Self Realization

Hello friends, today I had a moment of shocking self-discovery and I had to document and rant about it somewhere, and what better place to do that than my blog.

I am not a naturally curious person.

Now I have moments of curiosity, we all do, but I'm not the type of person who has to know all the answers... like my sister, who I tease with all the time because in my personal opinion she's overly curious... though maybe my mind is distorted because I'm not curious and she's really just a natural level of curiosity. Mind blown.

But being curious just isn't my thing. I don't ask a lot of questions, unless I truly want to know an answer. I over think every question I ask as well. I only want the simplest of answers, because if it's not something I'm interested in, then I don't really care. I've always been they type of person who loves to be alone. I do the things I want to do and I'm happy with that.

But get this..

What if my lack of curiosity is the reason school was so difficult for me? That would make total sense! Because honestly I don't ask questions if I don't care, so in school when I didn't know what was going on I would keep quiet.

What if my lack of curiosity is the thing that has been holding me back my whole life? What does this mean? Does this mean anything? Can I fix this? Can you learn to become curious? Is me asking all these questions helping me to become more curious? Who knows, and my lack of curiosity leads me to end this post, because I just don't care enough.

What I'm Doing With My Life

Some of you may recall back in February when I wrote a post called "I Hate College" and the second part of it "I Greatly Dislike College". You can click on the links if your interested, but basically all they talked about was how much I hate college. It makes me depressed, I get incredibly stressed out, and I struggle with getting good grades... a lot. College makes me feel stupid when it should be making me feel smarter and smarter each year.

Because of my very strong opinions about college, a few of you have recently asked me if I'm still in college. I talked briefly about my new job and how I work full time but I never really explained why I'm working full time and no longer going to school. So here is a brief summary of what I'm doing with my life:

I don't know. 

Pretty much I decided that I'm done feeling depressed all the time. My depression isn't something that just goes away, I have to face it all the time. Even during the happiest moments of my life I'm still clouded over with my depression. But having dealt with it for a while, I've learned that I can fight my depression a lot better if I'm in those happy moment. 

I decided that I would stop doing things that make me unhappy and focus my life on what brings me joy. Writing brings me joy, so I've been writing in my books a lot. Working brings me joy because I feel like I'm actually doing something positive for myself, my husband, and our future. Blogging brings me joy, but you wouldn't know since I've been the worst blogger for the past few months and haven't written anything (sorry). 

But college never once brought me joy. I spent four years in college and it just kept getting worse and worse. But another important factor, I didn't even feel like I was in the right major! I couldn't keep subjecting myself to being miserable and putting myself in debt for something I didn't want. 

I'm not saying I'm giving up on college forever. There is a great chance I will go back someday and finish what I've started... once I figure out exactly it is I want to do. 

All I know is that I want to be a writer, and I've found that I can still write just fine without knowing how to analyze a Shakespearean soliloquy in ten pages. Even though I love most Shakespeare plays, I don't find it necessary to beat one line into the ground over and over again trying to analyze every single letter! As long as I understand it and enjoy the story, aren't I fulfilling Shakespeare's intention? I love reading but I get so annoyed analyzing every little detail of books and writing about it for pages and pages. 

Basically, I don't know what I'm doing with my life. I expect my life to be an adventure and I don't really want to confine myself to one thing. When I figure out my life calling I will probably go back to college, but for now I'm enjoying working and writing and spending time with my husband. I love my life and I'm having fun just being happy and letting it take me wherever. 

Besides, I did earn my associates degree, so that's something, right? 

Being Successful

Have you ever just been in the moment and you start getting deep in conversation and end up saying something wonderful? Well that doesn't happen to me much, but it did last night! I don't want to get into the full story because it's personal between me and my husband, but we made up a new definition for success that I would like to share with you all.


I think our society is incredibly competitive. With sports all over TV, celebrities pressuring us to look a certain way, Facebook and other social media showcasing all our friend's triumphs and how wonderful their lives may seem, and basically any work or educational environment is filled with competition and all these things can really just bring us down! It's hard to stay positive when you are constantly comparing yourself to other people and in this world it's so hard not to make these comparisons!

BUT STOP!!

Take a breath. Breathe it out and relax. Now listen:

You are an incredible person! More than that, you are successful! 

Now I may not know you personally, but I know that if you're reading this then you've already had tons of accomplishments in your life! When we're babies and toddlers our parents make such a big deal over our first successes: learning to roll over, learning to crawl, learning to walk, learning to speak, even learning to sleep through the whole night is considered a huge success to them! But as we grow older all those little successes we had as children because normal and mundane because they are things we do everyday.

But what if we took that idea, how learning to roll over is considered a huge success and apply it to what we do now. As an adult it's hard to see anything you do as being successful especially in such a competitive world. But we are successful, everyday! And I think it's important to celebrate the small successes in life!

Maybe you made mashed potatoes for the first time (that was my success today), or maybe you got the courage to speak to your crush, or maybe you ate healthy today and avoided that brownie, or maybe your only success was pulling yourself out of bed and making sure you got to work on time! Those are all successes!

In this competitive world it's easy to belittle the small success we make everyday. I made mashed potatoes today, wa hoo, on Facebook I learned my friend is building a house. How does my success compare with that?

That's the point, we can't compare our successes to other people!

Success should not be measure by beating other people and comparing yourself to other people. You can be successful only by beating yourself everyday. You are successful by doing something that you like and that makes you happy. Who cares what other people are doing? Who cares what they think? If you think that making mashed potatoes is a small success in your life, than it is!!

It has been really difficult lately to watch all my friends graduate college. I feel like my college experience has led me nowhere. It is so hard to not compare myself to all my friends as I see them graduate and get good jobs. But I need to stop comparing myself to others. I need to only compare myself to my past self. Am I better off than I was yesterday? If yes, than I am being successful in my own life.

The richest man in the world may not actually be successful if he isn't happy with his life. So many of us may worship him and wish we were like him, but we can't compare ourselves to him. We can only compare our level of success to ourselves.

It doesn't matter if I haven't graduated college yet, I am successful in my own life because I feel like I'm going down the right path and I'm doing what makes me happy. That is the definition of success. It's not comparing yourself to others, it's doing what makes you happy and makes you feel good and proud of yourself, no matter how little those accomplishments may be... like making mashed potatoes.

