Thrifty Thursday - Ways to Save on your Energy Bill

There are simply some bills you will never be able to get rid of. Electricity and other home energy bills are one of the major killers of my wallet! But there are many ways you can reduce your home's energy usage which will in turn lower the cost of you monthly utility bill!

MassSave wants you to lower your energy bill too! Here are a plethora of ways to decrease your home's energy consumption and ultimately keep more cash in your wallet.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts


This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may make money if you click them.

Thrifty Thursday: Couponing with Technology

I must admit that I am simply too frugal to regularly buy ink for my home printer. This means I often don't get in on those great deals that require printable coupons. But that doesn't mean I can't find other great ways to save.

In fact, I just tallied up my earnings - I'm at $311.64 between all my apps!

Here are just some of my favorite ways to coupon using technology. This is especially helpful if you have a Smartphone, although some of these apps can be used on a computer.

I'll post more next week!

Ibotta 
Ibotta is an app for your smartphone that lets you get cash back through rebates on products you buy at the stores. I usually use this mostly for groceries, but you can get money back on alcohol, household products at home improvement stores and even clothing at department stores! You can even 'stack' these savings with store and manufacturer's coupons!

It's 100% free to sign up.
You can earn cash back 3 different ways: buying at the store and scanning your receipts; linking your store's loyalty card; and shopping online through Ibotta.

You earn actual money, not points to redeem! Once you've racked up at least $20, you can request a payment to Paypal or Venmo, or you can order one of their available gift cards.

Sign up with my referral link and cash in your first rebate and you'll get $10 deposited in your account to get you started!

SavingStar    

SavingStar, which can be used on a computer or through its app, allows you to clip rebate-like ecoupons for groceries and home-goods products. You pay out of pocket, but then the value of the ecoupon will be put in your SavingStar account after purchase.

You must activate the ecoupon prior to purchasing in order to get the money in your account. To earn savings at some stores, like CVS and Stop & Shop, you link your loyalty card information and use it when you shop. For others, such as Target and Walmart, you just scan in your receipt. SavingStar's ecoupons can be stacked with store and manufacturer's coupons!

Cash out once you save $5 - get it directly deposited into your bank or PayPal account or donate it to charity!

Checkout 51 

Checkout 51 can be used on a computer or through its app. It is similar to Ibotta in that are submitting for rebates. Unlike ibotta, which requires you to purchase certain products at certain stores, most of Checkout 51's rebates are not store-specific, however, the receipt must be itemized.

Cash out once you save $20 and get a spiffy check in the mail!

BevRAGE
My husband and I are very much into craft beers, but they are so costly! BevRAGE has helped take the sting out of our liquor store trips.

BevRAGE is a free app that allows you to get cash back on your purchase of alcohol and mixers - wine, beer and spirits - both at retail establishments as well as bars and restaurants. Some rebates are brand specific, while others are generic - for example, get $3 back on any 12-pack beer purchase. You must have an itemized receipt, whether from a store or a restaurant, in order to cash in a rebate.

BevRAGE is currently undergoing some maintenance - the last I used it, my earnings were immediately depositing into my PayPal account as I earned them. However, you may have to accumulated $20 now in order to cash out.

Shaw's My Mixx
If you shop at Shaw's, then you definitely need to get a free My Mixx account. You can log-on either on a computer or through their app using your phone number as your login. My Mixx is the closest to shopping with coupons, except no manual clipping involved!

Before shopping, "clip" the ecoupons that match what you plan to purchase. When you shop with your My Mixx account number, the coupon value is automatically deducted at checkout. Keep in mind that My Mixx coupons count as manufacturer's coupons, so you cannot stack with other manufacturer's coupons, nor do these coupons double like regular paper coupons often do.

Target Cartwheel
Target Cartwheel is probably one of the most well-known technology-based savings programs out there right now. It can be used either online or via the app. It's similar to My Mixx - clip your coupons prior to purchase, then have the cashier scan your barcode - either on the app or printed out - and your discounts will be taken off at checkout.

