How to Be Smarter With Your Smartphone

You may recall for my birthday present to myself earlier in April, we ported over our land line phone to a new smart phone. I absolutely love my smart phone and learn lots of new things to do with it all the time. Maybe I'll share some of my favorite apps too sometime. Anyway, I probably won't love the bill that comes along next month so I'm trying to justify the expense. There are a lot of ways to use this thing to make you feel like you're getting your moneys worth, so I thought I'd share a few with you.

 

1. Ditch the phone on the desk - GONE! The landline phone is now obsolete and ready to be boxed up in its original box from fifteen years ago, and sold at our next garage sale (which will probably be in October thanks to a neighborhood garage sale nark). And the caller id box is gone too, and all the wires under the desk and trailing along the walls.
2. Ditch the watch – I have worn a watch all my life until I got a smart phone. Being the prompt, timely person that I am – I like to ALWAYS know what time it is. Now, I don't need to wear my watch anymore since my smart phone knows the time. Although, I still don't always carry my phone with me and I go thorough withdrawals about not knowing the time when I'm biking, motorcycling, walking around Busch Gardens (they don't have clocks there either and we've dubbed BG a no phone zone), or when I'm at lunch at work reading. But I do look at my wrist where my watch used to be a little less often.
3. Check for the cheapest gas price – there are plenty of FREE apps out there in the Market (https://market.android.com/) to help map out the cheapest gas station. Although we don't really use that much gas on our motorcycles, and none on my bike – we do occasionally drive to the grocery store when we're getting a heavy load (like this week with a bunch of free Powerade and Honest Tea). Anyway, these apps might save you a few pennies.
4. Garage Sale shopping resale prices – again I don't go to garage sales, but I might so I can monitor who is having them too often and turn them into the city for a code violation (just kidding!!). Anyway, when you're garage sale shopping you can just look up on the Internet on your phone, the item you're perusing and see what the going price is on Ebay. You might find some treasure for $0.25 and be able to sell it for $50 on Ebay. It's also a great way to check prices of items any time you are shopping to determine if you're getting the best price.
5. Ditch the Ipod – Even though I love my Ipod Shuffle and Nano, they are annoying that I have to upload my own music at home from my computer. I just reloaded my biking ipod after listening to the same set of 400 songs for about four months – much too long! Anyway, with the smart phone I can just play my music that I've purchased through Amazon.com MP3 Cloud Player and they store in my "cloud". Yes that's cloud computing at its finest. Music that is stored out in web space that I can access from any of my sources – laptops, smart phone, desktop computer.
6. Ditch the point and shoot camera – The quality of the photo and video on these new smart phones is amazingly great! It doesn't replace the Nikon DSLR camera, but for those casual events or activities when you don't want to lug around a HUGE camera, the smart phone works just fine.
7. Ditch that old calculator on your desk – the calculator on the smart phone is handy and shows you the result in big numbers, and you always have it with you. So now I've cleared away the clock, the calculator, and the landline phone off my desk at home - its big and bare!
8. Mobile coupons – many merchants (Target is one) now have apps where you can just show the cashier your phone coupon and they scan it for a discount.
9. Ditch the book – a free app Overdrive Media is an ebook reader, compatible with Hillsborough County Libraries where you can check out free new ebooks for seven days, and read them on your smart phone.

So now I hope you feel smarter using your smart phone, instead of wasting your time checking email, the weather, the sports, playing games or texting. None of those activities save you any money or make you smarter.

 

My Publix Trip - 24 cents

I thought for sure there wouldn't be ANY Bic razors by the time I got to Publix, but was surprised to see a few of the mens comfort 3, but a ton of ton the womens Soleil razors. I decided I would print out the facebook coupon HERE and go back tonight to get the womens razors.

 

So, here's my shop even though the obvious overage items were gone. Got some cat food and poise for a little overage.

