Kelly's Thrifty Tips

There are a lot of great finance blogs out there, and I thought I would share one with you that is about a lot more than just finances. Check out Wisebread.com. Wisebread is a collection of bloggers who write on some great finance topics and more. Main subjects include Personal Finance, Frugal Living, Career & Income, and Life Tracks. Here is just a few of the articles they had on their main page today: How To Really Save Money When You Shop, 8 Reasons To Drink More Water, 5 Ways To Yank The Leash On Pet Expenses. There is a lot more, you could literally spend the day learning about ways to save money.

If I can find another way to use an item rather than toss it, I am going to go for it. Here are a couple of ways to reuse some household items once they have filled their initial purchase.


SILICA PACKETS

I came across instructions for recharging silica packets which led me to look for ways to reuse those packages. First of all, silica packets are often included with the items we buy. Companies put these silica packets in to protect these new items from moisture, but you can keep them and reuse them for items around the home. The packets often look like little sugar packets. I know When you are not using the silica packets, put them in a baggy to keep them fresh.

You can put the silica in toolboxes and tackle boxes to help prevent rust.

Drop some silica packets in with clothes that you put away seasonally to keep the clothes fresh and wick away moisture.

Moisture can tarnish jewelry from silver to costume. Put some silica packets in your jewelry box to help keep away moisture as well.

Store some silica packets in your camera case to keep moisture from damaging your camera.

I do not know how well this works, but I read that if a cell phone or a camera gets water on it, you can put it in a baggy with some silica packets and they will help remove that moisture. This may or may not prevent damage to your phone, but it is worth a try.

Now to recharge your silica packets, put them on a cookie sheet and put them in the oven at 200 degrees for an hour.

DETERGENT SQUEEZE BOTTLES

Fill an empty detergent squeeze bottle with water and keep in the car to use to clean your hands after changing a flat or to clean off the car windows when you are out of wiper fluid.

Fill the clean detergent bottle with water to water plants in your home.

Fill the clean bottle with water to easily add water to an iron.

PIE TINS

I kept a pie tin after Christmas and it has been used and reused in our house at least ten times already to store and heat up leftovers. It kind of reminds me of the TV dinners my mom bought back in the 70s when they were still made with foil pans. They can be cleaned and used again and again.

COFFEE CANS

This is something I do not use anymore, but if you do or if you can get your hands on some, you can use the extra large ones and a regular sized coffee can to make ice cream. You simply fill the larger one with ice and salt and put the ingredients to make the ice cream in the smaller can. Roll it around until you have ice cream.

When I was a child we used to have our parents poke holes in the coffee cans, feed twine through the holes and make stilts.

You can use the plastic or the metal cans to store items around the house. They both have great lids to keep things dry. I like to use canisters to hold all the free samples I get. This way they aren't just piling up everywhere.







FREEBIES

Free samples of Bragg seasonings. I don't know if you have checked them out before, but seriously this stuff is great. Follow the link to the website. The free sample link there is on the left side.

LINK: Bragg Samples

While supplies last enter to get a free sample of CoverGirl NatureLuxe Foundation. The free sample link will be at the bottom right. The ad changes from Lip Perfection to NaturalLuxe.

LINK: CoverGirl NatureLuxe foundation sample

Maggi is a base that you can use for homemade soup and while supplies last you can get a free sample of their Chicken Flavored pasta soup. The link is on the right side of the page.

LINK: Maggi Soup sample

Walmart.com has a free sample of Purena Beneful dog food. This like all other Walmart samples is available while supplies last.

LINK: Purena Beneful

When my son was little, it was always nice to have a little formula on hand. Sign up now and while supplies last you can get a sample of Parents Choice Premium Infant formula.

LINK: Parents Choice Premium Infant Formula

If you like books with photographs from exotic locations, you might want to sign up for the free book from National Geographic called "Reflections of Seoul in Four Seasons" with photography by Jodi Cobb. This beautiful book is full of fabulous pictures that you will surely enjoy. These books are only delivered to street addresses not PO Boxes and are available on a first-come-first-serve basis. This is a free offer from the National Geographic Channel.

LINK: National Geographic free book

ENTERTAINMENT FOR FREE

iTickets has a free download of Brandon Heath's song "Leaving Eden" from his new CD of the same title. There is also a free download of "At Your Feet" by Godspeed3 from their CD "Redeemed."

LINK: iTickets Free Music

FreeCCM has free downloads from Phil Wickham, The Afters, Chris Rice, and MercyMe.

LINK: FreeCCM Free Music

How about a free movie. Here are some free Block Buster kiosk codes. These codes can change at any time and not work, but at that point you can always cancel. I hope you took advantage of last week's code.


14CHD2X (Expires Jan 20, 2011)
MRC37H (Expires Feb 25, 2011)

FREE COUPON CLASS

I have read books and taken some online classes, but I have never had the opportunity to take one in person. Here is a chance for anyone in the quad city area or for that matter, anyone who would like to drive on in to Prescott to get some knowledge from a real savvy saver.

Practical Saver, Kara Rozendaal has been helping Arizona families save money for years with her tips and fabulous website. She has some totally valuable information on couponing that she is willing to share in a free class. This is a three week class January 26th, February 2nd, February 9th from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm at Tri City Prep School at 5522 Side Road Prescott. This class is going to teach you how to save money for your family as well as bless others. Get more information at our online calendar where you can get Kara's email and phone number to register. Seriously, this is a series you are not going to want to miss.

SEE YOU NEXT WEEK!

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

In the spirit of all things Christmas, I thought it would be nice to again give some link ups to some awesome homemade items you can make for Christmas for decorating, gifting, or enjoying on your own.

CHRISTMAS COOKIES

I love Christmas cookie exchanges. I used to work at an orthodontic practice back in Rhode Island, and we used to have an cookie exchange with all the assistants. This was such a great way to kick off the holiday. Here are a couple of recipes for you to try and maybe share with your own exchange or maybe wrap up as gifts for neighbors or coworkers.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls

I got this recipe from Kellogg's. These are great because they are tasty and a no bake cookie!

