Use Coupons and Freebies to Superchage your Budget

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In today's fast-paced world, finding effective ways to save money is more important than ever. While there are countless strategies and tips available, one often overlooked yet highly powerful tool for saving money is the humble coupon. Coupons have been around for decades, but their potential to slash expenses and boost your budget is still significant. In this blog post, we'll explore the art of couponing and how it can help you maximize your savings.

Understanding the Power of Coupons: Coupons are essentially discounts or special offers provided by retailers or manufacturers to entice customers to buy their products or services. They come in various forms, including physical cut-out coupons, digital codes, printable coupons, and cashback offers. By leveraging these coupons strategically, you can significantly reduce your expenses and keep more money in your pocket.


Start with a Game Plan: Before diving into couponing, it's important to set clear objectives and establish a plan. Determine which areas of your budget you want to target—groceries, household items, clothing, or dining out. Research online for relevant coupons, check your local newspapers, and explore couponing websites and mobile apps to find the best deals available.


Organize Your Coupons: To make the most of your couponing efforts, organization is key. Create a system that works for you, such as using a coupon binder or a simple envelope system. Sort coupons by category or expiration date so you can easily locate and use them when needed. Regularly review and purge expired coupons to keep your collection up to date.


Stack and Combine Coupons: One of the most effective ways to save money is by combining multiple coupons. Look for opportunities to stack manufacturer coupons with store coupons or promotions. Some retailers even allow you to use digital coupons alongside paper coupons, enabling you to maximize your savings. By leveraging these combinations, you can often get products for significantly less than the original price.


Timing is Everything: Timing plays a crucial role in couponing. Keep an eye on sales cycles and plan your coupon usage accordingly. Many coupons are issued to align with seasonal promotions or new product launches. By waiting for the right moment to use your coupons, you can achieve even greater savings. Additionally, consider using your coupons during double or triple coupon events to magnify your discounts.


Embrace Online Couponing: With the digital age in full swing, online couponing has become increasingly popular and convenient. Explore reputable coupon websites, subscribe to mailing lists, and follow your favorite brands and retailers on social media platforms. This way, you can gain access to exclusive online coupon codes and limited-time promotions, further expanding your savings potential.


Stay Educated and Persistent: Couponing requires ongoing learning and perseverance. Stay informed about the latest coupon policies of stores you frequent, as they may change over time. Follow couponing blogs or join online communities where experienced couponers share tips, tricks, and the latest deals. Remember, successful couponing is a skill that can be mastered with practice and patience.

Free Birthday Stuff:  Restaurants and stores often offer birthday freebies when you sign up for their emails.  I got everything from a free dozen donuts to a $10 shopping coupon!  Join the rewards program at the places you shop!

Get Freebies in Mail:  Make sure to sign up for those free samples to be mailed to you!  They often come with a high-value coupon for even more savings!

Coupons are not just pieces of paper or digital codes; they hold 

power to unlock significant savings and enhance your financial well-being. By embracing couponing as a strategic approach to your spending, you can stretch your budget further, reduce expenses, and achieve your financial goals. Start harnessing the power of coupons today and watch your savings grow while still enjoying the products

and experiences you love.

 

Peanut Butter Perfection

This will make your taste buds scream with delight.  This is so very easy to make and great for dessert.  Make it and take it to your next gathering and watch it disappear.

(Culinary.net) If you’ve ever taken a bite of something and the only word that came to mind was “yum,” you know what it’s like to experience this dessert. It’s fluffy, sweet, perfectly crumbly and tastes delicious. It’s rich but light. It’s a dessert that will likely never go out of style.

You can stop guessing what it may be: this treat is a scrumptious bite of Fluffy Peanut Butter Pie drizzled with chocolate syrup. You will understand the craze once you sink your fork into the chilled triangle resting on your plate. With a chocolate cookie crust and a thick, delicious peanut butter filling, this pie is everything many people want in a dessert.

Although it tastes like you have been in the kitchen all day, it’s a simple-to-make, delightful treat with luscious peanut butter flavor that melts in your mouth.

To make this pie, remove the filling from 20 chocolate cookies and crush them with a rolling pin until they are just crumbs. Mix cookie crumbs with melted butter and mold into a pie dish to create the crust.

Next, in a mixer, combine cream cheese and reserved cookie filling. Then add sweetened condensed milk, peanut butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract while you continue mixing.

In a mixing bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold peanut butter mixture in with the whipping cream.

Layer the peanut butter and whipping cream mixture on top of the crust in the pie pan. Chill for about 4 hours then drizzle with chocolate syrup just before serving.

This dessert is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth. House guests, birthday parties or even just a simple treat after a meal; it’s an any-occasion kind of pie.

Find more dessert recipes at Culinary.net.

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!

 

Fluffy Peanut Butter Pie

Servings: 6-8

• 20        chocolate cream-filled cookies
• 1/4       cup butter, melted
• 1          package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1          cup smooth peanut butter
• 1          can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
• 3          tablespoons lemon juice
• 1          teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1          cup whipping cream
• chocolate syrup

1. Remove cream filling from chocolate cookies; set aside. With rolling pin, finely crush chocolate cookies.
2. In medium bowl, combine finely crushed cookies with melted butter.
3. Press crumb mixture firmly into bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate; chill while preparing filling.
4. In large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Add reserved cookie cream filling, peanut butter and sweetened condensed milk; beat until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla extract.
5. In medium bowl, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into peanut butter mixture. Mix until combined.
6. Pour into crust. Chill 4 hours, or until set. Drizzle chocolate syrup over pie before serving.
7. Cover leftovers and store in refrigerator.

SOURCE:
Culinary.net

The Hiding Place + Amazon Giveaway

Many thanks to The Hiding Place LLC for providing a sample of the product for this review. My opinions are 100% my own.

