thedailychangejar-blog

[thedailychangejar-blog]

10 Fun and Frugal Activities to Keep Kids Busy All Summer Long!

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission or other benefit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Daily Change Jar. With summer break fast approaching, the thought of being home with my 6 kids all summer long brings such joy to my heart (and by joy, I mean the pure terror of trying to find things to keep them occupied for an entire day without plopping them in front of the TV!) I can't tell you how many times I hear "I'm bored!" every summer when I tell them to turn off the screens. I try to keep the kids outside as much as possible during the summer, but I also like to make sure they are actually still learning things and have a little bit of structure. I absolutely love the Summer Brain Quest books! The only downfall is they only go from Pre-K to K up to 5th - 6th grade. So if you have kids older than those going into 6th grade, you are kind of out of luck there. But these are great to keep the kids learning all summer long. Plus they have fun little outdoor activities to complete as well, with a map and stickers! Here's an example:

Now onto the activities...

1. Giant Dry-Erase Mat

From I Heart Arts and Crafts I really love this idea! It is great for both indoor and outdoor and kids of pretty much any age. We have a dry erase door at home and our kids from ages 2-13 draw on it all the time!

2. Outdoor wood blocks

From Filth Wizardry My toddler loves to build with blocks and my 7-year-old daughter loves to paint, what a perfect combo! The great thing about these is that you can put them together for practically free! Ask around for wood scraps and grab the paint from your art center, badabing badaboom!

3. Frozen Sparkle Paint

From Teaching 2 and 3-Year-Olds This is another one that could be an indoor OR outdoor craft, but I would probably keep it outside in an attempt to keep the house clean (haha!). The older kids can help to make the craft while the younger kids actually paint with them.

4. Foam Sidewalk Paint

From The Tip Toe Fairy This stuff is SOOO fun! Our sidewalk is decorated with chalk and drawings pretty much all the time and this is a great addition to the outdoor art arsenal!

5. Backyard Obstacle Course

From Step 2 Blog This uses dollar store pool noodles and other stuff you probably have sitting around in your yard! Get creative with it, let the older kids use their engineering skills to build some cool obstacles while the younger ones run around and tear them all down...I mean run the course!

6. Squirt Gun Painting

From Fireflies and Mudpies The messier the better! Ok, so this activity doesn't actually have to be that messy, but what fun for kids (and adults) of any age!

7. Giant Bubbles

From Baby Savers. Who doesn't love bubbles?! Bubbles, especially huge bubbles, are a great activity for any age.

8. Squirt Gun Races

From This Grandma Is Fun Need more ideas to add to your outdoor obstacle course? Check out these squirt gun cup races! Who knew you could do so much with squirt guns!

9. Water Balloon Pinatas

From Milk Allergy Mom. Water balloons are always a great option for kids in summer. This puts a fun spin on water balloons rather than just pelting each other with them.

10. Real Life Angry Birds

From Cul de Sac Cool Kids love angry birds, but why not try and kick it up a notch with a real-life version? Gather up your random boxes, balloons, homemade slingshot and stuffed animals and knock down your builds. Related post: 25 Ways to Save Money Everyday (Part 1) Sharing is caring! 💓  for later or .

What are some of your favorite frugal activities to do over the summer?

Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

April 2018 Blog Income Report: $38.29

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission or other benefit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Daily Change Jar. I am simply amazed at how quickly things can turn around when it comes to blogging. Making one little tweak on your site or writing a certain kind of post can completely change the game! So when I first started The Daily Change Jar I had a very specific goal in mind. I wanted to keep the site very gender neutral and not bring any personal branding into it, in case down the road I decided to sell the site. However, in an attempt to meet my goal of putting out 6 posts for the month of April, I went out on a limb and put together the 10 Frugal Dinners for When You're Broke post. Now, I personally love doing posts like this, for several reasons. They are quick and easy to write, I can write, publish, and promote it within a few hours (like during afternoon naptime). Which is great for that "quick win" feeling of actually getting something done! But I also love these types of posts because I also like to be able to promote other bloggers and be able to connect with them. So after publishing the 10 Frugal Dinners for When You're Broke I had a bit of an awakening. Within the first 30 days, this post alone got over 15,000 pageviews! You bet I looked like this lady when I was looking at my analytics! Considering the previous month I only had about 3,000 pageviews TOTAL! Originally I wanted to stay away from food and lifestyle posts, not that I have anything against them, but that wasn't my original vision for the blog. However, after seeing the stats for this post, I changed my mind. So after much consideration, I have decided to pivot the blog. I will be relaunching the blog with a snazzy new (more feminine) look, sorry guys ;-) But I hope the guys still stick around to read all of the great tips and tricks I have to offer on frugal living, saving money, and managing the money you already have, I'm looking at you Tyler!

As a serious blogger, it's not always about what you want to write about, it's what your audience wants to see. Which I why I have decided to expand the blog a big and include more "frugal living" topics, such as food and kids activities.

Review of Blogging Goals:

April was awesome! I feel like I really got a lot of stuff done and have been expanding my network a lot more.  Publish 6 blog posts I got a total of 5 published, that that was pretty good.  6 Strategies to Start a Successful Side Hustle 10 Frugal Dinners for When You're Broke March 2018 Blog Income Report: -$10.53 27 Frugal Pantry Staples for Keep on Hand for Quick and Cheap Meals 25 Mother's Day Gifts for $25 or Less That She'll LOVE! Even though I did kit my goal of 6 posts, I am pretty darn happy with the 5 I did get published. Complete the Billionaire Blog Club Course I have a TON of more content to go through with this course. There is actually a lot more than I originally anticipated, which isn't a bad thing! The first thing I really worked on with the course was going through the Pinterest modules. Then I really started tapping into the community within the course. After I have completed the course I plan on doing a really in-depth review for those of you who are interested in investing in an awesome blogging course. I do highly suggest if you are serious about blogging that you invest in some kids of course.

Income

Ads - $25.50 Media.net - $7.29 Adsense - $18.21 I finally hit my $100 payout threshold for Adsense! No to play the waiting game to actually get paid! I'm still trying to figure out ways to increase my ad income. I'm kind of surprised with the increase in pageviews, from 3,000 to 8,000 my ad income only increased by like $4 :-(. Affiliates - $82.69 Smart Asset - $5.49 ShopStyle - $4.06 Amazon Associate - $3.14 Bluehost - $65 PrizeRebel - $5 Interested in starting a blog and now sure what to do for hosting? Check out my post here on How to Start a Successful Blog: The Complete Newbie Guide

Gross Income = $108.19

Not too shabby! I was super excited to see that Bluehost affiliate sale come through! So one of the things about Amazon Associates that makes them different from other affiliate networks is how their cookies work. The downfall is their cookies are only 24 hours. Meaning, if someone clicks through your Amazon affiliate link to purchase something but they back out and don't return within that 24 hour period, you lose the sale. The cool thing about it is that you can get a commission from anything the person buys within that 24 hours. So let's say that you link to a book that would normally net you about $0.50. Then that customer decides to spend $1,000 on that shopping tip on other random things. As long as it is within that 24-hour window, you get a commission for that sale! However, don't encourage all of your friends and family to shop through your blog's Amazon affiliate links. Amazon has some kind of magical way of figuring that out and will determine that sale invalid. (Trust me, I've tried) Rather, encourage them to sign up for Ebates and do their online shopping through there! Your referrals get a $10 bonus and you get a referral commission! Plus, Ebates totally encourages their users to share referral links with friends and family! Want to learn more about Ebates? Click here! 

Pageviews

I was so freaking excited when I looked at my analytics this month!

So I logged onto my Wordpress dashboard around mid-April and saw something I had never seen before. The site stats section had a HUGE spike in it. Now I had never really paid that much attention to that part of the dashboard because it never really changed. But once I had seen the sudden spike in traffic, I had to dive deeper into this to see what was going on! Come to find out, as I have already talked about, the 10 Frugal Dinners for When You're Broke post really took off!

Expenses

My expenses remain the same pretty much every month. Total expenses = $69.92 I did purchase the course I talked about above, the Billionaire Blog Club, which I did end up getting on sale for $157 for 3 payments. That might seem like a like to spend when I'm bringing in that much, but I feel it is totally worth it! I have made some awesome new connections from the group, and even though I haven't made it all the way through the course, I've already learned a lot. If you want to know why I use these specific programs, you can check out this income report when I go into them in a lot more depth.  Total Net income=$38.29

Blogging Goals

I really want to keep this momentum going! I am going to try to do a few follow up posts to the 10 Frugal Dinners for When You're Broke. I already started with Crazy Cheap and Delicious Iced Coffee Recipes. I am going to try and find a post rotation that will work well. For example, if I am posting 6 times per month there will be 1 blog income report, 1 post about blogging, 1 post about making money, 1 post about frugal living, and 1 food-related post. And of course, highlighting seasonal trends! It all goes back to that content calendar that I still need to make :-/. Rebrand the blog So I have decided to give the blog a much more feminine touch and pivot a bit more towards frugal living type posts. Those have by far been my most popular types of posts. I am also going to be redoing the homepage, so for when someone lands on the homepage, they know exactly what this blog is about and where they should go. Continue to work on the Billionaire Blog Club course As I said before, there is a lot more to this course than I realized. I am going to do my best to finish this as soon as I can, but I have mostly been watching the videos in the car while waiting to pick up the kids. Now that BMX season has started up again, there isn't much "down time" in our house! ButI try to maximize my time as best I can. I have also been working on setting my strategic plan and 90-day goals using Trello, which can take a bit to get used to, but has been pretty helpful!

Small and Big wins for April

I thought I would add this section because it's important in the blogging world to celebrate even the smallest of accomplishments. ➡ I started a little mastermind group with another blogger from Canada. We meet on Google Hangouts every other Tuesday for about an hour and a half (drink wine) and bounce our ideas off of each other. This has been SO helpful in keeping myself accountable and getting insights from another experienced blogger. Don't be afraid to go out on a limb to ask someone to be your business bestie, accountability partner, or be in a mastermind group with you. The worst they can say is no. ➡ I got some "viral traffic" ➡ I made a commitment to invest in my blog with the Billionaire Blog Club. I consider this a win because this is the first blogging course I have actually paid money for. Also, my husband has been so supportive in this journey and him letting me spend money when I haven't made a whole lot yet is a BIG WIN in my book!

