All Posts By

Nicole

Weekly Gardening Update, 8/10!

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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!

DIY Pencil Pouches, In-Binder Supply Pouches, & Student ID Cases!

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Hello again, savvy savers! Today finds us with another awesome DIY project just in time for back-to-school savings! If you were anything like me as a child, you always needed a pencil pouch, supply case, and student ID bag; all needed to make sure that our schedules, Lisa Frank pencils, push-through lead insert-able pencils, scented Mr. Sketch markers, and the illicit ultra-cool, but highly impracticable pencil top erasers handy!

 

 

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So for this weeks Throwback Thursdays (which will also incorporate my weekly Thrifty Thursday post as well) series post, I will be showing you how to make DIY Pencil Pouches, In-Binder Supply Pouches, and Student ID Cases; also note that for the Student ID cases, you could also use these pouches for Epi-pen pouches, a pouch with business cards letting teachers and school personal know about food allergies, or feminine case products for young women! Also worth noting, be sure to check the Scotch website for everyday coupons on duct tape, colored tape, and the like; I purchased my rolls of Duct Tape, the day after Christmas for the past two years, at CVS with coupons, for only $0.10 per roll! I also purchase my baggies, with coupon at the Dollar Tree, making this project $0.15 per bag, on average!

 

 

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So, to begin you will need the following:

  • Scissors or Cutting Board
  • Ziplock bags; quart size for Pencil Pouches and Student ID & Gallon Bag for In-Binder School Supply Pouch
  • 3-Ring Hole Punch
  • Customized Duct Tape
  • Straight Edge
  • Card-stock or Scrapbook Paper Sheet
  • Sharpie or Colored Marker
  • Binder (or D Clip, if linking to a backpack)
  • Page Re-Enforcers, Optional

 

Here’s how to make the DIY Pencil Pouches:

 

 

 

  1. Lay a Ziplock baggie on a clean surface, as flat as possible.
  2. using a straight edge and sharpie, mark two inches off of the bottom of the baggie.
  3. Cut the two inch section off of the baggie and set to the side.
  4. Lay your tape flat on the baggie, and continue to wrap each strip of the baggie; each baggie will use three strips.
  5. Secure the bottom strip together.
  6. If you just want a pencil pouch, you are now done!

 

Here’s how to Turn Pencil Pouches into Student ID Cases:

 

 

  1. Using the piece of cut-off baggie listed above, lay the piece flat and cut it in half.
  2. Using a sheet of card-stock or scrapbook paper, cut a template to fit the baggie half sheet; I used a 3″x3″ sheet.
  3. The cut-out will act as a backing to whatever you will need to place in the pouch, for your Student Id, words of encouragement card, epi-pen instructions, etc.
  4. Place the card in the sleeve and place the sleeve on top of the pouch.
  5. Tape down both sides and the bottom section of the sleeve, leaving the top sleeve of the envelope open for the pouch.
  6. You’re done!

 

Also note, you can hole punch your pouch, and then add a D-Clip to the pouch, if adding it to a backpack!

 

 

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Here’s how to make the In-Binder Supply Pouch:

 

 

  1. Using the instructions for the Pencil Pouch and the Student ID instructions above, make a pouch using a gallon-sized baggie.
  2. When adding a sheet envelope to the top of the pouch, aim for a 4″x4″ rectangle to the pouch; this envelope can house your student schedule or emergency contact information.
  3. When your pouch is completed, using a three-ring hole punch, punch your pouch to accommodate its use in a three-ring binder.
  4. You’re done!

 

 

 

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So that it, folks! An easy-peasy DIY version of  DIY Pencil Pouches, In-Binder Supply Pouches, & Student ID Cases! If you make a similar version or have other DIY back-to-school tips that make help other LadyPrefers2Save readers, I’d love to hear about them, and feature them on my social media channels!

 

Here’ to saving,

Misty

 

 

 

What I buy At Save-A-Lot To Save Money!

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Hello again, savvy savers! For this weeks Wednesday Ways To Save, I want to discuss one of my favorite places to grocery and stockpile shop, and that is at my local Save-A-Lot store! For those who may not know, Save-A-Lot is smaller chain grocery store, that offers consumers higher quality, lower cost food option. The chain is known for cutting overhead costs by having customers bag their own groceries, emailing bi-weekly sales ads online to savings card holders, and by offering a mixture of brand and non-brand name items.

