Quantcast
Channel: Happy Money Saver
Viewing all 142 articles
Browse latest View live

Organizing your Coupons: The File Folder System

0
0

There are a lot of different ways to organize your coupons. I have tried to cut my coupons all out and put them in a binder, or arrange them into little organizers. I have clipped, and alphabatized and my biggest complaint I had was the TIME it took to do all these things. Cutting out every coupon alone took me about 30 minutes and organizing them took even longer. As a busy mom of 4 kids I needed something quick and easy.

So here is a wonderful method I use that will take you less than 2 minutes each week!! It is the hanging file method and it is what I would recommend doing above all else for beginners. It saves so much time. First purchase a hanging file box or drawer system. I found this one at Walmart for around $4 and a pack of hanging file folders there as well for around $5.  You will only need 4 folders to begin! Have the tabs on them say: (1) SmartSource (2) Red Plum (3) P & G (Procter & Gamble) and (4) Misc.

019
018Then you will want to take the inserts out of the Sunday paper and stack “like” inserts together. Make a pile of all the SmartSource inserts. Then a pile of the Red Plum ones. And then P&G ones once a month. Take a thick marker and write the date on the front cover of each insert. 023

Take the stack and place into its folder. Place the newest stack of inserts on the top, close the folder and file them away. After about 5 months, the majority of coupons in the insert will be expired, so at that point you would take the coupons and recycle them. Then once you reach 5 mos, every week you add a new stack of inserts, you throw out a stack of old ones at the same time.

042

Use the Misc. folder for things like Internet Printables, Fast food coupons, or other great coupons you find.

026
And that is it! It takes hardly any time at all to file away your inserts. So now you ask, “Well how will I know when to use the coupons in them? I cant see them!” That is the beauty of my grocery and drugstore matchups on my blog. You can go to my store lists and the list will tell you what coupons you will need that week and what date they are at. You can make yourself a personalized shopping list by clicking on each item you would like from each store.

For example the list will say I need to get some Quaker granola bars coupons that were in the 3/17 SS (SmartSource). So I will go to my file system, open it up to that date and cut out my coupons. Its so easy and saves tons of time!

The post Organizing your Coupons: The File Folder System appeared first on Happy Money Saver.


New To Couponing?

0
0

extremecouponing

So you want to learn how to save money by couponing? You have come to the right place.  Here at Happy Money Saver we are passionate about coupons, saving money and getting great deals!  I’m sure after seeing Extreme Couponing on TLC, you want to know, “How do they do that?!”  First off, just know that not everyone who coupons is “extreme”.   Making a goal to save 50%-60% off your grocery budget is absolutely something you can accomplish and be proud of. I cut my grocery budget in half once I started and you can too – read about my personal couponing story here or watch one of my local news segments where I did one of my shopping trips on video here.

Below, I have created a beginner couponing guide to help you get started with couponing.  If you have any suggestions or questions, please leave a comment on my blog as we are ALL here to help each other! :)

COUPONING GUIDE:

Use coupons on sale prices and stock up!

If you want to save money you must learn this #1 basic principal in the art of couponing.  When an item in a store goes on sale, that is when you use your coupons on those items and stock up!   If you just try to use coupons to save money only, you will only save the $1.00 or so per coupon. But if you wait for your products to go on sale, and then use your coupons too, you will be saving a lot more.   Stocking up is very important as well because most stores follow an 8-12 week sales cylce which means that if something is on sale this week, it will usually not be on sale again for another 8-12 weeks. You will want to buy the items when they are on sale using coupons and buy enough to stock up for an 8-12 week period of time.

Example:  Spaghetti sauce is regularly priced at $3.50 per jar. It goes on sale to $1.50 per jar and you have a $1.00 off coupon. So you will only pay $0.50 per jar ( a savings of $3.00!). If you go through a jar a week you would usually pay $42.00 without coupons over that time period for 12 jars. But if you use coupons and this sale price you will only pay $6.00 for 12, a savings of $36! Stocking up and using coupons on sale prices can save you a LOT of money!

Store Coupons + Manufacturer’s Coupons = Stacking

So there is a difference between Store coupons and Manufacturer’s coupons. And because of this difference you can use both of them at the same time.   Store coupons are often found in the stores weekly ads.  These are coupons that do not say “Manufacturer’s” on them, but say the name of that store (example: it would say “Safeway coupon”.  You can usually find these in the store, sometimes in the Sunday Paper, through your emails /online and by signing up for store shopper cards. Manufacturer’s coupons come from the manufactures (like Kelloggs, Kraft etc.) and the store gets reimbursed for the full face value of those coupons. You can use both a STORE coupon and a MANUFACTURERS coupon on one item!

Example: At Safeway Scott toilet paper is on sale for $2.99 for a package.  You have a manufacturer’s coupon for $1.00 off Scott toilet paper and a store coupon for $1.00 off Scott toilet paper.   Use both of the coupons on one package and you will get it for $0.99!

Where to get coupons:

  • Sunday Newspaper Coupon Inserts - The Sunday paper carries little coupon booklets in them called inserts. These inserts carry TONS of coupons in them. There are 3 main types of inserts that I get in my area: SmartSource (SS), RedPlum (RP) and Procter &Gamble (P&G).   They look like this:

    I recommend having a subscription to the Sunday paper for as many people as there are in your family,even babies so you are able to STOCK UP when things go on sale. For Example..I have a family of 6 so I get 6 Sunday papers to meet my couponing needs. But if there is just one of you.. get one Sunday paper.  This is probably the hardest thing to do for some of you..buying 6 Sunday papers?   You are probably thinking..is this lady nuts? Will I save enough money buying all these newspapers? But I can tell you — YES it is worth it.  I have saved over $3,000 in just 6 months of sale shopping with multiple Sunday newspaper coupons. Also – you can get an early sneak peek of coupons that will be coming in each Sunday newspaper at Sunday Coupon Preview here.

  • Internet Printable Coupons –  Online printable coupons are great because you can just print and cut them out. Just know that you cannot photocopy internet printable coupons as it’s illegal and each printable has its own tracking code. But you can usually print out 2 legit coupons per household/or per computer of each coupon.  Most of the time to be able to print coupons you will need to download their tracking software which has always been safe to do for me. Here are some of my favorite sites to print coupons from (copy these links and add them to your browser if you like) :  Coupons.com, Coupon Network, Smart Source, Red Plum, and Target. Different companies are also offering a lot of printable coupons from their Facebook pages as well.
  • Magazines: The All You Magazine is my favorite magazine for coupons! This one magazine has TONS of coupons inside, including FREE product coupons every once in awhile. You can buy it at Walmart in store or online by subscription. If you have a subscription, you get the issue before it hits newsstands! Plus there are sometimes coupons in other magazines as well, so make sure and check all your magazines for coupons.
  • Digital Coupons, eCoupons and Preferred savings cards –  You can load coupons to your preferred savings cards at various grocery stores and discount programs such as Safeway’s Just For U program, Ibotta, Savingstar, UPromise and more. Check your grocery store to see if they offer ecoupons added to your club card or other programs.
  • Inside Products - Check inside packages or boxes of products you buy, sometimes there are coupons inside.
  • Find coupons in the store -
    • Blinkies are those little blinking machines in stores that spit out coupons. When you go shopping, collect a few of each one as you walk by if you will use them.
    • Tearpads are little coupons in a tearpad. Take a few of these if you see them as well. They have these in grocery stores/drug stores as well as gas stations.
    • Peelies These are little peel-able coupons on products. Taking peelie coupons is a gray area of couponing – but I did a survey on my blog and most readers think it is wrong to take them unless you are buying the product it is on.
    • Catalina coupons:  These coupons print on a receipt-like piece of paper at the register. Sometimes they are for products and sometimes they are $ off any in-store purchase.
    • Also keep your eyes out for Coupon Booklets, and coupons on bottles of wine.

Couponing Abbreviations & Language:

Couponing Lingo can be really hard to understand. Its like another language! Make sure and become familiar with all the terms and abbreviations. See a full list of Coupon Abbreviations and Language here.

Get some coupons & get Organized

Now that you know how to save money it’s time to collect your coupons, organize them and start saving!!  Subscribe or buy your Sunday newspapers (some folks have been able to get them at Dollar stores to save money). I recommend getting one Sunday newspaper per member of your household so you can stock up. Save all your coupons for up to 6 months – often times people throw away those Sunday coupon inserts after a week and some of the coupons  inside don’t expire for 6 months. Save them – because you never know when that sale will come where you can get the item for cheap or even free.   Also start printing off some printable coupons and organizing them. Here are a few of my favorite places to print coupons from: Coupons.comCoupon NetworkSmart SourceRed Plum, and Target.

Organize your coupons

There is no right or wrong way to organize your coupons. I have tried each and every one of these methods below and they each have their benefits. Just find what works for you and stick to it!