Top 10 Posts from March 

10 Frugal Dinners for When You're Broke 27 Frugal Pantry Staples to Keep on Hand for Quick and Cheap Meals 6 Strategies for a Successful Side Hustle Pay Off Your Debt Fast With the Debt Snowball Method! The Ultimate Beginners Guide to Swagbucks: How-To's, Tips, Tricks, and Hacks! How to STOP Living Paycheck to Paycheck Without Losing Your Sanity! 10 Ways to Save Big on Amazon March 2018 Blog Income Report: -$10.53 12 Mistakes Newbie Bloggers Make and How to Avoid (or Fix) Them 24 Little Known Ways to Earn Money on Fiverr! How To Start A Blog FREE Email Course In this free course, I show you how to create a blog easily, from setup to content to all the way to earning your first income and attracting readers. Join now! Success! Now check your email for the first email of the FREE blogging email course! There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. First Name Email Address We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. I'd like to receive the free email course. JOIN We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit /* Layout */ .ck_form { /* divider image */ background: #fff url(data:image/gif;base64,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) repeat-y center top; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; border-top: solid 20px #3071b0; border-top-color: #35b729; border-bottom: solid 10px #3d3d3d; border-bottom-color: #206e19; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); -moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); clear: both; margin: 20px 0px; } .ck_form, .ck_form * { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } #ck_subscribe_form { clear: both; } /* Element Queries — uses JS */ .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { width: 50%; float: left; padding: 5%; } .ck_form.ck_horizontal { } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: none; } .ck_form.ck_vertical { background: #fff; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content, .ck_vertical .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; overflow: hidden; } /* Trigger the vertical layout with media queries as well */ @media all and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form { background: #fff; } .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; } } /* Content */ .ck_form_content h3 { margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 24px; padding: 0px; } .ck_form_content p { font-size: 14px; } .ck_image { float: left; margin-right: 5px; } /* Form fields */ .ck_errorArea { display: none; } #ck_success_msg { padding: 10px 10px 0px; border: solid 1px #ddd; background: #eee; } .ck_label { font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; } .ck_form input, .ck_form input { font-size: 14px; padding: 10px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; /* border radius */ background-color: #f8f7f7; /* layer fill content */ margin-bottom: 5px; height: auto; } .ck_form input:focus, .ck_form input:focus { outline: none; border-color: #aaa; } .ck_checkbox { padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px; display: block; clear: both; } .ck_checkbox input.optIn { margin-left: -20px; margin-top: 0; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt { margin-left: 4px; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt p { display: inline; } .ck_form .ck_subscribe_button { width: 100%; color: #fff; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 10px 0px; font-size: 18px; background: #35b729; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; /* border radius */ cursor: pointer; border: none; text-shadow: none; } .ck_form .ck_guarantee { color: #626262; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by { display: block; color: #aaa; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by:hover { display: block; color: #444; } .ck_converted_content { display: none; padding: 5%; background: #fff; } Sharing is caring 💓    for later or   on Facebook!

What are your goals for May (blogging or otherwise)?

  Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

Crazy Cheap and Delicious Iced Coffee Recipes

Iced coffee is life right now! As a full-time blogger and mother of 6 (yes, that's not a typo), I pretty much always have coffee in my hand! But instead of spending a ton on going to Starbucks every day, I take the frugal route and go with the good old homemade!

Check out these 10 crazy, amazing, delicious (did I mention they are SOOO tasty) iced coffee recipes to make at home. I totally make some of these in bulk :-) Bonus: these recipes are all super easy and quick to make. Jump to recipe1. Creamy Vanilla Mocha Iced Coffee 2. 1-Minute Instant Iced Coffee 3. The Perfect Iced Coffee 4. Homemade Frosted Coffee 5. Iced Caramel Mocha Latte 6. Copycat Starbucks Iced Mocha 7. Best Iced Coffee Recipe 8. Iced Coffee by the Pitcher 9. Skinny Vanilla Iced Coffee 10. Keurig Iced Coffee  

Cheap and Delicious Iced Coffee Recipes

1. Creamy Vanilla Mocha Iced Coffee

From Fox Valley Foodie. This Creamy Vanilla Mocha Iced Coffee recipe is quick and easy to prepare, making a refreshing alternative to hot coffee!   The Epic Meal Planning Guide!

Enter your name and email and grab the Epic Meal Planning Guide! Save time and money by meal planning the easy way! Success! Now check your email to grab your EPIC meal planning guide! There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. First Name Email Address We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. I'd like to receive the free email course. I wanna be EPIC! We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit /* Layout */ .ck_form { /* divider image */ background: #fff url(data:image/gif;base64,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) repeat-y center top; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; color: #666; font-size: 16px; border-top: solid 20px #3071b0; border-top-color: #35b729; border-bottom: solid 10px #3d3d3d; border-bottom-color: #206e19; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); -moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); clear: both; margin: 20px 0px; } .ck_form, .ck_form * { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } #ck_subscribe_form { clear: both; } /* Element Queries — uses JS */ .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { width: 50%; float: left; padding: 5%; } .ck_form.ck_horizontal { } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: none; } .ck_form.ck_vertical { background: #fff; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content, .ck_vertical .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; overflow: hidden; } /* Trigger the vertical layout with media queries as well */ @media all and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form { background: #fff; } .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; } } /* Content */ .ck_form_content h3 { margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 24px; padding: 0px; } .ck_form_content p { font-size: 14px; } .ck_image { float: left; margin-right: 5px; } /* Form fields */ .ck_errorArea { display: none; } #ck_success_msg { padding: 10px 10px 0px; border: solid 1px #ddd; background: #eee; } .ck_label { font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; } .ck_form input, .ck_form input { font-size: 14px; padding: 10px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; /* border radius */ background-color: #f8f7f7; /* layer fill content */ margin-bottom: 5px; height: auto; } .ck_form input:focus, .ck_form input:focus { outline: none; border-color: #aaa; } .ck_checkbox { padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px; display: block; clear: both; } .ck_checkbox input.optIn { margin-left: -20px; margin-top: 0; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt { margin-left: 4px; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt p { display: inline; } .ck_form .ck_subscribe_button { width: 100%; color: #fff; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 10px 0px; font-size: 18px; background: #35b729; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; /* border radius */ cursor: pointer; border: none; text-shadow: none; } .ck_form .ck_guarantee { color: #626262; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by { display: block; color: #aaa; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by:hover { display: block; color: #444; } .ck_converted_content { display: none; padding: 5%; background: #fff; } 2. 1-Minute Instant Iced Coffee

From Happy Foods Tube This 1 minute instant iced coffee is the best way to enjoy a cup of coffee in summer. If you haven’t tried it yet here is your chance. 3. The Perfect Iced Coffee

From The Pioneer Woman A super versatile and delicious recipe that you can tweak to your liking! 4. Homemade Frosted Coffee

From A Night Owl Blog Mix it up a bit with a blended coffee. Super easy to customize to your own tastes. 5. Iced Caramel Mocha Latte

From Melanie Makes. Want a more indulgent coffee without breaking the bank? Try this amazingly delicious iced caramel mocha latte!

6. CopyCat Starbucks Iced Mocha

From Stock Piling Moms Gotta love the copycat Starbucks recipes! Only 4 ingredients and about a 4th of the price of the branded version. 7. Best Iced Coffee Recipe

From Chocolate Covered Katie So simple to make, and you can even use a nut based or coconut milk for a healthier option! 8. Iced Coffee by the Pitcher

From Accidental Happy Baker When you don't feel like spending that extra minute or two per day making your iced coffee, make it by the pitcher for the whole week! 9. Skinny Vanilla Iced Coffee

From I Food Real Ok, so I had to include at least 1 healthy iced coffee recipe on here! 10. Keurig Iced Coffee

From Coffee Stylish Have a Keurig and shy away from making iced coffee? Try this recipe out! Related post: 10 Frugal Dinners for When You're Broke Sharing is caring! for later or .

What is your favorite iced coffee recipe? Share it below!

    Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

25 Mother's Day Gifts for $25 or Less That She'll LOVE!

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission or other benefit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Daily Change Jar.

Mother's Day, the day to celebrate that special lady in your life.

Whether she gave birth to you or not, every mom deserves that extra little special attention-at least one day out of the year! But showering her with gifts don't have to leave your wallet empty. I know that I personally love a homemade gift (or a bottle of cheap wine). But in case you need some ideas on some beautiful, funny, or thoughtful gifts for that special mother in your life, here are 25 gifts for $25 or less!

Supermom Stemless Wine Glass

I how I love a cute wine glass! I just wish there was a matching coffee mug (coffee for the morning, wine for the evening). BUY NOW  

Funny Candle

Candles have always been a default gift to give to my mom for any occasion for as long as I can remember. And even though I was a perfect child **cough cough** I'm sure my mom would still find this funny 😉. BUY NOW    

"If you can read this" funny socks

I love these kinds of socks! Of course, my favorite one is the "if you can read this bring me a glass of wine." But these are perfect for any mom, you could even get one for every day of the week! BUY NOW  

Slouchy Sweater

As a work at home mom, my wardrobe pretty much consists of leggings and oversized sweaters. I'll take one of these in every color please! BUY NOW  

Unicorn Sleep Mask

Every mom can use a little more magic in their lives, why not sleep let her sleep in style like the beautiful, magical unicorn that she is? BUY NOW  

Minimalist Monogram Necklace

These necklaces a great for wearing by themselves for that minimalist feel, or for layering with other necklaces. Mom is sure to love this simple statement piece. BUY NOW  

At least you don't have ugly children coffee mug

Time for mom to get a new, signature coffee cup? Treat her with this beauty, it's sure to give you some brownie points! BUY NOW  

Unicorn Whipped Soap

That's right, unicorns are making whipped, foaming soap now! Give mom the opportunity to pamper herself with this luscious, one of a kind, colorful experience. BUY NOW  

Organic Bath Bombs

Spoil mom at bath time with these beautifully scented bath bombs. Everything from stress relief to sweet dreams. BUY NOW  

Air plants

These beautiful little plants are perfect for decorating a home office or sprucing up a kitchen windowsill. Even better-they are super low maintenance. BUY NOW  

Hawaiian Coloring Book

Has mom been dreaming about running away to Hawaii? Well, give her that chance at a much more affordable price with this adorable Hawaiian coloring book. BUY NOW  

Long Distance Throw Pillow

Does your mom live in a different state? Reminder her that she is still on your mind every day with this cute little long distance pillow. BUY NOW  

Garden markers

For the mom who loves to garden, these cute little markers are perfect. Simple and beautiful. BUY NOW  

Personalized Leather Journal

Spoil mom with this beautiful, leather bound, personalized journal. With 14 adorable designs to choose from, you're sure to find something that she will love! BUY NOW  

Wine Bottle Wind Chime

Mom will love these colorful wind chimes made from upcycled wine bottles. Available in 7 colors to fit with any decor! BUY NOW  

Reusable market bag 

Is your mom up bright and early to catch the best produce at the local farmer's market? Then she needs this versatile market bag, available in 7 earth friendly colors. BUY NOW  

Curley patterned rolling pin

Got a mom that loves to try the latest cookie recipe? Then she will love this adorable filigree inspired "curly patterned" rolling pin! BUY NOW  

Hummingbird Garden Kit

Another one for the moms out there that love gardening. Or at least they want to be gardeners like myself! Attract all the beautiful little hummingbirds with this adorable little, scented garden! BUY NOW  

Wood Mom Frame

"Out of All the Moms in the World, I'm so Glad You Are Mine", is sure to bring a smile to any mom's face. It would make the perfect gift for your mom on Mother's Day or any time of the year. BUY NOW  

Grandma's Garden Stone

For those moms who have graduated to grandma, this is a perfect compliment to any garden or outdoor space. BUY NOW  

Personalized Apron 

Does it seem like mom is always in the kitchen? Then she will love this personalized cooking apron! BUY NOW  

Mom's cutting board

Show mom how much you appreciate her with this beautiful, bamboo cutting board. BUY NOW  

Family tree shadow box

Suprise mom with this beautiful, personalized family tree shadow box. Big enough to include both children's and grandchildren's names! BUY NOW  

Mother's Day Gift Basket

Pamper mom with this luscious, homemade gift basket set. Includes things like a sugar scrub, lip balm, lotion, bar soap, and handmade washcloth. BUY NOW  

Artisan chocolate truffles

Spoil mom with these beautiful and delicious chocolate truffles. These hand-painted beauties are made with only the finest ingredients. BUY NOW   Sharing is caring 💗     for later or   on Facebook!

Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

27 Frugal Pantry Staples to Keep on Hand for Quick and Cheap Meals

Learning how to build a frugal pantry is easy and can save you both time and money.

Having a stocked frugal pantry will take the stress out of cooking and provide a base for easy recipes to have on hand for dinners or freezer meals. I can't tell you how many times the kids have looked in the cupboards and said there was nothing to eat. What they don't realize is the magic of putting together a few ingredients and making a full meal! Below is a list of frugal pantry staples that will help lower your grocery budget and ensure that you have a stocked pantry full of food to make everything from freezer meals to gluten-free recipes. 1. Broths Chicken, bone and vegetable broths are not only good to have on hand for cooking, but they are also great to just sip. Although broths are not very expensive, to begin with, homemade ones are SOOO much better for you! Chicken and Bone broths are chocked full of skin and bone healthy collagen. Plus broths are great for digestion. Want to try making your own at home? Check out these tasty recipes for bone broth, chicken broth, and vegetable broth. 2. Beans, Legumes, and Grains Black beans, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, split peas, couscous, quinoa! I could go on and on with this list! Dried beans are so inexpensive and can be used in so many recipes. These types of ingredients last forever, so don't be afraid to stock up on them! To help reduce the cooking time for things like dried beans, soak them in water overnight. It also helps with making them more digestible. One of our favorite recipes for dried beans is homemade refried beans! Just a few (frugal) ingredients and a crockpot, my kind of cooking! 3. Sugars White sugar, brown sugar, and confectioner's sugar are great to have on hand for baked goods. I have been doing a lot of research lately on how to make things more homemade rather than purchasing canned good. Let me tell you, I am amazed at the things you can make with only a few simple ingredients! For example, homemade sweetened milk: milk and sugar. 4. Flour Breads, biscuits, donuts, sauces, gravies, muffins, scones, and rues. Flour is a MUST HAVE in any kitchen and is a very affordable ingredient. Even if you don't "bake" it is still good to have on hand. You can also use it to thicken sauces or try your hand at homemade pasta! 5. Baking Soda and Baking Powder Ok, this one is mostly for baking. If you do any kind of baking then you absolutely must keep these handy in your frugal panty. I always buy the industrial size of baking soda because I also use it for cleaning purposes.

6. Yeast Continuing along with our baking theme, yeast is good to have on hand if you are planning on making the more savory baked items. Breads, biscuits, etc. 7. Lemon Juice or Lemons You might be surprised as to how many recipes call for lemon juice. It is also great to have in the morning right when you wake up with some honey and warm water. Although, if there is one thing you have to splurge on, make it this. DO NOT get the "lemon juice" that comes in those big green plastic bottles. You know exactly what I'm talking about. They smell like cleaner, it is not real lemon juice. 8. Eggs Eggs are just for scrambled eggs and omelets. Eggs can be used in both sweet and savory recipes and baked goods. Plus they seem to last forever! 9. Potatoes/Onions/Carrots Ok, so I lumped these ones altogether. Potatoes, onions, and carrots are so cheap and can be used in so many recipes together or on their own. Plus carrots can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. One of our family favorites (besides the classic carrot stick) is brown sugar glazed carrots. Although I normally used canned, you could also use fresh. Simply saute in butter and brown sugar-delish! 10. Peanut Butter We go through so much peanut butter in our house I should probably buy it by the gallon! Of course, there is always the classic PB&J sandwich, or just straight up peanut butter sandwich. Another frugal pantry staple that can be used in both sweet and savory recipes. One of my kids' favorites is 3 ingredient granola bars. So easy to make, although they eat a whole cookie sheet worth in a day!

11. Oats Of course, you need some oats to make the aforementioned granola bars. But oats go beyond breakfast. You can put them in smoothies, use them to stretch your ground meat, make breakfast and anytime cookies, and of course granola! 12. Creamed Soups At least once per week, I make something with creamed soup as part of the recipe. Stroganoff, tuna casserole, chicken and rice. When I stock up I just buy a whole bunch of creamed soups, mostly cream of chicken and cream of mushroom as those seem to be the staples in most recipes. But it might also be a good idea to stock up on some cream of celery and cream of potato also. 13. Spices and Herbs I always try to buy my spices and herbs in larger quantities. Especially the ones that I use on a regular basis like salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cinnamon, and rosemary. Although whenever possible I try and use fresh, especially when it comes to mint! 14. Rice and Pasta Rice and Pasta are another one of those frugal pantry staples that you can stock up on that will last forever. Plus there are so many varieties! 15. Chicken Breasts Ok, so this one is probably going to be the most "expensive" on the list, however, is great to have on hand. You can make SOO many recipes with chicken breasts. Although I prefer to buy fresh ones, we generally just grab a big bag of frozen chicken breasts, they are much cheaper and I don't have to worry about cooking them right away.

16. Cocoa It seems everytime I buy hot chocolate mix it's gone within a few days. Darn kids, can't keep anything in the house! Cocoa is not only a baking essential, it's great for homemade hot chocolate. Bonus, my kids don't know how to make it so it last a lot longer. 17. Oils The two big staple oils you should keep in your pantry are olive oil and coconut oil. Both are great for baking and cooking as well as for homemade beauty products. Of course, vegetable oil is also a good staple to have on hand. 18. Dried Milk Ok, going back to my earlier research, there is a ton of stuff you can make with dried milk. Plus, if you run out of milk and need some for a recipe, or to drink, it's good to have. 19. Frozen Vegetables Oh, I love it when bags of frozen vegetables go on sale for $1 each! Time to stock up! Generally speaking, frozen vegetables are significantly cheaper than fresh and you don't have to worry about them going bad. 20. Green Onions Bonus on the frugal-meter, foods that you can regrow from scraps! Green onions are so easy to regrow. Simply leave about an inch at the bottom and pop in a small jar with enough water to cover the roots. Place in sunlight and harvest when you need some green onions!

21. Garlic I LOVE garlic! I always try to keep both fresh and canned, minced garlic on hand. I love using whole garlic for making roasted garlic recipes, and the minced garlic for just about everything else. It's so easy to add to recipes for a punch of flavor. 22. Tortillas Tortillas are another super cheap and super versatile, frugal pantry staple. You can use them for tacos, burritos, wraps, quesadillas (breakfast, lunch, or dinner), enchiladas, or chips. 23. Vinegar Vinegar, like baking soda, serves two purposes in a frugal pantry; cooking and cleaning. I suggest having both Apple Cider Vinegar and White Distilled Vinegar on hand. In a pinch, you can also substitute vinegar for lemon juice or make buttermilk. 24. Ground Meat We generally prefer ground turkey, but this might also be a little more expensive in terms of the other items on the list. However, if you can find it on sale, stock up and freeze it. At our local Aldi, we can get a pound of ground turkey for under $2! 25. Milk Unless you are vegan or lactose intolerant, you most likely have milk in your fridge. But do you ever do more than drink it or add some to a recipe here and there? There is so much you can do with milk, such as homemade yogurt, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cheese, and ice cream. Often times, the homemade version is WAY cheaper than store-bought, especially when it comes to yogurt!

26. Butter So admittedly, I am super cheap about butter. I think the stuff I buy is more considered margarine, but it seems to work for all of our recipes. Plus I can get 4 stick for less than $1. I do however buy actual butter for putting on toast and things. 27. Sour Cream and Cream Cheese I could live off of baked potatoes, although they have to be drenched in sour cream and butter! It's such a cheap and easy meal. There are so many things that call for sour cream or cream cheese or that you could use those as a substitute for other, more expensive ingredients. Related post: 10 Frugal Dinners for When You're Broke There are so many ways to save on your grocery budget. The main things you need to keep in mind is planning in advance and having frugal pantry staples on hand to make quick and cheap meals. Sharing is caring 💗     for later or   on Facebook!

What are some frugal pantry staples you always keep on hand?

Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

10 Frugal Dinners for When You're Broke

It can feel like a challenge to feed your family hearty meals when you are living paycheck to paycheck. Although Ramen is always an option, it's not exactly a healthy go to. But fear no more! Here is a list of hearty and frugal dinners to feed your family when you are pinching pennies. Jump to recipe1. Bean and Cheese Freezer Burritos 2. Budget Shepherd's Pie 3. One Pot Chicken and Potatoes 4. Super Simple Beans and Rice 5. Vegetable Soup 6. CopyCat Panera Tuna Salad Sandwich 7. Chicken Fried Rice 8. Baked Potato Bar 9. Kielbasa and Potato Skillet 10. Slow Cooker Poor Man's Stew  

Frugal and Hearty Dinners

1. Bean and Cheese Freezer Burritos

From Graceful Little Honey Bee.  At roughly $0.55 per serving, you can't go wrong! These are so simple to make and are great for those days where you don't have time to cook a full meal. Just pop them into the microwave for a couple minutes and you are good to go! I like to make 2 sizes, a larger burrito size for the hubby and older kids, and a smaller taco size for the younger kids. There is less wasted food for us that way. You could also pair this with a quick side of frozen veggies for a more complete meal. 2. Budget Shepherd's Pie

From Divas on a Dime. Shepherd's pie is a great option for a frugal yet hearty meal. Packed full of veggies and frugal ingredients like onions and potatoes. 3. One Pot Chicken and Potatoes

From Let The Baking Begin. Recipes with chicken thighs are great because you can get them pretty cheap. Add in some potatoes, onions, and carrots and you got yourself a filling meal. 4. Super Simple Beans and Rice

From Graceful Little Honey Bee.  When I need a frugal meal in a pinch, I generally turn to Mexican cuisine. It is a great way to pack in a bunch of veggies on the cheap! Plus when you go for dried beans, although there is a little more prep involved, it's so easy to make a substantial meal for a whole family on a budget. 5. Vegetable Soup

From Cooking Classy. Soup is a classic go-to for a healthy and hearty family meal. A vegetable is an especially frugal type of soup to make because in comparison to meat, they are much more affordable. 6. CopyCat Panera Tuna Salad Sandwich

From Cincy Shopper. You can't go wrong with a hearty and filling sandwich. The great thing about sandwiches, or any kind, is you can personalize them with whatever you like! 7. Chicken Fried Rice

From The Recipe Critic. Rice is always a good frugal staple to keep around the house. So versatile and easy to make. This simple chicken fried rice recipe is a great option for the whole family. 8. Baked Potato Bar

From Moneywise Moms I absolutely LOVE recipes that can be personalized. With 6 kids, it can be very difficult to find something that everyone likes. This baked potato bar is a great alternative to making tacos. Plus everyone can add whatever they like while also being cheap! 9. Kielbasa and Potato Skillet

From Mom Needs Chocolate. A delicious blend of juicy kielbasa, soft and chewy potatoes and spicy peppers. 10. Slow Cooker Poor Man's Stew

From The Magical Slow Cooker. To finish off the list is a super cheap meal to feed the whole family. I absolutely love a meal that I can toss in a crockpot and forget about! Sharing is caring! for later or .

