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Posts Tagged ‘Budget Smart’

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Five Must Have Appliances for the Budget Smart Kitchen

In Budget Smart Cook on January 19, 2012 at 3:48 pm

Since my teenage years I’ve been a collecter of cooking gadgets, appliances and utensils. However, if I had to narrow down five appliances that I would keep no matter what, these would top my list. I don’t think any budget smart kitchen should be without them-

Slow Cooker

Even when they went out of fashion I still used one. I now have two and thinking about adding a third one. I’ve used mine from everything from making mashed potatoes to apple butter. Most of the time I rely on them for soups and stews. They’re not expensive to buy, cost efficient to run, and once everything’s placed inside you can walk away and forget about it. I can’t think of an easier way to get dinner on the table.

Bread Machine

One of my favorite indulgences is artisan breads. Problem is they cost a lot and the prices are rising (no pun intended). One of my New Year resolutions was to start making my own. One I especially love is cheese bread. This past weekend I made a cheese and onion bread. They’re not that expensive to buy, and like the slow cooker, when everything’s added you can leave it unattended. Check out garage sales because I see them a lot. Seems people buy one and don’t realize just how great they are.

Food Dehydrator

And speaking of cheese and onion bread. The onions  I used were dried Vidalia onions I’d bought when they were in abundance and hence cheap, and used my food dehydrator. When you don’t have time to can this is a lifesaver. This summer I dehydrated strawberries, onions and peppers. At Christmas when I bought a box of oranges, I dehydrated those too and will be using them in brownies. Once again check garage sales and also thrift stores for this appliance.

Food Saver

I call this a life saver because once again if you don’t have time to can or have leftoevers you can’t eat before they go bad, this machine comes to the rescue. They’re coming down in price and a couple of models you can buy at supermarkets. I’ve used mine to store homemade TV dinners, soups, fish from warehouse stores, and even items I’ve purchased from bulk bins.

Food Processor

Last one on my list, and probably the most expensive of the bunch depending on what brand you buy, the food processor. I use mine for homeade dips and spreads like hummus which I think is overpriced at the store. I also use it for things like bean burgers rather than mash the beans by hand.

These are all items that I feel save you money and time. Have them in your kitchen and you’re more likely to make your own foods. You’ll rely less on processed foods that are not only take a chunk of your budget but they’re not that great for your health either.

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Cold Treats for Hot Summer Days

In Budget Smart Cook on June 18, 2010 at 2:09 pm

Yesterday was hot and humid and it got me thinking about cold treats you can make when the temperature soars.

Smoothies
It’s 6 a.m., it’s already hot so the last thing you want to do is eat breakfast. On those days there’s nothing I like better than a smoothie. Just about any fruit and some milk can be turned into a creamy treat. Summer fruits are cheap now, making it another way to eat a low cost meal or snack.
One of my favorite combinations is strawberry and mango. Just this morning I made a strawberry yogurt smoothie. About ¾ milk, ½ cup strawberry yogurt and a handful of chopped strawberries. And then there’s this one–
1 ½ cups chocolate soy milk…my favorite is the Silk brand.
1 banana, peeled and sliced.
2 heaped tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
Place the soy milk, PB and banana in the blender and mix for 30 seconds.

Make Your Own Smoothie Kits
Remember these were on my list of items I won’t ever buy readymade? You can use fresh fruit or even frozen ones. When I used to have a membership to Costco, I’d buy a few of their 5 pound bags of fruit, mix them altogether and then divide them into single servings and store them in freezer bags. All you need to do is add milk, soy milk or yogurt and for a lot less than the store mixes.

Make Your Own Frozen Treats
Children really love frozen treats but if you check the ingredients on most brands you’ll see sugar, artificial colors and flavors listed high on the list. They wouldn’t be so bad if they were an occasional treat but during summer they’re a daily snack. An alternative is you can make your own and get the kids involved too.

I bought a Popsicle mold for $2.49 from the local supermarket. It makes six frozen treats and I use 100% fruit juice, everything from grape to papaya. I even used left over chai tea once. And if you ever have any leftover smoothie mixture you can turn that into a frozen treat too. They take a couple of hours to freeze so it’s a good idea to make them the night before or first thing in the morning. Try adding some chopped fruit to the juice too.

Lemonade
I love lemonade as is, but sometimes I’ll put it into a blender and add strawberries or blueberries…very interesting color combo. One time I even threw in some leftover chopped ginger…very refreshing.

Ice Tea
Combine ice tea with lemonade and it’s the best thirst quenching drink of the summer. Sometimes I’ll make ice cubes from this combination and use them in plain ice tea, no sweetener required.

Shandy
Okay, this one’s for grown up and it’s a British drink called a Shandy. Fill half a glass with 7 Up or Sprite and half with beer or if you want to keep it light, lager. The two mix together on their own and it’s one of the most refreshing drinks when it’s hot.

Fruit as Ice Cubes
One thing most of us do on a hot summer day is load our glasses with ice. The only drawback is when the temperature rises, turn you back, they’re melted and your drink’s too watery. When it’s really hot I switch to frozen fruit for ice cubes. Added bonus, you’ve got something to eat when you’ve finished drinking.

