Adventures In Frugal Land

Simply Frugal. Simply Natural.

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The Best Podcasts of 2019

I am loving podcasts. I know they’ve been around for a while but I only got into them in the last 2-3 years. I definitely have jumped in headfirst though. My podcast queue is longer than what I normally have time to listen to!

If you do not know how to listen to podcasts or what they are (radio shows on your phone), leave me a comment or message and I’ll help you out.

Podcasts are a great way to entertain yourself while cleaning, working or exercising. You can listen to podcasts for free on your phone or computer. I’ve saved a lot of money on audiobooks since I listen to primarily podcasts now.

The following are the podcasts that I never miss an episode of. These are my absolute favorites and first on my playlist.

Cultivating The Lovely
Sorta Awesome
Jim Harold’s Campfire
True Crime Obsessed
The Crystal Paine Show
The Same Page
Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities
Lore
The Popcast
The Bible Binge
Lighten Up With Melanie Dale

The following list are podcasts that I enjoy but don’t listen to every single episode. I skip the ones that done interest me and listen to the ones that do. These are my frequently listened to podcasts

Welcome Home
The Mom Hour
10 Things to Tell You
That Sounds Fun with Annie F. Downs
The Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey

Everything by The Parcast Network

I’m subscribed to just about every podcast by The Parcast Network. The following are my favorites but I suggest checking out their entire selection if you’re into weird or crime type of podcasts.


Cults
Unsolved Murders
Conspiracy Theories
Extraterrestrial
Female Criminals

What are your favorite podcasts?

 
 
 
 
 
 

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My Night Shift Survival Kit

I often joke that I would’ve been considered a vampire back in the day. I “come awake” when the sun goes down, I get my best sleep during the morning hours and I break out in a rash if I’m exposed to the skin too long. Even though my natural tendencies are geared to a night shift schedule, it does take a toll on your body. I rely on my “night shift survival kit” to get through it.

Room Darkening Curtains

I actually have double curtains hung up in my bedroom to block out all of the sunlight during the day.

Sound Machine

I like this sound machine. It’s battery operated and it has an AC adapter.

Contigo Thermos

I call my thermos my sippy cup because I take it everywhere with me.

Audiobooks

I especially like listening to audiobooks of the classics. I’ve had a lot on my “to read” list for a while and listening to it in audiobook form allows me to cross them off a lot quicker. Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks.


Amazon Music

I use the Amazon Music that comes free with my Prime subscription. I don’t love the interface of the app but once the playlists are made, it works fine. I suggest making your playlists on a computer first.

Bluetooth Headphones

Need these to listen to my audiobooks and music!

A Good Planner

Spring is such a busy season for me. It’s a very busy period at work and with sports. I would forget more than I already do without my trusty planner.

Water

Got to stay hydrated!

 

Of course, a lot of these items are not necessities to everyone. It is possible to get through a night shift without them. But, they sure do make it a lot easier for me. Do you work night shift? What is in your survival kit?

 

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What to do With All Those Old Devices

Have your recently upgraded your phone or tablet? Don’t throw your old one out. Read on to find out what to do with all of your old devices.

Sell

This is a pretty obvious option. Many people look to buy used, older phones for a decent price. Find your local online yard sale group and see if anyone is interested.

Back Up Phone

There is nothing wrong with keeping an old, working phone in a drawer in case you break yours.

Dedicated GPS System

I love using my phone as a GPS system. I do not like how much it drains my battery though. Solve this problem by downloading the maps ahead of time to an old device.

Note: I’m not sure if this will work for all devices. It works wonderfully for old Windows Phones that allow you to access “Here Drive” which can operate 100% offline. Check your particular device before relying on it 100% as a GPS.

Music Players

Remember the days when MP3 players were popular? I thought it was amazing that I could listen to music, without carrying a portable CD player. Anymore, music devices are also phones, organizational systems, movie players, cameras and more. Go back to the basics and turn your old device into a dedicated MP3 player.

Coupons

There are several apps dedicated to saving you money. If you don’t want all of those apps cluttering up your phone, throw them on an old device.

