LITE Feed, Money Saving Mom®

Brigette’s $130 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 4!

Brigette — Sat, 17 Oct 2026 15:28:00 +0000

Aldi

1/2 gallon Orange Juice – $3.35

1 gallon Milk – $2.76

1 32-oz carton Half and Half – $2.39

1 large carton Egg Whites – $4.79

2 dozen Eggs – $3.30

1 pkg Fresh Boneless Chicken Breasts – $11.84

1 carton Cottage Cheese – $2.85

1 48-oz jar Canola Oil – $3.79

2 boxes Cereal – $3.90

2 pkgs Turkey Bacon – $6.98

1 jar BBQ Sauce – $1.69

1 box Butter Quarters – $2.69

2 bag Fresh Green Beans – $4.78

1 bunch Bananas – $1.85

1 bag Fresh Garlic Heads – $1.19

1 bag Spinach – $1.89

1 pkg Broccoli Florets – $2.55

1 bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.89

1 bag Red Onions – $1.95

1 bag Honey Crisp Apples – $1.99

4 cans Chili Beans – $3.40

2 cans Pumpkin – $3.18

1 16-oz bag Shredded Mozzarella Cheese – $3.29

1 bag Chocolate Chips – $3.65

2 pkgs Deli Sliced Cheese – $2.90

Total: $84.85

Publix

5 boxes General Mills Cereal – $12.60, used (2) $1/2 General Mills Publix Digital Coupon plus received $1/2 General Mills Ibotta Rebate plus received 4300 points from Fetch ($4.30) – $5.30 for 5 after Coupon and Rebates

1 box Banza Pasta – $1.99

2 bags Totino’s Pizza Rolls – $7.47, used $0.50/2 Totino’s Publix Digital Coupon plus received (2) $0.50/1 Totino’s Ibotta Rebates plus received 1000 points from Fetch ($1) – $4.97 for 2 after Coupon and Rebates

2 pkgs Mighty Spark Chicken Sticks – $7.59, used (2) $1.50/1 Printables, plus received 759 points from Merryfield ($0.76) – $3.83 for 2 after Coupons and Rebate

1 bag Mini Peppers – $1.99

2 First Phorm Protein Bars – $2.98, received (2) $1/1 First Phorm Bars Ibotta Rebates – $0.98 for 2 after Rebates

1 pkg String Cheese – $2.84

2 boxes College Inn Broth – $3.19, received 200 points from Swagbucks ($2) – $1.19 for 2 after Rebate

3 bags Strawberry Lemonade Nerds Gummy Clusters – $8.98, received (3) $1/1 Strawberry Lemonade Gummy Clusters Ibotta Rebates – $5.98 for 3 after Rebates

1 bag Sweet Potatoes – $2.41

3 bags Trolli – $8.98, received (3) $0.75/1 Trolli Ibotta Rebates – $6.73 for 3 after Rebates

2 box Ritz Sandwich Crackers – $4.79

1 box Lance Sandwich Crackers – $2.79

3 cans Pillsbury Crescent Rolls – $4.17, used $1/2 Pillsbury Publix Coupon plus received 1000 points from Fetch ($1) – $2.17 for 3 (I didn’t realize until I got home that these small cans didn’t qualify for the Ibotta rebate!)

2 boxes Ryze Mushroom Coffee – $19.98, received $9.99 from Aisle, plus received (2) $2/1 Ryze Ibotta Rebates and 3200 points from Fetch ($3.20) – $2.79 for 2 after Rebates

~ Received $5 Ibotta Midweek Bonus

Total after Coupons and Rebates: $45.75

Grocery Total for the Week: $130.60

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Grits, Omelets, Smoothies, Eggs/Bacon, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Lunches

Sandwich Crackers, Apples, Cheese Sticks, Chicken Meat Sticks, Veggies with Dip x 4 (School Lunches)

Leftovers/Pizza Rolls x 3

Dinners

Stromboli, Green Beans

Chicken Gravy over Rice, Broccoli

Spaghetti (using venison sausage from the freezer), Spinach Salad, Homemade Breadsticks

Dinner Out (My boys have a school function that includes dinner, and my husband and I are going out with friends)

Pancakes, Bacon

Chili, World’s Easiest Cornbread

Leftover Chili over Baked Potatoes with Cheese, Roasted Cauliflower

Schedule of Christmas Hallmark Movies (Starts Tonight!)

Gretchen — Fri, 16 Oct 2026 13:05:00 +0000

Love cozying up to Hallmark movies during the holidays? Get ready for the Hallmark Countdown to Christmas movies marathon!

{Psst! Looking for creative ways to save for this year’s Christmas budget? Read our post on How to Fund Your Christmas Budget in Just 15 Minutes per Day! Or check out our post on 10 Easy Ways to Earn FREE Christmas Gifts.}

Hallmark Christmas Movies Schedule

The Hallmark Christmas Movies 2026 Schedule has officially been released and it begins tonight, October 16th!

When Do Hallmark Christmas Movies Start?

New movies have already started rolling out!

And since the movies are running all day and night long, don’t forget to set your DVR for your personal favorites.

Check Out the Hallmark Christmas Movies Schedule

Not only will holiday movies run 24/7 through Christmas Day like usual, but there will also be a countdown to Christmas including lots of premiers every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening at 8PM EST throughout November and December!

Best Christmas Hallmark Christmas Movie Classics to Watch All Season

If you’re looking for a top 25 list of Hallmark movies (with cast listings and brief descriptions) here’s a great place to start.

And here’s another list of 35 favorite Hallmark Christmas movies.

What are the new Christmas Hallmark movies on 2026?

Hallmark is releasing brand-new movies in 2026! Yay!

You can download this PDF and preview all 31 movies on the Hallmark website.

How to Watch Hallmark Christmas Movies

If you already have the Hallmark Channel as part of your cable TV package, you can watch any of the Hallmark Christmas movies via the “Watch Live” link on the Hallmark website (once you log in with your provider information).

You can also add a Hallmark Movie Now package onto a current Amazon Prime account or add the Hallmark Hub package to a current Peacock account for $6 per month (there are 7-day free trials for some of these options).

Whatever you choose, you’ll want to make sure to download the Hallmark Movie Checklist App!

And I’d love to hear which Hallmark Christmas movies are your favorite!

See the full schedule of new releases here.

How to Travel For Cheap – 25+ Budget Travel Tips

crystal — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 21:05:56 +0000

Family travel can be one of the most fun — and most expensive! — things we do all year. But here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to drain your bank account.

There are SO many ways to save money on travel, but it will differ by person and family, depending on your preferences for the type of travel, lodging, and vacations you enjoy — and that’s okay! Whether you’d rather camp under the stars, lounge at a beach resort, or load up the minivan and hit the road, there’s a money-saving strategy that will work for you.

Planning a family road trip, a weekend getaway, or a winter vacation? There are dozens of ways you can save a bit (or a bunch) here and there to really stretch your travel budget without sacrificing any fun memories. Those little savings add up fast and you might be surprised by how much more fun vacation feels when you know you got a good deal on your flights, hotels, food, and activities!

Budget Travel Tips: Creative Ways to Save Money on Your Next Family Vacation

If you’re planning a family vacation soon, don’t miss this comprehensive list of creative ways to travel for cheap! Be sure to bookmark it, pin it, or share it with your travel buddies because you’ll want to revisit this list as you continue planning.

As you’ll see in all of these ideas, if you really want to save as much money as possible on vacations, it helps to think outside the box and get creative. A little flexibility and a little planning ahead can go a LONG way!

Here are some of our best tips:

Cheap Ways to Travel: Save on Airfare

1. Drive instead of fly

Do the math on how much you’ll save to make sure it’s worth it, but more often than not, it saves quite a bit of money!

2. Choose a creative mode of travel like a train

Check out some great train travel savings tips here. (And sometimes Amtrak runs great BOGO deals!)

3. Plan flights for Tuesdays or Thursdays

This is when flights are usually the lowest, so shifting your travel days just a little can save you big.

4. Purchase domestic airfare 6-8 weeks before your travel date

This is prime time for the best ticket prices.

5. Look at ticket prices on Tuesday-Thursday

The prices for flights are usually higher on Monday, Friday, and weekends, so midweek is the best time to make this big purchase.

6. Take advantage of airfare sales!

Many airlines run seasonal sales throughout the year and it’s a great time to plan ahead and snag tickets at a discounted price. (We often post the best Southwest sales when they pop up!)

7. Do your research on flights

Don’t forget airfare search engines like Kayak or Expedia. Those can be valuable resources when comparing airfare costs.

8. Travel during off-season times

Airfare is much lower during the less popular times of year to travel. Avoid holidays if you can, because airfare is often 3-4 times higher than a regular ticket price during those times.

Many airlines offer free loyalty programs that do NOT require a credit card! You’ll earn points for your travel over time and can cash them in for free flights.

How to Travel for Cheap: Save on Lodging

10. Try camping

Camping allows you to savor time in nature and enjoy free or very reduced nightly lodging fees.

11. Use Priceline to find a last-minute Express deal on a hotel.

More info on this super helpful tip HERE. (I’ve done this many times, including when Kaitlynn and I went to NYC recently, and it’s worked beautifully!)

12. Stay with family or friends

If you have family or friends in the area you’re visiting, free lodging with them will always save you tons of money, plus you can spend extra time with loved ones while you’re visiting.

13. Plan a staycation

Sleeping and eating at home and enjoying local attractions during the day as hometown tourists will save a lot of money and still offer fun memories.

14. Go in with family or friends on a bigger Airbnb or VRBO house.

Most of the time, splitting a big place like this results in a much lower cost per night for lodging expenses. Plus, most of the time you’ll also save on food because bigger places have a kitchen that will prevent you from eating out so much while on vacation.

15. Search multiple hotel travel sites to find the best price.

Read more about how to get hotel discounts HERE.

See our recent travel deals here.

16. Don’t forget about coupon codes and cash back sites!

These can both save you a lot of money on hotel purchases. (Our favorite cashback sites are Rakuten, TopCashBack, and Swagbucks.)

Cheapest Way to Travel: Saving on Food

17. Stay at a place with a kitchen

Then you can cook at home and save on eating out. Buying groceries and cooking yourself will almost always be less expensive than eating out for every meal while on vacation.

18. Take advantage of complimentary breakfast.

Many hotels and bed & breakfasts offer complimentary breakfast each morning. Getting one free meal each day is a huge savings!

19. Pack your own snacks when possible

Whether it’s for the car on a road trip, the airplane while traveling, or the destination itself, consider packing your own snacks to avoid over-priced ones while on vacation.

20. Only eat two meals per day.

If you’re eating really big meals on vacation, you might be able to get away with just two meals — brunch and dinner!

21. Take your own water bottles

Refill them throughout the day and save. Paying to purchase water bottles or drinks can add up quickly.

22. Buy restaurant gift cards at Kroger

You’ll get 4x points — which you can then use to save on gas!

23. Place a grocery pickup order

Find a store near your ending destination that offers online ordering, so you can simply pick it up and not give in to impulse purchases.

24. Pack a picnic lunch and eat at a state rest stop

While you’re there, you can check if they have coupons for other local restaurants or attractions.

25. Take advantage of deals on local restaurants and attractions

Use apps like Local Flavor or Groupon to find bargains on local favorites.

26. Prepare freezer meals

Put your prepared meals in a zip-top bag and take a slow cooker or instant pot along to reheat them.

Save with These Budget Travel Tips!

27. Find creative ways to fund your travel budget

If travel is super important to you and you don’t have wiggle room in the budget, find ways to earn extra money for vacations. Some examples might include selling items, taking surveys, or using rewards apps like Swagbucks. (Swagbucks offers gift cards for all kinds of restaurants, gas stations, hotels, and airlines.)

28. Travel in the off-season when prices are cheaper

We already mentioned airfare is a lot cheaper during the off-season, but so are lodging costs, resort fees, cruise prices, and entertainment expenses.

29. Scout out free activities at your destination before you travel

You can even post a question to your social media about free/frugal things to do in the area you plan to travel to.

30. Walk instead of drive

If you’re vacationing in a walkable area, consider walking instead of renting a car or taking an Uber each day. (Looking for ways to save on rental cars? Check out these tips!)

Want to Earn Money for Travel?

If you dream of traveling more than your current budget allows, side hustles can be an amazing way to grow your travel budget. But, for most women, adding one more thing to your plate might feel nearly impossible. That’s why I made this FREE product — 10 Flexible Side Hustles for Women. In it, you’ll find ten flexible, totally doable, outside-the-box ideas — even if you’re short on time, energy, or experience!

Inside this FREE guide, you’ll discover:

10 creative, LOW-PRESSURE side hustles you’ve likely never heard of — perfect for busy women juggling a full plate
How to START EARNING extra income without a business plan, a big online following, or a fancy resume
Real-life ideas that help you use what you already know, love, and do — in a way that actually fits your lifestyle
A fresh perspective that breaks the myth that you need more time, money, or experience to start earning on the side

You don’t need to be “more qualified.” You don’t need to wait until life slows down. You just need the right ideas — and a willingness to begin!

And, honestly, I think earning extra money specifically for vacation is one of the most fun and motivating goals!

Head here to get this free printable list!

More Money-Saving Travel Tips!

Check out all these other great tips for saving money on travel and vacations:

Do you have any other tips for ways to save money on travel? Let us know in the comments below!

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread Recipe

Brigette — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 21:01:00 +0000

This is an easy quick bread recipe that looks fancier than it actually is! I love it because it uses simple ingredients that I always keep on hand in my pantry. It’s especially wonderful warmed up or toasted with butter for breakfast or an after-school snack (my boys actually cheer when they walk in the door and smell this, haha).

I make this bread all throughout the year, but I especially love making it in the fall because I love the way it makes my house smell like “autumn” while it’s baking! My entire family shamelessly begs me to make this bread. I hope you will love it as much as we do at my house!

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (I substitute 1 cup milk + 1 Tablespoon vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes)
1 egg
1/4 cup oil

Glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
a few teaspoons milk — enough to get to a glaze consistency

How to Make Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and remaining sugar.

3. In a third bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, and oil.

4. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.

5. Pour half of the batter into a greased 9x5x3-inch pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar. Spread the remaining batter on top and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar.

6. Swirl knife through batter.

7. Bake 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan and cooling on wire rack.

8. Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over bread when it has completely cooled off. Slice and enjoy.

Makes 1 loaf

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword bread, breakfast, brunch, dessert, easy breakfast, easy side dish, family favorite, freezer friendly, homemade, quick bread

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Cooling Time 20

Servings

Calories 378kcal

Author Brigette

Ingredients

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar divided
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk I substitute 1 cup milk + 1 Tablespoon vinegar and let it sit for 5 minutes
1 egg
1/4 cup oil

Glaze Ingredients:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
a few teaspoons milk — enough to get to a glaze consistency

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and 1 Tablespoon cinnamon. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and remaining sugar.
In a third bowl, combine buttermilk, egg, and oil.
Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened.
Pour half of the batter into a greased 9x5x3-inch pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar. Spread the remaining batter on top and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar.
Swirl knife through batter.
Bake 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pan and cooling on wire rack.
Combine glaze ingredients and drizzle over bread when it has completely cooled off. Slice and enjoy.

Nutrition

More Recipes You’ll Enjoy:

Plus, check out this post on 25 Ways to Save Money on Groceries!

If you make this Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread recipe, we’d love to hear how it turns out! Leave a review or comment below.

Hire a Registered Dietitian for Zero Out of Pocket + My Honest Review of Nourish

Crystal Paine — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 11:36:00 +0000

Looking for a free dietitian online or online nutritionist consultation covered by insurance? I have been LOVING my Nourish dietitian and this is my completely honest review! Truly — it’s been life-changing for me!

This One Small Step Has Been Transforming My Health (and It’s Covered by Insurance!)

Are you wanting to make healthy changes in your diet but don’t know where to start? Struggling to hit your health goals or feeling overwhelmed by trying to stay on track?

In the summer of 2025, I made a decision that I honestly didn’t expect to have such a big impact. I signed up to meet with a Nourish dietitian.

Not because I had a big health goal or some drastic change in mind, but because I was feeling a little stuck. I had been working out more, trying to be mindful of what I was eating, and wanting to better support my body through this full season of life.

I figured it couldn’t hurt to get a little expert insight, especially since Nourish is fully covered by insurance under our plan.

Honestly, I expected to get a few helpful tips on calories and macros. I didn’t expect it to shift so much of how I view my body, my energy, my relationship with food, and even how I approach rest and recovery.

But it has. And I’m so grateful. Let me tell you more about my honest experience with Nourish…

What Is Nourish?

Nourish is a virtual platform that connects you with an online registered dietitian — someone trained to help you with everything from emotional eating and hormone health to energy levels and gut issues — all from the comfort of your own home.

Instead of handing you a one-size-fits-all meal plan or a strict list of foods to avoid, your Nourish online dietitian walks with you step-by-step. They listen to your goals. They help you build habits . They offer insight on how nutrition, sleep, stress, and movement work together. And they empower you to nourish your body well — without shame, restriction, or overwhelm.

My Completely Honest (+ Very Vulnerable) Nourish Dietitian Review

To be honest, I was hesitant at first. I wasn’t sure I needed an online nutritionist consultation. I wondered if my health goals were “big enough” or if it would be worth the time.

But I also knew I wanted to take better care of myself. I felt a little foggy some days. I wanted accountability and clarity, and deep down, I wondered if I was giving my body what it needed to thrive.

That first call with my Nourish dietitian? It blew me away.

She helped me understand how the stress and depletion of the last few years — pregnancies, nursing, fostering, adopting a child with disabilities, caregiving, running a business, and raising six kids — had left me running on fumes. She walked me through how under-eating and under-sleeping were actually slowing down my metabolism and affecting my mood and hormones.

She didn’t guilt me. She didn’t overwhelm me. She encouraged me and gave me clear, simple steps I could take that very week.

What I’m Learning from My Nourish Dietician

Every session has been eye-opening. Not because of some radical overhaul… but because of how freeing and healing it’s been to undo old beliefs.

My dietitian has helped me:

Identify and challenge long-held beliefs about food and weight.
Realize how often I’ve equated worth with a number on the scale.
Shift from restriction to nourishment.
Take baby steps toward what she calls “food freedom” — where food supports your life, not controls it.

It’s emotional work, too. But so, so worth it.

Finding Food Freedom

After I started eating more (at the encouragement of my dietitian), I discovered that it was a big struggle for me. I realized I had a lot of fear around food and had put a lot of stock into what the scale said. My joy or frustration for the day and how I felt about myself was often very tied to whatever number the scale showed that day.

One of the big things my virtual dietitian encouraged me to do was to stop weighing myself. This was scary — but it ended up being SO freeing!! It took awhile to get used to, but once I did, I began to feel a whole new world open up for me!

I discovered that I had spent years trapped in a cycle of so much food noise in my head — constantly analyzing calories, pushing myself to exercise more, thinking I needed to lose weight, chasing skinny, mentally beating myself up if I didn’t follow the diet plan I had come up with for myself. I did all of this under the guise of self-discipline when it actually was dysfunctional!

I am slowly finding such freedom when it comes to food. My brain feels much quieter around food and it feels weird but also so amazing!! I love that I can find joy in food and eating without needing to constantly analyze, stress, or feel like I’m not where I need to be.

I’m chasing strong not skinny, nourishing myself not a number on the scale — and it’s been incredible!

Taking My Wellness Even Further

Recently, my dietician has been challenging me with practical ways to prioritize more sleep and to prioritize play. She’s having me try out better bedtime routines and try out different hobbies. It has been so good for my soul… and I feel like meeting with her is therapy for my whole self!

I’m also SO excited because Nourish is now offering lab work as part of their program and it’s covered by insurance for most people, as well! So just like you can hire a dietitian through Nourish and most insurance companies will pay for it, you can also now have lab work done as part of the program and it’s $0 cost to you if your insurance covers it!

The Nourish Lab panel checks the most important data for your metabolic and heart health — cholesterol, blood sugar (A1C), kidney function, electrolytes, and thyroid hormones. This is all so helpful because this data enables you and your dietician to make more informed decisions as you collaborate to improve your diet and health, and it provides another way to measure your progress. These labs are done at a Quest Diagnostics location near you and are fully covered every 3 months at no cost to you, providing up to $200 per year in value.

I had a metabolic panel done and it was so easy to do, the results came quickly, and my dietitian went over it with me. Best of all, it was entirely covered by insurance!

Making the Most of Your Free Dietitian Online

If you decide to sign up (which I highly recommend if you’re curious!), here are a few tips to make the most of your online nutritionist consultation:

Track your eating, movement, and sleep for a few days ahead of your first call (I used MyFitnessPal and my Oura ring).
Bring questions or struggles you want help with — even small things like “I snack all day and feel tired after lunch.”
Share your health history (I even brought my bloodwork to our second session!).
Be honest and open — this isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress.

How Much Does a Session Cost with a Nourish Dietitian?

If you’re wondering what a Nourish session might cost, here’s the exciting news: 94% of users pay $0 out of pocket when they use insurance!

That’s right! You have a very good chance of being able to meet with a free dietitian online — right from the comfort of your own home. How cool is that?!

I have been sharing about Nourish for the past few months or so as I have been using it and benefiting from it. Here’s what one my my readers had to say about their experience after giving it a try:

“I tried Nourish because of you and it has helped me SO MUCH!! I’m overweight and I’ve never had anyone teach me how I’m supposed to eat to be healthy and fuel my body, until now…and I’m 45 years old. Any my insurance has been paying 100%!!! Thank you for sharing. It’s been life changing for me too. I’m so thankful.”

I would say that number they give is quite accurate as the majority of my audience is also finding that Nourish is covered by their insurance, too.

That said, every insurance plan is a little different — some may have a small copay or coinsurance — but Nourish does everything they can to keep your costs low and offers a simple insurance coverage calculator to help you know what to expect ahead of time.

