Winners, Winners!

The winner of the Purex Crystals and Jockey Sports bra is hewella1@!
http://spendless2savemore.blogspot.com/2012/01/purex-crystals-jockey-review-giveaway.html

The winners of the Purex Ultrapacks are Digicats@ & daniellex@!
http://spendless2savemore.blogspot.com/2012/01/purex-ultrapacks-review-giveaway.html

E-mails have been sent to the winners!  Please claim your prizes by 1/31/12!

Menu Plan Monday - Week of January 23, 2012

Going to be a busy, busy week ahead!  My oldest son is turning 6!  Yes S-I-X!  Where does the time go?  When we were in church yesterday, I noticed how incredibly tall he is getting.  He will definitely be taller than his Mom and his Dad at the rate he is growing.  So we will be doing some celebrating this week as well as two birthday parties for him on Saturday!  One party for the kids and another for family. 

Don't forget to enter my TWO giveaways!  One is for Purex UltraPacks and the other is for Purex Crystals with a Jockey Sports Bra!  Have a great week!

Monday - Beef & Noodle Soup (using the left over roast beef from Sunday)
Tuesday - Breaded Pork Chops and Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Wednesday - Beef Tips and Noodles
Thursday - Birthday Dinner out at Chick Fil-A (he picked!)
Friday - Pizza Night!
Saturday - Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas, Beef Enchiladas, Tacos, and Taco Salads (Party Day!)
Sunday - Late lunch with family after church, help yourself for Dinner (if you are hungry)!

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Why We’re Glad to Have an Emergency Fund!

Whether you have consumer debt or not, it is important to have an Emergency Fund. Ideally you should have 3 – 6 months of expenses put away in an accessible savings account, just in case! Even if you only have $1,000 in an Emergency Fund, sooner or later you will be glad you have it!

2012 is starting off as an expensive year for us! First my husband’s truck needed a new exhaust system and catalytic converter. We were glad to have an Emergency Fund when we received the $340 bill! Its hard to part with the money, but that is why it is there, for an emergency!

Well this week, our furnace started acting up again. When we bought our house 4 years ago, we were warned it was a 20 year old furnace on its last leg! Somehow its last leg has lasted us more than 4 years. We considered us lucky. Yesterday morning (when it was 20 degrees out) the furnace was “coughing” as our favorite furnace repairman told us. He was able to clean it out for $80, but on his way out he gave us the news. Your furnace is going to go at anytime; there are no replacement parts available. He provided us the nice estimate of $2,800 for a whole new 95% efficient furnace and told us to call him when we were ready!

 So it looks like we will be dipping in the Emergency Fund again in February to have a new furnace installed. When it rains, it pours! Here’s to a cheaper 2012!

Purex Crystals & Jockey Review & Giveaway!

I love being a Purex Insider! I get the opportunity to try new products before they are released to store shelves. Purex and Jockey have teamed up for a great giveaway for Spend Less 2 Save More readers!  This week I was able to try the fabric softener Purex Crystals Tropical Splash and the new Jockey Tech Terry sports bra featuring moisture wicking technology!

The 2012 Jockey Tech Terry Performance Sports Bra was amazingly comfortable to wear!  It has moisture-wicking technology that helps keep you cool and dry!  Whether you are running, doing a spinning class, or walking on the treadmill like me, you will love the way this bra looks and feels!  The sports bra is machine washable and can be dried! 

Now normally you should not use fabric softeners on performance sportswear because of the oil content prevents the wicking process.  Purex Crystals does not contain oil, so it can safely be used on all laundry including athletic wear, towels, children's sleepwear and everything else including your Jockey sports bra! 

Jockey and Purex are offering a 20% off coupon for your next Jockey purchase compliments of Purex Crystals, go here to get yours now!

Would you like to receive a new 2012 Jockey Tech Terry Performance sports bra and a full size bottle of Purex Crystals Tropical Splash?  One Spend Less 2 Save More reader will win this prize pack compliments of Purex and Jockey!
To enter (leave a separate comment for each entry):
1. Tell me why you love Purex Crystals in the comments!
2. Become a Facebook Fan of Spend Less 2 Save More and leave a comment!
3. Become a follower of Spend Less 2 Save More and leave a comment (link is in the sidebar)!

Contest will end at midnight on 1/29/12! Good Luck!