Just like to meander the store? You can scan items' UPC codes with your phone and Cartwheel will let you know if there's a coupon available for it!

The best part? Target Cartwheel has so much stacking potential!
Cartwheel coupon +
Target Store coupon +
Manufacturer’s coupon =
HUGE SAVINGS

Come back next week for a few more of my favorite technology-based savings methods!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts


This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may make money if you click them.

Thrifty Thursday - Free Interactive Games for PreK

When my niece, Elin, was turning 3 or 4, my husband insisted on buying her a LeapPad device for "educational games." He grew up in the 80s and 90s with the Sega and Nintendos so he wanted to share his love of games with her.

I remember the sticker shock that ensued - over $100 for those types of devices and for a 3-year-old! To make a long story short, it became the toy du jour, then it ended up collecting dust in a corner after a few months. What a waste of money!!

Which is why I love love love the Internet - you can easily find so many great fun, educational games for the little ones and so many are 100% F-R-E-E!

Education.com offers many amazing and FREE educational games, all accessible from a computer with Internet. Like this one:

One of these things is not like the others! Help preschoolers master categorization and other skills with this educational game and more from Education.com.

If you enjoy this activity, please head to Education.com to check out some of their other fabulous activities to help build your child's skills and save yourself a boatload of money in the process!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts


This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may make money if you click them.

Thrifty Thursday: Make Credit Cards a Positive, Not a Negative

Credit cards can be great - if you know how to use them to your own advantage. My husband and I have been able to take great advantage of credit card offers and rewards programs to buy a lot of big ticket items that we may not have spent the money on otherwise.


From our snow blower, to our Pergo flooring in our brand new dining, from our 60" TV (purchased by my husband on our wedding day!), to our mattress - we got them all using credit cards and we never paid a single cent in interest, fees, or otherwise! In fact, in most cases we SAVED money than if we paid for it using cash!

Check out how to make credit cards work for you and your family!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts


This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may make money if you click them.

Thrifty Thursday: Shopping Using Unit Price

You're out of milk. Again! You head out quick to the store, run towards the dairy aisle and grab the cheapest bottle - a half gallon of Hood for $2.49. You'll probably be back by the end of the week when you run out again. Did you realize you're probably spending more money by buying the "cheaper" milk, especially if you'll end up buying more in the longer run?

That gallon of milk on the shelf is only a dollar more. Yes, out of pocket, it's more money, but if you consider the unit price, then you're actually paying less per ounce for the bigger bottle than for the smaller one.

$2.49 divided by 64 oz (half gallon) = $.038 per ounce
$3.49 divided by 128 oz (gallon) = $.027 per ounce

If you end up buying two half gallons of milk in a week, that's $4.99. You could have saved $1.50 by buying one gallon!!

I carry a calculator in my coupon binder and if I'm not carrying my binder, I use my phone's calculator to figure out the unit price when buying items that don't have the unit price listed on the price tag. Seems silly, but over the course of several weeks, you could save yourself a bunch!


Quiz Time!!

Put what you learned to the test... Which is a better deal? Comment with your answer!

40 oz jar - $5.29

16 oz - $3.49 - buy 1 get 1 free sale

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Thrifty Thursday: Fixing a Shark Steam Mop

Years ago, I got in on a Groupon deal for a Shark steam mop. My husband didn't feel like our Swiffer mop was disinfecting to his standards, so we made the $30 investment. And it was a good investment as it's lasted for over 4 years, but lately its steaming power was waning until it finally stopped squirting steam through the bottom altogether.

I was ready to toss it in the garbage when I had the idea to Google search the problem. What the heck did I ever do without Google?! 

I found many people had a similar issue, apparently a result of calcifying water, so I researched possible methods to rectify the problem.

