The Modern Simplest: March 2011

Monday, March 28, 2011

Saving or Hoarding?

You hear all the time from people, "we really need to start saving instead of spending so much". Or individuals telling you they wish they new where to start saving or could find the money to start paying off bills. Funny thing is, we save money every month yet I don't call it that. We have a savings account that grows, not fast but it grows. Every year we tend to have more (sometimes only slightly more) then the year before. Yes, we also have a car loan and a small credit card balance, but we save. I don't really call it saving because I am obssessed with it, it's more like a hoarding thing. I stash money away whenever I can find a few dollars here and there. I try never to take it out of our savings account. When I have to I have an anxiety attack, similar to when hoarders are confronted about throwing away (or getting rid of) their stuff. I don't want to let go of it! I find though that this obssession is ok, because its money!

I want to know if I am the only one that has this obsession. Do you feel the same way about money and saving? I wrote a previous post about keeping up with the Jones' and always wanting the newest, coolest best thing out there because your neighbor, friend or acquantance has it. Do you hoard posessions in order to keep up with the Jones' or do you save (hoard) your money? Tell me how you feel and what you think about this obsession! Healthy? Crazy? Your thoughts and opinions are always welcome!

Friday, March 25, 2011

Mamapedia deals I love this week!!

There are a few deals going on this week over at Mamapedia.com. There was one offer earlier this week that I loved and actually took advantage of it from my cell phone! (I've been too busy to even turn on the computer this week!).

$15 for $30 Worth of Positive Merchandise from SpeakNicely.com! These shirts are absolutely adorable! If you are anything like me, you like to promote a positive environment and attitude with your kids! These shirts are great!

The second offer I love is today's deal! $20 for $40 Worth of Safe, Healthy Products for Your Family from ecomom.com. Everyone knows I love natural and green products! If you agree, this deal is for you! What a great offer today!
To make the purchases even greater use coupon code SPRING at checkout for 10% off all purchases (this lasts through the end of the month!).

And to top off a great deal...head on over to ebates.com to score 4% back on your mamapedia.com purchases! If you are not a member yet of this great site, click here to sign up and start scoring cash back on your online purchases!

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Thursday, March 24, 2011

123Inkjets.com double save!

I publish posts all the time about deals I find online, and most of the time I don't take advantage of them. However, this is one of my favorites. I wait for this time every couple of months and stock up and save. We go through a lot of ink in our house printing coupons :), pictures, school reports and who knows what else!
So here's the great deal! 123Inkjets.com is having a sale, 15% off compatible ink and 10% off everything else on the site. But that's not it! Today only, ebates daily double is 123inkjets.com. So with the sale you will also be getting 32% cash back on your purchase! Yep, 32% cash back! All you need is the coupon code FLWR123 (if you go through ebates you won't need the code it will automatically give it to you!). If you haven't already signed up for ebates, click here and sign up for free. Start earning cash back on all your online purchases! I know I say this all the time, but why not get paid to make your purchases online. Just head over there and look through the stores! It's great!
So shop for some ink, to help print those coupons from coupons.com and earn some money back! Enjoy saving!

80% off $25 restuarant.com gift certificates

Get $25 gift certificates for only $2!

What a great deal...and you can stock up on gift certificates because most of the time the expiration date is far in advance! Just use promotional code DEAL at checkout to receive this great offer! Restaurant.com has hundreds of restaurants online in city's all over the country. So buy some now for you and buy some for later, stock up on gifts for friends, as well as one's for your summer vacation! Enjoy the savings now!!

For an added bonus, ebates members can get 15% back on their restaurant.com purchase. If you aren't an ebates member, click here to sign up and start saving on everyday online purchases!

Monday, March 21, 2011

Double Cash back on Clothes through ebates

If you are anything like me, you don't have time to hit the malls and stores with kids hanging all over you. Most of my shopping is done online. I don't get to shop much for myself anyways, being on the tight budget we are on, but when I do shop I like good deals. Spring is almost here and it may be time for a new wardrobe! Ebates is offering some great double cash back deals on some great sites, so check them out!
Shop DSW and get 8% cash back on show purchases and with code SHIPR you can get free shipping on orders of $35 or more!
Shop Smart Bargains and receive 7% cash back on purchases!
Get 6% cash back at Eddie Bauer, J Crew, Bloomingdales, Guess, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Lands End (use code SPRING & PIN 1710 and get $20 off $75 purchase!)
And don't forget Nordstrom where you can get 5% cash back on your purchase.

