Check out their picks every month!

I am obsessed with music.  I listen to everything, although lately it has been more Barney radio on Pandora than Jimmy Eat World or Postal Service radio.  Free music is a great way to bulk up your music collection AND learn about new bands.  Every month Spin magazine offers a free collection of their top picks from the magazine.  I may not love everything that they put on the mix, but I always make sure to download it! 

Looking for other sources of cheap or free music?

• Amazon digital downloads.  You can get new releases for as cheap as $3.99.  Use up your Swagbucks giftcards and you get free CDs!  They also have a lot of free songs, which change every week.
• Public library.  As you may know, I have recently have rekindled my love affair with the library.  My favorite thing to do now is to get new music from the library.  You don't have to waste money on a CD you may not like, and you can save so much money!  They also link up to a program called Freegal, where you can download 3 new songs on your library card per week.  Not too great, but its something!

Anyone else have any other great sources for music downloads?

Happy listening everyone!  What do you listen to these days?  I need to refresh my iPod! 

Who doesn't love ice cream?

Click here for more information from the website

At Baskin-Robbins this Wednesday (APRIL 27th), they will be holding a 31-cent scoop night from 5-10pm.  Perfect for a cheap dessert night!  I would call ahead to make sure your local store is participating.   This event has been on our calendar for a few weeks now.  What? I'm pregnant! 

What's your favorite flavor ice cream?  I'm a cookie dough or caramel fudge girl.

Diaper studies! {update, no longer available}

 This company no longer does diaper studies.  I am soo sad!

Hello!  I know this may not be relevant to everyone, but I know you have to know someone with kids in diapers.  There is a company called Arquest which wants you to sample diapers.  I have done this study 2-3 times and I just love the free diapers!  Depending on the size of your little one(s), they send 20-120 diapers for you to test and in the end of the study you get $10 as well.  As expensive as diapers are, this is so worth it!  Last time I did this study, I got Huggies, but the brand will vary and you may not even know what brand you are testing.


Interested?  Here's the info:

• If you have girls, call: 1-888-342-7372 ext. 646 (there is usually this sweet southern woman you talk to)
• If you have boys, call: 1-888-342-7372 ext. 634
• They may have openings now, but if not they will put you on a list and you will be contacted as soon as you are needed.
• You can always leave a message, but they run on normal business hours, central time

If you are interested in taking surveys, check out my post on the topic!

Going Green? Organic savings!

It seems as if everyone is "going green" these days.  The only problem is knowing what to buy or how to save money.  I try to go organic whenever possible, but for the most part the products are way above what I like to spend.  Through doing a little research I have found a few great resources for organic/green coupons. 

1. Mambo Sprouts:  Coupons available online and about 4 times a year you get a mailer to your house with more coupons.  
2. Whole Foods : We no longer have one to shop at in our area, but if you are fortunate enough to have one, check out their website!  There are great recipes AND they have a ton of coupons on their website which you can use at other stores too.  They have an email list to join which you can get coupons to print off, too.  Always check in the front of the store while visiting for more coupons, too.
3. Muir Glen: I love their fire roasted tomatoes and their coupons go great with sales. Here is a great recipe for fire roasted tomatoes that I love in the summer months for a light meal.  Make sure you make the rice, too!
4. Seventh Generation: Cleaning products have been a new venture for me, I always seem to find deals on this brand and they always have great coupons. I didn't like their diapers, but the wipes and kitchen sprays are great.  The laundry detergent is amazing, but always so expensive!  
• Green Works is another brand (by Clorox)
• Don't forget, you can also clean by using baking soda.  I know, I know...it doesn't have a pretty smell, but it works! 
5. Earth's Best: Although I made (and will make again soon enough!) a majority of my baby food, I really liked their line of products and the variety.  Although they are a bit pricier, they have a lot of sales and just sent them an email for a bunch of coupons mailed to you!  
• If you are interested in trying Earth's Best, send me an email for some free product coupons! I have 10 to give away!
6. Store brands!  You may have noticed some store brands which have organic options, like at Meijer, Copps, Target, Cub and Walmart.  With the store brands, there is a good chance there will be sales or discounts without coupons. Do some price checking though, you can sometimes get name brands cheaper with sales + a coupon!
7. Earthbound Farms:  This is hands down my favorite organic produce brand.  I always have coupons and they have great sales at most grocery stores. Sign up for their mailing list and you will get coupons.
8. Cascadian Farms: Frozen veggies, canned soups, cereal.  Always coupons available on major coupon websites.  Click the link for some!

