A week ago I got the opportunity to take a little “mom-vacay” to hit the road for some alone time in the car and a chance to connect with friends. My mind, body and spirit needed it more than I knew! The solitude, the moments of clarity and the true quality time with special people were more valuable than gold! Would you believe that for the value of $160 this was possible? You could carve out a way to have this little bit extra for something special too. I can’t wait to explain how! This is the result of how good investments can afford more quality time.

Now, this post will not be written from an investment guru at all but just from me a simple mom who got to experience the value of $160.

Let me explain:

According to recent data, if you hold $10,000 in cash, you could earn about $170 in a year, at the current average yields of money market mutual funds. In a bank savings account, you’d only make about $10.* So, with this said when invested better you could have an extra $160 in your pocket.

I am here to inspire and share the value of $160 through my fun get away experience.

It is always hard to get away as a mom and get the much needed quiet time that allows you to push the pause button internally. I made it happen though! I committed to a 48 hour trip just me, a cup of my favorite coffee and SILENCE. I drove for 6 hours in this time frame in the still of silence as I drove and worked out thoughts and just took in nature.

It was so rejuvenating although so simple! You might not think that a tank of gas and a quiet ride out of town to see dear friends would be so valuable BUT it was! No breaking breaking up fights, hearing screaming and trying to keep my cool. I just drove and enjoyed the scenery.

I got to finally meet a good friend of mine and colleague of over a year in person as we finally lived close enough to reach each other by car. It is neat when you meet someone you have chatted with sometimes daily in person and just feel the genuine friendship even more when finally in person. We joined other sweet friends and colleagues for a delicious lunch. I enjoyed an amazing sirloin along with great company and the relaxing ambiance of a rainy day.

It was perfect!

I got to walk around the town I was visiting with my friend, enjoys meals and late night chatter. Quality time is one of, if not THEE, most important things in life.

I took this post opportunity with a company called Vanguard as a challenge to truly feel the value of what $160 can be. It is easy to think that saving and investing is not important for those similar to me with a lot to learn but this getaway confirmed to me that when we make smart decisions with the money we earn it comes back to reward us in ways that not only increase quality time but quality of life!

This post is sponsored by Vanguard, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

*This illustration uses 1.69% average yield for money market mutual funds and 0.09% national average yield for bank savings, both as of 9/30/2018, according to cranedata.com and bankrate.com. These rates are not guaranteed. 

Vanguard is owned by its funds, which in turn are owned by their investors.

All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest. Bank deposits are guaranteed (within limits) as to principal and interest by an agency of the federal government. There may be other material differences between products that should be considered before investing.

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Do you ever find yourself stumped for something to do with the love of your life? I can attest to feeling that way and although I love just snuggling up at home I also experiencing new things with my husband. The one thing important to us is being mindful with money. Often it can feel like there isn’t much to do that is affordable, because of this I compiled a list of ideas. I love having a list of ideas as a sort of “go to” when we are having trouble deciding what to do.

Here are 30 Frugal and Fun Date Ideas:

1. Netflix movie night with your favorite snacks.
2. Attend live music in town.
3. Bake cookies together.
4. Go to a comedy show.
5. Put a puzzle together.
6. Go thrift shopping together.
7. Stargaze together with your favorite beverage.
8. Go wine tasting.
9. Make a fire outside and cook hot dogs and smores.
10. Play strip poker together.
11. Go on a hike together.
12. Go to a Farmer’s Market.
13. Go fishing.
14. Go to a local sports game.
15. Volunteer at a food bank.
16. Go on a bike ride.
17. Do a photo shoot together, taking pictures of each other.
18. Take a pottery class together.
19. Attend a local play,
20. Go to the gym and work out together.
21. Go on a bike ride.
22. Have an all day movie marathon.
23. Go people watch at your favorite spot in town.
24. Take a bubble bath together.
25. Make a new recipe together.
26. Go on a day trip to the nearest town.
27. Make a dream board together.
28. Have a picnic.
29. Go camping.
30. Stay in bed and enjoy doing what couples do!

There you have it friends! There are many frugal and fun date ideas that don’t break the bank yet encourage you to spend quality time together! Here are a few more super quick date ideas you can do on the fly! For a few more ideas check out the blogs listed below! Dovidenia. XO

Come back and check out all of the great ideas these awesome bloggers are sharing. You can find an updated schedule over at Inspired by Family. Our 12 awesome mom bloggers are: Paradise Praises , Inspired by Family, Beauty Through Imperfection, The Gingerbread House , The Classy Chapter , Confidence Meets Parenting, Pichea Place, Thinking Kids Blog , Simple Acres Blog, Clarissa West, Creative World of Varya, The Educators Spin On It

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Is it possible to buy healthy food on a budget? I often open the cupboards to see what I just bought mere days ago and it is gone! Can you relate?! With a growing family it can be a challenge to keep the food in the house, stay within a reasonable budget AND have healthy options! This year I am determined to save more money and my area of focus has been my food budget thus far. I am excited to share one of my secrets to feeding your family healthy food on a budget!

My personal journey and mission is to simplify life so that what really matters can be enjoyed MORE!

I am really passionate about helping you find more freedom, time and ability to do the same.I have finally come to a place where I feel truly ready to make tangible changes in life that will benefit my family financially. Have you ever sat down and calculated how much money you spend a month on food or are you already on a budget? I say this with embarrassment, that for the longest time I did not want to know how much I was really spending on food … although I had an idea and it was not good. I haven’t shared yet, as I am keeping a spending journal for this month, but I will be sharing my journey to successfully tightening up my family’s food budget at the end of the month.

