Slash Your Diaper Spending in Half!

Okay, so this doesn’t have anything to do with fitness or nutrition. However, if you think about it, saving so much money on diapers allows more money for fresh produce, lean meats, a gym membership, or piece of exercise gear/equipment. I have just been horrified with the cost of diapers and how much I used to spend on them. I have always clipped coupons and have never bought any diapers without a coupon; however, little did I know I was NOT getting the best deals. Even if you don’t have a baby or grandchild, think about all of the cheap diapers you can buy for baby showers! Again, I have to credit www.southernsavers.com for teaching me all of this valuable information!!

I buy my diapers at CVS. That’s right! I know you are all gasping at the thought of buying diapers at a drugstore where everything is marked up. Well, keep reading if I have sparked your interest. Although I’ll be discussing CVS, Walgreens and other drugstores have similar rewards programs that you can utilize.

Here is how it works. First, you must get a CVS card. This card will allow you to take advantage of sales and earn Extra Care Bucks (ECBs). ECBs are credits that you earn in the store and are tied to your CVS card. They work like real money at CVS allowing you to buy anything in the store. For all prescriptions, you earn 1 ECB, and for everything else in the store you earn 2% of your total spent. At the end of each quarter, you will get these ECBs back so that you can use them at CVS.

The next thing you need to know is that every time you walk into the store, you need to head straight to the computer that checks prices for you. Scan your CVS card and watch coupons pop out. Sometimes these coupons are totally useless to me, and other times they are awesome!

Here is where you really need to pay attention! Each week CVS features certain items that are not only on sale, but have extra ECBs tied to them. So, for instance, there may be a deal on pampers. A jumbo pack (around 36 diapers) is marked down to $8.49 and you automatically get a printout of 3 ECBs at the register! These deals do not add up over the quarter, you get them back immediately. So, let’s say you have a store coupon for $1 off pampers and a manufacturer’s coupon for $2 off pampers. That brings your price down to $5.49 and you get 3 ECBs to use on your next purchase. Let’s say that this deal allows 2 per customer. So after you make your first purchase, you decide to start another transaction. You have another $1 off manufacturer’s coupon and you use the 3 ECBs that you just earned. That brings your price to $4.49 for your 36 diapers! That is 12 cents per diaper; whereas, at Wal-Mart, if you bought a box of pampers, you would pay almost 20 cents per diaper.

Here are the morals of my story:

1.Don’t buy your diapers at Wal-Mart anymore!

2.Use store coupons + manufacturer coupons whenever you can!

3.Get started with your ECBs and NEVER pay more than 12 cents per diaper. My goal is to pay 10 cents or less, but I will NEVER pay more than 12 cents!

4.Buying diapers in bulk (the big boxes) is definitely not always the cheapest way to go!

4.Always calculate how much your paying PER DIAPER because prices and so-called “sales” may not actually be a deal at all!

5.Try to stick with items at CVS (or another drug store) that offer the ECBs (or other incentive) so that you’re always earning store credit for your next purchase.

Does anyone else have any tips or suggestions? I’d love to hear them! Also note that this ECB idea can be used on many other items such as contact solution, peanut butter, paper towels, and many more products. Go ahead, save some money and use it to buy that produce that you feel is too expensive!

Grow Your Garden This Summer

I am so thrilled that we have a guest post by a very knowledgeable and experienced gardner! Nancy holds degrees in Plant Science and Agricultural Education. Here is what she has to say....

I’m excited to offer a guest post to Erin’s great blog. As I sit at the kitchen table with the deck door open, thermometer reading 77 degrees at 7:10 PM in my midwestern city, I couldn’t be more ecstatic for spring to have arrived! Tonight, for the first time in a long time, I got outside and did some yard work, which included expanding the square footage of our vegetable garden. It wasn’t a lot, but I’ve been craving it for days or maybe weeks.

I started gardening at a young age. My parent’s garden is 2500 square feet! When mom finally said “Enough!” with four children and little time to can all which that entire garden could provide, it became a project for my sibling’s and I – raising and selling chrysanthemums. Now that the kids are out of the house, my mom and dad have returned to their fair share of vegetable gardening as have I.

Gardening at home or through a community garden serves many purposes such as healthy, fresh food choices; lowering your summer grocery cost; and (if you’re like me) stress relief. I’d like to offer a few thoughts to start or maintain a vegetable garden.

Start with the fundamentals. Observe your soil type. Is it made up of a lot of clay or sand? You may have to find/purchase some top soil or organic matter to incorporate into the soil to make it more nutrient rich and increase drainage.

Find a sunny location. Most all vegetables need full sun. If you have a number of trees, observe your yard at varying times of day to see what area receives the most sun. This also means you should plant your vegetables so they do not shade each other. If planting sweet corn, plant it on the side of your garden that will best allow all plants to enjoy the sun when full height.

Identify types of vegetables you and your family enjoy most. We grow tomatoes, peppers and many types of herbs as staples. Lettuces and broccoli-type varieties tend to grow best in spring and fall. You may be able to grow these during spring and fall while planting other plants during the summer months. Melons, cucumbers and squash are horizontal vine plants which require more space. Beans and tomatoes require supports such as cages that can be purchased at your hardware store. Follow the recommended planting distances for each type of plant.

Plant in stages. If you wish to plant a number of the same type of vegetable, consider planting them one week apart so that they mature at different times – spreading out the length of time when vegetables are ready. This also assures that some do not go to waste since you could be overloaded at once. If planting herbs, harvest regularly by snipping segments off each major branch. This will prevent the plant from blooming and going to seed (after which its flavor tends to fade).

Watch for small creatures. If your yard is like mine, squirrels, rabbits and my own dog put my garden at risk. You may need to put chicken wire or liquid scent deterrents down to protect your plants and vegetables. Deer and birds can also be a problem depending on where you live.

