Saturday, February 28, 2009
Saturday, February 28, 2009 | Posted by
Your Frugal Friend, Niki |
This year as all plants and such come back to life, I am determined to stay on top of maintaining the outside of our home. One part that is always a problem for me is weed control. I am so beyond tired of buying pricey sprays. That is why I was delighted to find this post about The 7 Deadly Homemade Weed Killers. I will be trying them all, so stay tuned for updates!
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Thursday, February 26, 2009
Have you ever heard about The Green Read Initiative? Right now they want you to choose one magazine you love and give you a free one year subscription to it digitally. No strings attached.
However...
If you are feeling green and lovin' the idea of reading your mags online instead of in-print, you can purchase additional subscriptions and a portion of the proceeds goes toward buying trees.
Headed over to Rite Aid to get some deals? Be sure to print out this $5 off of $20 coupon before you leave! Are you a Rite Aid newbie? Then you may want to check out Be CentsAble's Grocery Gathering to see the deals bloggers found there this week.
It's that time again...time for my weekly Freebie Round-Up! Lots of good free samples and coupons for the taking this week. But act fast, these have a way of running out quickly.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
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You know what works for me? Valpak! That blue envelope always puts a smile on my face when it appears in my mailbox. It is chock full of coupons! Aside from the less desirable ones (in my humble opinion) you see for home repair companies and discount contact lenses, there are also a bunch of coups for all your favorite local businesses. From pizzerias to restaurants to dry cleaners to oil changes, there is a coupon for it.
Valpak is usually sent to certain target areas, but anyone can choose to get on the mailing list by emailing customer_service@valpak.com.
Who doesn't love an envelope full of coupons you can use?
For even more great ideas from mommies head on over to We Are THAT Family!
As an ALL YOU magazine Reality Checker, I recently had the opportunity to check out one of Sally Hansen's newest nail polishes, Insta-Dri. Here are my thoughts:
- It really DOES dry super fast compared to other polishes...a must for busy moms!
- I love, love, LOVE the wide brush! It covered just about the whole nail in one shot.
- I am the world's worst nail polisher ever, but this made my nails look really good. Almost like I just left a manicurist's (which is not frugal at all!) The colors available are really pretty and the shine is awesome.
- They claim that it only takes one coat and your done...but I have to say that I should have used 2 coats. Of course, it may be the color they sent me (Mauve It) was a bit sheer and light. Maybe another shade would be more opaque?
- Even if you do have to do 2 coats, it dries fast which is good. I have tried other brands who claim the same thing and really did not dry all that fast. This is $4.95 which is a bit higher than I would like to pay (hey, I am a frugalista) but it is worth it for the convenience. Hmmm...I wonder if some of my fellow deal seekers will find a great buy on this at one of the drug stores?
This week I have 2 dinners as a carryover from last week because I never got around to making them. For once it is NOT because I wimped out and ordered in, but because I made other meals instead. Imagine that! There are a few new recipes, so enjoy!
Breakfasts
*Glucerna strawberry cereal, milk
*Eggs over easy, wheat toast
*Cereal bar
Lookin' for some new recipes to spice up your own menu plans?
Lunches
*Tuna salad, whole wheat crackers, pickles
*Hummus, pita wedges, salad
*Glucerna chocolate shake, PBJ
Dinners
*Mexican Manicotti, salad
*Batch Cooking (x2): Ham and bean soup, salad
*Pancake casserole, sausage links, baked pumpkin, fruit
*Tuna stuffed shells, salad, fruit
*Spaghetti with meat sauce, salad
*Carryover: Creamy Chicken Burritos, salad
*Carryover: White chili with ground turkey, salad, corn bread
Snacks
*Sugar-free jello
*Popcorn and nuts
*Graham crackers with milk
Lookin' for some new recipes to spice up your own menu plans?
Check out what's cookin' over at Organizing Junkie!
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Do you like hummus? I like hummus. My hubby likes hummus. Even my kiddo likes hummus (probably because he has no idea what is in it, 'cause if he did he'd never get it anywhere near his mouth!) I cannot even believe I could like a dip that has a chickpea base because I loathe those little beans. But for some reason the dip is delicious. And full of protein!
But I have never made hummus. So this past week I was on a mission to make it. I searched down what seemed like a standard recipe. Because there are oh-so-many variations! Like this black bean variation here. But that is another recipe for another day...
