Thanksgiving is on the horizon! Grateful for each reader and the opportunity to share Quida’s offer, I am thrilled to present the Thanksgiving to Remember Giveaway.

This giveaway begins Monday, November 17 and runs through midnight on Thursday, November 20, 2014.

One lucky winner will receive a fantastic bundle. As time is short, enter now before you forget, and good luck!  ~ Tracy

Disclosure: I have been compensated for sharing this fantastic giveaway! This giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest.

A Thanksgiving to Remember Giveaway

Thanksgiving To Remember Giveaway! The prize is a wonderful fall tote bag filled with several prizes including restaurant gift cards. Prize value over $200! One lucky person will win it all!

Enter to win a Simple Savings For ATL Moms Fall Color Tote Bag ~ This bag will include items to help you have a wonderful Thanksgiving including coupons, department store gift cards, restaurant  gift cards, etc.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Quida’s fans connect with her via her social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram or Email.

The post Guest Post: A Thanksgiving to Remember Giveaway appeared first on Using Time Wisely.

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

Small acts of kindness make a difference.

Taking an interest in one of our state congress persons, I read her monthly newsletters and send her short e-mails agreeing or commenting on her updates.

She always responds back with a willingness to assist with any matters she oversees.

When sent an invitation to attend a Town Hall meeting prior to the election, I carved out time in my schedule to attend.

The event was poorly attended which allowed one-on-one time with her. Upon waiting behind a go-getter teenager with a number of questions and issues, my turn arrived.

This representative surprised me as she read my name tag and greeted me like an old friend. She thanked me numerous times for my e-mails and contact with her. She was eager to help me in any way I needed, but I was glad to meet her.

Realizing that reading her monthly e-mail and sending back a quick response spurred her on when the going got tough. Serving the community is not an easy task. She does the best she can, and I am thrilled to encourage her in her fight for our community and state.

As most of the elections have concluded, I hope you know of at least one elected official with whom you support and can encourage during their term. Consider the following communication methods:

• Newsletter via e-mail
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Website
• Blog

In using time wisely, my small investment made a big impact. Our representative sent a personal thank you note for attending her meeting which thrilled me. I reached out to encourage her, but she encouraged me through her response.

Life is busy for everyone. We all have choices, and we cannot be everything to everyone. However, we can encourage one. The time investment is small, but small acts of kindness make a difference. Happy encouraging!

Question: Do you get involved with politics?

The post Small Acts of Kindness Make a Difference appeared first on Using Time Wisely.

Photograph Credit: Microsoft Images

Thank you for your patience as I put blogging on hold during all of October and the beginning of November. This unannounced break occurred after my laptop refused to power up.

Talk about computer issues . . . my wonderful hubby transferred my documents to another machine.

Though all my files were saved, the replacement computer had issues which resulted in reloading multiple programs which took a number of days. Then I could not access some of my files due to the version of programs on that machine.

Anyway, it’s been a month and a half of issues. Though the issues are not completely resolved, I have a way to blog. It is not ideal, but it works.

I appreciate your understanding as I was using time wisely rather than waiting for a replacement computer to process slowly. Checking e-mail was a bit of a challenge some days, so I just put the blog on hold.

Post may not come daily, but they will come more often. Coming soon is a Thanksgiving giveaway which I hope you will enter and win.

Appreciate your continued support of Using Time Wisely as we journey together making choices that cause us to put good things on hold while focusing on the best. Happy choosing!

Question: What is currently on your “back-burner” while you focus on the immediate issues?

The post Talk About Computer Issues appeared first on Using Time Wisely.

As one reaches the daily goal, the next day’s daily goal will increase. If you are aiming at earning money for Christmas or another occasion, Swag Bucks works.

I earned $40 in Amazon gift cards in August by using Swag Bucks throughout July. Not all Swag Bucks are equal. Some require more time than others.

Thankfully, there are a number of ways to earn Swag Bucks. Piggybacking on the previous post of Swag Bucks: Earning Money for Christmas – Part 1 of 2, the following is a list of options I used to reach my daily goals each day of July which resulted in reaching the monthly goals:

Add Swag Codes Immediately

Using the Swag Bucks Chrome extension, a popup window alerts me when a swag code is available. I click on the lock icon to see if a swag code is available. If there is one, then it tells me where to look (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.)

