Thinking Outside the Box to Save Money Abroad: Using Tesco Clubcards

Sometimes I stumble backwards into a new way to save money. If you're a savvy traveler like me, who knows that every penny you save is more money you can spend on more travel or experiences, then this tip is for you! It feels like one of my more genius ah ha moments that I learned while traveling abroad, and I'm happy to get to share it with you!

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Save Money on Airfare! Step by Step Guide to Getting a Fare Adjustment

Booking airfare can be one of the most stressful parts of travel planning. Especially because it's often one of the most expensive parts of trip planning. There's always that nagging thought of "what if the price drops after I buy my ticket?" Thankfully, there have been some changes in recent years {thank you global pandemic for SOMETHING}, and you just might be able to get a fare adjustment for airline tickets you've already purchased. I'm going to walk you through step by step what I do so that you can set up price alerts easily and point out which airlines make the process the easiest!

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Practical Tips for Saving Big So You can Afford the Life You Really Want!

Saving money can often feel like a daunting task, especially when you are dreaming of big things like traveling the world and being financially free! One of my greatest skills is stretching a dollar and because of that, we've been able to pay off our home mortgage, send three kids out of state to college with no student loans, and have lived a Nordstrom life on a garage sale budget! I can't even say a Walmart budget because sometimes even that is more than I want to spend! I'm putting together a few practical strategies so that you can save more every day and make the dreams that you have a reality. Here are some actionable tips to help you save money without feeling deprived. 

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This is Everything You Need to Know About Working Out at Home From Someone Who Cut the Gym Membership 8 years Ago!

Have you ever kept a New Year's resolution? I've kept one that I can think of in my whole entire life and I know I've made far more than that! But I feel really good about the one that I kept, so I'm calling that long-term success! I was one of those people who flooded the gyms in January with a resolution to create new healthy habits. I had never really worked out before. I wasn't super athletic and I didn't do any sports outside of rec gymnastics for a handful of years at the Y when I was in elementary school. I was often last picked for any PE group and despite finishing in the top every year when I ran the mile for the presidential physical fitness challenge, no one really saw any athletic potential in me. So I just figured it wasn't important. Until I started getting older and I kept hearing how your body changes with age and I knew I needed to probably do something. So I joined a gym. Of course, I switched as soon as my free six-week trial was over and I tried another gym! But through it all, I remained consistent.
I gained confidence in what my body could do, and I genuinely felt better and stronger. I loved group fitness classes and I had a routine. That was until we moved. We didn't move far, but it didn't make sense to continue to drive out of my way for 25 minutes just to work out, so I switched gyms. The new gym was close to home, but it lacked those group fitness classes I really liked. I tried a multitude of things from specialty gym facilities to online programs, before I finally found something that worked for me; working out at home. I cut my gym membership eight years ago and I haven't looked back!
Here is everything you need to know about working out from home! I've got the good, the bad, and the ugly! Are you ready for it?

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How to Score the Best Discounts After the Holidays

The holiday season is a time of joy, celebration and gift-giving and it feels like it goes by so quickly and then comes right back again just as fast! As the festivities start to wind down, savvy shoppers can take advantage of those after-holiday sales. While most think of taking advantage of holiday sales around Christmas, there are other holidays with seasonal items too, and these tips work for those as well, so think outside of the box! You can score some pretty incredible deals, get discounts and bargains that will allow you to save more and spend less. You might even be able to give more generously because you are able to get such a great deal! Whether you're a seasoned bargain hunter or new to the game, this guide will help equip you with the tips I've been using for decades so that you can navigate and make the most of those after-holiday sales.

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Removing a Stuck Wedding Ring: DIY Methods and Ring Saving Tips

Even for the least sentimental person, there is a lot of symbolism and emotional significance to a wedding ring. It may just be the only piece of jewelry you wear, and it's likely been a part of you for many many years. Which is why, like me, you might find yourself with a very stuck wedding ring that can no longer be removed! The prospect of cutting it off can be daunting, and you might not have to! I've got various DIY methods and ring-saving tips that you can try to safely remove your ring, before you need to reach the last resort of cutting it off. 

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Easy Tips for Saving More Money

Do you ever feel like despite your best efforts it can feel like your bills just keep going up? Life gets in the way, you need new tires for the car and before you know it, you’re back at another drive thru. The truth is, that you don’t have to have all your ducks in a row to start saving money. Here are a few easy tips for saving money that go a long way, but require very little effort.

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Best Items to Splurge On If You are Generally Frugal

Whether looking for the perfect solution for everyday challenges or just finding the right product that can be game-changing, we often look for the most budget-friendly option when shopping. High-quality items that will last much longer and work better are a no-brainer, so here are some of the areas where we “splurge” and why they save us money in the long run.

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How to Find the Best Stuff in Any Thrift Store

Thrift stores can be intimidating and overwhelming, especially if you’re shopping at a larger thrift store. However, it doesn’t have to be. You need this guide if you’re tired of not knowing if you’re getting the best deal while thrift shopping! Thrift stores can be a fantastic spot to find all kinds of wonderful treasures, and using this guide; you can learn how to find the best stuff in any thrift store.

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The Best Frugal Living Tips for Beginners

Being a beginner at anything kind of sucks. Even something simple like frugal living can be hard and even daunting when you’re just getting started. If you are new to being frugal and are looking for some tips on how to get started, I put together a list of the best frugal tips for beginners to help you out!

