Nicole

How To Create A Gift Closet!

Good morning, savvy savers! If you are anything life myself, you are always coming up with new ideas on how to pinch your pennies, and save your cents!

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you need a quick gift, but don’t have the time or maybe even the money to run to the store? Maybe it is a quick birthday gift you need, or a housewarming or hostess gift. There is a solution to this common dilemma- create a simple gift closet! A gift closet is just what it sounds like, a closet full of thoughtful yet inexpensive gifts ready for when you need them. Not sure where to begin? Be sure to check out my suggestions below on how to create a gift closet of your very own.

1. Find the perfect spot.
You will want to find the perfect spot for your gift closet. Somewhere out of the way of spying little eyes, little hands, and little paws! Reasonably, you won’t necessarily need a whole closet, merely a shelf or two, a small section of a guest room closet is ideal. Also, consider under-the-bed storage storage totes, too!

2. Get organized.
You want to keep your gift closet organized. I recommend using dollar store bins on shelves, labeled and sorted, according to what is inside. You can divide up items by age, gender, recipient, or holiday.

3. Get shopping.
Filling up your gift closet is a cinch. Keep your eyes peeled for bargain or clearance items on your regular shopping trips, monthly shopping deals, and seasonal clearance items; after each holiday I always score awesome deals at chain shops, for goods 80-90% off!

4. Consider coupons.
Use coupons to score product for free. Many bath products and beauty products can be scored for free or nearly free after coupon. Also, consider using coupons obtained online from manufacturer sites for items such as kids toys, craft stores, or chains like Bath and Body Works.

5. Get gifting.
The next time you need a last minute gift, just head to your gift closet instead of the store. Keep plenty of dollar store gift bags, and tissue on hand for quick wrapping. You could also use free forms of paper such as comics, newspaper, and butcher block paper, too!

A gift closet is the perfect solution when you need an inexpensive gift on the go. Give these tips a try and see how easy it is to make your own for this seasons summer parties, bridal showers, baby showers, and wedding gifts, too!

Here’s to gifting!

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Summer Salads Party!

Hello again, savvy savers! With Summer soon upon us, what better time to turn off those crockpots, pack up those ramekins, and put up those gravy boats for Fall Family get-togethers, and spend a little more time thinking about cool, crisp salads!

With this in mind, be sure to check out this awesome Summer Salad Linky Party!

Check it out…

We are excited to finally be getting into the Summer Salads Season! School is ending soon, Memorial Day is almost here, we are getting into the spirit of the summer fun season! Bloggers know how to party and we think this is the perfect reason and time to have a Summer Salads Party!

Our Summer Salads Linky Party is the perfect place for you to find some new salad ideas, and share yours too!

Meet the Hosts

We love a good party! Don’t you! We’d love for you to follow our Hosts on your favorite social media so you’ll know when we are partying again!

Intelligent Domestications Facebook l Twitter l Pinterest

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The Evolution of Mom l Facebook l Twitter l Pinterest

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$0.50 Per Serving Caesar Salad

2015-05-15 20:35:06

Serves 5

Good morning, savvy savers! If you’re anything like me, you are in the mood for the emergence of warm weather, and tasty summer garden salads! When I think of Salads, none comes to mind quicker than the king of all salads, Caesar Salad! Though some of the ingredients are pricey, I shop BOGO deals, Dollar Tree finds, and stockpile my goods, and once a month I treat myself to a midweek Caesar Salad treat! I can make this Salad for $2.50, and it feeds five; this keeps in mind both my weekly shopping budget, and my allotted PCOS diet goals. So, for me, in terms of Summer Salads, this beauty reigns supreme! Here's how to make it:

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Prep Time

5 min

Total Time

1 hr 5 min

Prep Time

5 min

Total Time

1 hr 5 min

Ingredients

2 Small Garlic Cloves, Minced
1 Teaspoon Anchovies, Pureed
2 Tablespoons Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 Cup Low Fat Yogurt (I make DIY yogurt)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Teaspoon Cream Cheese
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
2 Large Heads Romaine Lettuce
2 Cups Day Old Bread

Instructions

Puree two anchovies, set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy puree, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
Add the cream cheese, yogurt, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined.
Taste test your dressing.
Let dressing sit on counter, and meld, for 10 minutes.
Now let’s make croutons.

