$1.50 Cheesecake
Cheesecake Factory is celebrating its 30th anniversary with cheesecake slices for just $1.50 (their original price) on July 30. Details here.
July 22, 2008
July 11, 2008
Free Grub Day
Dress up like a cow from head-to-toe and receive a free combo meal at Chick-Fil-A today. If you wear a cow accessory, you can receive an entree item.
It's 7/11, which means free Slurpees at your local 7-11 store.
Enjoy!
June 05, 2008
Free Donut
Tomorrow is free donut day at Krispie Kreme!
May 30, 2008
Meals for 4 Under $15
Whole Foods Market has a series of recipes and videos to save you time and money in the kitchen.
* Easy Tamale Casserole
* Hearts of Palm and Avocado Salad with Three Cheese Quiche
* Italian Wedding Soup with Vegan Meatballs
* Quick Scallops and Asparagus Risotto
* Sausage and Artichoke Pizzas
May 29, 2008
Tuna Crescent Ring
Pucker-Up Pie
This easy-to-assemble pie serves as a cool, tart treat for the warm, long days of summer.
Combine 1 box of sugar-free vanilla instant pudding mix with 1 cup of milk. Add 1 teaspoon of Crystal Light (lemonade or pink lemonade flavor). Mix for two minutes until consistency is thick. Add half a carton of Light Cool Whip and pour into graham cracker crust. Smooth remaining Cool Whip on top and sprinkle with some of the remaining drink mixture (optional).
May 24, 2008
Low Fat on a Budget?
Eating at home instead of eating out can save you tons of cash each month -- but what about eating low fat on a budget? About.com's Low Fat Cooking editor has some tips.
May 09, 2008
Publix Sale on Baby Food
Publix has Beech Nut Baby Food 3 for 99 cents for the 4 oz. size can. Sweetness.
April 14, 2008
Free Donut on Tax Day
Get a free donut with purchase of a coffee at Dunkin Donuts on April 15!
March 25, 2008
Pineapple Angel Food Cake
Just add 16 oz. of crushed pineapple (with the juice) to a box mix of Angel Food cake and bake according to the box directions. Viola! A yummy twist to a easy, cheap, low-fat dessert. Enjoy!
February 25, 2008
Dunkin' Donuts Deal
Tomorrow, from 1-10 p.m., Dunkin' Donuts is offering lattes, espressos and cappuccinos for 99 cents. Get one straight or with mocha or caramel swirl and even iced.
This is in direct response to the news that Starbucks will be closed tonight for remedial espresso training ...
February 21, 2008
Pizza Hut on a Budget
Pizza Hut announced it's adding a line of pasta and budget-friendly items targeting the busy mom. Click here to read a news article about it.
February 20, 2008
Use your Savvy Tips to Get on TV!
From Sandra Lee's "Semi-Homemade" section of the Food Network's website: "Are you a semi-homemaker in the New York tri-state area (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) who has smart, savvy ways to save time and/or money? If so, Sandra wants to hear from you! Using the form below [linked here], send us your recipes, ideas, quick tips, and helpful hints. If possible, please include photos and videos as well. If Sandra likes your suggestion, you could be a guest on her show."
February 14, 2008
Cheap Treats for Valentine's Day
Here are my little creations for Valentine's Day. I used a boxed cake mix for the cupcakes that I got for half price (BOGO sale at Publix). I piped pre-made icing through an icing bag. I used meltable candy and candy molds to make chocolate peanut butter hearts on top.
These Rice Krispie Treats get kicked up a notch with a dash of lemon extract and a few drops of red food coloring. I used heart-shaped cookie cutters to get the fun shapes. Happy Valentine's Day!
Fore more cheap ways to celebrate Valentine's Day, visit this article I wrote for ninetyandnine.com.
February 07, 2008
Free Lunch - Panera
If you live in Orlando, donate your change for a good cause and get a free lunch at Panera. Details here.
January 29, 2008
Seeing Green
Clip out the $1 off coupon for any two packages Green M&Ms and pick up two small packs at CVS (.69/ea.). Depending on tax, it's around .40 for two packs!
January 21, 2008
RedPlum.com
I'm checking out http://www.redplum.com/ — a new site that catalogs deals and coupons in different categories like groceries, entertainment, lifestyle and more. The grocery section will soon have a function where you can enter your grocery list and it'll match up coupons to the items you're already planning to buy. Cool!
It's got local and national deals, but you have to register (it's free). Check it out. Let me know what you think.