 

25-Apr	41		77.92	15.57	64.48	tax	0.24	40	-99.69% savings
Product	qty	price	subtl	B1G1	-Q		total	Q#	Q details
Grape Tomatoes	1	2.00	2.00				2.00
Eat Smart Vegetables	2	1.67	3.34				3.34
banana	2	0.25	0.50				0.50
Voskos Yogurt	12	1.00	12.00		12.00		0.00	12	(8) $1/1 + (4) B2G1 printable
reusable bag	2	0.99	1.98		1.98		0.00	2	free bag wyb 4 honest tea PQ
Honest Tea	12	1.25	15.00		13.50		1.50	12	$1/1 MQ print + B1G1 MQ
Vita Salmon 3oz BOGO	2	4.59	9.18	4.59	2.00		2.59	1	$1/1 seafood hangtag
Bic razors BOGO, 3 pk	4	5.49	21.96	10.98	12.00	1.54	0.52	4	$3/1 MQ 4-10ss
Purina Beyond cat food 1 lb	2	2.79	5.58		8.00	0.39	-2.03	4	$2/1 MQ + $2/1 TQ
Poise liners	2	3.19	6.38		10.00	0.45	-3.17	4	$3/1 PQ + $2/1 MQ print
$/$$ coupon		0.00	0.00		5.00		-5.00	1	$5/$25 SAL x5/2

Free Gifts For Mom

I love to get these freebies from Vistaprint! Free photo coffee mugs, t-shirts, calendars and photo books make such a nice frugal gift. 6 Gifts for Moms! The Gifts are Free, Just Pay Shipping and Processing! Just remember to click through the other offers that can make your free deal into a bigger deal. I think its time for me to get a Tshirt again, they are nice and light for the hot summer days.

Happy Easter

Here's to hoping you have a great day!

Frugal Beauty Tips - How to Save Money and Still Look Amazing

Every woman wants to look great. However, in this economy, most women can’t afford to spend a fortune on beauty products. Luckily, women definitely don’t have to break their budget to look amazing. They simply need to know the three important rules of looking beautiful on a budget.

Rule #1: Learn When to Spend
Expensive is not always better. Even when it is, it’s not always necessary. When shopping for beauty products on a budget, women must know when to save and what products to spend a little extra on. For example, expensive conditioners really will leave your hair healthier, shinier, and silkier, especially if you color your hair. However, you can skip the expensive shampoos. As long as you use a good conditioner, you probably won’t even notice the difference when switching to a more affordable shampoo.

Another example of this is with nail polish. The fact is, all polishes chip. It’s an annoying fact of life. To make your polish last longer, you need a great top coat. If you spend a little extra on your top coat, you can save on the polish.

Rule #2: Don’t Be a Beauty Snob
Many women believe that they need to purchase expensive cosmetics to get quality. This is simply untrue. Supermarket brands are surprisingly high quality. If you have a hard time believing this, compare the ingredients in luxury cosmetics and supermarket brands. Many times, you’ll find that the ingredients are very similar.

There are also certain cosmetics that should always be purchased cheaply. Never spend more than a few dollars on blush, eye liner, lip gloss, and eye shadow. It’s okay to spend a little more on foundation, mascara, and lipstick, since these products tend to be the staples of many beauty routines.

Self tanners and lotions are also products that should be purchased at your local supermarket. Many women actually prefer supermarket self tanners to those sold in department stores. The only type of lotion that women may want to splurge on is their facial moisturizer. Preserving the health of your skin will actually end up saving you money. Healthy skin doesn’t need expensive makeup to look great.

Rule #3: Multi-Use Products Are the Frugal Beauty’s Best Friend

So many women completely overlook multi-use cosmetics. Many different cosmetic manufacturers make all over color sticks that can be used on the cheeks, eye lids, and lips. Bronzer is another product that can be used in a few different ways. Brush some bronzer on the cheeks and eye lids for a simple, fresh-faced glow. Not only do these products save money, but they help women simplify their beauty routines.