Here’s what you need to know:

Most people pay nothing. Yes, really! The majority of users don’t pay anything out of pocket because Nourish is in-network with hundreds of insurance plans across all 50 states.
You can check your coverage easily. Nourish makes it super simple to verify your insurance and see if there may be any copays or fees.
No surprise bills. What your insurance says is what you’ll pay — no hidden costs or unexpected fees. All appointments are backed by the Nourish Guarantee to provide a no-surprise billing experience! Note: One of my followers was told that her insurance would cover Nourish and then that ended up not being the case. Nourish zeroed out her balance and didn’t charge her anything for the two sessions she had because of their Nourish Guarantee.
Paying out of pocket? If your insurance doesn’t cover sessions, the self-pay rate is $145 per session — and you’ll know that up front.

Why I Recommend It

If you’re:

Feeling stuck with your health goals
Battling low energy or brain fog
Walking through a tough postpartum season
Wanting to build a better relationship with food
Or simply needing some gentle accountability…

I highly recommend checking out Nourish. This is one of the most grace-filled, personalized things I’ve done for myself in a long time.

What Others Are Saying

As you can see, I’ve really enjoyed Nourish but you don’t have to just take my word for it! Here are some messages and feedback I’ve received on social media and email from those who tried Nourish for themselves and shared the experience:

Ready to try Nourish?

Head here to check if your insurance covers it: Nourish Dietitian Program

If it does, you’ll get access to a caring, credentialed online dietitian covered by insurance who will walk with you, encourage you, and help you create a life that feels vibrant, nourished, and whole.

Nourish FAQ

How much does a Nourish session cost?

94% of users pay $0 out of pocket when they use insurance!

Is Nourish really free with insurance?

Yep! Most insurance plans cover it 100% and you’ll pay nothing out of pocket!

Saying yes to that first call with the Nourish dietitian is changing my life in the best of ways and I am so thrilled and grateful!

Baked Nachos ($10 Family Dinner Idea)

Brigette — Tue, 13 Oct 2026 21:02:00 +0000

This one-pan dinner is SO easy to throw together at the last minute! And these Baked Nachos get bonus points from me because teens love it (I have 3 teens plus a 12 1/2 year old and they all often have friends over). My boys can also easily make it on their own, which is another plus. You can easily customize the toppings based on what your family likes — that’s why you don’t see any black olives or sour cream in these photos, haha.

All you have to do is fry up some ground hamburger (or chicken or turkey) and open a couple of cans and dump. How easy is that?!? This is a go-to meal for me when I have approximately 30 minutes to figure out what we’re having for dinner and make it.

Note: This is not a good meal to have leftovers of because the chips get soggy, so I recommend only making the amount that your family will eat in one sitting.

This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she shares easy, delicious, and affordable family-friendly dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.

Baked Nachos Menu:

Baked Nachos (feel free to add a side like fruit, but this is a one-pan meal that hits all of the food groups!)

Ingredients for Baked Nachos:

1 bag (12-14 oz) tortilla chips (Bargain City) — $1
1-lb ground beef (or chicken or turkey — I used ground chicken that was already cooked from my freezer) (Publix) — $2.50
1 packet taco seasoning (Aldi) — $0.55
3/4 cup water
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed (Aldi) — $0.85
1 15-oz can corn, drained (Aldi) — $0.85
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Aldi) — $3.09
additional toppings as desired – I used a sliced lime, sliced cherry tomatoes and chopped cilantro (Aldi) — $1 (other topping ideas include sour cream, black olives, chopped onions and avocado/guacamole)

Total Cost for Dinner: $9.84 (makes 6 servings)

How to Make Baked Nachos:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2. In a skillet, cook ground beef over medium-low heat until cooked through, stirring often. Drain the grease. Add the taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water and stir well, simmering for a few minutes so that the flavors can infuse.

3. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray (you can also use 2 cookie sheets and spread things out more). Spread the chips evenly in the pan(s).

4. Spread half of the cheese over the chips. Sprinkle the taco meat evenly over the chips. Do the same with the black beans and then the corn. Top the nachos with the rest of the shredded cheese.

5. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and top with additional toppings of your choice!

Baked Nachos

This one-pan dinner is SO easy to throw together at the last minute! And it gets bonus points from me because teens love it and can make it on their own quickly. You can easily customize the toppings based on what your family likes.

Course Appetizer, dinner, Main Course, Snack

Cuisine American, Mexican

Keyword chicken, easy dinner, family favorite, homemade, weeknight dinner

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Servings

Calories 620kcal

Author Brigette

Cost $9.84

Ingredients

1 bag tortilla chips (12-14 oz) Bargain City — $1
1- lb ground beef or chicken or turkey — I used ground chicken that was already cooked from my freezer (Publix) — $2.50
1 packet taco seasoning Aldi — $0.55
3/4 cup water
1 15-oz can black beans rinsed (Aldi) — $0.85
1 15-oz can corn drained (Aldi) — $0.85
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese Aldi — $3.09
additional toppings as desired – I used a sliced lime sliced cherry tomatoes and chopped cilantro (Aldi) — $1 (other topping ideas include sour cream, black olives, chopped onions and avocado/guacamole)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a skillet, cook ground beef over medium-low heat until cooked through, stirring often. Drain the grease. Add the taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water and stir well, simmering for a few minutes so that the flavors can infuse.
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray (you can also use 2 cookie sheets and spread things out more). Spread the chips evenly in the pan(s).
Spread half of the cheese over the chips. Sprinkle the taco meat evenly over the chips. Do the same with the black beans and then the corn. Top the nachos with the rest of the shredded cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from the oven and top with additional toppings of your choice!

Notes

Note: This is not a good meal to have leftovers of because the chips get soggy, so I recommend only making the amount that your family will eat in one sitting.

Nutrition

FAQs about Baked Nachos:

What goes on nachos?

Our family loves seasoned ground beef (or another meat), cheddar cheese, black beans, and corn. You could also add olives, tomatoes, sour cream, chopped onion, and avocado/guacamole.

What temperature should I bake nachos?

These nachos bake at 425 degrees.

How long to cook nachos in oven?

Bake them for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is melted and it’s warm throughout.

How to melt cheese for nachos?

Cover the chips and other toppings with cheese before putting in the oven. Freshly shredded cheese melts more fully and smoothly than packaged shredded cheese will.

More Ideas for Family Dinners Under $10:

And, be sure to check out all our easy dinner recipes here!

If you make this Baked Nachos $10 family dinner, we’d love for you to leave a review and let us know how it turned out!

Week 41: A Peek Into This Past Week (plus what I’m reading, watching, and listening to!)

Crystal Paine — Sun, 11 Oct 2026 21:39:07 +0000

I almost don’t want to tell you this story because I don’t want to be true! But it is, so here we are…

Nine weeks ago, I went off of refined sugar and white flour. I said I was going to try it for six weeks, just to see if it would help my allergies. I had had a big allergy flare and had to be on multiple medications and was feeling miserable, so felt like I was willing to try anything.

I really didn’t think it would work but I figured I’d try it. And it DID help! I felt SO much better.

So I made it six weeks and felt like it was easier than I thought it would be, so then I was like, “well, I guess I’ll keep going…” So I went almost nine weeks without any refined sugar or white flour.

Then we were at a party last Saturday and they had this cake that looked SO good. I thought, “what’s one little piece of cake?!”

Here’s the crazy thing — within 12 hours, I started to feel like things were swelling up inside. White sugar and white flour are supposed to feed inflammation and, sure enough, I felt like things were getting inflamed. My lymphnodes started swelling up, my congestion came back, and I felt like I had a head cold with runny nose and sneezing. I was miserable! All for one little piece of cake!

So now I’m like “okay, body, I hear you.”

I don’t know how long I’ll be doing this for, but here we are. I guess this is my life now! Who would’ve ever thought that Crystal the Queen of Sweets would not be eating refined sugar and be okay with it?!

If you’re curious what a day of eating looks like for me, check out this example day!

But don’t feel sorry for me! I’ve found lots of delicious treats to eat that don’t have refined sugar in them. Click here for a list of the best candy and sweet treats without refined sugar.

Plus, I still eat local honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, fruit, dates, whole wheat flour (mostly fresh ground), and stuff like that, so I don’t feel deprived.

And now we’re going to talk about periods. So if you’re one of my very few guy readers, feel free to just scoot on out of here! 🙃

For the rest of you: usually leading up to my period, I have about 3 days with inflammation, bloating, and generally feeling blah.

Well, since giving up refined sugar and white flour, it’s totally different. My last two periods, I haven’t even known that I was about to have my period! No bloating, no inflammation, no blah feeling.

The only way I knew it was coming was my Oura ring telling me that my period was about to start! And, when it told me, I was like, “I don’t think so because I do not feel gross!” And then it would start!

Speaking of periods, check out my IG Live I did with Kim Gargano about her new book, Holy & Hormonal: A Faithful Guide to Understanding Your Body and the God who Designed You.

We talked about:

How each of the phases of a woman’s cycle is like the 4 seasons and how to support your body in each phase.
Why getting bloodwork done is so important and what to test for.
Tiny baby steps we can take to fuel and nourish our body better without feeling overwhelmed.
Simple, high protein breakfast ideas.
What cortisol is and why it might be impacted by how stressed we feel, and what to do if you have high cortisol.

If you want some really great advice and encouragement surrounding balancing your hormones, you will LOVE this IG Live, and I’d encourage you to check out her book!

“David cut his toe and it’s bleeding everywhere, he’s really upset, and I think he needs stitches!”

Jesse called me and told me this one night this week, as I was driving home from Kierstyn’s cross country meet. I could hear David wailing in the background and it broke my mama heart.

But here’s what was even harder…

When your child can’t verbally communicate and has limited communication skills, they can’t tell you what they did or exactly where it hurts.

He was so upset and we could only guess at what had happened and how he was feeling. These are the parts of parenting a child with significant disabilities that are so hard.

But then, in the midst of him panicking and being so upset, I heard Jesse say to him, “Do you want to talk to mama?”

As soon as Jesse asked him, he calmed down some.

I started telling him how brave he was and how sorry I was that it hurt and that I was coming home and that we were going to help him feel better. I could hear him slowly getting calmer and calmer.

By the time I got home, he was calm enough that Jesse was able to get the bleeding to stop and to wrap his foot. David was so excited to see me and cuddled right up next to me.

We would have just taken him into urgent care, but we knew he would need sedation of some sort if he needed stitches.

So, at 7:30 pm, Jesse took him to the ER. He said he felt bad taking him to the ER when it was minor, but we also didn’t want him to have to go to after hours urgent care and then find out they needed to transfer him to the hospital so they could sedate him for stitches.

Gratefully, they were able to clean it and glue it and he didn’t end up needing stitches or sedation!! And he did really well at the hospital — except for the cleaning and gluing part!

As soon as he got home, he lunged from Jesse’s arms into my arms and wanted to cuddle up in bed like this and went immediately to sleep and slept like this all night long.

While I’m sad he hurt himself and couldn’t tell us more about it, I was also grateful that he could be so comforted by me. You see, he is usually a total Daddy’s boy. He will choose Jesse over me almost every single time.

But that night, when he was hurting, he wanted comfort from his mama. Seeing how attached he is and how deeply calming my voice and presence were to him made me so grateful.

What a gift that I get to be his mama and that he feels so safe with me.

I traveled to Kansas with Micah last week for my Grandpa’s service. We had the best time and he didn’t use a screen or device one time the entire 3 days we were on the trip.

Here’s why & here’s how we do it…

THE WHY:

We limit screens pretty significantly at our house — our young kids don’t have iPads or devices, they don’t use our phones, and we limit the types of shows they can watch to what we call “calm shows” or family movies that we watch together.

We’ve found that this makes a big difference in their behavior and attention span. Remember, this is just what works for our family in this season. I’m not saying it is a universal rule!

So, when we travel, we have a no screens rule while we are traveling. This encourages the kids to look out the window, interact with everyone, and find creative ways to keep themselves occupied.

THE HOW:

I try to always have some snacks, toys, and activities planned. I also usually get something new for a long road trip or plane ride. For instance, Micah got to get new cars and a little toy airplane for this trip. I also got an activity book that kept him throughly engaged one entire flight. (Add affiliate link?)

I also don’t plan to get my own work done. If I expect my kids to not be on screens, it’s not fair if I’m engrossed in a screen and not interacting with them. So I never pulled out my laptop the entire time we were traveling there and back last week. I did do some journaling, I did do some work on my phone when Micah was having a blast playing with his toys, I got a lot of reading done, and I spent a lot of time just being with Micah.

I took him on this trip specifically because he hasn’t gotten a lot of one-on-one time with me the past few weeks and has been showing signs that he needed some TLC from his mama. We had the best time together and it was so good for his heart and mine for us to have such quality time together. Not having screens as distractions really helped facilitate that, too! ❤️

What are your best road trip or flight activity ideas to do with kids? I’d love for you to share with me in the comments below!

Don’t Miss This Bonus: 5 Days to a Financially Healthier You

If you’ve been thinking about pre-ordering The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women, this bonus is one you won’t want to miss! I’m so excited to share this one with you!

When you pre-order from any retailer, you are eligible to claim an incredible collection of exclusive pre-order bonuses — including this week’s bonus: 5 Days to a Financially Healthier You. This is a practical 5-day video course that also includes a module to read and printable worksheets to help you put what you’re learning into action.

In just a few minutes a day, you’ll work through simple, actionable steps designed to help you build healthier money habits and make meaningful progress with your finances.

And… your pre-order gives you access to all the bonuses released so far and every new bonus still to come before the book launches! We have some really fun giveaways coming too!

Pre-order your copy + claim your bonuses here!

**This Week on The Crystal Paine Show: Making Peace with What I Can’t Control (with Lysa TerKeurst)**

I am honestly truly honored to have Lysa TerKeurst joining me for this conversation! Lysa has been such a meaningful mentor in my life for many years, and in her new book, Making Peace With What I Can’t Control, she tackles something that I think so many of us wrestle with: the exhausting desire to fix, manage, and control the people and circumstances that we love.

This conversation with Lysa helped me see control in a way that I hadn’t really considered before — sometimes, our struggle with control doesn’t come from wanting power; it comes from responsibility, capability, and care. We love people so deeply that we don’t want to watch them make choices that could hurt them, but there’s a difference between helping someone and trying to control their outcome, and Lysa explains how trying to rescue others can eventually lead to anxiety, exhaustion, and codependency.

Listen in as we discuss parenting, including a story from my six-year-old’s first cross-country race that helped me understand the difference between supporting someone and controlling them. That conversation leads into something that has been especially significant in my own life: our desire to control how other people perceive us. We talk about approval, overthinking conversations, replaying what we said, and how a mistake can become a label we believe about ourselves.

Lysa also opens up about some of the most painful seasons of her life — including betrayal, divorce, disappointment, and moments when she questioned whether she could truly trust God — and she opens up about what it means to hold onto faith when God doesn’t do what we thought He would do, and why accepting reality isn’t the same thing as giving up.

If you’re in a season in which you feel like you’re trying desperately to hold everything together, I really hope that this conversation feels like someone throwing you a rope and saying, “Just hold on for today!” You are not alone, and you don’t have to control the outcome to be okay.

I hope that you enjoy my conversation with Lysa, and, as always, please feel free to reach out to me with any thoughts or questions! I would love to hear from you!

Listen to the episode here.

What I’m Reading…

I finished reading Making Peace With What I Can’t Control this past week. If you struggle with feeling like you are frustrated that people aren’t acting like you wish they would act or aren’t making decisions that are best for them or if you wish life didn’t feel like things are so out of control, I think this book would really encourage you!

Currently reading: The Inspired Homeschool. The Bright Side of the Other Side, and House Hushing.

What I’m Watching…

This week, the girls and I watched week 4 of Dancing with the Stars together. (It’s fun to have a show that Kierstyn, Kaitlynn, and I all enjoy together!)

I also watched Chilean Miner Rescue: Race Against Time (very fascinating!!) and Surviving the Mount St. Helen’s Disaster (Kierstyn and Micah watched it with me and were so fascinated by it!

What I’m Listening to…

I’ve almost finished listening to The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 3.

Easiest Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

Brigette — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 21:00:00 +0000

This is the easiest, yummiest Banana Wheat Muffins recipe that is the perfect way to use up ripe bananas! It only takes a few simple ingredients — and doesn’t use any eggs, milk, or oil!

It is also one of the fastest muffin recipes ever, making it an awesome last-minute addition to your meal when you’re short on time and your pantry is almost empty, but you still need something else to fill up hungry bellies. In fact, I can whip these muffins up from start to finish in about 30 minutes.

This is a great basic recipe to customize according to your preferences — add some chocolate chips, throw in some cinnamon or nuts, or whatever your heart desires! I personally love that it uses mayonnaise (don’t worry — you can’t taste it!) because I can regularly get mayonnaise for free (or almost free) with coupons, sales and rebates, and this recipe is a perfect way to use it up.

These muffins are especially wonderful straight out of the oven slathered with butter or peanut butter, but they might even be better the next day! I love sticking them in the freezer so my boys can quickly grab one to pack in their lunches on school days. They are great at breakfast — and they also pair beautifully with soups in the winter months. In conclusion…we eat these muffins pretty much any time and with any meal, haha!

Easiest Banana Wheat Muffin Ingredients

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sugar
3 mashed ripe bananas

How to Make These Easiest Banana Wheat Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.

2. In another bowl, mash the bananas. Add the mayonnaise and sugar.

3. Stir the wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened.

4. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Easiest Banana Wheat Muffins

This is the easiest, yummiest recipe that is the perfect way to use up ripe bananas! It only takes a few simple ingredients – and doesn’t use any eggs, milk, or oil!

Course Bread, Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword bananas, bread, breakfast, brunch, easy breakfast, easy side dish, family favorite, freezer friendly, homemade, muffins, quick snack, snack

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Servings Muffins

Calories 263kcal

Author Brigette

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sugar
3 mashed ripe bananas

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In another bowl, mash the bananas. Add the mayonnaise and sugar.
Stir the wet ingredients into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Notes

Nutrition

FAQs About Banana Wheat Muffins:

What is the secret to moist banana muffins?

These banana muffins are deliciously moist, thanks to their very ripe bananas and mayonnaise.

Can I use whole wheat flour for banana muffins?

Yes! Whole wheat flour makes these banana muffins hearty, nutritious, and delicious.

More Recipes You’ll Enjoy:

Plus, check out this post on 25 Ways to Save Money on Groceries!

Brigette’s $87 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 4!

Brigette — Sat, 10 Oct 2026 14:42:18 +0000

Publix

5 DiGiorno Stuffed Crust Pizzas – $29.47, received (5) $0.80/1 DiGiorno Stuffed Crust Ibotta Rebates plus received 4000 points from Fetch ($4) – $21.47 for 5 after Rebates

2 bags Coleslaw Mix – $2.98

2 3-ct bags Multi-Colored Peppers – $4.98

2 bags Baby Carrots – $3

1 English Cucumber – $1.50

1 pint Angel Sweet Tomatoes – $2.49

5 Oscar Meyer Deli Fresh Lunch Meat – $14.97, received (5) $1.50/1 Oscar Meyer Ibotta Rebates – $7.47 for 5 after Rebates

1 6-ct Klondike Bars – $2.80, used $1/1 Catalina Coupon – $1.80 after Coupon

1 4-cup package Kraft Mac and Cheese – $3.19

2 boxes Progresso Chicken Broth ($2.79) plus 2 cans Progresso Soup ($3.39) – $6.18, used $1/4 Progresso Publix Digital Coupon plus received $1/4 Progresso Ibotta Rebate and 2000 points from Fetch ($2) – $2.18 for 4 after Coupon and Rebates

2 cans Pitmaster Progresso Soup – $4.99, used $1/2 Pitmaster Publix Digital Coupon plus received (2) $0.50/1 Pitmaster Ibotta Rebate and 500 points from Fetch ($0.50) – $2.49 for 2 after Coupon and Rebates

4 can Tuttorosso Tomatoes – $5.18, used $1/4 Tuttorosso Publix Digital Coupon – $4.18 for 4 after Coupon

2 cans Pillsbury Biscuits – $3.73, used $1/2 Pillsbury Publix Digital Coupon plus received $1/2 Pillsbury Ibotta Rebate – $1.73 for 2 after Coupon and Rebate

1 box Mrs. Paul’s Fish Sticks – $3.84, used $1.50/1 Mrs. Paul’s Publix Digital Coupon – $2.34 after Coupon

1 carton Planet Oat Creamer – $2.24, used $1/1 Planet Oat Publix Digital Coupon – $1.24 after Coupon

1 Fresh Press Peach Vinegar – $2.49, used $1.50/1 Fresh Press Peach Vinegar Publix Digital Coupon – $0.99 after Coupon

~ Received (2) $5 Ibotta Bonuses

Total after Coupons and Rebates: $48.03

Walmart

1 large carton Egg Whites – $4.87

1/2 gallon Orange Juice – $4.27

1 2-ct pkg Cream Cheese – $2.97

3 cans Pumpkin – $4.41

1 pkg Bacon – $4.47

1 pkg Turkey Bacon – $3.92

7 cans Green Beans – $3.50

1 4-lb bag Sugar – $2.97

1 24-oz carton Cottage Cheese – $2.94

1 5-lb bag Rice – $4.97

* Everything else pictured was given to us this week!

Total: $39.29

Grocery Total for the Week: $87.32

Weekly Menu Plan

This week is Mission’s Conference at our church, which means we have a lot of meals provided for us already!

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Grits, Omelets, Bagels, Smoothies, Eggs/Bacon, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Lunches

Deli Meat Sandwiches, Chips, Veggies with Dip

Soup, Crackers, Carrots x 2

Leftovers x 4

Dinners

Church Dinners x 3 – I’m bringing various things to each one, including Veggie Plates, Pumpkin Bars, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, Chips, Ridiculously Easy Slow Cooker Canned Green Beans

Pizza, Tossed Salad

Egg Roll in a Bowl, Rice

Fish Sticks, Green Beans, Oven Roasted Potato Wedges

Quiche, Biscuits, Broccoli

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days Starts Tomorrow!

Gretchen — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 21:29:00 +0000

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days has officially been announced for October 6th and 7th! Want to know how to get the best deals? In this post, we share our best tips for saving money and scoring great deals on Amazon Prime Big Deal Days!

