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How I Earned an Extra $250 for Christmas Shopping


Make $250 for Christmas Shopping
Make $250 for Christmas Shopping

Make $250 for Christmas (or anytime) – Money Making Ideas

*This post contains affiliate links! If you click on or use my codes I will be compensated and will be very grateful, but if you choose not to(I’m not pushy), please enjoy and use the information!!

Christmas time can be such a fun time of the year…Greeting family, delectable food, and let’s not forget the yearly gift exchange.   However, not everyone can enjoy this splendid season because of financial woes and worries.

So many of us feel the financial strains and stresses this (suppose to be beautiful) season brings!! We want to shower our loved ones with nice gifts but do not always have the financial means to do so! If you are in this boat, I’m here to help!

I’ve compiled a list to help save an upwards of $250 in the next month to help out with Christmas shopping (or anything else you need)! I’m using many of these myself and am proud of the fact my husband won’t have to buy his own gift this year. Furthermore, I’m wishing everyone the best now and for years to come! Let’s go out there and make this Christmas shopping “thing” happen! Read on…

Money Making Ideas

1. Poshmark App (clean out your closet)-This is the main way I have personally earned extra money for Christmas shopping! All you need is a good picture of your item. You can sell woman’s, men’s and children’s clothing on this site.  Print off your pre-paid shipping label and send it on its way.  If you don’t like selling and shipping, you can send your stuff to Poshmark concierge and they will do the work for you.  Sign up now using my code NXUIA and you will get a $5 credit to spend on your first purchase. (keep your eye open for a related post-what sells on posh) – I made $170 selling my old clothing and shoes.

2. Mercari-This site is not just for clothing. You can sell anything and ship it to the buyer (kind of like an online garage sale).  You can use Mercari’s prepaid shipping or use your own.  Use my code  UYYBUS to sign up and get a $2 credit on your first purchase.

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Easy, Budget Friendly Tuna Noodle Cassarole-Under $3

Budget-friendly tuna Noodle is one of my go-to meals!

My kids love it and it is easy to make. It is honestly the cheapest meal in my meal plan. If you love comfort food, this budget tuna noodle casserole is just what you need for a chilly fall or cold winter night.

This meal is so budget-friendly that we can get your cost down to under $3 for the entire meal. That’s an awesome deal for a family of four.

Easy, Budget Friendly Tuna Noodle
Easy, Budget-Friendly Tuna Noodle Casserole

One of the easiest ways to save money on food is to use meal planning. When you meal plan you have all of your ingredients and are not tempted to run back to the store where you will inevitably spend more. Also, you won’t be tempted to order take-out with high prices. Meal planning is the best way to keep your food bill low and keep your money in your walllet.

Meal Planning Posts:

Incorporate this into my meal planning sample and you will have another fall meal under your belt.

As I go along with this yummy recipe, I will give you prices and information on where to shop (Target,) to get the best deals on your ingredients.

Not a gourmet chef?  No worries! This recipe is so simple, if you can open a can, you can make it! Turn on your stove and start boiling that water because we are ready to cook.

Budget-Friendly Tuna Noodle Ingredients:

1 can tuna (.79)

1 can mushroom soup (.89 – stock up when on sale)

1/2 can peas (.99 save the other half & make again – so .50 for this meal total)

1/2 box of rotini or use what pasta you have on hand ( 1.00/ box -so .50 for this meal total)

Optional: Cheese for topping

image1-1
Boil water and add rotini

Budget-Friendly Tuna Noodle Casserole Directions:

1. Boil water (season with a dash of salt)  and add rotini

2. Cook rotini for about nine minutes and drain

3. Place rotini back in the pot

4. Dump the rest of the ingredients in the pot and stir (add a little salt and pepper to taste)

5. Plate and serve

Tuna Noodle

Optional: If you have shredded cheese on hand, sprinkle on top and/or melt in the microwave. You can also top with crunched-up chips or crackers.

 

Tuna Noodle
Budget-Friendly Tuna Noodle

 

All of my ingredients were Market Pantry brand purchased at Target using my Target Redcard to score an extra 5% off my entire order, which brings my meal cost to $2.55!! Yummy and cheap!

Related Post:

  1. Budget-Friendly Meal Planning
  2. Budget-Friendly Chili
  3. 50 Cheap Meals that Will Fill Up Your Family
  4. 50 Make-Ahead Tailgate Foods for Your Tailgate Menu
  5. Budget-Friendly Two-Week Dinner Meal Plan – Under $75
  6. 55 Cheap Meals to Try When You Are Broke
  7. Cucumber Chicken Pasta Salad
  8. Avocado Turkey Sandwich

Save Money on Holiday Shopping


How to save money on Christmas Shopping

Christmas Savings
Christmas Saving

I used to crave the excitement of Holiday shopping. There was nothing like the gorgeous decorations, great deals, and shopping around from store to store. The mall looked like a regular old winter wonderland! As always, Holiday spirit filled the air.

Boy, times have changed!! After  having two kids, I now try to avoid anything with an early wake up, large crowds, no parking and a line with more than one person.

Although I love a good deal like the next person, I am skipping the Black Friday and mall lines this year and shopping from home!

My goal is to be stress-free this Christmas. Furthermore, you can too with these simple easy tips listed below!

Use my tips to avoid a head ache and bankruptcy this Christmas! Here’s to a whimsical Holiday Season. Let the shipping begin!