Charity of the Month: Autism Speaks

As I'm starting out on this blogging journey I know that I can't change the world right away. But I keep the hope in my heart that maybe someday I can. That's why I keep doing Charity of the Month. Whether or not people donate to the charity, I'm raising awareness for it, and that's a good start.

This semester in one of my classes we split into groups and gave presentations on a certain mental disability and how we, as future educators, can use this information in the classroom to make sure each student gets the education they need. While I don't know if I'm going to be a teacher anymore, I absolutely loved these presentations and learning about these incredible students and what they're capable of.

The presentation that stuck out most in my mind though was on autism. One of the girls in the group stood up there and shared this video:

The girl in my class had tears in her eyes as she told us that that boy was her younger brother.

The video truly inspired me to raise awareness of autism on this blog and give it a chance on Charity of the Month. I believe that those diagnosed with autism are not limited and have the potential to do great and wonderful things. They are different because they only work harder to accomplish great things. Their potential in life does not change because of autism, and it's incredible to see these autistic children push autism aside and show they are capable of anything.

This month's charity is Autism Speaks which is "dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families." (Quote found HERE) 

I urge all my readers to help raise awareness for Autism Speaks and make a donation. The Autism Speaks's online donation page can be found HERE. Remember that you don't always have to donate money to make a difference, you can also donate your time or simply share their message. Remember that with any money made on this blog through sponsorships, 70% goes straight to charity. 

So please donate to the cause! Please bring awareness to Autism Speaks! And please enjoy one last video of an incredible child with autism:

Five On Friday: A Sign From God

This post is part of a link-up I do with The Good Life. If you don't already, you should join in on the fun! And if you found me through the link-up, welcome to my blog! Everyone reading, if you don't want to read through the whole thing, just skip down to #5 because it's my favorite and it's super important and I'd love you forever if you read it! THANK YOU!!! 

{one}
So I downloaded an awesome app on my new phone which made my notification ringtone sound like this little guy:

And I'm pretty much in love. I get super excited whenever someone sends me a text because then I get to hear the adorable R2D2, who is my most favorite character in the whole Star Wars franchise. Yep, my favorite character is a droid who doesn't actually talk, but he honestly has the most personality!

{two}
Next week is my Spring Break!

And you know what I'm doing with my Spring Break (Wa hoo!) ...homework and working. Yep, I'm staying in Logan and getting relaxation, caught up on homework, and going to work to get paid (because it's still Money Free March). To be honest, I didn't even realize it was Spring Break until Monday, and I don't really care. I've never gone anywhere for Spring Break (except to Washington and Idaho my first year, but it wasn't a vacation, see #5 below) and I honestly enjoy staying and making some money. Because it's just relaxing to be out of school for a week. And Logan is dead when all the college students leave so you can go anywhere with no lines!

{three}
(Sorry, no YouTube video for this one) I have gone to the gym three times this week. Yay me! But let's backtrack a little. On Monday I was having issues with my depression and was just really feeling down. One of my main issues was when I looked in the mirror, I just wasn't happy. While THIS POST was written as a joke, I've really been struggling lately seeing how much weight I've gained since my wedding. I'm just not happy with myself. So while I can't just get rid of my depression, I can get rid of the extra weight that's bothering me. And this week I've been eating right and going to the gym and it's honestly making me happier. Yay for working out!

{four}
I went through the third season of Dance Academy on Netflix this week!

I truly love this show! I don't know how they do it but they make you simply fall in love with all the characters and really care about their lives and their drama (which is so unrealistic sometimes but I still love it). My husband hates it so I watch it while he's working, but I love this show so very much and it just makes me miss ballet and want to dance!!! Which leads into #5...

{five}
(This one is my favorite so pay attention!) Last night at work I was listening to my iPod (which, that alone is a rare occurrence because I hate having my headphones compete with the vacuum, but I was by myself, not vacuuming, and super bored so I needed some music (this whole event was miraculous and like a sign from God and the fact that I was listening to my iPod, which I normal don't, is just an incredible event)) and a song comes on that I first heard four years ago, almost exactly to the date (Spring Break 2010), right after my Grandpa's funeral. And when I first heard that song I replayed it over and over again and I knew in that moment that I had to choreograph a dance to this song about my grandpa and his relationship with my grandma.

I don't find it a coincidence that almost exactly four years later I hear the song on my iPod, replay it a few times, listening again to the beautiful words and picturing the dance in my head, almost in tears as it tells the story of my grandma and grandpa.

Recently I've been talking a lot about how I don't know what I want to do with my life anymore. I've been dancing since I was four years old and have been talking my whole life about wanting to dance forever and to teach dance. But somewhere along the way I forgot about dance and how much joy it brings me.

The event last night felt like a sign from God that I need to get back into dance. Not just that, but I absolutely need to choreograph that dance tribute to my grandpa who almost exactly four years ago passed away. So I have a new unofficial goal to finish the choreography for this dance and somehow, somewhere teach it to a willing couple. I absolutely have to see that dance in real life. When I listen to the song, I can see the dance clearly in my head and it brings me to tears. I need to see it in person, I need to create it.

I don't think it's a sign to drop everything and strictly devote my life to dance, but it's something I need to get back into soon. I feel so humbled and so blessed to have received this sign and I am truly grateful for an answer to my stress and problems from my loving Father in Heaven. I am truly blessed.

And Grandpa Clark, I love you very much. I love that even though you're gone I keep learning more and more about you and I keep loving you more with each new story. I miss you. We're taking good care of Grandma for you, she's happy but she misses you very much. I love you Grandpa, you are truly amazing and you are greatly missed. I can't wait to see you again someday! 

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February Review

What? February's over? What is going on here??? I'm sorry but these last two months just flew by and weren't very good for me, so if this is any indication of how the rest of the year will go for me, I'm not looking forward to it.

Anyways, let's step into my brief review of February. Because nothing monumental happened, I'm just making a quick list of events. You can click on the links to read about them from any existing blog posts.

• I struggled in school. 
• I signed up for a 5k.
• I complained about not having a smartphone.
• I got a smartphone. 
• I got humiliated at school. 
• Suddenly it was Valentines Day.
• I learned I probably have Social Anxiety Disorder.
• I went to St. George.
• We celebrated my husband's 25th birthday. 
• We made a huge decision for this summer.
• I got sick again. 
• I had to give a presentation in school.
• I continued to struggle in school. 
• I announced we're moving to Texas. 
• I started my fashion posts on this blog. 
• And tonight I'm seeing Brian Reagan (and I'll write about it later).  