Magic Cookie Bars

I get this recipe of the Eagle's Brand Sweetened Condensed milk every year. My son is an absolute nut for these cookies. Our only change is that we do not use margarine, we use real butter and we use chopped pecans. My son hates nuts, but he will polish these cookies off.

Butterball Cookies

These were a cookie staple back East. In fact, I had never even eaten a cookie like this until I lived in Rhode Island, but now I am hooked.

CHRISTMAS DECORATING

According to Good Housekeeping you can save money and maximize your decorating dollars by decorating just at the focal points in your home. These would be the front door, mantel, tree (of course) and dining table.

If you can't afford to pick up a wreath ask the person selling the Christmas trees if you can gather some of the greenery to make a wreath or use in as a centerpiece on your table or on your mantle. Most will be happy to let you take some for free.

Good Housekeeping has some cool wreath pictures that could spark some great ideas. Follow the link below.

LINK: Good Housekeeping Wreaths

How Cast has a really cool CD wreath. I am including a link to their instructional video. It is beyond something I would do, but still pretty cool.

LINK: Howcast.com How to Make a Christmas Wreath out of old CDs

Last week I was all about checking out the Black Friday deals. For the most part, I didn't go crazy, but there were things I wanted at several stores so it meant being up and shopping at midnight. Of course I am not done yet. I will be doing some final shopping online. I have about $130 in Amazon gift credits thanks to searching through Swagbucks, and I signed up for Amazon Mom and have free shipping for one more month. And for those orders that are not related to Amazon, I will take advantage of Free Shipping Day. Free Shipping Day is Friday, December 17, and according to the website freeshippingday.com more than 1,000 participating merchants will offer free shipping with delivery by Christmas Eve (YES by Christmas Eve) in the continental United States. Make sure that the store of your choice is listed by hopping over to their website.

LINK: Free Shipping Day

Here is a great website for you to check out today. Today, tomorrow and the next even. Let's face it, it is Christmas season, and we are all doing a lot of shopping. You want to take advantage of all the deals you can find, and What's Cheap Today is going to help you do just that. What's Cheap Today has loads of deals found by members which will lead you to some serious money saving! Follow the link below. You will definitely like what you see.

LINK: What's Cheap Today



FREEBIES

Whiles supplies last, sign up for a free sample of Elizabeth Arden's perfume Pretty. I love trying out new fragrances over the holidays. It gives me a chance to figure out what I want for Christmas!

LINK: Pretty - Elizabeth Arden

Are you a recipe lover? If so you should sign up for this free Karo recipe booklet for cookies and bars.

LINK: Karo Recipe Book

If you are thinking that Thanksgiving and all the upcoming parties before Christmas are going to take their toll in the calorie department, you just might want to sign up for The Atkins Community. Sign up is totally free. With sign up you will get a quick start guide, three Atkins bar and lots more.

LINK: Atkins Community

Take care of the winter dry skin in a pinch with a quick free sample of Vaseline Intensive Rescue. Walmart has the link up while supplies last.

LINK: Vaseline Intensive Rescue

This Friday at noon EST you can get a chance at one of 5000 Tide Stain Release Pre-treat sprays via their Facebook page. They will be giving out lots of products over the next several weeks so if you miss out on this one you can try for the next.

LINK: Tide Facebook

Got a dog or a cat? Sign up for a sample of Purina ONE at the Walmart link below. There are three page numbers. Click on number 3.

LINK: Purina ONE


Oh how I love free music! I found several free song downloads you just have to check out from Amazon.com

Trans-Siberian Orchestra - Dream Child

Sixpence None The Richer - Silent Night

Veggie Tales -
Candy Cane Blues
For Unto Us A Child Is Born
Caroling Medly

FreeCCM of course is one of my favorite go-to spots for free Christian music, and this week they have another awesome song. This week you can download "God With Us" by Todd Agnew, "Joy To The World" by 33Miles, "Best Kept Secret" by Skillet, "Send Me Out" by Fee, and "Between Bare Trees" by The Choir. Follow the link below.

LINK: FreeCCM Christian Music




Okay this next group is not free but a great price for a CD download. How good? How about five dollars good? Right now you can download these CDs at Amazon.com for just $5.00.

Jars of Clay Presents The Shelter

Tenth Avenue North The Light Meets The Dark

Third Day Offerings A Worship Album

Chris Sligh The Anatomy Of Broken

Leeland Sound of Melodies

Michael W Smith Worship Again

Barlow Girl Home For Christmas

Sara Groves O Holy Night

Amy Grant My Best Christmas

Christ Is Come Big Daddy Weave

Build A Bear is a store that I only wish was around when I was a child. As it is, I made my own lamb several years, and she still sits prominently on one of my shelves. If you have a child who would like to build a bear or maybe needs some new outfits for their bear (or other cute little critter) then click on the link below for a printable coupon for $5.00 off a $25 purchase.

LINK: Build A Bear $5.00 Printable



GIVEAWAY




Okay. Everyone also knows that I love giveaways. One of my favorite review blogs is Simply Stacie and she is hosting a giveaway hop that seriously you need to check out. The giveaway runs from December 1st to December 5th. All the giveaways are gift certificates, gift cards, gift codes for websites or cash. This is so they can all be easily sent and in a timely manner. The entries are designed to be quick so you can enter them quickly. At just a quick glance I saw a $25 Visa gift card, a $20 gift code to Amazon.com, a $100 gift code to CSN stores, and lots more. Give it a shot. :)

LINK: Holiday Gift Giveaway Hop

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

WEBSITE TIPS

You have got to check out DODTracker.com. This website will give you up to the minute pricing and deal details on many, many websites. You can find deals on computers and electronics, music and entertainment, apparel, jewelry, and lots more. If you are looking for a deal this is a great place to stop.

LINK: DOD Tracker

Do you like Ebay, but want to do a little more good? Check out Goodwill's Auction site. I found amazing deals there. Seriously, just last night I quickly browsed and found a pair of stunning Chanel sunglasses (swoon), numerous designer bags like Coach, Dooney and Bourke and Fendi, and ooooh the antique selection is so fun to browse. I was especially smitten with the antique crank phonograph. Interested? Follow the link below.

