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5 Ways to Immediately Increase Your Bottom Line

December 7 // Leave a Comment // 3 Minute Read

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If you work outside the home, your family might have noticed a significant, or not so significant decrease in your take home pay. If you want to know all the nitty gritty details as to why, I’ll direct you to this article on CNN.

But for sake of simplicity and time, let’s just say a tax break expired, which, in turn, led to a paycheck decrease. That can really hurt those on a tight budget.

Don’t panic, there are things you can do to stretch your dollar a little bit further.

I know, I know, I hear you – it’s already stretched as far as it can go! Nevertheless, I hope you’ll at least find one or two ideas in my list that will be of some benefit. (And feel free to share your ideas in the comments!)

1. Cut the excess

I don’t believe those who say they have nothing more to cut. There’s always something you can consume less of, no matter how big or how small.

Some little changes:

  • Skip the morning coffee run.
  • Eat more at home and less at fast food joints or restaurants.
  • If you live a short distance from stores and work, choose to walk or bike rather than drive.

Some more drastic changes:

  • Cut a cell phone plan, or call your phone company to see if you can downgrade your plan for less of a monthly charge.
  • Cut the satellite or cable. You can watch most anything on the internet anyway.
  • Go down to one car. If you’re already a one car family, see if you can carpool with family and friends and split the gas.

2. Sell your stuff

Scout around your house for unused items to put on craiglist, ebay, or Amazon. Anything from furniture to kitchen utensils to books will usually go. Read my #1 tip to selling on Craigslist to get you started.

Even if you only make a few bucks here and there, it truly adds up.

Plus, it’s emotionally beneficial to clearing out the clutter. I know I always work better in a neatly organized space rather than be surrounded by things I won’t ever use.

3. Start couponing

I’m not an extreme coupon user by any means, but I do know the benefits of scouting out a sale and pairing it with a great coupon. Result? Wicked cheap items – especially in the toiletry department.

However, couponing takes time, so if it’s not something you’re willing to completely devote yourself to, I’d skip it for alternative ideas. But if you do have the time, a couple hours invested here and there can really pay off.

For my favorite coupon site in the North, I suggest you follow Money Saving Mom. For those of you lucky enough to live in the South, Passionate Penny Pincher has you covered.

4. Raid your pantry

I will be first in line to blame for cans of soup sitting in my cupboards from a year ago. Or how about that pasta I never made because I didn’t have the right noodles?

Make a pact to eat out of your pantry for the next week or two. This means, you cannot go buy stuff at the store! This also means you have to get pretty creative.

Jessica over at Good Cheap Eats is currently hosting a Pantry Challenge. If that’s something that might motivate you to start eating from your stash, I encourage you to give it a try!

5. Stay home

There are times when you have to go run errands, travel to and from work, or take a sick kid to the doctor, but if it’s not necessary to go out, don’t.

  • You’ll save on gas.
  • You won’t be tempted to buy items you don’t need.
  • You won’t run through a drive-through to grab a snack or soda.

And if there’s something you really really need at the store, see if you can make do without, or find something creative to replace it. Unless, of course, we’re talking about toilet paper.

What are your quick and efficient ideas for giving your budget a boost?

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Hi, I’m Kalyn—a recovering perfectionist who nerds out about organizing systems, personal productivity, and helping you prioritize what matters over the pressure to do it all. I have a feeling we’re about to become the best of friends! Learn more >>

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What’s one thing you budget for that other peopl
What’s one thing you budget for that other people might not? I always find those interesting. 😃⁣ ⁣ You might have a mortgage. I budget for campgrounds. You might want a separate clothing budget, while I’m fine combining it under “Beauty and Style.” Recently, we also added a new line item for our motorcycle—something I NEVER thought would appear in our budget. ⁣ ⁣ See, we’re all different! ⁣ ⁣ Recently, I rearranged my budget categories and created this “cheat sheet.” Sometimes I forget where things go, like picking up new wall art for the living room. Does this item belong in the categories of Household Items or Home Maintenance? 🤔⁣ ⁣ Now I know! And I save time processing receipts each Friday. 🧾⁣ ⁣ What budgeting categories do you use? Share one of your random budget line items with me in the comments below! 😃

