Clean Your Kitchen Faster with These Step by Step Tips
Can you use a little bit of help getting your kitchen in order? If you hate spending all of your time cleaning, check out these tips I have listed below to help you clean your kitchen faster.
- Gather your supplies. Do you keep all of your supplies in the same place? Gather them now before you begin. All of the cleaners, rags, sponges, etc.
- Prepare all dishes at once. Do you have a sinkful of dirty dishes? Take a minute or two to scrape them all into the trash (or garbage disposal) at once. I have found that following the steps all at once makes the process much quicker.
- Soak any dishes that need it. Fill up your sink with hot and soapy water and then place any dishes with stuck on food in it to soak.
- Wipe down the counters, stovetops and the front of your appliances. While your dishes are soaking, take this time to wipe down the counters.
- Gather non-kitchen items. If your house is anything like mine, you get lots of stuff in your kitchen that do not belong in the kitchen. Now is the time to gather all of that together and get it out of the room. I typically grab a small basket to gather everything together and set it in another room until the kitchen is done.
- Time to do the dishes. Okay, now that the dishes have soaked for a while, you can load them up in the dishwasher and get the wash cycle started.
- Sweep the floors. Now is a great time to sweep the floors since you have already wiped down the counters and moved the non-kitchen stuff.
- Mop (if needed). You really don’t need to mop every day, but if you haven’t done it for a while, or if you have a messy area that needs to be cleaned, now is the time to break out the mop. I often just wipe down the messy areas with cleaning wipes except for on my mopping days.
- Take out the trash. Either take out the trash or recruit someone to do it for you (I have 3 children and a husband…I haven’t taken out the trash in years!)
All of these steps can be completed very quickly. The key is to do them in order and not procrastinate. You can easily have your kitchen cleaned in 15 minutes.
Sweet Pork Burrito Recipe (Cafe Rio Copycat)
Don’t you love a good burrito? If you’ve been to Cafe Rio, you may have tried their yummy Sweet Pork Burrito. It’s one of my favorites. A while ago, my good friend made us a copycat version of these and it was absolutely wonderful. I almost like it better than the real thing! It’s super simple and it’s even good the next day for leftovers. Enjoy!
Sweet Pork Burritos
Ingredients:
Chuck Roast
2 Cans tomato sauce
1 Can Mexican tomato sauce
2 Big garlic cloves
1 Cup brown sugar
Rice (cooked)
Cilantro
Black Beans
Tortillas
Enchilada Sauce (green)
Cheese
Directions:
1. Cook roast 8-10 hrs on low or until done in a crockpot with a little water.
2. Drain and shred meat and put back in crockpot
3. Add 2 cans tomato sauce, 1 can mexican tomato sauce, 2 big garlic cloves, 1 cup brown sugar
4. Cook on high for 30 minutes
5. Put meat in tortilla with black beans, rice, cilantro
5. If you want your burrito smothered then put enchilada sauce over tortillas with cheese on top. Then you can broil until your burrito is nice and crispy on top.
Tips for Booking Your Next Cruise for Cheap!
I have to say taking a cruise is by far my favorite way to vacation! I love the easy of visiting different destinations but not having to pack up my bags every time. There’s less worry about dining and where your next meal is coming from and they have so many activities going on throughout the day you really can’t be bored. The down side, they can get pricy! But I wanted to share with you my tips and tricks to saving big before your next cruise!
Shop around then book with an agent. Learn from my mistake here guys. I shopped around just like I do with everything and found a good deal just booking with the cruise ship company so I did it. But our friends traveling with us were able to save a hundred more for the exact same ship and room! These guys know what they’re doing and can really give you some good tips and deals when booking your cruise.
Watch for sales EVEN AFTER YOU BOOK! This is big guys! I booked early cause I didn’t want to miss out and they were on sale. But luckily I was watching their site after we booked. I called the cruise line and they refunded the difference saving us $500! The same worked for our friends who booked through an agent, so don’t stop watching for deals!
