savings tips – Page 2

August 19, 2015

12 Kitchen Cleaning Hacks to Save Minutes and Moolah

If cleaning your kitchen always seems like a journey of epic Lord of the Rings proportions, you’re not alone. You may not have a team of men, dwarves and hobbits at your disposal but these mighty kitchen cleaning tips will always have your back. Here are 12 tips for cleaning your kitchen that will not only save you time and effort, but also a little money!

1. 2-Step Oven Cleaner: No need to buy harsh chemicals or use the self-cleaning option on your oven that will make the whole house feel like a sauna. Simply place a bowl with a ½ cup of ammonia in your completely cool oven overnight. Wipe off all the grim easily the next day with a few paper towels. Done!

2. Fight Oil With Oil: The greasy residue that collects on your kitchen backsplash is cooking oil that has collected dust to create a mess that is pretty hard to get rid of. If you’re a fan of natural cleaning products, stock up on mineral oil. Take a cloth with mineral oil and wipe the greasy areas then repeat with a clean cloth. The residue will come off with exactly zero elbow grease.

3. Easy Microwave Cleaner: Microwaves are notoriously hard to clean because they are both tiny and prone to explosive messes. Use another natural remedy to this problem by microwaving a coffee cup of white vinegar for three minutes then wiping the microwave down with a clean, damp cloth.

4. You Already Own Stainless Steel Cleaner: Chances are, you have some WD-40 in your garage but it also works double duty as a stainless steel cleaner. If not, hopefully you have a lemon and some salt in your kitchen. Sprinkle the salt onto your stainless steel sink and scrub with half a lemon. Stains come off instantly and leave a fresh scent. Bonus!

5. 10-Second Blender Cleaning: Spare yourself the hassle of taking apart your blender (and danger of cutting yourself) to clean it. After enjoying your icy beverage or smoothie, fill the blender half way with warm water and just a couple of drops of dish soap. Blend with the lid on for 10 seconds then rinse. That’s all she wrote.

6. Wave Bye Bye to Burnt-On Food: Cleaning burnt pots is perhaps the most infuriating thing ever, especially if they are Teflon-coated and you can easily damage them by abrasive scrubbing. Next time you have a sticky burnt mess on your hands, fill the pot or pan with warm water and throw in a dryer sheet to soak. In just a few minutes, it will be ready to wash and the scorched food will come off with ease.

7. Under The ‘Fridge (Not a Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Remix): Believe it or not, you don’t have to wait until moving day to clean underneath your refrigerator. If you are sensitive to dust, this should be a regular undertaking but it doesn’t have to be a back-breaker. Grab a pair of old pantyhose and roll them onto a broom or mop handle. Swipe underneath the fridge with the “hosed” end to push the dust and food particles out into the open so they can be easily swept up.

8. Freshen Up Your ‘Fridge: Keep the inside of your refrigerator smelling so fresh and so clean but also, you know, safe for food because that’s where your food lives. Take a spray bottle and fill it with two parts water and one part white vinegar with a little bit of lemon oil for a refreshing scent. Empty out the whole shebang, spray with your homemade mix, then wipe it down. It’s a little labor intensive but at least you don’t have to do it every day.

9. Deep Clean Your Cutting Boards: Remember that lemon and salt treatment for your stainless steel sink? Double up the fun and apply it to your wooden cutting boards! Again, this is not something you have to do every day but it’s pretty easy and does not require a fancy, expensive cleaner.

10. Microwave Your Kitchen Washrags: Say what? Yes, washing your washrags always works to keep things sanitary but in between washes (before they get downright dirty with food stains), give them a good microwaving to kill lingering bacteria. Rinse your rags, wring them out, then place them in the microwave for three minutes. Let them sit until cool then hang dry for a clean you can trust without waiting for laundry day.

11. De-Gunk Kitchen Cabinets: You may think you know how to clean kitchen cabinets until you notice the outsides getting dingier and greasier over time. Remember, fight oil with oil. Take soft-bristled toothbrush (that you don’t use) and scrub gently with mineral or vegetable oil to get rid of stubborn residue lightning fast.

12. Clean Your Coffee or Spice Grinder: If you don’t want to mix your coffees or spices, do a quick palette cleanse by adding stale bread or uncooked rice to your grinder and give it a few pulses. This will loosen up all the built-up powders so they will all come out with a good shake into the trash bin.

Sources: AllYou, Cosmopolitan, Apartment Geeks, Emlii

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July 23, 2014

Need School Supplies? Here’s How to Save Some Cash

If you’re about to send the little ones off to school for another year, you’re probably knee deep in the process of shopping for their supplies by now. Outfitting your children with backpacks, lunchboxes, binders and more can be a costly venture, and every parent undertakes it when autumn rolls around. With a little research and planning, however, you can find plenty of ways to reduce the financial burden of back-to-school shopping.

1. Check Your Current Inventory
Before you head out on your first shopping trip, get the kids involved and ask them to round up everything they have left from last year. If they dig deep, you might be surprised by what’s still on-hand. If those backpacks and jackets are still just as good as they were last year, have your children reuse them. If you get some pushback, just placate them with another smaller purchase.