I don't understand why this year isn't going well for me. If you have any advice, please let me know! 

Now onto reviewing my New Years Resolutions to see how well I've been doing on them. You can read more about my resolutions for 2014 by CLICKING HERE. 

[To gain 100 blog followers] When I add up the followers from my five social media outlets (GFC, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram) I get over 150 followers!!! However, I wanted this goal to be more centered towards a single outlet. Facebook, for example. If I get 100 likes on Facebook this year I'll feel like I've fully accomplished this goal. I'm not saying I'm not happy with my current state, because I totally am, but I just want to branch out more. 

[To run a 5k] As I said earlier in this post, I signed up for a 5k! I am super excited for it! It's the Color Vibe in Cache Valley and I'm doing it with my family so it will be tons of fun. I would love to see my blog followers there as well, so don't forget to sign up and I'll see you there! (Read my full post HERE) I wrote this section before the whole Texas thing. Because we will be in Texas we won't be doing the Color Vibe in Cache Valley, but we'll try to find something in Texas or do something here when we get back. I'm upset I can no longer do the run, but I'm excited for Texas!

[To get six pack abs] Not yet, but I've been using the My Fitness Pal app to keep track of my calorie intake. The last time I used this (with an additional diet) I lost eight pounds! So with this app and training for my 5k, I'm sure my six pack will be here soon!

[To improve my math skills] I haven't worked on this one at all yet. To be honest, I'm scared to because I have such a horrible history with math, but it's something I have to do for my resolution, for my major, and for my future career. 

[To make school more of a priority] I don't know if I've done this. I spend a lot of time on campus and I've been doing my assignments, but I don't know if I'd consider it my main priority right now, so there is still work to do. 

[To eat healthier] Major failing here. However, with My Fitness Pal I know I'm not eating too many calories. I eat awful things like pizza and cookies all the time, but I don't go over my calorie intake goal. So that's a start, I guess... 

[To save up more money] Next month my husband and I are doing a "Money Free March", we are going to try to spend no money except for bills, fuel, and groceries. We eat out way too much and we both like to shop so next month we are going to stop and take a break and see how much money we can save up. I'm planning on writing blog posts about it and I'll tell you how it goes. 

[To not procrastinate] I don't think I'm doing very well at this one. I tend to wait to do my assignments until the last minute. (Because why write an essay when I could be working on my blog?) So I'm a procrastinator and being a horrible one at that by procrastinating at this particular New Years Resolution. Fail. 

[To read more] The only things I've been reading lately are my school books and Sparknotes for when I don't read my school books. This semester I really don't have the time to read for fun so this goal (along with my Book Club) will have to wait. 

[To pray and read my scriptures everyday] Once you get out of a habit, it can be so hard to get back into it. In high school I was so good at praying every night. I've never been good at reading my scriptures though. But I really want to work harder at this, I'm just trying to get back into it. 

Well there you have it. My February Review. To read my other monthly reviews CLICK HERE and don't forget to follow my blog on any of my social media outlets to keep up with new blog posts and upcoming giveaways! 

THANKS FOR READING!! 

I Greatly Dislike College

Last week a wrote a certain blog post entitled I Hate College. And for some strange reason I received a huge response and it quickly became my most viewed blog post this month. I found it incredibly strange especially considering it was just a long, angry rant and typically those don't go over too well on my blog. But for some reason you all were very intrigued by my bold statement of saying I hate college and were very interested in helping me. So thank you.

But I cannot in good conscience just let that angry post slide by without a disclaimer. While everything I wrote in that post is true and I wouldn't take any of it back, it's important to note that directly before that post I was in class and received my paper back, a paper that I thought I had done really well on, but I got a "C+".

Despite that being a passing grade I was incredibly frustrated! The whole point of this particular semester was to bring up my GPA by taking all the classes that I had previously failed. Which means that the two classes this semester that I am in great danger of failing, I've already failed them before!! I've already taken that class! I've already done the work! And these are English classes, a subject in which I decided I didn't want to major in anymore.

I'm sick of being in English classes and because I'm in all high level English courses, this semester is particularly difficult and frustrating for me. I have no desire to be in these classes and with each bad grade on a quiz or essay I lose any desire to even pass anymore. This semester is incredibly difficult and it's draining me in a way that no semester ever has, not just because of the difficulty level but because I just don't care anymore.

While I do stand by my post last week, I feel it's important for my readers to know why I wrote all those anger-filled words at that particular moment. And I feel the title of this post more accurately portrays my real feelings towards college. Hate is too strong a word.

I don't know what my next step is. I don't know what the result of last week's post is yet. Right now I'm just focusing on getting through the rest of the semester and then taking the summer off in Texas to think through all my options. I've talked with my husband and I think I have a good idea about where I want to go from here, but I need to pray about it more and I feel like I need to be out of school (not continually pestered by this awful semester) to make the right decision.

Again, thank you to everyone who left comments on last week's post or texted or emailed me. All your comments and suggestions were incredibly helpful and I am so grateful to have this wonderful blogging community to help me when I'm down. You mean everything to me and I am so happy to have you around.

THANK YOU!!! 

I Hate College

This post ended up much longer than I expected and is majorly an angry rant. Read it if you wish, and if you do, please leave a comment and give me a suggestion on what to do. I'm horribly upset over this. 

This title is a very bold statement, but quite honestly it's true. And people should stop telling me I'm just going through a faze, because I've been here for practically five long years and I've always hated it. I put on a very deceiving front. I go to all my classes, I talk enthusiastically about my major, and for the past two days I've stayed on campus for 10 straight hours (today it's 7 and a half hours straight). But the truth is that I absolutely hate being here and I really, really don't want to stay.

I started college at Utah State (which I have nothing against this school, only college in general) back in 2009. I was excited to start out with my major in print journalism. I went through the first semester with decent grades but greatly disliked going to classes and being in college. The next semester was harder and I thought, "Maybe I'm in the wrong major", so I talked with a counselor and changed my major to English teaching.

So my next year of college began in my English major, a subject I have always loved and always did well in in high school. I received all "B's" that semester and began feeling discouraged. The next semester my personal life hit an all-time low and I suffered horrible depression and dropped many of my classes, leaving me with three simple ones which I got "A's" in.

The next year I started into the difficult English courses and found that I wasn't as good in English as I though I was. In fact, I sucked at English! I felt incredibly behind and stupid and began failing courses. The next semester was even worse, leaving me with a horrible GPA and too frustrated to stay. I left college and moved back home, needing a break from the college life and to get my priorities straight.

