Last Updated on January 14, 2024 by Rebecca Lake When you need or want to save money fast, changing your spending habits can do the trick. Trying a spending freeze challenge can be a great way to potentially save a lot of money. The first step is setting some spending freeze rules. We’ll walk you through how to set them if you want to try a temporary spending ban. LIKE FREE MONEY? Here are some of my go-to apps for earning extra cash! Survey Junkie. Earn up to $50 per survey just for sharing your opinions. Swagbucks. Make money by playing games and watching videos. Join for free and get a ..read more

Last Updated on October 6, 2023 by Rebecca Lake As inflation fuels an ever-increasing cost of living, managing household expenses has become something of a juggling act for many families. Finding ways to drastically cut expenses can be a huge help when you don’t have much money to spare. If checking your bank account gives you anxiety, it helps to think about what you can control. While you might not be able to do anything about high prices at the grocery store or rising energy costs, you do have control over what you do with your money. There are lots of creative ways to reduce monthly expens ..read more

Last Updated on September 30, 2023 by Rebecca Lake Looking for some ideas on how to make money for Christmas? When budgets are tight and prices just seem to keep going up, you might be looking for easy ways to get extra cash for Christmas. Even a small amount of cash added to your budget could help when it comes to buying holiday gifts or covering other Christmas expenses. I’ve been broke at Christmas before and I know how much it sucks. So today, I’m sharing some of my favorite ideas on how to make money for Christmas and enjoy the holidays with less stress. Want Free Money? Check out my favo ..read more

Last Updated on September 30, 2023 by Rebecca Lake Are you panicking about how to afford Christmas for your family this year? I’ve so been there. I remember my daughter’s first Christmas. My then-husband and I were flat broke. The only reason we had a Christmas that year is that my dad lent us his credit card to buy a small tree and a few gifts. It was a Christmas, but not exactly a joyful one. I felt terrible about not having money for anything. And even worse that my dad had to step in and pay for it. I swore that was the last Christmas we’d ever be in that situation. And it was because I le ..read more

Last Updated on September 30, 2023 by Rebecca Lake The holiday season can put you into a financial frenzy if you’re going into it unprepared. Mapping out a plan to save money for Christmas early means you don’t have to scramble at the last minute to figure out how you’re going to pay for it all. The sooner you start prepping your Christmas budget, the better. But it’s possible to save money for holiday spending even if you’re getting a late start. Today, we’re sharing some simple (and practical) tips to help you save extra money for Christmas shopping. Want Free Money? Check out my favorite ap ..read more

Last Updated on September 9, 2023 by Rebecca Lake When you need quick cash, you might consider taking a valuable item or two to your local pawn shop. Pawn shops can be a great way to get money fast, but is it better to pawn or sell your items? Getting a pawn loan is better if you need instant cash and you want the option to get your collateral back. On the other hand, selling to a pawn shop can be an attractive option if you want to get the most money for your items and you don’t plan to keep them.  Getting money from a pawn shop is a relatively easy process, which is a plus if you need c ..read more

Last Updated on August 19, 2023 by Rebecca Lake Coinstar kiosks are a convenient way to turn loose change into cash, e-gift cards, or even cryptocurrency. There are thousands of Coinstar machines in the United States, which should make finding one near you fairly easy. Does Walmart have Coinstar? The good news is that you can find Coinstar coin machines at numerous Walmart locations across the country.  Today, we’re sharing tips for finding a Coinstar location and how to use Walmart’s Coinstar machines.  Want Free Money? Check out my favorite apps for earning cash fast! Survey Junkie ..read more

Last Updated on August 8, 2023 by Rebecca Lake Looking for an easy way to make some extra money? The Rakuten app is one of the easiest and best ways to make money on the side with minimal effort.  Rakuten (formerly E-bates) is a website and app that lets you earn cash back when you shop. You can earn cash back for online purchases or in-store purchases when you shop at partner merchants.  If you’re spending money at your favorite stores, creating a Raktuen account can be a great way to get some of it back. But maybe you’ve seen people talking about it on social media but don’t know h ..read more

Last Updated on July 4, 2023 by Rebecca Lake Saving money can help you get ahead financially and prepare for the unexpected. How you save–and where you keep the money–can depend on your financial goals.  Your savings strategy might include sinking funds and an emergency fund. The difference between a sinking fund vs. emergency fund lies in what they’re designed to do. Sinking funds are money that you save for a specific purpose, while emergency funds hold cash that you can use to pay for unexpected expenses. It helps to understand how they compare and what role each one plays when managin ..read more

Last Updated on June 24, 2023 by Rebecca Lake Are your grocery bills out of control? Implementing some frugal food hacks can help you spend less on grocery shopping and cut down on food waste.  Throwing away food can be a secret budget killer. In fact, Americans toss out approximately $408 billion worth of food items each year.  That’s a lot of extra cash that you could be putting to work in other ways. If you’re ready to slash your grocery budget, these simple frugal food tips can help. Want free money? Check out my favorite apps for making extra cash! Survey Junkie. Earn up to $5 ..read more