Pokemon Bulbasaur 6″ Plush Doll $4.97 Shipped!
Are you into Pokemon? Right now at Amazon, you can get this cute, Pokemon Bulbasaur 6″ Plush Doll for just $4.47 with $0.50 shipping!
Whether you are chasing PokemonGo or collecting cards, Pokemon is fun!
Tips for Saving Money on Christmas Gifts
To say that Christmas is expensive is an understatement. The average family spends over $800 on Christmas each year. Are you already dreading what Christmas is going to do to your budget?
Spending a fortune isn’t required though for a wonderful holiday season!
Here are some tips to help you in your goal for saving money on Christmas gifts:
Set a budget. Do not be tempted to spend more than you can afford. Setting a budget for yourself is a great way to stay on track. A good way to do this is to create a list of all of the people that you need to shop for and then set a budget for each person.
Shop early. Make sure you start early to break the spending up into smaller amounts instead of a large amount being spent in a short time. Those who start their shopping earlier in the year save, on average, over $200 more than those who shop at the last minute.
Shop Clearance. In the time leading up to Christmas, make sure you keep an eye on clearance racks for gifts. You can often find name brand toys and clothes for pennies on the dollar when you shop clearance! Store them in your gift closet until Christmas.
Give Homemade Gifts. Consider giving homemade gifts instead of store bought. Making gifts such as homemade jams and drinks is fun and personal. When you choose food related gifts, they often get used up right away.
Give Group Gifts. If you are shopping for a family, consider buying a gift for the entire family as opposed to each individual person. Consider giving the family tickets to an event or a restaurant gift card, etc. It is likely that this will cost much less than 1 gift per person.
Whatever you do, do not spend more than you can afford. You may have credit cards, but if you can’t pay them off right away, don’t be tempted. There is no logical reason to be paying off your Christmas throughout the next year.
Simple Tips to Help Your Kids Eat Healthier
Are your kids picky eaters? Is it always a struggle to get them to eat healthier foods? If so, you’re definitely not alone. Most kids would rather have treats and candy instead of carrots and peanuts. Hopefully these simple steps will help you AND your kids eat a little bit healthier, without tears! 
Keep Healthy Food on Hand and in View: The first big step to helping your kids eat healthy is to actually have those options in your home. Make a list of healthier options and buy them at a store. Then set them out in view. One easy option is to get a fruit basket and set it on the counter. When your kids get hungry have that be the first option. In the refrigerator and pantry, put healthier snacks at their eye level. Keep unhealthy snacks and treats tucked away. Out of site out of mind!
Make a Schedule: It seems kids like to eat all day long. Make a time when you have your meals and snacks. Kids tend to eat every 3 hours or so. Try making the healthy snacks BEFORE they are truly hungry. When we get hungry we tend to grab the first thing available and that’s not usually the healthiest option. If your kids ask for food in-between those times, have them drink water instead. If they truly eat every 3 hours they shouldn’t need to snack in-between.
Sneak it in: If they don’t know it’s there it can’t hurt, right? Think about adding spinach to smoothies, green peppers to omelets, fruit into yogurt. This way they can be getting those extra nutrients without even knowing it.
Praise Instead of Nag: Children remember when they are praised far more than they remember when we nag them. When you see your child with an apple or carrots, be sure to praise them and compliment them on their choice. They will remember that and go for those options in the future. That being said, when you see them grab a more unhealthy choice, be sure not to nag them. Maybe give them suggestions of healthier options the next time they are hungry.
Be Consistent: Having healthier options over and over again will help the kids make it a habit. That’s the goal right? However, is our job as parents to set those schedule, have the options, and cheer them on. Remember what you buy, they will eat. So consistently buying fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, low sugar treats, and other healthy options will help start this healthy eating.
How to Can Peaches! Become More Self-Sufficient With These Step By Step Instructions!
Can you believe we’re headed into fall? This time of year is the perfect time for canning all your produce from the garden and off the trees. And right now the peaches are ripening and ready to store. Have you though of canning? It’s a great way to save money by becoming more self sufficient and it’s super easy. You can easily can applesauce, peaches, pears, salsa, jam and so much more.
