Search Results for: plus size

10 Ways to Get A Better Price on Purchases

Ever since I went on my journey as a more frugal living mom, I have been looking for any way to save money. I am always amazed by how easy it is to get discounts if you know how to do so. I hardly ever pay full price for most things that I don’t have to. I look back to my pre-frugal days and can’t believe I paid as much as I did for things and laugh at my excuses I made to continue to do so.

purse1-2

When I went frugal, I thought it meant that I would have to give up on the things I loved and live even more restricted. What is really funny about that line of thinking is, I actually live better now and appreciate more.

What are some ways you can get a better price on things you buy? Here are 15 ways I use to get a better deal. Keep in mind that these won’t work on everything, but it’s always worth a shot if you think they will.

1) Coupons-while this is an obvious money saver, many people, including myself at one point, thought this was not worth the time it takes to hunt them down. Really, I spend less than 30 minutes per week and have saved at least a thousand dollars in the last 6 months on everything from groceries to oil changes.

2) Take surveys- Many companies now are asking their customers to take service surveys to get free products or a percentage off of a purchase. I have gotten free combo meals, Free oil changes, half off tires and even free loads of laundry at the laundry mat by completing these 5-10 minute surveys. They are definitely worth the time.

3) Ask- It never hurts to ask for a discount. Especially if you are haggling with a thrift store or a yard sale. Plus many places offer discounts for students, seniors and AAA members.

4) Look for items that might get you a discount and find the person in charge. See meat that is about to expire? Ask the butcher department’s manager to discount it for you.

5) Join rewards programs- It is so common to find rewards programs at everywhere from grocery stores to restaurants. Use them. The points add up and can mean savings on gas and merchandise.

6) Buy online- Usually, stores run online exclusive sales that you can’t get in-store. Just sign up for newsletters to your favorite stores and be notified when a sale is going on.

7) Shop for next year- Buy clothes at end of season sales for a deep discount for next year. Need a new grill for next summer? Now is the time to buy it, while it is discounted.

8) Watch the register for errors- Many stores will give you the item for free if it scans incorrectly. At the very least, you will not be overcharged.

9) Buy off the “scratch and dent” rack- These items may be ugly, but are perfectly usable. I have twice now bought flour that had a small tear in the bag and was taped up in this section of the store for less than half price. I got some expensive cat litter for cheaper than the price of the cheap-o cat litter as well.

10) Know what is in season. For a great post on shopping for produce in season, check out this one.

What is your favorite way to get a good deal?

 

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

ThredUp is opening a New Women’s Store!

When I come across good deals and news in the shopping forefront, I like to share them!

Have you ever used thredUp for buying and selling your children’s clothing? Now there will be a women’s clothing store run by the same company!

clothing1

It hasn’t had it’s grand opening yet, but can you tell I am super excited? The best part is, for every person you refer to the site right now, you can get $5 credit to use in the store when it opens!

If you haven’t heard of thredUp, let me tell you a bit about this cool shop. You can buy name brand, high quality used clothing for your kids (and soon yourself!) at major discounts! Think: going to the Goodwill looking for those needle in a haystack brand names without the hunting. All the clothing is free of defects and must meet the high quality standards for thredUp. It is like a consignment shop online and the best part is, you can make money selling your own items on the site!

Come join me on the newest online shop by clicking on this link and signing up so you will know when the shop opens, plus you will get your own referral link so you can get credit as well!

 

 

Photo © Crystalfoto | Dreamstime Stock Photos & Stock Free Images

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Most Wearable Spring Fashion for Busy Moms 2013

I have always loved fashion trends, even if they have always been my own. 😉 Lately, I have been loving the trend of leggings, tunics and sweaters, given the weather here, but as Spring approaches, it is time to freshen up what I have been wearing and give it a new look.

