I myself like many others, have struggled with the paycheck to paycheck lifestyle for quite a while. As a recent college graduate, I think most of us are in the same boat. While trying to start our careers and pay off our elephant sized college loans, we still want to go on vacations, move out, save up and so on. So as someone who is in this constant battle I did some research on how I could get myself out of this lifestyle that I don't really love. 

A few things first. I totally get that sometimes your paycheck is what it is. For me, I make the same amount weekly, and at the moment there isn't much room for growth. But don't let that hold you back, because I certainly haven't There are plenty of ways to actually make some great side cash while still holding onto your full time gig. 

Tip #1: Do you like animals? I've found that there is a great need for dog walkers or pet sitters. I don't have a pet, but from friends and family who do they always discuss how difficult it is to have someone watch their pet when they're away. Look into networking with some folks and coming up with a price to watch their pets, instead of sending them a shelter for a week. 

Tip #2: Look in your closet. I have so many old clothes, bags and shoes I never wear and some that still even have the tags on them! Nothing like some fall cleaning to go through your closet, find what you don't want and sell it! There are places locally you can sell it to or sell it online on apps like Mercari or Poshmark. 

Tip #3: Be a driver. Now this is more of a part time job but it is something that you can do whenever you feel like it. With car services like Uber and Lift you can apply to qualify to be a driver. Check out their sites for qualifications, but if you have a few nights where you're not doing much and a car why not try it out! 

Tip #4: Save your change. This one may take a bit longer than others but I have to say it works. I have a huge change jar that I empty out my wallet into weekly. I don't typically carry cash to begin with, but when I do I save all my change. Before my recent vacation I rolled my coins and have $55 just sitting there in change! 

Tip #5: Start your own part time service. If you have a passion or talent that isn't your full time job, why not turn it into a side hobby that pays? For me, I started out personal training on the side for extra cash. If you're great at hair, make up, nails, nutrition, yoga, whatever it is- let it be known! Start a social media page and get the word out there.

Tip #6: Babysit. If you don't love kids maybe skip over this one! But if you don't mind them let friends and family know you're around. It's an easy way to make some quick cash and hang out with kids. Plus if they go to sleep early all you're doing is hanging out on the couch like you'd do anyway at home! 

Tip #7: Coupons. Obviously there is some monthly payments you can't cut down on like food shopping, bills and gas. But you can try to make it a bit easier on yourself. For food shopping theres a plethora of coupons out there, so take a look online or take the stores circular and do your shopping based off some discounts. For gas you can find cheapest ones in your area with certain apps, or become a member where you get a percentage off for every time you fill up your tank. 

Tip #8: Cash back. For when you do shopping, one of my favorite websites is Ebates. You earn cash for shopping on regular sites. Depending on what site you shop on you get a certain amount back. My biggest paycheck was nearly $20 after doing online Christmas shopping. I know not a lot, but it did fill up my gas tank! 

Tip #9: Blog for someone. This one can get a bit more tricky. Usually with websites that pay for blogging you start off writing for free until your articles can gain traction. Or you have to first submit to see if you are accepted at all. But if you enjoy writing and it's a great pass time for you, why not do it and get paid for it, even if its not right away.

Tip #10: Give your opinion. There are a bunch of different websites now that offer you money for giving your opinion. Take quizzes, watch videos, shop and tell them what you feel. The income varies from $1.00 to even $50.00 if you are selected for specific questionaries. 

Let me know what's worked for you! Comment below, what do you do to make some extra cash? 

Feelings vs food. The constant battle. Have you ever had one of those terrible work days where you come home and instantly want to down a bottle of wine? Or maybe it's just been a jam packed day and a package of ramen sounds way better then cooking a full on meal. If you've been there you're not alone. With wine and ramen being two of my favorite go to's I had a realization a few months back. 

When I first picked up the book The Goddess Revolution author Mel Wells talks about emotional eating. She brings up the topic for the reason why you could not be losing weight or actually gaining even though you think you're on the right track. I skimmed through this part because I thought "no way this part isn't for me". But as I sat in the Taco Bell drive thru a week later after one of the most stressful work days, the only thing flashing in my mind was that chapter. I went back to the emotional eating part and read it. And I realized something, we all do it! Maybe some more often then others, but it's actually pretty normal. But what isn't normal is when your emotional eating begins to get the best of you.

For anyone that's like me, when my anxiety is in high gear thats when you'll find me pigging out. I begin to adapt the mentality that "I don't care" and "whatever it's just one meal" sort of attitude. But I truly began to see the bigger picture. It wasn't so much about what I was eating but more of I was feeling an emotion so deeply that I had to fill that void with food. Sounds bizarre right? But it also kind of makes sense. 

How many times have you heard someone in your life talk about needing sweets, or alcohol or tacos- whatever their go to is because they had a stressful day. It is typical for many of us to eat away at our emotions rather then really confront what's going on inside our minds. When I feel my anxiety coming on I truly feel it, from head to toe. And for a good amount of time I would sink back into my "I don't care" mode and eat whatever I wanted. Within 20 minutes of my meal I felt like shit, my stomach would be bloated and my emotions were worse then before. So, solution you may wonder? 

I'm still figuring it out. Sorry! Just kidding- sort of. We're all different. We are different people with different issues. But I can tell you my few secrets that keep me from eating my emotions. 

Secret #1: When I'm having a tough time with a situation or person I excuse myself, even for 10 minutes, grab my headphones and go meditate. Meditation is one of my favorite ways to clear my mind, stop it from racing and really focus on myself. 

Secret #2: Talk about it. Sometimes the situations we are in aren't as bad as we think. Sometimes we already have the answers within us, we just need someone to be our sound board. Find someone to bounce your thoughts off of or just a great listener. It's much better then binging fast food! 

