I instituted the Slash Shopping System 4 years ago to save TIME and MONEY.
TIME: Last week we talked about the time savings of shopping at 3 Stores ONLY!
I limit my weekly/monthly shopping trips to a local grocer, Target and my preferred online household products company.
Not only do I save time with this method, I save money and cut back on fuel and packaging waste.
I used to shop at many different online stores for my makeup, pet treats, skin care, hair products, deodorant, sunscreen, insect repellant, shower and bath items, supplements, organic granola, tea, gluten free flour, toothpaste and cleaning products. Some of these stores included Amazon, Sephora, Beauty Counter and Thrive Market. Nothing against these retailers--I just love the economics and convenience of receiving all of my household items delivered to my door in ONE BOX from ONE COMPANY that I TRUST. The products I get from this company are safe! Which means I don't have to apply Filter 1 (see below). It's already applied.
The rewards with this company are beyond generous. I earn an average of $200 of free products every month, collect $150 in Rebate Points to spend later and save 25% off retail prices on products I am going to buy anyway. Today I bought Oolong Cacao Tea with my points! I'm a certified tea snob.
I used to feel bad when we received all the Amazon shipments and our garage stall was half-full of cardboard boxes--sometimes with only one bottle of supplements coming in a big box. Now our products come in ONE box. Amazon never matched the 25% off--even with Subscribe and Save. No mention of Rebate Points either from Amazon.
MONEY: The other part of the SLASH SHOPPING SYSTEM that matters is applying 2 Filters.
Filter 1 is your product belief system.
What factors influence your purchase decisions? This comes down to your non-negotiables. I will give you a few examples at our house:
- Tortilla chips--we no longer purchase tortilla chips that have been processed with canola oil. Canola oil has been proven harmful to endocrine glands like the thyroid. Since I'm currently dealing with thyroid issues, I am no longer buying products with canola oil. We also look for organic corn and non-GMO corn for the same reasons.
- Peanut butter--I look for peanut butter that is 100% peanuts on the label. There is no reason to add sugar or palm oil to peanut butter. It tastes more like peanuts and less like the inside of a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup this way. If I want Reese's I just buy them.
- Produce--we also shy away from the Dirty Dozen and buy these fruits and veggies USDA Organic. If it's not on the Dirty Dozen list I buy non-organic. An example would be raspberries. They aren't on the Dirty Dozen list, so I buy them non-organic in both fresh and frozen variety. Here's a link to the Dirty Dozen list: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php
- Body Care--we no longer purchase items that contain Fragrance on the label. This goes for laundry soap, hand soap, lotion, hair care, makeup, bar soap, body wash and deodorant. Anything with fragrance or parfum on the label gets the boot. Here is why: https://www.ewg.org/enviroblog/2007/12/ask-ewg-what-fragrance. If companies can't come clean about every single ingredient in their product, I don't vote for them with my hard-earned dollars.
Filter 2 is the /.
Yes, I am referring to that oblique stroke between dollars and ounces on most store shelf labels. Once I started utilizing the calculator on my phone and looking for the / I started saving serious money.
- Did you know that buying 2-12 count egg cartons is less money per egg than buying 1-18 count egg carton? Yep it is. Do the math next time.
- When was the last time you paid attention to the $/oz on tortilla chip bags? If you eat as many organic, non GMO corn chips as we do, you may start paying attention to that.
- How about peanut butter, jelly, applesauce, sparkling water, milk, yogurt? All of these liquids utilize the slash too.
- What scent of body lotion is my family going to like best? Since Filter 1 has already been applied for the products at my preferred online store, I apply Filter 2 and go with the cheapest price per oz before I place it in my online cart. Lavendar Body Lotion for the WIN! Everybody loves it.
Let's review this simple system:
1. Choose your items in contention for purchase based on Filter 1 (Belief System);
2. Then Apply Filter 2. The Lowest $/oz is the item that goes in your CART!
I truly hope this is helpful and saves you TIME and MONEY.
Next week, I am going to talk about how I am still refining this system. I will be on the hunt for a local butcher who sells grass-fed beef this week, as well as picking up my first Bountiful Basket in YEARS!
Who remembers Bountiful Baskets? Some of you are going to chuckle when you read this because you remember picking up baskets for me at 7 am on Saturday mornings. Check it out here: http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/
For further reading check out my website at www.getoiling.com/jaceymesser/events.