If you’d like to learn more about canning I HIGHLY recommend this book called, “Putting Food By” and right now it’s marked down on Amazon to just $11.71! It has everything you need to know about canning from meats to fruit and veggies. But here’s some basic steps to get you started if you’d like to can some peaches.
Supplies you need:
- peach
- sterilized quart size jars (you can use the pint size jars if your family is smaller)
- clean rings and NEW lids (lids cannot be reused)
- sugar
- Waterbath canner
- jar grabber
Directions:
- Start by cleaning your jars and rings. Then place them in your oven to keep warm so the lowest setting your oven can do is great (Mine is around 170 degrees) (This will help keep them from break when you put them in the water bath.)
- Grab your waterbath canner and fill it with water. Than place it on the stove so it can start warming up. You want it boiling before you put your jars in.
- Fill another large pot of water and bring to a boil as well. Once boiling add the peaches for 2-3 minutes (I use a cheese cloth to do this, it’s easier to pull them back out but you could simply get them out with a spoon as well.). You might need to do several batches but this process helps to remove the skin.
- Remove the peaches and place them in COLD water. We add ice to our cold water to help the skin pill off easier. Remove the pit and slice into large pieces. (If they’re smaller peaches keeping them in half is just fine.)
- Once sliced, place them in a bowl of water with a little lemon juice to keep them from browning.
- Then when you have enough peaches peeled and ready, fill the jars
- You’ll also need to make a simple syrup to add to the peaches. We go with the light syrup (they have other options in the book talked about above) by mixing 6 cups water to 3 cups sugar. Stir together until dissolved then add to the jars leaving about 1/2″ space at the top.
- Wipe the rims of the jars and place a new lid on top (we get the lids warm by keeping them in a small amount of water on the stove or medium to low heat.) and screw on the rings.
- Add your jars to the boiling hot waterbath. Once you have all your jars inside, lower them down and see if you need to add any more water (you want it at least 2 inch above the jars). Place the lids on top and bring the water back to a boil then set your timer for 25 minutes.
- Place a few layers of newspaper down on your counters (or a towel) and wait for you jars to finish. Once they’re done you can remove the jars and place them on the newspaper to cool.
Then you’ll just want your jars to cool completely before you store them away to eat later! Just make sure they are sealed before hand by pressing on the center of the lid, you don’t want it to pop back out. If they don’t steel just place them into your fridge and eat them in the next few days. We also write the date on the top, that allows up to know when they were processed and also that the lid is used and cannot be used again.
We love to use our fresh peaches for peach cobbler! Nothing beats it! We’ll also eat them just plain or on top of our cottage cheese in the morning. What do you do with your canned peaches? Do you can other things this time of year?
Sports Authority Has Sold Everyone’s Information to Dick’s! This is How to Opt Out!
It’s official – Sports Authority is no more. The Sports Authority bankruptcy is just the latest casualty in a growing list of brick-and-mortar stores that seem to be unable to compete with online retailers like Amazon and eBay these days.
This sporting goods and all of its merchandise is now the property of Dick’s Sporting Goods. When the sporting goods giant failed to work out a deal with creditors and lenders during its bankruptcy proceedings, the once great sporting goods giant was forced to auction off all assets. In the end, Dick’s Sporting Goods won with a bid of $15 million back in June.
Fast forward to today…
Try going to SportsAuthority.com and you’re just redirected to the Dick’s Sporting Goods website instead. The brick-and-mortar Sports Authority stores are dark and locked. Oh, yeah…and former Sports Authority customers have gotten an interesting email today.
If you are a former Sports Authority customer, check your email for an email with the subject line Privacy Policy Notice – Transfer of Personal Information. This email alerts former Sports Authority customers of the store closings and the transfer to Dick’s Sporting Goods. And, that includes its customer database.
So, what’s this mean for you? If you’re a former Sports Authority customer, any personal information that you provided to Sports Authority will continue to be governed by Sports Authority’s privacy policy through September 15, 2016. After that date, your personal information will be governed by the DICK’s Sporting Goods privacy policy.
But, what if you don’t want Dick’s Sporting Goods to keep your personal information? You can opt-out of the transfer by visiting www.SAPrivacyTransferNotice.
