September 2015

Pumpkin Tea Giveaway, from Blooming with Joy!

Hello again, savvy savers! If you all are anything like, with cooler weather right around the corner, you are getting excited to think of warm drink season, especially for pumpkin, spiced, and cinnamon flavored drinks!

With this in mind, here is some exciting news! One of my new blogging buddies, Joy, from Blooming with Joy, is currently hosting a giveaway on her blog to promote her tea shop, and her special Autumn-themed Pumpkin Bliss Tea, which is made with premium black tea from Sri Lanka flavored with pumpkin and exotic spices. Autumn just wouldn’t be the same without the warm, smooth sweetness of spiced pumpkin – and neither would your tea time. Comforting and rich flavor, with lingering cozy aromatics.

Also, are you more of a latte drinker like me? Awesome! Just add some steamed milk and you have a pumpkin spice latte but with all natural ingredients!

Ingredients: Black Tea, Natural Pumpkin Spice Flavor, Cinnamon Bark, Ginger Root, Cloves, Marigold Flowers and Cardamom

Caffeine Level: High

Pumpkin Bliss Tea come is two varieties.

Compact: The cutest way to get your Pumpkin Bliss Tea is in our 2oz tin.
Make your Pumpkin Bliss Tea by the cup or gift it to a friend. I use my infuser set to brew a couple of cups daily.

Economical Sack: The most economical way to get your Pumpkin Bliss Tea is the 6oz sack. It can be easily brewed in your iced tea machine.

So, onto the best part…the giveaway! This raffle is for a $6.99 coupon to my Blooming With Joy Tea Shop. You can use it towards a tin of Pumpkin Bliss or get $6.99 off any of my products. Sound good?!

To enter, please use the rafflecopter function below. Good luck, ya’ll!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here’s to you,

Meal Plan Monday & Weekly Shopping Trip: 9/14-9/20/15

Happy Monday, savvy savers! This week is starting off to a sunny, cooler start here in Dixie, and I could not be more excited! Thankfully, this weeks menu is going to be a breeze, and consists of Cupboard Clearing ideas, so stepping out to the market is not necessary! I am cooking and prepping solely from what is in my deep freeze pantry, and stockpile this week! The couponed cost of this weekly menu is only $28.41 and it feeds a family of four.

Here’s what we purchased this week:

Winn-Dixie:

4 Jumex Juices, $0.49 each
Candied Orange & Lemon Peel Tubs, $0.25 each
Ripe Banana Bags, 2/lb for $0.39
2 Marshmallow Fluff Cups, $0.39 each
(2) 1-Liter Coke Bottles, $0.99 each; Submitted for a $1.00 iBotta App, and only paid $0.50 after rebates
2 Zapp’s Chips, 2/$2.00
2 lb bag of Cabbage, $0.49/lb
3 bags of Yaki Nori, $1.00 each
Tomato, $0.89 each; submitted for $0.25 Checkout51 Credit
2 cloves garlic, 2/$1.00
2 Tubs Move Over Butter, $1.19 each
1 Quart Fat Free Land-O-Lakes Hal and Half, $1.39
1 cucumber $0.50; submitted for SavingStar 20% back credit
1 Box of Jiffy Corn Bread Mix, $1.19; submitted for full rebate back on SavingStar
3 pound bag of Bolthouse Carrots, $1.29
EarthBound Farms Salad Tub, $3.99; used $1.00 Earthbound Farms Coupon

So this week I paid $20.76 for $81.23 worth of groceries and home goods, all of which went to replenish my stockpile, freezers, and pantry!

As well, this week we will be having:

Monday
Breakfast: Meatless Monday low-fat Mozzarella and Spinach Omelette, with Green Tea.
Lunch: Almonds, Cheese Crackers, Cheese rounds, with celery, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Almonds, and Gala Apple Slices.
Dinner: Crockpot Three Bean Chili, cooked with Boca Crumbles, with Diet Cola.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Green Tea, Coconut Milk, and Strawberry Smoothie; made with Truvia.
Lunch: Freezer Cooking Chicken and Dumplings, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Frozen/Thawed Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Taco Roll-ups; in lieu of taco shells I use Romaine Lettuce Sheets.
Dessert: Gluten-Free Brownies.