Dressing when you are a mom who is pressed for time and needs clothes that work with the demands of being a mom can be a challenge.I have picked my favorite and most wearable trends from the UK and US to stick to this Spring to add a burst of newness to your spring wardrobe!*

One top trend all over the runways is blazers. When scouring the internet for the best deals, I have come to find that some of my favorite blazers are from New Look. They have the most up to date styles at very awesome prices. I am really in love with the lighter pastel colors! They can really make an outfit shine if you don’t over-do them. A blazer is a perfect way to add that pop of color. That is certinally refreshing! Plus, don’t forget the hot trend of blazers in all white!

blazer

On top of blazers, some new trends that are popping up everywhere are animal prints. I have always loved animal prints and I am so happy to see these coming back. My favorite way to wear them is with a manicure or even a cute clutch. I think with animal prints, it is best to stick with small accessories as to not look like, you, yourself belong in the zoo!

clutch

Additionally, one of my favorite trends is monochrome plaid patterns. I have a gray and black black men’s button-down that I have been wearing and I am loving the way it looks paired with just about anything from leggings to jeans and I am sure it would go great with the right pair of shorts!

I personally love the trend in pumps this season. Low heel and wedges are in and my feet are very thankful! I admit, I am one of the strange women who never really learned how to walk in heels properly, so I avoid really tall ones to begin with so it makes me very happy to know my low heeled pumps will be in style this season! Pumps are a perfect way to also bring in the other trends like pastels and animal prints in subtle ways to any outfit as well.

wedge3

With the warmer weather approaching, it is time to also think about ditching those long pants. The latest and most trendy look for this spring is Bermuda shorts. I love this look so much! It is not only practical for moms, but modest and feminine as well! Bermuda Style shorts also go wonderfully with a blazer and heels. Take a day look to a night look instantly!

I hope you are looking forward to adding some new styles to your wardrobe and coming out of the winter chill as much as I am! By the way, since I loved the blazers so much at New Look, I also wanted to point out that all the trends pictured here are also from the site as well. Happy shopping for your favorite trends this season!

 

 

 

*I was compensated for writing this post. Although I was compensated, all opinions are my own.

 

Warm Clam Chowder {Recipe}

I don’t “do” canned soup. I am kind of a soup snob, admittedly. I learned how to make my own soup when I attended Culinary Arts school and haven’t looked back. In fact, the only canned soup you will see me buying is for cooking in other recipes such as cream of mushroom.

I don’t understand why more people do not make their own soups. It really is so simple to do and you won’t believe how amazing it tastes! Plus, its so much cheaper to make. This recipe made enough for about 10 large bowls of soup and it cost me less than $12. So that is a couple meals for us. Maybe you, too, will never go back to canned soups?

One of my favorite soups has always been clam chowder. Of course, a lot of people can’t get past the texture of clams, but I don’t mind them at all as long as they are in soup. Too bad I am on a diet. ( :( )

Let’s get started, shall we?

 

For this Clam Chowder Recipe, you will need:

  • 2 cans of clams
  • About 4-5 lbs of potatoes
  • 2 large cartons of Chicken soup stock
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup milk or cream
  • Seasonings: Thyme, chives, salt, white pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and I like to put curry in mine as well

 

To make Clam Chowder:

  • Start by peeling your potatoes and cubing them into bite sized chunks.

100_3333

 

  • Add HALF of them to a pot filled with your chicken stock and simmer for approx 15 minutes or until soft but not mushy.

100_3332

 

  • Add clams to the mix. Do not drain the clams as you want the clam juice in the soup for flavor. Also add the bacon at this time and stir in.

100_3336

100_3338

  • Add the other half of your potatoes to the pot and bring to a low boil. Add seasonings to taste. Try playing around with some new ones. I like thyme, basil, curry, onion powder and garlic powder and always use salt and pepper!
  • Make a roux out and add it to your soup. ( For a refresher, a roux is equal parts butter and equal parts flour. You add the butter to a pan, allow it to melt and then slowly add the flour and stir until it resembles wet sand. To add it to your soup, add it slowly while whisking it in. This is how you thicken your soup from a broth to a thick soup)

100_3339

  • Slowly whisk in your cream/milk. Allow to simmer another 10 or so minutes.

Enjoy!

 

Ology-New at Walgreens!

I frequently shop at Walgreens because I love how you can get a good bargain on household supplies there (not to mention makeup, toys and food!). I noticed a month or so back, they have a new brand of products there called Ology. The Ology line of products is a green line of paper products, cleaners, laundry soap,conditioner for your hair and even light bulbs!

What really impressed me was the price. As a bargain hunter, I am always looking for a good sale. Ology allows me to buy green products at a very reasonable price and with the Balance Rewards program there, I was able to not only get a ton of great Ology products on sale, but also some FREE!

I decided to try a variety from the Ology line at Walgreens to see which ones I liked best.

