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!

Calling all bookworms!

When Oprah was raving about the Kindle a few years back (was it really that long ago?!), I thought "eh" about e-readers.  I love going to used bookstores and having an actual book in hand while reading.  I still do, but since we've moved I no longer have my beloved Half Price Books to shop at.  For Christmas, Ricky got me a Nook reader (the Barnes & Noble edition of a Kindle) and I was super excited, but I really had no idea its potential.  Why is the Nook (in my opinion) better?  You can download books for FREE from the library!  How awesome is that?  All you need is a library card!  I've just saved my card number on a computer post-it so I'm not always digging around for my card.  Here's the link to the local Michigan site, but just Swagbucks your area and I am sure you'll find a similar program.  Since I frequent the library more than the grocery store lately (the little ladies and I still love books!), I found out about this great program.  Sometimes there is a waiting list for a certain title, but for the most part you can always have a new book to read.  The selection is a bit lacking sometimes, but for new releases and popular titles I am pretty impressed.  Since the program is still relatively new, I'm sure it will only get better in the future.

Speaking of my local library, KDL, I really forgot how much you can save by going to a library.  Back in the day, there were a few dusty VHS tapes in the kids section, but never anything new.  Now you can not only check out new releases on DVDs, but also popular Wii games and CDs.  I love Netflix, but you can't rent any Wii games from them, plus you get to play them for 3 weeks!  I just search and put holds for anything I have been wanting to see or play.  So simple.  It was funny because the first time I went to the library here I was so confused.  Besides college libraries, I really never went to any of the local libraries in Madison.  I went to check out my books at the counter and the man just stared at me like "yes, can I help you?".  I had no idea that I had to check out my books myself.  How nice!  I tried to play it off, but when the security gate beeped at the exit, the librarian told me if I needed help next time to ask.


Main point of my rambling?  Don't forget how awesome your library can be!  And...if you are in the market for an e-reader, check out the Nook.

Dont let the title fool you, its a great book!  I recently finished this and it was super funny and interesting to read!  Check it out!  I love quick, easy reads after a busy day.

Anyone else have a Nook?  We can share books!  Also, I am always looking for any good reads!  Let me know what you've read lately!