Monday, December 17, 2012

Saving Can Be Addictive

Whether it's a change jar, a checking account that rounds your purchases up to a full dollar amount, or a credit card that gives you cash back, saving can be addictive.  Just give it a try.

Try purchasing a change jar (I know that's spending unnecessarily, but it will be worth it in the long run) that calculates the change as you put it in the jar.  Or, how about adding one to your Christmas list.  Another option would be to keep a pad of paper beside of your change jar and adding the change each time you drop coins in the jar.

How about one of those checking accounts that round your purchase up to the next full dollar amount and puts the balance of your change into a savings account.  Wait a while before looking at your balance, you'll be surprised how fast the dollar amount increases in your savings account.

Finally, if you can, setup a credit card to make all of your monthly purchases.  Most credit cards, and some debit cards, now pay cash back.  Discover has been doing this for some time.  They pay 1% cash back on all purchases, up to a certain dollar amount per year.  They also pay 5% cash back on different categories throughout the year.  This is a great way to save.  Once your cash has accumulated, you can retrieve your earnings and put them into a high interest paying savings account.

As your savings accumulates, you will find saving can be addictive.  The more you save, the more you will try to save.  Give it a try!

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Dropped my Thermostat a Couple of Degrees

A few days ago, I was going to be away from home for over 12 hours, so I decided to drop my thermostat a couple of degrees.  I was tired when I arrived home, and my thermostat was the last thing on my mind, so I didn't move it back upon arriving home.

The next morning, I realized it, but didn't feel chilled at all. Since I was leaving early in the morning, I decided to leave the thermostat.  After that, I didn't think about it for a couple of days. By that time, I realized I could keep my thermostat down at the lower level of 67 degrees in my home while I was home, without feeling at all uncomfortable.

So today when I left, knowing that I would be gone for at least 10 if not 12 hours, I decided to drop my thermostat a couple of degrees....

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Pasta

The simple title of this article, 'Pasta', says it all.

Pasta is a great ingredient for budget meals.  Here are a few of the past a recipes that I use to keep my budget in tact, when it comes to grocery shopping.

Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 box rotini pasta
1 cup sliced, diced or cherry tomatoes
1 cup green, red, or yellow peppers (mix it up or use one color, whatever fits your budget)
1 small can black olives (I prefer whole, but choose your favorite style)
8 ounces mozzerella
8 ounces Italian dressing

Directions:

Cook pasta and drain, as per directions on the box.  Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. 

Baked Spaghetti

I use a couple of variations of baked spaghetti, to keep it interesting.  One includes sausage, the other pepperoni. 

Ingredients:

1/2 box angel hair pasta
1/2 can Hunts pasta sauce (I recommend Hunts because of the value and taste in comparison to others.)
1/4 lb bulk Italian bulk sausage or 1/4 pack pepperoni
8 ounces of mozzerella

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, while you are cooking the pasta. If you chose the sausage for your baked spaghetti recipe, fry the sausage stirring into small pieces, at the same time you are cooking the pasta.

Strain the angel hair pasta.  Add the pasta sauce and the sausage.  Stir ingredients and then pour into a small Pyrex baking dish.  Top with mozzerella.  Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese darkens to your liking.

If you chose the pepperoni option, skip the sausage in the above recipe.  After you have topped the angel hair pasta and sauce with mozzerella, add a layer of pepperoni to the top of the cheese and follow the baking instructions above.

Penne Rigate and Sausage

Ingredients:

1/2 box penne rigate
1/2 can Hunts pasta sauce
1/4 lb bulk Italian bulk sausage, or your favorite sausage (sliced kielbasa works well in this recipe as well)

Cook the penne rigate as per the directions on the box.  At the same time fry the sausage.  Strain the pasta , add the sausage and sauce.  Top with parmesan or your favorite cheese.

Enjoy these budget recipes, or mix it up a little to fit your taste!



