Saving Money with Coupons [guest post]
January 30, 2014 • guest post
Couponing is a super hot topic right now...and Wendy is here today to demonstrate that it can be done!
Do you use coupons? I never bothered - it seemed like a hassle. I didn't want to chase around to several different stores to save a few cents, or have a million scraps of paper on hand to use just in case so I just never got into it.
I changed my mind when I read some bloggers bragging about their deals, and I am all over the coupons now.
Here's an example of a recent deal I got:
Scope was on sale at Walgreens - 3 bottles for $9. I printed 3 $1-off coupons from coupons.com, bringing the price to $6. On top of that, Walgreens gave me Register Rewards for $4. Register rewards is like a cash voucher that you can apply to your next purchase.
So, the total for those 3 bottles of Scope was really $2!
I used the $4 Register Rewards to my usual hair color that happened to be on clearance for $7. I only had to fork out $3 for it. That meant that I paid $9 for 3 bottles of Scope and hair color (that usually costs $14). It was kind of like getting the hair color for free! I didn't have to go out of my way for this either because there is a Walgreens near my office.
I used the $4 Register Rewards to my usual hair color that happened to be on clearance for $7. I only had to fork out $3 for it. That meant that I paid $9 for 3 bottles of Scope and hair color (that usually costs $14). It was kind of like getting the hair color for free! I didn't have to go out of my way for this either because there is a Walgreens near my office.
Here's another deal I got this weekend:
Target was offering a $5 gift card with purchase of $20 of L'oreal items. Did you know that you can use a store coupon and a manufacturer's coupon for the same item? I had no idea! I got some coupons from Target's website for mascara and hair conditioner, and got some L'oreal coupons for the same items from coupons.com. I got a mascara and 4 bottles of hair conditioner for $12, saving about 50%!
The next day I went back to Target with my $5 gift card and bought 3 L'oreal mascaras. The price for these was $7 each, but I had a Target coupon for $1 off each. I also had a L'oreal coupon for $5 off a $20 purchase. That brought my total to $14 with tax. I used my $5 gift card from the previous day, and paid $9 for the mascaras, AND I got another $5 gift card.
The next day I went back to Target with my $5 gift card and bought 3 L'oreal mascaras. The price for these was $7 each, but I had a Target coupon for $1 off each. I also had a L'oreal coupon for $5 off a $20 purchase. That brought my total to $14 with tax. I used my $5 gift card from the previous day, and paid $9 for the mascaras, AND I got another $5 gift card.
So my total for 4 mascaras and 4 bottles of hair conditioner was $18 - without the coupons these would have cost me $44!
I now have enough mascara, hair conditioner, and mouthwash for a good 12-18 months. As tempting as it is to build an even bigger stockpile, I'm going to quit while I'm ahead.
Here are some tips if you're looking to save money with coupons:
- Find a coupon blog dedicated to your local store. I like Totally Target since there is a Target close to my house. That website will tell you all about sales and coupon stacks (that means using store coupons with manufacturer's coupons with the Cartwheel app). I think Target is the easiest place to use coupons anyway.
- Another place for coupon deal info is The Krazy Coupon Lady. If you really want to get into it, that website has a Beginners Guide.
- Be flexible with brands. We usually use Listerine in my house, but Scope was the better deal so that's what we'll use for now.
- Don't buy stuff you don't need. I was tempted to get some L'oreal lipsticks...but I don't need any. I do need mascaras because I have to toss it every few months, so it was a good purchase.
- Don't buy stuff for Register Rewards (Walgreens) or ExtraBucks (CVS) unless you know you need something from those stores, otherwise you'll end up spending more than you wanted.
- You will need a printer to for most of these coupons, although Target does have some mobile coupons, plus they have the Cartwheel app for more savings. You could also get the Sunday paper.
- You can usually print only 2 coupons per computer.
Have fun shopping!
re•cipe: clean sangria
January 27, 2014 • recipe
My name is Bekah and I have an addiction.
Despite the recipe in question today, it isn't to wine. I actually am not the biggest fan of the stuff. Every so often I can tolerate a glass of chardonnay if I'm feeling like it. And red wine? Forget it! Warm and ewww. Nope, not for me. No wine addiction here.
I do, however, have an addiction to Nando's Peri Peri. I wish they paid or gave me free food to say that, but the truth is, I'm hooked. Sean too. It is delicious! One day, I went up to the counter to place my order and saw a pitcher of sangria on the counter behind the cashier.
I don't think anyone was more surprised than me when I said out loud, "That looks so good!" I'd tried sangria before and it wasn't for me. But, I made a mental note to try their sangria on my next visit. I did and I loved it! Unfortunately, I also learned that their sangria recipe involves both sprite and orange soda.
