Frugal Ramblings
No More Veggie Intimidation & Turnip Recipe
This Hip2Save.com Deal was hand-posted on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 at 6:17 pm.
I’ve been having way too much fun eating Paleo Friendly foods. I know that probably sounds odd… but when veggies make up a huge part of your diet, you have to get creative and that’s where the fun starts.
Over the past few weeks, I have tried lots of veggies that I never use to purchase or even glance at in the grocery store. To be quite honest, some veggies intimidated me… they looked odd, had funny shapes, I didn’t even know how to pronounce some… so I would quickly rush through the produce section with my lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, apples and grapes. Yep – those were the staple veggies and fruits in our household for a while… BUT that’s not the case anymore! 
I challenge you to try out a veggie that you never purchase (hopefully on sale!) and use it in a dish this week. Google about any veggie you’d like and you’ll find a plethora of info. Don’t be scared – veggies rock!
Oh… but one thing I have learned, when you start incorporating even more veggies in your diet, your body may have to adjust to the additional fiber intake – which can cause gas and bloating. So much fun, right?! 
Veggies that are less likely to cause gas are really any green leafy veggies and squash. Now the vegetables that you should slowly incorporate in your diet are Cauliflower, cabbage, and asparagus to name a few.
Alright, so now onto the recipe… check out how you can take turnips, a vegetable that I never use to purchase and thought I disliked, into a simple and scrumptious dish that will compliment any meal!
Simple Roasted Turnips
Ingredients:
* Around 3 to 4 large turnips or 5 to 6 small turnips (Peel the skin)
* 3 tablespoons of Coconut Oil, melted butter, or melted Ghee (Love this stuff!)
* Salt & Pepper
Directions:
Preheat Oven to 425 degrees. While oven is preheating, cut turnips into cubes. Throw turnips and whatever fat you choose into baking dish. Make sure to coat the turnips evenly and then season generously with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for about 10 minutes and then flip. Roast another 10 to 15 minutes until they start to brown and soften. That’s it!
These are a wonderful substitute for potatoes. We had them last night with grilled chicken and salad. Enjoy!
Spread the word on a great deal:
“Hipsters” to the Rescue: What are YOUR Frugal and Hip Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas?!
This Hip2Save.com Deal was hand-posted on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 at 3:50 pm.
This is such a cute ♥ Valentine’s Day ♥ gift idea…perfect for all of the couponers in our lives! 
Head on over to the Mommy by Day Crafter by night blog to find out how to create your own “Book of Love” coupon booklet. You can even print her FREE templates to use for your booklet! Sooo cute!
Do you have any unique, frugal and “hip” Valentine’s Day gift ideas?! Please share in the comments below… Thanks!
(Thanks and photo credit, Mommy by Day Crafter by Night!)
Spread the word on a great deal:
Heads Up: February 4th is Thank a Mailman Day
This Hip2Save.com Deal was hand-posted on Friday, February 3rd, 2012 at 4:55 pm.
February 4th is a very special day… it’s Thank a Mailman Day!
This is your chance to give a BIG thank you to your Mail Carrier who brings super sweet deals to your mailbox and doorstep six days a week! And with all of the freebies and samples we score every day… well, most of us keep our Mail Carriers super busy.
Here are some ideas on how to show your Mail Carrier you appreciate their service:
* Leave them a note in your mailbox with a gift card to a local restaurant or coffee shop. We post lots of yummy deals and freebies every day, why not surprise them with a treat? I know a warm caffeinated beverage gets me going every day!
* Speaking of freebies, why not put together a gift bag of some of your recent scores? Sample sized products from Bath & Body Works or a Yankee candle… even Krispy Kreme coupons. They all make inexpensive, but yet still thoughtful gifts to give.
* Warm up their cold days by giving them a pair of gloves or a package of hand or foot warmers. These are usually inexpensive and can be found at any sporting goods store or online… I’ve posted many glove deals previously as well.
* Have your kiddos draw a picture for your Mail Carrier or make them a card.
(* No matter what, a big smile and a thank you is always appreciated by anyone!