Don't forget a lot of these above stores have children's departments you can also shop at! In addition, check out the LONG list of stores at ebates stores that offer cash back on purchases! There's hundreds! Enjoy saving while shopping!

If you aren't yet a member of ebates click here to begin earning cash back on your everyday online purchases!

Eversave Deals for Monday

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Keeping up with the Joneses

I've always wondered about the phrase "keeping up with the Joneses" and how it related to me. Over the years we have gone from 2 incomes to now 1 full-time income and 2 small part-time incomes. So over the years our lifestyles have changed a bit. We use to eat out all the time, one due to lack of time and other because we had the money to spend. I use to buy new clothes all the time, I would say I needed them for work. It didn't bother me then but looking back now, really did I? We didn't think twice about selling our 2 bedroom condo for a new 3 bedroom rancher. And the minute our second child was born we ran out and bought a brand new van! What were we thinking!? Now that I look back on it, we were just doing what everyone else our age was doing! We were keeping up with our friends, trying to make sure we out did their last move. Didn't want them to be up one on us, we were keeping up with the Joneses!
But why? Was it necessary? Did we really need the brand new van when the 4 year old SUV fit 2 car seats just fine? Eventually yes we needed the bigger house and we did get a good deal on it, so I have to forgive myself for that one. But all those times we ate out we could have saved that money for the future, for now!! All those clothes that I thought I needed then they have now been donated! As I have gotten older (and more mature) I find that I don't need to keep up with anyone. I am teaching my kids the lesson of being yourself, not let anyone else tell you what's cool and what's not and thought to myself I should of listened to this years ago! I have friends all over the country, some of them successful business professionals, some of them SAHM, some of them are great teachers and others have the chance to work from home. Of all these friends a lot of them live in great big houses, don't worry about paying bills and buying groceries, while others struggle week to week. So I think to myself, we are all still friends no matter how much money we have, so why do we need to compete with each other? So what John lives on the beach and has jet skis, that's just an extra place for me to vacation!
I have come to terms that I don't need the big fancy house in my life. I am happy with my 3 bedroom one story house and a used car. I get to spend weekends with my kids playing and having fun and not worry about taking time away from them to clean my 3 bathrooms and vacuum my 8 rooms! I can clean my house top to bottom in 3 hours! Everyday I think about all the money I am saving and what my future is going to look like. Eventually I will put all 3 kids through college and my husband and I will see our tiny 3 bedroom house so we can move to a tiny condo and travel to see our kids! And why, because we didn't need to keep up with the Joneses all those years! We kept up with ourselves and were happy with what we had!
So I ask you, are you happy with what you have or are you still trying to keep up with the Joneses?

$17 Entertainment Books

In honor of St. Patricks Day snag up a 2011 Entertainment book for only $17. Click here to head over to the site for your deal. And if you need another book as a gift, your second book is only $10!

For my fellow ebates members you can get 17.5% cash back on your entertainment book purchase! That's almost $3 back on your entertainment book purchase! A whole Spring, Summer, and Fall of great savings for only $14! WOW! And if you aren't yet an ebates member (and why not?) then head over here for your free signup and start earning money back on your online purchases!

$5 for a One-Year Subscription to Disney FamilyFun Magazine ($10 Value) See Below for Two-Year Subscription Offer - Mamapedia Sweet Deals

$5 for a One-Year Subscription to Disney FamilyFun Magazine ($10 Value) See Below for Two-Year Subscription Offer - Mamapedia Sweet Deals: "$5 for a One-Year Subscription to Disney FamilyFun Magazine ($10 Value) See Below for Two-Year Subscription Offer"

Exclusive discount for first time buyers only!

First 1000 new buyers will get up to 75% OFF on Disney Family Fun Magazine!

Use coupon code DISNEY1YR to get a 1 Year Subscription for ONLY $3 ($10 value) or use coupon code DISNEY2YR to get a Full 2 Year Subscription for ONLY $5 ($20 value).

Hurry and get this discount while it lasts!

