On my way out of the library I always stop to check out the free magazines they keep in the foyer. One thing that caught my eye last week was the book of coupons they were giving away. The local county is offering Choose to Reuse Today coupons. The front of the book says Save Cash, Save the Planet. Get Great Stuff. Most of the coupons are for discounts on items you can buy if you take something old to be recycled or refurbished. I’m not sure how many I’ll be using but it’s a great way to get rid of unwanted items and save some money. Almost Halloween and…
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Sensible Fashion Buys for Fall/Winter
I’ve always been sensible when it comes time to stocking my wardrobe, nothing that’s too much of a fad that I can’t wear it for more than one season. However, I have had a few slips in sanity and ending up donating clothes after just a year after their purchase. Now I have five rules to keeping my clothing budget under control. 1.Stick with basics like pants, shirt, skirt in colors like black and brown. 2.Pick items you can mix and match that will take you from day to night. Maybe the white dress shirt and black pants you wear during the day can be paired with a fancy necklace…
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The Blog-You Learn By Experience
Fall means vaccination time for my cat. Last year you might remember I switched vets. Last week we took a trip there to get his rabies shot and annual check-up. I always make sure he gets the yearly and not three year rabies vaccination because at the previous vet clinic they mentioned those type of shots were giving some pets cancer. When I arrived at the new vet clinic I discovered they only give the 3 year shot. So my cat ended up just having his annual check-up. But now I had to find somewhere to get his rabies shot. On my trips to Petsmart, I remembered seeing an onsite…
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Some Convenience Foods Are Worth The Price
It’s that time of year again when the days start to get shorter. I don’t know about you, but during the summer I always feel like I have plenty of time to tackle everything on my to do list, but once fall rolls around I start wishing some days had an extra hour or so. For us budget conscious cooks we’re often torn between purchasing more convenience type foods that will give us some extra time, or making everything from scratch. But do you have to feel guilty if you spend a few extra dollars heading to the salad bar at the supermarket rather than putting together your own at…
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The Blog-Another Way to Buy Something
When the budget gets tight you often have to look for creative ways to make ends meet. I’ve been noticing more people and yes, businesses too are willing to trade and barter their products/services. I’ve seen lots of nonprofits and businesses looking for volunteers for a few hours a week in exchange for things like free products, museum passes etc. It might not be money, but one, it’s work experience you can put on your resume. Two, if it’s something you’ve been putting off buying or doing, like going to a show or museum, this might be the perfect solution. And yes, volunteer work sometimes leads to a paying position…
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Why A Budget Smart Cook Loves Stews
When the temperature dips there’s nothing better to eat than a bowl of hearty stew. It’s comfort food at its very best. Meat, vegetables and a savory liquid that are simmered together for hours on top of the stove to create a meal to take away the chill of a fall or winter day. It’s not too surprising that just about every cuisine in the world has its own version. But the best thing about a stew is, apart from the fact it tastes so good, it’s the budget smart cook’s best friend and here’s why. Great Cooking Skills Not Required Stews are one of the easiest of dishes to…
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October, That Means Pizza
October isn’t just for Halloween. Did you know it’s also National Pizza Month? If you’ve only thought of pizza as a high fat fast food, you’ve been overlooking a great ally of the budget cook. Here are some reasons to include pizza in your menu line up. Coupons My father used to say if you don’t mind eating pizza every single day, you can eat fairly cheaply. While pizza tastes great, eating it every day isn’t something most of us want to do. But as most pizza chains send out coupons just about every week, using them to buy a meal for your family when you’re too tired to cook…
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The Budget Smart Girl Newsletter-September 2009
I know it’s already October, but here is the September newsletter. It’s food focused and has some great recipes to try. However, first up, non food stuff… Make Me an Offer Someone told me about this site you might want to check out www.offers.com Budget Smart Knitters Once the first cold snap hits the air, I always think about knitting. Here’s a site I stumbled upon. www.yarn.com, check out their ‘closeout sale’ Coupon Codes I received an e-mail from Kathryn Finney, AKA The Budget Fashionsita www.budgetfashionista.com who by the way has a great book that’s a must on every Budget Smart Girl’s bookshelf. She told me about a new site,…