October 2017 - I Heart Frugal

Month: October 2017

10 Frugal Thanksgiving Recipes That Will Warm Your Hearts

10 Frugal Thanksgiving Recipes That Will Warm Your Heart

Let me just say, I LOVE Thanksgiving food and I always stuff myself to the point of no return! I have hosted Thanksgiving a few times and it is hard work with a lot of fun and family mixed in. We are not hosting this year, but I am still planning on cooking a small Thanksgiving dinner for my family to enjoy together. With that being said, I am not a huge fan of spending over my budget for one meal.

Some ideas to save money this Thanksgiving include serving frugal side dishes and waiting to buy your turkey until one of your favorite stores has a sale – most do around this time of the year. If you are hosting, make it a potluck style dinner and all of your guests can bring a side dish or dessert to share and you can cook the main dish, turkey.  Nonetheless, if you decide to cook everything it is a MUST cook up some side dishes that will not break the bank!

I have compiled a roundup of frugal Thanksgiving dishes from some of my favorite food sites to help you on your money-saving quest.  If you are playing hostess, know that you can keep your budget in check and still make a delicious spread. Here’s to you and your family enjoying Thanksgiving and worrying less about your bills!


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Blogging Progress (in the early stages)

One Year Blogging + 5 Best Blogging Tips One year of blogging has come and gone! It has been an amazing ride and I have learned so much along the way! As I move forward, I am really focused and ready and I want to thank all you for joining me thus far!

Blogging is such an amazing journey! I mean, I get to write about a subject I love, SAVING MONEY and make a real connection with people by helping them with budgeting. Nonetheless, I chose personal finance because I have always loved budgeting and bargain shopping and have been pretty smart with my money thus far! (I think Suzie Orman would give my husband and me an A.) We have paid off over $100,000 combined worth of debt (mostly being student loans) because we believe in the value of living debt-free and being smart with our money! Finding a hubby with similar money values was a win-win for me (love ya, hubby).

Blogging is also an awesome side hustle for me since I am a stay-at-home (well I guess I can now be called a work-at-home) mom of two young boys, ages five and three! It has given me a hobby, I can call my own (instead of always being M-O-M – picture someone yelling that loudly about every five minutes – ha!) and I have made a little extra income with my blog, so for that, I am thankful!

If you are interested in starting a blog, check out my free tutorial! Do some soul-searching and find your passion! Then start writing! Honestly, I was so nervous about starting a blog but I am so glad I did! It has been a fun way to stay busy and I love learning about all the fun, creative things you can do with blogging! I would have to say my favorite thing about blogging is creating pins in Canva and writing, of course!

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20 Ridiculously Useful Teacher Gifts For Any Budget


Teacher gift roundup

I often have people ask me, “What does a teacher want for Christmas.” Why would they ask me this? Well, I used to be a teacher. For thirteen years I worked as a special education teacher with kids from preschool up to middle school. So today you get the inside scoop! I can definitely give you some thoughtful ideas that your kid’s teacher will love and appreciate.

Let me start by saying, I never expected anyone to give me a gift at Christmas time when I was a teacher. I worked in a low-income school district and gifts for teachers were not the norm. I also taught middle school, so at this age, it is difficult to buy all five to seven of your kid’s teachers a gift. I think teacher gifts are more common in preschool and elementary and lucky for you, I taught all the above.

I find one easy way to stick to my budget during the Holiday’s is to shop early and make a list with my budget included! Below you will find gifts that fit any budget and I suggest buying your teacher gifts first because you will be giving these out before Christmas. All of the gifts below will also work for the end of the year or teacher appreciation gifts.

If you are stuck on what to give your kid’s teacher this year keep reading and there will surely be something you can buy and feel good about to thank them for all of their hard work.

Life Lesson

It is so nice to teach your child the value of giving instead of only wanting “stuff” during the Holiday time, and this is surely one way to teach it. Kids like to give and it makes them feel good about themselves. One of my son’s favorite parts of visiting the firehouse over the summer was giving the firefighter donuts! Also, every time we gave my older son’s teacher a gift, I allowed him to hand it to her and see the smile on her face. This put a big grin on my son’s face too and kept warm fuzzy Holiday feeling alive!

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Lyft: How to Earn Easy Money With Your Car

Is Lyft worth your time?

Lyft - Earn Money with Your Car

Lyft is the new Uber! It is the same concept, but different company. Do you own a car? What about a smartphone? You could be making some extra dough on your free time! The beauty of Lyft is that you aren’t applying for a job (although they will do a background check). You are signing up to drive and making your own hours. It is an easy concept!

What if you were already driving to the airport anyway? Why not pick someone up and help pay for the cost of your gas and make a little on the side? You could use this reasoning anytime you go somewhere – if you feel like it. You choose your own hours and keep your tips!

I do not drive for Lyft, but I have had the pleasure of using this service around ten times and talking with the drivers each time, so I am going to give you the skinny on what drivers are saying and why you should consider using this service as a driver (think more money) or a rider (think cheaper than a taxi). I’m also excited to announce one of my best friends just started driving for Lyft so we will hear from her as well!

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Best Money Quotes to Build Your Wealth Series – 3

Money Quote - Thomas Edison
Money Quote – Thomas Edison

I am back today with another money quote and this one by Thomas Edison is a good one! There are so many opportunities in today’s world and there are more ways to make money than ever before. We are in the age of technology and the Internet. Hence, the opportunities are endless. We often hear people talk about their “Side Hustle” and how they work so hard to get ahead.  However, there are the people out there that miss out on these opportunities because they are afraid of pulling up their overalls for a hard day’s work.

Did you know in the United States alone there are $10.8 millionaires (CNBC.com article)? This number struck me as HUGE but the most interesting part is that many of these millionaires are self-made. No, they did not grow up with money, my friends. They got out of bed every morning and hustled! They found opportunities to create wealth and did not give up. Many millionaires failed over and over! But the difference between the millionaire mindset and the average Joe is perseverance and learning from failure.  Just look at Bill Gates. He started out with nothing and became one of the richest men in the world. There is something to be said for the self-made millionaire and work ethic!

Check out my Money Quote #1 and Money Quote #2

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