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days 2026 is back and will run from October 6-7, 2026! That means we get two whole days of deals! If this is anything like last year’s Prime Big Deal Days sale, we will see deals that are as good as or even better than Black Friday deals!

Amazon says this about Prime Big Deal Days 2026:

Starting October 6 at 12:01 a.m. PDT, Prime members can shop millions of deals on top brands, seasonal favorites, and everyday essentials—from fall entertaining and home décor to Halloween prep, beauty, and early holiday gifting. These savings build on Amazon’s everyday low prices, giving members even deeper discounts on products they’re already shopping for.

“Once fall arrives, there’s so much to get ready for—the hosting, the decorating, the holiday gifting—and Prime Big Deal Days makes it easy to check it all off while saving,” said Carmen Nestares, vice president of North America Marketing and Prime Tech.

Other retailers will likely join in, too!

Because of how popular Prime Big Deal Days is, other major retailers are planning on having HUGE sales this week, too. Walmart Deals Week started today, Target is back with their Circle Week deals, and Kohl’s is also having a huge sale.

And this is just the major retailers! We’ll see ALL kinds of great sales that week from online retailers — small and big!

How to Get The Best Deals on Prime Big Deal Days

We predict that starting October 6th (or even earlier — from other online retailers), we’ll see a flurry of deals similar to what we usually see on Black Friday week.

We love that so many other companies will be competing with the deals Amazon is offering because that means more deals and more savings! Because of this, we want to help you prepare accordingly so you can save the most money.

We’ll be here all day both days!

Our team will be hard at work all day long each day scouring the deals and posting the best ones we find!

So be sure to tune in here at MoneySavingMom.com for all the BEST discounts on Prime Big Deal Days 2026! We’ll be posting all of the best deals all day every day!

You can also follow us on Facebook or Instagram, join our Facebook group, Facebook Channel, and sign up for our HOT deals newsletter. Following us multiple ways gives you the best chance of catching all the deals as they pop up quickly!

5 Tips For Preparing For Amazon Prime Days

To help you prepare well to maximize your savings for Amazon Prime Days, here are 5 strategies we suggest:

Not an Amazon Prime member? No worries, now is the perfect time to sign up for a FREE 30-day trial.

This way, you’ll get all of the benefits of Prime and be able to take advantage of the deals, but you won’t have to pay for a Prime subscription. At the end of the 30 days, just be sure to go into your account and cancel your subscription and you won’t be charged!

Psst! If you’re between the ages of 18-24, you can sign up for a FREE 6-month Amazon Prime trial!

Have you signed up for our Hot Deals Email Newsletter yet? If not, be sure to do so before Prime Days!

When you sign up, we’ll send you no more than 1-2 emails each day featuring the hottest and best deals hand-picked by us as soon as they become available.

This way, you won’t have to wait for the daily enewsletter to go out in the afternoon; you can jump on the hottest deals right away!

We’ll be sending out two email newsletters each day during Prime Days featuring only the BEST deals that are our top picks.

Sign up for this newsletter here.

3. Follow us on Instagram.

You can find us on two different Instagram accounts on Prime Days:

:: Crystal’s personal Instagram: Be sure to head over there and hit the follow button. She loves personally sharing the deals she’s most excited about on IG Stories. (Plus, you’ll see a lot of behind-the-scenes content including day-to-day life, grocery shopping hauls, and a lot of other fun stuff that doesn’t get shared anywhere else!)

:: Money Saving Mom Deals Instagram: You’ll also want to go follow our Instagram account that is solely dedicated to posting the top deals each day! If you follow us there, you’ll see deals pop up not only on IG Stories but also in your feed throughout the day.

On Prime Days, we’ll be hopping onto IG stories on both accounts multiple times throughout the day telling you about the best deals that we’re most excited about! So be sure to follow both accounts HERE and HERE so you don’t miss anything!

4. Follow our Facebook Page

We’ll be posting all the deals all day long on our Facebook Page, and it’s one of the easiest ways to make sure you don’t miss any HOT deals! Just bookmark this page and refresh it throughout both days to keep up to date with the latest and greatest deals.

Plus, you might see some live videos and FB Stories throughout the day from different team members talking about some of our favorite deals!

5. Make a List & Budget

If you haven’t done so already, be sure to make a list of the items you are most interested in buying, as well as the budget you have to spend. This way, you don’t just jump on a good deal because it’s “such a good deal”, when it’s not something you need or can afford.

How to Earn Free Gift Cards For Prime Days

Want to stretch your dollars even further? Now is the time to cash out your free Amazon gift cards or spend some time over the next couple weeks earning some extra Amazon gift cards.

Here are just a few ways to earn some extra cash to spend on Prime Day:

Sign up for Swagbucks — It’s also easy to earn enough swagbucks to trade in for a $5 gift card! You have plenty of time before Prime Day, even without referrals. I just spent an hour or two this week doing a few activities and already have enough for a $10 gift card! Go here to get started with Swagbucks.
Sign up for Fetch Rewards — It’s so simple to earn points for scanning your receipts with Fetch Rewards. (Gretchen here! I signed for Fetch years ago and I’ve now earned hundreds of dollars in gift cards. It’s super easy. Also, your first couple scans will be worth enough to quickly get you over the 5000 points mark to trade in for an Amazon $5 gift card!)

Psst! Find more ways to earn Amazon gift cards here.

Are you ready for Prime Big Deal Days? Let us know what deals you’re looking for in the comments!

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole and Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins ($10 Family Dinner Idea)

Brigette — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 21:28:00 +0000

This Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole from Crystal has been a staple recipe at my house for many years! It’s such a great way to use up leftover chicken (or turkey) as well as leftover rice. She has instructions on how to make it as freezer meals, but I often just make it with leftovers and make a half batch of the recipe (which fits in a 9×13 pan) and we eat it the same night.

I follow her recipe (although let’s be honest, I mostly dump and don’t really measure), except I use only cream of chicken soup (my husband would literally find and pick out the teeniest pieces of mushrooms if I used cream of mushroom, haha). If you’re working with leftover rice and leftover chicken, you can throw this casserole together and have it in the oven in less than 10 minutes (seriously!).

Tonight I served this Chicken Broccoli Rice Cassero l e with Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins, another oldie but goodie from this website. I buy blueberries in bulk at a reduced price from a warehouse by me, so I almost always have plenty of blueberries in my freezer.

This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she shares easy, delicious, and affordable family-friendly dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole Dinner Menu:

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole (I made half of this recipe)
Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients for Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole:

5 cups cooked rice (Aldi – $2.95 for 3-lbs) — $0.98
2 cups cooked, diced chicken (Aldi – $2.49/lb) — $2
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup (Aldi) — $1.98
1 10-oz bag broccoli florets, steamed and chopped (Aldi) — $1.09
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (Bargain City – $15 for 10lbs) — $0.75
Salt and pepper to taste

Total for Chicken Broccoli Casserole: $6.80 (serves 6-8)

Ingredients for Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins:

2 eggs (I used 3 because they were super tiny eggs from our friend’s chickens) — $0
1/4 cup applesauce (I used 1 pouch – Bargain City – $1 for 20 pouches) — $0.05
1/4 cup oil (Aldi – $2.89 for 96 Tablespoons) — $0.12
3/4 cup sugar (Aldi – $2.86 for 4 lbs) — $0.23
4 cups whole wheat flour (Lidl – $2.99 for 5lbs) — $0.64
3 Tablespoons baking powder (Aldi – $2.05 for 8 ounces) — $0.38
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk (Aldi – $2.78 per gallon) — $0.30
3 cups blueberries (Bargain City) — $1.25

Total for Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins: $2.97 (makes 24+ muffins)

Total Cost for Dinner: $9.77 (makes 6+ servings)

How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Follow the directions here (or below) for making the casserole. I halved the original recipe (as shown on the recipe card below) and put it in a greased 9×13 pan. (My only substitution was to use 2 cans of cream of chicken soup instead of the original 1 can of cream of mushroom plus 1 can cream of chicken). Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until heated through and beginning to brown.

2. While casserole is cooking, follow the directions here (or below) for making Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins. I used regular oil in place of coconut oil and only 3 Tablespoons total of baking powder.

3. Pour into greased muffin tins, filling 3/4 full. Turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until done. (Note: It’s fine for the casserole to bake at 400 degrees while the muffins are in the oven).

4. If you’ve timed it right, the casserole and the muffins will both be finished baking at the same time, haha!

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole with Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins ($10 Family Dinner)

This Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole and these Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins have been a staple at my house for years. Pair them for an easy, affordable, and filling $10 Family Dinner!

Course dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken, easy dinner, easy side dish, family favorite, freezer friendly, freezer meal, homemade, muffins, weeknight dinner

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Servings

Calories 809kcal

Author Brigette

Cost $9.77

Ingredients

Ingredients for Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole:

5 cups cooked rice Aldi – $2.95 for 3-lbs — $0.98
2 cups cooked diced chicken (Aldi – $2.49/lb) — $2
2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup Aldi — $1.98
1 10- oz bag broccoli florets steamed and chopped (Aldi) — $1.09
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Bargain City – $15 for 10lbs — $0.75
Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins:

2 eggs I used 3 because they were super tiny eggs from our friend’s chickens — $0
1/4 cup applesauce I used 1 pouch – Bargain City – $1 for 20 pouches — $0.05
1/4 cup oil Aldi – $2.89 for 96 Tablespoons — $0.12
3/4 cup sugar Aldi – $2.86 for 4 lbs — $0.23
4 cups whole wheat flour Lidl – $2.99 for 5lbs — $0.64
3 Tablespoons baking powder Aldi – $2.05 for 8 ounces — $0.38
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk Aldi – $2.78 per gallon — $0.30
3 cups blueberries Bargain City — $1.25

Instructions

How to Make Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the casserole ingredients, reserving some cheese for the top.
Put the mixture in a greased 9×13 pan. Top with additional shredded cheese, if desired.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until heated through and beginning to brown.

How to Make Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins:

While the casserole is baking, make the muffins. First, grease two 12-cup muffin tins.
In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, applesauce, vegetable oil (or melted coconut oil), and sugar and mix well.
Add a cup of flour, followed by baking powder and salt.
Next, alternate adding milk and the remaining three cups of flour, being sure not to overload your mixer while mixing together on a low setting.
Fold in the blueberries, taking care to not over-mix as you want to keep the blueberries intact.
Pour into greased muffin tins, filling each about ¾ full.
Turn the oven to 400 degrees and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until done. (Note: It’s fine for the casserole to bake at 400 degrees while the muffins are in the oven).
If you’ve timed it right, the casserole and the muffins will both be finished baking at the same time, haha!

Nutrition

FAQs about Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole:

Does broccoli need to be cooked before putting in a casserole?

If you’re using frozen broccoli, you don’t need to cook it before adding it to the casserole. Since fresh broccoli takes longer to cook, you’ll want to steam it before adding it.

What to serve with chicken broccoli rice casserole?

These whole wheat blueberry muffins pair deliciously with the casserole! You could also serve it with a simple salad, applesauce, 30-minute yeast rolls, or fresh fruit.

Can you freeze chicken broccoli rice casserole?

Yes! To freeze this casserole, mix the ingredients together and freeze them in a gallon freezer bag before baking. To bake, thaw in the fridge overnight, dump into a greased casserole dish, top with extra cheese, and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

More Ideas for Family Dinners Under $10:

And, be sure to check out all our easy dinner recipes here!

If you make this Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole and Whole Wheat Muffins family dinner, we’d love for you to leave a review and let us know how it turned out!

Week 40: 30 Lessons I Learned This Past Year + What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To

Crystal Paine — Sun, 04 Oct 2026 21:27:37 +0000

My grandpa passed away this week. He was my last living grandparent — and he leaves such a powerful legacy behind him. In fact, I wrote about how his strong work ethic influenced me in my new book that comes out this month. And then just last week, when I flew to CO Springs to record the Focus on the Family radio show, I got to share a little about him on the show, too, having no idea he was so close to heaven!

Many of you probably don’t know that my grandma (his wife) passed away very, very suddenly when I was 11. This was a massive loss for us all — but especially for him. He spent hours at our house in the following years as he grieved and rebuilt his life. My parents built a hangar and half-mile runway on our property and he kept his ultralight planes he had built there. We loved getting to watch him fly them — and he was often out there working on a project in his hangar.

He had the best stories to share and we got to hear SO many of them over the years. From his time in the army, to raising kids, to memories with his wife, to funny everyday things that happened, he had so many stories to share.

I’m so grateful for all the time we got to spend with him growing up and also in the past almost two and half decades I’ve been married.

I have so many pictures with him but I chose these two to share — the first pic is from my last visit with him. When I traveled back to Kansas in February, my sister and I got to spend time with him. He had just moved into a nursing home and was really sad and missing his freedom of living in his own home. When I told him goodbye, I remember feeling in my heart it was likely the last time I’d see him on earth, and I’m grateful for the closure I was able to have then.

This second picture is from when I was a brand-new mom and just had Kathrynne. I’m so thankful our kids all got to spend time with their great grandpa and get to know him! What a gift!

I have been picturing him in heaven and thinking how beautiful it is to know he is free from all the physical ailments and no longer sad or lonely. But his death leaves a big hole. Please especially pray for my mom and uncle as they grieve the loss of their dad. ❤️

I took Micah with me to the service in Kansas and I’m so glad I did. I brought him because he’s been showing signs that he needed some extra TLC from his mama. (I ended up being out of town for a few days every week this month and it was wearing on him.)

Jesse and I felt like time away one-on-one with me might be exactly what his heart needed… and it was! I could see such a calmness come over him within the first hour of the trip.

We have a no screens when flying or on a road trip policy (because we’ve found it makes attitudes SO much better!) and I love seeing what creative things they come up with to do instead!

(Micah’s favorite part was the outdoor space at the Denver airport! Highly recommend if you are flying with kids!)

I took some pictures when we were at the graveside service but they feel sacred and not something to be shared publicly. It was a beautiful service and really meaningful, and I’m so glad Micah and I got to go. He asked a few questions and I explained a few things simply, but he really seemed to absorb things well but also very matter-of-factly.

He also loved getting to see his cousins and my grandpa’s dog!

I can think of no better way to honor my grandpa’s legacy than to fully embrace life. He often would remind us to be grateful if you can still love your body. So, after the service, Micah and I spent a long time jumping on the trampoline together (something I rarely ever do). We laughed so hard!

I also attempted to do a somersault while Micah videoed. Guys, I think it’s been YEARS since I did a somersault and it literally felt so weird and almost scary. But Micah’s face after I did it cracked me up so much!

Also, go try to do a somersault if you’ve not done one for a while!

By the way, want to know some of my best tips, tricks, and hacks for saving money on travel? Check out this post: How to Travel for Cheap — 25+ Budget Travel Tips!

I turned 45 this week and to mark the occasion I’m reflecting on some of the big, little, silly, and serious lessons I learned this past year. I know there are others, but these were some of the ones that immediately came to mind. Enjoy some of my fave pics from this past year, too!

So, here are 30 lessons I learned this past year:

1. Jesus is so incredibly faithful. I experienced His goodness and love in new and fresh ways this past year and it humbles me.

2. Marriage can get richer with each passing year. I know this is not the story for many couples and I don’t take it for granted.

3. Watching your adult kids spread their wings and fly is incredibly exhilarating.

4. Watching your adult kids face tremendous loss is excruciating — especially when you can’t just take them home and tuck them into bed and make them feel better.

5. Progesterone really is the bomb dot com.

6. Apparently, I have become a runner.

7. You can run three miles on a tiny back patio concrete slab (sometimes, you do what you gotta do!)

8. Apparently, my body also does not like refined sugar and white flour. Never expected I would give those up this past year and be thriving!

9. I like puzzles. Also a statement I never expected to be saying. But I have to put a little twist on it so I kind of do competitive puzzling (meaning I challenge myself to see how many pieces I can do in a set time OR if I can beat Jesse in getting more pieces put in!)

10. Mouth taping is way easier than I thought — and it makes a big difference in my sleep!

11. Voice memos are the best thing ever. Shout out to my friends (you know who you are!) who get regular podcast episode length voice memos from me.

12. Olipop and Zevia are the perfect no-refined-sugar pick-me-up.

13. I am capable of not setting goals. I don’t know that I’d say that I love it, but not setting an goals for 2026 has been such a good exercise for my heart.

14. Red Raspberry Leaf tea can make a big difference in regulating cycles.

15. Guatemala is absolutely gorgeous and the people are so warm and hospitable.

16. Taking one-on-one trips with your daughters is the BEST.

17. Gardening is actually really fulfilling!

18. I thought oil pulling was so weird and then I tried it and became a fan – especially after it made such a difference in my gingivitis.

19. I love recording audiobooks. (I didn’t really enjoy it until book #6 — which is probably my last book.)

20. Letting myself do things to take care of myself and nourish my soul without guilt feels luxurious but has been so healing.

21. Local honey is SOO much better than storebought.

22. Birthing your own hair stylist is a pretty cool accomplishment.

23. I can survive a 3-week parasite and live to laugh about it. (The ER visit was so awful and hilarious we still cry tears laughing about it — if you missed the totally TMI podcast Jesse and I did on this, here’s the link!)

24. I can also survive our hardest business year to date (financially and team-wise) and come out of it so much stronger and emotionally healthier than I could have ever dreamed.

25. A slammed shut door after months of prayer is something to be grateful for. God answered, even though it wasn’t in the way I hoped (and that slammed door ended up being God’s protection! It just took a few months to recognize that.)

26. Homemade whole wheat bread slathered with butter and local honey is an amazing thing to eat at any time of the day.

27. Carbs are my friend. Lots and lots of them!

28. I can work a lot fewer hours and the business can actually end up netting more profit (because I’m not stretched so thin so I’m much more strategic + I cut back a bunch of expenses in a big business audit and it freed up so much extra each month so that I don’t need to work as much!!).

29. A bionic curling iron and a good hair mask might not change my life but it can change how I feel about my hair.

30. Saying yes to walking with a single woman who started fostering – even though I didn’t know how it was going to all work out – ended up being one of the best yeses of this year. I got a new dear friend and our whole family has fallen in love with a sweet baby girl we get to watch three days a week.

The biggest lesson of all that I was reminded again and again of this past year is that, as my necklace and hat from @shopjenessawait says, “He still does miracles!”

I’ve witnessed the supernatural power and might of the Lord over and over and over this year. When things felt impossible. When things didn’t make sense. When I didn’t have answers. When I wanted to doubt. When I did doubt.

I’m grateful that God’s power is not dependent upon whether I fully rest and believe in it… because some days I’ve really struggled. This year has been packed with challenges. But it’s also been packed with opportunities to exercise courage and trust wholeheartedly in the Lord. And, newsflash: He has always kept His Word. He has always been faithful. And I’ve gotten to watch Him move so many figurative mountains… why do I ever doubt Him?

That’s my hope for this new year of my life. That I would lean more fully and wholly on God and trust in Him instead of sometimes doubting and trying to take matters into my own hands. ❤️

Don’t Miss This Bonus: 5 Days to a Financially Healthier You

If you’ve been thinking about pre-ordering The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women, this bonus is one you won’t want to miss! I’m so excited to share this one with you!

In just a few minutes a day, you’ll work through simple, actionable steps designed to help you build healthier money habits and make meaningful progress with your finances.

And… your pre-order gives you access to all the bonuses released so far and every new bonus still to come before the book launches! We have some really fun giveaways coming too!

Pre-order your copy + claim your bonuses here!

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days: Coming This Week!!

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are happening this week — October 6th and 7th! Want to know how to get the best deals? In this post, we share our top tips for saving money and scoring great deals on Amazon Prime Big Deal Days!

If you aren’t a Prime member but considering becoming one, this post explores the question: “Is Amazon Prime worth it?”and has a link for a FREE 30-day trial, just in time for Prime Days!

September’s “Read with Crystal” Recap + Announcing October’s Book!

Wow! September’s “Read with Crystal” book club pick, Lisa See’s Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, made me feel frustrated, appalled, and grateful. Did you read it?!

Check out this post to see my recap — along with some historical information I researched — and to share your thoughts in the comments. Also, do not miss my IG live with the author! It was incredible!

This post also has October’s book club pick — one I’ve had on my shelf for a while and that I’ve had recommended to me so many times. Plus, you can read it free!!

Click here for all the book club details!

**This Week on The Crystal Paine Show: My Trip to Focus on the Family (+ Crazy Travel Stories)**

This episode of The Crystal Paine Show is honestly a little bit of everything – from chaotic travel stories to some really meaningful reflections from my recent trip to Focus on the Family, but I have to start off by telling you all about my travel adventures because I am apparently incapable of taking a trip without something happening.

My flight to Focus on the Family was surprisingly uneventful, but another recent trip involved traffic, completely full airport parking garages, a frantic search for a parking spot, a shuttle bus, and me running through the airport trying to make my flight. Then, of course, there was the rental car that I genuinely thought wasn’t starting, only to discover that I had apparently been driving a hybrid before I realized it was already on!

Underneath all those stories, however, there were some things happening in my heart that I really wanted to share. My time at Focus on the Family gave me a chance to reflect on what God was doing, some of the opportunities He was opening up, and the ways He was taking care of me in little moments when I felt overwhelmed.

I also got to do something that was outside my usual comfort zone: talk about marriage and money on a marriage podcast. That combination can bring up a LOT of baggage, and I open up about why I was nervous about having that conversation and why, once I got into it, I realized just how passionate I am about helping couples have healthier conversations about money.

Jesse and I also talk about my new book, The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women, the preorder bonuses we’ve created, and why I wanted those resources to be genuinely practical rather than just another thing to consume and forget. And, finally, I get to share how meaningful it was to have my assistant, Jinni, travel with me for the first time! There was a lot packed into these few days, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to bring you along for all of it, so grab your coffee, settle in, and come hang out with us. As always, feel free to also reach out with your thoughts!

Listen to the episode here.

What I’m Reading…

This past week, I finished Holy & Hormonal. If you are looking for an in-depth resource on hormones from a Biblical perspective, this would be a fantastic book!

You can also read my review of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women here.

