Saving Money with the Entertainment Book

I just finished an e-book with some great ideas on how to get the most out of your Entertainment book (EB). I have to admit, I haven’t purchased an EB in years. I knew it offered coupons to save on eating out and things like that, but I had no idea how many ways there are to save with the EB! Julie, from HotCouponWorld, wrote a great Ebook entitled “Secrets of Entertainment” that has convinced me that I have to have the new Entertainment book. It was easy to read and offered so much information to help me get the most out of my EB.

Check out Secrets of Entertainment here and let me know what you think about it!

I had to write this one . . . :)

How to save money on groceries using PinchingYourPennies.com | eHow.com

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This totally fits with the Family Experiment . . .

How to save money on produce in Arizona | eHow.com

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2009 All You Grocery Challenge

This goes along perfectly with the family experiment I have been doing.

Check out Stretching A Buck to see a special grocery challenge & giveaway from All You magazine!

I signed up and will start the challenge on July 13!!

TFE: The Grocery Store - Total for Tuesdays


It's Tuesday and I ventured into the grocery store for some approved items. Here's the list:

10 lbs potatoes
(2) pkg. blueberries
Organic celery
1.5 lbs Pink Lady apples
Several garlic cloves
1 pkg baby carrots
(2) cucumbers
2.6 lbs green cabbage (YUCK!)
green leaf lettuce
1.3 lbs tomatoes
2.89 lbs yellow onions
1.3 lbs peaches
2.3 lbs bananas
(4) gallon of milk

Total OOP: $21.33

Not bad . . .

A Family Experiment/Project: The Grocery Store

Question:

Can we go two weeks without buying any more groceries?


Purpose:

Couponing is a great hobby. It benefits our family immensely and I’ve met lots of great people. However, it can also be a challenge to regulate how many “amazing deals” one family and their pantry can hold. My friends and family predict that we can last a year. These are the same people who are waiting for some sort of national disaster to strike so they can come to our house and raid all the food, toothpaste and toilet paper.


My hypothesis:

Our family can last two weeks without going to the grocery store (See exclusions below)

This will save us time, money, gas and storage space (duh!)


Exceptions:

These items can be purchased

o Milk
o Eggs
o Bread - look out Betty Crocker, I’m going to make some of it at home, (In a whisper voice so Betty can’t hear – I have a bread maker)
o Fresh fruits and veggies

The above items can only be purchased twice for the duration of the experiment

This DOES include our trip to the lake for 4th of July.

This DOES NOT include what we need to bring for a party next weekend.

Odds:

I’m going to try and put a poll up so you can vote.

And so, tomorrow morning, it begins . . . .

So I had an interesting idea . .

One of the things I miss most about teaching is the opportunity to set a goal and see it accomplished. It’s a great feeling to see a group of seventh graders (who could not care less about the American Revolution) be inspired to create a classroom revolt against their peers because of being taxed (their M&Ms were taken away) and weren’t represented (they didn’t get to say who ate the M&Ms).

Don’t get me wrong, being a full time parent has it share of goals and accomplishments but many times you can’t see the fruits of your labor for a long time. For example, Son’s potty training – I thought it would be the death of me, but it was accomplished, eventually. P.S. Daughter was about 10 times easier!!

Sometimes I forget that just like the old job, I can still set goals and work to achieve them. Success is a great feeling. So, I am sure that you are expecting me to announce some earth shattering goal that will change our family and the way we view the world forever. A little over dramatic don’t you think?

Instead, I picked something that I thought would interest me (and maybe others), that would be easy to keep track of, and would have a set time limit so I can see success (or failure, I guess). I’m choosing to try out a family experiment/project that deals with several areas in our life: food, budgeting, couponing, and space in our home. Details to follow.

Guess what we did today . .