LINK: Shop Goodwill Online


FREEBIES

Get a Bring Your Green To Work note pad from Energy Star. You can order up to 50. Free shipping. I have no idea how long this will last so go now. It is in the Buildings and Plants section or the 12th item down.

LINK: Energy Star Bring Your Green To Work Note Pad

Post-it is again offering Durable Tabs and Label Pads samples. With m y son back in school the tabs are really a huge help. This offer ends on 9/15/2010.

LINK: Post-it Samples

All-Bran has an awesome Promise Pack available again. If you haven't registered you can register on the link. The last promise pack included All Bran's drink mix, bar and cereal. I think coupons also were included. Follow the link below.

LINK: All-Bran Promise Pack

A sample for the ladies. For that...time. This is thanks to Walmart's sample program.

LINK: Free Sample for the Ladies

Walmart has Cheetos Mighty Zingers samples today as well. I just got a sample in the mail. It was one of those 99 cent bags. Check it out.

LINK: Cheetos Mighty Zingers

This Saturday's Lowe's Build and Grow Clinic for kids is an awesome school bus. This is too cute! Not only is there a secret compartment but there is also a chalk board roof. Follow the link below to check into signing up. September's is a leash hanger that is also pretty cute!

LINK: Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics

Print out the coupon at the link below for a free LORAC mini gloss or eye primer at Sephora inside JC Penney. This is not good for JCPenney.com or Sephora.com. Only Sephora inside JC Penney. The coupon expires on 9/22/10.

LINK: Coupon for LORAC mini gloss or eye primer

Don't forget to log in to cellfire to put coupons right on your card.

LINK: Cellfire

You can also check into the websites for Safeway and Frys for more opportunities to print coupons and also load coupons directly onto your loyalty cards there as well. I load up what I can, you never know what you might end up picking up.

Kelly's Thrifty Tips - Saving Money on Road Trips

Since it is summer and more and more people are hitting the road, I thought it would be a good idea to talk about ways to save money in the summer. Summers are often filled with road trips. Nowadays with it being a bit more expensive to take a long trip away, people are often taking shorter trips to local destinations or driving a state away. Here are a few tips to save money on the road.

1 - Gas - First, gas up before you leave town. Gas stations off of highways are notoriously expensive. It is a good idea to look up websites like GasBuddy.com in advance in towns you are going to go through to get an idea of the best place to stop. Watch how you drive as well. If you have it, take advantage of cruise control. Excessive increases and decreases in speeds is not good for your gas mileage. Also check your tire pressure.

2 - Travel tips - Travel when it is cooler. Start your road trip early in the morning and take advantage of the cooler weather. Do your best to avoid traveling during rush hour. If you are on highways with carpool lanes take advantage of them. When you stop at a rest area or gas station, insist on everyone taking a bathroom break. I know it sounds silly but you might eliminate unnecessary stops. Of course if all else fails you still need to stop if a family member needs you to. :) Don't forget to also pack cleaning essentials like wipes, paper towels and some sort of trash bags. Also pack some activities for the kids. You are less likely to have to make unplanned stops if the kids are entertained. I have some ideas at the bottom of this list with some good travel game tips.

3 - Food and Beverages - Buying drinks and snacks on the road can be very costly. Save your money for your destination and pack your drinks and snacks in a cooler. Make sandwiches and wrap them (we usually use baggies and then hold them all in a plastic bag to keep them doubly secure) and store in the cooler as well. Buy snack items at the grocery store in advance. Don't forget to save money on ice for the cooler too. We usually make extra ice in advance to save on buying bagged ice for the cooler. By the way, you do not need a fancy cooler. Walmart has inexpensive styrofoam coolers that are easy to use. We have used the same one for two years to bring things back and forth, and it works great. There are lots of great parks that you can stop at and enjoy your packed lunch in a nice picnic setting. Again, take a little extra time to plan, and you will find that you save money and have a great time. Plus stopping for a picnic lunch can give everyone a chance to stretch on the road.

4 - Visitor Centers - If you are traveling to another state or tourist town, check out the visitor centers. They are almost always chock full of discounts and deals. We have received a lot of great restaurant discounts by availing ourselves of the visitors center. You might also see discounts when shopping at local stores.

5 - Hotel stay - When booking hotels. Try to stay in hotels with kitchenettes. You probably do not want to eat in on your entire vacation, but truly it is wise to save where you can. We usually try to bring snack foods for the hotel. And if it does have a kitchenette, we definitely hit the grocery store. There are two cool things about this for me. One is that I get to compare prices in another area, and shop with the locals. I have even traveled seriously on the cheap by eating cup o noodles with the hot water from the coffee maker. The second is that we can plan a few meals in the hotel which gives us more leisure and less reason to go go go when on vacation.


All in all, a road trip just takes a little planning. A little planning goes a long way into saving money and stress when summer traveling. Now how about those road games?

-- License plate or street sign ABCs - This was my dad's and my standby for our trips to Disneyland back when I lived in California.

-- I spy - For me this always seemed a bit difficult in a moving vehicle, but it appears to be a road trip classic.

-- Mad Libs - You can make up your own, buy them in a book store, or even print some up on line. I like how you can sneak a little learning in with a really fun game.

-- Trivial Pursuit - We bring the questions from old quiz games and quiz each other when on the road.

-- Crossword Puzzles - I started doing this after picking up a Pilot magazine and asking my husband the questions. This is another great way to sneak in a little learning.

-- License Plate United States - Long road trips to popular destinations can be really fun for a US license plate hunt. We print out slips of paper with all the state, and as each person finds a plate, they mark it off on their list. The person with the most completed wins.

-- Photo scavenger hunt - This kind of depends on what you have on hand to take pictures with. If you have a couple cameras on hand, you can make a list of items that the kids need to find and when they see them, they snap a photo. The first person to complete the list wins.

-- Make a CD of songs and play name that tune for the family to see who guesses the song first. Or make a CD of silly songs for the whole family to sing. Another game my son and I play is "Guess the Lyrics." I will play a song and see if he can guess what the artist is singing. This is not as easy as it may sound, and it can be pretty funny.