What is your favorite frugal dinner recipe? Share it below!

  Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

How To Avoid Work At Home Scams

Have you ever dreamed of working from home?

Waking up on your own time, spending the day in your pajamas while you make a living online, all without a boss? Working at home is a dream for many. Unfortunately, there are too many people out there that are just out to take your money and scam you! After years of looking at "business opportunities" I have seen a pattern that these so-called gurus feed to uneducated and often desperate people. They promise you the world only to deliver disappointment and an empty wallet. Follow the simple directions below to protect yourself and avoid getting scammed!

Use Common Sense

I know, this sounds silly, but you might be surprised at how often people see something that is too good to be true, only to fall prey to the scam. It happened to me and I don't want it to happen to you. When you come across an opportunity, really take some time to think about it before whipping out your wallet. Especially if "the program" seems to be high paying or a very lucrative opportunity. I'm sorry to say, that if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. I mean think about it, if the people pushing this opportunity are paying you so much for such little work, how do they make money? If the company has to work at convincing you they are legit, most likely they are not. Generally, any "job" that uses search engine ads to promote itself and highlights that it is a "legitimate work at home job" is probably NOT going to be legit!

Don't Buy With Your Emotions

I've done it and I'm sure you have done it before. You see something and the marketing is spot on and speaks to you and you whip out your wallet and buy something that you later end up regretting. Scammers prey on this! They pay copywriters a TON of money to write copy that pulls on your emotional heartstrings. When you think you need something and are in an emotional state you can make illogical decisions. When you are searching for work from home job opportunities, take your time. Do your research and make sure you are not making any snap decisions.

Research, Research, Research!

Like I said before, do your research! Be skeptical of EVERYTHING! Make sure you are not researching when you are emotional and you have a clear head. Even if an opportunity sounds legit, if they ask for money, be wary! Check to see if there is a physical location, a customer service number, and or founder information. Do a check through a search engine and social media for reviews of the opportunity. Do a search with the name of the company or opportunity and ad "scam" or "review." A lot of times these can be posts of people just trying to push the opportunity or another opportunity that they will make money off of, but it's a starting point. Just keep in mind, that real companies offering real jobs don't charge applicants. Furthermore, no business opportunity is "risk-free" but can be quite risky!

Be In The Know

It seems like there is always a new hot scam online. I am amazed at how creative scammers can be with coming up with new ways to scam people. However, if you know the trends you can easily spot a scam from a mile away! Some of the "opportunities" listed below are ones you should proceed with caution before jumping into anything. Direct sales or MLM (make sure it is a reputable company) Receiving and sending packages Business start-up kits Gifting programs Pyramid Schemed - These are ALWAYS a scam! Posting links or ads online Anything that involves cashing checks or wiring money - Also ALWAYS avoid! Processing claims Product re-seller or wholesaler Stock trading systems Envelope stuffing Directories of telecommunicating Website tester Mystery Shopping Data entry/call centers (this job can be legit but can also be used to sell scams) At home assembly Taking surveys (Read my post on legit ways to make money through taking online surveys here) Now I am not saying that all of these listed above are scams. There are many legit opportunities that fall into these categories, direct sales for example. There are MANY legit direct sales companies where people can make good money, but it's not easy work either. There is one technique that I have come across that looks legit but is just another way to scam people. They set up a website dedicated to busting online scams but all it really does is funnel readers into another scam. They tote that this opportunity over here is a scam but the one they are promoting is legit when indeed it is just another scam. So proceed with caution when reading review and scam articles.

Be Cautious of Ads and Unsolicited Emails

Although it may be tempting to buy into one of these amazing opportunities, it's probably a trap! Try to stick to more traditional ways of finding work at home job opportunities. Look on legit job search sites like Indeed and Zip Recruiter to start with. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that everything you find will be legit, but your chances are certainly better. Also, if you are getting random emails about job opportunities, make sure you don't jump into it right away. When you find an opportunity, check out the company's website also. Is the job listed on there? If it is legit you should be able to find out more info about the company and the position. Don't' forget to consider the real side of the hiring process. Looking for reliable and trustworthy people is time-consuming. If all you have to do is fill in your name and email to "qualify" then it's probably not legit.

You Won't Get Rich Quick

Don't fall into the "get rich quick" scam. Unless you win the lottery, you will not be a millionaire overnight! If a company is promising you great wealth and financial prosperity, it is most likely going to be a scam! Stear clear of anything that is offering you full-time income for part-time work. The only people getting rich in these situations are the ones taking YOUR money!

Don't Pay For An Opportunity!

Yes, there are legit opportunities that require an investment, purchasing inventory for direct sales for example. But that is a business opportunity. If you are looking for a job, a real employer is not going to charge you to work for them. When they are asking for money they try to disguise it as start-up costs or training, but they are just taking your money. You might get something in return, but it's most likely not going to replace your income in a week so you can quite your 9-5. Someone who is running a legit business and is in need of employees isn't just going to hire anyone off the street for a few bucks. It's much more complicated than that. If it is a business opportunity you are looking for, then be careful. Real businesses are built over time, with a lot of research and planning. If you are interested in starting a blog, check out my post: How to Start a Successful Blog: The Complete Newbie Guide

Report Scammers

If you think you have been scammed, report it immediately! If you gave out any financial information call your credit card company or bank right away! File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center.  It's simple and you will be playing your part to help stop these scammers! The information you need to report a scam to the Internet Crime Complaint Center are: Your name, mailing address, and telephone number. The name, address, telephone number, and web address, if available, of the individual or organization you believe defrauded you. Specific details on how, why, and when you believe you were defrauded.

How do you avoid online scams?

  Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

February 2018 Blog Income Report: -$59.76

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission or other benefit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Daily Change Jar. I can't believe that I have been blogging for 6 months already! WOW...how the time flies! It has been a frustrating yet enjoyable ride! If you have read any of my other income reports, you know that I don't B.S. I lay out the "brass tacks" when it comes to what I am spending and making on this blog. I won't lie, blogging is hard! If you do it right that is. The majority of my time blogging is NOT actually spent on writing. If you have signed up for my free email course on how to start a blog, you already know that blogging is about 20% writing and 80% promotion. But I LOVE it! I love researching, writing, promoting, pinning, Instagramming, Facebooking, networking, and all those other "ings!" I love blogging so much that I actually bought a domain for a second blog! And I have plans for like 6 more! (Don't worry, I'll keep you updated as things develop!) And to answer your question...yes, I'm crazy, and no I don't sleep 💤. Although February was not great and I was in the red again, I am still growing and am well aware that blogging is not a get rich quick plan. I hit Tailwind hard again for scheduling my pins for February but had a late start. But more on that in just a minute.

Review of January Goals

Consistency:  I was not as consistent as I would have like to have been. 😞 But that’s ok, I'm trying not to beat myself up about it. We got our first foster placement in mid-February which threw a wrench into my schedule. In a good way though. And if you're keeping count, yes that is 6 kids now! So there is always something going on. I am hoping with improving my diet or at least trying to, that will give me a lot more energy to get work done after the kids go to bed and before they get up in the morning. I may not get a ton of sleep, but I really like my sleep, and am NOT a morning person by nature. So we'll see how that little experiment goes! Use analytics to my advantage: Learning about analytics and how to use them properly is a process. I know that Tailwind has some great analytics, but I haven't really tapped into them yet. For example, you can look at board insights and see how many repins you are getting from specific boards. So if you are getting a lot of repins on a specific board, make sure you are adding more relevant pins to that board. I know that one of the reasons that my pageviews did not increase as much as I would have liked is that I had turned off my Boardbooster campaigns that were handling my group boards and have pretty much ignored my group boards altogether. I also have a low version of the Tailwind Tribes and wasn't pinning as much stuff to there. How To Start A Blog FREE Email Course In this free course, I show you how to create a blog easily, from setup to content to all the way to earning your first income and attracting readers. Join now! Success! Now check your email for the first email of the FREE blogging email course! There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. First Name Email Address We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer. I'd like to receive the free email course. JOIN We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit /* Layout */ .ck_form { /* divider image */ background: #fff url(data:image/gif;base64,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) repeat-y center top; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5em; overflow: hidden; color: #000000; font-size: 16px; border-top: solid 20px #3071b0; border-top-color: #35b729; border-bottom: solid 10px #3d3d3d; border-bottom-color: #206e19; -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); -moz-box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); box-shadow: 0px 0px 5px rgba(0,0,0,.3); clear: both; margin: 20px 0px; } .ck_form, .ck_form * { -webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box; } #ck_subscribe_form { clear: both; } /* Element Queries — uses JS */ .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { width: 50%; float: left; padding: 5%; } .ck_form.ck_horizontal { } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: none; } .ck_form.ck_vertical { background: #fff; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content, .ck_vertical .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_vertical .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; overflow: hidden; } /* Trigger the vertical layout with media queries as well */ @media all and (max-width: 499px) { .ck_form { background: #fff; } .ck_form_content, .ck_form_fields { padding: 10%; width: 100%; float: none; } .ck_form_content { border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa; } } /* Content */ .ck_form_content h3 { margin: 0px 0px 15px; font-size: 24px; padding: 0px; } .ck_form_content p { font-size: 14px; } .ck_image { float: left; margin-right: 5px; } /* Form fields */ .ck_errorArea { display: none; } #ck_success_msg { padding: 10px 10px 0px; border: solid 1px #ddd; background: #eee; } .ck_label { font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; } .ck_form input, .ck_form input { font-size: 14px; padding: 10px 8px; width: 100%; border: 1px solid #d6d6d6; /* stroke */ -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; /* border radius */ background-color: #f8f7f7; /* layer fill content */ margin-bottom: 5px; height: auto; } .ck_form input:focus, .ck_form input:focus { outline: none; border-color: #aaa; } .ck_checkbox { padding: 10px 0px 10px 20px; display: block; clear: both; } .ck_checkbox input.optIn { margin-left: -20px; margin-top: 0; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt { margin-left: 4px; } .ck_form .ck_opt_in_prompt p { display: inline; } .ck_form .ck_subscribe_button { width: 100%; color: #fff; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 10px 0px; font-size: 18px; background: #35b729; -moz-border-radius: 4px; -webkit-border-radius: 4px; border-radius: 4px; /* border radius */ cursor: pointer; border: none; text-shadow: none; } .ck_form .ck_guarantee { color: #626262; font-size: 12px; text-align: center; padding: 5px 0px; display: block; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by { display: block; color: #aaa; } .ck_form .ck_powered_by:hover { display: block; color: #444; } .ck_converted_content { display: none; padding: 5%; background: #fff; }

Income:

Ads-$17.65 Adsense-$7.89 Media.net-$9.76 As of mid-January, I had finally hit the $100 payout threshold for Media.net ads! Whoo Hoo! And on February 27th I got my first official ads payout from Media.net! 

