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

Continue reading

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

Repeat after me: I am always improving, but today I have all the knowledge I need.

Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a big bargain hunter. My motto is why pay for it when I can get it for free? That’s why the library and I go hand in hand. Once I decided to get serious about paying off my student loan debt and self improvement I’ve been making weekly trips to the library to find books to pique my interest for a while. I go there so much that if I’m absent for a couple of days my local librarians check in on me to make sure I’m ok. And they are always ready with new suggestions, which makes my book hunting job even easier. Sometimes, their book advice is so spot on that taking out a library book is just not enough. I need to own it.

If you are on a budget like I am, trying to pay off debt, and enjoy life at the same time, you might be hesitant to purchase a book. After all, one dollar spent on a book is a dollar taken away from your debt payoff.  However, think of these books as an investment in your future. Trust that I don’t take these suggestions lightly. The books on this list are so good that you’ll want to do more than just read them. You’ll want to highlight, dog ear, take notes and apply the tips to life –all things you can’t necessarily do when the book is borrowed from the library.

Here are five books I recommend you actually splurge on and not just borrow from the library.

Amazon doesn’t lie. Every book on this list has hundreds to thousands of reviews with more than 50 percent being positive. Sometimes a trip the library just doesn’t give a book or you justice. Some books are just too good and so life changing that you must own them.

Continue reading

Repeat after me: Just Go.

Have you ever gone somewhere and never really experienced it?  It seems to be the story of my life. I feel like I’ve been to New York, Philadelphia, San Antonia, the Bahamas and so many other places without actually experiencing it. Despite living just about an hour from New York City, I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never walked across the Brooklyn Bridge or even experienced a true New York City roof top bar.

What’s worse is that I’ve barely experienced all my hometown has to offer or the surrounding towns. The town I live in has 13 parks and walkways including a nature preserve filled with bird watching and I’ve only been to about three of those parks. Three!!! That’s pathetic. Plus, I live within a short drive of Princeton and rarely take advantage of it, other than when I teach my Zumba class at the university.

I want to see and do more. Can you blame me? I follow blogs such as The Thought Card, Thirty 30 Courtney, One Girl One World. Of course, I’d have the travel bug. Add the fact that I’ve been traveling internationally since I was about 4 years old, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.  Unfortunately once you grow up and start paying for travel yourself its not as easy to leave the country.

Yes, it’s possible to experience 30 different places in less than a year on a budget. That’s what my 30 before 30 list is all about.

Though I love traveling I’ve really only visited the same places multiple times including Trinidad, Bahamas, and Baltimore. And what’s worse is I rarely did anything new when I went to those places. It was always the same old thing.

Having realized I’ve seen so much of the world and barely experienced any of it, I’ve decided that I’d do my very own 30 before 30 list. From now until my 31st Birthday, July 2019, I’m challenging myself to visit 30 different cities and truly allow myself to experience them.

While it sounds crazy, recognize “cities” is the operative word there. When I’m on a mission to be debt free, it’s not exactly realistic to travel to 30 countries in a year. That’s why I’m doing this challenge my way. Who said travel, exploration and vacation can only be to far away destinations that require hours of air and drive time and overnight stays? It doesn’t have to be! My 30/30 list only requires that I visit 30 cities and truly experience them. How will I do that? To truly experience each city on my list I’ve decided I need to eat some where notable in the city, do an activity in the city, and take in some culture in the city. Culture can range from visiting a museum, to taking a guided tour or even strolling down Main street. It may not be the most glamorous, or exciting but I figure it will certainly be interesting as I truly experience cities in a way I never have before.

A few of the cities on my list include:

1. Princeton, NJ
2. Montclair, NJ
3. Atlantic City
4. Baltimore
5. Hamilton, NJ
6. Freehold, NJ
7. New York City
8. Philadelphia
9. New Hope, PA
10. Red Bank, NJ
11. Chicago
12. Asbury Park
13. Washington D.C.
14. Las Vegas
15. Pittsburgh
16. Ocean City
17. New Brunswick, NJ
18. Niagara Falls
19. Lambertville, NJ

To most people reading this list, it’s probably rather boring; especially since there’s so many Jersey towns on the list. But what can I say? I’m a Jersey girl on a budget, trying to experience as much as I can. And to be honest, I’ve actually been to most of the places on this list on multiple occasions. But like I said before, I didn’t really experience them. As much as I loved going to dinner at a friend’s house, it didn’t really allow me to see much of the city. And though these are all relatively small towns they all have a lot to offer. For example, Princeton is home to the university and   Albert Einstein tours while Asbury Park features the historical Stone Pony where Springstein got his start.

I’m still working on my full list of thirty places but I’m sure I’ll think of others soon enough. My list of fairly “local” places to visit allows me to stick to my budget goals so I can pay off debt faster, and allow me to fill my need to explore.