Yikes! That's a lot of sugar for a crunchy girl like me. The wheels started turning in my head as I thought "sprite is just lemon lime soda and orange soda is just orange...I could clean this up at home and still like it!"
One weekend and one empty pitcher later, I knew I had a good thing going. It will also save me both money and calories at my beloved Nando's. Enjoy!
Despite the recipe in question today, it isn't to wine. I actually am not the biggest fan of the stuff. Every so often I can tolerate a glass of chardonnay if I'm feeling like it. And red wine? Forget it! Warm and ewww. Nope, not for me. No wine addiction here.
I do, however, have an addiction to Nando's Peri Peri. I wish they paid or gave me free food to say that, but the truth is, I'm hooked. Sean too. It is delicious! One day, I went up to the counter to place my order and saw a pitcher of sangria on the counter behind the cashier.
I don't think anyone was more surprised than me when I said out loud, "That looks so good!" I'd tried sangria before and it wasn't for me. But, I made a mental note to try their sangria on my next visit. I did and I loved it! Unfortunately, I also learned that their sangria recipe involves both sprite and orange soda.
Yikes! That's a lot of sugar for a crunchy girl like me. The wheels started turning in my head as I thought "sprite is just lemon lime soda and orange soda is just orange...I could clean this up at home and still like it!"
One weekend and one empty pitcher later, I knew I had a good thing going. It will also save me both money and calories at my beloved Nando's. Enjoy!
Clean Sangria
by
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: refrigerate overnight
Ingredients (Serves 4-6)
- 1 bottle Merlot
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime
- 3 oranges
- 1 apple
- 1/4-1/2 cup sugar
- club soda
Instructions
Pour Merlot into a (coverable) pitcher.
Add sugar, juice of lemon, lime, and two of the oranges.
Mix well.
Slice apple and remaining orange and add to mixture.
Soak overnight in fridge.
Add club soda just before serving
Powered by Recipage
Fair-Trade AND Cute? Enter to win yours!
• giveaway
I am so excited to be included in this giveaway - this organization has some lovely products, but more importantly, share values with me that I hope you see reflected in re•solve such as fair trade policies, the support of the community, and the lovely name of their first collection. While I'm bummed I can't win, I will likely take advantage of the special discount offer at the end of the post. Good luck!
Today you can win
a beautiful bag AND wallet of your choice that also come with a beautiful message:
Leo Saballos,
founder and owner of the online fair trade clothing company Solo Viva, combined
his love for design with his compassion for people, and sought out to create
fashionable pieces that would give back to the community.
SOLO
VIVA’s very first collection is Viva Xairo, a collection of handbags designed
by Katie Jo Ramsey. She writes of her designs, "Xairo, 'to rejoice,' is
the essence of life. In that spirit, each purse is named after a woman who
inspires me to seek joy, women who embody strength and life."
The
purses are handcrafted by women from Zona Franca Masili, a sewing company
operated by its workers. In addition to Solo Viva’s fair trade policy, a
portion of the proceeds are donated to LifeSpring Community Health, an
organization that aims to provide health education and promotion, medical
services and community advocacy in urban Chattanooga.
It is SOLO VIVA's vision to promote designers,
set a standard for fair trade and support non-profits.
See, told you they're awesome! Here’s what you can do to be a part of this amazing mission AND win one of these lovely bags and wallet of your
choice:
1. Visit Solo Viva, dream and swoon over which bag you want.
2. Check out these brilliant bloggers who are co-hosting this giveaway with me! Seriously, we are all so different, so treat it like a day at Baskin Robbins and taste all the flavors. ;)
2. Enter in the rafflecopter below! And Voila!
(Oh
and no worries if you aren’t the lucky winner because Leo will be offering our
readers 20% off any purchase at Solo Viva thru the month of February with the
code JOY20!!)
Good luck! I’m off to drool over the website!!
The Electric Blanket Saga
January 13, 2014 • green, holiday, life
Every winter, I complain about the cold. I don't like it!
Every winter, Sean retorts that we could remedy the awful cold with an electric blanket.
And every winter, I retort his retort with "No way! I don't want to die!"
There must have been a tragic news story that happened in my childhood, because while I don't remember anything specific, it has always been ingrained in my mind that electric blanket=bed fire & sudden tragic death.
No, thank you.
This happens year after year...and we've been together almost nine years now.
At a game night with friends, (apples to apples maybe?) electric blanket came up in the game and thus this discussion. My friends assured me that they don't make electric blankets like they used to and they are perfectly safe these days. You can even wash them!
