budget – Page 7 – Luv Saving Money

2 Pair of Kids Shoes for $9.95 and FREE Shipping!

Before we know it, it will be time for back to school shopping. If I find a good deal before I officially start back to school shopping (around the end of July or beginning of August) I’ll grab the deals when I see them.

FabKids is offering 2 pairs of shoes for $9.95 and free shipping. It includes their new rainbow, unicorn and glitter shoes. This selection sounds like it’s made for my daugther!

The 2 pair or $9.95 offers is exclusive for new VIP members. Grab this awesome deal and get happy delivered each month.

If you’re not even thinking of back to school yet it’s totally fine. The shoes deal has some really cute sandals and slip on shoes in the selection too.

Fabkids isn’t just about shoes though, they have super cute outfit selections each month for your son or daughter. They can get a fresh outfit shipped to your house each month at an affordable rate. So really if you started your VIP membership now, they’d have a couple outfits to start school and a new outfit coming each month that’s seasonably appropriate!

This post does contain affiliate links. I will get a small commission from sales made through my links.

Razor and Shave Gel Just $3 Shipped!

You may have seen the ads on tv or saw the ads while browsing social media or your favorite websites. Harry’s makes shaving affordable with high quality blades and shaving accessories.

I went to buy a new pack of razor blades for a name brand razor I have and I just about fell over. So crazy expensive. Half the time they have them locked up and you have to get someone to unlock it for you. That’s assuming you can find someone. What a hassle!

Harry’s wants to change the way you shave. They’re offering a trial set of a razor and shave gel for only $3 shipped!

When you purchase the trial kit you’ll receive:

a weighted rubberized handle
2 oz foaming shave gel
a five blade razor cartridge
a travel razor blade cover

After you try it you can set up a subscription of your choice to have your affordable razors shipped right to your home. You choose the frequency. Razors are only $2 each!

Harry’s also has gift sets available which makes a perfect gift for father’s day!

Get your Harry’s Shaving Trial set for $3 now!

Tips to help you navigate the offer:

Select the trial offer on the left side of your screen after you click the link in the post
Add the trial kit to your cart for $0 ($3 shipping)
It will ask you to select a subscription. You will NOT pay for the extra blades today.
It will then ask you your shaving frequency.
I chose shave once a day. And it said mine will ship every 5 months but my first subscription payment will not be due until July 14th.
It will then try to upsale you some additional items which you can decline.
Enjoy your $3 kit and deal on razors!

I received my kit and it’s worth the $3 and then some.

New Gift Sets available – Winter Winston Set $25, Truman Gift Set $20 and Winter Winston Deluxe Set $35. Perfect for gifting!

This post does contain affiliate links. Any opinions expressed are my own.

Thinking About Self-Publishing? Read This

Did I ever tell you that one of my brothers wrote a book? I mean, I think I did, in a blog post about it a while back. It was something he had wanted to do for a long time and he finally did it. When it first became available to buy his book was in the top 200 on Amazon..I think it was back then. Which, when you consider all the books on Amazon that’s not too bad. Want to know something else? He self-published his book.

My brother wrote Night of the Dancing Puppets which is a horror genre. Some people say it fits in with the popular game “Five Nights At Freddy’s” I’ve never played that game or saw the movie so I can’t personally speak on that. What I do know is that it was a constant up and down adrenaline rush. My brother has lived in Florida for many years and you get a sense that the book takes place in Florida.

This book is not recommended for children as it is a horror book and some profanity is used in the book. To self-publish, he went through a site called fastpencil.com but I’m sure there are other sources as well. There are also publishing companies that can help with reviewing, printing, publishing, etc but of course there is more cost involved with that. I think if I decided I wanted to write a book someday I’d go the self-publishing route too.

Being that my brother had self-published this book and never wrote a book before, I thought this was a pretty good start. I know he was talking about doing a sequel to the book but I don’t know where he is on the process of that. I know it can take a long time until a book is finally finished and ready for shelves.