In the end, I decided to run by Home Depot and pick up some CLR. A few hours later, lo and behold, our Shark steam mop works like a charm!

Here's what I did:

1. Unplugged and in the bathtub or outside, pour a 1:1 ratio of water to CLR into the mop. Shake it around and let sit for several hours.

2. Plug in the mop. Once heated, shake around again and try "using" it (in the bath tub or outside). I do not recommend trying to do this on your actual floor. I had a bunch of small, solid, black looking grit that poured out of my mop.

3. So long as you're getting steam out of the mop, continue to "steam" until all of the CLR/water mixer is gone. 

4. Fill the mop with water (or vinegar) and steam again until it is empty. Your mop should be as good as new!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

DIY Friday: Gift Baskets Under $25

Christmas is fast approaching. Have you finished your shopping yet? Typically I'm 100% done before Thanksgiving, but this year I've been procrastinating... And to ice my cake of procrastination, my budget is the tightest it's been in awhile.

Luckily I'm thrifty by nature and an outside-the-box thinker. I love putting together small gift baskets for my friends and family filled with goodies I just know they'll love. Ocean State Job Lot is one of my favorite stores in general but especially for great gift basket goodies. Did you know they carry hundreds of brand name products, too?

Are you on a tight budget too? It is easy to thoughtfully put together a gift basket filled with amazing products for less than $25! Here are just a few ideas:

Gluten Free Baker:
My friend Ginger lives gluten free, yet she loves to bake. She often has only one or two gluten-free baking options when at the grocery store. Ocean State Job Lot carries many gluten free baking products by Bob's Red Mill including pizza crust ($3.69), bread mix ($4.49), cake mix ($3.49), brown mix ($3.99) and chocolate chip cookie mix ($4.49). Add a few different types of baking mixes, some really cute potholders and maybe a cookie sheet or a beautiful enamel loaf pan and you've got yourself an inexpensive, yet delicious gift basket.

Grill Master:
Remember Emeril from Foodnetwork? His amazing products have made their way to Ocean State Job Lot and boy are they yummy! For your grill master, try some of Emeril's Kicked Up BBQ sauce ($2) along with some Old Thompson's seasonings that come in a nifty adjustable grinder in flavors like steak burger and Hawaiian black salt ($4.99 each). Toss in some grilling tools like a sauce brush or some tongs and bon appetit!

Tea Lover:
Ocean State Job Lot has almost everything. It even carries Keurig Kcups by brands like Twinings, Tazo and Caribou. Toss in some Twinings ice tea Kcups ($4.99) alongside some Twinings chai Kcups ($5.99) or Tazo Chai Kcups ($7.99). Or if your friend or relative is more into coffee, how about some Caribou Coffee Kcups ($7.99)? Add a few bags of Brookside dark chocolate acai berries or pomegranates ($1.50) and maybe a pair of cozy socks and a cute mug and your gift receiver will be set up to relax on the couch with a good book.

Speaking of good books...

Ardent Reader:
Ocean State Job even has books by well known authors on its shelves! Jodi Picoult is one of my favorite authors ever and I just found her novel Handle with Care for only $2.99! Your gift receiver is more into sci fi or horror? Try one of Stephen King's novels Under the Dome ($2.99) or Mr. Mercedes ($3.99). My husband is totally into the Duck Dynasty stuff and I'm totally grabbing a book or two from their collection for his stocking - Happy, Happy, Happy; The Women of Duck Commander and Si-cology 101 ($2.99 each). Ocean State Job Lot also stocks a variety of cookbooks at really low prices by famous stars like Paula Deen and Sandra Lee.