Let me tell you, I did a happy dance when that payment came through! It has been a lot of work, but well worth it. Now I have to focus on getting my pageviews up! I am also so close to meeting the threshold for my first Adsense payout. My lifetime earnings so far are $77.52. Affiliates- $5.46 ShopStyle Collective-$5.09 SmartAsset-$0.37 Gross Income = $23.11 Nothing too exciting here to report. No Amazon Associate sales...boo! No affiliate sales from HostGator...boo again! I feel with my affiliate stuff, I have kinds of been all over the place. What I should be doing is honing in on one or two programs and write some killer posts to reflect that. I am also hoping once I have the resources page up and running, that will also help towards affiliate sales.

Pageviews

Although my pageviews didn't substantially increase, I was happy to see it in the green rather than the red, especially considering February has 3 days less than January.

Even though the actual amount of pageviews only went up by 1,000, there was a 36.71% increase!  I'll take it! I am going to assume this increase in activity is due to my recent activity on Pinterest and filling up my Tailwind cue. I added just over 2,000 new pins from January to February. It's very interesting to go back and look at how my pageviews have fluctuated over the last 6 months. September-123 October-861 November-9,316 December-4,467 January-2,833 February-3,873 I think one of the reasons my pageviews shot up in November is due to several factors. It was the holidays and I had I published my gift guide post. I had also gotten accepted into group boards and was doing a lot of manual pinning in group boards and Tailwind tribes while they were still in the beta testing process. In April, I am planning on spending a lot of time on group boards and will be testing out a paid version of the Tailwind Tribes to see if I can get a spike in traffic. I want to make sure I have a solid plan in place first and work on getting more content out in for the month of March.

Expenses

Hostgator-$11.95 + $12.95 for a new domain name (shhh...it's a secret for right now!) Google Drive-$1.99 Canva for Work-$12.95 ConvertKit-$29 (debating about switching to the free version of MailChimp until I reach the 2,000 follower mark) Tailwind-$14.99 FollowLiker-$5.99 BoardBooster-$5 (I am probably going to downgrade this one as I don't use it how I want to otherwise I would have to pay a lot more for it.) Check out this income report for why I use these specific programs. Yes, I bought a new domain name and am planning on starting a second blog in a totally different niche. Why you ask? Isn't The Daily Change Jar enough work already?! Why yes it is! LOL But I made the decision to start a second blog as an experiment. I'm going to let you in on a little secret, I'm a Multipotentialite. A multipotentialite is someone who has many interests and creative pursuits. So what does that have to do with buying another domain name? You see, I get bored easily...squirrel! But I also like to try and test out new ideas. Buying the domain for the new blog is two-fold, I want to see if this other niche will generate more income via display ads AND so that I can gather data for when I start my blog about blogging. Did you catch all of that? My end goal is to start a blog about blogging but I want to be able to teach people how to make money blogging without blogging about blogging. Wow, now I'm out of breath! But don't worry, I'll keep you updated on everything as my project for world domination  progresses. Now back to your regularly scheduled program... So gross income for February was $23.11 minus $82.87 in expenses, totaling... Drum roll, please! -$59.76

Blogging Goals

I have a lot of things that I would like to get done in March. In addition to everything for this blog, I want to launch the new blog beginning of April, which means I need to get everything set up for the new blog in March.  First and foremost, however, is to print out my blogging goals for the month of March and post them on my wall right in front of my desk. This will serve as a constant reminder of what I want to accomplish. Audit the blog I am always looking for ways to improve the blog. Plus I am always learning new things about blogging every day! I have added a few new plugins and learned a few new techy tricks since starting the blog six months ago. So I plan to go back through each post and page and see if there is anything that needs updating or improving. I plan to do this every 6 months as a general maintenance. Finish the resources page I am so close to finishing this! I had read in a post somewhere that a great way to increase conversions for affiliate links on a blog is to add "buy now" buttons. So that is one of the things I am adding to the resources page. It is also a great place to organize my affiliate links all in one place. Publish 6 posts total I have really been struggling to publish a post twice per week. Mostly because I haven't given myself the time to work ahead on writing. Another one of those scheduling and consistency things you know. 2 posts per week would normally put me at 8 posts, I figure with 6 monthly that gives me a little wiggle room and then I don't have to beat myself up if I miss one or two due to, you know...life. Print out my blogging goals and post them right in front of my computer! Done and Done! I am terrible at writing things down somewhere and then forgetting about it or misplacing the paper. I am setting a recurring monthly goal for myself to print out my blogging goals and post them right in front of my desk where I will see them on a daily basis so I can't forget about them!

There is so much I want to get done with the blog this year, but it all comes down to good planning!

Top 10 posts from February

How to Have a Fun & Romantic Valentin's Day on a Budget 25 Ways to Save Money Everyday (Part 4) Pay Off Your Debt Fast With the Debt Snowball Method! 25 Useful Ways to Save Money Everyday Part 2 How to Use Online Survey Sites Like a Pro! How to STOP Living Paycheck to Paycheck Without Losing Your Sanity! January 2018 Blog Income Report: -$20.72 25 Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Under $25 25 Useful Ways to Save Money Everyday Part 1 25 Useful Ways to Save Money Everyday Part 3

Do you have a blog? How did you do in February?

Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

How To Reach Your Goals-Setting & Achieving Goals in 2018

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission or other benefit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Daily Change Jar.

Goal setting...

Better late than never, right? So it may be halfway through February, but it is never too late to work on your goal setting. Besides, why do you only have to wait until the New Year to set and achieve your goals? Did you know that only about 8% of people who set New Year's resolutions achieve them? 25% of people who set New Year's resolutions bail on them within the first week! So let's talk a little bit about goal setting and what you can do, any time of the year, to set and achieve your goals. Related posts: How to Start a Successful Blog: The Complete Newbie Guide Pay Off Your Debt Fast With the Debt Snowball Method! How to STOP Living Paycheck to Paycheck Without Losing Your Sanity! Goal setting, no matter how you do it, is important to achieving what you want in life. One of my favorite quotes is: A goal without a plan is just a wish -Antone de Saint-Exupery So, no matter where you are, let's make the next 30, 90, 365 days great! Below are some tips and tricks to help you reach your goals in life or business.

How to Set Goals!

Do you have a goal that you were previously working on? Starting a blog, losing weight, saving money? Think of that goal...

Review your previous goal(s) and objectives

Ok, think about your previous goal and answer these questions... What was the goal you were previously working on? How do you think it went before? What about your goal was successful? What about your goal didn't work out? What did you struggle with? How could you have done better? By answering these questions you can figure out what you need to do with your goal(s) next time to be even more successful

Make S.M.A.R.T. goals

If you have ever read a self-help book or blog post I'm sure you have heard of SMART goals, but let's take a minute to review. A SMART goal is: SPECIFIC-Specifically, what is your goal? I'm going to use savings as a running example here: You can't just say "I want to save money". Think about how much money you want to save. Are you saving for something specific? What changes do you have to make to save that specific amount? MEASURABLE-How much are you saving? $100/week, $1/day? How are you measuring your progress? How will you know that you are staying on track? ATTAINABLE-Is your goal actually attainable? For example, paying off your mortgage in a year is not attainable for most people, however, saving up $5,000 in an emergency fund over a year is a much more attainable goal. REALISTIC/RELEVANT-Can YOU realistically achieve your goal? Is the goal you set worth it? TIME-In what timeframe will you achieve your goal? It is really important to sit down and write out your goals and think about each of these points. For example, setting a SMART goal changes "I want to save money," to "I want to save $5,000 for an emergency fund by the end of 2018 by putting $193 from each paycheck (paid bi-weekly-26 paychecks) into my savings." Do you see the difference there?

Write down your goals and objectives

Writing down your goals is critical! Writing them down your goals not only helps you to remember them but also helps you to remember WHY you want to achieve them. I am the type of person that if I don't write something down or have a consistent reminder of things, I will forget about it. My husband and kids hear this all the time from me, "if it's not on my calendar, it doesn't exist!" Besides, if you can't remember your goals, how are you supposed to work on them? There are a TON of ways to write out your goals so you don't forget about them: Check out Etsy for just about every kind of goal setting worksheet you could think of! Create a vision board Start a blog to detail your progress Download any number of habit tracker/goal setting apps Use IFTTT to help simplify your life and make your goal setting and habits easier Put post-its around your house to remind you of your goals-the bathroom mirror is always a prime spot Use the calendar app on your phone to set reminders or to-dos *If you're looking for a planner that isn't date specific, the Panda Planner is a great choice! It has sections for morning review, schedule, tasks, notes, priorities, end of day review, review from the previous week, plan for the upcoming week, projects, goals, monthly overview, focus and daily habits, planning and reviewing your month.

Create your goal plan

In order to stay motivated in reaching your goals, you need to create a plan of action! A plan helps to break down your goals step by step so you know exactly what you need to do and when. Otherwise, you might feel like you are all over the place and overwhelmed by the big, end goal. Your plan should detail the steps you will need to take in order to reach your goal(s). What happens at each step? How will you track your progress? Be as detailed as possible as this will help in your success!

Break down your goal

As I stated in the previous point, you need to break down your goal into smaller steps. When you have a BIG goal, especially if it takes place over a long time frame, it can feel so overwhelming. Take the saving money example, $5,000 might seem like a lot, but $193 every paycheck doesn't sound as scary. Or weight loss is another good example. Say you want to lose 100 pounds over the next year, that is less than 2 pounds per week. See, that sounds totally doable! If you are setting a goal for a whole year, break into down into 12, 26, or 52 steps-monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly. You will stay more motivated if you are seeing 👊. Thinking about starting a blog to make some extra income? Check out the timeline below as an example: January – Think of a blog idea, name, and do some research. February – Start a blog and create an overall blogging plan. March – Create an editorial calendar from your research. April – Find ways to monetize a blog and implement those. May – Put together and implement your marketing plan (hello Pinterest!). June – Attend a blogging conference. July – Guest post on 10 websites. August – Grow your email list to X subscribers. September – Build an emergency fund for X months. October – Reach X in blogging income. November – Grow a social media account to X. December – Become a "famous" blogger! Simple right?

