New Pinecone Research Openings!

April 19, 2013 - 3 Comments

I admit it!  I LOVE Pinecone!

The surveys only take 15-20 minutes! And they pay in points which equal about $3 each! Easy money, and they’ll deposit it right into your paypal account or mail you a check!! I’ve been part of the Pinecone for 3 years, and they are totally legit.  I get 1-2 surveys a week, so for less than an hour a week I make from $12-$24 a month.  It’s great!  It keeps me in coffee (when I’m not pregnant) and coupons!

PineCone Research conducts on-line interviews with consumers from all walks of life to obtain their opinions about new products. To become a panel member, all you need to do is complete the simple form. This will only take a few minutes of your time.

It’s easy and fun to see and evaluate new product ideas in the comfort of your own home!  They’ve sent me a few different items to test and review.  It’s always fun, and since you are honestly answering the questions, they are totally relevant to your life!

You will earn points for each completed product survey, which can be exchanged for cash and other rewards. PLUS you will be automatically entered into a bi-weekly Sweepstakes to win additional cash prizes for your time. Each interview usually takes 15-20 minutes of your time. Plus, you are free to leave the panel at any time should you choose to do so.

Registrants who complete the signup form online and align with the recruit target(s) and are eligible for membership consideration will immediately receive an email invitation containing a link, ID and password to complete the full registration process. The link takes them to a brief “staging” survey (6 minutes or less) to gather some further information about that registrant and their household, and to gain agreement to the terms and conditions for panel membership.

Join Pinecone Research and start making Money Now!

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How To Shred Chicken In Your Kitchen Aid Mixer

April 18, 2013 - 5 Comments

Shred cooked chicken in seconds!

How To Shred Chicken In Your Kitchen Aid

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Did you know you can use your Kitchen Aid to quickly shred cooked chicken? YEP! You sure can, and IT. IS. WONDERFUL! It saves so much time and… well, it’s just plain cool!

How To Shred Chicken In Your Kitchen Aid Chicken Breast

Simply bake or boil your chicken breasts. While they’re still warm, put them in your Kitchen Aid with your flat beater attachment.

How To Shred Chicken In Your Kitchen Aid Shredded Chicken

Turn the mixer on at about a 2 speed for 30 seconds to a minute. Keep an eye on it because it shreds quickly! You now have perfectly shredded chicken ready for any recipe! Sometimes, to save EVEN MORE time, I’ll do a double batch of shredded chicken and freeze half of it with my handy dandy food saver for the next recipe.

Hope you enjoy this kitchen tip as much as I do!

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Recipes That Call For Shredded Chicken:

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3 Ways to Improve Your Credit Score

April 16, 2013 - 17 Comments

Want to Know How to Raise Your Credit Score?

I wanted to know too!  Over the past 6 months I’ve been researching the best ways to raise my credit score.  4 years ago this month my husband lost his job.   Thank goodness I started to listen to and follow the steps Dave Ramsey recommends.  Instead of spending our tax refund like we always had in the past, we saved it.  Just a few weeks after I tucked the money safely away in our savings account, my husband was laid off.  At that time I was expecting baby #7 (surprise!).  Needless to say, the next 18 months were rough.

yoder family ny times

image credit

You can read more than you ever wanted to know about me and my family’s situation in this New York Times Magazine article that Monica and I were featured in last year.  But needless to say, after the first 18 months into unemployment, our credit was shot.  In fact, we nearly lost our home.  If it weren’t for some wonderful friends, and the blessing of this blog (you know that this blog is free for you to use, but we still make an income from it), we were able to keep our home.

Fast forward to NOW!  We have a stable income again, in fact, we’ve paid off all the remaining credit card debt, and we’ve been able to start saving!  But our credit scores were still lower than they used to be.  You can imagine that we’re busting at the seams as my family of 9 is starting to grow (not in numbers, but in size… these kids are getting bigger and inviting friends over!).  We’ve been needing to move into something a little more spacious for some time (this is our fabulous real estate agent by the way).

Want to know what I’ve learned? (disclosure: I’m no financial expert, I’m just sharing what worked for me these past few months)

3 Easy Ways to Raise Your Credit Score

credit sesame app

1 – Raise Awareness

Last fall I signed up for Credit Sesame.  I love it!  Not only do I get to see my credit score for FREE every single month, Credit Sesame also offers a FREE credit monitoring service.  It’s a great way to keep an eye on your financial situation… I especially love their app!  Right at my finger tips I can get a quick snapshot of how things are going for us (as you can see in the screenshot I took of the app on my phone  —>).