If you find yourself in a pinch, many lipsticks can double as blush, lotion can double as hair smoothing serum, and eye shadow can be moistened and used as eye liner. To be a frugal beauty, women need to be creative, savvy, and willing to stop believing that affordable always means low quality.

This guest article was contributed by Kelly Austin from Higher Salary. Visit her site for information about the average medical billing and coding salary and pay information for other popular careers.

Living Frugally While Studying Abroad

 

Some little girls dream of their weddings from age three. I on the other hand, dreamt of living in Istanbul (and many other international cities) from age 5. Every time I would go on an international vacation with my family, whether it was Turkey, Spain, France, Argentina, or even Zambia, I imagined what it would be like to live in the apartments overlooking the main squares of various metropolises. These vacations were lots of fun, especially because my dad was footing the bill for a week or more of travel. However, when I decided to study abroad, I was under a much more stringent budget. My overall stay couldn't exceed more than the tuition, room, and board of my home university. Although my home university was private, with expensive tuition, this ended up being VERY difficult endeavor. If you plan to study abroad in Europe or even Asia, things can get pretty expensive. Here are some tips to help you save money during your exciting abroad experience.

Before You Go: Choosing your Destination

If money is a big issue for you, you should choose your location wisely. If you barely have $300 to spend a month, Moscow (one of the most expensive cities in the world) probably won't be the best choice. You should find a place where the currency exchange rate works in your favor. Try going to South America or Central America if you are an American! Countries in this region are likely to give you bang for your buck. Also, just because the exchange rate works to your advantage doesn't mean a city will be cheaper. Ask your program director or study abroad office for some financial advice! 

Live with a Host Family

If you have the option to live with a host family during your study abroad semester/year, you should definitely consider it. Most programs, such as the Center for International Educational Exchange (CIEE) and International Studies Abroad (ISA), provide home stay options. Home stay options usually guarantee and incorporate at least one or two meals a day for students. This saves you from finding and funding your own (often expensive) meals. Usually the home stay option is not significantly more expensive (it's often cheaper) than living in a university dormitory. Plus, by living with a family, you will get a better acquainted with the cultures and traditions of a country or region!

Evaluate Costs of Living in an Apartment Versus a Dormitory

If you are unable to find a cheaper home stay option, make sure you check out local apartment costs. Many times, monthly rent can be much cheaper than the boarding costs of a dormitory. Programs usually allow you a grace period to leave a dormitory when you arrive. Living in an apartment can give you the independence and experience to truly get to know a city! 

  

Don't Buy Souvenirs until Your Last Week

My greatest expenses during my studies abroad: my unnecessary shopping expenditures! I traveled within Turkey almost every weekend. I wanted to buy an item from every place I visited. After all, you want to remember a place long after you visit it. The reality, those souvenirs mean NOTHING to me now. If you really want to remember a place, take great pictures. If you just NEED to buy something, buy a postcard from the various cities you visit. Tell yourself you won't buy anything until your last week of your study abroad experience.  You will be less likely to buy everything in sight, as the novelty will have probably worn off!

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online college. She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

Code Violation

So we've lived in our same house for over seventeen years and we never had a garage sale, until this year. Actually, we've had three this year already, the most recent was last weekend. It was a quick, well organized event starting at 8 am and ending at 11 am when we promptly picked up the signs and then the traffic stopped coming. But the thing is, we live off of a busy thorough fare so we get lots of traffic, and there were usually at least three to six cars parked on our street during the sale those few hours, especially during the eight o'clock power hour (where we made over half our profits). It was a nice morning and everyone seemed happy to be able to score a deal - especially our repeat customers the ones who prowl the sales every Saturday morning.

