want to go back and find ways to reduce your expenses to give you a little extra wiggle room. One of the biggest budget killers is food expenses. Luckily, this expense can be reduced through some planning and thought. If you want to try and cut back on your grocery bill, check out my post, 13 Easy Ways to Cut Food Expenses, for some ideas. One way we keep our food expenses down is by meal planning and eating at home. Start with a simple weekly meal plan with grocery list to save up to $300 a month. If you would like to learn more about meal planning, here are some popular posts:How to Create a Meal Planning Binder for Successful Meal Planning Quick and Easy Ways to Reuse Leftover Food Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights How to Stop Eating Out to Save Money and Eat Healthier The Easy Way to Make a Monthly Meal Plan for BeginnersStep 5: List Non-Essential Items If you have money left over after subtracting your essential expenses from your income, you can decide what other things you would like to spend your money on. Non-essential expenses, also called discretionary expenses, are the things you want but don't need to survive. Some examples of non-essential items include:Clothing, shoes, and accessories (buying more than you need) Eating out at restaurants Entertainment (going to movies, clubs, bars) Subscriptions (magazines, satellite radio, monthly boxes, etc.) Toys (video games, kids' toys) Beauty or self-care expenses (nail salons, spas, facials, etc.)You get the idea! This is the area you want to limit your spending on to quickly reach the financial goals you outlined in step one. I’m not saying cut it all out because everyone needs to enjoy life while working towards their goals, but be picky and choose the things that will make you happiest. Being intentional with your spending and thinking about and deciding what makes you happy will help you to cut back on your non-essential spending. Frugal Living is all about being intentional with your spending. It's about cutting back or eliminating your spending on things you don't care about so you can spend money on the things that truly matter to you. Want some tips on living more frugally? Here are some popular frugal living posts:Frugal Living: The Ultimate Beginner's Guide Frugal and Fun Things to do at Night with Family or Friends 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less MoneyStep 6: Frequently Monitor Your Budget and Make Adjustments as Needed It's good practice to review your goals and budget every month when you are paying your bills and balancing your checkbook. You could start an excel spreadsheet for the year to visualize the amount of money you are spending every month versus the budgeted amount to see how you are doing as the year progresses. If you don’t want to make an excel spreadsheet and prefer good old-fashioned paper and pencil, check out our free Budgeting Workbook. It includes a budgeting tracker to help you keep tabs on how well you are staying on budget. You can print them out monthly and put them in your budget binder for safekeeping and easy access. Also, the budgeting worksheet in my workbook follows the steps in this post to make it super easy for you to create your budget. I also included a large list of budget categories to help you to make sure you don’t forget anything. Final Thoughts on Budgeting for Beginners Creating a budget is essential to living below your means and reaching your financial goals. With some work and determination, you can make a budget that works for your household to achieve your goals. Ready to put these budgeting steps into action for 2026? Check out our complete 2026 budget guide with ready-to-use templates for $45K, $65K, and $75K salaries, plus the exact automation strategies that helped me save $13,000 in my first year. If you would like the free Budgeting Workbook, you can download it here. Do you follow a strict budget? How do you keep track of your budget and bills? Please let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 30 Oct, 2022

21 Frugal Ways to Save Money on Beauty Products

Is your addiction to buying beauty products getting a little out of hand? Do you find yourself frequently browsing the aisles of Ulta or Sephora, picking out a few new products to buy every time? Then you come up with multiple reasons to justify your purchases. And now you are realizing you need to find ways to save money on beauty products, so you don’t break your budget? I have totally been there! I love going into Ulta and browsing. But over the past couple of years, I have limited the number of times I go into the store, so I’m not tempted to buy stuff I don’t need. The realization that I was spending too much money in Ulta hit me a couple of years ago when I reached their platinum level with their Ultamate Rewards membership program. You have to spend $500 in a calendar year to reach the platinum level. When I saw the notification that I reached their platinum level, I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't believe I spent all that money on hair and makeup products. After that, I knew I needed to stop the frivolous spending in that store. That's when I started looking for ways I could save money on beauty products. We were living frugally in so many other ways and there I was splurging on makeup and hair products for myself. Living frugally is about being mindful and intentional with your spending habits. But sometimes, you may not realize how much you are spending until the totals are right up in your face, like what happened to me with Ulta. By the way, American women spend about $300,000 on their faces in their lifetime. Crazy right? So if you are finding that you are spending way too much on your beauty routine, keep reading because I have lots of frugal tips to share with you on how to save money on beauty products. Easy Ways to Save Money on Beauty Products and Your Personal Care Routine 1. Decide on Your Priorities I get it. Some things you just aren’t willing to compromise on when it comes to your makeup, hair care, or nails. We all have those certain products we can’t live without. So think about and decide on the high-end products that you absolutely want. For me, it’s a certain under-eye concealer (when you have hereditary dark circles and under-eye bags, you will do anything to hide them, so you don’t look like the walking dead). Once you decide what your must-haves are, decide on the products or services you can do without or find a cheaper substitution (see number 2). 2. Research Product “Dupes” One quick search on Pinterest for your favorite expensive beauty product dupe will tell you what other people are using instead to save money. Who knows, maybe you will like the cheaper option better. I have done this for several products, and I have, for the most part, been pretty satisfied with the alternatives. 3. Use Drugstore Brands Some drugstore brands make some really good beauty products. You can save money and get some great products that are sold at the drugstore, Walmart, or Target.4. Research Product Reviews Are you looking for a new moisturizer with sunscreen to take the place of your beloved super expensive one? Research, research, research. Not only can you look up dupes to find something similar to the high-end products you love, but check out those customer reviews also. I love customer reviews because they can give you tons of information about a product.  There is nothing worse than buying a new product just to find out it doesn’t work for you. This brings me to my next tip. 5. Shop at Ulta I know I said I try not to shop at Ulta, mainly to avoid temptation. However, I do like Ulta, and I think there are definitely times when you should shop there. Some times when you should try to shop at Ulta are:When you are unsure if you will like a product (They have a great return policy, even on products you have used a couple of times.) When you have a manufacturer’s coupon and the store has the item on sale, making it as cheap as or cheaper than Walmart or Target When you have a 20% off coupon for Ulta that is good on everything, even Prestige brands, and the product you can’t live without is a Prestige brand When you use Ulta brand cosmetics (since they aren’t sold anywhere else)6. Try the Product Before Buying, When Possible Find a way to try out the product before you buy it, so you know you are not spending money on something you will not use. You may be able to try the product at the store (another reason to shop at Ulta) to see if you like it. Or maybe your bestie has the product already, and you could give it a try next time you are together.7. Use Up What You Already Have If you love makeup, chances are good you have lots of makeup you hardly ever use stashed away somewhere. You know what I mean, right? Or do you frequently come home with new makeup that is literally half a shade different than something else you already have? Guilty here! I used to have a bad habit of buying new eyeshadows, using them a few times, and then throwing them in my eyeshadow graveyard under the sink. Well, last year, I was feeling like I “needed” a new eyeshadow palette. I was researching on Pinterest to find the perfect palette for me when I read about something called a Z Palette. A Z palette is a magnetic case in which you put your de-potted eyeshadows (or blushes and bronzers, depending on your obsession) to create your own palette. It helps keep all your singles handy, so you can create the looks you want without digging around in your makeup bag. Shop Z palettes here. I love it, and it's now the palette I reach for every morning. I have a little challenge going with myself to use up the eyeshadows I already have before spending any money on any more. Try to challenge yourself to use up your stockpile of makeup before buying something new to save money on beauty products. 8. Use Ibotta Ibotta is a cash-back app that is well known for helping you save money on groceries. But did you know Ibotta also has cashback deals on health and beauty products? There are cashback offers on shampoo, conditioner, hair color, gray cover-up, facial moisturizers, and eye makeup remover wipes. So if you do not have Ibotta yet, you can sign up here. It is free to download and use, and new users can receive up to $20 in welcome bonuses! 9. Use Coupons Store coupons for Ulta or Sephora are a must. If you can get your hands on any manufacturer’s coupons to use on your cosmetics, hair products, lotions, etc., you can use them with Ulta store coupons, or you could use them at Target or Walmart to get some awesome savings. If you do decide to use your manufacturer’s coupons at Ulta, just double-check the price to make sure it is definitely cheaper than what you would get it for at Walmart or Target with the coupon. I have found that Ulta’s regular prices are generally higher than Walmart and Target’s prices, so you aren’t really saving money unless the products are on sale or you are using a store coupon with your manufacturer’s coupon. 10. Use Store Rewards Cards or Loyalty Programs Many stores have some kind of rewards program or loyalty program that you can use to save money on beauty products. Some programs offer special promotions or coupons you can add to your card that are automatically applied when you purchase the item. Some of my favorite programs are Ultamate Rewards at Ulta (of course), Target Circle, and CVS’s ExtraCare card.11. Use Up Your Sample Sizes or Travel Products Do you travel and get tons of small bottles of shampoos, conditioners, shower gel, facial soap, etc.? Many people decide to keep these products the next time they travel, but then they don't travel for months or even years. Why not use up those products sitting in your closet before purchasing a new full-size product? Challenge yourself to use up every last shampoo and conditioner, no matter how small the bottle is, before you buy a new bottle. 12. Exchange Products With Your Friends Did you buy a new beauty product, use it once, find out it’s not going to work for you, and now you can’t return it? Maybe a friend is in the same boat and would want to trade products with you (if the products are still hygienic, of course). 13. Get a Low Maintenance Haircut. Find a hairstyle that works for your hair type so you can use the minimal amount of hair products needed to maintain it. This will help you save money on hair products, and it will also save you time during styling if you don't have to fight with your natural hair texture to make a haircut “work” for you. You may also want to consider a hairstyle that won’t require frequent trims every four weeks to maintain its shape.  Getting a trim every month gets so expensive. I used to have a stacked bob and hated getting trims so often to keep it looking neat. Now I find that my long, one-length hair is much easier to maintain, and I am spending less money and time at the salon. Definitely a win-win in my book! 14. Use the Services at a Beauty School or Barber School Sometimes the local beauty schools will have their students, who are getting ready to graduate, offer their services to the public for a much cheaper rate. A previous co-worker used to get her hair and nails done at a local beauty school, and she saved so much money. Before my husband started cutting our kids’ hair when COVID hit, we used to take our boys to the local barber school for their haircuts. They always did a great job, and it was much cheaper than the chain hair salon at the local shopping center.15. DIY Your Beauty Treatments This list of frugal ways to save money on beauty products and services would not be complete without talking about DIY. Whether it’s manicures, pedicures, facials, hair color, or waxing, DIYing your regular beauty treatments will save you tons of money over the course of the year. 16. Cancel Your Subscription Boxes Are you getting a beauty subscription box like Birchbox, FabFitFun, Ipsy, or Boxycharm? If so, you may have tons of products piled up that you haven’t been able to use yet. Why not cancel your subscription box so you can save money while you are trying each product and using up the products you have? Maybe you will decide that you really don't even want the subscription after you cancel it. 17. Shop at Walmart, Target, Marshalls, and TJ Maxx for Beauty Products Where I live, Walmart and Target are definitely the cheapest places to buy beauty products. However, did you know you can get discounted name-brand beauty products at Marshalls and TJ Maxx? They actually have a pretty decent selection of shampoos, conditioners, face serums, face soaps, facial lotions, and even makeup at those stores. 18. Use Reusable Products in Your Beauty Routine Using reusable products is not only going to save you money, but it will also help reduce waste.  As you know, reducing waste is better for our environment and helps to conserve our natural resources. I’m all about doing my part to help to make our planet a better place for future generations. If you want to switch to some reusable beauty products to do your part to reduce waste while saving money, check out these products. Makeup remover padsMakeup remover clothsReusable organic tissuesSilicone portable cotton swab19. Use Less Product You can easily make products last longer by using less of them, which will help you save money on beauty products. Unfortunately, many products come in packaging, making it difficult to control the amount of product that comes out, causing you to use too much. I know I am heavy-handed with my products sometimes and need to be more conscious of what I am doing. Things like shampoo and conditioner, body wash, foundation, facial moisturizer, and concealer are all very easily wasted. 20. Take Surveys to Fund Your Beauty Addiction What if you just can't stop your spending on cosmetics and skincare? A cosmetic and skincare product addiction is a real thing. But don't let it affect your household budget. Why not make a little extra side money to use just for your beauty routine? Use that extra money as your beauty budget money. Taking online surveys is an easy way to earn a few extra bucks you could put toward your beauty products. Once that money is gone, you could take more surveys to replenish the fund. My favorite online survey site is Survey Junkie. You earn points that you can redeem for Paypal cash or e-Giftcards. Check out Survey Junkie here. 21. Try a No-Spend Challenge for Makeup and Beauty Products No-spend challenges are great for resetting your spending. But sometimes, a full-on no-spend challenge is not necessary if there is only one budget category that you overspend on. I am doing a no-spend challenge on beauty products this year. I challenged myself to not buy any cosmetics, skincare products, or hair products I don't need. If I run out of a product that I use consistently (like face lotion, mascara, concealer, etc.), then it becomes a need, and I can buy it. Otherwise, I have a rule that I am not to go buy beauty products just to buy them. Final Thoughts Let’s face it, overspending on personal care and beauty products is way too easy to do. If you want to live more frugally and save money on beauty products, you must start being intentional with the products you buy. Go ahead and try some of the tips I gave you today to get the personal care category of your budget under control. This will help you be able to put more money to work for you in ways that will help you reach your financial goals. Do you know of any other ways to save money on beauty products? I would absolutely love to hear them. Please leave them in the comments! You may also enjoy reading: 20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less Money

Chris Chris 17 Aug, 2022

19 Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month

Are you trying to find a way to make an extra $500 a month?  Maybe you want to pay off debt, boost your retirement contribution, or just be able to put more money into your savings accounts every month. Whatever your reason for wanting to make some extra money, there are lots of different ways to do it. Today I want to give you some ideas for how to make extra money without the need for any extra training or special skills to get started.  My goal is to keep this list realistic and doable by anyone.   Some people say you can become a virtual assistant, a virtual bookkeeper, or create an online course to make an extra $500 a month.  But who really knows how to get started quickly with those things? I am going to keep it simple with this list.  I want to give you ideas that anyone could do because you probably wanted to make that extra money for the month like yesterday!  However, because you don’t need lots of extra training for these things, most of them will not make you rich.   All of the things on this list are not right for everyone.  The best way to use this list is to pick a few things that you think would work for you.   Then put together a plan to work them into your monthly schedule so you can make an extra $500 a month.   It will take a little creativity, thought, and time to make a money-making plan of action.  Then it takes some hard work and dedication to commit to carrying out your plan.   Really, following through with your plan is the hardest part.  But you can do it!   The key to making extra money every month, no matter how much you want or need to make, is taking action.   If you are interested in how to develop a money-making plan of action, keep reading to the end of the post, I am going to help you with that too.  If you want to learn more ways to make extra money besides the ones that don’t require lots of extra training or skills, check out my post, 50+ Ways to Make Extra Money.  19 Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month #1 Sell Your Stuff You probably have things lying around your home that you don’t use or need anymore, right?  Why not try to sell those things?   You could have a yard sale, sell it on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace, or sell your stuff through an app like eBay.   Other apps you can use to sell your stuff are:OfferUp Poshmark ThredUP Decluttr VarageSale Mercari Nextdoor LetgoAnd there are others too! Selling through an app online definitely is not difficult to do.  The hardest part is learning how to ship your sold goods to the buyer.   We usually sell our large unwanted things that would be too hard to ship on Craigslist.  Things we sold in the past are kitchen chairs, baby and toddler toys, play centers, strollers, a sofa, and a split box spring (I know, so random).   Things we have sold on eBay include smaller things that are easier to ship.  Things we have sold on eBay before are:Baby clothes in lots (meaning a bunch of pieces together) Maternity clothes Coffee mugs Plates Jeans Jackets and coat Books Sweaters ShoesYou can really sell just about anything you have, as long as it’s in decent condition.   #2 Start a Blog You can definitely make an extra $500 a month with a blog. However, making money from a blog is not something that happens overnight.  If you give it time and put in the effort, you could make more than $500 a month! So hypothetically, you could start a blog now while you are making extra money from other side hustles.  Then, later on, as you start to make money from your blog, you could ditch the other side hustles and just focus on your blog.   Also, so that you know, blogging does require a small investment to start.  I’m talking small, as in, hosting for your blog is literally a couple of bucks a month.  I started this blog with Bluehost.  I have been happy with them so far.  Through them, you can start a blog for as little as $2.95 a month. If you would like to check out Bluehost’s pricing, you can do so here.   Now, you may think, “But, I don’t know the first thing about blogging!”   I definitely hear you loud and clear.  I want to tell you I also had no clue how to start a blog or grow a blog.   So hear me out on this…if you are serious about committing to starting a blog but you don’t have a clue how to do it, you should really check out Suzi Whitford’s course called Blog by Number.  It is reasonably priced, and she does a FANTASTIC job of showing you step-by-step how to start a blog.  It's almost like she is holding your hand and walking you through it…that’s how good her course is.   She also over-delivers value because she includes so much more in her course than just setting up your blog.   I highly recommend it. If you are unsure if you want to spend the money, check out the free course she offers, The Blog Plan.  Side Tip: If you are serious about starting a blog and want a support system to help you succeed, you will want to become a member of this blogging group. They have a special trial period that costs only $1 a month, so you can see firsthand how the group will help you. #3 Take Online Surveys As I said, most of the things I list here are not going to make you a ton of money, and you will need to pick out a few for your money-making action plan to get to your goal of making an extra $500 a month.   Participating in online surveys is one that won’t make you a ton of money. However, you can make a few extra bucks here and there from the comfort of your couch.   How can you go wrong with that?   You could make enough money to fill up your gas tank, pay for a small gift for a family member, or you could put it toward your debt or deposit it in your emergency fund (every little bit helps).   Survey Junkie is an online market research community.  When you participate in Survey Junkie, you get to share your opinion to help brands improve their products.   After completing surveys, you will earn virtual points to trade in for Paypal cash or e-Giftcards for places like Amazon or Target.    Check out Survey Junkie here to learn more, or sign up! With Swagbucks, you earn points that you can trade in for PayPal Cash or gift cards just by taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos, and playing games.  You can earn gift cards for your favorite brands like Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Target, and more! Many Swagbucks members earn between $25 to $100 per month, which they can use to save for a vacation, use for fun money, or cover expenses.   If you would like to check out or sign up for Swagbucks, you can do so here.  #4 Drive for Uber or Lyft Becoming a driver for Uber or Lyft can help you make an extra $500 a month.  So if you have a good driving record, a license, and a car, this could be a money-making option. However, the amount you can make is dependent on the area you live in.  Drivers who live in or near a city or large town are more likely to make more money than someone who lives in a small town or rural area.   There are also other things to contemplate when considering driving for Uber or Lyft.  Check out this article by Forbes that goes into more detail. #5 Ask for a Raise If you know you are a valuable employee and have consistently performed well at work, why not ask for a raise?  Getting a raise at work can help you reach your extra $500 a month goal. Do some research to determine the market rate for someone doing the same job as you with similar experience.  This will help you be more prepared and give you some confidence when you ask for your raise. #6 Volunteer for Overtime I know this isn’t a “side hustle,” but it can definitely help you make an extra $500 a month.  So if you can get overtime pay at work, you could potentially make out better per hour than looking for part-time work elsewhere.   You know the old saying, “work smarter, not harder”?   Your time may be better spent at your day job making an overtime rate (time and a half or double time depending on your employer) than spending your time on a side hustle if you would be making less money per hour.   Definitely, something to think about, right?#7 Find Part-Time Work If your employer doesn’t offer overtime and you don’t have the desire to start a side hustle, maybe going out and finding a part-time job is the way to go in order to make some extra money.   But think about the pros and cons of working a second job before jumping into it.    True story…when I got my first job out of college, and I realized my student loans were going into the repayment phase, I found a part-time job at a shoe store. Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with working in a shoe store, and I worked in two other shoe stores when I was younger (one in high school and one during holiday breaks when I was in college).   I actually really enjoyed working in those shoe stores.   But here’s the thing.  I quickly learned that it was not worth it to go from my full-time job to a second job where I was making minimum wage.   At that time minimum wage was only $5.15 per hour.   I was supposed to be making a commission on top of the minimum wage, but it was right after Christmas, and no one was out buying shoes. So putting in an extra 4 hours of work on top of my 8-hour shift at my day job was not worth making an extra $20 (actually less after taxes, plus subtracting gas costs).   The moral of the story is to make sure you are using your time wisely.  Remember, work smarter, not harder! #8 Babysit You could make extra money babysitting if you have friends or family with young children.  An awesome idea would be to offer before and/or after-school babysitting to parents who work if your work schedule would allow you to.   Many parents who have to be at work early can’t be home to put their kids on the school bus or drive their kids to school in the morning.  And many parents work late and can’t be at home to get their kids off the bus in the afternoon.    Before and after school care at daycare centers is so expensive, so you could make extra money while saving the parents some money too! Plus, it would be consistent extra money, five days a week.#9 Elder-Sit As everyone is well aware, our population is aging.  By the year 2030, all Baby Boomers will be 65 years old or older.  One out of every five American citizens will be of retirement age [source]. But you don’t have to wait until 2030 to make extra money by sitting with an elderly person while their primary caregiver goes to the grocery store, runs errands, or gets out of the house for a much-needed break.   Maybe you know someone that is a caregiver for a loved one that can’t be left alone at home?  These caregivers can get majorly burned out.  I have seen it all too much in the field I work in.  And private duty caregivers are very expensive, especially when paid for through an agency.   So if you know someone who has to be with their loved one for 24 hours a day, your help could be welcomed and appreciated! Definitely a win-win for both parties.   #10 Cook or Cater If you love cooking for others, you could start a little side hustle catering or making meals for people.  People are always looking for catering services for birthday parties, anniversary parties, family reunions, and graduation parties.   You could get started by getting the word out to your friends, family, and acquaintances through social media or word of mouth.   Also, many elderly people are no longer able to cook for themselves.  That part of the population is another potential opportunity if you are looking to start a small side hustle using your cooking skills. #11 Making Baked Goods If you enjoy baking, you could make extra money selling your goods.  You could sell homemade bread, cakes, cupcakes, and pies.   And don’t forget about baking pet-friendly treats for our furry friends!  People love buying special treats for their pets too! #12 Rent Out a Room Do you have an extra bedroom in your home that isn’t used?  Consider finding a roommate to make an extra $500 a month.   Of course, you have to be selective about who you invite to move in with you.  But if you find the right person, that could be a great source of income for you.   #13 Clean Houses Houses always need to be cleaned over and over again.  How about finding a few families that need help keeping their homes clean? If you can find a few people to clean for, you could get a steady extra income every month.   Also, many elderly people need help with their cleaning and laundry.  Do you have any elderly neighbors that could use help?  This could be a great opportunity to make extra money right near you.#14 Walk Dogs or Pet Sit If you love dogs, you could make extra money while getting your exercise with some furry friends.   Or some people will pay a dog sitter to go to their homes during the day to take their dogs outside when they are working long days.    #15 Deliver Food You could make an extra $500 a month delivering food.  DoorDash, Grubhub, and Uber Eats are all food delivery services you could check out.   #16 Be a Gofer for the Elderly As I said, the population is aging, and as time goes on, more and more people will need help to stay in their homes.  If you enjoy helping people, being a gofer could help you make an extra $500 a month.   Many elderly people need help with obtaining groceries, transport to appointments, and picking up their medications.   #17 Sell Handmade Items Are you crafty?  People love buying handmade items.  Etsy is a great place to sell handmade items.  Are you trying to figure out what you could make and sell?  Check out this article for help! #18 Reselling If you love going to thrift stores and sifting through second-hand items, you could make an extra $500 a month to resell things online.  As I told you earlier, we used to sell our own stuff on eBay.  We also used to buy secondhand items and resell them on eBay for a profit. That is how we offset the cost of having two kids in daycare at the same time.  If you have kids in daycare, you know how expensive it is.  When you have two (or more) in daycare at the same time, it is like having a second mortgage payment.   We used to source items at garage sales and thrift stores on the weekends and list the items during the week after our kids went to bed.  It gave us some peace of mind knowing that we had that extra money coming in.   If you are wondering what to sell on eBay, here is an awesome list to check out. #19 Give Private Lessons If you have special skills, how about teaching those skills to others to make extra money? Think about what you love doing and what others tell you that you are good at. Here are some ideas to get you thinking about your talents:Sports lessons Swimming lessons Painting lessons Singing lessons Musical instrument lessons Drawing lessons Dance lessons Cooking lessonsThere you have it, 19 ways to make an extra $500 a month!  I also promised to help you with a money-making action plan.  So read on to learn how.How to Decide What to do to make an extra $500 a Month Break Down Your Goal by the Week If your goal is to make $500 a month, then I think you will find it easier to break that goal down into a weekly goal.  So if you want to make $500 extra per month, your weekly goal, divided by 4 weeks, is $125.   That sounds easier, right?   If you decide you want to make an extra $600 a month, you will need to make $150 extra a week. Want to make an extra $750 a month?  That is $187.50 per week.   My point is that breaking it down into a weekly goal seems much more achievable and less overwhelming.  Once you figure out your monthly and weekly goals, you can start to brainstorm how you will get to that number. Brainstorm Ways to Make Extra Money Use my list (and any other lists you can find) online to give you lots of ideas for how you could make more money fast.   I only wanted to include things on this list that you could get started on right away that do not require much extra training.  Really the only one on this list that you may need some help doing is starting a blog. And as I said, blogging isn’t difficult!  It is totally doable and something you could work on in your spare time while doing some of the other things on this list to make money. Then when you start monetizing your blog and making money from it, you could quit doing the other things (if you want to) and still make the extra money from your blog. Check out Suzi Whitford’s free course here if you want to learn more! I have a larger list of ways to make extra money you can check out here. Anyway, write down some ideas on how to bring in that extra $500 a month.  Focus on the ideas that really interest you.  For instance, if you dislike animals, walking dogs shouldn’t be on your list. Then next to each idea, write down the amount of money you think you could make every week if you would do them.  Try to be realistic here and not overestimate. Choose Your Money-Making Side Hustles Now that you have a list of possibilities, plus the potential money you could make from each one, it's time to choose which ones will work best for you.   It’s important to consider your current work schedule, your kids’ schedules, and any other obligations before making your decision.  You want to make sure your side hustles will not interfere with your prior obligations.   That’s the reason growing this blog is something I can handle right now.  I can work on it right after I pick the kids up from school while they are doing their homework and then again after they go to bed.   And as I said before, you might have to stack a couple of these side hustles to make the extra money you want to make.  Create Your Schedule and Start Hustling Once you have decided which money-making ideas you want to pursue, come up with a realistic schedule to make your side income.   So, for example, if you are planning to resell things on eBay, you will need to decide when you are going to source the items and when you will list them for sale on eBay.   The hardest part about side hustles, I think, is following through and committing to them.  Because, let’s face it, life gets in the way sometimes.   Recently, I had planned to spend a big chunk of my night writing a new blog post…but my son got hurt at camp and needed his face stitched up.  So we spent most of the night sitting in the ER.   Life…it happens! Final Thoughts It is totally doable if you want (or need) to make an extra $500 a month!  You will need to brainstorm ideas and come up with a plan to fit your money-making side hustle into your schedule.   If you can commit to spending some of your extra time on a side hustle, you can definitely make extra money.  Use that extra money for paying down debt, boosting your emergency fund, saving for a large purchase, or reaching financial freedom. As you may know, I love writing about frugal living…and here’s the thing…if you can combine living a more frugal lifestyle and making extra money, you could be well on your way to living the life you dream of. Are there other ways you make an extra $500 a month? What are your favorite side hustles?  Let me know in the comments.