A State Fair Treat
I’ve been making this frozen treat since I tried one at the state fair many years ago. My version is a lot cheaper than the $5 they charge at the fair.
Peel a banana, insert a Popsicle stick into it and put it into the freezer for about or hour or so. While that’s freezing, melt some chocolate and dip the banana into it. You can even roll it in chopped nuts or candy bars. Place it on waxed paper and freeze until the chocolate is set.

Cool Glasses
And one trick to keeping everything cooler longer is to put glasses and pitchers in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes before you use them. I even do this with bowls for salads and cold soups.

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Tips on Winning The Grocery Challenge

In Budget Smart Cook on June 3, 2010 at 6:35 pm

For those of you who missed my blog the other week, All You magazine is holding its second annual Grocery Challenge contest. There will be ten finalists and the winner will get a $1,000 grocery card and will also be featured in the magazine. The challenge is to spend $25 or less per family member per week on groceries during a four week period. The contest runs from June 20 to July 17th. Go to www.allyou.com/grocerychallenge to sign up. Beginning June 18th the magazine will send you a newsletter featuring tips for saving money and also recipes. I’d love to see a Budget Smart Girl reader win this so to get you thinking about ways to meet this challenge, here are some of my tips for cutting down on your grocery bill. If anyone wants to share their tips to help those entering the challenge, feel free to add a comment.

Eat With The Season
One of my favorite tips for saving money is to eat with the season and buy only produce that’s in abundance. There couldn’t be a better time for this challenge because more produce is hitting the stores and the farmer’s markets. Make dishes using vegetables, like stir frys, pasta with grilled vegetables, sandwiches using items like grilled zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. And don’t forget desserts. Berries are in season and in a couple of weeks we’ll see peaches and plums hit the produce department too. They’re great by themselves but combine them with ice cream (one brand always seems to be on sale) and it’s an inexpensive dessert. And don’t forget fruits make great breakfast foods too. An added plus is they contain fiber and keep you feeling full longer.

Pasta
Some type of pasta always seems to be on sale. Many times it’s just a dollar a box and you can do so much with it. Italian dishes, Asian dishes, hot or cold. It’s also a great way to extend meats and chicken and keep the cost of the meal down.

Beans
Another favorite budget foods are beans. There are so many varieties; you never have to get bored. Bean burritos, bean burgers and just like pasta, you can use them with smaller amounts of meat to stretch your dollar. You can even make things like black bean and corn (now also inexpensive) salsa and serve them with chips for a low cost snack.

Canned Salmon and Tuna
Besides pasta, canned salmon and tuna always seems to be on sale. I make salmon burgers for a quick meal. Tuna is great for salads when the weather turns hot. And both salmon and tuna can be made into wraps and served with a fresh fruit salad.

Leftovers
One way to win the challenge is to use leftovers. Most of the week my lunch consists of whatever’s leftover from supper the night before. Another thing I often do is make Sunday our leftover day. I turn it into a buffet and set out on the counter anything we haven’t eaten during the week. Items like leftover vegetables are also great in soups, which brings me to another money saying meal.

Soup and Sandwich
I don’t know about you but when the weather turns hot I don’t want to be in the kitchen or eat a huge meal. Soup and sandwich/wrap to the rescue…makes the perfect budget meal too.

Breakfast Any Time
Another money and time saving trick I use is to serve breakfast for dinner. Things like omelets, cheese and egg burritos, Eggs Benedict. Eggs are always a good price and pack lots of nutrition.

Coupons
I hope you’re already using coupons, but if you’re not get into the habit of using them during the challenge. Find a supermarket that doubles their value and ask if you can swap coupons with friends and family.

Plan Meals Around Flyers
When I plan meals, I sit with my coupons and store flyers in front of me to see if I can match coupons, sales and pantry items together. I’ve discovered this is one of the best ways to stretch the food budget.

Pantry Challenge
Have you heard about a pantry challenge? Once a month you don’t go to the store…for other than essentials like milk, etc, instead you plan meals around items you already have on hand. Only the other day I was thinking if I used everything in the pantry and freezer, I probably wouldn’t need to shop for two, maybe three weeks. Do that during this challenge and you’ll definitely stay within the $25 or less per family member.

Shop Less Often
Even if you’re not relying on your pantry supply, try shopping less often. I’ve switched to biweekly grocery shopping and found it does save money. Why…because the more often I’m in the store, the more likely I am to impulse buy.

Don’t Be Loyal
One of my rules for being a Budget Smart Girl is you shouldn’t be loyal. If another store has a better price, shop there. Just the other week a supermarket I don’t usually visit was offering in store coupons, plus a $5 off coupon which I couldn’t resist so they got my business.

Next week, some more tips and recipes.

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The Blog-Being Budget Smart is Catching On

In The Blog on April 26, 2010 at 3:24 pm

Lots of people must think this whole budget smart thing is cool because during April I’ve been interviewed by reporters working on upcoming stories about ways to save money. I’m not only happy that the trend is catching on, but always feel honored when reporters use me as an expert. I hope my advice helps lots of people.

It rained the whole weekend which put a stop to my gardening endeavors. However, I did stop by the local Home Depot who was running a sale on seeds. Buy one packet, get the second free. Yesterday I got my seeds planted in pots. I decided to grow lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, radishes, zucchini, beets, beans…well, just about everything we eat.

