Beat the Heat While Saving Money

Everyone wants to keep cool during the hot Summer months but no one wants to pay the high bills that come with running air conditioning all summer long.  While I love to be cold at night and want the air conditioning on then I am not a huge fan of air conditioning in the day. I find that I tend to stay locked inside if the air conditioning is running which is never a good thing, plus the house can start to feel and smell stale from a lack of fresh air. So how do you stay cool without spending a ton of money? Here are a few things you can do to keep your house cool without running the air conditioning constantly. Remember you will not achieve a cold house but a comfortable and cool house is not hard to get.

1. Window Coverings. You want to evaluate what kind of window coverings you are using. Are they insulating? You want to notice where the sun comes in and make sure those window coverings are effective insulators. Then when the sun is beaming in you keep those windows covered. By covering the windows you keep the extra heat out and the cool air in.
2. Open and Close Your Windows. While you make think leaving your windows open all the time is the way to go that is not necessarily true. On cool mornings open up all your windows then as the day gets warmer shut then and the blinds on the appropriate windows and your house will stay cooler inside longer. At night is the best time to leave your windows open. If you are concerned about safety do not leave ground floor windows open. If like us everything is on the ground floor you may want to look into windows that have the safety latch that locks them open only about 2 inches.
3. Ceiling Fans. Ceiling fans are a great way to keep the air moving and your house cool.They can be very inexpensive and easy to install, we have them in every bedroom and almost every room in the house. Keep the running when you are home, they are inexpensive to run and every effective. If you have a whole house fan these are amazingly effective at cooling down your house if you do not have one you may want to look into one as a cost saving item. We had a whole house fan in our old home and do not now, the difference is amazing the whole house fan cooled our house in 10 minutes on cool evenings by sucking in the cool air.
4. Turn Off The Lights. Use the natural sunlight as much as possible and turn off your lights they not only create extra heat but are unnecessary on a sunny day.
5. Fans. Use fans in your house to keep air circulating. I prefer to use tower fans since they are safer with kids but nothing is as safe and powerful as the Dyson Air Multiplier 10″ Silver/White. This small bladeless fan is amazingly effective, compact and safe for the kids with no blades read my full review HERE.
6. Turn It Off. Be aware of all the heat generating electronics and appliances in your house and turn them off. Try cooking in a crock pot, outside on the grill or with a toaster oven if possible instead of using your whole oven. Make sure that electronics are turned off and even unplugged when not in use.
7. Dress Appropriately. It is summer wear summer clothes, there is no need to turn on your air conditioning so you can wear long sleeves or pants, dress for the weather and you will be much more comfortable in the heat.
8. Turn It Up. If you are worried that your house will be too hot when you get home from being gone and are unable to leave windows open turn on your air conditioning but turn it up so it does not run constantly all day. Pick a temp that is not too cool so when you get home you can open up the house and turn on fans but haven’t run your a/c all day long.

How do you beat the summer heat with out air conditioning?

Saving Money with Free Telephone Land Lines

For 6 months now we have not been paying a telephone bill and yet we have a land line. How? We use Ooma. Ooma is a telephone system that you buy which utilizes your internet to give you free phone service. I know there are many free or cheap phone services out there and my in-laws have tried each and every one and they like the best Ooma. So a year long positive service experience we jumped on board and have been very happy. Here is why Ooma is better than other phone services in my opinion. First you buy a box instead of phones. The box doubles as an answering machine and then any phone you have that plugs into a phone jack will work with Ooma. Every time I get a message at home I get a text on my cell phone then I can listen to my messages from anywhere for free. You can customize your Ooma account so it will show up properly in other people’s caller ID and it works for free local and long distance phone calls. The down side, the initial investment is around $250 for the box but you never pay another penny. Right now on Amazon Ooma Telo Free Home Phone Service box is on sale for $199.99 plus free shipping. The other drawback is if your internet goes down so does your phone. The initial investment may sound steep but if it is broken down over a year that is only $17 a month and after that your phone is free for the rest of your life. Like I said we have had Ooma for 6 months and are very happy with it.

