25 Ways to Save Money Without Using Coupons

February 24th, 2016 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

How to Save Money Without Couponing

How to Save Money without Using Coupons

If you’ve been a long time reader, you may have noticed something different around here recently: we are no longer posting weekly coupon match-ups.

It was not a decision that came lightly by any means, and in fact took me many, many months to consider the pros and cons. I hated the thought of letting down my readers who found us and stuck around because of our coupon posts for their local stores. I love my readers!

But as I carefully considered my options, it became quite clear that removing coupon match-ups would simply allow for a fresh shift in focus on other ways to save and live large on a limited budget. Change might be hard, but keeping things fresh is good, right?

For those who are wondering, I wanted to take some time to address a few of the reasons why we made the change.

1) The need is not as great as it used to be.

With the advent of the Favado app and the increase in the number of other sites that post match-ups, the need for us to post weekly store deals has waned over the years. Posting matchups takes a considerable amount of time that didn’t seem to equate to the demand.

2) The deals aren’t as great as they used to be.

I started couponing in 2008, back when the Recession was in full swing and prior to the craze of the Extreme Couponing show. It was during that season that you could indeed stock up on piles of free mustard and toothpaste and breakfast cereal. At times, I was even paid to shop. Couponing was a big THING.

Sadly, many people also started abusing the system during that time and stores began to notice. Many stores changed their coupon policies and became less coupon friendly. And while there were still some great deals to be found, it simply wasn’t as easy any more.

3) I have personally taken a break from couponing.

In the past year, I have taken a break from couponing. I still run out to get an awesome deal from CVS from time to time, but couponing has simply taken a back seat to other priorities in my life. I do most of my grocery shopping at ALDI where they don’t even accept coupons and I shop the best deals on Amazon Subscribe & Save to buy certain items in bulk.

I also have a renewed desire to live simply and joyfully and that meant eliminating certain things from my To Do list. Couponing has been one of those things.

I certainly support and applaud my couponing readers and if you need help finding coupon match-ups for your store, I will be glad to help. We will continue to post the hottest coupon deals that we find in stores like CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, Walmart and Target. We still love finding a great deal with coupons around here!

We’ll also continue to focus on creative ways to save money because that never gets old! In fact, I think you are going to LOVE the fresh new posts with recipes, DIY, gift, and organizing ideas on a shoestring.

Want to Save Money without Couponing? Here are 25 ways to stretch your dollars – no coupons involved!

Shop your store’s sales cycle. Most items go on sale every 6-12 weeks. Stock up when their price is the lowest.
Shop at ALDI.
Buy generic brands.
Skip prepared and convenience foods.
Check unit prices.
Buy certain items in bulk.
Embrace meal planning. (Find out about the meal planning method I’ve used for years here.)
Shop Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program.
Know the best items to buy at the Dollar Store.
Shop the reduced bakery and produce section in your store.
Find out how to get free stuff on Amazon.
Make your own Instant Oatmeal Packets.
Participate in your local Freecycle group.
Buy household organization containers at the Dollar Store.
Participate in online neighborhood yard sales.
Shop yard sales.
Sign up for Pinecone Research and earn $3 per survey.
Sign up for free samples by mail.
Sign up for Swagbucks. (Find out how to earn a free $25 Amazon gift card every month.)
Use the Ibotta app. (Learn more here.)
Use the Checkout 51 app. (Learn more here.)
Use the Receipt Hog app. (Learn more here.)
Sign up for SavingStar. (Learn more here.)
Sign up for Pampers Rewards – you don’t even need kids in diapers! (Learn more here.)
And most importantly – simply buy less!

What would you add to the list?

5 Simple & Delicious Soups Even Your Kids Will Love

February 22nd, 2016 By Heidi
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

best kid friendly soups

Delicious and Simple Kid Friendly Soups

It is pouring rain here, cold, foggy….the perfect weather for eating yummy, hot soup! My husband is a lover of all things soup so I’ve been adding some new recipes to my rotation and this winter I’ve declared most Saturdays as “Soup Saturdays”. It’s the perfect day for a low stress meal and soup tastes better the longer it simmers. So throw your ingredients together early in the day and let it go.

Here are my Top 5 Soups that my family has come to love and they are all EASY!