1-888-836-1708. Look for the notification ID located at the bottom of your email. It should look like this:
NOTIFICATION ID: XXXXXXXXXXX
This helps identify you, and you will need this number to opt out.
So, what do you think of all of this? Did anyone else get the email? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Easy Ways to Save Money
Sometimes it feels like it is impossible to save money. You work, you pay your bills, you buy groceries and bam! Money is gone. Or at least it feels like it. The thing is though, it really isn’t that hard to save money. You just need to be willing to do it a little bit at a time and you can save up more than you think!
Here are some easy ways to save money that you can start implementing right now:
Bottle Redemption. If you live in a state that allows bottle redemption, make sure you make those returns! At $0.05 to $0.10 each, that is a lot of money that you are throwing away when you toss those recyclables in the trash. We make a habit of returning our bottles and cans at the end of each month and put the return money into our savings account.
Save Your Quarters (or Dimes or Nickels, etc). Make a habit of saving every quarter you get back in change (you can save your dimes or nickels if you prefer), these coins add up quickly and help you build your savings goals.
Keep the Change options. Check with your bank to see if they have a “keep the change” type option for your account. Whenever I swipe my debit card, the amount is rounded up to the nearest dollar with the difference getting automatically deposited into my savings account.
Use Ibotta. Using a cashback app such as Ibotta is simply awesome. You submit for rebates on items that you have already purchased and once you have reached $20, you can get cash back via PayPal. Use these rebates to build your savings.
Sell Your Stuff. Declutter your house and sell the stuff that you no longer use. Make a commitment to yourself to use the money you make to add it to your savings. You would be surprised by how much hidden money you have in your closet collecting dust.
Automatically Save. If you have direct deposit at work, choose to have a portion of your check automatically deposited into a savings account that is not connected to your typical bank account. When my husband and I first started doing this, we started with just $50 per month being deposited. We then went in every 3-6 months and upped the amount by $10-$20. These were amounts that were not even noticeable to us, but they have significantly increased the amount of savings we have.
Target Has Been Ripping Off Customers With Horrible Pricing Scheme, Is Now Claiming “Glitch”
A nationwide glitch in Target‘s pricing system is costing shoppers money.
It’s not uncommon for stores to sell dually-located items. Target sells children’s medicine in both the baby and healthcare aisles. While many people might not think to check both areas to compare prices, they should.
Baby aisle items labeled at higher cost
While shopping undercover, investigators with sister station KSHB in Kansas City purchased infant’s Tylenol and two different kinds of Motrin from the baby aisle. The same items were picked out near the pharmacy in the healthcare section.
When checking out, the three products from the baby aisle cost $1.60 more without tax.
Other products like Gripe Water and Motrin both cost a dollar more when bought from the baby aisle. In addition, sticker barcodes were pasted over the original barcodes on items found in the baby aisle.
Target manager shocked by price difference
While still undercover, investigators questioned a manager about the markups. He said he had no idea it was happening.
“Wow, that’s crazy. I buy stuff here,” he said. “I usually go to the pharmacy part, which one is cheaper do you think?”
Parents also had no clue they were spending more when buying these items from the baby aisle.
“I’m irritated because my kids go through that stuff like it’s water,” one mom said. “That’s crazy.”
Another mother said she never would have checked both aisles, under the assumption that one would be charging more for the same items.
“I guess I won’t be going back to the baby aisle,” she said.
Target refunded the investigators under it’s price-matching policy and refunded the difference.
Target finds glitch with pricing system
After being notified of the issues, Target spokeswoman Kristy Welker later told investigators that the store had found an error in its pricing system. The store issued the following statement.
Accurate pricing is important to Target, and we value the trust that our guests place in us. We researched this issue and found an error in our pricing system affecting these four products.
We apologize for this inadvertent error and the confusion it has caused. Once we were made aware of the issue, we updated the pricing systems to reflect accurate and consistent pricing of these dually-located items. The consistent, revised pricing is now displayed in our store.
Guests who bought these items within the baby department can bring their receipt to Guest Service at their local Target store, and the price difference will be refunded.
Welker told investigators that Target‘s computer system is supposed to send an alert when dually-located items are not priced the same. In this case, she said the system failed.
Welker said the prices of the products found the baby aisle will be lowered to match the prices on the items in the healthcare aisle.
