by Gina Williams

It’s possible that children’s TV/movie entertainment is essential to mothers’ sanity; even if little Timmy’s attention span only lasts 5 minutes when Sponge Bob is on, it’s 5 minutes of solace. However, cable and satellite prices are entirely too high. According to a CNN article, the average subscriber paid more than $75 per month for cable alone in 2010; the same article also reported that the average cable bill increases by 5 percent each year. Average satellite bills are about the same and what all of this means is that the average American is paying over or about $1,000 to watch beyond free TV annually.

Recent innovations, however, allow you to save money and simultaneously provide your kids with the shows they want to watch. Here are the alternatives to the traditional TV models that you may have heard of, and may want to consider switching to:

Hulu Plus (7.99/month, around $100/year)

Hulu Plus is the paid-for version of Hulu. It is internet based and can be viewed on:

• TVs via media streaming devices (i.e. Apple TV, etc.), PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and soon Wii.
• TVs that allow app downloads.
• Computers.
• Tablets.
• Smart phones.
• IPod.
• Kindle Fire.
• Nintendo DS.

Basically, Hulu Plus can keep your kids entertained at home or on the run. It offers a variety of movies, but is most known for its stock of TV series. It even hosts HD movies and TV shows if available.

Cons: Downloads sometimes lag. Movie selection could be improved. Not commercial free.

Netflix (7.99/month, around $100/year)

Like Hulu Plus, Netflix is internet based and can be viewed on similar devices and TVs to Hulu Plus. While Netflix offers access to several TV series, it is most known for its movie selection. This brings out the major difference between Hulu Plus and Netflix; Hulu Plus translates to TV series and Netflix to movies.

Cons: TV series selection could be improved.

The Bottom Line – Choose One or Supplement

Internet TV and movie alternatives are the way to go financially. You could easily become a member of both Hulu Plus and Netflix to supplement both services’ shortcomings and still save about $800/year. Additionally, purchasing something like Apple TV, which is a $99 digital media receiver, is another great way to supplement your Netflix account, Hulu Plus account, or both. Apple TV is a small box that users hook up to their TV and internet; it also allows them to watch movies, TV episodes, and videos that they’ve purchased through their iTunes accounts. A really great feature of Apple TV is that it accommodates Netflix. This means that users can watch Netflix entertainment through their Apple TV; those tv shows and movies not featured on Netflix can then be purchased from iTunes and viewed conveniently through their Apple TV.

The Pros of Internet TV Options: Substantially less expensive. Through Hulu Plus and Netflix, users can access TV shows and movies anywhere there is an internet connection. Users have access to more TV series and movies than are offered by cable and satellite. Netflix and Apple TV do not feature commercials.

Gina Williams is a guest post and article writer bringing to us why internet TV options are a better financial choice than cable or satellite.  She also writes for those involved in motorcycle accidents.

When you’re feeling the pinch of a difficult economy the first thing to go is spending on entertainment. However there is no need to sacrifice leisure time when times are hard. Here are some top tips for enjoying yourself on a budget.

1. Discount Days
Check your local venues for special discounts on admission prices to museums, art galleries, zoos, theme parks and theaters.

2. Choose Your Meals
Go out for lunch instead of dinner – menu prices at most restaurants are higher in the evening, so opt for a midday meal out instead.

3. Get a Home Movie Subscription
Use a company like Netflix to get your movies and TV shows. You can  get them via the mail or download them onto computer.

4. Pick Your Times
Many movie theaters offer discounts on tickets during weekdays or before 5pm, as well as student, senior and child discounts.

5. Volunteer
If you can’t afford full-price tickets to movies, concerts or sports games, consider volunteering. You can catch most of the event, and you may get paid for your time!

6. Cook a Romantic Dinner
If you’ve got a date, or want to spend time with your other half, consider cooking dinner yourself. Even if you use premium ingredients, you’ll still spend less than you would in a restaurant.

7. Bowling
With great discounts available on group tickets at bowling alleys, you can have a fun evening out without breaking the bank.

8. Use your Local Library
So simple, but it bears repeating. Why spend money on books when there are thousands available to you for free? Many libraries also offer other media, such as movies, audiobooks and games.