 

Getting Started with Couponing:

  • Pick one or two stores and learn as much as you can about each store!  Look up their corporate coupon policies online or call the stores and ask them about what kinds of coupons they will accept.  You can also check out my store guides for Rite Aid and  Walgreens.
  • Join the store’s preferred savings or club card programs (for example, Safeway Just for U, Fred Meyer, Albertsons, RiteAid, etc)
  • Get a copy of the store’s Weekly Sales Ad (either in your newspapers or online) and match sale items with coupons!
  • Make a Shopping List, clip your coupons, have a budget & stick to it. Gather up as many freebies as you can!
  • Take BABY STEPS! Learning to coupon is a process, the more you do it the better you get at it. Remember every coupon you use saves you money! This is lots of FUN! I’m super excited that you are here and ready to join in this money saving adventure!

While you are here, make sure to Subscribe to the Happy Money Saver email! You will get a daily email of all the hot deals and store match-ups!!  You can also Follow Me on Facebook and Twitter!

The post New To Couponing? appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Top Legit Online Survey Companies

0
0

If you’re looking for a quick ‘n simple way to earn a little extra income from home, check out this list of legitimate online survey companies.

I have had some readers lately emailing me to ask about which survey companies are legit or worth their time. So today I wanted to list out some of the top rated survey companies, and some of the ones I have tried personally and know to be great. Most of these survey companies offer a cash payment, while others offer both cash and/or prizes!

Note: You should NEVER have to pay to join a survey company. Never ever.  Also – it’s a good idea to set up a separate email account for your surveys as you will get a lot of emails.

Now you’re not going to be able to quit your job, or become a millionaire from doing these but it’s always nice to get checks in the mail, free gift cards, and some extra gas, grocery, and shopping money!

Here are the top legitimate online survey companies:

OpinionOutpost – Opinion Outpost offers its members the opportunity to shape the products and services that touch their lives! Participants complete surveys for points that can be redeemed for cash payment through Paypal, a Citi Bank Card, or even donated to their favorite charity.

Valued Opinions - Being part of Valued Opinions is a rewarding experience all the way. Earn rewards simply by building up your balance, through completing surveys, and then exchange them for some brilliant rewards. Give your opinions by voting in Online Polls and Hot Topics.

MySurvey - MySurvey.com is a group of consumers from throughout the United States who influence future products and services by volunteering to participate in consumer research. By sharing your opinions about products and services, you are rewarded with Reward Points to redeem for Paypal, e-certificates, gift cards, charity donations and much more.

SurveySpot - The beauty behind SurveySpot.com is that it allows members to be a key factor in market research. Members enjoy unlimited access to all surveys with NO commitment (cancel membership at any time). Participants are entered in their quarterly drawing with prizes up to $10,000, plus earn prizes and cash rewards just for participating.

Ipsos i-Say - Join the i-Say panel and be a part of their team. Create polls, take surveys, and give your unique thoughts on the products and services you use every day. You’ll earn more than just points for being a member of i-Say. It’s how every day people like you or I, can have a real voice. Take surveys, earn points and redeem them through their online reward catalogue. They also periodic contests & prizes.

GlobalTestMarket – GlobalTestMarket was designed to give you the opportunity to get paid for directly influencing global market research. In partnership with top companies around the world, our online surveys offer you the ability to help influence the development of products and services that you use every day. Earn “MarketPoints” as well as Sweepstakes entries into their daily and monthly cash drawings. For every 1,000 MarketPoints earned, you’ll receive payment of $50.

Swagbucks – This is a GREAT way to earn gift cards, cash to your Paypal Account and more just for searching the web.  I am currently saving my Amazon gift cards earned from Swagbucks to pay for the majority of Christmas this year.

Pinecone Research - Upon approval into their program you will receive survey’s via email.  For each survey you complete you will receive $3.00 and paid by check through the mail or paypal. Note: This one is currently not taking on new members, but it is one of my favorite ones! I will make a post when this one becomes available again.

These are the top rated survey companies rated by TheSurveyPolice.com, which means they have been tried, tested and rated.

Which survey companies have YOU tried? I would love to hear your experiences with this. Do you love & use a survey company I didn’t list on here?

The post Top Legit Online Survey Companies appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

4 Easter Basket Ideas on a Dollar Store Budget

0
0

Easterp1

This year I wanted to see if I could get all of my 4 kids Easter Baskets and fillers at the Dollar store. I started out with last years eggs, and some basket bags I got on clearance the year before.

easterp2

They have all kinds of cute baskets at the Dollar Store if you didn’t save yours from last year. Some years I use small garbage cans as baskets, to be used in their rooms after Easter. Or buckets/pails as a basket too instead of the traditional. This year I got the boys pails and the girls baskets.

easterp3

I looked for some candies that had 4 to a package to save myself money on the candy.

BASKET #1:

easterp4

easterp5

Items I filled my 6 year old’s basket with:

  • Water Bottle
  • Spiderman Puzzle
  • Picture frame (printed out a picture of Jesus for inside)
  • Stuffed Dog
  • Little Dragon figure
  • Body Wash
  • Chocolate Bunny
  • Candy

 

BASKET #2

easterp9

easterp91

Here are the items I found for my 8 year old daughter:

  • Barrettes
  • Chocolate Bunny
  • Picture frame (with Jesus picture I printed and added)
  • Bubble Bath
  • Puppy puzzle
  • Water Bottle
  • Jump Rope
  • Candy

 

BASKET #3

easterp6

easterp7

This was the toughest basket of all. For my 13 year old Teenage Son. There wasn’t a whole lot of items in store, and in fact he might think many of these items are lame. We will see. I know he will like the candy though.

Items inside:

  • Chocolate Bunny
  • Picture frame (with Jesus picture I printed and added)
  • Water Bottle
  • Cologne
  • Glow Mask
  • earbuds
  • lcd watch
  • Gum
  • Candy

 

BASKET #4

easter-032

easterp8

And lastly here is what I added to my teenage daughters basket:

  • Chocolate Bunny
  • Picture frame (with Jesus picture I printed and added)
  • Water Bottle
  • Headband/pony tail collection
  • Nail polish
  • nail file, toe kiet
  • Shaving cream
  • Candy

easterp92

Each basket I only paid $10 in total for, and would have been less if I would have kept last years Easter baskets & grass.  The Dollar store can be a great place to save money on Easter baskets!

What other ways have you been able to save money with your Easter baskets? Any thrifty items you are adding this year?

The post 4 Easter Basket Ideas on a Dollar Store Budget appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Making your own Laundry Detergent {Worth the cost?}

0
0

Homemade Laundry Detergent Recipe - Spend $20 for a quick recipe that you just mix up and it lasts a whole YEARUpdating this post: this recipe has lasted 10 months for my family of 6!! Plus I wanted to share this awesome comment posted from Nick (thanks for your service Nick!):

comment

I think that is the best comment ever!

 Making your own Homemade Laundry Detergent

I finally decided to try and make my own homemade laundry detergent using ingredients you can buy at your local supermarket. I was a little bit worried when I saw how many ingredients I needed to buy to make this, and wondered if this would really be cost effective or not. But after making this, doing the math and using it I can tell I will always be making and using my own homemade from now on. It’s a great way to save money!

Here are the cast of ingredients to make your own homemade laundry detergent:

1 Box of Super Washing Soda 3 lb. 7 oz. ($3.24)
1 Box of Borax 4 lbs 12 oz. size ($3.38)
1 Box of Pure Baking Soda 4 lb. ($2.12)
3 bars of Fels-Naptha 5.5 oz. or you could also use Ivory soap ($0.97 x3)
1 container of Oxy-Clean 1.3 lb ($3.86)
*optional: Purex Crystals 28 oz. for scent (or you could use Downy unstoppables ) ($5-$6)

All these ingredients cost a total of $20.27 out of my pocket (Walmart prices).

And that was without using coupons. If some coupons become available you will spend even less. 

The first step is to grate your Fels-Naptha Bar. You can use a cheese grater to do this, but I used my food processor as it was a lot quicker. Using my food processor I first grated the bar like cheese, and then used the regular blade to grate down fine.  You could use Ivory soap (just microwave it and it will foam where you can just crush it into a fine grade).

Next I grabbed one of my plastic tote bins and put a black garbage bag inside of it. Then I poured each one of the ingredients inside like so.

Mix all these ingredients up well. Possibly throw in some free child labor.

Then add it all to your container of choice.

There is quite a lot of this homemade laundry detergent. In fact it is 18 lbs. worth!

That is 18 lbs of Laundry Detergent!

You only need to use 1-2 tablespoons per load, and yes you can use it in your High Effeciency washing machines (that’s what I have been using).  Some people worry that just 1-2 tablespoons is not enough, but this stuff is concentrated and works really well!  I have been using it for months now.  My daughter has really sensitive skin, and this has been wonderful for her since all the others out there have add-ins.

But is this cost effective?

So I did the math of course, to figure out how much per load this recipe makes. I am super excited about the results because it is as low as $0.04 per load which is a stock up price when it comes to laundry detergent and using coupons. But watch for coupons on these items to even make the cost lower.

By Comparison -

Ultra Tide powder 143 oz. box, 8.9 lbs. = $17.97 at Walmart ($0.12 per load)

This Homemade Laundry Detergent recipe makes 18 lbs (or 288 oz.) and costs $20.27.  1 lb of this is about 28 tablespoons.  18 lbs equals 504 loads @ 1 tbsp per load. Final price is just $0.04 per load!

