Calling all of my readers in need of some relaxation!
Be sure to check out Live365′s site, as they offer thousands of hours of free relaxation, meditation, yoga, studying, and healing music from around the world and nature!
This is one of my favorite sites to check our while studying, sleepless nights, and when needing to unwind! Y0u can check them out, here!
Enjoy!
Happy Sunday, everyone! Here is this weeks gardening update!
This weeks Gardening Update revolved around my $1.00 rose bushes from Fred’s Super Dollar have thus far produced some of the most beautiful roses I have ever grown, as seen above. They are just so lovely, and I will be giving some today to my neighbors as a little community happy gift! I also love my free lattice, as it was recycled from discarded pallets, and works just as well as anything purchased at my local supercenter! I feed my roses a special homemade blend, which i will be blogging about in the weeks to come!
Here’s to next week!
Hello again, savvy savers! Today finds us with another great book review, and this time its, Argan Oil: Quick Guide to Best Uses of Argan Oil for Hair, Skin and Nails, Kindle Edition, by Ana Valeri. This book is an easy-to-read, all-inclusive, educational, volume illustrating all of the medicinal and home uses for Argon Oil. This concise book, also carefully outlines the ancient and modern uses for this miracle oil as well, in such a way to for the amazing all-natural, organic oil. What I like most about this edition is the no-thrill, anti-hype examples of how this oil can help common skin ailments, scalp treatments, as well as awesome home spa techniques as well. This natural oil is unlike any other in my medicine cabinet or kitchen pantry–it has a rare ability to repair, restore, renew, prevent and heal skin, hair and nails! You owe it to yourself to at least try this product. However, I highly recommend reading this book first to fully appreciate the value of it.
To find out more about this book, click here.
What’s even better is that you now have a chance to win a free copy of this book and full-sized bottle of argon oil! To enter, please fill out the Rafflecopter entry bocx below! This giveaway will end on 6/27/14 at 11:59pm CST! Good luck, everyone!
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.
For this weeks Wednesday Ways To Save, I want to discuss some of the ways I shop at my favorite pet store, Petco! Here a few tips to save at Petco:
1) Sign-up for the Petco Rewards Card, you will earn 5% cash back on every purchase, a $5 certificate when you spend $100, and receive special coupons. Sign up here!
2) Check out Petco’s online coupons here!
3) Petco has an awesome price-match policy!
According to their official online corporate price-match policy, they state that they will price match any local ad within a 20-mile radius of their store. Also, as of May 1st, they will also accept Amazon.com price-matching, via mobile devices! How awesome is that? As Amazon’s awesome Subscribe & Save Program often delves out awesome pet treat, food, and litter deals, this should come in very handy when price matching at your local Petco!
5) During the holidays be sure to keep your eyes peeled for Holiday calendars, priced around $8.00, which have coupon packs valued at over $50.00 each calendar, and a portion of the proceeds go to the Petco Animal Foundation.
6) Be sure to check out the various managers specials around the store; stores can be combined with manufacturer and store coupons, newspaper, printed, and the like. The special will be marked with orange labels, and though many of the products are starting to expire, they can be bagged in ziplock bags, and frozen up to a year. Check out some of the current sales below:
So, there are a few ways I save at Petco! If you are a Petco shopper, please leave me a comment below and let me know the ways you save as well!
Good morning, savvy savers! For todays Savings On The Go With A Cup of Joe, I want to post about how my savings journey started, with my Envelope Savings System!
I started using an envelope savings system because on average I found myself overspend by 15% or more, weekly, when my family and I did not use cash to pay for purchases; credit cards, and debit cards for that matter, often mean more debt for me! Like my family, until a year ago, did not have a savings plan in place and that was a huge issue for us! Only a small percentage of families have a system in place to help control the household finances. Using cash to pay for purchases, by way of an envelope system, is a very simple and effective way to control spending, and it has worked well for us.
1) It’s easy to set up the envelope system. Simply put, make a monthly budget, including money for savings, and once your bills have been paid and allocated, withdrawal cash equal to the amount of what you have planned to spend for gas, groceries, parking, hair appointments, and incidentals.
2) Decide as a family what categories of spending you are going to put on a cash basis. Some might prefer to put all of their expenses on a cash basis. For me, cash is always used for food, clothing, gasoline, auto repairs, toiletries, cosmetics, hair care, stockpiling, weekly deals, and mad money.
3) Invest in a pouch to use as your envelope; try the Dollar Tree for such options!
4) Label your envelopes. Get several standard letter size envelopes, or pouches and label then for certain expenses, if you will use them for bills, such as the water company, electric company, or the like. Then create envelopes for personal funds, or group funds, as specified above. I generally use one envelope and break up stacks with sticky notes and paper clips!
5) Once your envelopes are labeled, decide how much you plan to spend on each expense for that period; making sure to go back through and write those amounts on their corresponding envelopes.
6) Be sure to store your envelopes in a safe place. I purchased a $10.00 lock box at Walmart for this purpose and the only two people who have access to place or remove envelopes are the two people who create the funds, my husband and I!