Other discounts through Mamapedia include http://deals.mamapedia.com/deals/kidssocks-com?utm_campaign=1614&utm_medium=email&utm_source=deal_alert_side

http://deals.mamapedia.com/deals/delphine?utm_campaign=1614&utm_medium=email&utm_source=deal_alert_side

And don't forget if your an ebates member you get 4% cash back on your mamapedia purchase. If you aren't a member head over here to signup for free and start earning money on purchases!

Give and Get at GAP

Starting today and going through March 20th you can get 30% off at GAP, Banana Republic, Old Navy instore or online! And what's great about this deal, you get 30% and you get to choose your favorite nonprofit to recieve 5%!

And don't forget ebates members receive 2% cash back on their purchase! If you aren't an ebates member then head over here to signup for free and start earning cash back on everyday online purchases!

Disney Store Free Shipping

Happy St. Patricks Day from the Disney Store! Enter promo code "LUCKY" at checkout and receive free shipping on your entire order!
Don't forget if you are an ebates member you can get 7% cash back on your disney store purchase. If you aren't an ebates member head over here to sign up for free and start earning cash back on your purchases.

Great deals going on at disney store right now are $8 graphic tee's for kids, personalized fleece starting at $5.99, singing dolls now $20 and additional markdowns on merchandise up to 40%!

Happy Disney Shopping today!!

Eversave Deals today!

$25 for $50 worth of The North Face, Samsonite, Tumi, Hartmann and more from Luggage.com
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Mar 19, 2011

Extra bonus savings...enter promo code "LUCKY" at checkout and save an additional $3 on your purchase. And if you are a new member to Eversave you can use your $2 credit on your purchase. That's $50 worth of luggage for only $20! YAY great savings!

Other great Eversave deals today are:
Atlanta: $99 for a Brazilian blowout from L'Image Salon ($300 value)
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Mar 19, 2011

Baltimore: $7 for $15 worth of freshly-prepared sandwiches, wraps, coffee and more
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Mar 19, 2011

Orlando: $15 for $30 worth of authentic Latin American cuisine at Sazon 436 in Winter Park
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Mar 19, 2011

Tampa: $60 for a cut and color treatment at Tranquility Escape Salon (up to $150 value)
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Mar 19, 2011

Washington DC: Tone up with a fitness class - 14 different choices - at Jordin's Paradise ($39 value)
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Mar 19, 2011

Monday, March 14, 2011

Baby Bargain Monday at Amazon.com

Sales and Specials in the Baby Store

This includes new markdowns in strollers, car seats, diaper bags, furniture, toys, and feeding! Today's exlusive deals include 25% off all baby monitors, 25% off select swings, jumpers and bouncers, and 25% off baby carriers and slings. So head on over to amazon.com and snag up some great baby deals!

Eversave Deal for Today

$8 for $20 worth of fresh, all-natural nuts, granola, trail mix, dried fruits and more from Nuttyguys.com
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Mar 16, 2011

And to make this deal even "sweeter", you can use the promo code SHARE to score an extra $1 off this purchase. AND if you are a new eversave member, use your $2 signup bonus to score this deal for only $5! Time to go "nuts" for this special!

Great Savings at GAP!

Need to do some Spring shopping for you or your kids! This is the chance! If you are an ebates member you can head over there and snag up 20% cash back on your GAP purchase! If you spend $50 on your online purchase you also get FREE SHIPPING! If you spend $50 on new clothes, you get free shipping and $10 back on your purchase! WOW!! If you are not currently an ebates member head over here to signup and score this great deal!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Starting to Coupon?