-- Various Printables - I have found some really cute printables online that I thought I would share.

Family Fun - Printable Road Maze (an awesome Route 66 maze)

Family Fun - Car Bingo (a great bingo game with signs and sites you might see on a road trip)

Game Ideas for Kids - Printable Battleship Game


Now that we have covered saving money on road trips. There is one other cool thing I want to tell you about. There are lots of wonderful National Parks out there, and there is something that I haven't really mentioned which is National Parks Passes. If you are planning on doing lots of road trips or if you are just interested in keeping costs down and checking out some activities closer to hom, you might want to make the investment in a National Park pass. Check out the details:

America the Beautiful - National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass

The National Park Service is an important participant in the new Interagency Pass Program which was created by the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act and authorized by Congress in December 2004. Participating agencies include the National Park Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture - Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Reclamation. The pass series, collectively known as the America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass

These passes can really be huge money savers IF you actually put them to use. I didn't even know about them until my family came to visit us from California. My dad had an annual pass which we used to get into several parks during their visit. This pass cost $80. This may seem like a lot, but IF you take advantage of it, it will more than pay for itself. The Grand Canyon itself is $25 for a carload. Here is an example of what a pass will get you, a pass will allow the pass holder plus passengers in a noncommercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas and the pass holder plus three adults use of Federal recreation sites that charge a per person entrance or standard amenity fee for a year beginning at the date of sale. Children 16 years and younger are free. There are also senior passes which are really inexpensive at just $10, and it is a lifetime pass. It allows the same admission as the regular pass. There is also a free pass for persons with permanent disabilities. All these details can be found at the link below:

LINK: America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes

Don't forget that August 14th and 15th are free National Park Entrance days.


LASTLY THE FREEBIES:

Ziploc gift pack - The first 10,000 respondents will win a Ziploc gift pack containing one box of 50-count Ziploc Brand Sandwich Bags, one box of 25-count Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags with the Smart Zip Seal, one package of Ziploc® Brand Containers with the Smart Snap™ Seal (small bowl). This is through Right At Home, and if you have received a Right At Home package in the last 180 days, you do not qualify.

LINK - Ziploc Gift Pack

FreeCCM.com has a free download of Laura Story's "Great God Who Saves." You can still get a free download from Jeremy Horn, Derek Webb, and Vicky Beeching.

LINK: FreeCCM

iTickets.com has a free download of Phil Wing's "You Do Great Things."

LINK: iTickets.com

Crown Ministries for a limited time is offering a Free Crown Money Map! This is a very valuable resource that can really help get financial direction (pun not really intended - but I decided to go for it). Limit one money map per household.

LINK: Free Crown Money Map

GREAT MAGAZINE DEALS

Check out Best Deal Magazines for their deal of the day. They have Ready Made (a total do-it-yourself dream magazine that covers more than just building) for $5.39. That is for a year's subscription which is six issues. Great magazine. They also have Family Fun for $4.69. Family Fun is perfect for parents of younger children. I still get it, because it has so many great ideas for crafts and recipes.

The main page will tell you the deals of the day.

LINK: Best Deal Magazines

Have a great day!

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

Good times to buy items:

Woman's Day has some awesome money saving tips in May's issue. Mary Hunt one of my favorite thrifty tipsters wrote an article on ways to save money by buying things at certain times. Here are just a few tips that I thought I would share:

The cheapest time to do some shopping for air travel is on Tuesdays at 3:00 pm EST. This is because many of the major airlines announce their sales on Monday nights. The other airlines follow suit on Tuesdays which can make for a great time for a traveler to cash in. Also many people know this but the best times to travel are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays as there is less business travel on those days and so there are more seats available. It is also wise to book your air travel at the first flight out, because most people do not want to get up too early. Other good times are noon and dinner time. :)

Here is something I didn't know, Spring is a good time to purchase sneakers, and this is apparently because many athletic shoe companies sponsor walks and races. Apparently a lot of newbies buy shoes for these walks and it is a great time to pick up a deal.

Gardening Help:

I found something else really cool that I wanted to share today. This is great for anyone interested in setting up a community garden. The America the Beautiful project saves seeds from going to waste when seed companies discard them. The offer flower and vegetable seeds. People interested can go to their site and fill out an application request.


Freebies:

John Freida is giving away free samples of Luxurious Volume Full Splendor shampoo and conditioner. Link below:

LINK: John Freida Samples

Free CCM has more free music from the Catalyst Project. This week you can get A Thousand Amens by Doxology

LINK: FREE MUSIC

Get a free ream of Staples Copy paper after their Easy Rebate. Follow the link below for the coupon. This is too easy to pass up and ends on April 10th!

LINK: Free Staples Copy Paper


STRETCH YOUR FOOD BUDGET


When you want to save money, one of the important things to do is figure out what to do with leftovers. You have to check out thekitchn.com (yes that is kitchen without the "e"), because they have 75 tips for things to do with different leftovers from chicken scraps to spaghetti squash. Check out the link below. This is a perfect place to stop at when you are wondering what to do with certain items.

LINK: 75 Tips For Leftovers



Make sure to check out the new coupons available on cellfire.com for a new batch of coupons to load on your grocery loyalty cards.

LINK: Cellfire


Don't forget to check out Angel Food Ministries and Treasure Box for enough food to feed a family of four for a week on $30 plus service fees. Also check out Bountiful Baskets for some great veggies and fruits. Get to know the schedule for when it is in your area. For example, the pick up date in my area is this Saturday and the order time starts Tuesday morning until Wednesday. The next order will be in two weeks. If you check and your area is not available this week, check back next week.

LINK: Angel Food Ministries This month's menu order by April 15 (Menu Link)
Treasure Box Order deadline is April 11 (Menu Link)
Bountiful Baskets



And let's not forget free donating. It couldn't be any easier to donate to a favorite non profit. Next time you are going to make a search, take a moment and go to www.goodsearch.com. It takes a moment to type in your charity. After it is entered, you can do your search and 1 cent goes to your charity for each search. This really adds up, and it is completely free for you. Check it out, if 100 people did just two searches a day for a year, the non profit will get a donation of $730! And yes...Radio Shine is listed.