Seek
Peace
Peace
& Pursue it.
Jacey
I'm curious to hear your thoughts on that. Click the link at the bottom of this blog and send me a message. You will also receive an email everytime a new blog is posted.
This week let's talk about saving money.
Here are a few ways
The evolution of our family shopping trips is a fun trip down memory lane. Read on for some clever ideas on how to spend that stimulis check when it hits your bank account later this month.
Law School (circa 2003): Walmart. We were newly married and broke, so our weekly shopping trips were done together. Those were fun times trying to decide whether to buy the fancy coffee or Folgers--again. This is the stage of my life where I realized that some families have no choice but to shop at Walmart. Walmart is NOT my favorite place to shop. I am not a fan of how they treat their employees. But I will never judge anyone who has to shop there.
First Real Jobs (pre-kids): We could finally swing a Costco membership! Plus an occasional trip to our local crunchy food co-op where it seemed like dreadlocks were a requirement to work there. I loved that store. The food counter was amazing and you could even bring your own bottles in to refill your body wash. Not super easy on the bank account though.
After Kid #1 (circa 2007): Monthly Costco trips (the best diapers) and weekly Target runs. If you have kids you realize your car can drive itself to Target right? It knows the way. For food we employed a steady rotation of Safeway, local family-owned grocery store and the yuppy grocery store (special occasions).
After Kid #2 (new zip code): Sam's Club, Target and Safeway WEEKLY. My food and household budget was out of control, but I was too tired and overwhelmed to pay any attention. Just kept on shopping!
After Kid #3 (Amazon debut): Hallelujah! The diapers and wipes came right to our door every month. I sort of felt like we were cheating on Target, although we were still frequent visitors to the "red dot store," as lovingly coined by my youngest. We continued to shop at Safeway and Sam's Club for groceries every week.
THEN somewhere between working nearly full-time, raising 3 children, doing most of the cleaning, almost all of our shopping and supporting a spouse who worked 12 hours a day and coached every summer weekend I barely recognized myself anymore. At the end of every weekend there was nothing left of me, And then I realized I still needed to run to the store! Ahhh! I just kept putting one foot in front of the other and slid into work on Monday with my cups (plural) of coffee in hand.
Looking back now, I think it was our budget that finally forced me to make adjustments that benefited my physical and mental health. Full Disclosure: our food and household budget needed to be reigned in. So I did what I always do when I need wisdom, I turned to the friendly experts I could read. I read the book 7 by Jen Hatmaker and started following a blogger who became famous for Grocery Budget Bootcamp. Somewhere in the middle of reading these two authors something seriously CLICKED for me.
Five years ago I began to develop this system I continue to refine today. I call it my Slash Shopping System. As in SLASH your dollars spent and time spent shopping in HALF! Let's go over Step 1 this week:
Step 1: Commit to shopping at ONLY 3 stores.
How many stores do you typically shop at in a given week to stock your kitchen, laundry room and bathrooms? Make sure you factor in online retailers too.
Here are the three stores I shop at:
- I visit a local grocery store with my list in hand. It is a discount grocery store similar to Save A Lot or ALDI. I save a ton of money on pantry items here. $1.00 boxes of granola bars and $.49 bags of chips. The eggs are the same as at Walmart and they are quite a bit cheaper. The bread is also cheaper and we go through a lot of bread. I saved a ton on Easter Candy today. It makes my heart happy to support this locally owned store, because I want the dollars to stay in the community. ESPECIALLY NOW! The last thing I want to see is this family owned store close because of this pandemic.
- I also visit Target which is right across the street from the grocery store, so that saves me gas and driving time too. I love that Target is hiring right now and also committed to raising the minimum wages for their workers to $15 per hour. I visit Target every week AFTER I visit the grocery store to pick up any items I could not find there. Most of my Target purchases are from grocery. I skip the entire cleaning, baby, medicine, and beauty section because of my third store (see below). I save 5% at Target with my Red Card. Target also has pickup options, so you don’t have to go inside. I think in some states they might deliver?