You may be shocked to know some pretty famous authors have self-published at some point or another like Mark Twain. Did you know John Grisham and Tom Clancy started off self-publishing? This an interesting piece of information from an article on the huffpost website:

Tom Clancy’s first novel, The Hunt for Red October was acquired by the Naval Institute Press in Annapolis, Md., when an editor there, Deborah Grosvenor, became enthralled by Clancy’s novel, convinced she had a potential bestseller in her hands.

Sam Haskell also talks about self-publishing books. He wrote the book Promises I Made My Mother. Sam Haskell has an impressive resume including being an Emmy nominated producer.

So in the end, I guess what I’m trying to say is that, self-publishing can be done. If you checked out any of the links in this post then there is hope for new authors with big dreams and small budgets

This post is sponsored by Diamond Links. Any opinions expressed are my own.

HOT Vera Bradley Outlet Deals! Grab Them Before They’re Gone!

Vera Bradley Outlet has 30% off already reduced prices prices right now. The 30% drops off automatically in your cart and there’s free shipping! There are some amazing deals right now!

Vera Bradley Compact Weekender Travel Bag drops to $37.10 at checkout with free shipping (for the ones priced at $50) 9 different patterns to choose from at that price! https://m.svnlnk.com/z/ll9n

These are perfect for weekend getaways, overnight trips, or light packers.

Vera Bradley mini crossbody bag in the Tropical Paradise print only drops to $12.25 at check out and FREE ground shipping! Would make a nice gift! https://m.svnlnk.com/z/ll92

Vera Bradley Coin purse in the pattern Pueblo only $3.71 with free shipping. There are other patterns on sale too but this is the lowest priced one https://m.svnlnk.com/z/ll9o

There are tons of deals though on pajamas, swim, wallets, lanyards, and lots more. Check it out at Vera Bradley Outlet. Remember, prices drop automatically when added to cart! Free ground shipping.

This post does contain affiliate links. I will get a small commission from sales made through my links.

American’s Finances Are Changing During The Pandemic

If you have read just about any financial report even pre-COVID-19 then you know there were already a good chunk of Americans living paycheck to paycheck. But this pandemic has cause increased financial stress for many areas of business and many households.

In a survey completed by Clever Real Estate on April 28, they surveyed 1000 homeowners and 1000 renters. Here are some highlight and noteworthy statistics from their April COVID-19 Financial Report

64% of renters are concerned about being able to pay rent in the coming months
Home buyers were 5.5x more likely to put their buying plans on hold for the foreseeable future in April compared to March
33% of homeowners are concerned about their ability to pay their mortgage in the coming months
40% of respondents said they were receiving unemployment benefits because of job loss or other reason. More than half of those said it’s not enough to cover their expenses.
More than 25% of people that were planning to sell their homes have put off that decision due to the pandemic. This is a sharp increase from only 3.5% in March.
More than 50% of Americans are concerned about feeding their families

The report is worth checking out to get a better idea of American’s financial situation. If you’re planning on buying or selling a home soon these statistis could be some valuable resources for bargaining.

Yet another issue is those who are self-employed. Those that are self employed aren’t able to get unemployment benefits. I talked to one small business owner who did get access to some of the resources our state was offering for small businesses but it’s not enough. He actually said “I’ll put myself in a lot of debt before I let my business fail” This has led him to try new avenues for his business that could be new services for the future. In a way, I think the businesses that do find new ways to offer their services legally are the ones that will survey and perhaps even prosper.

Yet another small business owner I talked to owns food stands and makes their living by traveling to fairs, community events, etc With so many being canceled their income is gone. This has led many to get more creative with setting up locally, taking orders locally, and more.

Sadly, with many businesses having to close all together during the pandemic and others working at a small capacity, job availability is not always there. Even as many states and counties enter re-opening phases, business are expected to follow social distancing guidelines and run at a reduced capacity. With businesses running at only 50% capacity some small business owners are saying it’s hard to make a profit.

There are small business loans available and self employed loans for those determined to keep their business going during the pandemic. Be sure to shop around though to get the best rates.

Check your state resources for self employed and small business assistance as well. Pennsylvania did have an option for each category.

This post is sponsored by Diamond Links. Any opinions expressed are my own.