LINK: Good Search

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

Today, I thought it would be nice to talk about saving money by using items for multiple purposes and using every bit of an item. There will also be some freebies thrown in too. :)

MAKE YOUR OWN BREAD CRUMBS

1 - Do you eat the ends of the bread? We do not. Seriously, I just don't think bread heels are good for much more than keeping your bread from getting dry and gross. Most of the time, after we go through a loaf of bread, we just toss the heels to the birds in the back yard. Now I am using them to make bread crumbs. To do this I keep the heels in the bag and toss in the freezer. When I have accumulated several bags, I take them out of the freezer and bake them in the oven to dry them out. Then simply grate them and put in an airtight container. You can use plain or add seasonings when you use them. I have used these crumbs now in meatloaf and they really work great and are ridiculously cheap since we are already buying the bread. I also still have plenty of heels left over to give to the birds too. :)

Another cool thing is I have started to do this as well with Italian and French loaves that I purchase. We never eat the whole loaf before it dries right up. These get hard enough not to need baking. I grate them as well but put them in a different container. They make perfect panko breading.

AND NOW A FREEBIE BREAK!

Head on over to Walmart.com for a free sample of Dove's Men's Body Wash. The free sample link is on the top right.

LINK: Dove for Men


BAKING SODA FOR JEWELRY CLEANING, HAIR CLARIFYING AND DEODORIZING


2 - Baking soda has a bunch of uses. I am going to go over a few of my favorites here.

--- Hair clarifying. When you use the same brands of shampoos and conditioners residue your hair gets kind of blah and limp. This also happens when you use lots of product from mousses to gels and hairspray. Baking soda helps get rid of that build up really simply. I usually just keep some in a container in the bathroom and had a bit to my palm and then add my shampoo. Mix it all together and shampoo like you normally would. It is amazing how clean your hair feels afterward and it is by far cheaper than buying a clarifying shampoo.


--- Baking soda can also be used to keep your refrigerator fresh, but you do not need to pop a whole box into the refrigerator. Instead take a coffee filter and pour a half a cup of baking soda into the filter. Gather the filter and tie at the top and place this package in the refrigerator instead. This will last a month. When you take the baking soda out of the fridge, empty the contents into the sink and add a cup of white vinegar...this will give your sink a nice fizzy clean.


--- Baking soda also makes a great silver cleaner. Combine two tablespoons with enough water to make a light paste. Rub the paste gently into the silver. This works wonders with taking the tarnish off of silver without using any harsh chemicals.


FREEBIE BREAK

RitzPix.com is offering a free My Show DVD. You can upload up to 50 pictures and a 1 minute video to DVD. This could make a great grandparent gift and all you pay is $1.99 for shipping. This offer is only for today April 1st so check out the details at the link below.

LINK: MY SHOW DVD


VINEGAR IN THE DISHWASHER


3. If dishwasher spotting gives you a problem, don't spend extra money on spot reducers. Add two tablespoons of vinegar to your dishwasher liquid and run the wash as usual.



FREEBIE BREAK

I do not know how long this will last but you can sign up now for a free issue of Living the Country Life magazine. Check out the link below for more details.

LINK: Living the Country Life Magazine free subscription


CORNSTARCH, CLOVES & A CHEESE SHAKER

4. Combine 1/4 cup of ground cloves and 1 1/2 cups of cornstarch and put in an old shaker container (the plastic cheese shakers work great). Shake them up in those smelly athletic sneakers to kill the foot odor.


FREE FAMILY FUN

I don't know if you tried this last year, but we did and it was wonderful. April 17th through the 25th will be another Free National Park Entry Week! That is free entry to all the 392 National Parks! Last summer, we took advantage of a free National Park weekend entry and had a blast at the Grand Canyon. We packed a cooler full of sandwiches and treats from home and had a great day of picture taking and enjoying the time out. You will definitely want to take advantage of this.

LINK: Free National Park Entry

PS While looking at the U.S. National Park Service website, I also noticed that they are offering students jobs for the summer. If you have a high school or college student in the family, you may want to direct them to checking out this awesome job. I remember taking a trip with my family cross country when I graduated and we met lots of students at Yellowstone. Here is a link for details: U.S. National Park Service Jobs for Students. There is also a link for volunteers too.


Don't forget to check out Freeccm.com for their free music this week as well as iTickets.com. There are lots of great free songs out there.

FreeCCM has Hold the Light from Caedmon's Call. :)

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

This summer my goal is to plant some veggies and maybe save a little money. I love fresh garden vegetables. I live on a hill so this is a little more difficult. Last year I tried a tomato plant in a pot on our deck. It grew a few tomatoes but the blossoms would not stay. I was pretty bummed, but decided to learn more and try again. This year I found this great site with all kinds of wonderful tips, and now I am definitely ready to give it another try. The site is from Kraft Brands and is called Home Farming. It has all kinds of great information that can help almost anyone begin a garden at home! Check out the Growing Vegetables at Home section for lots of great tips! I am thinking seriously about trying a raised garden!

LINK: Home Farming


Let's start with some freebies:

FREE ACTIVITIES:

Bass Pro Shops in Mesa will have free Ester activities and crafts for kids. The activities will include:

Making your own sun catcher on March 27th and 28th beginning at noon while supplies last.

Making Easter decorations on Thursday, April 1st starting at 6 pm and April 3rd and 4th beginning at noon with an egg hunt on the 3rd and 4th for children 8 and under from 2 to 3 pm.

LINK: Bass Pro Shops


Home Depot is signing up ladies for the Martha Stewart Living paint Do-It Herself Workshop on April 15th from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm. You need to RSVP for the workshop. Follow the link.

LINK: Do-It Herself

Home Depot has two great activities for kids coming up. Saturday, April 3. The kids can make a Butterfly House, and on Saturday, May 1st they can make a picket fence planner. These workshops are the first Saturday of the month between 9 am to 12 noon for children ages 5 to 12. Call your local Home Depot for details. Follow this link below for a little more information.