Ology Line

I got “paper” towels (made from Bamboo and sugar cane husk!), Bath Tissue (also made from bamboo and sugar cane husk), All Purpose Cleaner, Face Tissues (again, made from bamboo and sugar cane husk) and Conditioner (white pear and cucumber).

All the “paper” products are bio-degradable and bleached with H202, not chlorine bleach.

Pros:

I LOVED the way the conditioner smelled! It was awesome that it was Sulfate ad Paraben free, as well as not tested on animals. The bottle was 100% post consumer waste. This was also a huge plus for me! I absolutely loved the all purpose cleaner! It smelled so nice and I am so happy it is so safe and harmful chemical free yet it cleans amazing! I will be buying this again. It is such a great value.

Cons:

The “Paper” products were honestly disappointing. I don’t use paper towels too often, and opt for reusable rags, but they tore too easily and didn’t absorb much. The toilet tissue was rough on the skin and was used up too quickly. I didn’t find that the conditioner worked any better than the kind I already use and of the other items, it was a bit pricier than I would normally pay.

Verdict:

Stay away from the paper products if you are looking for a good absorbancy or hate rough toilet tissue. Definitely buy the all purpose spray!

To purchase:

Head over to you local Walgreens Store for these products and more from Ology! Some of the items are available online, but many are not.

 

Make Your Own Hot Cocoa Mix

With winter fast approaching, kiddies and adults alike love to indulge in a favorite: Hot Cocoa!

Hot Cocoa was first made when Holland made cocoa powder from the beans. Did you know that hot cocoa was made and enjoyed even before chocolate bars? Traditional hot cocoa is made with milk but you can mix this easy mix with milk or water, although I personally like warmed milk better.

Don’t spend money on the store bought type when you can make much more at home for [Read more…]

{Guest Blogger} ‘Not Tuna’ Noodle Casserole‏

Todays Guest blogger is Liberty from Naturally Frugalicious!

In our family we eat predominately vegetarian. Several of my children are vegetarian by their own choice and much to my omnivore husband’s chagrin, I prefer a mostly vegetarian diet as well. Thankfully a Veggie diet is also frugal in nature so I get away with serving my die-hard meat eating husband more meatless meals than not.

Being a busy mom, I am always on the hunt for easy recipes that can feed my family without keeping me in the kitchen for hours (though admittedly, I do like to put on a good spread from time to time for our friends and family). Casseroles meet this need and typically are very inexpensive to throw together.

One of our busy day favorites is a mock tuna casserole. You don’t really miss the canned tuna (who would really?) and this recipe leaves room for interpretation and use of healthier or vegan ingredients.

If you don’t live in a vegetarian household this may be a great way to implement Meatless Mondays with your family.

'Not Tuna' Noodle Casserole Recipe

‘Not Tuna’ Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:
  • 1 - 12 oz bag of egg noodles
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
  • 10 oz baby Portabella mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 - 16 oz carton Portabella mushroom soup**
  • 8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 - 15 oz can garbanzo beans, drained
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 Tbs nutritional yeast
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
  • ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
Directions:
  1. Heat oven to 375ºF. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. In a stock pot over high heat, bring 4-6 quarts of water to boil. When water comes to full boil, prepare egg noodles according to package directions. Drain and place back in the pot, setting aside.
  3. While noodles are cooking, add the EVOO in a saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and mushrooms. Saute the vegetables until the mushrooms begin to release their juices; about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat.
  4. In a food processor, add the garbanzo beans and parsley, pulse until they’re chopped into small pieces. Add the soup, nutritional yeast and mayo. Pulse until blended. At this stage, taste the mixture, add salt and pepper to taste. Add in the egg and pulse until well blended.
  5. Pour the garbanzo bean mixture into the egg noodles. Add in the cheese and vegetables and stir until well combined.
  6. Spoon the noodle mixture into prepared 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Sprinkle the Panko breadcrumbs on top of noodle casserole for the crust.
  7. Bake for 45 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

**If you can’t find the soup in a 16 oz size container, you can substitute with a can of cream of mushroom soup and a little bit of water or milk/non-dairy creamer if you find it needs a little bit more liquid.

Give this vegetarian ‘Not Tuna’ Noodle Casserole recipe a try and be sure to let us know what you think!