9. Host a Potluck
Instead of going out to eat, host the party at your place and ask everyone to bring a dish to share. The eclectic mix of food will make for a great atmosphere.

10. Book Clubs
For interesting discussion and to get motivated to read more, find a book group in your area or start one of your own!

11. Get Moving
Gym memberships can add up to hundreds of dollars every year; instead, check out your local community center or opt for an outdoor workout like running, frisbee or cycling.

12. College Campuses
There is usually a wide range of entertainment options on campus, including arts, sports and politics, all free to get involved in.

13. Get Ticket Alerts
Sign up for news on your favorite bands to hear about gigs and be first in line for tickets, avoiding the mark-up of third-party vendors.!

14. Ask Yourself
When considering any entertainment purchase, ask yourself, “Do I really need this?” and “Can I afford it?” If the answer to either of these is “no”, reconsider spending the money.

Avoid spending more than you need to by evaluating every purchase and save for the items that will really enrich your leisure time.

Caitlyn Jostels loves food, throwing parties, and writes for termlifeinsurance.org.

The other day became a freezer-cooking day for me because I found my local Buehler’s had their Angus beef on sale for $1.99/# when you bought it in (apprx.) 10 pound rolls. This is some of the best hamburger, in my opinion. Its cooks up beautifully. I typically avoid buying hamburger when it is more than $1.99 per pound.

I divided it up into sections and made taco meat (which can also be used in Taco Soup or chili) using a homemade taco seasoning mix (recipe link below), a little for homemade spaghetti sauce, then mixed about 3 pounds of it into a meatloaf type mixture which I packed up raw to be used later for meatballs or meatloaf. I still have about 2-3 pounds left in the refrigerator to make hamburgers out of.

My meatloaf recipe:

I don’t follow one~ so the “recipe” changes every time I make meatloaf .  But for this batch I used about 3 pounds of beef, 4 eggs, lots of crushed crackers, pepper, and all the seasonings I thought would be good… I used garlic powder, minced dried onions, Italian seasoning, and maybe some paprika. If I were using this meat to make  meatloaf or stuffed peppers for dinner I would pour tomato sauce or ketchup on top before putting it into the oven.

Mix up really well and bag it up into portions to be used to make meatballs, hamburgers, or meatloaf.  My inspiration for doing it this way came from one of my old Taste of Home magazines. Save your cooking magazines, they are so useful for years down the road.

My homemade spaghetti sauce tips:

I say tips because, if you know me, you know I typically don’t do “exact measurements” or follow directions to a “t”. I love my spaghetti sauce, I think its so tasty and I hope its very healthy. If I’m adding meat, I recommend browning your meat or sauteing onions in oil (I’ve switched to using Coconut Oil more often)  first, then add meat.

Then add… 2 cans of tomato sauce and 1 can of tomato puree, fresh pressed garlice (3-4 cloves), generous amount of Italian seasoning and FRESH (or in my case bought fresh, then frozen) Basil and Cilantro. Seriously, the Cilantro is awesome in this sauce. It doesn’t take too much, maybe generous palm size amount and a little less of the Basil. All the while heating on med-high heat to a low boil. Then keep it simmering for a while.

I also made up about 18 breakfast burritos to freeze.

I only show about half of the burritos I made in the picture. They are delicious! These are considerably better than the ones I use to make because I took a cue or two from MoneySavingMom’s recipe. I used sausage but she used ham in her recipe. The sauteed onions and green peppers do make a wonderful difference!

I use wax paper to wrap each burrito individually and then stick them into a ziplock bag to freeze. The wax paper unwraps easily and then I wrap the burrito in a paper towel and microwave for about 1-2 minutes depending on the temperature setting.

Crafts and homemade recipes I like or want to try:

I started making my own homemade taco seasoning thanks to Smashed Peas & Carrot’s blog.

Check out this:  23 ways to use Pumpkin Puree from Simple Bites.

Fall Leave Craft from Permanent Posies <— I like!

I’m going to try this healthy chemical-free homemade deodorant Lori gushes about in her Preventing Breast Cancer post. Her husband loves it too.

I shared about my sister-in-laws easy adorable paper bag Christmas cards. If I were going to make Christmas cards I would consider this craft!

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*Linking up with Women Living Well and Raising Homemakers.

