Sam’s Club will now recycle your old electronics and give you a gift card in return. Just sign in here to get started. You can trade-in computers, iPods, digital cameras, camcorders, printers, monitors, and game systems. You just fill in a little information, and they will tell you the value of your items. This is a great way to make a little money, and do a good deed for the environment.

Thanks Bargain Shopper Lady for this information.

November 11th, 2008 | Category: Freebies & Cheapies | Comments (1)

Publix has been a little lame lately when it comes to organic deals. I opened the ad today expecting to see the same ‘ole lack of organic sales and was pleasantly surprised. The following are their deals with some possible coupon match-ups. I’m not going to include coupons from the paper, because I have no idea where or when I got most of my coupons.

• Stonyfield Farm Yogurt…..Get 20 for $10. Coupons for $.50 off 3 (use 6 and get addtl. $3.00 savings)
• Campbell’s Organic Tomato Juice….Buy 2 for $5.00
• Publix Organic Baby Carrots….$1.69
• Organic Red or Bosc Pears…..$1.99 lb.
• Publix Organic Celery…..$1.69
• Alma’s Macaroni and Pastas…..Buy 2 for $3.00
• Bertolli Organic Pasta Sauce….$3.17. Coupon for $.60 off recently in Sunday paper.
• Lipton Organic Tea Bags…..$1.99
• Nature’s Own Bread….Buy 1 for $3.49/Get 1 Free.
• Horizon Organic American Slices….Buy 2 for $5.00.
• Kashi Pocket Bread Sandwiches….50% off.

November 6th, 2008 | Category: Freebies & Cheapies | Comments (2)

Every morning I get up and and check out a couple of my favorite money-saving blogs. This weekend while cruising around I found a great deal at Victoria Secret posted by The Thrifty Mama. I got 2 bras (of my choosing) with matching panties for $16. Later today, compliments of Money Saving Mom, I’ll be buying boxes of Kellogs cereal at Target for $.75 a piece. After that, I’ll be stopping by Starbucks for a free cup of coffee after telling them “I voted” (thank you Bargain Shopper Lady). Circuit City is releasing “Shrek 3″ today for a special 3-day offer for $11.99 that includes a stuffed animal, which I was made aware of by Deal News. So, as you can see I use these sites every day. I hope they help you in your shopping endeavors.

• Money Saving Mom: A great resource for coupon match-ups and local sales.
• The Thrifty Mama: Another great resource for coupon match-ups, and organic deals.
• Bargain Shopper Lady: A resource for retail and restaurant deals.
• Deal News: This site is invaluable during the holidays….ever heard of Black Friday Deals?
• Black Friday: They will post all retail deals from now thru the holidays….get out your list.

November 4th, 2008 | Category: Blogosphere, Freebies & Cheapies | Comments (1)

• Bear Naked Fruit & Nut Granola: Free sample of granola.
• Fruitabu Organic Smooshed Fruit: A coupon for a free Fruitabu product.

November 3rd, 2008 | Category: Freebies & Cheapies | Leave a comment

I recently read a great post from Erin at Coupon Cravings about how to get free groceries. I thought I would pass her 4 money-saving tips along to you, because she has some great ideas on how to get free groceries!

“1) Use Buy-One-Get-One-Free Coupons: One great way to get free groceries & household items is to use a buy-one-get-one-free (BOGO) coupon when a grocery item is on sale buy-one-get-one-free to get two for free. I’ve done this many times to get free shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and more.4 boxes of Pop Tarts for free by combining Target web coupons and manufacturer’s coupons.over $30 worth of groceries at HT, including Chex cereal, Cascade dishwashing detergent and 4 bottles of Windex for only $2.”

2) Use Two Coupons on Buy-One-Get-One-Free Sales: When you have high value coupons you can often get products for free or nearly free this way. A couple of months ago, Pert Plus was on sale at CVS buy-one-get-one-free (two for $3.69). I had two $2-off coupons, which more than paid for both bottles of shampoo.

3) Stack Store & Manufacturer’s Coupons: Both Target and CVS have store-specific coupons that can be paired with manufacturer’s coupons for extra savings. I recently got

4) Hit Double & Triple Coupon Days at Your Grocery Store: Harris Teeter triples grocery coupons up to $.99 face value three or four times a year. Many other grocery stores do the same.  I recently got over $30 worth of groceries at HT, including Chex cereal, Cascade dishwashing detergent and 4 bottles of Windex for only $2.”