Once I find the code, I enter it in the “enter Swag code” through the extension or on my Swag Bucks homepage. I am then granted the Swag Bucks. These are usually 2-5 Swag Bucks per code. Typically, I found 2-3 swag codes available each day.

Check your Swag Bucks Inbox

If you use the Swag Bucks toolbar, then a bubble with a number indicates how many messages are in your inbox. Some of these messages indicate how to earn extra Swag Bucks. Sometimes the offers require qualifications and signing up for a trial. Those types of offers I omitted. During the month of July, I earned all my Swag Bucks without spending any money.

Answer Surveys

Under the “answer” tab on the Swag Bucks task bar, find the survey option. I found the following helpful for earning Swag Bucks:

Daily Surveys

Earn 60 Swag Bucks for each survey you complete. Hopefully, you qualify quickly. You can only earn 60 Swag Bucks per day which is one complete survey per day through this option.

I usually started with this survey. If I did not qualify, then I moved on to the Peanut Lab option.

Peanut Lab Surveys

Under this option, I found the surveys at Peanut Labs and Radium One the most beneficial. I could usually find at least one survey from either of these for which I qualified each day. Many days, I reached my daily goal easily with one of these surveys. There are other surveys with other companies, but I never found them helpful.

If you listen to music often, then you might benefit from RadioLoyalty. For every half hour of music you play, a CAPTCHA code appears. If you enter that code, then you earn 5 Swag Bucks. No limit is listed, so earn all day long.

Survey Dashboard

This option gives a list of available surveys with the amount of Swag Bucks earned and the approximate time investment. If you start a survey and end up not qualifying, then you will earn 1 Swag Buck. You can earn up to 5 Swag Bucks each day for none-qualifying surveys.

Know that some of the surveys are quite lengthy, and you could spend 20 minutes taking the survey to then discover you don’t qualify. Some are kind and let you know within 2 minutes of the survey. These surveys are hit or miss. However, if you fill out the personal profile, then you have a better chance of qualifying when you select a recommended survey.

Complete Tasks

The tasks options found under the “answer” tab on the Swag Bucks homepage, allowed me to earn 3-10 Swag Bucks per task. Most of the tasks require a “bookmarklet.” I downloaded it once and bookmarked it. Then I placed it on my bookmark bar.

When I worked on a task, I just clicked on the bookmarklet on my bar to save time. I found these tasks pretty easy, but some were complicated. If you get stuck, then I suggest quitting  it and moving on to another one.

These tasks are great for getting those extra Swag Bucks needed to meet your daily goal. I turned to these when I did not find a survey for which I qualified. It took more time, but I was able to quickly earn the Swag Bucks needed.

Reading Excerpts

Found under the “discover” tab, select “read” to earn Swag Bucks for reading. These are easy to do. Once you complete them, they will not reset until the next month. I used these on busy days when my time was limited. Once you complete these offers, they will remain used until the next month.

Watch Videos

Under the Watch tab on the Swag Bucks homepage, lots of videos are available for viewing. These videos range in length from 2-5 minutes each. For every 10 videos watched or played, you will receive 3 Swag Bucks. You can earn up to 150 per day.

This option takes lots of time. However, if you have a lot of sitting or waiting to do, then this option is easy. Just press the button to play, and then check it in a few minutes to hit play again.

In using time wisely, I had the videos running while I was making dinner, cleaning for a few minutes, or doing laundry. I muted the sound, accomplished tasks, and earned Swag Bucks.

Play Games

Though I enjoy playing games, I did not find playing games through Swag Bucks very profitable. Though I won, I spent more time playing than I did earning. I only won 2 Swag Bucks per game. If you play often and enjoy the games available, then play and earn. In using time wisely, you can earn Swag Bucks faster other ways.

This post is crammed with lots of information from my July experiment. I was thrilled with the results of my investment of time, but it was an investment of time. In using time wisely, you may not be able to earn the daily or the monthly goals. However, you can continue to earn Swag Bucks.

I am not actively filling out surveys and tracking my daily goal. However, I search daily and am thrilled when I earn.

Swag Bucks is not for everyone. But it is one way for earning extra money for Christmas or any other occasion. In stretching your dollars, Swag Bucks is available with an investment of time.

