moneysavingmat.com

Garden Update 6-26-2010

Mat — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 17:23:31 +0000

How is your garden doing?

Money Saving: Fast Food

Mat — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:57:29 +0000

Getting free food from fast food restaurants is easy! A lot of money saving expert will tell you not to eat out at all. Occasionally eating out using these tips to get free fast food or cheap food can still help you save money. Saving money with free food can include everything from full meals to free desserts. Here are some saving money tips for how you can find free food deals.

Look for restaurants that offer kids eat free nights. Many places also have buy one get one free food deals for seniors. Especially in this economy, restaurants are coming out with all kinds of deals to get you in the door. So, be on the lookout for these offers in your area.

Always sign up for email or birthday clubs from restaurants. You will get coupons for free food items just for signing up. Birthday freebies can often include anything from free desserts to a free full meal and many times do not expire for weeks or even a month. Sign up for as many restaurants as you can and use the coupons until they expire.

Businesses love hearing from you. Email or write to restaurants you enjoy. They want you to give them your opinions and comments. Many places will send you coupons for free food or discount offers just for taking time to contact them.

Coupons can be anywhere; you just have to know where to look. Check your local newspapers and mailings for free food and discounts offers. There are also tons of coupons in your local phone book. Check the restaurants section as many businesses put coupons inside in with their ads.

Check blogs and restaurant websites. You can find free food offers and coupons that can be printed off from restaurant websites. They also may be advertising free food promotions taking place at the restaurants.

I use these tips throughout the year. Sometimes, eating out in moderation can be cheaper than cooking at home. It is also a cheap date night and chance to get out of the house. What tips do you have to save money at restaurants.

Saving Money Tips: Auto Insurance

Mat — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 06:00:22 +0000

Car insurance can get expensive. My own car insurance is one of my biggest expenses. I decided to do some research and find out how I can save money on auto insurance. Here is what I’ve found out:

Watch Your Credit Score
Insurance companies check your credit score when they give you a quote. Insurance companies feel that people with bad credit are a higher risk. If you have good credit, you can get cheap insurance.

Get Several Car Insurance Quotes
Shop around. Different companies will offer different rates and deals. Be sure to only check one or two companies at a time. If several companies check your credit score at the same time, your credit will suffer. Shopping around will get you cheap car insurance.

Check for Discounts
When you are getting car insurance quotes, ask about all discounts the company may offer. Many companies will offer you discounts for having low millage, owning a cheaper car, or belonging to certain organizations.

Raise Your Deductible
Your deductible is the out of pocket expense you pay if you are in an accident. Raise your deductible as much as you can possibly afford.

Combine Your Policies
Combine your home insurance, renters insurance, and any other policies you may have with the same company for a discount. Many companies will combine your car insurance and home insurance on the same bill.

I plan to use all of these money saving tips when I renew my auto insurance. Do you have any other tips for saving money on car insurance?

Swagbucks!

Mat — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 06:20:58 +0000

Kick off your summer with SwagBucks where you can increase your chances of scoring BIG. Swagbuck is an amazing program that rewards you with AWESOME prizes just for doing your everyday searches online!

How to get Swagbucks:
Want the Swagbucks how to? Just sign up and use it as any other search engine. You can also use Facebook, Twitter and the Swagbucks site to find Swagbucks Codes.

Today would be a great day to sign up because you’ll earn 30 SwagBucks to get you started!

Sunday Coupons Preview 6-20-2010

Mat — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 16:15:33 +0000

Here is a sneak peak at what coupons will be in Sunday’s paper, there will be a Smartsource and Redplum:
Adult Benedryl Allergy Save $1.00/1 ETS
Advil PM 16ct or larger Save $1.00/1
Amdro Kills Ants & Roach Products Save $1.00/1
Aveeno Sun Care Save $3.00/WYB 2 Benedryl products ETS
Benedryl Topical Anti-Itch Save $1.00/1 ETS
Bicycle Playing Cards Save $1.00/2

Check out Sunday Coupon Preview for the full list or click the banner.
I will have a few inserts in my eBay store on Sunday so don’t forget to stop by if you need some.
Also, contact me on eBay if you need extras and I will try to get them for you.

Saving Money Tips: College Edition

Mat — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 17:24:58 +0000

I spent 6 years in college and racked up a ridiculous amount of debt. The lessons I learned are worth way more than my degree. I hope these tips help recent high school graduates in their pursuit of higher education. I wish I knew about this stuff 7 years ago.

