Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Stop stalling and start working… and more...

Money Saving Mom

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:: Stop stalling and start working…

Stop stalling

Have you purchased your copy of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode yet? Get the book here!

(Note: The links in this post are affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy here.)


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:: SavedPlus: Save Money When You Shop + Try it and Get a $15 Savings Bonus

SavedPlus

Need a little discipline to help you put money in your savings account? SavedPlus is an app that helps you automatically build your savings when you shop. Here’s how it works:

SavedPlus

  1. Download the SavedPlus app to your smartphone, or use it online at SavedPlus.com.
  2. Register with SavedPlus.
  3. Set the savings slider. Decide how much you want to save every time you spend. 5% to 20% of your purchase amount will be automatically transferred from your checking to your savings account.
  4. Link your bank accounts to SavedPlus. SavedPlus is bank independent and should work with any bank that offers online banking.
  5. Choose your source and destination accounts. If you have more than one checking or savings account, you’ll choose the accounts you’d like to use with SavedPlus. You can set your savings to deposit into a traditional savings account, a money market account, or even long-term savings like a 401(k) or an IRA.
  6. Set your savings goals. Save for your emergency fund, a college fund, debt retirement, and more.
  7. Track your savings and adjust your settings. You can log in and track your progress or adjust your savings slider anytime through the app or online at SavedPlus.com.

SavedPlus

Get a $15 Bonus!

For a limited time, you can get a free $15 savings account bonus when you sign up for SavedPlus using the promo code promo10. To get this offer, you’ll need to install and link your bank accounts to the SavedPlus app. Your $15 savings account bonus should be deposited within a week.

 

This post was underwritten by SavedPlus. See our disclosure policy here.


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21 Days to a More Disciplined Life

:: Gretchen’s Walgreens Shopping Trip: Spent $5.16

DSC_0056

Walgreens Shopping Trip

Transaction #1

2 Mitchum Deodorant - $3 each (Buy 2, Get $4 Register Rewards)
Used 2 $2/1 coupon from the 1/12 SmartSource insert

1 Christmas Tree Ornament – Marked down to $0.10

Redeemed 1,000 points (like $1) from previous shopping trip

Tax: $0.44

Paid $1.54 out of pocket, Received $4 Register Rewards

Transaction #2

2 Colgate Total Advanced – $3 each (Buy 2, Get $4 Register Rewards)
Used 2 $0.75/1 coupon from the 2/2 SmartSource insert

1 Christmas Tree Ornament – Marked down tot $0.10

Used $4 Register Rewards from Transaction #1

Tax: $0.44

Paid $1.04, Received $4 Register Rewards plus 300 points (from Walgreens Winter Beauty Event)

Transaction #3

2 Axe Body Spray at $5.49 – On Sale Buy One Get One 50% off (Buy 2, Earn 2,000 Balance Rewards Points)
Used 2 $2/1 coupon from the 1/26 RedPlum insert

1 Rockstar Energy Drink – $1 (Buy 1, Get $1 Register Rewards)

1 Russell Stover Valentine Chocolate – $0.39 with in-ad coupon

Used $4 RR from Transaction #2

Tax: $0.59

Paid $0.86, Received 2,000 points and $1 Register Rewards plus 350 points (from Walgreens Winter Beauty Event)

Transaction #4

1 Scope Mouthwash 1 L - $3.49 (Buy 1, Get $2 Register Rewards)
Used $1/1 coupon from the 2/9 RedPlum insert

Redeemed 2,000 Balance Rewards Points from Transaction #3

Tax: $0.25

Paid $0.74, Received $2 Register Rewards

Transaction #5

2 Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo - $2.69 each (Buy 2, Earn 2,000 Balance Rewards Points)
Used 2 $1.50/1 coupon from the 1/26 RedPlum insert

2 Christmas Tree Ornaments – Marked down to $0.10 each

Used $2 Register Rewards from Transaction #4

Tax: $0.40

Paid $0.98, Earned 2,000 Balance Rewards Points plus 250 points (from Walgreens Winter Beauty Event)

Total for all transactions: $5.16, plus $1 Register Rewards and 2,850 points (like $2.85) leftover


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:: Q&A: What do I do when I get thrown off my routine?

How do I get back on track when I get off my routine?

As I am reading your book, Say Goodbye to Survival Mode, I am trying to do one thing at a time… I began to implement a morning routine. That worked for about 2 days. We had to put my kids (ages 1 and 5) in the same room to sleep, as we are renovating the room my youngest was in. Now, the older one falls asleep sooner, and gets up an hour earlier. When she opens the door to the room to come out, she wakes my youngest up, too.

So they are both awake an hour earlier than normal and my routine doesn’t work. Since I am not a morning person, simply pushing my wake up time back an hour is an agonizing thought, though it may be what I have to do.

My question is this: this happens to me in some form or fashion ALL THE TIME. I struggle to get a routine, then once I get one and settle in to it, a wrinkle comes and throws it off. I get out of my groove and consequently seem to never find it again.

Do you have any suggestions for getting back into the routine (for whatever area) after I get out of it? I thrive on order, but cannot seem to keep it. -Kasie

Oh, Kasie! I so know this feeling — and I think many others can relate, too! Here are some ideas I had after reading your email:

1. Make Sure You’re Not Biting Off Too Much

After years of trial and error, I realized that the reason I was failing at my goals and ambitions was because I was trying to take on more than I could handle.

So step back and evaluate your morning routine (or whatever area you’re trying to change) and make sure you’re not biting off more than you can chew. Maybe just start with getting up 10 or 15 minutes earlier and doing one thing, every single morning.

