budget Archives - Saving Time & Money l SamiCone.com

Spa & At Home Beauty Treatments to Help Your Budget

April 10, 2013 By sami

While we all would love regular trips to the spa, the truth is we can’t all afford weekly beauty treatments like massages, manicures, facials and laser hair removal!

I’ve found some great at-home beauty treatments and spa-substitutes to help carry you through those ‘in between the salon’ times:

GEL MANICURES: Sally Hansen Salon InstaGel Strips Manicure Set
—Instead of paying upwards of $30 for a gel manicure, you can grab this Sally Hansen set (and refills usually run around $13).

Just like all CVS beauty purchases, shoppers have 60 days to return any products they purchase for any reason.
Benefits are the same for Nail HQ purchases! All Beauty Club members get $5 back in ExtraBucks Rewards for every $50 spent on qualifying beauty products.

LASER HAIR REMOVAL: TRIA BEAUTY Laser Hair Removal

If you’re looking for a more permanent solution to hair removal, the FDA-cleared Tria Hair Removal Laser uses the same laser hair removal technology found in the doctor’s office in the convenience of your home for freedom from constant shaving and waxing. It retails at $395 at www.triabeauty.com which I realize doesn’t look like it falls in the ‘budget’ category, but when you consider typical laser removal necessitates multiple office visits and costs thousands of dollars, this is cheap in comparison!

*Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System
—I found this at CVS a couple years ago on sale AND with free facial cleanser! It’s under $30 and considering the competition is around $200, you can’t beat it, even if you don’t use it everyday.

*Hydroxatone Essential Beauty Box ($49 at Ulta & Ulta.com) & Instant Face Lift $55
—before going under the knife, try a topical alternative that has been proven like this one!

*Willa Naturals Skin Care – start young, stay young (great for any age – paraben free, sulfate free, DEA free) – $14
—P.S. Look to teen or even men’s products when it comes to skin care – often times they’re more natural and less expensive than female counterparts!

*Vitacost “Be Well” Box
—for $13.99 you can get some of the best health and wellness products sent right to your doorstep each month, with no long term commitment! Plus, when you sign up for Vitacost, you can earn $10 towards a $30 purchase.

Watch my segment from Fox TN Mornings on this topic!

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, TV Tagged With: beauty, budget, fox, home, spa, tv

Healthy Indulgence Treats on a Dime: Fox TN Mornings March 2013

March 7, 2013 By sami

It’s true, your New Year’s resolutions may have come & gone, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t indulge in some treats while staying healthy (& on budget!).

If you caught my Healthy Indulgences on a Dime segment on Fox TN Mornings, then you’re probably:
1. Salivating by now (and if you aren’t, what’s wrong with you???) &
2. Wanting to know how to get your hands on these treats!

Well guess what…I’m here to help!

I’m here to prove to each and every one of you that it IS possible to indulge in your favorite treats without breaking the bank…and hopefully you’ll take some inspiration from my suggestions and come up with some new crave-able creations of your own!

1. International Delight Light Iced Coffee

We all know I’m not a coffee-drinker, but I also know I’m one of only 7 people in the whole country who doesn’t have a coffee addiction. That being said, far be it from me to not help you all get your coffee fix, but at the right price!

Now that I’m no longer a Starbucks wife, there’s no way I can approve of my husband paying $3.50 for an iced coffee from the mega-retailer. Instead, me and my budget whole-heartedly approve of the NEW Light Iced Coffee from International Delight! (And you can play their Facebook game by clicking the picture above to save even more by winning International Delight Light Iced Coffee coupons!)