Ingredients

Day old French bread
Olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut bread into cubes and place in a large bowl.
Drizzle cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
Spread seasoned bread onto a sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes.
Now, take one head of Romaine lettuce, and tear into bite size pieces; place in large salad bowl for tossing.
Toss salad with dressing, and top with croutons and additional cheese.
Enjoy!

By Misty Nicole Roberts (@LDYPrefers2Save)

The LadyPrefers2Save https://theladyprefers2save.com/

Let’s party, pour yourself a tall glass of your favorite party beverage and stay as long as you like!
Link up as many as you like.
Be sure to visit around and find a new recipe for your family to enjoy.
Don’t forget to Pin, Tweet, Stumble or otherwise share the party and your favorite links!
Link all things salad; recipes for salads and dressings, sandwich salads, fruit or vegetable salads, cold or hot salads. At the risk of sounding a little like Bubba Gump we really mean all things salad, you get the idea. Link as many as you like but be sure to visit others and share those that you like.
I’d also like to thank Shirley, from Intelligent Domestications, for putting this awesome link-up together! High-five, diva!

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Everyday Household Items Which Can Be Saved & Reused!

Hello again, savvy savers! For this weeks Greener Living Series Post, I wanted to discuss ways you can save money around your home, by reusing common household items.

Here’s my list for items we re-use in our own home:

Save used CD’s! Old CD’s make for inexpensive coasters. Also consider hanging discs from windows to prevents birds from crashing into them!
Save roll-on deodorant containers! Empty roll-on deodorant bottles can be used as paint pens for small children; pull out your used ball, and soak over night in a solution of dish soap and rubbing alcohol to clean. Then just dry, fill, and reuse!
Save plastic ice cream buckets! Create a compost bin under your sink reusing old ice cream plastic buckets; these buckets will contain smells and make it easy to transport to larger bins outdoors!
Save your wine corks! Corks can be used to make homemade trivets, picture frames, carved stamps, and bottle seals.
Save your butter lids, as they can be used under shaving foam cans in the shower to prevent rust from touching enameled tubs! Also great as plant saucers!
Save the funny pages from your local newspaper, store it in your gift closet for inexpensive kid’s wrapping paper; the comics generally also include holiday-themes which can go with most celebrations and activities!
Save used milk jugs! Jugs are an awesome way to store used oil from your deep fryers needing to be discarded
Save your newspapers! Newspaper, cut into strips, and saved in a kitchen drawer can be used in a myriad of ways; layered in cast iron pans to prevent scratching, to line bird cages, and to line Terra cotta pots from sticking together, while storing for the winter, stacked together!
Save your Wipe containers, as they make great yarn and ribbon dispensers!
Save old shirts and jeans, those that cannot be donated, and cut them into rags for use in cleaning car wheels, gas grills, and smokers!
Save lip balm pots! They can be used to hold aspirins in purses, cars, and while traveling!
Save bottle tops! They can be placed under legs of furniture to prevent damage to floors and carpeting!
Save your bread bags! They make excellent waste pick-up bags while walking the fur-babies!
Save your glass jars! They make for excellent storage, as well as for salad kits; add all salad ingredients together, and before serving add dressing and shake, for a quick, healthy lunch!

So, that’s my off-hand list of things to save around the home for reusing! Not only will you be helping to save a few pennies, but the planet, too!

Here’s to greener living!

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How to Make Money on Fiverr!

Hello again, savvy savers! I hope this morning finds you well rested, and ready for a new ahead! For this weeks Thrifty Thursday’s post, I wanted to change gears this morning, and focus on the ways in which we can all make a few dollars, not by selling goods, but by capitalizing on our talents and abilities, using Fiverr.com.

Why Fiverr.com?

If you don’t know what fiverr is, you can signup on their website to list “gigs,” small, composed videos you create, educating people on some sort of activity, and in exchange you are paid $5.00!
Once you sell enough gigs, you become eligible to offer higher priced gigs and can make more money.