 

Liberty Ann is a photographer extraordinaire, life coach, and blogger who has a sometimes snarky and irreverent approach to life. Her personal blog, Naturally Frugalicious, offers perspectives on healthy eating and frugal living through recipes, tips, and DIY projects. When she isn’t blogging or elbow deep in her photography, Liberty can be found drinking a glass of wine and getting lost in Pinterest.

She can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and Google+, as is Naturally Frugalicious.

Send the one you love a Flying Card!

It’s amazing what you can send through the mail. I heard once, you could send a flip-flop through the mail, but I have yet to try it, myself.

One company is getting creative with the idea of steering away from the typical card in an envelope.

SendAFlyingCard.com is changing the way you send greetings through the mail with their flying disc “card”!

I was given one try see from start to finish how the process works. They sent it to me via USPS and it came very fast. It was hand delivered to me. I love that it has my header on it (or whaqt used to be my header!) This is one keepsake I will have for a while!

There are lots of colors to choose from on the website, and you get to choose the greeting/picture on the front.

What is great about the disc greetings from SendAFlyingCard.com is they can be sent to P.O. Boxes and Military addresses FOR NO EXTRA CHARGE because shipping is always free for any address in the US!

With all the college students in my town constantly outside in teh warmer moths “playing disc”, I can’t imagine a better way to send a greeting to them!

This is such a unique idea. What a great gift for kids too because it is a toy as well as a greeting. Kids love personalized things as well. Right now, the flying greetings are only $9.99 , PLUS don’t forget free shipping!

Media Kit

 

header.jpgheader.jpg

A Brief Overview of Saved By Grace:

Saved By Grace is a blog that was started with the intention of connecting to others about the newest household products, recipes, food products, Christian Living articles, health, beauty, fashion and everyday living. It has grown to so much more than that to include a focus on diabetic living, frugal living and more. Saved By Grace was started by Christine Tolhurst as an outlet to the “outside world” in 2011. As a chef turned stay at home wife, she needed a place to connect with others. Christine is a 30-something married mother of one pre-teen daughter, living in Washington state with her cat and family. She and her family enjoy traveling, fishing, cooking, reading, and taking in the great outdoors.

I LOVE to do reviews! More and more consumers are turning to blog reviews of products before making a purchase and to find out about the newest items available on the market! Want a piece of the action? Talk to me! I love to work with awesome companies, large or small and do partnerships!

Contact me at borntimestwo@hotmail.com

 

blogpic1

 

Why should you advertize with me?

Did you know that according to a recent survey, women make up 85% of all consumer purchases? This includes everything from groceries (where they make up 93% !) to cars! My readership on Saved By Grace in nearly all women between the ages of 20-50, the largest consumer category. Every month, thousands of moms just like me are looking at this blog for ideas of how to do their makeup, new recipes and even what to purchase. You are missing out on these eyes seeing your product! Plus, advertizing on Saved By Grace is very low cost compared to many other ways to get the word out there. I offer the following ad types and most of these are customizable for you!

      • Side Bar Ads: These can be large or small and located above the fold (where people see it before even scrolling!) and below the fold. Prices range from $35 a month to $50 a month with deep discounts for paying for several months at a time!
      • Sponsored content. These are posts that tell my readers about your company and it’s products in an organic and natural way. These are PERMANENT ads on my blog. I do not erase them unless it is requested that I do by you. I get many people finding out about new products through my sponsored posts. I even have articles that were published a year or more ago that get search engine attention, still! Please note, these will always include a full disclosure per the FTC guidelines.Prices vary depending on how long the article is and how many links included. Prices range from $50- $150.
      • General Blog Sponsorship: Want your name at the bottom of my posts as a sponsor for a period of time? I do many posts that are not reviews of other companies. These “evergreen” posts can include a link to your company as a sponsor of my blog. At the end of a post, I will write, “This post was sponsored by XYZ company.” and a link to your company will be included. Prices range from $10-$40 depending on how long you want to sponsor my blogging.
      • Blog Conference Sponsorship: Want to be the star on my blog? The best way to do that is with a Conference Sponsorship! There are several tiers to choose from to fit many budgets. Sponsorship to a conference helps you because I make you the leading brand on my blog while I train to be the best I can be in my field! See my Sponsorship page for more details!