Save money on classes:

Take as many general education classes (math, science, English, history, foreign language, ect…) at your local community college. Community colleges offer many of the same classes that will transfer to a four year college for a fraction of the cost. Make sure all the classes you are taking will transfer, otherwise you are wasting money. Many community colleges offer more financial aid as well.

Save money on books:

Try not to buy your books brand new from the school book store. When possible, buy used and buy online. You can buy many of the same textbooks from half.com then re-sell them on the same site when you’re done with them. Make sure you order your books early to make sure you get them in time and that they are the books you needed.

Other tips for saving money:

Live off campus is possible. It is so much cheaper to find an apartment and split the rent with roommates.

Learn to the tricks to using coupons on groceries. Try not to waste money on fast food and eating out.

You may want to get a part-time job to cover your food and living budget.

Whenever possible, stay away from credit cards and even student loans. Private student loans are the worst. You will be stuck with the payments forever.

Doughnut French Toast

Mat — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 16:17:22 +0000

This Doughnut French toast is amazing! I was flipping TV channels and came across Nigella Lawson’s show. I knew I had to try it as I watched her make it. I made it for dinner a few days ago, but it was so good that I ate it before I got the camera ready.

Ingredients:

Eggs
Bread
Milk
Vanilla
Sugar
Butter

The rest of Nigella’s recipe can be found here.

Serve with pureed strawberries and a side of crisp bacon. I love breakfast for dinner, aka brinner.

Garden Update 6-12-2010

Mat — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 17:14:50 +0000

I’ve been on vacation for a whole week! I’m happy to be back though and eager to show you what’s been going on around my garden. I can’t wait to double the size of the garden next year.

Tomatoes turning red.

Cherry Tomatoes

Banana Peppers

Green Beans

Garden is getting huge!

How is your garden doing?

SwagBucks Friday!

Mat — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:56:01 +0000

Kick off your summer with SwagBucks where you can increase your chances of scoring BIG. Swagbucks is an amazing program that rewards you with AWESOME prizes just for doing your everyday searches online! Today would be a great day to sign up because you’ll earn 30 SwagBucks to get you started!

Sunday Coupon Preview 6-06-2010

Mat — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:49:58 +0000

Here is a sneak peak at what will be in Sunday’s paper, there will be a Smartsource, Redplum and Procter and Gamble:
8th Continent Soymilk Half Gallon Save $1.00/1
Allwhites of Better’n Eggs products Save $1.00/2
Ball Canning Discovery Kit Save $2.00/1
Ball or Kerr Canning Jars Save $1.50/1
Ball Park Angus Product Save $.55/1
Ball Park Products Save $.75/2
Caltrate 155 ct or larger Save $2.00/1

Garden Update 6-2-2010

Mat — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 15:47:15 +0000

Everything is still growing! I can’t wait to expand next year. Here is what the garden looks like right now.
Cherry tomatoes are coming along. Still haven’t turned red though.

I have one or two baby strawberries making an appearance.

Sunflowers have started to bloom.

Celery has gotten huge! I can’t believe I started these from seeds in February.

And the beans are still climbing!

How is your garden coming along?

Day Dreaming…

Mat — Mon, 31 May 2010 19:18:32 +0000

I’ve been finding myself day dreaming a lot lately. My mind has been swirling with dreams of a different life. In my head there is a small house on several acres of land and its quiet. In my dream there’s no traffic, noise, or rude tourists. In the past couple of years I’ve really gotten into the “modern homesteading” or “urban homesteading” trend. A modern homestead intrigues me. So as I play with numbers in excel and calculate the possibilities, I wonder if this dream is even possible. But isn’t that what a dream is? Something that is impossible at the moment with hard work and focused will it manifests into reality? As I continue to work and save and try my best to pay down this ridiculous amount of debt, I will also continue to dream of a quiet house in the country with a huge garden, a few animals and lots of family around. Keep on day dreaming!

Mega Swag Bucks Day!

Mat — Fri, 28 May 2010 09:29:34 +0000

It is such a beautiful day and the wonderful people at SwagBucks have increased your chances of scoring BIG Swagbucks today! Swagbucks is a fabulous program that rewards you with AWESOME prizes just for doing your everyday searches online! Today would be a great day to sign up because you’ll earn 30 SwagBucks to get you started!

