Please note that the price of these ebooks is currently $0.00, but that could change at any time. Be sure to verify before checking out that it is still free.
These ebooks are specifically for Kindles, but you can go here to download a free application that enables you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Now through Thursday, December 12, 2013, you can get 35% off your entire Old Navy online purchase when you use the coupon code GIFTS at checkout. This includes sale items, but excludes Everyday Steals.
I love the Christmas season. I love the sights, smells, tastes, sounds… all of it. But you know what I don’t love? That so many people feel rushed, hurried, and frazzled during Christmas.
The heart of Christmas is not about impressing people or running around at a crazy, frantic speed. And making either of those things your focus is certainly not going to help you celebrate and savor the season!
Creating a Christmas Bucket List
One thing that has helped us to slow down and just enjoy December is to create a Christmas Bucket List. We all sit down as a family and choose a few things that each of us really wants to do for Christmas.
Things we’ve put on our Christmas Bucket List in the past:
Building a snowman
Playing in the snow as a family
Decorating Christmas cookies
Going ice-skating
Doing an Advent project
Going to the Nutcracker Ballet
Driving around and looking at Christmas lights as a family
Watching a Christmas movie together
By the time we’re done discussing our Bucket List, we’ve come up with a great list of memorable activities to do together and since everyone gave their input, there’s something (or more than one thing) on the list that each person will really enjoy.
We spread these activities out during the whole month of December, doing a few items each week. Because our list is not long and overwhelming and because we have four weeks to do it, we’re able to really take time to enjoy each thing and create beautiful memories.
This tradition has been one of the best things we’ve ever implemented to help us stay focused, calm, and intentional during the Christmas season. And it also helps us to say “no” to most of the other ideas and opportunities that come up that aren’t already on our list.
Day 10 Project
1. Read chapter 6 from Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmasif you didn’t get a chance to read it yet. (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.)
2. Sit down as a family and create a simple Christmas Bucket List.
3. Look at your calendar and decide when you’re going to do each of these things. If there isn’t time or space, cull a few things off the list.
4. Come back around 8 p.m. tonight where I’ll share our family’s Christmas Bucket List this year and encourage you to do the same.
It’s easy to enter! Just head on over to Blogelina and login with your email or Facebook account to enter to win. One winner will be chosen on December 19, 2013.
I’ve been reading your blog for about a year now and I really appreciate how much I’ve learned about how to save money! My husband and I are currently on a journey to pay off our credit card debt, and I’ve been inspired by your creative ways to live below our means.
Before reading your blog I had never heard of the “drugstore game” and just assumed things would always be cheaper at my grocery store. But I decided to give some of the deals you post about a try… and this week I had great success at CVS!
I got $77.76 worth of products for $23.77. I thought some of your other readers might be inspired that even a “beginner” can score some great deals!
Here were my two transactions:
Transaction #1:
Right Guard body soap and deodorant – $3 each (buy 2, get $2.00 ECB) - used $2/2 coupon
1 Colgate Total Optic White mouthwash 1 liter – $5.99 ($3.00 ECB)
Do you want to make 2014 your best year ever? One where you’re focused, motivated, and actually follow through with your goals?
If so, you’ll want to check out Michael Hyatt’s new video series called 5 Days to Your Best Year Ever. Michael Hyatt is a leadership expert and New York Times best-selling author. His new video series will give you the tools and inspiration to make 2014 an amazing year.
If you’ve struggled with making and reaching your goals in the past, sign up for this free video series. You’ll gain powerful insights into Michael’s unique goal-setting process. And, you’ll discover how you can use this method to design your best year ever.
In the first video, Michael shares:
How the success of his New York Times bestselling book, Platform, started out as a simple, written goal
The little known secret to creating a life of happiness and how you can tap into it by setting meaningful goals
How to harness the emotional power of goals to cultivate confidence and a sense of accomplishment and connectedness
Why you can't afford to live without clearly defined goals and the hidden cost of acting without direction, including discontent, frustration, and other negative emotions
The importance of getting outside of your comfort zone and why this is your year to do it
What going public with a big goal personally meant to him
Click the video image above and start your journey to make 2014 your Best Year Ever.