When I was making the baby food for the girls, I was more focused on buying all organic food for them, but after research, I found I should only buy certain things organic.  Here are some quick tips:

• When you are buying fruits and veggies, just buy organic for foods that you eat while (ie: anything you eat the skin of-- apples, pears, etc).  This tip helped me a lot and saved a lot of money!  The main thing I buy organic is spinach and lettuce, since the chemical level in those items tend to be higher than bananas or something. 
• Since the summer months are coming up soon (hopefully....), check out your local farmers markets for local products.  That's the best way to get fresh produce without gardening yourself!  I will really miss the Madison one, but I've heard the Grand Rapids market is fun too.  Not sure where to go?  Check out this farmers market finder.  So helpful!
• I know that organic products are not really something you think of as being for smaller budgets or cheap.  More and more coupons and sales are out there and once you start looking, you may realize going green is cheaper than you think!!  Companies know that people's budgets are tight, so simply emailing your favorite brands (or brands you are interested in) will result in some savings. 

Do you have any tips or websites I might like?  Let me know!

How to stay organized

I thought I would re-post this for any new readers!

Everyone organizes their coupons differently.  I've tried many ways- envelopes, the "no-clip" way, etc- and I have found the small accordion binder to be the best route.  Obviously, do what is best for you!  I thought I would bring this up now that it is back-to-school season and you will find many deals on organizers.  My favorite is available in the dollar section at Target.  Whenever they go to 50% off, I stock up.  They are pretty durable, but they do need to be replaced every 6 months or so.

Check these out in fun colors at Target.  Gotta love the Dollar section!

Everyone has their own way to shop, but here is a little example of the categories I use.  By the way, I have 3 of these things.  I look like a crazy lady, Im sure!  I have one for baby, one for groceries and one for expired coupons (some stores accept them: Cub is my favorite).

The titles are bit hard to read, but there 13 different tabs to organize.  So perfect!

Here are the categories I use:  

1. Meat
2. Fridge/Dairy
3. Freezer
4. Household- Cleaning supplies, etc
5. Beauty- Makeup, body wash
6. Health- Medicine, toothpaste
7. Snacks
8. Cereal/Breakfast
9. Etc- Coffee, bread and anything else random fits here
10. Pasta/Rice
11. Store Coupons- Target or grocery coupons
12. Dressings/Condiments
13. Canned/Ethnic

Pretty basic!  This way is cheap and easy to organize!

How do you organize your coupons?  I feel like my system isn't working for me now that I have so many more coupons!

Afullcup.com- A great online resource!

Photo taken from http://www.afullcup.com

When I was new to the online world of couponing, somehow I came across this website.  Its free to join and there is a lot of information within from all across the country.  My favorite areas are the web forums, but this is a great resource for many reasons.

1. They have a coupon database.  Users submit available coupons and you can search by type: printable, Sunday insert, etc.  Sometimes if I find a new brand on sale at the grocery store, I'll search in the database for coupons.  It can be a bit confusing at first to use, but just click around a little bit to figure everything out.  For the most part I use this for printable coupons, since I already know what I have from Sunday inserts.
2. The store forums have people from all across the country asking questions and posting deals they have found.  My favorites are Target, Meijer, drug stores and Walmart, but they have tons of other stores as well.  Some forums are more active than others, so you may want to check out all of them and find your favorites.  A lot of times people find items on clearance and they will post coupons they used or free items they have found.  In many cases the prices vary by store, but I always add freebie items to my shopping list as a "look for" item.   This is how I started my stockpile of freebies. This is a great way to ask questions about coupons or shopping as well, since most of these people are hard core bargain shoppers. 
3. On the front page there is a "Hot Deals" area which has some great new online deals or new high value coupons available.

 Let me know what you think or if you have any questions about A Full Cup.  The website can be quite addicting at first, especially when you find out some great sales or deals!

Have a great day!  As always, I love followers and feedback!

Ashleigh

Why I love Aldi...

I thought I would re-post this, since I truly love Aldi that much! 