Garden Update 5-26-2010

Mat — Wed, 26 May 2010 16:32:01 +0000

Everything is looking good even though we’ve had a few bad over the past two days. The only casualty seems to be my spinach which now looks sad and wilted. I’ve had so much fun with the garden this year, I plan to double it next year. I hope to install a new 8×4 raised bed for my fall garden in July. I plan to start collards, more beans, kale, broccoli, maybe a pumpkin or two and a few other fall staples. How are your gardens coming along?

Grilled Salsa Chicken

Mat — Mon, 24 May 2010 23:58:38 +0000

This chicken was sooo good! I got the recipe from Erin at $5 Dinners. I did alter it a bit for ingredients I had on hand.

2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs
1 cup salsa
1 packet of chili seasoning mix
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
Get the rest of the recipe here.

We had the chicken with a salad (free from the garden) and grilled corn on the cob.

How Small is Too Small??

Mat — Mon, 24 May 2010 20:38:24 +0000

Recently I stumbled onto a blog about tiny houses. I was intrigued. As I browsed through the posts I stumbled into even smaller houses. It was like falling down the rabbit hole of tiny dwellings. The notion of living such an uncluttered, minimalist lifestyle is interesting to say the least. But how small is to small? I think it all depends on the person and they’re needs. Sure you can build a tiny house for $23,000 or less but could you sustain this lifestyle? I could never see myself living in a 89 sq ft house that is essentially a wooden camper. Although I am not against living in a camper, it would not work for me in the long term. For me, I think 356 sq ft would be comfortable and reasonable to build. A small house would be cheaper to build, have a smaller footprint, could be built out of green recycled materials and would be easier to keep clean. These are things I think about as we pay down debt, save and plan for our future home. So heres the question: how small is too small??

Sunday Review 5-23-2010

Mat — Sun, 23 May 2010 15:54:34 +0000

Here’s a roundup of what happened around the internet last week if you missed it:

Erin, the $5 Dinner Mom, shares her garden with a few critters.
Davey Wavey has an inspiring Guest Post by Theresa.
Mrs Money shares the secret behind “All Natural” on product labels.
Leo at Zen Habits talks about the Zen of running barefoot.
Sayward shares her recipe for Split Pea Soup With Fennel And Potatoes.
Ivory shoes us her front yard strawberry patch at Little House in the Suburbs.

Here at Money Saving Mat:
My Recipe for Mac and Cheese
Why I Hate Student Loans
Garden Update
My 401K Problem

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Sunday Coupon Preview 5-23-2010

Mat — Fri, 21 May 2010 15:56:12 +0000

Here is a sneak peak at what will be in Sunday’s paper, there will be a Smartsource and a Redplum:

Alexia Select Sides Save $1.00/2 (7/3)
Banana Boat Suncare Product, 4oz+, Save $1.00/1 (8/31)
Benefiber Orange product Save $1.00/1 (8/31)
Benefiber product Save $1.00/1 (8/31)
Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad Mixes Save $.50/2 (7/17)
Bic Multi-Purpose Lighter or Multi-Position Lighter Save $1.00/1 (7/31)
Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almond milk Save $1.00/1 (8/31)
Blue Diamond Almonds, 6oz cans Save $1.00/2 (8/31)
Blue Diamond Bold Almonds, 6oz cans Save $1.00/2 (8/31)
Breyers Swirled Lowfat Yogurt Disney Multipack Save $.50/1 (8/15)
Adams Spot On Flea & Tick products Save $3.00/1
Advil 20 ct or larger Save $1.00/1
Advil PM 16 ct or larger Save $2.00/1
Angel Soft Bath Tissue 6-Double Roll or larger Save $.50/1
Axe Shower Gel or Detailer Shower Tool Save $.75/1
Brayers Smooth & creamy Bars or Sandwiches 6ct carton any variety Save $1.00/2
Degree Men Adrenaline Series Anti-perspirant & Deodorant Save $1.00/1
Degree Men or Women Anti-perspirant & deodorant or Body Mist Save $.50/1

401k???

Mat — Thu, 20 May 2010 17:08:03 +0000

OK, here’s my plan. I want to get these student loans paid off in 7-10 years. My plan is to pay them off one at a time as I accumulate the money in my savings account (separate from emergency fund). I am currently putting 2% a week into my 401k plan which my employer matches 50% of. My question is; should I keep putting money into my 401k plan when I’m 25-30 or should I put that toward debt? WWSOD? (what would Suze Orman do?) What would you do?