Donate

Many women’s shelters and other charities accept old devices as donations. Make sure to fully wipe your data before donating!

Give to a Child

There are countless educational apps for children. I gave my daughter an old phone of mine so she can listen to audiobooks and she loves it!

Recycle

If you aren’t going to use your old device, don’t throw it away. Recycle it!

What do you do with your old devices? Do you wait to upgrade until your phone is completely dead or do you like to have an upgraded phone every couple of years?

 

 

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Download Old App Versions on Apple Devices

Short post today but I wanted to share with you a neat little trick I’ve just learned.

You might already know this trick but I just learned it. I feel kind of silly for not realizing this sooner. I had a couple old iPods and iPhones that I thought were pretty useless, given their generation (4 and below!). I was using one of them for music as an iPod but wished I could access music through Amazon Prime Music on as well. I tried to download the app and got the message that I needed a higher IOS than what I had. I did a search to figure out if there was a way around it and found that the solution was really quite easy.

Step One: Make sure you are logged into to your Apple account on your PC and your device.

Step Two: Search for the app you want on your PC through Itunes and click “get”.

Step Three: On your device, go to the app store and then click “purchased”.

Step Four: Select the app. You will get a message that the app requires a higher IOS and an option to download an earlier version. Click that.

 

That’s it. I am so happy that I found this solution out!

 

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Making Life More Complicated By Simplifying

Sometimes, try to simplify actually makes your life even more complicated. Example: at the beginning of the year, I decided to drastically limit my spending except on what was truly necessary. So, I unsubscribed from a lot of blogs and went through my Feedly subscriptions and deleted a bunch. My reasoning was that if I didn’t see the deals, I wouldn’t be tempted. While this was a good idea, it had some unforeseen consequences.

I like to share other people’s posts on my blogging Facebook page and Twitter page so it’s not just a “me,me,me” feed. Obviously, in order to share, I have to read. In order to read, I have to have a way to curate the posts. My deleting and unsubscribing caused me to spend a lot of time manually going to the sites one at a time. I quickly re-subscribed and vowed to never do THAT again.

 

How am I handling the “deal temptation”? I have all my coupon and deal related blogs in a separate category than my frugal living blogs. I quickly skim over the deal posts and see if there are any that are for items I truly need (yes, I have a list). I pass up the ones I don’t need. If it’s not on my list, it’s not getting bought.

 

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How To Start Freezer Cooking

I love freezer cooking! If you don’t know what it is, it is when you prepare meals to stock your freezer with for later use. Some people spend a whole day making meals for the whole month. Other people make extra lasagnas and casseroles when they can. There is no right or wrong way to do it. Are you interested in cutting down on the amount of time you spend preparing meals? Read on to learn how to start freezer cooking.

Start Small

Yes, there are people who make 100 meals at a time. I don’t recommend try it at first. I actually don’t recommend doing that at all. Start small. Instead of making several different meals at once, make a few similar meals.

Find Recipes

Seems like a simple step but this is the most time consuming for me. There are so many great ideas out there!

Make List

A list is essential with freezer cooking. Make sure you have all the ingredients you need before you get started.

Make A Day

Schedule a day to prep your freezer meals. Mark it in your calendar and plan to prep the day before.

Double The Recipe

You don’t have to make a whole day for freezer cooking. You can easily double the recipe for dinner a few times to stock your freezer. If you are going to make a lasagna one night, why not double it? Or spaghetti, freeze extra sauce for another meal.

Multiple Sessions

Break up your cooking sessions into a couple different days. I break mine up based on the type of meal. I do chicken on one day, ground beef on another,  and pork and roasts on another.

 

Have you ever prepared meals for the freezer? What were some of your favorite recipes?

 

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From Toxic to Healthy: Streamline Your Laundry Routine

We’ve talked about what laundry detergent is free of toxins. We’ve talked about fabric softener alternatives. But, I haven’t mentioned the toxic affect laundry can have on your mental state. I may be being a little dramatic but seriously, laundry can take over your home if you don’t stop it. Am I the only one who struggles with finding a good laundry routine? For years, I faced “Mt. Laundry” until I learned how to streamline my laundry routine to best meet my needs.