So $0.04 per load homemade versus $0.12 per load (Tide).

So even the largest box of Tide detergent at Walmart which has 102 loads won’t last as long as this homemade stuff. And you can save so much money by making this yourself. Give it a try, you won’t be sorry…I promise!

4.3 from 20 reviews
Homemade Laundry Detergent
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 Box of Super Washing Soda 3 lb. 7 oz.
  • 1 Box of Borax 4 lbs 12 oz. size
  • 1 Box of Pure Baking Soda 4 lb.
  • 3 bars of Fels-Naptha 5.5 oz. or you could also use Ivory or Zote soap
  • 1 container of Oxy-Clean 1.3 lb ($3.86)
  • *optional: Purex Crystals 28 oz. for scent (or you could use Downy un-stoppables)
Instructions
  1. Finely grate the Fels-Naptha. Mix all the ingredients together and store in container of your choice. Use only 1-2 Tablespoons of detergent per load.

 

Homemade Laundry Detergentcosts $20.27 to makecan last a whole year or even longer (504 loads)

Here are more DIY recipes you might be interested in:

Find more frugal living recipes and DIY ideas here.

The post Making your own Laundry Detergent {Worth the cost?} appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Best Price and Value for Garbage Bags (Karrie’s Research)

0
0

Karrie's Research: What is the Best Value for Garbage Bags

Back by popular demand – ITS ANOTHER HAPPY MONEY SAVER RESEARCH PROJECT! I know it doesn’t get much better than toilet paper but this time I wanted to find out which garbage bags were the best value .  As you know, not all garbage bags are created equal; you have drawstring, flap ties, tear resistant, force flex, scented and more.   The choices for garbage bags can seem endless and it can be really hard to know which is the best value and quality for your hard earned money.

I love these kinds of research projects! You can also see my posts on Best Value on Toilet Paper and Best Prices for paper towels. These research projects are fun for me as I love knowing how to save money on things I buy all the time.   I plan to doing a new research project each month for my awesome readers.

Doing research on what the best value for garbage bags has been something I have been curious about for awhile (ok maybe I need a life!) As a coupon shopper I haven’t seen too many amazing deals on garbage bag coupons and I wanted to find the best place to spend my money. I also wanted to test the quality because I know there are some really cheap generic brands that break easily. There is nothing worse than having your garbage bag break open all over the place. It’s messy, gross,  and nobody likes doing the leaky garbage bag dash to the outside bin.

PRICES GATHERED

I did some research at 6 large stores to compare every brand of plastic garbage bags available.  The stores I went to are Costco, Walmart, Target, Cash n Carry, Dollar Tree and Winco.  My research was to  determine the answer to this question, “Which Plastic Garbage Bag brand is the best value?”

I created a spreadsheet you can view that shows regular price, brands, the price per bag, and gallon size of bags from the 6 stores.  Feel free to print this out, and keep it in your purse/wallet as a reference guide. 

You have two options to view this list:

  • View in Google Docs
  • For printable version: from Google Docs Click File, Download As, choose PDF and export to your computer
  • There are four tabs at the bottom, make sure and check each tab as there is useful information in each one.

TESTING THE GARBAGE BAGS

blocktest

To test the strength of the garbage bags I decided to use a 15 lb. cinder block. It’s got a rough texture and heavy enough for me to see if these bags could handle the weight.

Many of these bags failed this test. One of the dollar store bags broke super fast. And the Glad bags? Let’s just say their results did not make me “Glad.” I also tested the Winco’s Better Value brand, and the block tore & broke right though as well.

blocktestfail

Now I know that the Glad Force Flex has been rated really high by consumer reports, and you might be wondering why it’s name is on this FAIL LIST. While it never did break open totally, the pressure did create some smaller tears as you can see if the picture. If I had something heavy or sharp in my garbage plus something like pine-shavings from cleaning out my chicken bins, I would really hate for my bag to start tearing/leaking. So I added it to the fail test. All the others the block actually broke all the way through on this fail list.

blockpass

Here are the garbage bags that passed this test! Kirkland, Great Value, Up & Up and Good Sense did not break.  I was actually quite shocked that the Good Sense Dollar Tree brand was that strong – but their bags were only half the width of the other bags, (small & skinny) so that’s why they still aren’t making it in my top winners lists.

THE RESULTS

g

The #1 best price per bag for 13 gallon kitchen size was Winco’s Better Value twist tie variety at $0.058 cents per bag. This one doesn’t have drawstrings, its just a basic plastic garbage bag that uses twist ties. But it wasn’t good quality because the block tore right through it. While the price is good, it is just not worth it if it isn’t strong enough to handle a large bag of garbage.

Plus I just have to have drawstrings. I don’t like trying to tie a knot in the bags.

kirkland

My final winner for all around best value goes to Kirkland (Costco) brand plastic garbage bags with expandable drawsting. You get 200 of them for $13.99 (which is $0.07 per bag). They were strong enough to hold my 15 lb. block and not tear or break! Plus they were a nice quality bag and at this price it’s the natural winner.

greatvalue

If you don’t have a Costco membership I will give you my second favorite value choice.  My #2 is Walmart’s Great Value Drawstring 13 gallon kitchen bags. They are thick and smooth so they will slide out of the can easily. Plus the drawstrings are strong and don’t tear. It also passed the block strength test. They cost around $0.10 per bag and you would need to buy the 150 pack of them for this price at Walmart.

I didn’t do any tests or comparisons on the black 30+ gallon bags or the smaller sizes of garbage bags, but the prices were all included in the google spreadsheet.

I hope you enjoyed my research project! Make sure and subscribe to my email newsletter so you don’t miss out on all my fun posts.

Happy Savings everyone!

The post Best Price and Value for Garbage Bags (Karrie’s Research) appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Cutting My Little Boys Hair to Save Money!

0
0

How to Cut Your Little Boys Hair - Lots of pictures and a guide to help you learn. (Happymoneysaver.com)

For this weeks Happy Homesteading  post I wanted to talk about how to cut your little boys hair.

Haircuts can be expensive. As a mom of 2 boys and one happy husband, going to the salon every month really adds up to some serious cash.  If you can learn how to cut boys hair at home and give the boys a nice cut; you will be save a ton of money for years to come.

My youngest son is 6 years old and I finally decided to take the time to learn how to cut my little boys hair. I was really afraid of messing up his hair, cutting him, or shaving him bald. So the way I learned to do it was by taking some lessons from my sister in law who is a professional hair dresser. Finally one day gave me some lesson and I have been cutting my boys hair ever since. I have only messed up once so far, so like with everything.. there is a learning curve. It’s nice since hair always grows back so you can try, try again.

HISTORY

As you know I like to bring in a couple of pictures from my family history in these Happy Homesteading posts..so I looked through all my albums to see if I could find any evidence of some bad hair cuts. I found a couple for your enjoyment. See… even if you try this out and fail a few times, it won’t be the first time.

This first cut I thought was funny was of this boy Herbert Olson (my great uncle). Looks like a definite bowl cut to me! Plus it’s a little bit shaggy too. :)

familyfun-haircut-001

And of course…this picture of my Grandmother Marilyn in 1935 cracks me up! If that isn’t a haircut done at home I don’t know what is.

marilyn-hairwords

She is still absolutely adorable though…

HOW TO CUT YOUR LITTLE BOYS HAIR

I started with the clippers. I purchased a clippers set from Walmart for around $20. I used the clipper guard with the number 3 on it for my son.  You can also buy a nice clipper set on Amazon for under $20 as well. You want to have a comb, some scissors, your clippers and the numbered guards.

clipper

Next, find one silly boy and make him drape a towel over his shoulders (they hate getting all itchy…).

hair2

Start by putting on that plastic Number 3 guard on the clipper and plugging it in. Hold the clippers in a 90 degrees angle and go straight up from the base of the neck.  Cut it in an upwards motion. Do this all around his head.

hair3

hair5

hair6

hair4

hair8

hair7

THE EDGING

Take the guard off the top of your clippers, and do some cleaning up around the ears and the back of the neck. You can also use your scissors at this stage as well if you prefer. Be very careful not to nick his little ears, those clippers can be sharp.

hairy1

hairy3 hairy2

hairy4 hairy5

Now you are DONE with the clippers.  Get your scissors out for the rest! First step is to get his hair wet. My dollar store spray bottle broke (big surprise there…) so I just used a cup of water. My son LOVED that as you can tell (said sarcastically).

wethair

MAKING YOUR GUIDE CUT

To begin trimming the top of his hair, take a section in the front and make your “GUIDE”. Choose the length you want his hair to be for this guide.

haire1

Then holding your fingers as level across as possible cut the hair away.

haire2

Then if once you have your guide you will be cutting the rest of the hair that length.