And if like me you love to visit recipe sites and keep things organized (I think I told you about this site before), check out www.tablespoon.com They’re currently offering a sweepstakes where you can win $250. Just sign up for the newsletter and you can also download $30 worth of coupons too.

This week on Budget Smart Girl-Time for the newsletter, this month you’ll find a great recipe, news about a site that shows you how to make a budget friendly meal. And if you’ve ever thought about working for Avon to make some extra money, you’ll hear from one of their representatives. And in a separate posting on the site I’ll tell you about a great new cookbook that I’m sure will become a keeper on your bookshelf.

Have a good week.

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The Budget Smart Girl Newsletter-March 2009

In Uncategorized on March 22, 2009 at 7:37 pm

Issue I, Number 3
Spring is officially here. Don’t know about you but I’m glad to enjoy warmer and longer days. Now the snow has melted, I’m looking out of the window seeing all the projects that need attending to this year.
And thinking of all the work that’s ahead, let’s start off this newsletter with something connected with relaxing…

Entertainment
My family isn’t the type to go out on the town every weekend and not just because we want to save money. I guess we’re homebodies and like it that way. We used to rent movies and maybe bring in a pizza, but this winter we found a way to save even more money.
Ever since Circuit City announced it was closing its doors, my husband decided he would buy DVDs and start his own collection. He bought about a dozen while they were 20% off and then kept going back buying more as the prices dropped. So when Valentine’s Day rolled around and as I never know what to buy him, I thought what goes with watching DVDs at home? I couldn’t think of anything and then I received one of the daily e-mails from HARO…that’s Help Out A Reporter and advertising that day was a company called Kernal Seasons www.kernelseasons.com. I now had the perfect gift. I bought him a bag of kernals, and five different seasonings. So now every Saturday night we watch one of our own DVDs and try out a different flavor of popcorn. It makes a great night in for just pennies. I highly recommend this seasoning mix and if I had to pick my favorite, it would be the barbecue flavor. I’m thinking it might even be a gourmet treat on grilled corn in the summer. The company offers quick and great service too.

And if you have some DVDs you want to swap try www.swapadvd.com. I haven’t tried it myself, but lots of my friends like it. You can also swap books and CDs on their sister sites.

And one final thing on DVDs, I was recently sent a promotion about a DVD kiosk called Redbox www.redbox.com. Rental is $1 per night. Check their Web site to find a location near you.

One Way to Curb Your Spending
I don’t know about you, but sometimes sitting down paging through a catalog often tempts me too much. One way to beat the temptation is not to remove yourself from mailing lists. I just received information about this program www.proquo.com. It claims to free you of unwanted catalogs and 90% of unwanted junk mail. And if you check at the bottom of the Web page, there’s also a link to some money saving sites too.

Clothes
Spring often means lighter clothing and yes, spring dresses. Here are some places offering great deals.

K-Mart
When I was younger and lived a couple of miles from a K-Mart, it used to be my favorite place to find bargain clothing. I’d get lots of compliments and people would ask me where I’d purchased a particular item. I no longer live near a K-Mart now and can’t remember the last time I shopped there, but it looks like I’ll be finding the nearest one. Last week I saw an ad for their new spring fashions and they have dresses starting at $24.99 and they look just as good as the designer ones. www.kmart.com

Old Navy
If you follow me on Twitter you’ll know that on Thursday I posted a Tweet about the $15 dresses that Old Navy were selling. www.oldnavy.com

Avon Calling
I remember when the Avon lady came knocking at the door trying to sell my mom lipstick. It seems the Avon lady’s selling a whole lot more these days. I kept seeing these eye catching dresses in magazines for just $16.99 and it said the supplier was Avon. Yes, Avon www.avon.com now sells clothing and cute accessories like shoes and bags too. And all at some budget smart prices.

Beauty
Okay, so now you have the cute dress at the bargain price, you might want to get your skin ready for the summer months ahead. I found this article about ways to use baking soda. I use it for cleaning and laundry, but I hadn’t realized it’s a great and cheap beauty tool too.
http://tinyurl.com/d2olt9

Food
And while I was surfing the Internet, I came across this article from WebMD. 10 entrees you can make for $5 or less. Great article and be sure to click through the pages because it also supplies the recipes for the dishes it mentions.
http://tinyurl.com/dkc84y

Coupons
I hope you checked out Hot Coupon World I wrote about a couple of weeks ago. I signed up for their newsletter and I’m finding it one of the best resources for finding bargains at the store. And here’s an article titled 10 Secrets of the Coupon Masters. One great thing about this downturn in the economy, lots of great articles about saving money!
http://tinyurl.com/ag8bjz

Get Your Own Free Financial Advisor
Well…sort of. A couple of weeks ago I chatted with Aaron Patzer the founder of a Web site called www.mint.com. He told me he created the site because after using most of the money related software out there, it wasn’t meeting his needs. Mint.com allows you to track your spending and it sees what credit card and savings accounts are just right for you. And it can even let you know where you’re spending the most money. Patzer said most of us will be very surprised just where our money goes…yes, even when we’re watching the pennies. You can take it for a test drive and if you’re worried about giving up your personal information to a Web site like Mint.com, Patzer told me it offers bank level security and is fully tested against hackers. And the plus is you’re anonymous, it won’t ask for your address or things like a social security number and is a read only program. Patzer says Mint.com is great if you want to tackle 2 or 3 problems areas like the amount you spend on shopping, restaurants, maybe even travel. And finally he had these three tips to pass along to you about being financially savvy. Spend less than you earn. Make your savings work for you…for example, get the best return on your savings. And finally protect your downside by having an emergency fund ready if something happens like an illness or you lose your job.