But they all contain tahini. Do you know what that is? Neither does anyone who works in any of the grocery stores near my house. It is a sesame seed paste, and no I am not gonna make my own. That sounds like a lot of extra work. So I substituted sesame oil for the olive oil so as not to lose that sesame seed taste in the dip. And you know what, it still tasted pretty darn good!
Try the recipe I tested out...you won't be sorry!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Value Mags is once again offering a 2 year subscription to Parents, FREE! These tend to run out rather quickly so don't delay!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Sorry so last minute on this one, guys! But tomorrow, February 21st Toys 'R Us stores around the country will host a Thomas the Train Playdate from 11-1.
Kids will enjoy storytime, coloring fun, Thomas trivia, and Free giveaways!*
*Parental supervision required at all times. Free gift and activity materials available while supplies last and are distributed only to participating children.
Headed over to Rite Aid to get some deals? Be sure to print out this $10 off $30 coupon before you leave! Are you a Rite Aid newbie? Then you may want to check out Be CentsAble's Grocery Gathering to see the deals bloggers found there this week.
Have you checked out TOTLOL yet? It is full of silly, goofy, and often musical videos for the kiddos. If you think you love YouTube, wait 'til you see how much your kid gets into video watchin'! I managed to talk my son down from going to rent a movie the other day and convinced him to check out the cool new thing Mama found on the computer. He was dazzled! Nothing like free entertainment! And Mama was into the clips of old skool Sesame Street...
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Are you a soap opera fan? I was an avid watcher back through high school and college, and now I watch either on a rare afternoon when my son actually gives in and naps, or on SOAPnet. How much would I love a free subscription to Soap OPERA Digest? Tons! And now I am getting one, and you can too. Just click here and tell them you are a homemaker and you are in!
Happy Thursday! Time sure is flyin' by in '09! I feel like it was a second a go that I was tellin' everyone to check out my weekly Freebie Round-Up over at Happy to Be At Home. And here I am again. Enjoy!
The Power of Presence is a free 48 page book filled with words to inspire you to be more present to those you love and the abundant opportunities and blessings that constantly surround you. You will also find real-life examples and ways to practice the power of presence in your own life now.
Goob from Hey, It's Free! has put together a Wiki on Museums with free admission. Some of them are free for certain ages, or free on certain days, while others are free to everyone all the time. Check it out here to see where you can visit in your neck of the woods admission-free.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
![[6a00d83451c5ac69e200e55296ac148834-800wi.jpg]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_6lEL0A_LREw/SDy7-WrbbEI/AAAAAAAAA2w/CAfck14DIXs/s1600/6a00d83451c5ac69e200e55296ac148834-800wi.jpg)
For almost a year now I have been all about Works for Me Wednesday. I mean, can you beat hundreds of great tips from other moms? No. The answer is no my frugal friends! Sadly Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer will no longer be hosting this fab weekly carnival. But not to fear---Kristen over at We Are THAT Family will take it over starting next week. Hurray!
And now...what works for me.
For the longest time I was into using my debit card. I thought it was the coolest thing ever when I got my very first one. No more stopping at the bank or ATM to withdraw money? Alright! It was soooo convenient. Everyone (and I mean everyone) accepts them. Even dollar stores. But it is a lot harder to track how much money is flying out of your account when it isn't in slipping though your fingers. You end up with tons of receipts that you have to log in to your checking register. It is so much extra effort! And sometimes receipts go missing before you get the chance to enter them in. It happens.
So wha do I do now? I've gone to the envelope system. Each week I take out only the money I need for the following categories: Gas, Groceries, Home, School. The rest of our money stays in the checking account so bills can be paid. (Or transferred to our savings account.) Now there is no more guessing as to whether or not I am over budget. And I only have one receipt to log into the register now: my weekly withdrawal on Fridays.
A little old school, but it works for me.
Heather from over at Freebies 4 Mom shares how to score a $5 off a $5 purchase coupon for JCPenney. How great is that? I have done some good shopping over at that store with coupons in tow. Those are the few times I actually venture into the mall these days. Register and enjoy!
Did you ever think that freebies could save lives? Well that is just what Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh wants to do! If you send them a SASE they will send you a free sheet of Mr. Yuk stickers to affix to dangerous chemicals and other household goods that are not safe for tasting.
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