My family’s financial security is one of the highest priorities in my life, and I’m guessing it is just as important to you.
That’s why I’m sharing my personal experience with Ethos life insurance in this post (these are my referral links) as well as why I failed at my previous attempts to get decent life insurance coverage for my family.
October is such a fun month… spooky decorations, kids in cute costumes, and just all the Halloween fun in general.
However, with all the great things that come with Halloween, there’s also the processed candy and temptation to indulge that sweet tooth with unhealthy sweets.
Too much sugar can cause havoc on the body; causing fatigue, weight gain, and headaches. It also increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Read more...
I am a huge fan of the North Carolina State Fair and have taken my daughter every year since she was two years old!
While the fair is loads of fun, it can also get expensive – especially when you are visiting as a family. Here are some basics on the fair and my tips for saving money.
The 2018 NC State Fair begins October 11th, 2018 and runs until October 21st, 2018. Read more...
I’m checking in with my October update on my 2018 Debt Challenge – you can read all about the challenge in this post!
I am trying to celebrate the fact that I made SOME progress paying down debt, even though it wasn’t as much as I had planned. The big impact on my budget this month was that we stayed an unplanned extra five days in Disney World last month due to Hurricane Florence hitting the day we were supposed to fly home. Read more...
If you are following me on Instagram or Facebook you may know I’m planning a trip to the West Coast this fall. I haven’t been out west in years so I am excited to go in about a month!
In this post, I’m sharing how I managed to get flights to the west coast and back for my whole family for under $150. You’ll learn some of my tactics for flying on the cheap with points and miles as well as how I find the cheapest flights! Read more...
Fall is my favorite season and I decided our mantle needed some fall color this week!
So, of course, I headed to the Dollar Tree for some craft supplies on the cheap. It is definitely my favorite place to get frugal crafting supplies.
I would NOT consider crafting to be my expertise, but I was pretty pleased with how this leaf garland turned out. I only spent $1 out of pocket to make this and it took less than 30 minutes to make! Read more...
I think it’s fair to say that September is officially the start of pumpkin season, right?
I am a pumpkin lover year-round but I can’t get enough of it this time of year. Yesterday I made this easy pumpkin cheesecake and it turned out incredibly good. Move over pumpkin pie.
The best part? It took about five minutes to throw it together using my stand mixer.
Don’t be misled, it still takes 50-60 minutes to bake (it is an actual cheesecake) and about another hour to cool. Read more...
I shared with you last month that I’ve had some credit card debt hanging around from an over-budget house remodel and dental implant that I can’t seem to make much headway with.
I am happy to report that I ACTUALLY made some headway last month and paid down my debt balance by $670 in August. My balance went from $9,800 to $9,130. I am on track to meet my goal to have the balance under $7,000 by the end of 2018! Read more...
Our neighbor shared some zucchini from his family’s garden with us this week and I immediately wanted to make some zucchini bread.
I had a can of pumpkin hanging around so I decided to use it in place of some of the large quantity of oil that my zucchini bread recipes usually calls for. The result was this delicious pumpkin zucchini bread!
I love pumpkin recipes year-round and am a firm believer that you shouldn’t have to wait until fall to enjoy some pumpkin goodness. Read more...
I’ve rounded up some recipes from my closest blogging friends that are perfect for your end-of-summer cookout!
Labor Day is quickly approaching and many are celebrating the close of the summer season – unless you live in the South and summer weather drags on until October. I’d love to bring out those Fall sweaters but that is months away!
Hopefully, you’ll have many more opportunities this year to get together with friends and enjoy some nice weather. Read more...
I’m excited to share a fun way to save up to 80% on accommodations and activities in Florida with you today!
I’ve been a member of Florida Vacation Auction for years and I’ve partnered with them to offer my readers an exclusive $25 credit – read on for my review and to learn more…
Florida is one of my favorite vacation destinations (this might be obvious since I run a blog dedicated to Disney World) and I love to find creative ways to visit more often. Read more...
If you need a cake that is easy to make AND impressive, look no further than this super moist and delicious Lemon Raspberry Ricotta Cake.
This Italian dessert has a pound cake-like texture and is pretty rich, thanks to the stick of butter and whole milk ricotta. The lemon and raspberries complement the richness nicely.
I’m not at all ashamed to admit I eat this for breakfast. It is good for an afternoon snack, too! Read more...
I was compensated for this post but all opinions are my own. 
There are so many things to consider when it comes to your little one’s birthday! This is where a bit of preparation and planning can help you and your budget out, and you’ll be able to take the time to celebrate with your kids, and not just run around like a headless chicken.
You can start by ignoring the competitive parents, and stop beating yourself up – your kids will love the fact the day is all about them, and everything else is just a bonus. Read more...
After much planning, we finally got to do some Great Smoky Mountains camping last month!
In this post, I’m sharing everything you need to know about camping in America’s most visited national park to help you plan a visit of your own. Great Smoky Mountains camping is a great way to relax and unwind in a gorgeous national park that is one of our country’s gems.
There is actually a LOT to know about camping in the Smokies so here are the ten things you should know before you go:
If you have visited some of America’s national parks before you might be expecting to stop at a booth and pay an entrance fee to visit the park (for example, we paid $25 to visit Everglades National park earlier this year). Read more...
If you are driving a car to or around Walt Disney World in Orlando, you’re going to need somewhere to park it. Here are all of the most common questions about Disney World parking answered in one convenient place.
Yes and no. There is a fee to park at the theme parks (unless you are staying at a Disney World resort hotel which includes free parking at the theme parks). Read more...
One of my goals for this year was to pay down some lingering credit card debt incurred by a house remodel and dental work. Well, I have been failing at this goal (for some legitimate reasons, I admit) but now I am ready to buckle down and get serious about paying down this debt!
I need accountability for any goal that I set, so I’m sharing my commitment with you, my amazing readers. Read more...
South Florida doesn’t exactly have the reputation as an affordable family destination. While Miami and Key West can be ultra expensive, there are other places to explore that are just as much if not more fun for your family!
In this post, I’ll share five South Florida activities for families that are budget-friendly. These fun things to do are affordable alternatives to pricey tourist activities!
For more details on our budget trip to South Florida including where we stayed and a cost breakdown, check out this post. Read more...
One of my favorite perks of staying at a Disney World hotel is the free ride to and from the airport on the Disney Magical Express.
In this post, I’ll share everything you need to know about using the Disney Magical Express from someone who has used it over twenty times – that’s me!
Magical Express is coach bus service from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to all Disney World resort hotels and back again. Read more...