Chris Chris 09 Aug, 2022

Financial Stress: 5 Effective Tips to Help You Cope

Have you been having sleepless nights, headaches, excessive worrying, angry outbursts, crying, or stomach problems lately while trying to deal with your money issues? These are a few ways your body could be trying to tell you that you need to make some changes in your financial life, like yesterday. It's no secret money issues can cause some major stress in someone’s life. If you have symptoms like the ones above and are going through a tough financial time, please keep reading to learn some ways to start changing your financial path. Here are five tips to help get yourself on the right financial course so you can reduce financial stress. Also, keep reading for a list of different stress management and relaxation techniques you could try to help manage your stress while you are getting your financial life in order.How to Deal With Financial Stress: Get on the Path to Wellness Financial wellness is your ability to effectively manage your finances from month to month without feeling stressed or worrying about how you are going to pay your bills or survive a major unexpected expense should one arise. When someone has financial wellness they are paying their bills on time, have an emergency fund for unexpected expenses, and are actively putting money away for their future. Sounds awesome right? Feeling stressed and worrying about money is a sign that you don't have financial wellness. If your financial stress is affecting your life, you should take action. Whether your stress is stemming from a recent, sudden financial hardship or a longer-term financial downslide, you should start making changes now. Experiencing stress is detrimental for your mind and your body and you should quickly take action to improve your situation. Here are some tips to help you improve your money situation and get started down the path to financial wellness. #1 Learn the Truth About Your Financial Situation Finding out the truth is not always the most pleasant thing to do, but it is necessary to know so you can figure out where you are starting from. If the cause of your stress has been more recent or sudden, you may already know what kind of debt you are dealing with. However, if your finances have been on a steady decline due to spending habits and lifestyle inflation, it is time to sit down and figure everything out. You will want to sit down and write down all of your debts. Make a list of all of your debts and include the name of the company you owe money to, the total amount you owe, and the interest rate you are paying. Total everything up so you can see the entire amount you owe to really get a handle on where you are starting from.#2 Create a Budget and Stick to It If you already have a budget, great! You will want to review it and look for ways to tighten it up in order to “find” money to start putting toward the number you just figured out. You'll want to scrutinize every line in your budget to see if it could be reduced. Let me just say, every little bit helps! Please don’t think any amount is too small and will not make a difference. It will add up. Let’s say you can swing decreasing 5 lines in your budget by $5 dollars each. That’s $25 a month you could be paying on your debt. That’s $300 dollars a year! That’s no pocket change! If you need help finding ways to save money in your budget, here are some posts that could help:70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help you Spend Less Money 20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month No–Spend Challenge Guide: Rules & Tips for Success How to Live Below Your Means: Benefits & Tips for Success 5 Tips to Help You Stop Living Paycheck to PaycheckIf you do not have a budget and need help creating one, check out my post on creating a budget. You can also download my free Budgeting Workbook to help you get started with creating a budget that works. Here is what it looks like:The important thing here is creating a realistic budget you can stick to. What you don't want to do is make your budget so tight that it's impossible to follow! The purpose of a budget is to dictate where your money will be going every month. You have to put your money to work for you. In this case, your money will be paying your recurring monthly bills and paying down your debt, which brings me to tip 3. There are many ways to make a budget. You may find that the traditional way of budgeting by using categories doesn't work for you. It's so important to find a way to budget your money that works. My friend, Lindsey, uses a non-traditional way of budgeting across time instead of by categories. The key is you have to figure out what works for you. #3 Start an Emergency Fund If you don’t have a savings account, now is a good time to open one and start putting a few dollars in every month. I would suggest putting half of that “found” money from tip number 2 into a savings account until you get a nice cushion. This cushion of money will help you sleep better at night. It will help decrease your stress level! Your emergency fund is there for unexpected expenses that you are not able to pay for out of your monthly income. This account is there for you to use so you don’t go further into debt if something unexpected and out of your control should happen.  How much should you have in your emergency fund before redirecting that money back to paying down your debt you ask? That number will be different for everyone depending on their situation, but as a general rule, many finance people say you should have a minimum of 3 to 6 months of expenses. If your family is living on one income, you may want more in your emergency fund. If your job is seasonal and there is a potential for being laid off, say in the winter months, you may want more. If you tend to worry a lot and get anxious easily, you may want more. The bottom line is you need to have enough in your emergency fund that will help you sleep better at night knowing that if something out of your control comes up (i.e a job layoff because of a pandemic, a broken furnace in the middle of winter, or a health problem requiring time off from work) you will be able to get through it without experiencing a major mental breakdown related to financial stress. So now you have a realistic budget completed and your emergency fund savings account is opened and ready for deposits. What next?#4 Decide on a Debt Repayment Method Sometimes just having a specific plan of action for debt payoff can help you feel better and less stressed. There are a couple of methods to systematically pay down your debt. The first one is called the debt snowball method. If you think of how a snowball is made, it starts off small and builds up and gets bigger as you keep rolling it. In debt repayment using this method, you would start with paying off the smallest debt you have. So you would pay the minimum on it, plus any extra you can afford to pay on it. While you are paying the extra on the smallest debt, you continue to pay the minimum on all of your other debts. After the smallest debt is paid off, you would take the amount you were paying on the smallest and put all of that money toward the next smallest debt, while you continue to pay the minimums on all the others. You keep with this pattern until finally, you are down to your last and largest debt, at which time you are paying way more than the minimum and will pay that off in no time! The second method for debt payoff is called the debt avalanche method. This is when you focus on paying off the debt with the highest interest rate first. So you would start paying the minimum, plus whatever else you can afford to pay on it.  At the same time, you are paying the minimums on all your other debts. After you pay off the debt with the highest interest rate, then you take all the money you were paying on that and you start paying on the debt with the second-highest interest rate. Keep paying those minimums on all the others. Again keep going in that pattern until everything is paid.  You can also use the debt snowflake method, which is best used along with one of the other methods. It involves taking small amounts of money that become available to you and putting that money toward paying down your debt sooner. So for example, say you get a Rakuten check in the mail. Instead of cashing it and spending it on something, you would immediately use it toward whichever debt you are focusing on paying down at that time. So which is better, the debt snowball method or the debt avalanche method? You will have to decide which method will be best for you. Which method do you think will keep you the most focused and motivated toward reaching your goals? The debt snowball method may keep you motivated and excited about paying down your debt because you will see and feel the successes sooner. As you pay the smaller debts off, you will feel like you made a dent in your progress because that is one less bill you have coming in, which in turn will help you stay motivated and driven. On the other hand, the debt avalanche method tackles the debts with the highest interest rates first, thereby saving you money in the long run because you will save some money on interest. But the debt avalanche method can take longer to see and feel the successes during your journey because debts with higher interest rates can take longer to pay off. Once you decide which method you want to use, go back to the list you made of all your debt and decide which you are going to pay down first. Then you can begin putting the extra money you found in your budget toward that. Don’t forget to start depositing into your emergency fund also! If you are having a hard time finding extra money in your budget to put toward your debt and emergency fund, head over to my post, 20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month, where I have a list of creative ways you can save on monthly expenses. You could also check out:70+ Frugal Living Tips No-Spend Challenge Guide: Rules and Tips for Success How to Live Below Your Means: Benefits & Tips for Success 12 Easy Ways to Cut Food Expenses#5 Be Kind to Yourself Getting ahead with your finances is not an easy task. There may be months when you bust your budget and you just feel like throwing in the towel and giving up the effort. Please don’t be hard on yourself or beat yourself up about it. Acknowledge what went wrong and do your best to try and correct it for next month. I’m sure you heard the saying before that paying off debt is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes lots of time, modifications, and adaptations to your budget and lifestyle. And it takes hard work and dedication to get out of debt. Unfortunately, there is no easy way to do it. There will be bumps in the road that will try to throw you off course. Do your best to stay strong-willed, focused, and keep a positive money mindset and you will overcome and reach your goals. If you are feeling stressed about your financial situation, it is important to find ways to help you cope with your stress and manage any anxiety you may be experiencing. I put together a list of things you could try to help you relax and re-center yourself in order to stay positive when working toward your financial goals. How to Deal With Financial Stress: Stress Management Here is a list of ideas you could try so you can destress and get your mind back where it needs to be to keep moving forward with your financial goals. Many of these can be used together. For example, listening to music while coloring or taking a walk with a friend who is a great listener and talking about where your stress is coming from. I tried to include a variety of techniques so there is an idea for everyone to try. The key is finding what works best for you so you know what to do when you start noticing your stress level creeping back up. Also, don’t wait until your stress level is at its highest before trying to manage it! It will be so much harder to bring your stress level back down if you let it get out of hand. It’s important to find some kind of outlet for stress relief daily.Deep breathing. This is also called belly breathing or diaphragmatic breathing and is very helpful for many people to decrease stress and anxiety. The correct way to do it is to lay on your back. Take a deep breath through your nose and let your belly expand as you inhale. Exhale through pursed lips and your belly will return to its normal position. Do it slowly! Place a hand on your belly to feel it rise and lower to help make sure you are doing it correctly. Meditation. Check out guided meditation videos on YouTube or there are also tons of apps you could try. Exercise. This is my favorite! There is nothing like a good sweaty workout when you are stressed! Yoga/stretching. There are tons and tons of YouTube videos on yoga for stress relief. Get outside and walk, bike, hike, etc. Get some fresh air and get out in nature. Listen to music. Try something calming like classical music or nature sounds. Dance. Get into the music and dance like you think no one is watching you! Play with your pets. Cuddling with your furry friends is a known stress reducer. Talk it out. Sharing your thoughts and problems with a close friend or family member can help you to come up with solutions, build motivation, and realize a solution to a problem. Write in a journal. Sometimes writing things down can help you to stop dwelling on them and helps get things off your mind so you can relax. Writing is also a great way to brainstorm ideas for getting out of a situation you don’t want to be in. Visualize and go to your “happy place”. Use mental imagery to relax and decrease anxiety and stress. Take a hot bath or shower. Let the warm water relax you and your muscles. Use aromatherapy. You can use essential oils that are known for stress relief. Be careful with this because essential oils need to be diluted with a carrier oil before they are applied to the body. They can be applied in a lotion, on your pulse points, or you can make your home smell good with an oil diffuser. Clean. This is a win-win! Relieve stress and get a clean home in the process! Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR). The simple way to explain this is you want to breathe in as you are tensing up a group of muscles. Hold the contraction for at least 5 seconds. As you breathe out, you relax that group of muscles. Relax for at least 10 seconds before moving to the next muscle group. Usually, you start from your feet and work your way up toward your head.  For more information on this, click here. Color. Coloring is not just for kids anymore! There are some great adult coloring books out there. Spending time with your children and giving them hugs. Enough said! Participate in leisure interests/hobbies. Playing cards, board games, word searches, baking, refinishing furniture, gardening, etc. Read. I love reading a book at the end of my day right before bed. It gets my mind off the crazy things that happened throughout the day so I don’t lay there thinking about them while I’m trying to fall asleep. Have a good cry. Let’s face it, everyone needs one once in a while. Talk to your doctor. If you are still struggling with high-stress levels and can’t get it under control, please talk to your doctor!Final Thoughts on Coping With Financial Stress Experiencing stress and anxiety over money does not have to be a part of your life. By developing a plan to get your money situation under control, you can feel more relaxed and at ease. The key is taking action. Things won't change unless you make them change. And we all know change is not easy…but it is possible. And if you are feeling stressed out about money, it is definitely time to start making some changes. Once you start making small changes, it will get easier. Before you know it, you will achieve a state of financial wellness and will be sleeping like a baby at night. And that financial stress you once had will be a distant memory. Do you have any other tips for coping with financial stress? What do you do to manage your stress? Please let me know in the comments.

Chris Chris 08 Jun, 2022

9 Tips to Improve Your Financial Wellness so You Sleep Better at Night

Was your New Year’s Resolution this year to improve your financial wellness? Now here we are halfway through the year and you are still living paycheck to paycheck, stressed about money, and losing sleep over it? It’s not too late to start adapting your money habits so you can improve your financial health. Improving your financial health will help you feel less stressed, and in turn, improve your sleep. Because, let’s face it, who doesn’t want or need more sleep? You probably noticed that I am using the words “health” and “wellness” interchangeably. According to Dictionary.com, health is “the general condition of the body or mind with reference to soundness and vigor.” Wellness is “the quality or state of being healthy in body and mind, especially as the result of deliberate effort.” Given these definitions, I think the terms good financial health and financial wellness are close enough to be used interchangeably. I would like to point out the second part of the definition of wellness, which is “especially as a result of deliberate effort.” Deliberate effort. Any kind of wellness cannot be achieved without being intentional. Financial wellness is no exception. Achieving good financial health takes purposeful and well-thought-out actions. In short, the definition of financial wellness is the ability to effectively manage your finances over time. You should be able to pay your bills, save money, handle potential unexpected expenses, and be on track toward meeting your long-term financial goals. A good indicator of financial wellness is when one feels a sense of financial security. The person doesn't become stressed about money or lose sleep at night over anxiety caused by money. They are at peace with their finances. Doesn’t that sound nice? If you are not at peace with your finances, please keep reading. I am going to give you some tips you can use to help you feel more secure and get you started down that path to financial wellness so you can feel at peace too! So let’s get started!Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  I only recommend products and services I love.  You can read my full disclosure here.   9 Tips to Improve Your Financial Wellness So You Sleep Better at Night 1. Educate Yourself The first thing you have to do is educate yourself on the basics of money management. Some great things to start learning about are:how to create a simple budget how to start an emergency fund how to save money on household expenses how to invest for retirement how to protect your familyYou can learn about these personal finance topics through different finance blogs like this one. It would be helpful for you to read several different blogs on these topics because you can get many different ideas on how to manage your money. Plus, not all finance blogs cover all areas of finance. You could also learn the old-fashioned way and pick out a book to read about personal finance. That’s what I did. Back in 2004 when we bought our first home, the bills started rolling in and our paychecks were disappearing way too quickly every month. I realized I needed to educate myself about personal finance as quickly as possible. So I read the book Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach. That book literally changed my life. I give credit to that book for helping us get to where we are today financially.   I highly recommend it if you and your partner are starting your lives together in debt. Educating yourself on personal finance is a crucial step toward achieving financial wellness. Whether you find a finance blog that resonates with you or you choose to read a book on investing, any knowledge you gain is going to help you improve your finances. 2. Develop Short Term and Long Term Goals After you learn a bit about the basics of managing your money, it’s time to write down your short-term and long-term goals. This is very important. Please don’t skip this step. You will want to focus on one or two long-term financial goals at a time.  If you have too many long-term goals, you will get overwhelmed.  The long-term goals tend to be fairly easy to come up with because people tend to focus on what they want their end result to be. Then you want to create a few short-term goals.  These are the goals that are going to keep you motivated on your path to financial wellness! You want to make them specific and attainable so you set yourself up for success. If you would like help creating your personalized goals, you can check out my post on How to Set Financial Goals and Avoid Failure and download my free goal writing worksheet to fill out as you read the post.3. Create a Budget If you don’t have a budget, you should create one to help you get control of your money. If you do have one, maybe try revisiting it to see if there are any expenses you could trim back. If you need help creating a budget, check out Budgeting for Beginners in 6 Easy Steps. You can also download my free budgeting workbook here. What you don’t want to do is create a budget and then never look at it again. Budgets are made to be constantly reviewed, analyzed, and modified to meet your needs. For example, say one of your short-term goals is to save an extra $50 a month so that by the end of the year you have $600 to use toward holiday gifts and meals. You would need to review your budget to find the extra $50 a month somewhere by cutting back on other things. If this is not possible, you could find a way to increase your monthly income, whether it is by putting in some overtime at work or starting a side hustle. By the way, you can easily make a few extra bucks every month by taking surveys! Two of my favorite survey companies are Swagbucks and Survey Junkie. With Swagbucks, you earn points that you can trade-in for PayPal Cash or gift cards just by taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos, and playing games.  You can earn gift cards for your favorite brands like Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Target, and more! Many Swagbucks members earn between $25 to $100 per month that they can use to save for a vacation, use for fun money, or cover expenses.   If you would like to check out or sign up for Swagbucks, you can do so here.   Survey Junkie is an online market research community.  When you participate in Survey Junkie, you get to share your opinion to help brands improve their products.   After you complete surveys, you will earn virtual points that you can trade-in for Paypal cash or e-Giftcards for places like Amazon or Target.   You can sign up for Survey Junkie here.   Related Posts:No-Spend Challenge Guide How to Live Below Your Means Valuable Tips for Becoming Financially Sound Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month 50+ Ways to Make Extra Money4. Save Money Putting money away for the future is a huge part of financial wellness. I am referring to both saving for retirement and saving money in an emergency fund. I’m sure you heard it before, the sooner you start saving for retirement the better. If you have access to a 401K or another kind of retirement savings account at work, you should start contributing to it ASAP. If you don’t, you will want to look into opening a retirement account, such as a traditional IRA or Roth IRA, elsewhere. Saving money in an emergency fund is also incredibly important when working toward financial wellness. The money you put in this savings account should strictly be earmarked for unexpected expenses that are not able to be paid out of your monthly income. This will prevent you from increasing your credit card balance unnecessarily, which leads me to the next tip for achieving financial wellness.5. Pay Down Consumer Debt Credit cards, car payments, personal loans, medical bills, and student loans are all types of consumer debt that you should focus on paying down. I did not include mortgages here, even though they are considered consumer debt because there are so many mixed opinions about paying down a mortgage if your interest rate is extremely low. Many people say it is better to invest money in your retirement account instead of paying down your mortgage. Other financial experts recommend paying off all debt, including your mortgage. That’s a whole other topic I’m not going to get into right now, but I plan to write about in the future… There are two main strategies for paying down consumer debt. The first is the debt snowball method. This is where you start with the debt that you owe the least amount on. You pay the minimum plus whatever extra money you can afford to pay on it.  At the same time, you continue to pay the minimum on all of your other debts. When you pay that one off, you take the money you were paying on that and put it towards the next smallest debt. Continue to pay the minimums on the others of course. Continue in that pattern until you are debt free. The other method is the debt avalanche method. This is when you begin paying down the debt with the highest interest rate first, while paying minimums on all the other debts. Once that is paid off, you take all that money you were paying on the first one and put it on the debt with the next highest interest rate. Keep paying those minimums on the others. You continue in that way until everything is paid off. Many people advocate that the debt snowball method is preferable, mainly due to being able to pay some of your smaller bills off more quickly.  The theory is that it will keep you motivated and focused on paying down your debt because you will see and feel your successes more quickly. The debt avalanche method may save you money in the long run because you are tackling the debt with the highest interest rate first. However, it may take you longer to pay off the individual debts because of the higher interest rates.  The method that you decide to use for paying down your debt is a matter of personal preference. You should choose whichever one you think will keep you the most motivated and focused so you can accomplish your goals. 6. Spend Carefully Being mindful about what you are spending your money on will really help you to stay within your budget. Here are a few tips for practicing mindful spending:Avoid those impulse buys! If you did not go into a store specifically to purchase the item you are getting ready to throw into your cart or take to the checkout desk, don’t buy it. If there is something you really would like to buy, sleep on it for at least a day (longer if possible) and then reevaluate if you still really want it. If you still feel you have to have the item ask yourself this:  Is buying this item going to bring me long term happiness?If the answer is yes and you are planning to purchase the item, do some research to find out if the store you are going to buy it from has the lowest price on it. Check for store coupons or discounts. I personally like to sign up for store emails just to get the discounts they offer for signing up. You can always unsubscribe from the emails afterward if you want!7. Plan for Large Expenses If you know of a large expense coming up, try to plan for it. Some possible large expenses could be:Your car not passing inspection without new tires or brakes An elective medical procedure when you haven’t met your deductible yet Your furnace is on its last legs A major household appliance needs to be replaced You need a new car You are saving for a down payment on a home A new babyA personal example of two large expenses we had to save for was the birth of our children. Not only were the medical bills crazy expensive because of my health insurance, but I wanted to stay home with them beyond my 6 weeks of short-term disability. Under FMLA I was entitled to 12 weeks off after the birth of a child and I desperately wanted to take advantage of that. So here is what we did to budget and plan for our childbirth costs to give you some ideas on what you could do to plan for your large expenses:Watched our spending very closely Went through our budget with a fine-tooth comb to cut back where we could (didn’t go out to eat, shopped around to lower our cell phone bills, meal planned to save money, shopped discount grocery stores, bought in bulk) Saved every extra penny we could, including any money we received for holidays or birthday gifts Saved our income tax returnI also started hoarding my paid time off at work by not taking any planned days off.  This allowed me to have a “paycheck” during the second half of the 12 weeks when my short term disability benefit stopped. Using paid time off the second half of my maternity leave was a huge help because I still had to keep paying for my health insurance premiums, even though I was on FMLA and not getting a real paycheck. You could also make saving for large expenses easier by making extra money. You could try picking up more hours at work if you are able, selling your stuff, or starting a side hustle. 8. Protect Your Family’s Future with Life Insurance and Estate Planning I know this is a tough topic to think about, but I can guarantee you will rest easier at night knowing that if something happened to you, your family will be taken care of. Buying life insurance and setting up a will and trust are two very important things to do when trying to achieve financial wellness. This is not something to procrastinate on. It's very easy to keep pushing something like this back because of being busy with other things. You think, “I’ll set up an appointment next week.” Then next week turns into next month. Don’t do it!9. Seek Out Help if You are Feeling Overwhelmed My last tip for achieving financial wellness is to get help if you need it. If you find that you are at your wit's end, stressed, and overwhelmed, maybe it’s time to find professional help. Talk to friends or coworkers to get recommendations for a financial advisor that can get you started down the right path to financial wellness. Final Thoughts Financial wellness is something everyone can achieve.  It is important to start being intentional with your money and stay focused on your financial goals while you are working to improve your financial health. It is also important to keep in mind that financial wellness, like any other kind of wellness, takes time to achieve. You have to be patient with yourself and realize that achieving financial wellness is not going to happen overnight. However, with hard work, dedication, and time, you can achieve financial wellness, live the life you have always wanted, and of course, sleep better at night! What other tips do you have to work toward financial wellness? I would love to hear them. Please leave a comment and let me know.

