Saturday, January 14, 2023

Why you should prep your proteins every week and more...

“Prep your proteins.” I loved having Jen Schmidt from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam on my Time-Saving Mom IG live show this week. She shared that one simple thing she did for years was to start her week and her day by making sure she had meat cooked ...
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Intentional finance. Intentional family. Intentional business.

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Why you should prep your proteins every week

“Prep your proteins.” I loved having Jen Schmidt from Balancing Beauty and Bedlam on my Time-Saving Mom IG live show this week.

She shared that one simple thing she did for years was to start her week and her day by making sure she had meat cooked and meals planned. This one thing made such a difference in her life — even though it might seem so small.

Jen is not a systems girl; she’s more the spontaneous type. And in this life we explored how using your time intentionally doesn’t mean you have to be super organized or scheduled. It starts with the heart!

In this live she also talked about:

➡ 2 things she does every night before bed.

➡ What she does every Thursday that helps her stay motivated and tackle projects she’d rather avoid!

➡ Why it’s worth it to prioritize friendships — even if life feels messy.

➡ How setting expectations for their kids helped their days go more smoothly.

➡ Why her adult kids don’t have social media right now and something her son did recently to keep them accountable.

➡ The reason so many moms feel overwhelmed and what to do about it.

I am so grateful to Jen for the example and inspiration she’s been to me over the years — especially when it comes to hospitality. As I share on this life, her book, Just Open the Door, was a huge catalyst for us fostering and adopting — even though the book has nothing to do with those things! But her encouragement to get brave and open our door ultimately led to our lives being changed in the most beautiful ways!

Watch or listen to our conversation here.

P.S. Follow @becomingcottage to see her renovation project and heart for opening up her doors to bless others in this nonprofit hospitality space.

Want more time-saving strategies and practical ideas? My new book, The Time-Saving Mom comes out in March and it’s packed with all my best tips and the foundational systems and principles I use to juggle a lot, enjoy my life, and accomplish what matters most! Order it here.

   
 

Fetch Rewards App: Earn Cash for Scanning Receipts! (Plus Get $3 When You Sign Up!)

Looking for honest Fetch Rewards reviews? I have fallen in love with the Fetch Rewards app because of how easy it is to use to save money on groceries!

{Psst! Trying to save money on groceries? Check out these 10 Easy Ways to Cut Your Grocery Bill!}

Want to make a little extra money from scanning your grocery receipts? Fetch Rewards is an app that allows you to earn free gift cards to Amazon, Panera, Barnes & Noble, and so much more — just for scanning your grocery receipts. (Psst! You can now also redeem eReceipts to earn points for online purchases, too!)

That’s right! All you have to do is open up the app and literally take a picture of your grocery store receipt and hit submit and you’ll get points back! You can cash in these points for fantastic gift cards to help you stretch your budget a little further OR be able to afford some fun splurges!

And they have it for iOS or Android!

7 Reasons I Love the Fetch Rewards App

If you’re looking for really honest Fetch Rewards reviews, here are 7 reasons why I have truly fallen in love with the Fetch Rewards app:

1. You Can Scan ANY Grocery Store Receipt

Any and all grocery store receipts qualify — including receipts from Aldi and Dollar Tree! (You can now also redeem eReceipts to earn points for online purchases, too!)

2. You Can Scan Up to 35 Receipts Per Week

This is great if you make multiple grocery shopping trips in a week or you save your receipts and then scan them all in at once (you have up to 14 days to scan in your receipt from the day you went shopping).

3. You Earn Points On Every Receipt

While they have various items you can purchase to earn bonus points, no matter what you bought, if you scan your receipt, you’ll get 25 points just for scanning your receipt! It adds up really quickly!

4. You Don’t Have to Mess With Scanning Bar Codes

Unlike some of the other rebate apps, you don’t have to mess with finding the offers and checking the boxes for them or scanning the barcodes on the individual items. You just scan your receipt, they automatically add the points to your account, and you’re done!

5. You Earn Bonus Points for Referring People

Fetch Rewards offers a great referral program and you can earn 4,000 points for every person you refer who signs up with your code and then scans a receipt. Spread the word about this great app and they’ll reward you for doing so!

6. You Don’t Have to Earn a Minimum Before Cashing Out

There’s no need to wait until you’ve hit a $25 payout with Fetch Rewards! As soon as you have 3,000 points, you can cash that in for a $3 Amazon, Panera, or Target gift card! When you hit 5,000 points, there are over 50 gift card rewards to choose from!

