Category: Money and Finance

Karie Herring shares some of her money and finance tips and great consumer items. Her years in consumer finance and lending have afforded her the opportunity to be exposed to many environments.

Posted on

Staying Frugal While Job Hunting

How to Stay Frugal While Looking for a Job

Many Americans struggle with unemployment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate stands at 4.1 percent as of December 2017. If you find yourself currently looking for a job, then it can seem extremely stressful trying to find work while keeping food in your stomach and a roof over your head. The job search can take weeks or even months, but luckily, there are various ways for you to stretch your money so that you can comfortably live without a job for the time being.

Continue reading “Staying Frugal While Job Hunting”

Posted on

GainZ Box For the Gym Addict – 52 Weeks of Subscriptions, Shopping & Boxes

About a year and a half ago I went on a major transformation with my health. Lifting heavy weights and paying attention to what I was eating was on the daily for me. I quickly became a gym addict and loved all that I was feeling; sore, tired, energized and always hungry. Last fall needed something new in my routine and I found CrossFit, rather functional fitness. Of course, like any good thing a monthly box and subscription exists for the gym addict, Gain[Z] boxes, which are curated based on functional fitness. A monthly box that contains awesome workout clothes, fitness coupons and swag, as well as fitness gear and other goodies! Who wouldn’t love the goodies contained in this box? Continue reading “GainZ Box For the Gym Addict – 52 Weeks of Subscriptions, Shopping & Boxes”

Posted on

52 Weeks to Toxin Free – Many Uses of Tea

many uses of tea, tea bags, tea for cleaning

For the last several years I have been on a journey to really clean up our family’s environment. Starting with our diet and then by eliminating as many harsh chemicals as possible in the various products we use. Who knew even something as simple as dyeing eggs could have harmful chemicals. So I began to look at some of the ordinary items in my home that I use as a healthy alternative that could also have other positive benefits that I never considered. With eliminating junk like sodas we switched to tea and I never knew of the many uses of tea and tea bags in and around our home. Continue reading “52 Weeks to Toxin Free – Many Uses of Tea”

Posted on

Day of No Clutter

year of no clutter, no clutter book, day of no clutter, week of no clutter

For the last six months I have been making a concerted effort to reduce overall clutter in my home. I found that over the years my husband and I have accumulated “things.” Our kids have done the same. Much of our things are completely unnecessary, frivolous, and have become clutter. So each day I set out to get rid of ten items in my home, no matter the subject or importance, or lack thereof, of those items. Today is considered the day of no clutter, this week is a week of no clutter, all in honor of the book release of Year of No Clutter by Eve Schaub. Continue reading “Day of No Clutter”

Posted on

Save More with Groupon Coupons

Save more with groupon Coupons, groupon coupon

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, all opinions expressed are my own.
When my twins were born eight years ago our financial world was turned on its axis. Adding two additional people to our family increased our monthly outgo significantly so The Chad and I sought new and inventive ways to make every penny count and stretch our spending dollars. We knew that Groupon offered tremendous savings with merchants for various services, but what we did not know about is Groupon Coupons and savings for everyday items. Continue reading “Save More with Groupon Coupons”

Posted on

52 Weeks to Toxin Free Homemade Stainless Steel Cleaner

Homemade stainless steel cleaner, homemade toxin free cleaners,Essential oils for DIY all purpose cleaner

When I remodeled my kitchen some ten plus years ago I did not think about the struggles and troubles of owning stainless steel appliances. Granted I only had my oldest son at the time and I figured we would be a one child family, not even considering the possibility of when we had our twins. Now we have 20 hands and 50 fingers all over my gleaming appliances…well once gleaming. I really do not mind the smudges and fingerprints most days, they are a beautiful reminder of the blessings God has granted me with these awesome people in my life. Other days when my inner dragon lady takes hold and we have company headed over, I curse and rue the day I ever bought stainless steel appliances no matter how gorgeous they may look in my kitchen. Those times I want my appliances to shine like new I sought after the best stainless steel cleaner, of which I came up short, a lot! I have tried every commercial cleaner known to man and even tried vinegar and those stainless steel rat bastards got the better of me. Until I opted for a toxin free option for a stainless steel cleaner and with items right from my pantry. Continue reading “52 Weeks to Toxin Free Homemade Stainless Steel Cleaner”

Posted on

52 Weeks to Toxin Free Homemade Wood Furniture Cleaner

cleansing power of lemon,Homemade wood furniture cleaner, DIY wood furniture cleaner

Funny thing when I was perusing Facebook the other day, I follow a page called Grow Food Not Lawns and one of the memes they posted was that we want natural ingredients in our cleaners but our foods we are okay with artificial or chemical ingredients. The meme said something to the effect of a wood furniture cleaner made with real lemons, but our foods are flavored with artificial lemon. We have become of backwards society in that we look more to convenience and ease than what is really good for us. Yes, the argument is that the items are cheap and inexpensive, but what about the overall cost to our health? Is the immediate savings really worth the long term price? With all the being said here we are for another week in our 52 Weeks to Toxin Free, where I am pleased to share the easiest and most lovely homemade wood furniture cleaner. Continue reading “52 Weeks to Toxin Free Homemade Wood Furniture Cleaner”

Posted on

52 Weeks to Toxin Free DIY All Purpose Cleaner & Spray

Keeping a clean house is literally a full time job, hence why services exist to clean our homes. Cleaning is a dirty job. Yes, such an oxymoron. All the elbow grease and oomph you put into keeping a clean home. From the laundry to the dishes, vacuuming to the dusting, scrubbing and mopping. I do my best in our house to keep each room clean as we go about each day, while this is idealistic with three kids, we give it the old college try. As I mentioned in my DIY Softscrub and Ajax post, my kitchen is the most beloved room in my house. Nirvana, a sense of zen and peace wash over me while in my kitchen, so I go to great lengths to keep it clean. Bathrooms, however, are at the top of my least favorite room in the house, yet the second most important to keep clean. So I needed a DIY all purpose cleaner and spray that could cut through grease and shit…pardon the pun. Continue reading “52 Weeks to Toxin Free DIY All Purpose Cleaner & Spray”

Posted on

52 Weeks to Toxin Free DIY Softscrub or Ajax

DIY kitchen cleaner, DIY cleaner with borax, DIY cleaner essential oils, DIY soft scrub essential oils, non-toxic household cleaner

My kitchen is the most coveted room in the house next to my bedroom. Cleaning with a toxin free cleaner was challenging, so I wanted to share my DIY Softscrub AJjax type cleaner recipe. Have you ever watched chefs and the staff clean a five star restaurant? Yes that is what happens in my kitchen; every surface is scrubbed down, every corner covered by scrubbing and cleaning and the use of hot water and a proper disinfecting cleanser. Literally you could eat off the counters and floors since I am so meticulous about crumbs, dirt, and grime in my kitchen. However I struggled with the use of commercial and toxic cleansers like bleach, softscrub, 409, you name it I used these products in my kitchen and even my bathrooms. The fumes soon became overwhelming after introducing essential oils into my home. So I thought about how my grandmothers would clean their kitchen, their homes. As part of our 52 weeks to toxin free, here is week one and how I began researching a DIY Softscrub or Ajax type of cleanser that was heavy duty but without the toxicity. Continue reading “52 Weeks to Toxin Free DIY Softscrub or Ajax”