In sharing my experience, I hope to point you to those options that will pay off with your investment of time. Happy searching and earning with Swag Bucks!

Question: In what ways have you earned Swag Bucks?

The post Swag Bucks: Earning Money for Christmas – Part 2 of 2 appeared first on Using Time Wisely.

Did you just get a knot in your stomach at the mention of Christmas? I’m sorry. This post is not to magnify your limited resources, but rather to give you hope for earning money for Christmas. Realize that time is on your side for earning $5 Amazon gift cards or other rewards through Swag Bucks.

Though I have written about Swag Bucks in a beginning, intermediate, and advanced series, I recently found Swag Bucks the solution when I needed some extra funds.

You see, I had exhausted our home schooling budget and still needed some reading books not available at our library or at the used book store, so I turned to Swag Bucks.

By earning Swag Bucks each day, I earned $40 in Amazon gift cards in one month. I chose this amount because I could get FREE shipping with any $35 order. However, I could not redeem all those Swag Bucks until August due to the limit of 5 identical rewards per month.

Though there are various ways to earn, here’s how I earned those rewards:

1. Completed the To Do List each day of July.

Swag Bucks offers 4 easy items on the To Do List that can be completed each day for Swag Bucks. The To Do List, located on the left sidebar, is as follows:

a. Daily Crave: Watch two videos and earn 1 Swag Buck
b. Toolbar: Use the Chrome Swag Bucks toolbar and earn 1 Swag Buck
c. Daily Poll: Take the poll to earn 1 Swag Buck
d. NOSO: Skip through the offers and enter the captcha code provided to earn 2 Swag Bucks

2. Search at least three times each day.

Swag Bucks are randomly awarded for searching. However, once you win, you won’t get another reward for a few hours. In using time wisely, I would search in the morning until I earned, then in the afternoon until I earned, and then again in the evening. This way, I was receiving 7-20 Swag Bucks for each session of searching.

My son enjoyed searching and earning the Swag Bucks for me. I appreciated his efforts in helping me get through the month as it was definitely an investment of time.

3. Reach Daily Goal and Bonus Goal every day of the month.

The goal Swag Bucks are not deposited into your account until the first week of the next calendar month. Since I was earning during July, I received these Swag Bucks in August.

a. Daily Goal: Your daily goal is located in the left sidebar. A green bar will show how close you are to earning your daily goal. When I started in July, my goal was 30 Swag Bucks. By the time I reached day 31, my goal was 110. The goal does increase, but the rewards were worth the investment.

If you reach your daily goal each day of the month, then you will earn a bonus of 300 Swag Bucks in the next month for being a monthly master. The winning streak tab on the left sidebar will document your progress throughout the month. If you miss a day, then the badge you have reached will hold while your winning streak starts over.

b. Bonus Goal: After you reach your daily goal, you can earn more Swag Bucks for a bonus. These bonus goals are added together and awarded in the next month. I earned an additional 235 Swag Bucks throughout July which arrived in my account on August 5th.

Earning Swag Bucks is one way to prepare for Christmas. Though it is FREE, you will need to determine how much time you can invest into earning Swag Bucks. On some days, I could earn Swag Bucks within one hour while other days took close to two hours. I committed to the 31 days and reaped the rewards of that investment.

Swag Bucks has its perks. I loved purchasing the 6 books we needed for home schooling by using the gift cards earned. My son loved being a part of the process as he knew the goal as I searched and took surveys. He helped and checked the progress with me throughout the month.

One will not get rich by using Swag Bucks, but you can earn some extra gift cards to offset the cost of gifts for Christmas. In using time wisely, Swag Bucks was a good option in July. However, I could not do it now that home school takes so much of my time. I only offer this suggestion as I know times are difficult, but there is a way if you have the time to invest.

In the next post, I’ll share ways that I earned Swag Bucks to reach my daily goal. If you need money for Christmas, then plan to start earning Swag Bucks daily on Wednesday, October 1. Happy choosing!

Question: Have you found Swag Bucks’ rewards worth the investment of time?

The post Swag Bucks: Earning Money for Christmas – Part 1 of 2 appeared first on Using Time Wisely.