How are YOU going to thank your Mail Carrier? Will you make them a snack or give them a smile and a wave? Let me know what you will be doing to show your appreciation below.
Spread the word on a great deal:
Reader Tip: How to Score Pregnancy Tests for $1
This Hip2Save.com Deal was hand-posted on Thursday, February 2nd, 2012 at 10:05 am.
Check out the tip reader, Kim, emailed in about…
I recently discovered that Dollar Tree sells pregnancy tests… for only $1!!! I was hesitant to believe that these tests would really work, so I did a google and youtube search and sure enough, they’re just as reliable as the MUCH more expensive name brand options. And I can vouch for the $1 test first-hand – I’m pregnant and got a positive read with the $1 test on the day before my missed period!!! Stop wasting your money on the expensive name brand pregnancy tests and head over to Dollar Tree!!!
Spread the word on a great deal:
Cooking with Collin: Squash Hash with Chicken, Apples and Bacon (+ Food Talk!)
This Hip2Save.com Deal was hand-posted on Monday, January 30th, 2012 at 8:38 pm.
So, as you can see from the title of this post, this is not going to be a post about printing a coupon, scoring an online bargain or snagging an in-store deal… but hey, it’s my site, right?! I actually want to share what I cooked up for dinner tonight and discuss how I’ve been eating for the past month.
You see, back in North Carolina I was dealing with… well, the craziness of moving across the country and for months I didn’t seem to have the motivation to cook. I am going to be very honest and state that I relied way too heavily on frozen pizza and any other easy to prepare packaged item that I had a coupon for. Yes, we were not eating by any means very healthy. I know that, trust me!
Well, fast forward to now and I am so stinkin’ proud of myself! Since the move, I have gotten way more motivated to be in the kitchen cookin’ again. I’m even having fun doing it and getting the kiddos involved.
As I’ve stated in a previous post, I’ve started eating a primarily Paleo/Primal diet. Just google these terms and tons of info will come up online. Basically I have cut out all grains, sugar and dairy products (although, I am still using a little heavy cream for my coffee). I now eat tons of veggies, fruits, nuts, meat, chicken and fish.
I feel so good. My energy is up and to be quite honest, my issues with digestion and constipation have pretty much cleared up. Don’t you just love how I feel open enough to talk about practically anything?!
…And eating this way has really motivated me in the kitchen. It’s fun coming up with creative ways to make Paleo friendly meals. I have tried so many new veggies and learned to prepare them in various ways.
So tonight, check out what I cooked with Butternut squash (one of my new favorite veggies)…
I am going to call this – Squash Hash with Chicken, Apples and Bacon! Yum!
Ingredients:
1/2 of a large butternut squash, cubed
1 medium onion chopped
1 to 2 applies diced
2 large chicken breasts, cut into small chunks and pan-fried with coconut oil (and for a breakfast option, you could opt to throw in scrambled eggs instead of chicken)
coconut oil (or any other oil you prefer)
crumbled bacon that’s already been fried or baked (optional)
salt & Pepper
Set your oven to broil, then throw the cubed butternut squash on a cookie sheet. I added some coconut oil too. Let broil for about 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure to stir every couple of minutes. Take out when brown spots start to form.
While the squash is cooking, heat a spoonful of coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Throw in the chopped onions and stir occasionally until they are softened and starting to brown a little.
Now throw all of the ingredients (butternut squash, diced apples, cooked chicken, and bacon) into the skillet with the onions. Then make sure to season with salt and pepper to your liking.
Enjoy!
Also, if you are trying to kick the soda habit or drink less soda, then you should definitely try out this super simple, but yet so refreshing beverage that only requires 3 ingredients…
Ingredients:
club soda or sparkling water
fresh lemons or limes
A few drops of liquid stevia
So refreshing and so much better for ya than soda!
If this is something that interests you all, I would love to start sharing Paleo/Primal friendly recipes on a more regular basis.
Spread the word on a great deal:
What Do Coupons Do For You?
This Hip2Save.com Deal was hand-posted on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 at 4:19 pm.