2. Create a Shopping List
Gather supplies lists from each of your kids’ classes and mark off any items you already have on-hand. Once you’ve done that, be sure to bring the list with you when you shop — forgetting it could mean a lot of money spent on unnecessary purchases. If any of the items on your children’s lists are optional, just don’t buy them. If you change your mind down the road, you can always purchase them later — usually after they’ve gone on sale.

3. Get Free Supplies
Sign up for the rewards program at your preferred office-supplies store, and stay on top of your emails. You can generally opt to receive notifications when school supplies are available at a discount, or possibly for free after a 100% cash-back rebate. You usually have to pay full price for items, but at the beginning of the following quarter you’re going to be issued a rewards certificate. Most websites post these offers online, so be sure to remember your username and password for each so you can easily access them once they’re ready.

4. Never Pay Full Price
The retailer’s strategy behind most cash-back rewards programs is to get you to pay full price for other supplies during your shopping excursions. Be patient and wait for the rest of the items on your list to go on sale. If it’s down to the last minute, check out your local dollar store. For things like backpacks and lunch boxes, wait a few weeks and you may be able to score a deal from the clearance section.

5. Stock Up When You See a Deal
If you see a 10-pack of pens for 50 cents, buy as many as you can. Do the same for notebooks, pencils and any other items you see at a bargain. Even if you end up overbuying, it just means next year’s shopping trips are going to be that much easier — and less expensive.

6. Use Your Cash-Back Rewards Wisely
If you find yourself with a pile of rewards certificates, be sure to write down all expiration dates so you don’t miss out on any savings. Better yet, set a notification on your calendar for about two weeks before each one expires so you’ve got some leeway to go out and use them. If worse comes to worst and you don’t see anything you need, ask if the retailer is willing to let you use the certificates to buy gift cards in the store — or try getting them online, as these typically have no expiration date.

Unless that summer vacation you just took is completely paid off and you have a healthy holiday shopping fund ready to go this winter, it’s important to save money however you can. Remember, back-to-school shopping is not necessarily a one-off event. Other obligations — such as sports uniforms, school play costumes, and field trip expenses — are going to pop up as the year progresses. Cut your back-to-school costs now and you’ll be that much closer to staying on track throughout the year.

How do you save on back-to-school supplies?

May 16, 2012

Tips for Getting the Most from Your Hard Earned Dollar!

Roseann Giannone (Rosey The Coupon Coach) has over 25+ years of experience in teaching families how to save thousands of dollars a year on anything from groceries to travel. Check out Rosey’s blog at www.roseythecouponcoach.blogspot.com or on Facebook.

1) Buy clothing and shoes off season! I save up to 90% on our clothing and shoes buying off season. That means purchasing what we need (or want) at the end of the season and putting it away for the following year. Styles (even designer brands) do not change that drastically from year to year. Buy a size larger for your children. Even if they grow quickly and grow over the size you haven’t invested that much money in the item to get upset over it. I’m certain you will be able to sell that brand new with tags item at a yard sale or to a friend who will be thrilled to obtain that item for their child at such a great price. Some stores like Kohl’s (13% Cash Back) will accept your returns even up to a year or more old as long as they still have the tags attached and you have your receipt.

2) Get rid of that expensive fancy cell phone plan! You are throwing away your hard earned money each month paying for that fancy cell phone plan. I dumped ours years ago because we were paying for minutes that we never used. If you are a big cell phone user then I guess it is worth having the fancy phone and expensive plan but I save a bundle each year using a pay as you go plan like Tracfone! It cost me about $110.00 per year per cell phone to have cell phone coverage with the latest phone but we are not big users and it works well for our needs. Tracfone now has a triple minute plan that you can buy and each time you renew your yearly plan you will receive triple minutes. Ebates merchant Best Buy (1% to 3.6% Cash Back) carries Tracfone phones and plans, and the best part is you will get a cash back bonus from this merchant.

3) Grow a veggie garden! Get together with some friends/neighbors and see if they can grow something different so that you can all share in the bounty. We grow tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, melons and lot’s of herbs each year. Even if you only have the room to grow herbs in pots on your windowsill then do so. Check out the vast selection of seeds and instructional videos that Burpee (7% Cash Back) has to offer. It’s free and a wonderful resource for great deals on seeds and information.

4) Don’t purchase items you really don’t need. Make a list and stick to it when you go food shopping. Think twice before purchasing those pink shoes – exactly how many times will you wear pink shoes? Weigh the cost of a repairs vs. new – you would be surprised how much more life you can get out of that washer with a simple repair. If you are handy there is a wealth of information on the internet on how to do your own repairs. If the project looks too overwhelming then don’t tackle it, call a professional but be sure to get an estimate before he starts the work. Don’t trust any of the local professionals? – Join Angie’s List (2% to 27.5% Cash Back) it’s well worth the small fee you have to pay each year to get the valuable information on her list. My blog followers are thrilled with their memberships to Angie’s List for peace of mind in knowing that no one can pay to be on Angie’s List, but they have to earn their reputation on the list with A+ ratings from people like you and I.

Want a chance to win $130.00 from Rosey The Coupon Coach and Ebates.com? Come on over to my Blog and look for the details in a blog post entitled “Exciting News”.