Toys R Us Closing 180 Stores in February! Is One Near You?
It’s always hard to see this happen. Toys R Us has just posted this message to it’s customers about them closing 180 stores starting February 2018. Then most of the stores will be closed by mid-April. There are stores all around the country that will be closing down. You can check here in this article and see if your location is one of those that will be closing. If so, be ready for deep discounts and great deals on products sold in their stores.
10 things you are wasting money on
Do you feel like sometimes money just disappears and you don’t even know where it went? Do you feel like you’ve done everything you can to get your money under control but it doesn’t seem to be working? The problem may be leaks. Little leaks in our budgets that are small enough that they don’t really get noticed, however when combined they really do take a chunk of your budget with them.
So what are your wasteful spending habits? Do you know the answer to that or do you think that you don’t have any? I’m willing to bet that you do. If you want to take one more look at your budget here are 10 things that you are probably wasting your money on:
- Subscription services. I once signed up for a game Pass Program for my son because there was a free 14-day trial. I completely forgot to cancel it but it was only $8.99 a month so it wasn’t throwing off any red flags. But that $8.99 per month, quickly becomes over $100 a year. Luckily I caught it about 6 months later and the company did reimburse me because we haven’t used it. Do you have any subscription services that you forgot to cancel?
- Restaurants. How often do you go out to eat? How often should you have made food from home instead? I bet you already know the answer to that question. Many of us waste a lot of money on restaurant food.
- Coffee. I know that just about every money-saving website talks about this but it’s the truth. Stop driving through the coffee shop every day when you can make it at home for mere pennies.
- High-priced clothes. Are you the type that will only wear name brand clothes? You know what? I am! The difference though is that most name brand clothing can be bought either second hand or on clearance for a fraction of the money that it typically costs. Be willing to step outside of the box when buying these items and you will save big.
- Name brand foods. Do you refuse to buy generic groceries? I will be honest there are some products that I have to have the name brand but most of the time my family and I are happy to choose the generic version. I used to have a friend who worked for a major soy sauce company and he confided to me that they actually bottled the name brand soy sauce and another generic brand simply by putting different labels on it. There was nothing different than the product.
- Bottled water or soda, etc. Do you buy soda bottled water and other similar single serve drinks? Do you recycle the container afterwards? Many states charge a redemption fee or these items and unless you take them back to recycle them when you’re done you won’t get that back.
- Driving too much. Are you taking little trips everyday instead of combining all of your trips into once or twice a week? The amount of gas savings that can happen if you combine trips is quite noticeable. In addition more wear and tear on your car always cost more money.
- Leftovers. Do you find yourself tossing out leftovers instead of using them? You can save hundreds of dollars a year by creating meals using leftovers the next day.
- Leaving the lights on. Make sure you’re turning off your lights and shutting off Electronics and Appliances when not in use to save on your electric bill each month.
- Keeping stuff in storage. You have a storage container that you have to pay for month after month? When was the last time you even looked at the stuff in it? My bed is that you can actually get rid of a lot of that stuff and save yourself a monthly fee.
7 things you can do right now to help your Spring Garden succeed
Do you have a green thumb? Are you going stir crazy being stuck inside during the cold winter months? If you are itching to get back out there and dig in the dirt, I hear you, I love my garden and I miss it! That being said there are some things that we can do now to prepare for gardening season.
Here are seven things you can do right now to help your Spring Garden succeed:
- Inventory your gardening supplies. When I say supplies I mean your seeds, your Planters, your containers, your tools, your soil, everything! Wintertime is a great time to find deals on gardening items so wintertime is the best time to take inventory of what you have and what you need to buy.
- Study up. The fact of the matter is you can’t be out there digging in the dirt right now so you may as well learn everything you can about gardening while you are stuck indoors. If you have Amazon Prime check out any free or cheap ebooks you can get to read up on soil info and info on the best types of gardens for your location.
- Decide your location. This may be the easiest part of the process but you need a good idea of where you plan to plant your garden. Are you going to have it the same place as last year? Or will you have it in a brand new place? Plan now so you don’t have to decide later.
- Decide on what plants you will be growing. Now that you have studied up and you know what space you have available now it’s time to decide what you will be planting.
- Order your seeds. There are some amazing websites available online for you to order your seeds from. This is generally a better bet than walking up and down the aisles of your local big-box store and deciding what to order from there. This is especially true if you plan to grow an organic garden or you have specific wishes for the seed to buy.
- Map out your seed location. Now that you have your seeds on order, start to map out where they are going to be planted in your garden. This is great to do in advance so that you know which seeds need to be planted nearest the Sun nearest bigger plants, etc.
