6 Easy Ways to Make Money with Things You Don't Need

I have a saving problem. Yes, sometimes it can be as bad as a spending problem. I've actually loosened up lately - but only for travel. My heart still sinks when money is taken from our bank account. I completely believe in spending money on quality food, supplements, and travel. Those are the things I believe are worth spending money on but each person has to determine that for themselves.

Ever since I left my corporate job I have been organizing our life and simplifying even more! We wanted to get rid of as much as possible so that we could do some updates around the house without using money in our savings account.

6 Easy Ways to Make Money with Things You Don't Need

1. Sell old DVDs to a movie trade store. We took almost 300 DVDs and received a little over $150. We could have received a store credit for $300 but we do not really buy movies anymore so we took the cash instead. Selling 300 DVDs for $150 doesn't sound like much but we didn't pay much for them either. We usually bought movies when they were less than $5. I even had to dust them off before we took them in so it's just an extra $150 in our bank account!

2. Trade in old video games. Another thing that we have always done is when Scott wants to buy a new video game (he only buys 3 per year: Tiger Woods, NFL, and MLB) he trades in an old game so we don't ever pay full price for the new video game. I remember one of my sister's boyfriends would laugh at me for having Scott do this - but I don't care! What's worse than paying full price for a video game is having old ones sit around and collect dust! I HATE "stuff"!

3. Sell clothes to a local consignment shop. I have always done this but I have just now been able to get Scott to go through his clothes. The hardest part of this is finding a good consignment shop in your area. I take mine to the same place every time, which is also where I buy a lot of my clothes. If you haven't worn the clothes, shoes, or accessories in over a year you probably won't wear them again - get rid of them! At the consignment store I use, you can either get cash or store credit. I usually leave it as credit that way I can go shopping without actually spending money. At any given moment I will have $100-$300 credit and this is coming from someone who doesn't even like to shop in the first place! If you have a lot of designer clothing or accessories you can make a decent amount of money. I just went by and picked up a check for over $200 before we went on our last vacation! Talk about easy money!

4. List items you no longer use on Craigslist or eBay. Really think about what you need in your house. Do you need a TV in every room? We listed a TV, DVD player, and TV stand which resulted in an extra $400 in our pocket and we haven't missed it once!

5. Get rid of your cable or lower your package. This might sound crazy to some people but you CAN live without TV. When we first got married we didn't have cable but then we had to get it so Scott could watch the Cubs games (very important, right?). I called to cancel it again at the beginning of the year. They tried to talk me out of it, of course. They ended up offering us the lowest package for under $5 per month. We did take that offer so we do have local channels in case we need them (I'm not sure what for!). We don't really watch a lot of TV or movies at all anymore but if you are a fan try Amazon Prime (you get a lot of free rentals there) or Netflix.

6. Have a yard sale. I'm not a fan of these actually. Too much work to organize, haggle, and actually work at the garage sale. I've had a few but I guess I just don't have enough stuff to begin with to have a good return. Some people have great success though - if you have a lot of stuff to get rid of...go for it! Advertise it in your local newspaper, put up easy-to-read signs, and post about it in your local Facebook yard sale group. What doesn't sale - DONATE!

We choose to skip the expensive restaurants and designer handbags or shoes but we do travel and buy the best hiking gear. We all have random things we are willing to spend money on...you just need to find a balance (just like with fitness) that works for you and your BUDGET! Unfortunately in life we can't eat everything we want and we can't buy everything we want! ;-)

- Whitney

4 Reasons Why You Might Be Binge Eating or Overeating at Night

Many people struggle with binge eating or overeating at night. I'm obviously not a doctor or an expert but from the people I've coached and talked with, there are usually four main reasons why this happens.

Although I've never been anorexic or a binge eater, I have struggled with body image issues a few years after I started my "fitness journey". It is one of the most difficult things I have experienced and I have really learned how much control the mind has over everything we do, feel, and think.

The reasons I have listed below are just from personal observation and I suggest that if you struggling with binge eating that you seek professional help.

4 Reasons Why You Might Be Binge Eating or Overeating at Night {or really anytime}

1. You didn't eat enough throughout the day.
   • If you are not eating enough throughout the day you will be starving at night! Skipping meals and cutting calories during the day will only make you more hungry at night. Try to evenly space your meals throughout the day, considering what works best for your schedule. Eating one egg for breakfast and a salad with nothing on it for a lunch isn't going to cut it. Also, only eating 1,200 calories a day is NOT enough (except for a very small portion of the population). It doesn't make sense to restrict your calories all day just to binge at night, that defeats the whole purpose. Do not be afraid to eat!
   • Not sure where to start? Join our FREE 13 to Clean Challenge!
2. You restrict yourself.
   • This is different from above. There are some people that can have one square of dark chocolate every night and be perfectly fine - others who do best to just abstain altogether. There is no right or wrong way, you just have to figure out which works for you and learn how to work with yourself. If you restrict yourself and impose rules on yourself that you can't eat {insert food here}, that's probably going to be the first thing you grab at night. What good is it do tell yourself not to eat one small portion only to binge and eat four times that amount later? Listen to your body and find out what is right for you.
3. You are bored and/or emotionally eating.
   • You've probably read this one a million times but it's true. If you normally sit down to watch TV at night and mindlessly snack - you will eventually associate the two. Try reaching for healthier options like kale chips, four ingredient protein pudding, etc or find a different activity. Some of my favorite things include taking a walk, taking a bath, painting my nails, organizing a closet, etc. Find something that distracts you from your boredom.
4. You are thirsty.
   • Sounds simple and it is - you may be thirsty. Take a mental note of how much water you are drinking throughout the day and if you aren't drinking enough you could be mistaking thirst for hunger at night. Try to drink water on a consistent basis throughout the day, and maybe even try a nighttime tea (make sure it contains no caffeine) to help satisfy you.

I hope this short list helps you figure out why you may be binge eating or overeating at night. As always, it's so important to focus on being healthy above all else. This includes having a healthy relationship with food and exercise.

Try implementing some of the tips listed above including making a healthier version of what you crave, distracting yourself, and not restricting your calories early in the day.

No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars

So maybe we are kind of obsessed with our Chocolate Chunk Protein Bars and we ran out of oat flour. We order our oat flour from Amazon's Subscribe and Save and get a box each month but this month I used a lot more than normal for some recipes that were major fails (bummer!). We definitely could have just gone without them but since we were leaving to go out of town in a few days I didn't want to make a bunch of food that we wouldn't be able to finish before leaving. Enter a random concoction of stuff I put together... These are similar to our four ingredient protein bars but I actually prefer these now! They have a few more ingredients but are just as simple to make.

Clean Eat Recipe: No Bake {Gluten Free} Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
• 1/2 cup gluten free quick cooking oats
• 2 packets chocolate protein powder **If you are interested in ordering this protein powder and would like a FREE Shake & Bake Recipe eBook, please email us first at thegang@heandsheeatclean.com.
• 3/4 cup liquid egg whites (pasteurized carton)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• dash of sea salt

Directions:

1. Line a 8X8 dish (we use Pyrex) with wax or parchment paper
2. Mix all ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl using your hands and/or a fork
3. Press mixture down into dish using a spatula to flatten
4. Place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Cut into four bars.

Yields 4 Servings

Macros (per serving):

• Calories: 335
• Carbs: 16 g
• Fat: 17 g
• Protein: 25 g
• Sugar: 3 g
• Fiber: 5 g