For some reason I feel Aldi has a bad reputation, but there are some really great reasons to shop there.  Their prices on produce and dairy cant be beat and their Fit n' Active brand has some great healthy products.  The only downfall is that their prices and stock is not always consistent.  When I'm grocery shopping, I tend to go there first, just in case they are out of something for the day.  Also, you have to bring your own bags or purchase them there (or find big boxes).  Here are some great products to buy at Aldi and discount prices:

1. Baking supplies: flour, sugar, vanilla, oil are always in stock and they have great prices, especially around the holidays.
2. Frozen Foods: boneless chicken breasts, frozen veggies, whole frozen chickens, fruit (great in smoothies), chicken fingers, potstickers... the list could go on.  They have a great freezer department, epecially the Fit n Active products
3. Pantry staples: rice, chicken stock (especially in the cartons), tortillas, canned beans, green chiles etc
4. Produce: seasonal produce is unpredictable, but anything in stock is always really fresh and at great prices
5. Dairy: cheese, milk, eggs, yogurt

If you aren't already a shopper, I would check it out.  If you are looking to save some money, its worth at least one trip!

Mmmm Mondays: My specialty sangria

To me, sangria is the perfect warm weather beverage.  I figured I would share this recipe now, so you can have it tucked away for a BBQ or nice summer night.  Maybe I am also secretly hoping that thinking about warm weather will bring warmth to the Midwest.  Not just a teaser day, actual spring.  Let's keep our fingers crossed!!

My sangria recipe is super easy and not very "official".  I'm not quite sure what ingredients are in "official" sangria, but I'm positive people in Spain are not using Crystal Light in their recipes.  You can make this both alcoholic or a mocktail (which I will be sipping on) and both are pretty tasty.

1. Base. I make the base and let it "marinade" for hours or days in the fridge.  It can last up to a week!  Just add more wine/juice when it gets low.
• Bottle of red wine: I usually use Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.  Don't spend a ton on this, I promise even cheap brands can taste great.  I've even used 3 buck Chuck from Trader Joes.  Get a larger bottle if you are planning on serving a lot of people
• For the mocktail: use cranberry juice, berry juice or kiwi strawberry
• Fruit: oranges, limes, strawberries, apples, grapes...anything on hand. Chop up in bite sized pieces.
• 2 packets of Crystal Light Pure in grape or berry.  (click on the link if you are confused by what I type I'm talking about).  It sounds weird, but it really helps add some flavor without tons of sugar.  Add one packet for every 3 cups of additional wine you use. 
• Combine everything in a pitcher or container and let sit in the fridge.

     2. When it's time to serve:

• Fill a glass with ice
• Pour: 2 parts base, 1 part vodka (or so...) and 1 part Diet 7up (or any lemon/lime variety).  Make sure to get some fruit in the glass!
• Top with a dash of cinnamon and a squeeze of citrus juice
• Enjoy!  Be careful though, it is pretty tasty, but strong!
• NOTE: You can add the vodka to the base.  I would add about 2 cups in with the wine. If you are serving a group, its easier to just add as serving to guarantee everyone gets equal amounts. Also, some may not want the vodka.

In the summertime, I almost always have the base ready in the fridge for any last minute occasion.  Ok, lets be honest...I make it for one of those long days after the girls go to bed. 

I hope you enjoy....let me know what you think!

This would go great with my Mock-a-mole Recipe!!

*Don't forget to VOTE FOR ME!  The contest ends April 15th! *

Save money going out to eat!

These days, going out to eat for a date night is pretty much non-existent.  When we do have the chance to go out, I love trying new places.  Being new to the Grand Rapids area, the online foodie websites are super helpful.  Some of my favorites to get you going: restaurant.com & yelp.com.  Here are some quick tips to help you get started.

• Restaurant.com. 
• The selection varies by area, but in larger cities there are 100s of places listed. 
• Its a great resource for traveling!  You can search by zip code and see whats available.  If you sign up for their mailing list, you can get emails with 70%-80% off their gift certificates.  
• Make sure you read the fine print listed next to the deal to make sure it is something that you may be interested in.  Most of the time it's something like "must be over $25", which is really easy going out to eat!  
• You can instantly print out the certificates, no waiting necessary!
• Check frequently for new additions, the website is constantly changing

• Yelp.com
• This site doesn't offer any gift certificates, but there are honest reviews by locals
• You can get some great meal suggestions!
• Remember: some people may just be cranky or had an out-of-the-blue bad experience.  The only time I really write off a place is if ALL reviews are bad.