So, this is definitely one of those topics that I haven’t really posted about here on Hip2Save. A topic that, well… isn’t the easiest to discuss, especially if you are dealing with it. Secret spending.
Secret spending, in my opinion, is when you are spending money to get that wonderful shopping high and then feeling pretty guilty later. It’s a vicious cycle that seems to never end. Spend, feel guilty, spend again to numb that guilt….
At this point in my life, I am such an open book, but that wasn’t always the case. I was a secret spender.
I had credit cards open that my husband didn’t know about. I shopped online until the wee hours of the night. I lied… lied to the people I love the most. Depression set in and I couldn’t seem to climb out of the huge hole I had made for myself.
Why am I telling you this? Because couponing literally saved my life.
Being a young stay at home mom is not easy, as I’m sure many of you know. I dealt with feelings of sadness after having my first child at 20 and of course, that made me feel even more depressed because why wasn’t I happy? I had a new baby boy. What was wrong with me? I felt like a horrible person. And then began the secret spending…
Couponing made me feel like I was contributing in a huge way. Couponing made me feel like I was part of a community. Couponing helped me give back, which in turn gave me a sense of purpose. Couponing helped me stop the secret spending. Couponing helped me climb out of the massive hole I had been sitting in for so long. Couponing steered me out of my depression.
Coupons do a lot more than save you money. What do they do for you?
Spread the word on a great deal:
Grocery Deals Coming Soon: Hip Helpers Needed
This Hip2Save.com Deal was hand-posted on Monday, January 23rd, 2012 at 1:29 pm.
Ever since I started Hip2Save (back in 2008!), I have always been interested in posting regular grocery store deals for my readers. My desire has been (and IS!) for Hip2Save to be your one-stop-site for the best grocery store deals/match-ups, online bargains, freebies, deals, and much more! However, with that being said, writing and posting all of the freebies, coupons, samples and weekly drugstore match-ups on Hip2Save literally takes up all of my time (and my sidekicks!).
This is just a small representation of the grocery store chains in the U.S.!
So this is where YOU come in to the picture! In order to successfully post regular grocery store deals from all around the U.S. on a regular basis, I am looking for a select group of passionate Hip2Savers to get involved and become “Hip Helpers.” As a Hip Helper, you will be rewarded for your time with goodies, packages, and other incentives on a regular basis (more information on the rewards will be sent to the individually selected readers).
Requirements of Hip Helpers:
* Know how to use coupons correctly
* Are familiar with your grocery store’s coupon policy
* Have good computer skills, a working computer, and Internet access
* Have a working camera and/or mobile phone with internet capabilities
* Are passionate about couponing and frugal living
* Are available and willing to write up the full weekly ad with coupon match-ups (which can be extensive and time consuming!). Click here for an example of a Weekly match-up.
* Are willing to stop by your local grocery store on a regular basis to look for unadvertised sales and clearance finds (preferably at least once a week)
* Are willing to take time to answer comments and questions on the weekly match-up posts.
If you are interested, please complete the survey found here (or click on the Grocery Cart above). Within one week, I will read through all of the survey entries and pick 2-4 readers to become “Hip Helpers”. These 2-4 readers will essentially be the guinea pigs for this new idea. If all goes well, I plan to continue to add more and more grocery store match-ups so that I cover most of the stores across the United States.
I hope you are all excited about this soon to be new feature!
Spread the word on a great deal:
USPS Price Changes (45¢ Stamps, 32¢ Postcards)
This Hip2Save.com Deal was hand-posted on Friday, January 20th, 2012 at 8:29 am.
If you are a frequent letter/postcard sender, you’ll want to take note of the United States Postal Service changes that are set to take place on January 22nd, 2012. On this date, the price of Forever Stamps will increase from 44¢ per stamp to 45¢ per stamp (this is the first time that the price of Forever Stamps has increased since May 2009!). In addition, you can expect the following changes…
* Postcards: 3¢ increase to 32¢
* Letters to Canada or Mexico (1 oz.): 5¢ increase to 85¢
* Letters to other international destinations: 7¢ increase to $1.05
Check out this news release for more information. If you are running low on stamps, I would encourage you to head to your local Post Office today or tomorrow to snatch up several books of Forever Stamps since you will save yourself 1¢ per stamp. A penny saved is a penny earned.