You can still get ALL your favorite iced coffee flavors (light Mocha & Vanilla), but it’s 1/3 of the price but still has ALL the flavor of coffeehouse iced coffees. And at only 100 calories per serving (1/3 of the calories of their original counterpart), you won’t feel guilty starting each morning with one. It’s the easiest way to lighten up your day

If you want to get even cooler and you’re a fan of frozen coffee drinks, look at this fun frothy creation just in time for St. Patrick’s Day:

e851d1a2a8e78a9dc4dafa843368af64 Healthy Indulgence Treats on a Dime: Fox TN Mornings March 2013

Source: east9thstreet.com via Sarah on Pinterest

2. Olive and Sinclair Dark Chocolate & Bourbon Nib Brittle

Well of course I couldn’t be prouder that some of my favorite chocolate is handcrafted by native Nashvillians right here in Music City!

But I guess I’m not the only one who thinks so, because Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Co. was voted “America’s Favorite Chocolate” by Southern Living Magazine. Their combination of traditional methods, modern European technique and classic Southern flavors make Olive & Sinclair the NEW old-fashioned chocolate.

Not only have studies shown that dark chocolate is bursting with anti-oxidants, but it’s also been proven to lower blood pressure. SO when it comes to your sweet tooth – the darker the better!

Originally, I was just going to share about their 67% and 75% Cacao bars, but after one bite of their brittle, you’ll see why it’s one of my new favorite indulgences…and you’ll also understand why when you buy the best, you only need a couple bites to satisfy those cravings (keeping your cost down too!).

3. Bring on the Berries

Speaking of antioxidants, you can’t get much better than berries! And when it comes to berries, it doesn’t get much better than Driscoll’s.

The thing I love about Driscoll’s is that I can find them in my favorite, local grocery store, but it’s just as easy and inexpensive to get organic Driscoll’s berries. And don’t even get me started on all the fiber & Vitamin C these little gems help me effortlessly sneak into my family’s diet.

Whether you’re looking for a simple, fresh and sweet dessert (a bowl of berries with some homemade whip cream) or something a little more indulgent (like this bunny cake that’s perfect for your family’s Easter lunch), berries are hands-down the easiest way to bring a sweet smile to my kids’ faces.

4. Get Gluten-Free Online

Whether you’ve gone gluten-free, paleo or vegan, specialty diets can get expensive…and without their fair share of healthy treats compared to the rest of the market.

One of the most convenient and inexpensive places I’ve found to grab everything from the basics I need to bake paleo to healthy (er) snack foods is Vitacost.

I can’t believe I didn’t discover Vitacost until just a few short months ago! I won’t lie, I was initially attracted to Vitacost because of the free $10 credit. But then I realized just how many amazing products I was already using that they carried – and many of them between 25-50% off retail!

Instead of waiting for a local sale on your favorite healthy beauty, skin, vitamin, pet or gluten-free products, just go right to Vitacost. You even get free shipping on orders over $49. But if you’re REALLY looking for a good deal, check out their new Be Box series: for just $13.99 (& free shipping), you’ll get a monthly sample box to help you discover new health & wellness products from popular high-end brands. These boxes also include a coupon for a future purchase (and does NOT require a monthly subscription).

5. Quaker Popped

I know, I know…it’s a rice cake.

But honestly, I love them. I’ve always loved them. I just heard from a friend in high school who I haven’t seen in 15 years, and the only 2 things she remembered about me were my love for purple and rice cakes.

True story.

So when Quaker came out with their new Popped line, I became a little obsessed. And I don’t normally like ‘flavored’ foods, but I’m incredibly partial to the Sweet Chili variety. If you’re looking for something sweeter though, don’t worry – they have everything from chocolate to apple cinnamon.

Oh, and did I mention that if you have a toddler and you buy them these, you’ll thank me forever?

You’re welcome

6. Homemade Trail Mix

One of our favorite snacks is homemade trail mix. The best place I’ve found to stock up on goodies for my special concoction is Trader Joe’s. I find everything from gluten-free granola to chocolate covered sunflower seeds to add in to the mix!

The main complaint I’ve heard from people when sharing this is that they don’t have a Trader Joe’s near them, but now you can find Trader Joe’s on Amazon…for real!

These are just 6 of my favorites, but I’d love to hear some of your favorite healthy indulgences.

