Ruth Soukup's Blog, page 101

Weekend Wandering

Happy Sunday!  I hope you are all having a FABULOUS weekend!  Our family had a blast checking out the local Oktoberfest festival yesterday & getting our fill of Bratwurst, sauerkraut, & beer.  Yum!

In other news, we’ve already had over 12,000 readers sign up to participate in our Clutter Free Challenge, which is happening here at Living Well Spending Less the entire month of October!  This fun 31 day challenge is absolutely free to join, and if you are a blogger you can join in the fun by blogging about it and linking up each day!

Also, just a reminder that there are only 2 days left to register for the fall session of Elite Blog Academy!

Here is what I loved this week:

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First of all,Thrifty Little Mom claims this is the Easiest White Chicken Chili Recipe on the planet.  I have to say, it looks delicious and perfect for your next tailgating party!

These Light and Tender Potato Dinner Rolls from Carmel Moments would be perfect to add to your upcoming holiday menus.  Has anyone started thinking about those yet?

These Cinnamon Chip Pumpkin Waffles from So Much to Make sound SO good! YUM!

These Apple Sweet Potato Desserts in Mason Jars from Cupcakes and Crinoline are the perfect portable fall dessert!

These semi-homemade Oreo Cookie Owl Cupcakes from Christianity Cove are just adorable!

And on the creepy side, these Oreo Eyeballs from Raining Hot Coupons are  super clever as well!

Speaking of Halloween, the Freebie Finding Mom has 25 Best Preschool Halloween Crafts that can be made in an afternoon. My girls would love these!!

Sports Mom Survival Guide has 15 Super Easy and Cheap Kids Halloween Costumes that can be put together with things you might already have on hand!

These upcycled Candy Containers from Our Peaceful Planet are another adorable craft to do with the kids!

If Halloween isn’t really your thing, these Pumpkin and Gourd crafts from Interior Design Principles are a great way to add a splash of color and style to your home for fall.

Moving on to some money saving tips and tricks. Frugal Fanatic shares 10 Ways to Save Money on Hosting a Halloween Party. Tip number 5 is genius!

My Mothermode shares the 5 Ways We Saved This Week. In the garden, from the freezer and needs vs. wants. These 5 strategies are super practical!

Freezer cooking is another great way to save both time and money! Graceful Little Honey Bee has 12 Easy Freezer Meals in 2 Hours For $50!

Lastly, The Budget Mama provides the steps needed to Meal Planning Made Easy. She even shares some of her family’s favorites!

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What did you love this week?

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How to Create a Rock Bottom Price List

While most of us would love to cut our grocery bill in half, over the years I have found that for most people, the biggest obstacle to saving money on groceries is simply just knowing where to start. Figuring out the very best deals and rock bottom prices might truly seem impossible at first, especially if you’re brand new to coupons.   But when it comes right down to it, the key to saving on groceries is very simple:  Buy all your items at their lowest possible price, then stock up until they go on sale again.

Of course, in order to do this effectively, one of the things you’ll want to know is whether you are truly finding the BEST deals. How do you know if an item is at it’s lowest possible price?  And how do you create your first rock bottom price list when you don’t even know when to start?

While saving on groceries is always somewhat of a work in process, these four simple steps can help walk you through the process of discovering the best prices in your area so that you know exactly when it’s time to stock up.

1. Start With a Pre-Made List

Saving BIG on groceries starts by getting a handle on the best possible prices for YOUR particular grocery store and region.  So how will you know if you’ve really found the best price around? What IS the real Rock Bottom Price?  This can actually vary a lot, depending on where you live and where you shop, but starting with a pre-made list can help give you a point of reference from where to begin creating your own customized list.

The following printable price lists are a good place to start.  Depending on whether or not you plan on using coupons, you will want to choose either the BEFORE coupon list or the AFTER coupon list.  Both will give you a general idea of what sort of “stock up” prices to look for.

{Get the Rock Bottom Price List BEFORE Coupons here}

{Get the Rock Bottom Price List AFTER Coupons here}

2. Adjust to Fit Your Own Needs

Once you have a starting point, you will want to add to the list, particularly the items that your family buys frequently.  If your family has any special dietary needs or food allergies, you will want to make sure those items are all accounted for as well.  Everything goes on sale eventually!

At some point, you may want to abandon the printable list above and create your own customizable list.  You can do this on a spreadsheet or with a small notebook, but be diligent about keeping track of the food, toiletries, and household goods your family uses.   It is also a good idea to group your list into categories such as household, personal, frozen, meat, etc.