So You Want To Be A Couponer: Maximizing Your Savings

Now that you have coupons and you have got them organized it is time to use them to your advantage and save lots of money. First you need to be aware of your stores coupon policies. Do they double, how many of the same coupon will they take, can you stack coupons, do they have a loyalty program? These are some of the questions you need to ask before you decide what stores you will be frequenting.

1. Do they have a loyalty program? Loyalty programs are a must so be sure to accurately register with the store because often you will get emails or mailing with coupons in them. Make sure you always take your card with you when you go shopping because often prices are different for those without loyalty cards.
2. Do they double coupons? Lots of stores are now doubling coupons but many have limitations of how many they will double. In my area Meijer doubles coupons that are $.99 or less but they will only double 2 of the same coupon so if you want to use more you need to make multiple purchases. Kroger in my area will double coupons us to $.99 and they have no limit to the number they will double. My Giant Eagle will double coupons up to $.99 and they limit the number of coupons to 2.
3. Can you stack coupons? Some stores have their own store coupons and you can stack them with manufacturer coupons. Meijer has a site called Mealbox and you can use those coupons with manufacturer coupons to maximize your savings. Target also has their own store coupons that can be combined with manufacturer coupons. Target does limit you to printing 2 of each coupon while Meijer has no limit. CVS and Walgreens also allow you to stack coupons, for more details on these stores go HERE and HERE.
4. One Coupon Per Item. One tip that shocked me and is not well known is that when a store says one coupon per item they really mean it. So when you take advantage of a buy one get one free deal you can use 2 coupons. Ultimately you are paying half price for each so use 2 coupons to maximize your savings. Some stores will even let you use a buy 1 get 1 free coupon on an item that is buy 1 get 1 free this makes them both free. *Most Walgreens and Kmarts do not allow this.
5. Pay attention to Catalinas. Catalinas are those coupons that print out after you have purchased a set number of items. They are usually a dollar amount off that you can use on your next purchase. Make sure you pay attention to catalina deals because if you buy too few items you will miss out on the catalina and if you buy too many you will not get as good a deal.

Make Your Food Go Further and Last Longer

Everyone wants there food to go farther and last longer. If we can stretch things to last a bit longer then we can save that much more money. Over the years I have implemented a few easy techniques that can really add up in the long run.

• Water it down. Water is something most people don’t get enough of and it’s free so why not use that to your advantage. At my house we water down juice. For my kids they get a 1:4 ration of juice to water and guess what they don’t care. It is healthier for them because they get less sugar and more water. My mother watered down my juice as a child and now I only like my juice with at least half water, this helps us to buy half as much juice as we would otherwise. There is one exception we don’t water down orange juice, other than that to everything we add water.
• Get Every Last Drop. By adding a bit of water to jars and cans you can get every bit of sauce or food out of the can. A tablespoon of water is hardly going to ruin a recipe and since you paid for the whole can you might as well use it all. Have a handful of odd pasta use it all together for a fun pasta dish.
• Turn It Upside Down. When condiments start to get low we store them in the refrigerator upside down. That way I do not open a new bottle when there is still plenty hiding at the bottom. Just be sure you securely close the top or you will end up with a messy fridge.
• Re-purpose It: So many food items can be used even when they are going bad you just need to use them for something else. Stale bread is good for making homemade bread crumbs or french toast. Old lemons are great for freshening up your garbage disposal. Mushy bananas make great banana bread and other mushy fruits make great smoothies.Try not to waste anything as a food approaches it expiration date be creative and find a use for it.
• Refresh It. Don’t you hate when your brown sugar gets hard and lumpy? Add a piece of bread or marshmallow and within a day or so you will have nice soft sugar again. Marshmallows getting hard melt them for rice krispie treats. Veggies not so crisp puree them and sneak them into a baked good for extra vitamins.
• Package It Right. Packaging is so important. If you are not properly packaging and storing your food you will end up with a  lot of waste. Invest in some quality storage containers to help keep your food fresh and make it last longer.