  • 100% free personal finance credit and debt management tool
  • no credit card required or trial period (LOVE this!)
  • gives an instant view of your credit, including Experian credit score
  • refreshes monthly & for free
  • provides debt analysis with personalized offers tailored to your credit profile

I use Credit Sesame and recommend it to anyone who wants to be aware of and improve their financial situation!

2 – Keep a Low But Active Credit Card Balance

My loan officer told me one of the fastest ways to raise your credit score is to use a credit card each month… keep it active.  So I have an Old Navy credit card (because I love to save an additional 10% every Tuesday).  My limit is just $500… he told me to put about $50-$75 on my card each month (he told me to SHOP at Old Navy… OK!).  I pay it off before any interest accrues, but for a few months prior to taking out a loan for our new home, actively using and paying off this card would help.  The biggest spread you have between your balance and your line of credit, the better.  So if you have a card with a $5000 credit limit, using about $500 of that each month (and paying it off) will help your credit score.

If you don’t have a credit card, you should have one.  We have a list of the best rewards credit cards (you might as well earn some rewards for using credit!).

best reward credit cards

3 – Pull Your Free Credit Report

check-credit-report

You are entitled to 1 free credit report every 12 months from each of the 3 national consumer reporting companies-Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion! It is important to check your credit report regularly for accuracy and signs of fraudulent activity.  You can get that yearly from AnnualCreditReport.com.  You can either pull all three reports once a year (do it on your birthday to help you remember), OR every four months pull just one of the credit reports from one of the credit bureaus (do it in January, May, and September… those are months that the kids are either returning to or finishing up school).

In the last three months my credit score has gone up 30 points, just by doing these few small things.  Now, by all means, I’m no financial advisor… I’m just sharing what worked for me.  Talk to your lender about specific ways you can raise your credit score, based on your situation.

The higher your credit score, the better interest rates you can get on a home loan.  With the real estate market picking up, we decided now was a great time to move into a new home.

What other things have you done to improve your credit score?

33 Ways To Raise Your Credit Score

Six Personal Finance Kindle Books {FREE-$.99 Each!}

Because Amazon’s prices fluctuate so much and some times so quickly, please don’t be mad at me if you miss these great offers!

You can read these Kindle books on almost any computer, smartphone, or tablet! See more info here.

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Boise’s Premier Children’s Consignment Sale This Saturday!!

April 16, 2013 - 2 Comments

Make money selling your kids clothing and get great new clothes at FAB prices!

Get ready only 4 Days Left!

boise kidsignments

Boise Kidsignments

Spring 2013 Sale Date:

Saturday, April 20th
General Sale 8am – noon
1/2 Price Sale (select items) 1-3pm

Location:

Tuttle House at St. Michaels Cathedral
(Downtown Boise on the Corner of 8th and State)

Become a consignor and you will earn 70% commission. Unlike other sales, you can earn 80% commission by working just 1 three or four hour shift!

For more information and to register as a seller or volunteer, please visit us at  www.boisekidsignments.com.
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Gardening: Seeds to Plant Indoor and Outdoor In April

April 10, 2013 - 2 Comments

Time to Plant cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, potatoes and radishes!

when to plant seedlings

My Garden Progress: The last few weeks I have been sharing my gardening plan.  If you live in the Northern States April is the time to plant cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, potatoes and radishes. (Warmer states can plant now if you have not already.) The weather turned cold and rainy last week so I was not motivated to plant peas in my garden last week. I am hoping to plant my peas in the garden and start my cilantro in a pot this week.

This week: The first week of April you should plant cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, potatoes and radishes outdoor.

Next week it will be time to plant: 

  • beets

Be sure to get yours seeds, these are great prices…

herb seeds

I am going to plant my cilantro soon! So make sure you get your herb seeds.

Weekly Gardening Post: I am sharing my gardening process so that you will be reminded when it is time to plant your various seeds. I also want to make these posts a place for readers to come to share their gardening experience and give advice. Each week on Wednesday at 6 pm I will let you know which seeds you should be planting and tell you a little bit about what I am planting in my garden. I hope you will join me and give your input.

 

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National Consumer Panel Now Accepting Applicants!

April 10, 2013 - Leave a Comment

Join National Consumer Panel and you could win a $500 Gift Card!




Join NCP and earn points!  You can then redeem the points for electronics, household items, jewelry, toy, gift cards, and more.  (no landline required with this homescan signup)

To earn points all you do as a NCP panel member  is scan and send them your household purchase information every week with a handheld scanner that they provide. For each week of the month NCP receives your purchase information, you will earn one entry into the Monthly Sweepstakes where you can win a $500 American Express Rewards Card. That’s up to FOUR entries every month! Every month, 25 panel members win!