Wednesday
Breakfast: Baked Frittata Cups, with Unsweetened Almond Milk.
Lunch: Taco Salads, with crystal light.
Snack: Grapes and apple slices.
Dinner: Crockpot Chicken Curry, steamed peas, and crystal light.
Dessert: Homemade Gluten-Free Truvia brownies.

Thursday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt, with fruit cup, and Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Tossed Salad with Turkey, light vinaigrette, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Grapes and apple slices.
Dinner: Grilled Turkey Burger Patties, sweet Potato Fries, with Crystal Light.
Dessert: Brownie flurries with leftover brownies; we use Edy’s Sugar-Free Ice Cream.

Friday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt, with fruit cup, and Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Tossed salad, with homemade Greek Yogurt dressing, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Strawberries and two pieces of Sugar Free Chocolate; candy is used as melted drizzle for berries.
Dinner: Barbecue Pork, Steamed Green Beans, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Diet Coca-Cola slushies.

Saturday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt, with fruit cup, and Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Chicken Salad, and Crystal Light.
Snacks: String Cheese and grapes.
Dinner: Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry, Quinoa, and lemonade.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

Sunday
Breakfast: Bacon, Eggs, and Toast, with Unsweetened Almond Milk.
Lunch: Grilled Sausages, Steamed Broccoli, Crockpot Macaroni and Cheese, with Crystal Light.
Snack: Grapes and walnuts.
Dinner: Crockpot Orange Chicken with Almonds, Steamed Peas, and crystal light.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

Here’s to better meal options,

How To Score Craigslist Freebies!

Hello again, savvy savers! Many of us already know that Craigslist is a great place to buy and sell stuff. But did you know that you can also find a ton of free stuff on Craigslist? I’m going to walk you through how you can find the best stuff on Craigslist and get it all for free.

To see if there are any deals in your area:

Go to Craigslist.org
Under the homepage, create an account.
Then go back to your home page, and select your Country.
Then select your State.
Then select the city or areas closet to where you live.
Under the middle “For Sale” column, you will see a hyperlink for Free, and then select this link.
Read over the description of the free stuff. There may be pictures of the free stuff as well.
If you’d like to get the Craigslist stuff for free, you’ll need to contact the person who is giving it away. They may want you to call or email so follow whatever directions they want you to do.
If the description doesn’t state how to contact the person giving away the free stuff, click on the email address near the top of the page to email them
Browse away!

A few tips once you have found a great Free Item:

When you have found an item you are interested, click the reply button and type a message.
Always be sure to keep your initial messages short and direct; ask only if the item is available, and then say thank you.
Once the giver has responded stating that the item is available, be sure to set up a time to meet for item pick-up.
Always select pick-up locations that are in public, during daytime hours, and try to take someone with you, safety first!
The most important part of this process, be sure to arrive ahead of time, and do not stand a giver up. It’s poor Craigslist etiquette!

I would also advise checking nearby groups, too! I have been able to find items such as a free piano, not in my city, but within an hours drive, and even with the cost of a U-Haul for three hours, it far outweighed the initial cost of the item; this one haul alone I saved $2,400.00 over the appraisal price of the item! Also, be sure to favorite/add the free site link to your favorite web browser tool bar, so you can check daily to snag any awesome deals in your area!

Here’s to saving,

Meal Plan Monday!

Happy Monday, savvy savers! This week is starting off to a sunny, and not-so humid start here in Dixie. This weeks menu is going to be a little different, as it will consist of consist of not only Cupboard Clearing ideas, but we will be “rolling one meat,” smoked chicken breast, from one meal to the next! Please note, the chicken being “rolled” in this weeks menu is Tyson frozen, boneless, skinless chicken breast 6 lb. packs, purchased at Sam’s Club last month for $3.50 each; this was part of a Plus Members monthly savings program deal. The cost of this weekly menu is only $19.56, and it feeds a family of four.

Monday
Breakfast: Strawberry, blueberry, and Almond Milk Smoothies.
Lunch: Almonds, celery, carrot sticks, and Crystal Light.
Snack: Almonds, and Gala Apple Slices.
Dinner: Smoked chicken breast wraps, with Roma mottoes, spinach, feta, and Greek dressing; served with with Diet Cola.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche pudding cups, with strawberries.

Tuesday
Breakfast: Cereal, with Almond milk.
Lunch: Chicken taco roll-ups; in lieu of taco shells I use Romaine Lettuce Sheets; served with crystal light.
Snack: Strawberries and String Cheese.
Dinner: Freezer Cooking Chicken and Dumplings (modified using smoked chicken); served with steamed broccoli and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Gluten-Free Brownies.