3. Add Your Best Prices and Update

Once you’ve created your personal list, you will need to begin paying close attention to the prices in your own area to see how they compare, so that you can adjust your list as necessarily.  You may even want to spend an afternoon checking out prices at a variety of stores, such as Walmart, Save-a-Lot, or Aldi, to see where you can save the most.   What’s the best price you’ve seen for each item? Then, follow the list for a week or two. What other items come up? Sometimes we forget about something that we may purchase quite regularly. Add those items to the list and adjust as needed.

Now, here’s the fun part—each time you beat your best price you get to change it and add it to the list!  If you begin using coupons, you may even be able to get certain items FREE! (If you are interested in learning how to use coupons, you can read my Beginners Guide to Coupons, or, if you learn by listening rather than reading, check out Grocery University.)

 

4. Shop Smart

With your price list in hand, you will have a valuable tool for knowing what and when to stock up on.  But how well it works will depend on how closely you are willing to follow it.  I definitely recommend that you give up on brand loyalty if you really want to save. It can really impact your bottom line…BUT I know there can be exceptions. One thing to keep in mind: with cosmetics, over-the-counter medications and sundries, the generic or store brand must contain the same active ingredients as the brand-name item (including, for example, vitamins, pain-relievers or antibiotic ointment). I’ve found that off-brands are very often just as good—and sometimes even better. Certain hand soaps and lotions are wonderful in the generic variety.  Furthermore, stores like Aldi can be a great place to save–their everyday prices beat most sale prices at regular grocery stores.

You may also want to get creative when it comes to cleaning items.  Homemade cleaning products are not only better on the environment, they can be made for just pennies.  Check out these ten great cleaners that can be made from just ten simple ingredients for more ideas.

5. Stockpile

Refine your list as you go, then watch for items to fall to their lowest prices and, once they do, STOCK UP.  The whole point of keeping a price list is to know what to stock up on, but it will only benefit you if you actually stock up when things hit their rock bottom prices.

When you find a great deal on an item that your family uses regularly, purchase the amount that your family would typically use in a two month period and NO MORE.  There’s no reason to go crazy and let your stockpile take over your house, causing you to fill your cupboards with items that you’ll never use, just to “save” (or just because they’re free).  However, you do need to buy enough to last until that item goes on sale again.  It can take a little practice to get the balance right, but with careful planning, you can really cut your bottom line.

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Do you keep a Rock Bottom Price list?  

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Thrifty Thursday {Week 79}

Happy Thursday!  I hope you are all having a fabulous week!  It has been a busy time around the LWSL headquarters, between launching Elite Blog Academy last week, traveling to FinCon this past weekend, hosting an amazing $1200 Stock Your Freezer Giveaway, and then getting ready for our big LWSL Clutter Free Challenge, which starts October 1st!  Whew!

If you haven’t checked out the details of the Clutter Free Challenge, be sure to do that today–I would LOVE to have you join in the fun!!  So far the response has been pretty huge–more than 8,000 readers have signed up so far!  If you have a blog, I would love to have you share your thoughts about the challenge each day in October and then link up your experiences on each day’s posts!

Here are the most clicked links from last week:

1. A Cultivated Nest { 10 Ways You Can Save $100 This Month }
2. Practical Stewardship{ My $800 Mistake }

3. Adventures in Coupons { Why You Should Stockpile Clothing }

4. Sports Mom Survival Guide {Clean Your House in Only…20 Minutes}

5. The Budget Mama { The 90-Day Savings Challenge }

6. Snail Pace Transformations { 10 Ways Thrifty People Use Things to The Last Drop }

7. Save to Splurge { 6 Tried and True Ways to Make Extra Money }
8. The Frugal Navy Wife { Stretching Your Budget-16 Meals for $25 }
9. Humble in a Heartbeat { Our Budget Was Put on the Back-burner }
10. Mums Make Lists { An Easy Way to Organize Tools}
 
Never linked up before? Here’s how:

Scroll down, find the little blue “Add your Link” Button and click on that.
Follow the instructions on the next page – add a great image of your project and an interesting title. Make sure you link to the direct page of your budget friendly post – not the main page of your blog!
Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by!
Please link back to this post somehow. There are badges available here; a simple text link is just fine too.

