Blastin' through breakfast...

Do you make breakfast for only one or two people? Do you like pancakes and waffles? Do you hate doing dishes? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, this little miracle spray can may be what you've been waiting for.

It's called the "Organic Batter Blaster" and it's a little controversial. Some people don't quite see the need for something so, well, Jetson-like, but if you've ever tried to make pancakes for just yourself, you know that even just using one egg that mix turns into a lot of breakfast. With the Batter Blaster you point and shoot your way to a one or two pancake meal with no wasted batter. And, might I add, only a pan to wash instead of bowls and measuring cups. (Do I sound a little lazy here?) The can is recyclable so that makes the material waste a little more tolerable. Did I mention it's organic? I mean, anything that says "organic" has to be wonderful, right? ;)

As far as the actual pancakes go, they are a little different from what you would make with a more traditional method. The company talks about "light and airy" pancakes, and they're right--the air in the can certainly adds to the "air" affect, and the cakes end up somewhere between pancake and crepe. They are not the traditional thick cake, but they're not completely flat, either. I like them, but I'm a little wierd when it comes to texture. Here's the finished product:

Normally this one can sells for $4.99 at Publix. I would never pay that much for this convenience. Currently (until next Wednesday) the cans are BOGO (buy one get one free) and there is a $1 off coupon you can print as many times as you want by following this link: John Tesh Radio Show Offer (While you're there, check out the cute promo video!) The final cost is $2.99 for two cans, and as each can produces approximately 28 pancakes I calculate each cake to cost around $.05. So, that's not too bad to try something new and to get a little break in the morning. The current cans don't expire until the end of March, so there's plenty of time to use them as well. If your Publix is out of them, don't forget to request a rain check!

NOTE: I had to search a while to find the cans--they were on the top shelf near the coffee creamers.

Lentils...

I have been obsessed with lentils since I began hearing how good they are for our health. They are packed with fiber and protein but very inexpensive, and because of that they were the recommended meat substitute during the Depression.

It hasn't been easy for me to find good lentil recipes, though, so when I saw this one at the bottom of the page in a recent Family Circle magazine, I tried it immediately. I don't know the real definition of Chili, but honestly, this is really more of a chili-flavored soup. Regardless, it is easy to make with staple ingredients, and we thoroughly enjoyed it for lunch on this cold and cloudy day!

(Cooking Notes: This makes a full pot of soup, and I'm planning on freezing the leftovers for another day. I did substitute chicken broth for the water for a richer flavor. The diced tomatoes really made this soup for my son and me, so use ones that you really like!)

Smoky Lentil Chili
(Family Circle, Feb. 09, pg. 156)

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan. Add 1/2 cup chopped onions; sauté for 2 minutes. Add 2 chopped garlic cloves; cook an additional 30 seconds. Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of chipotle chili powder and 2 teaspoons ground cumin. stir in 3 cups of water, 1 cup dried brown lentils (rinsed) and 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes. Increase heat and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes, adding water as needed. Stir in 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve with brown rice.

Affording Christmas Part II

This is a tough year for many people, especially considering the holiday season is approaching and many of us are wondering how we can afford to do what we want to do for our loved ones and our communities. A few years ago my husband and I decided that we wanted to be able to relax financially during the holidays, and our first step was to create a Christmas savings account.

Did your Grandmother have one of those "Christmas Club" accounts? Mine did. I remember riding to the bank in her car when she made her deposits, and she explained to me what she was doing. She put a little in each month, and then she would withdraw the money in November or December to use for her Christmas shopping. When my DH and I sat down to discuss our strategy, this idea immediately came to mind. We decided to deposit a set amount immediately each month into a separate savings account that would only be used for holiday expenses. By using a traditional savings account we were able to withdraw anytime we wanted during the year instead of waiting until the crazy shopping days just before Christmas. This enabled me to attend the ornament premiers in July (yes, I am one of those people) and catch discounts and other promotions when they happened. After our first year we decided to also include travel expenses in our savings, so we slightly increased the amount we deposited monthly so there would be no year end surprises with airfare.

Once we know our lump-sum for the year, I create a spreadsheet (a pencil and paper list would be fine, too--I just find I work better if I feel I'm being technical). I make a list of all of the people to whom we will be giving gifts, and I also include things like Christmas Cards, stamps, gift exchanges for work, baking and cooking costs, decorations, unexpected expenses, etc. I divvy up our total amount available and record any gifts or other items we buy. As long as our total costs are less than or equal to our budgeted costs, we're doing pretty well!

