Hello!
If you land on this page, you are probably curious what Ms. FAF (aka me) has to recommend. And I can tell you for sure that I only promote products that will add value to your life as they do to mine.
If you purchase any products by clicking the links below, I may earn a commission from the transaction. The payment is for me to support this blog and my family at no extra cost to you. You can read the full disclosure here.
MONEY MAKING
Chase Sapphire Preferred: Mr. FAF and I use credit cards responsibly to earn cash rewards on all transactions. I applied for the Chase Sapphire credit card and got 60,000 points for travel (an equivalent of $750 in travel rewards) after spending $4,000 in the first three months.
When I redeem the rewards for travel, I also get 25% more value. On top of that, I can earn 2X points on travel and dining to save even more money on my future travel expenses! You can sign up for Chase Sapphire Preferred and earn your 60,000 points ($750 in value) here.
Swagbucks: With Swagbucks, you can earn free gift cards (i.e. Amazon) when you shop online, watch videos, take surveys, and find deals and discount codes. You will automatically get $10 from Swagbucks when you sign up.
InboxDollars: Check out InboxDollars to earn cash online by reading paid emails, completing surveys, playing online games or shopping. You will automatically get $5 from InboxDollars when you sign up.
MONEY SAVING
Qube: Quebe is a digitial alternative to the cash envelop system that is a perfect marriage between the cash envelop system and debit cards. Before you make a purchase, it lets you pick the spending category from your card and transfers the funds to your Qube debit card for you to make the payment. After the purchase is made, the payment is deducted from the total amount for the spending category, and the remaining amount is transferred back to your phone.
Amazon: Mr. FAF and I LOVE shopping on Amazon. It’s so quick and easy. We don’t have to drive to the store, walk around looking for what we need, or wait in line for 15-30 minutes to pay for the product. We can find pretty much anything on Amazon with one click, and the check-out process takes less than 1 minute. Amazon saves us a lot of money and time with a variety of competitively priced products.
$5 Meal Plan: If you think meal planning is too time-consuming or stressful, Erin Chase will send you meal plans with the exact shopping lists for just $5/mo. Erin makes these meals for her family of 6 for $5 per meal! Sign up for your quick and frugal meal plans here.
Dollar Tree: Shopping at the Dollar Tree store is one of my most favorite things to do. They have so many great products at only $1 or less. I actually got all of my pregnancy tests from Dollar Tree for only $1 each! Even you don’t live near a store, you can also shop online for great and inexpensive products.
Hulu: One of the best ways to cut costs is to cut the cable and start your entertainment with Hulu for as low as $5.99/mo. Why pay $80 for cable when you can watch your favorite TV shows and explore new movies for only $6/mo? You can also get Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ for $12.99/month. Sign up for your free trail of Hulu here.
TRAVEL
AirBnB: Mr. FAF and I like to travel on a budget. And we choose AirBnB to arrange our accommodation. Sign up for AirBnB today and get $40 off your home booking!
CheapAir: Mr. FAF and I travel internationally often since our families are in Asia. We also travel domestically to explore different places. We have found good deals for plane tickets on CheapAir. CheapAir also offers hotel booking and care rentals in the US. You can see deals on CheapAir here.
Orbitz: Orbitz is another website we use to travel for deals on plane tickets. Orbitz also offers hotel booking, car rental, vacation rental, cruises, and activities. Click here to check out what Orbitz has to offer.
Hertz: When we need a car rental while traveling, Mr. FAF often rents from Hertz since they have great service and car models. They also have pickup and drop-off locations at airports. You can check car rentals at Hertz here.
BUSINESS
FreshBooks: If you are a freelancer or run a small-medium business, you might need an accounting software to keep track of your finances. FreshBooks can help you send invoices, track time, manage receipts, expenses, and accept credit cards. Click here to try FreshBooks for free!
Fiverr: If you need a logo or graphic designs for your businesses, you should check out Fiverr. With Fiverr, you can work with any freelancers of our choice to come up with your ideal graphic design for as low as $5. It also offers writing, translation, and digital marketing. Check our what Fiverr has to offer here.
BLOGGING
BlueHost: I launched my blog using BlueHost on March 21, 2017. It was a quick and easy setup process ideal for beginner bloggers. You can start your own blog and potential blogging business with BlueHost for just $3.95/mo by clicking here.
SiteGround: As my site grew, I switched from BlueHost to SiteGround and have found the service phenomenal. SiteGround offers a free website transfer service done by their experts. You can get started with SiteGround for $3.95/mo by clicking here.
Tailwind: If you want to grow your blog traffic, having a Pinterest account is a must! Tailwind can set your pin scheduling on autopilot so that you won’t have to manually pin every day. It has saved me so much time, and it does generate more traffic to my site. When you sign up through this link, you will get a $15 credit in your Tailwind account.
Canva: I use Canva to make all of my Pinterest pins. Canva has a free version. With Canva Pro, however, you can access thousands of Pinterest design templates. Canva Pro also offers templates for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, blog, and social media graphics. Click here to try Canva Pro free for 30 days.
Canva templates for: Pinterest | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Blog | Social Media
AD NETWORKS
Ezoic: I chose Ezoic as my go-to ad platform to help me optimize ads and maximize my ad revenue. Ezoic is an authorized Google partner and uses artificial intelligence to streamline ads management.
You need at least 10,000 visitors/mo to qualify for their program. But if you can make a great case to your rep as to why you should get approved despite not having 10,000 visitors/mo, you may still qualify for Ezoic. Join Ezoic and start generating revenue from your blog today!
FlexOffers: If you want to promote a specific product, you can join FlexOffers and get approved for hundreds of big brand names in multiple categories such as digital products, clothing, and hotels.
ShareASale: ShareASale is an affiliate marketing network that partners with any big brand names. Many companies such as Tailwind, Sears, and Inc Authority offer their affiliate programs through this network.
PERSONAL FINANCE BOOKS
The Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey: Dave offers a 7-step plan that has helped millions of families get out of debt and change their lives for the better. Dave also debunks 10 most dangerous money myths, helps you build an emergency fund, and saves for retirement. Check out Dave’s best-selling book here.
The Simple Path To Wealth by JL Collins: This book offers a self-directed approach to financial independence. You don’t need a high-cost mutual fund or some fancy financial strategies to retire early. Click this link to check out JL Collins’ simple recipe for financial success.
Meet the Frugalwoods: Achieving Financial Independence Through Simple Living by Elizabeth Willard Thames: Liz and her husband left their busy lives in Cambridge, MA to retire early in a homestead in rural Vermont. They have reached financial independence through drastic frugality and aggressive savings. In their book, the couple shares their tips on how you too can retire early.
Work Optional: Retire Early the Non-Penny-Pinching Way by Tanja Hester: You don’t have to constantly pinch pennies and deprive your lives of fun activities that might cost money. Tanja reached financial independence and retired early at 38. Click here to see how you too can do what Tanja did.
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki: This classic book about real estate investing will help shape your view on what type of assets you should accumulate and how you should accumulate them in order to reach financial independence without trading time for money. Check it out here.