Quick and Easy Dinner Recipe: Walking Tacos

Posted on July 6, 2012 in Daily Money Tip, frugal living 2 comments

Walking-Tacos-Done

Kate Sorensen of CouponCravings.com is a Wife and Mom to two kids, ages 4 1/2 and 1. Kate enjoys making dinners that are healthy but also have an element of surprise, like this one. On busy nights, the easier, the better!

Thank you to Common Sense With Money for allowing me to share one of my family’s favorite meals with you. Walking Tacos are so simple to make and oh, so good! The other great part about Walking Tacos is that it is also a nice casual meal to serve if you have friends over in a “bar” setup. And, since it has taco chips, the kids will even be in to it, too!

For this recipe you’ll need:

  • 1 head of iceberg lettuce
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups crushed taco chips (Doritos brand for example)
  • 1 pound ground beef (browned and drained)
  • 1 taco seasoning packet to flavor the ground beef
  • Optional garnish choices:
  • Sour cream
  • Salsa
  • Ranch or French dressing

First, you’ll want to wash and cut your head of lettuce.

cut-lettuce

** Tip: If you’ll be using the lettuce later, for example, for leftovers, you can tear the lettuce in to pieces instead of cutting it. This will help keep the lettuce from turning brown on the edges so soon.

Put the lettuce in a large bowl and add the shredded cheese and crushed taco chips. Mix well.

Mix-Dry-Ingredients

** Tip: Put your taco chips in to a large baggie to crush them to prevent your hands from turning orange.

Put-taco-chips-in-a-bag-to-crush-them

Add the ground beef right before serving and put garnishes on top. The garnishes are completely optional and can be played around with depending on the taste you prefer.

** Note: If you are serving the Walking Tacos in a “bar” style, leave everything separate and have guests choose the desired amounts of each ingredient they’d like on their walking tacos. You can also forget the plates altogether and serve the Walking Tacos in individual snack size chip bags.

Enjoy!

Walking-Tacos-Finished

How to Replace a Faucet in Six Easy Steps

Posted on June 21, 2012 in Daily Money Tip, frugal living 0 comments

Last week I shared a post about this new DIY resource from Walmart called Projects Made Simple.  The website has super easy to watch videos to help you get DIY projects done.  You can also print the instructions and list of needed materials for each project.

So I went ahead and completed one of the projects.  We wanted to update the fixtures in our bathroom.  So we started with replacing the faucets in our bathroom. The faucet we chose was a bit more complicated to install than the one depicted on the website because it had three separate pieces but the concept is the same.

Six Easy steps:

Get Your materials ready:

Clean up the area and turn off the water:

Remove the Old Faucet

Apply Sealant and place Faucet

Secure the locknuts

Connect Lift Rod and Drain

Sit back and enjoy your work

If you have a faucet that is all in one piece like the one on the Projects Made Simple Video then it is an even simpler project.  This past weekend we also stained our deck and let me tell you it feels like we have a brand new deck!  Check out how nice it looks:

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. As a member of the Walmart Moms, Walmart has provided me with compensation for my time to test out this service and facilitate this review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

How to Keep Your Grill Clean

Posted on June 13, 2012 in Daily Money Tip, frugal living 0 comments

[easyazon-image-link asin="B0045UBB72" alt="Weber 6570001 Genesis S-330 Liquid Propane Gas Grill, Stainless Steel" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41EXj91StWL.jpg" align="center" width="250" height="207"]

This past Sunday I decided it was time to clean our grill. Did you know that according to the annual Weber GrillWatch Survey, 38 percent of grill owners say they clean their grill only once to a few times a year. So, when was the last time you cleaned your grill?

The best way to clean your grill is by keeping it clean. Yes, just do a little bit of work every time you use it and you will make it easier on you. So, how do you keep your grill clean? Do the following after each use:

  • Remove cooked food and turn flame to low
  • Brush the grates with a grill brush for a few seconds, turn off burners, let them cool
  • Then spray the surface with vegetable oil, which loosens more food from the grates.
  • If you have a cast iron grate brush on some oil with a paper towel to keep your grate in proper shape and avoid rusting.