Since I quit working outside the home to be a stay-at-home mom (about 7 1/2 years ago) I’ve had to learn how to cut costs and earn an income to help with the finances. I’ve written a number of posts over time about saving money, earning some, using coupons,  sites I use, etc..

I’ve compiled them into one post to share. Each link will take you to a different post here on my blog.

I personally believe that managing a home financially requires some-what of a balancing act when the income just doesn’t stretch that far. We need two incomes in our home AND we have to cut costs where we can- buying used,  taking second-hand, stacking coupons on sales, and utilizing rebates to get items for practically free.

Money Saving Coupon Sites

Savings dot com

Greek Yogurt Coupons (link inside post)

Free websites that pay you when you use them.

Earn yourself some fun money.

How Swagbucks pays me to earn money while learning.

Products I use that save me money & my suggestions.

My thoughts on Purex

Coupon help and stockpiling.

10 Baby Steps to Using Coupons

Other posts:

10 ways to save money while staying warm in winter.

Don’t dismiss Frugal Gifting. It will save you money. Be smart!

10 ways to save money you may not have thought of.

How you might be LOSING money at the grocery store. Its one simple thing that you need to use.

My $35 Budget Experiment- when I attempted to get our grocery/household spending to average out to $35 a week.

If you have a great tip that I have missed, please share in the comment section. Comments will show after I approve them. Thank you!

This year I plan to do something a bit different with the whole Easter basket idea.  Mostly it will be traditional but I want to limit wasteful spending.  Jesus’ resurrection from the grave is the real part of our Easter celebration anyways. The goodies are the fun stuff.

• The basket.

I’ve decided to put the boys Easter goodies (we only have two children- boys) into one basket or container that we already own instead of buying two separate new containers that we don’t need.

• The grass.

I won’t buy new Easter grass- I think I may have some I bought really cheap awhile back or I’ll shred newspaper or some other paper we have waiting in our recycling pile.

• The goodies.

My dilemma here. My boys do not need another new toy or stuffed animal and their birthdays are right around the corner. In fact, Jack’s is the day after Easter this year. Brendan’s is next month. They will not be getting much for Easter but they will be getting something very colorful and useful and something they will likely really luv. And then a lot of candy that they will be sharing with mom and dad   .

My plan is to hide their Easter “basket” somewhere in the house and have them look for it.

I’ve only spent about $15 total on everything- and truly, some of this candy is going into our household candy basket for occasional treats for all of us and the kids that I babysit. The candy cost the most. I only spent about $4 on each boy’s gifts.

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I thought I could share a great lesson in a clear manner just from this little shopping trip.  Those few things in that picture rang up to a little over $19 today at Giant Eagle. That was before my “Giant Eagle Advantage Card” (free to sign up for) was scanned and before any coupons.

After my card was scanned and the coupons came off- the total was less than $6.

The Baileys (non-alcoholic) Coffee Creamer was $1.50 each and there were those $1 off coupons that pop out of a little machine right there so I took 3 of them.  I paid .50 cents  for each bottle.

The cat food was FREE (I had coupons for a Free carton up to $3 off). Otherwise is was something like $2.69 each.

The yogurt was on sale for $2 each and I had a .75 coupon that doubled to $1.50 off. I paid $2.50 for the both of them.

The bananas were over 50 cents a pound (not a good price).

This is why it is SO worth getting whatever free shopper’s advantage card your favorite store offers. This is so you can get the lowest prices they offer. THEN, use coupons!

I saved approximately $13-14 on this little trip. That kind of money will add up really quick. Just think of where you could use that extra money .

Are you throwing your money away at the grocery store?

Ahhh! Getting tight

Monday January 17th…

I purchased 4 half off Sunday papers, for the coupons of course! I’m SO glad we have a couple places at least that will sell Sunday papers half off on Mondays.  $3 total

Giant Eagle: spent about $8.50 on some cold cut meat/cheese from the deli and a bag of chips. I know that sounds high, but we don’t do this very often.

Wednesday January 19th…

Beuhlers: spent $7.40 on the above contents pictured. That includes  7.19 pounds of bananas (.29 cents a #)! I will freeze many of these for my super yummy-healthy smoothie I luv!

Today*gulp*…

(January 22- yes I know I have one more week to go!)