How to Let Your Kids Make Mud pies | eHow.com

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For the Couponing Newbies . . Rebates

How to Submit for a Mail in Rebate | eHow.com

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Check out some freebies

Check out DesertDealsDiva. Right now, she's showing some freebies! She always posts about great deals around town.

Also, for those of you that have been going to the Diamondbacks games (yes, I mean you MissMaggie!) check out this. That's right, I even want you to pick me up some coupons when you are enjoying a baseball game!

A Fabulous Makeover!

Okay, so what do you think? I read an awesome article at ehow.com that explained step by step how to change the layout.

Now, I just want to change it once a week. (Like that will ever happen.)

Walgreens $5 off $25 coupon

Check out the new coupon. It is only good on Wednesday, June 10 and Thursday June 11.

It is good for shopping in the store and online.

Any great scenarios? Personally, I am waiting until the unveiling of the new customer program in July.

Walgreens 5/25

Emerald Nuts Commercial

Anyone seen this? There is a guy who I guess is the psychiatrist and a lady is talking to him about how she wants to burn the place down. He is so distracted that he tells her that she is making real progress, all the while it is obvious that he isn't paying attention to anything that she is saying.

Next scene, the place is on fire and he is just sitting there in the middle of it. Someone suggests that this would have never happened if he had and afternoon snack of Emerald nuts. Interesting.

However, what is even more interesting is the tiny print at the bottom of the screen. It says, "It is never okay to commit arson. Not even once."

Are you sure????

Bunco article

How to play Bunco with friends

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MacGyver Mommy and the Scorpion

So, the weekend before last, we had a little critter drama. Son was stung three times by a scorpion. It was nerve racking. At first, we weren't sure what was wrong. He was so upset and we couldn't get him to say what happened. Finally, he told us that something bit him.

We were house sitting at the time and so Husband went through the entire family room (where Son and Daughter were playing) and turned everything over. The couches were turned over, the toys were all out and all over the floor. Looking back, it was a pretty humorous sight, but at the time, we were frantic to find out what it was.

Needless to say, we had to call Poison Control. (More drama because all the numbers that the nurse's line gave us were disconnected and not numbers for Poison Control. Finally we reached someone about the same time that Son calmed down, walked into the family room and pointed out the scorpion and told us that's what had stung him. Husband disposed of the scorpion.

Long story short, he was fine. We watched for all the scary symptoms - the ones that you go to the hospital immediately if you see, and we were told that he would get pretty sick, but he didn't. We had to keep an eye on him for a while though. We took him to McDonald's for dinner and that seemed to make it all better.

So, fast forward to this past Tuesday. We are at the same house again, awaiting a repair man, and Son and Daughter and I are in the same family room, eating lunch together. Very casually Son says, "Hey Mom, remember that thing that stung me? Daddy said I should tell you if I see it again, and its right here in my lunch tray."

Seriously! I was pretty calm when he was stung on Saturday, but Tuesday I was freaking out. I hustled the kids into the bathroom (you know because scorpions can't get you if you are in the bathroom) and quickly picked up the tray and ran outside with it. But I couldn't just leave it there. It was down in one of the deep sides of the tray, but I wasn't sure if it could crawl out. They have three dogs, so I didn't want it getting out and stinging them either and so, I had to come up with a plan.

I ran into the kitchen and grabbed the plastic wrap and some clear tape. I wrapped the plastic wrap around the tray over and over until I could barely make out the scorpion. Then, to make sure he didn't get out, I covered the plastic wrap with clear tape.

While the scorpion didn't die (until the man of the house killed it later that night) at least he was out of the way and not able to harm anyone. If only I would have had a toothpick and a piece of gum, I am sure I would have been able do something amazing and eventful, but alas, I was limited in supplies, so I had to settle for the plastic wrap prison.

Twilight/New Moon Update

So, I was checking out some of the info out on the web for the movie "New Moon" and ran across the actual trailer.

I was wondering what they were going to do with Jacob Black and the wolf transformation. So cool!! You can check it out here.