You can also check watch my segment on Fox TN Mornings in case you missed any of the fun details…

And who says you don’t make mistakes on live TV? Ours just happened to get caught on camera

Win a 3 month supply of International Delight Iced Coffee in my giveaway!

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, Grocery, TV Tagged With: berries, budget, chocolate, fox, healthy, indulgence, international delight, TN Mornings, tv

Eat Healthy, Spend Less, Maximize Your Food! (Fox TV/Video)

February 12, 2013 By sami

If you’re looking to eat healthy while spending less and maximizing the food you buy, then you’re in the right place!

Even if you’ve let your New Year’s Resolutions come and go, I have some simple, practical tips to help keep you eating healthy on a budget in the New Year.

In case you missed any of the tips from my Fox 17 TN Mornings segment, here they are:

*Find ways to make your food last longer
First of all, make sure you wash and prep as much of your food as you can as soon as you get home from the grocery store…after all, the easier it is to grab, the easier it is to eat! Plus, why spend the time cutting coupons and shopping sales if you’re just going to throw half of it away because you forget about it once you get home? That being the case, you may also want to consider investing in something like a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer to fully take advantage of all those One Day meat sales we find at Whole Foods. Coming in under $75, you’ll most likely make that back in food savings within a few months.

*Make your meals ahead of time
If you plan your meals in advance (& have them ready in the fridge or freezer), or pack your lunch the night before, you’ll set yourself up for success and reduce the possibilities of food going bad. But don’t just pack your lunch, bring it in containers that keep food fresh AND make it fun to eat healthy:

Ever since we got the Black+Blum Box Appetit , my 8 year old daughter has brought a salad to school for lunch every day.

*Switch to a filtered water bottle instead of individually bought plastic bottles.
Not only will you get a better quality of water wherever you travel, you’ll also save a ton of money since bottles like this Eau Good water bottle have a charcoal filter that only need to be changed every 6 months!

*Start Juicing
Juicing is one of the hottest trends for health enthusiasts and with products like this Black & Decker Fruit and Vegetable Juice Extractor with Custom Juice Cup coming in under $40, you can easily try this trend without breaking the bank. Plus, your family will be much more likely to try a wider variety of fruits and vegetables in juice form rather than whole form. Also a great, quick way to use up fruits and veggies that are starting to turn.

*If you want to go a step further, look into a Nutri Bullet
I don’t know how I’ve made it this long without a Nutri Bullet, but now that I have one, I’m not letting it go!

I love that it’s high power blades literally pulverize whatever gets put into it, so you don’t lose ANY nutrients. It also makes fabulous nut butters and I’m sure a thousand other recipes I haven’t even gotten around to trying yet

*Cook it up & Freeze it in ‘ready-to-eat’ portions
When in doubt, throw whatever you have left in your fridge and freezer into a ‘kitchen sink’ soup in your stockpot! We’re talking chicken, veggies beans…you name it. Once it’s made, freeze into individual portions to have easy meals on hand for future enjoyment.

If you missed my Fox 17 TN Mornings segment, watch it right here:

What savings questions do you want me to answer on my next Fox 17 TN Mornings segment?

I’ve shared products I love in this post and some have compensated affiliate links, but it saves you the step of having to ask me, “Now where do I find those cool containers?”

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, Food, Grocery, TV Tagged With: budget, eat, Food, fox, healthy, tv, video

Dave Ramsey Starter Bundle & Kids Monster Pack Giveaway

January 23, 2013 By sami

If you tuned in to hear my top 10 tips to control your spending this year, then you certainly learned that I have a HUGE Dave Ramsey giveaway going on!

That’s right, I have two of each of the following Dave Ramsey money-saving, budget-teaching tools to giveaway to my readers:
*Dave Ramsey Starter bundle: Includes The Total Money Makeover book, The Complete Guide to Money book, 13 lessons on audio CDs, starter envelope system, and Budgeting Software.

*Dave Ramsey Kid’s Monster Pack: Includes Financial Peace Junior, Junior’s Adventures books and audiobooks, Junior Adventures banks, and a Junior tote bag.