On a side note, check out this graphic below. Can you believe that the price of stamps back in 1885 was as low as 2¢?!
(Thanks, Coupon Pro!)
Spread the word on a great deal:
Tax Filing Options & Tips
This Hip2Save.com Deal was hand-posted on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 at 11:06 am.
I have received so many emails from readers asking for the best deals on tax software and tax filing options so I thought that I would offer a couple of suggestions below. In addition, I would love for all of you to add to my tips and provide some different alternatives as well.
* Head over here to sign up for a FREE edition of H&R Block At Home
* Head over here to sign up for a FREE edition of Turbo Tax (you’ll be able to prepare, print and electronically file your federal tax return for free). If you need a more customizable version, consider purchasing Turbo Tax from Costco or an office supply store where there is often a coupon or special promo offer available.
* Consider using FreeTaxUSA.com, TaxSlayer.com, or TaxAct.com (all have been highly recommended by Hip2Save readers in the past!)
* Head over to IRS.gov to file your federal taxes for free.
* Check the daily deal sites…Groupon has offered up significantly reduced vouchers for online tax preparation products in the past and will likely have similar offers over the next few months.
* Check with your local college. One reader reported that the accounting students at her local college will do her tax returns for free and they are then reviewed by the professor to ensure that they are correct.
* AARP Foundation Tax-Aide offers free help for older taxpayers and people with limited incomes. Find an AARP Foundation Tax-Aide site in your community by clicking here.
* If you are in the military, you can snag a FREE customized version of basic H&R Block at Home electronic tax filing product. This customized product allows for FREE federal filing and FREE state filing (up to three states). In addition, free telephonic tax consultations are available to help with tax- related issues. Check out Military One Source for more information. Active Duty Military can file for free with TaxSlayer.com.
Now it’s your turn! What are your tips?!
Spread the word on a great deal:
Geocaching: A Fun, Free, & Unique Family Activity
This Hip2Save.com Deal was hand-posted on Wednesday, January 11th, 2012 at 9:30 am.
I posted about this fun, family activity last January and thought that it was worth re-posting for all you new readers…
Personally, one of my favorite family activities is to pack a picnic and head for the park (not very creative but usually lots of fun). However, if you want to embark on a unique (and FREE!) family activity, you may want to consider geocaching.
What is geocaching you ask?! Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers (young and old!) equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online.
Last year, my kids, hubby, and I recently had the opportunity to go geocaching and it was a ton of fun! We found a geocache that was hidden about 25 miles from our home so we all piled into the car with our GPS system in hand and headed that direction. Once we were within walking distance of our “hidden treasure”, the kids jumped out of the car and used the GPS device to find the geocache. It took about 30 minutes of avid searching to finally discover the geocache cleverly placed underneath a pile of rocks. The kids were so excited to open the geocache and fill out the logbook (i.e. a tiny notebook) with their names, ages, and date that they located the geocache (it was really cool to look back in the logbook and see that this same geocache had existed for the past 5+ years). They then were able to choose a special “treasure” from inside the geocache (i.e. a small plastic dinosaur) and they also left a “treasure” of their own (a plastic spider) for the next person. All in all, we had a great day on our geocaching trip and spent nothing out of pocket other than the gas… it was well worth it!
Check out this cool video below which explains even more about geocaching…
Do you want to go geocaching? Here’s what you need to do…
* Head over here to register for a FREE Basic Membership.
* Click “Hide & Seek a Cache.”
* Enter your zip code and click “search.”
* Choose any geocache from the list and click on its name.
* Enter the coordinates of the geocache into your GPS Device.
* Use your GPS device to assist you in finding the hidden geocache.
* Sign the logbook and return the geocache to its original location.
* Share your geocaching stories and photos online.
Have you been geocaching? If so, did you enjoy the experience? Let us know in the comments below.
Video: 3 loans that will help you pay for college