Chris Chris 08 Jun, 2022

87 Simple Dinner Ideas for Busy Weeknights

Dinnertime doesn’t have to be complicated.  As a matter of fact, it shouldn’t be.  Because who wants to spend time in the kitchen prepping, cooking, and cleaning up for two hours after a long day at work?    It’s no secret that cooking and eating at home can save you money.  In addition, the money you save from cooking your meals at home can be used to help you reach your financial goals.  Whether your goal is to pay off debt, save up for a large purchase, or to invest for your future, eating at home can help you get there more quickly. So if you are looking for some simple dinner ideas to start eating at home so you can save money and eat healthier, look no further.  Here are 87 easy dinner meals to include on your meal planning calendar.  Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   Simple Dinner Ideas for Families 1. Dirty Rice with Sausage This easy dirty rice with sausage recipe makes a quick and flavorful dish that is full of sausage, rice, and veggies cooked in Cajun spices. It’s easy on the budget, easy to customize with what you have on hand, and works well as a side dish or as a main dish your family will love. 2. Meatballs Without Breadcrumbs (Gluten-Free) These meatballs (without breadcrumbs) are delicious and can easily be made in bulk and turned into freezer meals. Perfect for weeknight meals where you don’t have a lot of time and need to cook for a family. 3. Weeknight Chili Mac-N-Cheese Chili Mac and Cheese is a very satisfying combination of your favorite hearty chili and creamy macaroni and cheese. This Chili Mac recipe is filling, delicious comfort food your family will request again and again! 4. Easy Oven Roasted Sausage and Potatoes Simple and delicious, this one-pan Sausage and Potatoes Recipe is filled with onion, sweet Italian sausage, bell peppers, and baby potatoes. Enjoy this hearty, family-friendly dinner as a quick weeknight meal, and enjoy the leftovers for meal prep the next afternoon. 5. Dairy-Free Carbonara Pasta This super easy pasta dish can be made in less than 20 minutes. It is dairy-free but full of taste, perfect for the whole family. 6. Oven-Fried French Onion Pork Chops French Onions Pork Chops combine the flavors of french onion dip, crispy potato chips, and breaded pork chops into a 30-minute dinner that everyone will love. 7. Swedish Meatball Bake This is a quick and easy weeknight version of a Swedish Meatball casserole bake recipe. So simple to throw together with pre-made meatballs, beef gravy, mushrooms, and sour cream. You won't believe how good this is! 8. One-Pot Cheesy Kielbasa, Broccoli, and Rice This newly improved One-Pot Cheesy Kielbasa, Broccoli, and Rice is a deliciously easy weeknight meal made in just one pan. It's fast and easy to make, is great for the freezer, and is packed full of flavor and broccoli, making it an incredible family-friendly meal. 9. Bacon, Mushroom, and Tomato Pasta This pasta is covered in a delicious, garlic tomato sauce. Try this easy bacon and mushroom pasta for a quick and delicious family dinner. 10. Ground Turkey Meatloaf Muffins Cheesy ground turkey meatloaf muffins are sure to be a hit. The best part is that they come pre-portioned with no need for slicing! 11. Sheet Pan Italian Sausage and Potatoes For an easy weeknight meal, try this tasty Italian sausage and potatoes. Sweet Italian sausage, baby yellow potatoes, sweet bell peppers, and red onions are cooked all together on a sheet pan for easy prep and easy clean-up. 12. Sausage and Pierogi Casserole This easy sausage and pierogi casserole is loaded with sausage, onions, and frozen pierogis. It's covered with a creamy cheese sauce and then baked to perfection. 13. One Pan Chicken and Vegetable Bake This is such an easy dinner! All done in one pan in the oven, this chicken and veggie bake with honey and rosemary gives you extra time to do whatever else needs to be done at dinner time!Photo Credit: Mess for Less (Bacon Mac-N-Cheese) Simple Dinner Ideas for Kids 14. Bacon Mac-N-Cheese Nothing says comfort food like mac-n-cheese. The bacon in this family recipe really kicks it up a notch. 15. Easy Baked Ziti This Easy Baked Ziti recipe is called super easy because it really is that simple for anyone to make. Great for a busy weeknight dinner, friendly gatherings, and just an all-around family favorite. 16. Kids Broccoli Pasta Here is a simple yet rich meal that can be enjoyed by any family. With just 15 mins, you can make this creamy broccoli pasta for lunch or dinner. 17. Copycat Chick-fil-a Mac and Cheese Want to take the taste of a fast-food restaurant home? Prepare this quick and easy chick-fil-a copycat mac and cheese recipe. So tasty! 18. Gluten-Free Tater Tot Casserole This tater tot casserole is a one-dish meal of classic comfort food that will become an instant family favorite and satisfy even your picky eaters. This great recipe is the epitome of a family-friendly weeknight meal that the whole family will cheer for! 19. Cheez-It Crusted Chicken Tenders Cheez-It Crusted Chicken Tenders are full of easy, cheesy goodness! This recipe has few ingredients, is easy to make, and has minimal clean-up! Say hello to your new family favorite! 20. Tuna Mac and Cheese (One-Pot) This one-pot tuna mac and cheese recipe is a great family-favorite weeknight recipe. You will need just a handful of ingredients and about 15 minutes of your time. 21. Rotisserie Chicken Tacos These quick and easy Rotisserie Chicken Tacos are on the table in under 30 minutes! Add your favorite taco toppings for a delicious, family-friendly meal. 22. Rotel Chicken Spaghetti Rotel chicken spaghetti is an easy family meal. This creamy baked pasta dish features shredded chicken, Rotel, Velveeta, and cheddar cheese. 23. Easy Creamy Chicken Pasta Bake Perfect for busy weeknights, this creamy chicken pasta bake is the perfect family-friendly, filling meal that uses leftover chicken and a 2 ingredient cheese sauce.Photo Credit: Simple Living Recipes (One-Pot Taco Pasta) Simple Dinner Ideas With Ground Beef 24. Simple Salisbury Steak Salisbury Steak is a perfect weeknight recipe to serve the family. Plate up with mashed potatoes or tasty veggies for the best comfort food! 25. One-Pot Taco Pasta This delicious One Pot Taco Pasta is an explosion of flavors! And it's so easy that the pasta cooks in its own sauce. 26. Ground Beef Stroganoff This is such an easy weeknight dinner recipe. Ground Beef Stroganoff cooks in just 30 minutes and who doesn’t love a comforting, creamy pasta dish? 27. Homemade Hamburger Helper This is the best Homemade Hamburger Helper recipe. Easy, healthy, and delicious – this is a quick meal your family will love! 28. Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls This Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls recipe is loaded with nutrition and has all the flavor of Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, but comes together in just 30 minutes and has much fewer carbs! 29. Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole This Sloppy Joe Tater Tot Casserole recipe is sweet and tangy homemade sloppy joes mixed with corn and topped with melty cheddar cheese and crisp golden brown tater tots. This is an all-in-one, kid-friendly meal that makes it easy to feed the whole family. 30. Simple Ground Beef Casserole This ground beef casserole recipe is super easy to throw together and feeds a crowd! It's comforting and uses simple ingredients. 31. Creamy Beef and Shells Tender shell pasta in a meaty, deliciously seasoned tomato cream sauce. Creamy Beef and Shells is an incredibly comforting skillet pasta recipe that is ready in 30 minutes, start to finish! 32. Easy Homemade Taco Meat On busy nights, tacos are a go-to quick-to-make meal! Make this veggie-filled taco meat with homemade seasoning for authentic flavor! 33. Taco Stuffed Peppers Taco Stuffed Peppers take Taco Tuesday to a whole new level of deliciousness! Filled with seasoned ground beef, onions, cheese, and more, they’re packed full of flavor and taste so good, that your family will want them for dinner every night! Simple Vegetarian Dinner Ideas 34. Garlic Chili Oil Noodles with Cilantro Easy, simple, and delicious, these Garlic Chili Oil Noodles come together in just 15 minutes! They're finished with a generous amount of chopped cilantro for a fresh and tasty meal! 35. Simple Hibachi Fried Rice Quick, perfectly seasoned, and tastes delicious! It only takes a handful of common pantry ingredients and 10 minutes from start to finish. 36. Easy Vegan Ramen Of all the foods out there, ramen is one of my favorite. What I love more is a healthy, quick ramen recipe that is 100 percent vegan! With vegetable broth and coconut milk, you can easily create one of the most delicious ramen in just 20 minutes! 37. Vegan Hamburger Helper This vegan hamburger helper recipe is so easy to make in 25 mins. The whole family will love this meatless hamburger helper that’s dairy-free and protein-packed! 38. One-Pot Vegan Chili Mac This easy vegan chili mac is the perfect thing to whip up when you want something hearty yet quick. If you love Vegan Chili then you are sure to love this vegan chili mac and cheese. 39. Vegan Sloppy Joes Vegan Sloppy Joes stem from an American favorite and it turns out they are very easy to make from scratch. A great sandwich will be ready to eat in about 25 minutes. 40. Vegan Burrito Bowl So quick and easy it takes less than 20 minutes! Flavorful and customizable. Make this your go-to weeknight meal in a pinch! 41. Vegan Hash with Sprouted Lentils This vegan hash is made with a range of vegetables, sprouted lentils, and activated walnuts. It’s a quick and easy nutrient-dense dish, made in just 25 minutes. 42. Creamy Red Lentil Curry This One-pot Creamy Red Lentil Curry is a simple, healthy, and delicious weeknight meal that the whole family will love! It's packed with protein, and nutrients, and can be made in under 20 minutes. Plus, it only requires one pot, which makes cleanup a breeze. 43. Instant Pot Minestrone Soup A perfect soup that is a complete meal in itself – beans, loads of veggies, and pasta, topped with cheese, and a side of bread. This tastes just like the Olive Garden minestrone soup. Vegetarian-friendly and can easily be made gluten-free and vegan. 44. Easy Vegetable Low Mein Skip the takeout. This Easy Vegetable Lo Mein recipe is faster and healthier!Photo Credit: Stylish Cravings (Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole) Simple Dinner Ideas with Chicken 45. Pesto Chicken Tray Bake This pesto chicken tray bake is the flavourful one-pan meal you need for a busy weeknight dinner! Chicken breasts are nestled alongside fresh vegetables and baked in the oven for a healthy family meal. 46. Healthy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Casserole Want a hearty and filling dinner that’s perfect for the whole family? Well, then you’ll absolutely love this easy, cheesy chicken broccoli pasta casserole. 47. Keto Chicken Curry This amazingly flavorful keto chicken curry tastes just as good as what you’d serve at an Indian Restaurant. It’s the best chicken curry recipe that’s quick to make, even on those busy days. 48. Chicken Burrito Skillet Dinner This chicken burrito skillet dinner comes together in one pan to make a quick, easy, and healthy dinner the whole family will love! This simple recipe has everything you love in a burrito but is made in a skillet! 49. Mongolian Chicken Stir Fry There are few things as easy as a stir-fry dinner. When you factor in how fast you can make it along with the number of variations available, it can easily be a go-to dish once or more a week. Try this copy-cat Mongolian Grill Sauce that is super delicious. 50. Easy Instant Pot Chicken Fajitas Dinner has never been easier! This Instant Pot Chicken Fajita recipe comes together in just 20 minutes, with tender, and lightly spicy chicken breasts, bell peppers, and onions. It’s a simple and delicious meal that’ll wow your family! 51. Chicken Cacciatore A simple, one-pan meal that the family will love, chicken cacciatore is delicious! No-fuss and easy enough for weeknight meals. 52. Instant Pot Pesto Chicken Pasta This 5 ingredient dump and cook pasta dish is a great go-to when you need to put dinner on the table fast, and can be made on the stovetop if you don’t have an instant pot. The pesto and chicken broth pack a ton of flavor. No bland pasta here!  53. Instant Pot Chicken Pasta with Broccoli This savory Instant Pot Chicken Pasta has broccoli, cheese, bacon, pasta noodles, and TONS of flavor! It’s easy to whip up in your pressure cooker and is sure to give you the comfort food you’ve been craving. 54. Air Fryer Roasted Whole Chicken Make a whole chicken in under an hour with four ingredients using this recipe. Use the different chicken parts for multiple meals. 55. Pan-Fried Parmesan Crusted Chicken When it comes to chicken, there just isn't anything more delicious than a juicy piece of pan-fried chicken breast. This chicken is super tender on the inside and incredibly crusty on the outside. 56. Chicken Taco Casserole This Chicken Taco Casserole is a quick, easy and absolutely delicious weeknight dinner the whole family will love! With no canned soup in sight, this recipe uses rotisserie chicken and doesn't require any stovetop cooking before it goes in the oven. A truly simple, flavorful, and healthy meal! 57. Crispy Sesame Chicken This easy Sesame Chicken Recipe combines pieces of battered crispy fried chicken with an easy eight ingredient sauce that has both sweet and salty flavors with just a hint of spice. It is so simple to prepare and tastes so much better than takeout. Enjoy it garnished with thin sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds. 58. Creamy Spinach Chicken Crispy seasoned chicken coated in creamy garlic spinach sauce. An easy one-pan chicken dish ready in under 30 minutes!Phot Credit: A Peachy Plate (Ground Turkey Teriyaki Rice Bowl) Quick Simple Dinner Ideas 59. Tortellini Alla Panna Tortellini Alla Panna is a tasty pasta dish with a luscious, creamy Parmesan sauce that will have your guests asking for seconds! You won’t believe how easily you can make such a classic Italian dish in 20 minutes with just 6 ingredients. 60. Air Fryer Ribeye Steak This air fryer steak is quick, easy, and perfect for families. It takes only 20 minutes and it’s always a family favorite. 61. Friday Night Capellini with Buttery Tomatoes Capellini pasta in a 10-minute homemade tomato sauce using simple ingredients from your pantry. Talk about a delicious and quick family meal! 62. Honey Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry This quick and easy recipe for shrimp stir fry features a delicious sweet and savory honey garlic sauce with crisp vegetables. Best of all it's ready in under 20 minutes! 63. Yaki Udon | Stir-Fried Udon Noodles Yaki udon is an easy stir-fried udon noodle recipe ready in 20 minutes! Add any protein and veggies to this quick and easy meal! 64. Simple Mac and Cheese Without Flour Looking for a simple mac and cheese recipe? This is a quick, no-frills fix for the times when you don’t want to spend an eon in the kitchen getting dinner ready. A few common ingredients, easy stovetop instructions, and one-pot…that’s all you need to put together a satisfying meal for hungry times! 65. Ravioli with Sauteed Asparagus and Walnuts Freshly cut asparagus stalks are sauteed in a fragrant lemon and butter, tossed with ravioli, and topped with parmesan cheese, and walnuts for a satisfying crunch. 66. Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto Pasta This quick creamy pasta recipe uses sun-dried tomato pesto and bursts with rich garlic, basil, and cheese! It is also conveniently customizable with any veggies to create your own favorite version. 67. Asian Steak Bites and Potatoes This Asian Steak Bites and Potatoes is perfect for busy weeknight dinners. You can put it together in under 30 minutes and everything is cooked in one pan. 68. Turkey and Black Bean Tacos These turkey and black bean tacos are a delicious and lightened-up version of your favorite classic taco recipe. Ready in 20 minutes, this recipe is perfect for busy weeknights! 69. Tuna Pesto Pasta The best easy tuna pesto pasta dish! It's a simple weeknight meal made with spaghetti, pesto, garlic, tuna, and Parmesan made silky with starchy pasta water. It's so easy, yet uber delicious. No one will know it's made with only 5 ingredients! 70. Simple Hibachi Fried Rice Quick, perfectly seasoned, and tastes delicious! It only takes a handful of common pantry ingredients and 10 minutes from start to finish. 71. Instant Pot Brats with Sauerkraut Cooked in your choice of beer with sauerkraut, onion, and bell pepper, Instant Pot brats are the way to go when you are unable to grill. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, they are simple to prepare in just 20-minutes. 72. Ground Turkey Teriyaki Rice Bowl A delicious rice bowl made with ground turkey, a savory teriyaki sauce, and loads of crunchy carrots and broccoli. Quick and easy stirfry for the family. Light Simple Dinner Ideas 73. Turkey Pesto Sandwich This turkey sandwich is loaded with pesto, melty fontina cheese, piled high with delicious slices of turkey and tomato, and then grilled or toasted until it is a perfect golden brown. It has got tons of flavor and is a great lunch or dinner choice! 74. Four Bean Salad This quick and easy four bean salad is simple and delicious. With a tangy vinaigrette, it's perfect for a quick and easy meal or makes a great side. 75. Rotisserie Chicken Hawaiian Sliders I promise these Rotisserie Chicken Hawaiian Sliders will be the first dish to go amongst your family's spread. Hawaiian rolls meet rotisserie chicken and melted Havarti with mayo. This is a sandwich you don’t want to miss out on. 76. Easy Zucchini Corn Chowder This veggie-packed soup is the perfect addition to your weekly rotation during those cold fall and winter nights. With in-season produce, this easy zucchini corn chowder is rather inexpensive and fabulous! 77. Quick Flatbread Pizza Margherita This delicious Margherita flatbread pizza recipe is going to be your new favorite flatbread pizza. It’s delicious and easy to assemble which makes this naan pizza a perfect light summer lunch or dinner meal for when you don’t feel like cooking. 78. Open-Faced Tuna Melts These quick and easy open-faced tuna melts are made with cream cheese, no mayo, a little kick from the jalapenos and are the perfect last-minute dinner or lunch. You can make them ahead and reheat, so they're also perfect for the lunch bag! They are also Weight Watchers friendly. 79. Grilled Chicken Sliders These grilled chicken sliders are a perfect addition to your Super Bowl menu or for that mid-summer BBQ. Not only are they great for that NFL game but these are kid-friendly and will also be wife approved.Photo Credit: Garlic, Salt, & Lime (Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos with Slaw) Healthy, Simple Dinner Ideas 80. Grilled Salmon Grilled salmon needs only 30 minutes from start to table. Even better, the spice rub can be batch prepped and used for other meat and fish dishes. 81. Chicken Cabbage Stir Fry This 15-minute chicken cabbage stir fry recipe makes a quick & easy dinner everyone will love. Naturally low carb, paleo, & whole 30 – but so delicious! 82. Blackened Mahi Mahi Tacos with Slaw Delicious, flaky mahi-mahi seared in blackening seasonings and butter and added to corn tortillas along with a tangy, homemade slaw. Top with sour cream, Baja sauce, avocado, cilantro, lime, jalapeno slices, and anything else your heart desires. 83. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas There is nothing easier than a quick sheet pan chicken dinner. Easy to make, flavorful, and a favorite among the families. 84. Healthy Burger Bowls These healthy burger bowls combine all the flavors of a classic burger in a low-carb, easy-to-prepare bowl. They are gluten-free, easily dairy-free, and customizable for everyone to enjoy! 85. Easy Goulash with Turkey and Egg Noodles This healthy ground Turkey Goulash is a quick and flavorful meal made with simple ingredients right from your pantry. Ready and on the table in just about an hour. 86. Steak and Asparagus Stir Fry Twenty minutes is all you need to make this healthy and delicious stir fry. It's packed with vegetables and it's a great way to extend a steak. 87. Salmon with Vegetables Citrusy and flavorful baked salmon with vegetables. This recipe is easy, quick, and healthy. It makes the perfect weeknight dinner! Final Thoughts on Simple Dinner Ideas Busy weeknights require quick and easy meals for your family.  When meal planning for the week, you can choose from this list of simple dinner ideas to help you conquer mealtime, even when you are tired after work.

Chris Chris 21 May, 2022

Pros and Cons of Walmart Grocery Pickup: An Honest Review

Have you been wanting to try Walmart grocery pick up?  If you haven’t yet tried it and have been thinking about it lately, I’m here to say you should definitely give it a try. Walmart Grocery Pickup can save you time and money (more on that below). If you are looking for other ways to save money on your food bill, check out how to save money here. There are many other grocery stores that now have the grocery pick-up option, however, I’m strictly writing about Walmart today, since that is what we use (and love!). There are both pros and cons of Walmart Grocery Pickup. I’m going to add that it may not be a great fit for everyone. For instance, there are those people that actually enjoy going to the grocery store. Also, there are people that are not able to physically get to the store to pick up their groceries. A grocery delivery service would be better for those people. But if you despise going for groceries or there isn’t enough time in the day for you to get all of your daily life obligations done, plus, go to the grocery store, then grocery pickup may be for you. Plus, Walmart has made the process for using their pickup service really easy. You can place your order online or download the app to place your order using your smartphone. Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   How to Use the Walmart Grocery Pickup App We have always used the app.  It's a really simple process.  Go to Walmart.com to find out if the Walmart near you has Grocery Pickup. Once you create your account, whether online or on the app, you can create your grocery list.  You will choose your location, pick-up date, and time.  If you use this link to get started, you can get $10 off your first order of $50 or more! Make sure you choose the correct Walmart location, especially if there are multiple Walmart stores in your area. Walmart will send you an email (and a notification if you are logged into the app) when your order is ready for pick up. They will also notify you at that time if there were any substitutions they had to make. You will either okay the substitutions or decline them. Then you tell Walmart when you are heading to the store to pick up your groceries by clicking on the “check-in” button in the app.  Once you are there, park in the designated spots and enter your parking spot number and car color in the app. That’s it. A Walmart employee will bring your order right out to the car and put it in your trunk for you.  You don’t even have to get out.  Side note: It's a good idea to request the bread and eggs up front to make sure they are safe for the ride home.  Walmart grocery pick up definitely has pros and cons, just like every other service in this world does. However, in my opinion, the pros greatly outweigh the cons. Therefore, I feel it is an awesome service for my family to use and could be awesome for your family too! Today I wanted to tell you about the pros and cons so you can decide for yourself if you want to give it a try.Pros and Cons of Walmart Grocery Pickup Cons of Walmart Grocery Pickup You can’t use coupons. This could be a deal-breaker for a lot of people. We used to use coupons for food. However, right before we switched to Walmart grocery pick up, we were only grocery shopping at Aldi. I gave up on couponing long ago when we started shopping at Aldi. We found that by shopping at Aldi, we were saving enough money when compared to grocery shopping at a regular store with coupons. After having kids, I just didn’t have the time or energy to clip coupons and match them to the sales. Shopping at Aldi was a no-brainer for us. I have determined that Walmart’s store brand of food is comparable to Aldi's prices, so I don’t worry too much about not using coupons. You can’t pick your own produce. This can be a problem. Sometimes you get produce that is riper than you would have picked for yourself or not ripe enough for your needs. For example, we ordered an avocado to make guacamole. We wanted to make guacamole the next day after picking up our groceries. The avocado that was picked by the Walmart employee was rock hard and unusable for several days. You have to spend at least $30. Walmart grocery pick-up is free, but you have to spend at least $30. So you can’t use it if you only need a couple of grocery items. And of course, since you are picking up your groceries, you avoid a delivery fee. You may not like the substitutions. If they run out of a product that was on your grocery list they will substitute your item for something else. Usually, it’s an upgrade to either a name brand or a larger size of the product they were out of, which is awesome! They do not charge you for the upgrade when substitutions are made. But on occasion, the person doing your shopping might pick out a different flavor of your product or a slightly different variation. If you are not picky about things like that, it’s not a big deal. If you decide you do not want it, you can tell the Walmart shopper and they will remove it from your bag and subtract it from your total (or you can decline it through the app), but then you are stuck going somewhere else for the item.   Items can be unavailable at times. Once in a while, you might buy an item only to find out they didn’t have a suitable substitution available. When this happens, the item shows up on your receipt as unavailable and they credit that money back to you. Then you have to find your item elsewhere, which can be a bit annoying if you don’t have time to make extra stops. Walmart Grocery Pickup is only available at certain stores. Usually, grocery pickup is only offered at their supercenter locations. The closest Walmart to us is not a supercenter so we drive to another one, about 20 minutes away, to pick up our groceries. The shopper can forget to give you all of your bags or forget an item on your list. This has only happened one time to us. But since it was relatively recently, I’m putting it on the con list. My husband got home with the groceries and unloaded them, only to find out most of our frozen foods were not there. He had to call the store and drive all the way back to the store to get them. He was not a happy camper. It can be difficult to see what you are actually getting. It can be hard to tell from the pictures on the app or on your computer how large some of the bottles and jars are. You have to be aware of the size of the product you need and make sure you are getting the correct one. Now on to the things I absolutely love about Walmart grocery pick up.Pros of Walmart Grocery Pickup It’s a time saver. Grocery shopping from your couch! Need I say more? It can save you money on food. Impulse buys are not as common. It is really easy to just add stuff you don’t need to your cart on the app, however, I find that I’m not as inclined to do that if I’m following my list. Plus, if I’m hungry while grocery shopping from my couch, I just go to my kitchen and grab a snack (as opposed to putting everything that even remotely looks appetizing in my cart while I’m in the store because I’m starving). You can now use Ibotta. This is a newer feature. You can now link your Ibotta account to your Walmart grocery account and take advantage of some of the cash-back opportunities. I was disappointed when we first started using Walmart Grocery Pickup that we couldn’t use Ibotta because we saved quite a bit of money with that. Not anymore! If you don't have Ibotta yet, you really should try it! It is completely free to download and use. Besides Walmart, you can use Ibotta at Target, Kroger, Whole Foods, Costco, and more! If you have not signed up for Ibotta yet, use this link to get up to $20 in Welcome Bonuses! The app is easy to use. As I get older, I feel less and less tech-savvy. However, the app is so simple, even I can handle it. Grocery pick up is free. As I said earlier, you have to spend over $30 to use the service, however, there are no fees for grocery pick up and you do not tip the shoppers that bring out your groceries. They have good customer service. There are times when I’ve had to call customer service if my products are not up to par and they are very helpful. I’ve called for things like:the seal on the jar of my marinara sauce was already popped up when I got home the shopper threw heavy stuff on my bread and smashed it when loading it in the car (I ask for my bread and eggs in the front to prevent that, but my husband does not) moldy baby carrots missing an itemThey will promptly refund your money. Keep in mind these types of things rarely happen. You can shop for all your toiletries too. I love that you can get your personal care products while picking up your groceries. Walmart generally has the cheapest prices in town for those things anyway, so it is really convenient. When I used to shop at Aldi, or way back when I shopped at the regular grocery store, I always had to make a separate trip to Walmart or Target for toiletries because those stores are cheaper than buying them at the grocery store (and Aldi doesn’t have that stuff). So now that we do grocery pick up, it’s one-stop and done (most of the time) for us. You can work on the list throughout the week. In order to schedule a time for your pick-up, you have to complete an order for at least $30. However, if you start your order on a Monday and plan to pick up your order on a Saturday, you can work on your list throughout the week when you have the time and as you are completing your meal plan. You can add or delete items from your list as needed. Just be sure to complete your order when you are done working on it for the night because there is a chance your items can go out of stock until the next day. Things can be added to your order up to around midnight or so of the night before you are scheduled to pick up your order.It can be easier to stay within your food budget. Using Walmart Grocery Pickup allows you to see your total grocery bill right there in front of you. You don’t have to use a calculator like you would if you were putting items in your cart as you go through the store. You can easily remove or add things in order to stay under your food budget for the week. Is your total grocery bill higher than what you had budgeted for? All you have to do is remove items to bring your total down or change some items out for less expensive items to get your total within your budget. Shopping in a store is much harder to keep track of your total as you are throwing things into your cart. In my opinion, this makes Walmart Grocery Pickup a huge asset for budgeting. Usually, they give you great substitutions. If your item goes out of stock after you’ve already completed your order, they will substitute it with either a larger size of the product, multiple smaller sizes to equal the size you wanted, or if you ordered a generic or Walmart brand and they have a comparable name brand, you could get that. If the price of the product they substituted is higher than what you paid for the original product, you get it for the lower price. If the substitution is cheaper than the product you ordered, they will charge you a cheaper price. The app saves your favorites/items you already purchased. This feature has saved me from forgetting to add items I needed to the list. I usually scroll through my favorites and see if I’m low on any of the items. They have many time slots available for pick up. This was not the case during the beginning of COVID, but it has returned to normal. It’s very easy to find a time that works with your schedule. Sometimes they will give you a goody bag. This seems to depend on your Walmart, but we have gotten goody bags in which they put free samples of products, as well as information about some new products. It is very easy to decline a substitution. We used to have to tell the Walmart shopper that brings the groceries out if we didn't want a certain substitution they made. However, now they send you a notification on your phone with the substitutions and you can accept or decline them through your phone before you drive to the store. You stay in your car. I love not having to set foot in the grocery store and being able to come home with a trunk full of groceries! It is great when you have young kids that you would have had to take into the grocery store with you. Just getting them in and out of the car can be a chore. You can also avoid the pestering for the new sugary cereal or the freshly baked cookies they spotted in the aisles. Final Thoughts There are definitely pros and cons of Walmart Grocery Pickup, however, in my opinion, the pros significantly outweigh the cons. I have found that by using Walmart Grocery Pickup I save my family money and time. We save money because impulse buys are few and far between. Plus Walmart has the lowest prices on products in our area and it is a one-stop shop (no need to waste gas driving to different stores). To me, time savers are just as important as money savers. The less time I have to spend inside a grocery store, the more time I have to do the most important things in my life, such as spending time with my family or participating in my favorite activities. If you haven't shopped using Walmart Grocery Pickup, it is definitely worth trying. Then you can see (and reap) all the benefits for yourself. Do you use Walmart grocery pick up? If you do, what is your absolute favorite thing about it? Please leave me a comment and let me know!