Book your cruise and your flights separately. These two different big expenses don’t always go on sale at the same time so you’ll want to book them separately. I followed the awesome FlightsFromHome Instagram page for flights out of Salt Lake at amazing prices! We were able to save a couple hundred dollars on each plane ticket by doing this. You can also use the Hooper app which is great for watch flight deals.
Purchase gift cards off of discount sites. Did you know you can purchase discounted cruise line gift cards to save even more? Remember you can stack these gift cards on top of sales. So be sure you checkout Raise for discounted gift cards as well as Gift Card Mall. I found a Royal Caribbean $1,000 voucher for only $940.95 – that’s a good chunk of change!
I hope these tips help you save on your next big vacation! Cruising can be so much fun and a great way to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or just a get away with the family!
How to Save More Money in a Hurry
Are you on a quest to save money? Who isn’t, am I right? I have decided to kick up my budgeting skills big time for the next couple of months because this girl is taking a cruise! I am planning to book my cruise in May and take it late in the year and I want to make it as painless as possible. So, how am I going to do it? Well, here are some of the tips I plan to follow:
No Eating Out – I have a birthday coming up, we have a couple road trips planned to visit friends, but even under these circumstances, we are going to completely avoid eating out for the next two months. All of our meals will be packed up from home and eating on the road if need be.
Selling our stuff – We have so much stuff that we honestly do not need, so we are putting it up for sale. Toys that the kids no longer play with, electronics that haven’t been turned on in a while (anyone need an xbox360? I kid, I kid), clothing that hasn’t been removed from the hangers for months. All of this stuff can be sold to stock up on cash for our trip.
Staying home – Other than those mini road trips I was telling you about earlier, we plan to stay home and find some free entertainment. We want to save on gas and the best way to do that is by staying home. Besides, I have plenty to do around the house that I really should stay home for a while anyway.
Beans and rice – Okay, well I am sure we are going to eat more than just beans and rice, but we will be on a budget when it comes to our groceries. Lots of rice and beans, yes, but also meals like stews and spaghetti. Do you have any more bbudget-friendly meal ideas for me?
5 Spring Break Staycation Ideas
We are just about to roll into Spring Break in my area and I assume in most other areas too. We don’t really have the budget to go on a great vacation, but we want to have fun so we are deciding to do some fun stuff around our area, a “staycation” if you will.
If you have been wondering how you can vacation without going on “vacation” here are 5 Spring Break staycation ideas for you to try out:
- Visit your local state parks. Determine how far from home you are willing to drive and take a drive to visit your local state parks. Maybe one that you haven’t seen before. They are often filled with many interesting historical facts and natural scenery that is unique to your area.
- Take a hike. You will be surprised to learn how many amazing hiking trails are near your home. Do a quick Google search for hiking trails within an hour or your location and see all of the neat hiking trails that surround you. If you have the chance to check out a waterfall trail, I highly suggest those!
- Enjoy a movie date. Many of us that are on a budget tend to avoid going to the movies. Throw caution to the wind and take yourself and your kids to the movies. Choosing a matinee will keep your costs down a bit.
- Visit local museums. I recently took my children to our local county museum. We have driven past that same museum probably a thousand times without given it any thought. Once we actually went to the museum, we learned a lot about our county and even saw history of ancestors of people we knew and buildings we had visited throughout the years. It was so much fun and cost us just a couple bucks entry.
- Do nothing. C’mom, most of us are busy going going going and could really use a day (or 5) off. That doesn’t mean that you take a day off to run errands or get stuff done, but actually take a day off to do absolutely nothing. You may feel quite refreshed afterwards.
Fun, Low Budget Easter Activities
Are you prepared for Easter? Easter is only weeks away and I know that you want to make it a good day for your families. I also know many of us are on a budget. That does not, however, mean that we have to be too stressed about money to enjoy ourselves. The fact is, you don’t need to have expensive things and spendy activities to make it a great day.
Here are some fun, low budget Easter Activities that you can do to keep your family having fun, while you are able to keep from being too stressed about finances.
Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt. Many towns and neighborhoods hold community Easter Egg Hunts that are typically free for kids and feature lots of fun prizes and treats. These Easter Egg hunts are typically broken down into different age categories so that the hunts are fair for all of the kids.