How to Start a Fiverr.com Account:

The first step is signing up on their website at www.fiverr.com.
Once you’re logged in, you need create a gig.
Under the new and improved Fiverr (V2), you click the Sales link in the top navigation.
Next click on “My Gigs” from the right hand side of the page.
Now you should see a big green button that says “ADD A NEW GIG”.
Start by creating a gig title.
It’s important to remember that when you’re first getting started on Fiverr, you can only sell 5 dollar gigs.
Sell something you think is valuable to somebody else but won’t take you forever to complete.
Fulfilling orders means delivering your gig on time within the time frame you specified.
In order to complete your gig listing, you need to pick a category and provide a description.
You will then be able to complete a listing, and that’s it!
You can list up to 10 Gigs at a time.
You’re now a Fiverr!

Here are also a few Fiverr Tips:

You may think 10 orders and excellent ratings is difficult to accomplish.
Another thing to note is Fiverr will allow you to upload a video into your gig gallery.
Fiverr claims that gigs with videos are viewed almost 3X more often than gigs without video.
Once you have uploaded either a picture or video to your gig gallery, you can tag your gig with up to 5 keywords and provide any special instructions to the buyer.
After you publish your gig, it may need review before going live on the website.
My very first gig was automatically reviewed but approved within 24 hours.
After your gig has been approved and is listed as active in your Fiverr dashboard, you should start promoting it to your friends, family, and anybody else you think might be interested in buying your product or service. For instance, if you’re on Twitter, tweet it. Tons of friends on Facebook? Post it!
Fiverr charges a fee. Fiverr takes a 20% cut on every gig. Therefore, your $5 in your pocket payout is now $4, but still a fair payment.

What would make good Fiverr.com gigs?

Are you a homeschooling parent, an educator, or an instructor? Consider showing others learning/teaching techniques or sample lesson plans.
Are you an awesome home chef? Post a recipe.
Can you juggle? Demonstrate a trick.
Are you an awesome storyteller? Record a story.
Are you a crafter? Show a demo on a DIY crafting project.
Are you a seasoned married couple? Share a video on advice and practice living.
Topics are limitless!

So, if you are interested in making money on Fiverr, give it a shot and you may surprise yourself. Do your homework though, and really think about something you can sell that provides value to the world around you. You may only be a few minutes away from being 5 dollars richer!

So, for today I challenge you to create a Fiverr.com account, create a gig, post a video, and wait for the gigs to come in!

Here’s to saving,

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How To Become A Product Reviewer!

Hello again, savvy savers! So, for today’s Wednesday Ways To Save, I want to focus on ways that you can help generate extra funds in your home, and that is with in-product testing!

Product testing is so much fun and rewarding because you’re making a difference with what type of products you’d like on the market. You’re letting your voice be heard. Also you’re saving companies money by them not putting products in stores that won’t sell. I’ve tested a lot of products over the years and I don’t remember how many! I’ve tested electronics, toys, food products, beauty products, household products, adult products, websites, and so much more!

Companies are willing to send these products out to “guinea pigs” like us so that they can get a general idea of how well the product will go over once it’s released. And if there are any potential problems that they weren’t aware of before, these can be dealt with beforehand. All they want in return for sending you the product is for you to try it and let them know what you think.

So, why product testing:

I’ve been testing products for money for the past 7 years and love doing it!
I get about 4 to 5 full size products and sample products to test a month.
I get the first exclusive look at up and coming products, which I can help companies tailor products that others will enjoy, too!
I also participate in at least 1 paid sponsorship per month; the trial experience pays generally range from $5.00-$150.00 for participating.
Even if I am not paid for a product test, I am able to keep the product, which helps to generate “funds” to our home, too!
It’s a win-win!

The reason for product testing is that Top Brands would like to know what consumers think about new products they’re developing to be sent to stores but before they do that they need your opinions. This way it’ll save the various companies both time and money if the product doesn’t do well, after the initial testing and marketing drives.

Please note, majority listed here are survey panels meaning you’ll receive paid surveys from Top Brands and also receive products to test at home depending on your demographic. Also, you do not need to be a blogger to sign up with these companies!

Here’s how to sign-up:

First, you’ll need to sign up with a company that offers product testing at home.
Once you do this the company will send you emails to fill out screeners to see if you’ll qualify for their up and coming product testing.
Once you fill out their screener survey, they’ll let you know at the end if you qualify or not. For example, let say the company is looking for people to test out their beauty product, if you don’t use a certain beauty product they want you to test then you won’t qualify.
Once you get the approval to test, the company will ask for your address to send you the product to test for a week or two.
Then they’ll follow up with you with an email asking questions about the product you’ve tested. Once you’re done, you get paid!