Jockey & Purex provided free samples of their products so I could review them.  However, all of the opinions express here are my own.

Winners of Purex Triple Action!

I am loving all of these giveaways that I am having lately!  Stay tuned, I will have a really good one coming up sometime this weekend!

The winners of a free bottle of Purex Triple Action are:

mami2jcn@
Heather - I do not have an e-mail address so please send me an e-mail at spendless2savemore@gmail.com!

An e-mail has been sent to you to claim your prize! 

Purex UltraPacks Review & Giveaway

I love being a Purex Insider! I get the opportunity to try new products before they are released to store shelves. This week I was able to try the new laundry detergent Purex UltraPacks! I was able to try the Free & Clear formula since I have some little ones with some sensitive skin in our household.

New Purex UltraPacks are ultra convenient in pre-dosed liquid detergent packs that make doing laundry easier than ever!  No more mess, no more spills, no more heavy jugs of laundry detergent!  Just throw the packet in with the laundry and it dissolves quickly once the washer is started even in cold water!  This new formula will be rolled out across Purex's line in February so soon you'll find it in your favorite store in Mountain Breeze and Free & Clear! Just like all of Purex's current detergents, new Purex UltraPacks are specifically formulated to work in both traditional and HE washers.

Now I have 2 young boys that know how to get dirty! I need a detergent that is strong on stains, but won't irritate their smooth skin. I was very pleased with the results from Purex UltraPacks! It left our clothes clean and smelling fresh!  I am going to save a few for when we go on vacation this spring!  They will be easy to pack and easy to use!

Beginning in early 2012, you will be able to get free samples of the new Purex Triple Action here! I will be sure to give you the "heads up" when the site is up and running! Everyone loves free detergent samples to keep the grocery budget under control!

To celebrate the launch of new Purex UltraPacks, two Spend Less 2 Save More readers will win a coupon for a free package of Purex UltraPacks!

To enter (leave a separate comment for each entry):
1. Tell me why you love Purex in the comments!
2. Become a Facebook Fan of Spend Less 2 Save More and leave a comment!
3. Become a follower of Spend Less 2 Save More and leave a comment (link is in the sidebar)!

Contest will end at midnight on 1/25/12! Good Luck!

I was provided a full size package of Purex UltraPacks for my own use from Purex Insiders.  The views are 100% my own and are no way influenced by Purex.

6 Ways to Cut 100 Calories

I found these tips and I thought they were helpful for those New Year’s Resolutions!

1. Eat a sandwich without bread. Instead of bread eat your sandwich on a bed of lettuce or wrapped up in lettuce.

2. Use skim milk in your coffee.

3. Fill half of your plate with vegetables thus reducing the amount of carbs and meat you can put on the plate.

4. Skip the cheese on your sandwiches.

5. Drink diet soda instead of regular.

6. Order a low calorie appetizer such as shrimp cocktail.

Menu Plan Monday - Week of January 2, 2012

Oh my oh my, where did 2011 go and where did our Christmas vacation go???  Tuesday is approaching way too fast and it is back into the swing of things with school and work.  I am not looking forward to Tuesday morning when that alarm clock goes off at 5:45!  However, one thing that makes our weeks a lot less chaotic is our menu plan!  Menu planning helps us stay grounded and on track and ensures dinner is on the table every night!

Be sure to enter my Purex Triple Action Giveaway!
Monday - Panera's Broccoli Cheese Soup with Garlic Cheese Toast
Tuesday - Taco Night
Wednesday - Pancakes & Sausage
Thursday - Whole Chicken in the Crock Pot with Mashed Potates
Friday - Mom's Night Out
Saturday - Chicken Enchiladas from The Happy Housewife (using the leftover chicken from Thursday)!
Sunday - Eat Out!

This post is linked at MPM at I'm an Organizing Junkie!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you and your families.  May you have a very blessed, happy, and healthy 2012!

The Money $aving Mom's Budget Book Winner!

Of the 191 entries for this book giveaway, the winner is....

"i follow u on gfc" (dealbunny20@) 

An e-mail has been sent to you to claim your prize.  I was amazed at the support and the comments for this giveaway.  Many of you are struggling and I wish you much luck in the New Year that you have a fresh start.  Budgeting is difficult, but if you stick with your plan, you will succeed!

If you didn't win this time, you can still enter my Purex Triple Action Giveaway!