That year I found multiple jobs and worked long hours (all while planning my wedding). I absolutely loved that year, despite living two hours from my fiance, and fell in love with a hard working schedule. I loved to work and felt accomplished.

After my wedding I moved back to Logan, ready to start up school again after the summer. I searched all summer for a job and couldn't find one, leaving me feeling horribly depressed and empty inside. I had loved the last year of working so much and it hurt me that I couldn't work again. I finally got my old janitorial job back at the end of the summer. I wasn't incredibly happy with it, but I loved my boss and coworkers and at least I had a job.

I started school again with confidence, ready to work hard and raise my GPA, all while exploring a second major change. While I didn't very well that semester, I HATED IT. I hated being in school and I just wanted to go back to working again. I loved one particular class and I learned a lot but I hated being in school.

Now we're at the current semester, where I'm trying my hardest and still getting horrible grades. I hate being in school, I hate being in college, and I honestly don't think I can do this anymore.

In one of my classes last semester my teacher asked us to write down where we see ourselves in five years. I wrote that I wanted to be a mother, that I wanted to be working, that I wanted to be writing novels and writing on my blog, I wanted to be helping people, I wanted to be out of Logan, and I wanted to be happily married with my husband.

He then said, "If teaching isn't on there, than maybe this major isn't for you." Teaching wasn't on my list. In fact, I didn't even think about teaching until he had said it. I became very confused. Is teaching really what I want to do or am I trying to convince myself I should because it's a "real job". Do I want to be a teacher or am I just in love with the idea of being a teacher?

Since September I've been volunteering in an elementary school and helping a fifth grader on his reading. I absolutely love it and love being in that environment, but I want to do it now, I don't want to wait five years and suffer through college to get there. I think I could be a good teacher, but the thought of going through college to get there terrifies me, not because it's hard, but because I absolutely hate it.

Is college really right for me if I'm constantly stressed, crying, and horribly depressed? College is so hard for me but it's also hard on me. It brings down my self-esteem and self-worth with each new school day. I feel lost and hurt because I never know the right answer when I'm called on in class. I feel stupid in every single one of my classes, even the ones I do good in. I honestly believe college isn't right for me... right now.

I texted my mom after a horrible day of school and told her about my doubts and how much I hate college. She suggested I take a break, but I've already done that! And after my break I hated going back! While I was so excited to go back, when I finally got back here I remembered how much I hate it and all that excitement disappeared and was replaced with sadness and anxiety.

I don't want to finish college. There. I said it. I hate being here. I hate going to school. I want to work, I want to start a family, I want to feel like I'm successful in life. Right now I feel like a horrible failure and I want to escape. I want to work full-time. I don't want to go to school. I hate college!!

I don't want to be a drop-out, I really don't, but I honestly hate being here and have no desire to stay. I'm confused and upset. I want someone to give me the right answer. What should I do? Where am I supposed to be? Where am I going in life? HELP!!

Read a follow-up post/disclaimer HERE. 

SeeeMe

Hey friends! So this month I didn't have a Charity of the Month and I'll be honest, it was all because of laziness and stress. However, in class yesterday my teacher handed out cards for a charity banquet for the organization she works with and I knew I had to write about it on here and share it with my followers.

On February 19th at 7:00pm in the Utah State University TSC Ballroom in Logan, there will be a Hunger Banquet to help the organization, SeeeMe. It's $5 each or a group rate of 4 for $15. So if any of you are in Logan, please go and help out this wonderful organization!

Because of this, SeeeMe is the Charity of the Month for March and the rest of this month. My teacher told us all about what she does in Uganda to help out these kids and it is such an incredible organization! They honestly make every penny count in helping out these people. So please don't forget to donate by CLICKING HERE. 

I want to thank all my readers for your participation in Charity of the Month! It's still in it's beginning, rocky stage, but you are all a big help. Remember that all I ask for is $1 a month towards charity and together we can help change the world. THANKS!!

A Day In The Life Of Me

Hey friends! So I found this post in my drafts and decided to share it anyways. This post was back in November, before my brother-in-law got home from his mission. I think I'm going to do another one of these posts, but let me know what you think in the comments below.

________________________________________________

I've never done one of these posts but I always see them done by other bloggers or Youtubers and find them fun and interesting. I picked a hectic day to write about though! With classes, upcoming tests, presentations, and big papers, I'm incredibly busy lately! But this is my schedule from Tuesday.

8:20 Wake up and try to convince my husband to wake up as well, he has class before I do.

8:30 Shower and shave

8:58 Drive Chris to class in sweats, oversized jacket, wet hair, and no bra.

9:05 Check Facebook, my favorite blogs, my blog, bank account status, etc all while drinking a weight loss shake for breakfast.

9:40 Hair and makeup and getting dressed, singing and dancing to Pandora as I go.

10:20 Drive up to campus, switch off drivers with Chris, Chris drops me off at my class. It's a system we have down quite nicely.

10:30 Introduction to elementary education class (which was awesome because we built paper towers).

11:45 Class ends, I pick up the school newspaper and walk to the TSC circle where Chris is waiting with the car. He goes to class and I head home.

12:00 Eat Ramen and watch How I Met Your Mother Youtube videos.

12:30 Pick up Chris from his class.

12:40 Arrive at the bank and take out every last penny we have.

12:55 Pay rent to the managers.

12:57 Get back home and on the couch to watch more Youtube videos.

1:15 Husband brings over a bowl of delicious food and watches Youtube with me. But I really should be doing homework or studying...

3:00 Work on list of movies for Sheldon to watch when he gets home.

3:50 Drive up to campus to sit in computer lab and work on a paper for class.

4:44 Submit paper online and immediately regret this decision. It isn't due till the next day so I still had time to revise! Dumb choice Kaylee!

4:57 Clock in at work. And work, and work, and work, and joke around, and work, and laugh, and work, and tell stories at break, then back to work, and play with fake snow, and climb into a basket, and play with toys in the bookstore, and read weird $1 books, and that's what we call work.

9:03 Clock out at work.

9:10 Go down to the computer lab again to work on homework, but don't actually do homework, just explore the lives of my Facebook friend.

9:30 Get picked up by husband.

9:35 Arrive and home and realize I have no motivation to do homework... but I have to do homework and study...

11:30 Eventually get ready for bed and go to sleep.

