The Simple Things

Simple Point Strategies - Bi-lo shoppers

2011-09-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine gave me a great tip I'd never thought of! I love Bi-lo because of their every day discounts and deals as well as the awesome fuel perks. She suggested that if you have things you buy regularly at, for example, PetSmart, you can purchase a PetSmart gift card at Bi-lo and earn points toward your fuel perks! It doesn't work for visa gift cards, so I would suggest checking with the store for details when buying. We all know Bi-lo offers all sorts of gift card purchases, so get them at Bi-lo and earn your fuel perks points!

Simple Start to Couponing

2011-06-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I have officially started couponing, trying to learn all I can from the experts, watching the extreme couponing shows, and gathering input from friends and family. One of the best tricks I learned so far is the "stacking" of coupons, learning to shop for the best deals on products I use regularly, and applying the store rewards and coupons along with manufacturers coupons. I have found that stockpiling coupons has been the best start for me, and I don't intend to create a huge stockpile of groceries as I don't have the space, but just saving the most I can on the products we use regularly is really paying off. I started a simple binder of baseball card inserts to start my coupon sorting. My time is limited to work on strategies, but a simple start feels great, and I hope to become more of an expert over time. Saving money has inspired my husband to help out at the store, and he actually does not mind spending more time in the store to watch the savings pile up at the register. He could do without all the cutting, planning and organizing but he can leave that part to me.

Simple Chicken

2011-06-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

Wow, for years I would only buy the boneless, skinless chicken breasts when baking or even frying chicken. How much money could I have saved by buying the bone-in chicken? Thousands over the years! The bone-in chicken is delicious, especially the breast halves. You can just pop them in the oven and bake as they are, the juices seal in while cooking. Peel the skin back and eat away...yummy! Also great to bake them and just pull the meat off for quick chicken sandwiches. They are typically about $5 for 5 breasts! I can't believe how much money I threw away in the past. Well, the boneless were good, and at least we did eat them for the money we spent! I do still prefer the boneless ones for deep frying, although we rarely do that anymore since the others are so delicious and more healthy.

Oh, and another great cheap buy are the drumsticks or chicken legs. Usually 12-15 legs in a pack for less than $5, and they are great on the grill! My husbands favorite is to barbecue them in the original Kraft BBQ sauce. Fantastic!

The Simple Enjoyment of Hiking

2011-06-25T18:12:00.000-07:00

One of the best websites to visit to help search for exciting new places to explore in your area is http://www.localhikes.com/. Check it out sometime, you will be pleasantly surprised how many places you can go, for free!

Simple Family Time

2011-06-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

With the economic struggles there is an overall decrease in travel. Many people need a vacation or trip with their families but money is tight. My husband has been unemployed for 3 years now, unable to find steady work and it has significantly changed our life, but I would say for the better! We have developed a greater appreciation for the simple things in life. We have mapped out local trips and discovered some of the most incredible places practically in our own backyard, free places to go that create incredible memories. I've created this site to start sharing information about some of these incredible places, in South Carolina, North Carolina, and other states we travel to (as well as other simple things). There are many commercialized tourist sights that are enticing, and of course we would all like to set goals to enjoy the luxuries, but there are so many state parks, national parks and little known areas that are just waiting to be discovered by all of us. Searching for these places and mapping out our routes has become a hobby of ours, and we've had some of the best family time enjoying these simple things in life! Stay tuned, there is a lot to come.