I've gotten a couple of requests about how and where to begin with the couponing for grocery shopping. So I thought I would post my tips and ideas. As you begin you will start to find your own niche and what works for you. Go with it, and remember the most important thing is to not stress out!
When beginning, only cut out coupons you know you are going to use. Cutting out everything is a waste of time. If you don't have a dog don't cut out the coupons for dogfood! I know this sounds common sense but you won't believe what some people do! The first couple of weeks you might feel more comfortable putting all your coupons in one place and not have them organized. Then when you head to the grocery store make a mental note about how you shop. Where do you start? How do you go down the aisles? What do you buy first and what do you buy last? Write the answers down. This I find will help you organize your coupons. For example, when I shop at the grocery store I start out in the frozen (I don't know why, that just happens to be on the right side of the store!). So I put all my frozen coupons together in an envelope. The next aisles are my canned and boxed goods, so all those go in an envelope, etc.
On Wednesday's I sit down (during nap time) and look at the grocery store flyer. I do this because it happens to come in the mail on Tuesday afternoon. I look at all the sales for that week and with a pencil I circle the items that we use in our household. Then I start at the front of the ad and I look for coupons in my stash that match up to the items I have circled in the flyer. I get everything together and then I make a written list of what I am going to get at the store. I write the item down then next to it I write how many I need (based on what the coupon says). I know this sounds tedious but I don't have much time when I shop. I don't have time to flip through coupons and read them. I have a time limit when I shop so I have to do it the fastest I can and I have found this way works the best! There are always items that I need that I don't have coupons for, that's when I head to the computer. Coupons.com is a great site to find what you need. Also, I check the actual company website, you can find great coupons on there! Print them off and use them, that's what they are there for! Then there will be times that you can't find a coupon for an item that is currently on sale. You have to ask yourself if you really need that! If it's a great deal, buy it, if not, don't! In our house we don't buy much that we don't have a coupon for, we make do with out it for awhile! But that is a personal decision you have to make.
After a couple of weeks you will start to get the hang of this and start to see how much money you are saving. This is when you can go bigger. Ask neighbors if they use their coupons, if not ask them to save them for you. Collect as many as you can from the Sunday papers and you can save even more!
When starting out, don't shop at every grocery store in town. I only shop at one! I don't have time to shop all over town and compare ads and sales. I don't even have the time to read the blogs that do the sales/coupons matchup for me! I have my one store I go to and that's it. I do go to one drugstore as well, and I do the same process for that as well.
Don't stress over it. Just like anything else that is new, it will take time to get better at. You will never be perfect...there is always something new to learn. But remember what works for me may not work for you. You will have to find what works best for you. So be patient, calm and START SAVING!!!

Amazon Special on Seventh Generation Products

If you are an Amazon Mom member, you can save 15% on select Seventh Generation items when you use the code SEVCLEAN, plus another 15% when you sign up for Subscribe & Save delivery.

Added bonus to being an Amazon mom member you get 30% off Diapers at Amazon.com. This program is great for busy moms because you have automatic delivery and extra savings for your most frequent purchases, like formula, diapers and wipes.

Head on over to Amazon.com, signup for the Amazon mom program and start saving on your baby purchases today!

Cute, Modern Mommy Calendars

Online Special Today:
Mark all of life's important events in style and pay $12 for $25 worth of chic calendars, notepads and more from PulpFactory.com

Orlando, Florida special today, awesome mommy time!
Go glam with a manicure and pedicure at Urban Sage Fusion Spa Salon ($40 value)

Atlanta, Georgia special today, great family night out!
$15 for $30 worth of New York-style pizza and Italian-American classics at Paizanos in Norcross

Baltimore, Maryland special today, great for a family funfilled weekend this spring or summer!
Buckle up for some family-friendly fun and enjoy two go-kart rides at The Go-Kart Track ($12 value)

And many more...head on over to Eversave to check out some other great deals today online!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Amazon Deals today in Toys and Games

Radio Flyer All-Terrain Steel and Wood Wagon

20% off Select Radio Flyer Items

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Classic Peg Puzzle Bundle

Additional 15% off Two Select Melissa and Doug Puzzles

Fisher-Price Lil' Zoomers Spinnin' Sounds Speedway

$15 off Select Fisher Price Items when you spend $50

Up to 25% Off Select Five-Star Outdoor Toys and Games

10% Off Select Power Wheels and Ride-Ons

Up to 50% Off Select Mattel Games

Up to 40% Off Select Stuffed Animals and Plush

Up to 40% Off Select Hot Wheels and Matchbox

Hot Wheels 10 Car Pack (Styles May Vary)

Up to 25% Off Select LeapFrog Learning Software

LeapFrog Leapster 2 Learning Game System - Green

20% Off Select Girls' Toys

Great Skype Deal on Groupon Today

Skype Deal on Groupon Today!
$10 for a Three-Month Skype Premium Subscription (Up to $26.97 value) This is a great deal for all those individuals who love to video conference grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends who live far away. This is a widespread deal today, so check it out! We will be cashing in on this deal with a few of our family members!