Furry Friend
Don't forget about your furry friends when shopping this Christmas. Pick up some treats like Milkbone biscuits ($2), Beneful Baked Delights ($2.49) or Milo's Kitchen chicken meatballs. If your pup is on the smaller side, how about a Snuggle to keep him warm ($2.99)? Does your friend have whiskers instead? A can or two of cat food from famous makers like 9Lives ($.46) or Newman's Own Organic ($.89) are sure to keep them purring. Add a few Nylabone cat toys ($1.50 - $2.49) and some flea and tick preventative shampoo by Off and you've got a well-rounded gift basket that will keep your fuzzy friend happy.


Manly Man
Want to keep the man in your life smelling.... well... manly? Ocean State Job Lot has a ridiculous quantity of brand name bath and beauty products. Fill his stocking or his gift basket with products by Axe, Irish Spring, Dial for Men, Suave for Men and Old Spice.

Beauty Addict
Don't leave out the cosmetic lover in your life. Find cosmetics by Blistex, NYC, Revlon, Almay Covergirl and Milani. There are even full sized cosmetic kits by the well known brand ELF.


Whether you're just starting your Christmas shopping or finishing up those last minute gifts, hop on over to your local Ocean State Job Lot to check out all of their amazing deals. Not only will you be able to get the same brand name products you'd get at your grocery store, you'll keep your wallet a tad bit fuller.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post. I shop at Ocean State Job Lot all of the time anyway and was happy to write this blog post. I did not receive any compensation for this post. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Thrifty Thursday: Freezing Fresh Herbs

Last week I explained how you can stockpile and freeze eggs. This week, I'm sharing with you how you can make the most of those fresh herbs you'll be growing in your garden, on your deck or on your windowsill this summer.

This particular thrifty trick does not work with every single type of herb. Herbs considered "soft" like basil or mint should not be frozen in this manner. They don't hold up well to the freezing process. However, any "hard herbs" like oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc. hold up very well.

Source Credit

Leave your herbs in larger pieces or finely chop. Fill ice cube trays two-thirds full with the herbs and cover with olive oil or melted unsalted butter. I prefer olive oil - I very rarely have "real" butter in the house. Lightly cover the tray with plastic wrap and freeze. Once frozen, place cubes in ziplock bags.

Most of the time recipes calling for fresh herbs will have you cooking onions, garlic or peppers in oil, so you can melt the herbed ice cube in the frying pan and use it to cook too.

Source Credit

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Thrifty Thursday: Freezing Eggs

Found an awesome deal on eggs but already have 3 dozen taking up space in your refrigerator? Eggs typically sell for $1.69 - $2.69 a dozen when not on sale here in Southeast Massachusetts, so whenever I can get them for $.99 or less, I stock up. Unfortunately my family isn't too keen on eating eggs for breakfast, lunch and supper every day. But no worries, I've found a way to stockpile those little eggies anyway!

Did you know you can freeze eggs?

I do not encourage the freezing of eggs when you plan on eating them outright. But freezing is great for eggs you intend on using for baking.

Source Credit

I've found that the best way to freeze eggs is by using ice cube trays. This way if your recipe calls for 3 eggs, you take out and defrost 3 ice cube eggies.

Beat your whole egg just slightly and pour into an ice cube tray. Freeze and once frozen, place into ziplock bags. 

To thaw, leave them in the refrigerator overnight or run (still in a bag or freezer container) under warm water. Use them immediately.

Frozen eggs last approximately 1 year, but I never leave mine in there that long!


Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Thrifty Thursday: Paper or Plastic?

All over my area, towns are pushing to do away with platic bags at the registers in order to become more eco-friendly. This means you'll most likely end up with a bunch of paper bags or buying reusable bags.

Ever wonder what to do with all those paper bags once you've put your groceries away?! Turn them into gift wrap!

Check out how fellow blogger, Kristin Calouro, from A Bald Girl Writes a Blog, reuses leftover paper bags for Christmas wrappings.

Photo Credit: Kristin Calouro

This thrifty craft is particularly great for kids because it gets them involved in more than just picking out the gift!