Keep track and adjust accordingly

Just like you would get a review at a job, make sure you are reviewing your goals on a regular basis. Things change all the time. Set a recurring time to review your goals, daily, weekly, monthly, whatever makes sense for the goal. Having a recurring check-in will let you know whether you are on track, behind, or need to make any changes. Looking for ways to track your finances better, check out Personal Capital. It's a free service that can help you gain control of your spending and saving, similar to Mint.com, but Personal Capital also gives you access to your investments and retirement accounts! Sign up for FREE

Find small ways to stick to your goals

It happens, we all have those "off" days and fall off the wagon with our goals. The goals we set just might feel WAY too big somedays. When this happens, you might just outright ignore your goals, or just be lazy and put them on the back burner. Or maybe you're too tired or have too many other things going on. This can lead to a spiral effect and completely falling off track. Forgetting about your goals, even for a short period of time, can cause you to get off track. Do you feel like your goals are just too big? Try to find small ways to take steps in the right direction towards achieving your goals every day. Try to do little things on a daily basis to work towards your goals. Habit trackers are great for this! Just remember that even the smallest steps in the right direction are still better than nothing! Ways you can get back on track with your goals: Wanting to eat healthier? Have pre-made healthy meals and snacks so you don't go for the unhealthy stuff when you're hungry. Don't feel like working out? Do some small things like pushups against the counter while cooking dinner. Struggling to make your financial goals. Try automation some things to make it a no-brainer to save-like automatic withdrawals from your checking into savings.

Motivate yourself

Consistent motivation to reach your goals will help you when you feel like quitting. Sometimes your goals might seem impossible, and having that little bit of extra motivation can make a world of difference. But motivation might always be easy to find either. Here are a few creative ways to keep yourself motivated: Create a vision board and keep it in plain sight. Make your goal into a friendly competition. Reward yourself for milestones.

Make your goal a friendly competition

This can help you in tow different ways. First of all, if you are at all competitive, you understand what is at stake in any competition. Secondly, this also gives you an accountability partner. Having an accountability partner can make your goal journey fun and maybe even a little bit easier. You also then have someone who is going through the same types of challenges that you can turn to and someone who is pushing you to succeed. You accountability partner can be anyone with similar goals as yourself. When it comes to blogging, I like to find other bloggers online who have similar goals as me but are also a little more advanced than I am.

Keep going!

And the most important aspect of goal setting for ANY kind of goal is to just keep moving forward! It really doesn't matter what kind of goal you are setting, you can always work to improve and expand on your goal even after you reach it.

What are some of the goals you have set for 2018 and beyond? What goal setting tips do you have to share?

                Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

25 Ways to Save Money Everyday (Part 4)

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission or other benefit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Daily Change Jar.

Welcome to the fourth installment of the "25 Ways to Save Money Everyday" series!

In case you missed them, part 1, part 2, and part 3 can be found here.

1. Make your own cleaning supplies

Baking soda and vinegar can clean just about anything! This can be as simple as using vinegar or using essential oils. It both benefits your wallet and your health!

2. Make your own gifts

You don't even have to be "crafty" to make your own gifts, especially if you have kids! Grandparents generally LOVE to get homemade gifts from their grandkids. It can be as simple as a picture of the kids and their handprints in a frame. I did this one year with my two younger kids and my parents and grandparents LOVED it! This doesn't apply to just Christmas either. Think Father's Day, Mother's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving!

3. Make simple and cheap meals

When you are meal planning, take into account your budget. If you are running low on your grocery budget, make sure you have a couple cheap and easy go-to meals. There are a couple go-to meals that we have in our meal planning rotation that are cheap and feed everyone. Mac and cheese and hot dogs anyone?

4. Patch up your own jeans

My kids and my husband go through jeans like crazy! I have learned a thing or two about patching up jeans over the years. Why go out and buy a new pair if you can fix the ones you already have...if they are fixable that is. My husband always seems to rip his in the worst spots that make it next to impossible to repair.

5. Make shorts out of old jeans

When the jeans start to get too holey, or too short but fit around the waist, make them into shorts! I did this with my oldest daughter a lot, her waist never seemed to get bigger, her legs would just get longer! This doesn't just apply to girls either, this also works well for boys jeans too.

6. Use old shirts as rags

I don't know about you, but I have a TON of old t-shirts lying around. They are either ripped, too small or just never get worn. If you have some old t-shirts that aren't really wearable anymore, turn them into rags-cleaning rags, burp rags, rags for staining furniture, whatever kind of rags you might need!

7. Make your own bags

If you are the crafty type, you can get really creative with this one! I have seen some pretty cool upcycled bags on Pinterest! Bags made from old t-shirts, or from plastic bags, and even old food bags-time to get creative!

8. Balance your checkbook

Ok, this is probably the least fun topic in this list...but important! Make sure you are keeping up with your checkbook or online checking account so you don't write a check that you forget about and end up in the red. I try to avoid writing checks at all costs only because I hate having to balance my checkbook and wait for checks to clear. But, if I do write a check for something, I make sure I keep track of it!

9. Avoid using the central air or air conditioning units

I'll be honest, this one is hard for us! LOL In the summer we like to keep it really cool in the house. If you can open some windows and use some fans that will help to save on your electric bill. My husband likes to crank the A/C in the summer and it can really show in our electric bill 😔.

11. Make your own yogurt

I promise this is not as scary as it sounds! One of my kid's go to snacks or breakfasts is yogurt and granola. But when you are buying that stuff from the store is can easily add up quickly! I am amazed at how much those "fancy" yogurts cost, like $2 for 4 ounces! I can make my own at home-2 quarts (that's 64 ounces) for about the same price! It's not complicated either. It's a matter of heating and cooling the milk to certain temps, adding a "starter" and keeping it warm for about 24 hours...voila...homemade yogurt!

12. Shop at the dollar store

I used to hate going to the dollar store, honestly, it made me feel "poor". But I quickly learned it is super frugal! You might be amazed as to what you can find at the dollar store-you know where EVERYTHING is only $1! In fact our last trip there we picked up: snacks for my husband at work, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, clipboards to make chore charts, and snacks and soda for an upcoming birthday party and spent less than $20! Don't discount your local dollar stores people, they are full of frugal surprises!

13. Shop at multiple grocery stores

Depending on what is on the meal plan, we go grocery shopping every week or every other week. The only downfall with our method of grocery shopping is I feel like it can take forever! When we do our grocery shopping we tend to hit 3-4 different stores. Each local grocery store has different deals and store coupons. Our last grocery trip-for one week of groceries which included breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for a whole week for a family of 7 was less than $200! 

14. Don't be afraid to ask for help

I'm stubborn...big surprise.😜 I generally don't like to ask for help, HOWEVER, when you put it out there that you are looking for something you might be surprised at the deals you can get! For example, I was talking to a close friend of mine and mentioned that I needed a chest freezer, and she gave me one that she just had sitting around...for FREE! I looked at buying one and it would have cost around $200! You can also post in local buy/sell/trade groups that you are "ISO" or "in search of" to try and find good deals! Sometimes people are just looking to get rid of things and you can get amazing deals of even stuff for free. Just don't be that annoying person that is obviously asking for handouts.

15. Repurpose leftovers

When you are meal planning use what would be just plain leftovers for a new meal. For example this past week I made refried beans as a side, we had a lot left over, so I made bean and cheese freezer burritos for the kids for a quick meal. There are plenty of ways to repurpose leftovers, plus it's fun to get creative in the kitchen!

16. Use Swagbucks for your search engine

Who doesn't love a little extra money in their pocket? Using SwagBucks as your search engine and to complete other various tasks on earn you real money! 2500 Swagbucks equals a $25 Paypal payout! Not too shabby for doing things you already do online. And of course invite your friends and earn even more!

17. Invest small amounts

You don't need thousands of dollars to start investing. A few cents here and a couple dollars there might not seem like a lot, but it can really add up! Have you heard of micro-investing?  It is easy to start investing with your spare change with several apps on the market that do all the hard work for you, you don't have to worry about all that investing mumbo-jumbo!

18. Buy cheap dog food

I know some of you dog lovers out there are gasping at this right now! "But I love my dog(s)", yeah so do it, but they aren't helping me around the house to save money now, are they?! With 5 kids and 3 dogs (one of them is a Mastiff!) I try to save on food costs wherever I can, and that includes the dogs! Luckily none of my dogs need to be on any special diet and their cheap food seems to be just as good to them as the expensive stuff! a 52-pound bag of dog food cost me $18.99 and that lasts at least a week, not too bad in my book!

19. Join Honey! 

I just recently discovered this money-saving chrome extension, and I LOVE it! When you are shopping online it works in the background to find you money saving coupons. What's even better than saving money while you shop? Making money while you shop! You can combine Honey and Ebates while shopping online! **MIND BLOWN**

20. Use Ibotta while shopping

Ibotta is another one of those stupid simple apps to use to save /make you some extra cash! All you have to do is link you store card to the app, go shopping, take a picture of your receipt, and get cash back! Easy peasy! Want to know more, check it out here!

21. Find wellness clinics for your pets

Here's another one for the pet lovers! I'm not sure if this is a thing in other states, but in Wisconsin, there is a "wellness clinic" in the Madison area that offers vet services at very affordable prices. This works especially well if you only need a rabies shot for example and not a full exam. Also, check to see if there are vet schools in your area that might offer discounted services from students.

22. Go to the local cosmetology school

Cosmetology students need live heads to work on also! You could get your nails done, hair cut and colored, spa treatments all for steeply discounted prices! But just beware that they are still learning, so that cut and color you wanted might turn out EXACTLY like the picture.

23. Groupon! 

I f...ing LOVE Groupon! I didn't even really know what it was till fairly recently. I had heard about it but never really had given it a second thought. I am so glad that I looked into it more. Groupon is great for so many things-spas, going out to eat, singing lessons, you name it! I also love that they have physical products and online courses! You never quite know what you will find on there! You can even combine Groupon and SwagBucks to earn cash back ON TOP of your savings!

24. Build up your emergency fund

This is important for so many reasons and can save you money in the long run! If you have an emergency fund saved up-whether it's $1,000 or $5,000, it will help you to avoid using credit cards in case of an emergency-like a busted water heater.

25. Never give up!

This is probably the most important of all the tips! It can be difficult to stick with money saving tips and tricks when it feels life is against you! I can't tell you how many times we thought we were fine...then...BOOM! Something horrible and random happens! An account get hacked and we are out $900 The engine in the car goes out A tire falls off the truck Someone gets sicks and needs to be hospitalized for a few days It can be very easy to just say F-IT and give up and continue living in your old ways. But your old ways are not going to get you out of debt, or fix your money problems! Just remember to take it one day at a time and keep your head up!

Did I miss anything? What are some creative ways that you save or make a few extra bucks?

Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

January 2018 Blog Income Report: -$20.72

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission or other benefit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Daily Change Jar.