And as an even sweeter deal head over to ebates and snag 3% cash back on your Groupon purchase! I love saving money!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Entertainment Books now half off

Half off 2011 Entertainment book
If you want to save money this spring, summer and fall while entertaining your kids, this offer is for you! Purchase a 2011 entertainment book for deals on dining, museums, and shopping! And if you purchase through ebates you an get 17.5% cash back on your entertainment books! Wow what a savings in addition to all the savings in the book itself! Happy Savings!

Amazon.com Bargains in Baby Store Today Only

Amazon.com sales and special in Baby Store
Bargain Mondays on Amazon.com has lightning Deals and new markdowns in the baby store. You can snag up toys, gear, strollers, car seats, furniture, and more. Check out the site all day for more! You can also create a baby registry for those who are expecting, or if you are like us with a First birthday right around the corner, a gift registry for your little one! Check out all the amazing deals today...I think I will be snagging up a new jogging stroller myself!

Online Shopping Savings Today!

$7 for One Set of Innovative Iron-On Kuff-its to Extend the Life of Kid's Pants ($14 value)
This is an awesome deal! What a great way to save money by saving pants another year! And only $7! I think I will be grabbing a couple of these today!

$20 for $40 toward toothbrush and other UV sanitizing products
If your winter has been anything like mine with all the germs and illnesses floating around, this deal is for you! Check it out!

Half off Seafood and drinks at Snappers in Norfolk, VA
This one is for all my Hampton Roads friends. And don't forget the extra bonus, go through ebates to get 3% cash back on your purchase. That's like a double savings!

63% of Three 60-Minute Jade Thermal Messages
This is another one for all my Hampton Roads friends! A great present for Mother's Day in a few months!

Disney Store
Disney Store is having another big sale this week. Kids personalized clothes starting at $7.99! In addition, don't forget to go through ebates to get the 5% cash back on your purchase! This is a great time to get your souvenirs for all you traveling this summer and during Spring Break!

Old Navy is having a sale on basics like t-shirts, starting at $4 for kids and $5 for adults. Stock-up and save. They have also begun free shipping everyday for orders over $50. Extra bonus, shop again through
ebates and get 2% cash back on your purchase!

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Online Savings Today for Parents

$25 for $50 worth of handbags, toys, frames and more at GiftsFromAtoZebra.com
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Mar 08, 2011

$13 for $26 worth of Edible cupcake toppers from Cake Sugar Designs
Planning a birthday party, baby shower, tea party, or other treat-worthy occasion? Make a sweet statement with custom, personalized desserts decorated with Cake Sugar Designs. Using their elegant, edible frosting appliques, you can serve up cupcakes chock full of personality. For added fun, choose hairstyles, features, and accessories to resemble the guest of honor. And you don’t have to be a whiz in the kitchen—just peel and press for beautiful, bakery-quality cupcakes that look as good as they taste!

Diaper Bag Blowout Every girl needs a good bag. And just because you are hauling diapers, doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style. After all, your bag is a permanent accessory - it goes with you nearly everywhere. With these reduced prices, you can't make any more excuses. Go ahead, you don't have to feel guilty for this one.

Treat yourself to a shopping spree today while saving money!

Busch Gardens Preschool Program

Busch Gardens is offering kids ages 5 and younger a Free Sesame Street Forest of Fun Preschool Pass, valid for unlimited admission through Sept. 5, 2011. Valid for Virginia Residents Only.
This is a great opportunity for parents! I have just completed my registration for our 2 youngest! Head on over to Busch Gardens website to begin you registration process! (The site currently has additional offers going on, so check into those as well!

Friday, March 4, 2011

Cash Back at Kodak.com and more!

Head on over to Ebates and sign up as a member. Today they are offering 20% cash back on your Kodak.com purchase! There is also a coupon code offering Free Shipping on a $30 purchase!
Also, for those of you with Nook and NookColor, purchase your books online by going through ebates and getting 6% back on your electronic books! You can download them through the website and it will come up on your Nooks! Saving money so you can read more!
In addition, today's Dailey Double over at Ebates is magazine.com, 51% back on your purchase. So if you're looking to subscribe to your favorite magazine, today is the day! Or purchase a gift card to Magazine.com for a friend and receive 51% back on the purchase! Stock up!

