Loving the Challenge!!!

I am ready to start my second 90 day Challenge with Body by Vi and am so excited!!  I'm a bit slow posting, but that's because I've been so busy!  As of today, I have lost 29lbs and almost 3 pants sizes! I do have a couple of complaints about the Body By Vi Program...#1.  Wearing baggy clothes is miserable, maybe more so than tight ones! I hate pulling up my pants and I don't want to buy new ones, b/c they will be too big soon too!!!  #2. Even my wedding ring is too loose?!?!?  Ugh, those ring adjuster things pinch my finger, I don't think Billy will understand if I tell him that Visalus caused me to NOT wear my ring anymore! lol!  It literally fell off my finger in Walmart, so I'll have to have it resized.  #3. I am missing my tv shows...I have way too much energy to sit down and watch a show!  My dvr is full with things I want to see, but end up making use of my extra energy by doing things that are a bit more constructive! 

I am gonna rock this second challenge because I now have a system that is working for "me".  I absolutely love my vi shakes, they are a real "treat" for me to get to have.  I wake up each morning and have my cup of coffee (with honey & half and half), sometimes I have two cups.  Then, I make my morning shake...it usually consists of 8oz skim milk, 2 scoops vi mix, handful of spinach, 1/2 cup frozen bluberries, and 2 Tbs ground flax.  This is so yummy!  I sip that as I run around getting kids and husband off to work, or as I drive to gym.  I immediately start on my water.  I flavor them with raspberry neuros for the gym or an occassional Crystal Light packet, I am using a 32oz rubbermaid container (helps me measure my intake).  I usually have one container down before I even think about a snack, I eat big snacks that are around 200-300 calories, you can see some of them HERE!!!   I refill my water, and usually eat something when the kids have their lunch. My lunch is usually a salad with leftovers, grilled veggies, or turkey/cheese rollups. Sometimes I have breakfast food, cuz I love eggs! I have another shake around 2pm.  This shake is usually just the cake mix flavored regular one, i still just love it plain, it gets me through the afterschool routine and energy to cook dinner for everyone, I am usually not even hungry for dinner, but at least it makes me cook healthier, no big cravings to change my menu plans! lol!  Anyways, somedays I don't get my afternoon shake because we have dinner early or lunch late, whatever, then I just have my 2nd shake as a dessert with dark cocoa powder and mix ins from Kassi's Recipe FB Page!  I try to get 3-32oz containers of water down...it's getting easier and I feel full all the time too!

So, you see...I do not miss a meal, I am just happy that my mind is on something other than FOOD!!  I am busy being healthy, getting stuff done, and being involved with the best company ever!  It feels so good to hear how great a friend or family member is feeling, their health is so important!  If I stopped losing weight on Visalus, I would continue my shakes just for the healhty way it makes me feel, the weight loss is just a mega bonus for me!!  I'm getting ready to start this next challenge, so come one and join it with me!  Contact me for a free sample...100% money back guarantee, what do you have to lose, but inches!

Visalus Body by Vi !!!!!

So..this is a post from my Family Blog...I held off posting on this blog because I try to keep it dedicated to SAVING MONEY...now this product fits the bill!!  I am saving money and adding years to my life..i think it's time to blog about that!!  I am blogging about VISALUS or Body By Vi !!!


"My sister and I have been going to the gym for 13 months, pretty regularly, like 2-5 times per week.  We even hired a trainer to kick our butts.  We altered our diet to reduce fast food, increase veggies, and even started juicing!  We journaled what we ate, tried to cut carbs out after 4pm and definitely felt better, more healthy, though a bit deprived of evening snacks!  Anyways, I am so glad that we started this journey, but to be honest...I lost some weight, gained some back and kinda did the roller coaster thing...at the end of an entire year of being conscious and exercising, I have lost 13lbs. 