I hope this quick guide helps you out.  Always check out Groupon & Living Social daily as well, they have super deals on restaurant gift certificates. 



Dont forget!  This weekend I'm giving away a $25 gift certificate to Restaurant.com!  For all entry details, click here.


* VOTE FOR ME!  The contest ends April 15th! *

Weekend giveaway: $25 gift certificate for Restaurant.com

Since I'm new at this, my goal is to try at least one giveaway a month.  Hopefully they will continue to be more exciting!  Its hard to resist something free, right?

This weekend it will be a $25 gift certificate for Restaurant.com.  There are a lot of great places on there and you can use it towards a nice meal or date night! 

The winner will be randomly selected Monday morning (9:00 AM) and you can enter up to 3 times!  I'm pretty sure there won't be a ton of entries, so your odds are pretty high!  This is going to be my giveaway guinea pig, so help me out here.

You can:

1. Follow me on Twitter: beincheapiseasy
2. Subscribe to the email list (you MUST confirm a valid email!)
3. Become a follower of the blog through Google

Come back here and comment on how you read the blog and that will count as an entry.  Pretty easy!  Once the winner is picked, I will verify your entry and then email you! 

Spread the word and good luck!  

*Don't forget to VOTE FOR ME!  The contest ends April 15th! *

Extreme Couponing: good or bad for couponers?

It seems as if everyone has been watching TLC's show "Extreme Couponing" and the buzz is all around the blogs and Twitter.  I finally sat down to watch an episode last night and it kind of annoyed me.  Yes, I love using coupons and saving money using deals, but there is a fine line between stockpiling for what you will use and hoarding!  The people they show on this show are crazy, in my opinion.  Do you need 70+ bottles of mustard?  How in the world do you eat 90 packs of lunchmeat before they go bad?!  Also, a common sense rule of thumb for couponing is to be nice to other fellow deal seekers: don't clear the shelves! 

When I first started using coupons, I realized how easy it was to get caught up in the "freebie frenzy" as I call it.  Its a huge eye opener when you realize how much you can really save.  But one thing to remember is you have to actually need or use the products you are getting.  Also, you have to factor in how much you are spending to get the coupons.  My rule of thumb is to get as many papers as you have family members.  Some weeks (especially for diaper coupons) we will get more papers, but I try to keep it around 4 papers each Sunday. 

I feel there are good and bad aspects of this show.  I'm very happy that it is shedding light on the potential savings out there by using coupons, but I am also worried it makes all deal seekers look like crazy people filling up carts like zombies.

Here's where I want your input!  Did you see the show?  What did you think?

I have noticed quite a few new readers!  First of all, let me say "thank you!" and next I would like to point you in the direction of some posts that will help you out if you are new to saving money.  If you feel like you are completely clueless or have questions please email me!  I love to help get people started and I know how it feels to be kind of lost at the wealth of information out there.  I'm nice, I promise!

Helpful posts to get started:

1. How to Stay Organized
2. Where to find coupons
3. Doubling or stacking coupons
4. How to find freebies
5. Afullcup.com: My favorite 'deal seekers' resource
6. New parents?  Great coupon mailing lists to be on

Have a great weekend everyone!!

*Don't forget to VOTE FOR ME!  The contest ends April 15th! *

Guest post: Cloth Diapers

Welcome to my first guest post!  After having twins who are still in diapers, I have started to think about using cloth diapers for my new little lady.  It would save so much money and I am trying to make our lives a bit greener.  Not knowing where to start, I knew that my friend Erin's sister would be a great help!  I asked her to fill all of us disposable diaper Mamas in on the perks and ins and outs of cloth diapers.  Enjoy!
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Rebecca and her husband Mike.  She has an 11 month old son, Hunter, who was exclusively cloth diapered.  She also has a 7 year old step-daughter and one on the way in October! 

I heard about CD (cloth diapers) from my step daughter's mom and I fell in love with just how cute they were and all the colors blew my mind.  Besides the fact of it being very "green" it saved us a lot of money, which these days that seems to be in everyone's mind.

