Repeat after me: What I’m waiting to have isn’t as important as what I already have.

Is it me or is it really hard to come up with things to do when you’ve committed to not spending any money? And if you are doing a month long, no spend challenge – forget it. It can totally feel like torture. Then when you do find something to do, it turns out it’s really not free at all. I mean is anything truly free these days?  Whether it’s not having gas, or needing batteries, things that are meant to be free end up costing money. And so the struggle of finding things to do during a no spend challenge begins.

If you remember my post a while back, I’ve decided to kick the no spend challenge to the curb because it hindered me more than it helped me. You can read more about it here. However, I recognize that it is beneficial for some people.  That’s why I want to help you all survive it.

Not sure what the no spend challenge is? It’s when you commit to not spending any money on anything but necessities for a designated amount of time. It can be a week, a month etc. Regardless, the whole point is to limit spending for your desired duration to help you reach particular goals. Those goals could be to save more money in an emergency account, pay off more debt or even have more money available for a trip later in the year. Regardless of the reason, I’ve heard many people struggle with actually completing the no spend challenge. Normally, it’s because they’re going about it the wrong way. They are treating it like punishment.

Not sure what to do during a No Spend challenge? The key to survival is focusing on things you do have instead of the things you can’t buy.

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Repeat after me: I am determined.

Mom always told me that positive words lead to a positive life. As corny as it sounds, I think she’s right. As I look back on events in my life, I realized that all the times I was worried about something bad happening or even said the words, it actually happened.

For example, It happened when I was concerned about not doing well on tests in college and then again in recent years when I was adamant about not having multiple god parents for my son. On the contrary, the opposite happened when I was kind to myself and told myself that something good was right after the horizon. I’ll never forget being nervous about ending my contract writing for a small online publication, but telling myself that something better would come along. I was right, because less than a week a later I was contacted to contribute regularly to the now defunct Sister 2 Sister magazine.

Perhaps, it was a coincidence but I like to believe the daily mantras I told myself and never losing hope, led to that opportunity.

Our words are the blueprints for our future.

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Repeat after me: I’m here to listen when you’re ready.

If you don’t already know, I’m a cancer. Whether or not you believe in astrology, cancers are generally known to be very emotional, sympathetic, nurturing and loyal. Because of those traits I think people are naturally drawn to me. And what does that mean? I’m always listening to someone’s life story whether I know them well or not. People from all walks of life feel comfortable telling me the good, bad and ugly about their jobs, kids, relationships etc. And every time I listen intently and feel for them. However, one thing I don’t do is tell these people to pray about it. And you shouldn’t tell people to pray about it either.

Telling people to pray when they are struggling may be doing more harm than good.

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Repeat after me: “This will be the best day of my life.”

Guys, I celebrated my fifth anniversary with my husband two months ago and I’m still on cloud nine. And all we did was hang around the neighborhood. Everything about our anniversary weekend was absolutely perfect. The crazy part about it was we were literally ten minutes away from home, but it it felt like we were hours away. I was convinced we were in paradise even though it was a staycation. It was truly the escape I needed minus the pricey flight (though I’m sure I would have found a discount on cheapoair), hotel taxes and heavy luggage. And though it was only a weekend, it was exactly what I needed to recharge, feel a bit of excitement and prepare for the week ahead.

Considering how great I felt during my vacation to paradise which wasn’t a vacation at all, I’ve been obsessed about finding out what made it all click. After all, it would be nice to know  how to recreate such a perfect day in paradise should I need to get away again and not have the time or money to board a plane. So in true form, I’ve decided to analyze and completely breakdown our magical anniversary weekend so I’ll know exactly how to turn an ordinary day at home into a paradise getaway when the time calls for it.

It is definitely possible to feel like you are on vacation in paradise without leaving home.

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Repeat after me: I won’t let pride get in the way of doing what I need to accomplish my goals.

Are you ashamed to admit you have a part-time job? Is pride getting in the way of you having a part-time job even though you may need one?

If you answered yes to either of those questions, I don’t blame you. It’s something I can totally relate too.

Having a part-time job when you are an independent adult is nothing most people want to brag about. Something else I can relate to. Mention the word “part-time job” and I’d duck and hide for cover.

It’s like “part-time job” has turned into a dirty word. No one wants to get one and if someone does get a part time job, hardly anyone wants to admit to it. Instead, the cool thing to have is a side hustle. But let’s be honest. Most of them are really the same ole thing with set hours, a boss and possibly a uniform wrapped up in a fancy term with a few exceptions here and there.

I know because I’ve been there. I’ve been the girl who’s worked a day job plus multiple side hustles — er I mean part-time jobs. Hell, I’m still that person. Except way back when I didn’t want anyone to know. So I either hid that part of life or did the trendy thing and called them a side hustle all so I could save face. And it still stung a little a bit even when I called it my side hustle.

It’s call a part-time job for a reason. It’s part of your life, not all of your life. Never be ashamed of it.

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Repeat after me: I only get better with age.

This post may contain affiliate links to some TERRIfic sites you should check out. Learn more about it here. 

If you follow me on instagram, you know that just over a week ago my husband and I celebrated five years of never falling in love with each other. In the last five years of marriage, we’ve learned, expanded, we’ve traveled, and we’ve developed a taste for wine!

It being our fifth anniversary I wanted to do something special. It is a milestone anniversary after all. However, I wasn’t really a fan of any of the ideas I found online. They were all either dull, too expensive or just didn’t sound like us. So we turned to wine…

Don’t let the price tag fool you. These cheap wine bottles are packed with rich flavor perfect for any celebration!