Magazine Subscriptions
Okay, I’ve just told you Mint.com can point out where you spend too much money. Here’s my confusion, as of a few years ago, I had seven magazine subscriptions. Yes, I made sure I got the best deals on them and justified my purchases by telling myself I needed to research markets for my freelance writing. They can be additive and we all have a favorite. So where are the best places to get the good deals? Some people like eBay. Some other ideas include swapping magazines with family and friends. Checking them out at the library. And yes, some libraries often sell old issues or even give them away. And how about the doctor or dentist’s office? Once they’re a few months old, they could be yours for the asking.

A couple of sites you can check out are-www.magazine-agent.com they offer a 90 day risk free deal
www.speedymags.com, this site lets you create your own magazine package to save money.

And here’s a couple of Tweets I posted on Twitter. You can get a free year’s subscription to CBS’ new magazine at www.cbswatchmagazine.com

Get a year’s subscription to Glamour for just $1.50. That’s the 1939 price when the magazine first launched. Wouldn’t it be great if we could go back to those prices? www.glamour.com

And if you’re a fan of Prevention, send 4 32 ounce or 12 6 ounce specially marked lids from Stonyfield Farm organic yogurt and they’ll give you a free one year subscription to Prevention magazine. This is one of the best yogurts around so it’s not much hardship to buy that much. Also, did you know you can make more yogurt from just 2 tablespoons of yogurt and you don’t even need a yogurt making machine? More about that next newsletter.

Run to the Post Office
Just a reminder that the price of stamps goes up, yes, yet again in May. These days I don’t get to the end of the roll of stamps before they put the prices up again. So on my next visit to the post office, I’m going to buy the Forever Stamps. You can use them on letters weighing no more than an ounce, no matter how much prices go up. Sort of like taking insurance out of the future.

What’s Essential?
If you read my blog on Monday you probably saw I was in Walgreens. They have a new section called Affordable Essentials, everything from shampoo to trash bags. I guess they figure there are certain items all of us need so why not give us a break on the price.

Book Recommendation
Here’s a book I currently have checked out from the library. Dinner Survival by Sandi Richard. While it’s not a budget cookbook per se, it does have some low cost meal ideas. And check out the Web site for the cookbook at www.cookingfortherushed.com. It gives you menu ideas and there are grocery lists you can print. Planning ahead before you head to the store always saves you money.

Okay, I was supposed to give you the recipe for the caramelized bread pudding here, but as some great tips have been pouring in, I thought I’d use the space to pass them along to you.

From Marlene R, in Canada
Shopping around pays off and one of her favorite places for bargains is Liquidation World. There she’s found pants for $1 and designer suits for $2. Foodwise, she recommends buying a whole chicken and using leftovers for soups, stews and chicken salad.

From Lisa A in Missouri
She likes to use those padded hangers for her sweaters, but found a cheaper alternative, bubble wrap. Just tape some to a regular hanger and you’ve got yourself a padded hanger for free.

And finally from Darlene S in New Hampshire
If you haven’t got a big back yard but what to grow vegetables, her town has a community garden where you can rent a small plot for around $20 for the season. Darlene says it’s a great place to meet other gardeners, get advice and swap vegetables at the height of the season. Last year she grew so much produce she didn’t have to buy any at the store all summer long and thinks it saved her lots of cash. Check if your area has a similar program.

Next month, yes, some recipes and throwing a party on a budget. Until next time, take care and keep sending those budget tips.

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The Budget Smart Girl Newsletter

In Budget Smart Girl's Guide, Uncategorized on February 21, 2009 at 5:21 pm

Issue 1, Number 2, February 2009

First up, this month’s giveaway. One subscriber will win a copy of Eating Between the Lines by Kimberly Lord Stewart. If you’re puzzled by all those food labels, this is the book for you. I’ll draw one subscriber’s name on Tuesday February 24th.

Getting the Lowest Prices
If there’s one good thing about this rotten economy, companies are now going to do whatever they can to make us happy customers. Last week I was listening to a newscast on this very topic and the guest said now’s the perfect time to get lower prices and rates on everything from your credit card to cable TV. So who you gonna call? Seems you just don’t call customer service and wait until you’re passed around to someone who might be able to give you a better deal. You ask for the ‘Customer Retention Department’. They’re in the position to lower the price, lower the rate and their goal is to make you happy. And if you’re not the type to phone and ask for a lower price, try it anyway. Like I always say, they can only say no. Let me know if anyone has any success using this tip.

Freebies
One of the mantras of the Budget Smart Girl is free is good. I did some roaming around the Web and found these sites offering some free goodies.

www.cozi.com free calendar, grocery and to do lists to keep everyone in the family organized.

www.printfree.com free printable cards and just about everything else.

And how about some tangible freebies?

www.get-free-samples.com Avon, Revlon products, can it get any better?

www.thefreesite.com Check out the ‘free family samples’ section.