Need birthday paper? Wedding shower? Baby shower? Just because? Change the color scheme you use when decorating your paper and voila! Any occasion paper! Use glitter, stickers, sequins, whatever you have on hand to embellish your paper. The sky's the limit!


Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Thrifty Thursday: Light the Fire

I sent my husband off on his annual "Man Trip" a few weekends ago. He's been going on this manly expedition for as long as we've been together. Apparently it's the event of the year for the Shannon men. All the boys, bigs ones included, pack up shop and head out to Nickerson State Park in Brewster, MA to spend the weekend doing... well... I'm not really sure... The mantra seems to be "What happens in Nickerson stays in Nickerson...."

Not the actual Shannon man trip but an actual trip including one Shannon man! Again, I still haven't the slightest clue what goes on during that trip!

I do know that my husband typically comes home dirty, smelly and somewhat hung over... I also know they tend to blow up things, burn things and use way more duct tape than should be allowed in a single weekend.

Nevertheless, all that blowing up and burning of things requires fire. And since my husband comes home dirty, smelly and somewhat hungover, I can only imagine the guys' states while actually camping... Me Shannon man. Me start fire... drunk....

 

So needless to say I don't like it when he runs off on this trip toting tons of lighter fluid or gasoline... In fact, it scares me. I like camping at Nickerson and would prefer they not burn it down before I get to go camping again next year...

Luckily this year I remembered a trick I learned as a Girl Scout back in the day. In fact, it's a trick my parents still use in their own coal stove, which is what they primarily use to heat their 120+ year old home in the wintertime.

I'm assuming you must do laundry. And with laundry comes dryer lint. Lots and lots of dryer lint. Sorta weird, but my mom always used to save it. But it wasn't until I learned this trick in Girl Scouts that I discovered why. You're supposed to clean out your lint trap, otherwise you risk starting a fire, right? Why not use the lint to purposefully start a fire?!

You can do this several different ways:

Stuff your lint into an empty toilet paper roll. Wrap your TP roll in wax paper and twist at the ends (should look like an old school hard candy).

Don't have TP rolls? Just omit it and use lint and wax paper; twist at the ends.

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Thrifty Thursday: Cheap Boos

Welcome! Want to discover how to get some cheap boos for Halloween?! You know... costumes for your kids... or even for yourself? I hope you didn't think I 'meant cheap booze. I wish.... Massachusetts doesn't seem to be big on Happy Hour deals...

But anyway, costumes for Halloween are so gosh darn expensive! And unless your kids are big on playing dress up, you typically only get one wear out of 'em. Growing up, my mom always made all of our costumes. We've been everything from a clown, to a cat, a bear, a horse, a princess, a bride, Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, a vampire, and the list goes on and on and on. And 99% of the time, my mom made the entire costume.

The three Lachapelle girls as teddy bears with our Auntie Nancy.

I won't lie. I'm certainly crafty but I definitely can't sew. But if that's your thing, more power to you!

I've discovered a few other ways of gathering together costumes for kids of all ages for Halloween.

Yard Sales/Flea Markets
As I said, most of the time you only get one wear out of a costume. So what do people do with all those costumes after that? Sometimes they end up at yard sales and flea markets. And typically, the cost is significantly lower than the retail price. And of course, if you're good at haggling (which I am not) you can haggle the price even lower! This does mean your child, or you, needs to decide what he or she wants to be for Halloween pretty early in the year. Many people in my area still hold yard sales through September and into October and there's a huge flea market at Seekonk Speedway that is held until November. If you're worried about germs or yuckies from previous wearers, just run the costumes through the wash or hand wash them and you're good to go.

Thrift Stores
People who didn't have time or energy or for whatever other reason didn't get around to selling their old costumes sometimes end up donating them. Goodwill, Savers, Salvation Army and all of your local thrift stores will feature costumes as Halloween gets closer. Sometimes the costumes may even end up being covered under these thrift stores' special days of the week sales. Again, wash whatever you buy if you're worried.