Make a Plan

Do not over complicate your laundry plan. Unless you have an extremely large family, you can get away with a simple plan. You might want to do clothes on Monday and Towels on Tuesday. Or, you might decide to do your laundry all on one day. Choose a plan that works for you.

 

For me, I do a load every other day. I know it supposedly saves on electricity to do it all on one day but I simply don’t have the time to do that. I usually do a load of laundry before bed. I hang a lot of my clothes up to dry and this way they are dry in the morning. I also find it less overwhelming to fold and put away clothes doing it in small batches. You find it easier to do it all at once, do what works for you!

 

Skip the Steps You Don’t Need

Sort. Wash, Dry, Iron, Fold, Put Away.

 

Those are the basic laundry steps right? Not for me. I skip the ones I don’t like. My steps look more like: Wash, Dry, Fold, Put Away.

 

That’s right. I don’t sort my laundry when I’m doing it. I purposely don’t buy clothes that I have to wash separately. I’ve never had an issue with mixing my colors and whites together. I’m thinking that way of sorting doesn’t really apply anymore. I do have a “natural sorting system” in place, though. I have different baskets in my home for different types of laundry. Kitchen linens and rags go into a bucket that is in the kitchen. Once full, I do a small load. My clothes go into a laundry basket in my bedroom. Once full, I wash them. Same with my daughter’s clothes and towels and everything else. Doing it this way saves me time sorting.

And, I don’t iron. I don’t even own one. If an article of clothing gets too wrinkled, I simply spray some water on it and tumble it in the dryer for a few minutes. Easy.

 

Utilize Mesh Bags

I love my little mesh laundry bags. I use them to store socks and other objects that can easily get lost in the washing machine. These little bags have been such a big help!

 

Separate Baskets

Gather separate baskets or bags for each different laundry type. As I stated above, I don’t really sort my laundry but I do keep different types of loads separated. It’s just easier for me to do each person’s laundry at one time. It makes putting away clothes a lot simpler.

 

Keep Changing

I’m constantly changing my laundry routine. You want to make sure your routine is working FOR you. Don’t try to force a system that isn’t working for your home any longer, even if that system worked for years prior.

 

I’d love to hear what do you do to streamline your laundry routine?

 

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6 Healthy Things That Can Cause More Harm

6-healthy-things

This is the time of the year that almost everyone tries to become healthier. It’s great to set New Year’s health resolutions. I’m removing toxins from my home as one of mine. But, it is possible to go overboard. Sometimes, “healthy” things can cause more harm. Certainly, not the outcome anyone wants.

 

Taking Too Many Vitamins

Unless you are getting your vitamins directly from vegetables, it is possible to take too many. Yes, I’m sure it is technically possible to eat too many carrots or something but I haven’t seen it before. If you take supplements and vitamins, be sure to follow the dosage guidelines exactly. This is not a time where “more is better”.

 

Refusing Modern Medicine in Favor of Natural Remedies

I prefer to use natural remedies before I reach for a bottle of pills. However, It’s not always wise to rely just on natural remedies. If you suffer from a major illness like diabetes or thyroid disorders like me, be sure to take your medicine. Natural remedies can help alleviate symptoms but sometimes, modern medicine is needed. Seems like common sense but I’ve seen many people reject modern medicine completely at the cost of their health.

 

Extreme Cleanses

It seems that every few months, there is a new diet or cleanse that becomes very popular. The problem with these are they aren’t always that healthy. Stick with tried and true ways to cleanse your body. For example, drinking lots of water, epsom salt baths and common sense nutrition.

 

Overdoing Exercise

It’s great to exercise regularly but it’s also possible to overdo it. If you are a person who likes to exercise a lot be sure to switch around the types of exercises you do to give your body a needed break. If you are that person who loves exercise, please motivate me to actually do it too! 😀

 

Weaning Yourself from Prescription Medications

Are you taking a medicine that you no longer wish to take? Please, talk to your doctor before just stopping them on your own. Many medicines need to be weaned rather than cut cold turkey.