View the top hair in 3 sections, the middle and the two sides. Starting at the front and working your way to the back do the middle section.  Comb a section on his head up level with your fingers and snip away the longer hair to the length of the guide hair you cut. Use the guide cut all the middle section, then the sides.

haire4

haire50

Your last step will be blending the top of the hair with the shorter sides. To do this you need to cut at a 45 degrees angle like the angle this comb is at in this picture.

haire6

I used my fingers and just gently clipped the hair at that 45 degrees angle.

haire5

PS – Have I mentioned to you all how much I love this face? I do, I really do.

haire7

And then you are all DONE! Woo hoo! Another $15 saved. Here is the end result (just like at the salon!)

haire8 haire9

My son was thrilled to be done…and get all that hair off him. Time to head on over to shower off!

haire10

Because getting a haircut can be ITCHY!

haire91

Thanks for reading… I hope you try to cut your own son’s hair too to save some money. I haven’t yet tried to cut my daughters hair, I need another lesson from my sister in law for that one.

And if you are looking for a nice Clippers Kit – check out this one on Amazon for under $20 + free shipping with Super Saver shipping on orders of $25+ or free with Amazon prime.

wahl-clippers

For the cost of one haircut (around $15) you can buy some clippers, do it yourself and save lots of money.

Savings Breakdown:

Cost of 1 Haircut around $15 w/tip
My son gets a haircut at least once every 2 months ($15 x 6 = $90 per year)
$90 per year x 2 sons + one husband = $270
Buying Clippers – $20
Final: $250 per year saved by learning to cut your own boys hair!

Final thoughts. If you don’t feel comfortable trying this out yourself first, ask someone who does it to come over and teach you how.  Or watch some youtube videos on it. But you can do it! Even if you mess up the first time keep trying. It is so worth it to save all that money. 

Do you cut your own boys hair? Any tips or other helpful info you can add to this?

Oh and if you liked this post make sure to “Pin It” on pinterest and subscribe to Happy Money Saver’s email newsletters so you don’t miss any more of these fun posts.

The post Cutting My Little Boys Hair to Save Money! appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

How to get Free Containers for Starting Seeds Indoors

0
0

How To Get FREE Containers for Starting Plants Indoors - happymoneysaver.com

Today I wanted to share with you all how I was able to get FREE containers for starting seeds indoors.  Last year I wanted a free container for planting my seedlings, so I tried the egg carton method. It worked okay, but I had a hard time getting them out of the containers, and when I watered them it was kind of a messy ordeal.  I also purchased a seed starter kit from Walmart last year for around $5.00 and that worked fine. However this year I wanted something that I didn’t have to pay for, but was strong enough to hold my plants.

So I went on down to Lowes to check out what they had available for containers & seeds. While I was wandering around the store I noticed this cart full of empty planters and pots.

How To Get FREE Containers for Starting Plants Indoors - happymoneysaver.com

They were in the gardening section and they were full of plastic containers they were going to recycle. So I asked an associate if I could have a few of these empty plastic containers for myself and she said “Sure!”  She said quite a few people ask her for them and that they are happy to give them away to people that are going to use them.

I was so excited – FREE CONTAINERS!!! Wooo hooo! The ones I found were sturdy and deeper than the ones I would have paid money for at the stores. Plus I was able to find some long flat plastic ones to place underneath the potting ones them so that they won’t drip all over my counters when I water them.

How To Get FREE Containers for Starting Plants Indoors - happymoneysaver.com

Look how perfect they are!

I found the Lowes cart full of recycling containers up by the front of the gardening department, but look around if you don’t see it right away. And make sure and ask someone first, so it doesn’t look like you are stealing. But from the way it sounds, people get these free all the time. Why oh why didn’t I know about this??? :)

When I got home I added potting soil to these free containers and added my seeds. Then watered and placed in a sunny window.  

Here is how they are looking now – a few sections are just now starting to grow even after 10 days.   

planting seeds indoors gardening

The ones I am doing by seed indoors this year are 3 giant pumpkins, one tomato plant, lots of marigolds, 6 celery and 8 basil. Many of the other seeds I have planted directly into my garden, which by the way is starting to green up nicely!

 Have you been able to get free containers at Lowes or Home Depot before too? Any other places to get free containers you know of?

The post How to get Free Containers for Starting Seeds Indoors appeared first on Happy Money Saver.


FREE Bowling for Kids this Summer

0
0

kidsbowlfree

As summer is almost here I wanted to share with you the awesome Kids Bowl Free Program where you can sign up your kids to have 2 free games every day all summer long. Kids age 15 and under can will receive a weekly voucher good for two (2) free games per day. *Shoe rental not included.*  If you have more than six children, you will also need to create an account from a separate email address to register the additional children.

To get started, register your kids here.

Want to make it a family affair? You can pick up a family Summer Pass for just $24.99. Each pass is good for up to four adults ages 16 and older to bowl two games per day all summer. You can add the Adult pass following the kids’ FREE bowling registration.

What a fun way to keep kids active all summer long!

Note: you do have to pay for the shoe rental – so start scouring goodwill now for some used bowling shoes now. :)

The post FREE Bowling for Kids this Summer appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Thrifty Tip: Which Mop to use?

0
0

Photobucket

Today I wanted to reshare one of my favorite thrifty tips for you all. My mop.  I have been through many mops..sponge head ones, swiffer wetjet, clorox wet-jet, rag style + many more. But they were either really annoying to use, felt they werent strong enough, or I had to constantly buy replacement heads or cleaner, which cost me lots of money.  So I am pleased to share my favorite mop with you all that saves me both time + money.

The BEST mop that I just adore is actually the SWIFFER SWEEPER! (Yes, I did just say sweeper…)

PhotobucketIt comes in this little green box at most stores including Walmart, Albertsons, Target, Walgreens, Rite Aid ect. and runs around $7-$10.

I don’t use it as a sweeper however, I use it as a MOP! The swiffer sweeper has 4 little holes to put the swiffer sweeper pads into, but I do not use the pads or refills. I use my own cleaning wash-cloths. The base (bottom of sweeper) is actually kind of a rubbery-spongy type material, so it is perfect for scrubbing floors with a wash-cloth wrapped around it.

Photobucket

I simply fill up my sink, dip my wet wash-cloth in and attach it to the Swiffer Sweeper. I make sure and tuck some of the wash-cloth into each of the Swiffer Sweeper holes so it hangs onto it while I mop.

Photobucket

Photobucket

Photobucket

Then I just mop! That wash-cloth scrubs well, just like if you were hand washing the floor. If you have something really sticky or big just spray it with a cleaning agent and let it sit, it should come right up with that mop.

Photobucket
When you are done mopping, you can just throw your wash-cloth into the wash! I feel this not only makes me feel safe from germs + bacteria, but saves me money because I dont have to purchase all the refills.

If you have hardwood floors, this is great because your floors don’t get too wet, plus you can dry them with a dry cloth after you mop using this Swiffer sweeper too.

Hey, if we have to mop, we might as well save money doing it right?

The post Thrifty Tip: Which Mop to use? appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

2013 Summer Fairs & Festivals in the Pacific Northwest

0
0

I LOVE taking my family to all the local fairs and fetivals. Here is a big List of all the 2013 Fairs and Festivals in the Pacific Northwest.

The one thing I really look forward to every summer is all the wonderful Fairs and Festivals they have here in the Pacific Northwest. This year once again I am teaming up with two amazing bloggers to bring you all a great big list of summer fairs and festivals in the Pacific Northwest.

Eastern Washington /Idaho Fairs & Festivals

June

July

August

Sept

 

Central and Eastern Oregon Fairs & Festivals

JUNE

JULY

AUGUST

SEPTEMBER

Plus visit Frugal Living NW for the Western Oregon Fairs & Festivals and Thrifty NW Mom for the Puget Sound Festivals and Fairs.

Hope you have a ton of fun this summer! Please share any other festivals you love to go to if I missed them.

 

The post 2013 Summer Fairs & Festivals in the Pacific Northwest appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Summer Reading Programs 2013

0
0

2013srp

Summer, the time when kids are out of school and looking for things to do!   Here is the biggest list of Summer Reading Book programs for Eastern Washington and Oregon state for 2013. I have teamed up with Frugal Living NW, and Thrifty NW Mom, with each of us tackling one region each in the Pacific Northwest.

NATIONAL Summer Reading Programs for 2013:

Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program: Kids earn a FREE book when they read eight. Click the link above for more information and to download the reading journal. The site also includes downloadable activities.

Book It! Program: Kids who meet the challenge to read five books over the summer will be eligible to win a summer fun prize package.

Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge:  Log in your reading minutes to the Scholastic site and your child will be able to participate in a World Record challenge as well as earn digital prizes.

Chuck E. Cheese Summer reading program  :  Earn 10 FREE tokens every time your child reads for 2 weeks in a row.  Just fill out the form and bring it in to claim your free token.

 

Pottery Barn Summer Reading Program:   May 16 – Aug 26. They have story time every Tuesday from 11-11:30am & they will receive an official Book Club Passport to mark off. If they attend 5 story times, they will receive a special gift.

Book Adventure - Sylvan offers this FREE reading incentive program. Basically your child reads books and then takes a simple comprehension quiz to make sure they understood what they read.  The quiz is usually about 10 questions long.  They earn points based on how much they remember from reading the book.  There are hundreds of books to choose from in all reading levels.  These are common books that can be found at your local library.  Once they have earned enough points they can trade them in for some really neat prizes!