Some perks to shopping at Save-A-Lot:

  • The stores website offers great recipe ideas, a posted section called “Feed A Family of 4 For Under 5,” which shows healthy, affordable meal ideas, has a section to sign-up for their shoppers card club, and to view their “10 items for $10.00,” weekly deals!
  • The store also hosts an everyday sales promotion where you can buy 5 large family packs of various meat products, ranging from roasts, hams, and chops, to breakfast and pre-packed meat sections for only 17.00, as well as 1 pound tubes of ground turkey, a healthy alternative to beef, for an everyday stock-up price of only $1.00 a roll!
  • Save-A-Lot also accepts coupons, and although their website is a bit vague, it states that all valid manufacturers coupons will be excepted; from personal experience I would not use internet coupons at Save-A-Lot as their systems often cannot read the bar-codes.
  • Like with all other stores, I recommend you visit the Save-A-Lot webpage at the link provided below, and print a copy of their official Corporate Coupon Policy, keep it in your coupon binder, and take it with you whenever you shop at Save-A-Lot!
  • Also, be sure to sign-up for their loyalty rewards emails, and you will receive monthly emails, and you will receive, by mail, quarterly savings coupons, such as $5.00 off of a $25.00 or more shopping purchase!
  • Save-A-Lot also offers a butcher department, and though they are not visible to the general sales floor, the meat department has buzzer buttons which summon butchers for services; this is a great option for buying meats in bulk and having them wrapped in smaller quantities. Butchers will also season goods with their “special blend,” a Cajun seasoning, free of charge.
  • Save-A-Lot sales are tri-weekly; sales change the forth week of the month nationally.
  • Lastly, Save-A-Lot also features match-up recipes on their website, recipes that coincide with ongoing sales, which allow customers to make everyday family meals, all under $5.00 which feed a family of 4; recipes are updated monthly.

 

With all of that said, here are   items that I purchase at Save-A-Lot, no coupons needed:

 

 

 

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1) Bagged Lettuce and Cole Slaw Mix: Save-A-Lot carries Bagged Dole salad and Cole slaw packs, everyday priced at $0.89; this is $0.25 less per bag that Walmart’s own brand!

 

 

 

 

2) The Pick-5 Selections: Save-A-Lot features every valued pick-5 meat selections, where you can select from fresh poultry, pork, and beef products, as well as a large variety of pre-packages luncheon meats, cooked breakfast fare, and the like all for $19.99; the selections also include pork and beef roasts, pork spare ribs, and five pound chicken quarter bags.

 

 

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3) Rolls of Ground Turkey: In my family we generally consume ground turkey over ground beef for health reasons, and at Save-A-Lot the 1 pound chubs of rolled ground turkey are everyday priced at $1.49 per pound, and on the last weekend of each month, there is an a special where the rolls drop in price to $1.00 per roll; this is my stock-up pricing for ground turkey and monthly I buy numerous rolls of this product. Also worth noting, Save-A-Lot rolled meat products are certified pink slime-free and hormone-free.

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4) Spices: Save-A-Lot offers 12 ounce bottles of spices, herbs, and dry rubs, for $0.99 everyday priced; they carry basic seasonings as well as more hard-to-find for that price items such as Bay Leave, Ground Ginger, White Pepper, Curry Powder, All Spice, and several baking extracts. Considering that you can pay well over four times this amount at Walmart and Whole Foods, as well as that even the Dollar Tree, with their limited stock, only carries a very common varieties, this is an awesome stock-up deal!

 

 

 

5) Pantry Staples: Save-A-Lot carries 3 pound bags of rice, white and whole grain, and a variety of pastas, both bleached and whole grain as well, everyday priced at only $1.59, as well as $0.49 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mixes; also worth noting I found $1.00 1 pound boxes of gluten-free kids alphabet pasta as well! This pricing cuts both Dollar Tree and Winn-Dixie pricing in half!

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6) Banquet Frozen Dinners: These dinners are everyday priced at $0.88 each!

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7) Canned Beans: Save-A-Lot offers navy, pinto, black, and kidney beans everyday priced at $0.59 a can!

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8) Jarred Pasta Sauce: Save-A-Lot offers 24 ounce jarred pasta sauces, in marinara, meat, mushroom, pesto, Alfredo, and chunky varieties for only $0.99 a jar!

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9) Canned vegetables: Save-A-Lot offers canned vegetables at everyday low pricing; canned potatoes and green beans are $0.79, canned green beans for $0.59, and canned hominy, corn, and mixed vegetables for $0.49 a can.

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10) TGIF Chips: Save-A-Lot offers 16 ounce bags of TGIF brand chips for $1.00 a bag, in assorted varieties; this is a saving of $2.69 a bag over Walmart pricing!

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11) Canned Pet Food and Treats: Save-A-Lot offers canned lamb and rice pet food, in grain-free varieties for only $0.69 a can; this is a saving of $2.00 a can over many Petco varieties. As well, you can purchase the Canine Carry out pet treat bags, in the 8 punch pouches, for only $1.00 a bag!

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12) 9 Lives Canned Cat Food: Save-A-Lot also offers 9 Lives canned cat food, in assorted varieties, everyday prices at only $0.49 a can; though this is not stock-up pricing, this is a good value, without coupons being needed, for a reliable brand of canned cat food.

So, that’s some of the ways in which I save money while shopping at Save-A-Lot! I hope this list inspires you to consider shopping at retail food outlets outside of the large boxes superstore labels for your family! Though Save-A-Lot is a no-frills shopping environment, the deals are plentiful, the aisles are clear, the products is well stocked, and the staff are always super courteous and polite! Please note, you can save time by bringing in your own reusable shopping sacks to Save-A-Lot as the chain does not bag groceries in a traditional manner, and instead has customers load groceries into a empty shopping cart, and then walk to a staged bagging area; bringing your own bags with you will save time in the process!