And if you love romance novels, Harlequin turns 60 years old this year and is giving 16 free e-books, download them at www.harlequincelebrates.com

Do you live near an IHOP? To celebrate Pancake Day, February 24th, from 7 -10 a.m. they’re giving away a free short stack (that’s 3 buttermilk pancakes) for free. www.ihoppancakeday.com

For any of you who are grandparents, sign up for a newsletter at www.grandparents.com and they’ll give you the guide to 100 free things to do with your grandkid. Guess parents can sign up too!

Arts and Crafts
According to news reports, we’re now repairing our clothes and shoes rather than buying new. And some of us are even making our own clothes and home furnishings too. If you fit into either category or just sew or knit for fun, here are two sites you might like to check out-

www.homesew.com You can shop online or through the mail. They have a great catalog of just about anything you need from knitting to making jewelry. Decent prices, quick service and if you order the catalog, they also have coupons for even more savings.

www.marymaxim.com has a sale going on and offering free patterns with the purchase of wool… skeins of wool are also greatly reduced. If you knit or crochet or even looking to get a head start on holiday gifts, they have some great stuff. And they’re also running a contest where you can submit an original afghan or holiday craft design with a $1500 Grand Prize.

Garden and Yard
Did you know the big trend this year is going to be growing your own food? I’m planting a veggie garden this spring and I’ll have more about that on the Budget Smart Girl site. But for now, check out www.agardenpatch.com. If you have a small garden, or live in an apartment, this could be the perfect solution. $29.95 plus shipping and handling. But wait, the best thing is they let you try it for a year. If you don’t like it, send it back for a full refund, yes, even the shipping and handling, no questions asked.

And if you want to get a head start on preparing that veggie garden, check out this informative article at
http://tinyurl.com/b9u5vu

Eco Friendly Dental Care and a free offer
One of my pet peeves is the amount of plastic we throw away when we’re done using something. Like all the wasted plastic on deodorant containers and toothbrushes. Can’t we just buy refills and save ourselves some money in the process? This company must have heard me whining. Check out www.radiustoothbrush.com. They claim their toothbrushes last longer and you can buy replacement heads…two great ways to save money. And here’s an added bonus, buy any two brushes or replacement heads and get a free subscription to organic gardening.

Saving Energy
I found this neat little site with plenty of ideas for saving energy around the house www.responsiblebynature.com.

In the Kitchen

50-percent-less-salt-sweet-peas

Lots of people are telling me they’re cutting back on serving fruits and vegetables because of the cost. There is a way you can eat fruits and vegetables without going the fresh produce route and that’s to buy frozen and canned. Many years ago I used to feel so guilty about serving, say broccoli from the freezer, or peas from a can, but no more. All these vegetables are prepared at their peak of freshness so there’s no vitamin and mineral loss. In fact, you might lose more nutritional content if the produce sits in your fridge for a week or more. There’s less waste, no tough stalks or discolored leaves to toss away and less preparation time. After letting a container of mushrooms sit in the fridge a bit too long, yes, not a pretty image, I’m even going the canned mushroom route now. And if you’re worried about sodium content in the canned varieties, just rinse them or select ones with lower sodium. One brand I recently got to try was Del Monte Low Sodium line. Great taste and I hardly noticed they contained less salt.

The Taxman Cometh
Yes, we all hate the hassle of filing those tax returns and not to mention the cost of having someone prepare them. Check out this useful article about ways you might be able to file for free-
http://tinyurl.com/auxmnv

That’s Entertainment
Remember last month’s newsletter had a feature about family game night? Well, you need some snacks to keep your energy level high, and here’s a link to some tasty game night recipes.
http://tinyurl.com/cqo5uj

Book Review
Living Like Ed: A guide to Eco Friendly Life
Ed Begley Jr.
Clarkson Potter
$18
ISBN-978-0-304-39642-3
Okay, you’re saying how can this book possibly be about being Budget Smart? Believe me it is. Living green most often means saving green. I borrowed this book from the library and recommend it to you. Begley isn’t one of those let’s jump on the green bandwagon celebrities. He’s been a keen environmentalist since the days when it wasn’t cool to admit you were one. And that comes across in this book. He offers simple and sometimes completely free ways you can green your home, and yes, save yourself some money. Tips like cleaning the furnace filter to hanging the clothes to dry on a wooden rack. Yes, there are some projects that will cost you big time. However, he points out they won’t fit into most of our budgets and admits the only reason he got to say install solar panels was because he was working on a weekly TV show and had the funds to do it. Each suggestion is divided into categories such as easy changes, not so big changes, and big changes. After you’ve borrowed the book from the library, you might just want to buy your own copy because it has a wonderful resource section where you can jot down what you’ve done and the money it’s netted you.

Sale Away With Me
We all like to grab a bargain, but sometimes bargains are out there and we don’t even know it. I’d love to grab more bargains but I just don’t have the time to constantly surf the Web, but there’s a new service that can help me do just that. It’s free and can be delivered straight into your e-mail. Here I chat with Sumir Meghani, one of the founders of www.saleawaywithme.com who fills us in on just how the service works.