I featured each of these on my “Meaningful Gift” TV segment back in December and now I’m thrilled to be able to offer 4 people the chance to truly start their New Year’s on the right foot and leave a new legacy for their family.

You can choose any of the ways below to enter (some allow you to enter once per day!):
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck and don’t forget that four of you will win, so Tweet, Facebook and leave a comment below to increase your chances of winning!

Want to learn more about how to live your best life on less? Watch my other money-saving TV segments!

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, giveaway, Money Tagged With: book, budget, dave, dave ramsey, giveaway, Money, spending, win

How to Throw a Holiday Party for Less

December 14, 2012 By sami

IMG 8132 225x300 How to Throw a Holiday Party for Less

Been wondering how to throw a great holiday party for less money? It seems like holiday parties are a dime a dozen this time of year, but many of us shy away from hosting such a bash because the dent it can put on our wallets.

But I’m here to break the holiday party myth: Throwing a great party doesn’t have to cost a lot, but can still be simple, safe & fun!

How to Throw a Holiday Party for Less:

1. Go to stores you know & trust where you can get a lot of things done at once, but still stay on budget.
Example: Use Aldi for all your baking needs. Not only do they have all the essentials, but they also have fun add ins and nuts that are usually much more expensive. (Everything below was under $25!)

IMG 8147 225x300 How to Throw a Holiday Party for Less

If you’d rather not go the scratch-made route, consider a place like Sam’s Club: a one-stop destination for all your entertaining needs! They have everything for your table! Whether you’re looking for platters of gourmet-to-go desserts (like The Cheesecake Factory Hershey’s Cheesecake & the Artisan sampler pie) or appetizers like chicken and bacon bruschetta and mini quiches, you can find it there, as well as holiday decorations, tablescape & serving items.

The best part is that Sam’s Club offers a 200% satisfaction guarantee on fresh meats, savory seafood, crisp produce and baked goods so you’ll feel comfortable knowing you are serving quality food items to family and friends.

2. If you want to keep it even simpler and don’t want to serve food, consider doing just a holiday beverage bar with a kid friendly hot cocoa or apple cider, as well as a coffee drink and blended drink for the adults using quality small appliances from Black & Decker (I love their single-serve coffee maker and blender – you can get each for under $30!). And don’t be afraid to to ask people to bring cookies to share and maybe even enough to take home!

3. Keep it family friendly by coming up with a fun theme (like Christmas PJs), putting out kids’ Christmas crafts or showing family-friendly Christmas movies (like VeggieTales) and make sure to put away breakable decorations and instead opt for Energizer flameless candles.

Keep decorations simple and budget friendly – shop deals at Michaels, find receptacles you already have and fill them with fruit, cheap ball ornaments or tree cuttings from your yard! (Makes your room smell great too!)

I also love the new Christmas designs they’ve come out with! Now you literally don’t have to watch your money burn as they flame does

Check back to watch my segment on the topic from Fox TN Mornings!

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, TV Tagged With: budget, Christmas, holiday, Money, party

No-Spend November

November 9, 2012 By sami

Yes, you heard me right, we’re starting No-Spend November here at SamiCone.com!

I know, I hear you saying, “But the holiday season is just beginning! Black Friday is in November! How am I going to eat?”

I’m not suggesting you not spend any money, just don’t spend all of it!

I’ve been as guilty as any this past month of not taking the time to be purposeful about where our dollars are going. Sure, we stayed on course as much as we always do, but I didn’t keep up with my receipts well, didn’t pay attention to how much we were putting in savings, and certainly didn’t re-assess our financial goals or how the unexpected expenses of the past couple months would affect our spending in the next few months.

So I’m asking you to join me in taking stock of what you’re spending this month and committing not to spend one penny more.

I’ll offer simple, practical steps for you to take stock of what you have, analyze what you need and figure out how to get it for less.

However, for those of you that just love a challenge, I’m going to challenge you not to bring something new into your house until you take something out! That also means if you want to spend any more than your pre-determined budget, you have to sell something or earn more money than your usual monthly take home pay.