Feel free to tweet about Thrifty Thursday so others can join the fun, and don’t forget to check back here Sunday morning to see which posts have been featured this week at Weekend Wandering!

If this is your first time here I also invite you to check out my blogging guide, How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul).  It is a fantastic resource if you are interested in building your blog, getting more traffic, or learning how to monetize, and the expanded 2nd edition is now available in paperback!  Or, if you have read the book and are still looking to take your blog to the next level, I encourage you to check out Elite Blog Academy.  Registration for the fall class is now open, but only through September 30th!

An InLinkz Link-up

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Join the LWSL Clutter Free Challenge!

Do you ever feel like your STUFF is controlling your life?

Life is busy and sometimes hectic and often very, very full. Full of obligations, full of things to remember, full of paperwork and bills to pay, full of things to put away and stuff to manage.

There are times where it all just feels like too much to handle. We know, deep down, something needs to give, and yet we can’t quite seem to slow down long enough to step back, reassess, and take back our lives from the clutter that is weighing us down.

Believe me, I know all too well how stressful it can be to have a home packed to the gills, with an overbooked schedule to match.   After years of overspending caused nothing but a house full of chaos, I finally realized it was time for a massive change. I’ve started clearing my house of clutter, but I still have a LONG way to go!

And the truth is, sometimes we just need someone else to walk us through the process of de-cluttering our lives, to break down what seems like an impossible task into manageable bites that we can tackle one day at a time.

This is that challenge.

The purpose of 31 Days to a Clutter Free life is not to overwhelm you with information, but to give you–and myself–a practical, step-by-step guide to clearing our homes, our minds, and our schedules of the excess clutter that tends to pile up.

Each day we will focus on one small area of our homes and lives, knowing that together these small tweaks will add up to a big change. To keep it manageable, each assignment is short and to the point. There are also some handy worksheets and checklists for you to use, in case you are like me and prefer to check things off a list to feel like you have actually accomplished something.

During this one-month challenge, we will:

Eliminate clutter in all areas of our homes and instead create functional spaces for all our family’s many activities.
Stop overcommitting and instead learn to say no without guilt.
Reduce stress in our homes and families by clearing out the excess stuff that takes up so much of our time and energy.
Create practical and functional storage solutions for every room in our homes.
Develop a working control center that keeps our entire family organized and on track.
Learn the four simple strategies to staying clutter free forever.

It may not always be fun or easy, but I can promise that it will be worth the effort.

Clutter doesn’t have to control our lives, and together we can totally do this! Are you ready to finally simplify your life and free your home, mind, and schedule of the excess STUFF that is holding you back?

To join this FREE 31 Days to a Clutter Free Life Challenge, you can simply sign up using the box below to have each day’s assignment delivered straight to your inbox.  When you sign up by email you will also get instant access to our free quick & easy decluttering guide, which offers 10 easy ways to declutter in 10 minutes less!  More than 5,000 readers have already joined so you will be in very good company!!

Living Well Spending Less®.

Stock Your Freezer Giveaway!

Fall is here–let’s CELEBRATE!!!  Now that the kids are back in school it is time to start thinking about getting our finances—and our schedules—back in order. One great way to save both time AND money is with a secondary freezer, which is why we’ve once again partnered with 10 of our favorite blogging friends to bring you this seriously AMAZING giveaway.

One LUCKY Reader Will Win a Frigidaire 2-in-1 Freezer/Refrigerator!!

This must-have Frigidaire 2-in-1 Freezer/Refrigerator is both beautiful AND functional. It comes in a new classic slate color that you will actually want to show off, and has an awesome SpaceWise™ Organization system that can be customized to fit your family’s needs.  It also converts from a freezer to refrigerator with just the flip of a switch, which makes it even more convenient!!!

Did you know that average family can save as much as $750 a year just by utilizing the extra freezer space from a secondary freezer?  These amazing savings come from stocking up on food while it is on sale, as well as from freezer cooking in bulk simple but delicious meals using budget friendly ingredients.

  PLUS, our winner will also receive $250 in Grocery Store Gift Cards!!!
**That’s over $1200 in Prizes**

CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE IT?!

Let us help you get your freezer completely stocked for fall! YOU could be the family excitedly awaiting your brand new Frigidaire 2-in-1 Freezer/Refrigerator to be SHIPPED to YOU!