Monday, October 29, 2012

Free Doritos Locos Taco Thanks to Pagan

Thanks to Angel Pagan's stolen base in the second game of the World Series, America will enjoy a free Doritos Locos Taco from Taco Bell. For a few years now, Taco Bell has been teaming up with MLB, to give away tacos in certain circumstances for the World Series. This year, it was a 'Steal a Base, Steal a Taco' Promotion. And, since Angel Pagan stole a base, now everyone in the United States can get a free Doritos Locos Taco from Taco Bell between the hours of 2pm and 6pm on Tuesday, October 30th, 2012. If you would like more information on how to get your free taco, you can visit www.mlb.com/stealataco.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Free Family Fun Pass

Enjoy a Free Family Fun Pass from Scott Brand Products.  With the Scott® Free Admission Family Fun Pass, you get a free admission to your favorite attractions, such as miniature golf, go-carting, bowling, zoos, museums and many more, when you sign up for an account at their web site.

Here's the link for free family fun!  https://www.scottbrand.com/offer/familyfun?WT.mc_id=email-102512-nonmem-GymPass

Enjoy, and don't forget to enter your email address so that you can follow this blog for great ideas on an inexpensive way of life and more freebies for everyone!

Homemade Halloween Costume

Don't forget to save money this Halloween by making your own homemade Halloween costumes.  With the internet, you can find easy to make costumes at your fingertips.  In addition, homemade costumes are usually a much bigger hit whether you are attending a Halloween party or you are going trick or treating in your own neighborhood.

Here are a few links for some costumes that you might enjoy.  All are very easy to make.

Homemade Tin Man Costume  http://montytravels.quazen.com/recreation/parties/homemade-tin-man-costume/  This one is the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz.  We made it for the Annual Halloween Party this year, and it was a big hit!

How to Make a Headless Halloween Costume  http://www.bukisa.com/articles/380783_how-to-make-a-headless-halloween-costume  This one is always a big hit.  The costume can be made for male or female.  Above is a picture of my 2009 Halloween costume made from an old wedding gown.

And finally, How to Make a Homemade Dalmation Costume.  http://www.bukisa.com/articles/380837_how-to-make-a-homemade-dalmation-puppy-costume  This is probably one of the easier costumes one could ever attempt to make.

So, decide what type of simple homemade costume you would like to make this Halloween.  Then search your closets, look in all of the old boxes in the basement or attic, and head to your local Goodwill or other resale shop to put together that costume that will be the life of the party!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Free Folgers Sample

For all of you coffee drinkers out there, Folgers is offering a free sample on their facebook page.

Follow this link:  https://www.facebook.com/folgers/app_341777675917999  , like their page, and then fill in the form to request a free sample of one of Folgers gournet flavors.

Don't forget, follow this blog, and we'll be sending out more free sample links and more ways to save!

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Free Samples for You

Here are a couple of free sample links for you.

Proctor and Gamble are offering free samples of Head and Shoulders for anyone who might be interested.  Here is their link:  https://www.pgeveryday.com/pgeds/headshoulder-brandsampler.jsp

Free Sample of Astroglide:  http://www.astroglide.com/freesample/

Treat yourself to a free sample of Find Your Bliss.  Free sample includes a .5 fl. oz. pouch of bath/shower gel and .3 oz. pouch of body butter.  Check it out at:  http://find-your-bliss.com/treatyourself.php

Have you ever tried Escada perfume.  Here's your chance to receive a free sample of Escada products.  Here's the link for you:  http://www.escada-fragrances.com/en/free-perfume-samples/

Hope you enjoy the free samples.  I will try to post more on this blog from time to time.  Don't forget to fill out the follow this blog so that you can receive more Inexpensive Way of Life tips and free samples in the future!

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Use Reward Points and Miles

Whenever you have your eye on an item, but it doesn't quite fit into your budget, try earning points or miles to pay for the item.