At least once a year do a deep cleaning of the grill: Here is a tip I found: use a putty knife to scrape away old residue. Clean the fat dripping tray. I used baking soda to cut through all that grease very easily. Also, you can get ten of these Weber Aluminum Drip Pans for $6 from Amazon. I just covered the original tray with a double coat of heavy duty aluminum foil for now.

Free DIY Classes with Projects Made Simple (Learn from the Comfort of your Home)

Posted on June 12, 2012 in Daily Money Tip, frugal living 0 comments

I love Spring and Summer because it is the time to get stuff done around the house.  I have to say that I am lucky enough that my husband does a lot of stuff around here.  But that doesn’t mean that I can’t do stuff myself.  Our list of projects at the time is so long that I am having to chip in and help my husband.

Home improvement is not my expertise BUT I do love learning.  If you are not a DIYer yourself you too can learn to become one.  Walmart has put together a new section on their website with steps, tips and tools to help you get projects done.  At Projects Made Simple you can watch videos with step by step instructions to help you replace a ceiling fan, stain a deck, paint a room repair a wall, replace a faucet and more. You also get a detailed list of the materials you need so you do not miss anything.

Detailed instructions make for no mistakes!  If I can do it you can do it too! Stop waiting (or paying) for someone else to get stuff done around the house and learn to do it yourself and save money that way.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. As a member of the Walmart Moms, Walmart has provided me with compensation for my time to test out this service and facilitate this review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Melissa’s CVS and Pathmark’s Hauls

Posted on April 29, 2012 in Daily Money Tip, frugal living

I love it when a reader emails me to share her shopping hauls. Here are Melissa’s at CVS and Pathmark:

CVS Haul

Melissa says: I paid $0.50 for each dawn and $0.50 for each toothpaste. I also used extra bucks! So for these 24 dawns and 8 toothpastes I paid less than $10!!!

Dawn Dish Liquid $0.99
Use $0.25/1 Dawn 04/01/2012 P&G Insert (exp 04/30/2012)
Pay $0.74 each after coupon

Colgate Toothpaste $2.99, Get $2.49 ECB when you buy one
MaxClean SmartFoam, MaxWhite or MaxFresh
Use $1/1 Colgate Max Fresh Toothpaste, 4 oz+ CVS, Reinventing Beauty (exp 05/30/2012)
Use $0.50/1 Colgate Toothpaste, exp. 5/19/12 (SS 04/29/12)
As low as FREE plus overage after coupon and ECB

Pathmark Haul

Melissa says: “I paid $1.25 for each purex in Pathmark and I paid $1.00 for each suavitel softener at CVS”

Great way to stock up Melissa!  You too can share your shopping hauls with the rest of us.  Just use this contact form to send me an email.  We love pics so don’t forget to take at least one of them!

Save Time and Money: Make Your Own Preformed Frozen Burger Patties

Posted on April 23, 2012 in Daily Money Tip, frugal living 8 comments

I love convenience but I do not like to pay for it. Last summer we had the chance to buy pre-formed burger patties for cheap and I got used to them. It was great to just take them out of the freezer and put them in the grill for a quick dinner of burgers at home. So this year I decided to make them myself.

This is my trial: I bought 6lbs or burger meat and used this KitchenArt 18000 Adjust-A-Burger Press to make the burger patties.

I put the patties on parchment paper lined cookie sheets and put them in the freezer to flash freeze.

Once they were frozen I vacuum sealed them using my trusty Foodsaver.  I frozen them in sets of 4  and also sets of two, just because sometimes we only need two.  Other times we need four and other times we need six.  So this gives us flexibility.

