Green living is more than just saving electricity and energy, it is also about conserving and avoiding waste. The popular illustration of ants saving for the rainy days is definitely something that’s worth imitating. Not to the extent that you will not leave an empty space in your refrigerator but rather to ensure that you will not leave any food behind and get wasted.

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A decent percentage of your earnings go to food spending. It is a necessity – a top priority in your budget. One of the best ways to save money is to maximize your food consumption. Although this may entail thorough planning and unfavorable change but then it will be all worth it.

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Here are some effective ways to reduce food waste:

Don’t be deceived with sales and promotions.

It’s not that sales and promotions are not good but buying those that is not really necessary. Taking advantage of sales and promotions for the sake of price and not because of the need will end up in a bad decision. It’s either you will spend more than your food budget or not buying those in your grocery list.

Have a meal plan.

This may take you some time and effort but is very effective. It will not only save you money but also allow you to monitor if you are eating a balance or healthy diet or not. With a scheduled meal plan, you can be sure that you will not spend too much of your time looking in your fridge on what is available for cooking. This is a great way to save time and money.

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Shop wisely.

After having your meal plan, you can now jot down your grocery list. This should be done regularly to assess whether your previous shopping list is just enough or something went to the garbage can. Also, it is very important to stick with what is in the list to avoid overspending.

These are just some of the effective ways to reduce food wastage. With proper motivation and self-discipline, you can certainly make a difference in your expenditures and savings.

For more green living ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

All 3 of my children have been collecting Box Tops for Education for the last 6 years or so. I remember when my middle son, now 14, but when he was in 2nd grade was in tears because I had thrown away a granola bar box that had a Box Tops for Education on it! He was so upset, and I had to go dig through the trash to get it…. ewwww!   — Awww, what we do for our kids!

For those of you who don’t know what Box Tops for Education are:

“Box Tops for Education has helped America’s schools earn over $475 million since 1996. You can earn cash for your child’s school by clipping Box Tops coupons from hundreds of participating products. Box Tops also offers easy ways to earn even more cash for your school online.” – Box Tops 4 Education

 

The importance of giving back to schools:

The great part about the Box Tops for Education program is that your direct participation earns your child’s exact school money for education. You will enter your child’s school information and all your rewards will go to their school. Awesome, yes?

So I was excited to pair up with Jingit, a program that pays you to shop for your favorite brands and your child’s school get’s rewarded too! For those of you who aren’t familiar with Jingit:

“With Jingit, you can earn real cash, instantly for watching ads online; or checking in and shopping for select products at your favorite stores; even for giving your feedback to leading brands by taking brief surveys. In return, those brands get your attention!”

 

Google+ Album – See how to use Jingit!

What a win-win for all. So I loaded the Jingit app on my iPhone, shopped at Walmart and bought General Mills foods that my kids already love. Take a look at my Google+ Album here.  See my trip, what I picked up, and how easy it was for my daughter’s school to earn Box Tops, and me, money.

It was an enjoyable time being able to get rewarded for items I would have purchased anyway! My son inhales the Totino’s Pizza’s (hey he’s a teenage boy) – and my daughter loves the Gogurt and granola bars. General Mills cereals such as Honey Nut Cheerios and Cinnamon Toast Crunch are favs at my house too!

Want to learn how you can get started – here you go:

Here are the steps for you to start earning!

1.) Sign up here: —> Jingit Signup

2.) Download the Jingit app for your iPhone or Android: –> Jingit download app

3.) Start shopping! Go to Walmart. Check in with the app and scan the barcodes on any 4 participating General Mills’ back-to-school basics products that are listed on the screen once you get to the store.  Then “cha-ching!” – you’ll earn a little real cash, in real time. And 4 Bonus Box Tops will automatically be donated to your selected school.

4.) Visit Walmart.com to engage with General Mills products, and look for banner ads with a Jingit curl from these same brands. Some locations may not feature the same ads. Once you get home, make sure to “check in” at home, by scanning your products again to earn more money, and to have the Box Tops for Education donated to your child’s school.

Lastly, log in to your Jingit dashboard and see how much money you made. You can also watch videos, learn more about other products you can earn with and share with your friends on Facebook , Twitter and Pinterest. I was excited that I made $6.00!

Thanks Jingit, Walmart, and General Mills. My daughter was excited to donate her Box Tops to school the next day.

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and Jingit #CBias #SocialFabric”. All experiences and opinions are my own.

For more back to school tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Back to school season is here and between shopping for your kids’ clothes, school supplies, lunch box meals and more, you can quickly see your time diminishing. Have you ever experienced spending almost half of your day in the grocery store? Well, this is not only tiring but very unproductive. The extra time spent in the store line or just looking for your items can be equivalent to a quality time for the family and household chores.