Chris Chris 20 May, 2022

24+ Easy and Dirt Cheap Meals for a Tight Food Budget

Are you looking for dirt cheap meals to feed your family because you don't have much extra money to spend on food?   Maybe you are trying to get your family through a tough financial time and you need to find ways to save money on your food expenses. Or perhaps you realized you are spending way too much money on food every month and you want to try to cut back your spending a bit.   Whatever your reason for wanting to scale down your food budget and start making frugal meals, I got you! When times are tough, the grocery budget is one part of the budget that can easily be tightened up.   You obviously need good, nutritious food to survive.  But you don’t have to pay a lot of money for overpriced food and ingredients.   There are so many delicious (and nutritious) foods you can buy very inexpensively to keep that food budget under control.   The key is knowing how to save money on ingredients and how to use these inexpensive ingredients to prepare your family’s favorite meals for super cheap! So today I am going to tell you about some ways you can save money on ingredients (and groceries in general) to help keep your food expenses within your tight budget.  I’m also going to give you lots of ideas for dirt cheap meals! Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   How to Save Money on Groceries to Make Dirt Cheap Meals Meal planning Meal planning is a must when it comes to staying within a small food budget.  And it isn't hard to do.  The hardest thing about meal planning is starting it and making it a habit.   It is so easy just to get into a routine of ordering takeout or circling the drive-through on busy nights.  Eating out is a huge budget buster. It is also easy just to swing by the grocery store every day after work to pick up what you feel like eating for dinner that night.  This again is not good for the food budget for a couple of reasons. First, there is a good possibility that there will be some impulse purchases because, let’s face it, who isn’t hungry after a long day at work? Also, it will be harder to take advantage of store sales without any planning and thinking ahead.   If you aren’t meal planning, it is almost as if you are playing roulette with your food budget.  The chances of staying within a tight food budget will be pretty slim without planning out your meals. If you need some help with meal planning, I have some resources for you. You could start by downloading my free meal planning guide. Here is a preview of what it looks like:You can download your free meal planning guide here. If you would like to read more on meal planning or get a simple meal planning system together so you can start meal planning right away, check out some of these related posts:How to Create a Meal Planning Binder for Successful Meal Planning Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights 11 Tips to Stop Eating Out to Save Money The Easy Way to Make a Monthly Meal planHelpful Tip: If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it (like really tried it) and you just can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Shop for groceries online Another awesome way to find the cheapest prices on ingredients and make sure you are staying within your food budget is by shopping online.   If you have been reading some of my other posts, you may know that I am a huge fan of Walmart Grocery Pickup.  If you have a Walmart near you that participates (you can check here), it is definitely worth giving it a try. If you don’t, even doing online grocery shopping at another store will save you money.  Why? Because you can quickly compare prices on different brands and sizes from the comfort of your couch AND you can easily see what your total is.  You can add or remove items as needed to stay within your food budget.   Have the right kitchen tools Having the right kitchen tools will not only make your life in the kitchen easier, but it will also help you to save time and money. For example, let’s just say you would like to have salads with your meals.  It is way cheaper (and it lasts longer) if you buy a head of lettuce and chop it up yourself rather than buying pre-chopped bagged lettuce.   So if you will be eating a lot of salads, it definitely makes sense to buy a cutting mat and a salad spinner.   If you would like to check out all of my favorite kitchen tools that save me time when cooking, you can read about them here. Use Ibotta Ibotta is a cash-back app that is free to download and use.  It can be used at so many different stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, and lots more! You just add the grocery offer to your account in the Ibotta app, take a picture of your receipt, and they deposit the money into your Ibotta account.   Ibotta can also be used with Walmart Grocery Pickup, even though you don’t get a receipt with Grocery Pickup.  That’s how we use it the most.   Before you start your grocery order on Walmart, you click on Walmart through the Ibotta app.  It redirects you and you start your shopping.   Once you pick up your groceries the money gets deposited into your Ibotta account.   If you don’t have Ibotta yet, you can sign up here. By signing up through my link, you can receive up to $20 in welcome bonuses!   Also if you use your laptop or desktop, Ibotta has a browser extension you can use instead of an app on your phone.  You can sign up and download the browser extension here.  Coupons Of course, you can also save money on the ingredients to make your dirt-cheap meals by clipping coupons.  I used to do that and I used to save quite a bit of money.   But now that we shop using Walmart Grocery Pickup, the only products I clip coupons for are certain toiletries I am going to buy elsewhere, like at Target. Walmart's store brand prices are comparable to prices for name brands with coupons. Shopping at Walmart is such a win-win in my book! Look for sales Look for the best deals on the ingredients for your frugal meals in your store’s flyer.  The best deals are usually advertised on the front page.   Make sure you compare prices with other stores if you will be stocking up on meat or other things so you get the best price! Check for store markdowns Sometimes you can find marked-down products if the sell-by date is coming up.  I always walk through the meat aisle if I have to stop at the grocery store to pick up milk.  If I see a good deal, I throw it in the freezer and put it on the next month’s meal plan calendar.   Buy in bulk Buying in bulk can save you money on the ingredients for your meals.  However, make sure you check the unit price to be sure it is actually cheaper than buying the item on sale somewhere else.   We like to shop at Sam's Club for some bulk items.  We buy large cuts of meat and my husband pretends he's a butcher and cuts the meat into portions for chops, steaks, ribs, roasts, etc.   Shop at discount grocery stores You can also save quite a bit of money on your cheap meal ideas by shopping at a discount grocery store.  We love Aldi and Lidl, but if you don’t have one of those around, check out other discount or scratch and dent grocery stores in your area.   If you would like to read more ideas on how to save on groceries, check out my post 12 Easy Ways to Save on Food Costs.Dirt Cheap Meals:  What Makes Meals Cheap? If you are looking to make super frugal meals, you will need to know how to put together a meal that won’t cost an arm and a leg.  This probably seems like common sense to you, but I do just want to make a few important points. Cheap Ingredients The most obvious way to make a meal cheap is to use ingredients that are inexpensive.  However, something I think is inexpensive may not be inexpensive in your opinion.   That being said, you will have to decide for yourself what constitutes a cheap or inexpensive ingredient.   Typically the cheapest ingredients are those that you purchase in their most raw or natural state.  So ingredients that are not already prepared (i.e. not cut up, cooked, marinated, or altered in any way) are usually, but not always, the most cost-efficient.   Check out my post 40 Cheap Food Items for Your Tight Budget to put together a cheap grocery list! Simple Recipes Another way to help keep your meals cheap is to use simple recipes.  The fewer ingredients a recipe has, the less money you will need to spend on it.   Since I’m not actually a huge fan of cooking, I absolutely love simple recipes! Whenever I find a delicious recipe with less than 5 ingredients, it’s a keeper.  Check out my post 21 Easy Frugal Meals with 5 Ingredients or Less for some ideas! Leftovers Utilizing leftovers is another way to keep a meal cheap.  If a meal ends up costing you more than what you had anticipated, sometimes if you can make a little more, you could get a second meal out of it.  This will spread the cost of the meal over 2 meals so you are essentially cutting the cost in half!  Plus you won’t have to cook much for your “leftover” meal, making your time in the kitchen short and sweet for that second meal. Just to give you an example of this, I do this all the time with chili.  I bulk up my recipe a bit by adding an extra can or two of beans.  For the first meal, I usually serve chili and corn muffins.   For the second meal, I turn the chili into a casserole by serving it over tater tots and topping it with some cheese.  My family loves it and it is cheap and easy.  My favorite kind of meal! Frugal Side tip: If you buy ground beef in bulk and break it down into smaller portions to freeze, instead of freezing one full pound, try freezing three-quarters of a pound to use in recipes.  It helps your ground beef (and money) stretch further.   Go meatless Meat prices fluctuate and can end up being quite expensive.  The more meatless meals you can get your family to eat, the cheaper your meals will be. However, you don’t want to sacrifice nutrition by abandoning meat altogether!  Meat is a good source of protein, vitamins, and minerals, so you will want to substitute your meat with something equally nutrient-dense.   Let’s talk about dirt-cheap meals you can make on a small budget.Cheap Breakfast Ideas I wanted to include breakfast ideas because we actually love eating breakfast for dinner!  We do this about once a month and my kids go crazy for it.  There are usually no leftovers to be seen when making this cheap and easy meal.  When done right, breakfast meals are some of the cheapest meal options out there.  Here are some of our breakfast staples that will help you stay within budget! Oatmeal A large canister of oatmeal is so cheap! The huge 42-ounce container is only $2.46 at the Walmart where we do our grocery shopping.  My favorite add-ins are peanut butter and strawberry preserves.  I love taking oatmeal for lunch 3 times a week (make 3 servings ahead of time, divide it up into microwaveable containers, add your mix-ins and refrigerate until you take it to work). If you are tired of your typical oatmeal add-ins, check out this article to help make your oatmeal more interesting! Homemade pancakes and waffles You can mix up the pancake or waffle batter from scratch or use a box mix that you just add water to.  I picked one of these out for my 10-year anniversary gift for work and we use it just about every single weekend.  I love it! “Mix Mash” (Pan-Cooked Breakfast Casserole) My husband has made Sunday morning breakfast for years and his specialty is “mix mash.”  It’s his version of a pan-cooked breakfast casserole.  He cooks up some frozen hash brown potatoes, onion, and green pepper.   He then adds the eggs to the pan for scrambling and any meat we have leftover from Saturday night dinner (sometimes pork chops, sometimes steak).  If we don’t have leftover meat he throws in some chopped-up ham or brown-n-serve sausage.   Cook all that up and melt some cheese on top. So good! Generic cereal Cereal is only cheap if you buy generic or store-brand cereal.  For example, the Great Value Honey Nut O’s cereal at Walmart is $1.23.  This truly is dirt cheap compared to the name brand Cheerios, which is $2.98 and the box is smaller.   Frugal Side Tip:  If you can get away from being brand loyal, you will save a lot of money! Eggs & toast Good ole’ eggs and toast is a classic for a reason! It’s filling, delicious, and cheap.  Make your eggs to order or make an egg sandwich with some cheese and a slice of deli meat.  This is sorta a side thought, but I recently purchased a bread machine and I am loving making my family homemade bread!  Homemade bread makes the best toast! It’s healthier and so much better tasting than store-bought bread.  This is the bread machine I purchased and I am super happy with it so far.   Now that we talked about some cheap breakfast meals, let’s talk about dirt cheap lunch and dinner meals!  Dirt Cheap Meals Leftovers As I said earlier in this post, if you can turn one meal into 2, you will really be stretching your dollars!  Check out my post on how to repurpose leftovers here.   Egg meals Don't forget that any breakfast meal could be eaten for lunch or dinner also.  There is absolutely no shame in giving your kids cereal for dinner once in a while!  I have totally done that before.  But incorporating eggs into a dinner-time meal is also a great money saver.  Eggs are so cheap and nutritious that you can’t go wrong.   Besides the more traditional ways to serve eggs, other ways you could feed your family eggs are:scrambling and putting them in a tortilla to make a breakfast style burrito or soft taco serving them hard-boiled over a salad making egg bites or egg muffins in a muffin pan making a breakfast style quesadilla with them creating a breakfast casserole with tater tots or hash browns and top with cheesePB & J The good old standby for weekend lunches in our house is peanut butter and jelly.  Lately, we have been making them on my homemade bread and they are so good!  Grilled cheese and tomato soup Grilled cheese and tomato soup are super quick, easy, and cheap for a busy weeknight when there isn’t much time to make dinner.   Rice and bean burritos The cheapest and healthiest way to make these is to cook your own rice and beans from scratch using dry beans and long grain rice.  However, unless you have an instant pot, it can be quite a time-consuming process to cook rice and beans.   If you are crunched for time, you can use minute rice and canned beans and add some seasonings.   Or we love Zatarain’s Red Beans and Rice! It’s cheap, easy to cook, and it's delicious when made into a burrito with some salsa, sour cream, and cheese.  Pasta with marinara sauce One of the cheapest meals you can buy is a box of pasta and a jar of marinara sauce! Chop up some lettuce and veggies for a quick side salad to go with it. Tuna meals If your family likes tuna, take advantage of it and get creative.  Cans of tuna are cheap and tuna can be eaten in lots of different ways.  You could have tuna melts, tuna noodle casserole, tuna salad sandwiches, or tuna patties.  Quesadillas Quesadillas are a great way to use up leftovers and make a frugal meal.  Any kind of meat or vegetables could be chopped up and made into a quesadilla with cheese.  Serve with sour cream, salsa, and guacamole.   Hot dogs & mac-n-cheese I know, definitely not the healthiest on the list, but hot dogs and macaroni and cheese are definitely cheap.  Try making your own mac-n-cheese or use just buy a box and doctor it up. Black bean soup I got this black bean soup recipe from a patient I worked had in the past.  She called it “3-2-1 Black Bean Soup.”  It’s just 3 cans of black beans, 2 cups of water, and 1 jar of salsa.  Simmer for 10 minutes and serve with sour cream and green onion.   We serve it with cheese quesadillas, but it is very filling on its own and the recipe makes a lot.  We freeze half of it for a “freezer meal” to use the following month.   Sloppy Joe’s If you can find a great deal on ground beef, sloppy joe’s can be quite cheap.  Many stores around here will sell ground beef in a 10-pound package at a discount.  As I said earlier, we divide it up into three-quarters of a pound to stretch our money even further.   Meatball sandwiches Use some of the bulk ground beef and make your own meatballs.  Or look for a sale on a bag of meatballs to save money and save time in the kitchen. Rotisserie chicken Rotisserie chickens at the Walmart near us are only $4.50! Pick the chicken off to reuse in other ways and you got yourself a couple of dirt cheap meals! Check out all these ways to use store-bought rotisserie chicken! Soup Soups are super frugal and easy to make!  I love making turkey noodle soup with leftover turkey from the holidays.  We pick every last piece of turkey off, chop it up, and divide it into portions before freezing (usually 1 or 2 cup portions). If you don’t feel like making your own soup, look for deals on canned soups.  Serve with garlic bread, homemade corn muffins, or a slice of homemade bread.   Baked potatoes A baked potato bar would make a dirt cheap meal and fun theme night! Cook up some baked potatoes and serve with a variety of toppings.   Goulash Goulash is another idea for a frugal meal when you find some ground beef on sale.  Beef, macaroni, tomato sauce, petite diced tomatoes, and some seasonings you probably already have in your pantry make this meal super simple and cheap! Shepherd’s pie Shepherd’s pie can be made in so many ways.  We use this recipe by Campbell’s Soup, but you can make it however you think your family would like it best. Chili Chili is another dirt cheap meal you can make with ground beef.  Add a couple of cans of beans, tomato sauce, petite diced tomatoes, and some seasoning to make some delicious chili that you could stretch into 2 meals.   Homemade pizza Is your family used to a pizza night every week but now you need a super cheap replacement because you are trying to make ends meet?   You can find some really good frozen pizzas nowadays.  Gone are the days when frozen pizza tasted like cardboard.  Look for generic brands or check your local discount grocery store, such as Aldis, for their frozen pizzas.   Or, make your own pizza crust with a pizza crust mix.  These are only $0.56 at Walmart!  You just add water and brush the dough with oil.  Then you let it sit for 5 minutes.  Push it down into your pizza pan and bake slightly.  Then top with toppings and pop it back in the oven to finish baking!  We make 2 of these so the kids can pick their toppings and we can choose ours.  They turn out quite really delicious!   Final Thoughts As you can see, it is possible to make dirt cheap meals to stay within your tight grocery budget.  It just takes some planning (meal planning that is!) and forethought to find the best ways to keep your ingredients cheap and your meals simple.   If you are struggling with creating and following your meal plan, I want to help!  Meal planning is so important for saving money and eating healthy.  I want to help you succeed so you can save money and meet your financial goals!  You can check out some of my other posts on meal planning and saving money on groceries, download my Meal Planning Guide, or feel free to send me a message with any questions you might have.  I would love to hear from you! What are your favorite dirt cheap meals or recipes?  Please let me know in the comments! 

Chris Chris 18 May, 2022

13 Awesome Benefits of Frugal Living

Have you decided you want to start living a more frugal lifestyle?   Maybe you discovered the concept of frugal living through a google search on how to live below your means.   Or maybe you have friends that talk about how they try to live a frugal lifestyle and they seem to be doing awesome with their finances.  However you discovered the concept of frugal living, I’m so happy you did!  I love living a frugal lifestyle and I love talking to everyone about it!   Did you know that many millionaires and billionaires have more than just being wealthy in common? They are typically frugal people [source]! I strongly believe living frugally has helped my family live below our means and get to where we are today financially, even with two young kids. There are tons of benefits of frugal living, which is what I want to tell you about today. But first let’s talk about what frugal living is versus what frugal living is not.   Frugal living is NOT about being cheap or tight with your money.  It is not about being a miser and hoarding every last dollar you have.   Frugal living IS about intentional and mindful spending.  It is about spending less on things you don’t care to spend money on so you can spend money on the things that you value most. It is a lifestyle that allows you to make choices or take a certain path in your life that you may not otherwise have been able to if you spend your money carelessly. When you need to accelerate your savings, extreme frugal tactics can help you save $500-900/month with the right guardrails.   When you are living a frugal lifestyle, you are choosing how you want to spend your money in order to live the life you want.   Now that we got that settled, let’s talk about all the awesome benefits of frugal living!Key Benefits of Frugal Living #1 Live a more simple life Frugal living can help you to live a more simple life by helping you to be mindful with your decision making.  This will help you to stop making impulsive choices that are not good food your financial situation. Maybe you heard of the concept of minimalism.  I personally think frugal living and minimalism go hand in hand. With minimalism you are deciding what to purge from your home and your life based on your values and what brings you the most joy.  In frugal living you are avoiding spending money on things that do not align with your monetary goals and personal values and beliefs.   They sound sorta similar, right?   Although I do not live in a minimalistic home (I love home decor and a warm cozy vibe), I do feel my frugal mindset allows me to be a minimalist in other ways.  One example of how I feel I am a minimalist is when it comes to clothing, shoes, and accessories.  Since I don't care to spend lots of money on these things, I don't have a closet bursting at the seams.   I have what I need and that's it.  When I do need something new, I prefer to shop secondhand or shop for deals with sales, coupons, Rakuten, etc.  I just don't like paying full price for clothes. See how minimalism and frugality can be sidekicks?  They both help you live a simple life.  #2 Find more time in your day Another benefit of frugal living is that if you aren’t out shopping or scrolling your phone to shop, you will have more time to do the things you care about most.   As I have said before in other posts, frugal living does not happen overnight.  It does take some time, research, thought, and planning to change over to living a frugal lifestyle.   So if you are spending less time on spending your money, you will have time to read and learn about how to live more frugally. That’s a win-win in my opinion!  Not to mention you will have more time to spend with your family or on your hobbies (or use the time to find some new hobbies). If you would like some help developing your own frugal living action plan, you can download my Frugal Living Workbook. In it you will find worksheets to help you develop your own frugal living plan, a large checklist of frugal living ideas to get you thinking about how you can live frugally, and a frugal living tracker to keep track of your frugal wins over the course of a year. Once you start seeing those frugal wins stacking up, you should start to notice that you are spending less money!#3 Feel less stressed about money Once you start living a frugal lifestyle, you should start to notice you are spending less money and your money situation is slowly improving.  As your finances start to improve, you will definitely feel less stressed and overwhelmed about money. However, if you do continue to feel stressed out about your finances, check out my post on decreasing financial related stress.  Being in a constant state of stress about money is not good for your health or your relationships.  You’ll want to address it ASAP.   In my post about managing financial related stress, you will find stress relieving and relaxation techniques.  However, if you are past the point of being able to relieve your own stress, PLEASE talk to your doctor.   #4 Feel in control of your money Another benefit of frugal living is that you will start to really feel in control of your money.  You know why? Because you are being intentional with your spending and making decisions on how to spend your money based on your values and beliefs. Making value based decisions with your money is very empowering.  And that’s how I want you to feel about your money.   You control your money.  Your money does not control you!   When you are in control of your financial situation, you will start to be able to make life changing decisions that you wouldn’t necessarily otherwise have been able to make.   The perfect example of how I was able to make a financial choice that affected our family life was when we had our children.   Where I work, I don’t have a “maternity leave” benefit.  I had to use the short term disability benefit that I pay for out of my paycheck to get paid leave of absence for 6 weeks after giving birth.   Under FMLA, I was entitled to take 12 weeks off after the birth of a child and still have a job when I came back.   If we didn't have control of our financial situation, I would have had to go back to work immediately after those first 6 weeks were up and send my babies off to daycare. But instead, I was able to take the full 12 weeks off even though the second 6 weeks were unpaid.  I was very fortunate to be able to spend that special time with my babies in the first 12 weeks of their lives. That is what I mean by being able to make life changing decisions.  #5 Live below your means As you start to stack up your frugal wins, you will start to notice it becomes easier to live below your means. I'm not saying living below your means is only because of living a frugal lifestyle. However, when you start to spend intentionally it will help!  There are definitely other factors involved in living below your means.   I go into great detail on the benefits of living below your means and tips for success in this post.   As your mindset begins to shift to more of a frugal mindset, you will probably start to analyze everything you are spending your money on.  This is how living frugally will help you start living within, and eventually below your means.    #6 Realize your spending habits If you are looking to cut back on your spending and live more frugally, it is usually helpful to track your spending for a month or two.   Once you track your spending, you will know exactly where you want to focus your energy to reduce your spending and expenses.   Many people don’t realize how much some of the things they typically buy add up over a month or even a year.  I am not just talking about the cliché cup of coffee on the way to work either! Things like monthly subscriptions that get billed automatically to your credit card, cell phone service, annual fees on credit cards or other bank related fees, and pest control or lawn services.   All of these costs add up but all could be either lowered or done away with completely!#7 Meet your financial goals quicker Another benefit of living frugally is being able to reach your money goals quicker.  Spending less on the things that don’t matter to you allows you to use your money toward other things that are important to you. Whether your goals are to pay off debt, save for a down payment on a home, save up for a much needed family vacation, or to be able to live off of one income to stay home with your young children, living a frugal lifestyle will help you get there. #8 Achieve financial wellness Financial wellness is simply having your financial ducks in a row.  When you have achieved financial wellness, you are living below your means, paying your bills on time, not in a boatload of debt, and are actively saving for the future. When you have achieved financial wellness you don’t feel stressed about your money situation.  Money doesn’t interfere with your relationships.   You don't worry about paying your bills, and because of that, you are able to sleep at night.   Frugal living can help you get to that point.  It can help you start to get your finances back on track and help stop the overwhelm that is felt from not having control of your money.   By trying to start living a more frugal lifestyle, you are taking that giant first step to getting back in control of your money.  You have to make changes to your spending and start being intentional with how you are using your money if you are going to achieve financial wellness.   #9 Reach financial independence and retire earlier The way I see it, financial wellness is a precursor to financial independence.   Financial independence is when you have enough saved in investments and passive income that you no longer have to work to cover your expenses.   Doesn’t that sound awesome? I sure think so! Once you have achieved and are maintaining that state of financial wellness, financial independence (FI) is the next step!   Just like frugal living can help you get to financial wellness quicker, it can also help you to get to financial independence more quickly.   There is a whole community of people out there that are working toward something called FIRE.  Have you ever heard about that?  It stands for Financial Independence Retire Early. Some people in this FIRE community are retiring by 30 or 40 years old! Everyone has their own reasons to want to retire that early.   Many are planning to spend their “retirement” traveling.  Some are planning on starting a family.   And others will still work but are totally changing their jobs to do something they feel is way more fulfilling than the job they left.   One of the major ways people are able to retire unusually early like that is by saving and investing a large portion of their paychecks during the time they are working.  Some people that are working toward FI are saving upwards of 50% of their income. Sounds crazy hard, right?  But it is possible and many people are doing it.   How do they do that you ask?  They do it by being intentional with their money and living a frugal lifestyle.  #10 Lead a healthier life by eating at home more often I absolutely can not talk about the benefits of frugal living without talking about meal planning! There are very few posts I have written on this blog that I don’t at least mention meal planning or eating at home to save money. I sorta have a special place in my heart for meal planning.  Meal planning is a sanity saver in my eyes.  That’s why I love talking about it so much.   Not only can meal planning save you money by eating at home, it can help you eat so much healthier!  Planning nutritious and delicious meals that bring my family together, even on a busy week night, makes me so happy!  I am hoping it is one of those things my boys will remember when they are older. Meal planning and eating at home more often are a big part of living a frugal lifestyle.  When you plan your meals, you are taking control of your food budget.   You are getting rid of the impulsive trips through the drive through.  You are avoiding the unnecessary spending on expensive takeout from restaurants.   Meal planning is majorly worth the time and effort if you are trying to spend less money on your food budget.   If you are looking for more info on meal planning, saving money on groceries, and tips for eating at home more, you sure came to the right place! Check out some of these posts!Easy and Dirt Cheap Meals for a Tight Food Budget My Favorite Kitchen Tools for Easier Cooking How to Create a Meal Planning Binder for Successful Meal Planning Super Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights 11 Tips to Stop Eating Out to Save Money The Easy Way to Make a Monthly Meal Plan#11 Be more intentional with all of your spending habits When you become fully invested in changing your lifestyle to a frugal lifestyle, your mindset shifts.  You start to develop a frugal mindset. You want to know how you know when your mindset has shifted?   You begin to look for ways to save money on the costs or expenses that you are enthusiastically willing to pay for that are meaningful to you.  Let me give you an example.  One of our priorities as a family is to go to the beach every summer.  We only go for one week, once a year.   Our yearly beach trip is something my family greatly values.  It is meaningful to us because we get to take our boys on a vacation where we can make memories that they will hopefully carry with them for the rest of their lives.   Because I have a frugal mindset, I am always looking for ways we can save money, even when it comes to our treasured yearly beach vacations.   It’s being in that frugal frame of mind that has motivated me to continuously be looking for ways to spend less money.   By the way, you can find some of the ways we save money on our beach vacation here, just in case you are planning one!  When you start to see those small frugal wins stack up and make a difference in your money situation, frugal living becomes much easier to embrace.   #12 Have the means to give more generously Another huge benefit of frugal living is that it helps you to be able to give or donate more generously. Having the means to be able to donate to your favorite charity, give to friends or family that are struggling, or even be able to give a generous monetary gift to a relative for a special occasion are all ways others can be benefit from your frugality. Giving generously to others has a whole other set of benefits! Aside from helping a good cause, it also helps you feel good about yourself and your purpose in life. I know, deep stuff, right? But seriously, since I am a healthcare clinician by day, I do want to point out that giving is actually good for your health! You can read about how it can benefit your mental and physical health here.#13 Your kids see the importance of intentional spending I think this is one of the greatest benefits of frugal living.  When I was younger, I was never taught how to manage my money appropriately.   Even in high school where I am from, they never taught any basic personal finance skills.  Nothing about budgeting, the consequences of accumulating large amounts of consumer debt, saving for retirement, or even the simplest things like how to balance a checkbook!   I am not going to let my kids graduate from high school without learning the basics!  Since frugal living and intentional spending are stepping stones to financial wellness and financial independence, it is so important to me that I teach my kids all about it.   My plan is to use the little everyday things that happen in life to help them slowly gain an understanding of how to use their money properly. We recently had an incident with my younger son that we turned into a money lesson.  He decided he was going to take $10 he received for a gift and use it in the vending machine to buy a pack of gum where he goes to day camp.   He was a sneaky little guy and did not ask us permission first.   Unfortunately, he must not have been supervised during the time he made his trip to the vending machine at camp.  He ended up putting the $10 in and ONLY got his pack of gum out, no change or anything else. There were lots of lessons to teach him from that! Final Thoughts As you can see, there are lots of benefits of frugal living!  However, living a frugal lifestyle does not happen overnight. Figuring out your reason or your “why” behind wanting to live a frugal lifestyle is the important first step in the gradual progression to a frugal lifestyle and mindset.   If you need help with transitioning to living frugally, check out my beginners guide to frugal living here. You can also download my Frugal Living Workbook to help you develop your own personal action plan for transitioning to a frugal lifestyle! It contains worksheets to help you develop your action plan, a large checklist of frugal tips to help you brainstorm ideas that could work for you, and a tracker to keep tabs on all your frugal wins for a year.   Download my Frugal Living Workbook here. 