Publix has been doing a lot of Buy 1/Get 1 deals every week, and I’ve gotten a lot of free products this way. This is the time of year where giving is especially important, so even if you don’t use the products it’s a great opportunity to stock up on food and items to donate. K-Mart is another store that is great to watch, because they’ve been hosting some double coupon days in the last few months. As always, make sure you are well stocked up on coupons. I’ve compiled a pretty comprehensive list of organic coupons. Also, I wrote a post a while back about saving money on organic food that can be applied to buying any type of groceries. For just a couple of hours a week, you can make a serious dent in your grocery bills, and have more money for shopping!

November 3rd, 2008 | Category: Make Organic Food Affordable | Leave a comment

The November GreenWise Market Magazines are now available in the organic section at Publix. This month they have some great coupons:

• $1.00 off Silk Soymilk
• $1.00 off 2 or more POM Wonderful Pomegranates
• $1.00 off Horizon Organic Milk
• $1.00 off any bag of EatSmart All Natural Snacks
• $1.00 off Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Non-dairy milk alternative

Last month the Publix magazine stand was empty, so  I asked at the Customer Service desk if they had any more and they didn’t, but the manager wrote me out coupons for the ones listed in the magazine.

November 2nd, 2008 | Category: Freebies & Cheapies | Leave a comment

Pear shaped bodies have thin arms and flat bellies. They carry their weight in the hips, thighs, and butt. Does this sound familiar? If so, check out this sample diet plan to see how you should be balancing your meals.

Chile Pepper Sample Meal Plan from Fitness Magazine (November/December issue)

1500 calories consisting of 750 from carbohydrates, 375 from fat, and 375 from protein

• Breakfast: 1 packet instant oatmeal, 1 banana, and 1/2 c. orange juice.
• Snack: 6 wheat crackers, and 1 mozzarella cheese stick.
• Lunch: Sandwich: 2 slices whole-wheat bread w/ 1 tsp. light mayo, 2 oz. lean deli roast beef, 1 slice reduced-fat cheese, lettuce, and tomato; 5 baby carrots, 10 celery sticks, 1/2 c. grapes.
• Snack: 1 c. light yogurt, and 1 small apple.
• Dinner: 4 oz. skinless boneless chicken breast topped with salsa made of 1/2 c. black beans, 1/4 c. diced tomatoes, 1 c. steamed green beans, 1 c. mixed green salad w/ 2 tbsp. shredded low-fat cheese tossed w/ 1 tbsp. low-fat dressing, and 1 whole-wheat roll.
• Dessert: 1 sugar-free chocolate pudding cup.

Time Saving Tricks

• It’s easier to stick to a diet if you don’t vary the meals too much. I will be eating the same breakfast, lunch, and snacks every day. Dinner is the only menu item that will change daily. This is also easier for my budget!
• Prep your food for the week on Sunday. Cook, cut, and clean all of your produce.
• For the morning snack, you can pre-package the crackers with the cheese for the week, so they make great snacks on the go.
• Go to NutritionData to put together your own meals based on your caloric needs.

Fitness

• Participate in three 30 minute cardio workouts a week.
• To create curves, you need to include 2 total-body strength training sessions (focusing on the upper body) with heavy weights. If you can’t make it to the gym, you might want to try a video. One of my favorites is Jackie Warner’s Workout DVD. It’s only $8.99 at Amazon and allows you to pick and choose which body parts you want to work on.

October 30th, 2008 | Category: Eat 4 Your Body Type | Leave a comment

Do you have a narrow frame? Are your hips, waist, and shoulders about the same size? Then you may be suffering from curve deprivation, or a chile pepper body. The fortunate thing for you is being able to consume more calories, and work on your curves.

