Jessica's Friday Five: An appliance you might move, considering solar panels, and free books on Amazon

Hi Reader,

I'm writing this issue quite a bit earlier than normal - because as you're getting this, I'm a handful of hours into a few weeks of vacation with my family and away from my email inbox. We're headed to Portugal to go surfing with some friends. We were invited last year, and with this one wild and precious life, I wanted to find a way to say yes to it. Will I be able to stand up on the surfboard? Who knows. But I promise to try my best! I have a feeling I'll be more successful eating pastel de nata. 😊

Let's get to your Friday Five, shall we? Over 500 new subscribers have joined since just last Friday, so if you're new here, welcome! We share five tips for living a more joyful and easy life each week.

1. Apply this to whatever you're worried about right now: I've been using this concept a lot lately to support friends and family who are anxious about something (and myself too!). When you're feeling worried something will happen, figure out the worst thing that could happen. Then, figure out the best-case scenario and the most likely scenario. For the worst-case scenario, determine what you'd do if that happened. This often settles down your thinking because it reminds you that the worst-case scenario is unlikely - and that if it does occur, you can handle it. ​
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2. Coffee pot in the bedroom: One of you emailed earlier this week (hi Amy!) in response to one of my emails to tell me that you have your coffee pot in your bedroom so you can just easily make coffee in the morning. I thought that was such a smart idea! Do other people do this, too, and I'm just the only one who never thought of it? I am a tea person (not coffee), making me want to get my water kettle set up in my bedroom.
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3. If you're curious about solar: Years ago (while I was on early maternity leave waiting for my youngest to be born - one week after his due date is when he arrived), I did a lot of research into solar panels for our home. We ended up having them installed shortly after he was born, and by far, the best resource we found in the process was Energy Sage. They're a company that gives you unbiased info about the process - from estimates on what solar will cost you and what it will save you in energy expenses, what federal and state rebates you're eligible for in your area, to then getting you competing bids from various solar companies to helping you figure out which company to choose. We've shared this resource with so many friends over the years, and I can't believe I never thought to share it with y'all here on Friday Five until now! So helpful if you're solar-curious, and with our friend link you'll also get an Amazon gift card if you end up geting solar. But do it for the help they give, honestly - the gift card is just a nice little bonus.
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4. Free books on Amazon: I totally forgot about this Amazon Prime benefit until Janssen posted about it recently. If you have Prime, you get a free book every month that you can read either on your smartphone or on a Kindle. I chose the Farah Naz Rishi book from this month's selection of free books and I'm planning to read it on my Kindle while we're on this trip. They have kids' books too, which I will probably pick in future months. These are not just random books - they have lots from really famous authors, too. You can turn on email notifications here to be reminded when their new free books for the month are released.
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5. Free budget calculator: Sam created a handy budgeting calculator that will help you organize and manage your finances and, therefore, your future. I used a similar one when deciding how and when to transition into entrepreneurship a few years ago, so I wanted to share it with all of you. This kind of budget clarity is critical for taking control of your financial journey. I thought you might like it. Click here to grab the budget tool (it's linked at the top of the page). I’m not sure how long Sam is going to have this available. Grab it now before it goes away!

There may be affiliate links in this email which means I may receive a commission if you purchase something through a link. However, please be assured that I only recommend products I have personally used and love!