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Vera Bradley Outlet is currently offering a Black Friday in July sale with HUGE savings! You can take an additional 25% off sale prices! This is a great time to stock up on backpacks, wallets, purses, and more!
Here are a few of my favorite finds:
Large Essential Backpacks are only $29! (reg. $139)
ID Cases & Coin Purses are $5! (reg. $25)
+ so much more!
This post is sponsored by Sivan Social. All comments and opinions are my own.
Can you believe that it is once again time for school to start? Is it just me or does it seem like the summer gets shorter every year?
As we are busily preparing to send our kids back to school this year, it’s important that we not forget about the teachers that will be teaching our children. Not only do they sacrifice their time, but most teachers also give of their own money to ensure that their classroooms are ready for their students.
Teachers often have to provide their own supplies, decorations, and even books. In a recent study it was estimated that they average teacher spends over $500 out of their own pocket for these items. That is a lot of extra cash that many teachers may not have. Even as a part-time paraprofessional educator at my school, there are supplies and items that I purchase with my own money. Items like rewards, school supplies, and even extra-curricular work can really add up.
In addition, many students will come to school with only a fraction of the items that are listed on their school supply list. A majority of schools do not provide their teachers with funds for school supplies, so this means that the teacher will have to provide those items for the students. An extra $500 a year can be overwhelming for many teachers, so any extra funds are definitely helpful.
Wouldn’t it be awesome to give back to a deserving teacher? How would you like to nominate a teacher that you know to help them get funds for their classroom? Thanks to the generous folks at Savings.com and the #GreatTeacherGiveback, FOUR deserving teachers will each win $500 for their classroom! Teachers, you can also nominate yourself for this giveback! Simply head on OVER HERE to the nomination page and fill out the requested information. Nominations will remain open until August 19.
Good luck teachers, and thank you for all that you do!
(All posts may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please see my disclosure policy)
Walmart has their Wonder Nation Backpacks for only $2.97 each with Free in-store pick up! If you are on a tight budget this year these are a great buy! Think about purchasing several to have on hand for backups or even for donation items! There is a wide variety of styles and colors for both girls and boys.
GO HERE to take advantage of this offer.
This post is sponsored by Savings.com. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Please see my disclosure policy)
As an avid Disney movie lover, one of my favorite things about watching these movies is the music. Disney has a way of portraying music in such a beautiful, heartfelt way that makes you remember the songs! One of my favorite Disney songs is “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes” from Cinderella. I could listen to this again and again! What is your favorite Disney song?
Valpak’s Disney Music Sweepstakes
Head on over to Valpak’s Disney Music Sweepstakes page where they have an entire playlist of your Disney favorites! And, while you are there, you can enter to win in the Valpak Disney Music Sweepstakes!
(All posts may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please see my disclosure policy)
Use this 3 Tier Standing Wire Shelf Unit indoors, or even on the patio. It would be so pretty with potted flowers, or maybe to display some antique knick-knacks. You can get it at Amazon for just $29.99.
*Amazon pricing and promotions can change at any time so act now if interested! These prices are current at the time of this posting.
(All posts may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. Please see my disclosure policy)
WOW! Hurry on over here and score two free AMC Movie Tickets from Coca-Cola – no purchase required. Just enter your name, email, and date of birth on the form and click submit. Be on the lookout in your inbox as the digital AMC Tickets will be arriving via email on or around July 30th!
-thanks, Hip 2 Save!
(All posts may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy)
Sustainable living isn’t some crazy trend that’s impossible to stick to. If you want to make sure that your family has a bright future, you need to take the sustainable approach now rather than later. It’s not something that has to be particularly challenging for you either if you don’t want it to be. Simple steps in the right direction will eventually get you to where you want to be in terms of sustainability. Read on now to learn more about this.
Change How You Use Energy
The way in which you use the energy in your home will have a big impact on how sustainable your life is. It’s up to you to think about how you use and how you waste energy in your home. If you’re wasting too much of it, you will damage the environment and your wallet. That’s not something you can allow to happen, so now is the time for you to make real changes.
Reduce Your Debts and Stop Borrowing
Your debt situation also needs to be tackled if your family is going to live more sustainably in the months and years ahead. It should be your aim to pay off your debts as soon as possible, and there are sites like debtconsolidation.co that can help you with that. On top of that, you need to stop borrowing so much money because that will keep you locked into that vicious cycle of debt.
Use Locally Sourced Products
Where your products come from might not be something you think about so much, but that should change. It’s a good idea for you to try buying as many locally produced and sourced products as possible. And that’s something that can apply to everything from the food you eat to the furniture you put in your home. It’s better for the environment and you won’t be paying for the long haul transportation of goods.
Sell or Donate What You No Longer Need
If there’s something you no longer want or need, it doesn’t make sense to hold onto it. Instead, you should sell or donate those kinds of items. You will then do something positive by giving to a charity or to people less fortunate to you. And if you choose to sell those things, you will make a little extra money and improve your living area by freeing up a bit more of that vital space.