- Relax. I know you are excited to get started but gardening is a big commitment so why not take this last little bit of wintertime you have left to relax and get ready for gardening season to begin.
The BEST Broccoli Cheese Soup Recipe (Copycat Panera Bread)
When it’s cold outside all I want to do is eat soup! Seriously, I’m always looking for new soups to eat. It’s always a fine line to find a soup that not only I love, but my husband and kids love as well. When I made this Panera Bread copycat of their Broccoli Cheese Soup, we all loved it! My kids didn’t even complain of the “green stuff!” It’s definitely a keeper and one we will do over and over again during the winter months. This recipe comes from The Recipe Critic and I love it. Here is what you do:
**Note- when I made this, it BARELY fed 5 of us- and 3 of those are small kids! So I usually double the recipe now. **
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- ½ medium chopped onion
- ¼ cup melted butter
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 cups half-and-half cream
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ lb fresh broccoli (about 1 cup)
- 1 cup carrot, julienned
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- 8 ounces grated sharp cheddar cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
- Saute the onion in 1 tablespoon melted butter and set aside. In a large pot whisk together the melted butter and flour over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the half and half and chicken stock. Let it simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Add the broccoli, carrots, and onions. Let them simmer on medium low for about 25 minutes until the broccoli and carrots are tender.
- Add nutmeg, salt and pepper and sharp cheddar cheese. Let the cheese melt and then serve. For a smoother soup puree it in a blender.
How to Create a Budget & Stick to It!
Guys this is something that so many talk about. It’s information our nation needs but can be overwhelming, stressful, etc. I don’t want you guys to worry though, you can take control of your budget this year and find a system that works for you! Here’s some simple guild lines to getting started on your budget this year.
Start with the right attitude. Your budget is something that shouldn’t be boring nor make you feel confined or restricted. This is your budget and what’s important to you. If date nights are essential, then budget for them. If you love new electronics and have to have the newest model, budget for it. But go into it with a good attitude!
List out your debts and bills. We did this by looking through our last month’s statements. I made a list (in excel) with the due date, what the expense is and the minimum payment. This gave us an idea of exactly what bills had to be paid and when. Another great way is in a bullet journal. Make it something you love and that you want to go back to often.
Now you need to come up with your categories and list out your expenses. When it comes to the categories, i used Dave Ramsey’s list, here’s what I found and like:
- Charity 10%
- Savings 5-15%
- Housing 25-35%
- Utilities 5-10%
- Food 5-10%
- Transportation 10-15%
- Medical 5-10%
- Personal 10%
- Clothing 2-7%
- Recreation 5-10%
Now this is off your income and obviously these numbers don’t work for everyone (as in our housing in more in percentiles than he recommends so we have to save in other categories to make it work) but it gives you a good start to your budget if you’re needing some guidance.
Then I’ve found the best way for me to keep track of my expenses is to not worry about writing where it went but just the amount. So say i spend $50 at Smith’s. I’m just going to say -$50 in my groceries category. It’s simplified and something I can keep up on. If you’d like to keep track of all that information and it’s something that works for you, go for it! Just do something that works for you.
Lastly keep track throughout the month. If that’s an every night thing you’d like to do, do it! I’m more of a once a week type of person where I’ll sit down at my computer with my paper and write it all down under the categories. You can even compare your receipts to your bank account so you’re not missing anything, but find a time and stick to it!
You’ve got this guys! This is the year you’ll take back your finances and really know where your money is going!
5 Reasons to Have Meatless Mondays
Are you thinking about adding a meatless dinner to your family menu? Or, are you considering making the change for an entire day instead of just a single meal? There are actually quite a few benefits to making this dietary change for your family.
It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing decision either (I know all of you meat and potato people are starting to panic), you can simply do a meatless day once a week or once a month even and it can have benefits. If you are still aren’t convinced, here are 5 reasons to have meatless Mondays:
- To cut your grocery budget. Let’s face it, you come to our site to help you save money, not for tips on your health, right? I mean those are always great, but MONEY SAVING IS KEY! Changing your family’s monthly food menu to include meatless Monday can easily add an extra $500 per year to your food budget! This is a very conservative estimate, most families end up saving even more.
- Reduced risk of diabetes. Research has shown that plant based diets can help you to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes. This is because when you cut meat out of your diet you are also cutting down on calories which leads to weight loss or better ability to maintain your current healthy weight, which helps reduce your risk of diabetes.
- Reduced risk of obesity. Similar to the notes listed above, cutting back on your meat consumption helps to reduce your chances of obesity.
- Lowered cancer risk. Studies have shown that your risk of cancer decreases when you decrease the amount of red and processed red meat you consume.