This might seem discouraging because it feels so small, but starting somewhere and doing something is better than trying to overhaul your life overnight and ending up burnt out and overwhelmed. In addition, if you make tiny little steps in the right direction, they’ll add up to big progress over time.

How do I get back on track after I've gotten off my routine?

2. Get an Accountability Partner

It’s amazing what a difference accountability can make! Think about running a race: if you have people running alongside you and cheering you on the sidelines, you’re going to have much more motivation to keep going and stick with it.

It’s the same in our lives: if we want to stay the course and follow through with our goals, we’ve got to be intentional about finding accountability partners and surrounding ourselves with cheerleaders.

Maybe ask a few friends who also want to make some small and steady progress in areas in their own lives to keep you accountable to stick with your morning routine. Text, call, or email them to check in on a daily or weekly basis. If you have a blog or Facebook account, you can also post your goals and progress there. I’ve found public accountability to be extremely helpful.

3. Ask a Trusted Friend for Ideas & Encouragement

In addition to having accountability partners and cheerleaders, I’ve found it’s imperative to have people in my life to bounce ideas off of and who can give me wise counsel. Find a few people that you can be 100% honest and vulnerable with about areas in your life you’re struggling with. These should be people who are committed to you, who will celebrate your successes, and who will love you enough to speak the truth to you when you need to hear it.

Ask these people for their advice and input when you’re having difficulty in a particular area. They will know you and your situation well and can give you counsel that’s tailored to your needs and specific situation. They’ll also be there to encourage you when you are feeling like you’ve fallen off the bandwagon and can help you get back up when you’ve fallen.

How to stay on track when you get off your routine?

A Few Practical Ideas That May or May Not Work For You:

  • Switch Most of Your Morning Routine to the Evening: Can you switch some of your morning routine to before bed to simplify your morning routine?
  • Give Your Children Something to Do in Their Rooms: Could your children have a special basket of toys they could play with in their room if they wake up early to give you an extra 20 or 30 minutes to
  • Have Your Children Join You in the Routines: Could your children join you in your morning routine if they wake up early?
  • Try Getting Up Earlier for Three Weeks: I know you said you are not a morning person, but maybe consider going to bed a little earlier and getting up a little earlier for three weeks to see if it works for you?

What advice or ideas do the rest of you have for Kasie?

photo credit; photo credit: photo credit


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:: This Week’s Menu Plan + Freezer Cooking in an Hour Plan

Build Your Own Haystacks

Breakfasts

Oatmeal, Cereal, Eggs, and/or Fruit

Lunches

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

Snacks

Fruit/veggies
Popcorn
Boiled eggs
Butterscotch Brownies

cinnamonswirlbread_zpsb298daf7

Freezer Cooking in an Hour Plan

No Bake Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Ham & Cheese Pockets

Homemade Pizza

Dinners

Homemade Pizza, veggies, fruit
Slow Cooker Southwest Soup, Homemade Soft Pretzels, fruit
Breakfast for Dinner: Pancakes from the Freezer, scrambled eggs, fruit
Build Your Own Haystacks, fruit
Ham & Cheese Pockets, Fruit
Dinner at our church’s Valentine’s Banquet
Dinner out (We’re going to Oklahoma City as a family for a fun getaway trip and are planning to use our gift card to The Cheesecake Factory that we got as a Christmas gift one of the nights!}

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


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:: 10 Goals For This Week

10 Weekly Goals

Last Week's Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Read 4 chapters of Missionary Adventures of Bob & Arty aloud to the girls. Read 4 chapters of A Big Year for Lily to Kaitlynn. Read a few picture books with Silas.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

3. Clean out 4 drawers in our bedroom/bathroom.

4. Make Little House Inspired Molasses Candy with the kids.

Molasses Snow Candy

See our Molasses Candy pictures and how it turned out here.

Personal Goals

5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-27.

6. Complete five days of the P90X Program.

7. Read Sarah's Key, Eat Move Sleep, Samson, Undaunted, and On Every Side.

8. Finish embroidery quilt square project. Make this Knit Headband.

Blog/Business Goals

9. Record the audiobook version of Say Goodbye to Survival Mode. {I finished two days of recording and am 2/3rd of the way through the book. I have 1/3 of it left and plan to finish recording that this Friday. You can see a little behind-the-scenes photo collage on my Instagram page.}

10. Write three content pieces for my blog.

This Week's Goals:

Marriage/Mothering/Homemaking Goals

1. Read 4 chapters of Missionary Adventures of Bob & Arty aloud to the girls. Read 4 chapters of A Big Year for Lily to Kaitlynn. Read a few picture books with Silas.

2. Write a love note to Jesse.

3. Clean out 2 drawers in our bedroom/bathroom.

4. Take a family overnight trip to Oklahoma City.

Personal Goals

5. Work on memorizing & reviewing Romans 1:1-28.

6. Complete four days of the P90X Program.

7. Read Sarah's Key, Samson, On Every Side.

8. Finish embroidery quilt square project. Make this Knit Headband.

Blog/Business Goals

9. Put together details for a download for March’s 4 Weeks to a More Organized Home Challenge.

10. Write three content pieces for my blog.

How did you do on last week's goals? What are your goals for this week? I'd love to have you share your progress on last week's goals and your goals for this coming week in the comments. Of, if you've blogged about it, leave your direct link below. Let's cheer each other on to live purposeful and productive lives! You can download a free customizable weekly goal-planning sheet here.

 


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