Checkout 51

Last week my friend introduced me to a new app. She knows how much I like making grocery lists and saving money!

With the new app, Checkout 51, you get  coupons, but instead of saving money instantly, the savings are added to your Checkout 51 profile. 

Once your total savings reaches $20, you can select "Cash Out" and Checkout 51 will send you a check. 

Step 1: Create an account using your email address or sign in using Facebook. 

Step 2: View savings for the week. New discounts start on Thursdays and end on Wednesdays.

Step 3: Go grocery shopping 

Step 4: Upload your receipt using your camera phone and select the items you purchased from the discount list. 

Step 5: Submit your receipt for processing. 

Step 6: Repeat until it's time to cash out!

Have you discovered any new money saving apps lately? 

How do you save money on groceries?

Where Did All the Money Go?

   Goodbudget 

An important part of saving is budgeting.  Budgeting means setting savings goals and knowing exactly where and what you spend your money on. There are many ways to budget and track spending including: keeping cash in envelopes and locking up your cards, writing it down on paper, using an Excel spreadsheet, or tracking spending through a computer- based or mobile app. 

I  noticed that Mint always gets lots of attention and recommendations as a personal finance application, but I never wanted to use it because I don't like the idea of one website having access to all of my financial information.

So today I would like to feature a great app that I use called Goodbudget, (formerly known as EEBA Easy Envelope Budget App).

This app uses the idea of putting cash in envelopes without actually going to the ATM and hiding your debit card. What I like about it most is that creating an account and connecting it to your bank account is optional - you do not have to enter any banking information as it is not tied to your accounts in any way. This means that it is up to you to honestly record your transactions, but to me this is preferred over the risk of account information being hacked.

Here are some basic instructions about how it works:

1: Enter your monthly income

2: Select categories

3: Allocate an amount to each category

4: Fill “envelopes”

5: Record Transactions

The app will show you how much is remaining in each category. If you are potentially getting close to overspending, it tells you the number of days you need to stop spending based on an average daily amount.

 

And of course there’s the cartoon envelope friend who frowns and smiles accordingly.

Have you tried Goodbudget? What did you think? How do you track your spending?

Restaurant at Home: Italian

For New Year's Eve, our family celebrated at an Italian restaurant downtown. The walls are cluttered with antique looking photos and memorabilia reminiscent of decorations that might be in someone's home. The large portion sizes also reinforce the idea that you should enjoy the experience with family and friends

 

           This Colossal Brownie Sunday sits about a foot tall on the table and literally feeds a family of 4!


The food was delicious and inspired me to try to make one of the pasta dishes (but in a much smaller portion size).

Try out this Baked Ziti recipe:

2 serving dinner:

1/3 box of ziti

4oz of pasta sauce

1cup Italian blend shredded cheese

1 tbsp. fresh or freeze-dried basil

1/8 tsp. garlic

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Cook pasta following directions on box

Spray a baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and preheat oven to 375 degrees

Drain pasta, mix with pasta sauce and 1/2cup of the shredded cheese

Cover with aluminum foil and cook for 20 minutes 

Uncover, top with the other 1/2 cup of shredded cheese and the mixed spices

Cook for 5 more minutes

Serve and enjoy!

Featured On:

Free Fitness

Exercise in the comfort of your own living room with free workout routines on YouTube. 

Get fit and beach ready with the Tone it Up girls. In the middle of a cold winter, it's fun to pretend you are somewhere sunny when you see the beautiful beach backdrop!

There are many workouts that do not require any equipment, but these cute purple hand weights were on sale for $5.50 each at Target. 

Out With the Old, In With the New

The start of a new year can be refreshing. It makes us reflect on the past year and hopeful about the future. It is also a time to clean out my closet to make room for new styles. Donating your gently used fashions to an organization like Goodwill before the end of the year is an opportunity for an itemized tax deduction (and other thrifty girls may be happy to find the outfits you give away!)

                 Happy New Year!

Mocha Iced Coffee (Mommy's Make-Over)

3 cups of coffee

3 cups of skim milk

3-4 packets of Splenda

3-4 tablespoons of chocolate syrup

Not exactly guilt-free but calorie and cost saving!

Make your own Mocha Iced Coffee

Starting the day with an iced coffee helps me start the work day with energy, but stopping at a coffee shop daily can really add up! I recently started making my own iced coffee to bring in reusable plastic cups. 

I "Boiler Up" with my iced coffee at work

If you don't cheer for Purdue :(

I found this sparkly cup for $3 at Super Target

Iced Mocha Recipe:

3 cups of coffee (brew with a coffee maker)

3 cups of milk

1/4 cup of sugar

1/3 cup of chocolate syrup

Stir, store in the refrigerator and serve over ice

Remember to shake the pitcher each time before serving to blend in the chocolate

Enjoy!