Here are companies that I have worked with:

FREE HCD Research Online Surveys – HCD is a very good survey site, they have really neat surveys that don’t take very long to do. You get paid by a check or depending on the survey you can get a gift card.

National Consumer Panel – Earn valuable points, which are redeemable for electronics, household items, jewelry, toy, gift cards, and more

Earn FREE LOreal Products for becoming a Gold Rewards Members! You can earn Free products, coupons and more!

Toluna – Get paid for your opinion. Surfers who participate in this offer can receive a free membership to the Toluna online survey panel.

Smiley360 is another great site to test free products!

Ipsos I-Say Panel – You can earn points for taking surveys Earn points for every completed survey. The more surveys you take, the more points you earn. Cash in your points for American Express gift cards, Amazon gift codes and more, and they also do product testing if you qualify for them. Ipsos is a very good survey company!

Pssst Generalmills -Pssst is fantastic, they send out full size freebies and coupons for freebies.

VocalPoint – Vocalpoint offers fantastic samples throughout the year!

Kraft First Taste – Kraft First Taste sends out coupons for a full size products, along with high value coupons throughout the year!

PopSugar offers fantastic freebies! They even send out full size freebies.

Bzzagent.com -Bzzagent is really neat because they send you a full size products and you review it – Along with other perks that you can receive just by being a member.

Influenster.com – You can earn fantastic samples and so much more! – Registered members “play the game” by unlocking badges that reflect your lifestyle, expertise and power to influence. By earning badges that tell them more about you, Influensters can increase their chances of being selected to receive a themed VoxBox (complimentary packages of products to test & review), rewards (bonus giveaways/discounts) and other special promotions targeted toward our most influential members!

Toluna– I get quite a bit to test with Toluna Panel and the pay is good! When you sign up, click the “Rewards” tab and then click “Test Products” tab. You’ll also get product test invites in your email. Also Toluna has high paying focus groups. Pay by Cash and Gift Cards.

Pinecone Research– Pinecone Research is the most Top Rated Product Testing Company and I receive about 2 to 3 products a month. Pay by Cash, PayPal, Gift Cards, Merchandise, Music, and More!

Valued Opinions– I mostly receive beauty products to test with Valued Opinions Panel. Also offers to join high paying focus groups. Pay by Gift Cards.

Nielsen Home Scan Consumer Panel– You’ll get a free scanner to scan all your household purchases with Nielsen Home Scan Consumer Panel and you get rewarded for it by getting free electronics and more! Pay by Free Merchandise.

ACOP– I get a few products from ACOP Panel but their pay is good. Also offers to join high paying focus groups. Pay by Cash, PayPal, and Tango Gift Cards.

In Home Product Testing Panel– I don’t get much from In Home Product Testing Panel, only every few months and they pay with Target gift cards. Pay by Target Gift Cards.

BuzzBack Panel– I get mostly beauty products from BuzzBack Panel but not many. Pay by PayPal and Gift Cards.

L’Oreal Product Testing Panel– I get new products from L’Oreal to test but for some reason it’s hard to qualify for some of their testing. Pay by Free Beauty Products.

BzzAgent– BzzAgent is my favorite! I get so many free stuff to test that I’ve lost count! Great company! Doesn’t pay but I love getting so much stuff each month. Pay by MyPoints rewards to redeem for free merchandise, gift cards and more.

Global Test Market– I mostly get household items with Global Test Market but the pay is great! Pay by Cash.

Smiley360– I recently signed up with Smiley360 and already tested a couple of things with them. Doesn’t pay though. Pay by Free Products.

McCormick– If you like the McCormick brand of foods and seasonings, they offer to review their products and you’ll get paid for it. They also have contest at times too. Pay by Amazon Gift Cards.

Johnson & Johnson Friends & Neighbors– I use to get products to test from them quite a bit when my daughters were babies and toddlers, but not so much anymore since my daughters are older. This name brand company is prefect for mothers with young children. Pay by Cash.

MyView– I’ve done MyView through other survey panels and I had opportunities to do product testing with them. Pay by Gift Cards.

Swaggable: I get so many free stuff to test that I’ve lost count! Great company! Doesn’t pay but I love getting so much stuff each month. Pay by MyPoints rewards to redeem for free merchandise, gift cards and more.