- Better for the environment. From killing fewer cows to reducing greenhouses gases and saving water, eating less meat really does benefit the environment. For example, did you know that 1850 gallons of water are needed throughout the production of one pound of beef? That can be compared to the less than 40 gallons it takes throughout the production of a single pound of vegetables. That is over 1500 gallons difference for the same amount of food.
5 Reasons You Should Be Going to Bed Early
Are you a late to bed, late to rise kind of person? Well you may want to change that once you find out just how much you can benefit from going to bed early, instead of burning the midnight oil.
If you are anything like me, you probably feel like you just simply don’t have enough time in the day to plan to go to bed early. But the fact of the matter is, once you establish a routine of going to bed early, you are able to make your schedule work better for you, which leads to more productivity and less feeling stressed out about not having enough time. Are you ready to make a change? Here are 5 reasons you should be going to bed early:
More focus. If you sleep more than 7 hours per night, you are going to be more productive. It’s true. I recently read a study that said that if you don’t get REM sleep, it decreased your productive and your creative thinking. So, more sleeping can lead to better focus and more success at work and/or at school.
Safer driving. Did you know that a person who goes 24 hours without sleep is as dangerous on the road as a drunk driver? That also means that you don’t need to skip a full 24 hours before you start losing your concentration, etc when it comes to driving. You need to be rested to be safe behind the wheel of a car.
Better for a healthy weight. Research has shown that those who stay up later, have a more difficult time losing weight. It may be because those who stay up later eat more and it may be because when we are tired we tend to make worse food choices.
Boosted immune system. Getting plenty of rest is one of the things that helps to keep our immune system strong. It can help you avoid an illness altogether, or at least lessen the severity of it.
You look better rested. Don’t you just hate it when people are non-stop saying to you “wow, you look so tired”? I do, I would much prefer they say “wow, you look so rested.”
5 Tips for Keeping Your House Clean
Did your new year’s resolutions include being more organized or keeping your home cleaner? No judgment here, if you have kids, it’s hard to keep a clean home, I agree 100%. I have a toddler, a teenager and a 10 year old and it seems like a tornado hits my house daily. I feel like I am finally started to get control of it though. Here are 5 tips for keeping your house clean that I have learned over the last couple of years that have really helped me:
- Always keep your kitchen sink clean. This has been a big one for me and I honestly learned it while following a blog that is designed to help you be a better housekeeper. The point of this is that if you are always focused on making sure that sink is clean, then you will rarely find your kitchen in disarray. That means putting dirty dishes right into the dishwasher instead of waiting until the sink is full, etc.
- Keep a wastebasket in each room. When you have kids this is especially true. Keeping a wastepaper basket in each room is a lifesaver when it comes to keeping garbage off the floors and out of the nooks and crannies of your sofa. How often do you find little shreds of paper, or candy wrappers tucked into your couch? Or, is that one just me?
- Hampers for each room. I have found that as long as my kids have hampers in their room, I find far fewer clothes on the floor in their room or bathroom. Plus, it’s easy for them to do their own laundry when they just carry the hamper out.
- Delegate. My kids are bigger now, which means they can easily do chores. You are not the only one living in your house, that means you aren’t the only one that needs to clean it.
Do a quick sweep before bed. I have found so much joy in waking up to a clean house. Before you go to bed, do a quick sweep of the main living areas and pick up anything that needs to be picked up. This will help get each day started off on the right foot.
The Benefits of a Winter Vacation
Yes, the holidays are over, but we are still in the heart of winter. We may think of wintertime as being a time of being stuck in the house with crummy weather, but the truth of it is, wintertime is a great time for vacations! Vacation in Winter?! Yes, I said it!
If you think I am crazy for even considering a vacation during the wintertime, you aren’t alone. Most people do their vacationing in the Summer so it’s a tad uncommon, but it is fun! If you are thinking about it, here are some of the benefits of a winter vacation as opposed to the rest of the year.
Cheaper. With the exception of ski resorts, almost every vacation spot is cheaper during the wintertime. My family lives a couple of hours away from the beach and often vacation there. A beach house that we rent during the Summer for $175 per night, will go for $80 during the winter! That’s over half off! The same goes for hotels, etc throughout the country. Because winter isn’t typically vacation season, places are trying to get customers through the door and will offer steep discounts to do just that.
Less Crowded. Because it isn’t the typical vacation season, there are far fewer people out there! If you aren’t the type to enjoy crowds, a winter vacation is perfect for you.
New views. Places look different during different times of the year. Even if you have a favorite Summertime vacation spot, you should go to it during the winter and see it in a different view. There may be snow, there may be fewer leaves on the trees, but either way, it’s going to look different.