6 Reasons We Love Shopping at Amazon
Amazon is a money saver’s best friend. There are many really great reasons why you should love Amazon if you love to save money.
Here are 6 Reasons that We Love Shopping at Amazon:
- FREE Shipping. When shopping Amazon, you can get free shipping in several ways.
- You can sign up for a Prime membership and get FREE 2 Day Shipping.
- Purchases of $49 or more automatically qualify for free shipping.
- Additionally, items that you purchase via their Subscribe and Save program come with free shipping and
- lastly, there are many items that you can find on Amazon that come with free shipping (these are often from 3rd party sellers)
- Low Prices. Amazon often has super low prices on your favorite items and sometimes their prices simply cannot be beat. Oftentimes when you see another retailer drop their prices on an item, Amazon has dropped their price as well.
- Subscribe & Save. We touched on this one earlier when we were discussing shipping, but Amazon’s Subscribe and Save option is a great one for household goods and groceries that you buy often. S&S offers get an automatic 5% discount and sometimes coupons that are given solely to S&S purchases. You can set an interval in which the item gets sent out to you or you can cancel your subscription immediately after your item ships. Your choice!
- Amazon Family and Diaper Deals. Amazon is one of the cheapest places that you can find diapers. Amazon Prime members are automatically qualified to sign up for Amazon Family (if you are a caregiver) which gives you an additional 20% discount on diaper orders. This deal alone can save hundreds of dollars per year for families with young children.
- Customer Service. Amazon has great customer service and are great to work with in the event of returns.. I have had to return just a couple of things throughout my time as a customer and they always send you a pre-paid label for returns and as soon as your label is scanned by the shipping service, Amazon processes your return.
- Kindle. What is not to love about Amazon Kindle? If you love books, you will love Kindle. As you have probably seen here on Freebies2Deals, Amazon often offers free Kindle books!
How to Save Money on Midget Football This Season and Beyond!
Pee wee and midget football is in full swing in most parts of the country, or it will be soon. For football moms, that means long practices, cheering from the sidelines, boo-boos, and…well, money. Lots of money in some cases.
Midget football is fun and rewarding in so many ways. It lets kids play as part of a team, it’s fun, and it gives them an outlet for all of that boundless energy. But, unfortunately, it can also be expensive. Some of the costs, like equipment and fees, can be pretty pricey and really add up. For families on a budget, the costs associated with the sport can sometimes seem pretty restrictive. So much so, that they might even skip the opportunity altogether.
But, that doesn’t have to be true! With a little smart shopping and some frugal tips, even most families on a budget can afford to participate.
Here are a few handy tips and tricks we’ve picked up over the years to help save money on midget football in our house…
Find Out What You Need
Sure, you’re going to have to buy some things for midget football, but it may not be as much as you think. Most leagues and teams will provide much of the equipment, like shoulder pads, helmets, and jerseys. Talk to the coaches to find out what they provide and what you will need to buy first.
See What You Can Borrow
If you’re trying to save money on midget football, borrowing what you can is a great option! Many leagues and teams have some equipment available for families to borrow at the beginning of each season. Our league, for instance, has several boxes of cleats for the kids to borrow. Every year, more families donate their used cleats when the players grow out of them. Again, talk to the coaches and even other parent about the option of possibility of borrowing some equipment.
Buy Used
Used midget football equipment is often just as good as brand new items. You can usually find some smokin’ deals on like-new used youth football equipment online on websites like Craigslist, SwapMeSports, Play It Again Sports, and eBay. Sometimes you can even find some fantastic deals on brand new sports equipment on eBay and Amazon.
Shop Sales
Obviously, one of the best ways to save money on midget football gear and equipment is to scope out sales in your local stores. Look for goodies like socks, practice jerseys, gloves, water bottles, and mouth guards in the clearance and sale aisles. Some stores will also allow you to use a coupon on sale items, so be sure to ask about extra discounts.
Take Good Care of Equipment
If your son or daughter plays midget football this year, chances are they’ll want to play next year as well. Take good care of sports equipment and supplies this year, and they’ll be ready to go next year. We spent a nice chunk of change on cleats last year, for example, and put them up at the end of the season. This year, they still fit and it’s one less expense we had to worry about.
