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Guest post from Kelsie of Pink and Rick I hate shopping for groceries. I dread how much time it takes and how many decisions I have to make. Even if I make a plan and a list, I still hate it. My hatred doesn't even stop when the trip is over. Afterward, I feel guilty if we waste anything! And, I have another problem. After I got married, I put on fifteen (okay, 20!) pounds. Practically as soon as I said, "I do." I wish I could remember what I was eating, because I was clearly having a good time! My biggest downfall is my sweet tooth. Actually, it's a sweet fang. Really, it's a carb fang. I love all carbs. I could care less about eating meat, as long as I have breads and sugars. I usually look at problems like weight gain or my hatred of buying groceries as separate problems, but this time, I decided to tackle them together. So, I started looking around for something that would help me lose weight AND simplify my shopping trip. I started doing some research on different diets, and kept reading about how carbs spike your blood sugar then you feel hungry faster. Every day I felt hungry around 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. so I figured I needed to get my carb fang under control. So, I jumped head first into low-carb diet land. Fast forward a few months and I haven't lost all my marriage weight, but I'm down ten pounds. And, by cutting out lots of carbs, my shopping trip is less annoying. I love the simplicity. I buy the same foods every time, so I don't have to think or plan my meals out. I hit up produce, meat, dairy, nuts, and a few other aisles, and I'm ready to go. Most of the time people look at their problems as separate and unrelated, but I think our issues are sometimes connected to each other. And, if you can combine two related problems, it can really help motivate you. For instance, my hatred for the grocery store helps me stick to my diet because I don't have to spend my time wandering down every aisle making decisions. This post isn't to convince you to start a new diet. It's not to convince you to simplify your grocery shopping trip. I just hope to encourage you to take two of your problems/annoying issues and try and see if they're related. If so, you may be able to find one solution that solves them both. Have you ever combined multiple problems to find one good solution? Hi, my name is Kelsie, and I blog at PinkandRick.com. I love to write about goals, finances, and my dogs, Pink and Rick. I started blogging because my dogs act crazy, and my family wanted to see pictures. Now, I’m hooked. I’m always looking for great blogs to read, so if you have time please drop by or leave a comment, and let me know where I can read about your life.
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Here are some of the best educational deals and freebies available right now from Katie who writes at Cincinnati Cents: The Magic School Bus Complete DVD Series for $28.99: Amazon has The Magic School Bus Complete DVD Series on sale for $28.99. This 8-DVD set typically retails for $79.95 and includes all 52 episodes of this science-adventure series. As an added bonus, this item ships for free with Super Saver Shipping. Educational Games on Sale at Zulily for $6.99: Zulily has a sale on their educational games, with prices starting at just $6.99. There are several games to choose from including Veggie Tales Flip & Find Matching Card Game for $6.99, Sum Swamp Board Game for $8.99, The Sneaky, Snacky Squirrel Game for $15.99, Zoo-opoly Board Game for $11.99, and Money Bags Board Game for $8.99. Free Family Music Curriculum: Download a free Beethoven Who Family Music Curriculum from Educents. This curriculum is typically priced at $29.99 and includes over 300 pages of music appreciation, the elements of music, listening links, activities, and more. This offer is valid through July 9th. Flat Stanley Collection Box Set for $10.79: Pick up the Flat Stanley Collection Box Set for just $10.79. This set includes the following four titles – Flat Stanley 40th Anniversary Edition, Stanley in Space, Invisible Stanley, and Stanley, Flat Again. This set also includes a box to hold this 4-book collection. 8-Volume Picture Book Bundle for $26.99 Shipped: Groupon has an 8-Volume Picture Book Bundle on sale for $26.99. The following titles are included in this set – Before I Go to Sleep, Bunny Loves to Read, Bunny Loves to Write, Just One More Swim, I Love You When, Thank You For Being My Friend, Underpants Thunderpants, and Where Oh Where Is Huggle Buggle Bear. These books are all hardcover, jacketed books, and as an added bonus, this set ships for free as well. Free Cat Unit Study: Download a free Cat Unit Study from 1+1+1=1. This unit study is based on the book Why Do Cats Meow? and includes pages for children who are familiar with cursive as well as those who are still printing. LeapFrog Letter Factory DVD for $7.69: Amazon has their LeapFrog Letter Factory DVD on sale for $7.69. There are several other LeapFrog DVDs on sale as well including LeapFrog Word Caper for $7.71, LeapFrog Numbers Ahoy for $7.72, and LeapFrog Numberland for $8.59. IMAX Under the Sea 3D Blu-ray Movie for $9.99: Pick up the IMAX Under the Sea 3D Blu-ray Movie for just $9.99. This movie enables viewers to experience a three-dimensional journey through the depths of the ocean, which includes encounters with some of the world's most rare and mysterious creatures. There is a fee of $2.99 for shipping, bringing your total to $12.98. Free Practice Writing ABC Dice: Download a free set of Writing Practice ABC Dice from 3Dinosaurs. This set includes cube dice, dice to print and cut out, and 2 writing pages. Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube for $12.15: Amazon has their Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube on sale for $12.15. They have a number of other Melissa & Doug items on sale as well including the Caterpillar Gear Toy for $8.55, Stack & Sort Board for $8.51, Pink Sticker Collection for $5.15, and the Magnetic Wooden Alphabet for $11.08. Baby Genius Summer Fun Pack for $19.99 Shipped: Groupon has their Baby Genius Summer Fun Pack on sale for $19.99. This pack includes an Animal coloring and activity book, Tic-tac-toe board game, Numbers game board, Old McVinko sing-along board book (bilingual English and Spanish), Baby Animals DVD, Sing-A-Long Hits CD, Six crayons, Favorite Counting Songs DVD, and Favorite Toddler Tunes CD. As an added bonus, this set ships for free as well. Free Gymboree Play & Music Class: Gymboree is offering families a free Gymboree Play & Music Class. This offer is valid for new families only through July 14th. Alex Toys String-A-Farm Set for $12.18: Amazon has their Alex Toys String-A-Farm Set on sale for $12.18. This set includes 12 wooden beads, wooden needle, cotton lace and stopper. Free Kindle e-books: There are several free kids’ e-books available for download including Imagination Station: Voyage with the Vikings, The Day I Met Dr. Seuss, and Discover Series: Trains. Katie is a wife and homeschooling mother of four who writes at Cincinnati Cents about saving money and having fun as a family without breaking the bank. She enjoys sharing new recipes, ideas for frugal family fun, and tips for spending less at the grocery store.