My grocery shopping from Giant Eagle & Walmart is pictured below minus the 2 dozen eggs ($1 each), 1 box of the Fish Sticks, the orange juice, and you can’t see it very well but a 2nd package of 6 roll toilet paper hiding.

Giant Eagle: spent aprx. $36.75 (but saved over $25 with sales & coupons) and Walmart: spent about $10.70. The 14# bag of cat food was about $11 but will last for months. Have to feed the kittys . Fish are way more cheaper to feed let me say.

The splurges: The B1G1 44 ct. Van de Kamp’s fish sticks (husband wanted), 2 boxes of Pringle Stix with coupons for the kids,  International Delight Coffee Creamer  (for me) $1.50 on sale.

Stockpile: 3 jars of Smart Balance creamy peanut butter $1.49 each after sale & doubled coupons; 2 boxes of Snuggle dryer sheets 50 cents each after doubled coupons; an extra pack of soft taco shells.

We’ve been blowing through the bread and I don’t know when I’ll make it back to the Hostess Outlet store so I grabbed a loaf and a pack of hot dog buns at Walmart.

The damage.

Really? Do I even want to add this up?

Balance left in the month:  $25.00

Aprx. Spent this week:   $3.00 + $8.50 + $7.40 + $36.75  + $10.70 =  $66.35 – $25.00 = means…

I’m $41.35 over budget.

But I’m just fine with that. I’m sure I can do better. And trying to keep toilet paper and cat food among other household needs in that $35/ avg weekly budget is hard core. Right now anyways. The more I can stockpile (a few extras  by buying when I can get the lowest price) the better off we will be.

Okay, so I’ve been asked about what we are eating. Well, I plan on sharing some of that. I’ve been taking pictures of some of that too. Stay tuned and I will hopefully have some pictures and super simple “recipes” for you this week   You might want to subscribe here for my email newsletter so you don’t miss those posts.

Click here to see the $35 budget- week 1 update.
Click here to see the $35 budget- week 2 update.

We are one week into the new year and I want to tell you how I’m doing and how I’m doing it. Will I be able to keep a $35 a week budget? Only time will tell. I’m saving my receipts so I can keep better accountability (which includes reporting back to you here at the blog). You will see I share some of what I bought, I won’t always tell you every little thing.

I spent / bought:

1/1/11    Acme:      $14.50

{15 cans of Campbell’s soups (mainly Tomato) & 12 cans of Starkist Tuna & 2 boxes of Ronzoni Smart Thin Spaghetti.  Why? The soup and tuna was all  $ .50 a can and I had a coupon for 2 boxes of Ronzoni making it .75 a box!

1/2/11   Walmart : $13.06

Using coupons for FREE product I received Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce and my bottle of Purex Crystals for free, pd .91 for bananas.  I did spend about $12 on Christmas decorations (especially for table settings and centerpieces) for next year.  Why? This was important to me and since it as 75% off I took advantage.

1/2/2011 Marc’s:      $3.96 {2 packs of Echrich Sausage (Kielbasa type stuff)}.

1/7/11  Beuhler’s: $14.53

{10# tube of 100% Angus 80% lean hamburger at $1.49 per pound}. Our Beuhler’s is back to their daily deals and this is great meat at an even better price ONLY available on Fridays. I’ve watched hamburger prices and I can’t ever recall seeing any deals this low. It has to be bought in aprx. 10 # packages. I plan to stretch this 10#s over the next 3 weeks or so. And thats “Why”  .

*Side note for the locals: Our Beuhler’s at Noble’s Pond is DOUBLING coupons on Sundays only and check the weekly ad for what the special of the day is.  I think Tuesdays milk will be .79 half gallon again, limit 5.

1/7/11  Giant Eagle: $10.32

{3 cans of Pillsbury Crescent dough with sale & coupon was $1.30 each , 3  /4-packs of Snack Pack Pudding with sale & coupon was  $ .60 each pack), Colgate Sensitive Toothpaste with coupon was $2.49}.  Why? I plan to use the crescent dough for some really tasty ham & cheese sandwiches and maybe Chicken Puffs. I’ll share those recipes with you later . I need special toothpaste now for sensitivity and its not cheap stuff. I usually buy Sensodyne and if you do too, you know how NOT cheap it is. I consider $2.49 a real deal for sensitive toothpaste.  ***Giant Eagle is the only store I know of that Doubles Coupons up to .99 every day!