Skip the Sports Drinks
Hydration is absolutely imperative during football season! But, sugary sports drinks are expensive! It might seem like a simple tip to some, but skip the sports drinks and opt for plain water instead. Keep a few large water bottles in the fridge for practices and games, and refill them from the ta as needed.
Plan Meals Ahead
With a busy practice schedule, I know just how hard it can be to cook dinner every night. But, don’t fall into the takeout trap! That can cost you a bundle over the course of a season! Instead, take some time to plan out your meals in advance. Stick with quick meals, make ahead meals, and learn to love your slow cooker.
Money Habits You Should Start Now
Are you are struggling to pay your bills each month? Maybe your bills are paid, but you want to learn to save more money? There are several habits that you should incorporate into your life that will improve your financial health.
Here are several money habits you should start now to create more financial peace and contentment within your life:
START USING A BUDGET
Organizing your income and spending into a budget is your first step to financial peace. Make sure you include all of your expenses into your budget to take into account all money going out. Don’t forget that coffee run in the morning!
NEVER PAY YOUR BILLS LATE
This one may seem difficult when you don’t have much money, but once you are following a budget, it is much easier. Paying your bills on time will save a lot of money in late fees and possible interest charges. Even extending your payment on utilities often costs several dollars, do whatever you can to pay them on time.
DON’T OVEREXTEND YOURSELF
If you can’t afford something don’t buy it. It is as simple as that. If you have to put something on your credit card in order to purchase it, chances are you may not be able to pay off your credit card right away and it will cost you more in the long run.
PAY OFF YOUR CREDIT CARDS
If you do charge things on your credit cards, it is best to pay off your bill each and every month. This prevents you from paying more on interest. Also, carrying a balance around is stressful.
CHECK YOUR BANK ACCOUNT OFTEN
Checking your bank account often can prevent any oversights from being made on your account. By checking it often, you can be sure to note any charges that you haven’t thought to add or that you may have forgotten about (easy to happen with auto payments) which is great for preventing overdraft charges.
HAVE AN EMERGENCY FUND
Many of us have had unexpected things happen that have caused financial hardship. Whether a medical issue, mechanical trouble or a broken appliance, these all can be major expenses. When you have an emergency fund set up, it won’t strain your finances when one of these things occur.
5 Businesses You Can Start for Very Little Out of Pocket
Are you tired of working for the man? Are you looking for a way to earn money working for yourself? Even if you don’t have a lot of money to invest in a business, there are some things that you can start doing now for very little investment.
I decided to put together a list of 5 businesses that you can start right now for little to nothing out of pocket and start making money today!
HOUSE CLEANER
Other than cleaning supplies, which you likely already have, a house cleaning service doesn’t require much overhead. Many house cleaners actually use their client’s’ supplies! For house cleaning, other than the cleaning supplies, you do need to have transportation to the homes you are cleaning and that’s it!
One of the great things about house cleaning businesses is that your business often grows by word of mouth, making advertising almost unneeded.
BLOGGER
Starting a blog isn’t an instant money maker, but with enough work, you will start to see money roll in. There are many ways that you can produce income with a blog including sponsored posts, affiliate marketing and ads.
The only costs associated with starting a blog is a computer/internet (you likely already have that), hosting (about $10 per month) and a domain name ($15 per year or less).
WRITE AN EBOOK
Do you have a story to tell? Are you good at writing? Writing a book is simple these days! You can find good templates for creating a Kindle Book and you can self publish on Amazon!
Amazon takes their cut when the book sells and there is no cost to list the book for sale, so this one is free!
COPY/GHOST WRITING
Anyone with writing skills and a computer and internet can become a copywriter or ghost writer. There are many different businesses that need the skills of these writer and will pay well for it (depending on skill level of course).
SEWING AND ALTERATIONS
If you are good at sewing, chances are you already have all of the tools needed for this business. Many people do not have the skill and/or the time to alter or repair their own clothing, so they pay others to do it. I myself have paid a friend to patch up my kids’ clothes when they had rips or broken zippers. She typically would charge me $5-$10 for minor repairs which was well worth it to me so that I didn’t have to throw the clothes away, but I didn’t have to buy new ones either!
