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I was just wondering who else really hates paying so much for car insurance?
We have two vehicles, which we barely drive. I always get state minimum coverage, but we still paid a lot. It also doesn’t help that I have an old claim on my record. I actually found a cheaper insurance for a few months, but it gradually increased over time.
After much research, I finally found the most cost effective insurance for us. Metromile charges a base rate per vehicle, then you pay per mile. I’m now paying about $35 a month.
Get a free quote to see if Metromile makes sense for you. When you do, I will receive an incentive. Thank you!
Hello! Happy Friday! I’ve been out of sorts the last few days. I hope to get it together and catch up this weekend. I just thought I’d share my newest shift in some financial things. I have been reassessing my ways to make a few extra bucks. I actually review everything I do, often. I’m slightly OCD. That’s why my site changes so much. Sorry, I’m ridiculous.
I haven’t been cashing out as much lately for a few reasons. I wanted to let my balances build up, because I thought it would be an incentive to get paid a higher amount. I was so very wrong. Instead, it makes me feel like I’m not achieving anything. Also, I’ve been bouncing around a bit lately, trying different things. So that didn’t help either. All of this has put me in panic mode. I feel like I’m wasting time.
So, I figured out which ones are actually worth waiting on. I won’t touch those for now. If I cash out the rest, I’ll have about $53. I also made a new list of GPT (get paid to) sources to concentrate on. I felt like I was all over the place, so I had to stop everything. I did some research, verified my earnings, and created the list. I’m not sharing them until I have been successfully paid. I wouldn’t feel right otherwise. In the meantime, I will continue to add any helpful tips that I can think of.
Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to subscribe to my blog for updates. Visit anytime, and leave me a note if you like.
Jessie LS
Hello. This is just a quick note to let everyone know that I have added some more information to my financial pages, Savings Tips and Extra Money Tips.
When I have a spare moment, I plan to add the following:
Cash Back Sites (more)
Coupon Code Sites
Discounted Gift Cards
Saving Extensions
Survey Sites (more)
& More
As always, thanks for visiting.
My focus these days has been on my family’s financial well being. I do a lot of little things that really add up and help. I’m not a financial expert, and I’m not rich. But, I do manage to save a decent amount of money. I’m definitely on the right track and will keep expanding on this.
I think it’s time to get back to working on my credit.
Over the years, it has been all over the place. I have learned a bit about how to manage things better. In 2017, I set a goal to rebuild my credit because my score was severely damaged. By 2018, I had it up over 700, and was able to approved to buy a decent home on my own credit. Before I got that opportunity, some major life events took place and my credit quickly dropped. I’ve been trying to recover ever since.
Yesterday, I really thought about how I haven’t been making an honest effort. That’s why I decided to make it another one of my missions.
To begin this quest, I reviewed each report. I made a list of who I need to contact directly, who to dispute, and questionable things to look at further.
It’s important to at least verify that your information is correct, and let them know if it needs to be fixed. Your credit report follows you everywhere. There could be negative things that are not even yours, or have incorrect amounts and dates that was reported by creditors.
My next step was to actually take action. If you use Credit Karma, you can submit a dispute through the app. I did this with my oldest bill. Depending on the situation, you can also call them directly. I did that today as well. I just had a collection hit my credit, for not returning cable equipment in time. I called them and they set up a UPS pick up. She also advised me to contact the collection agency so they are aware we are working on having it removed.
I’m far from done, but I’m already making some progress towards my goal. It’s time to get side tracked with something else for a while.
Thanks for taking the time to visit and read this post.
I appreciate it.
This morning, I was filled with the obsession to find a new site to post my pictures. Somewhere that others can give unbiased feedback. The only thing I really came across was 500px. I forgot that I already signed up several years ago, but never used it. I’m locked out, so I created a new account: LadySkullshine1.
Normally I will share some pictures and random memes on Instagram and sometimes Facebook. On rare occasions I will post personal pics that I’m really proud of, moments I’ve captured, things I just want to share with others. I appreciate everyone’s likes and comments, more than they will ever know. I just wish I knew what they truly thought. I enjoy learning how to do things better and progressing. I’m not fully convinced 500px is what I was looking for, but it’s a start.
In the meantime, here are a few of my favorite flower pictures that I recently took. Some are from my porch, my birthday, and flowers I got my daughter. Check them out and let me know what you think. You can also follow me on Instagram.
Thank you for visiting my site and reading my blog!
– Jessie
Hello everyone! This is just quick message.
If you’re interested in seeing my random Instagram posts, you can follow me at: LadySkullshine.
Thank you!