Currently reading: Every Table an Altar, Making Peace With What I Can’t Control, and The Inspired Homeschool.

What I’m Watching…

This week, the girls and I watched week 3 of Dancing with the Stars together. (It’s fun to have a show that Kierstyn, Kaitlynn, and I all enjoy together!)

Jesse and I watched The Breadwinner this week. A cheesy but funny comedy on parenting.

What I’m Listening to…

I just started listening to The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 3.

Brigette’s $132 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 4!

Brigette — Sat, 03 Oct 2026 15:09:00 +0000

Aldi

1/2 gallon Orange Juice – $3.35

1 gallon Milk – $2.77

1/2 gallon Unsweetened Almond Milk – $2.09

1 32-oz carton Half and Half – $2.39

1 large canister Quick Oats – $3.49

1 32-oz carton Egg Whites – $4.79

1 pkg Fresh Boneless Chicken Breasts – $11.16

1 pkg Broccoli Crowns – $3.03

1 Cauliflower – $2.95

3 bags Fresh Green Beans – $7.17

1 bag Romaine Hearts – $3.29

1 bag Green Onions – $1.29

1 bag Ginger Root – $1.99

2 bags Frozen Cauliflower Rice – $3.78

2 cans Green Beans – $1.62

1 pkg Turkey Bacon – $3.49

1 jar Italian Seasoning – $0.98

1 box Butter Quarters – $2.69

1 24-oz carton Cottage Cheese – $2.85

2 8-oz blocks Mozzarella Cheese – $3.18

1 loaf Butter Bread – $1.99

1 pkg Hot Dog Buns – $1.29

1-lb Sausage – $2.89

Total: $74.52

Publix

5 Crunch Time Pizzas – $19.47, received (5) $3/1 Crunch Time Ibotta Rebates – $4.47 for 5 after Rebates

2 bags Fresh Express Caesar Salads – $5.49

2 4-ct bottles Muscle Milk – $11.89, used (2) $3/1 Printables – $5.89 for 2 after Coupons

2 boxes Morey’s Salmon – $11.99, used $3/2 Printable – $8.99 for 2 after Coupon

2 12-ct boxes Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts – $4, used $1/2 Printable – $3 for 2 after Coupon

1 box Lasagna Noodles – $2.29

1 50-ct bag Totino’s Pizza Rolls – $3.73, used $0.50/1 Totino’s Publix Digital Coupon plus received $0.50/1 Totino’s Pizza Rolls Ibotta Rebate and 400 points from Fetch ($0.40) – $2.33 after Coupon and Rebate

1 box Kellogg’s Rice Krispy Treats – $1.24, used $0.50/1 Printable Coupon – $0.74 after Coupon

1 bag Harvest Snaps – $2.99, received $2.99/1 Harvest Snaps Ibotta Rebate – FREE after Coupon

1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $1.99

~Used $3/$80 Publix Perks Digital Coupon

Total after Coupons and Rebates: $38.19

Walmart

1 can Cadence Electrolytes – $2.78, received $2.78 rebate from Aisle plus $1/1 Cadence Ibotta Rebate – $1 Money Maker after Rebates

1 bag Smart Sweets – $3.18, received $3.18 rebate from Aisle plus $0.75/1 Smart Sweets Ibotta Rebate – $0.75 Money Maker after Rebates

1 6-pk Instant Hydration Packets – $5, received $5 Rebate from Social Nature plus received $1.50/1 Instant Hydration Ibotta Rebate – $1.50 Money Maker after Rebates

Total after Rebates: $3.25 Money Maker!

Harris Teeter

5 pkgs Deli Fresh Oscar Meyer Lunch Meat – $17.50, received (5) $1.50/1 Deli Fresh Ibotta Rebates – $10 for 5 after Rebates

2 pkgs Sliced Cheese – $3

5 Chobani Flips – $4.85, used $1/5 after Harris Teeter Evic Coupon – $3.85 for 5 after Coupon

3 tubs Breyers Ice Cream – $10.48, received (2) $1.50/1 Breyers Ibotta Rebates and 1300 points from Fetch ($1.30) – $6.18 for 3 after Rebates

Total after Rebates: $23.03

Grocery Total for the Week: $132.46

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Grits, Granola, Yogurt, Smoothies, Pop Tarts, Eggs/Bacon, Cottage Cheese

Lunches

Deli Meat/Cheese Sandwiches, Chips, Veggies with Dip x 3

Leftovers x 4

Dinners

Salmon, Broccoli, Steamed Rice

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Cauliflower

Lasagna, Butterhorns, Caesar Salad, Brownies and Ice Cream

Grilled Chicken, Biscuits, Green Beans

Pizza, Tossed Salad

Baked Nachos

Brats, Green Beans, Oven Roasted Potato Wedges

20+ Ways to Afford Organic Foods on a Tight Budget

crystal — Thu, 01 Oct 2026 21:04:00 +0000

I often get asked: Is it possible to afford organic foods on a tight budget? And I’m here to tell you: Yes!

While “organic” and “budget” might feel like they’re opposites, it is possible to eat well on a budget.

Sure, depending on where you live, this will be easier or more difficult, but in most areas, you can feed your family natural, unprocessed, even organic foods without spending a fortune — especially if you’re willing to get creative and think outside the box!

Keep reading for 20 ways to save money on organic food — allowing you to eat clean, even if you have a tight budget!

20+ Ways to Afford Organic Foods on a Budget

Here are several ways to afford organic food on a tight budget:

1. Plan your menu based on what’s in season and on sale.

If you want to feed your family on a budget, the first step is to have a plan for what you’ll eat. Regardless of your special diet or food preferences, meal planning will always save you money.

You’ll significantly reduce your grocery bill if you intentionally plan your menu around what’s on sale at the natural foods store, what’s in season at the Farmer’s Market, what organic foods are on sale at Aldi or your local grocery store, and/or what your garden is producing. (Read more about how I “reverse meal plan” like this here.)

As an added bonus, you’ll reap the benefits of a balanced diet as you’ll constantly be rotating your produce based on what’s in season!

2. Calculate the cost of your meals.

When you’re planning your menu, think about how much each recipe will cost. Cutting costs on a meal in general will create more wiggle room in your budget to prioritize organic items.

It doesn’t have to be a scientific, to-the-penny figure, but just having a good idea that there is a $10 difference between the price of making one meal as opposed to another meal can help with keeping your grocery budget down.

3. Practice the “buy ahead” principle.

If your budget allows, stock up whenever you find an incredible sale on organic items. This could be organic tomatoes at the Farmer’s Market, markdown deals on organic produce/bread/meat at Kroger, reduced-price organic frozen veggies at the health food store, a super weekend sale at Sprouts, if Aldi is offering a great deal on organic products, or any other amazing grocery deals, like the ones we share regularly.

Buying items you routinely use when they are at their lowest price is a surefire way to save more.

4. Buy in bulk.

It is usually much more cost-effective to purchase meat and staple ingredients in bulk.

Call around to local farmers and see what they would charge you for purchasing half a cow. In many cases, this meat is at least $1 cheaper per pound to purchase in bulk. And the meat is much higher quality.

Buying organic grains, beans, and other basic ingredients with long storage lives in large quantities will almost always save you at least 20%, if not more.

5. Focus on the worst offenders.

Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen lists are a great place to start when trying to prioritize organic purchases.

These lists will help you steer clear of the stuff with the most pesticides, and confidently save money buying conventional when it comes to the cleanest fruits and veggies.

6. Plant a garden.

Produce is typically only pennies per item from your own backyard, it’s tremendously fresh and you know exactly what you did or didn’t spray on it. Plus, if you can or freeze your extras, you’ll be able to enjoy “fresh-from-the-garden” produce for much of the year.

Have a brown thumb? Find a friend who loves gardening and trade services (babysitting, bread-baking, car maintenance) in exchange for their garden excess.

If organic produce is something you’d like to prioritize, you won’t find it at a better price than if you grow it on your own! It’s a fantastic option on a budget.

7. Consider joining a CSA or Co-Op.

If gardening isn’t for you, you might look for a co-op or CSA in your area. They do usually have a fee to join the group, but it still might be a money-saving option on organic produce for your family.

And if you can’t find an affordable co-op in your area, you could consider starting your own co-op.

8. Order from Misfits Market

If you’re willing to eat fruits and vegetables that are odd shapes or sizes, you could save a lot of money by ordering from Misfits Market! This company sells produce that isn’t attractive enough to sell in a typical grocery store but is still perfectly edible, allowing you to save on fresh produce while reducing food waste. Read our full Misfits Market review and get a discount code here.

9. Serve meat as a condiment.

Serving meat in soup, on a salad, or as a pizza topping is going to be a lot less expensive than serving it as the main dish, especially if you’re buying high-quality organic and grass-fed meat.

10. Make homemade snacks.

Pre-packaged snacks are significantly more expensive than homemade snacks.

As a bonus, homemade snacks are often more nutritious since you can control exactly what ingredients you use.

11. Skip organic “junk food”.

It’s probably a better use of your cash to spend it on organic produce versus organic candy, fruit snacks, or other sweet treats that you don’t technically need to buy anyway!

12. Swap out expensive ingredients.

You probably don’t really need Gruyere cheese… Swiss will do just fine!

And you likely don’t need that fancy (a.k.a. expensive) chocolate when store-brand chocolate chips will work.

If you’re using a recipe that requires a specialty ingredient you don’t already have in the house, do a quick Google search to see what you could substitute instead.

13. Eat your leftovers.

Repurposing leftover meals into lunches is a great way to save money on groceries and time in the kitchen. Not having to buy a lot of extras for additional meals can help save money — especially if you’re prioritizing organic items.

14. Use coupons.

Although they are harder to come by, there are organic-based coupons available online. Also, take time to email your favorite companies, because they just might send you coupons by mail!

15. Use coupons on non-food items.

If you can’t find coupons for the organic food items you purchase, you can still use coupons to save on toilet paper, toothbrushes, and other non-food items — lowering your overall grocery costs. (Make sure to check out our weekly drugstore deals posts for deals under $2 at Walgreens and deals under $1 at CVS to save big on these household items.)

16. Avoid specialty stores.

Although they have great selections of unique items, you typically pay a lot more across the board.

17. Opt for frozen produce.

Fruit and veggie smoothies are a great way to get your greens all year round. However, buying these ingredients organic 12 months a year isn’t always realistic.

Before abandoning organic produce all together, take a look in the frozen section and you may be surprised to find that organic, frozen alternatives can mean fantastic savings.

And most frozen foods are frozen immediately after harvesting so they are packed with vitamins and nutrients that can sometimes be lost in fruits that sit on store shelves for a week.

18. Find a local Amish community.

They often sell lots of produce, breads, and cheese at reasonable prices — and they are almost always organic and homemade (and delicious!).

19. Buy the store brand.

Most stores have their own brand of organic foods these days — saving you quite a bit on your overall bill without much difference in taste or quality.

20. Don’t forget about Farmer’s Markets.

Your local farmer’s market is a valuable resource! There are SO many local farmers who grow delicious, organic food for much lower prices than you’ll find at any store.

21. Shop at Costco, Aldi, or Trader Joe’s

You can often find great deals on organic items at Costco, Aldi, or Trader Joe’s for great prices! You might also try Thrive Market for specific organic items you’re looking for.

Would You Like to Become Financially Healthier, Too?

If you’ve been thinking about pre-ordering The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women, this week’s pre-order bonus is will help you start getting financially healthier in just 5 days!

5 Days to a Financially Healthier You is a practical 5-day video course that also includes a module to read and printable worksheets to help you put what you’re learning into action. In just a few minutes a day, you’ll work through simple, actionable steps designed to help you build healthier money habits and make meaningful progress with your finances.

When you pre-order my book from any retailer, you are eligible to claim an incredible collection of exclusive pre-order bonuses — including this 5-day course, all the bonuses released so far, and every new bonus still to come before the book launches! We have some really fun giveaways coming too!

Pre-order your copy + claim your bonuses here!

Tips for Saving on Specialty Diets

If your family has allergies or sticks to specialty diets, you might find some of these articles helpful:

Do you have any other ideas or tips for how to save on organic foods?

How to Find Scholarships for College: 12 Places to Look for Free Money

Crystal Paine — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 21:01:00 +0000

College is expensive, but the sticker price doesn’t always tell the whole story. As our own kids have gotten older and we’ve navigated college decisions firsthand, I’ve become even more convinced that there are so many creative ways to lower the cost of a college education. Scholarships are a big piece of that puzzle!

I recently asked my Instagram community to share their best tips for finding college scholarships, and you all came through with some fantastic ideas and personal experiences. One thing that really stood out to me? You usually have to be willing to dig.

The biggest scholarships aren’t necessarily the only ones worth pursuing. A $500 local scholarship, a departmental award, an employer scholarship, and a few smaller essay contests can start adding up surprisingly quickly.

And sometimes the less obvious opportunities have far fewer applicants!

How to Find Scholarships for College:

If you’re trying to figure out how to pay for college without taking on mountains of student loan debt, here are some ideas to find college scholarships:

1. Start With the College’s Financial Aid Office

Several readers emphasized this, and I think it’s one of the most important tips on this list: Talk to the financial aid office!

Don’t assume the initial financial aid package is the only money available. Ask about institutional scholarships, departmental scholarships, grants, endowed scholarships funded by alumni, work-study opportunities, and scholarships that become available to current students after their freshman year.

One reader shared that her three daughters attend Colorado Christian University and have received a combination of academic scholarships, major-specific scholarships, grants, and even an endowed global studies scholarship.

Another important thing to know: If your family’s financial circumstances have changed significantly, ask the financial aid office whether you can request an aid adjustment through what’s known as professional judgment. Federal Student Aid says schools may consider certain special circumstances, such as a loss of employment or significant uncovered medical expenses, when reviewing financial aid eligibility.

It never hurts to ask, “Are there any other scholarships or financial aid opportunities we should apply for?”

2. Look For Scholarships Connected To Your Major

Don’t stop at university-wide scholarships. Once you’ve chosen a major, or at least narrowed down your interests, investigate the individual college or department.

One reader told me that the agriculture and engineering colleges at the University of Arkansas award a large number of scholarships and that her kids have received multiple scholarships that can stack together. Depending on your field, there may be scholarships specifically for future nurses, teachers, engineers, accountants, journalists, social workers, or other professionals.

Search phrases such as “[major] scholarships,” “[major] scholarships in [your state],” or “[university] [department] scholarships.”

Also ask your academic department directly and investigate funding through your academic program, in addition to the university’s main financial aid office.

3. Don’t Overlook Local Scholarships

This tip came up again and again: Start local.

National scholarships can attract thousands of applicants. Your local scholarship from a credit union, civic organization, business, church, nonprofit, or community foundation might have a much smaller applicant pool.

Check with your:

High school guidance office
Local community foundation
Credit unions and banks
Chamber of commerce
Rotary, Kiwanis, and other civic organizations
Churches and religious organizations
Local businesses
Parents’ employers
Professional associations

One reader specifically recommended checking local credit unions because many offer scholarships to members.

Even if an award is “only” $500 or $1,000, remember that several smaller scholarships can add up to thousands of dollars.

4. Treat Applying For Scholarships Like a Numbers Game

This might be one of my favorite pieces of reader advice.

One mom told me:

“My daughter applied and received $80,000 in scholarships for college and was able to go to private college debt free. She applied to just about every scholarship that she met the requirements for. The guidance office should have lots of resources or try Googling. Something else that helped is my daughter took dual credit classes in high school, so then she was able to graduate college in 3 years. She also worked extremely hard and got wonderful grades and when she applied they gave her a very generous academic credit.”

$80,000!!

I love this example because there wasn’t one magical scholarship that made college affordable. They combined multiple strategies: scholarships, strong academics, dual-credit courses, and graduating early.

Don’t apply for three scholarships and give up when you don’t hear back.

Consider setting a goal of applying for a certain number each week or month. Keep a spreadsheet with the scholarship name, amount, deadline, requirements, application status, and notification date.

The more qualified opportunities you pursue, the more chances you give yourself to win.

5. Search For Scholarships That Require a Little More Effort

It can be tempting to focus exclusively on “no essay” scholarships because they’re so easy to enter.

But easy applications can also mean more competition.

One reader recommended The Scholarship System, which teaches families how to search for scholarships and put together competitive applications. One of her biggest takeaways was to pay particular attention to essay-based scholarships and learn how to write a strong scholarship essay.

I’d encourage your student to create a folder containing a strong general essay, transcript, activity list, volunteer experience, work history, awards, recommendation letters, and other commonly requested materials.

You shouldn’t submit the exact same essay everywhere, but having a solid starting point can make applying for multiple scholarships much less overwhelming.

6. Use Google Strategically

Don’t just search “college scholarships.” Get specific! Combine words that describe the student with terms such as “scholarship,” “grant,” or “award.”

For instance, search for scholarships based on:

Major or career goal
State or hometown
Volunteer activities
Hobbies
Sports
Academic achievements
Employer
Community involvement
Clubs and organizations

You can also combine categories: “Tennessee engineering scholarships,” “scholarships for high school musicians,” or “education major scholarships.”

Try several versions of each search and repeat the process periodically because new opportunities and deadlines are constantly popping up.

7. Use AI to Brainstorm Scholarship Searches…But Verify Everything

Several readers mentioned using ChatGPT to help uncover ideas, and I think this can be a great starting point.

You could provide details such as your student’s state, intended major, academic interests, extracurricular activities, volunteer experience, hobbies, career goals, and other relevant information and ask for categories of scholarships they might qualify for.

You could also ask AI to generate specific Google search phrases you might not have thought of. But here’s the important part: Don’t blindly trust an AI-generated scholarship listing.

Scholarships change, deadlines pass, and information online can become outdated. Always go directly to the organization offering the scholarship to verify the eligibility requirements, deadline, award amount, and application instructions before spending time on an application.

8. Prepare For the PSAT/NMSQT

If you have a high school student, don’t dismiss the PSAT as just another practice test. The PSAT/NMSQT is the qualifying test used to enter the National Merit Scholarship Program.

One reader told me her daughter received offers from schools that included free tuition after earning National Merit recognition.

Not every student will qualify, of course, but if your child is a strong test-taker, it may be worth preparing seriously for the PSAT/NMSQT and researching colleges that offer merit aid connected with strong academic performance or National Merit recognition.

9. Look For Employers That Help Pay For College

If your teenager or college student plans to work anyway, why not investigate employers that can help pay for school?

Many companies offer some type of tuition assistance, reimbursement, or scholarship program to eligible employees. Requirements vary widely, including how long you need to work there, which schools or programs qualify, and how much the company will contribute.

Before accepting a part-time job, compare the total benefits rather than just the hourly wage. An employer paying slightly less per hour but providing thousands of dollars toward tuition could potentially be the better financial choice.

And don’t just look at the student’s employer. Check whether a parent’s or guardian’s company offers scholarships to employees’ dependents, too.

10. Explore Scholarship Newsletters, Groups, and Databases

You don’t have to find every opportunity yourself.

One reader recommended the JLV College Counseling Scholarship Saturday newsletter, which regularly shares scholarship opportunities.

Another recommended the Facebook group Scholarship Help and College Talk for Parents as a source of free information and resources.

Candid can also be a starting point for researching student funding. It recommends that students complete the FAFSA, investigate state aid, contact college financial aid offices, explore scholarship directories, and look for assistance through academic departments and community or professional organizations. Candid also provides information about finding foundation grants and scholarships for individuals.

The goal here is to build a system where scholarship opportunities come to you instead of relying entirely on remembering to search.

11. Complete the FAFSA (Even If You Don’t Think You’ll Qualify)

Don’t assume your family’s income automatically means your student won’t receive help. Completing the FAFSA is the first step toward qualifying for federal student aid, including grants, work-study, and federal student loans. Some scholarships may also use FAFSA information when determining eligibility.

Federal Work-Study can be particularly useful because eligible students can earn money through part-time jobs while attending school. However, receiving a work-study award doesn’t automatically give you the money. Students still need to find and work an eligible job.

Even if you don’t expect need-based federal grants, I wouldn’t automatically rule yourself out before filling out the FAFSA and seeing what options are available.

12. Remember: Scholarships Aren’t the Only Way To Reduce College Costs

Finding more scholarship money is fantastic. But another strategy is simply finding ways to need less money in the first place.

Dual-enrollment and Advanced Placement classes during high school could allow a student to enter college with credits already completed.
Community college can dramatically reduce the cost of completing general education requirements.
Living at home, working during school, choosing an affordable in-state college, and graduating early can all potentially lower the total bill.

That’s why I encourage families to look at the total cost of getting the degree, not just the amount of scholarship money offered.

A private school offering $30,000 per year in scholarships isn’t necessarily cheaper than a public university offering $5,000. Compare what you’ll actually need to pay after grants and scholarships including tuition, fees, housing, meals, transportation, and other expenses.

We’ve shared many more ideas in our posts on Going to College Debt-Free: Our Best Tips & Strategies and How to Graduate College Debt-Free.

Don’t Assume the Sticker Price is What You’ll Pay

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from hearing other families’ stories, it’s that paying for college often requires creativity, persistence, and a willingness to ask questions.

Apply for the $500 scholarship. Email the financial aid office. Search your intended major. Check the local credit union. Fill out the FAFSA. Apply for another scholarship even after you’ve been rejected from five others.

And don’t assume a private college will automatically cost more than a public university. As one reader’s experience showed, a combination of academic, departmental, and endowed scholarships and grants can sometimes make a seemingly expensive school surprisingly affordable.

Most importantly, involve your student in this process. Searching for scholarships, writing essays, meeting deadlines, and communicating with financial aid offices are valuable skills. And when students have some ownership over figuring out how to pay for college, they may appreciate the opportunity even more.

What are your best tips for finding college scholarships? Have you or your student found scholarships in an unexpected place? I’d love to hear what’s worked for your family!

Looking for the Best App for Weight Loss? Why Nourish Offers More Than Tracking!

Crystal Paine — Wed, 30 Sep 2026 19:49:19 +0000

If you’ve ever searched for the best app for weight loss, you know there are plenty of options. Most help you count calories, track macros, log workouts or watch the number on the scale.