Ways to save

1. Ebates-This site actually gives you money back for shopping online and it is totally legit! You also get a bonus for signing up and making your first purchase. When I first signed up I got a ten-dollar gift card for Target and have been using them for over five years! Click here to sign up!

2. Groupon goods – There are many awesome discounted gift ideas on Groupon and right now you can get 6% back if you click Groupon through your Ebates account.

**TIP – I often wait until they have a 20% off coupon code, as well. They usually offer them at least once or twice a week.

*GIFT IDEA– Groupon has personalized children’s book on sale right now for around $8. What a great gift idea for the baby boy or girl in your life.

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Budget-Friendly Meal Planning

Looking for ways to save money? Meal Planning is a quick easy solution to keep your budget on track.
Yummy & Budget-Friendly Meal Planning

Have you ever had one of those days, where the kids are screaming, starving, and on the verge of a meltdown, yet you have no idea what you are going to make for dinner? Trust me, we’ve all been there.

Dinner time can be one of the most stressful times of the day. Well, stress no more! One great way to save money and eliminate mealtime chaos is to use meal planning!! Using these simple tricks takes the guess-work out of a busy mom’s dinner schedule (or dad’s, depending on who is the chef in your home) and eliminates the chance of having multiple hangry-I mean hungry ;-)- kiddos. Furthermore, meal-planning helps you save food, money, and time.  It is a great way to use your recipes and use up frozen food lurking in the back of your freezer.

I usually plan out our meals monthly, starting at the beginning of the month. Today’s example will include two weeks’ worth of meal planning, which can be doubled for a month’s worth. (or for more ideas check out Budget-friendly Two Week Dinner Meal Plan for under $75)

I like to pay serious attention to the days my four-year-old has preschool and needs mommy right around meal-time.   I save the simple, kid-friendly meals or crock-pot meals, I can make in advance, for these evenings.  So play around with my sample and do what works for your schedule!

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Chili-Fall Budget Meal Under $4

Fall Budget Chili Recipe

Fall Chili Recipe

Crisp air, pumpkin patches, cider and donuts, football games, beautiful colored leafs-These these are just a few favorite things that are reminiscent of fall!! One other favorite, and maybe one of the best, is my budget-friendly chili recipe. This is a fall go-to recipe my entire family of four loves.

Every year around this time, I incorporate my quick easy, budget-friendly chili into my meal planning rotation. For those of you that do not cook, this recipe is so easy, you can’t go wrong!  In my next post I’ll give you an example of my two-week meal planning, but for now, here is my favorite chili recipe!


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Grab your free Meal Plan and Menu Template

Click here to grab your Meal Plan Packet

Since Chili is a go-to recipe I try to stock up on diced tomatoes, tomato paste, kidney beans, and ground beef when it is on sale. I freeze my ground beef and stockpile the canned goods. You will need to make a trip to the store for the fresh produce, but that is part of the reason this chili tastes so good! Fresh onion and green pepper! Not to mention, it makes your house smell amazing! What are you waiting for? Give this chili recipe a try this fall!

If you are really ready to save on groceries, check out my favorite cashback app Ibotta. I have literally earned hundreds back on food and groceries in the past few years and the app is easy to use, so why not get money back on the cheap meals you are about to make?

The best part about Ibotta is you do not need to clip coupons, which most of us dislike. Everything is organized on the app and it is easy to add your stores to your account or upload your receipt for some extra cashback when you finish your grocery shopping.

Sign up with my link and get $10 when you use it 


Fall Chili Budget Meal Ingredients:

1 lb. of ground beef (season with salt & pepper) – paid 2.99 on sale-stock up

1 large can 30 oz. diced tomato – paid 1.39

1/2 an onion – paid . 99(save other half & make again next week)

1 green pepper – paid .62

1 can kidney beans 15 oz. – paid .89 (rinse)

1/2 can tomato sauce 15 oz. – paid .99 (save other half & make again next week)

1/2 tablespoons chili powder paid 1.99 for an entire bottle (estimate .20  per use)

*optional*Dried red pepper-I don’t use because I make mine kid friendly, but some like it spicy.

(Most ingredients were purchased at Target using my REDcard to get an extra 5% off my purchase, the green pepper was purchased at Walmart.)

Yummy Cheap Chili

Fall Chili Recipe Directions:

1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef & drain grease

2. Add green pepper & onion to the meat and cook on medium heat until soft

3. Dump the rest of the ingredients in and stir-See, I told you.. easy, peasy

4. Simmer and stir on low for 30 minutes or longer

*I’ve made this ahead of time and left on the stove top for up to two hours.

Optional: Sprinkle with shredded cheese & dollop with sour cream

Yummy cheap chili
Yummy cheap chili

Enjoy Your Chili Fall Budget Meal!

Serve with crackers or garlic toast and ENJOY!!!!

For a family of four, this makes two meals. I have leftovers the following evening, cutting the meal cost in half and the mess! I love serving chili nachos the following day! Just top your chili over tortilla chips and add cheese and sour cream and you have another meal you don’t have to cook! The total cost was $7.67 (this includes my target red card 5% discount) or 3.83 per a meal. This chili is sure to be a winner and it is cheap and filling!

Budget-Friendly Food Related Post:

Don’t forget your free meal plan packet!!

Click here to grab your Meal Plan Packet

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