I have an open frame in our entryway that I switch up for different holidays and seasons. Somehow in the craziness of moving right before Thanksgiving, I didn’t create a Christmas display last year. As some of you saw on Facebook, it took me longer than usual to come up with the current display. But I couldn’t be happier with the results. My DIY paper Christmas lights decoration may be my favorite open frame display yet.
I’m structuring my late fall through early spring monthly highlights posts a little differently than my late spring through early fall highlights posts. There are happenings that I want to share here but not as many specific events (i.e. outdoor concerts, festivals). Hopefully, that makes sense, and you’ll stick with me through these less photo heavy months and more text heavy updates.
I know that it’s sort of a given this time of year, but this November, I’ve been extra conscious about taking time every day to count my blessings and be grateful for what I have. Over a two-week span at the beginning of the month, two friends lost parents (one of whom passed away not even two months after receiving a cancer diagnosis), one friend lost a grandparent, Jon Schmidt of the Piano Guys lost his daughter Annie in a tragic hiking accident, and Rob’s beloved Bella crossed the rainbow bridge after a 15+ month battle with cancer.
I have my own daily struggles and uncertainty in life. We all do, I know. Watching people I love suffer incredibly unfair, heart-wretching death of their loved ones puts things in perspective. Jake and I have faced multiple major challenges during our married life and continue to face challenges, but we have so much to be grateful for, too. I have been mindful of my blessings every single day this month, especially as I pray for those close to me who have faced loss.
For Thanksgiving, we stayed close to home, which is sort of the best thing ever. One of the major reasons we live in southeast WI is to be close to family. It’s so great to be able to drive a couple hours or less for major holidays and then get back home to your own bed (and kitties) that night.
My in-laws cooked on Thanksgiving, and then I cooked for myself, Jake, and my parents the day after, which meant my cooking was pretty straightforward and involved chicken (and a little steak) instead of turkey. Recipes: chicken and vegetables / sweet potato casserole / rolls / cranberry sauce / pumpkin pie (with a homemade flaky pie crust from How to Cook Everything). The rolls recipe is now up on the blog, just in time for Christmas and New Year’s meals! So excited! I’m not a big “it’s not X holiday unless we have X food” person. Except for these rolls. They’ve been a family tradition ever since I was little. It was so much fun getting to cook with my mom. We hadn’t cooked together like that in years.
Jake and I concluded the weekend with holiday decorating. We always get a real tree, which I look forward to all year. I’ve been filling in some finishing touches this past week, but we got the bulk of our decorations up during the last few days in November. I shared a few of the new decorations I picked up this year over here.
Otherwise, I’ve been working on the final adoption home study tasks, finishing up or at least making progress on a bunch of home projects, and working on lots of posts for the blog. Over the next month or so, I’m really excited to share some new DIY projects including DIY holiday wall art (the canvas art tutorial is already up right here) and my made over file cabinet (all pictured above!), more Christmas and general winter inspiration, best of 2016 (both photos and what I’ve been reading), and 2017 goals.
Finally, one of the highlights of November was seeing a fox right in our yard. There are foxes in the neighborhood. I’ve seen a few from a distance before but never one so close. He’s wandered through a few times now, always on the go, hence I’ve only snapped a few pictures of him. I can’t get over the dark red fur color.
How was your November? Are you mostly focused on the holidays this month or do you have other events going on as well?
Today I’m talking about my single favorite way to save money shopping online: Ebates. I find that most money saving apps and coupons are more effort than they’re worth or they just aren’t applicable to my shopping routines. For example, there are always tons of ways to save on brand name products. It doesn’t make sense for me to spend an hour each week sorting through brand name offers to save a couple dollars on a brand name cracker or cereal I buy frequently. Most of these coupons are for multiple products (i.e. save $1.00 on 3 boxes) and/or involve scanning a receipt or taking another extra step to cash in on the offer. Again, it’s not worth it. If you can relate, keep reading because Ebates is different. I promise.
If you’d told me a year ago that in 2016, I’d earn over $180 in cash back by using Ebates for online purchases, I wouldn’t have believed it. But since I signed up in late November 2016, I’ve earned $181.73, all on purchases I would have made anyway. I didn’t have to take advantage of any crazy special offers or other deals. I simply signed up for Ebates and saved using the Ebates browser button or smartphone app.