Pot-Luck. Want to have a get together with everyone, but don’t want to fork out all of the money that it would typically take to do that? How about you host a pot-luck? Each person or family can bring a dish and everyone can enjoy themselves without breaking the bank.
BBQ. BBQ’s can be a fun, inexpensive party idea and since Easter falls as Spring is just getting started, you might actually find yourself with some nice weather to enjoy. This is a way to have dinner for everyone, but can be much cheaper than a typical formal-type dinner.
Egg Painting Party. Grab some Easter Egg Dye, some colorful paint, crayons and other fun decorating tools and invite your friends and family over. Be sure to have your guests bring over their own cartons of eggs and have fun decorating!
Have you ever done Easter on a tight budget? What activities did you do?
Learning to Ski: Tips & Tricks for the Young & Old (Money Saving Tips Too!)
Recently we’ve begun the adventure of learning and re-learning to ski. When I was young it came so naturally. Yet, as I’m getting older re-learning something takes time and patience. Our kids are learning to ski for the first time and they absolutely love it. They glide down the hill so easily as I had done at their age. Now you see my husband and I re-learning these tricks and taking our time to go down the mountain. As we’ve all been learning to ski, here are a few tips and tricks we’ve found out along the way. Hopefully they will help you out too.
Sign up for a Ski School. This is definitely the best way to learn. Learning from a professional will get you started on the right track from the beginning. Our kids have been in ski schools and they learn so fast. Plus, they have people there to help with safety. They are safely guided and taught before they are sent out on their own. To begin with, find a small resort and look for after school ski schools. Those ones are typically cheaper than weekend ski schools. Typically, you can save money by registering more than one kid at a time. If you don’t have more than one kid, then ask a neighbor or friend if they want to sign up as well. Then split the cost!
Watch YouTube Videos. This might sound funny, but it really helped out my husband. He was a beginner and had never been skiing. He started watching How to Ski YouTube videos and then implemented those tips into his skiing. It helped so much! Start at the very beginning episode- -even how to put on skis and go from there. It will make you more confident and ready to attack the slopes.
Choose a Beginner Ski Resort. When we were looking for a good ski school we looked for a resort that had plenty of beginner hills. When you are starting out you don’t want to go to the biggest resort. Start small and work your way up. Usually when you find a smaller resort with smaller hills you won’t be paying as much either. That’s a great way to start out.
Be comfortable. I mean this for both clothing and ski equipment. It’s SO important to get the right boots and skis. Ask your ski shop if they could fit your boots for you. It will make all of the difference when you are out on the slopes. Having the right fit makes it easier to ski. You don’t want to be fighting bad skis or boots that are too big. Also, be sure you are dressed appropriately. Besides a warm coat, gloves, ski pants and a helmet, we also found we needed a ski mask and balaclavas. This will help with the cold wind that could make it miserable. Dressing appropriately will help you have a great time skiing.
Practice makes perfect. Now I’m not suggesting you will be a perfect skier. But just like any other sport, you must practice in order to get better. Skiing is the same. It will take multiple times or even another season of skiing to get better and better. We love going with neighbors and friends too. This helps you get out and practice more often.
Quick & Easy SNOW Ice Cream Recipe!
We’re finally starting to see some snow around here so I wanted to share with you guys a fun treat we like to do on snow days! I mean we have to think of something positive about the snow because I don’t like the cold – anyone else with me on that? But this recipe is simple, easy and perfect for the kids to help make! So grab some fresh CLEAN snow and make some Snow Ice Cream!
Snow Ice Cream
1 cup milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
8 cups clean snow
plus any toppings you want (sprinkles, chocolate chips or syrup, peanut butter, candy, etc)
You’ll first combine the milk sugar, vanilla and salt until combined. Then scoop in your CLEAN show and immediately stir until it reaches your desired consistency. It will start to melt quickly so add your toppings and enjoy immediately!
If your ice cream is a little to runny for your liking you can place it in the freezer for a couple hours and it should come out just like store bought but we never get to that point in the making! I hope everyone enjoys the snow at least a little bit now that you can whip up some ice cream!
