The Budget Diet

This Week’s Top 10 Budget Travel Deals

Kristl — Sat, 02 Jun 2012 00:28:15 +0000

Remember The Budget Diet’s motto when it comes to saving money on travel – Deal First, Destination Second! If you get your heart set on a destination, and then start searching for deals, you might not find them. Be open-minded, and you’ll find the best travel deals! Stop dreaming and start traveling!

Groupon Getaways are GREAT!
New discounted travel deals launch each week on Groupon Getaways, and deals will be live for seven days. You can always find these amazing travel deals on the right side of this page. Check often, the best ones sell out quickly! This week my Top Budget Travel Deals are all Groupon Getaways!

$399 for a 5-night stay with a free Mexican Cooking Class at the Fiesta Americana Puerto Vallarta

One or Two Night Stay in a Casita Suite at the Arizona Golf Resort in Mesa, Arizona from $49

One Night Weekday Stay at The Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago for $112. Combine up to 3 nights.

Two Night Stay in a Classic or Resort Club Room at the Las Vegas Hotel and Casino (formerly Las Vegas Hilton) from $78, combine up to 6 nights

One or Two Night Stay in a Luxury Room at the Metropolitan Hotel Vancouver, combine unlimited nights

One Night in a Loft Suite at the Box House Hotel in Brooklyn, New York, combine up to 2 nights

One or Three Night Stay at the Sea Palms Resort on St. Simon’s Island, Georgia

Your FREE Personal Planner for June

Kristl — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:00:59 +0000

Did you know that planning ahead is an essential money saving tool? Planning ahead allows you to save time and money (and your sanity)!

The Budget Diet girl (a.k.a. your free personal organizer) is here again with a checklist to help you plan ahead for June.

Check Your Calendar
Check your calendar and start planning ahead for any big events this month like birthdays, anniversaries and weddings. Take a moment and order discounted gift cards to buy these gifts, and you’ll save up to 30%! Remember, discounted gift cards take about 1 week to arrive! If you don’t have a greeting card organizer, this might be a great month to start one – it’s like have a greeting card store in your desk drawer! You could even get your children to make some cards to have on hand…what a great activity for a rainy summer day!

Graduation Gifts
My favorite graduation gift is a simple i.o.u. for a care package. It’s inexpensive, memorable and unique! Don’t you remember the joy of receiving your first college care package filled with homemade goodies?

Weddings
Chances are you know someone getting married this month since June is the most popular month for weddings! If you need a fancy dress, check out a consignment shop in an upscale area of town. In the upscale areas, women often buy party dresses and wear them only once! You’ll be amazed at the selection and thrilled at the price! When it comes to wedding and shower gifts, don’t forget to shop with discounted gift cards! Right now Bed, Bath & Beyond gift cards are 10% off! If you’re a great cook, any bride would love a recipe binder with some of your best recipes.

Father’s Day
Why are men so hard to shop for??? If you’re out of ideas, why don’t you plan A Day for Dad that revolves around all of his favorite activities and meals. Everyone in the family can help plan the day!

Fourth of July
Now’s the time to start planning your Fourth of July party, and I suggest keeping it simple! One of my favorite memories growing up was our neighborhood Fourth of July pot luck block party…food, friends, firecrackers & fun! Click here for a fun idea for an edible patriotic centerpiece.

Summer Plans
Don’t feel like you have to spend thousands of dollars on a vacation or summer camp to keep your children entertained. Plan your own summer camp with activities each day! The Budget Diet girl has ideas for summer field trips and a budget friendly summer book swap. Simple summer pleasures are plentiful and FREE, so make sure to enjoy backyard campouts, playing in the sprinklers and catching fireflies! If you’d rather hit the road, opt for a road trip that the entire family plans – you set the distance parameters and budget! Don’t forget that our National Parks have a free admission day on June 9th!

Shopping Calendar
June is a great time to buy…

Gym Membership
Hardware and Tools
Paint
Butter – did you know that butter freezes well for up to 6 months! Now’s the time to stock up for holiday baking!
Champagne
Fruits – cherries, rhubarb and strawberries
Vegetables – summer squash, peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach, asparagus, peas and green onions

Thanks to my friends at FreeShipping.org for keeping us up to date on the best buys each month!