1/7/2011    Hostess Outlet: $7.93

{4 loaves of Nature’s Pride bread 100% Whole Wheat Oven Classics, 1 pack of hot dog buns, 2 boxes of small donuts (.99 cent sale)- and bonus: we got a free pack of rolls they were giving away.  Why? At Hostess you can get a buyer’s card and receive stamps for every $2 spent. Then redeem when your card is full. You can find “healthier for you” bread cheaper like $1.29 each, the donuts were  $ .99 a box (reg.price for one was over $3). The plan is to stretch all of this at least 3 wks…till the end of the month.

1/7/2011   Walmart:      $37.69 aprx. $22.oo

Basics like butter, milk,  toilet paper, etc.  AND a mixer for about $16 because mine died before Christmas- after 8 1/2 yrs. Did one final check before breaking out the new one and mine IS working AGAIN. I’ll be returning this new one

Total:

$85.90 -$12.00 Christmas decor and $16.00 Mixer =

$73.90  used  for grocery/household

Why? Appliances aren’t really part of my intention for “grocery/household” and neither are incidental purchases like 75% off Christmas decor.  So I will go with $74 used out of my January budget of  $140  (4 whole weeks x $35).

I have $66.00 left for the month  if I keep my $35/ week grocery/household budget.  I definitley need a Menu  PLAN! Today I worked on a plan to break down our dinners into a different theme per night and then within each theme I will have a list of choices…more on that in another post. I’m still working on it

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*Sharing this post over at Women Living Well‘s link up also.

I guess the fact that I’ve titled this post the way I have means I’m planning to fail.  Well, I think its going to be possible some times and maybe not so possible at others to do what I’m setting out to do. At least I’m going to give it a try and see what happens.

My goal is to limit our grocery/household spending to $35/ week- for a family of four. This means I’ll have to pay closer attention to Aldi’s, Save-A-Lot,  and buying extra half-off Sunday papers on Mondays for the coupons to use at Giant Eagle (double coupons) and Walmart.

I’m  not starting from scratch. I am a coupon user, bargain shopper, second-hand clothing buyer/wearer and I subscribe to a few money saving blogs who keep me in the “know”.  I even wrote this Top 10 Tuesday post on ways to save money a post on 10 Baby Steps to Saving Big with Coupons. Oh and here’s another one, 10 ways to Save while Staying Warm in winter.

I will have to buckle down and do more menu planning and preparing. This one will hurt. I have picky eaters and if it “ain’t” pizza, chicken nuggets, hot dogs or pbj – I can expect a tough hill to climb on a nightly basis before my 6 yr old falls asleep. {He seems hungriest at night!}.

Fortunately, thanks to a Facebook friend, I learned about E-Mealz. This group of sisters do a variety of meal planning for you, saving you the time and effort.

• You’ll find Gluten Free, Low Carb, Low Fat, Point System, Vegetarian, and Regular plans made out per stores like Aldi’s, Walmart, Kroger, Publix, Ralph and “Any store”. Click the E-Mealz ad to see menu plan samples —->

• UNfortunately, I don’t think their plan will meet my $35 a week goal. But we’ll see.

Disclosure: I approached E-Mealz and they gave me a free month to try them out to review here on my blog.  So, I just printed out last week and this week’s menu plan. I’ll give it a whirl and report back to you, okay?  And E-Mealz comes “Dave Ramsey” approved

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**I’m linking this post up with Works For Me Wednesday, though I don’t know if this will work for me, yet

I love the warm feeling and smell of scented candles or tarts. And truly, not all candles are created the same. The really good ones can be more costly!

Well,   I recently ran into a problem with one of my big  jar candles when for some reason the wick wouldn’t stay lit very well.  It occurred to me that I could chip it into pieces and use it in my electric tart warmer!

This particular candle has 3 layers…all different scents I suspect and I want to enjoy them all!

Chip up the candle and melt the pieces in your tart warmer- no wasted wax!

If you live by the “waste not- want not” principle, you might enjoy my posts on giving old things new purpose. A three part series I shared on how I’ve given old or used things new purpose in our home.

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*Also linked with Women Living Well and Raising Homemakers.