The 7 Money Mistakes You're Better Off Avoiding

PLUS: Make your own travel-friendly shampoo bars, a hack for lighting deep candles, and more. PLUS: Make your own travel-friendly shampoo bars, a hack for lighting deep candles, and more. March 31, 2022 [View Online]( TOGETHER WITH [Bombas]( Good morning! Experience can be a great teacher, but when it comes to financial decisions with expensive, long-term consequences, I think most of us would prefer to learn those lessons secondhand. You'll do just that in Today’s Good Thing, where I’m sharing how to avoid 7 costly money mistakes. Also in today’s newsletter, if you’re looking for ways to minimize potential messes while traveling, you’ll love the shampoo bars in the latest Swap That For This. So long, leaky shampoo bottles! Jillee TODAY'S GOOD THING The 7 Money Mistakes You're Better Off Avoiding [Photos of a garage, Jillee driving, a wallet, and some credit cards.]( Some financial decisions seem great in the short term, but their long-term consequences can cost you. 1. Choosing An Adjustable Rate Mortgage. Adjustable rate mortgages can be attractive if the interest rate is initially low, but it will change after a few years, and who knows where it’ll end up? A fixed-rate mortgage is more predictable—if you do have an adjustable rate, you can always look into refinancing at a fixed rate. 2. Getting A Timeshare. After purchasing a timeshare, it can be impossible to find a buyer if you want out of your contract. Plus, you might eventually get tired of vacationing at the exact same place. Instead, look for deals on hotels or rentals for each trip—no lengthy agreements or contracts required. 3. Misunderstanding “No Interest” Offers. “No interest for 90 days” always sounds like a great deal, but deferred interest offers can lure you into a false sense of security. The no-interest period can expire before you know it and leave you with a big interest charge. To avoid the headache, save up and pay in cash instead. 4. Taking Out Payday Loans. It’s not the service fees that should concern you about payday loans—it’s the interest rates. The average annual interest rates on payday loans are over 400%, making it very easy to get stuck in a cycle of borrowing and paying over and over. You'll be better off if you steer clear. 5. Paying Off Low-Interest Debt First. If you’re focusing on paying off your house while sitting on credit card debt, it’s time to rethink your strategy. You’ll save money in the long run by paying off higher interest debts before lower interest debts. Paying your bills on time is most important, but paying off high interest debts is a close second! [2 More Money Mistakes You're Better Off Avoiding ➜]( Related • [11 Little Habits That Can Cost You Big Money]( • [13 Creative New Ways To Save More Money Every Day]( ⚡️QUICK TIPS⚡️ • If the crispy edges and corners are your favorite part of eating brownies, you’ll love this gluten free brownie bark. [Read more ➜]( • Dawn’s Powerwash dish spray is a great concept, but why buy it when you can make it at home for pennies? [Read more ➜]( • When your face is feeling dry and flaky, this homemade exfoliating mask can get rid of dead skin and restore moisture. [Read more ➜]( WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT? A Clever Hack For Lighting Deep Candles [A photo of a candle being lit with a spaghetti noodle.]( Trying to light a wick that’s too low for your lighter? It’s time to use your noodle. When you’ve burned a jar candle down to a certain point, it can be tricky or even impossible to light it with a standard match or lighter. A long lighter would do the trick, but you may not always have one on hand (or, if your family is like mine, someone will have left the long lighter outside in the rain and it won’t light.) But if you happen to have a package of spaghetti noodles on hand, you’re in luck! Just light the end of a piece of spaghetti with a match or lighter, then lower the burning pasta into the candle to light the wick. Because it burns slowly, this can also be useful for lighting stubborn candles that take a while to get going. TOGETHER WITH BOMBAS It’s Time To Stop Neglecting Your Wardrobe Staples You may think long and hard about accessorizing your outfit from head to toe, but how much thought have you given to what goes on underneath? Yes, I’m talking about essentials! You know—the socks, underwear, and basic tee’s we wear every day. I often hear people make the “out of sight, out of mind” argument when it comes to these wardrobe staples, but if you’ve ever worn ill-fitting undies, a slippery sock, or a scratchy undershirt, then you know just how important choosing high-quality clothing can be. That’s why I’m so excited about Bombas. They make [the world's most comfortable]( socks, underwear, t-shirts, and slippers in styles and designs that are perfect for everyday wear. I love the feeling of putting on soft, new clothes for the first time, and with Bombas, [it feels like the first time, every time!]( Not only is everything Bombas makes more comfortable, but it also lasts way longer than the cheap stuff. And with their 100% Happiness Guarantee, these may be the last pair of socks, underwear or t-shirt you ever buy. Plus they offer a bonus feel-good factor: for every item purchased, they donate one to someone in need. OGT readers can get their first look-good, feel-good purchase for [20% off with the code COMFORT20](. Ready to feel the difference that quality essentials can make in your life? [Save 20% on Women's Bestsellers ➜]( [Save 20% on Women's Bestsellers ➜]( SWAP THAT 🔄 FOR THIS Make A Travel-Friendly Shampoo Bar [Photos of a toiletry bag with and without a shampoo bar.]