I posted earlier today about changes I just made to my site. I mentioned my OCD being a factor. I actually wrote more about it, along with other issues, but I decided to separate the posts.
I would post a lot more, but my anxiety takes control and throws me for a loop. Every single time.
One of the issues that I face constantly is really silly. I have a lot of trouble just naming a post. I do it at the very end and it will literally delay things from being published. I really want something that will capture what I am saying, and will grab someone’s attention.
It’s not just the act of naming the post, it’s what transpires from there.
As I try to find the right words, my anxiety takes over. None of the words seem to fit properly. Then, I wonder if anyone even reads the title and what I have to say, or really cares to begin with. I begin to second guess myself altogether. By then, I’ve already read my post repeatedly. I constantly check for errors, better words, rearrange, and delete things. But, I do it again. Except this time, I determine if it’s even worth posting.
Sometimes, all of this just leads to another post in the drafts folder.
When I do finally hit the publish button, my anxiety and panic takes on a whole other level. I think about who will see it and what people will think of me. Will they judge me? I get embarrassed that I said something stupid, didn’t make sense, or made mistakes.
I also think about the fact that I have followers from all different stages of my life. I am not at all who I was before, or before that. But did they even really know me when the knew me? Probably not. I wonder if I’m judged by a characteristic that I had at that time, but I’ve grown since then. Do they know that?
Does their past judgement affect their current views of what I have to say now, as a very different person.
I know all of this is in my head and a lot of it is trivial. I’m my biggest critic and constantly push myself. I want to do more, but then I feel like it doesn’t matter. I distance myself until I find my inspiration to return.
Sometimes it just helps to know that I’m really helping someone.
If you haven’t noticed, I changed my site’s theme. I also rearranged some things and added a new page. I’m ridiculous! I’m constantly trying to make it better. I’m so OCD about everything, until my ADHD takes over.
Let me know what you think.
Feedback is always appreciated.
I really like the layout of this new theme on my laptop, but I’m not sure about the mobile view. That’s where I get tripped up. The menus and widgets show up differently. I should have checked the theme on all devices before I applied my changes, but I didn’t think about it at the time. I’ll most likely keep it for a while and experiment a bit.
What device you use the most when you’re visiting?
I can adjust more to the majority’s viewing preference.
I originally planned to add a coupon section to my Financial page, but things got out of hand. I ended up creating a new page for Savings Tips. I listed the steps that I take to help save money from before a transaction, to afterwards. I did my best to have it flow in that order. I have so much more information to add to both of these pages.
Follow me and subscribe for updates.
Thank you!
I previously wrote about my 13 year old daughter, in My Scarlet Always Sharing. Several years ago, she had been diagnosed with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder, Autism, Tourette’s, Depression, and ADHD. Scarlet is all about awareness, sharing her experiences and feelings, and helping others. We chatted about this multiple times, so I will start a new section for her shortly.
Today, I wanted to share an audio clip that Scarlet recently posted on her Instagram. (Don’t have your speaker volume too high when you listen to it.) She wants others to know what it’s like when she has vocal tics. She described it in her own post as “VOCAL TICS: Tic attacks can last for a few seconds to sometimes minutes. They are extremely tiring and sometimes hurt if physical. #tourettesawareness”.
What you will hear is just one of a series of vocal tics that Scar experiences. She sometimes will scream, make loud noises, or shout words repeatedly. This happens several times a day, along with her physical tics. Those may include clapping, hitting things or herself. These tics can be especially tiring and painful for her. It’s sometimes difficult to differentiate what is happening. I can tell for the most part if she is okay, or if I need to check in on her. But when I’m not sure and she is irritated, I run the risk of escalating things even further. I try to approach everything lightly, meanwhile I’m a mess inside. I’m always worried about my baby and how everything affects her. It’s my job to make her environment the best I possibly can.
Here is the audio clip I mentioned. Again, don’t have your speakers too loud.
As I am moving along this journey, I am thinking I should add this info to my Financial Tips page. Or even a new page? So far I’ve had a few updates, some bloopers, and saved a bit more than usual. Nowhere near where I want to be…yet.
I would recommend learning the coupon rules for each store, as well as the different kinds of coupons/ deals, and what can be combined.
To Obtain Coupons:
1.) Subscribe to the paper. They often runs specials for weekend delivery.
2.) Dollar Tree $1 each. They have a limit of 3 per day, Saturday and Sunday.
3.) Digital coupons. A lot of stores let you clip these on their site/ app. Some have store coupons, as well as manufacturer’s coupons from the paper.