January Review

This year I'm switching up my Monthly Review posts. Instead of boring you with lengthy stories of everything I did that month, I am going to take a look at my New Years Resolutions and see how well I've been doing. What good are making resolutions if you don't keep working at them throughout the year? I will still tell a few stories from the month but I will mainly focus on the resolutions. So here we go!

First of all, I have absolutely no stories for you this month. This month consisted of me being in school and being deathly ill. And then my laptop broke so I didn't write on this blog for like a week. The only highlight was my first experience snowboarding which was exciting. But yeah, I don't have any stories for you this month. Sorry.

Alright, let's all keep in mind that it's only been one month and I was sick for half of that month, so if I failed on some of these I should be forgiven.

1. To gain 100 blog followers. 
I have not yet reached 100 but I have however increased my followers in the past month. Yay me! Don't forget that if you follow me on Facebook I will be doing an exclusive giveaway for my Facebook followers. I might not even talk about it on my blog so you have to follow me on Facebook to learn about it. That will be coming up after the Ultimate Valentine Card Exchange, which you should also participate in because you could win!

2. To run a 5k.
I have neither done this nor prepared for one. I haven't run at all this month. But hey, again, I was sick.

3. To get six-pack abs.
Also a failure. I haven't been to the gym this month and I ate a lot of donuts this month.

4. To improve my math skills. 
I also have not yet been working on this, but I need to soon. I have to start preparing for the math placement exam because I'm really hoping to get into Math 1050 this summer.

5. To make school more of a priority.
Win!!! I have been focusing really hard on school this semester and have been keeping up with all the homework and reading. My grades are really good right now and I plan to keep them that way. I've also been doing some new studying styles which I will be writing about in a Study Tips Part 2! Be prepared.

6. To eat healthier.
As I previously mentioned, I've eaten a significant amount of donuts this month. I don't know what it is about being sick that makes me crave donuts, but it did. Major fail on this one.

7. To save up more money. 
I suppose I could mark this as a win. We are definitely doing better financially than we have in the past, so that's a win. But there's always room for improvement here.

8. To not procrastinate.
On homework, this is a success. On cleaning my bedroom, this is a major fail. Our downstairs is clean though so I'm grateful for that. But I still have a significant amount of work to do on this one... later. (ha ha that was a joke I promise)

9. To read more.
Because of school I've had to read a lot lately. However, the main point of this goal was to read books other than school books, so it's a sort of success, sort of fail. But this semester it will be really difficult for me to find the time to read for fun, so I might have to procrastinate on this goal.

10. To pray and read my scriptures everyday.
I am sad to say I have not been doing this. However, my husband and I have been going to all our church meetings, participating in class, keeping up with tithing and fast offerings, and really been focusing on making church more of a priority. It's hard to get into the habit of praying and reading scriptures everyday when it's been a while since you've last done it, but we're working on it together. So while I have not met this goal, I have been making progress, and that's important too.

Have you been working on your New Years Resolutions? Tell me about it in the comments below! Don't forget to join in on the Valentine Card Exchange starting tomorrow! 

THANKS FOR READING!! 

Five on Friday: Huge Announcement!!

It has been a long time since I've done a Five on Friday post! I do these posts as a link-up with The Good Life Blog. It's a great way to meet new bloggers so if you can't joined in already, you should! 

one

Classes started back up last week and I already feel behind. I suppose it just hasn't fully sunk in that I'm back in school and I just want to work and do my own thing. I have also been sick a lot so I did not start out on a good foot. Not to mention that my classes are all pretty boring, yet a ton of work. I have to read six Shakespeare plays, and five Robert Louis Stevenson books. Anyways, school's back in session which means (if my record holds true) I'll be writing more posts on this blog to avoid doing homework. Because that's just what happens.

two

I have been sick for forever and I am so supremely sick of being sick! My goodness! And it just keeps getting worse and doctors don't help and I'm sick of it. I don't have much else to say on the matter, just read my post from earlier this week although, I did visit the the doctors again and had a fever, got more pills, missed two days of classes and got way behind, and missed an entire week of work. Major hit financially, but it was really good for me to rest this week.

three

My obsession with Meghan Rosette has grown. I think I'm onto full blown stalker now. I majorly stalk her on Instagram and Twitter but mostly I just sit on my couch and watch her Youtube videos, wishing my wardrobe could look half as good as hers, or if I could even own half as many things as she does. She's just a very bubbly and uplifting person and that's why I love watching her so much.

four

I want to become more of a fashion blogger!!! This is partly because of my Meghan Rosette obsession but also of my love for my good friend Kalee's blog, Fred Rongo. After seeing Kalee's success I grew jealous and realized that the two most popular types of blogs out there are fashion and parenting. I'm not a parent yet but I can certainly attempt to do fashion. So in the upcoming weeks I will be adding a Fashion tab to the top of my blog and posting much more about my own personal wardrobe (even though I'm struggling to like it) and also hair and makeup stuff. If you have any helpful suggestions or tips for me please leave a comment below!

And now drum roll please... Here's my huge announcement!!! 

five

Starting February 1st I'm doing my own link-up!! This is a special Valentines Day link-up that I hope to do annually. Remember in elementary school when we made little mailboxes and everyone in class handed out little valentines to everyone? Well this is sort of like that. Except that these are E-Valentines meant to represent you and your blog (but honestly you could just make a Valentine like the picture above and I'd be happy with that too).

Please spread the word about this upcoming link-up because... after linking up your own Valentine, you can vote for your five favorites and the winner with the most votes will win a $25 gift card to Target (the price may go up if I can find helpers to share this link-up and contribute, leave a comment below or send me an email if you'd like to help out). Full details will come on February 1st and voting starts February 2nd, so mark your calendars and get ready for the Ultimate Valentine Card Exchange!

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram to stay updated with the Valentine Exchange and other happenings on my blog! 

THANKS FOR READING!!! 

My 2014 New Years Resolutions

2013 is almost over and I can honestly say this was one of the craziest years of my life. I started out the year with multiple jobs that I loved, engaged, making lots of money, enjoying life, living with my parents, etc. Then in May I got married to my best friend and the love of my life (Best day ever!) We enjoyed a fabulous, but eventful, honeymoon to Disneyland (and Ogden). We moved to Logan so we could finish college at Utah State (go aggies!!). I had a medical procedure done that I still haven't written about on this blog, but it was a big deal for me. I spent all summer looking for a job and finding myself very unsuccessful. I became horribly depressed (not my new husband's fault, I SWEAR!!!). I realized I had no friends in Logan and felt very much alone and focused the majority of my time on this blog. When school started I got my old job back as a janitor and had mixed feelings about it, but now it's going great. I worked really hard in school but felt extremely stressed most of the time. We ran out of money and couldn't get our bank account back in order and had to ask for help. We had to move to save money on housing. We were struggling for months until our financial aid paid us some money. And now here we are. 2014.