I know plenty of people automatically think that it is gross, but really it isn't any different than what people should be doing with disposables. Technically you are supposed to be dumping any 'poo' in the toilet before you put disposables in the trash. Human waste is not to be in landfills, and with cloth you dump the 'poo' in the toilet and then throw the CD in a wet bag or pail. As far as just wet CD you also just throw them in the bag or pail, and depending on how many CD you use you can wash a load everyday or every 2-3 days. With this always come the questions of "you wash 'poo' in the same washer as your clothes?!" And I really just want to know if your child has a blow out diaper do you throw away the outfit? Probably not!

Let me back up and describe our diaper routine and explain my stash. With a newborn it is recommended to have 16 to 24 diapers, we were lucky enough to receive a 24 pack of Fuzzibunz one size diapers as a baby shower gift. For us, that was plenty of diapers and we probably washed a load every night. After free diapers from orders and sales, and other gifts I fear we near over 60 diapers. I have sworn to my husband I will stop buying them... fingers might have been crossed though.  The recommended stash for a 1 year old is 12 to 14 diapers, and for 2 children momma's have gotten away with 25 CD stashes. To me, that seems like alot of laundry because Hunter is a big wetter and i feel we change him more often than others may have to. He might be changed 8 to 10 times a day and wear a super stuffed CD to bed that will last him through the night.

We roughly own: 

• 2 Bumgenius 4.0 one size pocket diapers
• 4 Tweedlebug one size diaper covers
• 3 Bumwear one size pocket diapers
• 2 Wonder Wrap one-size diaper covers
• 2 Grovia one size diaper shells
• 6 bummis wraps size small (for the new baby)
• 2 Rumparooz one size pocket diapers
• 1 medium fuzzi bunz pocket diaper, 3 large fuzzi bunz pocket diapers, and 35- 40 Fuzzi Bunz one size pocket diapers. 

We have a travel size wet bag for the diaper bag and a small Rubbermaid trash can with lid, with a pail liner in side which is lined with PUL to hold in dampness from dirty CD. We also have 30 pre-folds, that we use for extra stuffers for long trips and we fold them up inside the covers, shells, and wraps for bed time (at least two pre-folds in each). We also have random doublers and inserts. PLEASE NOTE: this is extreme and a lot is not needed, most of this is trial by error and just trying out different brands.

By far the best diaper to me is the Fuzzibunz one size diapers. These grow with your baby and are good from probably 9lbs to 40 ish lbs. They are the most economical diaper, as it will grow with your baby and you wont NEED to continue buying more (that does not mean you wont WANT to!). There are fitted CD that start at XS and go to Large, but as your baby grows you will have to buy more. The perfect one-sized Fuzzibunz are about $20 each, which is $5 more than the sized diapers.  Since they last longer, in the long run money is saved.

Washing routine:

1. When our pail is full, we take the inserts out of the CD and wash them and the covers first in a cold rinse, and then a hotwash with 1/4 of the reccomended detergent. 
2. Some people do an extra rinse, we stop there.
3. We have a drying rack hang dry our diapers, saving some more money. BUT if you do dry them, they can only be dryed on low temp. Otherwise the PUL will melt or pull away from the diaper and they will leak!

As for wipes, you can use cloth wipes which people just get damp and use and wash along with their CD, but those aren't for us and we make wipes from paper towel.  

I promise it isn't gross to use cloth diapers and remember ONE disposable stays in landfills for up to 500 years!! Please consider switching over!

I'm sure there is plenty i missed, but I'll be happy to answer any questions!!

*NOTE* I would recommend "like-ing" Diapershops.com on Facebook which is more specifically Kellyscloset.com for purchases. Check out the diaper dollars!!

Thanks for the read!! 

Becca

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As you may know, I am 6 months pregnant and I will be looking for more guest posters in the near future.  If you have any interest, please email me with a writing sample (or a link to your blog) and a topic you would like to write about.  I will need any extra help I can get!  Plus it is a nice way to expand readership!  

Ashleigh

Mmmm Mondays: Last of winter soup

Whenever I go to the Olive Garden, their Zuppa Toscana soup is a must on my list.   Since we never have time to go out to eat, it was necessary that I figured out how to make it.  Its a pretty basic soup with kale, Italian sausage and potatoes, but the flavor is amazing.  Here is my version!  I looked up a ton online, but I really couldn't find one that I liked, so I made up my own.  I never write things down when I am making up a recipe, so I hope everything is right...oops!  This does take a bit of time to make (30 min, tops), but it is amazing for these last cool days before spring officially hits (at least here in the Midwest).