Wednesday
Breakfast: Baked Frittata Cups (chicken substituted for sausage); served with Almond Milk.
Lunch: Chicken salad, with walnuts and grapes; served with diet cola.
Snack: Grapes and string cheese.
Dinner: Crockpot Chicken Curry; steamed peas, steamed rice, and crystal light.
Dessert: Gluten-Free brownie sugar-free ice cream sandwhiches.

Thursday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt topped with Strawberries; served with Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Chicken salad, with walnuts and grapes; served with diet cola.
Snack: Almonds, and Gala Apple Slices.
Dinner: Stuffed smoked chicken breast sandwiches (breasts split open, stuffed with sliced provolone cheese single, and grilled); served with sweet Potato Fries and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Brownie flurries with leftover brownies.

Friday
Breakfast: Baked Frittata Cups (chicken substituted for sausage); served with Almond Milk.
Lunch: Chicken taco roll-ups; in lieu of taco shells I use Romaine Lettuce Sheets; served with crystal light.
Snack: Strawberries and two pieces of Sugar Free Chocolate; candy is used as melted drizzle for berries.
Dinner: Crockpot Orange Chicken with Almonds, Steamed Peas, and crystal light.
Dessert: Diet Coca-Cola slushies.

Saturday
Breakfast: Cereal, with Almond milk.
Lunch: Crockpot Orange Chicken with Almonds, Steamed Peas, and crystal light.
Snacks: String Cheese and grapes.
Dinner: Chicken Mole; served with steamed rice, corn, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Sugar-Free Dulce de Leche Cups.

Sunday
Breakfast: Homemade Greek Yogurt topped with Strawberries; served with Unsweetened Almond milk.
Lunch: Stuffed smoked chicken breast sandwiches; served with sweet Potato Fries and Crystal Light.
Snack: Almonds, and Gala Apple Slices.
Dinner: Chicken mole; served with steamed rice, corn, and Crystal Light.
Dessert: Diet Coca-Cola slushies.

My Week in Review: 08/31-9/06/15!

Hello again, savvy savers! I wanted to end my weekly posts by bring the week to a close with a post about the reflections on this past week. This week found my home very messy, but very productive!

This past Monday, August’s No Spend Month ended. I was able to save my family several hundred dollars for the better! I was also able to list several under-utilized household items on several Facebook local groups for sale, organized my pantry shelves, and preform a much needed clean out my bedroom closet, too. This week saw a continued commitment to my current cleaning schedule, the MotivatedMoms app, and will speak more about the review of this new schedule and app in the weeks to come!

This week also saw the finish of my dining room re-do project, and with the exception of purchasing a new dining room table, the room looks speculator! Daniel and I are very excited about the room and its usage later this year for the holidays.

This week comes to an end with a little much needed yard work, reading, and of course.. blogging!

My highs for the week:

Trying to expand my family!
Organizing my kitchen; somehow purging this one room seems the most drastic for me.
Continuing a daily devotional.

My lows for the week:

With the outdoors being so humid its hard to breath outdoors; I have seasonal allergies and asthma.

My quote for the week:

“Though she may be small, she is fierce.” -A Midsummer Nights Dream, Act 3, Scene 2; William Shakespeare

My inspiration for the week:

My husband, Daniel; educator, teacher, friend, provider, and goof ball. He’s awesome!

What I’m most grateful for:

This past month, my beloved husband, friend, and confident, Daniel, safely returned to school.
I lost an additional two pounds, as part of my healthier lifestyle, and am hopeful to lose more!
I am having continued success with my ETSY shop, and am loving all of the positive comments, conversations, likes, and favorites!
I have finished up my holiday shopping for this holiday season, and came in under budget!
Finally, I am grateful for my three overgrown puppies, Sassy, Roxie, and Lady.

As well, my goals goals for the coming week:

Walk 3 1/2 mile daily.
Finish my Motivated Moms Planner Chores daily.
Read for 1 hour daily.
Prepare three recipes and a freezer cooking session for the blog one day this week.
Finish an upcycled projects to post to the blog.
Cement a “meeting time” for the new motivation group.
Finish ten product reviews.
Sleep eight hours a night.

Also, my continued goals for this current year:

Marriage

Spend 1 hour a week having coffee with Daniel, and discussing out goals, dreams, and weeks with one another.
Write at least 1 love note to Daniel each week in his lunch.