4.) Kiosk Coupons. Some stores have a kiosk that prints special coupons. CVS is one example of this.
5.) Print coupons from the manufacturer’s site. This can take some time and use a bit of ink and paper, but you can get some decent coupons.
6.) Reach out to companies to mail them. I’ve contacted over 100 companies, so I know it’s time consuming and very few companies will send you coupons. However, I did manage to get a handful of high value ones by mail from the following. As I continue to contact companies and receive more, I will keep this list updated.
Companies Sending Coupons In The Mail:
* Blue (dog food) * Bush’s * Celestial Seasonings * Chicken of the Sea * Daisy * Frito Lay * Hostess * Hungry Jack * Juicy Juice * Kellogg * Ocean Spray * Quaker * Tyson
And, I also received a Degree deodorant sample.
In Addition to Coupons, Save Even More Money:
1.) Use store loyalty programs. Most have them. You can save at the time of sale, as well as on future purchases. This can be done online and in store.
2.) Use apps to find coupon codes and deals. This helps you to save at checkout online.
3.) Use cash back apps/sites. I have several that I use, depending on the store. This can be done online and in store.
One example I have is when I order Domino’s. I log in to use my loyalty, which gives me points towards a free pizza. I use the online coupon to get the 3+ items for $5.99 each. I then buy a Domino’s gift card which gives me 7.8% cash back. When I checkout on my phone, I use Samsung pay and get a percentage back from that. I have my PayPal business card attached, which also gives me cash back.
Going forward, I’m moving all of this info to a page and will just post updates as far as my progress. Subscribe to my blog stay informed.
I am really glad that my girls convinced me to let them do online school so many years ago. Especially with how everything is right now. Honestly, I was already partially on board from the start. I just needed to make sure it was right for them. They are both extremely intelligent (like all moms say), but they really are brilliant.
I let my oldest Haley try it first and she excelled. It worked out perfect for her. Scarlet started shortly after Haley, because she is younger and has special needs. She was going through a lot in general, already having trouble in school, and also being bullied at the time. Scarlet was always the one to stand up for anyone being bullied and stood her ground. Now, no one stuck up for her, and even her best friend was nasty to her. She had been missing a lot of school. They put her on a 504 Program to help get her through the rest of the year. I then had her start online school through our district, but we moved and had to start again at another cyber school. Eventually, I found an one that anyone can attend, no matter where they live.
The new online school has been great working with us. She now has an Individualized Education Plan and gets one hour of school counselling every week via Zoom. Scarlet hates the camera, so they let her turn it off. Physical and online school has been a major struggle for her. She doesn’t understand something, then quickly gets overwhelmed, and her tics get a lot worse. Once that gets to a certain point, she shuts down and nothing gets done. I had to find ways to prevent that, but also make sure she is still submitting her work.
Scarlet is definitely doing a lot better now in Summer School. I monitor all of her assignments and make a new list for her daily. It shows how many assignments are in each subject and her current grade. I am learning the lessons with her so that I can teach her in other ways that she understands. We just have to get through another week this summer. She will then be in a new program where she will enter seventh grade in the fall, then graduate eighth grade in the spring. Some subjects are grouped together so it’s not as much work. For example, Science and Math are one lesson.
All of this sounds like a lot. I understand that online school is not for everyone, and not everyone is able to do it. It’s especially tough in case of special needs. There’s pros and cons either way. Honestly, when I compare it to sending her to a physical school, I’d take online any day. I just have to work harder to make sure Scarlet is managing things better. Who is better to do that than Mom?
So my friend invited us to her “Dark Art” event, benefiting Glaucoma research. The idea was to paint as though you are blind, using unknown colors and items to paint with. It was this past Sunday, but we weren’t able to attend. I thought it would be nice for my daughter Scarlet to still participate from home. When I told her, she was really excited about doing this. Scarlet loves to paint and loves to help others with awareness. So it was right up her alley.
Once I had everything in the area covered, we got started. I blind folded Scarlet and gave her a few random items. I wasn’t sure what she could really use but I grabbed a pencil, a straw, some cotton balls, q-tips, and a plastic paint tool. I picked out pink, purple, yellow, and pearl paint colors. Then got my camera ready to record and take pictures, of course.
She started off with the cotton balls for the sky. At one point, she turned the canvas sideways without realizing it. Part way through, we had to pause filming. There was way too much paint all over her hands, so I had to run to get wet wipes. Her eyes stayed covered the whole time. I even called her out at one point just to make sure. Later in the video, she reached back for a wet wipe and I yelled “Don’t touch me!” lol.