- My favorite online natural wellness company is where I purchase all of my laundry and bathroom items, as well as a few kitchen essentials at 49% off their retail prices. I bought a one-time membership kit to secure this lifetime discount. My all-natural cleaners, detergents, makeup, hair and body products all come from this company. I place two orders per month—one at the beginning and one at the end. We also purchase our bioavailable supplements, the red super juice that fills us with natural energy, 0 THC CBD oil for focus and our pure essential oils from this same company. These two online orders save us a ton of shopping time. We love the purity of their products, the non-toxic ingredients and the results we have with them. I modify my orders every month based on what we are out of and they are delivered right to my door step. They even have a pre-paid annual shipping discount like Amazon Prime, so our boxes arrive in 3-4 days for less than $5.00 shipping per box.
- With this Slash Shopping System, I cut my shopping time (Including online time) down to 2.5 hours per week!! This gets us everything we need to stock our kitchen, laundry room and bathrooms.
Cutting back to just three stores was a huge time saver for me! I suddently had more time for ME again.
Next week I will talk more about the money side of the Slash Shopping System.
Until Then,
Seek Peace & Pursue It,
Jacey
Whoa! I don't know about you but there are some BIG FEELINGS floating around at our house this week.
Going on Week 5 of NO SCHOOL-- with no end in sight.
Both Mitch and I are working from home. Super thankful for that, but the WiFi is screaming for mercy.
Trouble is the BIG FEELINGS aren't just coming from the kids......ya know what I mean?
A wise man once said "all fear stems from a lack of control."
And pretty much every human is keenly aware of how little control they have right now.
Last night, I had to give myself a pep talk and remind myself that there are 4 areas of my life I still have control over:
1) My Mouth
I have power over what goes into it:
If I eat mac and cheese for lunch for the next 30 days can I really expect to feel good? When I eat enough fruits, veggies and fiber my digestion is consistent and I think with clarity. I know I need protein for lunch. When I eat protein at lunch I can stay away from the sugar at 3 pm. If I don't stay away from the sugar, my immune system gets surpressed. That is the last thing I want right now. I also choose to take my supplements everyday, which makes a big difference in my energy level and my immunity as well. Vitamin D, Vitamin C and Zinc are all crucial RIGHT NOW.
I have power over what comes out of it:
I listened to a fabulous IGTV Video from Brendon Bruchard the other day about NOT COMPLAINING. Even though it is a global pandemic and an election year, if I commit to describing--not complaining--I will not go down rabbit holes of emotional expenditure that only serve to unduly stress me out.
2) My Eyes & Ears
I have the power to shut the TV off, stop scrolling news on Facebook and refrain from listening to the News on Alexa or the radio. I find myself to be more anxious the more news I try and consume at this point.
I also have the power to tell my kids NO when it comes to TV, YouTube and Tik Tok.
You're welcome for the permission to do the same.
3) My Nose
I have the power to make a mental reset and use my nose to do so. I know it only takes 22 seconds for the molecules from pure essential oils to impact my limbic system--the emotional switch board of my brain. Here are 3 ways I do that:
- Turn on a diffuser at my workspace with my favorite essential oils to reduce my anxiety.
- Head outside to the patio to take a moment to breathe and smell the orange blossoms blooming.
- Head to the bathroom, lock the door, roll on my favorite essential oil blend behind my ears, under my nose and on my wrists when I am feeling overwhelmed.
4) My Touch
I have the power to diffuse a tense family situation with a hug rather than terse words or harsh correction right now. These are unprecedented times for ALL OF US. We are all feeling our way through this with no prior experience and no instruction manual. So extra grace and more snuggles may be the answer for right now.
Which one of these four do you need to focus on tomorrow?
Click this link and drop your email address to read more of my blogs, find out which supplements we take and get my guide to a calm mind.
Seek Peace & Pursue It With Abandon,
Jacey
Do you find it hard to focus after scrolling through the news, listening to the radio or watching TV?
Does your chest feel tight when you think about what the future holds?
Are you experiencing "germxiety" and cleaning at a manic level?
Are you paranoid about you or someone close to you getting infected?
First of all let me just point out that all of these feelings are grounded in real fears. You didn't just fabricate them in your mind. In fact, this global crisis has unearthed almost all of the six basic fears that every human experiences:
- fear of death
- fear of ill health
- fear of loss of love of someone
- fear of criticism
- fear of old age
- fear of poverty
It it quite possible that many people will experience all six of these simultaneously during this pivotal time in history. You can read more about these in depth here.