Combine that with having minimal gift ideas for Sean and the knowledge that this winter was shaping up to be colder that usual for the region, I decided an electric blanket would be the perfect gift for Sean for Christmas - and he would definitely be surprised after all these years of refusal!
On black Friday, I got online, armed with coupon codes, and ordered the perfect blanket. On Christmas Eve, I set it up, put it on our bed, and turned it on...to probably level 2 of 10. I still wasn't totally comfortable.
We exchanged our stupid presents and went to bed. He didn't notice/say a thing.
The next morning, as I fumbled around to get brunch preparations underway, I heard:
"Did I find a Christmas present!?"
"Yeah.."
"Is that an electric blanket?!"
"Yeah..."
He was happy and surprised as I thought and I even got comfortable enough to turn it up to level 4. I even saw a cheap throw version online and bought that for the couch. We were warm and not being burned to death, so all was well.
Last week, while facebook surfing, I saw a healthy living quiz. You know my crunchy self couldn't avoid taking it. Of course, the usual suspects were on there: "do you use synthetic air fresheners or plug ins? do you use chemical cleaners in your house? do you use an electric blanket?"
Wait, what!!?? Why are you asking about our shiny new bundle of warmth?
I started frantically googling, only to find that I was right all along.
Electric blankets DO equal instant death. Just not the way I imaged.
Guess I'll have to go back to this to keep warm:
The End. Happy Monday!
Every winter, Sean retorts that we could remedy the awful cold with an electric blanket.
And every winter, I retort his retort with "No way! I don't want to die!"
There must have been a tragic news story that happened in my childhood, because while I don't remember anything specific, it has always been ingrained in my mind that electric blanket=bed fire & sudden tragic death.
No, thank you.
|
| via |
This happens year after year...and we've been together almost nine years now.
At a game night with friends, (apples to apples maybe?) electric blanket came up in the game and thus this discussion. My friends assured me that they don't make electric blankets like they used to and they are perfectly safe these days. You can even wash them!
Combine that with having minimal gift ideas for Sean and the knowledge that this winter was shaping up to be colder that usual for the region, I decided an electric blanket would be the perfect gift for Sean for Christmas - and he would definitely be surprised after all these years of refusal!
On black Friday, I got online, armed with coupon codes, and ordered the perfect blanket. On Christmas Eve, I set it up, put it on our bed, and turned it on...to probably level 2 of 10. I still wasn't totally comfortable.
We exchanged our stupid presents and went to bed. He didn't notice/say a thing.
The next morning, as I fumbled around to get brunch preparations underway, I heard:
"Did I find a Christmas present!?"
"Yeah.."
"Is that an electric blanket?!"
"Yeah..."
He was happy and surprised as I thought and I even got comfortable enough to turn it up to level 4. I even saw a cheap throw version online and bought that for the couch. We were warm and not being burned to death, so all was well.
Last week, while facebook surfing, I saw a healthy living quiz. You know my crunchy self couldn't avoid taking it. Of course, the usual suspects were on there: "do you use synthetic air fresheners or plug ins? do you use chemical cleaners in your house? do you use an electric blanket?"
Wait, what!!?? Why are you asking about our shiny new bundle of warmth?
I started frantically googling, only to find that I was right all along.
Electric blankets DO equal instant death. Just not the way I imaged.
Guess I'll have to go back to this to keep warm:
The End. Happy Monday!
time to use up those leftover mints!
January 9, 2014 • guest post
I wanted to make something fun this holiday season and had been seeing so much of the mint platters people were posting all over the internet. So I thought I would give it a try. This was a fun project to do with my daughter. it was really simple, fast, easy, and best of all....very inexpensive.
Here is what you need to get started:
First what you will need to do is pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
Next you will need to start opening all your bags of mints and unwrapping them. I found it best to just start throwing them into a bowl once unwrapped.
After you get the mints unwrapped, you need to take your wax or parchment paper and cover your entire pan. You can use any shape pan. I chose a gingerbread pan but any one will do. The best to use are ones with lips around them because the mints run when heated.
Start placing your mints in the shape of your pan. You can do designs with the mints as well or just use one color mint. We used both spearmint and peppermints. With the shape of our pan, I attempted to make it red, green, red, green....but it started getting too hard that we just began to put them on there as best as we could in the shape of a gingerbread man.
Once the mints are all in place and covering the area you would like, go ahead and pop that in the oven. Make sure you keep a very, very close eye on it. Especially if you are using wax paper. We used wax paper and the oven began to smoke really bad. I would suggest parchment paper for this project. Let it bake for about seven minutes.