How to do Easter on Shoestring Budget
Are you prepared for Easter? I know that it is still a month away, but when you are on a shoestring budget it is good to prepare early. Preparing early is exactly how you can make sure that your children have an amazing Easter without breaking the bank or going into debt (which happens a lot more often than you may think).
So, how exactly can you make Easter special on a shoestring budget? Well, I have had some pretty lean years and my kids always talk about how amazing their Easter was during those times. Here are a couple of things that I did:
Shop clearance. There are still some clearance Christmas deals hanging out at some stores and I like to gather good toy deals to keep in my gift closet throughout the year. These also make great toys for Easter Baskets. Another clearance deal to grab hold of is all of the awesome Valentine’s candy that is marked significantly down right now (my local Rite Aid has it for 75% off). Just because it isn’t egg shaped candy, doesn’t mean it can’t be great Easter candy.
Go Simple. I know someone who spent $150 per child last year on Easter. They have 3 children so that means that they spend $450 on Easter NOT including their food. I’m sorry, but this is just outrageous. Children don’t need to have extravagant gifts in order to have a great Easter.
Create your own basket. Create your own basket, as opposed to buying a pre-packaged Easter basket and you will save a significant amount of money. Especially if you purchase your basket at the dollar store or another similar store. There is no need to spend an exorbitant amount of money on a basket that will hold goodies for a couple of hours.
5 Ways to Build up Money Now for a Summer Vacation
We are right smack in the middle of February, but honestly, we aren’t that far away from Summertime. Are you ready to finally take a good vacation this Summer instead of just sitting down watching everyone else go on vacations that you wish you were on? Don’t worry! You have plenty of time to start building up some cash now for a great Summer Vacation. Yes, it can be done.
Here are ways to build up money now for a summer vacation:
- Donate Plasma. In some cases, you can earn up to $60 per week donating plasma. Let’s say you want to go on vacation in July, that gives you enough time to earn over $1000 dollars to use on your vacation. I don’t know about you, but I could plan a great vacation with $1000.
- Sell your old books/DVDs. If you have been an adult for any amount of time, you probably have a shelf or a box full of DVDs somewhere that you never use anymore because you can just stream the same movies online. There are websites that will pay you $1-$2 per DVD. I literally have 300+ DVDs stored in an old Rubbermaid tote. Looks like I could use anywhere from $300-$600 from those! Same goes for books, but oftentimes you can get much, much more from them.
- Sell your clothes. I bet you have some clothes hanging in your closet or sitting in your dresser. Create a poshmark account and get to selling them! I bet you would be surprised at how much you can make. Alternatively, take them to a thrift shop such as Plato’s closet where they pay cash on the spot. You can also post them for sale on Craigslist or FB B/S/T groups.
- Drive! If you live in a metro area and you have a car that means the parameters, consider driving for Uber or Lyft. You can make a good income driving people around, even just working part time.
- Stop spending. Okay, you still need to pay your bills, of course, but consider putting a halt on your non-essential spending. You would be surprised by how much you can save simply by skipping the drive thru.
5 Tips for Waking Up Happier
How many of you want to wake up happier every day? I know I do. I mean, who doesn’t want to be happier?
If you find yourself dragging from day to day and you think you could use a pick me up, check out these 5 tips for waking up happier and see how your life could change.
- Focus on your wants. If there is something that you want, focus on it. Many of us focus on what we “don’t want to have happen”, rather than what we want. If you are focused on the things that you don’t want to have happen, then you are focusing on the negative and focusing on the negative will never bring you positive.
- Journal. Each and every single night, take out your journal and write down the things that are on your mind, bad and good. Getting this mental clutter out of your mind helps you to sleep peacefully instead of going to sleep with a mind full of busy-ness.
- Leave work at the office. Too many of us are busy dealing with the stress of the job even when we are at home. When you clock out, think to yourself that all work related stuff stays in the office.
- Get some sleep. It is hard to be low stress and happy when you are running low on sleep. Make sure to schedule sleep in as you would anything else and follow through.
- Exercise. Exercise boosts endorphins which make you feel good. When you feel good you want to be more active. It is a circle of activity that really does work!