Summer Bucket List

Kristl — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 11:00:23 +0000

Ahh…the lazy days of summer have begun, and the Budget Diet girl is here to help you plan a summer of frugal family fun!

Today begins the Summer Bucket List, and each Friday we’ll add to the list. Let the Summer Bucket list be your answer to the “I’m bored syndrome”!

Summer Bucket List #1

Make homemade ice cream and start a summertime tradition of having sundaes on Saturday!

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Image(s) courtesy of: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Plan Meals and Save Money

Kristl — Fri, 01 Jun 2012 01:29:18 +0000

Food on the Table is an easy meal planning service that is based on sales at your local grocery stores. Here’s how it works:

Select your favorite grocery store.
Pick what you’re in the mood to eat.
Receive suggestions for meals you’ll love that use items on sale at your grocery OR browse recipes that use sale items.
Get a printable grocery list itemized and categorized by department.

Use coupon code: SPRINGFREE to get Free Meal Planning Service for life for Food on the Table! Remember, planning meals = saving money!

Report Card FREEBIES!

Kristl — Thu, 31 May 2012 11:00:28 +0000

Don’t miss out on these great report card FREEBIES! Just bring in your most recent report card to redeem!

Baskin Robbins – FREE scoop for A’s & B’s

Blockbuster – 1 FREE family movie or kid movie with a B average (no new releases)

Cheryl & Co. – FREE cookie for each A

Chick-Fil-A – FREE 8 pack of nuggets for A’s & B’s

Chuck E. Cheese – 15 FREE tokens for good grades

Krispy Kreme – FREE donut for each A

McDonalds – FREE Happy Meal with all A’s

Noah’s Bagels – FREE bagel for each A

Peter Piper Pizza – FREE 7″, 1 topping pizza for A’s & B’s

Pizza Hut – FREE personal pan pizza with 3 A’s

Sbarro – FREE slice of cheese or pepperoni pizza + a small drink for all A’s & B’s

Please note that most offers apply only to Kindergarten through 8th Grade.

Promotions may vary by location so always call ahead.

Let’s “share the wealth”…if you know of another business that offers report card freebies…please leave a comment!

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Keep up with all the lastest money saving tips…just follow The Budget Diet on facebook or twitter!

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Image courtesy of: photostock / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Save Time and Money with MyPoints Online Shopping Rewards

Kristl — Thu, 31 May 2012 00:09:46 +0000

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of MyPoints for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Mention the words "save time and money," and I'm all ears!

If you haven't entered the world of online shopping rewards, listen up!

Online shopping rewards programs turn your computer time into cash!

Think about it…how much time do you spend online each day shopping, taking surveys, playing games, booking travel or couponing? Wouldn't it be nice to Save Money at MyPoints every time you log on? MyPoints.com allows you to save money and earn rewards points while shopping your favorite online retailers like Target, Nordstrom, Sepora, Toys-R-Us and more. Rewards Points = Money, Money, Money!

Here's how it works…

Register for a free account at MyPoints.com, it takes less than 5 minutes to enter your name, zip code, gender, date of birth and email address. You'll even earn 5 points for registering!
Whenever you're shopping online, make MyPoints.com your first stop, and you'll discover Great Offers and Deals at MyPoints for over 1000 popular online retailers. I know I'll take advantage of the Lowe's coupons this month as we move into our new home!
You can also earn points by taking surveys, playing games, clipping coupons and referring friends…doesn't that sound like easy money! 10 points for every coupon you print and redeem!
Remember, points = money, so redeem those points for gift cards to your favorite merchants! Points may also be redeemed for PayPal or facebook credits or donated to charity.

June is a busy month with lots of shopping for dads and grads, so take a moment to save money by checking out the special offers and coupons for the most popular gifts, and don't miss their Awesome Daily Deals!

Since I'll earn double points on purchases I make in the first 30 days, I think it's time to start my father's day shopping! I know my father-in-law would love a gift from Omaha Steaks, and I know I'll love saving $10 off an order of $50 or more plus I'll earn 5 points for every dollar spent. The points are adding up quickly, and I think I'll cash in 3800 points for a $25 Cheesecake Factory gift card!