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Is a Meal Subscription Service Budget-Friendly?

I've always been pretty budget-conscious, especially when it comes to one of our family's largest expenses: food. Food costs have gone up since the late 90's when we first got married and I started paying attention to a grocery budget, and our life has changed a lot in the past two decades since we've established our family. If you are like me, you get ads and coupons and bloggers/influencers telling you all about meal subscription services. I often entertain the idea when I get those coupons for $100 off! or 17 free meals, could you be getting a break on your food budget by using them?  I'm breaking it down for you and helping you decide if a meal subscription service is worth it for your budget-conscious family.

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Top 10 Worst Money Myths You Need to Forget

There is no shortage out there of gurus and experts with a thing or two to say on the subject when it comes to money and personal finance. Unfortunately, the reality is that with all this information out there, many money myths have developed as a result of it. I’m here to debunk ten of the worst money myths that are just plain bad financial advice!

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5 Expenses that Are Ruining Your Budget

Do you ever feel like no matter how much your budget, you can’t seem to get a handle on your finances? Sometimes it can feel like budgeting ends up not working out because you can’t keep track of your spending. The reality is that there may be some expenses that could be ruining your budget or making it harder to stick to! Here are five expenses that are ruining your budget.

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8 {Money-Saving} Reasons Why You Should Save Your Receipts

Organization isn't my strong suit. It's just not. I like organized people and organized systems, but it's not something that comes naturally to me. My husband though, it's his thing. He loves spreadsheets and envelopes and labels and order. I appreciate that because time and time again, this one thing has come in clutch {look it up in Urban Dictionary}. For the last 23 years, I've saved crumpled receipts placing them in my husband's inbox and he smoothes every one of them, inputting the numbers and reconciling them with our bank statement before carefully putting them into a monthly envelope. Why save receipts? I've got a few reasons why this one habit could save you money!

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How To Give Generously On Any Budget

You don't have to be wealthy to live generously. On both sides of our family, generous living and giving were modeled for us. I think this is one of the reasons why it was easy for us to make giving a habit in our daily lives. Even when we were living on $12,000 a year, we still made it a priority to give generously on a regular basis. Now that we are living completely debt-free {even paying off our home!}, we have more freedom to give generously. Living generously will vary from person to person and from situation to situation, but I have some tips for how you can give generously on any budget.

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How to Afford Family travel {10 Mistakes You're Making and How to Fix Them}

When it comes to planning a trip with your family, it can start to get expensive quickly. Between flights or gas, accommodations, and fun while you’re there, you could be spending thousands on your next trip! To help you save some money and plan smarter, here are ten mistakes you’re making and how to fix them so you can afford to travel as a family.

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How to Pay Off Your Home Loan Early

This week we will be making our final mortgage payment on our home. It's the only debt we have and at 42 and 43 years old respectively, it feels like quite an accomplishment. Sharing about this came after hours of conversations with my husband during our final year of mortgage payments. These types of conversations actually make my husband and me very uncomfortable. My grandma never wanted to talk about money. She would have rather people thought she had no money than people knowing the truth - that because of her frugal lifestyle she actually had a lot of money. 

This doesn’t come from us wanting to brag but instead comes from a place of humility and wanting to help others be financially free because being free is a pretty amazing feeling. We felt like this could be beneficial information for others to know. And as I've shared our countdown to the final payment with all of you, many of you have reached out asking us how we did it. Today, I'm going to share how we paid off our home in 10 years and are now completely debt-free. Did you even think that was possible? It is, and you can do it too!

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Fun and Free: How to Find the Best Free Resources in Your Community

Whether you’re on a tight budget, spending freeze, or just trying to save a little bit of money, there are plenty of fun, free things to do! When it comes to frugal fun, you can’t go wrong with any of these fun free resources in your city! No matter where you live, these are great options for any family. Here are the best free resources you should be taking advantage of.

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Money-Sucking Habits to Break Today!

Habits are pretty hard to break, especially bad ones that we know aren’t good for us, like drinking soda or impulse buys, but the rush of serotonin we get from those habits can make it hard to quit. Your habits, especially when associated with money, can shape your financial future. Do you want to know the secret to building wealth? It starts by cutting these money-sucking habits!

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More Money Making Tips: Buying and Selling Used and Making a Profit

Back in January, I started these fun little alliteration money-saving challenges. I had Jumpstart January, Frugal February, Money Making March, April Audit, and now {what should be} Money Saving May, but guess what? It's my blog and I am going to shake things up. I had such a HUGE response from readers who loved following along with me on my money-making March challenge. I started out with a goal to put $500 back into my pocket, and I ended the month making $1000! Just by selling items I had at home. I continue to hear from people on an almost daily basis about how they were inspired to sell an item or two on eBay, at consignment or on Facebook Marketplace.
I get giddy when I hear your successes, but even more giddy now that I have an extra $1000 in my pocket! I mean, come on. With your success stories, I'm also still getting questions about how you can successfully make money selling your old stuff, so I thought I'd take another month to tackle all of your questions and to take you along with me as I attempt to replicate my success from money-making March. Dare I set the challenge to make ANOTHER $1000 selling my stuff?

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