This week I have to buy snacks for my daughter’s preschool class. Every time I go to the store for this, I don’t have a plan because I can’t seem to remember which items have peanuts in them and which ones don’t. I’m fortunate that none of my kids have peanut allergies. For the sake of the ones who do [...]

Recently, I unveiled my Ultimate List of Ways to Save Money. It’s a short but growing list of all the ways I talk about saving money around the house. #9 on the list: Do a pantry challenge every so often. Soon after posting this, I received a comment that made me realize not everyone is familiar with the term “pantry [...]

I came across a cool promotion in the newspaper coupon insert today – it’s a promotion where Starbucks will give you a $5 Starbucks card for purchasing 3 of their products. I wish it was $5 cash, but I inevitably find myself at Starbucks many times a year, so I can also use a Starbucks gift card. It’s easy to [...]

This year, I have two little ones in preschool and keep the baby at home with me. We do this three mornings a week. So far, my husband has taken them to school more than I have simply because it’s only 1 mile out of his way to work, and preschool starts around the time that he’d normally be leaving [...]

I’ve been wanting to try my hand at making fish tacos for quite some time. I never seem to get around to it, probably because I’m intimidated by the thought of choosing the right fish and proper coating and cooking method, coming up with the right toppings, and finding the time to make it in the evening when my kids [...]

Just the other day my college aged babysitter asked me to send her several inexpensive, easy recipe ideas. She said she missed my cooking, but wanted to replicate it cheaply. :=) Do I have any cheap meal ideas for her to use at school??!!  Boy, do I ever! I didn’t have to rack my brain very long for recipes that [...]

Eating meals at home, on the whole, saves you tons of money over eating out.  For starters, you avoid restaurant markups, server tips, commuting costs, and meal extras that add up (like getting dessert when you normally wouldn’t eat one). Beyond the obvious savings, there are many changes you can make to the way you prepare food, shop for groceries, [...]

For years, I had a membership to BJ’s wholesale club.  It cost $40 a year, and I always felt like I was getting my money’s worth because I could find good deals on bulk packages of everyday household items and food. Pros and Cons of Buying in Bulk  As a new mom, the pros of buying in bulk at BJ’s [...]