As you can see, not really rocket science.  But with a little bit of time invested doing this one Saturday afternoon, I can have the convenience of just pulling burgers from the freezer and throwing them on the grill for a quick meal solution.  I also bought froze some marinated chicken breasts.  Just bought the chicken breasts (manager’s special sale, woot!) and put them in a freezer ziploc bag and pour over them some cheap wishbone Italian and Raspberry Vinaigrette dressings I picked up cheap months ago.  I froze them flat because it makes them easier to defrost.  We usually start grilling the burgers frozen but not the chicken breasts.

That’s my time saving experiment of the week!  What time saving ideas have hit YOU recently?

High Protein Shamrock Shake Recipe

Posted on February 28, 2012 in Daily Money Tip, frugal living 7 comments

I got the idea for this High Protein Shamrock Shake Recipe as I was driving past McDonald’s.  Even though Shamrock shakes are available at every McDonald’s this year I won’t be indulging in any.  So, how I got to think about how I could make my own healthier green shake.

Original DIY Shamrock Shake Recipe:  (350 calories, 9.6 grams of protein)

2 cups vanilla ice cream or 2 cups soy ice cream
1 ¼ cups 2% low-fat milk or 1 ¼ cups soymilk
¼ teaspoon mint extract
8 drops green food coloring

My Own Healthier Recipe (Calories 430, 49 grams of protein*)

1 cup organic greek yogurt (23 grams of Protein *)
1 Scoop Vanilla Ice cream flavored whey protein another (22 grams of protein*)
1/2 cup of milk (4 grams of protein)
2 packets of Truvia
1 cup of fresh Spinach
To make it, just blend it all in the blender.  You can add crushed ice if you want a thicker consistency.

So, I will admit that my shake did not taste like vanilla ice cream.  More like vanilla yogurt smoothie.  But it was a nice variation from my regular protein shakes and it was a nice way to sneak in a lot of spinach in my diet.

Variations: You can try just adding one cup of whey powder to the recipe using two cups of ice cream.  That will add some extra protein.  Or do one cup of ice cream and one cup of greek yogurt for another variation.

* Nutritional values estimated based on labels from products I used on my recipe.

Inexpensive Kids Class Valentine’s Day Party Tips

Posted on February 9, 2012 in Daily Money Tip, frugal living 1 comment

Look who is showing up your latest Snackpicks newsletter!  Yep, that’s me, just in case you didn’t know how I looked like :-)   Stop over the Snackpicks website to check out my tip for saving money on Class Valentine’s day treats.

Plus don’t forget to check out the latest Kelloggs printable coupons available on the Snackpicks website:

$1/2 packages of Keebler® and/or Sunshine® Multi-Packs
$1/2 Keebler® Club® Crackers
$1/2 Keebler® and/or Sunshine® 100 Calorie Right Bites® Snacks
$1/2 Keebler® Town House® Crackers
$1/1 Deli Item when you purchase any ONE Keebler® Club® Crackers
$1/1 Cream Cheese when you purchase any ONE Keebler® Toasteds® Crackers

and more!

15 Ways to Save Money on a Walt Disney World Vacation

Posted on January 24, 2012 in Daily Money Tip, frugal living 3 comments

The following is a post by Erin Gifford from the Blog Kidventurous a family travel blog.

Many of us dream about taking our kids to Walt Disney World to see Mickey, Minnie, Tinkerbell and Cinderella. Dollar signs may begin to flash before your eyes as you think about a trip to see the most famous mouse in the world, but never fear, it’s easier than ever to save money on a trip to Walt Disney World. Take a look at my 15 favorite tips to have the trip of your dreams without breaking the bank.

When to Go & What to Bring

Go During Value Season: For the best rates, plan your trip for off-peak months: September, October, November (before Thanksgiving), December (before Christmas) and January. Avoid Spring Break at all costs unless you want to spend all day every day in ride lines.

Bring Your Own Ponchos: It’s Florida and there will be pop-up storms at some point, if not every day. Before your trip, head to the Dollar Store for a cheap poncho to keep you dry. No need to spend $10 on a poncho once you’re at the park.