So You Want To Be A Couponer: Organization

So now you have a million coupons and you need a way to organize them because if you can’t find the right coupons they are useless to you. There are many different systems and for me the coupon binder is the one that works best. I know it may seem a bit intense but I find that I save more money using this method than any other. I have tried filing my inserts by date and just cutting out what I need but the problem is when I need a brand specific coupon I have to dig forever! With a binder I just flip to the proper section and I know instantly if I have a coupon for the item I want.

I use a leather 3 ring binder ( leather so it is durable). I got this one at Target.

It has an accordion file in the front where I keep the weekly ad of the store I am shopping at. That section rotates based on where I am going, that way the binder doesn’t get any bulkier than it is already. The back has a built in notepad I use for my grocery list and there is a pen holder.

It does not zip shut but I have a cute tote bag that it fits perfectly in. At first it was a bit embarrassing to have a big binder to shop with but with my cute bag and all the money it has saved me I am no longer embarrassed but thrilled with the deals it gets me. ( The bag was $4 at Target!)

Then I have a calculator and a zipper pocket with scissors and a backup pen.

Next I have my categories. Each category begins with a labeled pocket tab. That way I know what section it is and when I am unable to file coupons I can stick them in the appropriate area. Behind each tab are baseball card sleeves. I like these best because they hold 9 coupons per page and I can use front and back. I ordered collector card sleeves from online because they are sturdier and I don’t want to be constantly replacing my pages. This system allows for easy viewing on the go. I tend to group in each slot coupons for the same item and/or company depending on how big the section is, I don’t want it to be too time consuming to file.

My categories are:
Baby
Beverages
Condiments
Snacks
Breakfast
Baking Needs
Canned
Meat
Dairy
Freezer
Grains
Oral hygiene
Toiletries
Medicine
Cleaning Products
Paper Products
Household Goods
Laundry
Pets
CVS (store specific coupons and ECB)
Kroger/ Giant Eagle ( store specific coupons)

I also have a separate file that I keep my weekly ads in for reference which I purge each week as I replace the ads with current ones. This file also holds my coupons for restaurants, entertainment, clothing and anything else I have.

I find this system very convenient on the go, child proof and easy to use. It is bulky but I am fine with that. It is not for everyone but hopefully this will help you get an idea of how to file your own coupons. I also keep a mini clutch in my purse where I put the coupons I plan on using and where I keep all my store reward and loyalty cards. Then as I find the items I move the coupons to a different section so checkout is easy and efficient. I also keep in the clutch (it has 4 sections) coupons that I may need when out plus my ECB, RR and any catalina’s for stores.

So You Want To Be A Couponer Part 1

I have had many requests to write a blog series explaining how I use coupons to maximize my grocery savings so I am going to attempt to put my coupon class into a series of blog posts. I am sure you will have questions if you are completely new to couponing so please feel free to either post them in the comments section or email me directly, I would love to help clarify anything. Five years ago when I first got married I subscribed to the Sunday newspaper in order to get coupons. We were really poor and I thought they would help me save, long story short they did not help me save. I found the store brand to almost always be cheaper so I gave up and stopped subscribing. I determined that coupons were only useful if you were brand loyal so I decided it was a lost cause and never thought of coupons again. Then two years ago I discovered the CVS game and soon realized that there was a whole side of couponing I did not know existed.

To get started you will obviously need coupons and there are several places to get them, the most obvious being the Sunday newspaper. If you do not already subscribe start. Having the paper delivered to your house is cheaper than buying it at the store and often you can get deals. I currently pay $.99 per Sunday paper and get 3 delivered. That’s right I get 3 newspapers delivered, I have found that in order to maximize your savings you should have 1 Sunday newspaper per adult in the house ( 2 young kids = 1 adult). Every time I see a special for the Sunday paper for $.99 I call and have them add another subscription onto the end of current one so I keep my great price steady. Another great place to get coupons is the internet. Internet coupons are great and offer a very inexpensive way of gaining access to often rare or high value coupons. There are many sites where you can get coupons to print such as Coupons.com, Red Plum, Betty Crocker, Smart Source, and Pillsbury and now you can even load coupons on your grocery reward cards at sites like www.cellfire.com, www.shortcuts.com, and P&G Everyday Solutions. You can also go to specific brand websites and Facebook pages to get coupons.

