Vision Boards

Where To Buy Magazines For Your Vision Board Party [updated 2023]

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

 
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This post was originally published June 27, 2018.  Updated:  December 4, 2023

Vision board parties and workshops can be a time to celebrate your wins for the past year and get super excited about the year to come. As the host, you want to make sure your attendees have all the inspiration they need to effectively map out all of their goals.

A vision board is used to visualize everything that you want to accomplish so if someone wants to become a ballerina, you should have magazines that will speak to that.

If someone wants to change their financial situation (ex. make more money, invest more, save more or anything else that concerns their finances) then you want to make sure you have lots of money magazines on hand.

If you are hosting a large vision board party or workshop with 10 to 30 people attending, the number of magazines you need can really add up.

So, where exactly do people find 20-50 magazines? If you are just going to pick up 50 magazines from Walmart, Tesco or Hypermarkets (which can cost anywhere from 4.99 to 7.99 per magazine) the cost can escalate quickly.

Here's where I get my magazines from for super cheap:

 

Option 1: don't buy magazines

Instead, ask attendees to bring their old magazines to the party.

In the invitation, make a note that attendees are encouraged to bring old magazines. After people have RSVP'd, send a follow-up email a few days before the event starts reminding them to bring their magazines. 

I've done this several times in the past and each attendee has shown up with at least 2 or 3 magazines that were just lying around their house collecting dust. Some people will even show up with 10 or 20 magazines. This will be one of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to put together magazines for the party and everyone shares the cost.

 

Option 2: ask your doctor's office or local nail salon 

Doctor's offices and nail salons will typically have several magazines in their waiting room or lounge area.

This one could be a little scary because it's always difficult asking people you may not know for stuff, but this strategy does work. The next time you go into the doctor's office, simply ask the staff to give you a call when they swap out the magazines seasonally.

This doesn't always work, but when it does you can end up with 50 magazines for free for absolutely no effort fees ( other than the gas you spend driving to the doctor's office to pick them up).

 

Option 3: the thrift store

Now, I'm a girl who loves the thrift store - aka second-hand store. Seriously, tons of what I've bought in the past year or so has come straight up from Craigslist or the thrift store. #Shameless

The thrift store is an amazing place where you can get the exact same thing that you can buy at the store for a super discounted price - that includes magazines. My local thrift store has the most amazing assortment of magazines for about $0.15 each. Now I don't know about you but these magazines typically cost $4 to $7 in the store and I can get them at $0.15. #NoBrainer

 

Option 4: Amazon

This shouldn't be a surprise. You can buy literally everything on Amazon, magazines included.

I prefer to subscribe to a magazine because you can get an annual subscription for anywhere from $3 to $20 (usually special pricing during the first year) and receive one magazine per month for the entire year. (Sometimes you can receive a new magazine twice a month or every other month, it depends on the magazine's publishing schedule.) 

Using this annual subscription strategy, you can stack up 12 magazines by the end of the year for less than $20.

Related Post: What Magazines Should I Use For My Vision Board? Effective List of Do's and Don'ts

 

Option 5: Offerup (or local buyer/seller Facebook groups)

OfferUp is an online marketplace where you can connect with local buyers to purchase things that they no longer need or want.

Often, people will have collected stacks of magazines through the years and when they're ready to just clean out their house or maybe if they're moving they literally give them all away.

Finding one of these deals is rare but if you join the platform you can land a huge number of magazines in a short amount of time. 

 

Option 6: Walmart/Target bookstores

Under no circumstance do I recommend anyone going to any of these places to purchase magazines.

You will end up spending an exorbitant amount of money for the same thing that you can get for super cheap with proper planning.

The only acceptable reason to spend $7 per magazine is if you're in the car on the way to the party and you realize you don't have A N Y magazines and the only thing on the way between you and this party is a big-box store. In that case, definitely venture in because you cannot show up at a vision board party with no magazines. Short of that you should always plan in advance to get magazines at a cheaper cost.

 

Option 7: YouR LOCAL LIBRARY

Libraries have evolved into amazing community centers and repositories of knowledge. Talk to someone at the circulation or reference desk about whether there is a book and magazine sale happening soon. You could score an amazing deal.

 

There you have it. Plenty of ideas to start your magazine search. Magazine people articulate what they want into images and quotes and it follows them throughout the year to help them visualize what they want to become that year. Your job as the vision board party host is to make sure that each individual has the inspiration they need to build the vision board that will transform their life. Happy hosting!

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 

 
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!

Eight Powerful Lessons You Gain When You Lose Everything

 
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This post was originally published Mar 16, 2019.  Updated:  December 4, 2023

Hello Thrive Lounge Worldwide Community!

Below is an original essay written and shared by one of the best in the business world and the vision board community - Chantl M. It is being re-posted because so many of us are trying to build or rebuild a great life that we deserve. But sometimes hit some bumps.

Why do we deserve a great life? Because we are each amazing human beings with precious hearts and souls. We have a purpose in life and we need to find a way to share our precious gifts with the world; while simultaneously achieving our best lives.