Avoid Cabin Fever. Let’s face it, with the crummy winter weather, we are often stuck inside at home. This can cause some serious cabin fever and nobody likes that! Even a quick weekend vacation will help get rid of wintertime cabin fever.
What’s your favorite thing about winter vacations?
5 BEST Essential Oils for the Winter Season -Help Fight Colds, Flu & Winter Depression
Oh, the Winter season. I’m not gonna lie, Winter can be rough! With the lack of sunshine and colds and flu going around, you may need a little extra help. Essential oils are a great way to give that added help to fight off sicknesses and help boost your systems. Here are 5 essential oils that can definitely help you out this winter season.
- Oregano Oil: Helps with your overall immune system. It is a powerful antimicrobial that can help fight off infections. It also has antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties which could help you stay healthy.
- Peppermint Oil: Helps with colds and rejuvenate your respiratory system. (Side Note: Did you know that Peppermint also keeps away mice?? It’s a natural repellent! )
- Lavender Oil: Relaxing effects on the body that could help with depression. Lavender oil is also a good one to help with dry, flaky skin.
- Frankincense Oil: This oil is a stronger oil that could help with coughs and congestion. It’s also a good one for the flu as it has antiseptic, astringent, anti-inflammatory properties. It can also bring feelings of relaxation and peace.
- Tea Tree Oil: This oil contains antiseptic, antiviral and antimicrobial properties. It’s also a natural disinfectant to kill germs- which is so needed in the winter. It’s also a good oil to help with lice.
New Year – Big Savings! Tips To Help You Save More This Year!
It’s a new year and the perfect time to learn how you can save more money! Wither you’re saving for your next family vacation or Christmas these tips could help you have hundreds. So jump on the band wagon and start saving your family money so you can live a happy debt free life!
- One we all know well is cut the cable! This can save you anywhere from $50+ a month if you have this extra expense each month. Here’s other options out there like good old bunny ear tv, netflix and hulu.
- Find alternative ways to get to work. If you have a coworker that lives close you could carpool. Or checkout the bus route and see if that’s something you could take advantage of. If you’re lucky enough to work close to home, you could ride your bike or walk.
- Turn off the lights when you’re not using them as well as turn down the heat (or AC in the summer). You won’t see the savings right away but over time your bills are going to drop and you’ll be able to pocket the extra savings.
- Start cooking from home more – I really recommend cooking all your meals from home if you’re trying to tighten the budget but we like to eat out once a week for a little break.
- Don’t throw away your left over dinner pack them up and put them in the fridge to eat for lunch the next day. Just make sure you eat them and they don’t go to waste because no one likes to throw away money.
- Stop using paper products. Although these are useful and great for those busy nights they’re costing you money and you’re just throwing them out.
- There’s lots of resources out there for you to be able to sell your unused stuff on. I’ve used facebook and a local news station sight that has an online classifieds. There’s even Craig’s list you could list your unused items on.
- This time of year is perfect for getting yourself healthy and fit but plan on skipping the membership. There’s so many at home videos you can workout too and online resources. I even bought some Jillian Michael’s videos at our local General Dollar.
- If your kids want to learn a musical instrument or your looking for a cleaner try trading services with friends and neighbors. You could offer to fold laundry or deep clean a friends home while they teach your child piano. Or offer a trade to your hair stylist the next time you need a hair cut.
- Next weekend plan on staying home and enjoying what you have. Have a game night or movie night with your own items. You didn’t buy them to just sit on the shelve.
This will get you a good start to saving this year! What are your new years resolutions and how are you planning on saving this year?
10 Free Wintertime Activities for Kids
Wintertime. It’s cold, it’s dark, it’s dreary and it is hard to get the kids out of the house (which is what is needed, especially during this time of year). Because I know you need a break from the cabin fever and the kids whining about being bored, I put together a list of 10 free wintertime activities for kids!
- Play in the snow. If you are lucky enough to have snow to play in, take the kids outside and go sledding, build a snowman, have a snowball fight, or make snow angels. Honestly the list of fun, snow related activities goes on and on!
- Make snow ice cream. Check out pinterest for some fun recipes and learn how to make ice cream from snow. I have done this before and it was lots of fun and really tasty.
- Board games. Break out those board games and have some fun inside with the kids.
- Story time. Head on in to your nearest library for a fun storytime.
- Write in the snow. Fill a water bottle with food coloring and water. Use it to go out and write in the snow with your kids. They will love it.
- Take a walk. On a nice day, bundle up with the kids and take a walk. Yes, it is cold out there, but some fresh air will do wonders for your spirit. It’s also good for you to get out and get some sunlight.