5 Signs You’re Eating too Much Sugar
Donuts, Chocolate Cake, Butterfingers, Snickers, Licorice…is your mouth watering yet? Sugar is good. It’s so good, it’s addicting. Yet, when we eat a lot of it, our bodies don’t react very well to it. You’ve probably heard friends and family go on “Low Carb Diets” or eating more “Fat Free Foods” Why not go on a low sugar diet? Sugar can cause negative effects to our body if we are eating too much of it. You may notice that a few of these apply to you.
- Your skin changes and breaks out more often – When eating too much sugar, your skin can be affected by a sudden rise in insulin. This rise in insulin can cause a hormonal change and produce acne. Eating less sugar, could be one factor to help clear up that stubborn acne.
- You crave sugary foods constantly – Do you ever find yourself wanting a sweet snack after you eat a meal? This could be because your body is used to getting that sugar fix after a meal. Instead of giving in, try to eat some fruit that has natural sugars instead of processed. Remember one day at a time will help this slowly go away.
- Cavities – Your teeth can tell you pretty quickly if you are eating too much sugar. Bacteria can build up and cause more cavities or even toothaches.
- Low Energy Levels – When you eat a lot of sugar, you may have some initial energy, but after awhile your energy levels will come back down. Eating too much sugar causes an imbalance in your blood sugar, which can cause fatigue. When you’re eating too much sugar, you most likely aren’t eating enough of the proteins and fibers that help your body get that good energy.
- Weight is harder to lose – When you eat sugar, your blood sugar gets higher. Your pancreas will release the hormone insulin. This hormone is a big factor in weight gain. If you have too much of it, your body can’t respond to the normal amounts of insulin. So basically it’s not using the sugar the right way. This can hinder your progress in losing weight.
What can we do about it? Eating less sugar, or no sugar at all makes use feel good. It helps our minds become quick and clear and can help our bodies become healthier. Taking sugar out of our lives completely is not realistic. Instead, try substituting a more healthier option instead of sugary treats. One easy adjustment is to make homemade snacks/treats instead of store bought ones. Or, make a goal of eating dessert only 1 day a week instead of EVERY day! Or, eat dessert 1 day less than what you normally do. Baby steps will help with archiving your goal. Slowly, your body will not be so dependent on that sugar fix and you’ll be able to start seeing positive results like losing weight and getting that much needed energy.
10 Ways to Reduce Your Utility Bills! Pick One and Give it a Try!
Feel like you’re paying too much for utilities? There are ways you can cut back on your utility bills just by making a few changes and really they’re quite easy and effortless. Some of these you might already be doing but others might be new to you and something to try out!
- Use Your Blinds – this is a big deal in the summer especially. You’ll want to close those blinds to avoid any direct sunlight from coming in. If you have curtains, close those as well. In the winter though, open up the blinds and allow the sun to help heat up your home.
- Use ceiling fans – did you know your fan can more than likely turn both ways? There’s an old saying that will help you remember which way you want it to turn “counter-clockwise in summer and clockwise in winter” easy right? So checkout your fan and look for the little switch (usually on the side). Right now you still want it turning counter-clockwise but soon we’ll be switching over.
- Call your utility company and ask for a discount – this works for many companies but not all. Just simply call your utility company and ask how you can save on your bill. They usually have different programs that might help you even out your payments or they could give you a discount. The worst thing they’ll say is sorry we don’t have anything.
- Use energy efficient items and bulbs – now at first these items can look expensive and can be an investment upfront but in the long run they’ll save you money. So start with your light bulbs and switch those out for energy efficient ones. Then save your money and think about upgrading your appliances to energy efficient ones as well.
- Repair leaks/cracks – If you have a leaky faucet you could be paying more for your water than you need to be. Or if you have crack around your windows or doors you might be having cold air/or warm air leaking outside. There are lots of DIY videos you can watch online on how to repair these things so check those out and get them fixed as soon as possible.
- Install a programmable thermostat – believe it or not these aren’t that expensive. I found one on Amazon for just $20. You can set your thermostat to keep your home comfortable. This way you’re not forgetting to turn it up when you’re not at home or down at night.