I'm back at it and kicking some blog butt! After seeing how much my numbers tanked in December and January, I had to make sure that I got back on track with the blog. I had a little self-pity party for about 3 minutes when I was going over my KPI's for the month of January, but then I brushed myself off and put my big girl pants on and got to work! 4th official income report here, and I'm going to make this one short and sweet, mostly because if you already read the December income report, you know that January is going to suck also! LOL

Review of Goals

So in last month's income report, I wanted to focus more on blogging goals for the year rather than just for January, considering I wrote the post at the END of January 😟. Content Calendar I have started to flush out most of my content calendar, which I feel great about. I found a post somewhere that had a Google calendar that I added to mine with ALL the holidays throughout the year, like National Pizza Day! Why is this important...? Think trending! If I can plan my posts about what will be trending and popular at certain times of the year that should (cross my fingers 🤞) lead to more pageviews! For example, I went onto Pinterest before I wrote my last post and realized pretty much anything Valentine's Day related was in the trending pins-duh! So logically my last two posts revolved around 💝Valentine's Day💝! The first post was about how to have a frugal yet fun Valentine's Day. I was super excited to see that pin has already gotten some traction:

This post has actually been the most visited post since the beginning of February. The second post I wrote was an affiliate based post that I wanted to experiment with to see if I could increase affiliate sales. This one doesn't seem like it has gotten any traction. I know I need to come up with a better system for sharing pins, getting on more group boards, etc. I kind of feel like I have been shooting in the dark a little bit with pinning and just throwing stuff up there hoping it sticks. Also, I should have written the Valentine's themed posts and started sharing it like a month BEFORE Valentine's Day rather than just a week or so before. Back to the goals... Sticking to a schedule I think I am getting better with this, but there is always room for improvement! I do my best to get as much done during naptime and know what I should be working on before I sit down to actually work on it. I have also been trying to get out of the house and work more when I can. I feel like I can really buckle down and focus better when I'm not surrounded my tiny screaming humans (I love my children but they are not by any means conducive to my productivity!) Get more affiliate sales I have been doing a lot of research on how to use ShopStyle Collective to earn more affiliate commissions and am taking this into consideration when pinning out in Tailwind. I have been making pretty, custom affiliate pins for products, mostly off of Etsy. You can check one out here! The cool thing about ShopStyle Collective is it is a pay per click affiliate program, which means someone DOESN'T have to buy something for you to get a commission! (I will be writing a post on this in the near future for those of you that are interested in earning affiliate commissions from Pinterest WITHOUT having to have a blog 😉). Create my own course Stay tuned for updates on this within the next few months. Get sponsored work Still researching on how to go about doing this for the personal finance/frugal living niche.

Income

Ads-$14.17 Adsense-$9.40 Media.net-$13.65 Affiliates- $9.05 ShopStyle Collective-$1.41 Amazon Associate-$0.52 SmartAsset-$7.12

Gross Income = $23.22

Well, not much to talk about here 😔.

Pageviews

Just another sad state of affairs here. They were even worse than they were for December, blah!

As you can see, pageviews dropped again. BUT... I'm hoping with getting my Pinterest presence up again that these will increase significantly.

Expenses

Hostgator-$11.95 Google Drive-$1.99 Canva for Work-$12.95 ConvertKit-$29 Tailwind-$14.99 FollowLiker-$5.99 BoardBooster-$5 Another month of just sticking with the bare essentials 😔. So, unfortunately, due to the dive in pageviews and my lack of activity on Pinterest, my "income" ended up being -$20.72. Sad but true. But if my calculations are correct, I should actually be getting my payouts from Media.net at the end of this month, so that's exciting!

February Goals

Above all else, my main goal for February is consistency! Consistency Being consistent in writing, pinning, other social media engagement, and posting twice per week. My original days were Sunday and Wednesdays, but I'm not sure Sundays work really well for me, I feel like the weekends just FLY by! I' going to switch my posting dates to Mondays and Thursday and see if that works better. Use analytics to my advantage Making sure that I am looking at my content calendar and planning things out accordingly. Taking my analytics into consideration and basing new content off of what has already done well. For example, my  25 Ways to Save Money Everyday posts have done really well. So what does this tell me? Finish the 4th in the series Create more lists posts Create more "ways to save" posts It's all about using what you know to your advantage! It's all about using what you know to your advantage! Click To Tweet

Top 10 Posts from January

Pay Off Your Debt Fast With the Debt Snowball Method! October Blog Income Report: -$141.88 November Blog Income Report: $60.71 How to STOP Living Paycheck to Paycheck Without Losing Your Sanity! 25 Useful Ways to Save Money Everyday Part 3 25 Useful Ways to Save Money Everyday Part 2 25 Useful Ways to Save Money Everyday Part 1 How to Start a Successful Blog: The Complete Newbie Guide Love and Money: What You Need to Know to Create a Healthy Relationship with Both Don't Overspend On Your Kid's Christmas Gifts This Year, Try This Instead!

How have you been being productive in 2018 so far?

  Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

25 Valentine's Day Gift Ideas for Under $25

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission or other benefit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Daily Change Jar.

As I said in my previous post, you don't need to break the bank to spoil your special someone on Valentine's Day. Valentine's day is not only great for giving personalized gifts, but it's also a great holiday to play to your loved one's humor!

Here are 25 gifts, for him or her, all under $25!

The Reasons Why I Love You Card Set These are great to hide in lunchboxes or random places around the house for your love to find!

I love the poop out of you! For the person on your Valentine's list that has a sense of humor or enjoys bathroom jokes-I would totally give this to my husband! LOL

Funny marriage mug For that couple who can never agree on where to eat!

  Chocolate game controller For the gamer in your life! 

Personalized sound wave print A creative and beautiful way to show that special someone how much you love them!

Personalized star map If there is a special geographic location that you met your special someone, this is a beautiful reminder of that magical night!

Darth Vader Valentine's Shirt For the Star Wars fan in your life! 

Personalize date print This burlap print tells the story of a couple's love - highlighting all the dates that are most special!

I love you because...chalkboard Tell that special someone each day whey you love them! 

Penguin necklace Do you have a penguin in your life? Remind them of how you want to be with them for life with this special little necklace. 

I Pika-choose you! For the Pokemon fan in your life!

Custom signature ring Simple and beautiful!

Custom crossword puzzle A one of a kind piece of art to describe your love!

Valentine's Day chocolates Tell that special someone how much you miss them with this custom chocolate set!

Custom fingerprint necklace Keep your loved one with you at all times with this unique and beautiful necklace!

Men's soundwave bracelet Remind your man everyday how much you love him! 

Personalized glitter coffee cup Does your love always have a coffee in their hand? Why not give them a cup that will make them sparkle all day long!

Personalized throw blanket Put those special moments on display for the world to see and for you to wrap yourself up in!

Personalized wood memory box Keep all of your special trinkets and treatures in a safe place in this adorable, personalized box. 

Personalized peanut butter spoon I totally need one of these! Do you have a special spoon that you always use?

Genuine leather, personalized men's wallet Can personalize with a monogram or even a quote on the inside!

Romantic date night cards Can't decide what to do for a date night? With 52 cards, you won't run out of ideas for a whole year!

Personalized wine glass Perfect for the wino in your life!

Valentine's and tacos t-shirt Don't have a Valentine to buy something for? Get this adorable shirt for yourself! Mmm...tacos 🤤

Edible massage oil I'm just gonna leave this one here...

What are you planning on getting your special someone for Valentine's day?

Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

How to Have a Fun & Romantic Valentine's Day on a Budget

Valentine's Day is just around the corner! What are you planning with your love for this special day? I remember when we were younger my husband would go all out on Valentine's Day, flowers, dinner, jewelry, the works! This was also before we really started working on our finances. I soon realized that he spent a small fortune on all that stuff. Now, I'm not saying that I didn't love and appreciate his grand gestures of love, but after having a few more kids and cutting down to one income, we had to get creative! So here are a few things that you can do with your lovey on Valentine's Day without breaking the bank!

Have a Date Night In

Easier said than done when you have so many kids! Solution: find a sitter and create your own little romantic dinner for two! Find some fancy new recipes that you want to try, crack open a bottle of wine and get cooking. Get dressed up, turn on some romantic music, light some candles, dim the lights...you get the hint 😉 🍾 💋.

Go Out For Dessert 

Going out for a full dinner can get really pricey. So instead, just go out for dessert...and maybe one drink. This way you can still get the whole date night experience without having to spend too much.

Take in a Movie

Going out to a movie can get so expensive, especially when you add in treats or drinks (yes there is an awesome movie theatre by us that serves beer and wine!) So find something on NetFlix, go out and rent one from a Redbox, or find an old movie in your stash at home. Want to make it a real movie theatre experience? Stop by the dollar store and pick up some of those movie theatre style boxed candies, grab and huge soda from the gas station, and overload your popcorn with salt and butter 🤤. Make it official and pop in the latest 50 Shades 😉.

Pick a Different Day/Time

Going out on Valentine's Day isn't always convenient. Especially when it is during the week, like this year it is on a Wednesday...really? So, try to celebrate it on the weekend before or after, restaurants might not be so packed at those times either. It doesn't always have to be a dinner either, maybe try a lunch or brunch for a change, those generally tend to be less expensive anyway.

Check for Local Deals

I know of a few local places that run Valentine's specials. They may offer discounted hotel rates and throw in some coupons for dinner or drinks! So check your local classifieds or Facebook groups and see what kinds of discounts you can get in your area. Don't forget to check Groupon! I had always heard or Groupon, but never really checked into it. But boy am I glad I did! There is SO much stuff on there, and at really discounted prices too! You can find things from wine, hotel stays, massages, spas, restaurants, acupuncture, facials, vineyard or brewery tours, the possibilities are endless! They offer some great deals! Like a reflexology session for $55 that is normally $90! So download the Groupon app and check out what is available in your area! Valentine's Day doesn't have to break the bank or put you in more debt. There are plenty of ways to have a fun and romantic Valentine's Day on a budget. Need a few inexpensive gift ideas, check out this post for gift ideas under $15! 

What kinds of budget-friendly things do you do for Valentine's Day? 

Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

Working on goals for #2018! I might be a little behind, but I’m going to rock the rest of this year! #hustle my butt off to build up this blog to something INCREDIBLE! What goals have you guys set for yourself this year? #goals #goalsetting #newyear #hustlehard #blogger #workfromhome #makemoney #makemoneyblogging #socialmedia #makemoneyfromhome #bloggingmom #entreprenuer #onlineincome

[thedailychangejar-blog]

December 2017 Blog Income Report: $65.48

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive a commission or other benefit at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting The Daily Change Jar.