Another idea is to write to companies that you love, tell them how you feel and often they will send you coupons. Another way to get coupons is by purchasing them online at places like Ebay. Yet another coupon resource are your friends, family members and neighbors. Ask them to trade coupons with you, most likely your mother-in-law doesn’ t need diaper coupons and maybe you don’t have a pet so you can trade. Lastly you can get store specific coupons from their website. Stores such as Meijer and Target offer store coupons that can be combined with manufacture coupons making for great deals. When you are getting coupons online you will often be asked for an email address I suggest setting up a new email account for just this purpose. You can use any number of places to get a free account and simply scan and delete once a week. Be sure to never use your real date of birth, they just want to verify you are over 18 and I suggest only using your real address if the coupon is being mailed. When you print a coupon called a Bricks coupon you will see a little printer flashing while the coupon prints, these coupons can be printed twice by simply hitting the back button. In order for the coupons to print usable barcodes you will need to install coupon printing software, this is free and you will be walked through the process the first time you try to print coupons.

Now that you have more coupons that you know what to do with you need to organize them. My next post will be all about organizing your new coupon collection.

How I Pick My Meals

I have told you before that I meal plan using the monthly meal planning method and I absolutely love it. The method works great for me allowing me the flexibility and variety that I crave. As I have said before I love to cook and one of my favorite things to do is try new recipes. I am constantly on the look out for new recipes in magazines, cookbooks and from friends. I have several cook books that are my staples I love my Rachel Ray Express Lane Meals – A 30-minute Meal Cookbook and I love my Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. I also subscribe to Everyday With Rachael Ray as well as Kraft Food & Family. Another thing I do is make up recipes, often I take things I liked about several recipes and combine them to make my own recipe. All that being said the way I choose what will be on each weeks menu is based on several things. First I look at what I have on hand and either choose a recipe I like that uses those ingredients or I look through my resources for a new recipe with those ingredients. Next I look at what meat and fresh fruits and vegetables are on sale this week and again look through my recipes to find matches. When I try a new recipe if I like it it gets highlighted in the book or printed and put in my recipe binder. If I change it I retype it to add to my binder.

I also have a list of meatless meals that are very inexpensive to throw in so that I stay in my budget this allows me to try new recipes that otherwise might put me over my budget. I am definitely a mood person so while I plan in advance I like to pick the meal the day of from my list it allows me some spontaneity while still planning it all out. I try not to repeat a meal during the month which means I am always searching out new resources for recipes and building my recipe library. Where do you get your recipes?

Love Your Kitchen and Love To Cook

Cooking at home and not buying pre-made foods is my number one money saver in the kitchen ( besides coupons) and since I love to cook I am happy to save money by cooking. I know lots of people do not like to cook which I think is a shame so I am going to share with you some tips to help you enjoy cooking. Fist of all dress the part, I find that a fun apron that I love really puts me in the mood to cook plus then I don’t have to worry about mess. I love aprons and have several my current favorites are a fabulous monogrammed black apron my mom got me from TJ Maxx it has a giant script P on front and is super cute. I love aprons that are flirty and fun not boxy! My other favorite apron is my Jessie Steele apron it is so cute and I feel like a gourmet goddess in it! Another thing you should do is re-organize your kitchen. If your kitchen is not working well for you it will make it more difficult and frustrating to cook in it. Take some time and go through your kitchen and rethink where everything is kept. Are the most used items within easy reach? Does the organization make sense to you? Sometimes it takes a few tries to get your kitchen the way you want it.