Sherry Tomato Soup: Who doesn’t agree that just the thought of tomato soup and grilled cheese brings back memories of childhood? This one is super easy and so rich – not your typical tomato soup. Since I have kids who are not big fans of chunky tomatoes I use my immersion blender just before serving to whip it into a smooth texture. Find the recipe here.
***
Cheeseburger Soup: This soup is a little more work but makes a TON of soup – leaving you with plenty of leftovers for lunches during the week. I serve this with a simple salad and biscuits! Find the recipe here.
***
Pasta Fagioli: This is a perfect copycat of the always delicious Olive Garden soup. It’s loaded with beans, noodles, veggies and super filling. I substitute ground beef for the sausage since some of my family members are not fans of sausage. This produces a milder flavor but still VERY good and a nice option for kids with sensitive tastebuds. Find the recipe here.
***
Chicken Enchilada Soup: This soup is a super simple crockpot winner! It’s kind of a “dump and go” recipe that can be whipped up in minutes and left to cook all day. Keep these ingredients on hand and you will always have a yummy supper at your fingertips. I throw frozen chicken tenderloins in to make it even easier. Find the recipe here.

***
Cauliflower Chowder: This recipe was a surprising winner. Even my 8 year old daughter loved it and commented on how much the cauliflower tasted like potatoes. It is delicious and packed FULL of veggies. Be sure to follow the serving suggestion and top off your bowl with some shredded cheese and crumbled bacon – delish! Find the recipe here.

So there you have it. A simple list of family friendly soups that will get you through a month of Soup Saturdays!

The #1 Tip That Changed My Laundry System And Gave Me Back My Life!

February 16th, 2016 By Heidi
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

laundry image 1

Oh, laundry. It’s not a problem that’s going away any time soon, is it? That’s why I’m happy to invite my friend Heidi to the blog today to share a laundry tip that may just eliminate the “I don’t have any socks!” issue from your family’ s laundry discussion forever. (Now if she could just solve the problem of missing socks, we’d be golden!)

The #1 Tip That Changed My Laundry System And Gave Me Back My Life!

Ok, so that title might be a bit too dramatic, but honestly I really have more time now! And who doesn’t need more time?

I’ve been doing laundry the same way my whole life and you probably have too. I had a hamper for whites/lights and a hamper for darks. When each was full I would do a load of laundry. Then I would take it out of the dryer, into the living room, plop in front of the TV, fold, put into piles for each member of my family and ask them to put it away. That’s exactly how my mom did laundry too, so of course it made sense for me to believe that was the most efficient method.

My children are 10, 8 and 17 months, and I’ve had my older two helping with laundry for a little while now. I find that school takes a lot out of my kids so during the school year I don’t have too many household jobs for them. They are expected to help out around the house, keep their rooms clean (which really, do they ever stay that way??) and generally assist when asked. The only jobs they are responsible for is emptying the dishwasher and folding laundry with each child taking a week for one of those jobs. But my kids were constantly bickering and I could never keep track of who did which job last.

There was ALWAYS a response of “but I did the laundry last time…” I really couldn’t take it anymore.

Then one day I stumbled upon this tip on Pinterest. I wasn’t really interested in looking at it because I didn’t think my system was broken but I figured I’d just take a peak…and wouldn’t you know, it really did change how I view and do my laundry!

Here’s what I did:

Moved the family hampers out of the hallway & gave everyone a personal hamper in their bedrooms
My husband and I share a hamper with the baby.
When my older children have a full hamper they are responsible to bring the bag of dirty clothes to the laundry room and ask me to wash their laundry for them
I most often wash on cold for economic reasons so it’s no big deal to lump all their clothes together in one load
When their laundry load is finished it is their job to sort, fold and put away in their own rooms

Simple. Not rocket science.

No More Excuses

But you know what it did? I no longer hear the following:

“It’s not my job…”

“I did it last time…”

“I don’t want to fold his/her underwear…”

“You didn’t hang my shirts up right…”

“I don’t have underwear…”

“I don’t have jeans…”

“I don’t have socks…”

If my kids don’t have the things they would like to wear then this is all I need to say: “Is your hamper full? Do you need to bring it down?” It puts the responsibility of clean clothing primarily on them and I no longer have to keep apologizing or saying “Just wear those socks again for today and I’ll do laundry tonight”.

Another plus…my husband and I always have plenty of clean clothes now. If your household is like ours, the kids have way more clothing than the adults simply because they are lucky enough to get hand-me-downs. My kids can go more than a week between laundry loads, but I need my favorite jeans washed more often.

Since I’ve switched to this new system, I’m not dealing with bickering, I’m not apologizing, I’m only putting away laundry for 2.5 people, I have more clean clothes, more time and more peace!!

Winner. Woohoo!

The #1 Tip That Changed My Laundry System And Gave Me Back My Life!

