Menu Plan Monday - Week of September 13th!

So preschool is back in full swing this week and I am getting into my winter meals since the temperature has cooled off!

Monday - Meatball Subs
Tuesday - Crockpot Roast
Wednesday - Pizza Night!
Thursday - Pretzel Crusted Chicken Tenders
Friday - Steaks on the Grill
Saturday - Eat Out
Sunday - Chicken Breast Divine

Diaper Study

I'm in a diaper study!  So a few months ago I read about this company, Arquest, which frequently does diaper studies.  I called the number and left a message that I had a son in size 4.  Well 2 weeks ago, I got a call back, that I was in the size 4 study!

Yesterday I got my package in the mail with a pack of 20 Huggies diapers to try.  Starting today, I have to use th diapers and record any leaks.  I then have a survey to do over the phone on September 16th.  Once the survey is complete, they will send me a check for $10!

Not bad, I will get a free pack of diapers and $10 for something I already do everyday!

Here are some links to some other bloggers who have done this here and here!

I do not think it would hurt if you want to try to call the below numbers and leave a message with your name, phone number, gender, diaper size, and weight and perhaps you will get called when a study becomes available!

1-888-DIAPER2
ext 634 for boys
ext 646 or 633 for girls

Save $$ All Year Long

Here is a cheat sheet on the best times to get a great deal on stuff you need!


January – Linens
Get great deals on linens and towels at a discount during January white sales.

February – Winter Clothes
Now is the time to stock up on winter clothes, coats, and boots. Retailers need to make room for spring clothes coming in March.

March – Small Electronics
This is the best time to buy small electronics such as digital cameras from last year. New models are usually hitting the stores and they need to clear out older models.

April – Cookware & Household Items
Retailers tend to discount cookware and other household items around April in order to entice the wedding-gift crowds.

May – Yard Sales
This is the best month to hit the yard sales. They tend to be in full swing once the weather begins to turn nice.

June – Gym Memberships
There are often deals this time of the year because more people tend to go outside and exercise.

July – Summer Items, Cars, & Carpets
Retailers use the 4th of July to hold big sales on summer items, cars, and carpeting!

August – Lawn Furniture & Gardening Supplies
This is the best time to buy summer gear such as lawn furniture, gardening supplies, a/c units (if you can find any), and of course that final summer clearance items!

September – School & Office Supplies
Back to school sales are in full swing and you can take advantage of the school supply deals out there as well as great deals on computers and dorm items’!

October – Appliances
New home appliances are often introduced in the fall, so you can score last years’ models at a discount, unless you are holding out for that new candy apple red washing machine!

November – Holiday Items
The sales start as soon as Halloween is over. You can get great bargains on toys and flat screen TV’s.

December – After Christmas Seasonal Items
The best time to buy Christmas decorations is after Christmas. Stores mark these items down 50 – 90% immediately after Christmas. Buy I suggest shopping on the 26th or the selection gets picked over!

New Rules for Gift Cards

New Federal Reserve rules provide important protections when you purchase or use gift cards. Here are some key changes that apply to gift cards sold on or after August 22, 2010:


Covered by the New Rules
Store gift cards, which can be used only at a particular store or group of stores, such as a book store or clothing retailer.
Gift cards with a MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover brand logo. These cards generally can be used wherever the brand is accepted. (Not all cards with a brand logo are covered; see "Other prepaid cards" below for exceptions.)

New Protections
Limits on expiration dates. The money on your gift card will be good for at least five years from the date the card is purchased. Any money that might be added to the card at a later date must also be good for at least five years.
Replacement cards. If your gift card has an expiration date you still may be able to use unspent money that is left on the card after the card expires. For example, the card may expire in five years but the money may not expire for seven. If your card expires and there is unspent money, you can request a replacement card at no charge. Check your card to see if expiration dates apply.
Fees disclosed. All fees must be clearly disclosed on the gift card or its packaging.
Limits on fees. Gift card fees typically are subtracted from the money on the card. Under the new rules, many gift card fees are limited. Generally, fees can be charged if you haven't used your card for at least one year, and ou are only charged one fee per month.