That’s not all… Every quarter an additional 40 panel members win a $500 American Express Rewards card just by sending purchase information in every week of a month.

Sign up for National Consumer Panel!



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DIY Daily Shower Spray {Picture Tutorial}

April 10, 2013 - 1 Comment

Help keep mold and mildew at bay with this all natural DIY Daily Shower Spray! It’s best to start with a thoroughly clean shower. We recommend this DIY tub & shower cleaner! Once your shower is clean, use this natural shower spray to mist your shower walls, door and/or liner daily after each or last use.

DIY Daily Shower Spray Main

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Ingredients:

2 cups water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

10-15 drops tea tree oil (for it’s antibacterial, anti-fungal & antiseptic properties.)

*empty spray bottle

*I personally really like the high output spray bottles vs. regular ones for homemade cleaning products. I purchased the one in the picture above at Walmart for about $3.

DIY Daily Shower Spray Pour Water

Pour water into the spray bottle using a funnel.

DIY Daily Shower Spray Pour Vinegar

Now pour in the vinegar.

DIY Daily Shower Spray Add Oil

Add 10-15 drops of Tea Tree essential oil.

DIY Daily Shower Spray Gently Shake

Gently shake.

DIY Daily Shower Spray Finished

Done!

DIY Daily Shower Cleaner Spray Shower

Store in bathroom and lightly mist on shower walls after each and/or last use.

DIY Daily Shower Spray

2 cups water

1 cup distilled white vinegar

10-15 drops tea tree oil (for it’s antibacterial, anti-fungal & antiseptic properties.)

empty spray bottle

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See More Inexpensive DIY Household Cleaner Recipes:

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75% Off on Wii and Nintendo DS Games {Ships Free!}

April 8, 2013 - Leave a Comment

These prices on games are Super Fab!  Encourage a love of music in your kids with these games without breaking the bank!  For even more fun get the whole family involved!  What’s more funny than watching mom and dad try to rap?

Wii Game Deals:

 

Def Jam Rapstar - $4.48

Karaoke Revolution Glee-Software Only $5.99

Nintendo DS Deals:

Disney Jonas - $3.45

Jam Sessions - $3.49

Guitar Hero on Tour Decades Bundle - $5.99

Guitar Hero: On Tour - $6.04

Band Hero NDS Bundle- $8.00

Remember prices change quickly on Amazon so grab these fast!

  • See our favorite Amazon Deals!  
  • Want free shipping?  Sign up for Amazon Mom! 
  • Because Amazon’s prices fluctuate so much and some times so quickly, please don’t be mad at me if you miss this great price!  Also, see why we ♥  Amazon Prime for free shipping!  This post contains our affiliate link. Please read our DISCLOSURE POLICY here.
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Save Money On Car Insurance!

April 5, 2013 - Leave a Comment

Did you know that it’s recommended to look into switching your car and home insurance every couple of years?

Make sure you aren’t overpaying!

Here’s an easy way to look into it!  Just request a quote from Esurance!

  • You can save  time, hassle, and money you could save on your car insurance with Esurance.
  • A lot of companies have automatic rate increases, that you may not even notice! (Mine goes up 10% a year-and that’s if my record stays clean!)
  • Not 100% sold on the online part of things?  Well, it’s an Allstate company, so you know you can trust them!
  • Esurance is not available in all states

Request your NO Obligation Esurance Quote, and see how much you can be saving!

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Frugal Girls’ Night Ideas

April 3, 2013 - 2 Comments

A happy mom is a good mom! So, I recently decided that I need to start planning to have a girls’ night once a month. The idea is to create a reason to get together and provide opportunity to relax and interact. It is therapeutic and fun! Everyone has some sort of skill, talents, or connections that they can utilize and share! I think it would be fun to change it up and let each person take a turn hosting or choosing the activity. However, I want to keep it simple enough that is doesn’t become a source of stress for anyone. So, I came up with a bunch of easy, frugal ideas…

GNO girls night out

Some of these ideas may be better for smaller or for larger groups. I think most groups would be great at 3-6 people. I also believe everything is better when it involves yummy food!