LINK: Home Depot Kids Workshops




Lowes Build and Grow Clinics also have some special treats for the kids to make. This Saturday, March 27th the kids can make a kaleidoscope and April 10th the kids can make a mini baseball game. Registration link is below.

LINK: Lowes Build and Grow






REBATE:

Purchase Olay Quench Body Lotion before April 16th (no trial sizes), print out, fill out and mail out the rebate form and in 6 to 8 weeks you will get a rebate for the purchase price of the product. Yes, it will cost you a stamp in the end, but it is totally worth it.

LINK: Olay Quench Rebate


FREE 5 REACT GUM IF YOU'RE CHOSEN

If you have a Facebook account and like gum, you may want to take a chance at winning a pack of 5 React gum. I played, linked up, and was chosen. I also love gum so this was a happy moment for me. Check it out. If you aren't chosen, let me know. I'd like to see if we all get chosen. :) P.S. The link to play is on the left.

LINK: 5 React Gum

LOREAL FREE SAMPLES

Get free samples of Loreal Ever Strong for strong hair or Ever Pure for color treated hair. Just follow the link and click on "Special Offers and Savings" in the lower left corner.

LINK: Loreal


FREE HAIR CARE

Yes more free hair care with an Aveeno New Nourish Hair Care. Follow the link and snag this free sample. Great to have on hand for travel!

LINK: Aveeno New Nourish Hair Care



I talked about getting more bang for your buck by joining the co-op Bountiful Baskets. This is an amazing co-op where you pay $15 plus a service charge for 50% veggies and 50% fruit. They also have organic offerings at some of their pick up locations which cost $25 plus the service charge. In addition, you can order baked goods and other treats for an additional cost. The ordering times are from Tuesday at 10 am to Wednesday (not sure the exact time here so order early) the week of your pick up. It is a bi-weekly thing so check each week to see when you can order for your location. By the way, there are many locations. I did this two weeks ago, and I was just floored by how many fruits and veggies I got for my $15! Follow the link and read the site for how to register.

LINK: Bountiful Baskets Food Co-op


We are going to be out of town this weekend so I will not be partaking in the Angel Food Ministries food offerings, but I plan on getting in on it again next month. Check out their site to see how everything works. You pay $30 plus a service fee and get lots of great food. Enough to feed a family of four dinner for a week. We definitely stretched it beyond that week. Angel Food Ministries has been working to help families with food since 1994! Follow the link and look for a location near you!

LINK: Angel Food Ministries


The Treasure Box is the only food buy that I have not tried. However, I do know that one of their pick up locations is Calvary Chapel in Phoenix. Get more details at their site as well as a listing of their pick up locations. The Treasure Box pick up dates are similar to Angel Food Ministries.

LINK: The Treasure Box


FREE HAIR REPAIR

Get a free sample of Dove Intensive Repair or Daily Moisture. Follow the link below.

LINK: Dove Hair Repair

Lastly don't forget to check out the latest free song downloads at Free CCM and iTickets.com!

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

I thought it might be nice to focus on some thrifty beauty tips today. There area a lot of thrifty ways to get yourself a little beauty treatment.

TEA - I had often used old tea bags to take the puffiness away from my eyes in the morning, but did you know there are more uses?

Defunk the foot - Boil a quart of water and add to it four to five tea bags. Let them steep for about 10 minutes and then remove from the water. Allow the water to cool enough to put your feet in. Soak your feet in the preparation for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, do not rinse just dry off. The tea has tannins in it which have an antibacterial action. I joked that this is a good beauty tip for guys, but honestly I was a waitress for years, and this would have been amazing for me! Remember to put the left over tea bags in the refrigerator to use to de-puff your eyes.

Cooking burn - If you get a light burn when you are cooking, the used tea bags. The tea bags also can be used to draw the painful heat out of minor burns from sunburns to cooking.

For the mouth - The College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago has shown that a black tea rinse can help prevent bad breath. There is also some detail about the rinse preventing some plaque growth as well. Read up on it here: Tea Study
Also green tea has been noted to help with gingivitis.

Face refresher - Dilute brewed tea with water to use as a face splash after shaving for me or as a refresher during the day for women.

That is just the tip of the iceberg of what tea can do. The nice thing is you do not have to buy pricey teas to get the benefits. Any brand will do.

TOOTHPASTE - If you are hit by a bad timing pimple (really is there a good time for a pimple?), treat over night with a dab of toothpaste. Note that is toothpaste in its ordinary form not gels or whitening toothpastes. A few people that I know have said they know people who had a rash from this so you may want to do a patch test like you do with hair color. I have never had a problem and I have very sensitive skin, but again I do not use fancy toothpaste for this remedy. Also toothpaste is wonderful for taking the itch out of a mosquito bites!

HAIR CONDITIONER -

Shaving - This is for the ladies. It may work for men, but I wouldn't know. If you need to shave your legs and do not have shaving cream give conditioner a try. It works really well and softens the skin too. This is definitely better than just using bath s0ap. I have also read that in a pinch you can use Vaseline to shave with (legs or face). The only draw back is the Vaseline is not good for the razors.


RANDOM STUFF

HAIR RECIPE - This is the recipe that I talked about this morning. Seriously, I am hypothyroid and one of the horrible side effects is thinning hair. Anyone with a thyroid condition knows what I am talking about. Being a woman, the last thing I care to lose is my hair. My hair was falling out in clumps every time I showered or even ran my fingers through it. It was really thin on the top and just devastating. I started doing research on essential oils and also aroma therapy and essential oil treatments. Some essential oils should not be used if you are pregnant or may get pregnant so read up on each one before using.

The below recipe is what I have used since the end of October. I cannot guarantee that it will work for you, but I have definitely seen results. I am not a doctor, I'm just a person who had hair issues and wanted to do something about it since nothing was changing. I honestly wasn't sure if I would see results, but I figured why not give it a shot? The first thing I noticed was that my hair was not falling out in clumps like it was before (that was by November). In December it seemed like there was less thinning and by January I definitely noticed new hair growth. This is because previously I had my hair at all one length and I now have little spots with about 2 inches of growth and my parts are not embarrassingly bare anymore.