7. You Get the Gift Cards Almost Immediately!

Best of all, when you request a gift card reward, they will email it to you and give you access to it within a minute or two!

Fetch Rewards Gift Cards

How Much Can You Actually Earn with the Fetch Rewards App?

You won’t earn a TON of money for scanning receipts, but every little bit adds up! And since it only take seconds to scan my receipt, it’s so worth it!

Most people report earning more points in the beginning and then earning fewer points the longer you’ve been using the app. But hey, all points are free money in my book, so I’ll take them!

This is a great way to stretch your grocery budget each month. Or it might be fun to set aside all of the money you’ve earned in a year and use it for Christmas gifts or one larger purchase.

Fetch Rewards Code: Earn 3,000 Points When You Sign Up!

Want to join me in this fun journey to earning free gift cards just for scanning your grocery receipts?

Right now you can get a BONUS 3,000 points when you sign up through this link and submit your first receipt! (Android user? Sign up here.) That’s a FREE $3 gift card just for signing up and trying it once!

Looking for other apps where you can earn money or gift cards for free? I recommend Ibotta, Shopkick, Upside, CoinOut, and Swagbucks.

Have you tried this app? I’d love to hear your Fetch Rewards reviews in the comments!

   
 

Brigette’s $95 Grocery Shopping Post and Weekly Menu Plan for 6

My older sister, Brigette, shares her shopping trips and menu plans every week! You can go HERE to see all of her weekly menu plans and you can go HERE to read all about her family!

Aldi

2 heads Romaine Lettuce – $5.98

3 bags frozen Broccoli Florets – $2.85

1 10-lb bag Russet Potatoes – $4.99

2 3-ct pkgs Multi-Colored Peppers – $4.98

1 large tub Organic Salad Mix – $5.98

1 3-ct pkg Green Peppers – $1.69

1 pkg Zucchini – $2.19

1 carton Grape Tomatoes – $1.69

1 bunch Bananas – $0.87

2 cans Green Beans – $1.14

3 Cauliflower – $4.47

1 Spaghetti Squash ($0.79/lb) – $3.39

2 Butternut Squash ($0.79/lb) – $2.19

2 loaves Sandwich Bread – $1.98

1 pkg Tortillas – $1.79

1 bag Tortillas Chips – $1.79

1 bag Organic Multigrain Chips $2.99

1 32-oz box Spaghetti – $1.09

1 pkg boneless Chicken Breasts ($2.49/lb) – $14.42

1 16-oz pkg Deli Meat – $3.99

1 8-oz pkg Sliced Cheese – $1.99

1 16-oz bag Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – $2.99

1 16-oz bag Shredded Cheddar Cheese – $2.99

1 32-oz carton Plain Greek Yogurt – $3.09

1 gallon Orange Juice – $4.49

1 gallon Whole Milk – $2.49

1 jar Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ Sauce – $2.09

1 jar Ketchup – $1.99

1 large Canister Oats – $2.19

Total: $95.13

Someone with pecan trees gave us a HUGE box of cracked pecans. I spent hours digging and sorting and cracking my way through that box! This was what I ended up with – each of these bags weighs a little more than a pound.

Grocery Total for the Week: $95.13

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Blueberry Pecan Muffins, Yogurt, Smoothies, Oatmeal with Pecans, Toast with Homemade Jam

Lunches

Cheese Quesadillas, Cauliflower with Dip, Bananas/Blueberries x 2

Deli Meat/Cheese Sandwiches, Chips, Peppers, Apples x 2

Leftovers x 3

Dinners

Venison BBQ Meatballs, Baked Potatoes, Tossed Salad, Green Beans

Chicken Gravy over Rice, Broccoli

Build-Your-Own-Taco Salad (Shredded Romaine, Seasoned Ground Venison, Black Beans, Plain Greek Yogurt, Tomatoes, Shredded Cheese, Chips, Tortillas, Salsa), Roasted Butternut Squash

Baked Chicken, Roasted Cauliflower, Biscuits, Tossed Salad

Venison Sausage and Sauce over Pasta, Spaghetti Squash, Tossed Salad

Honey Baked Ham with Sides (using a gift card we got for Christmas)

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Mashed Cauliflower, Buttered Rice

   
 
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