For those of you looking for LESSONS LEARNED, INSPIRATION, HOPE AND MOTIVATION TO MOVE FORWARD, please read on.


Eight Powerful Lessons You Gain When You Lose Everything

At the age of 25, I moved back home… into my mother's basement. I couldn't afford a bed so I bought a large blow-up mattress for $40.

Imagine a near-empty room, in a basement, no carpet, a blow up mattress and a computer desk. (Sounds, kinda jail-ish, doesn’t it?)  

I'm also a single mom so I shared that room with my daughter.

Just one year prior, I lived in a luxury (read: expensive) apartment in a great school district, riding around in my Mercedes Benz truck.

Talk about humbling...

I remember the first time I mustered up the courage to tell my friends that I would be getting rid of my fancy car. 

"But why!?" They asked.

"Are you sure?" They persisted.

I didn't have a choice. I could no longer afford my lifestyle.

First, I replaced the fancy car with a car that aligned with my income.

It was a ragged car and the trunk didn't close. A tiny string held the lid down just enough so that the truck appeared closed sometimes.

As I drove, the trunk would wobble up and down and other drivers would stop me to tell me that my trunk was open. Occasionally, the string would break in the middle of the street and I'd have to pull over to re-tie it.

Talk about humbling...

I eventually sold that car to help pay for school and began taking the bus everywhere. (Also humbling.

I lived this lifestyle - in my mother's basement with my daughter - for nearly a year while I went to grad school.

That was the most transformative time in my life that gave me the skills, strength and flexibility to grow into the person I am today

These are the lessons I learned on that journey:

 

You can deflate your lifestyle and the world won’t fall apart

Lifestyle inflation hit me like a ton of bricks.

I didn't even realize that I was trying to keep up with social norms and expectations by moving to an expensive location (that I really couldn’t afford) so my daughter could attend "the good school."

I always thought that I was doing "the right thing" for my child, even if I was extending my finances too far.

When we did move out and she went to a school that didn't have a 9/10 rating on GreatSchools.org (that really means something to parents) SHE WAS FINE.

I realized that while looking for the “great school” I completely discounted the work that I do at home as her parent. She still learns. She still gets a well-rounded education. She’s still my brilliant little girl. She’s not defined by “the good school.”

 

Your Priorities

The quest to live on less to be able to discover my path meant that I would have to give up some things.

First, I gave up my car, then my apartment, then I gave up my outward appearance, then I gave up the obligations to others. Slowly, but surely, I realized that I had to de-prioritize things that didn’t matter to make myself a priority.

I felt more free every time I made the decision that something didn’t matter. For the first time in my life, my actions were matching up to my core values.

 

What you really need to be happy

You know, I really thought I needed that Benz to be happy.

I thought that having a luxury car (even though I had zero dollars in my bank account) meant that I was one of the elite. People looked at me differently when I pulled up in a Benz.

I was fancy. And I liked that feeling.

When I got rid of my car, I realized I love the feeling of not having a car. I love walking around in the summer and the cold breeze on my face in the winter. I feel refreshed and free.

You haven't lost anything

The second you start to give up on the "nice-to-haves" you start to realize that you can really live without them. 

The only things I gave up by not having a car were my car note, car insurance, regular maintenance and the occasional speeding ticket. To be honest, losing those things contributed more to my life because I was more carefree than ever before!

 

Your "real" friends

Some of your friends will start to remove themselves from your life (you know, the ones that only show up when it’s time to party). Once you stop spending money on things that aren't necessities, you may realize that you don't have as much in common with some folks. 

And that's OK.

You’ll also notice that there are your other friends. The ones that cheer you on as you start to pay off your debt. The ones that sit alongside you and study with you for the GRE. The ones that support you by showing up and being present in your darkest hour.

Your rock bottom is only the beginning for your strongest friendships.

 

You can rebuild your life the way you want

The most beautiful things about rock bottom is that you have nothing to lose.

You've likely suffered a fair amount of embarrassment. You've probably done all of the things you said you'd never do (like move back in with your parents). You may even have given up more times than you’d like to admit.

With nothing left anchoring you to who you were, you have the flexibility and opportunity to build the person you want to be. 

 

You won't do it alone

Poverty has a way of making you feel like you're the only one suffering. However, everyone's been through some sort of pain and suffering at some point. In fact, no matter how bad you feel there's always someone out there who has it ten times worse. 

Here's what will surprise you: Your friends and family will rally around you to lift you higher. (That's assuming you're a halfway decent person and, therefore, have at least 1 friend.) 

 

You'll Learn To Love It

It can be difficult to make the transition from having a lot to having nothing. Change is hard.  

Maybe you feel bad for your predicament in the first week. But after a while, you'll start to notice a shift. You'll start to feel like yourself again. You'll realize that you can now move forward as who you want to be. 

You'll see that you're free to become you.

 xoxo

 

Want To Start Planning Your Vision Board Party? 


This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.


Thrive Lounge

ABOUT THRIVE LOUNGE

Thrive Lounge is a place to get the motivation to live a purposeful and intentional life that aligns with your values - primarily through vision boards and implementation. Achieve those dreams!  We give you the tools to take action.