Conserve and Recycle Water
Water is another thing that gets wasted, and that’s why you should try to conserve and recycle it. Go to care2.com/8-ways-to-recycle-water-around-your-house if you want to find out how to recycle water around your home. You can also collect rainwater in a tank in your garden and then make use of it.
Take all of these top ideas on board and put them into action in your family’s everyday life. There are so many ways in which sustainability can be harnessed to your advantage, so what are you waiting for?
Merry Christmas from my family to yours! I hope that you will enjoy this time as you are surrounded by friends and family. I appreciate all of you and cannot wait to see what 2018 has in store for us! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
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If you’ve experienced the lows of credit card debt and the relief and joy of finally paying it all off and coming out the other side, you’re probably very wary of even keeping your existing credit cards, let alone using them. That’s fine if you can manage it, but unfortunately, a lot of you reading this will need access to credit cards again. That’s also fine if you use them more wisely this time around.
The things is, you simply cannot blame your credit cards for your debt. They are nothing more than a tool, and it is the way you use them that makes the difference between drowning in debt and swimming in the savvy waters of a sound financial life.
So, chances are you will use your credit card again. When that happens, you need to ensure that you don’t end up back in serious debt. Here are some things that could help you with that:
Use Only in Emergencies
Using your credit card only when you really have no other option is a great way to ensure it is used responsibly. Of course, it is not always so easy – you need a real resolve to not simply whip out the plastic at every opportunity!
Lower Your Limits
If you have credit cards with high limits, then it might eventually get too tempting for you not to use them to their fullest.If you at least call up your card company and ask them to lower the limit to a much more sensible amount, then you won’t be able to do nearly as much damage to your financial life.
Apply for Low Interest Cards
If and when you decide to apply for a new credit card, make sure that you do your research and find credit cards with low interest rates. Of course, you should pay off your card in full at the end of each month, but if you occasionally neglect to do that and you have a low interest rate, it won’t be the end of the world.
Leave Your Card at Home
When you’re entering what are high-risk places for you – bars, malls, the Apple Store – leave your credit card at home and draw out only the amount of cash that you can really afford to spend. After all, you can’t go crazy with your credit card if you don’t have it with you.
Pay Off the Balance Every Month
As I mentioned above, if you’re using a credit card, you really should be paying off the totality of the balance at the end of every month. There is a massive difference between spending and paying off the minimum only and spending and settling your balance each month. The former will get you into trouble; the latter is a convenient method of paying for stuff and tracking your spending.
If you stick to these simple rules, then using your credit cards again after clearing your debt, shouldn’t be a problem and you can use your cards to gain cash back and other rewards, which will actually boost your bank balance!
(All posts may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy)
You probably spend a lot of time in your living room slumped in front of the TV, right? You spend a lot of time in there chilling out, correct? Well, do this chilling out time of yours justice by making it is as comfortable as can be. More to the point, do this time for yourself justice by making the sofa you slum and chill on as comfortable and super as can be. For advice on how to choose the best sofa for you, make sure to read on.
Take size into consideration
Yes, you may want a big sofa that will allow you to sprawl all over it, but do you realistically have the space in your living room to accommodate it? You see, it’s all good and well getting yourself a sofa that will allow you to be comfortable, but if you’re making the rest of the room feel cramped (which will happen if you end up buying a sofa that is too big for it) you won’t feel comfortable at all. In fact, you’ll probably feel that claustrophobic in your living room that you won’t want to spend any time in their at all, no matter the size or comfort of your sofa.
If you do you have a small living room, a top tip is to buy yourself a sofa with low arms as doing so will not impact the apparent size of your room and won’t make it look cramped.
Consider wear and tear
When you buy a new sofa you don’t want to be thinking about what it is going to look like a few years down the line, and you certainly don’t want to be thinking about issues of wear and tear. But, if you truly want to get yourself a super sofa, you’re going to have to. Yes, you’re simply going to have to be practical with your choosing process and take how worn your sofa is likely to become depending on how much it is going to be used and what it is going to be used for. For instance, if you have small children then practically you aren’t going to be able to control them at all times when they use your sofa, and that means anything could happen to it — they could be playing on it with their new Hot Wheels set. So, if this were to be the case, a practical sofa choice would be one that is not too expensive.
Be mindful of the style
A comfortable sofa isn’t just comfortable because it’s comfortable to sit on. No, a comfortable sofa is one that is induces calmness in the area that it is placed in. And, the best way to make your sofa choice induce calmness in this sense is to ensure that its style matches that of the rest of the room. So, if your living room is one that is adorned in a neutral colour palette, then make sure to get a sofa that matches this, such as the rhino grey Ashfield Sofa found athttp://sunpan.com/usa/products/living/sofas. By doing this you will induce a calming, comforting feel in your living room.
For more advice on how to choose the perfect sofa, make sure to head over to this helpful articleon the matter.