Before you enter, check out all our favorite blogger friends…

These girls will seriously fill your feed with all sorts of fun and creative eye candy! Just click on the name of each site to check ‘em out…

Living Well, Spending Less - Living Well, Spending Less is all about the adventure of finding the Good Life on a budget… because a life well lived is not so much about what we have as who we are.
Kids Activities Blog - Kids Activities Blog is overflowing with fun crafts, art projects, games and activities for kids- most with contents from your kitchen junk drawer!
The Dating Divas -Each Monday, the Divas offer a fabulous date idea already completely planned out for your upcoming weekend. Throughout the rest of the week, they offer FREE flirty tips, tricks, tutorials, & darling printables to keep the romance alive and the sparks flying’.
The 36th Avenue - The 36th Avenue is your number one destination for easy DIY projects, free printables, adorable handmade gifts and holiday ideas, delicious recipes and everything EXTRAORDINARY!
Somewhat Simple - Somewhat Simple is THE PLACE for creative inspiration. Get inspired by thousands of simple projects, recipes, crafts, and more!
Kara’s Party Ideas -Kara Allen is the party designer, author, dessert stylist & creator behind THE place for ALL things PARTY- KarasPartyIdeas.com. Kara’s Party Ideas holds millions of party ideas you can search, party recipes, a party supply shop, a fab party book, fun worldwide party workshops, an app & more!
Mod Podge Rocks - Mod Podge Rocks is a collection of tutorials and how-tos featuring the world’s greatest decoupage medium. Come visit Amy for tons of inspiration.
One Good Thing by Jillee - One Good Thing by Jillee is dedicated to sharing one good thing a day that makes life a little more simple, affordable, wholesome, and joyful! Millions of people look to “Jillee” each month for tips on living a more frugal and healthy life. Learn how to enrich your life while conserving time, money, and resources.
Remodelaholic – If your goal is to make your house a home, then come to Remodelaholic.com. They will teach you the best ways to update your house and design and decorate your home on a budget. Go from builder grade to beautiful with their help.
Lil’ Luna – Lil’ Luna is the one-stop to find all things creative! Come on over to find inexpensive & unique crafts, DIY projects, recipes, gift ideas, and more for any occasion.
Craftaholics Anonymous-At Craftaholics Anonymous Linda shares all sorts of fun and creative tips & tricks, crafts, tutorials, holiday ideas, and DIY home decor.

 

What are you WAITING for?
HURRY AND ENTER…

There is just ONE step to enter the giveaway…

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good Luck!
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Best-Ever Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Oatmeal butterscotch cookies have been my husband’s favorite for as long as we’ve been together, so over the years I’ve tweaked and refined this recipe until he finally declared this particular version the very best ever.  I’m not sure why it never occurred to me to share this recipe until now, but here you go!  Trust me, you will thank me later!

As a side note, I love being able to slip a little homemade goody into my kids’ lunch box, but I don’t always have time to bake every week.  Luckily these oh-so-yummy oatmeal butterscotch cookies freeze beautifully and taste just as good straight out of the freezer as they do straight out of the oven.  This generous recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies, which means–if you can keep from eating them all yourself–you’ll have enough to last at least a few weeks.

Here is what you need:

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 1/4  cups old fashioned oats
1 bag of butterscotch chips

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees; In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.

Step 2: Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.

Step 3: Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.

(My little kitchen helper!)

Step 4: Add oats and chips; mix well.

Step 5: Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Step 6: Bake 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets;remove to wire rack. Cool completely, then freeze, if desired.

    Print This!    




Recipe: Best Ever Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Summary: These oh-so-yummy cookies freeze beautifully, making them the perfect lunchbox treat!

Ingredients

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
3 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1 bag butterscotch chips



Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees;In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars until creamy.
Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.
Add oats and chips; mix well.
Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets;remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Preparation time: 5-7 minutes

Cooking time: 8-10 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 48

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What is your family’s favorite cookie recipe?

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Weekend Wandering

Happy Sunday!  I hope you are all having a fabulous weekend!  I am on my way back to Florida from New Orleans, where I was attending the FinCon conference.  While I was there I got to catch up with some great friends, as well as speak about Pinterest and also share Elite Blog Academy with the blogging community.  All in all it was a fantastic weekend!

With FinCon checked off my list, I am excited to be able to focus on our big Clutter Free Challenge, which is happening here at Living Well Spending Less the entire month of October!  I’ll be sharing more details about it this week, but if you are ready to join and want to have the daily challenges sent straight to your inbox, you can sign up HERE.