Today I want to share one quick secret that is an absolute game changer to your financial health when it comes to your food budget and healthy eating. 

Here’s my secret to feeding your family healthy on a budget:

1. Shop at a discount grocery store. Have you ever heard of Grocery Outlet or visited one?! This store alone will help you nearly cut your grocery expenses in half! They are a family owned grocery store that offers awesome varieties of food at 40-70% off the prices you would find in other stores.
2. Shop in the healthy food section of the store. Like most stores when you shop the perimeter of the store you generally will find the more wholesome food options and produce.
3. Shop in the NOSH section! Holy heck! What is this? This my friends is the natural, alternative, organic, specialty foods and healthy section of the store AS WELL! I found items that were double and in some times triple OFF the cost found in other stores. Now you can get the organic and specialty foods you would want to get but otherwise might not be able to afford! I shopped almost solely in the NOSH section and got ALL the food pictured below for nearly $80 while saving about $80 off what would have been regular price! I was giddy to say the least when I left the store!

There is something that FEELS SO GOOD about saving money for the family AND feeding them wholesome healthy options as a mother! Every time I leave Grocery Outlet I am reminded why it is SO important to shop with them first. The reason I say first is because their food options change regularly due to the nature of how they are able to offer their great discounts. So, shop at this discount grocery store first then what you can’t find get at another store.

Grocery Outlet offers high value in foods at an amazing price where there is something for EVERYONE in your family!

I whipped up a few things in minutes for my kids from my findings.

This first recipe is a Dairy-Free Peanut Butter, Chocolate and Banana Smoothie using 1/2 a banana, 1/3 cup almond milk ice cream from the NOSH section, a tablespoon of natural peanut butter and almond milk. I really didn’t measure much just added ingredients to taste. If you want it thicker add less almond milk add more chocolate almond ice cream. If you want it more sweet add more banana or even drizzle in some raw honey.

The other recipe I threw together is this Organic Broccoli Mac and Cheese. My organic box of mac and cheese and broccoli was all from the NOSH section. The whole meal that would feed 4 cost less than $4 for the entire batch! All I did was cook the mac and cheese per the box directions. When the noodles were half way done I then added a handful of the organic broccoli to the boiling water. Once the noodles and broccoli are cooked through, strain the water then add them back to the cooking pan. Add 1/3 cup of almond milk and the cheese packet, stir and mix. Then add a handful of shredded cheddar cheese and mix in until melted. Top it with a sprinkle of pepper and Parmesan cheese and it is ready to serve! We love this for a quick meal.

I had so much fun shopping and saving at Grocery Outlet and I hope this little secret will help YOU feed your family healthy meals on less! Dovidenia. XO

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With my birthday on its way as well as a new year just around the corner it all causes me to reflect on life. I have really been thinking about finances lately and the importance of feeling secure in the future regarding it all. Likely another year added to my age doesn’t help the urgency I feel to make sure our finances are in order and simplified. When I was offered the opportunity to learn more about Blooom, a company that simplifies the way you manage your 401k, I was generally interested to learn more and share with all of you!

I feel that besides the day to day financial choices, our retirement plan is the most important factor to our future security. To be quite honest, I have always held a level of stress regarding my knowledge regarding financial investments for our future. To say I don’t know much about my 401k and how I should invest is an understatement. Through my years of employment in my profession, I can remember the numerous times of reviewing my retirement plan with the company my 401k is through yet the rep basically saying, they could not “technically” advise me on how I should invest. I would leave hoping I was on the right track planning to research more on the topic then realistically never getting to it. My lack of follow through came not from disinterest but frustration in my lack of understanding on the topic.

What I have found so interesting during my research of Blooom was why they came to be and how they can help people like you and I. Blooom was started by men well versed in the financial realm who saw a lack in support and financial advice for the majority of society. They wanted to make a way for anyone to have the ability to  receive financial counsel with retirement investing in a simple and affordable way. For me, this peaked my interest first and foremost in that I value others that strive to make positive change for others. The other thing that intrigued me was how I could pay a minimal fee ($10/month) to have my retirement managed for me by people that “get” the game of investing. The thought of having a service like this would really ease my mind, knowing I have a knowledgeable system and team guiding me in the the right direction. I love DIY projects but definitely NOT in my financial future!

Below is a simple look at how Blooom works:

About Us: 401k Help for Every American – blooom, inc

After researching and reviewing about this company, you can do their free 401k analysis. It was truly intriguing and valuable to see their assessment of my retirement plan. It really built my confidence in how well they really could help me. You can try their 401k analysis too!

What I am very certain of is as I enter a new year I want to feel more equipped with a plan to reach our financial goals. I want to feel like the direction my 401k is in is a good one I can feel confident in. This matters to me because I want to focus more on the things I love! I want to have less worry and more time to be present with my little ones.

I encourage you to check out Blooom like I did. I had never heard of them before now, but am glad I did! I am enjoying what I am learning and am truly considering their services. There is something to be said about being able to  feel confident in how to simplify your financial life successfully. I am feeling hope that a service like Blooom would allow me to let go of the stress of how to manage my own 401k DIY style enabling me to just enjoy the things I love most like family time and my art business more.  I am still in a learning and growing place as I strive to set goals for the new year organizing finances and challenging myself in frugal living. Financial security is a gift we give our family as a whole and our children years to come.

I used to think, life is short so live it up BUT now I think life is short so what I do now matters to make my family’s future secure and bright tomorrow! Call me old, but with age sometimes comes a new found wisdom. I am hoping to start writing and sharing more about frugal living in the new year as one way to finding joy while being financially smart. With that said here is to the beginning of a new journey in “adulting”! Dovidenia friends! XO

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