Sony Rewards allows you to earn points by joining the Wheel Watchers Club and filling in the day's final puzzle.  There are other ways to earn rewards as well.

Amazon has a Turq program, in which you can earn cash to pay for your purchases or even have the money transferred into your bank account.

Consider joining a points program on the internet, like My Points or Gather.  The points add up, and you can use them for cash or gift cards.

And finally, you might also use points, miles or cash back from your credit card to save money to pay for that much wanted item that doesn't really fit into your budget.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

60 FREE Photo Prints from York

Use Code 60PRINTS and go to this link http://www.yorkphoto.com/Content.aspx?Page=60PRINTS&PK=e0e04a5e-5062-405d-aeb0-aa379be6bd58

You will receive 60 FREE Photo Prints from York Photo Labs.

These are for online orders only, and do not include shipping and handling.  All 60 prints must be received on your first order, according to the guidelines. 

Free Twinings USA Tea Samples

Here are some more free samples for you.

Try 3 different Twinings USA Teas for free.  Fill out this form and allow 4-6 weeks for delivery, while supplies last:  http://www.twiningsusa.com/pantry/?utm_source=YogaJournal_9_4&utm_medium=Ad&utm_campaign=Pantry2012

Free Sample and Coupon Booklet from P & G

Sign up for a free newsletter and receive an Organize In Style booklet with $17 in Savings from P&G.

Here's the link to P&G's web site:  https://www.pgeveryday.com/pgeds/register-homemade-simple-coupons-samples-by-mail.jsp

Plus, you'll also receive free coupons and free samples in your mailbox at home.  So sign up today, and get your free samples from P&G!

Cheap Soup Recipe for You

Here's a delicious but cheap and easy recipe for you.  It makes about 12 bowls of soup.  I have been making this soup for about twenty years, and it's perfect for a family on a budget.  You can mix it up with the veggies, you can also use bags of frozen instead of canned and throw in about any kind of meat that you like.

What you'll need:

tomatoe juice - I usually use about 1/3 of a 46oz can
1 large can of diced stewed tomatoes
2 cans of corn
2 cans of carrots
2 cans of green beans (french style is my favorite)
2 cans of diced or sliced potatoes
2 lbs of ground beef

Brown the ground beef and drain the grease.  Pour all of the ingredients in a big pot.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer for about 30 minutes.

Note:  It always taste better the 2nd day!


Thursday, May 31, 2012

Free Samples

Consider registering to receive free samples as a way to save money.  It may not seem like much, but I bet if you add all of those free samples together, you'll find huge savings.

Here is a link to a Free Sample of Purex   http://www.freesamplepurex.com/.

When you stay in hotels, save those free samples as well.  If you are staying for more than one night, place the unused samples in your bag and housekeeping will replace them each morning....more free samples!

Just an update for you, as of today, October 9th, 2012, the free sample of Purex is still available while supplies last.  So be sure to check out the link above and get your free sample.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Earn and Save

Are you looking for a creative way to save up for that new pair of shoes, that special gift for your husband or best friend, or how about that vacation that you need oh so desperately. If so, here's some ideas for you. Earn some money online. There are many web sites that will pay you to do research, like mturk.com and crowdsource.com. There are also web sites that will pay you to do the things you already do online, like search the web and chat with friends. Check Gather and myLot.com. They both have low payout rates. MTurk is a mechanical turk site ran by Amazon.com. You can save up for that special gift purchase, and pay for it with the cash you earn right on their site. Or transfer the funds into your bank account at any time. Join Inbox Dollars or MyPoints and get paid to read your email. Inbox Dollars has a payout of $30/$25 once you become a gold member. MyPoints pays in gift cards for just about anywhere nationwide, places like Wal-Mart, Red Lobster, K-Mart, and more. Put the funds you earn from the different sites all together, and pay for that special gift or new pair of shoes. Save your earnings all year and throw in the money from those aluminum cans you've been saving, and pay for that big vacation for which you have been looking forward!