Costume Swap
Got friends? Got friends with kids? Perhaps they too are in your same dilemma. Lots of costumes in the closet, only worn once, and no use for them now. Get together and have a costume swap. Let the kids pick out a costume from what your friends may have. Perhaps you'll only end up with an accessory or two, maybe you'll only need to buy an accessory or two. Either way, you can make this a fun day for parents and kids alike. Make some snacks - get frisky and make them Halloween themed - and party on with your costumes.

Your Own Closet
Yes, you read that right. Check your own closet. A costume doesn't mean it has to have been marketed as a costume. Think back to all those awful clothes you wore in the past and later had serious regret nostalgia as you poored over old pictures. That fringed vest? Part of a cowboy costume. That frilly white shirt? A pirate. That ridiculous purple sequined mini dress? A go-go dancer.

Again, if you think in these terms, the thrift stores are a great place to visit because some days it seems like all they have in stock are things people wore 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years ago...

I once turned my old prom dress (it was white with rhinestones and sequins) into a princess dress for a Halloween party. I threw a tiara on top that my mom had from a previous costume and slipped on some white shoes I already had and voila. Free costume.

So, I know it's still sorta early, but any ideas what you or your kids want to be for Halloween!?

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Thrifty Thursday: Eco Friendly Cooking Tip

Boil only as much water as you , use the smallest pan possible and keep the lids on your pots and pans whenever you can. When cooking, especially with an electric stove top, match the pan size you are using to the burner size. For example, a 6" pan on an 8" burner will waste over 40% of the heat produce by the burner. Wasted heat means wasted electricity. Wasted electricty means wasted money!

Not only will following these tips help you live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, it will help you keep a few extra bucks in your pocket!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts

Thrifty Thursday: Meal Planning

Just a few years ago, my husband and I were dumping tons of money into eating out. My first year of teaching was tough and I often spent many hours after school helping students, planning lessons and preparing for the next day. There were plenty of times I didn't get home until well past 5 o'clock even though my work day ended at 2. My husband, an accountant, would get home even later than myself and we would both be mentally and physically spent. Dinner was the last thing we wanted to deal with. So we ate out. A lot. And as a result, we spent money. A lot of it.

Last year I decided I was sick of "throwing away" money by eating out all the time. I knew I was still going to have long work days and now my husband has a new job and sometimes his days are even longer than before. But I didn't want that all to be excuses for why we had no choice but to eat out.

So I started menu planning. At first, I planned out our dinner meals a few days in advance. I'd check the freezer and the sales ads to see what I had on hand and what was inexpensive that week. This was the basis I used to plan my meals.

Now I'm up to planning for an entire week. Every Saturday or Sunday, I start to plan out what we want to eat that week. If I have lots of veggies from the garden, I add them in somewhere. If steak tips are finally at a reasonable price, I'll stick those in and make sure I stop at the store to get 'em.

This has prevented my husband and I from leaning on our expensive lazy-crutch too often and eating out. We still eat out once a week as a treat to ourselves. We know if our financial situation changed, we could easily cut that out. By doing this, we've saved ourselves thousands of dollars in the last year. And I know exactly what I'm putting in my body because I made it!

Menu planning helps me see what I need to get at the store on my weekly trip. Seeing my menu plan posted on my refrigerator serves as a reminder to defrost my meats on time. And if a meal I make lasts more than one night, then I simply send one planned meal to the next week! For instance, I made eggplant parm last week and it lasted us 2 nights, so I took one meal I had planned and saved it for next week (we're away this week).

Benefits of Meal Planning

• Saves you money
• Can be a family affair - cook together!
• Helps you to use things you have on hand
• Can be healthier - you know exactly what you're eating!
• Builds routine into an already hectic world

So consider all the benefits of meal planning and give it a try.
Feel free to use my meal planning template!

Happy Couponing!
-Coupon Mama Massachusetts