Cardstore.com is offering 70% off Holiday Cards and Invitations right now when you use the coupon code CAP3913 at checkout. You can create custom cards starting as low as $1.29, and choose to either have the cards shipped to yourself or to your recipient.
Don’t forget, use the coupon code CAP3913 to take 70% off your order of Holiday Cards and Invitations. You’ll also get free shipping on your order of $30 or more.
Here are some of this week’s best grocery & household deals from Amazon.com, courtesy of Terry and Mandi from Jungle Deals & Steals. Many of these prices are higher than what you'd pay by combining coupons with sales, but they may be good deals for you if you live where there aren't many stores or deals are scarce:
Earth’s Best Organic: Stock up on Earth’s Best Organic 1st Squash. The 2.5-ounce jars are available for as low as $0.57 each ($6.85 for the pack of 12).
Terry & Mandi are a busy mother-daughter team that look for ways to save money without sacrificing a lot of time, and they share their love for all things Amazon.com at Jungle Deals & Steals.
Cor do Mel’s exclusive 7 Days of Gifting sale for my readers continues today. Get this beautiful Jeweled Crystal Bracelet today for only $10 shipped!
Use the coupon code GIFTS at checkout to make your final price only $10! Plus, shipping is FREE!
These Jeweled Crystal Bracelets would make a great stocking stuffer, and come in a variety of colors including beige, black, pink, turquoise, and white. All bracelets come with a red velvet jewelry bag.
Don't forget to use the coupon code GIFTS at checkout to get 50% off the sale price. All orders ship the next business day via USPS first class mail.
Right now, you can get Thomas & Friends Magazine for $14.99 per year (6 issues) when you use coupon code MONEYSAVING at checkout. It’s rare to find a deal on this magazine – especially one this low (Amazon’s price is currently $34 for a one-year subscription).
About Thomas & Friends Magazine: Thomas & Friends is a Fun to Learn bi-monthly magazine for children 2-7. Each issue is filled with stories your children will love, a collectible poster you can hang on your wall, and a pull out workbook filled with activities like counting, matching, and reading.
This offer expires tonight 12/11/13 11:59 PM EST.
Are you looking for other magazine titles? You can use coupon code MONEYSAVING to save 20% off of most titles at DiscountMags!
Here are the best deals at Walmart right now with thanks to Heather from Passion for Savings for her help in compiling them. The prices below are based on Northwest Arkansas region. Please keep in mind that Walmart deals vary by region so the prices listed here will not be valid at all stores.
Barilla Blue Box Pasta – $1.28 Buy 2 and use $1/2 printable $0.78 each after coupon
Mccormick Parsley – $1.46 Use $0.50/1 coupon from the 12/8 RedPlum insert $0.96 after coupon
Buddig Original or Cracker Snackers Packages – $0.64 Buy 5 and use $1/5 coupon from the 12/8 SmartSource insert $0.44 each after coupon
Gerber 2nd Foods Baby Food – $1.08 Buy 4 and use $1/4 printable $0.83 each after coupon
Gerber 1st Foods Baby Food – $0.98 Buy 4 and use $1/4 printable $0.72 each after coupon
Gillette Foamy Shaving Cream – $1.72 Use $0.75/1 coupon from the 12/8 RedPlum insert $0.97 after coupon
Kleenex Boxes – $0.97 Use $0.75/1 coupon from the 12/8 SmartSource insert $0.72 after coupon
Did you find a great deal at Walmart? Just post about it on your blog and leave your link below. To make it easy for everyone to navigate quickly through the links, your link must link directly to your Walmart deals post. Links going to the homepage of your blog or any other part of your blog besides the direct link to your Walmart deals post will be deleted.
Those of you who work from home know that it can be a wonderful blessing. But there are also many things that can be hard, too. It’s easier to be distracted at home and harder to stay focused and disciplined.
I’ve been working from home since 2005 and I’ve learned a lot through trial and error. There are times when I’ve really struggled with my time management, but as a result of those struggles, I’ve learned a lot that has helped me to be much more efficient and productive.