What is your best way to feel happier? Do you fake it til you make it? Do you travel? What is your secret to successful happiness? I would love to hear all of your stories!
Family Friendly Places to Visit Around Phoenix (Perfect Winter Destination)
If you live in a winter wonderland like I do, you may be missing those blue skies and sunny days. Once a winter we like to plan a little trip to anywhere that is warmer than here. This year we went to the Phoenix, Arizona area and it was a blast. There are so many family friendly things to do there, we could have stayed for weeks. If you need a little get away, check out these fun places near the Phoenix area.
- Usery Regional Park. With the wonderful weather in Arizona during the winter, be sure to enjoy the outdoors. Visit this park and do some hiking, running, and exploring. This park has some fun programs that you can take advantage of. Park Rangers are there to help with exploring and learning. Check out their website here to look at their schedules.
- Children’s Museum of Phoenix. This museum is full of 300 play experiences. It’s hands on and perfect for young and middle aged kids. Also, the first Friday of every month from 5:00 p.m.—9:00 p.m., there is no charge for admission. Be sure to call ahead before you go to make sure it’s still going on.
- Parks. When you visit Arizona in the winter time you need to enjoy the beautiful weather that is most likely going on. This is the perfect time to be outside and enjoy the city parks that are everywhere. No matter where you are located just find a local park and enjoy being outside.
- Legoland Discovery Center. If you have a LEGO fan, be sure to check out the this LEGO center. It has fun hands on LEGO building areas as well as fun rides.
- Pools. Arizona has their fair share of pools that you can enjoy. If you are staying in a hotel, you can actually use their pool during the winter time- even if it’s outside. So cool!
- Hunts Tomb. This is located in Papago Park. This is the tomb of George W.P. Hunt, Arizona’s first governor. Take a short hike to the top where you can see some awesome views of downtown Phoenix, north Scottsdale, Tempe, and the Phoenix Zoo, which is next to Papago Park.
- Musical Instrument Museum. This museum is a place where you can look at and listen to more than 6,500 instruments and objects from around the world. Fun shows going on there too. You can check out their schedule here.
Frugal Living The Old Fashioned Way! Take Things Back to The Basics to Save Money!
Lots of times we make life crazy and complicated with our schedules and spending habits. Who wouldn’t love to go back to the “old fashioned” way of life and live more simple? I’ve put together ways you can save money by living in the past.
- Make your bread from scratch – this is something I’ve grown to love the more I do it. I have a bread machine I use which makes it super simple but I do love baking it in the oven to. One tip I’ve learned is the bread is easier to slice once it’s sat in the fridge overnight.
- Mend your own clothing – From putting a button back on to hemming up some pants this is a great way to save yourself from having to buy new clothing.
- Cook from scratch – not always the easiest for me but I do find it’s a lot cheaper to create our meals from scratch.
- Learn how to grow a garden – some years are better than others but it’s nice to enjoy the fruits of your labor when creating a garden.
- Learn to can your garden – My mom was a great teacher and example to me when it comes to canning. There’s more I’d like to learn but the basics are easy, I know you can do it too.
- Use cloth instead of paper towels/napkins – I’m not one to want to add more laundry but just to throw a couple extra napkins in the wash shouldn’t be too bad right?
- Keep your paper to use as scratch – If you have kids like mine they’re always asking for paper to create different drawing and projects with. I have a pile of paper they are welcome to grab from with printing mess ups, scraps from other projects, etc.
- Drink water instead of soda/juice – If you drink just 2 soda’s a day and say you buy them on sale for $.25 each you’re paying $3.50 a week in soda! That’s $182.50 a year for the 2 sodas a day!
- Make your own cleaning supplies – I love using baking soda and vinegar to clean a lot of my house and I make my kids their own spray bottle with vinegar and lemon oil inside to clean the mirror, walls, counters and more with! It’s safe and super cheap!
- Make your own laundry detergent – I’ll admit I’ve done this in the past but it became too much work for me and I haven’t in a while. But there’s some great recipes online you could try!