TD Bank Summer Reading Program – Read and keep track of 10 books this summer and your child will get $10 added to their Young Saver Account FREE!

 

Eastern Washington Summer Reading Programs

Tri-Cities, WA:

  • Mid Columbia Library Summer Reading Program: Starting June 1st – Ending August 31. Create an account, read your favorite books, and enter your reading time. Read 15 hours by August 24 to enter to win a LeapFrog Tag Junior Prize Pack (ages 0 – 5); Nook Tablet (ages 6 – 12); Kindle Fire (ages 13 – 17); iPad 3 or computerized telescope (ages 18+).  Kids and teens: complete your reading to get a free book – pick up yours at the library beginning July 5.
  • Richland Public Library Summer Reading Program - Spend your summer reading and earn prizes, including a coupon worth $6.00 at the BookWorm bookstore or 3 free books at the Friends of the Library Book sale room. Sign up at the Childrens Desk starting June 1st. Visit website for more information.
  • Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program: Read 8 books, download the journal and hand it into your local Barnes & Noble Store to pick out a FREE Book (selected choices). Go online  to get your journal.
  • McDonald’s Summer Reading sponsored by the Reading Foundation. Children will be given a bookmark the first time they attend and asked to read 10 books the following week.  Check with your local Tri-Cities area McDonalds for times.
  • Hastings Summer Book Club – Submit an essay for a chance to win a computer. Plus possibly other prizes. Details at their website.
  • Check with your local elementary schools – they often have a summer reading program where you might win passes to Benton Franklin County Fair and other rewards.

Spokane, WA

  • Spokane Public Library – Read for 15 hours or Read 15 books startgin June 1st to get a FREE book! Turn in your log by August 31, 2013.
  • Barnes & Noble Summer Reading Program: Read 8 books, download the journal and hand it into your local Barnes & Noble Store to pick out a FREE Book (selected choices). Go online  to get your journal.

Yakima, WA

  •  Yakima Public Library Summer Reading Program – Each library hosts programs, special events and crafts.
  • Imagination Library Story Hour at Yakima Valley Museum. A story hour for children up to age 5 the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. At 10 a.m. it’s English and at 12 noon its spanish. This program meets at the Yakima Valley Museum, 2105 Tieton Drive, Yakima; 509-965-7100 ext.1019.
  • Inklings Toddler Story Time- Inklings Bookshop hosts a toddler story time at 10 a.m. Tuesdays. Located in the Chalet Place shopping center, 5629 Summitview Ave., Yakima; 965-5830. (NOTE: For an extended excursion, break next door at Starbucks before crossing the parking lot to the Summitview Library, which typically holds a preschool story time at 11 a.m. Tuesdays.)

Wenatchee, WA :

  • Wenatchee Public Library – Starting June 18th – you go in to sign up for their summer reading program. When you read a certain amt of minutes you get prizes. Plus if you finish reading to fill out your reading record you will entered into the drawings for big prizes as well.
  • Hastings Summer Book Club –  Details at their website.

Walla Walla, WA - Walla Walla Library Summer Reading Program - Every time you read for 15 days, visit the library with your book log and enter a drawing for prizes. Drawings to be held before Terrific Tuesday programs. Read for 45 days, visit the library and choose your grand prize book. Book Prizes will be awarded from July 23 through September 13, 2013.

Moses Lake, WANorth Central Library Summer Reading Program. Starting on June 17th – you go in to sign up for the summer reading program. When you read a certain amt of minutes you get prizes. Plus if you finish reading & fill out your reading record you will entered into the drawing for big prizes as well. Find out more info when it becomes available online.

Ephrata, WA - North Central Regional Library Summer reading program- The summer reading program begins June 8th. They will have the  traditional Wild Wednesday weekly programs each Wednesday morning.  They will also have many more “professional” programs in the evenings throughout the entire summer.  Check at the desk to pick up a copy of the summer schedule.

Pullman, WA - Neill Public Library Summer Reading program offers a fun-packed summer program for children, youth and their families. Enjoy great weekly programs and earn free books by reading. Teen volunteering opportunities too. Registration begins June 12,2013.

Othello, Wa -  Mid Columbia Library Summer Reading Program. Starting June 1st – Ending August 24. Create an account, read your favorite books, and enter your reading time. Read 15 hours by August 24 to enter to win a LeapFrog Tag Junior Prize Pack (ages 0 – 5); Nook Tablet (ages 6 – 12); Kindle Fire (ages 13 – 17); iPad 3 or computerized telescope (ages 18+).  Kids and teens: complete your reading to get a free book – pick up yours at the library beginning July 5.  Go online to register.

Sunnyside, WA - Yakima Public Library Summer Reading Program – Each library hosts programs, special events and crafts.

Toppenish, WA - Yakima Public Library Summer Reading Program – Each library hosts programs, special events and crafts.

Ellensburg, WA – Ellensburg public library - June 20th: Summer Reading Kick-Off Party 5:30pm-7:00pm @ Library Plaza.

Central and Eastern Oregon Summer Reading Programs

Bend, OR :

Hermiston, OR Hermiston Public Library Summer Reading Program - Three summer reading programs return to the library in June, July, and August, 2013. Each program is designed for a different age group and has its own theme. If you have questions please call the Hermiston Public Library at 541-567-2882

LaGrande, ORLa Grande Public Library Summer Reading Program

Pendleton, OR Pendleton Public Library Summer Reading Program

The Dallas, OR Wasco County Public Library Summer Reading Program – details to be announced shortly.

La Pine, OR - La Pine Public Library Summer Reading Program - First, read or listen to books for 3 hours. Fill out the pink coupon for ages 0–5 or the yellow coupon for ages 6–11. You’ll receive a free book, a coupon for Goody’s, and a pass to a Trailblazers game. 16425 1st Street. La Pine, Oregon 97739. Call for details 312-1090

Redmond, ORRedmond Public Library Summer Reading Program - First, read or listen to books for 3 hours. Fill out the pink coupon for ages 0–5 or the yellow coupon for ages 6–11. You’ll receive a free book, a coupon for Goody’s, and a pass to a Trailblazers game. 827 SW Deschutes Avenue. Redmond, Oregon 97756. Call for details. 312-1050

Sisters, ORSisters Public Library Summer Reading Program - First, read or listen to books for 3 hours. Fill out the pink coupon for ages 0–5 or the yellow coupon for ages 6–11. You’ll receive a free book, a coupon for Goody’s, and a pass to a Trailblazers game.110 N Cedar Street, Sisters, Oregon 97759. Phone number 312-1070

Sunriver, ORSunriver Area Public Library Summer reading program - First, read or listen to books for 3 hours. Fill out the pink coupon for ages 0–5 or the yellow coupon for ages 6–11. You’ll receive a free book, a coupon for Goody’s, and a pass to a Trailblazers game.

Prineville, ORCrook County Library Summer Reading Program

Madras, OR - Jefferson County Library Summer Reading Program  - read 3 books, fill out the form.

Lakeview, ORLake County Library summer reading program

Burnes, OR Harvey County Library summer reading program

Baker City, OR - Baker County Library District summer reading program

Wallowa, ORWallowa Public Library

 

If you want to see the list of Western Oregon & SW Washington Summer Reading programs see Frugal Living NW.

If you want to see the list of Seattle/Puget Sound Summer Reading programs see Thrifty NW Mom.

The post Summer Reading Programs 2013 appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

20 Things to Do With Eggshells

0
0

20 Things to do with Eggshells

Eggs are a great source of protein, they’re full of vitamins and minerals and hey, they taste good too. But once you crack the shell and fry up them eggs, what good is the shell but tossing it in the trash? A lot more than you’d think.   I am still playing the waiting game for my first eggs from my chickens, but in the mean time I am saving egg shells from my store-bought eggs. 

Here are 20 Things to Do with Eggshells that you might not know about.