Now moving on to our Weekend Wandering……here is what I loved this week!

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First of all, this Steakhouse Salad from The Kitchen Wife would make my husband’s day! And the salad would be perfect for me! Win-Win!

Oh, these Oven Roasted Parmesan Green Beans from Ann’s Entitled Life look and sound so good!

This Spicy Cilantro Lime Popcorn from A Simple Pantry would be perfect to snack on while watching this weekends games!

These 80+ Creative Soup Toppings from Cheap Recipe Blog are such a great yummy addition to any soup!

It is officially fall which means it is time to bring on the PUMPKIN!   There were a ton of delicious pumpkin recipes shared this week–be sure to check out the Thrifty Thursday post for more!  In any case, this Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream from The Simple Sweet Life sounds amazing!

These Cream Cheese Filled Pumpkin Cupcakes from Carmel Moments look delicious too!

Or what about these Homemade Pumpkin Donuts from Daily Leisure? Tasty AND healthy!  Well, almost.

Moving on to DIY…..This super cute Halloween Footprint Sign from Home. Made. Interest is so easy to make and a perfect kid-friendly craft!

Frugal Fanatic has some original & creative Fall Decorating Tips that won’t blow your budget!

Kleinworth & Co. has a step-by-step process on How to Build a Butcher Block. I love this!

They say cleanliness is close to godliness. Well then Sports Mom Survival Guide has several tips and a printable guide for how to Clean Your House in Only 20 Minutes!

Little Bits of Granola has several tips for Saving Money on Natural Hair Care.

Lastly, Save to Splurge has 6 Tried and True Ways to Make Extra Money. I could see myself making tip number 5 work!

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What did you love this week?

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How to Create a Chore Chart That Works

Are chores around your house well, a chore?

It can often be a huge challenge to get kids motivated to do their chores—and nearly impossible to get them enthusiastic about their household duties.  But the truth is that as parents, it is an essential part of our job to teach kids how to help out around the house and to learn how to become productive members of society.  Not only does it make our family life run smoother, it is essential to their own development and self-esteem.  As it turns out, kids WANT to help and derive great satisfaction from seeing a task through.

In our house, we’ve tried lots of different ways of motivating our kids, but one of the most successful is the regular use of a chore chart, which not only provides motivation, but also helps us teach financial responsibility. In the past we’ve used one from Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace Junior series, as well as others that we’ve created ourselves.

The most important thing we are trying to teach them right now is that money comes from work, so rather than freely receiving an allowance, our girls earn their money by completing tasks. On Sundays–payday–we sit down to budget the money they’ve earned in their Save, Spend, and Give envelopes. This not only teaches them about the value of work, but that money can be fun and also used to help others.

We have already found that teaching kids about chores, money, and work is definitely a lifelong process.  Even so, here are four steps you can take right now to get started on the right track:

1. Tailor Chores to the Age Level

One way to get started is to be sure the chores on your chart are easily understood by your kids and that each chore is tailored to their age level and your household expectations. Children as young as two can carry out simple chores like collecting the bathroom garbage cans or helping to pick up toys. A teenager might be a much more involved helper, perhaps doing yard work, laundry, and many additional household tasks to prepare for life on their own.

You can use this handy printable chart to determine the best age-appropriate chores for your kids:

{Get age appropriate chore list here}

As you assess what chores need to be done, remember that this is a teaching tool. Younger children may not know how to clean a spotless bathroom mirror or how to make their bed all on their own. They also may not understand the household standards. A teenager might not fully understand why they have to separate out reds and blacks from the whites. (One pink t-shirt though, and they might start to come around.) Patience is key. You aren’t going to end up with a spotless house while you put your feet up and read a magazine. (Don’t I wish!) Learning cleaning tips and techniques can take awhile.

I recently heard about one mom who started a Pinterest board with her daughter where they share household tips and advice from around the Internet. She said she knew it was a success when her daughter pinned some tips on keeping the shower door spotless. Suddenly she realized she had an enthusiastic helper because she had allowed her daughter to take ownership and feel like she was part of the process.

2. Decide on a Visual that Everyone Understands

A young child may be much more excited about cute pictures, cartoons and images than words on a chore chart. An older child may have more complicated assignments that need an explanation. Find what works best for your children. A quick search on Pinterest will reveal more ideas than you know what to do with!