I can already tell 2014 is going to be a great year! It will be my first full year as a married woman and (hopefully) we won't be moving again so we'll be in the same place for the full year. Things already feel like they are looking up! I'm excited for what the year has to bring and I am so excited for 2014!

Before I get into my 2014 New Years Resolutions, let's take a look at my 2013 Resolutions and see how well I did (because I deserve a little shaming). Keep in mind that I haphazardly threw together my New Year's Resolutions last year and didn't do much thinking about them, although that's no excuse for my massive failures... Anyways, let's get into it.

My 2013 New Years Resolutions:

1. To limit my income of sugar and salt. (FAIL. I did really well at the beginning of the year because I had to fit into my wedding dress. But after that I massively failed and gained weight... a lot of weight.)

2. To learn to love cooking. (FAIL. I don't cook. I never cook. I've made some crockpot recipes but is that really cooking? I made cookies! But I did not in any way learn to love cooking.)

3. To become more flexible. (FAIL. I didn't just fail, I greatly failed, because not only did I get more flexible, I lost the flexibility I already had! I'm not flexible at all anymore! And I'm very very ashamed of it.)

4. To become a better friend. (Fail? I don't have any friends... so did I fail? All these failures are getting so pathetic!!)

5. To work harder for my education. (WIN! I count this as a win. There is always room for improvement, but I'm definitely working harder than I have in previous years. I've done really well this past semester and hope to do even better in future semesters.)

6. To learn ways to spend less money. (WIN! Yay! Winning streak! Last month I wrote a whole post about all the things I've learned to spend money, sort of, I'm planning another, better one in the future, but for now I'd say this is a win.)

7. To (finally) get a six pack. (FAIL. Pathetic again. As I said previously, I just gained weight, so this is a definite fail. (And for those of you who are confused, I meant six-pack abs, not beer.))

8. To be more organized and clean. (FAIL. I don't consider this a massive fail, but it's still a fail. But it's something I hope to continue to work on.)

9. To blog more. (WIN! This is a definite win. I've blogged so much more this year than last year, not only that, I've gotten a much bigger response than last year. So many page views and followers! It's been a fantastic year for this blog!)

10. To love Chris more each and every day. (WIN! This is a lifelong goal that can always be worked on, but I feel it's still a win this year.)


So as you can see, I didn't do very well this year. 4 out of 10 aren't the best odds, but we can still work on these right? After looking over these goals again and thinking about what's going on recently in my life, here are now my New Years Resolutions for 2014.

1. To gain 100 blog followers. (This can be through Facebook, Twitter, Blog Lovin', etc. So share this page with your friends to help me reach this goal! As a special incentive, soon I'll be doing a giveaway exclusively for my Facebook followers!)

2. To run a 5k. (This may not sound like a big deal, but I've never been a runner in my life, so it's a big deal for me.)

3. To get six-pack abs. (Yes, I'm bringing this one back. It's something I've wanted for a long time and I'm going to continue working towards it.)

4. To improve my math skills. (I'm being forced to take more math classes as a part of my new major, but this time around I'm going to have a better attitude about it and work harder to get better grades.)

5. To make school more of a priority. (Don't tell my mom, but sometimes I skip class. It's just hard for me to wake up early sometimes! But this year things will be different, I'm going to work harder in school and really earn my grades by working hard.)

6. To eat healthier. (Because popcorn for dinner tastes good, but I really should stop doing it. Also, how else will I get my six-pack abs?)

7. To save up more money. (We've had a lot of issues with our bank account lately but things are starting to look up. We want to make sure that our bank account never goes through that again and want to save up as much money as we can to keep us financially safe.)

8. To not procrastinate. (I am the worst at this, but I'm going to get better this year.)

9. To read more. (I started my Book Club but haven't even been reading the books! This year I'm going to prioritize my time and make sure I read the books I pick so I can't keep up with my followers.)

10: To pray and read my scriptures everyday. (I have been majorly slacking on this and I'm very disappointed in myself because being LDS has blessed my life in so many ways and my Father in Heaven deserves to hear my prayers and all the things I'm grateful for in my life.)

These are my goals of the year. Feel free to chastise me if I you ever hear about me slacking off. I'd love to hear about your goals as well! Leave a comment below to let me know!

I WISH YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! THANKS FOR READING! 

December Review

December is over? When did that happen? When did December even happen? I don't remember December actually going on... True story.

Basically nothing happened this month. We had finals. We moved. We struggled to pay bills. We celebrated Christmas. Our new place is still unorganized and chaotic. And that's basically my December. So this post will be incredibly short compared to my other Monthly Review posts.

________________________________________________________

The month started out with finals. My finals were incredibly easy this semester and I am so grateful for it. I worked super hard this semester and plan on working even harder this next semester! Here are my final grades for the semester:

Yay me! Passing grades! I really think I can do better by working harder. I'm happy with these grades though. I passed! :)

We moved and I have no pictures of our next place yet because it's not ready to be seen yet. It's a work in progress and I hope we all get settled soon.

And then suddenly it was Christmas. I had a fantastic Christmas! I wrote about it in THIS POST. But we actually did a lot more around Christmas time as well. We went to Zoo Lights, we visited Temple Square Lights, we played countless games, we rode Trax, we hung out with my grandma and Nana, we went to my cousin's baptism, I got my haircut, we ate so much good food and gained lots of weight (much to our enjoyment), and we had a fantastic Christmas break! ...and it's not over yet! We're going to my in-law's condo on New Years to snowboard, for my first time! I'm so nervous and excited! Here are just a few (okay, a lot) pictures from our break so far:

Driving around to see Christmas lights (although Logan doesn't have any)

My favorite Christmas treat: Candy Cane Kisses, BEST CANDY EVER!! 

Finding a house barricaded with snow! 

Going down the stairs Christmas morning to see what Santa brought us!

Christmas!! Yes, we love our onesies! 

Posing with a rhino at Zoo lights!

Zoo lights

More Zoo Lights!