Now that you are dressed for the job and your kitchen works well for you it’s time to cook ( hurray). If you are a bit nervous or anxious in the kitchen I suggest starting with something you enjoy. Find an easy recipe for a food you love and get cooking. Once you have you mastered that recipe begin adding others. I suggest trying out different cookbooks, get some from the library and start experimenting. Once you have found a cooking style that suits you it will be much easier to enjoy cooking. My favorite cook is Rachel Ray, it is rare I find a recipe by her I don’t like. If you are cooking meals you enjoy then of course you will enjoy cooking. Once you have been cooking for a while you will start to get a feel for what works well together and before you know it you will be creating your own meals from scratch. Cooking for me is a labor of love, there is nothing quite as satisfying as sitting down to a delicious meal that everyone enjoys and knowing it is the work of your own two hands. Last of all set the mood, put on some music open the blinds to let the sun in and have fun. I hope I have inspired you to start cooking or maybe tackle a new recipe!

The Many Uses of Vinegar and Baking Soda

In my kitchen vinegar and baking soda are staples, they have so many uses and both are inexpensive. Vinegar not only helps me save money but it has many uses that nothing else can do quite as well as does baking soda. Vinegar is a disinfectant so it is great as a non-toxic cleaning agent. Here are my favorite uses for vinegar and baking soda.

• Floors: I wash the floor with a mixture of hot water and vinegar. You can use any variety either white distilled or apple cider. I use a 4 to 1 ratio water to vinegar and since my husband hates the smell I usually add a few drops of lemon juice to help with that.
• Ovens: Heat the oven for 5 minutes set at 350 degrees then use a paste made of 1 cup vinegar and 1/4 cup powder laundry detergent. Apply all over the oven and more heavily to tough areas. Leave the paste for an hour them scrape off.
• Tea Kettles: Add 1/2 cup vinegar to a water filled tea kettle and let sit over night to remove lime coating
• Coffee Makers: Run a brew cycle with full strength vinegar.
• Odors in the Refrigerator: Keep an opened box of baking soda in your refrigerator to absorb odors.
• Cleaning Solution: You can clean most surfaces with a paste of baking soda and warm  water.
• Storing Dishes: To help eliminate cooked in odors sprinkle a small amount of baking soda in the bottom of crock pots, coolers, thermos, ect and leave until next use. Rinse before using.
• Clean Silver: Use a paste of 3 parts baking soda to 1 part water to clean your silver with a soft cloth.
• Glass cleaner: Fill a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water and use to clean your windows. For extra shine wipe them clean with all those newspapers you have ( also saves on paper towels)
• Garbage Disposal: To clean out your garbage disposal dump 1/4 cup baking soda down the drain and then pour 2 cups vinegar. Let stand until all foaming is done them rinse with hot water. Another thing you can do is make vinegar ice cubes equal parts vinegar and water. Run the disposal and place the ice cubes down the disposal this will clean and sharpen your disposal.
• Bug deterrent: Washing your counters and floors with white distilled vinegar and a small amount of water will help to deter ants in your kitchen on the counters and the floors.
• Dishwasher: Clean you dishwasher by adding 1 1/2 cups white vinegar to the bottom of your dishwasher and run.
• Microwave: Boil in the microwave a mixture of 1 cup water and 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar to loosen the grime and wipe clean.

Saving Money on Dishes

We are really lucky in that both sides of our family live right here in town. When we celebrate a birthday there are at least 20 people in our tiny house. While it is such a blessing to have family so close it can make get togethers much more expensive especially if you don’t have enough dishes for 20. My everyday dishes are a set of 12 as is my silverware and my glasses so that leaves me needing to purchase dishes. At first I bought paper products using coupons and that wasn’t too bad but not only was I spending money on the dishes I then ended up with lots more trash, which we pay per bag not good. Then I had a great idea while perusing the end of summer clearance at Walmart. About 3 years ago I bought a set of blue plastic dishes for 30 people, they were on clearance so they were a steal. I bought plates, cups, silverware and serving bowls. The only thing missing are little bowls ( so far I have avoided that by choosing my meals wisely). The initial cost was about $30 and I have more than made up for it over the years. I keep the dishes in my basement and they reappear every family get together. Not only are they saving me money but they are reusable which is great and plastic so they are outdoor and kid friendly. This is a simple way to save money on dishes and our overall entertainment budget while also being green. Now is a great time to start thinking about this and watching for deals some stores already have dishes out for spring that will go on sale when the summer dishes come in.