To make it even easier for you, we have put together a few different printable chore chart options for you to use. Depending on the age of your kids, one of the following ideas might be the perfect way to motivate them:

{Get this blank chore chart here}

{Get this picture chore chart here}

{Get these chore cash cards here}

{Get these popsicle stick chores here}

 Whatever chart you use, make sure that it makes sense to the people who are using it.  And don’t make it too complicated!  The simpler it is for everyone to use, the more likely you will keep it up!

3. Place Chore Charts in a Visible Location

Charts need to be posted or stored where they’re easy to see and can be accessed by everyone (in case someone needs a little reminder). Before the days of stainless steel kitchens, that place was often the refrigerator door, but lots of other locations would work too, such as a bulletin board hung in the hallway, kitchen, or even right in your child’s bedroom.  Or, if hanging is not an option at all, the popsicle stick chore option makes a great alternative and takes only a few inches of shelf space!

Having a Family Command Center, either in the office or in your kitchen can be a great way to make things accessible (and keep them pretty). If you choose to review the charts daily (my recommendation), you’ll want to set aside a special time—maybe right after dinner or before teeth brushing and prayers at night—to review the accomplishments of the day. It doesn’t need to be a big production, but simple love, praise and acknowledgement can be enough to keep the ball rolling.

4. Decide on an Incentive

Some families see chores as simply a part of belonging to the family. As part of the family, children are expected to chip in, help out and do things around the house. Other parents see a reward system as a powerful tool to motivate kids and teach lessons about earning. Whatever your view, you can still make chore charts work, and in fact, you may find that it’s a valuable tool that you NEED.

Even if you chose not to reward your children with money, they may need to complete tasks around the house to earn privileges, such as a playdate, a movie or another reward. Putting up a visual reminder of the end goal can be helpful. Just like chore charts offer a visual way to track the completed tasks, putting the reward right on the chart can serve as a reminder and an incentive

Some parents post dollar amounts right on the chore chart or attach envelopes to move money whenever a task is done. One mom I know actually hides her child’s reward on Saturday mornings in the room that the child is assigned to dust. Let me tell you—her house can pass a white glove test when she’s done!

Get creative. Even teens (who are “too cool” to be motivated by a sticker on a chore chart) will be very motivated when they can see a clear incentive or end goal. Having to complete your chore list before going out can work wonders!

Finally, don’t be afraid to mix it up as you go. If you feel that your chore chart is getting boring or your kids are growing out of it, try something new! Remember, your objectives are not only to get your kids enthusiastic about helping around the house, but to understand that money comes from work, and to find happiness and satisfaction in a job well done!

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Do your kids do chores?  How do you keep them motivated?

Living Well Spending Less®.

Thrifty Thursday {Week 78}

Happy Thursday!  I hope you are all having a fabulous week!  Right now I am on my way to FinCon in New Orleans, where I will be speaking about one of my very favorite topics…..Pinterest!  If you will be there I would love to see you, so be sure to find me to say hi!   On Friday you will be able to find me all day at the Elite Blog Academy table in the Expo Hall.

And speaking of Elite Blog Academy, in case you missed it yesterday…..the doors are now open!    SO much work has gone into making this course absolutely amazing, and I am so, so excited to how many people are so enthusiastic about taking their blogs to the next level.  We have been blown away by the response so far!  Registration will be open through September 30th, but you can get started as soon as you enroll.

In other news, my girls and I had fun yesterday participating in the #BeTheGood campaign, which was founded by the beautiful gals at Jane and Cents of Style, when we surprised the teachers at their school with coffee & donuts.  It was such a simple gesture but both the teachers and the kids absolutely loved it!  (There’s a little more to the story that I will have to share later, but right now the flight attendants are telling me I have to close my computer, so I guess it is time to go!)

Here are the most clicked links from last week:

 
1. Family Balance Sheet { Debt Free Stories: Meet Jackie }
2. Mums Make Lists{ Faking a Tidy Home }

3. The Budget Mama { Why Debt Free? }

4. Busy Mom Budgets { Do You Need to Live on Less? }

5. Our Simple Life {10 Voluntary Simplistic Life Choices We Made}

6. Practical Stewardship { No Spending Challenge Results }

7. Coupon Crazy Girl { 7 Ways I Saved Money in August }

8. A Mitten Full of Savings { 35 + Meals Under $5 Bucks }
9. Midget Mama { How to Feed Your Family Healthy Meals on $70 a Week }
10. A Time for Home { Financial Fitness }
 
Never linked up before? Here’s how:

Scroll down, find the little blue “Add your Link” Button and click on that.
Follow the instructions on the next page – add a great image of your project and an interesting title. Make sure you link to the direct page of your budget friendly post – not the main page of your blog!
Try to visit at least a few other blogs at the party. Be sure to leave a comment to let them know you stopped by!
Please link back to this post somehow. There are badges available here; a simple text link is just fine too.