 

Reviews and Giveaways on Saved By Grace:

In order to effectively do a review, I require a product be sent to me to review and use. If you choose to also include a giveaway, your company would be given credit for sponsoring the giveaway, but I would handle all the details. I will set up the giveaway, pick a winner, contact the winner and forward the info to you for shipping. Please do not ship prizes here for giveaways.

The review product will not be returned.

Please note, I only accept full sized products with a retail value of $50 or more. My readers expect me to fully test a product so I can give an honest and unbiased review and that is very important to me. Please discuss before hand the size of the product you are sending as “sample” can mean different things to different folks. I can do a review of a product less than $50, but there will be a fee associated with it.

Please forward me any information you would like included in the review. I would like to spotlight your product and company as accurately as possible, so any information you have about your company or product really helps me do so.

There is no fee to do a review, however, the product sent must be worth at least $50 (either one product or a mix of products), unless it is a book or other type of media, BEFORE shipping costs. There are exceptions to this rule, please discuss prior to sending your product.

For giveaways with reviews, there is no fee for me to run a giveaway, but if you are not sending me a product to review, I will charge a small fee of $50. This is because giveaways require a lot of promotion and time on my part and if I am not reviewing a product, I ask that I be compensated monetarily for promotion. Giveaways typically run 1 week-10 days, but there can be changes made to accommodate your company’s needs.

For reviews, all links will be no-follow as per Google’s guidelines for paid links.

I give my 100% honest opinion, according to the FTC standards.

Most reviews are posted within a month of myself receiving the product. Often they are posted sooner. If your review is time sensitive, please discuss beforehand so I can accommodate you.

Please read my Expanded Review and Giveaway Policy for a breakdown of all policies.

 

Book Review Policy:

Currently, I am no longer accepting submissions for book reviews.

I review certain types of books. I do not, under any circumstance review novels or fiction. This is mainly because I do not read these types of books and do not enjoy them so I could not offer a fair review. I do however review the following types of books:

~Self help
~Medical/health related
~Christian living
~Parenting
~Home-Making related “help” books
~Cook Books

Most non-fiction I will consider.

I do have a 10 year old daughter here who DOES enjoy some types of YA fiction. Please pitch me and I will see if it is a good fit.

In order to review a book properly, I ask that you expect to wait several weeks for your review to be posted. This is because I review several books at a time and need to give my attention fairly to all of them. I also may choose to do a single post with books I am currently reading and reviewing.

 

Some Stats About My Blog:

Due to other bloggers having their stats stolen by dishonest bloggers in order to obtain review products, I have decided to make my stats private. For my stats, please email me at borntimestwo@hotmail.com and I would be more than happy to send you my media kit with my stats. I am sorry about any inconvenience this causes. I have accounts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, G+ & Pinterest. I use Google Analytics for stats.



Affiliations:

I work with many media outreach outlets. These include:

  • Tomoson
  • Social Spark by Izea
  • Purex Blogger
  • Clever Girls Collective
  • Trash Can Bloggers
  • Business2Blogger
  • MomSpark Media
  • One2One
  • Crowdtap
  • Massive Sway
  • Sverve
  • SoFab

 

What others have said about working with me:

“….Chrissie’s professionalism has made the experience as flawless as possible. Thank you, Chrissie!

~Tyra from Braquel’s Bathroom

 

Consulting Services:

I also do consulting services for other bloggers just starting out. I am not super tech savvy, but I can help with media kits, getting started on social media, and general blogger questions and concerns. My rate is dependent on what you need help with.

For businesses, I can help put together some online events such as twitter parties as well as find you other bloggers to work with and help reach more people throughout social media. I also can run social media accounts for your company. Please contact me for more information.

Awards, Training and Partnerships

Saved By Grace was awarded a grassroots award given to up and coming blogs by other bloggers called the Liebster Award. I have worked with some larger, well known companies such as Newman’s Own Organics, Mohawk rugs and flooring, Tasteful Selections, Roland Foods, Vlasic, Philip’s-Norelco, and Suave.

I have taken several online courses in SEO, Advertizing and Marketing on Social Media as well as will be attending The Blog Workshop’s Online Conference in May 2013.

Choosing to work with and/or advertise with Saved By Grace is a wonderful option and you can be rest assured that this blog is my primary focus. I not only write a post about your product, but I also make sure it gets promoted several times a day on twitter and Facebook as well as other social media platforms for a period of time. Also, your post will be a permanent fixture on my site as I do not delete posts made for this purpose, unless requested to.