Budget Smart Girl (BSG)-Tell me about yourself, Daniel and Janet, and how the three of you came to work on this idea together?
Sumir Meghani (SM)-The primary reason we started Saleawaywithme was that we were frustrated with the bad economy. I graduated from Harvard Business School in June and my friends and I would spend hours on the Internet looking for sales to buy gifts for birthdays, weddings, and baby showers. Often times we missed out on great sales or simply didn’t have the time to search through dozens of sites. We also noticed that our e-mail inbox was growing increasingly crowded with e-mails from different retailers, some of whom sent us several e-mails a week! We decided it would be great to build a simple site that would consolidate information on sales from across the Web. That way, users could reclaim their inbox and still not miss out on great deals across the Internet.

BSG-When was the site and service launched?
SM-The site launched in December 2008.

BSG-Could you explain how it works and what are some of the advantages of using it?
SM-The existing product is very simple. A user picks his or her favorite brands and retailers (such as Banana Republic, FAO Schwarz, and Macy’s), gives us his or her e-mail address, and we send them a weekly e-mail with a list of items they like from the sites they like. Registration for the site takes under 2 minutes (seriously, we’ve timed it!). Also, we don’t spam our users and value their privacy a great deal. Our product categories include not just clothes, but toys, personal care products, and electronics.

BSG- Can both online and brick and mortar stores be included in the list?
SM-Currently we only include online stores but are planning to work with physical retailers soon as well.

BSG-Any examples of current deals?
SM-Here are some great deals from this week:
Electronics-Amazon.com
Sony Cybershot Dsc-T77 Full Hd 1080I, 10.1 Mp Digital Camera URL: http://tinyurl.com/d5jkmt
Old Price $299.99 New Price: 199.99 Save 33%
Apparel-Ann Taylor
Mercerized Cotton Ribbed Long Cardigan URL: http://tinyurl.com/d8lk59
Old Price: 79.00 New Price: 29.99 Save 62%

BSG- What’s the key factor in grabbing a bargain?
SM-They key factor is speed – many offers get sold out quickly so people need to take advantage of sales by buying the stuff they like as quickly as possible. You should buy the item as soon as you find it.
If you bookmark it for later, it may not be in stock when you return.

BSG-What are the future plans for the site/service, anything you’ll be adding?
SM-We have a bunch of plans for the site going forward, many of which we can’t talk about. But obviously helping notify people of offline sales is important, as you mentioned earlier, as well as providing sale alerts through mediums other than e-mail. We’re very excited about the future and would love feedback from your users about what services they would like to see.

And if you’d like to keep up to date info on any of the bargains, follow Sale Away With Me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/saleawaywithme

Tip of the Month
The other day I was wearing a light blue workout top and decided to make some red grape juice from concentrate. I was in a hurry, and yes, wasn’t paying attention so when I opened the top, red grape juice splashed across the arms and front of the top. My first thought; it’s ruined and I’ll only be able to wear it when I garden. However, I remembered I’d bought a bar of Fels Naptha soap that everyone seems to love. I rubbed some of the soap onto each strain and they just disappeared. I’ve since washed the top and you’d never know it once had about 10 red grape juice splatters on it. The soap cost me less than $2 and I won’t be without it now.

Do you have a tip you’d like to share with fellow subscribers? Do you have a question or want to see something featured in the newsletter? Just drop me a line. And thank you to everyone who’s contacted me. Glad you’re enjoying being a subscriber. Until next time, take care.

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The Budget Smart Girl Newsletter

In Uncategorized on January 21, 2009 at 3:15 pm

Issue 1, Number 1, January 2009

Welcome to the debut issue of the Budget Smart Girl Newsletter. Thank you to everyone who subscribed. The response has been overwhelming and I didn’t think we’d grow this fast this soon. In fact, I’m now looking at a different newsletter delivery service to handle sending the newsletter to you each month, so stay tuned. And as requested by many, the first few newsletters will go up on the Budget Smart Girl Web site on the same day the newsletter is mailed out. Each month I hope to give away a prize/gift which will be for subscribers only. You probably already know that this month’s prize is a $50 gift card from SmartyPig. The winner will be selected later today so watch your e-mailbox to see if you’re the lucky winner.
If you have a money saving tip to share, any questions you’d like answered by me or one of the experts I interview on the site, or want to see a topic covered, just let me know. I hope this newsletter will grow into a valuable resource for everyone.
Well, here we go-

You Might As Well Make Some Money
Yes, we all have to buy stuff, but don’t you just love getting something for your purchases? This month I’m featuring two programs that are perfect if you have children and want to save money for college or other necessities.

http://www.upromise.com
Lots of folks are worried about how they’re going to pay for their children’s college education and Upromise is a free service designed to help families save for just that. You simply sign up for a membership on www.upromise.com and begin saving when making purchases from any of the thousands of companies participating in the Upromise program. Upromise also helps members learn how to invest and grow the money they’ve saved by transferring it directly into a 529 college savings plan. Upromise members can earn cash rewards of up to 25% of purchases by shopping at retailers in their local community or by visiting any of the 550 companies in the Upromise online mall such as: FootLocker, Bed Bath and Beyond; Eddie Bauer, Staples, Dell, Best Buy, Apple, Wal-Mart.com, Target.com, Sears.com, Kohls, L.L. Bean, and many others. And best of all, even current college students can benefit from Upromise rewards because the cash rewards can be applied directly to college loans.