Here are five of my top tips for work-at-home women (most of these can be applied even if you don’t work from home):
When I first switched to using a time budget, I adhered to the same daily time budget for my work-at-home hours (45 minutes on this, 10 minutes on this, 15 minutes on this, etc.). However, in recent months, I’ve shifted to writing out a time budget plan for each new day.
I include everything on this plan — from showering to making dinner to homeschooling to work projects. I try to cover all of the bases and leave 2 hours of margin time for those inevitable interruptions.
This might seem like a lot of work, but because each day is different and there are different project deadlines and must-do’s that vary with each day, this helps me to be able to stay organized and manage my time well — all while being flexible.
After creating the time budget plan for each day, I take it a step further and prioritize my work/blogging time. I’ve found that if I don’t have a prioritized plan for what I need to do, I can quickly spend a few hours just putting out fires.
Instead of just saying, "I'm going to spend four hours on computer and blogging work each day,” I write down exactly what I plan to do during that time in prioritized order. If I know I need to do A then B then C then D, it keeps me on task and it guarantees that I actually accomplish the most important priorities.
I know, I know! Multi-tasking can seem like a very efficient way to do many things. However, when it comes to most most work tasks, if you want to get concentrated work done in an efficient manner, you need to shut out all the noise and just focus on one thing at a time.
If it's your time to email, work on emailing. Go through your emails in order of priority and don't stop until your time is up. If it's your time to research something, only work on researching that thing. If you need to make a phone call, just make the phone call.
If you're used to trying work on your computer while you have a bunch of applications open and with your phone constantly dinging at you, you'll likely be surprised at just how much work you can get done in a distraction-free 20-30-minute concentrated block of time.
And once you get in the habit of doing one thing at a time, you'll learn where your fizzle out point is. This is the point when you need to stop and take a break or stop for the day in order to come back to your project refreshed and energized.
Personally, I've found that I do best by working in 20-30 minute blocks and then rewarding myself with a short 5-minute break to check email or read something online. If I'm working on an in-depth project that requires a lot of brain power, I'll often set the timer for 20 minutes and work on it and then set the timer for 15 minutes and work on a cleaning project or play with the kids.
3. Tame the Email Monster
I shoot to have no more than 5 emails in my inbox at all times. This might sound crazy, but it’s one huge way that I stay organized and efficient as a business owner.
If an email can be deleted, I delete it immediately (I’m pretty ruthless when it comes to using the delete button!)
If an email only require a quick response, I respond immediately.
If no response is necessary, I archive the email.
If an email can be handled by someone else on my team, I forward it onto the appropriate team member.
I’ve found that this system covers the majority of emails. For the emails that require a longer response, I save them in my inbox and try to get to them as soon as I can — preferably that same day. (By the way, if you’re a blogger and you're going to take the time to answer a question in more than a paragraph or two, consider turning it into a post. Then, you kill two birds with one stone — you answered an email and you wrote a post!)
I used to think that burning the midnight oil would make me more productive, but I've actually found that I'm much more productive if I get at least seven hours of sleep almost every single night. I usually am most productive in the mornings so I make it my goal to go to bed by 10 p.m. and get up between 5 and 6 a.m.
It's hard for me to shut things down at night but I've found that I'm much more prone to dawdle and waste time at night than I am in the mornings. You might be the other way around. Do what works best for you, but whatever you do, put getting enough rest high up on your priority list.
You'll feel better and more energetic and I'd wager to guess that you'll also find an extra hour or two of sleep at night helps you to be more productive than if you spent that time trying to pry your eyeballs open with toothpicks and get more work done.
5. Say "No" Often
As women, we're often afraid to say no. We fear we might miss out on a big opportunity and we worry about what other people might think of us. I know, because I'm there a lot.
I just want to encourage you (and myself!) to guiltlessly say "no". If an opportunity is going to require time you don't have or going to oblige you in a way you don't feel comfortable with or is just not a good fit for you, your family, and/or your business, say "no".
Before committing to anything, count the costs. What are you going to have to give up in order to do this thing or attend this event or write this post or participate in this project? Is it worth what you're giving up? If you're not 100% sure that it is, then say "no".
