Cha-Ching on a Shoestring™

Living Large on a Limited Budget

Satisfying those Cravings

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Let’s be real honest now, shall we?

We all have cravings, and they may or may not be pregnancy-related.  I am going to be completely transparent and share mine.

I crave coffee.  Quality coffee. There.  I said it.

I’m talking lattes, cappucinos, and my all-time favorite: Starbucks Caramel Macchiatos.

Oh…what the hey…while I’m at it, I might as well share my other cravings:

massages
pedicures
going to the movies
chocolate
a good book
going out to eat
and the list goes on…

The problem is that it is very easy to feel guilty about indulging in any of these things when money is tight.  And the reality is that money spent on wants is less money set aside for needs.

I’d like to share a few tips on how to make room for some of the more frivolous things in life.

  • Use birthdays to ask for items or experiences that you might feel guilty using your own money to buy.  I currently have a gift certificate for a massage waiting patiently for me to use it.  It was a gift on my last birthday.  I also received an assortment of gift cards for my favorite coffee spots for Christmas.  It’s OK to get pampered by others every now and then!
  • Sign up for Swagbucks or Mypoints. By doing so, you can earn gift cards for all your craving needs.  Why not?
  • Consider giving yourself an allowance. My husband and I each receive a monthly ‘allowance’.  (I know…and you thought that was only for your teenager.)  It’s a small amount, but it’s ours to use on whatever we see fit.  And considering the fact that each of us likes to spend money in different ways, (I like to splurge on the little things; he likes to save for the big things) this has not only been a financial help, but our marriage has benefited as well.

How do you make room to enjoy your cravings every now and then?

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

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Happy Mother’s Day to so many of my readers!  I am currently enjoying being pampered by my husband and doing pretty much nothing.  Ahhhh…

But, my sister in law sent me this Mother of the Year video and I just had to share.   Enjoy and feel free to pass it on!  It’s hilarious!

KFC Coupons: Rain checks

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Oh my–this whole KFC thing has turned into a bit of a fiasco.   I just read on their web-site that they have had such an overwhelming response that they are now offering rain checks when you bring your coupons in to your local KFC. They’ll even throw in a free Pepsi 2-liter.  You’ll just have to wait for your rain-check to come in the mail.

Well, I for one still plan on making the trip.  That grilled chicken is calling my name, and hey…it’s still free.

By the way, did you hear that El Pollo Loco is accepting these KFC coupons on Mother’s Day?  Check out the scoop from “Dealicious Mom”.

eMeals: Meal Planning

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This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Family-Dinner-Chicken

I have a confession to make.

I am not a fan of meal planning.

I wish it were not so.  You may get your thrills over planning your weekly meals down to the last calorie and cent.  I envy your passion, but I do not share it.

It’s not that I haven’t tried to enjoy meal planning.  I have a folder full of cute little meal planning calendars, creative ideas from magazines, and a whole lot of other fun stuff intended to motivate me to become a meal planning guru.

And yet, I still approach this task with dread.

That’s why when my Mom introduced me to eMeals, I felt my heart skip a beat.  Imagine having a maid who plans your meals around weekly deals, creates your grocery list, and only charges you as low as $5 a month…and you are imagining eMeals.

I LOVE IT!!!!!!

We are using the ALDI plan for two people since our kids don’t eat enough yet to use the bigger meal plans.  We spend approximately $50 a week for the ingredients for five meals.  That’s $10 a meal! Not bad.  And considering the fact that we typically have enough leftovers for another meal or two, it’s actually less than that! (Update: Since writing this post, our boys have become much bigger eaters, so we’ve graduated to the family plan!)

There are a variety of stores to choose from including Kroger, Wal-Mart, and Publix; and a nice selection of specialty meal plans, including Vegetarian, Low Fat, and Low Carb.

I have LOVED simply printing out my list each week, and heading to the store with little to no planning.  It saves me so much time, which is very important to me as a busy mom.

We have also really enjoyed their meals.  They are simple, yet delicious.  The perfect combination in my eyes.  Our favorite meal  so far has been the Open Face Ranch and Chicken BLT’s.  mmmmmmm….

If this sounds interesting to you, simply go here to check it out.  If you choose to sign up, you will automatically receive the latest meal plan in your account and you can opt to receive it by email weekly.  Download it, print it out, and head to the store.  It’s that easy!

OR if you have a Smartphone, find out more about the eMeals app here.  It’s awesome!

And if you are wondering if this is a wise choice for frugal families, I will add that Dave Ramsey endorses the site.  Enough said.

Sign up now for a FREE 2 week trial to see if you’ll love eMeals as much as I do!

Mars Chocolate Giveaway

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What’s this?  Free and chocolate in the same sentence?  Does it get any better than that??!  I think not.

Starting Friday (5/8), Mars will be giving away 250,000 coupons every Friday through September to be redeemed for your favorite Mars product (Snickers, please!).  Simply head here starting at 9 a.m. ET to enter the giveaway.  You can also enter your e-mail address to be sent a reminder.

You’ll receive your coupon by mail within six weeks. Limit four coupons per household during the offer period.

I’ll race you there tomorrow!