January 18, 2008
Free McGriddle
Click here to register to get a coupon for a free McGriddle. If you're into that sort of thing:
http://www.morningimpaired.com
January 08, 2008
Lean Cuisines Sale
Also, Publix has their Lean Cuisines on sale (BOGO) and there's a $1 off coupon if you buy 5 in the Sunday paper.
Free Peanut Butter
There's a coupon in this past Sunday's paper for $1 off any size Peter Pan peanut butter. Publix has the small size jar on sale for $1 through tomorrow, so if you use the coupon, it's free!
December 15, 2007
Free Donut After Magic Win
Jeff and I went to the Magic game tonight ... and they lost to the Memphis Grizzles. But had they won, we would have been looking at scoring a free donut tomorrow morning before church. Dunkin Donuts has teamed with the Orlando Magic this year to offer free donuts when you mention a Magic win the day after the game. Click here for more info.
Do you have something similar in your area? Post it below in the comments!
December 13, 2007
Manatee Tenders
This has nothing to do with cheap ways to do anything ... well, except it's about eating at home, which will definitely save you money ... but tonight my husband was baking some chicken tenders when he noticed that they were in the shape of a manatee family, complete with mommy, daddy and baby manatee. Pretty hilarious if you've ever listened to comedian Jim Gaffigan.
Some people see the Virgin Mary in their food — we see manatees. Save the manatees!
November 01, 2007
Low-Fat Blueberry French Toast
In my quest to create low-fat fare, I put together this scrumptious French toast.
Low-Fat Blueberry French Toast
Ingredients:
4 slices whole-grain bread
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
splash fat-free milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup blueberries
1. Beat 3 eggs with a splash of milk and nearly 1/4 cup sugar (reserve some for sprinkling on the toast while it cooks).
2. Dip both sides of each slices of bread in the mixture.
3. Spray a hot skillet with butter-flavored baking spray.
4. Place bread in skillet and pour blueberries around. Flip when bread is ready.
5. Serve while it's hot!
I warmed up about a third of a cup of syrup in the microwave to serve it with, and my husband and I had it for dinner!
October 29, 2007
1/2 Birthday Bash
So I'm thinking of throwing a little "1/2" party for my daughter, Madilyn, when she turns 6 months old. I saw the idea a couple of places on the Internet, so I can't take credit for the cute idea.
It will just be a small party for the family at our home, and I'm thinking of some ideas for it. I thought you might have some ideas as well. In the comments below, let me know if you threw one of these for your kid and even if you haven't, share some ideas you might have. Remember to keep it "cheap"!
The centerpiece for a "1/2" party is always the birthday cake. This could be a regular sized cake cut in half then decorated to say "Happy 1/2 Birthday, Madilyn," or it could be a half-moon shaped cake decorated. I think I'm going to go with that option.
To continue the "half" theme we can serve:
• Ice cream that comes in half vanilla/half chocolate cartons
• Arnold Palmers (half tea/half lemonade)
• Coffee with either half & half or half coffee, half hot chocolate
• Pastries and/or cookies cut with a crescent cookie-cutter
For a gift, my husband and I can get her several "half dollars" with the year on them to go in her piggy bank! When she's older we can tell her about the special party she had when she received them.
What else should we serve? Any ideas for decorations?
Since the party is three months away, I have time to make what I need, plus I can take my list of things to buy and watch out for sales!
Oh—we could encourage guests to come in "half" costumes and see what they can come up:
• half man/half woman
• half adult/half baby
• a costume cut in half
• a half moon (also known as a plumber's costume — get it?)
Any other ideas?
October 09, 2007
Fun with Phyllo
Low-Fat Apple Tarts
Spinach and Feta Cups
In my quest to find cheap, simple, low-fat fare, I read about the benefits of phyllo dough. Not only is it low in fat and has no cholesterol, it gives the feeling of decadence. Whether you use for in sweet or savory recipes, it has an irresistible crunch.
Instead of using phyllo sheets, which can dry out easily, I picked up some pre-made phyllo cups at Wal-Mart for about $1.50. Here are the two treats I came up with.
Low-Fat Apple Tarts
I filled the pre-made phyllo cups with half a can of apple pie filling (which is fat-free) and topped with Cool Whip.
Spinach and Feta Cups
I drilled olive oil on half a drained package of chopped spinach and mixed in garlic & herb seasoning. After filling the cups with the mixture, I topped with reduced-fat Feta cheese.
Since the phyllo cups are pre-baked, I only baked the cups for each recipe for 5-7 minutes at 350 degrees.