Chris Chris 15 May, 2022

Frugal Living: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide

Are you wondering how to start living more frugally so you can get control of your finances and save more money every month?   Maybe you are just starting to realize you have been spending too much money on things that don’t really matter to you. And the things you have been buying are not giving you any enjoyment. You might even be thinking, “What was I thinking when I bought this?” Or maybe you have been having a hard time paying your bills every month and are tired of living paycheck to paycheck? Or perhaps you just want to be able to save a little more money every month because you are working toward financial wellness or even financial independence?   Whatever your reason for trying to live more frugally, I want to help you learn all about it so you can start saving money today. There is no time like the present to start living a more frugal lifestyle.  Frugality can help you achieve your personal finance goals more quickly.  It can even help you to lead a more intentional life, and not just when it comes to your money. I have created a Frugal Living Workbook to go along with this post. It includes questions to help guide you when creating your frugal living action plan, a frugal living checklist to give you tons of ideas you could apply to your life (99 ideas to be exact!), and a monthly tracker so you can write down your frugal wins. You can download my Frugal Living Workbook here to help guide you on your journey.Frugal Living: The Ultimate Beginners Guide What is frugal living? Frugality is about making decisions on how you will spend your money based on what matters most to you.  It involves being intentional when spending your money.   Determining what to spend money on and what not to spend money on when practicing frugality is based on your own personal values and beliefs.  This is the reason frugal living for you is going to look different than the way I live frugally. According to dictionary.com, frugal means, “economical in use or expenditure; prudently saving or sparing; not wasteful.” Notice how there is no reference to being cheap or stingy in this definition? Many people assume individuals that are frugal or are just being cheap or stingy.  This is absolutely not true.  When someone chooses to live frugally, they are putting their values first and making financial decisions based on those values.   For example, let’s just say you want to start a family and be able to stay home with your babies. But you know in order to do that, you will have to get rid of debt, cut expenses to be able to live off one income, and save money in an emergency fund. You value being able to raise your children and spend time with them when they are babies. You don't want to have to put them in day care or pay someone else to watch them while you are at work. Changing your lifestyle to a more frugal one could help you reach this goal of staying home with your children. By being proactive with finding ways to save money and cut expenses you are increasing the likelihood of being able to live off one income. This is just one example.  There are so many other reasons that people choose to live frugally.  If you are brand new to the concept of frugality, keep reading to learn about how you can be successful with transitioning to a more frugal lifestyle. Frugal Living: Steps to a Successful Lifestyle Change Step 1: Decide why you want to live more frugally The first thing you want to do when you decide to transition to a frugal lifestyle is to figure out your why.  Why do you want to start living more frugally?  Determining why you want to live more frugally will help you follow through with it.  Just saying you want to adopt a frugal lifestyle is so much easier than actually living frugally.   Since frugality is about making intentional decisions with your money, you will need to make some lifestyle changes. And as you already know, change does not come easy to many people. As I said earlier, your reasons for making lifestyle changes to live frugally will be different from other people's reasons.  Here are some reasons why someone would want to start being more intentional with their spending and saving habits:Save money for a big purchase, like a house or car Feel less stressed about money Decrease hours at work Stay home with a new baby Pay off debt Plan more family vacations Work toward financial wellness Achieve financial independenceSo think about your why and write it down.  Keep it handy and look at it often.  This will help you stay motivated as you begin your frugal lifestyle.  Side Note: I have created a Frugal Living Workbook to help you start adapting your lifestyle to a more frugal one. The workbook includes worksheets with questions to help guide you in the right direction as you start making changes. You can download my free Frugal Living Workbook here to help you!    Step 2: Develop a frugal mindset As I said above, saying you want to live frugally is much easier than actually doing it.  People that live frugally think differently about money than people that do not.  Shifting your mindset to that of a frugal mindset will take time and patience with yourself. After all, change is not easy and does not happen overnight.   To help shift your mindset to a frugal mindset, brainstorm other ways living frugally will help improve your overall life (keep reading below to see the ways I think frugality improves someone's life). Write them down and read them often. Step 3: Recruit family Make living frugally a family affair.  Frugal living needs to be a team effort.  It will be quite difficult to change your lifestyle if you are trying to live frugally and your partner or husband is not.   Tell your spouse or partner about your “why” for wanting to live a frugal lifestyle.  It works best when the whole family understands the reasons behind the changes.   Get your kids involved in the conversation if they are old enough to understand.  Let them know they will soon have a frugal mom and why! Getting them started with being intentional with their spending and saving habits early on in life will set them up for financial success as they grow up. Step 4: Decide on your priorities By now you know that living a frugal lifestyle is about spending your money intentionally.  Making decisions about what is important to spend your money on and what you would prefer not to spend your money on is key to developing a plan of action. Start by asking yourself the following questions to help you make some decisions:What will you keep spending money on?  What will you stop spending money on?  Are there ways to save money on the things you want to continue to spend money on?  How will you stop or significantly decrease your spending on the other things?Answering these questions will help you tease out a plan for decreasing your spending and for saving more money.   Helpful Tip: Try using the checklist of frugal living tips I provided for you in my Frugal Living Workbook.  I have included 99 ways to live more frugally on this list to help you come up with a few that you could apply to your life. Frugal Living Tips for Success Start slow Even though you may have a large list of things you want to cut your spending on, it is important to start slow! The last thing you want to do is get overwhelmed or drive yourself crazy trying to change too many things at once.  Track your progress If you are only working on saving money on a few things at a time, it will be much easier to keep track of how it is going.  You can use the monthly tracker included in my Frugal Living Workbook to help you keep track of your progress.   Each month, just write down your frugal wins and check it off on the checklist.       Common questions about frugal living Here are answers to some questions many people seem to have when making the decision to start living more frugally.   Will I be considered a cheap skate? I’m not going to lie or sugar coat this, some people that find out you are changing and tightening up your spending habits may joke with you about being a tightwad or may outright call you cheap.  But that’s because they do not understand the principles behind frugal living.   Chances are someone that calls you cheap is most likely not in the best financial situation themselves.  So the way I see it, you could respond in 1 of 2 ways. You could try to educate the person on what frugal living is about.  If he or she is really a friend of yours (a friend should not be calling a friend a cheap skate, in my honest opinion), perhaps they would like to hear what you have to say about your new money-saving lifestyle.   Who knows, maybe criticizing or making fun of someone else’s spending habits is actually a sad cry for help.  Take the opportunity to try to help a friend get on the right track. The other thing you can do is just ignore the comments.  Let those comments roll right off your back.  Don’t let the comments get to you.   YOU know the reasons you are trying to live a more frugal lifestyle.  It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks.    Can I spend money on things I want? Yes!  But you have to pick and choose what you are going to spend your money on.  That is the whole principle of frugal living.  You decrease or eliminate spending money on things that don’t matter to you so you can spend money on things that are meaningful to you.  That being said, when you are in the frugal mindset and really in your frugal groove, you will consciously (or subconsciously) try to save money on the things that you don’t even mind spending money on.  That’s the beauty of a frugal mindset.  It carries over to all of your spending.  You start to never want to pay full price for anything!   It turns into a game and then into somewhat of an obsession.  An obsession that is good for your bank account!   A personal example of this for my family is traveling and taking vacations.  One of our priorities is taking our kids to the beach for a week in the summer.  We want them to have memories from our family beach vacations to reminisce about when they are older.  With me (and my husband) being the frugal people that we are, we are always looking for ways to save money on our beach vacations. I wrote a whole post on how to save money on beach vacations if you would like to read about it.   On a side note, the other vacation I'm working on for my family is a trip to Disney World in Florida.  You are probably aware Disney is crazy-expensive.   One of my absolute favorite podcasts is ChooseFI.  Brad Barrett, one of the founders of ChooseFI, is a master at travel hacking with credit card reward points.  He helps people take their families to Disney for almost FREE using credit card points.  Yup, you read that right, FREE! Brad first wrote about using credit card rewards for trips to Disney World on his site, RichmondSavers.com. You should definitely check it out if you are interested in taking your family to Disney in the future. So I am working on planning an almost free trip to Disney with the help from Brad’s blog and email course.   See what getting in a frugal mindset can do for you?What are the benefits of living frugally? Living a frugal lifestyle can benefit you in so many ways.  Seriously, it can help to improve your overall quality of life. But real quick, here are a few of the benefits of living frugally that come to mind:Helps you live a more simple life Helps you find more time in your day (not at stores shopping or shopping online) Helps you feel less stressed about money Helps you feel more in control of your money Helps you live below your means Helps you meet your financial goals quicker Helps you achieve financial wellness and even financial independence sooner Helps you retire earlier Helps you lead a healthier life by eating at home more often Helps you be more intentional in other areas of your life Helps your kids see the importance of intentional spendingThese are just a few things that came to mind as I am writing this.  If you can think of any others, please let me know in the comments! How do I start living frugally? First of all, understand that it is never too late to change your lifestyle to a more frugal one.  Even finding just a few strategies for saving money is going to help you be in a better financial position.   But really what you want to do is understand your spending habits.  There is no better way to do this than tracking your spending.   It is best if you can track your spending for a full month to really understand where your money is going.  Once you know where your money is going, use your priorities list to determine what areas you want to cut back on or eliminate.   You will also want to look at all your household bills to see where you can save money.  Here are a couple of my posts you may be interested in reading to get some ideas:20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month 70+ Frugal Living Tips 11 Tips to Help You Stop Eating Out to Save Money How to Consistently Pack a Lunch for Work to Save Money  12 Easy Ways to Cut Food ExpensesAs you are trying out and adopting different frugal habits for your lifestyle, don’t forget to write them down so you can track your progress!  Don't forget to download my Frugal Living Workbook! It includes questions to help guide you when creating your frugal living action plan, a frugal living checklist to give you tons of ideas you could apply to your life (99 ideas to be exact!), and a monthly tracker so you can write down your frugal wins. Final Thoughts Adapting your lifestyle to live more frugally will initially take time, effort, and dedication.  However, as your mindset begins to change, living frugally becomes so much easier.  Like it is second nature to you! Modifying your spending habits and learning new money-saving strategies go hand in hand when choosing to live more frugally.   Every small step toward a more frugal lifestyle, whether it is finding a way to cut back on spending or figuring out a new way to save money, should be considered a win.   Keep stacking up those small frugal wins one by one and you will be well on your way to living the life you have been dreaming of! You can download my Frugal Living Workbook to get you started with living more frugally! Do you live a frugal lifestyle?  What is your “why” for living frugally? Did I miss any benefits of frugal living? Let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 15 May, 2022

23 Inexpensive Ways to Spend Time with Mom

Are you looking for inexpensive ways to spend time with mom for Mother’s Day? Or maybe you are just looking for some budget-friendly activities to do with your mom to spend quality time with her on your day off? We all know how busy life can be. You might have good intentions to get together with your mom on a weekly or monthly basis, but then life happens and it ends up being weeks or months until you are able to spend time with her. Setting aside some time in your schedule to spend with your mom is a great way to maintain your bond with her, even when life gets busy.  According to the website, caring-for-aging-parents.com, when people get older, time and memories are typically cherished more than gifts. Any mom is sure to appreciate whatever amount of time she is able to spend with her children, whether it is 15 minutes or 2 hours.  Spending time with mom does not have to be expensive either.  There are tons of great budget-friendly ideas for spending quality time with your mom.  The easiest way to come up with ideas for spending time with your mom is to think about what she enjoys doing the most.  What are her hobbies and interests? However, if your mom is one that does not really have hobbies or a lot of different interests, you may have to think a little harder to come up with creative ideas for how to spend time with her. So here is a list of inexpensive ways to spend time with mom that I put together to help you come up with some different ideas she may enjoy. If you are looking for an inexpensive gift for your mom, whether for Mother's Day, her birthday, or any other special day, check out budget-friendly gifts for moms.20 Inexpensive Ways to Spend Time with Mom 1. Have a meal together It doesn’t matter if you cook for her, cook together, get takeout, or go out to eat at a restaurant, any mom is sure to love the time spent with her daughter to chat about life. If you decide to make her a meal, you could keep it super simple and make a picnic lunch. Enjoy it at the kitchen table, on a blanket in the yard, or eat it outside on the deck or patio. 2. Watch a movie, favorite shows, or sports together Make some popcorn and have a movie marathon.  Or you could rent her favorite movie and watch it together. Look for a Redbox in your area and rent a movie for $1.  Perhaps she enjoys afternoon soap operas or other shows during evening television? Tell her you’re coming over to watch them with her and I’m sure she will love it! Or maybe she loves to watch sports on TV?  I’m sure she would enjoy some company watching her favorite baseball team play a couple of innings!3. Go thrifting or antiquing together Take your mom to check out some thrift shops or antique shops. Maybe she will find something interesting that she will reminisce about.  She may even tell you about something in your family’s history that you never knew about! 4. Look for free or cheap events in your town Some towns have festivals or community days at different times throughout the year. Check your local websites and newspapers to look for events in your town. 5. Take a walk Meet up with your mom and take a walk in the neighborhood, walk the dog together, or walk in the park. Walking and talking about what is going on in each other’s lives will help you stay connected with your mom.6. Outdoor activities Some ideas for outdoor activities to do with mom are hiking, swimming, going to the driving range, mini-golf, and watching local sporting events. 7. Exercise together Got a mom who loves being fit? I bet she would love a workout partner. You could find a workout on YouTube, go for a bike ride, or go for a jog together. How about trying some strengthening exercises with weights or resistance bands, doing some yoga, or trying some Pilates together? 8. Go to the local museum Many local museums have free or inexpensive admission to their exhibits. Or take her to the larger city museum she has been wanting to go to.9. Do a DIY spa day Take over your mani and pedi supplies to her home to have a spa day together. You could also try out a new mud mask or try a DIY facial. 10. Wine Tasting Got some local wineries? Map out a little wine tasting tour. Many wineries have free wine tasting or charge a small fee if you don’t end up buying a bottle of their wine. 11. Do laundry together This may seem a little odd, but if she goes to the laundromat to do her laundry, why not go along and keep her company while she waits!12. Play games or cards Playing games and cards is fun at any age. Many moms would love to spend some quality time with their kids while doing something different and fun.  Try a game from her childhood so she can reminisce. 13. Look at photo albums or create a new one Pull out old photos and photo albums to look through together.  This is another great reminiscing activity! Or you could create a new photo album together online through a site like Mixbook or Shutterfly.  I have used both of those websites to make photobooks and love them both! 14. Do some gardening Does she love flowers or planting vegetables? Help her work on her gardening to spend some time together.  If she doesn’t have an outdoor garden, you could start a container garden together with some vegetable plants from the home improvement store. Maybe you have a houseplant that needs to be broken into smaller plants, separated, and transplanted? You could do that with mom and then she will think of you every time she sees her new houseplant you transplanted together. 15. Take a class together Find and take free or inexpensive classes in your town that you both would enjoy.  Some places that I know that offer classes are Home Depot, Michael’s, Joann Fabrics, and Hobby Lobby.16. Learn her favorite hobby Does she have a hobby you would love to learn? Things like crocheting, knitting, cross stitch, quilting, and sewing would be fun. 17. Volunteer together Find a place that is meaningful to both you and your mom to offer your time and service to.  Whether it be a homeless shelter, soup kitchen, boys and girls club, animal shelter or animal rescue, donating your time together to a good cause is sure to be a great bonding experience. 18. Meet in the morning for coffee or tea Maybe you don’t have a lot of extra time in your schedule with working, taking care of the house, and kids.  Even meeting up for a quick cup of coffee or tea and chatting for a few minutes is sure to put a smile on your mom’s face. 19. Do a jigsaw puzzle together Piecing together a jigsaw puzzle is a great way to spend time with mom.  It is a way to spend some peaceful, quiet time together while you talk about life.20. Do a craft together Do you both love crafts?  Find a fun craft on Pinterest, gather the supplies, and head over to your mom’s home to get crafting together! 21. Bake together Spend time with mom to bake some treats together.  Take this time to learn some delicious family recipes from her while you are baking. 22. Work on a family tree Get together to do research on your family’s heritage and start creating your family tree together.  23. Go for ice cream together Just about everyone loves ice cream! Either go to the local ice cream parlor with your mom or show up at her home with some store bought ice cream to surprise her.  Conclusion Finding inexpensive ways to spend time with mom does not have to be difficult or time consuming.  You know your mom best, so think about what she enjoys doing the most and just start with that.  The most important thing to keep in mind, when you are trying to find time in your busy schedule to spend with your mom, is taking the initiative to make plans and then following through with your plans. You see, for the last 12 years out of my 20-year career in health care, I have worked with older adults and the geriatric population. I have learned so many things about our aging population, but the one thing that is always running through my mind is this: Life is short.  And sometimes it’s incredibly too short for some people.  It's important to spend as much quality time with your mom when you can. You will definitely never regret spending that time with your mom. Make memories. Enjoy life. That is what living is all about. Do you know of other frugal ways to spend time with mom? I would love to hear about them! Let me know in the comments.You may also enjoy reading: Budget Friendly Mother's Day Gift Ideas 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less Money 20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month

