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Did you know that there are a ton of money saving resources on the web. If you know where to look you can save money on gas, cars, clothes, videos, shoes, textbooks and a bunch of other stuff. My mother just started a coupon club for women at her local church and they call themselves the Deal and Dollar Divas. These women know how to be thrifty and are learning to be good stewards of there money by not paying too much when a deal is to be had.

The websites I use the most are www.mommysavesbig.com, www.currentcodes.com and www.bradsdeals.com. These sites are good for downloading coupons for things you would buy either online or that you can print off coupons to shop in stores. The Deal and Dollar Divas recommend www.couponmom.com and www.grocerydeals.com which are great for planning your meals with the deals of the week at local stores, as well as downloading coupons. www.smartsource.com is the source for downloading coupons found each week in the newspaper. For more about the best secrets for finding a good deal be sure to read “Get a Great Deal on Anything” by Andrea Cooper by clicking here.

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I was reading my Rachael Ray magazine this weekend and got several great ideas! Here are 3 websites that need to be added to your favorites, they will help demystify cooking. Are you stumped on a cooking term, don’t know how to use a gadget; then check out foodsubs.com. This website is the mac daddy for help. Kaulustyans.com is the site that will bring those hard to find cooking ingredients out of hiding ounce and for all. Next add chowhound.com this is a fun site as well

Got a jar that you can’t seem to get open….even after tapping the lid on the counter, try putting a rubber band around the lid and open! The rubber band gives you that extra leverage and grip you need to get that jar open.

These were just a few of the great tips I got from my weekend reading.

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I’m not sure if I’m alone on this but personally, I get confused in grocery stores. Even with the clearly marked aisles, I still have spent many trips aimlessly searching for an item that just doesn’t seem to be where, in my mind, makes the most since. I tended to do most shopping spur of the moment, so, when I would go grocery shopping, I tended to be wearing my work clothes and uncomfortable heels that seem to add more frustration to my searching. I just wasn’t a planner.

I decided to change my ways. In fact, planning ahead has made the entire grocery shopping experience more fun and efficient. Planning is two-fold. First, I know you have heard it before, but making a list helps me prevent forgetting something that I really need and that I would have to return for later. Something else that has been key to my new grocery shopping outlook is mapping. I have mapped my local Kroger. I recently sketched a picture of the aisles and what is found down each one. I used the signs as help but I also indicated those items that I frequently need that seem to be in an unusual spot. This way, when I take time making my list, I simply group the items by where they are found. I make my shopping list section-by section and get through the aisles much quicker without having to back track for items that I forgot.

It may sound simple but, hey… sometimes it takes me a while to catch on.

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Have you ever wondered whether or not you need new cookware?  Maybe your handles are loose or your non-stick is flaking out.  I recently conducted an experiment that will put all of that wondering to rest.  This experiment was strongly recommended to me and I strongly recommend it to everyone.  Basically you round up one of each different type of cookware that you or your family own.  This means one of each type of pan in your home, i.e. one non-stick, one cast iron, one aluminum, etc.  Add two cups of water to each pan. You’ll then need a clean sponge for each pan.  To save money buy a green scouring pad or two and cut it into 2 inch pieces.  Now the premise behind this experiment is that each time you cook in a pan, you risk metal, plastic, dirt, and grime getting into your food from the pan.  In other words, as you stir you pull things from the pan into your food and don’t even realize it.  Your food masks the taste, smell, and even vision of flakes in your food.  Now, take the scouring pad and lightly circle the bottom of the pan, as if you were cleaning the pan.  Do this in each pan for 1-2 minutes.  The gentle rubbing of the pan simulates your stirring in the pan.  Then pour the water from the pan into a clear glass.  If you notice anything floating in the pan, it is probably time to buy new cookware. I saw this with cast iron and the water was rusty!  Gross!  The aluminum water was grey.  The non-stick water had flakes all in it.  The high-grade stainless steel pan was the only one that had water come out of the pan as clear as when it went in. Now, I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine cooking with something that I know is leaching metals and/ or plastic into my food.  This test will completely change how you think about cookware and you health in relation to it.  If you don’t want to drink the water at the end of the test, buy new cookware.   

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