I still can’t believe we’re almost done with March. This year is flying by – but in a good way! My job switch has made such a big difference in the focus of my days. I am spending less time blogging and hustling, instead focusing on enjoying life as much as possible (despite chronic, child-induced sleep deprivation).
Money
We continue to make big strides towards paying off our debt and securing enough assets to support our financial semi-independence. We recently used our tax refund to pay off our last credit card AND made a large payment towards our debt consolidation loan!!! The increasing momentum feels amazing. It also provides encouragement to keep at it. We are really doing this 🙂
Related: The Momentum-Building Magic of Small Gains
A New Baby
No, ha ha, not us. My little sister had her first baby a few weeks ago. I’m an aunt to a very sweet little girl. Crochet has turned out to be a great hobby for saving money. I made these items for my little niece (my brother-in-law is a big huge fan of Star Wars).
Apps To Help Your Finances
I’m always on the lookout for new ways to score a couple extra bucks (or gift cards) here and there. My blogging buddy Penny got me hooked on a new one called Job Spotter. You can read her full review here, but it really just involves taking pictures of “Hiring” signs. It is almost like getting paid for going on a scavenger hunt.
Have you heard of Givling yet? They are currently in the process of redesigning their app. The process is being tweaked to comply with different laws across the country. However, the basic premise is crowdfunding to pay off student debt. It doesn’t take much effort to play some ads or answer a couple trivia questions, but how amazing would it be to have those loans gone? If you want to sign up with my invite code (MV732460) you receive a free “coin.”
Family Stuff
Goofball recently participated in the Pinewood Derby for cub scouts. Mr. Smith and him spent a lot of quality time together creating their very awesome shark car. Unfortunately, Goofball didn’t take home any trophies this year, but I think he still had a lot of fun. Miss Tornado is becoming quite the little reader as we get closer to the end of kindergarten (maybe the glasses are helping). Little Trey is causing us lots of frustration in the potty training department. He has reached the stage where he goes off to hide somewhere, to use his diaper, instead of going to the bathroom. And, as the title implies . . . we have two little crawlers in the house! The twins were already a handful – an adorable handful – but still, they are keeping us on our toes.
We’re really excited about our upcoming road trip to Washington, D.C. (instead of going to visit Mickey). Mr. Smith’s brother lives down there and found us a place to stay, for FREE! As most of the museums and monuments are free, this should be a super frugal vacation – but fun too! Please let me know if you have any tips for visiting D.C., especially with small children.
Tell Me: How are things going for you lately? Have any trips planned for Spring Break? How are you doing on your money goals?
Sorry to hear you’re sleep deprived. I guess it’s par for the course but it’s hard!
Love the blanket and the Leia buns hat! Adorable.
We are camping as usual for spring break. It’s a long drive but allows us to do a beach vacation cheaply this time of year. I don’t have any tips for D.C. with kids–last time I went there I was pregnant with my first. But that’s awesome you have a free place to stay! Enjoy!
Kalie @ Pretend to Be Poor recently posted…When Frugal Doesn’t Fly
Hi Kalie! We do get some sleep when we can take naps on the weekend, so we’re doing alright overall.
How funny – the last time we went to D.C. is when I was pregnant with my first!
Thank you and have fun on your camping trip 🙂
The museums often have free kid-specific special events too!
Congrats on paying off the credit card!!!
ZJ Thorne recently posted…Net Worth Week 101 – Almost Spring Edition