So, today I challenge you to look into the above list and see if you can start product testing today!

Here’s to saving,

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How To Become A Book Reviewer

Hello again, savvy savers! If a mug of soup, a cup of hot tea, and a great, new book sounds like your perfect night, than that makes two of us! If you are anything like me, than you are nothing short of a bibliophile! Well, you are in luck, as this weeks Tutorial Tuesday post centers around being able to score free books.

How can be score free books?

You can become a book reviewer, with one of several dozen online book reviewer programs.
The best part is that you do not need to be a designated book blogger, to be able to review books.
You simply need to have a love of the written word, a social media following, and a verifiable mailing address.
Each blogger will need to apply for book reviews, and just wait for the reviews to come in.
Keep in mind, you will need to keep reviews legal, by always disclosing your reviewer status.
Beyond this, you will need to review books online, as well as reviewing on an online purchasing outlet, such as Goodreads, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.

Here are a list of Reviewer Programs:

BookSneeze: They have both print and e-books available. Booksneeze sends out a monthly newsletter informing participants of the latest books available for review.
Blogging for Books: This program is ran by Waterbrook Multnomah. It has a pretty simple sign-up and I like that they send out email notices monthly informing you of the different books they have available.

3. Bethany House: Here is a link to the latest newsletter with the list of books available for review.

Tywebbin: Offers a quick simple sign-up to be host of one their virtual book tours. Books offered from this review program tend to be primarily African American books.
Cross Focused Reviews: This program is a service of Cross Focused Media, LLC. Once you have signed up on their list, you will receive email notifications of available books on tour.
TLC Book Tours: Offers a quick sign up process to get on their list of tour hosts.
Tyndale Blog Network:This program is hosted by Tyndale House publishers. Each month they send out a list of available books once you have been approved.
NetGalley: This program offers books from a vast number of publishers. According to their website, “NetGalley is a service to promote and publicize forthcoming titles to readers of influence.
The B& B Media: I have done several reviews through this program. Once you’re on their distribution list, you receive an email notification of available books they have and you simply fill out the form to be a part of that book’s tour. They give you a date the review must be posted by.

This list provides a great start for book lovers and bloggers alike, that are looking to review books. Each program offers free books in exchange for an honest review and have their own requirements about review length and where you must publish your reviews. So, today I challenge you look into saving on your monthly book purchasing costs, by becoming a book reviewer!

Here’s to saving,

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Save $120.00 Annually By Lowering Your Thermostat At Night!

Good morning, savvy savers! For this week’s Greener Living Tip, I wanted to post about a very commonsense method for lowering your household electrical consumption, as well as lowering your carbon footprint, lowering your thermostat at night!

Here are a few reasons to lower your thermostat at night:

1) Help prolong houseplant life. Keeping your thermostat 75 degrees at night will prolong the life of household plants; cooler temperatures at night help to mimic outdoor, nighttime cooling off periods. This tip also allows plants to need less water when they’re cool. A helpful tip, when leaving to go out of town leave plants in the coolest part of the house, and they will instinctively know to consume less water, staying fresher until you return!

2) Help lose weight. To shed a few pounds, drop your thermostat below 70 degrees, for half of each day;. you want the room to be so cold enough so that a light sweater feels perfect. Why is this useful? When the temperature drops, your energy expenditure increases, which tells your body to burn more calories; this can burn roughly 100 a day. Over a period of one month, increased energy can translate into an extra 3,500 calories burned or one pound body fat!

3) Extend the Life of Your Fridge. Your refrigerator and freezer work really hard to keep your food safe and fresh, so when your home is cooler, large Freon-regulated appliances will not have to work as hard to keep your food cool. This will extend the life of the appliance, and help reduce the number of service calls needed to replace Freon.

4) Get a Better Night’s Sleep. Lowering your home’s temperature by about five degrees sends a signal to your brain to release more melatonin into your bloodstream, triggering the desire to sleep.

5) Lowering energy costs. Each one-degree drop on your thermostat can reduce your energy bill by 1-3 percent, and by lowering your thermostat to 68 degrees at night, you will help to lower your energy bill by 10-15 percent, which is an average savings of $120.00 annually!

So, friends, that’s one additional way you can save on your monthly heating bills and make your home a little more zero-waste in the process. And if you have any tips for saving on your monthly heating bills at home I’d love to hear about them below!

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