$20 Chili's GC for $10 when you join Mypoints

Right now, when you join Mypoints with my referral link (that's it, right over there, see?), you can buy a $20 Chili's gift card for only $10.

Mypoints is one of my favorite online rewards sites. Every few months, I earn a gift card just for clicking on links they send to my email. You can earn them faster by shopping through their links or signing up for email lists. Do use a spam email address if you sign up though because you'll probably get a lot of junk mail.

Disclaimer: This is my referral link. If you use it to sign up, I get 10% of all the points you earn. Cha-ching! Also, if 3 people sign up under me, I get the same Chili's gift card offer I just offered you. But no pressure. Really.

Do Good: Huddle to Fight Hunger

It's that time again! Every year, Kraft hosts a fundraiser for Feeding America, the biggest network of foodbanks in the country. This year, all you have to do is like Huddle to Fight Hunger on Facebook, and Kraft will donate one free meal to a foodbank in your area. Then, play the 2 minute trivia game to donate even more meals.

Tip for the game: the faster you answer the questions, the more yards you gain (meaning you get touchdowns, and therefore meals, faster). I managed to donate 5 meals in my two minutes, but next time I'm hoping for more!

For more ways to donate to charity without spending money, also check out my lens on ways to Click to donate for free

Saving Money: Restaurants are my Kryptonite

I love eating out. I love the food, I love the social aspect. I love getting out of my house, and not having to clean up or wash dishes. I thought once I had the baby I wouldn't do it anymore, and the budgetary problem would take care of itself, but then I had to go and have a happy, social baby who I could take everywhere. (I know, cry me a river, right?)

We eat out at least once a week. Usually more. I know, I know that the best way to cut down on this expense is just not to do it. I know. But it brings us both such joy that we don't want to cut it out entirely.

When we lived in a college town, it was easy to find cheap casual restaurants and to find coupons and deals for them. Here, not so much. So, in order to subsidize my eating out habit, I've had to get a little more creative. Here are some of the ways I'm trying to make eating out more affordable:

• Drink water. Every single time. When a soda costs as much as a salad, it's just ridiculous. I'm not there for the soft drinks anyway.
  
• Go to lunch. Honestly, with the baby, it's easier anyway, and a lot of the nicer places we go to have a lunch menu with lower prices for the same great food.
  
• Split an entree. Okay, my husband isn't big on "sharing" (did I mention we really like food?), but sometimes if the plates are big enough he can be convinced to split one with me and get a salad or appetizer to go with it.
  
• Get gift cards. I use my My Points and my credit card points to get gift cards for places we typically eat.
  
• Get coupons. I have not had the greatest success with Restaurant.com or Groupon, but some people do. I have had success by signing up for email or mailed coupons from restaurants we regularly go to. I also sign up for frequent visit/stamp clubs.
  

I am so open to tips, as I need to fuel my restaurant habit. How do you save money while eating out?

The state of my money and my life

Money

We are doing pretty well, better than we ever have, but we could do better. We make more than we ever have, and we save more than we ever have, but we spend more than we ever have too. We still have debt, and we need to work on that.

Life

Things have been different around here lately. I've been a SAHM for 9 months now, and it hasn't been at all what I expected. I am both more at peace with my choices and more worried than I have ever been in my life.

I spend most days trying to come up with ways to keep the baby busy, struggling to keep the house clean, and sneaking in as much bloggy time as I can. I still clip coupons and shop sales. I have a routine for hitting the drug store deals. That's about all I have a routine for, LOL.

I don't have much figured out just yet, but I'm working on it, and I'm going to try to share what I have figured out in the hopes that we can all learn together.

Thanks for stopping by.

Ah, those blues

It's raining here again. It's been raining for about a week.

Some mornings, after my husband leaves for work, I convince Baby Girl she wants to go back to bed just so I can go back to bed. On some of those mornings, I take a quick nap and then pop up and carry on with my day. Usually, though, I end up bringing her to my bed to snuggle and play because I have trouble moving or getting out of bed.

I know, know, that what I need to do is get up, get dressed and have a day. I know that I need to turn off my computer, read a book, exercise, get out of the house at least a little. But what I feel like doing and what I'll feel good doing aren't the same.

I'm reading again, which is good - although my last choice, The Last Time They Met: A Novel
, left me in a horrible funk that lasted for days. Next time, I'll look for something more uplifting. Reading, though, makes me feel more like me. It keeps the days from all seeming the same.

And Baby Girl, who is right now sleeping on my chest because when I put her down, she immediately woke up, turned to look at me, furrowed her eyebrows (she did!), and let out a little whimper that clearly said, "Mommy! This is not going to happen"? She can stay right here with me because nothing makes me feel calmer and stronger than loving her.