Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Happy Thanksgiving to you & yours - despite a tough economy, financial worries and stress, we still have so much to be thankful for...let us not forget that!

A dog-gone good holiday present!

Small Paws shares the love by cutting dog adoption fees in half

'Tis the Season...

Just a reminder to all of my budget-conscious readers out there; it is once again time to buy The Entertainment Book filled with coupons for your specific metropolitan area (as well as some travel deals across for hotels, cruises, etc. when you leave your hometown for the great unknown!). Every year I mumble about forking over $25 (or is it $30?) for this thick coupon book, but I always get well beyond my money's worth during the year. Be sure to check with your local schools or non-profits - often they sell these as a fund-raiser!

It just makes "cents"!

So here's a rather sweet deal for the holidays! If you are not familiar with Coinstar, you probably just haven't paid attention to it...they have bright green kiosks/machines everywhere, most likely in your favorite grocery store. You pour in your loose change and it gives you several options - 1) a receipt for cash (they do charge about 8.5 cents on the dollar for the convenience of the service) that you cash in at the store's service desk; 2) you can donate the $ to charity (hit button for selection) or 3) you can get a gift card...

Ah yes, behind door (option #) 3 is the big deal for now! If you opt for a gift card, Coinstar will add $10 to it when you cash in $40 worth of coins. There's a nice little addition to your holiday purchasing!

Out damn spot! (or how to survive holiday spills)!

Here in Phoenix, most of us have heard of the "Queen of Clean" - local author, radio personality and all-around expert on all things requiring cleaning! Thursday morning, she offered a few big hints for the holidays including how to recuperate from red wine spills: pour club soda (or white wine believe it or not!) and then salt on the spill and it will prevent stains (then pat dry). Check out www.queenofclean.com for more amazing hints from Linda Cobb, the "Queen of Clean"!!

A coupon reminder!

Just a subtle reminder... many grocery stores are offering great savings for your holiday cooking/baking/dining pleasure! The best is accepting all competitors' coupons...keep an eye out for these deals...I've saved well over $200 with these offerings!!! :)

Holidays...more about personal time and less time in the kitchen!

Now I am all about holidays and food and I love the smell of the turkey on Thanksgiving day...BUT there is still the clean-up, the time spent getting it all together (and making guests visit in the kitchen while you - well, ok, in my case, while my husband works). I wouldn't really want to go out for the holiday meals, but all of the grocery stores in the area offer amazing meals pre-prepared for you at reasonable prices - turkey dinners, prime rib and ham...with nice side dishes and dessert...Is the quality family time worth the fact that you didn't prepare it yourself...ABSOLUTELY (in my humble opinion!). Let me know what you think!