  1. Composting:  Eggshells are rich in calcium with about 750 to 800 mg of calcium in each medium eggshell. Eggshells include lots of other nutrients that are great for plants. Just crush or grind them up and add to your compost.
  2. Fertilizer: Along the same lines, you can crush eggshells and sprinkle them into a hole right before planting to fertilize the soil. Then every two weeks, crush eggshells and sprinkle them around the base of your plants.
  3. Prevent blossom end rot: Tomatoes and cucumbers are especially susceptible to blossom end rot. Sprinkle crushed eggshell around the vegetables to prevent this and provide some calcium carbonate.
  4. Seedling starters: Need a place to grow seedlings? Take an eggshell, rinse, add a hole on bottom for drainage and crack the other end. Fill this end with dirt and one to two seeds. Once they’re ready to be planted, just crack the eggshell at the bottom and plant the young plant along with the shell.
  5. Pest control: Crush eggshells around vegetables and flowers to keep away snails, slugs and cutworms because they don’t like crawling over the shell. Should keep cats from using your garden as a litter box too.
  6. Fertilize indoor plants: Just as with your garden, eggshells are a great way to keep your indoor plants healthy. Add the shells to a container of tepid water. Put in a cool, dark place overnight and then add the water to your plants.
  7. Cleaning dishes: Use eggshells to clean pots and pans that are tough to clean. They work wonderfully as an abrasive.
  8. Clean vases:  Vases can be hard to clean since they’re so tall and slender.  Just rinse the vase with warm water, add a few crushed eggshells, fill with warm water, and then add a drop of dishwashing soap. Shake and rinse thoroughly.
  9. Remove coffee and tea stains: Have a mug that is stained, no matter how you scrub? Add in some ground up eggshells, drop them in the mug and add warm water. Let sit overnight, letting the eggshells absorb the stain.
  10. Whiten laundry: Just stick some eggshells in a mesh bag in your laundry and your white clothes will lose their grayish tint. I haven’t tried this myself. Has anyone tried this? Did it work?
  11. Feed them to chickens: Laying hens need lots of calcium and often need supplements in order to get that calcium. Calcium deficient hens lead to thin-shelled (and possibly shell-less) eggs.
  12. Homemade calcium supplement: Clean and sanitize the eggshells, let them dry, and then blend them to powder using a blender or coffee grinder. Spoon them into gelatin capsules or add them to smoothies for the extra calcium and other health benefits.
  13. Pet calcium supplement: You’re not the only one that can benefit from egg shell. Your pets can also use a calcium boost. Just add sterilized, ground eggshells to your pets’ food.
  14. Make homemade sidewalk chalk: This is definitely something to try for the kids. Grind up 5-8 shells, add 1 tsp of hot water, 1 tsp of flour, and food coloring. Mix together and then pack into toilet rolls till dried. Sounds like lots of fun!
  15. Coffee additive: Try adding an eggshell to the filter in the coffee maker. It will take some of the bitterness out of the coffee flavor and what’s left over in the filter is perfect for adding to your compost.
  16. Coloring: Rather than hard boiling eggs and coloring them, use the blow out method to remove the egg yolk. You can then color the eggshells.
  17. Eggshell mosaics: You can leave your colored shells be, or consider taking the colored shells, crushing them, and creating a beautiful mosaic. All you need are colored shells, card stock, a design, glue and tweezers.
  18. Gelatin molds: Want a clever gelatin dessert? Use eggshells as a gelatin mold. It can also be used to create egg-shaped chocolate treats. Just pour in some melted chocolate.
  19. Facials: Use a mortar and pestle to grind the egg shells (or I assume a blender would work as well) and then mix with egg whites. This makes a great facial, but be sure to let the mixture dry completely before you rinse it off.
  20. Use as a bandage: The membrane inside eggshells is perfect for bandages. Crack the egg, swipe some membrane, wrap it around the cut and let it harden.

Do you have any fun uses for eggshells? I’d love to hear about them!

Sources: Rural Spin, Community Chickens, Huffington Post, OneGoodThingByJillee, RD, ThePrairieHomestead, TLC, TheDailyGreen, FamilyCrafts, Care2

The post 20 Things to Do With Eggshells appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Thrifty Tip: 5 Ways to Save Money with your Kids at the Beach

0
0

Great ideas for saving money with kids at the beach

I have been thinking of taking the happy kids on a drive to the beach soon, so I wanted to share my top 5 ways to save money with your kids at the beach.

Ah the beach. I love sitting there, the sand between my toes, hearing the sound of the waves, and taking in that much needed vitamin D.  Although it’s not always super relaxing taking your kids to the beach, it can still be a lot of fun. Whenever my children see the vast ocean they are full of wonder and amazement. They get creative and can play all day long and I love watching them. It just makes me happy. P.S. This is a picture of my little niece whom I just adore.

You would think taking a quick trip to the beach with your kids would be a very thrifty activity, but costs can add up quickly if you are not careful.

Here are my top 5 ways to save money with your kids at the beach.

1.)  Save on toys. Get all your toys, buckets, squirt guns, kites , digging trucks and other fun gadgets ahead of time. My first stop is always the dollar store. They often have the buckets, pails and shovels. I have also seen kites there, and squirt guns and tons of toys and balls.  If you don’t find the items you want at the dollar store, check in the inexpensive summer seasonal isles at Walmart and drugstores. Also consider stocking up on a few of these items at the end of the season for the following year when they go on clearance.  Just don’t wait until you get to the beach to get some of these items where all the tourist shops charge a LOT more money.

2.) Save on Lodging.  If you are going to the beach for longer than a day (say a few days or a week) consider camping on the beach to save money. Just make sure the campground has showers. You get a LOT of sand on you at the beach and you must be able to get it all off.  Yes, I am telling you this from experience. Let’s just say, sand gets EVERYWHERE. Ahem. If camping is not your thing, look on craigslist and ask friends/family advice on where they have stayed inexpensively.

3.) Save on Food.  Pack in your on food to save money at the beach. Kids often play hard at the beach, running, jumping in the waves, and digging.  While the majority of kids would rather be playing than eating, they do eventually get a little hungry. I find that they don’t necessarily want a huge meal, just a snack. So I make up little snack sized baggies of little treats and snacks. Bring in a cooler and fill it with all your snacks like bagged fruit, bagged crackers, cheese sticks or mozzarella cubes, pretzels, granola bars or other quick foods. Also add in some bottled water or baby wipes for cleaning off the sand from their fingers before eating as well.

4.) Save on Drinks.   If you have ever paid $4 for a bottle of water at the beach concessions…you will know it’s best to pack your own drinks to save money. I love to add to our cooler lots of water bottles and favorite drinks. You can fill up an old jug with kool-aid or homemade lemonade to bring too. Come prepared with your cooler and it will save you money.

5.) Stick to a budget, learn to say no.  If you are on a strict budget, then decide in advance to not bring any cash with you. That way when the horseback riding or other vendors come by it will be easier to say no. If you do want to buy items at the tourist shops, make sure and have a budget for you or your kids to follow and stick to it. You will feel much better at the end of the day knowing you didn’t spend more than you wanted to.

Those are my 5 tips for saving money with your children  at the beach. Don’t forget to bring beach towels, sunscreen, something to sit on. And lastly – enjoy yourself! Enjoy those fun memories you will be making with your children – they grow up too fast. 

Do you have any cool tips or thrifty things you do to save money at the beach?  

See more Thrifty Tips here.

The post Thrifty Tip: 5 Ways to Save Money with your Kids at the Beach appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Farmers Markets vs. Grocery Store – Where do you save more money?

0
0

Cool post answers this question: Does the Farmers Market or Grocery store have better prices

This past Friday, my little guy and I took off to our local farmer’s market. This was our first time going together, and I know he was excited to see all the food plus get to spend some one-on-one time with mom.

2013-08-02 14.28.44

It was a beautiful day out. The sun was beaming, the sky was gorgeous, the temperature was just right and the entire area smelled like fresh greens and kettle corn. I don’t know, maybe it was the excitement of being able to support local farmers. Maybe it was being in the presence of hippie-looking ladies wearing head scarves and maxi skirts. Maybe it was the free sample of fresh watermelon I tasted when I first arrived or looking at all the beautiful colors of produce. But something in the air was just relaxing, peaceful and happy.

2013-08-02 14.40.40

Now that I have been growing a small garden myself I can appreciate how much work and knowledge goes into all the gorgeous fresh fruit and vegetables folks there are selling. And it makes me happy knowing that all the food at the market was locally grown, many without pesticides or chemicals.

2013-08-02 14.35.44

2013-08-02 14.44.42

I love the Farmer’s Market, but I have been wondering if the prices are lower or higher than going to the grocery store.

So I did some research.

I started collecting the prices on everything that day at the market. Then scooted on over to Winco grocery to get all their prices as well.  Here is my collected data:

Farmers Market prices  vs. Winco grocery store prices

**The lowest price is marked in red.**

Jalapenos (Farmers Market) 5/$1.00 or $1.50lb — (Winco) $0.78 lb
Green Bell Peppers (Farmers Market)  3/$1.00  — Winco $0.68 lb
Tomatillos $1.49 lb.  $1.25 lb. — (Winco) $0.78 lb
Vine Ripe Tomatoes $1.49 lb — (Winco) $0.88 lb
Green Beans $2.50 lb. — (Winco) $1.28 lb
Sweet Corn 2/$1.00 — (Winco) $0.33 each
Red potatoes $1.50 lb. $1.59 lb. — (Winco) $0.98 lb
Baby potatoes $3.00 lb. — (Winco) $1.98/1.5 lb. bag
Kale $2.00 $3.00/bunch — (Winco) $1.48 each
Zucchini (Farmers Market)  $0.88 lb — (Winco) $0.88 lb
Yellow squash 3/$1.00 — Winco $1.28 lb
Gray Zucchini 3/$1.00 — Winco $0.98 lb
Serrano or Super Chilis 20/$1.00  – Winco $1.28 lb
Cucumbers (Farmers Market) 3/$1.00  4/$1.00  $1.50 lb. – Winco $o.88 each
Carrots $3.00/bunch  $1.00/bunch — Winco $0.48 lb
Fresh Herbs (Farmers Market) $2.00-$3.00/bundle — Winco $2.98-$4.99
Eggplant $1.00 lb. $2.00 lb. — Winco $1.98 each
Cabbage $2.00 — (Winco) $0.58 lb
Walla Walla Sweet onions (Farmers Market) 2/$1.00  $0.75/lb — Winco $0.78 lb.
Yellow Onions 3/$1.00 — Winco $0.48 lb
Plums $2.00 lb. — (Winco) $0.88 lb
Rhubarb (Farmers Market) $2.00 lb or 3 lbs/$5.00 – Winco $2.28 lb
Fresh blueberries (Farmers Market) $4.00/18 oz., $3.50/pint,  Flat/$35  20lb boxes/$60 ($3 lb) — (Winco) 16 oz. $2.98 = abt. equal if you are buying in bulk
Fresh Peaches 12 lb. box $8.00, $2.00 lb., $1.50 lb. $16/box — (Winco) $0.98 lb
Organic Apricots (Farmers Market) $1.50 lb  — Winco $1.98 lb.
Raspberries $3.00/container or $15 for 6  – (Winco) $3.98 12 oz.
Raineer Cherries (Farmers Market) $3.00 lb  – Winco $4.98 lb.
Hermiston Seedless Watermelon $0.49 lb.  – (Winco) $0.38 lb.
Nectarines $2.50 lb.  – (Winco) $0.98 lb
Apples (Farmers Market) $1.50 – $2.50 lb. – Winco $1.99 lb