And also check out-

mmm

http://tinyurl.com/9v46h5
With each Mead® or Five Star® school supply purchase, students earn Mead Money Madness points, which can be banked in an online account by registering at http://www.meadmoneymadness.com. Students can then spend points in weekly online auctions to win items from gift cards from popular retailers to game systems, iPods and much, much more. In addition to points from purchased products, students also can earn points by interacting with the website – taking part in surveys, trivia contests and other activities.

Fashion
And what Budget Smart Girl doesn’t love to look her best? Here’s a site that gives you a head start on finding fashion bargains-
www.stylenotes.com

Home and Hearth
You might be lucky enough to be somewhere warm right now, but where I live, brrrr has been the catchphrase for the last couple of weeks. It’s tempting to turn up the thermostat, but when you’re being budget smart, you have to find other ways to keep warm. Yes, I’ve been wearing another sweater and putting a blanket over my lap when I’m sitting at my desk, but I did find this site that can give you even more ideas-
http://tinyurl.com/9frylv

Leisure and Entertainment
More people are staying home these days, but it doesn’t mean we all have to sit around the house with long faces waiting for the good times to roll around again. Check your local library for DVDs and CDs. Ask your local tourist office about museum and art galleries that might offer free admission.

Don’t know about you, but our cable company keeps raising their prices and cutting out a channel or two. We’ve been thinking about switching to satellite TV or dropping cable and just renting more DVDs. However, I did find this interesting article on line about ways you can watch great programs for less or even for free. And if you saw one of my posts on Twitter, I also recommended you check out- www.fancast.com
http://tinyurl.com/8z6lml

I was sent the following information and thought I’d pass it along to you because it’s surprising just how fun and inexpensive a family night at home can actually be…

While families across the country might be feeling the credit crunch, there’s no reason to cut spending where it matters the most – in the form of time with your family. Starting this week – National Board Game Week – Hasbro encourages Americans to share a weekly night of laughter, bonding and fun – and still stay on budget – with a Family Game Night.

Board games can certainly be played and enjoyed at any time, but a designated family game night provides an opportunity for families to share an affordable night of staying in and creating new memories together. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Hasbro in May 2008, nearly half (48%) of Americans believe that a family game night is the most enjoyable form of family bonding. Board games top other traditional family activities such as watching movies (22%), cooking (19%) and playing sports together (9%).

“Having a family game night is a cost-effective way for families to connect and laugh out loud,” says Laura Rowley, author of Money & Happiness: A Guide to Living the Good Life and a columnist for Yahoo! Finance. “I was raised in a large family where game night was a given – and continue the tradition with my three children. For families on a budget, buying a new game costs significantly less than many other entertainment options, such as dining out or attending a sporting event, which makes adding a new game to your game night repertoire a smart and economical choice.”

Planning a family game night is simple: choose a date and time, pick up a game that is appropriate for the family (taking into consideration the ages of those playing and the number of people) and then, play! Plan to laugh and have a great time. To add another element to the evening that will help establish a family tradition, bring home a pizza, serve a family-favorite dessert or grant a 30-minute extension on bedtime.

“Family game night invites families everywhere to turn off the outside world for a short time and reconnect with each other,” says Matt Collins, Vice President of U.S. Marketing for Hasbro Games. “This year we are pleased to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hasbro’s Family Game Night initiative, which continues to encourage families to play games together for fun, learning and laughter.”

When planning your Family Game Night, consider some of America’s favorite Hasbro games, most of which are available for less than $20: MONOPOLY, CLUE, SCRABBLE, SORRY!, THE GAME OF LIFE, CONNECT 4, CRANIUM or OPERATION. Or, if you’re looking for a new game, try PICTUREKA!, a fast finding picture game that provides fun for the whole family.

Some of the classic favorites have been updated, adding a new dimension of play to the game. For example, MONOPOLY Here & Now: The World Edition invites players to buy and sell cities from around the world instead of the streets of Atlantic City. SORRY! Sliders is the newest game of sweet revenge and invites players to send pawns embedded with ball bearings whizzing up a ramp towards the center target of the game board, knocking out other pawns and sending them back to home base. And CLUE has received a modern-day make-over with a celebrity-style mansion providing the background for the crime instead of a Tudor mansion.

For additional information about games and other tips for Family Game Night, visit www.familygamenight.com.

In The Kitchen
Cutting down on your food budget seems to be on everyone’s mind right now. Here are some tips from the Meal Makeover Moms, Liz Weiss M.S., R.D. and Janice Bissex M.S., R.D. who will be chatting with me on the Budget Smart Girl site next month to share more of their money saving tips. And if you’re thinking about shopping for organics, Mom’s Best Naturals cereal is priced 20-50 percent less than other natural/organic brands.

Check labels for the healthiest ingredients – Stay in the fructose free zone! Look for foods that do not contain artificial colors, flavors and high fructose corn syrup. Mom’s Best Naturals breakfast cereals and instant oatmeal are a great option because they are all natural and priced 20-50 percent less than other natural and organic brands.
Buy food in season – Purchase fruits and vegetables that are in season, if not, buying frozen is always a great option and a convenient way to make sure families enjoy healthy foods even when they aren’t available.