Are you unable to divert part of your income to a savings account for the holidays? Here's a tip: Use coupons, but instead of handing them to the cashier take a walk to customer service. They will give you cash back for your coupons. Take that cash and stash it away until you can deposit it.

I realize that I'm publishing this on Black Friday, and many of you could have used this information a long time ago. Just read it today and bookmark it for January 1st! Also, check out last week's post on ways to afford Christmas right now (some of the strategies would be great for padding your savings account, too).

Affording Christmas Part I: Finding Money

I love Christmas. I turn into a giggling freak this time each year. I love the atmosphere, the music, the camaraderie...everything. I love it so much that I actually miss it the rest of the year--I visit Christmas shops in July just to get a hit of the Christmas smell. The trouble is that much of what I love at Christmastime involves money, and who really has enough of that?

I'm also one of those crazed gift-givers who actually get a rush from giving other people things. That of course, does cost money, and over the years I've developed some strategies for affording the holidays, particularly the gift-giving part of them.

1. Always look for the promotion. Buying make-up? Is there a free gift available? Buying ornaments from Hallmark? Can you spend $x and get a free stuffed animal or reindeer shaped candle? Headed to Target? They run specials where if you buy $x of a certain brand they will give you a gift card for $x. Look for the freebies out there, and then ask yourself, who might like this? Can I get more for my money?

2. Check your wallet. Did you receive a stack of gift cards last year? Did you use them? Two Christmases ago my husband received a gift card from a men's clothing store. He never used it. I found it and used it to help buy several shirts for him last Christmas, and he was happy to have the shirts regardless of how they were purchased. Gift cards are really hard to wear, so use those bad boys for something a little more practical!

3. Check your mail. In the past week I have received a $10 off a $10 purchase at JC Penny's and a coupon for a free "anything in the store" with any purchase at Bath & Body Works. Um, I'm pretty sure that "free" is a good deal anywhere. Use those coupons, and don't let them expire!

4. Keep the change. Last month alone I accumulated $40 in spare change. Imagine if I had collected change all year...that's quite a few gifts.

5. Fives only, please. I read about this in a magazine once. The writer refused to spend $5 bills. When she received one as change it went straight into a special part of her wallet, and then into savings. I did this for a while, and before too long I had collected nearly $200 in $5's. Add that to the spare change, and you have a great nest egg for Christmas spending!

6. Don't avoid the drug stores. CVS and Walgreens (and probably others--those are just the two we have here) run extremely good sales at this time of year on things you wouldn't expect like toys and decorations. I'm looking at a stack of batteries that I essentially paid nothing for this week and don't even get me started on the amount of candy I got there this month. Their clearance sales are awesome, too. Need some free money to spend there? Transfer a prescription and get a $25 gift card!

So, pull out those seat cushions and see what you can do! Do you have other ideas? I'd love to hear them!

PS: Check back next Friday after you get back from the mall for my family's long-term strategy for affording Christmas, and stay tuned for our evolving philosophy concerning Christmas spending.

'Tis the Season to GIVE!

A few days ago we received the annual holiday newsletter from our local charitable organization, and in it was a reminder about the beginning of their food drive as well as an article about their "Giving Tree"-type campaign. Usually I read the newsletter and then throw it away, but this issue I kept. I looked at the list of food items and then I looked at the pile of coupons on my dining room table, many of them for great products that my family just doesn't use. I decided then and there to challenge myself this year: I'm going to give as much as possible to those two campaigns while spending as little as possible (so that I can give more).

Before I continue, please hear me--I'm not writing this for any reason other than 1) to hold myself accountable, 2) to hopefully get some great ideas from you on how to accomplish this goal, and 3) to possibly inspire you to join me in giving. That being said...

Yesterday I started my quest by getting FREE Crest Pro-Health toothpaste at CVS. With my coupons I actually earned $1 on the purchase. Toothpaste is not quite food and really isn't a great Christmas gift, but I had to start somewhere. I then went to Walgreens where I acquired two boxes of Celestial Seasonings tea for FREE--They were 2 for $3. The Walgreens Easy Saver Rebate book has a coupon for $1 off of 2 boxes and I had 2 $1 off 1 box coupons from a previous Sunday paper. Those are considered food donations, so I'm on my way!

So, if you see any deals, let me know! And if you want to post your ideas for helping your community, please leave comments! I don't have to tell you that many people are feeling the crunch this year with recent economic events. If we can give of ourselves, our time, our abilities, our talents, maybe we can show others the Light that is the Truth of this season...

Happy Giving!

If only I had known this sooner!

As you know, I am a bit of a coupon junkie. I'm learning a little bit every day about how to make saving money work for me, and there are several things I wish I had known sooner!