 

Cutting Out Major Food Groups

When you cut out major food groups, you run the risk of inadequate nutrition. If you must cut out a group due to allergies or personal preferences, make sure you are getting the vitamins and nutrients from another source.

 

 

What would you add to this list? Let us know in the comments!

 

Please note that I am not a doctor. Any opinions expressed throughout this site are strictly my own, based on my own personal experiences. Your experience may be different. Please talk to your doctor before doing anything in regards to your health.

 

 

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Do These Things Every Week To Get Ahead

Do you feel that you start your week frantic and behind? I hate that feeling. I much prefer to begin my week ahead of my schedule. There are a few things that I (try to) do to keep myself ahead rather than behind. Most of these are very easy to fit into my day and save me a lot of time later. It seems like a long list but it really doesn’t take much time at all to work through it. Think about what else you can do to make your week easier.

do-these-things-every-week-to-get-ahead

Meal Plan

Take a few minutes to plan your weekly meals. This saves time and money later. Use PlanToEat or another service if you prefer digital or put it into your planner.

Coupons

Planning on shopping this week? Grab some coupons to lower your cost.

Prep Meals

Are there any meals you can prep ahead of time? Could you brown the meat for tacos tonight and reheat tomorrow? How about cutting up the veggies you need for the week?

Pick Out Clothes

Pick out your clothes for the week, including accessories and shoes. It makes the morning rush so much easier. If you have children, help them pick out their weekly clothes. I have a large hanging rack in my daughter’s closet that I use for her weekly clothes. It works great!

Gather All Items

Take some time to grab all the items you will need for the upcoming week. Library books, school permission slips, ect. Place them all in the same spot so they are easy to find on the day you need them.

Finish ALL Laundry

There is something about starting the week with a mostly emptied laundry basket. Maybe it’s just me but I love being caught up on laundry.

Stock Car (Water/Snacks/Clothes/Ect.)

I keep a small cooler with granola bars and water in my car. This saves a lot of unnecessary stopping.

Charge All Devices

Charge any devices you regularly use. If you take your Kindle with you everywhere, be sure it has a full battery. Do you have a portable charger? Make sure it’s ready to be used.

Fill Up Gas Tank

Start your week off with a full tank of gas.

Load Accounts

Do your children have lunch accounts at school? Make sure they have enough money in them for the week.

Refill Prescriptions

Refill any prescriptions that are due.

Plan Calendar

Go through your schedule for the week with your family.

Handle Mail

If you don’t handle your mail as soon as you get it, spend some time at the end of the week handling it all at one time.

Clean Out Purse/Diaper Bag

Is it just me or does every woman’s purse end up a giant mess after a week? Take a few minutes to clean it out.

Fill Pill Container

If you take a lot of medicines or vitamins, think about getting a pill container to keep them organized. Fill it up each week to save yourself some time.

 

I’m sure that there are things that you can do to get ahead that I don’t have listed. I would love to hear your ideas!

 

 

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How To Make Over Your Mornings When You Work Nights

Back in May, I started a night shift job. Originally, I was only going to be working part time but lately, I’ve been working full-time hours. This is great for the paycheck but not so much for my schedule. I had already gone through the Make Over Your Mornings and the Make Over Your Evenings courses and was determined to get back on track. But, that is easier said than done when you are operating on a different schedule than the rest of the word.

If you haven’t heard me talk about Make Over Your Mornings, it’s an online course designed to help you transform your mornings from being stressful and frazzled to restful and efficient. It’s a fourteen-day course that takes fifteen minutes a day to complete. You can read this post for more information.

I’ve heard a few reasons why people feel this course isn’t for them.