To those who of you who are approaching 30 rather rapidly, and still feel like you have yet to see the world, know that you still have time left. Even if thirty is only a few months or weeks away for you, there are still corners of your world that you can explore. I think people are so focused on traveling the entirety of the world that they forget that where they live is still part of it. And chances are they haven’t looked at where they live through a traveler’s eyes as yet. To that note, I suggest you do what I will. Think of the all the places you’ve been to before but never EXPERIENCED and challenge yourself to experience it. Take a walk in a nice park, take photos of the architecture and characteristics you never noticed before, and go to the quaint diner everyone is always talking about it.

Have you been to the places on my list and suggestion on something I should do? Are you not truly experiencing places you see often? Have you thought about making a 30 before 30 list.

TERRIfic Quip: Fill your life with adventures?

Repeat after Me: I am in control.

I think we can all agree that side hustle just might be the biggest buzz word  of 2017 and has spilled over into 2018. Everyone and their mama’s got one. Hell, even some babies have one. (I’m sure you’ve heard of baby modeling.) And if you do them right, side hustles can be amazing. They help you pay off debt, develop a new skill, follow dreams, meet new people, etcetera. Like most people I took a side hustle to help me pay off my debt faster.  However, my side hustle stories are interesting and not like most. One allowed me to find an additional career I wanted to pursue, the other made me lose focus and took too much time away from my career. While I still do both side hustles I found a way to make them work for me. If you don’t have a plan in place, your side hustle can end up working you rather than you working it. Regardless of your goal, make sure you set the terms of your side hustle early on. Here are a few things to  keep in when mastering rules for your side hustle

Thinking of starting a side hustle? Follow these rules before you’re in too deep.

Continue reading

Repeat after me: What I focus on will become my future

They all said get a side hustle. It will be easy, they said. Yet, no one thought to mention how easy it is for that side hustle to completely take over you life. But thats exactly what happened to me. Here’s how…

A side hustle can be great for paying off debt, learning new skills and meeting new people. But it’s not always a good thing if you’re not careful.

For as long as I could remember, I’ve been one of the lucky ones amongst my peers in which I’ve always known what I wanted to do with my life. It was simple. I’d write for national and local publications, make some money from my blog and my name will be recognized and synonymous with insightful perspectives in my writing. And I got some of that right. What I didn’t account for was the amount of student loan debt I’d be swimming in.

So I did what all the pros said I should do. I got a side hustle and then quickly got another one. Neither one of them stayed simply side hustles for long. One of them became an extension of my career and the other took away from my career, family and the person I was meant to be. Of course, I didn’t notice it until I was too far gone because I was blinded by the money.

Continue reading

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

Repeat after me : I’m not only working harder, but I’m working smarter. I know what I need will present itself when the time is right.

We’ve all read the debt payoff and road to riches stories. They normally sound something like this:

“50 Things You Should Stop Buying Now to Save More”

“7 Reasons Why I Don’t Buy Things I Don’t Need”

“I Stopped Buying and Saved a lot of Money”

“How to Succeed at a No Spend Challenge and Pay off Debt”

“No Spend Challenge: The Fastest Way To Conquer Debt”

The list goes on and on. I’ve even written posts along these lines. If you’ve never heard of a no spend challenge the premise is fairly simple.  The rules of these no spend challenges usually involve limiting purchases to only needs such as food, gas, bills and personal hygiene in the hopes that all the money you are not spending will be applied to major debt payoff.. Nothing more. Sounds great on the surface right? Admittedly, though I’m now realizing that it’s mostly bad advice…

It may be helping you save money, but it’s definitely stopping you from making money. The popular No Spend Challenge might be your worst enemy.

Continue reading

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

Repeat after me: There are no loses, only lessons gained.

If you’re looking for ways to save some money you’ve come to the right place. If you talk to my friends and family, they’ll tell you that I’m the queen of saving money and frugality. However, I have a confession to make. While I may be very good at saving money, I truly shine when it comes time to throw money away. Yes, as good as I am saving money, I’m even worse at wasting it. The crazy part is that I wasn’t even aware that I was wasting so much money. And chances are, you don’t realize it either. Since taking a vow to manage my finances better come 2018, I’ve come across several areas where I’ve let me money slip away from me for no good reason.   Luckily, it’s never too late to change old habits. All that money I’m gonna stop throwing way will find a new job of paying off debt, going into retirement or adding to my travel fund. Hopefully, you’ll be able to do the same. So please take advantage of this lengthy list of ways you’re probably throwing out money.

We are a wasteful society and money is no exception. Find out how you are throwing away money without realizing it.

Continue reading

Repeat after me: The best things in life are free.

It’s that time of year when our wallets are lighter than we’d like them to be and plans to rectify that in the following year have commenced.