Here’s to saving!

Misty

Homemade 7-Eleven Cherry Slurpees!

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Calling all my savvy savers! If you were anything like myself as a child, then you treasured the summer months when only the icy cold chill of a cherry 7-Eleven Slurpee could quench your thirst! So for today’s Throwback Thursday post, I am giving you all my recipe for cherry slurpees! I use Splenda in my Slurpees, so my blend is calorie-free! You can switch this for cane or white sugar, as well you can change the blend to your palette, in terms of flavors! This recipe, and its ingredients can be made for under $0.20 each 16-ounce serving! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 Cups Cold Club Soda 1/2 Cup Splenda 1/4 Teaspoon Cherry Flavored Unsweetened Kool-Aid 1/2 Teaspoon Cherry Extract 2 1/2 Cups Crushed Ice

Instructions:

1) Pour your club soda, extract, and kool aid into a blender.

2) Put half of your ice into your blender, and blend for 30 seconds.

3) Place your blender container in the freezer for 30 minutes.

4) After 30 minutes, remove from freezer and then add your remaining ice, and re-blend for 30 second.

5) Serve in a chilled glass!

6) Enjoy!

Gardening Update 8/3/14: Chrysanthemum Time!

Gardening-On-a-Budget-Homesteading-and-Health

Hello again, savvy savers! this weekend is a very, very slow weekend in my garden. The humidity of late summer is in full force, and my husband and I are spending double duty on nightly watering sessions for out gardens, flower beds, and hanging garden areas; we have switched our attentions from perseverance to full on preservation, in hopes of salvaging as many perennial plants as possible going into the next season.

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However, one area of garden happiness for me this week is that my discounted chrysanthemums, purchased from Walmart last Autumn for $0.50 a plant, have doubled in size and are starting to bloom for the fall, and within the next month will be gorgeous; I planted the bed in rotating patterns of orange, yellow, and white to mimic candy corn! For those with mums planted in-ground, early August is the time to stop plucking blooms off of plants, start concentrated feedings, add new mulch, and let the growing season commence for your mums!

Here’s to gardening until next week!

 

August 2014 Bulu Box Unboxing!

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Hello again, savvy savers! Today finds us with another great Boxed Subscription review, and this time the July 2014 Bulu Box!

 

  • The Bulu Box is a health-inspired subscription box, and one of my favorite services.
  • Like most subscription boxes, Bulu also includes a few cards on the product and the theme of the month.
  • Included in the July box was the  Beanfields Bean & Rice Chips in Barbecue flavor. These were really good; and had a retail value of $3.00.
  • Next up was a mini protein bar by Power Crunch, in vanilla creme, which was very tasty, crispy, and light, and my favorite of the box; this product had a retail value of $1.79.
  • The next item in the box was an herbal sleep aid by bioterra herbs; these pills have worked well, without any side-effects, and had a retail value of $7.00.
  • The box also included the antiseptci spray, Wounds by Puracyn; I have used this before and its awesome, and had a retail value of $12.50
  • Next up were samples of herbal teas for use during diets and menopause; retail value of $1.50 per bag.
  • The last item in the box was Chike high protein coffee mix. This has protein and espresso; the retail value of this product is $1.50.
  • Overall, the Bulu Box had a great selection of products.  Based on my calculations this box was worth $31.69, and is a great value considering the subscription service costs $15.00 quarterly, and only $5.00 per box!
  • Overall Score: 4/5

 

 

You can join Bulu Box today with a 50% off coupon and get your first box for only $5 with code BULUGAN097 – or opt for a multiple month subscriptions with the same discount (get 12 months for only $55!).

Be sure to stay tuned next Monday for a preview of the August Bulu Box!

Here’s to your health!

In accordance with FTC Guidelines: I hereby disclose that I received complimentary products from the company being reviewed above, in exchange for my honest opinion and review of my experience.  I was not compensated for this review, but received a free membership. All opinions in the post are 100% my own. Individual results or experiences may vary. Please consult your physician, dietitian, or diabetes specialist before starting any diet. You can obtain more details information about the company, its products, and policies by visiting their respective websites, which will be linked above.

Making More Out Of Monday Meals: DIY Taco Seasoning!

 

Good afternoon, savvy savers! Today, for the Making More out of Monday Meals series post,  I want to share with you my Homemade Taco Seasoning! Many of the ingredients you will have on hand, and those you do not you can purchase at the Dollar Tree, with the exception of the cumin, which often goes BOGO at Kroger and Winn-Dixie. I can make this seasoning, which I store in baggies or jars from the Dollar Tree, for only $0.15 per serving!

Compare this price with that of conventional packet seasonings, and you are at a 80% savings!

Here’s how I make it:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1) Mix all ingredients together.

2) Store in snack-sized baggies, hinge jars, or jelly jars.

3) This mixture will last one year, in a pantry.

4) Please note, 3 Tablespoons is equal to one packet of mix, to 1 cup of filtered water!

5) Enjoy!