A few other farmers market prices just in case you were interested..didn’t get comparing prices on these at Winco

  • Red onions $2.00/bunch
  • Radish $2.00/bunch — $0.58 ea
  • Yukon Gold Potatoes $1.50 lb. $1.59 lb
  • Fresh Garlic 3/$1.00 — Winco $0.38 each
  • Elephant Garlic 2/$4.00
  • Chard $3.00/bunch
  • Heirloom Tomatoes $2.50 lb.
  • Pesticide free Beefsteak tomatoes $1.99 lb.
  • Cherry Tomatoes $2.00/container
  • Beets $2.00/bunch  $3.50/bunch  $1.00/bunch
  • Leeks $2.00
  • Winco Hot House tomatoes $0.98 lb
  • BiColor Corn 3/$1.00/ 2/$1.00 
  •  Anaheim peppers 10/$1.00
  • Inferno Peppers 5/$1.00
  • Gipsy Pepper 4/$1.00
  • Hermiston Seeded Watermelon $0.39 lb. -
  • Blackberries $2.50/container
  • Orange & Green Honeydew melon $0.59 lb
  • Cantaloupe $4.50 each
  • Fresh Blueberries 4 lb. bag $12.00 
  • Organic Diamond Princess Peaches $2.00 lb. or 25lbs for $25

Which one has better prices?

2013-08-02 14.43.00

From tallying them all up 16 times on this list Winco beat the Farmers Market price, and 9 times the Farmer’s market beat out the Winco price. So I am going to say that the winner for the majority of lower prices is the Grocery store vs. Farmers Market.

I love that the Farmer’s market is fresh, local and mostly organic. Some of the time you don’t know for sure if the items in the farmers market are organic or pesticide free though. I once asked a blueberry seller if their blueberries were organic and they said no. They spray. So that being said, I can’t say for sure all the items are organic or pesticide free. If they were then the farmers market would probably beat out the organic produce prices in grocery stores. The Winco store I went to did not carry many organic items.

Which one has better produce?

 

2013-08-02 14.46.13

I think I am biased to the feeling I get when I go down to the Farmer’s Market. It’s such a happy peaceful place and I love supporting local growers. However if I took away that feeling, and just looked at the produce I think it can be pretty comparable. For example, fresh green beans and seedless watermelon were both in season when I went to the farmers market.  Both the store and market carried watermelon from Hermiston (which is 30 minutes away from where I am) and the quality was the same. The green beans from both places looked beautiful as well.  So I think they are both equally the same when it comes to product.

My vote is…

Gosh, that is a tough one. I love Farmer’s Markets. Love love love. But if I was on a tight budget I would stick with the grocery store.

A few Tips to help you Save at the Farmers Market

2013-08-02 14.33.08

Make sure you walk through the whole market and take note of the prices of the items you are looking for before making your purchase. Many sellers offer the same fresh produce and some have different prices. I wanted some fresh green peppers and many had them 2/$1.00 but a couple of vendors had them for 3/$1.00. It pays to look around before you purchase.

Make sure you bring cash with you. Not many of them have a swiper for a credit card at their stands. I brought $20 with me and spent about $15.

Sometimes farmers will drop their prices right before time to close to ensure they sell everything they brought with them that day. If you wait sometimes you can save up to ½ off what the price was. But this can be risky too, because if they sell out of the item you want, it’s gone.

All in all it was a wonderful day for me and my son at the farmer’s market. I can’t wait to go again.

2013-08-02 14.42.14

If you’re wanting to check out all the fun for yourself, check out LocalHarvest.org to find the nearest farmer’s market or comparable grocery near you.

What do you think? After looking at the prices are you going to stick with grocery store or farmers markets for fresh produce?

The post Farmers Markets vs. Grocery Store – Where do you save more money? appeared first on Happy Money Saver.


Thrifty Tip: Cut your Sponges to Save Money

0
0

Super thrifty tip: Cut your sponges, scrubbers, magic erasers and even dryer sheets in half to save money!

One of my dear friends was watching me do the dishes after a BBQ recently. She asked where I had purchased my cute little sponges, so I said, “Walmart of course!” She had never seen a sponge cut in half!

I have been cutting my sponges and scrubbers in half for as long as I can remember. Halved sponges are just as durable and productive as a whole sponge. You can use one half for a week or so and throw that bad boy away without fuss.  Then you have another half waiting for you under the sink! 
spongee

You can also cut magic erasers, dryer sheets and scrubbing pads in half which doubles your inventory in just one slice as well.  ;)

spongee2

I just cut them as soon as I buy them, then toss them in a gallon sized ziploc and toss it under my sink.

I’m curious, do you or have you ever cut sponges in half to stretch your dollar too?  

The post Thrifty Tip: Cut your Sponges to Save Money appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

You going to the Fair this year? Here are some money savin’ tips!

0
0

fair

Fairs and festivals are a huge part of summer time! Every year, my family looks forward to the fun filled kid friendly event.  I always wonder who has more fun, me or the kids! I mean, we could hang out in the barns with the farm animals and people watch all day if we had the chance. With that said, fairs and festivals can become a bottomless pit of spending cash. Here are some helpful tips to keep you on budget for this fair and festival season:

Tip #1 – Choose your festival or fair wisely. Some are more expensive than others. If you are in the Pacific Northwest here is a list of all the summer fairs and festivals this year.

Tip #2 Tickets - Buy your tickets in advance at discounted prices. If you wait to pay at the gate you’ll pay full price. We buy our adult tickets in advance and pick up the kids tickets on “Kids Day” each year at our local Benton Franklin County Fair where they have FREE or reduced admission for children under 12.  Some festivals/fairs give you free admission if you are a volunteer or enter exhibits at the fair.  Check to see if yours gives a military or senior discount as well. You can pre-order wristbands for unlimited rides at a discounted prices usually.  If you wait till you get to the fair you might pay $5+ more per bracelet!

Tip #3 Parking Fee - Usually you will have to pay a parking fee, so load up in a van and carpool with friends so you can split the bill! You can also catch a ride on your local transit to avoid a parking fee and all the parking lot congestion in general. My local Benton County Fair offers “Fair Bus Combo tickets” for $13 which is the same price as daily admission at the gate just to get into the fair.

Tip #4 –  Bring Your Own Food & Drinks (if allowed). You may have to fork out a lot of money to feed the family if you don’t pack a sack lunch. Of course we always buy the deliciously fattening (but oh so worth it) elephant ears! I’m pretty sure you don’t get the whole fair experience until you have chowed down on one of those babies. ;)  Besides our annual elephant ear indulges we try to stay on point and always pack a lunch including snacks, fruit, applesauce to go, sandwiches, chips, crackers, fruit snacks, juice boxes, and plenty of water! With our large selection of food to choose from I carry a sturdy back pack so I’m not leaning sideways from lugging around a huge bag on my shoulder. A backpack is the way to go my friends!

Tip #5 – Bring Cash. Bring whatever money you’ll need.  If you plan on playing games, capturing the moment in a photo booth or buying raffle tickets bring your own money, the ATM can charge up to $5 in fees. This way you won’t fall into the trap of over spending since you brought your allotted amount of cash you planned on spending.

Hope you have fun and enjoy your time at the fair! And just in case you were interested here is a list of all the summer fairs and festivals in the Pacific Northwest.

capture-20130802-205259

So…do YOU go to the fair? What is your favorite thing to eat? What are you most looking forward to at the fair?

 

The post You going to the Fair this year? Here are some money savin’ tips! appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Make Ahead Cold Lunches {A Weeks Worth of Lunches in a day!}

0
0

Cold Lunches for the Week all made in one day! In the morning, just grab food you prepped earlier in the week from the "Lunch Container" and you're DONE!! Genius!  #backtoschool #schoollunch (happymoneysaver.com) I am re-posting this awesome way to save money by doing make ahead cold lunches! Not only will this save you time but cold lunches can also be a lot more healthy too than the cafeteria mystery hamburgers. Before I tried this method I always had a tough time with packing a cold lunch for my kids.  Even though I always WANTED to pack the kids cold lunches it was a lot of time and work each morning.  I would usually get excited, do cold lunches for about 2 weeks and then get lazy. I found that if I didn’t prepare the night before, it was a mad rush in the morning and it was just so much easier to say – “You’re getting hot lunch today!”