I feel like it has been FOREVER since I have really worked on the blog! I will admit I have totally been off my game since the end of November. 5 kids, blogging, 1,001 extracurricular activities! And although I tried not to, the blog was always the last thing I worked on. But I’m not here to whine, I’m here to go over how the month of December went for The Daily Change Jar. So this is my 3rd official income report. Someone actually commented on my November report asking where the December one was! I was a little shocked at first but glad that she called me out on it!  I know it can be difficult to keep your head above water when you are just starting out as a new blogger. But we are all in this together right! Although it was a big step for me, I am so glad I made the decision to start blogging and include sharing my income reports. I freaking LOVE what I do, and even inspired a close friend of mine to start her own blog :-) I’m so happy to see that people are sharing my other income reports (484 shares for October and 323 shares for November report!) My goal from the very beginning was transparency in my blogging journey. If you have read my previous income report from November, you already know that hubby and I had baby #5 in November. Yup, you heard me right, 5 kids! So most of December was spent half asleep, attempting to be productive (and by be productive I mean shower and eat something other than the kids' leftovers lol!) So I am fully admitting that December kinda sucked. It’s almost the end of January and I am JUST getting to start posting again. So thank you loyal blog reader for calling me out! You know who you are 💋 Although, I swear I wasn’t totally unproductive for the past how many weeks. I was putting the finishing touches on my free blog email course-which turned out to be a 14-day email course! (More on this in a minute) But let’s first start with goals (seeing it is the new year when I am actually writing this!)

Review of December Goals

Establish a content calendar and stick to it: Well, honestly that went right out the window lol! Considering I hardly looked at the blog in December, I am VERY behind on my goals. 😞 But that’s ok. I am getting back at it and kicking butt! Just because I had one month where I want to do nothing but sleep, doesn’t mean I will continue with that pattern! It’s time to take 2018 by the horns and kick it into high gear baby! Write an epic “how to start a blog” post: Done and done! I was so freaking excited to publish this bad boy! I also put together a 14-day email course to go along with it! And let me tell you, that took a long time to write! I packed this email course with so much info, I should probably charge for it. But that was not the goal here. The goal was to provide anyone who signs up for the course with so much value that they can go out and start a blog on their own without any further help OR be kicking down my door asking for an even more in-depth paid version! So, if you are interested in starting your own blog, or already have and need a few tips, then sign up below and get started! Make 2018 the year to do things differently and pursue your passion! window.NREUM||(NREUM={});NREUM.info={"beacon":"bam.nr-data.net","errorBeacon":"bam.nr-data.net","licenseKey":"54b4344c19","applicationID":"34906561","transactionName":"J1pXREcNCg8AQBkTSwFHSh9GBxUQDF1YFRcKUE4=","queueTime":3,"applicationTime":55,"agent":""} window.NREUM||(NREUM={}),__nr_require=function(e,t,n){function r(n){if(!t){var o=t={exports:{}};e.call(o.exports,function(t){var o=e;return r(o||t)},o,o.exports)}return t.exports}if("function"==typeof __nr_require)return __nr_require;for(var o=0;o (function(w,d,s,l,i){w=w||;w.push({'gtm.start': new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s), j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src= 'https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f); })(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-MC73PL2'); ga('require', 'GTM-WGK99JD'); window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || dataLayer.push({ 'loggedIn' : 'false', 'plan' : '' }); !function(){var analytics=window.analytics=window.analytics||;if(!analytics.initialize)if(analytics.invoked)window.console&&console.error&&console.error("Segment snippet included twice.");else{analytics.invoked=!0;analytics.methods=;analytics.factory=function(t){return function(){var e=Array.prototype.slice.call(arguments);e.unshift(t);analytics.push(e);return analytics}};for(var t=0;t × Warning! You need to sign in or sign up before continuing. $(document).ready( function() { $('.alert').delay(400).slideDown(300).delay(2000).slideUp(300); });

Log In

Enter your login credentials Email Address Password   Remember me Log in Forgot your password? Don't have an account? Sign up !function(){ var script = document.createElement("script"); script.async = true; script.src = "https://risk.clearbit.com/v1/risk.js"; var parent = document.getElementsByTagName("script"); parent.parentNode.insertBefore(script, parent); }(); var onRecaptchaSubmit = function(token) { $("form#new_user").submit(); }; !function(e,o,n){window.HSCW=o,window.HS=n,n.beacon=n.beacon||{};var t=n.beacon;t.userConfig={},t.readyQueue=,t.config=function(e){this.userConfig=e},t.ready=function(e){this.readyQueue.push(e)},o.config={docs:{enabled:!0,baseUrl:"//convertkit.helpscoutdocs.com/"},contact:{enabled:!0,formId:"b5b14854-3e1b-11e6-aae8-0a7d6919297d"}};var r=e.getElementsByTagName("script"),c=e.createElement("script");c.type="text/javascript",c.async=!0,c.src="https://djtflbt20bdde.cloudfront.net/",r.parentNode.insertBefore(c,r)}(document,window.HSCW||{},window.HS||{}); HS.beacon.config({ color: "#0f84d1", icon: "message", modal: true, topArticles: true, topics: }); Add a resource section to the blog: So I started this, but it still needs a lot of work. Get my guest posts published: Kinda fell off the train with this one. I have to do some checking in with the ladies I was talking to, to see if guest posting is still a possibility. One thing I know I need to do with getting better at making those online connections is to nurture those connections. Alright, so let’s get to the money, honey!

Income:

Ads-$39.35 Adsense-$18.81 Media.net-$33.43 As of mid-January, I had finally hit the $100 payout threshold for Media.net ads! Whoo Hoo! They however also have a Net30 payout, which means that I won’t actually get paid for them until end of February. But hopefully, by then the income will be a little more consistent and I won't have to wait so long for payouts. Affiliates- $70.07 ShopStyle Collective-$7.00 HostGator-$50 Amazon Associate-$5.92 SmartAsset-$7.02 Gross Income = $109.42 So there was an increase in Amazon Associate earnings, most likely due to the gift guides post 😀. I will definitely be doing some more experimenting with that throughout the year and be better prepared for the 2018 gift giving season! Also, due to my friend starting her blog, I get my first affiliate commission from HostGator! Ya ya! Don’t be afraid to hand out affiliate links to people if it is for something they are gonna buy anyways!

Pageviews

My pageviews took a very significant dive in December due to my inactivity on Pinterest 😭 I cried a little inside when I was working on my KPI’s for the month. But I just keep telling myself, it’s ok. They will go back up! As you can see, there is a 52.05% drop! Eek! And due to my inactivity I know January isn’t going to be pretty either 😭 But that just goes to show you the power of being active on Pinterest!

Expenses

Hostgator-$11.95 Google Drive-$1.99 Canva for Work-$12.95 ConvertKit-$29 Tailwind-$14.99 FollowLiker-$5.99 BoardBooster-$5 Check out this income report for why I use these specific programs. I didn’t spend any extra this month on continuing education considering I haven’t done anything with the ones I bought from the previous month. I also didn’t get any new books as I’m still working on the one I started in November. So technically my income for December was $65.48, which is up almost five whole dollars from last month! Which is pretty cool considering I didn't do much. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, some progress is better than nothing! I also made a $12.50 in side income from a quick VA project. So my total income from December ended up being $77.98, not as good as November, but I expected that. I also know that January is going to kind of suck also 😟.

Blogging Goals

So instead of focusing on January blogging goals, (considering I am actually writing this on the last day of January) I want to give you a little snippet of my 2018 blog goals. Make a freaking content calendar and actually stick to it! Ok, I know I said this before, but I have actually started working on it. I have a HUGE list of articles that I want to write, well over a year’s worth of content! It’s really just a matter of sitting down with my calendar and figuring out what content to put where. It is so much easier to be productive in short periods of time when I know what I am going to write about. I would love to just plan out the whole year at once. Then work on getting 3 months ahead with writing. This is one of those projects that I have to get out of the house for and spend the day at Starbucks just pounding out content. Which I love doing by the way. Workcation anyone?  I also want to focus more on the types of posts that I am writing. What has worked so far? What hasn’t? What can I make better? Stick to a schedule Along with creating a content calendar, I am going to do my best to create a work schedule and stick to it. Which can be really difficult with 5 kids and a husband that works full time. I am NOT a morning person, but if it means getting up before everyone else and working, then that is what I will have to do. Although it might take a few more cups of coffee. I would love to say that I am going to work while the kids are in school, however with a toddler and a 2-month-old at home all day, that just isn’t feasible to sit and work for 8-hours straight. Naptime-yes, well sometimes. The little guy doesn’t always want to stick to a schedule. But I am thankful that my husband is super supportive of this and will give me the time I need to work whenever he can. Like spending a few hours at the coffee shop while he stays home with the little ones on Friday. Get more affiliate sales There are two big things I want to do to really work on affiliate sales. The first is to completely restructure my personal Pinterest account and focus just on pinning great content and making affiliate sales from there. The other is to drive affiliate sales through the blog (duh!) This goes along with creating the content calendar. As I said, I want to focus on different kinds of content. For example a rotation of posts would include a money saving post, a how to make money post, a money management post, a review post of some sort that focuses on an affiliate, and of course an income report. I am hoping once I start getting more traffic and I have the resources page all good to go this will also help increase affiliate sales. Create my own course This is something I have wanted to do from the very beginning. I actually didn’t even want to create my free email course until I had an actual paid course finished so I could promote it in the email course. But I decided, I should at least start collecting more email addresses so that when I DO launch my course I will have an audience to sell to. Get sponsored work I have heard so much about sponsored posts and how you can make great money from them. I feel like they work really well with the lifestyle type blogs that have a heavier focus on physical products, however, I think there is also room for sponsored posts within the personal finance space. I haven’t done a ton of research into this yet, but I plan to and would like to at least have one sponsored post before the end of 2018. So if you have any tips and tricks on how to get sponsored posts that you would like to share, please feel free! Now there are about 1,001 business related things that I want to do in 2018, I know it’s not possible to get them all done. My main focus will be on The Daily Change Jar and when I feel I am in a good rhythm with this blog, I will start another adventure. I would love to start like 4 other blogs this year, but this one is enough work for me at this point. So here is to 2018 and making it the year that one of my business ideas actually works!

Top 10 posts from December

How to STOP Living Paycheck to Paycheck Without Losing Your Sanity! 50 Amazing Amazon Gifts for $15 of Less for the Whole Family! Pay Off Your Debt Fast With the Debt Snowball Method! 25 Useful Ways to Save Money Everyday Part 3 25 Useful Ways to Save Money Everyday Part 2 25 Useful Ways to Save Money Everyday Part 1 November Blog Income Report: $60.71 October Blog Income Report: -$141.88 Don't Overspend On Your Kid's Christmas Gifts This Year, Try This Instead! How to Start a Successful Blog: The Complete Newbie Guide

How was your December? Hopefully more productive than mine 😉

Read the full article

[thedailychangejar-blog]

Motto for the new year! 🎉👊 . . . . . #competeeveryday #ambitiouswoman #gottabudget #liveinyourmeans #livelikenooneelse #workworkwork #keeppushing #thejonesesarebroke #cashisking #freedomis #goaldigger #goaldiggermovement #keeppushing #gettingoutofdebt #babystep2 #getyourshitdone #holidaysooncome #workhustle #thestruggleisreal #finanicalfree

[thedailychangejar-blog]

We all should not depend on a single income. Millionaires have on average 7 income streams. 💵👇💵👇💵👇💵👇💵👇💵👇 How many do you have? #hamsterwheel #financequotes #quoteoftheday #millionairemindset