Consider container gardening. If you have limited lawn space, you might be best served with container gardens for tomatoes, strawberries and many types of herbs. They will still need sunlight and will require frequent watering.

Enjoy! There is nothing better than eating your home-grown vegetables. My personal favorite is making Caprese with fresh tomato and basil some mozzarella, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Fat Part II: The Good

Fat sometimes gets a bad reputation, but I am here to tell you that it is a good and essential part of your diet. About 20 to 35 percent of your calories should come from fat; and the idea is to get most of that from healthy unsaturated fats. Today, I’ll be discussing what healthy fat is and which foods you can get it from.

Basically, any unsaturated fat is healthy. The only exception is trans fat, which is technically an unsaturated fat. You will not always see the good unsaturated fat listed food labels; however, calculating it is easy. Subtract trans fat and saturated fat from the total fat. Your answer from that simple math equation will give you the amount of unsaturated fat that is present in a serving. Sometimes the food label will breakdown fats into polyunsaturated and monounsaturated, which are both good for you!

Generally you will find unsaturated fats to be in oils, avocados, cold water fish, nuts, nut butters, and flax seed. Salmon, mackerel, halibut, and sardines are examples of seafood that are high in unsaturated fat. Remember that the wild varieties are going to be much more rich in healthy fat than farm-raised. Unfortunately, wild fish is more expensive, but my advice would be to stock your freezer when it is on sale. Olive, peanut, and canola oils are the best to choose from. Olive oil is great for sautéing, lightly pan frying, and dipping bread. Peanut oil is great for deep frying, not that I’m recommending this. Lastly, canola is fine for frying but also great for baking.

You have probably heard about omega-3 fatty acids, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). DHA and EPA are simply specific types of omega-3 fatty acids. They are all wonderful for your heart and are extremely important for brain development in children. If you have had difficulty raising your HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol) or lowering your LDL (the bad cholesterol), then consider discussing consuming more omega-3 fatty acids with your doctor. There is also evidence that these fats help to decrease the likelihood of Alzheimer’s disease (note that there is some conflicting evidence in this area). In addition to warding off disease, these fats can also help to decrease inflammation in your body, which possibly means less arthritic pain.

Any type of fat is good for a host of reasons as well. Fat in your diet is essential for absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and allowing you to feel full. In your body, fat cushions your bones, provides insulation and energy, plays a role in immunity, and helps to produce hormone-like compounds. These are just some of the roles that fat plays. As you can see, fat is essential, but you have to be sure that you’re eating the right types!

If your doctor has recommended fish oil, click here for a coupon. Go to the "healthcare" category. Here is an even better one!

For a $1 off olive oil, go here. Thanks, Jenny from Southern Savers!

Dramatically lower your grocery bill while still eating healthy!

One of the common complaints I hear from people who are trying to eat healthy is that eating well is too expensive. It is true that some foods that we think of as being nutritious or low in calories/fat do cost more money. However, there is hope! Here are ten tips to help you satisfy your taste buds and keep your body happy while not emptying your wallet!
1. Buy fruits and vegetables that are in-season. This will not only be cheaper, but also insure that you are getting the freshest and best tasting produce. It is also wise to shop produce that is locally grown!
2. Look for excellent sales on chicken breasts, lean red meat, and fish. Don’t just buy enough for the week! Stock your freezer so that you can enjoy lean meat and healthy fish at a great price.
3. Stock up on frozen fruits and vegetables when they are on sale. Frozen fruits and vegetables are highly nutritious and can be a fast and inexpensive way to get more produce in your diet. Don’t forget to bring your coupons so that you can really get an awesome deal on those sale items!
4. Look for BOGO deals! You can often find your favorite healthy cereals and breads on a buy-one-get-one deal. When this happens, use coupons to lower the price even more. Remember to stock up and freeze your bread.
5. Don’t be fooled by large discount stores. Although Wal-Mart and other wholesale stores do have regular prices that are lower than supermarket regular prices, you will almost always do better at regular supermarkets. Why, you ask? Wal-Mart has “Everyday Low Prices”, meaning that things don’t go on amazing sales! At supermarkets, as long as you are shopping the sales, prices go much lower than the “Everyday Low Price” at Wal-Mart!
6. Designate one night per week as “vegetarian night”. Legumes are a very inexpensive food from which you can get a nice variety of nutrients including protein and fiber! Start experimenting with new recipes and you may just be surprised at how yummy this can be!
7. Invest in a salad spinner and start buying fresh greens. I did this about a year ago because I was so tired of buying bagged salad that went bad quickly, or was already bad when I opened it. I figured that I was spending the same amount of time weeding through the bag to salvage any good lettuce that might still be there as I would to clean lettuce leaves and spin it to remove excess water. Fresh greens are about half the price of bagged salad, so it doesn’t take too long to make up the price of the spinner. Plus, I found that much more of my fresh romaine lettuce was edible than what I was getting in the bag! Lastly, the fresh stuff lasts longer than the bagged!
8. Pick fruits and vegetables at a local farm, or grow your own! Having your own is a great way to teach children a great skill and makes them more likely to eat fruits and vegetables. If you don’t feel that you have the time or green thumb, visit your local farmers’ market.
9. Remember that although we want to keep the grocery bill low, sometimes we have to pay now or pay later. Sometimes you have to weigh your options because an item that is a lot healthier but a few pennies more may be worth it. Eating well over the years will lower your risk of being on expensive medications, paying copays for frequent doctors visits, and even lower the possibility of expensive procedures and hospital visits.
10. Be sure to stay tuned to my blog. Sometimes the “low calorie”, “low fat”, or “organic” options aren’t the best choices anyway. Why spend extra cash when the better nutrition is in the regular product!