Last year I tried out making ahead a weeks worth of cold lunches all in one day. And it worked! This idea is kind of like freezer cooking but for cold lunches.  Once a week I chop and bag up all the fresh fruit, vegetables, crackers and any other lunch items all at once. Then I add them to a cold or dry lunch bucket to store in my fridge or pantry. The kids can quickly grab the items to throw in their lunches when they prepare them themselves in the morning or evening before.

Cold Lunches for the Week all made in one day! In the morning, just grab food you prepped earlier in the week from the "Lunch Container" and you're DONE!! Genius!  #backtoschool #schoollunch (happymoneysaver.com)

Cold Lunch Bucket

The cold lunch bucket is just a tub I purchased at Walmart. It fits perfectly in my fridge. Once a week I will separate grapes, chop oranges or apples (if I did apples I would first soak them in pineapple juice or fruit fresh so they keep longer), chop carrot or celery sticks and even make up some sandwiches to freeze. Cold Lunches for the Week all made in one day! In the morning, just grab food you prepped earlier in the week from the "Lunch Container" and you're DONE!! Genius!  #backtoschool #schoollunch (happymoneysaver.com) Some of the items I have kept in my own personal cold lunch bucket this past year are:

  • String Cheese, Babybel cheese
  • Yogurt smoothies or other yogurt cups
  • Carrots ( I found little cups with lids at Cash n Carry that I add ranch dip to them sometimes)
  • Apples
  • Sliced Oranges
  • Mandarin Oranges, whole
  • Green Peppers, sliced thinly
  • Celery sticks
  • Grapes, Cherries, Canteloupe or other seasonal fruit cut up

Dry Lunch Bucket

The dry good lunch bucket has all the other dry type items such as bagged pretzels, crackers, homemade granola bars, trail mix, treats and more. This bucket sits in my pantry. Cold Lunches for the Week all made in one day! In the morning, just grab food you prepped earlier in the week from the "Lunch Container" and you're DONE!! Genius!  #backtoschool #schoollunch (happymoneysaver.com) Some of the dry items to consider:

  • Crackers or Pretzels
  • Homemade Granola
  • Granola Bars
  • Beef Jerkey
  • Trail Mix
  • Chips
  • Graham Crackers
  • Brownies or Homemade Cookies ( I bake up a bunch and individually bag them up)
  • Special Treats ( usually for a holiday – like a single candy on Halloween…)

Sandwiches & Wraps

I have found that the easiest way for me to make the sandwich part is to take a large roll or sandwich bun, add in meat and cheese, wrap and freeze individually. My children will take them out in the morning frozen and by the time it’s lunch the sandwich has thawed. If they must have the condiments on their sandwiches you can always add them in between the meat and cheese, so when it thaws it won’t sog your bread. Wraps will also freeze really well as well as quesidillas. My kids will eat them cold. By the way – my kids favorite is pepperoni + provolone cheese on a hard roll or bun.

How many to Make?

I count out the number of days for cold lunch that week times how many children. Here is my own personal math: 4 kids x 5 days = 20.  20 bags of various chopped vegetables, 20 bags of various chopped fruit, 20 bags of chips/crackers, 20 string cheese or even treats if I feel nice that week..hee hee. 20 Sandwiches, quesadillas, or other main dish options. So I make everything all in one day and get it all prepared.

Where do you get the cute lunch bucket?

The cold inside the fridge box is a 15 qt sterilite container. And the sterilite container for my pantry I found at Walmart.

You can order little Lunch labels through this etsy seller for only $1.50 each shipped!! That is one sweet deal!

I love this idea but I want to be more “green” by not using tons of plastic baggies.

One idea you could do is to buy a bunch of re-usable sandwich bags – I love the ones from Neat-os.  They are see through, but are 100% re-usable. I can be expensive to buy a bunch, but if could pay off in the long run.

Or consider making up a bunch of bento boxes in advance for the week. You could also just use a few larger gallon sized bags and fill them with all the carrots, string cheese and other items. Then if you are using a bento box or other type of container you can easily just grab some out the day of. It’s still better to be prepared.

For me while I want to be green, I am also on a very tight budget. So when I look at $2.00 for 100 little plastic baggies versus having to spend hundreds on re-usables it’s tough. So I will be trying to buy a few re-usable bags each month and slowly reduce my waste in the world. You just do what you can! Every little bit helps.

Cold Lunches for the Week all made in one day! In the morning, just grab food you prepped earlier in the week from the "Lunch Container" and you're DONE!! Genius!  #backtoschool #schoollunch (happymoneysaver.com)

Have you done this as well? Any other great food ideas for kids, teens or even your husband lunches?

The post Make Ahead Cold Lunches {A Weeks Worth of Lunches in a day!} appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Thrifty Tip: Clean Your Garbage Disposal

0
0

sink

If you take care of your garbage disposal the right way, it will last a whole lot longer, which saves you money. So cleaning and deodorizing your disposal is today’s thrifty tip!

How to clean your Garbage Disposal:

Pour a pot of boiling water down your drain. Then pour ½ cup of baking soda into the drain and let set for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup of boiling water down the drain and cover with the drain plug. This will keep the reaction in the drain and not bubble up into the sink. Let this solution sit for 5 minutes. Flush one more time with boiling water. This should do a great job at cleaning and removing build up!

Next: run cold water while the disposal is on:

Keep your disposer on with water running for 30 to 60 seconds after the waste has cleared from the drain. Cold water keeps the motor, bearings and shredder assembly from overheating. You want to make sure the waste flushes through the pipes completely by flushing it out with water.

Optional: deodorize your disposal:

Throw small pieces of lime and lemon peels with a handful of ice into your garbage disposal to eliminate odors and help maintain the blades!
The lemon and lime will keep your kitchen smelling citrusy fresh. Ice helps knock off any debris built up on the sharp edges that keep them from grinding food properly.

Items that shouldn’t go down the disposal:

· Bones
· Celery
· Artichokes
· Coffee Grounds or Filters
· Banana Peels
· Fruit Pits or Hard Seeds
· Onion Skins
· Starchy Foods- pasta, bread, rice, potato peels
· Corn Husks
· Plastic, Metal, Screws, Nails, Glass
· Plant or Flower Clippings
· Hair
· Grease
· Bottle Caps, Paper, or Bread Tabs

Helpful Tips:

Try to avoid putting grease down the drain if possible. Kitchen grease will harden inside your pipes and stink up your drains.
When cleaning your dishes use hot water and a detergent that is tough on grease.
Always keep the water running while the disposal is on to help keep it clean and clear of debris.

The post Thrifty Tip: Clean Your Garbage Disposal appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

The Best Natural Fruit Fly Trap using Vinegar

0
0

Thrifty and all natural Fruit Fly trap using vinegar and dish soap.  happymoneysaver.com

Got a fruit fly problem? Have no fear – today I am sharing the best natural fruit fly trap using vinegar! It will save you, promise.

Last week when I canned peaches using my no-refined sugar recipe I noticed a fruit fly. Well overnight that one fruit fly turned into 20. And then 40. Seriously…what is up with how fast these little fetchers breed?  Before I knew it I was doing the icky dance, batting fruit flies away every time I opened my pantry. I knew that the breeding needed to stop and these fruit flies needed to destroyed.

My parents always used vinegar and dish soap to kill them little buggers.  Unfortunately at that moment they were traveling and I couldn’t get a hold of them for their recipe. Luckily on that same day I got an email from a reader named Stephanie who shared her recipe for a fruit fly trap using vinegar and dish soap.

How to make a Natural Fruit Fly Trap Using Vinegar

Fruit Fly Trap using vinegar - natural, safe, non-tox and it WORKS!  happymoneysaver.com

Take a jar and fill it 1/2 or 1/3 full of apple cider vinegar. Next,  gently mix in a few squirts dish soap (maybe a teaspoon amount) so there are no bubbles. Then, leave it on your counter overnight near where you see them. In the morning there will be drowned fruit flies in the bottom of it! If the first night doesn’t catch them all make a fresh batch the next day to catch the stragglers.

How this works is the apple cider vinegar smells like rotten fruit to the fruit flies and attracts them. The liquid dish soap breaks the surface of the vinegar and sucks them in when they try to land, which drowns them.

DIY Fruit Fly Trap using Vinegar and dish soap - it works great!

Now I am a lover of most creatures besides spiders, grasshoppers and flies of all kinds. So it still saddens me a little that I am having to kill these little fruit flies, but if I don’t they will breed and infest quickly. This method is natural and non-toxic so if my kids come by and happen to grab the jar off the counter it shouldn’t hurt them.

So it’s bye bye, fruit flies! Hope this recipe helps you out.

Thanks again Stephanie for your recipe!

The post The Best Natural Fruit Fly Trap using Vinegar appeared first on Happy Money Saver.

Viewing all 142 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images