RECIPE:

4 ounces of jojoba oil (I bought a 4 ounce bottle at the healthfood store)
Lavender essential oil (12 drops per ounce)
Cedar wood essential oil (12 drops per ounce)
Rosemary essential oil (12 drops per ounce)

Drop the essential oils into the jojoba oil and shake it up.


To Use:

Apply about 1/2 teaspoon to the scalp and work through your hair (do not saturate your hair). I use it in the evening because you can look a little grubby, but you smell awesome and it is pretty relaxing. I just keep the oil next to my bed. If you have anything left over on your hand after rubbing it into your scalp you can rub it on your elbows.

This recipe will last a long time because you are only using a small amount each evening.

SNACK RECIPE -

Kale Chips - This is the recipe that we were talking about this morning. I was just looking to make a healthy low cal snack. I did not come up with it. I have seen similar recipes in Good Housekeeping and online.

1 bunch of Kale
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of vinegar
sea salt (couple of shakes)
garlic powder (couple of shakes)

Remove the stems from the kale and wash and dry the leaves thoroughly. Tear the leaves into chip sizes and put in a bowl. Add the vinegar and olive oil to the kale and mix by hand until the kale is covered evenly. Shake on some garlic powder or whatever spices you would like and mix well again by hand. Place kale on a cookie sheet that is lightly greased or covered in parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes and stir. If you notice any crisp pieces, remove them (I usually put them in a bowl). Bake about five minutes and check the chips. Remove anythat are crisp and put the rest back in oven and check again in about 2 minutes. Total baking takes about 15 to 20 minutes all together. The leaves that have more stem in them will take longer. When all your chips are done, sprinkle some sea salt or seasoned salt on them.

The chips are crispiest after they are first baked, but I put mine in a sealable container and snack on them the following day as well.

Now onto some free samples and whatnot.


Sweetner:

Ideal Sweetner is offering a free sample of their zero calorie sweetner.

LINK: Ideal

Burt's Bees is known for their lip balms, lotions and oils. Everything is all natural. They now have a toothpaste, and they are offering free samples now. If you want to go more natural, this is a great way to give it a shot. Link up below:

LINK: Burt's Bees Natural Toothpaste Sample


I don't have a dog, but if I did, I would definitely sign up for Walmart's free sample of Beneful IncrediBites. One of the things that is great about a pet food sample is if you ever have one of those days where you realize you are out of pet food, you still have that sample to fall back on while you get off to the store.

LINK: Beneful IncrediBites

Get in on some Emergen-C samples by checking out their Mix-it-Up site where you can get some recipes but more importantly some free samples. I love this stuff!

LINK: Emergen-C


Coupons - If you buy $50 in Proctor and Gamble products you can send in for $100 in coupons. This is a deal that is going on until April 15th so there is plenty of time to pile up the purchases. Truly you do not want to pass up on items like this. You would be surprised at how these coupons can come in handy. Get more details at the link below.

LINK: P&G buy $50 get $100 in coupon savings.


Hallmark Cards for Encouraging Kids - I don't know if you have caught the commercials, but Hallmark has a new line of cards just for kids. You can pick up one of these cards for free (doesn't include tax) while supplies last. Check the link below for details:

LINK: Free Hallmark Card for Kids



ACTIVITIES

This Saturday, March 6th, Home Depot Kids Workshops will be teaching the kids to make a rain gauge! This is an awesome activity that I can't imagine not taking advantage of. Workshops run from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm.


Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics have two great activities this month as well.

March 13th, your kids can build a table top basketball game and on March 27th they can build a homemade Kaleidoscope. Check out the link to sign up!






LINK: Loew's Build and Grow Clinics


Sales

Safeway --

Rancher's Reserve boneless beef bottom round roast $1.88 a pound
Boneless skinless chicken breast $1.69 a pound
5 pound bag of russet potatoes 68 cents

Albertons --

Buy 1 get 2 free petite sirloin steaks (about $2.33 a pound)
Huge 10 for $10 sale
--Hunts diced tomatoes
--Wishbone salad dressing
--Oscar Mayer 12 ounce bologna or Cotto salami

Fry's --

Boneless skinless chicken breast frozen $1.49 a pound for 3 pound bags
Quaker Oats 42 ounce 2 for $5.00
Betty Crocker Super Moist cake mix 99 cents

Don't forget to load up your cellfire coupons too, because there are a bunch of coupons that correspond to this week's sales at Frys! Be sure to load up from shortcuts.com too!

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

Free learning has been my focus this month, and I am capping it all off with some free college education. Yes! It is totally true. There are some full scholarship schools out there. Check it out!

The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City has programs in Art, Architecture, and Engineering. Their merit based scholarships are full scholarships for all their enrolled students.

Webb Institute in Glen Cove, New York was named to the Princeton Review's list of 50 "Best Value" Private Colleges for 2009. Their major is Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. Students live and study on the shores of Long Island Sound.

F.W. Olin College of Engineering is located in Needham, Massachusetts. It has been around since 2002, and every student receives a scholarship for four years valued at $80,000! Not to shabby at all. The student to teacher ratio is 9 to 1! Nice!

If music is your child's thing, you might want to check out the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. The Curtis Institute of Music is one of the world's leading music schools and offers merit based full-tuition scholarships to the college. Competition is high as they only accept about 160 students a year apparently even more competitive than Juliard. The education is very individualized.

Berea College in Kentucky is a liberal arts college where students work on campus instead of paying tuition. The work study is mandatory. All students are awarded a four year tuition scholarship.

Deep Springs College is a two-year college whose two-year scholarship is valued at $50,000. It is very prestigious and highly competitive as they only accept about 10 to 15 students a year. This is a male only college located in California on a cattle ranch and alfalfa farm. The students often transfer to very high profile schools upon completion of their two year program.

College of the Ozarks is in Missouri and is another college where tuition is taken care of through work programs. It is a conservative and Christian college. Their focus is also on students with financial need and specifically in the Ozarks area, though they will accept students from outside that area, but priority is given to those students from the area first.