In the Netherlands, Corrie Ten Boom and her family risk everything to hide Jewish refugees by the hundreds and ultimately face the consequences they are discovered. World War II. Darkness has fallen over Europe, and the boots of the Third Reich echo through the streets. But on a quiet city corner 
The Netherlands, some choose to resist. Corrie Ten Boom and her family risk everything to hide Jewish refugees by the hundreds, and they ultimately face the consequences when they are discovered. The Hiding Place is their story—a story of faith, hope, love, and forgiveness in the face of unthinkable evil.

This powerful cinematic presentation was adapted for the stage by A. S. Peterson, directed for the stage by Matt Logan, and filmed for cinema audiences in Nashville Tennessee.

Buy tickets today to see The Hiding Place only in theaters August 3rd & 5th!

Watch the Trailer below:

 

  Like and Comment on this Instagram pic to be entered to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card! Share to your stories for an extra entry and make sure to tag @TrendyCyndie.

Giveaway ends on Tuesday, August 1, 2023 at noon. Winner will be announced on the same Instagram pic.

 

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches

(Family Features) When the sun is shining and you need to beat the heat, cool down with a little shade and a nutty, frozen treat. This kid-favorite is a childhood classic you can customize with favorite toppings, too.

Made with the protein power of peanuts, these Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches are easy to prepare on hot days that call for a cold dessert. Just bake chocolate chip cookies, spread them with peanut butter, add a scoop of ice cream and roll in chopped peanuts, chocolate chips or toasted coconut for a sweet bite of perfection.

With approximately 4,000 active peanut farmers, it’s likely your peanuts – often referred to as “nutrition in a nutshell” – came from Georgia, which produces 52% of the country’s supply.

Visit GAPeanuts.com for more delicious dessert ideas.

Watch video to see how to make this recipe!

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches

Recipe courtesy of Peanut Butter Lovers and the Georgia Peanut Commission
Yield: 12

• 24        fresh baked chocolate chip cookies (about 3 inches in diameter), cooled
• 1 1/2    cups creamy or crunchy peanut butter
• 1 1/2    quarts vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
• chopped peanuts, for topping (optional)
• mini chocolate chips, for topping (optional)
• toasted coconut, for topping (optional)

1. On 12 cookies, top sides down, spread layer of peanut butter. Add one scoop of ice cream to each. Create sandwiches by topping with remaining cookies.
2. Roll edges of ice cream in chopped peanuts, mini chocolate chips or toasted coconut, if desired. Place on baking sheet in freezer and freeze until firm.
3. Serve slightly frozen.

SOURCE:
Georgia Peanut Commission

It's National Tequila Day! Celebrate with Freshie 🎉

🎉🎉 Thanks to our friends at Freshie for sending us this delicious tequila seltzer in honor of National Tequila Day!

Freshie is the first USDA-certified tequila seltzer on the market, made without added sugars. Unlike others, Freshie is made in partnership with a fourth-generation family-owned distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. At only 99 calories a can, the flavorful drink comes in 3 fresh flavors: Lime, Grapefruit Guava, and Blood Orange Habanero.



It all started when the founders Paige + Ryne Iseminger took a group trip to Mexico, where Ryne whipped up a deliciously refreshing cocktail but without the sugar that gives you that killer headache. Today, that very drink has morphed into Freshie, and Georgia is one of only four lucky states to have it in stores!

Which flavor would you like to try?

 

Summer of Caesar: Celebrate the season with a salad charcuterie board

It's summer and what better way to have a salad for your whole family or a family reunion than a salad charcuterie board.  Everyone can pick the things they like in a salad and serving is so simple.

 Summer celebrations come in many forms – backyard games, fun at the pool, time with family – but perhaps a favorite is enjoying fresh, delicious foods that are easy to prepare. Put a twist on the classic Caesar salad this summer with crunchy textures and energizing flavors to keep the excitement rolling all season long.

Capitalize on a food trend that’s all the rage with this easy-to-assemble Chicken Caesar Salad Charcuterie Board for a unique way to share a meal. Sliced chicken provides that familiar taste of grilled summer fare combined with hard-cooked eggs, fruits, veggies, cheese and crostini.

At the heart of the dish is the Fresh Express Twisted Lemon Caesar Chopped Salad Kit, which provides a spin on traditional Caesar flavor by adding in bright notes of lemon. The kit features crisp iceberg lettuce, colorful and sweet dried cherries, crunchy Parmesan cheese crisps and lemon white wine Caesar dressing to bring a little sunshine to each bite.

A convenient, ideal bed for this salad charcuterie board, the kits can also be enjoyed as an easy summer salad on their own and are available in the refrigerated produce department at grocery stores.

Visit FreshExpress.com for more mealtime inspiration and to find salad kits near you.

Chicken Caesar Salad Charcuterie Board

Prep time: 25 minutes
Servings: 8

• 3 packages (9.1 ounces each) Fresh Express Twisted Lemon Caesar Chopped Salad Kits
• 2 pounds sliced grilled chicken
• 16 slices crostini
• 1 cup chopped hard-cooked eggs
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup diced cucumber
• 1 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup chopped apple
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• 1 cup shaved Romano cheese
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 lemon, sliced

1. Place lettuce from salad kits in large bowl; place in center of large round cutting board or platter.
2. Arrange sliced chicken and crostini around bowl of lettuce.
3. Place salad dressings and toppings from salad kits in individual small bowls. Place eggs, celery, cucumber, red onion, apple, tomato, Romano cheese, pecans, raisins and lemon slices in individual small bowls.
4. Arrange bowls in circle around lettuce, chicken and crostini.

 

SOURCE:
Fresh Express

 What ingredients would you put in your salad?