Those tools can be helpful, but knowing what to do doesn’t always make it easier to actually do it, or figure out what your body needs.

That’s what makes Nourish different. This app combines helpful tracking tools with personalized, one-on-one support from a registered dietitian.

I’ve been using Nourish since 2025, and it’s helped me make meaningful changes to my health, energy levels, and relationship with food. I’ve learned that the best weight loss app isn’t necessarily the one that tracks the most data. It’s the one that helps you understand what your body needs and build habits you can actually sustain.

What Is the Best App for Weight Loss?

There isn’t one weight loss app that’s best for everyone. But if you’re comparing your options, it’s helpful to look beyond calorie counting.

A good app should make it easy to track food, movement, and other health habits while helping you set realistic goals. Ideally, it should also provide personalized recommendations, accountability and support when your circumstances change.

Your overall health matters, too. Sleep, stress, hormones, energy levels and other factors can influence how you feel and the habits you’re able to maintain. Nourish checks many of these boxes, but it also offers something you won’t find in many traditional tracking apps: regular access to a registered dietitian.

What Is the Nourish App?

Nourish is a virtual nutrition platform that connects you with a registered dietitian for personalized nutrition counseling. Appointments happen virtually, so you can meet with your dietitian from home.

Nourish dietitians specialize in a wide variety of areas, including weight management, emotional eating, digestive health, women’s health, pre- and postnatal nutrition and general wellness.

The Nourish app also lets you log meals, track macros, set goals, and monitor your progress. But the goal isn’t simply to collect more numbers. Your dietitian can use information about your eating patterns and health goals to provide more personalized recommendations.

Instead of handing you a rigid meal plan or expecting you to overhaul everything overnight, Nourish emphasizes personalized care and sustainable behavior changes.

Want to see if you can get started for little to no cost? Check whether your insurance covers appointments with a Nourish dietitian.

Why Nourish Is Different From a Traditional Weight Loss App

Traditional weight loss apps can provide valuable information. Tracking your meals, for example, may help you notice that you’re consistently low on protein or that you tend to skip meals during busy days.

But numbers don’t necessarily tell you why you’re exhausted, constantly hungry, or struggling to make progress.

That’s where personalized support can make a difference.

Traditional weight loss apps	Nourish
Primarily track calories or macros	Combines tracking with dietitian support
Often use generic goals	Creates recommendations around your individual needs
Focus heavily on weight	Can consider energy, sleep, stress and overall health
Leave users to interpret data	A dietitian can help you understand your patterns
May emphasize rigid rules	Focuses on realistic, sustainable habits

Nourish dietitians provide individualized care based on each patient’s goals, and the platform describes its approach as focusing on long-term behavioral changes rather than short-term fixes.

In other words, you’re not left staring at a dashboard wondering what all the information means. You have a professional who can help you connect the dots and determine a realistic next step.

My Honest Experience Using Nourish

I started meeting with a Nourish dietitian in the summer of 2025. At the time, I was exercising and trying to eat well, but I still felt stuck and depleted. I assumed my dietitian would tell me to count calories more carefully or pay closer attention to my macros.

Instead, our conversations helped me look at the bigger picture. My body had been through years of pregnancy, nursing, fostering, caregiving, parenting six kids, and running a business. I began to understand that constantly pushing myself while under-eating and under-sleeping wasn’t necessarily helping me reach my health goals.

“I thought I needed more discipline. What I actually needed was personalized support and permission to nourish my body.”

My dietitian gave me clear, manageable steps I could implement without making me feel guilty or overwhelmed. That experience began changing the way I thought about health. Instead of focusing so much on trying to be skinny or seeing a particular number on the scale, I’ve been learning to focus on becoming stronger, having more energy, and making sure my body is actually nourished.

How Nourish Helps You Track Progress

One thing I appreciate about Nourish is that progress doesn’t have to be defined by the scale. The app can help you keep track of meals, eating patterns, nutrition goals, and other information that can help you and your dietitian identify patterns over time. Nourish’s app currently includes features for logging meals and macros, setting goals, and monitoring progress.

Depending on your individual plan, you might also pay attention to things like hydration, movement, sleep, digestion, energy levels, mood, or habits your dietitian recommends.

Progress can take many forms. Maybe you have more energy in the afternoon, feel satisfied after meals, sleep better, get stronger during workouts, or simply spend less time thinking and worrying about food. Those wins matter, too.

Can Nourish Support Weight Loss Without Restrictive Dieting?

Yes. Nourish has dietitians who specialize in weight loss and weight management, but the approach can extend well beyond simply telling you to eat less. A dietitian can help you look at portions, meal balance, hunger cues, and eating patterns and create realistic habits based on your individual goals.

My own experience taught me something especially important: The healthiest next step isn’t always eating less and exercising more. Sometimes your body may need adequate nutrition, better sleep, less stress, or a healthier relationship with food before you focus on anything else.

Of course, everyone’s body and circumstances are different. Working with Nourish or using any other nutrition or weight loss app doesn’t guarantee that you’ll lose weight, and individual results will vary.

How Much Does Nourish Cost?

Here’s one of the biggest potential benefits: Nourish currently reports that 94% of its in-network patients pay $0 out of pocket. However, your actual cost depends on your insurance plan, and some patients may have a copay, coinsurance, or deductible.

Nourish offers a coverage calculator so you can check your benefits before getting started. It also has a Nourish Guarantee designed to provide a no-surprise billing experience. For patients paying out of pocket, Nourish currently lists its self-pay rate at $145 per session.

Since insurance coverage and pricing can change, always confirm your expected cost directly with Nourish before scheduling.

Who Might Benefit From Nourish?

Nourish could be worth considering if you’re overwhelmed by conflicting nutrition advice, tired of starting and stopping diets, or want to work toward weight loss in a more sustainable way.

It may also be helpful if you want personalized guidance and accountability without shame, struggle with low energy, want to improve your relationship with food, or need help understanding patterns in your eating and health habits.

Nourish probably isn’t the best choice if all you’re looking for is a basic automated calorie counter. Its biggest differentiator is the human support behind the technology.

Is Nourish the Best App for Weight Loss?

There isn’t one best weight loss app for everyone. However, I think Nourish is a strong option if you’re looking for personalized, professional support instead of another restrictive diet plan.

My biggest takeaway from working with my dietitian has been that genuine progress doesn’t have to come from becoming more obsessed with food or the scale. For me, it came from learning how to better nourish and care for my body.

Check whether your insurance covers Nourish and connect with a registered dietitian who can help you create a realistic plan for your health.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Nourish a weight loss app?

Nourish is a virtual nutrition platform rather than a traditional calorie-counting or weight loss app. Its registered dietitians can help with weight-related goals while considering other factors such as eating habits, energy, sleep, stress and your relationship with food. Nourish offers dietitians with specialties including weight loss, emotional eating, women’s health and pre- and postnatal nutrition.

Does the Nourish app include food tracking?

Yes. Nourish’s app includes tools that let users log meals, track macros, set goals, and monitor their progress. This information can also provide useful context when working with your dietitian.

Is Nourish covered by insurance?

Nourish reports that 94% of its in-network patients currently pay $0 out of pocket. However, insurance coverage varies, and some people may have a copay, coinsurance, or deductible. Nourish recommends using its coverage calculator to verify your individual benefits before scheduling.

Can a dietitian help me lose weight?

A registered dietitian can help you develop an individualized nutrition strategy, identify barriers to your goals, and establish realistic, sustainable habits. Nourish has registered dietitians who specialize in weight management and weight-related goals, but individual outcomes will vary.

Read With Crystal Book Club: September Review + October Book Announcement

Crystal Paine — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:01:02 +0000

I’m thrilled that so many of you joined us for last month’s first ever Read With Crystal Book Club! I received message after message from people saying how much you enjoyed the book and love this idea — and that makes me so ecstatic!

If you didn’t know about the book club or you need a refresher, here are details before I share my review of September’s book and announce October’s book club pick!

How the Book Club Works

Here’s how it works:

1. I announce the book club pick for the month on the blog and on social media. You can buy the book online, from a local book store, get it from the library, or listen to the audiobook. You choose!

2. We read through the book that month. I may mention it here and there on social media or on the blog. I may not. It just depends!

3. At the end of the month, I post a post with my full review and thoughts of the book. I will invite you to share your thoughts in the comments on that blog post or in the post I share on social media.

4. That’s it! We’ll repeat this every month with a new book.

You can join us every month or just on the months that the book looks interesting to you. Whatever works for you — this is a no obligation book club!

What I Thought of September’s Book Club Pick

September’s book pick was Lady Tan’s Circle of Women. And I have SOO many thoughts on this book. It made me frustrated. It made me grateful. It made me sad. But I also loved the stories of women caring deeply for one another, at great risk to themselves to do so sometimes.

Why It Made Me Frustrated

I knew that women were oppressed and devalued in other cultures, but to read about how it really worked out in the day-to-day was so appalling! Like, I wanted to shake some of the book characters and be like, “Just stop it already! Treat her with respect. She is not any less worth of respect than you are!”

I also felt frustrated because the medical care was so terrible for women. The thought of being diagnosed by a doctor who would only talk to you through a screen and wouldn’t even talk directly to you but would have someone else be a go-between!!

Also, I could not believe how women were kept basically chained to their houses and rarely ever – if ever – saw outside the walls of their house! That was shocking to me and hard to comprehend.

In addition, I struggled with the parts that talked about how marriage basically meant you were completely cut off from your family and were now, in essence, the property of your husband’s family.

Why It Made Me Sad

Okay, I had heard of foot-binding before but I genuinely had never thought of what the process was actually like or how it would actually be crippling to a woman. And they did it just to look “beautiful” for their husbands — even though he never would actually see their feet because they always kept them in booties (I’m guessing because they actually looked awful!)

To think of the pain and discomfort this would put women through every single moment of every single day. It was so sad to me.

But not only that, the saddest part to me was reading about how the mothers were the ones who would do the foot binding to their girls and how hard this would be for them because of the pain they were putting their daughters through to basically break the bones and then wrap the feet to make them really tiny.

I researched online and here’s more on foot-binding (you can also find pictures but be prepared to be aghast!):

Foot binding was a historical Chinese custom of tightly wrapping young girls’ feet with cloth to break bones and create small, highly arched Lotus Feet. The practice lasted for nearly a thousand years before it was finally stopped in the 20th century. [1, 2, 3]

How the Process Worked

Age: The process usually started when a girl was between four and six years old. [1]

Soaking: Relatives soaked the girl’s feet in warm water or herbal mixtures to soften the skin. [1, 2]

Bending: They bent all the toes except the big toe underneath the sole of the foot. [1]

Wrapping: They used long cloth bandages to wrap the foot tightly, which broke the small bones and forced the foot into a high arch. [1, 2]

Goal: The ideal target size was about three inches long, known as a “golden lotus” foot. You can learn more about the mechanics and history of this custom on Britannica. [1, 2]

Why It Made Me Grateful

I read the book thinking how grateful I am to live in a country and time period and marriage where I have so much worth, value, dignity, and respect. I think we can take these things for granted sometimes and studying different cultures and historical times can give us fresh perspective on how much we have to be thankful for.

I also thought there were so many beautiful parts of the book where other women were caring so deeply for one another, where men would buck the norm to take care of women and care about their needs, and where women would risk their lives for other women.

What did you think of Lady Tan’s Circle of Women? I’d love to hear! Tell us in the comments!

My IG Live With Lisa See

Psst! Do not miss my IG live with the author! It was incredible! Lisa See is a wealth of historical wisdom and her insights and perspective added such depth to this month’s book club!

Lisa has spent years of her life researching for her books and her passion for her characters is completely contagious! In fact, when we finished this live, I immediately wanted to go read all 12 of her other books!

A few of the topics we covered:

-How the practice of foot-binding was actually seen as something that would really elevate their daughter’s position and protect her in the long run.

-Why she spent 40 hours of research for one single sentence in her book.

-What it was like to try to write a book in the middle of a pandemic when so many options for research were not available.

-The level of isolation women felt in China during this time period but how they would build relationships with women and make the most of a life lived in an enclosed compound.

-How to more deeply appreciate our own circles of women.

Watch the full IG live interview here. I have a feeling you will want to read all of Lisa’s books after watching it.

October’s Book Club Pick

I’m excited to announce this month’s book club pick is Beneath a Scarlet Sky. This book is one I have had on my shelf for years, has been highly recommended to me over and over again, and one I have planned to read so many times.

Here’s the description from Amazon:

Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, the USA Today and #1 Amazon Charts bestseller Beneath a Scarlet Sky is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours.

Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal Italian teenager—obsessed with music, food, and girls—but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.

In an attempt to protect him, Pino’s parents force him to enlist as a German soldier—a move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of eighteen to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler’s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich’s most mysterious and powerful commanders.

Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share.

Fans of All the Light We Cannot See, The Nightingale, and Unbroken will enjoy this riveting saga of history, suspense, and love.

I figured I could selfishly pick it for book club this month so I would actually get it read! Get a copy of Beneath a Scarlet Sky her e — or check your local library to get a copy.

How to Read Beneath a Scarlet Sky for Free

If you are someone who likes to read ebooks, you can get the Kindle version of Beneath a Scarlet Sky completely FREE right now through Kindle Unlimited!! (They are offering a free 3-month subscription to Prime Members and it’s FREE on Kindle Unlimited!)

Or, you can get the audiobook of Beneath a Scarlet Sky for free through Amazon Music (they are currently offering 3-4 months free and you get a free audiobook each month!)

Any questions? Ask away in the comments! Also, if you have suggestions for future book club books, let me know! I will be compiling a list!

Note: I will do my best to pick books that are clean (no bedroom scenes) and don’t have a lot of cursing in them. However, since I won’t have read the book before I pick it, I am not endorsing a book just by picking it. But I will do my best to research it to try to make sure it’s no more than a PG or PG-13 type book.

Sloppy Joes and Simple Coleslaw ($10 Family Dinner Idea)

Brigette — Tue, 29 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

This sloppy joe recipe is so quick and easy — and it uses lentils to stretch the ground beef even further and pack in some filling fiber! I love this recipe because it’s not overly sweet like some other sloppy joe recipes I’ve had. You do need to start this $10 Dinner about an hour and a half before dinner time. The prep work only takes a few minutes, but the coleslaw needs time to marinate and the lentils take time to cook.

I serve these sloppy joes with the easiest coleslaw ever! It starts with a bagged mix (which regularly goes on sale at Publix for $1.50 or less) to make things super quick. I love using marked down buns that I find on the discount rack at Walmart for this recipe.

And maybe we’re the only family that does this — but we love sloppy joes all year long (anyone else?!?). We only eat hamburgers in the summer months, but sloppy joes are not the same thing as hamburgers at all, haha. They can also be a great meal to serve to company, especially using this recipe with lentils which lowers the cost compared to using straight ground beef.

This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she shares easy, delicious, and affordable family-friendly dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.

Sloppy Joes Dinner Menu:

Sloppy Joes with Lentils
Buns
Simple Coleslaw

Ingredients for Sloppy Joes:

1 lb ground beef (Aldi) — $4.99
1 small onion, finely diced (Aldi – $1.99 for 3lbs) — $0.30
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (Aldi – $1.75 for 3-ct pkg) — $0.12
2 cups water
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce (Aldi) — $0.55
1/2 cup uncooked lentils, rinsed (Aldi – $1.55 for 16 ounces) — $0.34
1/2 cup ketchup (Publix – $1.14 for 13.5 ounces) — $0.37
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bag hamburger buns (Walmart – reduced rack) — $0.99

Total: $7.66 (makes 6 servings)

Ingredients for Simple Coleslaw:

1 14-ounce bag shredded coleslaw mix (Publix) — $1.50
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Publix – free with coupons and rebates) — $0
2 Tablespoons sugar (Aldi – $2.86 for 4-lbs) – $0.08
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice (Aldi – $3.19 for 1-lb of lemons) — $0.25
1 Tablespoon vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Total for Coleslaw: $1.83 (serves 6)

Total Cost for Dinner: $9.49 (makes 6 servings)

How to Make Sloppy Joes and Simple Coleslaw:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing for the coleslaw: 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

2. Mix the coleslaw mix and the dressing together until well mixed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.

3. In a skillet, combine the ground beef, chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until meat is no longer pink. Drain off grease.

4. Add the 2 cups water, tomato sauce, rinsed lentils, ketchup, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and pepper and bring to a boil over medium heat.

5. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for an hour, or until the lentils are cooked and the mixture is thick.

6. Serve the sloppy joe meat on buns with coleslaw on the side.

Sloppy Joes with Lentils and Simple Coleslaw ($10 Family Dinner Idea)

This sloppy joe recipe is so quick and easy — and it uses lentils to stretch the ground beef even further and pack in some filling fiber! Pair it with the easiest coleslaw recipe ever for a delicious, healthy, and frugal dinner!

Course dinner, Main Course, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword easy dinner, easy side dish, family favorite, high protein, homemade, weeknight dinner

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1

Servings

Calories 392kcal

Author Brigette

Cost $9.49

Ingredients

Ingredients for Sloppy Joes with Lentils:

1 lb ground beef Aldi — $4.99
1 small onion finely diced (Aldi – $1.99 for 3lbs) — $0.30
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced (Aldi – $1.75 for 3-ct pkg) — $0.12
2 cups water
1 8- ounce can tomato sauce Aldi — $0.55
1/2 cup uncooked lentils rinsed (Aldi – $1.55 for 16 ounces) — $0.34
1/2 cup ketchup Publix – $1.14 for 13.5 ounces — $0.37
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bag hamburger buns Walmart – reduced rack — $0.99

Ingredients for Simple Coleslaw:

1 14- ounce bag shredded coleslaw mix Publix — $1.50
1/2 cup mayonnaise Publix – free with coupons and rebates — $0
2 Tablespoons sugar Aldi – $2.86 for 4-lbs – $0.08
1 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice Aldi – $3.19 for 1-lb of lemons — $0.25
1 Tablespoon vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing for the coleslaw: 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.
Mix the coleslaw mix and the dressing together until well mixed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving.
In a skillet, combine the ground beef, chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until meat is no longer pink. Drain off grease.
Add the 2 cups water, tomato sauce, rinsed lentils, ketchup, vinegar, Dijon mustard, and pepper and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for an hour, or until the lentils are cooked and the mixture is thick.
Serve the sloppy joe meat on buns with coleslaw on the side.

Notes

You do need to start this $10 Dinner about an hour and a half before dinner time. The prep work only takes a few minutes, but the coleslaw needs time to marinate and the lentils take time to cook.

Nutrition

FAQs about Sloppy Joes with Lentils:

Can I add lentils to Sloppy Joes?

Yes! Lentils are a great way to stretch the beef and make your dinner less expensive while adding extra iron, fiber, and plant-based protein to the meal.

What kind of lentils are best in Sloppy Joes?

You can use brown, green, or French lentils, but I’d recommend avoiding red lentils because they will be too mushy in this recipe.

Can you taste lentils with ground beef?

Since lentils have a mild flavor and their texture is similar to that of ground beef, you can’t really taste them when mixed with ground beef and spices.

More Ideas for Family Dinners Under $10:

And, be sure to check out all our easy dinner recipes here!

If you make this Sloppy Joes with Lentils and Simple Coleslaw family dinner, we’d love for you to leave a review and let us know how it turned out!

Week 39: My Trip to CO Springs + What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To

Crystal Paine — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:46:23 +0000

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

That’s just one of the lies I had to fight through before my interview with Focus on the Family.

It was such an honor to be back with them — this was my 4th time recording with them, and they’ve been such champions of my books over the years.

But this time was different.

They’d asked me to record a whole podcast episode on marriage and money (in addition to doing the radio show taping + some other filming). To my knowledge, I’ve never recorded an episode specifically about marriage and money on any podcast. It’s a topic I’ve tried to avoid because it’s so loaded and nuanced. So, I was nervous.

In fact, in a very uncharacteristic manner, I prepped three pages of notes, just in case I was struggling with answers or content.

That wasn’t the only lie running through my head. I also was thinking:

“You don’t have anything to offer.”

“People will be able to tell you shouldn’t be talking about this.”

People probably assume I don’t get nervous about this stuff after 20 years. In fact, I still had to pray a lot and pep talk myself a lot in preparation for this.

But, here was the thing that surprised me…

Once the cameras started rolling, I had so much to say that I had to keep reminding myself to keep my answers short and succinct. And I quickly realized: I guess this is a topic I actually do have things to say about!!

At the end, the hosts (both have doctorates — one’s a therapist, one’s a psychologist) said, “Wow! It’s clear you’ve talked about this a lot. You have such wisdom and insight! You should write a book on marriage and money!”

I just laughed. “Actually,” I told them, “this is my first time doing a podcast on it. It’s kind of a topic I’ve avoided.”

Even after 20 years of doing this, I still can let negative narratives and lies hold me back from stepping out of my comfort zone and sharing things God has called me to.

And I miss out on the joy and the opportunity to see God’s faithfulness and to encourage others when I do.

Maybe I will start getting brave and talking more about marriage and money.

For starters… I did something I’ve never done before and put together a guide for couples to communicate better about finances.

Click here for all the details — it’s free when you pre-order my new book!

Kierstyn was so excited about getting to give a presentation at school this past week on Kansas for Geography Day. (You can watch part of her presentation here.)

She dressed up like Laura and Mary Ingalls from Little House because they lived in Kansas for awhile.

The next day, both Micah and Kierstyn had a presentation at school with their class and Kathrynne got to come with me to watch it! They were SO excited to get to introduce her to their friends and teachers.

This convicted me so much! I’d change this to, “The devil wants you to worry. Period.”

If he can get you stuck in worry, you take your eyes off Jesus. Then, you focus on your surroundings, and you walk in fear. Which then results in you not being able to experience the joy and peace that come from wholeheartedly trusting that Your Heavenly Father will give you everything you need when you need it, and you can rest in that and walk by faith. ❤️

When you feel worry creeping in, take that as a warning sign to stop and pray, to release your fears and stress to the Lord, and to remind yourself of the truth of Who God is.

