As we dig in to our #yearofno, I’m studying our lives to see which resources are worth the price…and which ones aren’t! These companies are the ones that our family uses because they provide an excellent return for our money.
Money and Time Savers
Amazon Mom
Our youngest baby has needed the more expensive diapers. He’s a champion pee-er, so the nicer diapers have meant fewer changes, less leaks, and less laundry. While I can see the benefits of the nice diapers, I still demand a deal! The best deal I’ve found is with Amazon Family. I can find a great sale, add a coupon, and subscribe to get the cost down to a price I’m willing to pay.
Get a free 30 day trial with Amazon Family here.
You need Amazon Prime to take advantage of this benefit, but we’ve found Prime to be well worth the cost. We also purchase Sambucol for shortening the length of viruses, children’s Vitamin D (which I can’t find in stores any more), and other items that sell more cheaply on Amazon than our local stores.
Dollar Shave Club
I gave the Dollar Shave Club a try a year or two ago, not sure what Hubby would think of it. Turns out that he loves the blades. And I love that we don’t suddenly run out and have to run to the store for more! It saves a lot of money over the pricey blades I had been buying.
Ebates
I never shop online without checking in at Ebates first. Not only do I get instant cash back on money I was going to spend anyway (that means that I don’t window shop without a specific purchase in mind!!), but they also offer extra coupon codes. No need to do multiple searches to get your best deal! Ebates is a great one stop shop.
Capital One 360
Nope, it’s not a credit card! Capital One 360 is an online bank where you can open multiple accounts. I talked about how I use multiple accounts to my (lazy) advantage in this post here. I’ve been using this bank for 12 years (back when it was called ING Direct). I’ve never had any problems with them, save a couple that were my fault. Even then, the bank helped me to remedy my mistake quickly.
Blog Resources I Love
Bluehost
I get my hosting through Bluehost, and have had great service from them. It’s a cheap way to get your blog or business off the ground. I explain why you might choose a self hosted website rather than a free version here.
Tailwind
One thing I wish I’d done a little sooner is to join Tailwind. I’ve seen a huge bump in traffic since joining! I organize my pins and group boards through Tailwind. I highly recommend this one! And you can get a free trial month through my referral link.
Linqia
Linqia gave me my first sponsored posts at a lower pageview number than many other sites. Don’t get discouraged if it takes a couple of months for them to contact you. When it finally begins, you’ll often get a few offers in a row.
Share a Sale
Figuring out affiliate marketing takes some time. I love Share a Sale, because they have a wide variety of companies that you can choose from. I’ve even found opportunities to make affiliate money from free items! I know my audience loves to learn about that! Be sure to only choose opportunities that will truly benefit your readers rather than just your wallet.
Mad Mimi
Many people swear by other email platforms, but I really like Mad Mimi. The customer service is immediate and amazing! The drip campaigns are easy to set up and understand. And you can get started for free.
Facebook Strategies Worth Sharing
This ebook is a little pricey. I wouldn’t buy it until you have made some money from your blog so you can cover the cost. But Facebook Strategies Worth Sharing was actually well worth the price to me. It gave me some much needed light bulb moments for using on my Medium Sized Family Facebook page. You can’t argue with a woman who took her own blog Facebook page from 2,000 to 100,000 fans in just 5 months. Clearly she’s learned some great tips!
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I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
