OK, so you scorched the spaghetti sauce and now it is burnt onto the bottom of your pan. What do you do now? Sprinkle a few tablespoons of baking soda and a small squirt of liquid dish washing soap on the bottom of the pan. Fill with a few inches of water. Return the pan back to the stove and simmer the baking soda/dish soap/water mixture for a few minutes. Make sure that you don’t allow the water to evaporate or boil over. Turn off the heat and cool to room temperature. Pour out water and wash as usual. The pan should come clean easily. If there is any residual burnt stuff, use a little more baking soda as a scouring powder (safe for most pans) to remove the last bits.

Tags: Baking Soda, Burnt on Food, Cleaning, Cleaning Tip, household cleaning ideas, Pots & Pans, Quick Tip
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Dining out can be a nice treat once in a while but the cost of beverages can really blow the budget. Ordering water with your meal instead of a soft drink or alcoholic beverage can really save you a lot of money. The average cost of a soft drink at most restaurants is around $3.00. Figuring that you can purchase an entire 2 liter of name brand soda for $1.50 non-sale price is that cup really worth it? If you must have some soda, stop by your local grocery store and pick up a 2-liter bottle and the entire family can have a glass at home for half the cost of just one persons soda at a restaurant. The mark up on alcoholic beverages is even higher than soft drinks. So consider skipping the Margarita or glass of wine in favor of water, you will not only save a few bucks in your pocket-book but also a few calories!

Tags: Beverage, Dining Out, Frugal Living, Frugal Tip, Quick Tip, Soda, Soft Drink, Water
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Frugal shoppers know that the best time to get a deal on holiday items is to purchase them after the holidays are over and save them for next year. You can pocket some major savings by thinking ahead and saving 50-70% or more on holiday items now rather than paying full price for them right before the holidays.

The biggest after holiday savings is seen after the Christmas holiday. Retailers usually put all holiday merchandise at 50% off the day after Christmas and you will usually see 75% a week or two later. Some retailers will do further markdowns just to move the merchandise off the shelves to make room for Valentine’s items.

Look for deals on items like wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper, gift tags, holiday lights, festive decorations, potted poinsettias and other potted holiday plants. Holiday gift sets and baskets can be a great bargain. This year, I picked up Yankee Candle gift baskets online at 50% off retail. They make great gifts later in the year for teachers, friends, and family members. Other holiday goodies worth watching for include holiday cards, napkins, paper plates, Ziploc baggies with holiday designs, candy, and candles.

Most people don’t know they can negotiate with the store manager for further markdowns. At one of my local grocery stores they put all of the holiday clearance in shopping carts and park them near the front store entrance. I’m not shy about asking the store manager what kind of deal he can make me if I purchase the entire basket full of merchandise.  I’ve walked out with hundreds of dollars worth of products for a mere $20 for the entire cart.

Christmas is not the only holiday that offers great post-holiday savings. Each major holiday is a great time to stock up on items to use the following year. Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter, Fourth of July, Halloween and Thanksgiving all provide a great opportunity to save money.

Storing your post holiday bargains is an important thing to remember because poor storage can result in melted candy or forgotten gift items. Here’s some helpful tips for storage:

* Freeze all candy that could possibly melt like chocolate. All other food candy such as jelly beans or valentine heart candies should be put into zipper bags with as much air removed as possible. Most candy has a very long shelf life and should be just fine the next year.

* Holiday wraps and decorations should be stored with your other holiday items in a cool dry place such as a garage or basement.

* How you store gift items will depend on when you plan on giving them. Gifts you plan on giving the following year should be stored with your holiday decorations so that you will remember them the following year. Label your storage containers with the holiday name and contents on the outside so you know what is inside.

* For gifts that you planning on giving year round (think gift baskets of coffee, tea and spa type items) set yourself up with a gift closet, cupboard or chest so that you have your gifts at hand for any occasion that arises.

Putting aside a small amount of money to stockpile holiday gifts and items after the holiday is a smart way to save lots of money and be prepared ahead of time saving you less stress next year.

Tags: 4th of July, Christmas, Easter, Frugal Living, Halloween, Holiday, Post Holiday, Shopping, Shopping Tips, St. Patrick's Day, Storage, Thanksgiving
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Last week I gave you some ideas to help you keep your finances healthy through the New Year, and this week I’ve got some tips to keep your body humming along and getting fit.

A full 30% of Americans resolve to lose weight in the New Year. If keeping that resolution were easy, we wouldn’t be at the top of the list in worldwide obesity. Let’s throw out those worn out excuses, and find some inexpensive options to help you keep your resolve this year.

I don’t have the money for healthy food. Yep, I know things are tight. And I do know that organic, fresh food can sometimes seem out of reach. But there are some economic alternatives for the frugal consumer.

* Check your local farmer’s market. Not only do you find local harvest there, but they oftentimes have a bumps and bruises section in the market where they keep items that are still consumable, but just not as attractive as the other produce. It might be the apple with a slight bruise or the funny-looking bell pepper, but these items are super deals that allow you to eat frugally and well.

* Be willing to work a little with your produce. Buying your items in the hull or with the peels still on (in the case of carrots) will cost you a little time, but you’ll save big bucks at the checkout. Already prepped produce is a super time-saver, but by putting in a little elbow grease and time yourself, you’ll save money.

* Eat what’s in season. Apples are great right now, oranges too. All kinds of greens can be found for reasonable prices. Winter squash won’t bust your budget either. And don’t be afraid to try something new. There are some great recipes on HotCouponWorld.com for preparing your new find, and if you don’t see something that whets your appetite, ask away! With close to 110,000 members, HotCouponWorld folks are happy to help you prepare those new veggies and fruits.