Ingredients:
-Soup-

• 1 lb of hot Italian sausage links (mild, if you like)
• 4 medium red potatoes (you can use any type you have on hand though)
• 2 quarts of chicken stock
• 1 package of pre-washed kale (or 1 bunch- you then have to wash, remove stems and chop)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• Parmesan cheese shreds for a topping
• Crusty Italian bread (optional, but oh so great for dipping)

-Cream alternative mix in (you can substitute 1 cup of heavy cream)-

•  1/2 cup of flour
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• Dash of nutmeg
• 1/2 cup of milk (I used skim, but whatever you have on hand)
• Small handful of Parmesan cheese

1. Heat a big soup pot to medium-high heat 
2. Remove sausages from casing and add to hot pan.  I don't find oil necessary because the sausage creates grease. Break up in pan and cook until no longer pink
3. Meanwhile, wash and chop potatoes into larger bite sized pieces.  Add to pan with sausage.
4. Add garlic and stir ingredients frequently.
5.  Once everything seems brown and cooked (potatoes should still have a bit of crunch to them), take out of pan and add butter & flour.  Try to scrape up all of the yummy bits on the bottom of the pan.
6. Once flour & butter have cooked for about a minute, add nutmeg, milk & cheese and allow to become thicker paste.  I recommend heating milk up a bit so it doesn't clump up.  Slowly add the 2 quarts of chicken stock and simmer.
7. Add cooked ingredients and kale and simmer until potatoes are finished. You can add salt and pepper, as desired.  It is pretty salty already with the sausage and cheese, so I would go lighter on the salt.
8. When scooping into a bowl, top with cheese and a side of warm Italian bread for dipping. 

Yum yum!  I may have to make this again before it warms up later this week!  I hope it turns out amazing for you!

What is your favorite soup to make on a cold, windy day?  I love new recipes!

Back to Basics #3: How to get freebies!

Welcome back!  It's been a bit of time since the last parts of this series, thanks for hanging in there! 

Once you have a good grasp on where to get coupons and how to use them, you can start noticing sales and start getting freebies.  My best advice is to start paying attention to prices you pay for certain items, as well as how often you see sales.  Some people have notebooks which they write down prices, but I just do a quick mental note.  For example, I know that grocery stores have sales on toothpaste for $1.00 (usually Colgate) and there are always $1.00 off coupons.  When this sale happens, I use up all of my coupons and build a stockpile of toothpaste.  Other items that are frequently free or less than $1 are: razors, toothbrushes, floss, cleaning supplies, fabric softener, baby wipes, shampoo/hair products (usually Aussie, Garnier or Pantene) and most food products.  Unfortunately, sales and prices always vary by region or store, but in every area there are deals to be found.  Usually when there is a great coupon coming out or a free item with sale going on, the message boards will be going crazy about the deals.  This is why I love A Full Cup! Less work for me! 

Another way to get freebies is to email companies.  Ricky always makes fun of me because the minute I complain/compliment something, he knows I'm planning a letter.  I write letters for everything, but I am never annoying or mean in them.  It only takes a minute to look up the company and send an email.  I have gotten great coupons sent to me, including free diapers, free dinners at restaurants and food products. 

Final way to get freebies: sign up for store mailers.  Kohls & JcPenney both recently had $10/$10+ coupons sent through the mail and I was able to stock up on some baby clothes for the little lady due in June.  When you get these coupons, you can easily find something in store for less than $10.  I also subscribe to texts for every store I love, but I will admit they get annoying.  Make sure you have unlimited texts if you do this!!

My goal for my Twitter account will be to fill you in on any super great deals.  Like I've said before, I am not a blogger who tells EVERY deal that is going on.  There are plenty of other people out there doing that for us!  (Check out my blogroll to the left).  Anything special that catches my eye, I'll give you a heads up!  Follow me:  beincheapiseasy.

Here's the rest of the series, just in case you've missed out:
1:  Where to find coupons
2:  Doubling & stacking coupons


How do you get freebies?  Let me know!