Huggies has come out with diapers that are Slip-Ons. Genius for those busy toddlers! Get a $3/1 package here. It is on the website of a specific grocery store, but since it is a manufacturer’s coupon, you should be able to use it anywhere…including Toys’R’Us, where these are on sale for $7 tomorrow only.
Thanks The Mom Eye!
Costco had a cheaper per unit price than anything at the grocery stores for baking goods. And, there are rarely high value coupons that would make the unit price similar. If you are going to purchase things like flour and sugar in bulk, you can either invest in airtight containers and store in the pantry, or split the purchase with someone else. The biggest “winners” for Costco in baking goods were:
- Pure Vanilla Extract (20x more expensive at grocery store)
- Ground Cinnamon (10x more expensive at grocery store)
- Yeast (8x more expensive at grocery store)
- Pure Clover Honey (4x more expensive at grocery store)
- Pure Sea Salt (4x more expensive at grocery store)
In the coupon blogging world, word travels like wildfire. So, imagine my excitement when I heard a rumor that I could pick up Dreyer’s Ice Cream for FREE at Albertsons!
Supposedly, if you purchased two cartons of Dreyer’s ice cream, a $4 coupon off your next shopping order would print out. Since the ice cream was on sale $2/6, and I had a $1/2 coupon, and a “Double the Value” Albertson’s store coupon that took another dollar off, I was getting the ice cream $2/4, AND said $4 off my next order coupon, making it essentially free.
Being the planner that I am, I did two transactions, with my second transaction adding up to exactly $4 to use that Dreyer’s coupon!
I scanned my card, handed over my coupons, and waited for that $4 coupon that would take care of my next transaction. So, imagine my shock when the only coupon that printed was 20% off my next Payless Shoe Source order! I felt like that kid in A Christmas Story, when he finally revealed the secret message, only to have it read “Be sure to drink your Ovaltine.” Begrudged, I paid for the lettuce and bananas out of pocket.
So, I learned a very important couponing lesson today. Never count on a coupon or deal unless you have confirmed it at your local store. See, I make these mistakes so you won’t have to =)
Typically, I cringe when I look at my electric bill in the summer. This record-breaking-heat year has been no exception. But, I’ve been working to lower our energy bills, and have a few easy tips to get you started. Even saving a few dollars month adds up!
- If The AC Is Not Cooling Well, Have It Checked, Don’t Crank It Up!
- I learned this the hard way a few weeks ago. When our AC wasn’t cooling well, instead of getting it looked at, I just set it on a low temp and ran it constantly. Turned out we had a freon leak, and I was just throwing away money. Now I know that having my AC checked for leaks is much cheaper than wasting energy, and I can’t “will it” to cool when there is an issue.
- Turn Off Lights When You’re Not In The Room
- This sounds like a no-brainer, but I can’t tell you how often I turn on lights upstairs or in the other room, and leave them on all evening because I forget to turn them off. Each standard light bulb costs about $0.10/kWh to run, even when you’re not in the room! Get in the habit of turning lights off when you leave a room, and watch the savings add up!
- If Someone In Your Home Has A Medical Condition, You Could Qualify For Discounts
- Check with your local electric company, but having a medical condition that necessitates use of an air-conditioner or extra power, (such as MS, immunity issues, or paralysis), you can often qualify the lowest possible rate on your bill, saving at least $30/month.
- Check Door Seals
- If your doors and windows have faulty seals, you could be wasting a lot of energy. For a quick fix, place a blanket against the seal, thus insulating it. Eventually, you should re-caulk the seals, or look into getting dual paned windows and doors. (Which can also qualify for tax rebates.)
- Do Chores At Off-Peak Hours
- Do laundry or dishes first thing in the morning, or in the evening. Using these appliances during peak hours can cost you more, since rates are higher at certain times of the day.
- If Purchasing a New Appliance, Look For Energy Saver Features, and Tax Rebates
- Sure, you can get a cheaper used fridge on Craigslist, but in the long run, purchasing used, older appliances may not be that great of a savings. New appliances use significantly less energy than old appliances, which lowers the cost of running. In addition, new energy saving appliances often qualify for federal tax rebates, saving you even more.
Papermate Eagle pens (10 ct) are on sale this week for $0.50. You can print out a coupon for $1/1 Papermate Writing Utensil again, since the coupon has reset. Even though Target’s coupon policy has adjusted to not allow coupon overage, free pens are still great! These are also a great Operation Christmas Child shoebox item!