Girls’ Night In Ideas:

spa facial treatment

At-Home Spa:

fondue

Food:

  • Freezer Meal Cooking: Get a group of friends together and cook ahead for your families
  • Pinterest Girls’ Night In: Each person bring a craft or food item from Pinterest
  • Cocktail Party: Make some fun specialty drinks together (virgin versions are still fun, Mock Mojitos)
  • Make sushi together
  • Fondue Party (cupcake fondue, cheese, chocolate, sweet and savory dips, Fondue Cookbooks)
  • Potluck dinner
  • Favorite Things Party: bring a favorite thing and a favorite food to share
  • or you can have the night spotlight one person, have the host share a few of their favorite things, take turns hosting and sharing
  • Fire Pit: roast marshmallows, make s’mores
  • Assemble mixes in jars as gifts
  • Cook-off Challenge: everyone bring own homemade version of something, blind tasting and voting
  • Smoothie-making/tasting Party: everyone bring ingredients, create new concoctions, share favorites (Smoothie Recipes)
  • Make your own Pizzas (Pizza Recipes)
  • Decorate Cookies: provide many colors, candies, tools for decorating sugar cookies or other
  • Gingerbread House Competition: Each decorate a gingerbread, rice crispy treat, or graham cracker house. Best gets a prize!
  • Everyone bring their favorite popcorn to share (Popcorn Recipes & Deals)
  • Make gourmet caramel apples (Caramel Apple Recipes)

Look for grocery coupons in our Coupon Database!

movie night

Just Hanging Out:

Often it is fun enough to just invite the girls over, have a few snacks around, and talk with each other! Here are some more ideas…

  • Gift-wrapping party: fun idea for just before Christmas
  • Girls’ Night Book Club
  • Soak in a Hot Tub
  • Watch a chick flick at someone’s house

women playing a board game

Games:

baby headband tutorial

Crafts:

  • Make hair clips or headbands (DIY Baby Headbands)
  • Make jewelry (DIY Bird Nest Necklace)
  • Combine crafty supplies and make greeting cards together
  • Seasonal/Holiday craft project (wreath, decor, etc)
  • Find something for your home at a thrift shop and re-do it, then have a show-it-off party
  • Make candles
  • Sewing Party: bring your sewing machines and projects and work on it while you chat, make skirts or pillow covers
  • Scrap-booking Party: Bring your stuff and get caught up while you chat and share

See more DIY Craft Ideas that we have posted!

kitchen gadget exchange

Exchanges:

  • Book Exchange: read new books by swapping with friends
  • Favorite Recipe Exchange
  • Swap favorite healthy or all-natural recipes (food, cleaning, beauty)
  • Coupon Swap Party
  • Dust Collectors: Swap clothes, house items, toys and what ever you have that is collecting dust
  • Lingerie Gift Exchange
  • Garden Exchange Party: Everyone bring the surplus from their garden
  • Clothing Swap: bring something cool that you don’t want anymore, but someone else might want, fashion show
  • Fashion Accessory Swap
  • White Elephant Gift Exchange: bring something fun or funny from your home that you can give away
  • Kitchen Gadget Swap
  • Freezer Meal Swap
  • Re-gift Exchange: bring a gift you’ve received but don’t want to keep
  • Handmade Gift Exchange

On some of the exchange or swap ideas, you can offer a prize for the best or worst things. You can draw numbers for who gets to choose first or find some other creative way to make it even more fun.

downton abbey

Themed Parties:

  • Everything Pink Party
  • PJ Party
  • Everything Chocolate Night
  • Downton Abbey Party, or another favorite show or movie (have costumes, foods, decorations, and/or entertainment that fit the theme)
  • Nationality Themed Party: Pick a nationality and do everything you can think of that fits the theme (could be a GNO too)

Girls’ Night Out Ideas:

Of course, I always look for a discount or coupon before I go out!


Restaurant.com - Most $25 Gift Certificates for on
Fandango - Movie Tickets Onlinelivingsocial logo

Look for Coupons: Groupon, LivingSocial, AmazonLocal, Restaurant.com, Fandango, Restaurant & Retail Coupons

  • Go out for frozen yogurt
  • Treat yourselves to a gourmet cupcake
  • Go to a movie
  • Get pedicures or manicures at a local beauty school or other inexpensive venue
  • Go to a local concert or performance: live music, community theater, dance (lots of options if you have a college nearby)
  • Go to a restaurant for an appetizer or dessert
  • Choose a new restaurant, try something new & adventurous
  • Mall Makeover: Hit the makeup counter at a department store and get your makeup done for free
  • Get massages
  • Hit a bucket of balls at the driving range
  • Run a 5K
  • Bowling
  • Try a fitness class together at the local rec. center
  • Chocolate Tasting (could be done at home too)
  • Mini Golf
  • Cooking Class or Demonstration
  • Pottery Painting
  • Go to a museum or gallery
  • Play Tourist: Visit a local tourist attraction
  • Go shopping: mall, department store, thrift shop
  • Volunteer: participate in charity or community service

Get out and enjoy yourself, your friends, and the lifestyle of the fabulously frugal!

I did some serious brainstorming to come up with some of these ideas that I thought would work for me, but I also found some of the ideas I liked here, here, here, here, here, and here.

I’d love to hear about your ideas too!

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