A college with a similar goal for providing a higher education for the students with lower income is Alice Lloyd College in Kentucky. Tuition is guaranteed to full-time students residing in Alice Lloyd College’s 108-county Central Appalachian service area and their mission is to educate mountain people for positions of leadership(from the college website).

Okay...so here in Arizona, your child would not qualify for the two colleges above, but considering how many of us have moved here from elsewhere, you might want to share this information with someone who might qualify.


United States Military Academy in West Point, New York Tuition again is free, but there is a service requirement upon graduation. This is a wonderful school and a fabulous opportunity, but not one to be taken lightly. From the website: A West Point cadetship includes a fully funded four-year college education. Tuition, room, board, medical and dental care are provided by the U.S. Army. As members of the Armed Forces, cadets also receive an annual salary of more than $6,500. This pay covers the cost of uniforms, books, a personal computer, and living incidentals. By law, graduates of West Point are appointed on active duty as commissioned officers and serve in the U.S. Army for a minimum of five years.

Lastly, Harvard has many scholarship opportunities but in particular, they have something pretty cool in that they will waive the parental contribution for families who earn less than $60,000 and home equity will no longer be considered a resource when determining family contribution. Check out the info here: Harvard - Financial Aid Office I am not saying Harvard is free. I am saying, it could be doable.



GROCERY DEALS

There are a lot of really great deals out there. If you haven't checked out your flier be sure to do so. Also don't forget that many stores also have their fliers online for you to go through and even print out a shopping list. I will have those links in the store name.

SAFEWAY
All coupons are worth at least a $1.00 for a limited time.

-- Boneless Pork Sirloin Chops $1.69
-- 3 pound bag of California Clementines $2.47
-- Flier coupon -- Doritos 11.5 to 13 oz for 99 cents (limit 5)

ALBERTSONS

-- Boneless skinless chicken breasts $1.57 a pound
-- Red, green or romaine 10/$10
-- 12 packs of Coke products four for $10

FRY'S

Huge sale for when you buy 10 items you get $5 off. There are a bunch of them so you really want to check the flier, but here are some examples:


BUY 10 SAVE $5
-- Kraft shredded or bar cheese 5.8 to 8 oz 1.49 each
-- Hunt's or Rotel 10-14.5 oz 49 cents each
-- Kraft Deluxe or Velveeta Shells and Cheese 10-14 oz 99 cents each
-- Capri Sun or Kool-Aid Jammers $1.49 each
-- Nabisco Snack Crackers $1.88 each

There are a lot more so check out that flier!

Also fries has yummy fresh blueberries in 6 ounce containers for $1.00 each (limit 4)

That is all I can fit in right now. Got to make some phone calls.

More to come!!!!!

Kelly's Thrifty Tips

Man oh man! I have to say that this week is not really a great week at the grocery stores. There were a few good deals. Hopefully, you are stocking up on the best deals when they are out there. This is a week that reminds me of why I shop the bargains when I see them and stock them up for leaner shopping weeks. Still, there are a few pretty good deals to share. Today I am starting with my grocery top picks.

Safeway - Remember all coupons are still worth a dollar. I do not know how long that is going to last so be sure to cash in on it while you can.

-- Honey Suckle White Whole Turkey Breast - 99 cents a pound (I am learning to work with all dark meat in my poultry, but back in the day, I would have jumped for this)
-- Broccoli Crowns - 99 cents a pound
-- Yellow Onions 3 pounds for 99 cents

Fry's

-- Quaker Instant or Simple Harvest Oatmeal $1.88 (A dollar printable coupon found here - Thanks to For the Mommas)
-- Boneless Half Pork Loin $1.77 pound
-- Cook's Spiral Half Ham 99 cents a pound

Albertsons

-- Pork Sirloin Chops $1.99 a pound
-- Zucchini 69 cents a pound
-- If you need to stock up on cereal, syrup, granola bars and pancake mix, you will want to check out the deal at Albertsons for several Quaker and Aunt Jemima products.

Buy 7 and each will be $1.88
Aunt Jemima Syrup
Aunt Jemima Complete
Aunt Jemima Buttermilk
Quaker Oatmeal Squares
Quaker Quick Oats
Quaker Instant Oatmeal
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
Quaker Life Cereal

(Look about online, because you might find more printables)

Don't forget to load up your Cell Fire and Shortcuts.com!

FREEBIES!!!!

Cream of Wheat - If you like a quick instant hot breakfast, Cream of Wheat is your answer. Well...at least the freebie is. Pick the flavor you would like to try.

LINK: Cream of Wheat

FREE MUSIC

Free CCM has downloads currently for Building 429 "Not Gonna Let You Down" and Disciple's "Southern Hospitality."

iTickets.com has a free download of Above the Golden State's song "The Golden Rule."


FREE COUPONS!!!!

I love Betty Crocker's newsletters, I love Betty Crocker's products, and I love their coupon books. There is a new $10 coupon book making the rounds. All you have to do is click on the link and sign up for one of their newsletter deals. Too easy!

Link: Betty Crocker $10 Coupon Book

Thanks to fabulous blogger STL Mommy for this heads up!

FREE EDUCATION

And on to FREE EDUCATION or what I like to refer to as 2010 Self Improvement. It has been one of my goals. You aren't going to get a degree with these education freebies, but you definitely will learn something.

Check out some of the free online education you can get from University of Washington. The website does state that these are courses provided for personal enrichment. Here are a few free courses they offer:

The American Civil War
Energy, Diet & Weight
Hamlet
HTML Basics

This one site had me busy for a while. You can learn some American Sign Language with help from Michigan State University and their American Sign Language browser. They have some awesome free resources! Simply click on Take Me To the ASL Browser. When there, click on the words and watch the recording to learn the signs for those words. It gave me a download option, but rather than dowloading anything, I simply clicked on the link that said "view larger sign language videos on Signing Savvy."

Lastly, you can check out the free Christian based education at Christiancourses.com from RBC Ministries. They have free courses like Old and New Testament Survey, Know Why You Believe, and Christian Apologetics.


Even if you aren't getting college credit, it is so good to always keep learning. Have a wonderful week!