(I love to listen to worship music on repeat and have Scripture posted in different places around me to serve as constant reminders of the goodness and trustworthiness of God.)

Thank you to @_she_rises_ on Instagram for this convicting word!

Guess what?? This deal is BACK – and it’s cheaper than before!!! Get these biker shorts for as low as $2.99 per pair.

I have three pairs of these and wear them multiple times per week under my summer or shorter dresses!

Amazon has this Lunakai PRO USA Made Women’s Hair Growth & Restore Vitamins, 90 Count, for only $16.97 shipped when you clip the 40% off coupon and check out through Subscribe & Save (regularly $39.95)!

I have been taking these the last month to help with hair regrowth.

Do You Want to See What Came in My Walmart Beauty Box?!

I cannot believe this was only $8.98 shipped! Here’s what I got:

Pimple patches and acne cleanser to go along with it
Cerave Oil-Control Balancing Conditioner for normal to oily scalps
Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum — perfect for deep moisturizing as the weather turns colder and dryer
Lowkey Daise Rose and Sandalwood Fragrance Body Mist — this is really fun and smells so good
Not Your Mother’s Instant Defrizz All Eyes on Me spray (can’t wait to use this!)
And what I’m most excited about… Guru Nanda post-oil-pulling toothpaste. I oil pull everyday and use this brand for that, so I’m super excited about this!! I didn’t even know this toothpaste existed — and one tube of it is more expensive than the price of the entire Walmart beauty box!!

If you’re interested, check out my full post about these beauty boxes and find out how to get one here!

If you’ve been thinking about pre-ordering The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women, this week’s bonus is one you won’t want to miss! I’m so excited to share this one with you!

In just a few minutes a day, you’ll work through simple, actionable steps designed to help you build healthier money habits and make meaningful progress with your finances.

And… your pre-order gives you access to all the bonuses released so far (including the Couples’ Conversation Guide I mentioned above) and every new bonus still to come before the book launches! We have some really fun giveaways coming too!

Pre-order your copy + claim your bonuses here!

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days has officially been announced for October 6th and 7th! Want to know how to get the best deals? In this post, we share our top tips for saving money and scoring great deals on Amazon Prime Big Deal Days!

If you aren’t a Prime member but considering becoming one, this post explores the question: “Is Amazon Prime worth it?”and has a link for a FREE 30-day trial, just in time for Prime Days!

**This Week on The Crystal Paine Show: How to Cultivate a Grace-Laced Life (with Ruth Chou Simons)**

This week, author of the brand new book This Moment Matters: 100 Ways to Cultivate a Grace-Laced Life, Ruth Chou Simons comes back on the podcast, and I am so excited to have her back! The last time that we tried to record together, I was such a hot mess that we ended up doing an Instagram story and Facebook Live instead, so when she agreed to come back, I was thrilled, and this time, we actually have a podcast episode!

I truly love Ruth’s new book. There is so much practical wisdom in its pages and so many moments when I found myself saying, “Yes!” while also getting my toes stepped on a little bit.

In this episode, we talk about what it means to cultivate beauty and grace in the middle of our very ordinary, very full lives.

Ruth is a mom of six boys, and I could not stop asking her how she has managed to create such a beautiful home, but what I especially love about her approach is that it’s not about having more money, buying more things, or waiting until life is less chaotic. It’s about stewarding what God has already given us and learning to notice the beauty that’s right in front of us.

We talk about creating rhythms that help us start our days well, making space for God’s Word, and even setting up a little scripture memory station. Ruth shares why small acts of faithfulness matter more than big accomplishments and how making room for inefficiency can lead to the conversations and relationships that we might otherwise miss.

We also talk about motherhood, enjoying our kids, and the importance of leaving room in our calendars for nothing because, after all, sometimes the most meaningful moments happen when we’re not rushing off to the next thing.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, distracted, or like you need to get your life together before you can enjoy it, then this conversation with Ruth is definitely for you. Ruth reminds us that we don’t have to wait for a better season to live a grace-laced life, that we can start right where we are, with what we have, today. Enjoy my conversation with Ruth Chou Simons, and, as always, please feel free to reach out to me with your thoughts!

Listen to the episode here.

What I’m Reading…

This past week, I finished reading This Moment Matters — it’s packed with beautiful illustrations and words of encouragement to live a grace-filled life. It would make a great gift idea or coffee table book!

What I’m currently reading: Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, Holy & Hormonal, Every Table an Altar, Calming Your Anxious Child, and Wholehearted Enneagram.

What I’m Watching…

This week, the girls and I watched week 3 of Dancing with the Stars together. (It’s fun to have a show that Kierstyn, Kaitlynn, and I all enjoy together!) And I watched Toy Story 5 with Kathrynne, Kierstyn and Micah on Friday night because Jesse, Silas, and Kaitlynn were out of town and Kathrynne came to hang out.

On Saturday night, Kaitlynn was back in town so we had a move night with Kierstyn and Micah and watched Spiderman: Far From Home (it has some intense scenes and some language — so I wouldn’t recommend it for younger kids but Kierstyn and Micah weren’t scared and actually enjoyed it.)

What I’m Listening to…

This past week, I finished listening to The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 2. I am enjoying this series and agree with the people who said it gets better with each book!

I also started listening to The German Midwife.

FREE 5 Days to a Financially Healthier You Video Course {Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus!}

Crystal Paine — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

My new book, The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women, is almost here and I’m getting more excited by the day!

There’s still time to be among the first readers — and to take advantage of my pre-order bonuses! This book is packed with practical, encouraging strategies to help you stop stressing about money, build simple habits that last, and create a personalized plan for a healthier financial future.

As a special thank-you for everyone who pre-orders, I’m putting together an incredible collection of exclusive bonuses — including this 5 Days to a Financially Healthier You video course!

This five-day experience was created to help you take the principles in The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women and start putting them into practice right away.

Each day, you’ll get a module to read, beautiful PDF printables to help you apply what you’re learning, and a bite-sized video so I can walk you through that day’s topic.

Inside 5 Days to a Financially Healthier You, We’ll Cover:

Day 1: Start With What You Have – Stop waiting for perfect circumstances and learn how to begin making wise financial choices with what you have right now.
Day 2: Spend With Purpose – Learn to spend more intentionally so your money reflects what matters most to you.
Day 3: Save Proactively and Prepare for the Unexpected – Build habits that create more breathing room and help you feel better prepared when unexpected expenses arise.
Day 4: Avoid Debt Wisely and Prepare for Your Future – Make thoughtful decisions about debt while taking practical steps toward your longer-term financial goals.
Day 5: Give Generously and Live With Legacy in Mind – Look beyond your bank account and consider how generosity and the way you use your money can impact others for years to come.

Practical Tools for Real Life

One of the biggest mistakes I see women make is believing they need to fix everything about their finances at once.

But lasting financial health rarely happens that way. It happens one wise decision at a time.

That’s what I want these five days to help you do. Each day combines practical teaching with tools you can actually use: a module, a short video with some real-life examples from me, and beautiful printable resources you can fill out, keep, and come back to again.

You don’t need to overhaul your entire financial life in five days. I just encourage you to start where you are and take the next wise step.

How to Get This Exclusive Bonus

Simply pre-order The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women from any retailer and sign up through our pre-order bonus page.

When you do, you’ll receive 5 Days to a Financially Healthier You plus every previous bonus we’ve released and every new bonus we’ll release before the book launches!

Pre-order your copy today and claim your complete bonus bundle!

Brigette’s $104 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 4!

Brigette — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 15:17:00 +0000

Aldi

1 gallon Orange Juice – $6.47

1 gallon Milk – $2.78

1 5-lb bag Flour – $2.29

2 bags Green Beans – $4.98

1 bag Honey Crisp Apples – $5.98

2 bags Romaine – $4.98

2 bags Frozen Cauliflower Rice – $3.59

1 bag Spinach – $1.69

1 carton Fresh Salsa – $2.49

1 bag Mini Cucumbers – $1.99

1 bag Cilantro – $0.79

3 Avocados – $1.77

1 bunch Broccoli Crowns – $3.67

1 Cauliflower – $2.99

1 jar Honey – $5.49

2 dozen Eggs – $3.30

1 5-lb bag Jasmine Rice – $6.67

1 4-ct Greek Yogurt – $2.49

1 pkg Fresh Boneless Chicken Breasts – $13.36

Total: $77.77

Publix Trip #1

2 boxes Magnum Ice Cream Bars – $5.99, received $3/2 Magnum Ibotta Rebate – $2.99 for 2 after Rebate

2 boxes General Mills Fruit Snacks – $3.73, used $1/2 General Mills Publix Digital Coupon plus received (2) $0.25/1 General Mills Fruit Snacks Ibotta Rebates – $2.23 for 2 after Coupon and Rebates

2 bags Cracker Barrel Cheese Cubes – $6, received (2) $1/1 Cracker Barrel Cubes Ibotta Rebates – $4 for 2 after Rebates

1 pkg Wellshire Deli Meat – $3.99, used $2/1 Wellshire Publix Digital Coupon plus received $0.75/1 Wellshire Ibotta Rebate – $1.24 after Coupon and Rebate

2 cans Campbell’s Soup – $3.05, received $1/2 Campbell’s Soup Ibotta Rebate – $2.05 for 2 after Rebate

5 jars Skippy Protein Peanut Butter – $9.97, received (5) $1.50/1 Skippy Protein Peanut Butter Ibotta Rebates – $2.47 for 5 after Rebates

2 bags Chex Mix – $2.67, used $0.75/2 General Mills Chex Mix Publix Digital Coupon – $1.92 for 2 after Coupon

1 pkg Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs – $5.99, used $2/1 Nathan’s Publix Digital Coupon – $3.99 after Coupon

1 carton Tomatoes – $2.49

Total after Coupons and Rebates: $22.48

Publix Trip #2

5 pkgs Oreo BTS Cookies – $14.70, received (5) $1/1 Oreo BTS Ibotta Rebates, plus received $5 Snackworks Ibotta Bonus – $4.70 for 5 after Rebates

1 bag Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour – $6.69, received $6.69 Rebate – FREE after Rebate

2 boxes Magnum Ice Cream Bars – $5.99, received $3/2 Magnum Ibotta Rebate – $2.99 for 2 after Rebate

1 bag Cracker Barrel Cheese Cubes – $3, received $1/1 Cracker Barrel Cubes Ibotta Rebate – $2 after Rebate

~ Received $5 Freshly Picked Savings Ibotta Bonus

Total after Rebates: $4.69

Grocery Total for the Week: $102.05

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Grits, Granola, Yogurt Bowls, Smoothies, Omelets

Lunches

Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwiches on Homemade Bread, Fruit Snacks, Cucumber/Pepper Slices, Cheese Cubes, Chex Mix/Cookies x 5

Leftovers x 2

Dinners

Taco Braid, Tossed Salad

Chicken Gravy over Rice, Biscuits, Green Beans

Hot Dogs, Roasted Air Fryer Potatoes, Green Beans

Baked Nachos

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Creamy Milk Rice, Cauliflower

Spaghetti (using ground venison sausage), Tossed Salad, Roasted Broccoli

Chicken Pot Pie, Tossed Salad

45+ Things You Might Forget to Budget For

Crystal Paine — Thu, 24 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

Have you ever wondered if there are things you are forgetting to budget for?

When creating a budget, it’s difficult to anticipate all the expenses you’ll encounter, whether they’re annual expenses, unexpected ones, or even large one-time purchases you’ll want to plan for.

It’s easier to nail down the obvious categories: rent or mortgage, groceries, utilities, and car payments. But it’s those irregular or less obvious expenses that tend to sneak up on us and throw a perfectly good budget off track.

So I polled my Instagram followers about common items people might forget to budget for. And, wow, they came up with a HUGE list of great ideas!!

This isn’t a “read it and forget it” list. Save it, pin it, and come back to it next time you’re building or reviewing your budget. Chances are at least one of these will save you from an unpleasant surprise down the road.

45 Items You Might Forget to Budget for:

Health & Personal Care

Insurance co-pays
Prescriptions
Haircuts
Vitamins & supplements
Pet meds & vet visits
Dental & orthodontic work (this can really add up with a bunch of kids!)
At-home medical supplies (bandages, gauze, over-the-counter meds)

Vehicles

Irregular maintenance (new brakes, rotors, AC, etc.)
Oil changes
New tires
Car inspections
Taxes
License and registration fees
Car wash memberships
Saving up for a new-to-you vehicle purchase

Kids and Family

School supplies
Teacher gifts
Supplies or fees for hobbies
Sports fees & equipment
Music lessons and instruments
Tickets for sport/music events and concerts
Hot lunch and special snack money
Back-to-school shopping
Kids’ activities
Family fun
Family vacations
College funds

Holidays and Special Events

Christmas decor & wrapping supplies
Christmas gifts
Postage for Christmas cards
Family photo sessions
Hosting (in addition to your regular grocery budget)
Anniversary and birthday outings / special meals

Home

Home repairs
Replacing home appliances
New plants and flowers
Tree removal
Irrigation repair
Natural disasters
Pest control
Saving up for a big home purchase like a new roof, HVAC, or septic system

Other

Giving & tithing
Unpaid time off work for sickness or family needs
Annual subscriptions (Amazon Prime, Netflix, various software programs, online courses)
Inflation on things you are saving for (they will be more expensive by the time you’ve saved enough)

How to Account for These Budget Items

Whew — that’s a lot. Don’t panic though! Chances are, you won’t have all of these included in your budget, because everyone’s budget looks different depending on life circumstances, priorities, and goals. And if you use our FREE budgeting spreadsheet to set things up, most of these items fall under one of the fixed or variable expenses categories, so you’ll be set!

I would simply encourage you to nail down your financial goals and then set up a simple budget to track everything. Run through this list after you set up your budget to be sure you didn’t forget anything that’s important to you!

Reset Your Finances with My Money Reset Toolkit (FREE with preorder!)

One of the biggest mistakes I see women make is believing they have to fix everything about their finances all at once. We tell ourselves we’ll finally get serious about money when we have more time, earn more income, or can completely overhaul our budget.

But lasting financial health rarely happens that way. Instead it happens one wise decision at a time.

That’s why I created this Money Reset Toolkit, which includes two printable products, 10-Minute Money Reset worksheet + What to Do First With Your Money Roadmap, created to help you reset your finances, get clear on your priorities, and know exactly what to do next.

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or simply unsure what to do next, this printable toolkit will help you stop spinning your wheels and focus on one simple, meaningful step at a time. And you’ll be able to use these simple, actionable tools again and again, anytime you need a financial reset or a clear next step.

Wondering how to get this toolkit? When you pre-order my newest book, The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women, from any retailer, you are eligible to claim an incredible collection of exclusive pre-order bonuses — including this bonus: The Money Reset Toolkit. And your pre-order gives you access to all the bonuses released so far and every new bonus still to come before the book launches! There are so many practical resources included, and I don’t want you to miss them!

Pre-order your copy + claim your bonuses here!

Did we miss any items you might forget to budget for? What else would you add to this list?

Chinese Chicken Stir Fry with Vegetables ($10 Family Dinner Idea)

Brigette — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 21:03:00 +0000

This Chicken Stir Fry recipe is a throwback to some of the flavors we grew to love when we lived in Taiwan for 2 years! It’s definitely “Americanized” in the fact that you can buy all of these ingredients at any local grocery store, but it still reminds my husband and me of some of our favorite traditional dishes from Taiwan.

This “recipe” can be customized according to what vegetables your family likes (which unfortunately rules out mushrooms and onions at our house — both of which are amazing in this stir fry if you ask me!), and you can make more or less of the sauce, depending on your taste preferences. I love that this is such a healthy way to get a large amount of vegetables into one meal without even feeling like you’re eating healthily!

It does take some prep work — washing and chopping vegetables — but once you’ve done that, the recipe practically makes itself. And the leftovers are possibly even better the next day! By the way, if you want to save time, just substitute a couple of bags of frozen vegetables for all of the fresh vegetables in this recipe.

This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she shares easy, delicious, and affordable family-friendly dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.

Chinese Chicken Stir Fry Menu:

Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry
Steamed Rice

Ingredients for Chicken Stir Fry with Veggies:

1-lb boneless chicken tenderloins or breasts, diced into small pieces (Aldi – $2.19/lb) — $2.19
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided (Aldi – $7.25 for 33 tablespoons) — $0.88
3/4 lb broccoli, chopped into bite-size florets (Aldi – $2.09/lb) — $1.57
Approximately 3 cups additional fresh vegetables, chopped (I used peppers and carrots) — $1
2 green onions, diced (Aldi – $0.99/bag) — $0.15
1 can water chestnuts (optional — I use because we love them!) (Publix) — $0.99

Ingredients for Sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce (Aldi – $1.50 for 10oz) — $0.60
4 Tablespoons brown sugar (Aldi – $1.85 for 2 lbs) — $0.09
Garlic cloves, minced, to taste (I used 5, divided)
Fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced, to taste (I used 2 Tablespoons of fresh ginger, divided) — $0.50
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil (Walmart – $3.48 for 5 oz) — $0.34
2 Tablespoons cornstarch (Aldi – $2.09 for 16 oz) — $0.07

Total for Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry: $8.38 (serves 6)

Ingredients for Steamed Rice:

3 cups dry rice (Aldi – $6.75 for 5 lbs) — $1.69
Water
Salt

Total for Rice: $1.69 (serves 6)

Total Cost for Dinner: $10.07 (makes 6 servings)

How to Make Chinese Chicken Stir Fry:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients, adding only half of the minced garlic and finely diced ginger. Set aside.

2. Cook the 3 cups of rice according to the directions on the package (or using your prefered method to cook rice).

3. Heat a wok or electric skillet to medium-high. Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Stir in the diced chicken and cook until done and starting to brown, stirring often (don’t overcook!). Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

4. Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet along with the chopped carrots and broccoli pieces. Cook and stir until the vegetables are just starting to turn tender. Add the remaining vegetables and continue to cook and stir an additional 1-2 minutes.

5. Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet and pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens.

6. Serve the stir fry over rice.

Note: You can garnish the stir fry with additional chopped green onions, sesame seeds and/or peanuts or cashews if desired.

Chinese Chicken Stir Fry with Vegetables and Rice ($10 Family Dinner Idea)

This recipe is a throwback to some of the flavors we grew to love when we lived in Taiwan for 2 years! It’s definitely “Americanized” in the fact that you can buy all of these ingredients at any local grocery store, but it still reminds my husband and me of some of our favorite traditional dishes from Taiwan. I also love that this is such a healthy way to get a large amount of vegetables into one meal without even feeling like you’re eating healthily!

Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Chinese

Keyword chicken, easy dinner, family favorite, high protein, weeknight dinner

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Servings

Calories 664kcal

Author Brigette

Cost $10.07

Ingredients

Ingredients for Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry:

1- lb boneless chicken tenderloins or breasts diced into small pieces (Aldi – $2.19/lb) — $2.19
4 Tablespoons olive oil divided (Aldi – $7.25 for 33 tablespoons) — $0.88
3/4 lb broccoli chopped into bite-size florets (Aldi – $2.09/lb) — $1.57
3 cups additional fresh vegetables chopped (I used peppers and carrots) — $1
2 green onions diced (Aldi – $0.99/bag) — $0.15
1 can water chestnuts optional — I use because we love them! (Publix) — $0.99

Ingredients for Sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce Aldi – $1.50 for 10oz — $0.60
4 Tablespoons brown sugar Aldi – $1.85 for 2 lbs — $0.09
5 cloves garlic cloves minced, to taste, and divided
2 Tbsp Fresh ginger peeled and finely diced, to taste, and divided— $0.50
1/2 cup water
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil Walmart – $3.48 for 5 oz — $0.34
2 Tablespoons cornstarch Aldi – $2.09 for 16 oz — $0.07

Ingredients for Steamed Rice:

3 cups dry rice Aldi – $6.75 for 5 lbs — $1.69
Water
Salt

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients, adding only half of the minced garlic and finely diced ginger. Set aside.
Cook the 3 cups of rice according to the directions on the package (or using your prefered method to cook rice).
Heat a wok or electric skillet to medium-high. Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Stir in the diced chicken and cook until done and starting to brown, stirring often (don’t overcook!). Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet along with the chopped carrots and broccoli pieces. Cook and stir until the vegetables are just starting to turn tender. Add the remaining vegetables and continue to cook and stir an additional 1-2 minutes.
Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet and pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens.
Serve the stir fry over rice.

Notes

You can garnish the stir fry with additional chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and/or peanuts or cashews, if desired.

Nutrition

FAQs about Chinese Chicken Stir Fry:

What to put in Chinese Chicken Stir Fry?

I love putting chicken, aromatics like garlic and ginger, sauce, and assorted vegetables, including broccoli, carrots, and pepper, and serve it over rice.

What is the best sauce to use for Chicken Stir Fry?

To achieve the best flavor and be able to access all ingredients at an American grocery store, I make my favorite sauce with soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic cloves and fresh ginger, water, toasted sesame oil, and cornstarch.

What are the best vegetables to put in a Chicken Stir Fry?

I add broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, green onions, and water chestnuts, but you could also include snow peas, mushrooms, zucchini, onion, and bok choy.

More Ideas for Family Dinners Under $10:

And, be sure to check out all our easy dinner recipes here!

If you make this Chinese Chicken Stir Fry family dinner, we’d love for you to leave a review and let us know how it turned out!

Week 38: NYC Trip Part 2 + what I’m reading, listening to, and watching

Crystal Paine — Sun, 20 Sep 2026 21:30:29 +0000

Last week I shared about day 1 of my trip to NYC with Kaitlynn to celebrate her recent graduation! If you missed it, last week’s post includes details about our fun first day and my advice for traveling to NYC on a budget.

And now for day 2! Kaitlynn and I slept in after our late night at the show, had a leisurely morning, and then took the subway to the West Village.

First up, we visited Bagel Pub – they had an incredible array of fresh made bagels and a plethora of cream cheese options. Kaitlynn got an egg and cheese bagel sandwich and I got a protein bagel sandwich – turkey, Swiss cheese, egg white on a whole wheat bagel. They were fantastic!!