It was very messy, but she had a lot of fun. We will most likely do this or something like it again. For the event, my friends had to paint for an hour and a half. Scarlet painted for a lot less than than that. We got about six minutes recorded and lots of pictures. Ignore the part where I fall through Scarlet’s hamper LMAO.
Very few know this, but my youngest daughter suffers from a few disabilities. I belong to several Facebook groups relating to Autism, Tourette’s, Children with Disabilities, and so on. I like to read through the posts and think about how it relates or not. On a very slim occasion, I will comment with some of our own experiences. I say slim because I rarely post or comment on anything to begin with, let alone a stranger’s post in a public group. Not to mention, while they may be reaching out, they may not care what I have to say.
I keep to myself about a lot of things, especially with how the world is today. But I really wouldn’t mind sharing our experiences or any suggestions, if it will help anyone else. My daughter also feels the same way. We’ve talked about it often and she loves to help others. With that said, I’ll give you a little bit of her background.
My daughter Scarlet is 13 years old. She had a seizure right before her first birthday. She’s had asthma and allergies for most of her life, along with severe eye problems and trouble walking. Several years ago, she was diagnosed with Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder. They later said she had Autism and referred us to a Neurologist, who then confirmed her diagnosis for Tourette’s. She has since been diagnosed with Depression and ADHD.
Scarlet has been through a lot of medications, doctors, therapists, coping skills, emotions, and broken items. It’s been a long and windy road. There is still the occasional meltdown along with bouts of severe tics, but we manage it a lot better. Some of those meltdowns have been my own, wishing I could do better and do more to help her.
That’s just a few tidbits. Since I know Scar is comfortable with it, I think I might share a bit more about our experiences here. Maybe some coping skills we have learned, adventures we end up on, symptoms, silly moments, and so on. I might add some of her art as well. She loves to paint. It helps her a lot. She has a lot of great qualities and is full of so much love. She is my Sunshine.
I feel like this should be a Bloopers edition….
It’s been over a week since my last update. I saved some money, but nothing went nearly as planned. Anxiety, stress, and memory lapses really did not help my mission.
Before I left the house, I prepared myself. I already had all my notes on each ad. I also wrote a list of the items I needed to buy there. When I folded it up, I could see my list. Then I clipped my coupons to the back. I did this with each ad, with the feeling that I was about to accomplish something.
With my organized stack in hand, I started at Dollar Tree. I planned to get Renuzit air freshers for $.67 each, with a buy 4 get 2 coupon. Except, I never brought the coupon and completely forget about it. When I grabbed the air fresheners, I couldn’t figure out why they weren’t marked down. I convinced myself that it will come down at the register. They didn’t, of course. But hey, I did grab a bag of Chex Mix that was much cheaper than Rite Aid.
I quickly moved on to Dollar General. They were out of a few of the items I needed. I grabbed what I could and checked out. As I put my cart away, I realized I left my coupons on the counter. So none of those were used. The cashier nicely said I could use them next time. I just smiled and agreed, as I beat myself up inside for being so mindless.
Next was Rite Aid. I’m not used to this store, so I struggled to find some things. I’m also not sure how much I really saved, compared to what I normally pay. Then, I bought the wrong razors. I had coupons for $5 & $4 off. Except one was for disposable razors, so scratch that. I still saved with their sales and my one coupon though. They were regularly $13.49, but I paid $6.14 each. Not too bad, considering. With this visit, I saved a total of $23.87. Plus I have $8 towards my next trip.
Giant was my last stop. It wasn’t as great as I wanted it to be. A few of my coupons were rejected. I also got confused over an Air Wick oil starter kit deal in the ad, listed at 2 for $6. There was no picture in the ad and no sales marked on the items. I found a kit for $13.99. I didn’t think it was right, but grabbed it anyway to ask the cashier. She had to get a manager, who approved it. Honestly, I think it was a misprint. I also had a $2 coupon, so I got 2 for $2 each! (Orig 2 x $13.99 [27.98], on sale 2 for $6 – $2 coupon = 2 for $4.) With this trip, I managed to save $75.64 off my bill of $352.02. That’s 21.49%. It’s a start.
Then of course, once I got home, I scanned all of my receipts with at least six different apps to get even more cash back.
I know I could have done a lot better. I’m still working on my process of doing things to be faster and more efficient. I really need to focus more. I learned that I need to print more coupons, take them with me, and remember to use them! Then I need to pay more attention to the details on the coupon and store rules. Also, I should probably compare prices a bit more. Stupid mistakes that I can easily work on. Baby steps.