Motherhood

Continue with my PCOS diet to help with expanding my family.
Continue tweaking the rooms of my home in preparation for a family.
Finish stockpiling the items needed for nursery by Fall.

Myself

Read a devotional daily.
Finish my Motivated Moms planner sheets daily.
Read 1 fiction book per month, for myself.
Work on my crafting for 1 hour per week.
Begin working on the manuscript of my book.
Paint 1 hour per week.

TheLadyPrefers2Save.com

Write 1-2 personal posts per week.
Be more proactive with linky parties and networking.
Start new coupon classes locally (slated to start this spring).
Revamp my social media accounts.
Replace 10% of national deals with more local/regional deals weekly.
List 10% more DIY posts, crafts, and upcycling posts to the blog.
Start my new weekly YouTube video series, on savings and DIY tips.

ETSY & Shadow Cat Crafts:

Attend & Set-up Booths at 1-2 Craft fairs locally.
Launch Shadow Cat Crafts Website & Facebook Group.
List 1-2 new crafts on ETSY per month.
Increase regional advertising for ETSY for 10%.

Money

Eat out of pantry, freezer, and utilize Meatless Monday-fair for 75% of weekly menus.
Start funding for our first family joint venture, Rental House #1 Savings Account.
Donate 25% of couponed stockpile to local homeless pantry and women’s shelter in 2015.
Snowball and pay-off last 15% of debt in 2015.
Earn rewards cards, gift cards, and/or use cash for holiday purchases in 2015 only.
Start hideous spending months (post to come) in February, April, June, August, October, and December.

What are YOUR goals for this week, as well as thus far in 2015? I’d love to hear them below in a comment!

Happy Sunday!

Ideas On Saving Money On Meats!

Guest post, from Tips From The Man Cave post, by my husband, Daniel:

Meat has been a staple in the American diet since the first settlers came across the Atlantic in the 1600’s. It is a status symbol and some cuts of meat or types of fish have in their history been seen as only eaten by the poorest of the poor or the richest of the rich. For example crawfish, catfish, and even lobster were considered trash foods. Never look down your nose at something. If your family is anything like mine, than you are trying to save money and make the most out of every sale. Let’s look at a few types of meats and how we can make the most of whatever we find on sale.

1) Chicken, is one of the most common and cheapest cuts of meat on the market. The easier the cut of meat is to work with the cheaper the meat should be. For example boneless chicken breast is one of the more expensive cuts of raw chicken. You can fry it, bake it, and grill it right away with little to no prep and still come away with a good meal. Lesser cuts, usually with the bones still attached tend to be more issue. Thighs present a wonderful challenge. I have seen a package of three thighs sold at the dollar tree in my home town and at other location for the same relative price but for a larger package. Here is where the savvy shopper can use their imagination to take a lesser cut of meat and make more from it. The basic option would be to marinate it overnight (see my last post for ideas) and either grill or bake it. That’s wonderful on its own. You could also boil them, clean the meat off and use it in salads or mixed with spices, cream cheese or mayo to make a sandwich spread. Whatever you do with the meat after boiling save the stock, you can use it for soups or in gravies with a good roux. Another cheap cut of meat available is chicken wings. This part of the chicken that was once a throw away cut. As Americans have developed a taste for Buffalo wings, the price for wings has gone up. When you are looking through the meat case you should find that chicken quarters are cheaper than the bags of pre-butchered wings. These are great values if you are willing to get your hands dirty because you get a great piece to fry/bake and then two “chicken wings”. Like all cuts of meat or really anything else you can buy at different stages of completion, the closer to finished the more it will cost.

2) Beef, is one of the types of meat that really takes some thought. Skirt steak, roasts, even ox tails can be prepped right into some of the best meals you can make. Not to get too deep into the myriad of cuts you can get at bargain prices, I will go over my basic rules on how to deal with each cut. The basic steak cut (this covers T-bone, New York, Filet mignon, porterhouse) is best to me with a little salt, pepper, and right on the grill. The firmer the meat is before cooking the longer it will need to cook to make the most of it and take some of that toughness out. Low and slow are the keys to turning those cuts into gold. Using your smoker, grill, or even the oven, any cook with a little imagination and patience. Start with either a good marinade or dry rub. 200 degrees for three to four hours and it should fall apart. Crock pots are wonderful for those who prefer to prep, drop, and basically forget.