Wear Shoes that Stay on Your Feet: Choose shoes that are both comfortable and stay on your feet. Crocs are cute, but my two-year-old son kicked one off somewhere at Animal Kingdom and we ended up spending $35 on a new pair. Not cool.

Buy Souvenirs Ahead of Time: Head to Walmart, DisneyOutlet.com or even eBay for cheap princess dresses, t-shirts and pins to bring with you, but let your kids buy one souvenir in the park.

Where to Stay

Choose a Vacation Rental: When we went to Walt Disney World in November we rented a house in Kissimmee, which was less than 10 minutes from the parks. It had a game room, a pool and separate bedrooms, which was perfect. This is also ideal if you’re traveling with another family.

Book a Hotel Room On-Property: Package deals are aplenty, enabling you to get a package of hotel, park tickets and dining for less than you would by getting each one individually. Look for Special Offers on the Walt Disney World website and track #WaltDisneyWorld on Twitter for great deals.

Look to Groupon Getaways for Hotel Deals: If you’re planning to stay in a hotel, sign up to receive emails from Groupon. I’ve seen several deals to save 40-60% at both the Hilton Garden Inn Lake Buena Vista and the Nickelodeon Suites Resort.

Going to the Parks

Buy Park Hopper Tickets: Don’t limit yourself to going to only one park per day. We’ve been to Walt Disney World twice, and both times, we’d go to one park in the morning, take a nap, swim, then go to another park. It’s a lot less stressful to know you can go to any park on any day.

Choose a 10-Day No-Expiration Pass: If you think you’ll be back to Walt Disney World again, buy a 10-day pass with the no expiration option. This offers the least expensive per-day rate and it never expires, so hold onto it and come back next year (or the year after that).

Bring Your Own Stroller: Sure, there are definitely people who tell you to rent a stroller on-property, but I’m not one of those people. When we went to Walt Disney World two years ago I bought an $89 double-umbrella stroller. For what I paid I could have gotten to use a Disney stroller for only three days.

Get the Apps: While not purely a money-saving tip, get apps to help you navigate the parks. They’ll tell you ride wait times, parade and show times, and even crowd forecasts to help you figure out which park to go to on which day. Saving time equals more valuable park time and is worthwhile to me.

What to Eat

Pack a Suitcase Full of Food: Take an extra suitcase and fill it with breakfast cereals, juice boxes, granola bars, cookies, oatmeal packets, paper plates, plastic bags and utensils. No question you’ll save above and beyond the $50 you may spend on checked bag fees. Just be wary of the weight limit.

Ask for a Fridge: Not all rooms come with a refrigerator, so if you’re staying in a hotel, make sure to ask for one. This is ideal for saving milk for cereal or bottled waters to take into the park each day.

Use the Coffee Maker to Make Hot Cereal: Nearly all rooms will have coffee makers, so you can easily use them to heat water for hot cereals, like oatmeal and Cream of Wheat.

Make Lunch the Biggest Meal of the Day: Avoid counter service restaurants between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. They get so busy. Instead eat around 2:30 for fewer crowds, and then have a small snack or dessert at dinnertime. Not only will you save money, but you’ll feel better going to bed not quite so full.

I could go on and on with tips on how to save money on a Walt Disney World vacation, but I’d love to hear a few of your favorite money-saving tips. Leave a few in the comments or reach out to me directly on my family travel blog, Kidventurous.

Erin Gifford is a mother of four who loves, loves taking the kids to Walt Disney World. She has a family travel blog, Kidventurous, which was recently chosen as the Best Family Travel blog by Parents magazine. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter for family travel advice and deals.

Gifts to Help Save Money

Posted on December 22, 2011 in Daily Money Tip, frugal living 0 comments

I just wanted to share this article with you from Forbes that shares gifts that help people save money.  Among the items mentioned are:

  • Programmable Thermostat
  • Reusable Shopping bags

Those were great suggestions I thought but I would like to add some:

  • A Sunday newspaper subscription: to get insert coupons delivered to that person.

Now it’s your turn, what other gift ideas would you add to this list?

 

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