Time = $

Time = Money that is a phrase we are all very familiar with but do you ever think of it in terms of your groceries? This principle can easily be applied to the way you grocery shop and can mean instant money saved on your grocery bill. Here is what I mean. When you buy a convenience food you will pay more because some of the work has been done for you, thus it saves you time but it costs you more money. In order to save yourself money do not buy convenience foods, instead do the work your self and you will save quite a bit of money. Here are some examples of popular convenience foods.

• individually packaged snacks. Instead buy the larger bag and separate them at home into containers or plastic bags
• pre-cut vegetables and fruit. Instead of baby carrots or cut broccoli buy the whole head of broccoli and cut it yourself. This can be applied to all fruits and vegetables. Always buy them in their natural form.
• pre-made salads. Instead buy a head of lettuce and the veggies and cut them yourself.
• pre-made baked goods. Instead buy a mix or better yet make it from scratch.
• pre-made dough. Instead use a mix or make it from scratch.
• individual yogurts. Instead buy the large container and serve portions.
• fruit cups. Instead buy the jar of applesauce, can of fruit or fresh fruit and serve it individually.
• shredded cheese. Instead buy the block of cheese and shred it yourself.
• cleaning products that are wipes or individual sponges (one use). Instead buy the liquid version and use a rag or reusable sponge.
• basically any item that has been altered or put into a smaller package to make it more convenient for you will cost you more money. Instead always look for it in it’s natural or original form.
• most of the time bulk it better

While it will take you longer to make your salad or your muffins if they are not pre-cut or pre-made for you the money saved is worth it. Next time you reach for a convenience item think of this, how much am I willing to pay to save me a few minutes? Usually not as much as you are being charged.

The Freezer Is Your Best Friend

When it comes to saving money on food the freezer is one of your best friends, if you have two freezers consider yourself lucky. Someday I will have a second deep freezer! One the easiest ways to slash your meat cost is buying either on sale or manager’s special. They key is that you go home and immediately freeze what will not be used before it goes bad. Make sure you date your meat and freeze it is usable portions. Manager’s special meat needs to be used the day you defrost it because remember it was about to expire, but as long as you are using it in time there is no reason not to buy manager’s special meat. Buying meat the day before it expires can lead to some huge discounts and ultimately allow you to buy nicer cuts of meat too. I suggest buying in bulk when a meat you use often is on sale. For example when fresh chicken is $1.99/lb. I do not only buy what I need for that week but I usually buy double. That way I do not have to pay full price the following week for my chicken thus keeping the cost down for me.The same for managers special meat if it is a great deal I buy it as long as there is room in my budget even if it will not be used for a week or two.

The freezer is not just a great pace for extra meat either, you can freeze all kinds of things to make them last. Vegetables and fruit can be easily frozen simply chop them up for their future use and freeze them accordingly. In the summer I freeze the extra vegetables from my garden for soups and other dishes. I specifically make bags for each dish fro example for chili I have a bag of diced onions and peppers. If your fruit is going to go bad before you can use it dice and it and freeze it for future use for things such a  smoothies, applesauce, pies and more. The key is to keep an eye on your food so nothing goes bad and gets wasted. You can also buy in bulk when fruits and vegetables are in season and then enjoy then year round at a lower cost. If you have questions on how to freeze food HERE is a great site that tells you step by step how to freeze almost any fruit or vegetable.

You can also freeze other items such as butter and breads. Personally I do not like to freeze baked goods but I know people who do. Again it is all about stabilizing your cost and buying when prices are low in bulk so you do not have to buy when the prices are high. So what do you freeze that is unusual? I would love to know.

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