Full Disclosure


Per the FTC regulations, this is a full explanation of how and when I am compensated on LivingWellSpendingLess.com.

LivingWellSpendingLess.com began as simply a way of holding myself accountable as I learned to live life in a more frugal way. Over time, as I got more involved, I some how made the transition from “the girl who likes coupons” to a full time job as a professional blogger. (I know, right? What the heck is that?!)

I founded Living Well Spending Less Inc. and became a for-profit S Corporation.

In order to keep all the content of my blog free but still be able to pay all the costs associated with running a business, including hosting fees, blog design, my own time and that of those who help me (yes, I do need a lot of help!), there are many ways in which I am compensated. Put simply, although Living Well Spending Less is a true labor of love (and I DO love what I do), I also get paid for doing my job.

My opinion and my integrity

My integrity as a blogger is extremely important to me. I will never promote something, even if I am offered compensation for that promotion, if I don’t feel it is worth your time, energy, or money.

If I tell you I like something, I mean it. If I tell you I own something or bought something, that is the truth. If I tell you that Amazon Prime free 2 day shipping is the greatest thing that was ever invented, you better believe that I was a card-carrying member long before I ever even knew what a blog was.

I will never knowingly lie or mislead you just because I think it may make me a few bucks. A girl’s gotta pay the bills, true, but I value you, my readers, far too much to mislead you.

Free stuff

Sometimes I accept free items from marketers or companies. Often I use those free items as contest prizes here on one or all of my blogs or Facebook pages. If it so happens that I keep one of those items for my own personal use, I will disclose that I received the item for free if it is discussed here on the site. Thus, if I tell you I love my KitchenAid mixer more than I love my children but never mention that it was free, that’s because it was actually a wedding gift from two of the best people I know.

Product Reviews

As a general rule, I do not do paid product reviews. Once in a blue moon, I will review a product I think y’all might find interesting, like a Qubie coupon organization system . In that case, I will either disclose that I received the item in question for free (and from whom). If such a thing isn’t mentioned, it’s because it’s an item I purchased myself (such as my Couponizer (currently out of print) or my Brother printer) and just happen to love and want to tell you about.

Underwritten Posts

Occasionally companies will offer to underwrite a post in order to expose the LWSL audience to their brand. These posts are written by solely by me on a subject or topic selected by me, but agreed upon by the company I am working with. These posts represent my own honest opinion and are not reviewed or edited by the company prior to publication. Be assured that I will only work with companies whose values align with those represented on this blog, and I will only write content that I think would be of genuine interest to you, my readers. Underwritten posts will always be clearly disclosed as such.

Affiliate marketing

Another source of revenue for Living Well Spending Less are commissions I make off from sales or leads generated through affiliate linking.

Again, it is important for me to emphasize that I will never link to something just because it is an affiliate link. In fact, most of the places/stores/coupons I link to have no affiliate association attached.

Often the reverse is true; I will find a company I like and recommend that I was planning on writing about anyway (such as E-Meals or WeightWatchers or YouNeedaBudget.com), and then, after the post is already written I will look to see if there is an affiliate program available.

The following are some, but not all, of the companies I frequently link to using affiliate links:

  • Amazon (As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases)
  • e-Meals
  • Qubie
  • Ebates
  • Swagbucks
  • Upromise
  • ThredUp
  • Zulily

Just to be clear, clicking on an affiliate link and printing a coupon or signing up for a service or ordering a product will be earning me a commission & helping me keep this blog going.

If you have any concerns about this policy, please feel free to email me.