I went to the doctor for a check-up, maybe there is something else going on that is making weight loss so difficult, but nope, thyroid, blood pressure, cholesterol...all great!  I'm glad, but was kinda hoping that there was a "reason" that all my effort wasn't enough. 

Around that same time, my sister kept telling my about one of her friends on Facebook...claiming she was losing weight, getting her health back and really changing her life with a product called Visalus.  I didn't have much interest...I doubted it would help "us", plus I didn't know this friend of hers...my sister was so amazed at the transformation of her friend that she bought us some shake mix to share.  We loved the taste, especially since we were trying out different protein powders in our smoothies...yuck!  This stuff tasted delicious, I figured I could at least try it.  We loved the energy we felt, the way it kicked my carb/sweets cravings, and we started to see the scale inch it's way DOWN!!!  Really?!?!  I thought it might be "in my head"...still trying to doubt this product!  We refused to tell anyone about it until we had proof!  We started our official 90 Day Challenge on November 30th....and the numbers are in!!

I have lost 11 lbs and 5.5inches, I keep thinking that I could have done better, but let's face it....it was over the holidays and the numbers moved in the right direction!!  I should be thankful that I didn't gain, I doubt there has EVER been a holiday season that I didn't gain!!  I feel great and can't wait to get back into the routine of working out and continuing my Visalus Challenge!  First month down and 2 more to go!!!" 


I will blog more about this because we have decided to become promoters and are already getting checks in the mail!  YES, we are actually getting paid to help people get healthy...this is like a dream come true for me!!!

Selling stuff on Craigslist!

Today, I listed some stuff to sell on Craigslist.  I usually try to sell stuff on Craigslist before anywhere else.  I get to keep ALL of the money from the sale and they come and pick it up, so I don't even have to haul it anywhere! 

We had a yard sale last Friday and anything that didn't sell, I either sacked up to be donated or listed on craigslist.  I just sold a birdcage for $75, they just picked it up!  I sold a ride on battery operated toy for $40...I couldn't even sell it for $20 at the yard sale!  YAY!!  I listed about 10 other things, I'll give it a few days before I load the stuff up and take it to my local consignment shop.  I'll only get 50% of the selling price, but that's better than nothing!

Take a look around your house, if something is just sitting there, not being used...LIST IT!!!  It may be the exact thing that someone else is looking for!  It's FREE so there's nothing to lose!

My Best Friend....right now

With over 140 pieces of clothing tagged for our local kid's consignment sale....this little tagging gun has been my best buddy!!  I cannot believe that I used to attach my tags with safety pins...once you use a gun, there's NO going back !!!

Get one for your next sale at HERE on eBay !!!

Time to De-clutter

It's time for the kid's consignment sales, so my mind starts thinking of what I can sell!  I love the feeling of de-cluttering my house...it feels great to only have what I actually USE in a room!  To help me do this I have designated boxes or tubs in each room to sort with. 

One box is for DONATE- the box is one that I can just close up and set out for a donation pick up.  Be sure to get a receipt for tax deductions.

One box is for items I take to the local resell shop- must be items "in season" & ready to sell.  I use a bag or box that I can part with, and leave there with the items, to make it easier to drop off and leave it.  Brown paper sack work great for this!  I make 50% of the sale price and they do all the work.

One box is for my kids consignment sale items.  It is usually a plastic tub that I label Spring or Fall...they stack easily downstairs for storage and they are easy to carry around and deliver to the sale with.  I always get my tubs back to reuse again!  Big money maker and way to rid of outgrown clothes/toys!

Ultimate Online Savings

Here's a few tips to make the most of our techno world!

*  Sign up for your favorite retailer's e-newletter to find out about upcoming sales! (it's nice to have a seperate email address for this to keep your personal one from getting overloaded!)