Eversave Deals today no matter where you live!

$12 for a photo shoot and 12 professional prints ($110 value)
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Mar 07, 2011

Tee off springtime with half-off 18 holes plus a cart at Cape Cod's Brookside Club ($72 value)
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Mar 07, 2011

$20 gets you a box of pre-loved kids clothes and a PRO membership on thredUP.com - where moms swap online - plus free shipping ($46 value)
Offer expires: 11:59 PM - Mar 07, 2011

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Disney Store online - 40% off Sale

40% off Disney Store Sale on select items which include personalized fleece throws for $5.99, night gowns and graphic t-shirts! Great sale to stock up on needed Disney items! Don't forget to shop through Ebates to receive 5% back from your purchase!! Double bonus!

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Eversave Norfolk | Eversave

Eversave Norfolk Eversave
This could be a great Mother's Day gift (coming up pretty soon), or just a great I love you for being you! Or for you hard working mother's who need something special today for yourselves, why not...it's a great deal and eco-friendly!!

Groupon Special with an extra Discount Twist

Today's Groupon special is Infrared Sauna Therapy. But to make saving mone even better, if you head on over to ebates and signup there you will get money back on your Groupon purchase because today's Daily Double over at ebates today is Groupon. So, not only will you be saving by using Groupon but then you will also be getting 6% of your purchase paid back to you. Double save! And if the sauna thing is not your cup of tea (like me) Groupon also has other offers going on right now like: Laser Tag, cleaning service, and others! So enjoy extra savings today!!!

Sing A Ma Jigs on sale on Amazon today

Amazon Special today...sing a ma jigs on sale for $9.00 and that's with shipping for prime members. If you aren't a prime member $25 purchase will get you free shipping! Great Easter basket stuffers!!! Enjoy!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Saving Money at Amusement Parks

My husband and I don't necessarily spoil our kids, but we don't deprive them either. Every 2 years (or so) we enjoy a trip to Disney World. We aren't rich and we don't make the money to save a tons, but we do enjoy our vacations. I get asked a lot about how we can afford these trips all the time, and I tell them it's pretty easy. So I thought I would share some of our tips. I know some of these will be common sense, but sometimes you think about it and just don't do it. What my husband and I practice really works! In addition to our vacations to Disney World we also have season passes every year to Busch Gardens. We use most of these practices there as well!
When you plan your vacation plan it around a time that is during the off season. This may mean you have to pull your kids out of school, but in the long run you could be saving thousands of dollars. Also think about going during the week and avoiding the weekends. A lot of resorts will increase prices for the weekends and drop them for the weekdays. Check in to also timeshares off of the actual Disney property. Check Craigslist for availabilities as well. And of course, if you have family anywhere near your destination use them! They would probably love the company and you get a free (of course you might want to do something in return!) place to stay. This is our option!!
Flying vs. Driving. This is always a hard decision for us. We fly to many of our vacations but we also tend to drive as well. We have done both to Disney World and find that we like to drive more. It's easier for us to gt around while down there and in the long run it's a lot cheaper for us. It takes us a day to get there and filling up the tank is close to half of a one way ticket prices for our whole family. There are websites now, like http://www.gasbuddy.com/ that will calculate your price for gas for your entire trip.
Park tickets is another big ticket item on your trip. Shop around before you buy. If you're military, use it! If you're a AAA member, use it! There are a ton of options out there as far as tickets, do your research, use the Internet and score a great price! Don't settle on the first thing you see! And remember you don't have to go to the parks every day of your vacation. Most of the time, during a week vacation we only hit the parks 4 of the days. It's just enough for the kids and the tickets are cheaper!
My husband and I pack all our food for our vacation. On or drive we eat snacks in the car and pack sandwiches and drinks in a cooler. This saves tons of money because we are not stopping for fast food or even a sit down meal. And of course all these snacks and drinks were bought on sale with a coupon! :)
While visiting Disney the kids love the character dining, and I think honestly us parents love them just as much! We plan one for everyday that we plan to spend in the parks. Whether it be breakfast, lunch or a dinner we plan something. Then we plan other meals around that. If possible we try and eat breakfast before we even head to the parks. At the Character Dinings a lot of them give you a ton of food! We all fill up, including the kids. These meals will last us most of the day, resulting in us not having to eat more meals. We take snacks with us into the park, granola bars, fruit snacks, string cheese, etc. so that the kids have something to munch on when they are hungry or bored. In the parks we usually only drink water. It's good for you and FREE!!!
Souvenirs! This is a big one, especially when you have kids! Anytime you walk through a store they want EVERYTHING! Our kids now from the get go that they can look but are not aloud to ask for anything. If my husband and I are feeling generous one trip we will tell them ahead of time they have X amount of dollars, after that they have to pay out of their own money. This generous thing doesn't happen much! I posted a couple of days ago about a sale at Disney Store online. I love this website! When I know we are going I constantly check for sales (I get email updates!) and I buy anything and everything before we go. From autograph books to new t-shirts, pins to flip flops. You name it, it's on the website. If you get the sales, its cheaper to get them online then at the parks. Most of the time the kids don't even now, mainly because mine don't have the patience to stand in line to buy anything, so they think I do and it's actually in the backpack already!! And don't forget, if your an Ebates member you get money back on your purchase! You won't get that at the parks!
If you plan on staying at the parks in the evenings beware that the kids are going to want all those light up things! Mine ask all the time, but we come prepared! Before our trip I head over to one of the Dollar stores in town and load up on glow sticks, necklaces, and bracelets. The kids have a new one every night we are there and they don't know that I didn't pay $10 for a glow in the dark necklace! We also have a princess flashlight that the girls have acquired over the years, we bring that with us. It's princess and fits in!
I am sure I am missing some topics somewhere, while I remember them I will come back and add them! And remember if you have some tips please share them! I love learning new ideas!!