- Cook in bulk – Right now it’s still warm out and having to heat up the oven every night for dinner is not only adding to your electricity but also you’re trying to compete to keep your house cool. Cooking in bulk allows you to save money and time! Freezer meals are a great option when it comes to cooking in bulk.
- Change your air filter – Don’t make your air conditioner or heater work harder than it needs to. By changing your filter you’re allowing the air to flow more freely getting your house to cool down or heat up quicker.
- Keep your freezer full – it uses less energy to keep a smaller amount of air space cold than if it’s empty. If you need ideas you could use a gallon container of water to take up space.
- Cover bare floors – having bare floors makes the room colder. So in the winter months think about investing in a rug or carpet remnant to cover the floor with.
What do you do to save on your utility bills? Have you noticed a difference when you changed some of these things? Let us know in the comments below!
5 Things You Should Never Pay Full Price For
These days, saving money is trendy! People used to get annoyed with couponers and steer clear of thrift shopping. That is no more!
One of the best things about this saving money trend is that it is easier than ever do just that. Save! You can save money on just about anything, so be sure to keep an eye out for great deals. While you are looking out for deals, keep this list of 5 items you should never pay full price for on hand:
BOOKS AND MAGAZINES:
These could technically be listed separately, but since they are both reading materials, we will talk about it together.
- If you really like a particular magazine, do not pay newstand prices for it, be sure to subscribe to it. Simply signing up for a subscription will save up to 90%, plus there are many magazines out there that you can rent for free!
- If you have your heart set on a book, be sure and head to Amazon. You will likely find a used copy in great condition for pennies on the dollar. Most people only read a book once then get rid of it, there is no reason to buy a new one.
CLOTHES
You can buy top designer clothes without paying top dollar. Hit up high end thrift stores such as Plato’s Closet or simply check out the clearance rack at your favorite stores! Stores like Kohls and Macy’s also offer coupons that can be stacked with clearance, netting you the best deal possible.
MOVIES
With Redbox available, there is no reason to pay full price to rent a movie. In addition to Redbox, you can also often find promo codes for Google Play, HULU and Amazon Instant Video that will help lower your cost.
GROCERIES
COUPONS! Seriously, using coupons when you go grocery shopping can save up to 40%! You can clip coupons from your Sunday paper or print them off from our website!
RESTAURANTS
I never go out to eat without a coupon or a discount. Before you head out, make sure you check out Groupon and/or Restaurant.com for coupons and discounts.
5 Tips that Will Help You Do Less Laundry
What is your least favorite household chore? Is it laundry? If so, you are going to love these tips!
If you have children, you probably find yourself washing clothes daily and let’s face it, that gets old. Here’s the secret though, you don’t have to do laundry non-stop! You really don’t. Pay attention to these tips below and see how much time, water and energy (both yours and the electric company) you can save!
Air Out Your Sheets
Forget that old habit of making your bed each and every morning. Keep your blankets down and air out your sheets for a while each morning and you will extend the time that your sheets can go without washing. I typically wash my sheets every week, but airing the sheets out daily should allow you to go 2 weeks between washing.
Use The Same Towel for Several Showers
You use towels for drying off after a shower right? You are drying off your clean body, so there is no reason to toss the towel right into the hamper after a single use. Have each person in your household keep a designated towel on a hook either in their room or in the bathroom. Each person should use their towel 3 or 4 times before it gets washed. Be sure that these towels do get hung up though and not laying around on a floor or something. Airing them out keeps them fresh longer.
Wash Jeans Less Often
Did you know that washing your jeans shortens their lifespan? For this reason alone you shouldn’t wash them all the time. As long as they are not obviously dirty, there is no reason to wash jeans after every wear. You should be able to wear them up to 5 times before you wash them. When you do wash them, be sure to turn them inside out.
Spot Clean
Again, unless clothes are obviously soiled or have been sweated in, etc., there is no major reason to wash them after each wear. If you do spill something on the fabric, get used to spot cleaning right then. Making this a habit will help to prevent stains as well.
Teach Your Kids What Should Go Into the Hamper
If your kids are anything like mine, the minute they change everything goes in the hamper (or on the floor). Teaching kids what needs to go in the hamper (undies, socks, soiled clothes, etc) and what doesn’t (jeans, coats, sweatshirts) can save you a lot of time in the laundry room.