Chile Pepper Sample Meal Plan from Fitness Magazine (November/December issue)

2000 calories consisting of 800 from carbohydrates, 700 from fat, and 500 from protein

• Breakfast: Omelet made with 2 eggs and 1/4 c. each chopped mushrooms, bell peppers, and shredded mozzarella cheese, 2 slices turkey bacon, 1/2 whole-wheat bagel with 1tsp. margarine with canola oil.
• Snack: 1/4 c. each raisins and almonds.
• Lunch: 1 c. black bean soup, spinach salad with 2 c. spinach, 1/3 c. sliced mushrooms, sliced hard-cooked egg, 1 slice turkey bacon, 1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, and 2 tbsp. whole-wheat roll with 1 tsp. margarine made with canola oil.
• Snack: 1 c. high-fiber cereal and 3/4 c. nonfat milk.
• Dinner: 4 oz. salmon fillet brushed with 1 tsp. honey and light soy sauce and grilled, 1/2 c. cooked brown rice, 6 asparagus spears brushed with olive oil and grilled, 1 c. mixed green salad with 1 tbsp. chopped walnuts and 1 tbsp. Italian dressing.
• Dessert: 1 c. light yogurt and 1 peach.

Time Saving Tricks

• It’s easier to stick to a diet if you don’t vary the meals too much. I will be eating the same breakfast, lunch, and snacks every day. Dinner is the only menu item that will change daily. This is also easier for my budget!
• Prep your food for the week on Sunday. Cook, cut, and clean all of your produce.
• For the morning snack, you can pre-package the raisins and almonds for the week, so they make great snacks on the go.
• For the spinach salad at lunch, pre-cook a weeks worth of eggs and turkey, so you can assemble the salad in minutes.
• Go to NutritionData to put together your own meals based on your caloric needs.

Fitness

• Participate in two mid-intensity cardio workouts a week.
• To create curves, you need to include 2 total-body strength training sessions with heavy weights. If you can’t make it to the gym, you might want to try a video. One of my favorites is Jackie Warner’s Workout DVD. It’s only $8.99 at Amazon and allows you to pick and choose which body parts you want to work on.

October 28th, 2008 | Category: Eat 4 Your Body Type | Leave a comment

Those of us with an apple shaped body gain weight in our upper body. The first 5 pounds go directly to my middle, and the next 5 pounds make their way up to my back, arms, and face. When I lose weight, it first comes off my (often) concave butt and thighs. I’m excited to spend the next week seeing how this meal plan works for my body. Let’s get started…….

Apple Sample Meal Plan from Fitness Magazine (November/December issue)

1500 calories consisting of 600 from carbohydrates, 525 from fat, and 375 from protein

• Breakfast: 1egg scrambled with 1/4 c. spinach and 2 tbsp. mozzarella cheese, 1 slice canadian bacon, 1 slice whole-wheat toast with 1/2 tsp. margarine made with canola oil.
• Snack: 1 small apple with 1 tbsp. peanut butter.
• Lunch: Cobb Salad with 2 cups mixed greens, 1/2 tomato, 2 oz. cooked chicken, 1 hard-cooked egg, 1/8 avocado, 1 tbsp. reduced fat feta cheese, and 2 tbsp. reduced fat Italian dressing, and 6 whole-wheat crackers.
• Snack: 1 small pear and 1 piece string cheese.
• Dinner: 3 oz. sirloin steak marinated in 1 tbsp. light soy sauce and orange juice and grilled, 1 small baked potato topped with 1 tbsp. light sour cream and chives, 1/2 c. steamed brocolli with 1 tsp. olive oil.
• Dessert: 1 c. light yogurt mixed with 2 tbsp. bran cereal and 1/2 c. frozen blueberries.

Time Saving Tricks

• It’s easier to stick to a diet if you don’t vary the meals too much. I will be eating the same breakfast, lunch, and snacks every day. Dinner is the only menu item that will change daily. This is also easier for my budget!
• Prep your food for the week on Sunday. Cook, cut, and clean all of your produce.
• For the Cobb Salad lunch I’m pre-cooking a package of chicken tenderloins, hard-boiling 5 eggs, and substituting cherry tomatos, so everything is ready to throw together at the last minute.
• The protein size is small at dinner, so I’m going to split it with my 4 year old or eat the other half the next day.
• Go to NutritionData to put together your own meals based on your caloric needs.

Fitness

• Participate in a minimum of three 40-minute cardio activities a week.
• To really keep your metabolism working hard you need to include 2 total-body strength training sessions. If you can’t make it to the gym, you might want to try a video. One of my favorites is Jackie Warner’s Workout DVD. It’s only $8.99 at Amazon and allows you to pick and choose which body parts you want to work on.

October 27th, 2008 | Category: Eat 4 Your Body Type | Leave a comment