Ok, so we’ve got the fruits and veggies, but what about meat? No way can I afford $5 a pound for meat! Here is where investing a little time in you comes in again. You are worth it! Put your frugal hat on, and get cracking, checking sale ads. If you don’t get the newspaper or your ads aren’t delivered in your mailbox before the sales start, don’t worry. You can access store ads and good deal alerts on HotCouponWorld.com!

* Boneless skinless chicken is a great meat to eat on your diet. It’s so versatile; you can prepare it a ton of different ways. This time of year, savvy stores will run buy one, get one specials to get you in the store. But here’s where we take it a step further – and these tips apply to all fresh meat products you’ll need.

* Find out what brands of meat your store carries. These companies may put out coupons for their products! Check out the HotCouponWorld Coupon Database. Enter the brand that you’re looking for to see what coupons are available. Combine your coupons with a buy-one-get-one sale, and you’ve got a super meal at a rock-bottom price. When you find the deal, stock up!

* Check to see when your store marks down meats. These meats are still good for consumption, but they are nearing their ‘sell-by’ date. Meat IS still good after that date, but you must eat it immediately or freeze for later use. It’s not uncommon to see packages of meat marked down by $2 or more, making them a super deal!

Hey, these are good ideas! Is there a way to cut prices on bread too? Absolutely, there are coupons out most of the time for whole grain sliced bread, so check the coupon database at HotCouponWorld.com for your favorite brands. If you’re an artisan bread fan, check your local bakeries and the bakeries in the grocery for marked down items. Again, these are still good for consumption; they may have been a leftover package from the day before, or perhaps they were in the oven a bit too long. But they’ll normally be anywhere from 50-75% off the regular price. When you find something you like, stock up on it. Bread freezes wonderfully.

Like I said before, I know times are tough for many of you right now. But that’s no excuse not to treat your body and your family right, feeding them with good healthy food to nourish them, body and soul. On a limited budget, and with a little effort and forethought, you can afford those healthy foods that will help you and your family to keep those weight loss resolutions. Get shopping, and good luck!

Tags: Bread, Chicken, Coupon Database, Farmers Market, Freezing, Fruit, Meat, Produce, Vegetable, Weight Loss
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From Retailing Today

Weis Markets announced it has lowered prices on thousands of its staple items effective Jan. 2 and that it has implemented a 90-day price freeze on these items. This price freeze is effective through April 1, 2009.

“With consumer confidence at an all-time low and the poor economy, we know that our customers are looking for long-term ways to save money,” said Weis Markets President David Hepfinger. “While our weekly promotions offer our customers an excellent way to save money and reduce their costs, we wanted to go the extra mile by freezing and lowering the prices on thousands of our staple items, both brand name and store brand, over the long-term for 90 days.”

The price freeze items include private label and brand name products in center store, frozen, dairy, produce, meat, deli and bakery. The Price Freeze program is being promoted in Weis Markets’ current print, television and radio ads. In stores, customers will see special Price Freeze shelf tags on participating items.

Find deals and weekly sales discussions in Hotcouponworld’s Weis forums.

Tags: Food Industry, Grocery Store, Hotcouponworld, Industry News, Retail News, Weis Forums, Weis Market
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Did you make a resolution this year?  If you did, how’s it working for you?  I made one, and I’m going to keep it!  I’ve got a secret – it’s the same resolution I’ve made for the last five years, and I’ve kept it every year.    

I resolved to manage my money to the very best of my ability, providing my family with the very best I can while saving for the rainy day that we all will see one day. 

I think New Year’s resolutions fail mainly because they are often HUGE changes in our lives, hard to maintain and depriving us of comfort and enjoyment.  For that reason, I have made some very subtle changes which when you combine them, make a big difference in our household bottom line.  There are some really simple things you can do to save money in 2009 without feeling deprived.

 If you’re like my family, a huge portion of your monthly expense is your utilities. You need to reduce that bill as much as possible, but still keep warm during the winter months and cool in the summer. The first thing I did was to call my power company and request an energy audit. Most companies provide this service for free, and they will send someone out to look at your power/gas consumption and make suggestions to lower your bill. Additionally, studies have shown that you can reduce your heating bill by 10% if you lower your thermostat 5 degrees at night and 10 degrees when you are not home. If heating is half of your power bill, and your bill normally runs $200 in the winter, you’ll save $10/month just making a small change in temperature.

 When you wash your clothes, use cold water. We do so much laundry that I wonder how in the world all these clothes fit in our closets. Normally I do two loads a day, and if I washed those in hot water, it would cost me about 38 cents each load. A load washed in cold water costs just 1.5 cents! So if you do the math, I’m saving 73 cents /day for 365 days a year, and that’s $266! See how small changes can add up?

 When you’re cooking, turn your oven off about 15 minutes before the baking time is up. The residual heat in the oven will finish baking your food, and you’ll be saving money.

 When you leave the house for an extended period of time (2 days or more), turn your thermostat to the lowest possible setting. Don’t turn the unit off; the low setting will keep your pipes from freezing. Also turn off your water heater. When you return, it will only take an hour or so to heat the water back up.

 If you have ceiling fans in your home, turn the switch on the base so that the blades push the warm air down on you rather than pulling it up.

We all love to make New Year’s resolutions, but keeping them is a different story altogether!  This year, it’s time to get excited about saving some money for your family, and keep your New Year’s resolution!

Tags: Cooking, Energy, Frugal Living, Resolutions, Saving Money, Utilities
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