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To manage your time back to school shopping, consider the following:

Make a shopping list

Your shopping list gives a lot of advantages on your part. With the help of your shopping list, you can be sure that no item is missed and you will not exceed your budget. When back to school shopping consider making a list that is divided by child, what type of items they need, priority and what store you need to get the items at.  This will help you plan a strategy and avoid multiple trips back and forth to the same stores!

Use Smartphone Apps

There are several applications that you can download and save time in shopping. For instance, if you have lots of loyalty cards, it will surely take you some time to pick the right card and present it to the cashier. With Key Ring App, all you need is to show you Smartphone to the cashier and it’s done. Another notable application is the FastMal. This app has over 1250 malls in 27 countries that offer turn-by-turn navigation or map for shopping convenience and efficiency. Many big box stores such as Walmart, Target, and Kmart offer store apps that have maps of their stores and helpful shopping resources you can plan before walking inside the store.

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Shop during off peak hour

This is very effective and really hassle-free. Off peak hours are usually between 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. These are working and school hours for many people who make it very suitable for shopping quick and easy. Also, during these hours, people are not rushing their way to their work, school or home. You will also find you are less stressed without tag along children, long lines to wait in, etc.. Have to work a 9 to 5 job? Consider getting part of your shopping done during your lunch hour, or leave work early to go to a shopping… I mean a doctor appointment?

Back to school shopping doesn’t have to be dreaded this season. Using your time efficiently and effectively is always a great way to be more productive and to actually enjoy your kids going back to school!

For more back to school tips on Stagetecture, click here.

Last week my husband and I went to register our 5 year old daughter for Kindergarten, and this week she asked when we were going to buy a new backpack for her first day of school!  Then I saw a back to school commercial on television and it finally became crystal clear… it’s officially time for school shopping again.

Here’s a post from the archives… get ready for school shopping now!

Original Entry #225, July 26, 2010

I don’t want to keep being the stater of the obvious.. but in 1 month my kids will be returning back to school. Most summer’s I can’t wait for school to begin. This summer however, seemed to zoom by, and I can’t help feeling that I need to cram a lot in the next 4 weeks! I have 3 kids – a high schooler, a middle schooler, and a preschooler. With the wide range of ages, finding corners to cut is always a help.

One way my husband and I save money, and avoid the school shopping frenzy is to shop early, and plan..now! Here’s 5 tips that help us, let me know if you have any you would like to add.

1.) Have children try on their clothes from last year.

If you are a family who buys all new clothes every year, this step is not for you. We, on the other hand try to stretch clothes items that weren’t fully worn out. A good example is jeans – my older boys don’t wear out the knees, like they used to do when they were young. Most jeans can be recycled, and a few new one’s can be purchased to look like a whole new wardrobe!

2.)Purchase clothes little by little, each week until it’s time for school.

For us, buying 3 kids a wardrobe of clothes and school supplies in the middle of August is very daunting. Each weekend buy a few items, this will cut down on your spending, and you will avoid hitting the stores with every other parent in a month!

3.)See if your child’s school supply list in online or was handed out at the end of last year.

Often times, teacher’s have gotten wise and have included the supply list in the previous school year. If so, start shopping!

4.)Purchase clothes items at ‘unconventional’ stores.

If you go to a warehouse club store, such as Sam’s, BJ’s or Costco, they always have socks, pants, shorts, etc.. for kid’s. These stores can offer great values because they sell in bulk. Who knows you may be able to buy a larger pack of socks and split it amongst siblings.

5.)Have a plan.

Like everything else in life, you will feel less stressed, save money, and avoid the ‘panicked’ parents syndrome in a month. Figure out what each child needs, make a budget, start leisurely shopping now, and you might be able to take advantage of summer sales that are getting ready for the new fall lineup!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Over the last few days ‘Astrology in your Home‘ has focused on finding your perfect someone the “perfect” gift. If your are one of those, click here for Valentine’s gift ideas.

If you don’t have a Valentine per se – how about treating YOURSELF with all the love and admiration you deserve!? Today, we celebrate you, and your love for being you!

5 Ways to Treat YOURSELF this Valentine’s Day:

1.)Treat yourself:

Buy yourself beautiful flowers or indulge in great chocolate sweets!

2.) Hang out with your other single friends:

Plan a party or get together and enjoy food, music, and fun without the stress of Valentine’s Day!

3.) Go shopping:

What better way to feel good about yourself, then buying something FOR yourself!?

4.)Have a favorite movie and take out dinner night at home:

Instead of going to a restaurant, go grab your favorite dinner and a favorite rental movie and enjoy it at home.

5.) Try something new:

What a perfect day to try out your favorite chef’s new recipe in the kitchen, immerse yourself in a new iPad app or surf the internet for your next great hobby to start!

However you spend this Valentine’s Day, enjoy it!

For more Valentine’s Ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

For those of you that don’t care to spend your entire Sunday, eating and breathing football. This post is for you. If you think about it, at least 6 hours are dedicated to just the Super Bowl – think of what you could accomplish in those hours, that’s all most an average work day!