If you are a first time buyer at Saveology, you can pick up a $10 Subway gift card for only $6.50. That’s two footlong subs for only $3.25 each!
You can redeem this offer after tomorrow morning, and it will be mailed to you. (They will give you a voucher number, you go to a redemption website, and enter your mailing address.)
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| Grilled Fish Tacos with Cilantro Cream Sauce and Black Beans |
When you plan a menu, the week seems to go smoother, you spend less on groceries, and you avoid the 5pm Empty-Stare-Into-The-Cabinet. But, real life often does not afford us an entire afternoon to plan our weekly menu, always coming up with new, exotic, and gourmet meal ideas. But, rotating the same 4 meals can get boring too. Here are some easy tips on getting you started making your own meal plans.
- Decide How Often You Want To Plan Your Menu
- Do you want to plan your menu a week out? Two weeks out? Once a month? The most common option is to plan a new menu every week, but I have seen people plan menus a month out with success. I prefer the flexibility of planning every week, but you need to figure out what works best for your lifestyle.
- Get Organized
- I’m a binder person. I like to organize different aspects of my life into different binders. So, of course I have a recipe binder. I like to add full page recipe print-outs or magazine pages into page protectors. You can organize the recipes alphabetically, by meal (ie. breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc.), or by cuisine (chicken, salads, sides, etc.) The idea is to have all your recipes in one place so you can be more efficient on menu planning day.
- Make Planning a Menu Part of Your Routine
- For me, Saturdays are spent doing chores, (including planning my menu), and spending time with my family. Planning my menu is a “to-do”, just like cleaning my bathrooms and mopping my floors. If you make it part of your routine, you won’t accidentally forget to plan, and have to swing through the drive-thru Monday night.
Next week I’m going to discuss exactly how to go about planning your menu, with easy and fun tips to get the whole family involved!
Growing up, my mom used to make us English Muffin pizzas quite frequently. So, I make these for my family now, and they are always a hit. They are an inexpensive (and healthier) alternative to Bagel Bites, and are ready to serve in less time than it takes to preheat the oven. You can use any pizza combination to make these (my husband likes pepperoni and my daughter likes cheese). I made a Margherita English Muffin pizza yesterday, and it was delightful! Inexpensive, and on the table in 10 minutes!
Margherita English Muffin Pizzas (Makes 8 individual pizzas)
- 4 English Muffins, split (8 English Muffin halves)
- 3 TBS fresh chopped Basil
- 1/2 C fresh diced Tomatoes
- 3/4 C shredded Mozzarella Cheese
- 1/2 C jarred or homemade Pasta or Pizza Sauce *OPTIONAL* (I don’t use sauce for the Margherita pizza, but you can if you want to.)
- Toast English Muffins in a toaster until slightly crispy.
- Spread 1 TBS pasta/pizza sauce if desired, on English Muffin half.
- Sprinkle 1.5 TBS cheese on English Muffin half.
- Sprinkle 1 TBS tomatoes over cheese.
- Place on a broiler safe pan, and stick under the broiler until crispy and cheese is browned.
- Sprinkle with fresh basil, and enjoy!
Many would agree that there are not enough hours in the day. There is always something to be done and endless tasks to be conquered. But, by carving out just one hour per day to focus on being joyful, those other 23 hours will go much smoother.
- Spend at least 5 minutes every morning thinking about your blessings, and all the things you’re grateful for.
- Focusing on the good sets the tone for the rest of the day, and allows you to see past the little distractions that come up during the day, to remember what really matters.
- Spend at least 30 minutes a day exercising.
- I know, you were hoping all my tips for joyful living could be done on the comfort of your own couch, but this really is important. Exercise has been deemed as effective in the treatment of depression as antidepressants.
- Spend at least 15 minutes a day thinking of someone else.
- Call a lonely friend or relative, write a “thinking of you” note, read your child a story (turn off the cell phone and computer!), or bake your neighbor some cookies. Blessing other people is an extremely rewarding and mood boosting habit.
- Spend at least 5 minutes a day laughing.
- Genuine laughter really does bring joy. Laughter softens our attitude and relaxes our muscles. By finding the humor in the little things, we can find the joy in the little things.
- Spend at least 5 minutes before bed thinking about your blessings, and all the things you’re grateful for.
- You started the day out this way, and you should end the day on this note. Joy is not a feeling, it is a complete attitude. God is joy, and by thanking Him for His blessings, you can experience His complete joy.
savemoneylivejoyfully 