These restrictions apply to fees such as:
dormancy or inactivity fees for not using your card,
fees for using your card (sometimes called usage fees),
fees for adding money to your card, and
maintenance fees

You can still be charged a fee to purchase the card and certain other fees, such as a fee to replace a lost or stolen card. Make sure you read the card disclosure carefully to know what fees your card may have.

Other Prepaid Cards
These new rules apply only to gift cards, which are just one type of prepaid card. The new rules do not cover other types of prepaid cards, such as:

Reloadable prepaid cards that are not intended for gift-giving purposes. For example, a reloadable prepaid card with a MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover brand logo that is intended to be used like a checking account substitute is not covered.

Cards that are given as a reward or as part of a promotion. For example, a free $15 gift card given to you by a store if you purchase merchandise or services of $100 or more may have fees or an expiration date of one year rather than five years. Regardless, you must be clearly informed of any expiration dates or fees for these cards.

Go here for more info!

National Coupon Month

So apparently, September is National Coupon Month!  The average American family saves from $5 to $9 a week with coupons.  That's over $400 per year, WOW!  Coupons have come a long way from clipping them from the Sunday paper.  Here are a few of my favorite places to scoop up coupons!

• Facebook (Like companies and get high value coupons)
• Smartsouce
• Redplum

So I checked out some recent recipts of mine and here is a sampling of my coupon savings:

• Giant Eagle, 07/17/10, spent $46.58, saved $9.41 on coupons
• Giant Eagle, 07/28/10, spent $25.84, saved $13.56 on coupons
• Giant Eagle, 08/01/10, spent $50.12, saved $12.00 on coupons
• Giant Eagle, 09/01/10, spent $46.98, saved $15.10 on coupons

Happy Couponing!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of September 6th!

I cannot believe summer is almost over!  We made so many memories this summer and cannot wait for fall activities to start!  I hope you had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.  We were very busy with picnics and I am about grilled out and ready for some good old winter comfort foods!  So here is what is on the calendar for us this week!

Tuesday - Meatball Subs
Wednesday - Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Thursday - Chicken Fajitas
Friday - Salibury Steak (From A Few Shotcuts!)
Saturday - Eat Out
Sunday - Turkey Roast with Mashed Potatoes!

Our Structured Budget – August Test Month

Since we were married 8 years ago, we have always lived with an “unwritten budget”. We lived within our means but never paid too much attention to exactly where our money was going every month! If you have noticed I have been intensely reading David Ramsey books, check out my posts here and here. August was our first month with our Structured Budget plan in place. Our budget plan went as follows:


1. At the beginning of August we created a spreadsheet and allocated where we were going to spend (or save) our money for the month.
2. For the entire month we tracked every penny we spent in the appropriate categories.
3. We watched intensely what we spent and only bought what we needed.

I am proud to say for the month of August our Structured Budget plan was a SUCCESS!! We were able to stay within our total budgeted amount and even managed to begin funding our Christmas account. Our goal this year is to have no Christmas bills in January! This goes along with continuing to fund our boys’ college funds as well as our retirement accounts. Some of our allocations to certain categories will need to be adjusted for September (such as groceries, utilities, eating out, etc), but overall we stayed under budget for August. Our key takeaways for the month:

1. If you write down everything you spend you feel more accountable.
2. We were both questioning certain purchases, it makes you think more!
3. I was able to feed our family of 4 for only $280 for the month (I budgeted for $300 for groceries) so that breaks down to only $72 a week!
4. It really wasn’t that hard to follow the budget, my husband even got In 2 rounds of golf because we budgeted for it!
5. Dave Ramsey uses the envelope system; we used the spreadsheet system, works best for us since we do not use cash all the time.

So at the beginning of September once again we will “tell our money where to go” and continue on our Structured Budget!