Comparison shop using unit pricing – Look at the unit pricing versus the total price of the foods you purchase. This will allow you to find extra savings. For example Mom’s Best Naturals Sweetened Wheatfuls™ have a unit price of 10 cents per ounce as compared to Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats® with a unit price of 17 cents per ounce. That adds up to a saving of almost a dollar for each box.

Purchase foods that come in bulk or larger sized packaging – Not only will you save money but you will also reduce the amount of waste your family generates. Mom’s Best Naturals breakfast cereals are packaged in larger, family sized boxes and are priced 20-50 percent less than other natural and organic brands. On average, Mom’s Best Naturals are about 10 ounces bigger per box when compared to mainstream brands.

Add “extenders” to recipes that help you get more out of your food – Adding black beans to burgers and oatmeal to meatloaf may sound old fashioned, but not only does it allow you to save money, it adds extra nutrients to food. Try Mom’s Best Naturals all natural Quick Oats in your favorite meatloaf recipe. Check out the Meal Makeover Moms Cheesy Black Bean Burger recipe below.

Cheesy Black Bean Burgers
Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients:
One 15 1/2-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pound lean ground beef (90% or higher)
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup pre-shredded reduced fat Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
8 hamburger buns

Preparation:
Preheat the grill to medium. Place the black beans in a large bowl and mash with the back of a large spoon until smooth but still a bit chunky. Add the beef, egg, cheese, bread crumbs and garlic powder and mix until well combined. Divide the beef mixture and shape into 8 patties. Place the patties on the grill and cook until no longer pink inside and an instant-read thermometer registers at least 160°F, about 4 minutes per side.

Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings and condiments.

Nutritional Information per Serving: 310 calories, 8g fat (3g saturated),
510mg sodium, 32g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, 28g protein

A Note from BSG-Whenever I think of black beans, I think southwestern spices, like chili powder and cumin. I looked for seasoned breadcrumbs but couldn’t find any, so try adding about half a teaspoon of each spice to the breadcrumbs for a variation of this recipe.

In the Garden
Okay, most of us can’t head out to garden just yet, but like me, you might be thinking about planting a vegetable garden this year. A ton of catalogs have landed in my mailbox since the holidays and some of the prices seem too good to be true. In the past, I’ve had some bad luck with low cost plants that died within a few months of planting them. So check out this site to see what others have to say about seed and plant companies before you hand over your money-
www.gardenwatchdog.com…don’t panic if the URL Dave’s Garden pops up, it seems to be another name for it!

Health
Have you lost your job, or maybe your employer is cutting out or cutting down on prescription benefits? Something to check out is the Walgreen’s Prescription Savings Club. They offer 5,000 brand name and generic medications. You can earn rewards when you purchase Walgreen’s brand products and their photofinishing services. And you also get a coupon book with $50 in savings. It’s $20 per year for individuals and $35 per year for a family. And here’s an added bonus, if like me, a four legged friend is part of your family, you can add their name to your family membership and their medications are also covered. You can either sign up online or at your nearest Walgreen’s store. Check out all the rules, etc, and to see if it’s the right for you. They have a great FAQ section on their Web site. www.walgreens.com, click on Prescription Savings Club.

Book Review
The Everything Meals on a Budget Cookbook By Linda Larsen
$14.95…Amazon.com is selling it for $11.21, Can $16.50
ISBN 10-159869-508-8
Adams Media 2008

I already own another one of Larsen’s cookbooks which I love, so when I saw she’d written one with a budget theme, I had to check it out. The book contains 300 penny saving recipes. Besides them all sounding delicious, they list the cost per serving at the top of the recipe. The prices might be higher now, but still within most people’s budget and it’s an easy way to search for a meal that’s really low cost. The average cook should be able to put the recipes together. Another nice feature, all the recipes use ingredients that you can buy at just about any supermarket, no trekking cross town to find one or two special items. In fact, I’m guessing most of the ingredients are already sitting on your pantry shelf.
Some chapters include Breakfast on a Dime, The indispensible Leftover, Pasta for Pennies, What a Deal Desserts.
As my normal routine, I borrowed this one from the library. I only checked it out last week so I haven’t tried many recipes from it yet, but I did make the Curried Chicken Pot Pie for dinner last week. It was great and made a meal in itself. All I added was a simple dessert, see recipe below, to accompany it.
Other recipes in this book include Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts $1.89 per serving and Salmon Linguine for $1.06 per serving.
One chapter I especially like is the Make a Meal from Almost Nothing and includes Cheese Soufflé, Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles and Double Cheese Quesadillas.
I give this book a five star rating and will be adding to my Budget Smart Girl bookshelf.

Recipe for Chocolate Ginger Shortbread
I really hate calling this even a recipe because there’s no cooking involved and they’re simple to make. All the ingredients were sitting on the pantry shelf and were leftovers from my Christmas stash of goodies.

1 box of shortbread cookies, try the Keebler Sandies Simply Shortbread Cookies
1 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips. I used Ghirardelli brand
Just under ¼ cup of finely chopped crystallized ginger

Put the chocolate chips into a measuring jug and melt in the microwave, stir in the ginger until the two ingredients are well blended. Dip half of the shortbread cookie into the chocolate and then set on waxed paper to set. These make a simple dessert with something hot and spicy or even a treat when the mid afternoon slump sets in.

See you next month.

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