Cleaning Supplies

I am pretty picky about what I clean my house with. I know that we should be doing the all natural thing and making our own products, but my husband hates the smell of vinegar and I like knowing that I am cleaning with something that will work! So here is a list of items I use currently in my house, along with some of our laundry products too!Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day All Purpose Cleaner, Lemon Verbena, 32 Ounce Bottle

I love that this is concentrate so that a little goes a long way. We mix a bit with hot water in a spray bottle and keep it under the sink until we need to use it. I also keep a bottle of the concentrate on the kitchen sink and use it to wash the sink every evening. And the lemon smell is great, makes you feel like your house is clean!

Seventh Generation Dish Liquid (Lemongrass & Clementine Zest) 25-Ounce Bottles (Pack of 2)
We just started using this dish soap a couple of months ago and I wish we started earlier. This soap really gets the dishes clean. We wash all our bottles and sippy cups by hand, the never go in the dish washer, and this soap is really great for doing that. The soap doesn't dry out your hands, it feels smooth to the skin. In fact after a long day of constantly washing my hands I will use this every once in awhile!

Method Smarty Dish Dishwashing Detergent Go Naked, 20-count Pouch (Pack of 6)

I love this Dish Detergent! It's not a liquid or a powder that makes a mess. It comes in a resealable bag so the kids can't get in to it. It's a simple tablet you drop into the washer and it gets the dishes super clean! It doesn't have a smell to it, so your cups don't end up smelling like flowers, and there aren't any harmful chemicals that will remain on your dishes for you to ingest!

Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Toilet Bowl Cleaner, Lemon Verbena, 32-Ounce Bottles (Case of 3)
I love this toilet cleaner! It smells great and it really works. I have also found that you can use it on your bathroom fixtures and it really makes them shine!

biokleen Free And Clear Laundry Powder Unscented 10 lb (4.54 kg)
I was using another type of laundry detergent for awhile and was happy with it but found my diapers were not smelling fresh. So I read online someone that used this detergent on their diapers and we happy. I tried it and love it. I started using it as our only laundry detergent now and it works great. The clothes feel and look clean and they really smell good!

Bac-Out Stain & Odor Remover by Biokleen - 16 Oz
Again I read somewhere online that this really gets cloth diapers clean and smell fresh. It worked wonders on my cloth diapers and now I use it in my laundry when I wash whites and stained clothes. It smells great and gets the odors out of clothes.