So what have you got to lose? (Except some debt and excess stuff?!) Get ready to join me on a little adventure over the next month and let’s see where it takes us into 2013!

No-Spend November Step by Step:

1. How to Track Your Spending

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, Money, No-Spend November Tagged With: budget, Money, november, spend

Free Summer Fun on a Budget: Talk of the Town July 24, 2012

July 24, 2012 By sami

talk of the town sami 300x200 Free Summer Fun on a Budget: Talk of the Town July 24, 2012
It’s still summer, but school is right around the corner! So if you want to continue some summer fun on a budget while still encouraging the kids to learn and play, I’ve got some free summer fun you can take advantage of right in your home and around Nashville!

NewsChannel5.com | Nashville News, Weather
I shared these tips on Talk of the Town on July 24, 2012, so if you watched the show and missed any of the details, here you go:

I wanted to make sure I accomplished a few very important things with my kids over the summer: learn more about music, get comfortable on the computer, teach them tennis and read more.

As a wife, blogger & mom who has never homeschooled (or thought anything of the sort was possible), my ideas for how to structure summer learning, yet make it fun, didn’t exactly come together as quickly as I would have liked. But then I discovered I could accomplish several of these objectives with just one program: QuaverMusic.com

I was excited to find this learning resources in our local community – QuaverMusic.com has developed a new program for teaching kids about music using the latest technology (and fun kids will appreciate!). Quaver himself is a bit of a mad scientist (think Bill Nye the science guy, but for music!) who is obviously passionate about passing on his love for music to kids. There is an entire DVD system designed for music educators and homeschool parents, but there are also amazing YouTube videos and free activities on their website where kids can not only learn about general music & theory, but also create their own music!

If you’re on the go but stuck inside, I’ve found that doing an App search on my smart phone will turn up a lot of great free educational games for school aged kids, including everything from Sight Words to Math games!

Of course, if you want to get the kids out of the house to learn and play, I’ve found a lot of great free summer fun around town too!

The Frist Center for the Visual Arts is always free for children 18 & under. If you are a Bank of America card holder, you can also get in free the first weekend of every month (same program applies for The Country Music Hall of Fame).

If you want to get outside, check out the great TN parks. If you want to cool off, head to the Cumberland Park splash pad downtown. To get in touch with nature, head to Edwin Warner park closer to Bellevue/Belle Meade and explore their free Nature Center (you can also get free guided tours with reservations).

If the heat’s got you beat and you want to continue learning about TN in air conditioning, head to the TN State Museum where the permanent exhibits and Military Museum are ALWAYS free! Of course, the TN Public libraries are offering great storytimes, concerts and more throughout the summer (just consult with your local branch). And don’t forget the fabulous puppet theater at the main branch downtown!

Do you have a budding fireman on your hands? Most fire stations will give tours with advance notice (and kids will usually get a cool fire hat & sticker too!)

*Monkey’s Treehouse in Bellevue is also free from 5:30-7pm tonight (July 24)

I’ll also be teaching a Savings Nation Grocery Workshop from 6:30-8pm tonight at Grace Christian Academy in Leiper’s Fork. For more information or to find out how to book your own workshop, contact me.

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, Kids, Travel, TV Tagged With: 2012, budget, free, fun, july, Kids, learn, summer, talk, talk of the town, town

Talk of the Town watch Sami live July 24, 2012

July 24, 2012 By sami

Watch me on Talk of the Town LIVE this Tuesday, July 24, 2012! Just tune in to NewsChannel 5 in Nashville at 11am to hear me share how you can still take advantage of sun (free!) Summer Fun on a Budget before school starts…and help the kids learn something along the way too!

Filed Under: Deals & Freebies, TV Tagged With: budget, frugal, fun, Grocery, Kids, mom, nashville, summer, talk of the town, tv

Work where you spend

July 21, 2012 By sami

As a freshman on the Emory Tennis team

As you know, I started this site to help people maximize their money. While I’ve never made a lot of money in my life, I’ve found ways to work around my lack of funds…literally.