*  Buy giftcards to your favorite merchants at up to a 60% discount off face value on sites such as:

giftcardgranny.com 

abcgiftcards.com

plasticjungle.com

*  Don't forget about rebate sites that will give you a percentage of your purchase back via check in the mail.  Check out some sites like:

bigcrumbs.com
                                                 ebates.com  (Get $5 today for signing up!!!)
shortcuts.com
shopathome.com
mrrebates.com

Do you have missing money?

It only takes a couple minutes to check if you have any missing money at http://www.missingmoney.com/  I just found $36.70 that will be sent to me within 90 days!!!  Yay for me...hopefully YOU can find some missing money too!!

250 FREE business cards

Visit VistaPrint to get 250 FREE business cards!  This is great for the summer...all you teenagers who want to babysit or cut lawns...get those cards to promote your business!

Made some cash doing in a Focus Group

Here in the St. Louis area, we have a place called  HATCH Research.  You can sign up as part of their database.  They will determine if you are eligible for a research study and call you to confirm and set up your appointment.  My friend, April at Party of Five  told me about this as a way to make some extra money on the side.  She was right! 
Hatch Research called me last night and asked me if I would be available to be part of a discussion group about baking...it happened to be Billy's day off and I love baking, so it was a perfect opportunity!  They would pay me $60 and it would take less than an hour to complete...even figuring in my travel time and gas money, it was a great deal for me.

I was a bit nervous about driving downtown alone, being part of a group with total strangers, and just the idea of doing something for the first time, but I am sooo glad that i did!  Everyone was so nice and the fact that we were discussing something to do with baking made it exciting!  We sat around a conference table that had been set up with a notebook, pen, and water at each place setting with our names listed.  The leader of the group was super friendly and made it fun.  We talked about a new product that Duncan Hines is about to produce.  Shake and pour cake, muffin, and brownie mixes.  All you have to do is add water, no messing with eggs and oil for box mixes.  We got to give opinions on flavors, packaging, labels, and price.  It was so interesting to find out that we all had so much in common, but yet disagreed completely about things too!  I was interested in the product for those quick desserts.  What's not to like about a "just add water" mix with no bowl and spoon to even wash?!  Some other people didn't like it because there was no bowl to lick...lol!  Anyways, I had a wonderful time and can't wait for them to call me in for another research project!

Sign up so you can be part of it too!!

Go green to Make green

Save those cans!!!  Right now aluminum cans are selling for 72 cents per pound!  That's awesome!  Here in Saint Peters we have a Recycling Center  on Mid Rivers Mall drive.  We have a can-crusher mounted in our garage and a designated trash can lined with a bag that we use to collect them and then just pull out the trash bag and drop them by recycling.  We actually don't drink from can anymore, but for any of you who do...now is the time to collect and cash in! 

Review for Online Marketing Services

DiscountClick Online Marketing Services is an marketing company that specializes in Internet marketing, search engine optimization, website promotion, and banner ad service. 

As a former business owner, I have advertised online. I spent hours upon hours configuring Google AdWords just to get my company name to show up in a service search, not to mention the cost incurred by each click.  I know that getting your company's name and/or product to show up in search databases is increasingly important, if not detrimental to the prosperity of a business.  DiscoutClick Online Marketing Services does the work for you.  They provide top rankings on ALL major Internet search engines, including

Affordable search engine promotion services for as little as $50 per month.  They bill month to month and require NO long term commitment!  They are committed to providing the best possible options for all your online marketing needs.  Satisfaction Guaranteed!!!

Their website is easy to understand and navigate.  Their customer list is extensive and contains many well known companies.  They off FREE quotes... I would check out http://www.discountclick.com/ if you have a business/product to advertise.


DiscountClick HERE


*The information and opinions contained within this blog are solely mine. Click to view complete disclosure

Blog Disclosure

Blog Disclosure
This policy is valid from April 24, 2011
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact me at:  moneysavingmomma@live.com
This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. That content or advertising space will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

In addition, I will and do accept and keep free products, services, travel, event tickets, and other forms of compensation from companies and organizations. The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog.