Here are some suggestions from Associated Content to do with your day if you, your family, or friends and neighbors want to find alternate activities to watching the Super Bowl.

5 Activities to do instead of watching the Super Bowl:

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1.) Go Shopping:

It’s a good time to go to the mall. True, the malls normally close at six o’clock on Sundays, but the afternoon would lend to a relatively peaceful shopping experience, as other people are at home getting ready for the game.

2.) Go to the Movies:

What a great time to go see a movie! I often like to go alone, and I’m almost guaranteed an empty theater. Besides, my daughter is two and a half and has never gone to the movies. Perhaps this is a good time to try out a first time.

3.) Go out to Dinner:

Do you have a  few friends that don’t want to watch the big game? How about having a quiet dinner party or a romantic dinner out? No lines to wait in, and fast and fabulous service; obviously servers hate working this night, as almost no one goes out to eat. It is a night for low to no tips, so, a good night for a non-football fan to go out. But, a good night to tip a little more than usual.

4.) Find Kid Activities:

If you have kids uninterested in the game, this is a good night to take them out to do something they enjoy. Skating or something of the like. That way, it can be a special night for them as well.

5.) Stay in and enjoy ‘me or alone’ time:

Maybe you’d still like to stay home? What a great night to treat yourself! (Again, it’s practically a holiday!) Maybe rent a movie or buy a pay-per-view you’ve been longing to see. Get yourself some fancy bath salts or bubble bath. Let yourself escape in a great novel.

For more Super Bowl ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Let’s face it, it’s great to be able to walk into a store, and touch, smell and shop amongst the merchandise. Shopping is one of those past times that is enjoyed “in” the experience. BUT… who’s to say you can’t get the same great experience while saving money?!

For those of you that are trying to buy affordable, and competitive priced goods.. head online! In the past couple of years, retailers have started catering to online shoppers.  From the infamous Black Friday deals, and Cyber Monday deals to offering free shipping and handling, for online shopping is huge!  It doesn’t have to be the holiday’s to take advantage of cost savings online.  Retailers want your business 365 days of the year, and you can get deals, every single one of those days! Here are 3 ways to save money while shopping online.

1.) Shop online retailers

 that offer “cheap”,”wholesale”, and “clearance” terms in their description. These online sites carry items that you would find in department stores, but at a cheaper price. Sites like Salesstock.com offers “Always wholesale clearance online shopping”. For example on Cuisinart’s web site the Grind & Brew Thermal coffee maker retails for 129.00. On Salesstock the same coffeemaker sells for $62.15!

2.) Buy early!

 You know the saying about the “early bird catching the worm”? Yep, you are the bird, and if you can shop early and have your item shipped, you will save big to get a bigger worm! In the past years, cable shopping networks have monopolized consumers wallets by offering low prices, and fast

shipping. Once these retailers offered online shopping, AND television access the pros outweigh the cons when buying early to have your items shipped. Retailers will even enclose return shipping labels, just to save you time and headache!

3.) Shop like you are in a store.

Just because you can’t touch it, doesn’t mean you can get as much information on the product as possible.  If the site you are on, doesn’t show what you want..move on!  Online retailers want you to shop often and stay on their website’s for a long time. Make a list of what sites answer your needs and which don’t! Personally, if I don’t like a site, I search for the ‘Contact Us’ page and tell them what I didn’t like about the site. More times than not retailers welcome negative feedback so that they can improve and get you to come back in the future!

Whether your family celebrates Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa or Fesitvus, we all will be buying gifts! Even though this holiday occurs at the same time every year, it’s always a “surprise” when it comes to spending our money! Don’t worry, there are still ways to save money, and buy gifts. Read on…

• Rewards: Credit cards, airlines, and stores all have rewards programs. Many times consumers forget that they are accruing these points on purchases throughout the year. Redeem your points for merchandise, gift certificates, dining and travel experiences.  It’s like a double gift – you didn’t have to pay, and the recipient receives a great gift.

  

• Cutting corners: The Starbucks coffee that you drink everyday, and the value meal that you grab at lunchtime is empty dollars that could be a gift! If you think about it, most people have “empty” money wasted everyday. How about brewing your own coffee at home and packing a lunch for the next month? You’d be surprised how much change you save, and now you can get that Barbie for your niece!

• Retailer’s are hurting too! Take advantage of the slow economy by visiting weekly sales, clearances and promotions in stores and online! Similar to the “buyer’s market” in real estate, it is a customer driven buying market. Retailer’s want your money, and it’s the perfect time to get more for your money.

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  Save money..bake cookies as gifts!

  Involve everyone! At your office party, instead of buying for everyone, how about as a group you pick numbers and everyone only buy one gift, and everyone leaves with a gift! With your family, agree on a set budget for each person and stay within those guidelines. For neighbors and friends, bake some cookies or bundle up the family and go caroling door to door! Absolutely free, and your neighbors will appreciate it more than a gift!

For more gift ideas on Stagetecture, click here.