Sometimes I feel completely invisible. Not heard or seen. I’m not referring to anyone or thing in particular causing it. It’s just a sad feeling in general that comes over me at times. Then I battle through all the emotions that come with it.
Most times, my anxiety takes control and forces me to want to hide. While other times, I feel like I’m jumping up and down screaming look at me! look at me! (like Mr. Meseeks from Rick & Morty)
I hate it. It interferes with so many things. Like, how do I go from one moment of hiding from the world, then the very next moment I feel ignored and get upset. I just want to go one day with zero anxiety, panic attacks, depression, and all those wonderful mental battles. It would definitely help my other health issues as well. But no matter how much I work on my mindset and make it seem like I have it all under control on the outside, I’m a train wreck on the inside.
A while back, I posted “Alexa. Was I Just Paranoid?”. I had explained that originally, I wasn’t on board with the Alexas, Siri, and all that. I love technology, but I just didn’t feel comfortable with it. I finally came to the realization that if I’m going to be paranoid, then I might as well get rid of all of our technology. I won’t do that. So, I managed to find a great deal and we bought two Echo dots. That was a few months ago.
The Echos have definitely been very handy. I ask Alexa to set timers for me every time I cook. My fiance often asks his Echo to tell him jokes. She’ll let us know when our Amazon packages are arriving and remind us to feed the puppy. We failed to set up the Roku, but I’ll try again when I can focus on it. We also use them as an intercom system in our home. Not to mention, all the googling she’s done for us.
Recently, I have been really interested in the smart bulbs. I just didn’t quite understand exactly how they worked. I did some research, then ordered a set which arrived today. I set them up, connected the Echo, and I love them. There are so many colors and you can cycle through them. The reading light setting is really bright. I’m so glad that I ordered these bulbs. I even got them free! I’m testing the bulbs and providing a report to the merchant.
I have no regrets buying the Echo Dots and now we have beautiful lighting in our home with ease of control. Have I said how much I love technology?
Happy 45th birthday to me! 45?! And still sparkly!!
It really was an awesome day! It started with a birthday text from my Haley, chocolate chip cookies with Scarlet, flowers from my mom, randomly found notes and home made cards from my Scarlet and my fiance Sully.
I appreciate all the experiences throughout my life so far, good and bad. I’ve made a lot of mistakes and learned a lot. No matter where life takes me, my greatest achievement ever will always be my babygirls. I’m beyond proud and grateful, and would be lost without them!
Since my last coupon post, I have contacted about 30 more companies. I didn’t receive any more coupons through the mail since Monday. I broke out of my shell for a moment. I made a post in a neighborhood app and a Facebook neighborhood group requesting any unwanted coupons. I actually received a few responses. Oh and I contacted a nearby friend of mine who has great experience in couponing. I have a bit more confidence in my journey. That’s my coupon update, which I didn’t see a need for it’s own post.
In other financial news, I recently received a call from my credit card company regarding a lower rate. I called them back today and found out it was a fraud call. However, while I had them on the phone, I asked what offers were available to me. It didn’t cost anything, but a few extra minutes. They upgraded me to a higher rewards card, so I’ll be receiving more cash back. It was totally worth those few minutes.
Every single day, I’m working on our finances. Whether it’s ways to save money or make money. I rarely impulse buy. I will jump through hoops to save. Then of course, the best part, the shopping while knowing that we have the extra money to do so. It makes it all worth it. Especially knowing what it’s like to not have the money. I’m grateful for anything extra I can do to better my family. Every little bit really does help.
I don’t have much of an update, but I have made some progress.
So this weekend, I got the Sunday paper ads and coupons. I checked what deals I could get at Rite Aid and if it’s worth going through the trouble this week. It was, so I focused on their ad and what coupons I had on hand. I finally went shopping today and ended up spending $19.92 on Crest, ZZZQuil, 3 Pantene, and razors. I saved $22.37 between store deals and coupons. I also now have purchases tallying towards cash back. For example, spend $50 on P&G items and get $15 back. Not too terrible for my first trip back on the mega coupon wagon.
Yesterday, I received a stack of mail full of coupons from Daisy, Celestial Seasonings, Bush’s, Juicy Juice, Kelloggs, and Hostess. They also sent me letters advising of where I can get more coupons. I even got a few recipes too. I’m going to send out another batch of requests soon. Once I get through my list, I’ll post all of the companies that send me coupons.
The next thing I need to figure out is my plan for printing coupons. Since I rarely print, I have a subscription that allows me to print 15 pages a month for free. If I will be printing coupons, this will definitely increase fairly quickly.
Like I said, it’s not much of an update. But it is definitely progress.
LadySkullshine 