Nativity scenes at Temple Square

The Salt Lake Temple! So beautiful! Also, check out our new coats! 

The temple does the best tree lights. 

Love this temple! 

Light tree

Having fun! 

Oh, and yes, my hat is a cow, and yes, I did get in for Christmas. Thanks Michelle!!! 

Giant Christmas tree!! 

I don't know why I love this picture so much! 

After my haircut my cousin curled my brothers hair. 

He looked so beautiful! ;)

Love you Nick! 

I love my new haircut and my Pikachu shirt! 

For some strange reason this month I've gotten more page views than any other month so far, and for this I am super grateful to you, my readers! You are so fantastic and I love you all! Thank you for making Things I'm Good At my most popular post this month. For me it was very personal and eye opening. I loved writing it and I'm glad you all enjoyed it. Thank you so much for the support you give me! You keep me writing! 

Did you have a good December? What would be in your December Review? Please leave a comment below and tell me all about it! 

THANKS FOR READING!! 

Five on Friday

This post is part of the Five on Friday link up with The Good Life

one

MY BROTHER IS HOME!! My brother-in-law got home from his LDS mission this week! We got to pick him up at the airport and spend the day with him! I'm so excited to get to know him more as time goes on and we're just so happy to have him back at home.

two

My Watch Mojo addiction. It is a complete addiction. In fact, while obtaining that link I watched a few more of their Top 10 videos. I just like them. Even if they distract me for hours from homework.

three

STRESS!!! Major, intense, stress! I have so much homework to do: papers, research projects, presentations, tests, and a bunch of little assignments in between... and no time to do it all, which is why the last two of the things on this list are going to be super boring (and also because I can't think of anything else exciting that happened this week). I apologize, but really my homework load is ridiculous right now and I'm trying to get good grades this semester to bring up my GPA... sigh... hashtag college life problems...

four

If you haven't already, make your guesses for our big news. That's basically all I have to say about that...

five

Sleep. I just want sleep. So I can't write much more because the sooner I get my homework done the sooner I can sleep. Wish me luck!

THANKS FOR READING!!! 

Confessions of a Penny Pincher (AKA Tips To Save Money)

I'm broke. There. That's my first confession. But if anyone reads this blog regularly or knows me personally, you should already know that. It's not new news. But to anyone newly reading this blog (as you should because it's awesome... sometimes), now you know.

My husband and I are living on an INCREDIBLY tight budget. Basically we live off his tip money from being a pizza delivery driver (so don't forget to tip your drivers) and both our paychecks just go to rent and bills (we're currently trying to find a cheaper place to get out of this situation... and new jobs).

We are forced to be penny-pinchers, or "cheapskates" if you will (but not in the extreme way). It's not exactly by choice, but it's necessary and it works well for us. So I'm here to share my favorite money saving tips (and don't worry, they don't include sharing a toothbrush). So basically these aren't confessions... well sort of... you decide.

Tip #1: The Dollar Store

Okay, I could write a whole post about how wonderful the Dollar Store is. I kind of did with my Halloween decorating post but I have so much more to say about it! I always call it the Dollar Store, my mother-in-law calls it All-A-Dollar but for both of us it's really Dollar Tree, and it's amazing. Here is just a sampling of things that are better to get for a dollar than at other stores:

• Holiday Decorations: It can all add up if you get a lot, but they have great quality stuff that looks great. I've already seen their Christmas collection and am excited to write a Christmas decorating under $10 post! 
• Soap (dish soap or hand soap): I don't see how dollar soap is any different than five dollar soap, except the price. It cleans the same no matter the price. I've even seen big sized dish soap containers and the dollar store so you can get a lot of use out of one dollar. 
• Diswasher/Laundry Detergent: Same as soap, it's all the same to me. And they do have some good brands. 
• Sponges or Cleaning Cloths: Why spend lots of money on something that just gets dirty? In fact, our absolute favorite dish cleaning brush is a Betty Crocker brush with a cool scraper thing on the end that you can get at the dollar store (we actually got it for our wedding so we paid nothing for it). 
• Other Cleaning Supplies: They have so many wonderful things for just $1. They even have magic erasers!!! I'm going to get them and test them out to see if they are as good as the real Magic Erasers and I'll write a review on this blog. 
• Toiletries: Shaving cream, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, lotion... they have it all! Sure we all have our favorites and we like spending more for certain items, but I currently don't have the money to do so. the dollar store is where it's at.
• Party Supplies: Why spend $4 for a package of balloons at Walmart when you can buy it for $1? Same with table cloths, paper products, invitations and gift wrap. 
• School and Office Supplies: As a college student and future teacher, I go through a lot of school supplies. It's so much easier to get them for $1 than to spend lots of money. I mean I already spend like $400 just for textbooks each semester, might as well get my supplies for cheap. 
• Kids Toys: I don't have kids, but I know they're there, and they are awesome. Check out THIS LINK for some really great ideas for both parents and teachers. 
• Things For The Home: They have baskets, vases, towels, dishes, storage supplies, mattress covers, pet supplies, satin flowers, picture frames, etc. It's definitely worth checking out. 
• Food: DISCLAIMER!!! Don't always trust food at the dollar store! Frozen things are probably fine, candy is usually over priced except in bulk (but it's usually stale). Some have milk and eggs that could be good. Just be careful when buying food at the dollar store because it's probably so cheap for a reason. 

Keep in mind that NOT ALL DOLLAR STORES ARE CREATED EQUAL! Just because I love my dollar store and it has lots of great things for me doesn't mean that yours will be just as good, but I think it's always worth checking out. Visit your local dollar store and see what bargains you can find. 

Tip #2: Don't Buy Fast Food

Not only can it help you lose weight, but it can help you save money! The dollar menu may be tempting, but it can all add up, especially if you buy frequently. With my husband being a pizza delivery driver, we tend to get free or discounted pizza from his work, but other than that we don't eat out. We buy most our food at Walmart, which leads to my next tip...

Tip #3: Don't Shy Away From Generic Brands

The Walmart brand fruit snacks are my favorite! Their orange juice is also really good and their applesauce or saltine crackers. Some foods aren't so good in the generic brands, but they're usually cheaper so it's worth trying out. We always look for the cheapest brands, occasionally it's not the generic brand though. 

Tip #4: Coupons! 

I am not an extreme couponer, although I sometimes wish I was. But I look for coupons for things I need because if you can get a discount, you might as well! I know there are classes in Logan about couponing and I'm considering taking one because I would love to save more money on grocery shopping. 

