stretching your grocery budget: money saving apps
(this post contains affiliate links which carry no cost to you but help support this blog) I’m serving up something a little different for you today and talking about money. Specifically, how you can save it. While paper and printable coupons are still around, there are newer kids in town who are here to save you money: apps. They function similarly to paper coupons, but (I think) carry higher payouts and are much safer than printable coupons which can invite viruses into your computer. While money saving apps involve a little extra step than simply clipping coupons and handing them to the cashier, they are completely worth it. If…
basic vegetable stock (vegan, sodium free, soy free)
Besides creating healthy yummy recipes, there are two things I love to do that go along with creating healthy yummy recipes: finding ways to save money and reducing waste. This basic vegetable stock manages all three. How? Glad you asked. The genius of this vegetable stock is it’s simplicity…just save your scraps of onion, garlic, carrot, celery and wilted bits of fresh herbs, freeze them, then turn them into a flavorful stock. No hard and fast recipe needed, but here are a few helpful tips: A higher ratio of onions and garlic will produce a more savory stock; carrots and celery one with a sweeter overtone. It’s possible to include…
Product Review: Banza Penne Pasta
My review of Banza Penne Pasta is my own opinion and I was not compensated by the makers of Banza for this post in any way. Some links in the post may contain affiliate links which help fund this blog at no cost to you. I love doing these product reviews! To catch the others, click here. This week, I’m featuring this penne pasta by Banza. Since pasta is in my meal plan weekly and I’m always looking for ways to boost the nutrients in our diet, I had to try this when I saw a coupon for it in the Ibotta app*. If you want my go-to marinara…
product review :: Mamma Chia beverage
My review of this Mamma Chia beverage is my own opinion and I was not compensated by the makers of Mamma Chia for this post in any way. Some links in the post may contain affiliate links which help fund this blog at no cost to you. It’s back to business here at wildberry press after an entire week of snack recipes for Snack to School Week. While I won’t be posting every day, I’m excited to share this new product review series with you along with a new recipe on Wednesday. You definitely want to come back Wednesday! Since the marketplace has happily become flooded with more better-for-you options, I…
the perfect pot rack
We did a partial update of our kitchen a couple years ago, but still had some projects that got put on the back burner. And we still have a few things to take care of before we officially declare the kitchen “done.” Since we actually lost some storage space with the redo, I felt like we needed a pot rack, but was looking for something cost-effective and unique. Pinterest to the rescue! I found an idea for repurposing an old ladder as a pot rack. I’ve had the ladder for a while and got it either free or dirt cheap…I can’t remember exactly because it’s been that long. The only…
fridge, freezer and pantry apps
How many times have you gone to the grocery store, made your purchases and returned home only to find you already had one (or more than one!!) of those items already in your fridge, freezer or pantry? Or stored leftovers from a meal in the freezer only to forget you had them there in the first place… until many months later when they are covered in the freezer fuzz? I’ve been there way too many times myself and a conversation with a friend today prompted me to search for apps that can help with that. Here are a few free apps I found that let you track what is in…
brown bag mondays: saving greens
I’ve lost track of the dollars I’ve wasted in throwing out fresh greens that ended up spoiling before I used them up. Frustrating especially when I need them for a recipe. So to save some green and some greens, here is today’s tip: Here’s how: Asparagus: store upright in a jar that has a little water in the bottom. Change the water every few days when it starts to get cloudy. Cilantro, Parsley: Can also be stored upright in a jar that has a little water in the bottom. Change the water every few days when it starts to get cloudy. You also can pesto the herbs with a little…
coco’nuts’ about these products
Who else likes to check these boxes? ✅saving money ✅buying food that’s good for you ✅giving a hand up to those who need it by buying fair trade ✅sharing the secret with others Today, I was able to do all four when I bought two of my favorite pantry essentials from Vitacost: Coconut Secret’s Coconut Aminos and Dr. Bronner’s Magic All-One Fair Trade & Organic Coconut Oil. Yes, these are more expensive than similar products, but there are times when I feel it’s important to “vote with my fork” and pay the extra money for a good cause. Here’s the skinny on why I shell out the few extra pesos:…
project pare: tracking spending
At heart I’m still a pen-to-paper kind of girl. After there’s no need to “log on,” never any wait time for a page to load and it doesn’t crash. It may burn, but I can’t remember that happening in recent memory. Two years ago, I found this little organizer in one of stores I shop out that stocks closeouts as well as groceries. It’s not nationwide so I won’t mention it in this space. Although It took me until last year to start using it, as we’ve continued to become more budget conscious, I’ve found it invaluable for tracking and matching expenses. Especially food-related ones as they are our most…
project pare, where I’ve been, where I’m headed
Yes I’ve been a little MIA here. Summertime, and a season to adjust to all kids in school and a new job for my husband and well, the days quickly add up to months which usher in a new year. Not that I will rehash the last six months in detail, but generally, I’ve been doing much thinking and praying about this site and where God would use me and the time He’s provided. So in addition to dusting off these pages, I’m also inching toward the goal of applying my life coaching certificate to helping people reach their healthy eating, fitness and financial goals. That’s where I’ve been and…