Today's Swagbucks success story is from Carmen: I have been using Swagbucks for a few years now, but for much of that time, I wasn’t hardcore about it. I would watch a video here and there and get a few bucks a day for searching. However, when I decided that I wanted to save up my Swagbucks for Amazon gift cards to purchase a carpet cleaner, I decided to invest at least one hour a day into it, sometimes even more time at night when the kids were in bed. Some of the fastest ways to earn Swagbucks were: - Complete Surveys – I would aim to complete one or two a day. Most surveys are worth at least 50 Swagbucks.
- Swagbucks Mobile TV – I downloaded the app on my smartphone and would run the mobile tv until I reached my daily 50 points limit.
- Watch Swagbucks TV – I would watch videos at night.
- Print all coupons from coupons.com thru Swagbucks - you earn 10 bucks every time a coupon is redeemed.
- Daily Meter Goal – Swagbucks has a reward program where you have a daily goal and if you meet that goal daily for a week, a month, etc, you earn an extra bonus. For example, if I met my daily goal 30 days in a row, I would earn a monthly bonus of 300-500 extra Swagbucks.
There are so many ways to earn on Swagbucks and with putting in an hour every day, it didn’t take me long to earn enough to pay for our brand-new carpet cleaner! This year, I am saving up for Christmas — my goal is to not spend any money on Christmas gifts!
Have you saved up and purchased something using your Swagbucks? If so, you could get a $50 gift card just for sharing your Swagbucks success stories with MoneySavingMom.com readers! 
I received this email from Debra recently and I thought it might encourage some of you. Her email shows how working hard to become debt-free can really pay off when you have unexpected expenses and opportunities arise:
About three months ago, my husband and I reached our goal of being debt-free — with the exception of our mortgage. We had three+ months salary in a savings account, and a small amount in a car savings account. We were so relieved and proud of our hard work and sacrifice to reach these goals. Then, over the twelve weeks that followed, we were challenged financially by some unexpected blessings and expenses. Our 1st expense: We were notified by the state that our name had been drawn out of a lottery to receive state funding for a safe room (storm shelter). This was a blessing because living in Oklahoma and not having a cellar or safe room meant worrying every time tornado season rolled around. The funding would pay a little less than half of the cost of the safe room. So we proceeded with purchasing the safe room, tapping into our savings just a bit. What a blessing is was to have the shelter during the month of May; it was rough here in Oklahoma! Our 2nd expense: Our church was sending a group to Russia for a mission trip and both my husband and I felt like he should go. The cost of a ten-day trip to Russia including all air and land expenses was a hefty one. Without fear we proceeded forward, knowing God was calling him. While saving up in the weeks prior to the trip, an anonymous donor paid $1,000 of each team members expenses; about 1/3 of the total cost. What a blessing! Our 3rd expense: We had our van in the shop, undergoing several repairs to the tune of $900. On the way to pick up the van, in my husband’s car, we were hit from the behind. The impact pushed us into the truck in front of us — so our car had rear AND front end damage. The car was over 10 years old and had very high mileage, so the insurance company totaled it. We weren’t ready to purchase another car and were worried that even with the insurance money we wouldn’t have enough to purchase another vehicle with cash only. We prayed that God would lead us to the right vehicle and He did. We were able to purchase a used small crew cab truck for my husband paying cash; using the insurance money, car savings fund and a little from our checking account. All of this has taught us to be faithful and patient and in each situation God worked out a way for us to pay cash! Debra is a stay-at-home mom and mother to three boys; Kalen age 10 and Jordan and Josiah (twins) age 5. She does some contract work from home and teaches a few fitness classes each week at my gym. She is passionate about being frugal and saving money.