 

Anyway, some anonymous person out there apparently doesn't appreciate our sales because they turned us into the City for a code enforcement violation. It seems that this little town doesn't allow yard sales more than once every 6 months. Well, who would have figured that one out?  Maybe its because It could be an eye sore or a traffic hassle. I'm thinking someone didn't like having to slow down to carefully drive through the cars parked on both sides of the street. I feel like parking both our cars on the road, one on each side to make the speeders slow down - but I'm too afraid they'll just smash one and drive on.

 

So, we've come up with a plan. We talked to our neighbor and we''re going to just have our next sale in our neighbors driveway across the street. We can have one every quarter if we alternate our driveway with her driveway. Besides then we'll have lots of stuff and not run out since thats usually why we close up shop when we run out of stuff. And actually we're learning about yard sales now that we've had a few. If you have your stuff priced right, you don't need to haggle - the product will sell to the next person. A lot of people asked me to sell something for $0.50 when it was marked a dollar and I said no, it would all be gone in a couple hours anyway. So they would just buy it at our price but they would check out with DH. After the first hour, he had three times the amount of money I had. I figured all the women who wanted to haggle but were turned down, just went to him to pay. Maybe it was one of them who turned us in, hmmm.

 

 

One Bottle to Saving Money, the Planet, and Your Sanity

A look at the ingredients list or price tag of any household cleaning spray or shampoo is usually enough to curl your toes.  
 

Parabens are called "gender-benders" in the scientific community for a reason, and bleach leaves an awful smell from vapors that actually irritate lungs, skin, and eyes, especially of children and pets.  Moreover, items like personal and home cleaning agents—even when on sale—aren't always cheap.  The cost on the environment is a heavy price to pay, and more directly, they aren't always cheap on our personal bank accounts, especially since they don't seem to last very long.

Conventional cosmetics and cleaning companies make us pay good money to feel like we're doing the earth and our bodies a favor.  But not Dr. Bronner. For over 60 years, Dr. Bronner's line of soaps has appealed to thrifty eco-enthusiasts across America.  Now, their line is fair trade, organic, and still affordable.  Best of all, they're multi-purpose.  Save money and time by making your own shampoo, face wash, and household cleaning spray with just one diluted bottle of Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap!
 

DIY Shampoo and Body Soap

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap
• Optional 2 tsp jojoba oil for dry hair
• Optional 5 drops of lavender or tea tree oil for oily hair

Mix the ingredients together in an empty bottle and shake before use.  It's watery, but its lathering capabilities will surprise you; try flipping your hair over your head in the shower and applying directly to your scalp so it doesn't just run down your neck.  Because lavender and tea tree oil are natural antiseptics, they'll help de-grease an extra grungy scalp (especially if you use a lot of hair products).  You can add the essential oils yourself or just buy the lavender or tea tree oil varieties they have at the store (they have 8 scents in all, each infused with different essential oils).  The eucalyptus and peppermint soaps do the best jobs at clearing sinuses, so stock up now in preparation for spring.
 

You'll find that as you use this gentle shampoo, your hair's natural moisture will keep you from having to spend as much money on hair products.  There's no sense in stripping your locks of helpful and natural oils just to replace them with parabens and petroleum.  As long as you wash a few times a week and use fewer chems, don't ever doubt your cleanliness.
 

DIY Face Wash

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap

No, you read that right.  It's that easy.  Whether you have fairly easy-to-please skin or the kind that has you prowling www.acne.org (which gives Dr. Bronner 4.5 out of 5 stars, by the way), Dr. Bronner's soaps are gentle on your skin and just tough enough on germs.  The mistake most people with problem skin make is stripping it dry, causing oil glands to go into overdrive.  Just follow cleansing with your typical toning and moisturizing routine and watch your pores shrivel, skin clear, and stress drop.
 

DIY Home Cleaning Disinfectant Spray

• 2 cups water
• 3 tbsp Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap
• 20 to 30 drops of tea tree oil

Tea tree oil was recently discovered in an Italian study to inhibit the spread of bacteria—even the fearsome H1N1 virus.  Rather than relying on bleach (and its toxic vapors) or low-grade pesticides to clean your tiles and counters, try mixing these ingredients in an old spray bottle to disinfect almost any surface.  Tea tree oil isn't toxic (unless you down a whole bottle of it at once), so you don't have to worry about the kids and animals touching the surfaces you've cleaned.


