Prioritized Living

How Parkinson’s Law Will Make You Insanely Productive

This post is part 3 in the series Embracing Parkinson's Law.

Back in April, my husband and I did something rather significantly out of character. We planned a weekend trip for our family in one afternoon.

Now, when it comes to vacations, we’re usually big planners! We weigh our destination options, flip through hotel reviews, make spreadsheets of possible activities . . . it’s a job unto itself.

But, in a single afternoon, we planned from start to finish an overnight trip for our family. We booked a hotel, purchased tickets to a theme park, found some good places to eat, and more. We packed up that evening and headed out the very next day with our slightly confused but enthusiastic two-year-old.

And it was fun!

The success of our little last-minute adventure is a perfect illustration of a fascinating concept known as Parkinson’s Law.

In a 1955 essay published in The Economist, author Cyril Northcote Parkinson described what is now famously referred to as Parkinson’s Law. It states that “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.”

Take that in for a second.

Parkinson’s Law contends that the more time you have to accomplish something, the longer it will take. If we had a month to plan that spontaneous trip of ours, you bet that it would have taken us that long.

So . . . how can you use Parkinson’s Law to your advantage in becoming insanely productive? [Read more…]

8 Money-Saving Tips for Back-to-School Season

The back-to-school countdown is on!

And that means you’ve got a shopping list a mile long. Gear requested by your kid’s teacher, clothes for the little guy who grew 4 inches over the summer, and must-haves for your home supply closet.

Here are 8 easy ways you can stock up without breaking the bank: [Read more…]

Splurge or Save: 6 Critical Questions to Ask Before You Buy

You’re drooling over the idea of a tropical vacation. You’re weighing options for your kid’s education. Maybe you just hate everything in your closet.

Before you buy, figure out whether it’s time to splurge or save with these six questions. [Read more…]

6 Kitchen Tools That Make Healthy Eating Cheap & Easy (Part 2)

This post is part 2 in the series 6 Kitchen Tools That Make Healthy Eating Cheap & Easy.

If you haven’t already read it, check out Part 1 of this series!

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

Two weeks ago I shared three of my favorite kitchen tools for eating fresh, healthy foods without the hassle.

If you’ve got the right gear in your kitchen, it’s so easy to eat high-quality fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses, and more without paying the huge markup that comes with the pre-prepped, bagged and boxed stuff.

So let’s dive in to three more of the best kitchen gear you can get for enjoying good-for-you foods on a budget: [Read more…]

How to Make an Awesome Budget Painlessly

Where is my money going?!

Have you ever asked yourself this question? Maybe it’s when you reach into your wallet and find nothing but fuzz. Maybe it’s when you get a shocker of a credit card statement.

Maybe it’s during tax time when you’re entering your income numbers . . . and you know that most of that money is definitely not sitting in your savings account.

You’ve thought about making a budget.

But it’s less appealing than volunteering for a root canal.

If you find the idea of making a budget detestable, it’s probably because . . . [Read more…]

6 Kitchen Tools That Make Healthy Eating Cheap & Easy (Part 1)

This post is part 1 in the series 6 Kitchen Tools That Make Healthy Eating Cheap & Easy.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

We all want to eat fresh and healthy foods. And we want to serve them to our spouses and kids too.

But eating junk is just so much easier! There’s none of the washing, prepping, slicing, cooking, and storing that you have to tackle with fresh produce, meats, cheeses, etc. Instead, you just grab and go.

And you pay a pretty penny for that convenience — not to mention the toll it takes on your health.

But what if you could enjoy fresh, healthy foods easily, conveniently, and at a great price?

Here are six of my all-time favorite kitchen tools for enjoying good-for-you foods on a budget: [Read more…]

Your Not-To-Do List: 10 Time-Suckers to Knock Out

As much as we’d like it not to be true, our time and energy are limited.

We are mere mortals with finite resources and the same 24 hours in a day that everyone else has. So staying productive and keeping sane means occasionally taking inventory of how we’re spending our time. And where we’re wasting it.

In scrutinizing your own recent activities, see if you’ve fallen victim to any of these 10 common time-suckers: [Read more…]

Beauty for Less: My Best Secret for Saving on Make-Up

Spending $1 on lipstick or $3 on foundation sounds like a good way to save money in theory . . . until you try it out.

Then you wind up with chalky, patchy lip color and a freakishly orange, dusty face!

So looking our best means shelling out more for higher quality cosmetics.

Even if you skip the department store and hit up your drugstore or supermarket, you’ll still wind up paying $5 – $15 per lipstick tube and more than $10 for mascara. And even if you maintain just a modest cosmetics case, you likely have a handful of lipsticks, some concealer, foundation, blush, mascara, and a few eye shadows.

Boy, can that add up!

Plus, make-up expires, so you have to restock — regardless of whether you still have some product remaining. After all, it’s not worth an eye infection to hold on to your mascara long beyond its shelf life.

So are you tired of shelling out a wad of twenties for your beauty products?

Here’s my secret for saving 50% or more on my favorite make-up brands: [Read more…]

What is Financial Planning? A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

What is financial planning?

Simply put, financial planning is the process of creating and following a conscious strategy for your money.

Financial planning means making sure you have the resources to meet your needs while pursuing your goals. You align your money decisions with your customized financial blueprint to make those goals a reality.

If that approach to money sounds incredible but you don’t know where to get started, you’re in the right place. Transform yourself into a pro by working through these four key steps. [Read more…]

Eat Up and Save Big Money on Vacation Dining

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my policy here.

You’ve got the vacation bug!

You’re ready. To ride the waves, relax in the mountains, or take in the culture of a new city.

But eating out on vacation is a major expense. If you’re used to planning your meals and sticking to a food budget at home, heading out to restaurants three times a day is bound to give you palpitations!

Think that you need a big budget for your family’s vacation meals? Think again!

Food-related costs are one of the easiest to minimize when it comes to travel. Even better, there are some painless ways to do it without feeling as though you’re pinching pennies!
[Read more…]