How I Made Valentines Without Spending Any Money

February 12th, 2016 By Elizabeth
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

blog title

I’m delighted to invite my friend Elizabeth to the blog today to share how she made Valentines on the cheap this year (you may remember her from this popular post).

She is a creative and thrifty Mom of 6 who makes it look much easier than it should be. This post is a perfect example of her frugal super powers!

***

After working three days straight, I was down to the wire for classroom Valentines for my three elementary school children. My youngest was sleeping and I didn’t want to run to the store, so I decided to try to work with what I already had. Here’s what I came up with!

I found this great printable on Pinterest (of course!) for my fifth grader. I thought the hashtag was super cute and I had a few bags of M&M’s stashed in the freezer that I could divide up into sandwich bags. I printed them out, he signed his name and we stapled them to the bag. Done!

FullSizeRender (5)

Source

Two things I like to have on hand are chocolate chips and popcorn kernels. I love to make popcorn for a frugal and healthy snack. To make it a Valentine treat, I simply melted semi-sweet chocolate chips and drizzled it over the warm popcorn. I popped it into the fridge to harden and then divided into snack bags for my second grader’s classmates.

I had cute little treat bags I bought on clearance last year at Target for pennies. I tucked the snack bags into the treat bags and we added a cute Owl tag, which was also a free printable. Done and done!

popcorn

Source

Another easy and quick frugal treat is the three ingredient Marshmallow Crispy bars. Crispy Rice cereal, mini marshmallows and butter and you are good to go! I had a small amount of mini chocolate chips that I added to the bars to make them even more yummy. I packaged a bar in each little treat bag and added a sticker tag for each of my kindergartners classmates.

ricekrispie

I found a cute printable for the teachers as well. Whenever Amazon has a sale on Burt’s Bees chapstick, I stock up and use them for small gifts because I’m always seeing printables for chapstick with a holiday theme. I put together three of these in no time with scrapbook paper and scotch tape.

chapstick

Source

Last but not least, my second grader needed to decorate a bag to collect her Valentine treats. Her teacher sent home a plain white bag. I found a picture of an owl themed Valentine box, but I thought it would work perfectly for the bag too. We used construction paper and glue we already had to decorate the bag. My oldest daughter helped with this and I love how it turned out!

bag

I was thrilled that within about an hour I had made three different valentines for three different kids, a quick teacher valentine and a valentine treat bag without spending any money!

No Bake Oatmeal Energy Bites Recipe {Healthy and Delicious Snack!}

January 21st, 2016 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Energy Bites Recipe

No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Bites Recipe {Healthy and Delicious!}

You guys. I must apologize.

I have been holding out on you.

I have meant to share this Energy Bites Recipe with you for like…ever. But I haven’t.

Sure, you might be saying “No big deal. Don’t worry about it” now. But the problem is that once you try them, I have a feeling that you are going to be wicked mad at me.

They are that good.

They are so good, that you would think that they must be bad for you. But they aren’t. (Just don’t tell my kids – they consider them dessert.)

And to top it all off, they are ridiculously easy to make. (In fact, I just took a break in the middle of this post to go make a batch real quick. Five minutes later, the dough is chilling in the fridge – most of the dough, that is. Ahem.)

Healthy, Delicious, Easy.

BAM. The trifecta of Goodness.

So, let me not keep you waiting any longer.

No Bake Energy Bites Recipe

Yield: Makes 20 - 25 balls.

Adapted from Smashed Peas & Carrots .

Ingredients

1 c. dry oatmeal
2/3 c. toasted coconut flakes
1/2 c. peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/2 c. ground flaxseed or wheatgerm (I occasionally skip this step if I don't have any on hand.)
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/3 c. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. raisins (optional - but oh so yummy!)

Instructions

Stir all ingredients until thoroughly mixed.
Let chill in refrigerator for half hour.
Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you like.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

https://chachingonashoestring.com/2016/01/21/no-bake-oatmeal-energy-bites-recipe/

This was the final recipe from the freezer baking afternoon that my friend Elizabeth and I had last year. (Sigh…that’s how long I’ve been holding out on you. Love me anyway?) These freeze well, although they don’t usually last us long enough to make it to the freezer!

Here are the rest of our Freezer Baking Day recipes:

–Chewy, No-Bake Granola Bars

–Homemade Instant Oatmeal “packets”

–Wild Berry Coconut Bars

No Bake Oatmeal Energy Bites

Tandy Kake Cake Bites Recipe (Melt in your Mouth Delicious!)

December 16th, 2015 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Tandy Kake Cake Bites Recipe

It was love at first bite.

I’ve always known that chocolate and peanut butter are a match made in heaven. So when I was introduced to homemade Tandy Kake a few years ago, it was indeed heavenly.