Credit: Dr. Bronner
Bio: Alexis Bonari is currently a resident blogger at College Scholarships, where recently she's been. Whenever this WAHM gets some free time she enjoys doing yoga, cooking with the freshest organic in-season fare, and practicing the art of coupon clipping.

Updates

A couple updates -

• The new Publix Sneak Peek matchups at Slickdeals have been moved to HERE to the wiki. They should be easier to find and keep track of.
• This upcoming RP & SS coupon inserts have a couple moneymaker coupons for use at Publix, so you may want to get a few extra - the $4/1 Zyrtec coupon is for ANY product and that will match up good with the $2/1 Publix Q from the pharmacy booklet, or even better with the $4/1 Target Q, for a nice moneymaker on the 5 ct ($6.49) or 3 ct package ($3.99).
• Also in the inserts is another Mars candy coupon for $1/2 ANY easter candy, so get the $0.50 Snickers egg and make $0.50 each.
• You may not have noticed that starting next Thursday 4/14, Publix is doing the $10 off $50 AMEX GC ($4.95 activation fee) deal again. I still have a couple cards left from last time, so I think I'll roll them over next week. This is a $5 moneymaker, plus you can use it to absorb your other moneymaker overage into it and get the $50 card for as low as $21 bucks or so.
• If you watched the TLC Extreme Couponing show you were probably appalled and amazed at the same time. Well, this blogger shows us proof that one of the shoppers was a scammer, check it out HERE.

Publix Sneak Peek BOGO's 4/14 - 4/23/11

BOGO's (note extended dates due to holiday!)


Dole Pineapple 20oz can, BOGO $1.75

Kraft or Seven Seas Dressing, 14-16oz bot, BOGO $3.27

FishEye Pinot Grigio Wine, or Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Merlot, 750ml, BOGO $6.99 (Usually Regional)

Medium Shrimp Ring, 18oz pkg, BOGO $12.99

Bantry Bay Mussels, 16oz pkg, BOGO $4.99

Oscar Mayer Sliced Bacon 16oz pkg, or Center Cut, 12oz pkg, BOGO $7.19

Jones Dairy Farm Golden Brown Sausage, Links or Patties 7oz pkg, or Turkey Links 5oz pkg, BOGO $2.69

Simply Potatoes Diner’s Choice Mashed Potatoes, 32oz pkg, BOGO $4.19

Fresh Express Salad Blends, or Greens, 5-12oz pkg, BOGO- Surprisingly Low Price

Breyers Ice Cream, 48oz ctn, BOGO $6.17

Cool Whip Whipped Topping, 8oz bowl, BOGO $2.03

Alexia All Natuural Artisan Breads, 10.5-14oz pkg, BOGO $3.39

Sorrento Mozzarella Cheese, 16oz pkg, BOGO $4.69

Rondele Cheese Spread, 8oz cup, BOGO $4.69

Yoplait Yo-Plus Yogurt, 4pk 4oz cup, BOGO $2.00

Smary Balance Spread, 13-15oz or 2pk 7.5oz tub, or Spray 8oz bot, BOGO $3.59

Publix Deli Tea, 1gal, BOGO $2.59

Dove Silky Smooth Eggs or Promises, 8.5-9.5oz bag, BOGO $4.29

Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs, or Cups or Hershey’s Candy Bars, Marshmallow Eggs, or Bunnies, or Almond Joy Eggs or Kit Kat, 6ct pkg, BOGO $4.19

Hellmann’s Mayonnaise, 30oz jar, BOGO $5.41

Pure Wesson Oil, 48oz bot, BOGO $4.29

Mt. Olive Pickles, 16-46oz jar, or Pickle or Jalapeno Pepper Slices Pak 4pk 3.7oz ctn, BOGO $2.79