- Rent a movie. Redbox almost always have free rental codes out there. Use one to score a free movie rental. Grab some popcorn and have fun watching movies with the kids.
- Donate blankets, gloves, coats. If you have any blankets, coats, gloves or scarves sitting around, pack them up and head out to donate them to a local charity, or hand them out to the homeless you see while on your drive. Being charitable with your kids is the best way to teach them to be that way themselves.
- Make hot cocoa and watch the snow through the window. Cocoa is the best part of winter, isn’t it?
- Measure the snowfall. If you are having a snow day, grab a ruler and get to measuring! No need to wait for the weatherman to tell you how much snow is out there.
Tips for Saving Money When Car Shopping
Are you needing a new car? Buying a car can quickly become very expensive. Make sure you go in prepared so that you spend only the amount you have budgeted and nothing more. Follow these great tips for saving money when car shopping and go out and get your new ride!
Research the vehicle. Once you decide what type of vehicle you are going to buy, be sure and research it well. It’s reviews, it’s specifications and yes, it’s average selling price. It is good to go in informed so you know what you should be paying.
Take your own financing. Prepare your financing in advance. Apply at your credit union or bank before you head to the dealership and tell the dealer NOT to run your credit again. They get paid extra to finance through their partners so they will try to get you to choose one of them. Bringing your own financing can not only save you money in interest charges, but will also prevent your credit from having lots of hits.
Negotiate before you go in. Do you research and call or go online to the dealer and negotiate for the price you want to pay. Buying a car is stressful and once you are in the dealership, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. It’s also easier for many to negotiate prices when you are not face to face with the salesman. Plus, doing this can save you a ton of time! I recently bought a car from a dealership, negotiated over the phone over the course of 2 days and walked in and out of that dealership in less than 30 minutes and paying the exact amount we had agreed upon.
Have you bought a new (or new to you) car recently? What are your favorite money saving tips for car buying?
Cut down on your expenses this year with these tips
We are several days into 2018 now folks! How is it going for you so far? Are you still keeping with those resolutions?
Do you have financial goals set for this year? I’m assuming part of those goals include cutting back on expenses, since that’s always the my go-to for saving money. What all is included in your plans to try and cut down on expenses this year?
If you need a little help brainstorming ideas to keep your expenses down, check out this list of tips:
- Set aside a day for phone calls. Take the time to call around to your insurance companies (auto and home) and see what savings they can offer you. If they can’t provide any savings, don’t be afraid to call around. Sometimes you will find that another company can offer you big discounts.
- Cut cable. Yeah, I know. You are tired of hearing this one. But it WORKS! The average household spends $100 per month on cable. That is $1200 per year. Imagine what else can be done with that money.
- Combine your trips. Make your errand trips count. If you find yourself running different errands every day, you are probably wasting a considerable amount on fuel in your vehicle.
- Go through your memberships and subscriptions. Do you really need all of those things you are signed up for? For example, many people pay $11 per month for Netflix, $8 per month for Hulu and another $99 per year on Amazon. Do you really need all of these different streaming subscriptions? My guess is no.
- Have an energy audit done. Most of the time you can get an energy audit free of charge from your power company. This may open your eyes to wasted energy in your home and that means wasted money on your bills.
Do you have any great ideas for cutting back on expenses?
Warm Mist Vs. Cool Mist- Which Humidifier is Better?
Winter is upon us which can bring dry skin, chapped lips, and cold after cold. One easy way to help remedy these situations is to use a humidifier. Both cold and warm humidifiers add that extra moisture into the air which help alleviate that dryness that you could be experiencing. But which is better? Which one should you be using? Here are a few advantages and disadvantages of each. Hopefully this will help you pick out the one that will work best for you.
Advantages of a Cool Mist Humidifier
- Safer to use around children since there is no heating element
- Helps with sicknesses such as croup
- Effective in larger spaces such as offices or larger rooms
- Generally less expensive
Disadvantages of a Cool Mist Humidifier
- More likely to accumulate mold and bacteria growth
- Typically more noisy since they use fans
- Could make air feel chilly which could be uncomfortable in the winter months
Advantages of a Warm Mist Humidifier
- With heating element, it’s less likely to accumulate mold and bacteria growth
- More comfortable in winter months
- Quieter noise level
- Generally no filters are required
Disadvantage of a Warm Mist Humidifier
- Use more electricity since they have a heating element
- Generally more expensive
- Would need to be operated in a smaller space so it can work effeciently
Hopefully this added information will help you decide which humidifier you would want to use for your home at this time. Amazon has some great ones available right now too. You can see all of those here.