5 Foods You Should be Freezing

Kristl — Wed, 30 May 2012 11:00:02 +0000

Learn to love your freezer, and you’ll discover that it’s a great way to save time and money! Here are 5 foods that you should be freezing…

Casseroles – Get in the habit of doubling and freezing casseroles. A casserole is best if you freeze it uncooked, thaw it in the refrigerator (usually 2 days) and bake as instructed. You’ll enjoy having a freezer full of “go to” meals!
Soups, Chili’s and Stews – This is another meal that freezes well, so double your recipes and freeze the leftovers. I often freeze soups in single serving microwavable containers.
Baked Goods – My freezer is always full of cookies, bar cookies, brownies and pies because they freeze well and thaw quickly. I’m always eager to bring dessert to meetings and parties! If you want to freeze frosted cakes here’s a great freezer tip – put the frosted cake on a plate, do not cover and put it in the freezer. Set your timer for an hour, and then wrap the cake in freezer paper. After an hour, the frosting will be solid, so you won’t mess it up! Just remember to unwrap the cake when it’s time to thaw.
Dairy – Yes…you can freeze dairy products, so stock up on cheese and butter when they’re on sale! Just put the entire package in the freezer, no special wrapping required.
Fruit – If your bananas are getting a bit too spotted for your taste, chop and freeze. If peaches or berries are on sale, do the same, and you’ll be ready to make Fruit Smoothies or my Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie!

Please leave a comment to let me know your favorite foods to freeze, and how your freezer helps you save both time and money.

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Image courtesy of: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

83 Piece Make-Up Collection 90% Off!

Kristl — Tue, 29 May 2012 22:15:19 +0000

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Lighten Your Laundry Load – 5 Time Saving Tips

Kristl — Tue, 29 May 2012 11:00:47 +0000

Do you feel like there’s a never ending pile of laundry in your home?

Do your washer and dryer ever get a break, or how about you for that matter?

If you have children, everyday is likely laundry day in your home, so it’s time to tame the laundry monster!

Yes, it really is possible to lighten your laundry load with these 5 time saving tips.

Simplify Sorting – Rather than laundry baskets in each child’s room, have them sort their laundry in the laundry room. Have a basket for lights, whites and darks or whatever sorting system you prefer.
Introduce Mesh Bags – Give each family member 2 large zippered mesh bags…1 for socks and 1 for underwear. Throw the entire bag in the washer and dryer, and then you won’t be wasting time matching up socks or figuring out whose pile it belongs in. Even better, nobody can blame you for missing socks!
Create a Reject Pile – Stop wasting your time zipping zippers, emptying pockets and turning clothes right side out…simply put those items in the reject pile. It’s everyone’s responsibility to check the reject pile.
Delegate – If your children are old enough to be in school, they’re old enough to put away their own clothes.
Teach Teens – If you have teens, now is the time to teach them to do their own laundry. They might not wear 3 outfits in a day when laundry is one of their chores!

Summertime is a great time to introduce your family to a new laundry routine!

Please leave a comment to share your time saving laundry tips.

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Image courtesy of: tongdang / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

133 Military Discounts

Kristl — Sun, 27 May 2012 19:11:22 +0000

Happy Memorial Day!

Attention military personnel…flash your id and wear your uniform to save money!

My friends at GiftCardGranny.com have put together an exhaustive list of 133 military discounts…how many are you taking advantage of?

Here’s a sneak preview of a few of the discounts…

Aeropostale 20% off
Footlocker 10% – 20% off
Kohl’s 15% off
Del Taco 50% off
Fudruckers 20% off
IHOP 20% off
Texas Roadhouse 10% off

The list goes on and on and on! Apparel discounts for military, restaurant discounts for military, travel discounts for military and more!

Save money by taking advantage of the 133 military discounts!

Also, active duty military personnel and their families receive free admission to over 1500 museums nationwide from Memorial Day until Labor Day!

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Image courtesy of: Michael Elliott / FreeDigitalPhotos.net