Feel free to tweet about Thrifty Thursday so others can join the fun, and don’t forget to check back here Sunday morning to see which posts have been featured this week at Weekend Wandering!

If this is your first time here I also invite you to check out my blogging guide, How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul).  It is a fantastic resource if you are interested in building your blog, getting more traffic, or learning how to monetize, and the expanded 2nd edition is now available in paperback!  Or, if you have read the book and are still looking to take your blog to the next level, I encourage you to check out Elite Blog Academy.

An InLinkz Link-up

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Can You Really Earn a Full-Time Income Blogging?

I don’t normally write about the business side of blogging here at Living Well Spending Less.  But, as someone who makes my living through this blog, it is something I do get asked about quite frequently.   The truth is that I am incredibly passionate about helping other bloggers—or those who aspire to be—gain the knowledge to do the same.   Don’t get me wrong, blogging is by no means “easy money”, but it is very possible to earn a full-time living writing about what you love.

I know because I’ve done it.

When I first started blogging, I made a ton of mistakes and learned some very hard lessons along the way.  I often wished that there had been someone with experience to hold my hand and share all their secrets.  I swore that if I ever figured it out, I would help everyone I could.

Last year I wrote a book called How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul) that shared in detail the essentials of creating amazing content, growing blog traffic, as well as a number monetization strategies.  Crazily enough, that book went on to sell tens of thousands of copies and even became a #1 bestseller on Amazon!  The expanded second edition of the book is now available in paperback.

From there I began working individually with bloggers through private consulting. I love helping and encouraging people one-on-one, and the results have been pretty dramatic, but I have also found that there simply isn’t enough time in my schedule to keep up with the demand.  At one point the waiting list became so long that we simply had to stop accepting new clients.

I hated having to say no!

Thus, Elite Blog Academy was born–an in-depth blogging course to help bloggers, step-by-step, exactly how to refine their message, grow their audience, monetize their platform, and build their business.  In other words, it is everything I wish someone would have taught me when I first started blogging!

Here is the video trailer for the course:

Believe me when I say this is the course where I pretty much give away the farm.  There are no secrets held back—from my formula for creating killer content with FOCUS™, to the 3 elements of a Perfect Pin™, to what it really takes to earn a full-time income from blogging, I share it all!  I even share the template for my own Pinterest Marketing Plan, which was previously only available to a few of my advanced level consulting clients.

It is possible to create a successful business from a blog, and at Elite Blog Academy, I share exactly how it’s done, step-by-step.

Here is what the course includes:

12 Comprehensive Unit Videos
12 Detailed Unit Outlines
16 Powerful Handouts
30 Purposeful Assignments
4 LIVE Instructional Q&A Webinars
Accountability & Community within a Private Facebook Group

Elite Blog Academy is designed to be self-paced, but should not be completed in less than 12 weeks.  Blogging is not for the faint of heart, and this course absolutely requires a willingness to buckle down and get to work.  You should not even consider taking this course if you aren’t willing to put the time and energy into completing each assignment.  If you haven’t yet started your blog, or don’t know if this is something you really want to do, this might not be the right course for you either; instead, you may want to first check out my book.

However, for those who are willing to put in the time and effort, I know for a fact the strategies I share in this course will work; they already have.  In fact, I am so sure that this stuff works that I am backing it with a 200% money-back guarantee. If you complete the course and have not seen measurable results in both traffic and income growth I will give you double your money back.

That’s a pretty incredible promise, but it means that you’ve literally got nothing to lose.

Enrollment for Elite Blog Academy is extremely limited, and will only be open through September 30th.   If you are ready to finally take your blog to the next level, be sure to sign up now to secure your spot.   As a special bonus, the first 75 students to register will receive some awesome extras, including a signed 2nd edition copy of my bestselling book, How to Blog for Profit (Without Selling Your Soul), as well as an exclusive printed and bound edition of the Elite Blog Academy blog planner AND an additional one hour Q&A session with me!

Click here to register for Elite Blog Academy

 

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