Next up, we walked to C.O. Bigelow — a famous Apothecary that has all sorts of unique brands, some that are rare to find in the US. Unlike so many other places we had been on the trip, everything felt very over-priced. So we didn’t end up buying anything.

We capped off our time in the West Village with coffee at Blank Street Coffee @blankstreetcoffee — I mean, Kaitlynn totally matched the restaurant so we couldn’t help checking it out! But we were so impressed with it. I got a decaf latte but Kaitlynn got a Harvest Chai Latte — it had sweet potato jam in it! And she said it was SO good! It looked beautiful! I took a sip of it and it tasted like it was all made in-house with high quality ingredients!

We sat at coffee and talked about life and her future and her new job and budgeting — and before we knew it, it was time to head back to the hotel to grab our suitcases and get to the airport.

I am so thankful that Kaitlynn and I got to have this special getaway! It was the perfect amount of time away to do so much but not feel rushed! And we made so many memories that we will carry with us for a long time!

Happy 46th birthday to the man I met at age 9 (he was 10 then!), fell in love with as a teen, married at age 21, have raised 6 babies with (+ cared for two more bonus babies with!), and have been the wife of for almost 24 years!!

Jesse, next to my salvation, saying yes to marry you was the best decision I ever made. We had no idea the adventures God had in store for our future — and the many challenges along the way — when we said “I do!”, but what a gift to be on this journey together!

You are truly one of the most selfless people I’ve ever known. Like one of our kids said recently to me, “Dad would do anything for you!” And it’s true!

As I looked through pictures of this past year, I was struck by how they pretty much all involved you caring for someone, helping someone, or sacrificing for someone. You truly lay down your life for your family every single day!

Thank you for all the wonderful memories from this past year — including an overnight getaway in a domed yurt on the river, all the trips for baseball games and family events, the fun date nights, the middle-of-the-night conversations, the dreaming of our future together, the laughter and constant teasing, a colonoscopy, two graduations, watching you face your fears at the CrossFit competition, and getting to walk together with our older kids and care for our younger kids.

I love you so much and am so thankful to be married to my very best friend. You are incredible and I’d marry you all over again.

(One of the things Jesse wanted to do for his birthday was to go get the handicap placard for our car — something we had been wanting to get for when we are in really big parking lots or at a big event or if David is having a hard day.)

Here’s yet another way Jesse cares for me — last Sunday, I was feeling really overwhelmed. Launching my book, running the business and entering quarter 4, caring for 6 kids (sometimes 7!), and potentially moving sso getting my house ready to go on the market… phew! It’s all a lot. There was SO much in my head and I was telling Jesse that the weight of all the mental things that I feel like I should do, need to do, want to do… it was all feeling heavy.

So Jesse suggested I write out everything in my head that was weighing me down, and he stood there with me as I did it — he’s such a good man! — and once I did that, he said, “Okay, I’m going to help you figure out some systems.”

Being the researcher he is, he started researching what can help and asked me what I thought would help. I said I had researched some chore apps, the Skylight digital calendar, knock-off Skylights… I told him I’m just trying to find a system that can keep track of all the things, especially when it comes to our home, chores, kids’ chores, kids’ activities, and more. I just want some systems so it’s not just whatever feels most urgent and pressing, but helps me focus on what’s most important. And, I want a central place to collect all those random things that pop up — lightbulbs! laundry! toilet paper!

So he did all the research and came to me and said he really thought the best option was a Skylight calendar. (This is the one we got.) I couldn’t believe it — I thought they were so gimmicky and I was cynical about them for the last two years. But, y’all, I’m so excited!!!

I’ll keep you posted as we set it up and use it! In the meantime, if you have one of these, send me all your best advice for making the most of it!

Money can be one of the hardest things to talk about in a marriage — which is exactly why I’m so excited about this pre-order bonus for The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women!

When you pre-order from any retailer, you are eligible to claim an incredible collection of exclusive pre-order bonuses — including the Couples’ Guide to Healthy Money Conversations.

Jesse and I have learned over the years just how important it is to talk openly and honestly about money even when those conversations aren’t always easy. Learning how to listen well, understand where the other person is coming from, and work toward shared goals has made such a difference for us.

This practical guide is designed to help you do the same, with simple prompts and tools to help you start meaningful conversations, better understand each other, and work together toward a healthier financial future.

And your pre-order makes you eligible to claim all the bonuses released so far and every new bonus still to come before the book launches! Check them out below!

Pre-order your copy + claim your bonuses here!

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days: Coming Soon!

If you aren’t a Prime member but considering becoming one, this post explores the question: “Is Amazon Prime worth it?”and has a link for a FREE 30-day trial, just in time for Prime Days!

**This Week on The Crystal Paine Show: My Trip to Guatemala**

Tune in this week as Jesse and I talk all about my recent trip to Guatemala! I have alluded to this trip to Guatemala in a few earlier episodes, but I am so excited to finally sit down with Jesse and share more of the story.

This was truly a bucket list trip for me. Ever since we adopted David, I have wanted to visit Guatemala to learn more about his culture and history and to better understand what his mom experienced growing up there. I never imagined the opportunity would just fall into my lap the way that it did.

In this episode, I am sharing some of the things that I learned on my trip, the people I met, and the moments that really stayed with me. I had the privilege of spending time with women from a remote village, many of whom work incredibly hard just to provide for their families.

We came with some ideas of what we would do together, but we quickly learned that we needed to be flexible and willing to listen. That sometimes meant playing games, coloring, making tamalitos, or simply sitting down and asking a woman about her day.

One of the most meaningful parts of the trip for me, though, was seeing how much these women had to share once they felt comfortable. We didn’t speak the same language, but we found that there were so many things we could communicate without words. We laughed together, prayed together, and heard stories of hardship, perseverance, and faith.

I also talk about the differences between the communities we visited, the challenges facing local schools, and some of the things that surprised me about Guatemala, including how beautiful and peaceful it was, and, of course, I have to tell you about the food!

This trip really gave me a much deeper appreciation for David’s birth mother and all that she has been through. I hope that you enjoy hearing about it as much as I enjoyed getting to experience it! As always, please feel free to reach out with your questions and/or thoughts!

Listen to the episode here.

What I’m Reading…

This week, I finished reading Take My Hand and I would highly recommend it. Not only is it a well-written story, but you will likely learn some parts of history that you’ve not heard of and that will likely rend your heart in two, but it’s such an important thing for us to understand and be aware of.

What I’m currently reading: Lady Tan’s Circle of Women, Holy & Hormonal, Every Table an Altar, Calming Your Anxious Child, and This Moment Matters.

What I’m Watching…

This week, Jesse and I went to the theater and watched Runner (there’s a lot of action and intense scenes and a little language, but we enjoyed it – the perfect mix of action, humor, and depth!). Kaitlynn and I also started watching the newest season of Dancing With the Stars.

What I’m Listening to…

I finished listening to The Girl Behind the Wall and really enjoyed it. It made me think about a lot of things related to the Berlin wall that I’ve never thought of before and how hard and challenging it would have been for people.

I’m now halfway through The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Volume 2. I am enjoying this series!

In Case You Missed It — Links from Recent Weeks:

Cheesy Baked Tortellini with Green Bean Fries ($10 Family Dinner Idea) — If you love lasagna or spaghetti bakes, this Baked Tortellini is an easier twist on those recipes! Even better, including the baking time, it was finished in less than an hour.
Ask Crystal: Which Budgeting App is Best? — If you’ve ever downloaded a budgeting app, poked around for 10 minutes, and felt overwhelmed… you’re definitely not alone. I hear this from readers all the time: “I know budgeting would help, but I don’t know which is the best budgeting app that is actually worth my time.” So in this post I’m breaking down how EveryDollar, YNAB, and RocketMoney compare, so you can choose the one that makes the most sense for your family.
Looking for the Best App for Weight Loss? Why Nourish Offers More Than Tracking — Most weight loss apps help you count calories, track macros, log workouts, or watch the number on the scale. Those tools can be helpful, but knowing what to do doesn’t always make it easier to actually do it, or to figure out what your body needs. That’s what makes Nourish different. This app combines helpful tracking tools with personalized, one-on-one support from a registered dietician to help you understand what your body needs and build habits you can actually sustain… and, it usually costs $0 with insurance! Read this post for all the details.
Habits of Financially Fit Women — What if getting better with money didn’t require a massive overhaul, but a few small, intentional habits? Listen to this podcast episode I recorded with Erin on the Simple, Purposeful Life as we discuss simple ways to become more intentional with your money, from creating rhythms around budgeting to finding contentment with what you already have. I think you’ll leave feeling empowered and encouraged!
Building Healthy Money Habits While Raising Kids — Money stress can shape the atmosphere of your home and the lessons your kids carry into adulthood. When parents feel overwhelmed financially, it’s easy to assume that more income is the only solution; however, relief often begins with small, intentional choices that lead to healthy money habits. On this episode of Faith & Finance, Rob West and I discuss managing money while raising kids.

Is Amazon Prime Worth It + FREE 30-Day Trial {Just In Time for Prime Days!}

Crystal Paine — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 15:37:00 +0000

Are you wondering if an Amazon Prime membership is worth it? In this post, we break down the key benefits of Amazon Prime — from fast, free shipping and easy access to Amazon deals to streaming and storage — to help you decide if Prime delivers real value for your money.

I polled my audience and asked them this question. As you can imagine, I got a wide variety of responses — some from diehard Amazon Prime fans, some from those who think it is a complete waste of money, and some from people who are smack dab in the middle and think it can be a money-saving option or it could be something that’s not worth the expense.

In this article, I’ll share some of the responses I heard over and over to help you decide whether or not Amazon Prime is worth the cost for you.

What is the Cost of Amazon Prime?

First off, let’s talk numbers. A regular Amazon Prime subscription is $14.99 per month (plus taxes) or $139 per year (plus taxes). Every once in a while, they have offered a discounted rate for a few days, but I’ve not seen a discount for a while.

Psst! Right now, you can get a FREE 30-day trial of Amazon Prime! This is a great time to jump on this before Prime Big Deal Days on October 6-7, 2026.

If you are a college student, you can get a Student Prime Membership which gives you the first 6 months for free and then it’s $7.49/month after that. If you are a qualifying government assistance recipient, you might also qualify for a reduced rate of $6.99 per month for Amazon Prime. (Foster families: If you have a child who is on WIC, you will qualify as well!)

What are the Benefits of Amazon Prime?

For a long time, many people thought of Amazon Prime as “free two-day shipping.” Which could be a great benefit if you order a lot from Amazon. However, in the past year, some items are no longer being shipped in two days or less (though some of that depends upon what you order and how close you live to an Amazon warehouse) BUT they offer so many other perks for those who are Amazon Prime members.

Are you interested in trying Amazon Prime? You can get a free 30-day trial here.

Here are some of the perks you all mentioned loving the most:

1. Amazon Prime Membership Fee – Under $12 a Month for Free Shipping

“Prime is only $139 for the year, which comes out to less than $12 per month for free shipping (no matter how much you spend, and most of the time it’s here the next day!), Amazon Prime TV, and Amazon music. Totally worth it!” -Vanessa

Speaking of free shipping, Joy says, “For our family, shipping alone makes Prime worth it. Plus sometimes they offer digital credits for slow shipping that we use to rent or buy movies.”

There is also the convenience factor to consider, as Erin wrote: “I live in the middle of nowhere and can get a ton of things I cannot get easily. I can do a big order of those things and also get Amazon online. Is it perfect? No, but for my family it works.”

2. Benefits of Amazon Prime: Easily Get Amazon Deals

Tracy said: “If I get a deal for something that is $5, I can take advantage of the free shipping and catch the deal and get free shipping and have it delivered in two days. This also cuts down on gas as I can order knowing right when my order will arrive! Amazon Prime pays for itself multiple times over annually!”

(Note: While this can be a plus, it could also be a downside — because Amazon makes it SO easy to spend money!)

An Amazon Prime membership also allows you to more easily use Subscribe & Save, which can save you even more on items you’ll buy regularly, since you won’t have to meet the $35 threshold for free shipping.

3. Prime Music

Katie says: “We like it for the free shipping, the Prime Music, and the Prime Video options. Prime Music gives you access to around 2 million songs that you can listen to ad-free, plus thousands of playlists and stations. I also use the prime reading options with my Kindle app. My kids love prime music. They all have a playlist of their favorite songs.”

(Note: You can also get lots of free streaming music on Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, or other places. Yes, you might have to deal with some commercials if you don’t have a paid account, but there are many ways to access free music online.)

4. Free Kindle Books

If you are a reader, access to free Kindle books could be a huge plus. As Sharon posted, “The big thing for me though is my Kindle books. I read 5-6 books a week and would run out of reading material if I didn’t have Prime.”

This is one of the most underrated perks, especially if you love books or have kids who devour chapter books. With Prime Reading, you get access to a rotating library of ebooks, magazines, short reads, and even some audiobooks at no extra cost. You don’t need a Kindle device to use it since you can read everything right in the free Kindle app on your phone or tablet. Many moms in our community say this helps them save money on books and keeps their kids stocked with fresh reading material during school breaks or long car rides.

(Note: You can get many of the Kindle books for free even without having a Prime membership. Also, check your local library to see if they offer ebooks and audiobooks for free from the Hoopla or Libby app.)

5. Unlimited Photo Storage

With an Amazon Prime subscription, you’ll get unlimited full-resolution photo storage and 5 GB for video. Jessica said this: “For us, it is worth it for the photo storage. It is a very economical way to store full-size photo files for backup purposes for someone who is into photography.”

6. Amazon Household

Amazon Household is one of the easiest ways to stretch the value of your Prime membership, especially if you share a home with a spouse, partner, or kids. It allows you to share many Prime benefits with one other adult and up to four teens (who were added before April 7, 2025) and four child profiles at no extra cost.

Each person keeps their own Amazon login, personal recommendations, and browsing history, but everyone gets access to Prime perks like free delivery, Prime Video, Prime Reading, and eligible digital content through the Family Library. This means you can share the benefits without sharing passwords or mixing up your shopping carts and watch lists.

7. It Could Save You Time

If you have a really full life, being able to easily order online could be really helpful! As Danae wrote in, “For me, it’s a quality of life thing… it saves me a huge amount of time to be able to order something small that I need and get it in a few days without making a trip to the store, which means I can use that time for my family or my house or work.”

8. Provides an Alternative to Cable

When you have an Amazon Prime account, you’ll have access to lots of movies and shows for free. (Many aren’t free, but there are a lot that are free with your Amazon Prime subscription.) Reader Jennifer said, “We don’t pay a monthly cable or satellite bill so we’re saving a ton of money on entertainment, even though we pay for subscriptions to Prime, Netflix, and Frndly.”

By the way, Prime Video is cheaper than Netflix. So if you have Netflix, it might be worth checking into whether switching to Amazon Prime might be a better option — since you get a lot more than just streaming!

Clare said: “Not sure it’s worth it just for shipping but Prime Video is cheaper than Netflix (and seems cleaner). As a homeschooling mom, I have found so many documentaries for my kids on that platform. It’s also fantastic for downloading movies onto phones or tablets for the toddler in the car.”

9. Ability to Download Shows and Movies to your Device

When you have an Amazon Prime subscription, you are able to download shows and movies off of Prime and watch them later. Deidre shared how this has been such a help to their family: “You can download shows and movies off Prime and watch them on a tablet or phone without having internet service. We use this for car rides, flights, when the power goes out and I have scared restless toddlers, and when I know we will have lots of waiting at the dentist, doctor, etc.”

Does Amazon Prime really save you money?

While there are many benefits to having an Amazon Prime subscription, a number of people told me that they felt it actually encouraged them to spend more money and that they found that they could easily wait until they had $35 in their cart to get free shipping.

Like Nicole says: “I had Prime for YEARS, and gave it up a couple of years ago. And go figure… I don’t miss it! Not worth the subscription to me. I can wait for $35 to get free shipping. I also don’t impulse buy tiny things. And I used to watch Prime videos all the time – don’t miss it at all. I easily fill that time with other things.”

Benefits of Amazon Prime FAQs

How much is Prime membership 2026?

The current membership price is $14.99 per month or $139 per year.

Can I get Prime for free?

Yes, you can get a 30-day free trial before payment is due. If you are a college student, you can get 6 months free!

What is the difference between Amazon Prime and regular Amazon?

Amazon is the parent company; Amazon Prime is a service it offers. Amazon is an online shopping opportunity for anyone — offering standard delivery for items ordered through its website. Amazon Prime is a subscription with the benefit of free, standard, or 2-day delivery, as well as additional benefits like Prime Video, Prime TV, Prime Music, Kindle eBooks, etc.

Do Amazon Prime members get Netflix for free?

No, Netflix is not associated with Amazon Prime — but Prime Video and Prime TV are included with Amazon Prime.

And check out our latest Amazon deals here!

I’d love to hear from you: Is Amazon Prime worth the cost? Why or why not?

Brigette’s $71 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 4!

Brigette — Sat, 19 Sep 2026 13:43:00 +0000

Aldi

1/2 gallon Orange Juice – $3.35

1 gallon Milk – $2.78

1 pkg Turkey Bacon – $3.49

1 pkg Boneless Chicken Breasts – $12.02

1 32-oz carton Egg Whites – $4.79

1 Cauliflower – $2.89

2 bags Spinach – $3.78

2 bags Green Beans – $4.70

1 bag Frozen Broccoli Florets – $1.09

1 can Whipped Topping – $2.49

1/2 gallon Oat Milk – $3.49

2 cans Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup – $1.98

1 bag Chocolate Chips – $3.65

Total: $50.50

Lidl

2 pkgs Mini Cucumbers – $3

1 Bakery Cookie – FREE with Lidl App

1 5-lb bag All Purpose Flour – $1.89

1 40-oz jar Honey – $8.99

1 large container Spreadable Butter – $2.95

Total: $16.83

Publix

2 boxes Mueller Pasta – $1.86, used $0.50/2 Muellers Publix Digital Coupon – $1.36 for 2 after Coupon

2 Old Spice Deodorant – $4.98, used $4/2 Old Spice Publix Digital Coupon – $0.98 for 2 after Coupon

1 Ensure Protein – $2.39, used $2/1 Ensure Publix Digital Coupon – $0.39 after Coupon (I’m hoping this tastes good enough to use as coffee creamer)

1 pkg Sargento Balanced Breaks Crunch – $2.09, used $1/1 Sargento Crunch Publix Digital Coupon – $1.09 after Coupon

1 pkg Sargento Balanced Breaks – $2.10, used $1.50/1 Sargento Publix Digital Coupon – $0.60 after Coupon

1 box No Yolks Protein Pasta – $1.64, used $1/1 No Yolks Publix Digital Coupon – $0.64 after Coupon

1 bag Cape Cod Chips – $2.64, used $1/1 Cape Cod Publix Digital Coupon – $1.64 after Coupon

2 bags Arm and Hammer Deep Clean Laundry Paks – $12.39, received (2) $2.70/1 Deep Clean Paks Ibotta Rebates plus 900 points from Swagbucks ($9) – $2.01 Money Maker after Rebates!

Total after Coupons and Rebates: $4.66

Grocery Total for the Week: $71.99

Weekly Menu Plan

It’s another week where we’ve ended up being gifted food (like fresh meat, fruit, and eggs) so I didn’t need to buy as much as I normally would. Also, I’m still trying to figure out how much food we actually eat now that my older two children are away at college!

Breakfasts

Cereal, Oatmeal, Grits, Granola, Yogurt, Smoothies, Eggs

Lunches

Leftovers, Sliced Cucumbers/Peppers, No Bake Energy Bites, Chips x 7

Dinners

Biscuits and Venison Sausage Gravy, Broccoli

Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Creamy Milk Rice, Cauliflower

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole, Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Pancakes, Turkey Bacon, Hard Boiled Eggs

Spaghetti (using ground venison sausage), Easy Homemade Breadsticks, Green Beans

Dinner Out (celebrating my son’s 18th birthday!)

Leftovers

Ask Crystal: Which budgeting app is best?

Crystal Paine — Thu, 17 Sep 2026 21:02:00 +0000

If you’ve ever downloaded a budgeting app, poked around for 10 minutes, and felt overwhelmed… you’re definitely not alone. I hear this from readers all the time: “I know budgeting would help, but I don’t know which is the best budgeting app that is actually worth my time.”

So today I’m answering one of the questions I get asked most often — What’s the best budgeting app? — and breaking down how EveryDollar, YNAB, and RocketMoney compare, so you can choose the one that makes the most sense for your family.

Because here’s the truth: the “best” budgeting app isn’t necessarily the one with the most features or the one that your friend likes best. It’s the one you’ll actually open again tomorrow.

Want to try zero-based budgeting without an app first? Grab my free budgeting worksheets here!

The Best Budgeting Apps:

EveryDollar, YNAB (You Need A Budget), and Rocket Money are three popular options, but they each have unique features depending on how hands-on you want to be with your budget and how much support you’re looking for.

Let’s break them down (in no particular order) to help you make the best decision for your family:

1. EveryDollar

EveryDollar is a simple and clean budgeting app developed by Dave Ramsey’s team, and it’s based on the concept of zero-based budgeting where you give every dollar a job before the month begins. This is one of the recommended budgeting apps for beginners who want something straightforward without a steep learning curve.

The free version lets you manually enter all your income and expenses, while the paid version connects to your bank accounts and automatically tracks transactions.

If you’re already familiar with the envelope method or like the idea of planning your spending before the month starts, you’ll probably love how organized EveryDollar makes you feel. However, to unlock helpful features like bank syncing and custom budget reports, you’ll need to upgrade to the paid version. Still, it’s a great entry point for anyone just getting started.

Pros:

Simple, clean interface that’s great for beginners
Based on zero-based budgeting (assign every dollar a job)
Manual version is free
Syncs with your bank account with the paid version

Cons:

Limited features in the free budgeting app version
Automated transaction importing only available with paid plan

Cost:

Free (manual entry)
$79.99/year for the premium version with bank sync and additional features

2. YNAB (You Need A Budget)

YNAB is a favorite among budgeters who really want to take a hands-on approach to managing their finances and for good reason. It’s incredibly intentional.