It burns very quickly so keep a close eye on it.
Once it's done baking, remove it from the oven. The mints should looked fused together and nicely melted.
Let the pan cool completely before removing. Any movement to the mints could cause them to warp. The pan didn't take very long to cool. Around 15-30 mins. Then you can remove it from the pan and the paper. The wax paper stuck but I didn't mind since it was on the bottom of it. You couldn't see or tell.
Then you can use the platter for your treats. In our case, I placed some chocolate chip cookies my daughter helped me make. Be careful though, the platter is now like glass so treat it like that. It can break very easily.
vegiversary
January 7, 2014 • food, health and beauty
A year ago today I went a full day without eating any meat. It was easy. One day turned into another and now here we are...I've been vegetarian for a year!
Overall, I feel better. My stomach used to get upset quite often and that's rarely a problem these days. I feel healthier, I'm more aware of what is in foods in general (no thanks, preservatives. and why is the first ingredient on that can of veggie soup beef broth!?), and I can roll my eyes and say "Thank God I don't have to deal with that" when crap like this shows up in my mailbox:
Yeah, I think I'll be keeping up with this lifestyle for the foreseeable future.
A few people have mentioned they'd like to see more recipes. The ones I shared last year were my way of sharing with you how easy this choice really is; anyone could make them. Heck, most of them are modified versions of dishes that normally contain meat.
This year, I'm looking forward to playing around in the kitchen more and trying more new ingredients and recipes that maybe aren't in my comfort zone. Thanks to Groupon, I've signed up for a weekly meal plan service that has a vegetarian option (plus, there's always Pinterest). I'm curious to see what kind of suggestions they offer. Be on the lookout for more to come!
Overall, I feel better. My stomach used to get upset quite often and that's rarely a problem these days. I feel healthier, I'm more aware of what is in foods in general (no thanks, preservatives. and why is the first ingredient on that can of veggie soup beef broth!?), and I can roll my eyes and say "Thank God I don't have to deal with that" when crap like this shows up in my mailbox:
A few people have mentioned they'd like to see more recipes. The ones I shared last year were my way of sharing with you how easy this choice really is; anyone could make them. Heck, most of them are modified versions of dishes that normally contain meat.
This year, I'm looking forward to playing around in the kitchen more and trying more new ingredients and recipes that maybe aren't in my comfort zone. Thanks to Groupon, I've signed up for a weekly meal plan service that has a vegetarian option (plus, there's always Pinterest). I'm curious to see what kind of suggestions they offer. Be on the lookout for more to come!
re•view: Medieval Times
January 3, 2014 • brands, travel
One of the great things about living in the area I do is the
convenient proximity to most anything. I have access to most any major store or
restaurant…within half an hour, I can get to 3 or 4 of the same chain! I can
also get to several malls within that time frame, but one of the most
interesting ones is Arundel Mills - an outlet mall with some unique anchor tenants.
I always wonder what strangers must think when they drive
around the mall the first time. Sure, there’s stores….then there’s some sort of
log cabin, an Egyptian tomb, and a castle. Yes, I said castle, and yes, it’s in
the mall.
That castle is home to Medieval Times, a themed dinner
theatre that has a few locations scattered about the US and Canada.
In 2003 I visited the MT in Myrtle Beach with a girlfriend
in celebration of our high school graduation. We had a blast together! When I
found out MT was looking for bloggers to give them some love, I jumped right
in. Would I find the food as good now that I’m vegetarian? Would the show be as
fun?
MT gave me a total of 4 tickets for this review. Base
tickets include dinner and entertainment, then patrons can choose to purchase
upgraded packages for better seats or other novelty experiences like a
Knighting Ceremony or personalized announcement during the show. A full-service
bar is also on-site for those who desire to purchase drinks.
The process is easy; you check in with your tickets, get "crowned," and handed a table/section assignment. They also ask at this time if any
vegetarians are in the party so they can give the staff a head’s up. If you arrive
early as recommended, you can browse the castle gift shop or grab a drink at
the bar while you wait for the arena doors to open.
The arena is quite large, so it is a good thing tables are
assigned; there is no fighting over seats or stress if you’re the last one in!
They call guests in section by section for crowd control. The sections are
color-themed and each have a corresponding Knight for whom you will cheer
during the show.
As everyone is seated, wenches (servers) come out to explain
how the process works – drink choices are minimal (Pepsi or unsweetened iced
tea were our two choices), and how you position your cup signals what your
order will be. They again ask for vegetarians present before pouring drinks and
starting with the first course.
