Box Tops for Education and Kroger Giveaway

Have you ever wanted to help a good cause but caught yourself short of funds? I've always been a huge proponent of the idea that there is always a way to help worthy causes regardless of your income. Boxtops for Education is a perfect example of this. You can help your local schools by clipping those pretty pink box tops and sending them with a child to take to school. (Some schools offer contests, so you [+]

Remove Excess Grease

On a recent camping trip/fishing excursion with some guys from our church, my husband came home with this tip that he picked up from one of the guys when they were frying their fish. (Thanks, Jeff!) When you are cooking and have excess grease to remove, use a slice or two of bread to absorb it and then just toss the bread into the trash. This works best with small amounts of grease and is a [+]

Online Auction for Haiti

Janna, over at Feed Your Pig is hosting an online auction with proceeds going to benefit Haiti relief. She has lots of items up for bid including Rubbermaid food containers (I own the style she has pictured and love them!) Also available are gift cards to Crocs, Amazon and EcoStore. I'm also liking the Hot Chocolate school supplies by Carolina Pad. Make sure you scroll down all the way and check her posts thoroughly because [+]

Frugality as a Lifestyle

You might remember my blogging buddy Karen, from Saving the Family Money from her recent guest post here on 17 Ways to Save Your Family Money. She has posted one my articles on her site, entitled Frugality as a Lifestyle - It's more than a price tag. I hope you will check it out. While you are there, you might want to get comfortable and explore her site. Karen posts numerous bargains, freebies and lots of [+]

Being Sneaky with Cereal

If you are a frugal-minded mom like me, sometimes we have to resort to a few tricks and secrets when it comes to feeding our family and watching the grocery budget. I'm also a big believer that every little bit adds up. When we have an odd amount of cereal remaining that is not enough for a full bowl, I like to combine it with another cereal that would complement it well. For example, if your [+]

Hearty Hamburger Barley Soup

"This is in the top three." That was my husband's unsolicited reaction to this hearty soup. It's one of his favorite top three dishes that I've made. I like to fix a hearty soup or chili whenever our area receives a good snowfall and this recipe has earned a place in my collection of family favorites. Hamburger Barley Soup adapted from Allrecipes.com Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef 1 onion, minced 4 carrots, diced 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced 1/2 cup barley (add a tad [+]

A Valentine Gift from H&R Block

When I think of Valentine's Day, I can't say taxes have ever come to mind. In fact, taxes are anything but sweet and H&R Block must realize that because they are giving their customers a special Valentine deal. Starting on Friday, February 12th -  Sunday, February 14th, taxpayers are invited to register to use any H&R Block At Home online product for only $14.00. That is a 50% discount off H&R Block At Home Deluxe and [+]

Not Your Typical Menu Plan

I like schedules, sort of. They are a necessary evil and most events and scenarios in a family require adhering to a specific plan. However, meals are my place to rebel. My need for variety and sometimes even living on a whim is why I do not use the typical menu plan. Instead of listing what meal will be served for each day of the week, I make an inventory of all the possible meals that [+]

Just What the Doctor Ordered

Oh faithful readers, I'm glad you are still around after my little break. :) Sometimes, doing our best means we have to let something go for a little while. This time, it was my website. After two bouts of pneumonia in our home, one being mine, and a malfunctioning laptop, I'm back. I'm headed to a conference next week and posts might be a bit sporadic as well, but rest assured, more tips, recipes and ideas are [+]

$15 Holiday Meal at Save-A-Lot

I love having ham during the Christmas season. Ham is one of those Christmas must-haves that I look forward to each year but I don't look forward to the accompanying price tag. Save-A-Lot is rolling out a promotion showing how you can "Feed your Family a Holiday Meal for $15." I love a challenge so I went to my local Save-A-Lot to see how I could do. Of course, the first thing I picked up was [+]