- Cook dried beans – Purchase a bag of dried beans for super cheap. Then cook them in your crock pot or let them sit overnight. This will save you from purchasing the cans that can add up in cost.
- Eat simple meals – don’t go Pinterest crazy with your meals. Sometimes the basics are less stressful and cost efficient.
- Downsize to a smaller house – Be sure you do your research first. Right now with the market the way it is, it might not be a good time to downsize. But keep your options open and look into it.
- Bake your own cakes – I never buy store bought cakes anymore! I’ll create ours from scratch and add cute cake toppers for the theme the kids have chosen.
- Line dry your clothing – You can create a clothing line with just some string. Run the line across your fence or use the playset.
- Try walking to your destinations – I can’t believe how much gas prices have gone up since I first started driving. But we live close enough my kids are able to walk to and from school. We could also easily walk to the bank and store. Although I don’t recommend this if you’ll have a lot of bags to bring home.
- Find non-electronic hobbies – hobbies can get expensive but I find they’re essential. You need a way you can relax and reset after a long day. Try reading a few new books or exercise in your own home or outside for free.
Use your talents and create new ones by becoming more self-reliant. You don’t have to live on a farm without electricity to live the Old Fashioned way. But by simply changing a few of your habits you’ll be able to save money for you and your family.
Romantic Date Ideas for Budget Conscious Couples
Are you on a budget? Being on a budget can help couples in many ways. Getting out of debt, building savings, etc., but it also prevents us from enjoying ourselves and spending time on dates too. It doesn’t have to though! We need to remember that to be a great couple, you need to focus some time on yourselves. You need to go on a date together once in a while! You can either save for it, include it in your budget, or you can choose dates that really don’t take much money. I personally like the idea of going on dates that don’t cost much money, because sometimes I just like to go without much planning.
If you feel the same way, here are some romantic date ideas for budget conscious couples:
- Hiking. I love going hiking with my husband. When we are in it for the date purposes other than the challenge, we choose a less difficult trail. It allows us to get fresh air and exercise while still talking, holding hands and spending time together.
- Groupon. Check Groupon for date deals y’all! You can get some AMAZING deals on date night ideas such as restaurant, movie tickets and wine tasting. My last wine tasting deal only cost me $6 on Groupon.
- Netflix and pizza. Grab a cheap pizza (delivery or frozen) and find an old favorite on Netflix.
- Volunteer. This one won’t cost you a thing and you will feel good knowing that you are spending your time together helping others, it really is terrific for bonding.
- Picnic in the Park. A picnic in the park is a nice, romantic and inexpensive way to have a meal together.
- Go for a walk. After dinner at home head out on a walk around the neighborhood with your love. It is a great way to wind down after a busy day.
What’s your favorite cheap date idea?
5 Ways To Make an Extra $50 This Week
Who all here could use an extra $50 this week? I know I could. Heck, I think most people that don’t “need” more money want to continue adding to savings, so I feel like there are very few people who are going to say no to this.
We’ve said it before, being on a budget is hard. It makes it much easier when you can have a little budget boost. So, in case you would like a budget boost for yourself, here are 5 ways to make an extra $50 this week.
- Donate Plasma. You can expect to make between $20 and $50 per plasma donation, oftentimes more for your first donation. Plus, you know that you are doing a good thing and possibly helping someone in need by doing this.
- Recycle. Does your state offer redemptions for bottles and cans? I know in my state you get $0.10 for every bottle and/or can that is returned. If you are a big soda, bottled water or beer drinker, I bet you have lots of money sitting there waiting.
- Go through your closet. I bet you have clothes sitting there that you simply don’t wear any more and oftentimes these clothes are worth money. Go through your close and take some pictures and post them for sale. You can post them on Craigslist, Facebook B/S/T groups, eBay, Poshmark, etc.
- Sell your old jewelry. If you have any broken or outdated jewelry, take it to a pawn shop or jewelry store. They often pay cash gold.
- Go to work at a temp service. If you need cash right now, head on into a temp service and get a temporary job. You aren’t signing on for a full time, permanent job, but it can make a huge difference in the amount of money you have right now. This is great for paying off those random bills, building your savings or boosting your vacation funds.