The show itself is
fun, especially for first timers and those who like to be interactive as
audience participation is encouraged. I don't want to give much away so I won’t get too specific, but the
entertainment follows a story line and includes live animals!
As there are many horses in the show, I was naturally
curious about their treatment and training (in Myrtle Beach, they clearly had
room for stables, but I was concerned as this location is literally in a mall).
It turns out that the location is large enough for 20 stables, plus there are
additional stables in a nearby town so the horses can be rotated for R&R.
Good to know!
Servers are in and out throughout the show to serve the rest
of the fare. I was concerned that the vegetarian option would be a nasty cheese
pizza or some plain spaghetti…one of the lazy options for restaurants who know
they need a vegetarian option but really don’t care. So not the case here!
After my hummus appetizer, I was given a three bean stew which was delicious
and left me full. I barely had room for the apple turnover they brought out for
dessert! (FYI, my carnivorous guests all enjoyed their King's Feast including chicken, ribs, potatoes, and tomato soup. I do remember it being quite tasty back in the day!)
Overall, the experience is run well. The food is tasty, the
staff is friendly, and the show is enjoyable. I feel like this was the same
show I’d seen 10 years ago at the beach, but friends who came with me said the
storyline was different from the last time they’d attended the Maryland
location a year prior. That is good as it sounds like there is some show
rotation. First timers will certainly find more magic in the experience, but I
still thoroughly enjoyed myself.
My only real complaints are on the business side of things –
servers are to be tipped which makes sense, but instead of doing a mass
announcement or including it at time of purchase, the servers seem to be scripted
to beg for their tips at the beginning of the meal. It’s kind of a downer, and
for people like me who rarely carry cash, I’d like to have the convenience
under normal circumstances to include tip when I purchase the ticket.
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| a January promotion! |
re•solve: a re•cap
January 2, 2014 • life
Wow. It's been a year since I sat down to begin this here blog. I stuck with it!
I had some particular intentions when re•solve began, so it's only fair that I share my progress and come up with some new ones for 2014.
Use more holistic products: We all know I love my Arbonne. I continue to grow my own set of Arbonne products as well as use other natural brands or DIY remedies involving things like lemons, vinegar, and baking soda!
Eat Better: I said I would incorporate vegetarian meals more often into our home; you all know I went a step further and went completely vegetarian. Sean surprised me by cutting back on his meat intake as well; I would definitely say he qualifies as flexitarian.
Not Settle: It's harder to measure this one, but this is the year I stand firm and stop accepting the mundane. This is the year I stop with the nonsense "jobs" and begin a career. This is the year I don't let the tedium of routine tire me and keep me from doing the things, big or small, that I want to do. I started checking things off my bucket list late last year and I do not intend to stop.
Send Birthday Cards: This may sound silly, but I used to be really good about this and haven't been the last few years. I need to get organized and not let the days sneak up on me. Who doesn't like happy snail mail?
If you're rolling your eyes thinking this is just another resolution post, think again. Go back to re•solve's inaugural post and see why I chose the title I did. I can do this.
So can you!
I had some particular intentions when re•solve began, so it's only fair that I share my progress and come up with some new ones for 2014.
Last year, I said I would:
Start my Arbonne business: Technically, I started in 2012, but I took it very lightly. The unfortunate events that took place the second half of 2013 really pushed me to start being more assertive with my business, and the proof is in the numbers! I've sold more in the past 4 months than I did my entire first year with Arbonne! If I keep it up, that means I will do triple the business of my first year in this second one!
Use more holistic products: We all know I love my Arbonne. I continue to grow my own set of Arbonne products as well as use other natural brands or DIY remedies involving things like lemons, vinegar, and baking soda!
Eat Better: I said I would incorporate vegetarian meals more often into our home; you all know I went a step further and went completely vegetarian. Sean surprised me by cutting back on his meat intake as well; I would definitely say he qualifies as flexitarian.
This year, I re•solve to:
Not Settle: It's harder to measure this one, but this is the year I stand firm and stop accepting the mundane. This is the year I stop with the nonsense "jobs" and begin a career. This is the year I don't let the tedium of routine tire me and keep me from doing the things, big or small, that I want to do. I started checking things off my bucket list late last year and I do not intend to stop.
 |
| Take joy in the little things. Sean and I said adios to 2013 with a date night @ ZooLights! |
Send Birthday Cards: This may sound silly, but I used to be really good about this and haven't been the last few years. I need to get organized and not let the days sneak up on me. Who doesn't like happy snail mail?
If you're rolling your eyes thinking this is just another resolution post, think again. Go back to re•solve's inaugural post and see why I chose the title I did. I can do this.
So can you!
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