The owner of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner of this blog receives compensation for my posts or advertisements, I always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blogger’s own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. I believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity.

This blog does not contain any content which might present a conflict of interest.

To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org

I just earned a $5 Amazon card!!!

Family Friendly Frugality  posted how we can earn a $5 AMAZON gift card just for writing 5 reviews at Viewpoints  review site.  It was super easy!!!

I just picked a few products that I owned and had a personal experience to tell about and then went to work.  I love writing reviews and I love shopping at AMAZON, so it's perfect! 

HAPPY REVIEWING !!!!

Kids Consignment Sale Part 1

http://www.recycledkidssale.com/

I have less than two weeks to prepare my items for the largest kids consignment sale around...I am a total procrastinator!  Just thought I'd outline and show how I prepare...

I choose a designated area in my house to call my "sale room". (preferably kid free, too) It becomes cluttered with clothing, toys, books, ironing board, and hangers galore. 

The MAIN supplies that are needed are a notebook, packing tape, Ziploc bags in various sized, rubber bands, red marker, hangers, and a tagging gun or safety pins.  You also need card stock paper to print the tags.

Hangers are also needed...at the end of each sale you can grab a box full!!!

Each season when I change the wardrobes, I pack away items that my kids have outgrown.  I lay them flat inside of a plastic tote with lid.  That way when the sale comes around, I just dig out the totes and start selling!   I have a "sale" notebook that I start out by writing:  Size, Item description, and Price

As I get out an article of clothing, I either match it up to make a set or sell it as an individual piece.  I write it down in my notebook, make sure it is ironed, buttoned, and hung securely on a hanger. It has to face left on the hanger, like a "question mark".   I lay them in a pile in the order that I write them down...then my tags are in order to ease the tagging!

Some sales have an online pricing system that allows you  input your info and watch what sells and for what price.  It is a nice, but the sale I'm participating in this season, has an online bar code system that gives you the option of adding your item description or printing out blank price tags with only your consignor number and price bar coded.  This is so much easier for me because I can print out several pages of each price range I have and write in the item description.  I spend less time inputting info and don't have to match tags to each item.    

Sometimes I put my 7 year old to work, cutting these all apart!

I use Ziploc for all kinds of sale items, then I tape them closed and attach a tag



All ready to sell!



Kids toy sell great in baggies like this...this is the junk toys
 that you love to get rid of !!!

Remember how I mentioned "kid free" earlier??
 This is why..." Mommy I love these!"

I use paper sack to haul my stuff to the sale.  Anything disposable
that you can leave there saves time.  No waiting to get your tubs back!

Another tidbit:  Do NOT be the first appointment to drop off  OR the first for pick-up of unsold merchandise!!!   The reason:  At these huge sales, the items that arrive first always end up on the bottom of the pile, or in a box underneath, never to be seen!!   And pick-up is easier when many of the consignor's have already picked their items up...less waiting and your stuff is easier for the workers to find!  Trust me on these two things, I have done these sales for years and was always excited to get the first appointments available for both dropping and picking, I learned the hard way! 

There is so much more to tell, but for now...I am off to bed!  Happy Selling!

Making money to clothe my kids!

I love yard sales!!  We live in an area with lots of subdivisions and that means lots of homes having yard sales.  My sister and I usually head out by 6am on Saturday morning to start hitting them.   MOST of my kids clothes and toys are from yard sales. I find the most wonderful things for so cheap at sales.  Sometimes like-new clothes are 25 cents each...I know that sounds crazy, but my kids dress good.  I would never let them wear something with stains, holes, or anything that looks dated. 

When my kids outgrow the clothes,  I put them in the "kids consignment sales" and actually make a profit.  The extra money, I usually spend right back on them again or save some for more yard sales!  How can you go wrong?  Buy kids clothes cheap, let them wear them all season, then resell for more than you gave!!! 