7) Being successful at handling money takes planning. The envelope system is extremely powerful but it is only part of a good financial plan. To effectively manage your personal finances you should also include a monthly budget, spending plan, savings plan and debt reduction plan. Also, be sure to keep your receipts!
8) Remember, when you run out of funds, that’s all you can spend!
I know this list sounds harsh, but trust me, you will save greatly, largely, and quickly! This is the only way I have found to efficiently spend money in an lasting, accountable manner!
Hello again, savvy savers! For the first installment of my new Freezer and Crock Pot Cooking Series, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite and easiest Freezer Cooking Projects, freezing summer blueberries! Why freeze summer blueberries, and summer berries in general? Well, aside from the larger variety this time of year, a lower cost, and the fact that in season berries are not sprayed and treated with the same amount of waxes and preservatives as their winter cousins are, making this the prime time of year for this method!
Cost: $6.00-$8.00, depending on the season, location, etc.
Time: 2.5-3 Hours.
Instructions:
To begin, purchase good quality, organic blueberries; you can often save money by purchasing in bulk from a local farmer’s market or Wholefoods store. Next, pick through your berries and remove any leaves, stems, or hard bits of debris; once picked over transfer your berries to a colander and thoroughly rinse under cool water, and then shake to dry.
Next, add your sugar-substitute or agave syrup to berries, and toss to combine. Now, transfer berries to a lined baking sheet, making sure to arrange berries on an even scattered layered. Now freeze those berries; you will need to freeze your berries for 1-2 hours or until hard. Once frozen, transfer your berries to a ziplock baggie, pre-labeled; each bag should hold 1-2 cups, and will last 12 months in the freezer!
That’s it, easy peasy, huh? When you are ready to use the berries, thaw overnight in the fridge and you’re set! So, here’s to freezing berries! If you freeze berries, leave me a comment below and let me know about your berry freezer sessions!
Here’s to whole living!
Happy Monday, ya’ll!! This week is starting off to a sunny, yet muggy and humid start here in Dixie. Thankfully, this weeks menu is going to be very straightforward, as I will again be Spring Cleaning my deep freezer, due to an overzealous trip to my local Discount Bakery Store, and will be basing this weeks menu off of Cupboard Clearing ideas. So for me, aside from my Rebate Road Trip items, I will not be stepping out to the market. Without further ado, here is my weekly menu, for which was derived from couponing deals, freebies, and cupboard cooking; I will be feeding a family of four this week for only $20.36.
This week we will be having:
Monday
Breakfast: Baked Frittata Cups, Half A Pita Round Toasted, with Apple Juice.
Lunch: Grilled Cheese and Basil Sandwiches, Sweet Potato Chips, and Sun Tea.
Snack: Almonds, Grapes, and String Cheese.
Dinner: Grilled Kielbasa, Steamed Corn, Mini Macaroni and Cheese Cups, and Diet Cola.
Dessert: Homemade Turtle Brownies.
Tuesday
Breakfast: Cereal of Choice, Milk, and Homemade Dehydrated Plum Slices
Lunch: Freezer Cooking Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Grapes and String Cheese.
Dinner: Taco Tuesdays!
Dessert: Homemade Turtle Brownie Sundaes.
Wednesday
Breakfast: Frozen Baked Pancakes, Maple Syrup, with milk and juice.
Lunch: Taco Salads, with Crystal light.
Snack: Grapes and Apple Slices.
Dinner: Crockpot Roast Pork, with New Potatoes, Steamed Corn, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Homemade Carrot Cake Cupcakes, Glazed.
Thursday
Breakfast: Cereal of choice, with fruit cup, and milk.
Lunch: Roast Pork Sliders, Crystal Light, and Sweet Potato Chips.
Snack: Hummus and Crackers, with Grapes.
Dinner: Grilled Turkey Burgers, Sweet Potato Fries, Deviled Eggs, with Crystal Light.
Dessert: Carrot Cake Trifle.
Friday
Breakfast: Turkey, Cheese, and Egg Quesadillas, with Apple Juice.
Lunch: Tossed salad, with walnuts, grapes, turkey, and homemade Greek Yogurt dressing.
Snack: Granola and fruit cup.
Dinner: Crockpot Barbeque Hawaiian Sliders, Baked Sweet Potato Fries, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Cherry slushies.
Saturday
Breakfast: Freezer Cooking Waffles, with Sausage, and Milk.
Lunch: Grilled Chicken sandwiches, with Sweet Potato chips, and Crystal Light.
Snacks: String Cheese and grapes.
Dinner: Freezer Cooking Philly Cheesesteak Kit, with Curly Cheese Fries, and lemonade.
Dessert: Homemade Strawberry Pie.
Sunday
Breakfast: Bacon and Egg Sliders, and Milk.
Lunch: Grilled Hot Smokes, with Sweet Potato Chips, and Sun Tea.
Snack: Grapes and walnuts.
Dinner: Freezer Cooking Crockpot Chicken and Gravy, Homegrown Blanched Green Beans, Baked Leftover Cranberry Stuffing Mini Cups, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Leftover Strawberry Pie A La Mode Cups.
Enjoy the ideas!