1. You can use a Buy One Get One Free coupon on a Buy One Get One Free sale to get both items free. Don't spend time trying to rationalize this--you'll go crazy. Just go with it.

2. Some stores allow you to use a store coupon AND a manufacturer's coupon at the same time for the same item. Recently I purchased two bags of Bird's Eye Steam Fresh Vegetables. Each was priced $1.79. They were on sale for 50% off, therefore I got two for $1.79. I had a manufacturer's coupon for $1.00 off of two bags, thus my price went down to $.79 for two. I also had a store coupon for $.55 off of two bags, thus the price went down to $.24 for two bags. That's $.12 a bag!

3. Some stores allow you to use two coupons on a Buy One Get One Free sale. Olive Oil this week was BOGO for $11.99. I had two coupons for $1.00 off of each bottle, thus my final price for two 32 oz. bottles of olive oil was $9.99--that's only $4.99 for each bottle (that was originally $11.99)!

4. Stores will gladly answer your coupon questions! If you feel hesitant about a deal, call the store first and ask anonymously. I've even called corporate offices and said, "I have a coupon question." They are happy to have you as a customer, and they will tell you what you need to know so that you can avoid any hassles when you get to the store.

There is so much to learn about coupons and rebates that I couldn't possibly fit it all into one article, but this is a good foot in the door to saving tons of money on groceries. Do you have any money-saving tips? I would love to hear them! What works for you?

Coupon Crazed

Why I Clip Coupons:
I like to save money, and in some cases I can acquire merchandise FREE of charge (the legal way!). I believe that it is my job as the shopper of the house to help our budget by cutting costs whenever I can. Also, I actively look for deals that I can use to make contributions to our local food bank.

How I Clip Coupons:
Sunday is a big day in our household. After a great morning at church and Sunday school, we head to the grocery store and grab a copy of the newspaper. Later, usually after the rest of my family is asleep, I get to work.

I have two traditional coupon organizers, each with thirteen pockets. Before I add the new coupons to them, I go through each section to remove any expired coupons. This is also a great time for refreshing my memory as to any coupons I might have forgotten I had. Once that's done, I clip what I need and sort them immediately into my organizers.

I have changed my ways a little when it comes to what I clip. At first I clipped everything, but I didn't really understand how to make coupons work for me. At the end of the month I had stacks and stacks of coupons that were not used and then expired. I couldn't find anything I really needed because of the volume of the little pieces of paper in my organizer. It was also impossible to search for something at the grocery store without an embarrassing avalanche. I gave up because I wasn't saving much money and I was doing a lot of work in the meantime.

When I started staying at home with my son, I decided it was time to get serious. This time, I only clipped the coupons that I knew I would use. I threw away quite a few without clipping them, but the ones I kept were generally redeemed. In the meantime, I researched a little and learned how to stack coupons and pair them with store sales to save more.

Recently, after a coupon conversation with a fellow clipper, I realized that I could do more good if I would clip all of the coupons in the weekly inserts. There were many deals--most of the time for items I could have had FREE--that I wasn't getting. So, I'm back to clipping everything, but I've changed my methods just a bit when it comes to how I organize them.

How I Organize Those Valuable Pieces of Paper:
When I clipped only the coupons I knew we would use, I organized them by brand name so that I could easily find them. At the time, I was very brand specific in my purchases, so this worked well. When I started clipping everything, however, on the off chance that I would get a deal I wasn't expecting, this was no longer practical. I needed to organize by category so that I could quickly find coupons of a certain type instead of a certain brand.

I divided my coupons into categories that I created, mostly based on location in a typical grocery store. For example, one of my categories is "Cereal Aisle," and in that section you would find coupons for cereal and cereal bars. The "Bread Aisle" category holds savings for bread, peanut butter, and jams and jellies. My shopping list is also based on the layout of my most-shopped stores, so this method works for me.

My latest problem is that I have a ton of coupons and they are a bit cumbersome in the two 13-pocket organizers I use (one pocket per category). I have decided to add an index card file to my system to hold the coupons I'm really only keeping "just in case." For example, we don't have any pets, and I never clipped the pet product coupons, but I have realized that if it's a good coupon and I can get the pet products for FREE, that would be a great donation to our local food bank. I don't want to carry around a wallet full of pet food coupons that I won't use, though, so they stay at home in my card file until I find an ad that compliments them.

It Works For Me:
My organization is not a perfect system by any means, and it is certainly the product of trial and error, but it works for me. What works for you?

Organization is only the beginning! Check back soon for more coupon posts!