It has been an amazing few days for me because I am in a national magazine! Well me and RichSingleMomma.com that is.

How exciting for me and so wonderful when friends call me to say they saw me while casually browsing through one of the best selling magazines in the country.

The mystery publication is Essence magazine. I am in the December 2013 issue which came out this month. Ironically a couple of my friends saw it before I did so I was scrambling trying to find my copy.

Watch the video

My appearance in the Work and Wealth section is because of a shopping challenge I was a part of along with bloggers at sistersavealot.com and doublesavingdivas.com. The challenge was for us to spend $250 on 10 premium gifts for family and friends using deal sites, mobile apps, coupons, and unique savings strategies.

I bought fantastic gifts for my family and friends at 78% off retail. I’ll share my techniques in a future article or video. I had so much fun with the challenge and proving you can buy great gifts for less.

What strategies do you use or plan to use for your gift buying this holiday season? Are you looking for a gift guide to help you find great deals?

Samantha Gregory

Samantha A. Gregory is an author, consultant, and speaker. She’s a single-mom lifestyle, money, and parenting expert featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Essence Magazine, HuffPost, ABC News, and Mint.com.

Samantha founded the award-winning RichSingleMomma.com™, the first online magazine featuring personal finance, parenting, and personal development content and courses for single moms.

She aims to inspire women who are ready to thrive and not just survive in their single motherhood journey. Connect with her on Instagram @richsinglemomma.