Assuming you didn’t follow the advice of my last post determining wants and needs, I’m pretty sure you are in no position to shell out extra cash right now. That’s why I’m sharing some totally FREE printables and worksheets to help you get the new year started on the right track.

If you want to start the new year on track, check out these printables for finances, blog goals and more.

Continue reading

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

Repeat after me : I deserve to take care of myself as I see fit

Ok. I’ll just say it. I seriously hate that new hashtag #selfcaresaturday. Some of you may know it as #selfcareSunday or just simply #selfcare . However, just know that however you choose to identify it, I hate it. I’m not a fan of it.  Period. And you shouldn’t be either. Why? Because the #selfcare gods, or whatever higher power in social media and trendsetting king decided to make this a thing is setting you up for failure. The sad part about it is, most people don’t even realize it.   If you’re not practicing self care everyday or at least attempting to you are doing it all wrong. Self care isn’t about painting your toes in sparkly pink, taking bubble baths and sipping wine. But that’s what all the Instagram photos will lead you to believe.I’m not gonna lie; even I’ve succumb to it

When the boys are away mommy will … take care of herself. I should be working on my blog, pitching editors, editing, cleaning, meal prepping, doing laundry, or choreographing for Zumba and pole. But it’s rare I get a night when daddy and little prince are away. I’m no help to anyone if I can’t help myself. That means it’s time to let the night of pampering and wine commence! Can’t wait to unwind with my @shescentit and @sheamoisture products. #selfcare #selfcaresaturday #mommysdayoff #pamper #winedown #njblogger #staycation #facemask #beauty #blackbloggers #fitmom

A post shared by Terri Huggins (@terrificwords) on Jul 29, 2017 at 6:59pm PDT

But if you’re only spending one night a week  taking care of yourself you’re doing it all wrong. Self care should be a daily thing. I know, I know. You’ve got jobs to go to, children to take care of, dinner to cook and bills to pay. There’s no way in hell you’ve got time to put on facial masks and paint your nails everyday. And I understand that. But that’s not the kind of self care I’m talking about.   I’m talking about the type of self care you do to continuously improve the quality of your life. I hate to break it to you, but nail polish and wine just doesn’t do that. Sure, it’s nice to treat yourself, but that’s not the kind of self care you should constantly strive to do. And quite, honestly if you constantly feel the need to partake in this superficial version of self care, it means you are neglecting actually self care far too often.

Contrary to popular belief, self care actually isn’t all that pretty. In fact, it’s sorta ugly and doesn’t always make for the best instagram photos.

So what is the self care exactly? It’s all the tasks that improve your quality of life. Things such as eliminating that toxic friend from your life, or staying up all night to calculate your debt to income ratio to fix your financial situation. Self care is a combination of all those ugly moments that help you create an even more beautiful and fulfilling life. We all know that annual trip to the doctor for your physical isn’t all that pretty. However, once you find out what you need to do to preserve your life and take action, the outcome can be picture perfect. Now I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with pedicures, wine, cake and chick flicks, slapping a hashtag on it and posting it on instagram. We all know it’s harmless… unless you are using it as a replacement for actual self care. And I also understand that certain life circumstances make self care difficult such as caring for a relative with a chronic medical condition or a sudden job loss. I’m saying whatever your situation is, no matter how dire or bleak, you make sure to consistently practice self care that can get you to some level of greatness. Invest in yourself. Self care for an underemployed person with a demeaning boss could mean updating a Linkedin page weekly while indulging in red velvet cupcakes. Or it could be disconnecting from email and social media for the weekend to distance yourself from negativity that’s holding you back. You could even define self care as simply saying no to your brother the next time he insists you take care of his kids for the hundredth time so you can do something for yourself. Go ahead, and pamper yourself. Sip the wine. Put on the sheet mask, eat the damn cake and put your feet up. You deserve to enjoy life as you see fit. Whatever you choose to do, don’t use your pampering as a replacement for the self care that in time will ultimately lead you to a life you don’t need to escape from. Redefine #SelfCareSaturday to the #InvestInYourself initiative. No fancy Instagram filter needed.

What does self care look like to you? Do you engage in self care regularly or have you been neglecting it?

Terrific Quip: – You gotta nourish to flourish.

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

Repeat after me: I have everything I need.

I know at first glance of this post title, it seems rather silly. They all say, “of course I know the difference between wants and needs. I don’t need a blog post on some random website to tell me that.”  And maybe you don’t. But there are people who do. People who are struggling with credit  card debt but they just bought a pair of shoes using their credit card because it was on sale. And people who don’t have enough money for gas to get through the work week but choose to purchase a bag of potato chips while grocery shopping.

If you are the type of person who has trouble sticking to the grocery budget or finds yourself staring at a closet of clothes filled with different version of the same black pants, this post is for you. Learn how to buy only what you need with this simple trick.

Continue reading