Chris Chris 20 Mar, 2022

My Top 15 Favorite Kitchen Tools for Easier Cooking

Are you looking for some favorite kitchen tools for easier meal prep and cooking to make your life in the kitchen more enjoyable?  I love learning about new kitchen gadgets and tools that truly help to make cooking more fun. I don’t know about you, but when I get home from work I am tired and don’t really feel like standing in the kitchen to cook.  So any gadgets or tools I can find to help cut down on the amount of time I spend in the kitchen in the evenings is a huge plus! Cooking and eating at home are so important for saving money. According to Forbes.com, it's just about 5 times more expensive to have food delivered from a restaurant than it would be if you made the exact same meal at home! Also, you may know that I am a huge fan of meal planning. Since meal planning and meal prep go hand in hand, I also have a few basic meal planning tips for you at the bottom of my list of favorite kitchen tools! Today I want to share my favorite kitchen tools for easier cooking with you.  I hope you will find something new on this list that will make cooking and meal prep more enjoyable for you! So let’s get started!Disclosure:  For your convenience, there are affiliate links below.  Simply click the links below to see the items and sale prices.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   My Top 10 Favorite Kitchen Tools for Easier Cooking 1. Instant PotThe Instant Pot is a huge time saver! You can make such delicious meals in it.  We have had ours for almost 3 years now and use it a couple of times every single week. Instant Pots are great for a number of reasons. You can make one-pot meals, which makes for easy clean-up.  You can also make cheaper cuts of meat super tender in an Instant Pot.  We also use ours to make hard-boiled eggs, which peel so easily, and we make mini muffins for the kids in it.  If you are thinking of getting an Instant Pot, it may be helpful for you to also get a good cookbook so you can learn how to use it.  We love this cookbook.  Each dish in the cookbook has both recipes to make in a pressure cooker (Instant Pot) and a slow cooker (Crock-Pot).  2. Crock-PotI have to admit, ever since we got our Instant Pot, we don’t use our Crock-Pot as much. However, since this post is about my favorite gadgets and tools to make meal prep and cooking easier, I have to include the Crock-Pot. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, Crock-Pots are the next best thing because you can cook your meal while you are at work. There is nothing like coming home from work to a meal that is already cooked that smells delicious as you walk in the door! 3. Waffle IronI picked my waffle iron out of a catalog for my 10-year anniversary gift for work and we use that thing almost every single weekend. The kids love the Belgian waffles we make with it!  We either use the store-bought pancake and waffle mix or this recipe for chocolate waffles from The Salty Marshmallow.  We make Belgian waffles every Saturday morning for breakfast with our waffle iron (as long as the kids don't have soccer games really early).  We usually have enough left over for the kids to have them for breakfast once or twice during the week.  Refrigerate the leftovers and just pop them in the toaster to reheat. You could also make a couple of batches at once and freeze them to eat throughout the month.  Pull them out of the freezer and reheat them in the toaster or microwave.  This is a more frugal option than buying boxed frozen waffles from the grocery store. One more tip! Waffles and ice cream are also a delicious treat your family is sure to love. We like to make ice cream sandwiches using 2 quarters of a waffle. 4. Stand mixerI splurged on a stand mixer a few years back and I could not believe I used a hand mixer for so long! This was literally a game-changer for baking.  Clean-up is so quick and easy. You can also use a stand mixer for mashed potatoes, shredding cooked chicken or pork, and mixing up meatloaf or meatballs, as well as many other things! 5. Silicone Liquid Measuring CupsThese measuring cups by OXO are my absolute favorite!  I used a Pampered Chef measuring cup for years that could be used for both dry and wet ingredients. I only ever used it for wet ingredients since I have other measuring cups for dry ingredients. These do not get hot in the microwave when melting butter or chocolate. They are also squeezable to make pouring from them easier. Plus they are super easy to clean because they are made of silicone and ingredients don’t stick to them.  They also dry out so quickly. I love these! 6. Non-stick baking matsNon-stick baking mats are a must-have for baking sheets. I used to use parchment paper or foil all the time and then I got a set of these and love them! Just make sure you check for the correct size you need when ordering. 7. Silicone muffin pansI enjoy making corn muffins from scratch to go with several of the meals my family eats. Jiffy also makes a really good box mix and it is super cheap! I use my silicone muffin pans all the time for those and they work great. 8. Instant read meat thermometerYou need a good digital meat thermometer to make sure you are cooking all your meats properly.  I use ours a few times a week.  It is quick, easy to read, and easy to clean.  9. Electric can openerWe got our electric can opener as a wedding gift over 16 years ago and it is still going strong.  I remember I didn’t even think we needed an electric can opener, but the woman helping us with our registry at the department store convinced me otherwise. And boy am I glad she did! When we make chili or anything else with lots of canned beans, sauce, or tomatoes, I am so grateful to have it. This one is very similar to ours.    10. Cutting matsI just started using these cutting mats last year and I really like them.  I love the idea of using a different color for each food to prevent cross-contamination.  I also really like the fact that they are so slim for easy storage. Regular cutting boards can take up so much room, especially when you use different cutting boards for different tasks.  11. Salad SpinnerA salad spinner is a must-have for saving money. It is so much cheaper to buy a head of lettuce (we buy a 3 pack of romaine hearts) than pre-chopped bagged lettuce.  We chop our lettuce at the beginning of the week and store it in special containers (see below) to keep it fresh.   Just pull out your green container and throw some lettuce in a bowl, along with your favorite chopped vegetables, for a super quick side salad with your dinner.  12. Green containersThese green produce containers are a must-have if you love fresh produce.  We use them for our lettuce, baby spinach, baby carrots, green pepper, tomatoes, and celery.  I really do think produce lasts longer when stored in these containers.   13. Baking sheetsQuality baking sheets are so important for meal preparation and are so versatile! Here are some uses for baking sheets:Baking cookies Roasting vegetables Sheet pan dinners Drip catchers (use under anything that could cook over in oven) Serving tray Freezing fruit before bagging Cooking bacon Use on pantry shelf to set oil bottles and sticky containers on to keep shelf cleanWe have these Nordic Ware baking sheets in the half sheet and quarter sheet sizes. The thing I love about them is that they don't bend or warp when they get hot in the oven like my thinner non-stick ones used to do. They are thick, heavy-duty baking sheets. 14. Immersion blenderImmersion blenders are also quite versatile! Our favorite way to use it is to purée a cheesy vegetable soup we make in the Instant Pot.  Here are a few other uses for an immersion blender:Making smoothies  Making milkshakes Beating multiple eggs Blending homemade hummus Puréeing soups Making salsa15. Digital kitchen scaleIf you will be buying meat in bulk and separating it by weight to freeze, you will need a digital kitchen scale.   You can also use a digital scale to manage portions of food.  I use ours for measuring pasta since we only make half or a third of a box at a time, depending on the rest of the meal.  My husband laughs at me for this, but I can’t help it…I like things equal.  When you have quality kitchen tools for cooking, it really makes meal prep and even clean up so much easier.  If meal prep is easy, you are more likely to continue to cook your meals at home on a regular basis.  This will save you money in the long run by eating out less often. Eating at home is key to saving money.  Meal planning is a necessity if you are trying to eat at home more often.  There are a few things you can do to make meal planning easier, so you can stick with it, in order to cut back your food expenses.  Meal Planning Tips Here are just a couple of tips to get you started with meal planning.  If you would like some more in-depth reading on meal planning or cooking at home, check outThe Easy Way to Make a Monthly Meal Plan Meal Planning on a Budget Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights 12 Quick and Easy Ways to Reuse Leftover FoodGet organized If you are going to get serious about meal planning, you have to get organized.  It is a good idea to keep your calendar, recipes, grocery list, and inventory list all together in a folder or binder so you can easily grab it. You can download my meal planning guide to help you get organized! You will also want to get your fridge, freezer, and pantry organized so you can clearly see what you have on hand.  This will help you with my next tip. Take inventory Check to see what you already have in your freezer, fridge, and pantry before you make your meal plan for the week.  This will help you to eliminate waste and use up what you have instead of buying more food.   Use leftovers Incorporate at least one “leftover meal” into your meal plan to cut back on the number of times you are cooking.  For example, if you are planning to cook a meal with chicken on Monday, why not cook up some extra chicken to use later in the week for another recipe?   If you would like some extra ways to incorporate leftovers into your meal plan, check out my post on ways to reuse leftovers. Watch out for upcoming busy nights Do you have a doctor’s appointment after work? Or maybe your kids have sports practices or games on certain nights of the week?  Knowing which nights are going to be the busiest nights of the week is key in creating a meal plan that you will be able to stick to.  Make sure you plan something really easy to cook or designate that night as the leftover night to avoid getting takeout or ordering food at the last minute.   Double check your grocery list Take your time when creating your grocery list so you don’t forget anything at the store.  There is nothing worse when you are getting ready to start dinner only to open the pantry or freezer to find out you forgot a major ingredient for your meal!  But don’t worry if that happens. And it WILL happen! We are only human and we forget things. You could check to see if you have something you can substitute for the ingredient.  If not, swap that meal with another meal from the week.  Then you can pick up the ingredient from the store the next day.  Final Thoughts on My Favorite Kitchen Tools It is important to have good-quality tools in the kitchen so you can be efficient during meal prep and cooking.  I know some of the tools and gadgets I recommended here are a bit pricey.  However, I do think they will pay for themselves many times over when you use them to prepare delicious home-cooked meals for your family instead of ordering take-out or going out to eat.  Investing in some kitchen tools that you know you will use will save you time and money and help to make cooking more enjoyable.  You will be able to conquer mealtime so you can eat at home more often! Meal planning and meal prep do not have to be difficult! By investing in your favorite kitchen tools for meal prep and being intentional with your meal planning, you will succeed in eating at home more often so you can save money!  What are your favorite kitchen tools or gadgets you can’t live without? Please let me know in the comments because I would love to hear about them!

Chris Chris 24 Feb, 2022

No-Spend Challenge Guide: Rules and Tips for Success

Have you thought about your spending habits lately and how they are affecting your current financial situation? Maybe you have credit card debt and you want to start paying it down but can’t figure out how to find extra money to put towards your debt. Or perhaps you don’t have debt but just need to stop spending so much because you want to be able to put more money away into your savings accounts. You aren't alone. As much as 38% of Americans claim they can't contribute to retirement because they don't have the money, yet the average American spends almost $1500 a month on nonessential things [source]. A no-spend challenge may be just what you need to get going in the right direction!  A no-spend challenge is a set period of time that you commit to not spend any money on things you don’t need.  Some people call it a spending freeze.   No spend challenges can be excellent for your budget because they help you reset your spending habits.   However, depending on the rules you set for your no-spend challenge (yes, you determine the rules!), it can be quite extreme for you if you are used to spending money.   Typically no-spend challenges only last for a short period of time, say for a weekend, a couple of weeks, or a month. And usually, you avoid all unnecessary spending. But, it’s your no-spend challenge and you make the rules.  So if you decide, for example, that you aren’t going to spend any money on clothes for 6 months, then that’s okay too!   So let’s get started going into more detail about no-spend challenges so you can get started with yours!Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   How to Start a No-Spend Challenge Define your why The first thing you want to do when starting your no-spend challenge is to determine what the point of doing it is.  Why do you want (or need) to stop spending money right now? Some reasons for doing a no-spend challenge are to:Reset your spending (spending detox) Payoff debt Jumpstart your savings for something (big or small!) Use up what you already have Start an emergency fund Have money to give to a good cause or help a friend or family in needOnce you decide your reason for doing the challenge, write it down. Hang it somewhere you will see it often so it reminds you of your goal. Have a family meeting Once you decide on your reason for a no-spend challenge, decide if you will include your other family members in it.  Including your spouse or partner will help to maximize your savings, especially if he or she enjoys spending money.  If your kids are old enough to understand, you also may want to tell them what you are doing so they don’t become alarmed when you come home empty-handed on pizza night! Define your rules There are two different rules you will need to set when starting your no-spend challenge. Go all in or pick and choose which budget categories to cut out First, you want to decide what you will cut out of your spending.  In a typical no-spend challenge, everything beyond the necessities gets cut out. So necessities would be the things you have to pay for like:Household bills  Gas Groceries Childcare Insurance TaxesSo keep paying for and buying your necessary things. As I said earlier, it’s your challenge.  You make the rules! So an alternative to cutting out all unnecessary spending is to choose to cut out one or more non-essential budget categories.   For example, you might cut out one or more of the following:Dining out (takeout, fast food, eating at restaurants, buying lunches, gourmet coffee) Entertainment (i.e. concerts, sporting events, hobbies, bars, movies) Clothes and shoes (beyond the necessities) Beauty and self-care (i.e. hair appointments, pedicures, manicures, salon facials, massages) Travel Toys (kids’ toys, video games, arcade visits)So decide if you will go all in and cut out ALL non-essential spending, or will you pick and choose which categories you will stop spending money on?   Choose your time frame for your no-spend challenge The second rule you will have to make for your no-spend challenge is the time frame.  Are you going to stop your spending for the weekend, for a few weeks, a month, or a few months? If you will be cutting out all non-essential spending during your no-spend challenge, you may want to set your time frame for a shorter time period up to a couple of weeks max to see how it goes before committing to a longer period of time.  You could always continue your challenge if all is going well.   If you are only cutting out one or two budget categories, you may even be able to push it to several months or more!   For example, I decided I wasn’t going to spend any money this year on makeup unless I completely run out of a product, which would then make it a necessity and I could buy a new one (don't judge, but makeup is a necessity for me). Well, Ulta sent me an email for my free birthday gift recently. As I was putting it in my cart online, I noticed I would need to pay for shipping on my free gift.  So what was my natural instinct? To start shopping and adding things to my cart! After adding $35 worth of makeup to my cart to get free shipping, I stopped and thought about it.   What sense did it make to spend $35 on things I really don’t need to get a free gift? None of course!  Not to mention, the no-spend challenge I set for myself to stop buying makeup I didn't need! What was I thinking? So I deleted everything from my cart and went on with my day.  And I wasn’t even that sad about not getting my free birthday gift.   So after you determine what you want to cut out and the time frame for your no-spend challenge, it’s time to get started!  Tips for success for a no-spend challenge Since no-spend challenges can be tough to complete, I also have some tips to help you succeed with your no-spend challenge!  #1 Put your money directly into a savings account If you don’t have a savings account, set one up before you start your no-spend challenge to be sure you funnel that money right into a safe place.  This will help ensure your money gets used for what it was intended to be used for.   #2 Leave (most of) your money & credit cards at home If you have errands you need to run, try leaving most of your money and your credit cards at home.   Take only what you need to complete your errands or what you need to feel prepared and safe when you are out and about.   A piece of advice my Mom told me was to always have a couple of bucks in my wallet, just in case.  I usually try to follow that. Plus, I always like to have one credit card in my wallet since we use that for necessities, like gas and groceries, and then pay it off in full every month.   But do what you feel comfortable with, keeping in mind if you leave most of your credit cards and cash at home, there will be less temptation to spend.   #3 Tell your friends and family Let your friends and family know that you are participating in a no-spend challenge.  Then they will know not to ask you to go shopping with them at Target or to meet up for drinks at a bar for happy hour.   Telling people about your no-spend challenge will also hold you accountable for sticking to it. If no one knows what you are doing, it will make it that much easier to cheat (I'm not saying you would ever do that!). #4 Meal plan around what you already have If you are going gung ho with your no-spend challenge and plan to avoid the grocery store because of impulse buys, take inventory in your pantry, freezer, and fridge to come up with your meal plan. You may even want to stock up before the start of your challenge so you won't need to go food shopping at all. I like to take inventory and make a meal plan based on what I already have even when not on a no-spend challenge.  One of my pet peeves is food waste so I like to use up leftovers whenever possible.   And of course, meal planning will be necessary if you are banning takeout, fast food, and eating at restaurants during your no-spend challenge.  If you are new to meal planning or having a hard time sticking to your meal plan and would like some help, here are some of my more popular posts to check out:Ultimate Guide to Meal Planning on a Budget Easy & Dirt Cheap Meals for a Tight Food Budget How to Create a Meal Planning Binder Quick and Easy Ways to Reuse Leftovers Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights Monthly Meal Planning for Beginners#5 Use what you have This idea can be applied to so many things besides the food that's in your fridge, pantry, and freezer! Do you have a lot of home decor stashed somewhere? To satisfy your desire to buy new decorations for your home, you could try swapping out your current decor with something you have in storage. Do you have tons of travel size or sample products, like shampoo and conditioner, small bars of soap, small jars of face creams, hand creams, toothpaste, or makeup samples? Try using some of those up during your challenge. You might find something you like better and that's cheaper than your normal product. Are you the type of person who saves up gift cards for a rainy day? I am! What a perfect time to use those cards up during your no-spend challenge (be careful not to go over the amount on your gift card!). #6 Delete or unsubscribe from store emails If you love shopping and subscribe to tons of store emails, you may want to try unsubscribing from those so you aren’t tempted to buy (I should have taken my own advice for Ulta). I know what you are thinking!  Emails help save money because you get notified of sales and get money-saving coupons. This may be true, however, if you are on a no-spend challenge, those things are not going to help you.  In fact, they could potentially cause you to slip up during your no-spend challenge!  A good compromise would be to unsubscribe temporarily during your no-spend challenge and then if you feel you NEED to subscribe again to get coupons sent to your inbox, you could do that later.   #7 Uninstall shopping apps This is similar to unsubscribing from emails, but it knocks the temptation back even more! Uninstall your store apps, especially if you like to shop from your couch, at least until your no-spend challenge is over.  You especially have to watch out for those store apps that you have your credit card information saved on.  That one-click shopping is bad news during a no-spend challenge.   #8 Look for free entertainment During your no-spend challenge, you still need to be entertained and have fun!  So look for free things to do for your date nights and to entertain your kids that will be fun.   Depriving yourself of enjoying life is not the point or goal of a no-spend challenge.  The goal is to reset your spending habits and save money that you can use to benefit your financial situation in other ways.   Here are some ideas for free things to do for a date night when on a no-spend challenge:Pack a picnic lunch and eat it at the park Go for a walk around town Hang out on a blanket under the stars Watch a movie Binge watch a popular TV series or Netflix series Go on a bike ride Go hiking Exercise together Have a candlelight dinner at home Invite another couple over for a game night or dinner Go to the local museum Check out free events in your townHere are some ideas for free things to do to keep your kids entertained while on a no-spend challenge:Camp in the backyard Go on a picnic Have a movie night Head outside in the heat for a water balloon fight Have a board game night Teach them a new card game Play video games as a family Go on bike rides Practice their favorite sports with them Teach them yoga Roast marshmallows or make S’mores Look for constellations  Go to the library Put a puzzle together Rearrange, organize, and deep clean their bedrooms so they feel fresh & new  DIY art for their bedroomsFor more inspiration on cheap or free things to do, check out these posts for inspiration:Frugal & Fun Things to do at Night with Family or Friends Inexpensive Ways to Spend Time with Mom Budget-Friendly Winter Activities#9 Get things done at home If you have free time during your no-spend challenge because you aren’t shopping, take that time to get the stuff done around the house you have been meaning to do. Doing things around the house is also a great distraction to get your mind off of shopping and spending money.  You will also feel so productive! Catch up on deep cleaning (takedown and wash curtains, wash windows and sills, scrub floors and baseboards, steam clean carpets) Yardwork, pulling weeds Organizing (closets, basement and attic storage areas, playrooms or play areas, pantry, chest freezer, garages, sheds) Decluttering (kids clothes, kids toys, spare bedrooms, countertops, junk drawers) Start or finish up projects that you already have the supplies forYou could donate the unwanted items you find when you are organizing and decluttering to Goodwill, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, or another great charity. #10 Find ways to make money Finding ways to make some money during your no-spend challenge will help to improve your outcome in a big way! Use the extra time you free up by not shopping to start a little side hustle.   Here are some ideas for making money during your no-spend challenge:Sell your stuff (yard sale or online) Babysit Eldersit Deliver food Take online surveys Do yardwork for others Drive for Uber or Lyft Volunteer for overtime Clean houses Walk dogs or pet sit Start a blog Sell handmade items Give private lessons for your talentBy the way, my favorite survey site is Survey Junkie!  You can get paid by Paypal or e-Giftcards for sharing your opinion about products from the comfort of your couch!  You can sign up for Survey Junkie here.   If you want some more inspiration on how to make extra money here are posts on that topic to check out:Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month 50 Ways to Make Extra Money#11 Count down your no-spend challenge time Counting down your time will help you stay motivated to get through your challenge.   You can do this very simply by putting a fun little sticker on each day on your calendar or planner, crossing out the days on your calendar, or finding a free no-spend printable online to print and hang on your fridge. #12 Forgive yourself for slip-ups Slip-ups happen…maybe you forgot your lunch for work one day and had to buy it. Or maybe you didn’t get enough sleep the night before and needed to hit up the vending machine to grab some caffeine for afternoon energy. Or perhaps you just couldn’t resist the adorable top on clearance. It’s ok. Don't beat yourself up about it. Acknowledge what it was (an accident, a want that quickly turned into a need or a temporary loss of self-control) and get yourself back on track. Final thoughts for your no-spend challenge Starting a no-spend challenge can be an awesome way to save money so you can put your money to work for you in other ways. Whether you decide to not spend any money for a weekend, two weeks, a month, 90 days, or 6 months, a no-spend challenge can help you get your budget back on track, reset your spending habits, and meet your financial goals.   Have you done a no-spend challenge lately? How did it go? What are your tips for a successful no-spend challenge? Let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 17 Jan, 2022

40 Cheap Food Items for Your Tight Budget

Are you trying to get your food budget under control?  If so, finding ways to save on groceries and buying cheap food items at the grocery store can significantly help to decrease your food costs. Your food expenses can get out of hand quickly if you’re not careful.  But luckily, your food costs are also one area of your budget that you can easily scale back. According to the Department of Agriculture, a family of 4 (with one child 6-8 years old and one child 9-11 years old) that spends a moderate amount of money on food typically spends around $1062 a month.   People that have a thrifty spending plan for food typically spend closer to $647, even with the same aged children as the moderate spenders.   That’s a difference of $415 dollars a month.  Think of what that extra money could go towards if you were able to lower your food expenses by that much each month.   It’s important to keep in mind there are different factors that will affect how much you spend at the grocery store.  Some are controllable and some are out of your control.   One big factor that is (somewhat) out of your control is where you live.  If you live in a big expensive city, you will pay more for groceries than someone that is living in a small rural town.  Another factor that can definitely affect the amount you spend at the grocery store is which stores you have available near you to shop at.  Cheap grocery stores like Aldi, Lidl, and Walmart may not be located near you forcing you to do your shopping at a regular grocery store. Even though you may not be located near one of the cheapest grocery stores doesn’t mean you are totally out of luck when it comes to grocery shopping on a budget.   There are many controllable ways you can save money on your food bill.  In this post, I am going to give you ways to make cheap food items even cheaper and give you a list of the cheapest foods to buy at the grocery store when you are broke or are on a really tight budget.  Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   How to buy cheap food on a tight budget So you want to know how to buy the best cheap food for even cheaper?  I have a few tricks up my sleeve to share with you.   Meal Plan Planning your meals has so many benefits.  My favorite benefits of meal planning are decreasing dinner time stress and saving money.   But let’s just talk about the saving money part because you are here to read about cheap food.   When you meal plan, you are being intentional.  You are determining what your family will eat for the week and preparing to make those meals by buying the ingredients you need for them.   By planning ahead, you can choose to make meals that use some of the same ingredients.  This helps to eliminate food waste and prevents you from having to buy totally different ingredients for each meal.   The fewer different types of foods you buy at the grocery store, the cheaper your grocery list will be.   If you need help with meal planning, I am here to help!  I have lots of resources to get you meal planning asap.  I even have meal planning printables you can have for free. Here is what they look like:This meal planning guide includes everything you need to start meal planning today. It includes:A monthly meal planner A sample monthly meal plan A weekly meal planner with a grocery list A favorite meals list An inventory list A theme night cheatsheet  Helpful tips for meal planningYou can download your free meal planning guide here. Here are some of my other meal planning resources:How to Make a Weekly Meal Plan With Grocery List Ultimate Guide to Meal Planning on a Budget How to Create a Meal Planning Binder Super Easy Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights The Easy Way to Make a Monthly Meal PlanHelpful Tip: If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it (like really tried it) and you just can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Shop at the cheapest grocery stores Shopping at the cheapest grocery stores will help to ensure you are paying rock bottom prices for your groceries.  This can really help to lower your food budget when you are on a tight budget.   As I said earlier, this may not be an option for you depending on where you live.  But Aldi, Lidl, and Walmart are not the only cheap grocery stores.   According to Today.com, some of the other cheapest grocery stores in the United States are:Market Basket WinCo Food 4 Less Costco Trader Joe’s  Amazon Sam’s Club H-E-B PeapodSo check for any of those cheap stores near you to make sure your grocery list is the cheapest it can be. Want to see these cheap foods in action? Check out my complete $47.83 grocery list for one person with real Aldi prices and a 3-week meal plan. Or see how these same budget staples work in a weekly $57 meal plan for singles using USDA-verified 2026 prices. Buy in Bulk Buying in bulk can help to bring the cost of your grocery items down.  But make sure you check unit prices just to be sure.  Unit price is the price for one item or measurement, such as an ounce or pound.   So for example, a 32 count of juice boxes at Walmart is $10.48.  Broken down by unit price, each juice box is $0.33.   Now at Sam’s Club, the same juice boxes are sold in a 36 count pack for $9.38.  This means each juice box is only $0.26.   Even though Walmart is known to be one of the cheapest stores to shop for groceries, sometimes you can find the same food items cheaper by buying in bulk. But not all foods should be bought in bulk.  The last thing you want to do is buy something in bulk and then not be able to use it up before it expires or goes bad. So the best foods to buy in bulk are foods that have a long shelf life.  Typically food items that can be kept in the pantry for an extended period of time or a freezer are your best bets. Cheap food items to buy in bulk are:pasta rice quinoa oatmeal peanut butter canned vegetables canned meat jarred items dried beans frozen vegetables pre-frozen meats fresh meats to freeze in family-sized portions dried fruits frozen fruitUse Ibotta My favorite cash-back grocery app is Ibotta and I highly recommend it if you don’t already have it.   Ibotta is a cash-back app that is free to download and use.  It can be used at so many different stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, and lots more! You just add the grocery offer to your account in the Ibotta app, take a picture of your receipt, and they deposit the money into your Ibotta account.   Ibotta can also be used with Walmart Grocery Pickup, even though you don’t get a receipt with Grocery Pickup.  That’s how we use it the most.   Before you start your grocery order on Walmart, you click on Walmart through the Ibotta app.  It redirects you and you start your shopping.   Once you pick up your groceries the money gets deposited into your Ibotta account.   If you don’t have Ibotta yet, you can sign up here. By signing up through my link, you can receive up to $20 in welcome bonuses!   Also if you use your laptop or desktop, Ibotta has a browser extension you can use instead of an app on your phone.  You can sign download the browser extension here.   Look for marked-down groceries My last tip for buying cheap food items when you are on a tight budget or broke is to frequently check for store markdowns.  Many grocery stores will significantly mark down food if it is nearing the sell-by date.   My favorite aisle to walk down when looking for markdowns is the meat aisle.  You can really score some cheap meat when grocery stores need to sell it quickly.   You can take it home, break it down (if needed) to freeze separately into appropriate meal portions for your family, and throw it in the freezer to add to next month’s (or week’s) meal plan.   If you are looking for more ways to save money on food, check out 13 Easy Ways to Cut Food Expenses.  40 Cheap Food Items to Buy at the Grocery Store When You’re Broke Here is my list of the cheapest groceries to buy when you are broke or on a tight budget.  #1  Oats I put oats in the number one spot because they are so cheap, filling, and nutritious.  A big canister of oats is under $3 and lasts forever.  I eat them for breakfast, but also take them to work for a healthy and filling (and cheap) lunch.   #2  Generic cereal Cereal can get really expensive if you buy the brand names.  But generic cereal is cheap.  For example, the store brand of Cheerios at Walmart is only $1.23.  Not a bad option is you have kids (or a husband) that loves cereal in the morning.   #3  Eggs Eggs are another healthy and cheap food.  They aren’t only great for breakfast.  You can make hard-boiled eggs to eat for snacks during the day or make egg sandwiches for dinner for a really inexpensive meal.   #4  Peanut butter Peanut butter is a really versatile and cheap food that is a great staple for your pantry.  Put it on toast, use it for PB & J, mix it into your oatmeal for extra protein, or eat it directly from a spoon.   #5  Pancake mix This one you may be questioning because it is probably cheaper to make your own pancake mix.  However, a 32-ounce box of complete pancake and waffle mix (meaning you just have to add water, no add eggs, oil, etc) is only $1.68 at Walmart.  For convenience, it is worth a few extra cents, in my opinion.   We make waffles every Saturday morning for the kids with our waffle iron.  It’s quick and easy and much cheaper than frozen waffles.  I also use the pancake mix for pancakes every other month when I make breakfast for dinner, which is also a really cheap meal.   #6  Store brand bread Loaves of bread can be so expensive if you buy a name brand.  Call me cheap, but I will never buy a $4 loaf of bread.  Store brand bread is between $1 to $2 and some even sell for under $1. If you want a really frugal (but delicious) bread option, making your own bread may be the way to go.  And it’s really easy with a bread maker.  The bread maker does all the mixing and kneading and then you can take it out to shape it and bake it in the oven for a normal-shaped loaf of bread. #7  Pasta A box of pasta is definitely one of the cheapest foods to buy at the grocery store.  At less than $1 per box, it’s a great item to have stocked in your pantry.  Use it for nights that you just don’t feel like eating what you had originally planned or as a quick backup meal option. #8  Pasta sauce Pasta sauce is another cheap grocery item to buy when you are broke.  Stock up to use with your box of pasta or use it in casseroles, to top bread, or to make mini pizzas.  Check out this article from allrecipes.com on ways to use up leftover pasta sauce.   #9  Rice Rice is another super cheap grocery item that you can buy in bulk and keep stocked in your pantry.  If possible, opt for brown rice because it is healthier than white rice.   #10  Quinoa Quinoa is a healthy grain that is often referred to as a superfood.  It’s high in protein, fiber, and other nutrients.  Quinoa is often used as a substitute for rice and it makes a great option to use in a bowl-style meal.   #11  Dried beans Dried beans are probably just about the cheapest food you can buy.  The shelf life of dried beans is quite long making them a great cheap pantry staple to have on hand.   #12  Apple juice If you have kids that drink juice, apple juice is one of the most frugal options.  We have been watering down our kids’ apple juice since they were toddlers.  Even now that they are older, when they pour themselves juice, they know to fill up their cups halfway with water first.   #13  Russet potatoes Russet potatoes are cheap and versatile.  When stored in a cool, dry place potatoes can last up to two months.   #14 Sweet potatoes Sweet potatoes are also nutritious and cheap.  Baked sweet potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, and sweet potato casserole are delicious options     #15  Onions Onions are another cheap vegetable that has a long shelf life.  They are a great staple to keep on hand to add extra flavor to your meals.   #16  Bananas Bananas are one of the cheapest foods you can buy.  At around $0.47 cents a pound, they are a great addition to your cheap grocery list.   #17  Canned vegetables Canned vegetables are a definite pantry staple for any household.  Since they last in your pantry for a very long time, look for sales when they are at their cheapest and stock up on your favorite kinds.   #18  Frozen vegetables Frozen vegetables aren’t quite as cheap as canned, but are usually a bit cheaper than fresh vegetables.  If you aren’t a fan of canned vegetables and have room in the freezer, check out your nearest wholesale club to buy frozen vegetables in bulk.  #19  Baby carrots Baby carrots sell for around $1 for a 1 pound bag making them one of the cheapest fresh vegetable options.  Not to mention, convenient!  No peeling or cutting is required making them a great option for a quick and crunchy snack.   #20  Celery Celery makes a crunchy snack (add peanut butter) and is good to have on hand to add to recipes.  #21  Bagged spinach Make your salads more nutritious by adding a handful of baby spinach to them.  Bagged spinach is both cheap and convenient. #22  Butternut squash Roasting butternut squash is probably the most popular way to prepare it.  Other ideas are to make a pureed soup with it or cook it in a foil pack with other vegetables and some seasonings. #23  Cabbage Cabbage is another cheap vegetable that lasts a while (around 2 weeks) in the fridge if you wait to cut it up until you need it.  #24  Popcorn Making your own popcorn using kernels is much cheaper than buying bagged microwave popcorn.  Here is a recipe for making stovetop popcorn from cookieandkate.com. #25  Oranges Oranges are some of the cheapest fruits you will buy.  Look for sales on bags of oranges to get the most bang for your buck. #26  Apples Apples are super nutritious and affordable.  Keep in mind the price of apples vary depending on the variety.  For example, Honeycrisp tends to be pricier than most.  But if you aren’t picky about your apples, they should definitely be on your budget grocery list. #27  Cantaloupe When in season, cantaloupe is a cheap fruit that is also high in vitamin C, vitamin A, and beta-carotene.  #28  Canned fruit When you are looking for cheap food items to buy at the grocery store, canned fruit is a great addition to your budget grocery list.  It isn’t as healthy as fresh fruit, but if you are broke, canned fruit is the way to go.   #29  Pork Pork is one of the cheapest meats.  Price varies depending on the cut of meat, but you can get a nice cut of pork for around $3.00 a pound right now.   A frugal way to stretch your meat budget is to serve smaller portions of meat at meals and larger portions of side dishes.   #30  Ground turkey or whole turkey Stock up on turkeys (if you have a deep freezer) around the holidays when they are the cheapest.  Make your extra turkeys throughout the year and pull the meat off the bones.  Freeze your turkey meat in appropriate portions to use in soups, casseroles, hot turkey sandwiches, and turkey BBQ.   #31  Hot dogs Hot dogs may not be the most nutritious, but when you need cheap groceries to fill up your fridge or freezer, they definitely fit the bill.   #32  Canned meat Canned tuna, salmon, or chicken are another cheap staple to have on hand in your pantry.  Stock up on these canned meats to use for backup pantry meals.   #33 Boxed macaroni and cheese Again, not the most nutritious, but macaroni and cheese is certainly cheap.  It’s also a great kid-friendly lunch for on the weekends when your kiddos are home from school. Instead of hitting up the drive-thru for expensive kids’ meals, why not create your own cheap version of a kids’ meal at home?  Chicken nuggets, mac-n-cheese, baby carrots, and applesauce would make a great alternative to a kids’ meal.   #34  Cottage Cheese Cottage cheese is so good for you!  And it’s so cheap at only $1.84 for a 24-ounce tub at Walmart.  Cottage cheese makes a great lunch for work.  Just portion out your servings into containers and top with the canned fruit of your choice and your lunch is made! #35  Yogurt Another food to put on your cheap grocery list is yogurt.  If you buy it by the 32-ounce tub it is just under $2.  Portion out your servings ahead of time, pack some granola in a separate container, and your work lunch is made.    #36  Chicken thighs or whole chicken Dark meat chicken tends to be cheaper than white meat.  Also, look for whole chickens on sale.  You could cook the whole chicken and pick off the meat to use in different meals in your meal plan.   #37  Frozen berries Frozen berries are so good and so much cheaper per pound than fresh berries, especially when out of season.  If you love frozen berries, check out your local wholesale club to stock up on big bags of frozen berries for cheap.   #38  Cucumbers At under $1 per pound, you can’t go wrong with adding cucumbers to your list of cheapest groceries.  Slice them up for salads or dip them in your favorite dressing for a tasty snack. #39  Romaine lettuce Romaine lettuce is much healthier than iceberg and lasts longer in the fridge.  A 3 pack of romaine hearts sell for under $3 at the Walmart near us.   #40  Teabags Brewing your own tea is so cheap!  Ice tea can be a nice change from water and hot tea a change from coffee if you need one.   Final Thoughts on Cheap Food Items for Your Tight Budget Even though you might be on a tight budget or even broke, it doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice the quality or even quantity of food you are eating.  As I said earlier, the food budget is one of the easiest areas of the budget to cut back on. By being intentional with your meal planning, using cashback apps, shopping around for the best prices, and buying cheap food, you can turn your regular grocery list into a cheap grocery list.   What are some of the cheap food items you like to buy at the grocery store?  Let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 12 Jan, 2022