My top advice for people who come to me complaining they can’t afford something they want is: Work Where You Spend.

That’s right. If you like to eat out, get a job at a restaurant. If you can’t stop shopping at the mall, get a job at a retailer there. If you can’t give up your Starbucks habit, become a part-time barista.

I know, I know. You’re already very busy. But if you want something badly enough, you should be willing to work for it. I’m not saying take on a second full time job. Just sign on for enough hours to get you a discount and then provide the funds necessary to pay for your habit

Here is just a short list of jobs I’ve held in order to fund my passions and in some cases, provide necessities:

1. Tennis Pro
As a young player, I taught those younger than me to pay for my lessons. After college and before sponsorships, I used it to pay for my equipment and court time. I later turned to it as a full time profession to allow me to travel around the world. If you have any kind of sports skill, this is a great way to help others while making some extra cash.
Pro: Get to play an expensive sport for free
Con: You may be so tired at the end of the day you won’t want to play for fun

2. Restaurant Hostess
Yes, I was a seating hostess (cue “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” reference). If you know me at all, you know I would have been disastrous as a server, but I was able to flash a smile, color in a seating chart and take phone orders at Outback while I was in college in exchange for all the free baked potatoes and bread that was left over at the end of the night! Plus relatives loved me for my discount when they came in town!
Pro: Free food, discount on dining, you know who the good servers are…
Con: You may start craving a simple home-cooked meal

3. Retail Worker
This was perhaps one of my more brilliant moves if I do say so myself. While pursuing my Masters Degree at UNC-Chapel Hill (Go Tar Heels!), I worked at the Gap just off-campus for 10 hours a week. Not only was it within walking distance from my classes, but I got to work the opening shifts. So for two hours each morning, I got to organize sale racks by color (you should see my closest now). I only allowed myself to spend on clothes whatever I made there. Retail is also a great option for electronic nuts, music lovers, sport enthusiasts, home decorators, etc.
Pro: Easy way to set your clothing budget
Con: You find things you ‘need’ that you would never normally buy because you’re around the clothes so much!

4. Salon Receptionist
While working on my Masters, I also worked at a hair salon on the weekends. No, I wasn’t doing cuts & highlights (though I have been known to foil my own hair); I served as their receptionist. Again, this didn’t bring in a ton of money, but the stylists cut my hair for free since I agreed to let them practice on me and it gave me great discounts on personal care products.
Pro: Even if you don’t make a lot of money, this eliminates a huge budget expense (especially for ladies)
Con: You may not always get a say in what you look like in the end

5. Gym Worker
As part of my work-study as an undergrad at Emory University, I checked ID’s at our Student Athletic Center. This was a great job for me because it decreased my tuition and I was allowed to study during quiet times at the gym. Even if you’re out of school, working at a gym or health care center is a great option for getting a free gym membership and discounts on any products/food they may sell!
Pro: Help you keep your New Year’s Resolution to lose weight
Con: You may feel guilty for sitting around while everyone else is getting to work out.

You most likely won’t get rich by working any of these jobs, but they will help you save significantly on some common monthly budget expenses. What jobs have you worked in your lifetime just for the benefits?

Filed Under: Money, My Story Tagged With: budget, Money, student, work

Day 4 of Owning a Home: mudroom cleanup & bedroom paint

May 6, 2012 By sami

It’s Day 4 of owning our home and we’re still hard at work getting things cleaned up and painted.

I’m focused on removing the wallpaper border from the mudroom, as well as debating if the color we chose for our two master bedrooms is going to work or not.

The painting has started (ceilings first) and so mom and I are starting the cleaning in the kitchen…

I can’t tell if the green is throwing us off, or if it’s just too purple (believe me, I never thought those words would ever come out of my mouth). What do you think of the paint color?

Filed Under: house, My Story Tagged With: bedroom, budget, clean, home, mudroom, paint, work