Are you a work-at-home woman? If so, what are a few of your best time management tips?
This post was underwritten by Blogelina.com. Did you know that it really is possible to earn an income from blogging at home? Even as a busy mom of little ones? In her online class at Blogelina.com, Tanya (a stay-at-home mom of three little ones herself) shares the ins and outs of how to set up and maintain a successful, profitable blog.
Money Saving Mom® readers get to take the popular 4-week Profitable Blogging Class, along with all the bonuses, for just $5! Use the promo code MSMOM at checkout by December 17, 2013. Sign up today!
If you decided to send Christmas cards yesterday, today’s the day to get to work on them. Design the card, write the letter, or buy your cards.
Also, organize your Christmas address list, make sure you have stamps and address labels, and contact anyone you need to contact to get their address or an updated address. (We keep a running address spreadsheet on the computer with all our contacts in it and try to update it throughout the year so that there’s not a mad scramble for addresses at the last minute.)
Day 9 Project & Update
1. Read chapter 5 from Celebrating & Savoring a Simple Christmasif you didn’t get a chance to read it yet. (Did you sign up for your free copy yet? If not, click here and fill out the form to be emailed a copy.)
2. Finish your Christmas cards within the next 48 hours.
3. Address, stamp, and mail your Christmas cards no later than Saturday.
My Update: Since we’ve opted to simplify and not send cards this year, I get to skip today’s project.
I’m excited, because I’m giving away $50 in KFC Chicken Checks (gift certificates) to 5 winners this week in celebration of KFC bringing back their popular Festive Feast for the holiday season.
The KFC Festive Feast gives busy families a tasty, sweet, and easy dinner solution. Now through December 29, guests can enjoy an eight-piece meal accompanied by a dozen delicious chocolate chip cookies, baked in-restaurant.
"While everyone aims to relax and spend time with family during the holidays, we know that this festive time of year can quickly become stressful," said Jason Marker, Chief Marketing Officer of KFC U.S. "We're happy that we can continue to offer families a moment of escape from the frenzy of the holiday season and allow them to simply spend time with one another — all while enjoying a freshly-prepared, delicious meal and a sweet treat."
Available at participating KFC locations, the Festive Feast includes eight pieces of freshly-prepared chicken, two home-style side favorites, four warm, flaky biscuits and a dozen chocolate chip cookies — all for $19.99. Guests can choose from KFC's famous Original Recipe® chicken, Extra Crispy™, Kentucky Grilled Chicken® or even the brand's Original Recipe® Boneless. And for families who have a hard time deciding on a favorite, they can mix and match any recipe.
This limited-time offer extends through the holidays until December 29, 2013.
Would you like to enter to win $50 in FKC Chicken Checks? To enter, click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. This giveaway ends Thursday, December 12, at 11:59 pm, CST.
TagUnder is a daily deal site located in the fashion district in Los Angeles. They have direct access to vendors and products instead of relying on 3rd parties to source products for them.
This allows them to reduce their costs significantly and to pass on even more savings to their customers. This also allows for better quality control.
Unlike some other deal sites where they sell an item first and then purchase the merchandise to ship to customers (some time orders take up to 2 weeks to arrive), TagUnder has all products available to ship right away. In fact, most orders are shipped within 24 hours of purchase. Best of all, they offer free shipping on all orders.
They gave me a $50 credit use on their site and I was impressed with the deals they offered — things like Maxi Skirts and Cardigans for $13 shipped! My order shipped quickly and the clothes were just as advertised.
Would you like to win a $50 credit TagUnder? Click on the graphic below and type in your name and email address. 5 winners will be chosen and posted on Monday. This giveaway ends Thursday, December 12, at 11:59 pm, CST.
to download a free application that enables you to read Kindle ebooks on your PC.
Here are the best deals at Walmart right now with thanks to 
Did you find a great deal at Walmart? Just post about it on your blog and leave your link below. To make it easy for everyone to navigate quickly through the links, your link must link directly to your Walmart deals post. Links going to the homepage of your blog or any other part of your blog besides the direct link to your Walmart deals post will be deleted.
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