Sometimes I feel that it's almost cheating the system, but then I remember that the people at the yard sales sell their stuff to "get it gone" and make some cash, so I'm helping them out.  I am keeping my kids clothed AND participating in the kid's sales that I love.  I also get to donate unsold items to local missions.  I honestly cannot imagine having to go out and buy my kids all new clothes!  I am so spoiled and I can afford to spoil my kids this way too!

Kids Consignment Sales

I have participated in kids consignment sales for several years now and totally depend on them for income.  I always use the money made at the sale to buy clothes and needed seasonal items at the sale for the kiddos.  I feel like it's a "full circle" kinda thing...I package up toys, puzzles, games, and clothes that they are grown out of, sell them, then buy them new stuff...I make sure to always have left over profits that usually go toward some sort of goal I have set.  This year, the sales will go toward my son's sports acitivities!!  I live in Missouri and have great luck with these two sales.

http://recycledkidssale.com/

http://www.jbfsale.com/default.cfm

I put my stuff in the sale that is held first, the leftovers are retagged and put into the second or even a third sale.  The few unsold items that I get back will be taken to my favorite local consignment retail shop to be sold or donated.  It is a wonderful way to make extra money, get to shop, and clear unwanted items from our homes!  Below is also a link that finds the nearest consignment near you...

http://www.kidsconsignmentsales.com/seasonalsales.htm

I will detail out my technique of pricing, tagging, and organizing for the sale as it happens, happy selling :)

Advertise on your blog

http://westerhold.blogspot.com/   posted about using blogsvertise   I am a newer blog, but definitely want to get started making a few extra dollars here and there, so I just signed up...we'll see and I'll keep ya posted!

DISCLAIMER/DISCLOSURE

This blog may contain advertisements/product reviews and generate income and accept advertisings/ads and links within.

Join Disney Rewards

Thanks to budget savvy diva for posting this, I love Disney !

Join Disney Movie Rewards !!! If you watch Disney movies anyways, why not add up some points!  PLUS, here's an EXTRA reward code to get 5 more bonus points!!!    T5WM52PA7L

And Money Saving Momma was born...

Thought I'd share a bit about how this blog came to be!!!

Last Friday, my husband's company had a total shake up, and I was scared out of my mind.  I touched on how it went down here.    But, as of now, he is still employed.  He is no longer with the same company, has to drive 3x further, but STILL HAS A JOB!!!  Prayer works, because this is nothing less than a miracle!!!

During the last week, in my worried state of mind, I packed tons of stuff to sell at our local consignment store, I reduced our utility bills by getting rid of any extra programming and services, and quite spending.  Like, literally stopped going anywhere that wasn't a totally NEEDED!  We made meals out of what we already had and bought minimal groceries.  I didn't have to get gas, because I barely drove, and while it has only been a week, it was EXACTLY what I needed to become more conscious of everyday spending. 

In today's economy, one never knows when something like this might happen.  It has happened to so many others and although I consider myself a thrifty person, I know there are ways we can get by on less.  So, I went searching, and with the advice of my dear friend and awesome blogger, April, my Money Saving Momma blog was born.    I am so excited to be blogging and sharing tips with others, and hopefully, someday earn money doing reviews/advertisements on it.    Maybe all this happened for a reason, it brought my husband and I closer and reinforced our faith that God will provide.  I am so grateful for my family and friends who kept us in their prayers, it worked!!

If anyone has money making ideas, or tips on how to live on less....please comment, every opinion matters :)

Making Money Monday

I found a survey site that pays your paypal account $1.00 per survey.  They pay you weekly and while, under normal financial circumstance, I probably wouldn't spend my time to make a "one" dollar, but when times are tough, a few extra bucks here and there add up to pay part of a bill!  It's funny how the value of a dollar can change with your situation!!

Check it out here  http://www.dollarsurveys.net/
Found them on a review site..pretty good reviews too  REVIEWS
If you have any money making ideas, please share with us!!!!