I am writing this blog post to inject some hope and a sense of control back into your life right now.
Let's explore 6 practices you can adopt to put your mind and body at ease:
1. Spend your First Moments of the Day Doing one of these Mindfulness Exercises.
- praying
- guided meditation
- journaling your thoughts
- reading an inspirational book
- listening to a motivating podcast
This practice sets the tone for the entire day. Don't skip it. Rotate if you must, but don't skip. I do this before my feet hit the ground. It doesn't have to be long or formal.
2. Actually Get Dressed and Keep up your Personal Hygiene Habits, even if you are Working Remotely, Home with the Kids or Seeking Employment.
One of my former co-workers would wear a jacket and tie to work everyday--even Fridays--whether he had to be in court that day or not. He said when he didn't follow this morning routine, he felt his performance at work slip away. So take that shower, shave, put on a little makeup and leave the pj pants in the closet. But go ahead and wear those slippers to the zoom meeting. No one will notice.
3. Slip some CBD Oil in Your Morning Cup of Coffee or Under your Tongue.
CBD oil is all over the place right now. It is praised for it's ability to bring homeostasis to the body. Fans of CBD oil love it for increased focus, reduction in pain, elevation in mood, increased memory retention and its calming properties. All CBD is not created equal. Because the hemp plant is known for it's ability to filter contaminants such as heavy metals and pesticides from the soil, it is important to know your CBD farmer so these poisons do not end up in your CBD oil bottle. The CBD company I recommend is transparent, affordable and 0 THC. Plus the flavors are yummy. Cinnamon CBD oil in your coffee is delish. My son loves the Citrus flavor best. Many friends prefer the Mint flavor.
4. Make Yourself Sweat--Preferably in the Sun.
Exercise is easier said then done, is it not? Plus right now the gym is closed. Don't sweat it though. Exercise doesn't have to be complicated. A walk around your neighborhood, riding bike with the kids or even 20 jumping jacks will get your lymphatic system moving and your heart pumping. Study after study proves that exercise is good for your mental health. Maybe you can even talk your former gym buddies or co-workers into a group exercise session on Zoom.
Bonus points if you take your workout outside. We all need the maximum amount of Vitamin D we can get right now to stay well. Natural Vitamin D is only found in a few food sources--egg yolks, fatty fish, beef liver and some cheeses. The only other source of it is sunlight on bare skin. So take that yoga mat to the patio or the backyard and break a sweat in the sun if you can.
5. Keep your Stress Hormones in Check.
Cortisol is the body's main stress hormone. Think of it as the alarm center of your body that is triggered by stress. In times like these, you may feel like your body is in a constant state of alarm. There are a few practices you can adopt that will help keep your stress hormones leveled off:
- Do rely on natural sunlight to wake you up by keeping your blinds open a crack. Sunlight releases cortisol needed to wake.
- Do limit your caffeine. Caffeine raises your cortisol levels, over and over and over......
- Do give up complaining. Attaching emotion to negative thoughts and then speaking them out loud raises corisol.
- Do use a calming essential oil when you start to feel alarmed. Our sense of smell is directly tied to our emotions. Aromatherapy studies prove that inhaling essential oils can calm our emotions in as little as 22 seconds.
- Do binge watch funny TV shows or movies--laughter is the best stress reliever right now. And if you're on the couch anyway....
6. Honor the Sacredness of Sleep.
Without sleep during this chaotic time, you will wear yourself out. If you're anything like me, the less sleep I get the crabbier I am with my loved ones and the more panicked I feel. Here are a few tips to get your zzzzzz:
- Take a relaxing detox bath with some epsom salts and baking soda.
- Play calming spa music to fall asleep.
- Drink some chamomile tea or pop a melatonin supplement 90 minutes before bed.
- Get your diffuser going with my Calm Mind Diffuser recipe.
- Shut off media 1 hour before bed.
- Write a letter or read a book or magazine to fall asleep.
One year from now we will look back on this time in history and remember how we responded in the day to day.
Click this link now to learn more about some of the tools I mentioned above to cope with stress, anxiety and sleep issues. https://getoiling.com/JaceyMesser/landing/calm-cbd-landing-page.
Seek Peace & Pursue It.
With Love,
Jacey
