I received an email from the big kids school about 
this class and I thought I’d share.
Spending and saving, taking control of your future!
I am in no way affiliated with this workshop, I thought I’d share it with others who may be interested. This workshop is sponsored by The Santee Collaborative.
**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.
I love aprons. I have, probably 5 or 6 that I wear at home, and I have a couple that I when we camp (washing dishes and cooking when you camp is dirty business!). I got an email from Flirty Aprons last night that they are having a huge $3, $4, $5 clearance sale.
Spring Cleaning Sale at Flirty Aprons, Up to 86% off, Shipping $2.50, no code, exp 3/28
Here are just a few of my favorites:
If you aren’t in the market for aprons, They also have a lot of great kitchen gadgets like veggie peelers, choppers, knifes, etc.
I’ll be picking up a bunch of kitchen utensils and a few new aprons to kick off my holiday shopping. Yeah, it’s March, but I start my holiday shopping early and stash them away in the closet.
This week, you can download an offer for a two pack of Chobani Smooth!I love Greek Yogurt, and I can’t wait to try this kind!
If you are new to Free Friday Downloads from Ralph’s, here is more info about how it works:
WHAT IS FREE FRIDAY DOWNLOAD? An exclusive benefit to having an account online at ralphs.com is FREE products (yes, we said FREE!). When you download the free product coupon, it will be loaded directly to your Shopper’s Card and applied at checkout in-store.
HOW DOES IT WORK? Visit this page on Fridays
DOWNLOAD the digital coupon for the free product (make sure to download between 12:01 am and 11:59pm PT). View the coupon under ‘My Coupons’ in your account online or in the mobile app.
You have two weeks to redeem this coupon in store! Pick up the product at your local Ralphs store and digital coupon will automatically apply at checkout.
Don’t forget to check out the Kroger affiliate in your area, if you don’t have a Ralphs. There are usually freebies for all of the stores!
I’ve talked to quite a few people over the past week who have started a new business or endeavor this year.
New businesses mean time for new business cards! And if you aren’t in need of business cards, they have some really great mom/parent cards that list your contact info, kids names, and any allergies. Great for handing out when you meet moms and kids you “click” with at parks and playdates!
Vistaprint has a great sale right now- 100 Business Cards for $5.00 (plus shipping, which starts at $6.99). There are Pearl business cards and Square business cards available. And if you need anything else, you can click here and get 40-50% off your purchase on many other items!
I took advantage of this deal to re-order my cards. I’ve been giving a lot of them out lately!
So many moms love Target. Really what’s not to like? Most locations have a Starbucks, so you can have coffee while you shop! I’ve been a Target shopper longer than I’ve been a mom and here are just a few reasons why I love shopping at the Bullseye!
You can stack Target coupons and manufacturer coupons. Target has printable coupons on their website here. 99% of them are Target coupons, meaning they are only redeemable at Target. Stacking coupons leads to greater savings. If you are looking to print manufacturer coupons (redeemable at any store), click here.
I save 5% every time I shop by using my Target Red Card. It’s a debit card and it’s Target branded, so I can only use it at Target, just like an ATM card (with a PIN).
Target Price Matches. Currently, Target matches prices from Walmart.com, Amazon.com, BestBuy.com, ToysRUs.com, and BabiesRUs.com. You can use coupons on a price match too! This is great if you have a Target Coupon and a manufacturer coupon to go with your price match! To learn more about price matching at Target, click here.
Their return policy is pretty good. Especially if you have a Target Red Card.
If you want to know if your local Target carries an item or has a specific item in stock, you can check online. That saves you time, energy, and gas!
Target App: Target Cartwheel used to be it’s own separate app, but now it’s all located within the Target App (available in the App Store for free). The Cartwheel section of the app offers savings in a percentage most of the time (instead of dollar off offers). You choose specific offers, based on what you buy, and there are new offers all the time! The best part is that you can use Target Cartwheel, a Manufacturer Coupon, and a Target Coupon all on the same item.
And here is the last reason: Target is a participating partner in most of the rebate apps (you check out a full list here). So, you’ll be saving a few extra pennies (or dollars) in no time.
If you are a Target shopper: Why Target over other Big Box Retailers?