( Not only are they easy to make, but you’ll have one less bottle to worry about exploding in your luggage. While it's a bigger threat when you're flying due to changes in altitude and air pressure, there's always at least some risk that liquids in your bag will leak, explode, or otherwise make a mess while you're traveling. That's one thing that gives homemade shampoo bars an edge over their liquid counterparts. I typically use about half a bar while washing my hair since it’s so long, but two washes is plenty for a shorter trip. If you have shorter hair, you can expect to get a handful of uses out of each bar, depending on how big you make them. Here’s a quick look what goes into a homemade shampoo bar: • Goat’s Milk Melt & Pour Soap Base. You can use any melt and pour soap base, but the goat’s milk variety is creamier and more moisturizing than others so it’s a great choice for dry and/or fine hair. It leaves my hair feeling clean, but not stripped or frizzy. • Fractionated Coconut Oil. Coconut oil nourishes dry hair, and you only add enough to leave hair feeling hydrated. It won’t make your hair feel greasy or weighed down. • Shea Butter. Like coconut oil, shea butter also nourishes and moisturizes hair. • Essential Oils. Geranium oil and lavender oil are both great for promoting hair and scalp health. They also aid in regulating oil production and leave hair looking lustrous. Now that you know what goes into them, just follow the link below to get all the instructions on making travel-friendly shampoo bars. [See the full tutorial ➜]( JILLEE'S PICK Give Yourself Some Breathing Room [A photo of a bra on a mannequin with a bra extender.]( While I wouldn’t advise wearing a bra that’s significantly too small for you, sometimes you just need a little extra breathing room. Whether it’s a strapless bra you only wear once a year or a racerback bra you only wear with certain tops, having a quick way to “make it work” can come in handy in a pinch. That’s where a set of [elastic bra extenders]( comes in. This particular set has 6 extenders, including white, nude, and black options in both double loop and triple loop styles. With all these options, you’ll have an extender that works with just about any bra in your collection. To use one, just attach the hooks on the bra extender to your bra's loops, then put the bra on and hook the other side of your bra to the extender’s loops. You'll get about 2 extra inches if you hook it on the loops closest to the middle, and about 3 extra inches if you hook it onto the furthest loops. Either way, you’ll be breathing easier! [See elastic bra extenders on Amazon ➜]( YOUR ONE GOOD THING Bottle Up Your Bobby Pins Sheila B. from San Diego, California has a great tip for saving bobby pins: "I seldom need a bobby pin, but when I do I like to have one at the ready, so I keep a small supply of them in a pill bottle. The bottle is the perfect size and takes up little room in my drawer." What a great idea, Sheila, and thank you for sharing it! Since I already have travel on my mind after writing about my shampoo bars, my initial thought is that I definitely want to use this tip the next time I go on a trip. Because you’re absolutely right, a pill bottle doesn’t take up much space, and it would be a lot easier to find the bottle than it would be to dig around in the bottom of my toiletry bag searching for loose bobby pins! Have a great tip or trick of your own? [Share YOUR “one good thing” here]( for a chance to see it featured in a future newsletter! A FEW MORE THINGS... Baby Got Back(ups): It’s [World Backup Day](, an initiative to raise awareness of the importance of backing up your data. I encourage you to join me in taking the #WorldBackupDay pledge: “I solemnly swear to backup my important documents and precious memories on March 31st.” Here are some resources that can help you get started: • [Back up your Mac with Time Machine]( • [Back up your iPhone to iCloud, Mac, or Windows]( • [Back up your Windows computer with File History]( • [Back up your Android automatically or manually]( On This Day: In 1889, the wrought-iron lattice tower designed by engineer Gustave Eiffel for the World's Fair in Paris—the [Eiffel Tower](—was officially completed. At 1,025 feet tall, it was the tallest freestanding structure in the world, and it retained that title until 1930, when it was surpassed by the Chrysler Building. It’s Time To Upgrade Your Essentials. Things your socks should be: comfortable, comfortable, comfortable. Things they should never be: thin, cheap, and irritating. Say goodbye to generic and hello to quality (plus get 20% off your first order with code COMFORT20). [Shop the world's most comfortable socks today ➜](* 🤔 Wordle: [Solve today's 5-letter word](. What did you think of today's email? [Not good]( | [Just okay]( | [Loved it!]( 🏠[Visit the By Jillee Shop]( 🤗 [Join OGT Free]( Let's connect! [facebook]( [instagram]( [pinterest]( [youtube]( If you have thoughts, comments, questions or a tip or trick you'd like to share, I'd love to hear from you! My inbox is always open, so just hit "reply" and let me know what's on your mind. See you tomorrow! Sending you bright ideas and simple solutions to help you create a home and life you love. My mailing address is: One Good Thing by Jillee 841 S. Main St. Heber City, UT 84032 If you're not happy please reply to this email to tell me why. Update your email preferences or [unsubscribe]( [here](. View our privacy policy [here](.