70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less Money

Do you want to spend less money to help you reach your financial goals? Are you trying to be more intentional with how you are spending your money? Maybe you have debt you want to pay off. Or maybe you want to learn how to spend less money and save more. Whatever your specific money situation is, being more intentional with your money and embracing frugality can help you get where you want to be. Frugal living is about making purposeful decisions with your money. It's not about being cheap. It's about spending money on the things that mean the most to you and saving money on the things that don’t. It really is as simple as that. Now, living frugally does take some effort. It takes some planning. And it sometimes takes some research. But in the end, the effort you put into it will definitely pay off. You will see positive results from your efforts. Lots of good things can result from being intentional with your money. And putting in a bit of effort to save money will definitely benefit you. Here are some awesome benefits of spending less and saving more:Having a larger savings account or emergency fund Paying off debt sooner Saving for large purchases more quickly Sleeping better at night Feeling less stressed about money Reaching financial freedom or financial independence soonerI'm also going to warn you that frugal living is addicting! Once you start seeing the positive results from being intentional with your spending, you will want to keep learning new ways to live more frugally. If you're ready to accelerate your savings, check out our guide to extreme frugal ways to save money for the high-ROI tactics that can save $500-900/month. So today I have a list of frugal living tips for you! The best way to go about your new frugal living journey is to pick a couple of tips from the list to try at a time. Don’t try all of them at once! After you have tried a couple of the tips, then try a couple more. This will prevent you from getting overwhelmed. It will help you gradually incorporate frugality into your life so you can spend less money and meet your financial goals! I created a Frugal Living Workbook you can use to start spending less money so you can start saving more. It includes a worksheet to help you develop your own frugal living action plan, 99 frugal living tips to give you some ideas, and a tracker to track your frugal wins. You can grab your free Frugal Living Workbook here! Okay, let’s get started!Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products and services I use and love. Frugal living tips to help you spend less money and save more 1. Create a budget and stick to it Creating a budget is key to living below your means. If you need help creating one, I wrote a post about creating a budget. I also have a Budgeting Workbook you can download if you would like! 2. Learn to say no Sometimes this can be so hard for people, me included. Whether it is saying no to someone at your door trying to sell you something you definitely don't need or saying no to going out to eat when it's not in your budget, try to start getting up the courage to say no when you know in your heart it is the right choice. 3. Have an emergency fund Make a point to start putting money away every month. Even a few dollars every month will add up quickly and could prevent you from going further into debt if an emergency should arise. 4. Start a side hustle to increase your income There are so many things you can do to increase your income which will help you to live more comfortably. Side hustles are great to diversify your income!Realistic ways to make an extra $500 a month 50+ ways to make extra money5. Have no spend challenges A no-spend challenge can be perfect for getting your family back on track and spending less money.6. DIY gifts Homemade gifts can be so much more meaningful than purchased gifts! 7. Buy items when on sale to give as gifts Picking items up throughout the year when they are on sale is a great way to save on gifts. I love doing this for Christmas gifts because not only do I buy them when on sale, but it also spreads the cost out over the year, which helps me to stay within my budget. 8. Shop at Dollar Tree for certain items I love Dollar Tree! Some of my favorite things to buy there are gift bags, tissue paper, wrapping paper, and greeting cards. 9. Stop impulse buys There are many ways to stop your impulse purchases. I think the best way is to limit the number of times you go into a store. Also, don’t go shopping just because you are bored. And you could try using the curbside pick-up service when you shop. 10. Pay off credit card debt Getting out of debt is essential to helping your money situation and decreasing your financial-related stress. As you are learning ways to live frugally to spend less money, use the money you save to pay down those credit cards. 11. Use credit card points Use your credit cards responsibly and choose cards that offer great cashback perks. We love saving up our points to use toward items that we wouldn’t normally splurge on. 12. Do research to find the best deals As I said, living more frugally will require you to do research to find the best deals on quality items, especially on higher-cost items that you want to purchase. For example, we have been researching grills because we want a good quality grill that will meet our needs since we do 99% of our cooking at home. So take your time, read the reviews, and compare prices to make sure you are getting what you need.Frugal Living tips to help you spend less money on food 13. Meal plan I am a huge advocate of meal planning so of course, this is number one on my list to help you spend less money on food. Meal planning can really save you a ton of money. Would you like to read more on meal planning? Check out these posts:Meal Planning on a Budget: The Ultimate Guide How to Create a Meal Planning Binder (Free Printable) Easy Ways to Reuse Leftover Food Meal Planning with Dinner Theme Nights Monthly Meal Planning for BeginnersHelpful Tip: If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it and you just can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Then you can see for yourself how much money and time it can save you! 14. Shop at discount grocery stores My number one favorite way to shop is Walmart Grocery Pickup because I don't have to go into the store. However, if I forget to put something on the list or need something last minute, Aldis and Lidl are the stores I shop at. 15. Use Coupons There is no doubt using coupons for groceries can save you a boatload of money. Don’t forget to use coupons for restaurants! 16. Use Ibotta Ibotta is the cash back app we mainly use. It is so easy and you can now use it along with Walmart grocery pick up. I love the fact that they have offers that don’t require you to buy a particular brand. This allows you to use them with generic brands so you can spend less money. If you don't have Ibotta yet, you have got to sign up! You can sign up for Ibotta here. And by signing up through my link you can get up to $20 in welcome bonuses! 17. Buy in bulk Many times stores will offer discounts when you buy items in bulk, helping you to spend less money. Just be sure to check the unit price to make sure you are getting a good deal on the item. 18. Eat at home Eating at home and meal planning go hand in hand. The more you eat at home, the less money you spend on food. 19. Pack your lunch Taking your lunch to work and sending your kids to school with a packed lunch will help you spend less money and save more! If you are trying to get motivated to pack your lunch more often, why not invest in a new cute lunch bag! You will make your money back many times over when you take your lunch to work instead of ordering out or going out to eat for lunch. Check out these posts with some cheap and easy lunch ideas to help you spend less money on food:Manly Lunch Ideas for Your Husband to Save Money Quick & Easy Lunch Ideas on a Budget20. Make your own coffee Do you have a coffee addiction? Learn how to make your favorite coffee at home. You will need one of these if you like to take your coffee with you on the road. 21. Start a garden or container garden Growing your own vegetables is extremely frugal! If you don’t have room for a garden, try a container garden on your deck or patio to spend less money on produce. 22. Shop generic Don’t be put off by generic or off-brand items. Usually, they are just as good as, or even better than, the name brand. 23. Drink water (not bottled) Soda and juices are expensive. Challenge yourself to drink more water every day. If you don’t like the taste of your tap water, try a water filter. You could also try a squeeze of lemon in your water to make it more palatable. If you have kids that drink juice, stretch the juice by watering it down when you pour it into the cup. That’s what we have been doing since our kids started drinking juice and now they continue to water it down themselves! 24. Make your own ice tea or lemonade If you love store-bought ice tea and lemonade, consider switching to homemade versions to spend less money. 25. Limit trips to grocery store Spend less money by limiting trips to the store. Try to shop no more than once per week or try doing the pick-up option at your store. 26. Follow your grocery list When you go to the store, stick to your grocery list. Don’t go to the store hungry!27. Make at least one meatless meal per week The meat is typically the most expensive part of the meal. I love to incorporate one meatless meal per week when I meal plan. This will help to decrease your food costs so you can spend less money at the grocery store. 28. Invest in a chest freezer If you are going to meal plan, buy food in bulk, or make freezer meals, you may want to consider buying a chest freezer to help keep your food inventory organized and accessible. 29. Make your own bread and other baked goods Try making your own bread with a bread maker. Also bake your own cookies, muffins, and cakes to spend less money. We use our instant pot to make mini muffins and they are so delicious! My kids love them and making our own is so much cheaper than buying the prepackaged ones. 30. Join wholesale club It can be easier and you could spend less money on food by going to a wholesale club to stock up on meal items and buy in bulk for your meal planning. 31. Use a waffle iron We used to buy frozen waffles all the time! Now we use our waffle maker to make awesome Belgian waffles that taste so much better than frozen store waffles. You can make them ahead of time and freeze them for a quick breakfast. 32. Learn how to can and jar food Canning is a great way to stock up on food and spend less money on your food budget. Buying in-season produce and canning or jarring it is a great way to have it year-round! 33. Take snacks and water along on road trips or shopping trips Avoid the need to go through the drive-through for a drink or snack when out and about by taking your own snacks and drinks with you in the car. 34. Avoid disposable lunch bags Spend less money on paper and plastic sandwich bags by buying a cute lunch tote and using reusable containers for your lunch items. 35. Buy from produce stands Support your local farmers and get awesome quality produce while you spend less money! 36. Use cloth napkins and avoid paper plates Invest in some cloth napkins and use regular plates to be environmentally friendly and save money on paper products.Frugal living tips to help you spend less money on entertainment 37. Use your community library Visit your community library for books to read or exchange books with friends. Libraries also have free events and speakers you could check out. 38. Entertain friends at home Invite friends over for a potluck dinner. Ask everyone to bring their favorite drinks for a tasting party. Have a movie night, game night, or bonfire. 39. Plan frugal date nights The cost of date nights can add up quickly, so if you have a date with your significant other every Friday and Saturday night, try to plan for some frugal dates to spend less money. 40. Look for free events Attend free events that are hosted in your community. Check your township or community newsletters and website to learn about upcoming events. 41. Use Groupon Groupon is a marketplace that offers vouchers for discounted goods and services. They have tons of deals to pick from. We have bought Groupon deals for restaurants, as well as, for a local fun zone/arcade for our kids. Check for Groupon deals here! Related Posts to spend less money on entertainment:Frugal & Fun Things to Do at Night with Family or Friends Inexpensive Ways to Spend Time with Mom 40 Budget Friendly Winter ActivitiesFrugal living tips to help you spend less money on your home 42. DIY projects Complete home projects DIY style, if you are able to. 43. Buy a conservative home When buying a home, know how much you can afford and still live comfortably. Crunch the numbers yourself. Don’t automatically look for homes in the price range of the mortgage amount you have been preapproved for. 44. Cancel cable or get smaller package This is one of the most talked-about frugal tips out there. Cable services are so expensive. If you can cancel it completely and subscribe to a streaming service instead, you will spend less money. If you can’t get rid of cable altogether (like us because of my sports-watching husband) pick the smallest package you can. 45. Sell things you don’t use Clear out the clutter and sell your unwanted stuff. You can sell bigger items on Facebook Marketplace & Craigslist. You can sell clothes and other smaller items on eBay. There is also Poshmark and ThreadUp for selling clothing. 46. Shop around for insurance Shop around for all of your insurances (homeowners, renters, car, life, umbrella, malpractice, etc). Some insurance companies will offer even more discounts if you buy multiple types through them. 47. Work to lower your utility billsAdjust your thermostat or have a programmable thermostat installed Use ceiling fans Use insulating curtains or cellular shades Fix drafty doors or use door draft stopper Turn off lights Unplug unused appliances Hang some clothes to dry Fix leaky faucets Take shorter showers or set timers for kids48. Do your own yard maintenance Skip those expensive lawn services and do your own maintenance and landscaping. 49. Use LED lightbulbs and timers Switch out your light bulbs to LED lightbulbs. Also put those lights on timers, especially those holiday lights! 50. Get rid of your phone landline Got a good reliable cell phone? You probably don’t really need your landline anymore. 51. Increase your deductibles You could spend less money on your insurance premiums by increasing your insurance deductibles for homeowners, renters, and car insurances. 52. Stop subscriptions Do you pay for subscriptions but don’t really use the products or services anymore? Cancel them and double-check that your credit card is no longer being charged for them. 53. Look for new cell phone plan Shop around for an affordable cell phone plan so you can spend less money every month. 54. Shop end of season sales or closeouts Are you in need of something new for your home? Try waiting until the end of the season when items are going on clearance for things like patio furniture, outdoor grills, snowblowers, etc. Shop the clearance area of furniture stores for furniture or hit up stores around the big holiday weekends when they have their best deals.Frugal living tips to spend less money on health, beauty, and personal care 55. Shop during sales Watch advertisements for sales on beauty and personal care products you use. Ulta has great stock-up sales on both drug store brands and salon brands. Plus, if you have Ulta’s loyalty card, several times a year they offer 20% off of everything, including the Prestige brands! 56. Do your grooming at home Learn to do your own facials, waxing, and nails at home. 57. Workout at home If you can get your workout in without going to a gym, you could save both time and money. Some workout ideas to try at home are jumping rope, walking, jogging, yoga, and HIIT workouts. Look for a workout app on your phone (I like FitOn) or search for something fun on YouTube. Also, you could look on Craigslist for used exercise equipment like stationary bikes, rowers, elliptical machines, etc. 58. Use castile soap Castile soap has so many uses! We use it for a veggie and fruit wash and as hand soap in a foaming dispenser. We use Dr. Bronner's and buy it in the huge bottle. It lasts quite a while because it usually needs to be diluted with water when used. 59. Borrow clothes for events Do you have a wedding or engagement party to go to and do you need something to wear? How about borrowing a dress from a friend?60. Shop for clothes at thrift stores If you have time to browse through racks at thrift stores, you can find some great items to spend less money on clothes. 61. Shop at stores like Ross or Marshalls Shopping at thrifts stores can be time-consuming because they aren’t typically organized by type of clothing. If time is a constraint and you need something specific, try Ross or Marshalls if you have one near you. I love shopping at Ross for my kids because they have a great selection of name brands that my kids like. I like to get my workout clothes from Marshalls or TJ Maxx because I usually have no problem finding what I need quickly. Bonus: Marshalls and TJ Maxx also have discounted brand name beauty and hair products! 62. Shop pick up when able I don’t know about you, but if I go to Target for any kind of health or beauty items, I walk out of there with so much more! I love browsing around Target. So I have been using their curbside pick-up service. Not only does it prevent me from buying things I don’t need, but running those errands on my precious weekend time has been so much easier and quicker! 63. Learn how to cut hair If it wasn’t for COVID, I probably would still be taking my kids to the barber school for their haircuts or the haircut chain store near us. Since my husband was furloughed during COVID, he learned a couple of new skills, including how to use clippers for a fade-style haircut. because of him, we spend less money on haircuts. 64. Color your own hair Dying your own hair with a box from the drugstore can help you spend less money. I use to color my own hair for the longest time and it saved me a bundle. However, I don’t anymore because I quit coloring my hair altogether and let my natural color, grays and all, grow out (also a frugal way to go!). 65. Get a low maintenance hair style Short stacked bobs and pixie haircuts are adorable. However, I know from experience, you have to get trims quite frequently to maintain the style. If you opt for a style that has longer layers or a blunt cut, it can help you spend less money at the salon because you may be able to stretch the time between your appointments. 66. Shop your own makeup bag If you love buying makeup and have a lot, why not challenge yourself to use up some of the makeup you already have? I am guilty of buying new eyeshadows and then throwing my old ones in a makeup bag under the sink. I recently bought one of these and I absolutely love it! I pulled out a bunch of my old eyeshadows, removed them from their cases and I now have a “new” eyeshadow palette! 67. Take care of yourself Taking care of yourself by eating right, getting your rest, finding ways to relieve your stress, and exercising will help you spend less money in the long run by keeping your mind and body healthy.Frugal living tips to save money on transportation and travel 68. Walk or ride your bike places Spend less money on gas expenses by walking or riding your bike to your destination, if you can. 69. Buy a used car It’s common knowledge that the minute you drive a new car off the car lot it majorly depreciates. Look for a deal on a good reliable used car to spend less money on your ride. 70. Learn about travel hacks Travel hacking is all the rage right now. From staying at AirBnB’s to using your credit card points for free or super cheap flights and hotels, there is so much great information to learn to help you spend less money while traveling. 71. Wash your own car Get out your hose and bucket and get some exercise while washing your car. 72. Plan out errands By planning out your trip for your errands, you could spend less money on gas and save time by figuring out the best route for getting everything done without having to backtrack. Conclusion There are so many more ways to spend less money on everyday things than I have listed here. As I said earlier, living frugally is all about being intentional with how you are living your life and spending your money. The thing that I love most about frugality is that my frugal lifestyle will look much different than your frugal lifestyle because there are so many different ways to adapt how you are living in order to spend less money. So go ahead and pick a few frugal tips to start with that will mesh with your individual lifestyle. By slowly incorporating some frugal living tips into your life, you will start to spend less money and save more so that you can ultimately reach your financial goals. What are some frugal living tips you have to spend less money on everyday things? I would love to hear them! Leave me a comment and let me know!