With the Holidays approaching, most of use have either stocking stuffers to purchase of at least one gift exchange to attend. I’ve collected 10 great frugal gifts that would be a great addition to any holiday! Most of these gifts call for creativity and imagination. They won’t need batteries or make horrible sounds (for the most part). These are all gifts I would buy (or have bought) for my kids.
If you’ve got a crafty kiddo, this craft kit is a perfect choice. None of the crafts require scissors, just a little imagination and glue (we use Elmer’s white glue).
Speaking of crafty kiddos, if you’ve got one on your list that likes to make jewelry, this Melissa & Doug bead set has over 200 beads, perfect for hours of creativity.
Lil’ Man got this set last year for his birthday. It’s an awesome set. It’s super fun, and you can hatch and raise Triops. Think Sea Monkeys on steroids! And you can actually see the trips grow and live. It’s nifty. I think everyone in the family enjoyed it.
These cool interlocking blocks. They are little man approved.
This super cute (and mess-free) stained glass set. I love anything by Melissa & Doug. They make very well made toys and their craft kits yield great keepsakes!
What kinds of stocking stuffers do you buy for your kids?
Most of you know that I love Ralphs, which is the Kroger affiliated store in Southern California (You can find your local Kroger affiliated store here).
Did you know that when you scan your Ralphs card at checkout you earn fuel rewards? Fuel rewards are discounts in the form of cents off at the pump at local gas stations.
Well, Kroger is sweetening the deal!!! Now through 12/13/16, when you buy any Gift Card, you will earn 4x the fuel rewards! Just in time for holiday shopping!
Gift cards make great gifts! I’ll be stocking up on a few for Lil’ Man’s teacher. She always needs Michael’s and Target Gift Cards to buy supplies for the class. Stock up on gifts now for the holidays! Gift Card Selection varies by store, but you’re bound to find more than a few that you need!
Double Dip! Some Credit cards give you extra points or cash back when you make purchases at grocery stores. Use this to your advantage! Earn Credit Card Points/Cash Back and fuel rewards! It’s a win/win!
Right now, you can enter to win a $75 Amazon Gift Card! Just in time for the holidays! Spend it on gifts, or buy yourself something nice! To enter, Click here (the widget isn’t mobile friendly)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This is a sponsored post, thanks to Tatu Digital Media for including me on this awesome offer and giveaway! All opinions are my own!
Yesterday I talked about how to save money without coupons when buying meat. Today I’m going to talk about fruits and vegetables!
There are seldom coupons for fresh fruit or vegetables.
Usually when you find coupons for either, they are lower in value or you must purchase another item (like cereal, croutons, something not super healthy or inexpensive).
Here are some ways you can incorporate fruits and vegetables into your grocery budget and diet without breaking the bank!
My number one money saving tip when it comes to produce is: Eat fruit and vegetables when they are in season. Food in season is cheaper because there is a surplus of it.
Living in So. Cal, I’m kind of spoiled in that we can grow and eat most fruits and veggies year round. But if you live some place where it snows or has cold winters, eat produce when it’s readily available.
If you aren’t sure when certain fruits and veggies are in season, check out the Produce for Better Health Foundation website here. They have lists based on season.
Tip Number Two: If you gotta eat fruit out of season (sometimes in December, you just gotta have strawberries), buy frozen fruit. Frozen berries are so juicy and flavorful. Frozen fruit is the fruit that is too ripe to sell in stores fresh, so it’s cut up and flash frozen. It contains all of the nutrients that are found in fresh fruit.
Tip Number Three: If you grow your own fruits, veggies or herbs: Freeze, dry, or can/preserve whatever you won’t eat right away. That way you’ll have some when the weather turns.
I love to make jam and pickles. It’s really easy and you don’t need any special equipment. We don’t grow enough tomatoes to can our own, so I pick up fruits and veggies when they are really cheap and in peak season and make jam or pickles then. And you can definitely can more than just Cucumbers!
If it is something that interests you, here are a few books that I like:
If you want to get the canning gadgets that make canning a little easier, here is the kit that I bought years ago: Back to Basics 286 5-Piece Home Canning Kit
Tip Number Four: When fruit or veggies are on sale, stock up. That may sound weird, but most produce can be frozen. With the exception of raw potatoes and lettuce I think you can clean, chop, and store pretty much any fruit or veggie in the freezer. Speaking of frozen….
