A Notebook in Hand (Frugality Tips)

While on vacation, my husband and I have been (trying) to keep track of all that we spend. Keeping a small notebook and pen or pencil in your handbag is a very cheap and easy way to keep track of where your money is really going. Then later, you can input that information into a spreadsheet or your budget program at home on the computer.

Oftentimes when we spend, we have no idea where all of that money went to. Try this idea today and you'll have a clearer idea of where your money goes, and then know where you need to cut back.

Free Purina Cat or Dog Food - Fabulous Freebie (Frugal Pets)

Purina ONE is offering a coupon for a free 1.8 kg bag of cat food or a large bag of dog food. Yes, this is ABSOLUTELY free! :) This is a great quality pet food, so definitely take advantage of this offer. All you need to do is sign up at:
http://www.purina.ca (for Canadians) - you'll see a box on the right for this free pet food offer.

I'm sure your cats or dogs will thank you.

Copycat Starbucks & Tim Hortons Recipes

If, like me, you LOVE a great cup of coffee, but not the pricetag attached, then please hop over to my Coffee Creations blog: http://coffeecreations.blogspot.com
I'm always searching for new coffee recipes and have recently posted a copycat Tim Hortons Ice Cap recipe, Starbucks Frappuccino recipe & more! :) Is it just me, or we all on an exceptional caffeine rush? YEEEEEEEE!

Frugal Food: Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Make Your Own Chocolate Syrup
Some of the loveliest things happen when you mess up a recipe. :) For instance - today I had a sudden INTENSE craving for chocolate. (Aren't ALL chocolate cravings intense, though? At least mine sure are...) Anyway, I thought: "I'll make some of that chocolate fudge I love."

I only wanted to make a half batch, so I halved all of the ingredients in the recipe EXCEPT (by mistake) for the milk. I kept boiling and boiling and wondered why it wasn't getting to soft-ball stage. :) Duh!

Anyway, I was left with a really gorgeous velvety chocolate sauce/chocolate syrup. It's sweet enough but not overly sweet, which I really love. Here's the recipe for this MISTAKE which turned into a wonderful thing:

1/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cups sugar
few pinches of salt
1 1/2 cups of milk
about 1/2 tsp vanilla

In a heavy large saucepan, combine the cocoa, sugar and salt together well. Add the milk and stir with a wooden spoon to blend. Over medium-low heat, heat the mixture until it's boiling. I boiled for about 10 minutes and ended up with a really nice, velvety textured sauce. :)

Store in a covered container in the fridge. Would also be fantastic in a glass of milk for easy chocolate milk OR used as a dessert sauce on plain cheesecake. YUM!

Frugal Fun: Great Deals on Books at BookCloseouts.com

I've shopped at BookCloseouts.com many a time - you can get a fantastic bargain there, especially when you're armed with these new coupon codes to save even more:


BookCloseouts.com is based out of St. Catherines and usually has some pretty good deals. Shipping is pretty reasonable too. One thing to note is that some books aren’t in ‘new’ condition. They’re great for children’s books.

Coupon #1: Deal: Get $5 off an order of $25 or more Coupon code: 5off25 Coupon password: bookcloseouts Expires: May 15, 2006

Coupon #2: Deal: Get $10 off an order of $50 or more Coupon code: 10off50 Coupon password: bookcloseouts Expires: May 15, 2006

Coupon #3: Deal: Get $20 off an order of $100 or more Coupon code: 20off100 Coupon password: bookcloseouts Expires: May 15, 2006

Found this frugalite delight on the RedFlagDeals.com site

Frugal Food: Free Milk Coupons

What's better than frugal? FREE! I just found out about this great deal for Canadians - free 2 liter milk coupons on selected cereal boxes. Apparently they've been spotted on Cheerios (both regular & Honey Nut - yum) and an assortment of other General Mill cereals. Canadian Frugalites - keep your eyes peeled for this bargain. :) This is definitely a coupon that is a great value!

Frugal Food: Walnut Squares

This is an old fashioned favorite squares recipe sent in by Debbie. It sounds REALLY good - and hey, very frugal at the same time. I'll look into this, but I'm pretty sure that walnuts and other nuts can be frozen to preserve them -- so when you see them on sale at the store, buy a few extra bags. :) In this recipe it really is only the walnuts that are pricey: everything else (flour, egg, brown sugar, salt, baking soda) is very inexpensive.

"This is a recipe handed down from my grandmother to my mother and to me. Our family has been making them for years. A chewy cookie and mmm so good."

Walnut Squares

Beat until foamy - 1 egg
Beat in: 1 cup brown sugar
1/2 t. vanilla

Sift together and stir in:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. soda
Mix in:
1 cup chopped walnuts

Spread in well greased 8" square pan.
Bake until top has dull crust.
Cut into squares while still warm.
Cool, then remove from pan
Bake 325* 25-30 minutes

Make Money with a Garage Sale This Month!

So, maybe you're REALLY strapped for cash. Or, having become one with your new frugalite ways, you DON'T want to pull out that credit card unless it's necessary. Trying to think up some new ways to scrape together a bit of cash?

Have a garage sale!

You could even have a friends & family sale where you get a few of your friends and/or family members in on the action - so that you have lots of goodies to sell! Just be sure to carefully label items with different colored labels - each person will be assigned a label color. And, when people pay, keep track of who bought what so at the end of the day the money can be divvied up correctly among everyone. :)

I've heard of people making anywhere from $300-$1000 or more in a day or two! Watch upcoming weather reports and plan to have the sale on a nice weekend - if it turns ugly, you can always host it in your garage OR push it ahead a week.

Frugal Food: Homemade Lemonade (Make Your Own)

Here's another refreshing summertime drink that you DON'T need to make with a mix! :) When lemons go on sale, stock up and enjoy this with lots of ice and maybe a sprig of mint. You'll never go back to the other kind of lemonade again!


Lemonade
4 lemons
1 c. sugar
6 c. water
Directions:
Cut the lemons in half and squeeze out all of the juice you can, removing seeds. Pour juice into a large pitcher.
Add 1 cup of sugar and half of the water, stirring to dissolve sugar completely.
Add remaining water and pour into glasses filled with ice. Add a slice of lemon to the rim for a pretty garnish.

For TONS of recipes, visit http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net

Make Your Own: Easy Homemade Iced Tea Recipe

Don't rely on those (icky tasting) mixes or pricey frozen iced tea concentrates any longer! It's easy to make your own iced tea! Check out this simple recipe for a perfect cuppa cold refreshment...

http://www.cooksrecipes.com/beverage/perfect-brewed-iced-tea-recipe.html

REALLY cheap & easy. :) We frugalites LOVE both of those qualities. What would you guys say this would cost to make? Maybe $0.30 or $0.40 a pitcher - a bit more if you like to toss in a few fresh lemon slices. YUM! Enjoy, frugalites.

Frugal Cleaning: Easy & Cheap Carpet Stain Remover

It only takes two simple ingredients and this stuff works well on most any carpet stains! Give it a try:
http://www.kitchencraftsnmore.net/carpetstainremover.html

The Definition of a Frugalite

Definition of a Frugalite: One who is frugal, yet fun. A person who wants to save as much of their hard earned cash as possible - but in creative ways. A person who sees this frugality mission as a challenge, a goal to attain - not a miserable way of life.

Oh, so you're a frugalite? Well then, welcome home!