This app doesn’t just help you track spending; it helps you build new financial habits. YNAB operates on four key rules that encourage you to give every dollar a job, embrace your true expenses, roll with the punches, and age your money. In other words, this app teaches you how to stop living paycheck to paycheck.

YNAB is ideal if you’re looking for more than just an app and want a complete budgeting system. But you must be willing to spend a little time upfront learning how it works.

The interface syncs with your bank accounts in real time, and the support community and tutorials are top-notch. If you’re someone who loves spreadsheets or tracking things down to the penny, YNAB might be your new best friend.

That said, it does come at a higher price point and has a bit of a learning curve, so it may not be the best option if you’re looking for something super simple right away.

Pros:

Excellent educational tools and tutorials
Encourages long-term mindset shifts about money
Real-time sync with bank accounts

Cons:

Pricier than other options
Learning curve can feel steep at first

If you need help budgeting when you have a fluctuating income, this post is a great place to start.

Cost:

$14.99/month or $99/year
34-day free trial
Free for college students for one year

3. Rocket Money (formerly Truebill)

If you want a more passive approach to managing your money, Rocket Money could be a great fit. This household budgeting app is designed to do a lot of the heavy lifting for you by tracking your spending, flagging subscriptions you might want to cancel, negotiating bills on your behalf, and even helping you set up automated savings. It’s especially helpful if your biggest budgeting struggle is not knowing where your money is going each month.

Rocket Money shines when it comes to identifying hidden expenses, especially monthly subscriptions that tend to sneak by unnoticed. The app does offer paid premium services that include budgeting insights and credit monitoring.

However, Rocket Money is less about hands-on planning and more about organizing what’s already happening with your money. If you want to be more intentional with your spending from the start of the month, a tool like EveryDollar or YNAB might be a better match. Still, for busy families who just want to keep tabs on their finances with minimal effort, Rocket Money has a lot to offer. It’s free version is one of the best free budgeting apps available.

Pros:

Automatically finds subscriptions and bills you may want to cancel
Tracks spending and helps you negotiate bills
Offers credit score tracking
Set savings goals directly in the app

Cons:

Less emphasis on detailed budgeting and planning
Some features are locked behind paid plans
Negotiation services take a portion of the savings

Cost:

Free version available
Premium: Pay what you want, $3–$12/month

Bonus Budgeting App Option: Quicken Simplifi

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Quicken — once the mother of all personal-finance products. It’s been around for 40 years so almost everyone has heard of it or used it before. Quicken Simplifi (their personal budgeting software) is a not primarily a cloud-based software and was designed to be used via desktop. (Quicken Simplifi does now have a companion mobile app, but they still intend for you to primarily access your data from your desktop.)

Pros:

Quicken is very good to use for an electronic register and is great at connecting with your bank and keeping bank accounts balanced.
When we used it for a short time, we liked how easy it was to keep track of all of our assets (house, car, etc) updated with present values for tax and net worth calculations.

Cons:

When we used it years ago, Quicken was pretty clunky, so we ended up using it only as a register and then budgeted on paper or Google Sheets. Based on current reviews, it seems like they may have fixed that issue. But just something to keep in mind!
Reviews say Quicken Simplifi doesn’t have good tools for helping track or pay off debt. If this is one of your financial goals, you’d at least need a supplemental tool, or maybe want to go with one of the other options.
Since this is designed primarily for a desktop, Quicken Simplifi won’t be a good fit for you if you prefer to manage your budget from your phone.

Cost:

$5.99/month or $47.88/year

I hope this helps give you some additional insight as to which recommended budgeting app and budgeting method may be the best fit for your needs and goals. Remember, there’s no perfect app or system. It all comes down to what works best for you at the stage of life you’re in.

The good news is that many budgeting apps have a free trial so you can test out the features to see if it’s a good fit. And if you’re not ready to commit to an app yet or prefer to budget paper to pen, don’t forget you can start with my free printable budgeting worksheets to get into the habit of planning your money intentionally on paper first!

Apps Track the Numbers. This Bonus Helps You Talk about Them.

Here’s something even the best budgeting app for couples can’t do: make it easier to talk about money with your spouse. Budgeting gets a lot trickier when you’re not the only one making the decisions and, in my experience, money can be one of the hardest things to talk about in a marriage.

That’s exactly why I put together this free pre-order bonus: Couples’ Guide to Healthy Money Conversations — a practical guide to help you and your partner start meaningful conversations, understand each other better, and work together toward a healthier financial future.

And it’s not the only preorder bonus waiting for you. When you pre-order my newest book, The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women, from any retailer, you are eligible to claim all the bonuses released so far and every new bonus still to come before the book launches.

Pre-order your copy + claim your bonuses here!

Cheesy Baked Tortellini and Green Bean Fries ($10 Family Dinner Idea)

Brigette — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

This recipe was inspired by free tortellini (thanks to B1G1 sales plus rebates) that I got at Publix recently. If you love lasagna or spaghetti bakes, this Baked Tortellini is an easier twist on those recipes! It came together so easily, and it’s definitely a recipe I will make on repeat next time I get free or cheap tortellini.

The green bean fries are one of my favorite sides, and they pair so well with many meals. Even people who don’t love veggies will probably enjoy them! Feel free to be creative as far as seasonings go, but I usually stick with the tried-and-true basics since my family isn’t very adventurous when it comes to new flavors, haha.

This week’s $10 Family Dinner — including the baking time — was finished in less than an hour. I topped it with some fresh rosemary, since I just happened to have some growing on my back porch. Yum!

This post is part of our $10 Dinner Ideas series, brought to you by Brigette on our team! Each week, she shares easy, delicious, and affordable family-friendly dinner ideas that cost less than $10 to make, use everyday ingredients, and are super quick meals.

Cheesy Tortellini Bake Dinner Menu:

Cheesy Tortellini Bake
Green Bean Fries

Ingredients for Baked Tortellini:

1-lb ground meat (I used ground chicken – Publix – $1/lb with coupon) — $1
4-5 garlic cloves, finely chopped (Aldi – $1.35/3 heads) — $0.15
2 12-oz bags tortellini (Publix – free with B1G1 sale and rebates) — $0
1 24-oz jar marinara sauce (Aldi) — $1.47
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Salt, to taste
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (Aldi – $3.29/4 cups) — $2.47
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (Aldi – $2.99/16 oz) — $0.40

Total for Cheesy Tortellini Bake: $5.49 (serves 6-8)

Ingredients for Green Bean Fries:

2 1-lb bags green beans, washed, dried and ends snipped off (Aldi – $2.35/lb) — $4.70
Drizzle of olive oil
Salt, to taste
Sprinkle of Parmesan cheese

Total for Green Bean Fries: $10.45 (serves 6)

Total Cost for Dinner: $10.45 (plus cost of seasonings) (makes 8 servings)

How to Make Baked Tortellini:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, fry the ground meat and chopped garlic until meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally.

2. Stir in marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt to taste.

3. While meat is frying, heat a large pot of boiling water and cook the tortellini al dente, according to the directions on the bag.

4. Add the cooked tortellini and 1/2 of the shredded mozzarella cheese to the meat/sauce mixture and stir. Pour into a 9×13 pan and top with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

5. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until starting to brown.

6. While the pasta is baking, spread the green beans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and Parmesan cheese.

7. Put green beans into the oven and bake with the baked tortellini for approximately 30 minutes. When the pasta has finished cooking, take it out of the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 450. Continue baking the green beans until they are tender and starting to brown, an additional 10 or so minutes, depending on how “done” you like them. You can finish them off under the broiler if you prefer them more crispy.

Cheesy Baked Tortellini with Green Bean Fries ($10 Family Dinner Idea)

If you love lasagna or spaghetti bakes, this cheesy tortellini bake is an easier twist on those recipes! It came together so easily, and is definitely a recipe I will make on repeat next time I get free or cheap tortellini. Even people who don’t love veggies will probably enjoy these delicious green bean fries. This entire meal — including the baking time — was finished in less than an hour, making it an excellent weeknight dinner!

Course dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword easy dinner, easy side dish, weeknight dinner

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 40

Servings

Calories 628kcal

Author Brigette

Cost $10.45

Ingredients

Ingredients for Cheesy Baked Tortellini:

1- lb ground meat I used ground chicken – Publix – $1/lb with coupon — $1
4-5 cloves garlic finely chopped (Aldi – $1.35/3 heads) — $0.15
2 bags tortellini (12-oz each) Publix – free with B1G1 sale and rebates — $0
1 jar marinara sauce (24-oz) Aldi — $1.47
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Salt to taste
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese divided (Aldi – $3.29/4 cups) — $2.47
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese Aldi – $2.99/16 oz — $0.40

Ingredients for Green Bean Fries:

2 lb green beans washed, dried and ends snipped off (Aldi – $2.35/lb) — $4.70
Drizzle Olive oil
Salt to taste
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet, fry the ground meat and chopped garlic until meat is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
Stir in marinara sauce, Italian seasoning, and salt to taste.
While meat is frying, heat a large pot of boiling water and cook the tortellini al dente, according to the directions on the bag.
Add the cooked tortellini and 1/2 of the shredded mozzarella cheese to the meat/sauce mixture and stir. Pour into a 9×13 pan and top with remaining mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until starting to brown.
While the pasta is baking, spread the green beans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and Parmesan cheese.
Put green beans into the oven and bake with the tortellini bake for approximately 30 minutes. When the pasta has finished cooking, take it out of the oven and turn the oven temperature up to 450. Continue baking the green beans until they are tender and starting to brown, an additional 10 or so minutes, depending on how “done” you like them. You can finish them off under the broiler if you prefer them more crispy.

Nutrition

FAQs about Cheesy Tortellini Bake:

Does tortellini need to be boiled before baking?

Yes, make sure you boil dried tortellini before baking it. But, if you’re using fresh tortellini and plenty of sauce, it can cook in the sauce while baking and doesn’t need to be boiled beforehand.

What are some common mistakes when making baked tortellini?

The easiest mistake to make is boiling the tortellini too long, which results in mushy pasta. Follow package instructions to cook the tortellini al dente before assembling and baking it.

How to reheat baked tortellini?

This cheesy tortellini bake is a delicious leftover meal! Simply reheat it in the microwave for about a minute, stirring partway through. Or you can reheat it in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Can you bake frozen tortellini?

Yes! It’s easy to bake frozen tortellini without boiling it first — just mix the frozen tortellini with the sauce and cover with foil to bake, as instructed in steps 4 & 5 of this recipe.

Can you freeze cooked tortellini?

You can freeze this tortellini bake. Here’s what you’ll do: assemble the casserole as instructed but don’t top with cheese. Allow it to cool, cover it with plastic wrap and foil, and then freeze for up to 3 months. Before serving day, thaw the casserole in the fridge overnight. To bake, top it with cheeses, remove the plastic wrap, and bake covered with foil at 350 for about 50 minutes.

More Ideas for Family Dinners Under $10:

And, be sure to check out all our easy dinner recipes here!

If you make this Cheesy Baked Tortellini family dinner, we’d love for you to leave a review and let us know how it turned out!

The Couples’ Guide to Healthy Money Conversations Printable {Exclusive Pre-Order Bonus!}

Crystal Paine — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 21:00:00 +0000

If you’ve been thinking about pre-ordering The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women, this week’s bonus is one you won’t want to miss!

This book is packed with practical, encouraging strategies to help you stop stressing about money, build healthy habits that actually last, and create a personalized roadmap for a healthier financial future. It’s part personal story, part practical guide, and filled with realistic, actionable steps you can start using right away.

As a special thank-you for everyone who pre-orders, I’m putting together an incredible collection of exclusive bonuses — including this brand-new Couples’ Guide to Healthy Money Conversations, which I’m so excited to share with you!

When you pre-order from any retailer, you’ll become eligible to claim every bonus we’ve released so far (see them here), plus every new bonus we’ll be releasing before the book launches. We have so many more practical resources, printable tools, challenges, and surprises planned, and I don’t want you to miss a single one!

Introducing The Couples’ Guide to Healthy Money Conversations

Let’s be honest — talking about money isn’t always easy.

Whether you’re newly married or have been together for decades, money conversations can sometimes feel awkward, emotional, or overwhelming. Even couples who communicate well in other areas of their relationship often desire to communicate better about their finances.

That’s exactly why I created this bonus.

One of the themes you’ll find throughout my new book is that lasting financial health isn’t just about numbers — it’s about the habits and relationships that shape the way we handle money every day.

When couples learn to communicate openly, listen well, and work toward shared goals, money becomes less of a source of stress and more of a tool for building the life they want together. My hope is that this guide will help you have those first conversations with confidence and give you practical tools you’ll return to again and again.

Inside the Guide, You’ll Discover:

Conversation starters that make talking about money feel less intimidating.
Guided discussion prompts to help you better understand each other’s financial experiences, priorities, and goals.
Practical exercises to help you create a shared vision for your money.
Simple action steps you can take together to build healthier financial habits.

Whether you’re trying to create a budget, save for a big goal, pay off debt, or simply get on the same page financially, The Couples’ Guide to Healthy Money Conversations will help you have more productive conversations. Its practical prompts, thoughtful questions, and simple exercises will help you move beyond stressful money discussions and begin working together with greater confidence and unity.

How to Get This Exclusive Bonus

Simply pre-order The 7 Habits of Financially Healthy Women from any retailer and sign up through our pre-order bonus page.

When you do, you’ll receive the The Couples’ Guide to Money Conversations, plus every previously released bonus, and you’ll be eligible to claim every new bonus we’ll release before the book launches!

Pre-order your copy today and start building your complete bonus collection!

Fetch Rewards App: Earn Cash for Scanning Receipts!

Crystal Paine — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 11:15:00 +0000

Looking for honest Fetch Rewards reviews? The Fetch Rewards app is SO easy to use to save money on groceries!

Looking for other apps where you can earn money or gift cards for free? We recommend Ibotta, Upside, CoinOut, and Swagbucks.

What is Fetch Rewards?

Fetch Rewards is a free app (for iOS or Android) that allows you to earn free gift cards to Amazon, Panera, Barnes & Noble, and so much more — just for scanning your grocery receipts. (Psst! You can now also redeem eReceipts to earn points for online purchases, too!)

Want to make a little extra money from scanning your grocery receipts? Keep reading! (Plus, use my link to sign-up to get a BONUS 2,000 points!)

How does Fetch Rewards work?

All you have to do is download the app from your mobile device, take a picture of any receipt (within 14 days), and hit submit.

Just like that, you’ll get points back (literally, you get 25 points just for submitting the receipt!)

You can then cash in these points for fantastic gift cards to help you stretch your budget a little further OR be able to afford some fun splurges!

How to use Fetch Rewards

After you download the Fetch app on your mobile device, you’ll sign up with your email address or through Facebook.

Once you’re in, use the orange camera icon to scan any receipt within 14 days.

You’ll get points for every receipt you scan, and when you earn enough points to redeem a gift card (minimum 3000) you can cash in your points for eligible gift cards.

The gift cards will show up in your email within a few minutes… then all you need to do is spend them!

Are Fetch reviews positive?

Here are a few PROS of Fetch:

It’s free!
It participates with almost every store, including chain and local stores.
There’s no need to clip coupons before you shop — just scan your receipt.
It works with a HUGE network of brands.
Scanning receipts is quick and easy.
You don’t need to wait to get your gift card rewards.
The app currently has a 4.8/5 star rating in the App Store and a 4.6/5 star rating in the Google Play Store.

And some CONS:

You need to remember to upload your receipts within 14 days.
In order to upload eReceipts, you must connect your email and/or Amazon accounts.
You can not get cash back or a direct deposit to your Paypal or bank account.
There’s an upload limit of 35 receipts per 7-day period.
Your points expire after 90 days of inactivity.

Reasons I Love the Fetch App

Here are 7 reasons why the Fetch Rewards App is so great:

1. You Can Scan ANY Receipt

Just about any and all receipts qualify — including receipts from Aldi, Dollar Tree, gas stations, retail stores, local stores, restaurants, department stores, and so much more! (You can now also redeem eReceipts to earn points for online purchases, too!)

2. You Can Scan Up to 35 Receipts Per Week

This is great if you make multiple grocery shopping trips in a week or you save your receipts and then scan them all in at once (you have up to 14 days to scan in your receipt from the day you went shopping).

3. You Earn Points On Every Receipt

While they have various items you can purchase to earn bonus points, no matter what you bought, if you scan your receipt, you’ll get 25 points just for scanning your receipt! It adds up really quickly!

4. You Don’t Have to Mess With Scanning Bar Codes

Unlike some of the other rebate apps, you don’t have to mess with finding the offers and checking the boxes for them or scanning the barcodes on the individual items. You just scan your receipt, they automatically add the points to your account, and you’re done!

5. You Earn Bonus Points for Referring People

Fetch Rewards offers a great referral program and you can earn 4,000 points for every person you refer who signs up with your code and then scans a receipt. Spread the word about this great app and they’ll reward you for doing so!

6. You Don’t Have to Earn a Minimum Before Cashing Out

There’s no need to wait until you’ve hit a $25 payout with Fetch Rewards! As soon as you have enough points, you can start trading them in for $3 and $5 gift cards!

7. There’s a Big Selection of Gift Cards to Choose From

Choose from popular stores like Amazon, Panera, Target, Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks, TJMaxx, CVS, Kroger, Marshall’s, and tons more.

How to Earn With The Fetch Rewards App

You won’t earn a TON of money for scanning receipts, but every little bit adds up! And since it only takes a few seconds to scan my receipt, it’s so worth it! (Plus, you can use my link to sign up to get a bonus 2,000 points just for signing up!)

Most people report earning more points in the beginning and then earning fewer points the longer they use the app. But hey, all points are free money in my book, so I’ll take them!

This is a great way to stretch your grocery budget each month. Or it might be fun to set aside all of the money you’ve earned in a year and use it for Christmas gifts or one larger purchase.

Want to join me in this fun journey to earning free gift cards just for scanning your grocery receipts?

Just sign up through this link on your mobile device and submit your first receipt to start earning right away! And use my referral link to get a bonus 2,000 points when you sign up!

Fetch Rewards FAQs

Can I redeem my fetch app points for cash?

You currently can’t get cash back, but you can redeem your points for a Visa Prepaid card — which is basically just like cash!

Do I need to enter my credit card info to use the Fetch Reward App?

Nope! It won’t even ask for your credit card information.

Are there certain stores that offer more points?

Yes! While you will earn at least 25 points from EVERY receipt you submit, you can earn additional points on eligible receipts from grocery stores, supermarkets, wholesale club stores, hardware stores, pet stores, gas stations, and convenience stores when you buy participating items and complete special offers at those stores.

Looking for other apps where you can earn money or gift cards for free? I recommend Ibotta, Upside, CoinOut, and Swagbucks.

LITE Feed, Money Saving Mom®

Brigette’s $130 Grocery Shopping Trip and Weekly Menu Plan for 4!

Aldi

Publix

Weekly Menu Plan

Breakfasts

Lunches

Dinners

FREE One Week Menu Plan!

Schedule of Christmas Hallmark Movies (Starts Tonight!)

Hallmark Christmas Movies Schedule

When Do Hallmark Christmas Movies Start?

Check Out the Hallmark Christmas Movies Schedule

Best Christmas Hallmark Christmas Movie Classics to Watch All Season

What are the new Christmas Hallmark movies on 2026?

How to Watch Hallmark Christmas Movies

See the full schedule of new releases here.

FREE DOWNLOAD:

Christmas Budget Boost Cheatsheet!

How to Travel For Cheap – 25+ Budget Travel Tips

Budget Travel Tips: Creative Ways to Save Money on Your Next Family Vacation

Cheap Ways to Travel: Save on Airfare

1. Drive instead of fly

2. Choose a creative mode of travel like a train

3. Plan flights for Tuesdays or Thursdays

4. Purchase domestic airfare 6-8 weeks before your travel date

5. Look at ticket prices on Tuesday-Thursday

6. Take advantage of airfare sales!

7. Do your research on flights

8. Travel during off-season times

9. Sign up for airline rewards programs

How to Travel for Cheap: Save on Lodging

10. Try camping

11. Use Priceline to find a last-minute Express deal on a hotel.

12. Stay with family or friends

13. Plan a staycation

14. Go in with family or friends on a bigger Airbnb or VRBO house.

15. Search multiple hotel travel sites to find the best price.

16. Don’t forget about coupon codes and cash back sites!

Cheapest Way to Travel: Saving on Food

17. Stay at a place with a kitchen

18. Take advantage of complimentary breakfast.

19. Pack your own snacks when possible

20. Only eat two meals per day.

21. Take your own water bottles

22. Buy restaurant gift cards at Kroger

23. Place a grocery pickup order

24. Pack a picnic lunch and eat at a state rest stop

25. Take advantage of deals on local restaurants and attractions

26. Prepare freezer meals

Save with These Budget Travel Tips!

27. Find creative ways to fund your travel budget

28. Travel in the off-season when prices are cheaper

29. Scout out free activities at your destination before you travel

30. Walk instead of drive

Want to Earn Money for Travel?

More Money-Saving Travel Tips!

Do you have any other tips for ways to save money on travel? Let us know in the comments below!

Looking for ways to earn extra income?

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread Recipe

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread Ingredients

How to Make Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread

Ingredients

Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread Ingredients:

Glaze Ingredients:

Instructions

Nutrition

More Recipes You’ll Enjoy:

If you make this Cinnamon Swirl Quick Bread recipe, we’d love to hear how it turns out! Leave a review or comment below.

FREE 50+ Easy and Cheap Breakfast Ideas!!

Hire a Registered Dietitian for Zero Out of Pocket + My Honest Review of Nourish

This One Small Step Has Been Transforming My Health (and It’s Covered by Insurance!)

What Is Nourish?

My Completely Honest (+ Very Vulnerable) Nourish Dietitian Review

What I’m Learning from My Nourish Dietician

Finding Food Freedom

Taking My Wellness Even Further

Making the Most of Your Free Dietitian Online

How Much Does a Session Cost with a Nourish Dietitian?

**This Week on The Crystal Paine Show: Making Peace with What I Can’t Control (with Lysa TerKeurst)**