With the September calendar card deal of a FREE breakfast entrée and a large Coca-cola drink, my children and I headed to Chick-fil-A on Friday morning. Having worked really hard this week, we were able to take Friday off.

We spent the day making a quick doctor’s visit before heading to Chick-fil-A for breakfast. Mr. 9 ordered a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit while the girls chose Chick-fil-A biscuits, and I selected the chicken, egg, and cheese bagel. Yum! The drinks were huge but came in handy while playing with our friends for 4 hours at the park.

Though you may not get to make a special outing out of the September calendar card deal, you can redeem your offer for a FREE breakfast entrée and a large Coca-cola drink. Just remember, your offer must be redeemed by September 30, 2014, as the deal will reset on October 1. Happy planning!

Question: What is your favorite breakfast option at Chick-fil-A?

The post Chick-fil-A: September Calendar Card Deal appeared first on Using Time Wisely.

Photograph Credit: Fotolia

Coffee drinkers are in for a treat! If you are a picky coffee drinker, then hopefully you can find at least one FREE option to warm you on Monday morning.

The following companies are offering FREE coffee in celebration of National Coffee Day on Monday, September 29, 2014:

• McDonalds

• Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

• Dunkin’ Donuts

If you know of other FREE coffee offers for Monday, September 29, 2014, then please share in the comments.

Offers like these make perfect opportunities to schedule that get-together with a friend. You know, the one where you say you need to get together, but the timing is never right.

Plan a morning coffee break or meet a friend early on Monday to catch up while enjoying your FREE cup of coffee.

Until I join the ranks of coffee drinkers (as my tastes have been known to change), I will enjoy my sweet tea and listen to how you enjoyed your cup of FREE coffee. Happy catching up!

Question: Do you have a favorite coffee brand?

The post 2014: National Coffee Day – September 29, 2014 appeared first on Using Time Wisely.

Photograph Credit: Dunkin’ Donuts

Coffee lovers, get ready to start your work week with a FREE cup of Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee. In celebration of National Coffee Day, participating Dunkin’ Donuts will offer a FREE medium hot dark roast coffee to guests on Monday, September 29, 2014.

Per the Dunkin’ Donuts’ news release, the new dark roast uses a unique roasting process to bring out key characteristics of different beans, creating a bold flavor and the smooth finish without the bitterness typically associated with most dark roast coffees.

To stretch out their celebration, Dunkin’ Donuts will then offer their medium hot dark roast coffee for $0.99 from September 30 – October 5, 2014. With the promise of a FREE or inexpensive cup of coffee maybe you can muster the motivation needed to get moving next week.

Getting out of bed has become more difficult for me this fall. I love the cooler temperatures, my warm bed, and snuggling under the covers. Though I’m not a coffee drinker, I know many would gladly leave a bit early on Monday morning for a hot cup. Enjoy!

Happy Coffee Day!

The post Dunkin’ Donuts: National Coffee Day – September 29, 2014 appeared first on Using Time Wisely.

Photograph Credit: Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

Monday, September 29, 2014, is National Coffee Day!

In celebration, participating Krispy Kreme Doughnuts is offering a FREE 12 oz. cup of house, decaf or dark roast coffee.

If you care to splurge, treat yourself to a 12 oz. mocha, latte or iced coffee for $1 at participating locations.

The FREE options include the following:

• House Blend – a smooth, medium-bodied, Latin American blend with a balanced flavor profile for the everyday coffee drinker.
• Dark Roast – with a dark roasted, full-bodied flavor, this blend of African, Indonesian and Central American coffees was made for those who prefer a bolder coffee taste.
• House Decaf – a decaffeinated blend of Colombian and Sumatran coffee.

Krispy Kreme mochas and lattes are available hot or iced in a variety of flavors, including Pumpkin Spice Latte. Pick up a 12 oz. cup of any delicious variety for $1 only on National Coffee Day. Enjoy!

Happy Coffee Day!

The post Krispy Kreme Doughnuts: National Coffee Day – September 29, 2014 appeared first on Using Time Wisely.

Bringing us tips for maintaining and replacing our carpets, Thomas Greeley identifies quality upgrades to consider. Thank you, Thomas, for helping us stretch our dollars by choosing the best carpet options within our budgets.

