There are lots of goals and resolutions made on the January 1. Did you make one this year? Yes, I know it’s July — but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to make a few new goals for the rest of the year. Personally, I feel that one of the most important goals you can …
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Blog
Homemade Yogurt
Have you ever tried making your own yogurt? If you are like me…probably not! I was perfectly content to purchase my store-bought yogurt and I figured homemade yogurt would be too difficult to make — and it can be. However, about a month ago, I came across a recipe for making yogurt in a slow cooker. It …
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Yogurt Cheese
I remember rolling my eyes the first time I found a recipe for “yogurt cheese”. But, curiosity got the best of me and I thought I should try it out. To my surprise, it turned out to be extremely simple to make; and a great-tasting, cost-effective alternative to cream cheese. Cost Savings = 50% A …
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Learning the Coupon Lingo
While I do not actively promote specific coupons, rebates, or store deals on this website (at least that’s not the main focus of my site), I am a HUGE advocate of using coupons and rebates to reduce grocery expenses, and lesses the financial stress on your household. I know that coupons aren’t for everyone — …
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Brownie Kabobs
What do you get when you mix chocolate brownies, fruit, and marshmallow? Delicious brownie kabobs — of course! These brownie kabobs are so fun and easy to make and are always crowd pleasers. As you can see, I went with a patriotic theme; however, feel free to use what you have on hand. Ingredients: Brownies — Pick your …
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10 Speed-Cleaning Tips
Need an easy way to get your home straightened up in 30 minutes or less? Try my 10 speed-cleaning tips! These ideas are great for when unexpected company arrives and you have no time to thoroughly clean or organize your home. In these situations, my goal is simply to make my home “look” clean on …
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Patriotic Jello Dessert
Every 4th of July we get together with my dad’s side of the family — all my aunts, uncles, cousins, and kids — for a fun picnic and firework show. Everyone brings a dish to pass and my dad and uncles grill. There is always plenty of food to indulge in and it’s a great opportunity …
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What Pots & Pans are Safe to Use?
Recently, I’ve been doing a bit of research on pots and pans. I currently have nonstick pans, but have been hearing lots of negative talk about potential side affects of the nonstick coating. Apparently, it can cause cancer…but then again, it seems that everything now days can cause cancer. So I’m not too concerned, but …
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Lost Time
We’ve all heard the saying, “time is money” and to a certain degree, that’s true. However, today I want to challenge you by saying that time is more important than money. Why? Because you can always find ways cut your expenses and make more money but you can never get time back…NEVER. Once you waste …
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The Basics of Canning Jam
I honestly don’t even remember my first jam-making moment. I was so young, probably only 5 or 6 and excited to “help” my mom and grandma during their annual “jam-athon”. I didn’t do a lot, but I did always help pick (and eat) the fruit from local U-pick farms or from neighbors who had wild …
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How I Saved Over $200 on Groceries
I often get questions regarding coupons and if it is really worth the time spent to cut coupons, file them…and then remember to use them each week. While it does take a bit of organization and dedication, I can assure you that it IS worth it! Each week, I spend about 2 hours on Sunday …
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Cut Your Grocery Bill Without Cutting Coupons
Many of you know that I am a huge advocate of cutting coupons to save on our weekly grocery bill…I’m addicted! However, what if you don’t have access to coupons? Or what if you don’t want to put the effort into clipping coupons? That’s fine! It’s not for everyone…and even if coupons aren’t for you, …
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My Closet
In one of my recent newsletter (you can sign up for these at the right –>) I mentioned that my “project” for the month would be organizing my closet. After the newsletter went out, I received countless e-mails from clients and readers, asking to see pictures of my closet. So, since I have nothing to hide, here …
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Saving Money on Groceries
I’ve been getting loads of e-mails with questions on how I keep my grocery budget so low each week. And this week was no exception… I managed to purchase over $98.00 worth of meat, dairy, fruits, veggies, bread, snacks, etc. for only $2.56!! That has to be some type of record! And before you even …
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Donate your Unused Items
If you are anything like me, there are several items around your home that you no long use or need. They might be perfectly useful to someone else but there they sit, cluttering up your home and robbing valuable space from other, more important things! Many of my clients tell me that they don’t know what …
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Strawberry Lemonade
Strawberries are always a welcome reminder that summer is officially here. Every June, I spend a Saturday morning picking strawberries at a local farm…and they try to come up with recipes to use them all up! One of my favorite things to make is strawberry lemonade; and this recipe is the best one I’ve found …
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Family Fun for Less
Who says you need to spend a lot to have fun? Often, the most rewarding family moments are the simplest and most affordable. As summer approaches, get in the habit of establishing a regular family time; here are a few free and inexpensive ideas to get you started. Plan a Picnic: Grab a blanket, sunglasses, …
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My Spring Garden
I decided to be very unproductive today and spend time taking (and editing) lots of picture from my garden! They turned out great; hear are a few of my favorites: Wave Petunias Verbena Pink Verbena Chives Iris Columbine Clematis Snowball Verburnum It seems that the “fruit” of all my extremely hard labor is finally starting …
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