Thanks to my side hustle as a brand ambassador, I went from hardly ever drinking alcohol to a pseudo wine connoisseur (according to my husband.) So when I came up with up with the idea to celebrate the days leading up to the big day by toasting with a glass of wine that has been aged for five years, it seemed like a natural fit. Plus, the traditional gift for the fifth anniversary is wood and corks are kind of wood-ish… My husband wanted to have a glass of wine from all five bottles every night, but there’s no way I could drink that much at once! Of course that would leave the issue of of a bunch of unopened cheap wine bottles but I just used cork stoppers like this one to help keep it fresh as well as refrigerator wine organizers similar to this one. 

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This post may contain affiliate links to some TERRIfic sites you should check out. Learn more about it here. 

Repeat after me: I’m richer than I think and capable of living even richer.

When was the last time you took an audit of your thoughts surrounding money? Chances are you’re probably long overdue for one. Let’s face it. Most of us want more money, but don’t realize that we have less than glamorous thoughts about it. It probably stresses you out, makes you become desperate and constantly say to yourself, “I never have enough money when I need it.”

Well as innocent as those thoughts and feelings may be, I’ve learned that it may actually be hurting your earning potential. It’s rare that people who are doing well financially actually have a good relationship with money. And it’s rare that people who don’t place a stigma on people who are wealthy are wealthy people themselves.Don’t believe you do that? If you’ve ever rolled your eyes at the money the Kardashians have for “doing nothing” or the 18 year old driving around Jaguar, you could be guilty of subscribing to the stereotype.

Whether you believe that you’ll never pay off your student loans, its impossible to save money or you’ll never make money because you don’t have money, it could be predetermining your future in the worst possible ways.Don’t let unhealthy thoughts about money keep you stuck in financial struggles. Since it’s financial literacy month I figured it was the perfect time to help you take control of your financial health. Now I’m no financial expert in the least bit. You all know I’m still trying to get a handle on some debt. However, I do know a little bit about thoughts shaping your future. Mom always said what you think and say becomes your future. So why not apply that same tactic to gaining financial freedom.

While I’m clearly not rolling in dough yet, I always feel better saying my personal money mantra “I attract opportunities and money is always flowing towards me. I will be debt free at 30” I’m hoping that since April is financial literacy month that my personal money mantra will hold some extra weight and some new act of congress will forgive student debt for anyone who’s got rhythm. (A girl can dream right?)

It’s possible you have negative thoughts towards money without even realizing it? Luckily, changing your attitude about money is as simple as saying it aloud. Check out these top money mantras

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This post may contain affiliate links to some TERRIfic sites you should check out. Learn more about it here. 

Repeat after me: I didn’t come this far to only come this far. What’s for me won’t pass me by.

This blog is based entirely on the notion that positive thoughts reap a positive life.  Thanks to my mom, I grew up knowing that I can do the impossible and I can manifest my destiny. She taught me that speaking things into existence can get me the things I want in life. And it definitely does work. Believe it or not, I won my honeymoon to Mexico after speaking it into existence and I was able to earn my first byline in a national publication after saying it aloud. That’s why I say, “I attract opportunities and money is constantly flowing towards me. I will be completely debt free at 30” on a daily basis.

As much as I’d like to believe that it’s really as simple as just speaking it into existence, it’s not. Sometimes life sucks and things happen. Your car breaks down, you don’t get the job, you lose the contest and you don’t get accepted into the marathon. It’s disappointing but it doesn’t have to be the end. Speaking things into existence doesn’t always work when we want it to. What’s important is figuring out how to move forward when it doesn’t.

I’ve always been told that we can manifest what we want by putting it out in the universe and speaking it into existence. Here’s what to do when it doesn’t work.

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This post may contain affiliate links to some TERRIfic sites you should check out. Learn more about it here. 

Repeat after me: No challenge is too challenging for me to conquer. 

So let me be completely honest.  Last month my husband and I decided to take on a month long no eating out challenge and we cheated a bit. For starters, February is a short month so in a way we had it a little easier. And we actually did eat on a few occasions, but I’ll tell you more about that later. However, regardless of the shortened month a few slips ups I think we did a pretty good job.  We saved money, ate better and got creative with our meals. All in all, I’d say mission accomplished. Regardless, I think we all know that a cold turkey challenge such as this one is not easy. Here’s how we made it work.

Could you go without eating out for a whole month? What if I told you it meant you could still have margaritas, and Taco Tuesday? It won’t be easy but with some fun and planning, you can totally nail a month long no eating out challenge.

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Everyone knows that I’m a big fan of cash back apps and reward programs. I never go shopping without using one. What I’m not a fan of is the threshold or limits you need to reach before you can actually redeem what you earn. You need to have earned atleast $20.00 before you can cash out from Ibotta, 300 points before you can earn an Amazon gift card on Swagbucks, and $5 to earn your big fat check from Ebates. Sure earning all that cash and those gift cards are great, but it really does no good if you have to jump through hoops and wait forever before you can take advantage of it. It’s even worse if you are in a bind and really need the money to help ends meet.

While you do need to earn a certain amount before you can redeem any points for cash or gift cards, I don’t usually have to wait too long to meet the requirement. On average, I’m able to redeem about $25 to $50 in reward each month from following some simple tips. No it’s not that much but any amount helps.

Redeeming points for cash back from Swagbucks, Mypoints, Ibotta and more doesn’t have to drag on forever. These tips will help you reach redemption requirements for cash back lighting fast

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