October 06, 2007
Black Bean Dip, Chicken Pot Pie Soup and Oreo Pie
Here are a few new recipes I’ve been trying on my low-fat diet. They use common and very economical ingredients.
This fat-free black bean dip has the creamy taste of beans, the bold flavor of cilantro and a sweet aftertaste thanks to the yogurt in the recipe. It makes a great appetizer, and tastes fabulous with baked pita chips.
These Pita Chips also go great with soup, which is our main course below. After baking the chips, I sprinkle salt on top for extra flavor. I store them in a gallon-size plastic bag to keep them fresh.
I tend to cook with what I have on hand. I hate going to the store to buy ingredients for one meal. So that’s where this soup came from. There are lots of varieties to this soup online. The great thing is you can’t make it wrong. Whatever you have on hand that you think would be good in the soup will probably work.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
½ cup fat-free chicken broth
4 frozen chicken tenderloins
1 can mushroom soup
1 can sliced potatoes (do not drain)
½ package frozen mixed vegetables
Mix all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high until chicken is completely done (about 4 hours). Serve with baked pita chips.
Pudding pies are my husband’s favorite because they’re light and naturally low fat. And pudding pies have come a long way. Kraft has Oreo pie shells and Oreo flavored pudding with oreo chunks! And the pie is just as low fat as the other pudding pie recipes (about 5g fat in the pie shell and almost fat-free pudding).
October 01, 2007
Low-Fat Chicken Pizza
Thanks to my recent gall bladder surgery, I am enjoying experimenting with low-fat recipes. This pizza was created on the fly Sunday when we needed a low-fat lunch fast.
Low-Fat Chicken Pizza
1 tube reduced-fat crescent rolls
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 can chicken broth (optional)
6 frozen chicken tenderloins
1 cup mozzarella cheese (I used fat-free)
1 TB Italian seasoning
1. Preheat oven according to crescent roll instructions.
2. Boil frozen tenderloins in water or chicken broth until done.
3. Roll out reduced-fat crescent rolls on an ungreased baking sheet, flattening the dough to form a single rectangle. Sprinkle Italian seasonings on dough. Bake according to packaging directions.
4. Spread pizza sauce according to taste (I like a minimal amount) over baked crust.
5. Cut boiled chicken into bite-sized pieces and spread over crust.
6. Top with cheese.
7. Bake for 6-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and begins to brown.
8. Cut and serve.
You can use any variation on this recipe. Try bbq sauce instead of pizza sauce for a tangy treat.
Enjoy Fresh Produce All Year
I'm enjoying fresh blueberries in October thanks to a tip my Mom gave me this summer. When the blueberries were at the peak of their season, we bought several quarts to freeze when the grocery store offered their lowest price of the season.
To freeze them without them all sticking together, Mom froze them for an hour on a baking sheet, just far enough apart not to freeze. (We have a large bar pan, so it has a little bit of a lip around the pan to keep the berries from rolling off in transit.) Once they were frozen, she put them in a gallon size freezer bag.
Now when I make these delicious low-fat blueberry muffins, I just pour a cup a blueberries into my measuring cup and reseal the bag. Back in the freezer it goes. I enjoy fresh blueberries all year long.
This technique works with just about any type of berry.
Pumpkin Time!
Carving a pumpkin this month? Instead of throwing away the slimy innards, pick out the seeds and toast them for a healthy and delicious snack. You can also use them in soups and on salads.
Click here for the full recipe. The short version is to roast the seeds at 300 degrees and add seasonings when they're finished (they're finished when they look dry on the outside and they smell good).
June 07, 2007
Free Root Beer Floats
Thanks to Craig T., for this tip!
"Just FYI, today, June 7, is Free Root Beer float day at Sonic. Between 8 pm and 12 am, free root beer floats."
June 01, 2007
Free Donuts
It's national donut day and Krispie Kreme is giving out free donuts: http://www.krispykreme.com/storelocator.html!
May 13, 2007
Crazy for Corn
Publix has 8 ears of corn for $1.99. They have a choice of yellow, bi-color or white corn. Mom and I bought 32 ears of white corn and Mom spent Saturday afternoon cooking them. They are delicious. We went to the farmer's market that morning and they were selling 6 ears for $2, so Publix had the better deal this time. We are enjoying it!
May 11, 2007
Stamp Out Hunger
Tomorrow, leave a bag of canned or boxed foods next to your mailbox. The mail carriers are picking up donations for the "Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive" for America’s Second Harvest. Click here to visit the website.