How does it work?
Ebates has a very simple signup process. Click here to start the signup process. I chose to sign up using my Facebook account, but you can also create a standard username and password. Once you’re signed up, go to My Account settings and enter your Big Fat Check Settings so you get your cash back. I chose payment via PayPal, which I’m sure is what most of you will choose as well. You can also get your cash back via check in the mail.
The next step is to install the Ebates button on your web browser. At the bottom of the site, under the Apps, Tools, & Services menu, click on the Ebates Button link. Follow the instructions to install the button. When you visit a retail site and there is an Ebates cash back offer available, the Ebates button blinks red. Click on it to activate cash back. The button will also alert you to other available deals, such as sales or a free shipping coupon, which may offer further savings. The button will have a green square around it when it’s activated. Make sure the square is green before you check out so you get your cash back. If the Ebates cash button isn’t working for some reason or you want to know more about current offers with a particular store, you can also go to the Ebates website, search for the store, and open a shopping trip to earn cash back.
If you shop online on your smartphone or other mobile device, get the Ebates app. Search the Google Play or Apple store and install the free app. When you’re ready to shop online, open the app and search for the store to create an Ebates shopping trip. The app is great. You complete your entire purchase within the app so there’s no question about whether or not Ebates is activated for the purchase.
After you’ve completed a purchase with cash back, you’ll receive an email from Ebates letting you know how much you’ve earned. Typically, you’ll receive the email with 48 hours of your purchase. The one exception I’ve found is Expedia, which doesn’t seem to pay out until you’ve taken the flight or finished the hotel stay.
Every three months, Ebates issues a cash back payment, either via check or PayPal. Their Payments page outlines when you’ll receive your payments for each cash back period. I’ve never had any issue receiving my payment on the specified date.
What sort of stores offer cash back with Ebates?
There are so many stores that offer cash back with Ebates. You can browse by category (i.e. women’s clothing, outdoors, baby) or search the site to see if a certain store has offers. Currently, there are over 2,000 stores in 13 categories with new stores getting added every month. I’ve earned cash back on everything from furniture to airline tickets to vintage jewelry. To give you a better idea of their range of offerings, during the last month, I’ve earned cash back on purchases at Etsy, Crate and Barrel, eBay, and Toys ‘R Us.
But 2% doesn’t sound like very much money. Do I really get any significant cash back?
The majority of stores on Ebates offer 2-5% cash back. When you’re making purchases of $30 or less and earning 2-5% back, at most, you’ll get $1.50 back. No, it isn’t much. But it’s something. You’d use a manufacturer coupon at Target or the grocery store for $1.50, right? Over time, those coupons add up. Most of my Ebates cash back earnings have been $5.00 or less, but clearly, over a year, it does build up. When you’re making bigger purchases, the 2-5% is more significant, further boosting your total cash back.
Ebates also offers periodic higher cash back offers. Again, it varies. Some stores remain at 2% year round while others offer higher percentages pretty regularly. Not surprisingly, during the holidays, many stores have fantastic cash back rates. I’ve gotten a few other great deals as well, which make up a large portion of my $181.73 total. In August 2016, I booked our hotel and flights for our New Orleans trip through Expedia. I received 4% back on the flights and 2% back on the hotel, which equaled $54.60. In September 2016, prior to the same trip, I also purchased new luggage through eBags where I received 14% cash back, which equaled $27.30.
Is Ebates worth it?
Ebates is absolutely worth it. With an extra click of a button, I’m able to earn cash back on online purchases I would have made anyway. The Ebates button is easy to use and I’ve never had an issue receiving a payment via Paypal.
If you haven’t already created an account, click here to sign up now using my referral code. Once you’ve created your account, install the browser plug-in so you’ll start getting notifications for savings opportunities as soon as possible.
[Disclaimer: I was not sponsored to write this post. All of the Ebates links in this post are affiliate links. Using one of my affiliate links to create your own Ebates account is a simple way to support my blog without costing you anything extra. Thank you!]
Do you use Ebates? I’d love to hear your thoughts on their cash back program!