You see, I discovered when I moved to the Philadelphia area that the people here are quite proud of their homemade Tandy Kakes – since they originate from the Philadelphia-based Tastykake company’s version, now known as Kandy Kakes.

History lesson out of the way, here’s the story that really matters.

Last week, I was at a Holiday Open House at our boys’ school. They had some desserts on sale to support the school, so I bought some, seeing as it was my citizenly duty and all.

By some Christmas miracle, I was able to get my hands on the yummy-looking Cake Pop thing before any of my children did.

One bite and I heard the heavenly angels sing.

It was like all that is good and lovely about Tandy Kake in one little perfect bite.

I knew I must have the recipe for these bites of perfection, so I went hunting down the Baker and ~~begged her~~ asked her nicely for the recipe – wondering if she would even give up what was likely a longheld family secret?

“It’s easy,” said the Baker. “It’s a box of yellow cake mix, some peanut butter, and dipping chocolate.”

Delicious and easy?? I could not believe my ears.

In spite of my cynicism, I decided to test out the recipe the following week.

Dear readers, I don’t believe that I am spreading lies when I say that this recipe will change your life. At least, it has mine.

You see, when I was growing up, my Mom made Peanut Butter Balls (or Buckeyes – whatever you prefer to call them) every year. I loved that tradition, but the last time I tried to make the recipe for my own children, it was a big fat FAIL for some unknown reason. So, I haven’t made them since.

Now, I feel like I now have my own similar tradition to pass on to my kids. Just like my mom, I now get to teach my children the skills necessary to cover them with just the right amount of chocolate causing only a slight overflow onto the wax paper – which is truly an art form, as we all know.

And to be honest, I am on the fence over which recipe is more delicious – I might even be slightly leaning toward the Tandy Kake side. (Sorry, Mom.)

If you prefer, you could go an extra step and turn these into Cake Pops. I, however, am a simple girl, so one less step is good with me! They will taste the same whether you eat them with your fingers or on a stick – and that’s what counts.

Here is the easy peasy melt-in-your-mouth recipe:

Ingredients:

(1) Box Yellow Cake Mix + ingredients listed on box
1/2 – 1 c. peanut butter
(1) Bag of Melting Chocolate
wax paper

Recipe:

Make cake according to directions listed on the box.
Once the cake has baked, give it about 10 minutes to cool, then remove to cool completely on a baking rack.
Once cake has cooled completely, use a knife to shave off any crusty edges, then crumble into a bowl and add a 1/2 cup of peanut butter and mix well. (At this point, I checked to see if the batter was moist enough to make into balls and then added a bit more peanut butter.)
Place batter in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill.
After the batter has chilled, roll into into balls. Then, dip into melting chocolate and place on wax paper to dry.

That’s it!

Life-changing, people.

Kandy Kake Cake Bites Recipe

My Monthly Missions Update: A BIG Announcement!

October 9th, 2015 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

Sometimes I get a little ~~obsessed with~~ passionate about things.

If you recall in my last Monthly Missions update (which was actually two months ago…ahem), I committed to Do Hard Things for the month of August.

Turns out, Doing Hard Things gets easier the more you Do Them.

So September rolled around and I just kept Doing those Hard Things.

I couldn’t help myself.

And I got so caught up in those Hard Things that I forgot to take the time to update you guys on my progress.

This also means that I did not ask myself our four Monthly Missions questions:

What is one way I can simplify life this month?
What is one way I can practice a healthy habit this month?
What is one way I can organize life this month?
What is one way I can bring joy to life this month?

But that is life, friends. Some seasons require us to focus more energy on one area of life than another.

In this month’s Merry Little Living newsletter, I share an update on one of the Hard Things, so sign up here and look for an email from me if you’d like to know all the details. (Hint: I reached an exciting goal that has to do with this picture:)

Beautiful day for a 5k! Could somebody please cheer me on though? #noonetorunwith #needmoralsupport #help #runlikethewind

A photo posted by Kaley Ehret (@kaleyehret) on Sep 20, 2015 at 1:20pm PDT

And the other Hard Thing I focused on for the past two months is related to my BIG Announcement.

Drumroll please…

Big Announcement:

I’m so excited to announce that in the next few weeks I will be releasing my very first eBook!

I’m sharing all the secrets that I’ve discovered through the years on my quest for a simpler, more joyful Christmas. HUGE thanks goes to those who have been a part of our Merry Little Christmas Project community. It may have all started that year I cried on Christmas, but I can truly say that I approach Christmas with joy and anticipation now instead of dread and I want to help you do the same!