Though I do allow shoes on our carpet, I love Thomas’ point about wearing socks. Gaining a few tips for caring for our carpet, I know the reason our flooring has held up over 10 years is because of the upgrades we chose. We did not go cheap which has helped us maintain for so long.

As you care for your carpet, I hope you will find Thomas’ tips helpful on your journey to using time wisely. ~ Tracy

Saving Money on Maintaining and Replacing Carpet

Photograph Credit: Flickr (Laura D’Alessandro)

If you’re a parent and you own carpet, you might feel some days like you’re fighting an uphill battle.

You want to keep your carpet clean so that it lasts longer, but the kids (and pets, if you have them!) seem dead set against making that an easy task.

Between spills, trampling, and clawing, even a brand new carpet can start looking ratty fast.

Since you can’t afford to replace your carpet every year, and it’s not worth doing so, here are some tips for making your carpet last and saving money when it comes time to replace it.

Protect

Prevention is cheaper than repair, and there is a lot you can do to keep your carpet in good shape. Here are some of the most popular methods of preserving carpet’s integrity:

Don’t allow shoes in carpeted rooms.

Make it habit to have your family and guests remove shoes upon entering the house. Even having a doormat doesn’t adequately prevent dirt, snow, and other outside materials from being tracked onto and embedded in your carpet

Little known fact: Oils from feet can also damage carpet after a long period of time. And if you have sandal fans in your household, their feet can still bring a lot of foreign matter inside. Encourage your family to wear socks or slippers when moving around the house.

Move your furniture.

There are lots of reasons to rearrange your furniture every once in a while. It prevents your carpet from getting permanent furniture dents in it. It also changes the traffic pattern through your home, meaning that wear on the carpet is more evenly spread out, not centered in certain places.

It also is good for your state of mind to move things around and change décor so that you don’t get stuck in a rut. A change in surroundings can spark a change in how you view other things as well.

Clean.

Of course, even when you minimize the outside matter that comes into contact with your carpet, you’re still going to get dirt, spills, and more. You might not think some dust will hurt your carpet, but it actually does contribute to the fibers breaking down at a faster rate.

When it comes to cleaning your carpet, your main everyday strategies will be regular vacuuming and immediate spot removal. Make sure your kids notify you immediately after spills or accidents occur so that you can prevent stains from setting. Remember to gently blot out stains, not to rub hard or soak the area.

Online, you can find lots of homemade stain removal solutions, most involving vinegar and other low-cost items. Keeping a clean carpet doesn’t mean you have to spend lots of money or introduce a bunch of chemicals into your home.

Every 6-12 months, you’ll want to do a deeper cleaning. This comes in the form of shampooing and steam cleaning. This removes particles that set deeper in your carpet.

If not done correctly, power cleaning can actually damage your carpet, so it’s worth getting a professional machine and learning how to use it right or hiring a professional. Both of these things cost more money in the short term, but you’ll save by not having to replace your carpet as soon.

Snip.

If kids or pets have torn up bits of your carpet and threads start to unravel, cut off the offending threads. Pulling them will just cause surrounding threads to unravel as well. So cut off loose ends and quickly train your pets (and children) to stop agitating the floor.

Replace

As much as you care for your carpet, it will eventually need to be replaced. Depending on what material you have and how much traffic and abuse the carpet gets, it could last anywhere from 7-12 years. Some carpets last 20, but at that point, it becomes painfully obvious that replacement is needed.

When it comes time to get new carpet, don’t let the desire to save money cause you to buy a cheap fabric. You’ll probably end up having to replace the carpet in a third of the time than if you chose a quality material. Research what kind of carpet is best for your needs and get an idea of what you want before you price out different options.

When you’re ready to actually shop, compare your options. Some places will try to charge you for an estimate of how much coverage and installation will cost, but that is completely unnecessary. Get a free estimate from installers near you. This will allow you to quickly and easily compare prices and find the best deal. You could even use an offer from one company to negotiate with another.

Once your new carpet is installed, you get to start the game of preserving it all over again. Oh, the circle of life.

Thomas Greeley offers home advice for families looking to save money. He writes particularly about home and floor care. Check out another of his articles here.

The post Guest Post: Saving Money on Maintaining and Replacing Carpet appeared first on Using Time Wisely.