Chris Chris 12 Jan, 2022

18 Dollars an Hour is How Much a Year?

Are you wondering how much 18 dollars an hour is per year?  Maybe you are looking for a new job and hoping to make at least 18 an hour.   Or maybe you are looking for a sample budget for someone making18 dollars an hour because that’s what you currently make.   Whatever your reason for researching how much 18 dollars an hour equals per year, I have you covered! I created this guide to help answer all your questions about making 18 dollars an hour.  Some of the things you will learn after reading this guide are:How much is 18 dollars an hour a year before taxes? After taxes? How much is 18 dollars an hour a month before and after taxes? How much is 18 dollars an hour biweekly and weekly?   What is a sample budget for 18 dollars an hour? What are some jobs that make 18 dollars an hour? What are some tips for living off 18 an hour?So if you are looking for any of these answers, keep on reading!Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.  If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.  You can read my full disclosure here.   18 Dollars an Hour is How Much a Year? The following answers are based on working a 40-hour workweek. How much is 18 dollars an hour before taxes (gross pay)? A week: $18 x 40 hours = $720 per week Every other week (biweekly): If you get paid biweekly, your paycheck before taxes are taken out will be $1440 ($720 a week x 2). A month: This is not as straightforward as calculating what $18 an hour is per year.  This is because some months you will get 4 paychecks and some you will get 5 paychecks.   Since $720 is what your weekly pay will be, your monthly pay before taxes will be $2880 or $3600.   $720 x 4 paychecks per month= $2880 $720 x 5 paychecks per month= $3600 Just don’t figure out your monthly pay by dividing your yearly pay by 12 when making your budget.   This is why: $720 x 52 = $37,440 divided by 12 months = $3,120.   See how it is inaccurate?   The best way to figure out your income for your monthly budget is to determine how many paychecks you will have for the month and base your budget on that number.   A year: 18 dollars an hour comes to $37,440 per year gross pay.  Here is the math: $18 x 40 hours per week= $720 $720 x 52 weeks per year = $37,440 How much is 18 dollars an hour after taxes (net pay)? To give you an idea of what your after-tax pay would be if you made $18 an hour, I used this Salary Paycheck Calculator.  To keep it simple, I used married filing status in the state of Arizona.  Keep in mind the following numbers are just examples and they don’t include any other payroll deductions you might have.   So you’ll have to input your own information to get a more accurate net pay.  But this at least gives you an idea of what your after-tax pay might look like.  A week:Biweekly:Monthly:Annually:How much is 18 dollars an hour part-time? If you are thinking about taking a part-time job that pays $18 an hour or you are thinking about cutting your hours back to part-time, then your gross pay (before taxes) would be: 20 hours Weekly:  $360 Yearly: $18,720 25 hours Weekly:  $450 Yearly:  $23,400 30 hours Weekly:  $540 Yearly:  $28,080 How much is 18 dollars an hour a year after a 3% raise? 18.50 an hour The average pay raise over the past few years has been around 3% to 5%.  That being said, raises vary greatly depending on the industry you work in.   But, if you are lucky enough to get a 3% raise when you make $18 an hour, your pay per hour will then be $18.54.   For simplicity’s sake, let’s just say you got a raise and now are making $18.50 an hour.  Your weekly, monthly, and yearly pay for $18.50 an hour would be: Weekly:  $740 Biweekly:  $1,480 Monthly:  $2,960 (4 weekly paychecks) to $3,700 (5 weekly paychecks) Yearly:  $38,480 19 dollars an hour Now let’s just say the following year you got another 3% raise.  Your pay rate would then be $19.10 (18.54 x 1.03 = $19.0962) Again for simplicity’s sake, let’s say you are making a straight 19 dollars an hour.  This would be your gross pay: Weekly:  $760 Biweekly:  $1,520 Monthly:  $3,040 (4 weekly paychecks) to $3,800 (5 weekly paychecks) Yearly: $39,520 Is 18 dollars an hour good? Let’s compare 18 an hour to the median household income for 2020.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income was $67,521. Yearly gross income when making $18 per hour is $37,440.  This is well below the median household income. However, if you live in a dual-income household and you both make $18 an hour, your total gross income would be well above the median household income for the U.S. at $74,880.   And the annual earnings for someone making $18 an hour is well above the poverty threshold of $26,200 for a family consisting of 2 adults and 2 children. Can you survive on 18 dollars an hour? Now that you know what an $18 per hour pay rate equals out to per week, month, and year, let’s answer the question, “Can you survive on $18 an hour?” Unfortunately, I don’t have a straightforward answer for you.  The ability to live on $18 an hour depends on many factors.   Some factors it depends on are:If you have children or other dependents to support The cost of living for where you live Your favored lifestyle (luxurious versus simple) If you have roommates  If you have debt you are repaying If you have any other source of incomeProbably the biggest factor for if you can live on 18 dollars an hour is the cost of living for the area that you live in.   For example, $18 an hour will not go very far in expensive cities like New York or San Francisco.   But if you live in one of the cheapest cities in the U.S., like Amarillo, TX or Savannah, GA your chances of surviving on 18 dollars an hour are much greater.  Sample budget for 18 dollars an hour Here is a sample budget for $18 per hour.  I used the after-tax pay example from above for someone who files as married and lives in Arizona.   Keep in mind this monthly after-tax pay example does not include any other paycheck deductions that you may have (i.e. health insurance premiums, 401K contributions, HSA, and dependent care account contributions). Here is where the budget percentages came from. Jobs that pay 18 dollars an hour Pay rates and salaries vary significantly depending on where you live. So jobs that pay 18 dollars an hour near me will most likely have a different pay rate near you.   But, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has an occupation finder database you can use if you are looking for a different job with a specific pay rate range.  I used it to find jobs that have a pay range between $30,000 ($14.42 per hour) to $39,999 a year ($19.23 per hour).   Here are a few jobs I found in that pay range with the requirement of a high school diploma:Social and human services assistants First-line supervisors of food preparation Woodworkers Concierges Animal trainers Occupational therapy aides Healthcare support workers Medical secretaries and administrative assistants Ophthalmic laboratory technicians Billing clerks Opticians Animal control workers Bill and account collectors Pest control workers Pharmacy technicians Psychiatric aidesTips to live on 18 dollars an hour Here are some tips to help you live more comfortably when getting paid 18 dollars an hour.   Make a budget and stick to it You might be so sick of hearing the b-word!  Just about every personal finance guru I know of advocates for creating a budget.   And for good reason!  Having and sticking to a household budget is so important.  Because if you don’t have a budget, it is so easy to overspend. And overspending leads to debt.  And debt leads to living paycheck to paycheck.   If you need help creating your budget, check out Budgeting for Beginners in 6 Easy Steps. And if you need a bit more help, you can download my free printable budgeting workbook.  Here is what it includes:A cover page for your homemade budget binder A budgeting worksheet to help you organize your income and expenses A budget planner/template  A large list of expense categories to help you create your budgetYou can download your free budgeting workbook here. Reduce household expenses Working toward reducing your household expenses will help you to live below your means.  And there are lots of creative ways to cut your expenses.   But addressing a few of your largest monthly expenses is a good way to get results.  Here are some ideas: Housing or rent If you rent, maybe you could reduce your housing expense by finding a suitable roommate.  Or consider moving to a cheaper apartment.   If you own a home and have a mortgage, check to see if it makes sense to refinance to reduce your monthly payment, interest rate, and potentially the length of your loan term. If you have an extra bedroom, consider renting out the room.   Are you paying PMI (private mortgage insurance) because you put less than 20% down on your home?   Assess your situation to see if you can get it cancelled.  Check out this article that explains how.   Utilities Utility costs can get so expensive, especially with extreme weather temperatures.  But there are lots of ways to save money on your utility bills.   Here are a few:Install a programmable thermostat Replace old appliances with energy efficient ones Seal air leaks around doors or windows Use cellular shades, insulating curtains, and door draft stoppers Switch to CFL or LED light bulbs Hang some clothes to dry Turn off lights and unplug appliances Wash clothes in cold water Make sure your washing machine and dish washer are full before running Switch out your shower head to one that conserves water Turn down your hot water heaterCheck out these other posts for more ways to save money:21 Frugal Ways to Save Money on Beauty Products 22 Ways to Save Money on Your Next Beach Vacation 70+ Frugal Living Tips to Help You Spend Less Money 20 Ways to Save More Money Every MonthFood Your monthly food expense is probably one of your larger expense categories.  But it is also one of the easiest expenses to reduce. Meal planning is one of the best ways to reduce your monthly food budget.  If you are interested in learning more about meal planning check out these posts:Monthly Meal Planning for Beginners How to Create a Meal Planning Binder Easy Frugal Meals with 5 Ingredients or Less How to Stop Eating Out to Save Money Meal Planning on a Budget: The Ultimate GuideIf you have tried meal planning, like really, for real tried it, but you just haven’t been successful with it, you may want to try out $5 Meal Plan.   $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Then you can see for yourself how much money and time it can save you! Another great way to save money on food is by using Ibotta.   Ibotta is a cash-back app that is free to download and use.  It can be used at so many different stores like Walmart, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Kroger, and lots more! You just add the grocery offer to your account in the Ibotta app, take a picture of your receipt, and they deposit the money into your Ibotta account.   Ibotta can also be used with Walmart Grocery Pickup, even though you don’t get a receipt with Grocery Pickup.  That’s how we use it the most.   Before you start your grocery order on Walmart, you click on Walmart through the Ibotta app.  It redirects you and you start your shopping.   Once you pick up your groceries the money gets deposited into your Ibotta account.   If you don’t have Ibotta yet, you can sign up here. By signing up through my link, you can receive up to $20 in welcome bonuses!   Also if you use your laptop or desktop, Ibotta has a browser extension you can use instead of an app on your phone.  You can sign download the browser extension here.   There are lots of other ways to cut your monthly food costs. Check out some of my other posts for ways to save on food below.13 Easy Ways to Cut Food Expenses Dirt Cheap Meals for a Tight Food Budget Quick & Easy Lunch Ideas on a Budget Easy Ways to Reuse Leftover Food 10 Manly Lunch Ideas for Your HusbandEntertainment Entertainment is another expense that can quickly get out of hand.  But there are lots of free and cheap ways to have fun and spend time with your family.   You could create a bucket list of the things you would like to do that cost money.  Then each month pick one or two to do that fit into your entertainment budget. Fill in the rest of your family time with free or inexpensive activities.  If you are looking for cheap or inexpensive things to do, check out these posts:Frugal & Fun Things to do at Night with Family and Friends Inexpensive Ways to Spend Time with Mom 40 Budget Friendly Winter ActivitiesPayoff and avoid debt Paying off your debt and avoiding debt accumulation like the plague will help you live more comfortably on 18 dollars an hour.   As I mentioned above, accumulating debt leads to living paycheck to paycheck.  And living paycheck to paycheck can be super stressful.   So after you create a budget and find more ways to cut your spending on your monthly expenses, use that extra money to destroy your debt.   The key to getting rid of your debt is to develop an action plan to pay it down and then stick to your plan until your debt is gone.   I know this is easier said than done, especially when money is already so tight.  But I’m going to tell you it is possible! My husband and I are living proof that paying off a large amount of debt is possible.  And you can do it too.   Try having a talk with your partner to make sure you are on the same page with your spending habits.  Then develop your plan of action and get started.   If you would like some more tips for paying off debt and becoming financially sound, check out these posts:Valuable Tips for Becoming Financially Sound No-Spend Challenge guide: Rules and Tips for Success How to Improve Your Financial Wellness Tips to Help You Stop Living Paycheck to PaycheckBuild an emergency fund Increasing (or starting) your emergency fund will also help you live more comfortably on 18 dollars an hour.   Because when you have a good size emergency fund, you can handle those unexpected expenses that can pop up.   And if you can pay for those expenses without accumulating more debt, you will feel less stressed and overwhelmed with your situation.   Many financial experts advocate for having a 3-6 month emergency fund.  You could take some of that extra money from cutting your expenses and use it to boost your emergency fund.Ways to increase your income if 18 dollars an hour isn’t enough Maybe you would like to earn more than 18 dollars an hour because you don’t think that pay rate is cutting it for you.   Luckily there are plenty of ways for you to make extra money.  Some are pretty easy too! Here are a few ideas. Sell your stuff This is probably the quickest way to make extra money.  Just go through your home to find things you no longer want.   Try to find items that are of some value that someone else would be excited to own.  Determine the best way to sell the items. Then get them listed/up for sale.  Here are some different places you could sell your stuff:Yard sale  Craigslist  Poshmark Facebook Marketplace ThredUp eBayStart a side hustle Side hustles have become so popular.  Side hustles are ways to earn extra money while still working a full-time job.   There are tons of different side hustles to explore.  Try to find one that you enjoy that will fit into your schedule nicely.   This will help you stay motivated and consistent so you can make the extra money you want to make.   Here are a few side hustle ideas:Flip furniture Walk dogs or dog sit Babysit Teach private lessons (sports, music instruments, singing, swimming, cooking, etc) Start a blog Tutor Mow lawns/landscaping Interior design Sell baked goods Freelance writingAnd so many more!  For more ideas, check out these blog posts: Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month 50+Ways to Make Extra Money Take surveys Taking surveys won’t make you rich, but you could definitely earn enough to fill up your gas tank, pay extra on a bill, put into savings, or use toward whatever you need to.   The best thing about taking surveys is that you can do them from the comfort of your couch!  Here are 2 great survey companies: Survey Junkie Survey Junkie is an online market research community.  When you participate in Survey Junkie, you get to share your opinion to help brands improve their products.   After you complete surveys, you will earn virtual points that you can trade in for Paypal cash or e-Giftcards for places like Amazon or Target.   You can sign up for Survey Junkie here.   Swagbucks With Swagbucks, you earn points that you can trade in for PayPal Cash or gift cards just by taking surveys, shopping online, watching videos, and playing games.  You can earn gift cards for your favorite brands like Amazon, Walmart, Visa, Target, and more! Many Swagbucks members earn between $25 to $100 per month that they can use to save for a vacation, use for fun money, or cover expenses.   If you would like to check out or sign up for Swagbucks, you can do so here!   Ask for a raise or work overtime Another way to increase your earnings when you make 18 dollars an hour is to ask for a raise.  Above I gave you examples of what you could earn by getting two 3% cost of living raises while making 18 an hour.   But what if you could get an even larger raise just by asking? If you know you have been doing an awesome job at work and you are an asset to your employer, use that to your advantage when asking for a raise.   You could try pointing out all of the stellar qualities that make you stand out as an employee to make it impossible for your boss to say no.   Or you could ask to work overtime to make some extra money.  If you get paid time and a half for overtime pay, you would be making $27 dollars an hour if your regular pay rate is $18 an hour! Find a part-time job If you have exhausted your other options and need to make more money to supplement your $18 an hour pay, finding a part-time job may be the way to go.   However, if you can, try to be somewhat picky about what part-time job you take.   For example, finding a part-time job that pays 8 dollars an hour when you make $18 an hour at your day job is probably not a great idea. You might quickly realize that busting your hump for less pay when you are already tired from working your day job may not be worth it.   Final Thoughts Now that you know how much 18 dollars an hour is per year, you can make decisions regarding your budget and your spending habits that will help you reach your money goals. And if making $18 dollars an hour does not provide enough yearly income, there are many ways to save money on your expenses and to increase your income that will allow you to live the life you want to live. What is your favorite side hustle? Please let me know in the comments!

Chris Chris 13 Nov, 2021

20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month

Are you trying to figure out how to save more money every month? Are you living paycheck to paycheck? Is not having extra money to fall back on causing you stress and anxiety, which is making you lose sleep at night? You are definitely not alone. According to an article in the Washington Post, somewhere between 50-78% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck and 40% of Americans said they couldn’t cover an unexpected $400 expense. If this sounds like you, keep reading to learn some tips for how to save more money every month and stop living paycheck to paycheck. I put together a list of 20 ways you can squeeze a little more money out of your budget. Some reasons you may want to save more money every month are to:Start an emergency fund Pay for a home improvement Save for other big expenses, i.e. buying a car Stop living paycheck to paycheck Improve your psychological frame of mind by decreasing anxiety and stress Buy the perfect home for your family Take your family on a much needed vacation Increase time spent with your family by not working long hours Start a familyBut how are you going to squeeze extra money out of your budget when there isn’t any money left over at the end of the month you ask? This is where you might have to get a little creative. Let’s face it, times are tough and money is tight for many people. Keep reading to learn about some ways you can save more money every single month!Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you click and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products and services I use and love. Before I start telling you about my favorite ways to save more money every month, here are 2 things that you can do to help you figure out where you need to cut back. Track your spending In order to figure out where your money is going, you will need to keep track of what you are spending it on. Keep all of your receipts for a full month so you can see where each dollar is going. Write down everything you bought and total it up to see how much you spent. Sort your totals up into your budget categories so you can see which categories in your budget may need to be addressed. You will use the information you gather when you create (or review) your budget. Create a budget that works Now you will need to review your budget and fine-tune it, or if you don’t have one, you should create a budget. Use the information you gathered when you tracked your expenses to help you figure out which budget categories you are spending the most in. If you need help creating a budget, check out my blog post on budgeting. You can also download my budgeting workbook to help you get started. My workbook includes an extensive list of budget categories to help you get organized. Now that you have a budget, it’s time to scrutinize it even further! Congrats if your income covers all of your expenses in your budget! If your income does not cover all of your expenses, you will definitely need to find ways to save more money every month.20 Ways to Save More Money Every Month Take a look at your food budget After housing expenses, such as your mortgage or rent, the money you spend on food is often the next largest category in your budget and the easiest to bust! If your food budget is getting out of control, take a look at the post I wrote on cutting food expenses. There are many ways to reduce food spending. I will be going into detail about some of the major ways below. Other smaller ways to save more money on food are shopping at discount food stores, buying generic/store brands, using loyalty cards, shopping no more than once per week, and stocking up during sales. Meal plan so you can eat at home more often Meal planning has saved us so much money and it can save you so much money also! When you first start, meal planning takes some time and effort until you figure out a system that works for you. However, once you figure out what works for your family and what meals your family loves, it’s just a matter of coming up with a rotation for them. It can save you so much time, money, and stress. I love to do monthly meal planning. Essentially I plan meals for 4 weeks at a time and shop for groceries every 2 weeks. If you would like to learn how I do our monthly meal planning, you can read about it here. If you are struggling with coming up with a meal rotation when meal planning, you could try using dinner theme nights. Check out my post on meal planning with dinner theme nights if you would like some ideas. Related Posts:Tips to Stop Eating Out to Save Money 12 Quick and Easy Ways to Reuse Leftovers How to Create a Meal Planning Binder Easy and Dirt Cheap Meals for a Tight Food Budget Ultimate Guide to Meal Planning on a BudgetHelpful Tip: If you absolutely hate meal planning or you have tried it and you just can’t seem to figure out a system that works for you, you should take a look at $5 Meal Plan. $5 Meal Plan is a meal plan service that sends you weekly meal plans right to your inbox and the grocery list for the meal plan already done for you!   All you have to do is check off the things you already have and head to the grocery store to get the rest. Most of the meals work out to be around $2 per person.  And it’s only $5 a month!   So if you would like to check it out, they have a free 14-day trial you can sign up for here.   Then you can see for yourself how much money and time it can save you! Pack your lunch Pack your lunch for work so you won’t have to buy it a few days per week (or every day if you are super motivated). Try to stop your coffee buying habits or cut back on buying your morning coffee to only once or twice a week. If you are trying to get motivated to start packing your lunch, how about buying a cute new lunch bag to use? I love the ones like this that have the shoulder straps to keep my hands free. It will pay for itself many times over when you bring your lunch from home and stop ordering out or going out for lunch. There are many cheap and easy lunch options you could try. Personally I usually just take oatmeal and a hardboiled egg or cottage cheese and fruit. I also take crackers, pretzels, almonds, or other similar foods to eat if I am still hungry or need a snack at work. Other options are sandwiches, canned soup, leftovers, garden salads, & tuna, chicken, or egg salad with crackers. You could also prep your lunches on Sunday for the whole week and not have to think about it again until the following Sunday! If you don’t have access to a microwave and are getting tired of cold sandwiches or cold food, try one of these for keeping soups and leftovers warm. My husband is on the road for his work all day and was getting tired of sandwiches day after day. He got one for Christmas and absolutely loves it. Related Posts:Manly Lunch Ideas for Your Husband to Save Money Quick and Easy Lunch Ideas on a Budget for Work How to Save Money by Taking Your Lunch to WorkUse money saving apps You can definitely save money every month by using money-saving apps on your phone. The main one we use and love is Ibotta. Ibotta is a cashback app that is 100% free to download and use and there are no subscriptions fees. New users can also receive $20 in welcome bonuses by using this link to sign up! Ibotta can also be used in conjunction with Walmart Grocery Pickup. You just have to go through the Ibotta app first to pick the offers you want to use and then it directs you to your Walmart grocery account to log in. My favorite thing is that Ibotta has some offers that do not require you to buy a particular brand. So we use these offers and purchase Walmart’s store brand to save more money! If you don't have Ibotta, you can sign up here! Join a wholesale club Try joining a wholesale club and buying in bulk to save more money every month.  We are members of Sam’s Club and buy many of the foods we eat for dinner there. We stock up on things like tilapia, salmon, chicken breasts, meatballs, ravioli, and steaks. We have also even purchased a large cut of pork at Sam’s Club and my husband learned how to carve it up into several meals of pork chops, a roast, and country-style ribs. We then freeze all of it into portions suitable for a meal. We stock up there once every 12-14 weeks. Not only do we save on our grocery bill by buying in bulk, but they also have discounted prices on gas too. Most of the time it’s around 20 cents cheaper per gallon than the other gas stations in our area. That can really add up if you drive a lot during the week. For us, the cost of the membership ends up paying for itself through the gas discount, buying in bulk, and decreasing the number of times we have to go to the grocery store. Just be sure if you do start buying in bulk that you take a look at the price per unit of the items you want to buy. Usually, it is cheaper to buy in bulk, however, sometimes there are better deals on items when purchased on sale in other places. Use coupons Use coupons or buy generic/store brands to save more money every month. And I’m not talking about using coupons for food either. Yes, if you have the time to find and cut coupons out for groceries, they sure can save you money. But don't forget about coupons for toiletries and beauty products! Those are the only items I will cut coupons for now. I don’t clip food coupons anymore. I prefer to buy generic or store-brand grocery items. Many times the store brand ends up being the same cost or cheaper than the name brand with a coupon. That's a win-win in my book! Cheaper groceries without spending time on clipping coupons…yes, please! Also, don't forget to look for coupons for restaurants and stores. Stay organized and keep track of your coupons by having a designated folder to stash any store coupons or restaurant coupons you get in the mail. Check your mortgage interest rate If you have a mortgage, take a look at your mortgage interest rate. If you have enough equity in your home and mortgage rates have dropped drastically since you bought your home, it may benefit you to look into refinancing. This could potentially lower your monthly payments helping you save more money every month, decrease the amount of interest you pay overall on the life of your loan, and you could end up paying off your mortgage sooner!Shop around for insurance Shopping around for homeowners insurance, renters insurance, car insurance, and life insurance are huge money savers and can help you save more money every month. Plus, many insurance companies will give you discounts for buying multiple insurance types through them. Refinance and/or consolidate your loans If you have substantial loans, you may want to consider consolidating or refinancing them, if it makes sense to do so. Make sure you read all the fine print of your loan agreement (especially student loans) before you do anything to ensure what you are thinking of doing will actually help your situation.  Work on lowering your utility bills Utility bills can get out of hand. Make it a point to scrutinize how you are using each of your utilities to see if you can reduce your monthly bills. Here are some ideas to think about that could help you save more money every month:Adjust your thermostat or have a programmable thermostat installed Use ceiling fans Use insulating curtains or cellular shades Fix drafty doors or use door draft stopper Turn off lights Unplug unused appliances Hang some clothes to dry Fix leaky faucets Take shorter showers or set timers for kidsReduce television expenses You could reduce television expenses by totally getting rid of cable. If that is not an option (like it isn’t for us because of my husband’s sports-watching addiction), reduce the number of channels you have. If you are already at the bare minimum number of channels, sometimes a phone call to the cable company will help you get a lower rate if they have special promotions running. Don’t give up! If you call your cable company and the person you talk to that day tells you there are no promotions available, call back another day. Sometimes we have to call and threaten to cancel our cable services multiple times before we get someone that can help us.  It’s unfortunate to have to do that (and annoying), but sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do! There are many different streaming services available that could satisfy your tv needs so that you could get rid of your cable altogether. Or maybe you could even be happy with just an antenna! Reducing your tv expenses will definitely help you save more money every month. Cancel subscriptions Stop unused or unneeded subscriptions. Do you have any monthly subscriptions services you could do without? Maybe you have a satellite radio subscription for your car but no longer need it. Or maybe you still get a magazine sent to your home and you no longer have time to read it. Take a look at your credit card statement to make sure there is nothing being automatically billed to it that you don’t use or need anymore.Work out at home Gym memberships can be pricey. If you can figure out how to get your workouts in at home, you could save the money you would have spent on the gym membership. Try checking your phone for workout apps. My friend told me about an app called “FitOn,” which I have been using to break up my run days and strength training sessions. It's a free app that has a huge variety of workout types for all different levels of fitness. Have a no spend challenge Try to have a “no spending” week or month to save money. Challenge yourself and your family to not spend any money on anything besides the essentials for a specific amount of time. If you would like to learn more about how to do a no-spend challenge, also called a spending freeze, you can read about it here. Save on home décor This is for those people who love spending money on home decorating items (guilty here).  Try “shopping your home” to satisfy your desire to buy some new home décor to save more money every month. Do you have a storage area for your surplus of home décor? Check that out before you go shopping to see if you already have something that would work for your needs. Sometimes just moving décor to a different room to create new vignettes is all you need to satisfy the urge to buy new things. Try rearranging your furniture too! Or check out the home décor sections of your local thrift stores instead of buying new items. You never know what you might find. Do your own self-care at home If you can do some of your own self are at home, you could save more money every month. Things like basic manicures and pedicures, facials, & waxing could potentially be done at home. You could also learn to cut your kids' and husband's hair to save money. Ever since COVID, we have been cutting our kids' hair and we figure it saves us around $30 a month.Take a look at your cell phone plan Shopping around for a cheaper cell phone plan can help you save more money every month. Just to give you an example, I was using a cell phone plan called Ting for a while and my bills were $20-$30 per month depending on my usage. I thought this was really cheap! However, when it was time for a new phone (don’t leave your phone on top of your car and drive off in the rain!) I found out that my cable company has cell phone plans for $12 per month. Definitely a score there! Entertain at home Instead of heading out to a bar or restaurant to meet up with your friends, how about inviting them over to hang out? Everyone could bring their favorite beverage or dish and you could have a tasting party. Other ideas for entertainment at home are having movie nights, video game nights, bonfires, & board game nights. Related Posts:Frugal & Fun Things to do at Night with Family & Friends Inexpensive Ways to Spend Time with Mom 40 Budget-Friendly Winter ActivitiesPlan out errands to limit driving Got lots of errands to do? I feel like that’s all we do on weekends because we are so busy during the week. Sometimes a little planning can help you save more money. Figure out the best route before you go to save on gas and wear and tear on your car. Wait 3 days before buying something Impulse spending is a huge budget breaker. If you are at a store and see something you think you want, try waiting a few days to see if you still really want it. After waiting you may find that you really don’t want it after all. Or if you do still want it, you can do research to see if you can find the item cheaper elsewhere, or maybe you can find something comparable to the item you want that costs less. Final Thoughts on How to Save More Money Every Month Using some of these tips can definitely help you find some extra wiggle room in your monthly budget. Then you could use that extra money to work toward your financial goals However, if your expenses are still the same as or higher than your income even after finding ways to save more money every month, you may have to find ways to increase your income. Sometimes you have to explore your options to bring in a side income or start a side hustle. There are tons of options for bringing in more money. If you would like some ideas on how to make extra money, here are 2 posts you could check out:Realistic Ways to Make an Extra $500 a Month 50+ Ways to Make Extra Money to Stop Living Paycheck to PaycheckDo you have any other ideas for “finding” extra money in your budget? Please leave me a comment to let me know!

Chris Chris 23 Oct, 2021