3) Pork falls in line with beef. Low and slow is the way to go for the bigger and tougher portions, season and fry for the straight forward cuts. Pork tends to be cheaper than beef so you can usually finds some great deals all year long. Hams tend to vary depending on what time of year you are in. We try to buy or hams three to four weeks before the holidays (New Years and Easter), so as not to get caught up in the price hikes, we know are coming due to demands of the product.

4) As well, fish such as Salmon, Tilapia, Cod, and Flounder can be had at some of your bargain store for great prices. Wrap in tin foil, season with a little butter and garlic, throw in a dash or two of one of my favorite go to’s Tony Chachere’s, and bake. Also, you can pick-up inexpensive cuts of fish weekly at Winn-Dixie, generally on BOGO promotions, as well as the $1.00 double packs of Salmon fillets at the Dollar Tree for $1.00! Can’t miss with this method!

Hopefully this has been helpful. Keep in mind that all cuts can be useful in the right hands. You just have to have some imagination and an open mind.

I’m off to the cave…until next week!

Daniel

DIY Spa Pedicure, For Under $1.00!

Good afternoon, my frugal fashionistas! Its Sunday, and you know what that means, its Relaxation and Rejuvenation Sunday!

For today, I will be sharing with you my tips for an at-home, homemade spa pedicure treatment!

I began giving myself at-home treatments four summers ago, when my local pedicure salon changed hands, and the new rates for summer pedicures skyrocketed to sixty dollars a month! To me, that was ridiculous! I simply put my foot down and refused to pay such absorbent rates, pun intended! With that said, I can give myself a pedicure for under 2.00 a week!

Here’s how I have an in-home, homemade pedicure treatment for under $1.00:

Remove old polish: The first step in a home pedicure is to remove any old polish from your toes. Use nail polish remover to remove any remnants of old polish. If your old polish has stained your toe nails, hydrogen peroxide left on for five minutes will remove all stains!
Trim toenails: Use a toenail clipper to cut your nails straight across. Your toenails should not be longer than the end of your toe, to avoid ingrown toenails. After clipping, file straight across your nails, in only one direction, to avoid any damage and weakening to your nails.
Soak feet: Once you have trimmed your toe nails, prepare a foot bath for your home pedicure. This step is vital, as the bath is the true callus-buster! Here’s my homemade foot bath recipe:

1 Cup Buttermilk, warmed
½ White Cup Sugar
7 Cups Hot water
1/4 cup, 2 ounces, Epson salts
6 drops eucalyptus essential oil

4. Exfoliation: Once you’ve made this recipe, place the mixture in a tub, foot bath, bucket, or the like and then place two handful of marbles in the tub. Soak your feet in the tub, making sure to roll the feet across the marbles to both massage and loosen the calluses. Soak for 20 minutes, then remove your feet and pat dry.

5. Cuticle Care: After your foot bath, you need to attend to the cuticles around your toes. Using an orange stick dipped in olive oil, push your cuticles back, and remove any excess skin as needed.

6. Scrub Feet: Next give yourself a refreshing spa foot scrub, using my homemade recipe below:

1/2 Cup Table Salt
2 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 Tablespoons Liquid soap
4 Drops Eucalyptus Oil
Mix the recipe together, and massage well into your feet using a pumice stone; I bought my stone at the Dollar Tree. Rinse well, and pat dry.

7. Foot Mask: Next you will make a foot mask, using my recipe below.

1/4 Ripe Avocado
¼ Cup Honey
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/3 cup warm water
Mash ingredients together, apply to dry feet and wrap in a ziplock bag. Relax for 20 minutes, then rinse and pat dry.

8. Paint toenails: Use nail polish remover to wipe toenails and remove any excess oils that may remain from your treatments. Nail polish does not adhere to oily nails. Packing peanuts work great as toe separators. Apply a base coat, allow to fully dry, and then apply two top coats.

9. Moisturize: Mix together your own moisturizer, which can be stored for pedicure use:

mix 1/2 cup coconut oil
2 drops eucalyptus oil
Rub lotion into your feet and enjoy!

And that’s all folks! This treatment is as luxurious as it is cost effective! Be sure to try this at home, and treat yourself to the best pedicure you will surely have had in some time!

Here’s to rejuvenation,

1 Comment

Older Posts

Newer Posts

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

Sharing is Caring:

search