April 26, 2007
Unique Publix Sale
Beginning this week, Publix is offering free store-brand products when you purchase select brand-name products. Each week for the next five weeks, they will designate three products—this week it's grape juice, crunchy raisin bran and English muffins. See more info here: http://www.publix.com/publixbrand/
April 17, 2007
Free Cone Day
It's "Free Cone Day" at Ben & Jerry's. Visit their website for locations.
April 15, 2007
Organic Produce
A reader posted a comment asking how the Orlando Organics is going. I've been meaning to post about that. Just this past week, I placed our account "on hold" online, so we won't receive another delivery until I undo.
I've been very happy with the service and the produce. We even share part of our goods each week with one of my coworkers who pays for her share. However, I'm finding that there are too many items that we just don't care for. I'm a pretty picky eater and there are just some staples that we like to eat. Sometimes there are too many greens and they go to waste. Or we end up not liking a different fruit than we're used to. And we'd only get a handful of bananas and I was having to go to the store to buy more each week.
It's been fun trying new things but I think I'm going to go back to buying at the grocery store or at a farmer's market (which I did this week). The best part about the experience has been that it has us in the habit of eating more fresh fruits and vegetables. And the way the account is set up online, all I have to do is reactivate our account with the click of a button and our service can resume.
March 20, 2007
Free Iced Coffee Tomorrow
Tomorrow, Wed. March 21st, is free 16 oz. iced coffee day at Dunkin. Visit their website for details and a "send to a friend" e-vite.
March 19, 2007
Strawberry Trifle Recipe
A reader asked for the strawberry trifle recipe. Here's the link to the one I used: Strawberry Trifle. I often use About.com's Southern Food section for recipes. It's great. Also, to make my recipe "cheaper," I used a yellow cake mix I bought for half off at Publix (I wait for the BOGO sales and buy a couple each time); and instead of buying a small bag of slivered almonds for $5.99 (seriously!), I chopped up some whole almonds I already had. I like the smaller pieces the hand chopper created than the larger slivers anyway.
Strawberry Delights
This past week the local grocery store had a special on strawberries (about $1.25 a pound). I bought and cut 10 pounds this weekend and froze most of it, but also made strawberry muffins, strawberry-banana bread, homemade strawberry ice cream and a strawberry trifle (pictured). There's something about baking and making sweet treats that's therapeutic. And it's fun to watch friends and family enjoy the fruit of your labor. I froze most of the breads so we can enjoy them for longer than the shelf life.
March 14, 2007
Free Coffee
From 10 to noon tomorrow, Starbucks is giving away free cups of coffee. I don't think you need a coupon.
Also, the local Orlando Borders newsletter this week has a coupon for a free drink from their grand opening of Seattle's Best Coffee café on Saturday.
And if you're looking for something cold and sweet to follow that cup of joe, wait for April 17 for Ben & Jerry's 29th annual Free Cone day.
March 02, 2007
Organic Produce
A friend sent me a link to Orlando Organics this week. I checked it out and decided to start a weekly produce subscription. This family-owned business distributes fruits and vegetables all over the Orlando area. Most of it is locally grown; some of it is from out-of-state since it's not grown here (like potatoes). I got the medium package for $32 a week and my single co-worker is going to split the order and cost. I'll keep the blog updated on how it goes for us and how it affects our regular grocery bill.
January 06, 2007
Old-Fashioned Fudge Pie
I made this Old-Fashioned Fudge Pie tonight ... haven't tasted it yet but it looks and smells delicious. This recipe is from Paula Deen's "Christmas" magazine from this past year. They make this pie at her restaurant in Savannah, Ga.
Old-Fashioned Fudge Pie
makes 6 to 8 servings
2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate (I used chips)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 (9-inch) unbaked pie shell
Whipped cream or ice cream (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt chocolate and butter together in a heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove pan from heat and add sugar, then eggs; beat well. Pour filling into pie crust and bake for 25 minutes. Serve warm or cold, with whipped cream or ice cream.
Save Money on Groceries
Coupons aren't the only way to save at the grocery store. This article outlines seven strategies, including downloading your local store's circular to plan your trip around sale items before you enter the store.
October 11, 2006
Eating Out in the Big Apple
Everyone knows it's expensive to eat out ... but one can expect to spend around $40 a person when eating a decent meal in NYC, which is 20 percent higher than the national average. Zagat's annual dining survey released on Wednesday said prices have raised 5 percent in the city for most restaurants, with some rising 15 percent since last year. This was the biggest percentage hike in years, but it's still a deal compared with meals in Tokyo ($75), London ($72) and Paris ($67).