Garden Update 5-19-2010

Mat — Wed, 19 May 2010 16:17:06 +0000

As you can see everything is coming along nicely. Tomatoes are appearing, my corn is pregnant. Cant wait to grill some of that corn this summer. I also included a picture of our new compost bin. I started composting back in February with a large plastic trash can with holes drilled all over it. We have since upgraded from ugly trash can to nice compost bin. Don’t worry, I didn’t pay for it. How is your garden coming along?

Why I Hate Student Loans

Mat — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:47:03 +0000

About five years ago I decided I needed a change in my life and applied to a four year college four hours away from my home town. I was broke at the time but took out numerous student loans to move. During the four years I was in college anytime I ever needed more money for whatever reason, the predatory lending corporation, Sallie Mae, was ready the shell out money for exorbitant fees which being 20 something and naive, did not understand. So I graduate with my shinny new college degree during the generation of recession with a loan balance of $100,000. I worked full time all the way through college and still managed to rack up this insane amount of debt. I’m still working for the same company I started working for 5 years ago. I’m trying to pay this crap down as fast as I can making $20,000 a year and barely making a dent in the mess. Talking to Sallie Mae is no help either. They will not help you when you call them. They just read from a scrip I suspect was written by the devil. Now I’m blogging about my attempts to deduce this debt by any legal means necessary. This concludes my rant on student loans.

Mac and Cheese

Mat — Mon, 17 May 2010 00:31:38 +0000

Half box of noodles
1 1/2lb of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 Cups Milk
4 tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp Dry mustard
Onion powder
Bread crumbs
Salt
Pepper
Cook noodles according to box directions.
Melt butter and reserve 1tbsp for bread crumbs.
Add flour to butter and whisk until thick.
Melt in cheese and add seasonings to taste. Stir in noodles and add to pan. Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs and butter. Take at 400 until top is brown.

Sunday Review 5-16-2010

Mat — Sun, 16 May 2010 16:01:21 +0000

This post is all about things I found around the blog-o-spear this past week. I keep up with quite a few blogs and the following are a few I found interesting.

Erin from $5Dinners.com wrote a piece about her new container garden. If you’re low on space or are not able to install a ground garden or raised beds, this is a great option.

Davey Wavey created a 4 minute meditation and shared it with us at Break the Illusion.

Mrs Money at Ultimate Money Blog wrote How to Create Your Own Debt Reduction Plan.

Ivory wrote about how to Save Money with a Supply Journal over at Little House in the Suburbs. This is a great blog in general about Urban Homestead.

Clint at QueerCents wrote about Budgeting Using the Envelope System. I started out using this system a couple of years ago. Its a great way to get started. On a side note, I love QueerCents. Its the only money blog that I know of exclusivly for the GLBT community. I’ve also written for them before.

Here at MoneySavingMat, I shared my new crochet project and an update on my garden.

Don’t forget to check out my Coupons section, Freebies section, Amazon store or my eBay store.
Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Sunday Coupon Preview 5-16-2010

Mat — Sat, 15 May 2010 16:52:55 +0000

Here is a sneak peak at what will be in Sunday’s paper, there will be a Smartsource and a Redplum:

Air Wick Aqua Mists BOGO up to $3.29 value (6/27)
Air Wick Freshmatic Compact i-Motion Starter Kit Save $4.00/1 (6/27)
Air Wick Scented Oil 1 Twin Refill Pack or 2 Single Refill Packs Save $1.00/1 (6/27)
Air Wick Warmer Unit FREE wyb any Air Wick Scented Oil Refill Save up to $2.19 (6/27)
Athenos Feta Save $1.00/1 (6/30)
Atkins Shake 4pk Save $.50/1 (7/31) DND5
Bob Evans Frozen Breakfast item Save $.75/1 (7/18)
Bob Evans Refrigerated Side Dishes Save $.50/2 (7/18)
Bob Evans Sausage items Save $.50/2 (7/18)
3 Muskeeters Brand Truffle Crisp, Mint or Original Save $0.25/1
All Liquid Laundry Detergent 28 load or larger Save $1.00/1
All Oxi Liquid Laundry Detergent 28 load or larger Save $2.00/1
Aunt Millie’s Bread Save $0.55/1
Aunt Millie’s Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns Save $0.55/1
Aunt Millie’s Slimwiches Save $0.55/1
Aussie Shampoo or Conditioner Aussie Styling product B1G1
Aveeno Sun Care products Save $1.50/1 ETS

Mega SwagBucks Friday!

Mat — Fri, 14 May 2010 01:27:07 +0000