I can’t wait to share more details soon!! If you’d like to be the first to hear about the book’s release, click here to sign up for my Merry Little Living newsletter.

I want to add a special thanks to those of you who read my Monthly Missions update every month (err…almost every month!). Whether you guys realize it or not, you’ve provided the motivation that I needed to complete my eBook. Thank you.

I’ve also chosen to embrace the fact that I love writing. And the more I write, the more I’m becoming a Writer. It’s a learning process that I happen to love.

Will I become a bestseller? That’s beside the point. (But hey – a girl can dream!). I’m still a Writer. It’s what I do. I write.

So now I want to know:

Who are YOU?

Want to embrace something that you love? Need a little encouragement? Leave a comment below sharing who YOU are.

Don’t be intimidated. We’ll cheer you on!

Monthly Missions for October:

If you’d like, you can also participate in our Monthly Missions. (I have ONE mission this month – to finish my eBook!)

If you sign up for the Merry Little Living Project email newsletter, you’ll receive a free printable Monthly Missions planner in your inbox right away.

Then sometime in the next few days, grab your printable, a cup of coffee and a pencil and map out your missions for the month.

And then – if you’d like a little bit of accountability – share your missions in the comment below. Let’s help each other celebrate Simple, Joyful Life!

My Monthly Missions Update for July {Llamas , The Month of Hard Things and More}

August 2nd, 2015 By Kaley
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission if you click and make a purchase.

My Monthly Missions

I’m declaring August the month I’m going to Do Hard Things.

I’ve been thinking about this for a couple of weeks now. We’ve had our fun this summer swimming and park-going and dressing up like cows. It’s been delightful.

But with our travels done for the summer and only 30 days until we are on our back to school schedule, I’m feeling like I want to finish up summer with a bang. I have a few things hard things I want to tackle that will just seem more joyful and less hard in the sweet days of summer.

Want to know what they are? Well, I’m telling all in this month’s Merry Little Living newsletter, so sign up here and look for an email from me with the inside scoop!

In the meantime, here is my update from July’s Monthly Missions. This past month, I asked myself four questions:

What is one way I can simplify life this month?
What is one way I can practice a healthy habit this month?
What is one way I can organize life this month?
What is one way I can bring joy to life this month?

Here’s what I came up with:

How I simplified life:

I took a little break from Facebook and it was refreshing. I did check notifications and there were a few times I allowed myself to break the rules. Such as the other day when I posted this status on FB:

Screen Shot 2015-08-01 at 3.43.59 PM

It’s times like this that Facebook is a helpful resource, y’know?

By the way, turns out swallowing whole packs of gum shouldn’t be too much of an issue – according to the nurse I talked with, while she held back her laughter. We are still monitoring the situation.

How I practiced a healthy habit:

I promised to learn some new recipes using the veggies from my garden and I did! I tried a yummy cucumber salad recipe (which I forgot to Pin!) and this green bean recipe (which was AWESOME, by the way).

I also shared my secret to getting your kids to eat broccoli.

This recipe will change your life and make your dreams come true.

How I organized life:

This past month, I spent some time gathering old videos to have them digitized. I’m using a service called LegacyBox.com which sends you a box that you fill with the number of items you pay to have transferred. They are all boxed up and ready to go. I can’t wait to get a glimpse of my boys when they were teeny tiny and my various hairstyles through the years (which were not so teeny tiny) – should be fun!

How I brought joy to life:

Llelfie.

A photo posted by Kaley Ehret (@kaleyehret) on Jul 27, 2015 at 2:35pm PDT

We spent some time last week helping my husband’s parents move out of their house of 37 years. As you can imagine, it was hard work. I think we got a little loopy after a while, as evidenced by my Llefie above (taken on a day that we took a little break at a local Animal Park) as well as this picture of me demonstrating the beauty of one the treasures we discovered while cleaning out the house.

It’s good to make joy, isn’t it?

So now I want to know:

What are YOUR Monthly Missions for August?

I’ve been really happy with this new strategy for planning simplicity and joy into my life and I’d love for you to join me.

If you sign up for the Merry Little Living Project email newsletter, you’ll receive a free printable Monthly Missions planner in your inbox right away. (Also, a free Summer Fun planner!)

Then sometime in the next few days, grab your printable, a cup of coffee and a pencil and map out your missions for the month.

And then – if you’d like a little bit of accountability – share your missions in the comment below. Let’s help each other celebrate Simple, Joyful Life!

I’ll be sharing what my missions are this month in my Merry Little Living Project newsletter so be sure to click here to sign up if you haven’t yet!