“I’m not a morning person”

“My mornings are ok enough as they are”

“I don’t have the time to complete the course”

“I work night shift”

As other bloggers have tackled the other reasons, I decide to write a post on why you should make over your mornings while working nights. In fact, I feel that night shift workers can benefit more than most other people with this course.

howtomakeoveryourmonringsnight

I’ve actually learned that I prefer night shift over any other shift. While, I would prefer to be working from home fully, that is not a financial option right now. I’ve always been a “night owl”. Left to my devices, I would stay up till 3 AM and wake up around 11 AM. I’ve always felt more alert during the night than the day and sleep better when the sun is up. Now that my daughter is in school, I sleep during the school day and have the whole evening with her. For me and my family, it is the best set up.

 

Even though, I feel I’m a natural “night person”, I struggled with getting a good routine into place when I started working nights. This was mainly to do with the fact I was in complete survival mode and because my schedule was changing constantly. Now, my schedule is fairly regular and I can start to gain order over my life again.

 

Figure Out Your Stress Triggers

Many night shift workers are prone to high levels of stress. Try to minimize this by figuring out what your stress triggers are. A lot of times, high-stress levels can be linked to low vitamin D levels. It is especially important for night shift workers to plan outside time.

 

Do What Works For You

My “day” begins in the afternoon when I wake up. Crystal (the creator of the course) is a big fan of getting up before the rest of her family to have time to herself. That will not work me as by the time I wake up, my family is just getting home. Getting up earlier than that cuts into my sleep time. Instead, I carve out a small block of time after everyone leaves in the morning before I go to bed.

 

Figure Out What You Can Do NOW

The main question I ask myself is what can I do now to make tomorrow easier? This doesn’t change just because the light outside is different. Before I go to sleep in the morning, I try to do things to make my “wake up time” easier. I pick out my clothes (I actually try to plan a week’s worth of outfits out at a time!), I prepare easy lunch stuff, I pick up the house and go over my plan for the following day.

 

Change Your Mindset

I don’t have “mornings” or “evenings”. I break my day apart by “before sleep” and “after sleep”.  It took me a few months to get over that change in my head but now it seems pretty normal to me.  I don’t eat “breakfast” when I wake up. I eat “dinner” with my family. It doesn’t hurt that I’ve always been a fan of abnormal breakfast foods! Pizza is great when waking up.

 

Go Against The Norm

As a night shift worker, don’t feel that you have to conform to the “typical” way of doing things.  It really is ok to do the dishes in the middle of the night. Feel free to go grocery shopping at 2 AM on your days off. (less crowds!). I see many night shift workers trying to fit “normal life” into their schedule. Don’t do that. Plan your chores and errands around what works for YOU.

 

Don’t Shift Your Schedule

Do you try to keep a normal schedule during your days off? This is not healthy as your body needs consistency. Several times, I stayed awake all day after getting off work. This back and forth put my body through the wringer. It’s unavoidable sometimes though because of appointments and wanting to spend time with my family. Now, I try to nap for a few hours after getting off work on Friday mornings (I have off Friday and Saturday nights). I am still able to go to sleep in the evening and have my whole Saturday to spend with my family without exhausting myself completely. This is probably still not the healthiest way of handling days off but it’s gentler on my body than staying up all day long.

 

Set Up Routines

I have many routines in place to help my day go smoothly. I have a routine for getting my daughter ready for school, one for before sleep for me, one for after sleep, one for my daughter’s bedtime and one before I go to work. These routines aren’t complicated but it’s helpful to write them down. When I’m feeling frazzled, I can look at my routine list and make sure I’m not forgetting to do anything essential.

 

Use Tools And Short Cuts

I have a variety of tools that I use every day to keep myself organized and sane.

 

Keep Changing

I frequently pull out the workbook from the course when I feel myself getting off track with my routines. You will need to change your routines as your life changes. This is normal. That’s why I am so thrilled to have lifetime access to the course.

 

Are you a night shift worker? Have you benefited from this course?

 

 

I love Make Over Your Mornings (and Evenings!) so much that I signed up as an affiliate. If you choose to sign up with my links, I receive a small percentage back to help support this site. Thank you so much for your help and support!