We are an international community of like-minded hopers, dreamers, thinkers and DO-ers.

OUR TARGET AUDIENCE - 

  • People that like to lead or provide guidance to others

  • People that have lots of ideas, but need a little help moving from having thoughts into taking action, and

  • Future leaders and trainers

In other words… We welcome folks like YOU!

Explore our guides, courses, side hustle info and other blog articles at www.thriveloungedc.com.

The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide To Starting A Women’s Empowerment Group-2024

 
The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide To Starting A Women’s Empowerment Group
 

This post was originally published June 16, 2020.  Updated: December 4, 2023


Did you know that Thrive Lounge was not always... Thrive Lounge? 

In the very beginning, there was... 

no blog,

no inspirational emails, 

no Facebook group, 

no Instagram Live events. 


There was a handful of women, gathering together once a month to talk about the life changes we were going through and side hustle ideas we were attempting at the time. 

We wanted simply to learn and grow together. 

Years ago, I didn’t have any paid events. 

In fact, there was no way to pay us at all. 

We were fueled by the passion to create a community of women who just “got it.”

We wanted to be heard and understood. We wanted to have that feeling that we weren’t alone in our struggles. 

We were called “Meeting of the Minds” (MOTM for short) and we had the ugliest logo. 

Over time, the group got larger. Then it got smaller. Then it got larger again. 

Today, Thrive Lounge now serves 150K women per year through the blog, course, speaker events and online community of strong, supportive women. 

Starting a women’s group teaches you how to serve a community as well as bring people together around a common goal. 

In this post, I’ll share how to create a women’s group in your community, even if you’re just starting out with no online following, blog or email list. 



What is a Women’s Empowerment Group?

A women’s empowerment group is a community (in-person or online) where women can gather to share ideas, hopes, and challenges around a specific topic. 

For example, Thrive Lounge is all about living a purposeful life through a focus on your values and priorities and choosing your actions that align with those values. 

You can create a women’s group around any topic such as money, marriage, family, travel or even career choices. 


How To Build Your Own Local Women’s Empowerment Group

diverse women's group



Determine what the purpose of the women’s group will be

While there are a million ways we can connect with each other through shared values and interests, you want to pick one core purpose of your group. 

Here’s why: If you’re trying to talk to everyone, you’re talking to no one

How would anyone know to join your group if you don’t choose a specific topic? 

For example: If I say this women’s group will focus on financial independence. Then you can guess that we’ll talk about getting out of debt, saving more, increasing our income or investing. 

You also know we will not be talking about fancy clothes, cars, and expensive travel. 

If you’re trying to talk to Everyone, you’re talking to No One.
— Thrive Lounge

By determining the direction of your group, you make it easy to for your community to choose to be apart of certain types of conversations to be influenced by those ideas and to be around people who are focused on this topic as well. 


Name your women’s group

Choose a name that aligns with your group’s purpose. 

I wanted to call this particular step out because I don’t want you to spend a lot of time here. We like to get caught up in finding the perfect name, creating the beautiful logo and planning what our “brand” will look like. 

Choose a name that works and move forward. It doesn’t have to be perfect and you can change it over time. 

(Like how Thrive Lounge used to be called MOTM.)


Choose a few activities you can do with your women’s group

To start, you’ll need a few activities to do at your first meeting. You don’t have to have a million ideas, conversation starters will do. 

Remember, in a women’s group, the leader isn’t the center of attention. Instead, you build a relationship together through sharing experiences, lessons and helping each other. 


Choose where you’ll start your women’s group. 

There are several ways to add members to your women’s group, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that you have to start somewhere. 

Here are a few ideas: 

Online: If you’re apart of any Facebook groups that have women you may want to network with or meet in real life then send them a message and invite them out. (This is how we got our first few members to join Thrive Lounge!)

Church: If you’re already apart of a women’s ministry or a church community, then you can invite those same people to begin meeting to focus on a different topic (whatever topic you chose for your women’s group).

Work/Friend group: As adults, sometimes the only place that we make friends is at work or school classes. If this is the case for you, then start asking those work friends if they’d like to hang out as apart of your women’s group.


Find new ways to grow and support your women’s group. 

As you continue to host events (either online or in-person) for your group you will learn what activities work best for your group and what topics are most popular. 

It is this learning about your community that will help you tailor the experience to their needs and create more resources to help them grow faster. 


Women’s groups allow women from different backgrounds to come together and support each other along life’s journeys. Creating one in your area will help you become more connected with the women around you and build impactful relationships that change lives.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Cyrene is a fun and accomplished workshop facilitator, learning and development guru and Human Resources professional. Being at the helm of Thrive Lounge has been a long-time dream. Through vision board workshops she plans to accomplish two-way learning. Sharing her vast years of knowledge to motivate and encourage others; while simultaneously getting the reward of great energy, ideas and questions to ponder back from each group. A super win-win. Please join our Thrive Lounge community so you too can benefit!