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Update: Be sure to call your local store. I’m hearing from readers that not all IHOPs are participating. It’s rumored that this might be just a West Coast promotion. Let us know if your area is participating. IHOP is celebrating their 55th birthday today by offering their Short Stack of Pancakes for just $0.55! This offer is valid today only (July 8, 2013) until 10 p.m. They sent out an email about this, but I’d recommend calling your local store to verify this deal. Thanks, Daleyonna! 
Here are some of the best deals available at Office Max for the week of 7/7 – 7/13. Please note that deals may vary by region. Input your zip code here to see if your local sales flier matches this ad. If you’re planning on making a larger purchase, you can get a printable Office Max coupon good for $5 off your $25+ in school supplies. $0.01 – $0.50 Deals Schoolio Paper Folders — $0.01 (with $5+ purchase, limit 10)
Office Max White Glue 4 oz. — $0.01 (with $5+ purchase, limit 2)
Schoolio 1-Subject Wide or College Ruled Notebook — 5/$1 (limit 2) $1 Deals Schoolio 3-Ring Poly Binder — $1 (limit 5)
Schoolio Colored Pencils 12-pack — $1 (limit 5)
Office Max Self Stick Note Cube — $1
PaperMate Clear Point Mechanical Pencils Starter Kit — $1 (with in-ad coupon)
Expo Chisel Tip Dry Erase Marker 4-pack — $1 (with in-ad coupon)
Sharpie Fine Point Black Permanent Marker 12-pack — $1 (with in-ad coupon) MaxPerks Bonus Rewards Offers Buy 1 Office Max Multipurpose Paper 500 sheet ream at $6.99
Submit for $6.98 MaxPerks Rewards (limit 2)
$0.01 after MaxPerks Rewards Buy 1 Bose X-9 Multipurpose Paper 10 ream case at $43.99
Submit for $34 MaxPerks Rewards (limit 2)
$9.99 after MaxPerks Rewards Office Max 14-Month Desk Calendar — $8.99
Submit for $8.98 MaxPerks Rewards (limit 2)
$0.01 after MaxPerks Rewards See the full list of deals this week at Office Max over at Moms By Heart. 
Are you a writer? Do you want to be a writer? If so, check out this week’s ebook bundle from BundleoftheWeek.com! You can get five different well-written ebooks on how to write and self-publish an ebook for just $7.40 total! I’ve read and loved both You Are a Writer and How to Market and Sell Your Ebook and have loved and learned from both of them. This collection is packed full of inspiration, practical tips and strategies to help you take your writing to the next level and earn an income from your craft. You Are a Writer by Jeff Goins
You Are a Writer {So Start Acting Like One} is an ebook about the process of becoming who you already are. It's a guide for those called to a life of words, a book about passion and calling, striving and sacrifice. Mostly, it's about writing: the glorious and grisly process of putting your butt in the chair and creating something worth remembering. This ebook will challenge you, call you out, and launch you into the life you should be living — a life of writing. Self-Publish: Moving from Idea to Product by Erin Ulrich and Teri Lynne Underwood
Self-Publish is an ebook for writers intrigued and/or intimidated by the world of self-publishing, writers who value quality and are prepared to devote time to creating an excellent product. With detailed information about each component of a great self-published work, Erin and Teri Lynne guide you from idea to product to help you ask yourself the right questions about four key elements of a successful book — content, design, audience, and marketing — with 20 worksheets to help you plan and prepare to write and release your book. 31 Days to Become a Better Writer by Kristina J. Tanner
Written for every writer who longs to hone their craft but is pressed for time, 31 Days to Become a Better Writer covers 31 different aspects of your craft with a daily exercise to reinforce that day's topic. This book is beneficial for individual writers by themselves, but can be used effectively in a group setting as well! How to Market and Sell Your eBook by Sarah Mae
Why should print books have all the fun? You can earn a full-time income with e-publishing, and you don't have to be a superstar to do it. Based on her own experience (she's sold over 40,000 eBooks) and by studying the experiences of others, Sarah Mae shares the lessons she's learned about communicating your passion to others in a new way and then getting those ideas to the world, one practical and thrilling step at a time in How to Market and Sell Your eBook. On Becoming a Writer by Denise J. Hughes
The world of blogging has revitalized people's interest in the craft of writing. They want to improve their craft too. In On Becoming a Writer: What Every Blogger Needs to Know, Denise answers thirty-four of the most important questions about writing that bloggers need to ask. What's the difference between writing advice and editing advice? What if I hated English class? How do I tell my story? With the answers to these questions and more, this e-book will help you become a writer who has something to say and says it well.
Get this bundle for 70% off this week only! Click here to purchase it for just $7.40. (Note: The links in this post are my referral links. Read my disclosure policy here.) 
There’s a new Kohl’s coupon good for $5 off any $25 in-store purchase. This coupon is valid through July 11, 2013. While you can print this coupon, in the past, these types of coupons usually only work when shown on a mobile device. Let us know if you’re able to get it to scan in-store as a printable, though. Thanks, Freebie Finding Mom! | | |
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