Tip #5: Make A Grocery List and Stick To It

By making a list, you are less likely to buy unnecessary items or be tempted by samples. Also, learn the tips. Watch THIS VIDEO to learn some great tips about the tricks grocery stores try to pull on us. There are a lot more videos like this on Youtube, don't be afraid to do your research before you shop. 

Tip #6: Pay Your Bills On Time

Don't get caught up in late fees or bank fees! Trust me when I say, it's the worst! Don't let it happen to you, keep up with all your bills 

Tip #7: Use Cash

Debit and credit cards seem to have no limit and it's easy to just get caught up in spending that you don't realize how much you've spent. With cash, it's much easier to know exactly what you have and to set your limit. If you only have $20 in cash and hide away your cards, you can only spend $20 and no more. It's a great tool when you're on a serious budget. My husband and I never use our cards anymore, only cash, and it's working really well for us (especially considering that since our bank account is current in over-draft, we get fees if we use our cards). 

Tip #8: Save Your Change

But don't use grocery store Coin Stars to get cash, they often charge you. Most banks have the same thing and can put the money straight into your bank account. Our bank has it and we love it! We currently have a jar for all our change. It works really well for us especially since we're on a cash only basis. 

Tip #9: Avoid Driving

For my husband, this isn't possible with his job. But gas prices are ridiculous now-a-days so it's better to carpool, walk, or bike to get where you need to be. If you're in Logan, like I am, this city has the world's best bus system. Use it! Check out your own city's bus system to see if it will work for you. Save gas money and don't drive. Also, try finding gas point systems, like using a Smith's Fuel Program. Find something in your community to help you save money on gas.  

Tip #10: Be Creative to Make Money

I was recently an alternate crossing guard to make extra cash (until they realized I could rarely sub for them because of class, so I quit). I use websites like Inbox Dollars and Swag Bucks to make a few extra dollars a day (which can all add up, especially if you and your spouse each do it). I blog (but this blog has yet to make me money) and use Google Ad Sense and am an Amazon Affiliate in the attempt to make some extra money (again, hasn't happened yet, but maybe someday). Sell your clothes online or to Plato's Closet to make some extra cash (but keep in mind that are incredibly stingy with girl's clothes). Sell other items you're done with online. Do odd jobs with a temp agency. My husband donates plasma for money. There are so many ways to make a little extra cash. I learned a lot from THIS BLOG about making extra money from home. It's worth the read. 

Tip #11: Don't Waste Money on Things You Can Change

This tip is very vague and I don't know if I can explain it well. Perhaps as a college student you shouldn't take the PE class "for fun" because it cost an extra $50. Maybe you have to move somewhere cheaper to save money. Don't pay for apps or software, use the free versions (at least until you can afford it). Maybe you should stop buying a new pack of gum everyday (because gum is gross). Little things like that can add up and you end up spending much more than you would like. Make necessary changes to keep things cheap.

Tip #12: Don't Be Wasteful

I'm the worst at this! We almost never go through all our milk or bread before it goes bad and that's just money thrown away! Don't buy in bulk if you know it will go bad. On the other hand, sometimes buying in bulk is incredibly useful, for snacks especially. Be sure to check prices though to make sure you're getting a deal and not getting ripped off.

Tip #13: FAFSA!!!

This tip is specifically for college students. To be completely honest, it irritates me when people won't apply for FAFSA just because the think they won't get anything. Trust me, it's worth trying! Only one year did I not receive financial aid, but even then I was offered a loan. You'll always get offered a loan. While loans can be scary, just understand what you're getting yourself into and set goals to pay off those loans. If you're above 24 or married or poor, you will most likely get grants, which you don't have to pay back. This year, Chris and I both had our semester paid for just through grants. It's fabulous! Even if you think you won't qualify, at least try, because you never know if you'll get something good. Apply early to get more money (in theory, I don't really know if that's true). You can find their website by CLICKING HERE. It doesn't take as long to apply as people think as long as you have all your tax stuff (and sometimes your parent's tax stuff) ready to go.

Tip #14: Don't Use Credit Cards

I'm currently struggling to pay off my credit card and I'm ticked off about it. I used to be so good about it! I would never use it unless I knew I had the money to pay it off immediately. And I did pay it off immediately! Usually the day after! That was before I went broke though... Anyways, just don't use a credit card. Yes it can build credit, but it's too big of a temptation to risk sometimes. When you are financially sound and have set goals about your spending, then you can feel free to use a credit card.

Tip #15: Keep Track of Spending

Keep receipts, check online bank statements, use Mint.com (please do, it's awesome), keep a spreadsheet, do whatever you need to in order to know where all your money is going. There is nothing worse than wondering where all your money went. Keep track of everything so you know exactly where all your money is going. After a month look over all your spending and see where you can change things. Maybe you got too much fast food or bought a daily snack on campus, seeing how these things add up can help you change your spending habits for the better.

Last Sort of Tip: Check Out These Websites

Here are a bunch of websites I found off Pinterest with great tips to save money. I'm obviously not an expert, but some of these sites seem to be.

• 118 Ways to Save Money in College
• How Does She Live On a Budget
• 10 Ways to Earn Money From Home
• How to Easily Cut Your Grocery Bill in Half
• Couponing For Beginners: Not So Extreme
• The Envelope System Saves $$$
• 20 Ways to Save Money When Living Paycheck to Paycheck
• Simplest Budgeting Technique Ever
• 12 Things I Do Not Buy
• Dave Ramsey's Envelope System
• How to Build Wealth With Time on Your Side
• Vintage Money Saving Tips That Need to Be Brought Back From the Dead
• Top Ten Money Saving Tips -As Chosen by Frugal Moms
• 141 Best Money Saving Tips
• Student Financial Aid Search Engine: Find & Apply for Financial Aid to Pay for College
• United Negro College Fund Scholarships
• Scholarship America Scholarships
• “No Essay” College Scholarship
• Scholarships to Help International Students Afford U.S. Colleges
• And tons more through a Pinterest Search

Wow, that's a lot. See, I'm not the expert and there are a ton more tips out there that I may not know about. This post is basically the things my husband and I do to make our budget work. Thank you for reading and I hope that this helps you in your situation! 

Do you have an incredible money saving tip? Leave a comment below to let me know! THANKS! 

Read my follow up post: Further Confessions of a Penny Pincher