September 29, 2006
Brown-Bagging It
Here's an article about how 20-somethings spend so much money on food because it's too depressing or inconvenient to pack a lunch. I liked one of the suggestions from one of the people interviewed: Twice a month, he goes to the grocery store and buys two week's worth of sandwich supplies and keeps them in a brown bag in the lounge’s refrigerator. So he doesn’t have to worry about making a sandwich each morning. Genius. He keeps the non-perishable snacks in a drawer at his desk.
June 17, 2006
Farmer's Market Finds
Finally made it out to the local farmer's market this morning. We picked up the produce you see in the picture for $5.50. I've seen pineapple for that price at Publix when it's not on sale. All in all, not a bad deal. Fresh produce, cheaper price and hopefully we're supporting local growers.
May 09, 2006
Easy, Cheap Crockpot Cooking
My wonderful mother-in-law, Ginger, bought Jeff and I a slow cooker/crock pot as a house-warming gift. The first weekend we cooked a ham with a can of pineapple over it. It was great, but I was looking for more easy recipes, with limited ingredients! I found this site today and it had several recipes I was looking for, plus a lot more. CheapCooking.com. Enjoy!
April 14, 2006
How to Preserve the Wedding Cake
Here's a brief article with great ideas for the anniversary wedding cake. Columnist Jane Greig says, yes you can freeze cake for a year, but don't expect it to taste good. If you do want to store it for a year, wrap it in an airtight container, then wrap it again with plastic wrap and again with aluminum foil.
But alternatively, she suggests, when you get your wedding cake, ask the baker if he/she would allow you to purchase a discounted wedding topper. A baker quoted in the story says they often give a free one-year anniversary cake to couples (who purchase a multi-tiered wedding cake) in most instances.
March 22, 2006
The Dark Side of Whole Foods Markets
Here's an interesting editorial from Slate questioning whether the image Whole Foods markets present is accurate. They lead customers to think their food supports small, family-owned organic farms, when it's widely known that a few large farms in California supply the majority of the produce.
It also questions the logic in flying in produce from Chile (just because it sounds sexier than produce from New Jersey. The food would be cheaper and fresher from New Jersey—because of that, it asks if maybe Wal-Mart is the better choice.
Food for thought (hehe)... Here's the article.
March 13, 2006
Create Your Own Grocery Game
Okay, so I'm obsessing now over this grocery game business. I found this article that actually walks you through how to set up your own database, of sorts, of figuring out when things really are on sale at the grocery store and what weeks of the year the store runs the best sales on individual items.
This article is found on The Dollar Stretcher, which is packed with useful tips on spending less and saving more. Enjoy!
The Grocery Game
Thanks for Lindsay who tipped me off about The Grocery Game ( www.thegrocerygame.com), a website you can subscribe to that gives you the lowest sales prices for items at your local grocery store and tells you which coupons to use. You can do a trial subscription for $1 and after that, it's $10 every 8 weeks. The site claims to save you $350 a month and around $3600 a year. Definitely worth checking out.
January 06, 2006
Cheap Ways to Buy Food
Chances are food is one of your biggest daily expenses. An easy way to save $10-$15 a week is to limit and/or eliminate your visits to convenience stores. You can save hundreds of dollars a year by shopping at lower-priced food stores. Convenience stores often charge the highest price.
Have you ever thought about the price of bottled water in these stores when compared the price of gas? A bottle of water at a gas station typically costs about $1.20. Gas is about $2 per gallon. If you were to buy a gallon of Dasani, you could pay about $7.68 before tax. That makes high gas prices look like the deal of the week.
Spend less on food by reducing the times you eat out. The average person spent $2,276 a year on eating out in 2002. When do you do eat out, try to order water instead of a $2.25 beverage. When you shop, take a list and come armed with coupons and knowledge of that week’s sales from the store’s flyer. Websites including www.couponcart.com and www.coolsavings.com have free coupons you can download—double your pleasure by shopping at stores that honor double-coupon days.
Avoid buying prepared and packaged goods. Compare price-per-ounce costs of other units on the shelf. Stock up on items with lower per-unit costs (two pounds of carrots can cost $1.29, compared with $7.16 for the same amount of precut carrot sticks). When you find a great deal (like turkeys that are slashed in price after a holiday), freeze it until you can use it.