Secret #3: Before you reach for your favorite snack or hop in the car to pick up some take out, have a little chat with yourself. Most of the time you already feel guilty before you eat because you know deep down it isn't aligned with  your goals. Ask yourself why you're going for the fast food or the quick snacks that you normally don't go for. 

Secret #4: Sleep it off! If you are fortunate enough to walk away  from your day for a half hour, nap it out. If not, make it an early night and allow yourself some extra sleep. After a rough day, there is nothing better then pjs at 9pm.

Secret #5: Get your sweat on. Go for a run, take a fitness class or hit the weights. It might be tough to push yourself at first but after the first few minutes you'll break through, feel the adrenaline rushing through you and ease the pain. 

Secret #6: My personal favorite- write. I love to write (clearly) and have been since I was little. The best part about journaling for me is being able to go back to past issues and see where I am now. The second best part is when I begin writing by the time I have finished my entry, I usually have answered my own problem!

Comment some of your tricks when it comes to keeping yourself on track, below! 

Going on  vacation for 10 days was a bit nerve racking when it came to my health. Eating out for every meal, not being able to cook when I have been so committed to my new lifestyle was a tough thing to work out. I knew that I could do it, I just had to be prepared. The craziest part about my trip was that I came home to weighing one pound less! How you might ask? Well, here's my tips on how I did it. 

Disclaimer: I didn't deprive myself of anything-at all. I ate, drank and was super happy! 





Tip 1- I made sure to have protein in every meal I ate 
Tip 2- I had protein, low carb packed snacks in the parks with me and in the hotel room (mixed nuts, pistachio nuts, yogurt, protein bars) 
Tip 3- I made sure to stay super hydrated, especially in that hot Florida sun 
Tip 4- Being that we did 6 days in the Disney parks we walked a lot, so I was able to track the many miles a day we walked for burning calories
Tip 5- We walked instead of taking an Uber- to Disney Springs which was an  8 minute walk from our hotel, to the grocery store and convenience store also close by 
Tip 6- I made sure to get a decent amount of sleep (We were exhausted from the parks anyway, so my body needed the time to rejuvenate) 
Tip 7- When choosing my meals I tried to pick options that were closely related to what I typically eat on a high carb day or low carb day (depending on the day of the cycle) 
Tip 8- When drinking alcohol try to choose liquor mixed with fresh fruits like my favorite tequila with soda, a lime, an orange and a lemon 
Tip 9- Still keep up with your daily habits like drinking lemon water upon waking up, a green tea through out the day 
Tip 10- Enjoy yourself! Being on vacation is a happy time, enjoy time with your loved ones and relax. For me, it takes a while to decompress and turn my mind off from the daily stressors. It's amazing how much your body will thank you for some r&r!

Have you ever heard of it? It's one of the up and coming non-invasive procedures that can help you slim and trim away those stubborn fat areas. While I don't particularly believe in spot treatment, this is one of the treatments that swears to decrease any "problem" areas. So what is it exactly? According to lipolightpro.com 

"The Lipo-Light advanced slimming and toning program is the latest treatment for non-invasive body contouring.

Simple to use, safe and hygienic Lipo-Light delivers effective results in just one treatment. Your patients will be able to naturally slim, shape and tone the areas of the body they want including those difficult to reach areas such as waist, hips, thighs, upper legs and even the arms.

The Lipo-Light Advanced Slimming and Toning program is the latest treatment in the revolutionary non-invasive body contouring market. The use of heat and specific wavelength light from Lipo-Light combined with exercise and a healthy diet will naturally slim and tone your problem areas without painful surgery.

Its many uses include health, beauty, fitness and well-being. 
• Slim 
• Shape 
• Tone 
Our Lipo-Light Advanced Slimming and Toning has a positive effect on those areas where body sculpting can prove difficult including the waist, hips, thighs, upper legs and even the arms"

I am always down to try something new, (as long as it's safe) so I gave it a go. With a month away before vacation I thought what could I have to lose, right? I also simultaneously started a new diet of carb cycling the same week. I was strictly following my new diet, staying hydrated, doing my treatment and working out after it. My results were as followed:

-Doing the treatment, was super relaxing, didn't hurt at all and easy. 
-After the 4 weeks I had definitely decreased in weight, but that could be more because of my new diet
-Doing the treatment motivated me more to workout because you HAD to after a treatment 
-I put myself on a strict schedule so I couldn't miss a treatment or a meal, to stay on track

By the end of the month, I had felt lighter, my waist was definitely smaller and I was feeling great about myself. Now was it all due to my lipo-light treatments? I think yes and no. I know that changing up my diet was a huge reason why I started to shed some lbs but I do also believe that the treatments helped me lose a couple inches off my waist! 

Try it out for yourself, let me know your results! 

Almost a year ago I was blessed with meeting a beautiful soul, who become one of my great friends. She is the kind of friend you need on your tough days and have the best times with on happy days. One evening when I wasn't myself she mentioned how she has a "happy list" on her phone. Her list consisted of things that made her happy when she was feeling down. At first I didn't find it to be much of anything, but when I was having my next bad day this list came in handy. 

It's just a simple list of anything that makes you happy, that keeps your mind at ease and takes the crazy down a few notches. 

Happy List
1-Candles
2-Meditate
3-Take a shower
4-Go for a run 
5-Watch my favorite tv show
6-Write
7-Take a yoga class
8-Go to the movies
9-Make yourself a meal 
10-Call your best friend
11-Gather your girlfriends for a wine night 
12-Go for a walk at the beach 
13-Go for a drive
14-Watch a disney movie
15-Put on your favorite music 
16-Put your phone down 
17-Dance
18-Pamper yourself with a manicure
19-Get a massage
20-Take a bath