Fresh produce is always the best, but a close second is frozen. Occasionally frozen veggies are on sale. If they are types/varieties you like, stock up!
Canned fruit/veggies are my last resort. Why? Because, for the most part, they are canned in syrup or juice (fruit) or salt-laden water (veggies) and they are usually cooked and some of the nutrients leech out into the liquid they are cooked/canned in, and most of the time that liquid is discarded.
HOWEVER- I love salt-free canned tomatoes in recipes for all kinds of stuff, and Lil’ Man loves him some salt-free canned green beans. Sometimes you can find low/no salt added canned vegetables.
I have found that when I calculate price per unit (more info here), blueberries and some other fruit is cheaper at Costco! So don’t overlook your large club stores.
Tip Number Five: Check outyour local 99 Cent Store (like 99 Cents Only), produce stands, and the markdown section of your supermarket. All three usually have inexpensive produce that is good quality. It may not be the prettiest produce, but that’s ok!
How do you save money on your produce?
I know, it seems impossible that I would tell you not to use coupons. But, let’s face it, sometimes you need to buy stuff that there are no coupons for. What’s a shopper to do? You’re not going to stop eating something just because there aren’t any coupons… That’s CRAZY!
I’m going to specifically discuss shopping for meat, because there are seldom coupons for fresh meat.
The easiest way to save money on meat is not to buy it. However, most Americans eat meat. So, here are my recommendations for you:
Ask the butcher/meat cutter at your local grocery store when the meat is marked down each day. Some stores do it each morning, so do it at night. The meat that is marked down isn’t going bad that day, it just needs to be pulled and either cooked and eaten within the next few days or frozen. Most meat can be frozen for up to six months.
If you like to buy your meat in bulk or in large super store sized containers, once you get your big hunk o’ meat home, separate it into portions and freeze it. That way when it’s time to cook, you aren’t faced with 4-7 lbs of solid meat. That can be a little daunting, and leads to waste. When we buy ground beef in large packages, I portion it out into 1/2-3/4lb. packages and freeze it. It’s much easier to handle the smaller portions.
We buy chicken from Zaycon Fresh– You get a 40 lb box. It’s easy to separate 40 lbs of fresh chicken into freezer bags and tuck them into the freezer. I usually do 1-2 lb packages. Sometimes I even get fancy and season the chicken as I prep it in bags! Zaycon Fresh has really great fresh boneless, skinless chicken breasts for less than the grocery store prices. And I feel great feeding it to my family because it comes to me fresh, not frozen and plumped up with salt water.
I know that the pre-cooked meat that is already cut up looks so good and you think, “Oh, it’ll save me so much time!!”, but the truth is, it costs about 2-3 times the amount that the exact same weight of uncooked meat costs. Make your own! I make shredded chicken in the crockpot once every two weeks. It’s great for topping salads, making enchiladas, casseroles, soups, or just eating out of the bag (what? Meat is goooooood).
Learn how I make shredded chicken here. I portion it out and use it in recipes. You can do the same with beef or pork. Season and cook in the crockpot for 6-8 hours on low.
If you want chicken slices, bake your chicken pieces in the oven at 350 for about 20-30 minutes. Cool, remove the skin and bones and discard them. Slice the chicken into pieces, portion out and freeze.
Buy meat when it is cheapest. What do I mean by that? Think about the seasons/holidays in the year and the meals surrounding each.
Because meat can be frozen for upwards of 6 months, buy meat that you like when it’s cheap and you’ll never be without!
Next up, tomorrow, I’ll be writing about how to save money when buying fruit and vegetables!
How do you save money on meat?
Looking for a gift for a foodie or a skin care junkie? Check out this awesome offer!
Kasandrinos International proudly offers a single source organic extra virgin olive oil and other high quality food and skin care products. Kasandrinos International only offers this year’s harvest of olive oil.
Visit Kasandrinos – high quality organic extra virgin olive oil. Use code holidayguide2016 at checkout to save20% off!!
I’ll be getting a bottle of Olive oil to try, and I’ll be sharing my thoughts and a recipe featuring Kasandrinos Olive Oil! Maybe I’ll make my Marinated Salad!
@usfg
Hewes Family Fun 