Del Monte Vegetables, 11-15.25oz can, BOGO $1.33

Tuttorosso Tomatoes, or Tomato Sauce or Puree, 28-29oz can, BOGO $1.87

Lipton Tea Bags, 100ct box, BOGO $3.91

PAM Cooking Spray, 5-6oz can, BOGO $3.39

Ocean Spray Juice Cocktail, or Juice Drink or No Sugar Added 100% Cranberry Juice, 101-101.4oz bot, BOGO $5.39

Gatorade Thirst Quencher, or G2, 64oz bot, BOGO $2.60

Mott’s Apple Sauce, 46-48oz jar, BOGO $2.81

Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Cake Mix, (Excluding Angel Food) 18.25oz box, BOGO $2.05

Barilla Pasta, 13.25-16oz box, (Excluding Barilla Plus and Lasagna), BOGO $1.43

Uncle Ben’s Long Grain & Wild Rice, or Brown & Wild, 6-6.7oz box, BOGO $1.99

Idahoan Mashed Potatoes, 1.5-4.1oz pkg, or Scalloped or Au Gratin, 3.95oz box, BOGO $1.25

Kraft Velveeta Shells & Cheese Dinner, or Rotini & Cheese or Kraft Deluxe Mac & Cheese, 9.4-14oz box, BOGO $2.67

Duncan Hines Decadent Brownie Mix, 16.76-18oz box, or Decadent Cake Mix, 20.8-21.4oz box, BOGO $2.69

Kellogg’s Special K Cereal, 11.4-14oz box, or Low Fat Granola, 19.5oz box, BOGO $4.09

Krusteaz Cookie Mix, 15.5-17.5oz box, BOGO $2.19

Post Honey Bunches of Oats Cereal, 13-17oz box, or Vanilla Clusters 18oz box (Excluding Family Size), BOGO $4.09

Quaker Chewy Granola Bars, 8.4-8.7oz box, BOGO $3.09

Kellogg’s Pop Tarts, 8ct 13.5-15.2oz box, BOGO $2.69

Quaker Instant Grits, 12pk 12oz box, BOGO $3.19

Nabisco Crackers, or Wheat Thins Stix, 5.5-10oz box, BOGO $ 3.49

Thomas’ English Muffins, 11-13oz pkg, BOGO $3.69

Mentos Pure Fresh Gum, 50ct bot, BOGO $3.29

Nabisco Ritz Crackers, or Ritz Bitz Sandwiches, or Munchables Pretzel Crisps, or Thins, 9.5-16oz box, BOGO $3.79

Keebler Chips Deluxe Cookies, or Sandies Sortbread, 14.5-18oz bag, BOGO $3.99

Entenmann’s Softees Donuts, 10oz pkg, BOGO $4.39

Nabisco Newtons, 8-14oz pkg, BOGO $3.89

Lay’s Potato Chips, 10-10.5oz bag, (Excluding Kettle Cooked, Baked, Light, and Natural) BOGO $3.99

Keebler Club Crackers, 11-16oz box, BOGO $4.09

Planters Nuts, Regular Mixed Nuts, Cashews Halves & Peanuts, or Honey Roasted Peanuts & Cashews, $4.43

Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet Popping Corn, 12-19.8oz box, or 30oz jar, BOGO $5.07

Wise Cheese Flavored Corn Snacks, Cheez Doodles 8.5oz bag, or Puffed Baked Cheez Doodle O’s 8oz bag, BOGO $2.99

Chinet Classic White Plates, 24-55ct pkg, BOGO $6.17

Vanity Fair Napkins, 40ct pkg, or Premium 40 or 100ct pkg, BOGO $2.35

Finish Automatic Dishwasher Detergent, 25 or 32ct box, BOGO $6.99

Thanks to Slickdeals Publix Thread!!!