I call 2020 the Year of Abandoned Books. ⁣
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I call 2020 the Year of Abandoned Books. ⁣ ⁣ I’m never afraid to stop reading a book if it doesn’t live up to the hype. Why invest more time in a book I’m not all that excited about when I could be exploring new authors and storylines where I can’t wait to turn the page? 🤷⁣ ⁣ But in 2020, I let more books go than I normally do. I suppose my patience dwindled when I thought the world was ending. Not that I thought the world was actually ending…but you know what I mean. 😉⁣ ⁣ As an Enneagram 1, I hate giving up on a book. I’m prone to the all-or-nothing mentality, even in my reading habits. My eyes could glaze over boring prose and I’d still repeat to myself: “You MUST finish this book!” 😫⁣ ⁣ Why? ⁣ ⁣ No one is adding a plastic star to your Book-It pin, (Remember those?) This isn’t assigned reading from your high school English class. This is YOUR reading life. ⁣ ⁣ And YOU should choose what books deserve your attention. 📚⁣ ⁣ There are too many good ones out there anyway. Like one of my favorite reads from 2020. 😍⁣ ⁣ This week’s newest blog post rounds up everything I read last year (43 books total!) including 5-star psychological thrillers, a delightful royal series, a couple self-help books, and of course, historical fiction.⁣ ⁣ Click the link in my bio to read it! ☝⁣ ⁣ What were your favorite books in 2020? Our literary styles might be a match made in heaven! ✨

My planner/journal lineup for 2021. 👆 ⁣
⁣
T

My planner/journal lineup for 2021. 👆 ⁣ ⁣ These small but mighty sidekicks will be my saving grace this year. 📚⁣ ⁣ 1️⃣ Bullet Journal (Blue) - for everyday planning and goal setting⁣ 2️⃣ Regular Journal (Yellow) - to track gratitude (5 things a day!) and to process ALL the feelings⁣ 3️⃣ Growth Journal (Sand) - a space for me to brain dump everything I learn from books, podcasts, sermons, etc ⁣ ⁣ That last one is new to me as of this year and I can't wait to flip back through all my notes come December! 📆⁣ ⁣ What planners/journals are you using for 2021?

Self-care is just as important as making your famo
Self-care is just as important as making your famous sugar cookies this holiday season. 🍪⁣ ⁣ Because let’s be real. ⁣ ⁣ That Hallmark-esque Christmas magic disappears the moment disagreeable family members annoy you. Or when you feel irritable over too many late nights and little-to-no sleep. Or when expectations over meals and traditions and social activities fall short and leave you feeling disappointed. 😬⁣ ⁣ But instead of dwelling on these stressful moments and using them as an excuse to completely disconnect from reality (as I’m often tempted to do!), view them as an opportunity for you to respond with poise. 💞⁣ ⁣ ➕ Journal your feelings. ⁣ ➕ Go for a walk. ⁣ ➕ Prioritize what’s essential. ⁣ ➕ Remember to breathe.⁣ ➕ And try not to eat your feelings…okay?⁣ ⁣ Here’s your permission slip if you need one: You don’t need to do or participate in everything! Take a time out when you need it. 🙌⁣ ⁣ That’s the best way you can protect your emotional well-being over the next few days.⁣ ⁣ Merry Christmas, friends! 🎄


I know you’re ready for this year to be over. 🙋‍♀️ The last twelve months brought so many hard things into our lives—relationships were lost, our country became more broken and divided than ever, and oh yeah, we walked through a pandemic too. 🦠 🤯 No biggie, right? Ha! 😅 And while it’s easy to look back and wish we could skip 2020 altogether (or at least insist on a do-over), I don’t want this year to be the one where the hard overcame the good. 💕 Just as hard days don’t mean ruined days, hard years don’t mean ruined years. 2020 can still be good. 💪 For me, I want to remember the fun and exciting things we did. The adventures we had. The new shows we watched, and the books we read. The new life hacks and things I discovered that made my life easier or just brought me joy. 💞 You’ll find it all in my latest blog post (link in profile). If you still need to buy a gift for a loved one (or for yourself!), you’ll find plenty of fun and affordable ideas to fill up the rest of your gifting list. 📦 Otherwise, enjoy a stroll down the good side of 2020’s memory lane and leave your favorite things in the comments so I can try them. 👋


Pro minimalism tip: Use double-duty appliances. 🤯⁣ ⁣ With limited kitchen space, I have to be super careful about what appliances we invite into the RV. We already had an Instant Pot, Ninja Blender, and a Food Processor. But I really wanted an air-fryer! ⁣ ⁣ With no place to put it, I discovered that Instant Pot made a dual instant pot/air-fryer product. So I gave my instant pot away, and my mom bought me this one for an early Christmas present. I’ve only played with it a couple of times but I’m already in love! 💕⁣ ⁣ Kale chips...sweet potato fries...broccoli. I’m basically an air-frying queen now. And I can easily switch back to the instant pot whenever I want. Yay for two appliances in one! 🥳⁣ ⁣ Q: What is your favorite appliance to use? Is it double duty? 🤔


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