Super Bowl XLV – coming soon to a TV near you!

 

Green Bay Packers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers – February 6, 2011 – kickoff 6:25pm


Are you planning on having a super bowl party? Whether the group is large or small – the name of the game is casual! Everyone’s wearing their favorite team jersey, watching TV, drinking, eating, cheering – so don’t let the idea of a super bowl party fluster you! Here are some easy tips and tricks for a successful party.


- Try to make food that is easy to eat in front of the television

- Set up the food as a buffet

- Don’t go all out on the decorations, most people are going to be focused on the game!

- Ask people to bring something with them, such as : ice, drinks, dips, dessert

- If you can’t afford alcoholic beverages for everyone – tell them in advance BYOB (bring your own beer) or whatever they drink. Most people understand in today’s times, not everyone can afford to support the drinking habits of their friends, family and neighbors. And this way, people are ensured that they will have something they like to drink on hand.

- Come up with some easy and fun games to entertain your guests during commercials/halftime

Some common super bowl foods are:
- Chili
- Chicken wings
- Dips
- Desserts
- Pizza
- Chips
- Fruit
- Nachos
- Meatballs
- Sandwiches


Now, don’t go thinking that you have to make everything! Our usual rule of thumb is, the host(ess) makes the more complicated to transport/can be quiet messy things, and guests make the more transportable items. For instance, we will make the chili, meatballs, pizza and nachos – while asking others to bring a dip, a dessert, a bag of chips, etc. with them.


Some easy and fun games to enjoy are:
- Football charades – try to guess common football words such as: cheerleader, touchdown, football, coach, etc.
- Football bean bag toss and/or a light game of touch football
- Don’t say “football” game – a game common at baby showers, everyone gets a football themed sticker…and they try not to say football, but when they do – the person who hears it has the right to take their football sticker. Whoever collects the most sticker’s wins!
- Beer Pong (suggested for adult parties)
- Team Match-Ups – type up a list of teams with blanks next to them, and tell people they have to fill in the city each team is from – the person with the most amount of right answers win!
- Football Trivia – you can make the cards yourself, or hand out a sheet with questions on them, or you can buy a football trivia game set


If you have children, or you’re crafty – make the decorations yourself. No need to go out and buy something fancy and expensive, when you can use cardboard, felt, glitter, scissors, construction paper, etc.


If you want to build a collection of football related dishes/ceramic decorations – cruise your local yard sales and flea markets. You’ll probably be able to find them all year long, and don’t pay too much for them! If you do it right, you’ll probably have a substantial collection that you only paid $5 - $10 for!


So let us know – who are hoping will win? What are your favorite tips/tricks/recipes?

Tips for saving money

One of our news years resolutions - and one that most people make - is to save more money!  I thought that I would give some of my tips and tricks for saving money. 

1.  Eat at home!  Eating out versus eating at home.....eating at home usually wins.  Granted, eating out is easier, and faster, and much less of a hassle - it's also not nearly as gratifying.  When I think that I'm too tired to cook, or too lazy - whichever the case may be - I remind myself of these things:
   - cooking at home gives you a sense of accomplishment
   - it can be/will be cheaper than eating out
   - it's more of a workout than driving through the drive through (think about it:  your on your feet, stirring, chopping, washing, etc.)
   - you know what's in it, you know it's healthy

   - it let's you use your imagination and creativity

2.  Coupons!  I know, a total pain the *** sometimes, but hey - it can be worth it.  People ask me, is it worth buying a newspaper every Sunday?  I say yes, I spend $1.50 or so, and I usually end up saving wayyyy more!  Find a store that doubles your coupons - that helps.  I know that the Kroger that we go to will double coupons every day, up to $.50 (which means you could save up to $1.00).  Also, don't be afraid to use a coupon on something that's already marked down or on clearance.  For instance, there have been times that I've gone into a store (RiteAid) and got my conditioner on sale for $3.00, then I had a $1.50 off coupon from the paper, and an addition $1.00 off from the RiteAid Video Values, and then I got an UPS reward after paying for it.  Also, don't forget that you can print them off from the internet as well! 
http://www.coupons.com/
http://www.redplum.com/
http://www.smartsource.com/
(And, just to let you know - I am not one of those that can go and buy $200 worth of products and only spend $5...but I don't mind trying to save that kind of money!)

3.  Use the web to help you figure out couponing and saving solutions!  There are tons of websites out there to help you save money and time!  A couple of my favorites are:
http://www.livingonadime.com/
http://www.southernsavers.com/

4.  Use the library!  Seriously - borrow books, movies and cd's from the library.  That way, you can read, watch and listen to something all you want - and you don't have to pay for it, find a place to store it, or even dust it every once in a while!  Also, our library I know - but most others as well, sell their gently used books.  Out library has a 'store' on the first floor, where you can buy books any time the library is open.  However, other libraries in the area hold book sales 2-4 times a year.

5. Yard Sales and Flea Markets!  I know that some people say you can and should buy everything you can from places like this...but I cannot say that we do that.  However, we do buy things like:
- fresh fruit and veggies
- books
- avon products
- any sort of cute gift ideas that we can give for a present

But don't forget that they are great places for gently used clothing/shoes/school items, costume jewelry, unique one of kind hand made products, and sooo much more!

6.  Subscribe to restaurant and store websites!  Usually, most stores and restaurants these days have their own websites, where you can join an e-club (or something like that), and as a result of that - you will usually get alerted to sales, and get coupons!

There are many other tips and tricks out there - hopefully this is enough to help you start saving some dough!

Happy Bargain Hunting and Savings!

The Young Couple 

Shopping on Black Friday

In todays world, we often let our fingers do the walking, or in this case - the shopping.  However, there are some of us out there that prefer to go to a brick and mortar store to experience the thrill of finding good deals.  If you do prefer to go out and about this Black Friday, here are some tips:

- Dress comfortably!  Wear comfortable shoes and clothing!  That doesn't mean leave the house looking frumpy - still do your makeup, hair, take a shower....but wear shoes that you don't mind being in for a while - wear comfortable clothes that will allow you to bend and manuever.  You're going to be in loooong lines - so good shoes are a must. 

- Think about putting together a budget.  Say you've set aside $500 for Black Friday - make sure you don't go over that amount, and if you really want to push yourself...try to get all you wanted for under your budgeted amount.  That way, after you return home, catch up on sleep and wake up - you're not in total shock after you realize just how much you spent. 

- Plan ahead - know which stores you want to go to, the order in which you want to visit the stores, and the items that you want to get from the stores.  Also, many store these days have all kinds of coupons. It might be worth it to go ahead a print those coupons out before you go to the stores.


- Remember, just because it's Black Friday doesn't necessarily mean that a particular item is at the lowest price it will ever be.  If it's not at least 50 - 60% off, make sure that the item you're after is something you really want.  Ask yourself - is this really worth getting up at at 3am, standing outside in the cold for an hour, getting smooshed by hundreds, standing in line for another 2 hours, only to save $10?  There are people will gather up a bunch of things, without really checking to make sure they are on sale, stand in line - and when they get to the register, they realize that they didn't save that much, if anything at all...but they buy it anyways, and grumble about it later. (I have actually seen that happen.)  Many stores realize that during the frenzy, not everyone will really pay attention - i.e., the box they're getting is not the one that's on sale, it's the one one that's red and black, not mauve and black, or that just because this table is 60% off, the other one isn't - and so on!  So be alert!  Make a plan, and watch for smooth marketing tricks!

- Be patient and kind.  Remember that there are long lines, a lot of people (quite a few of which will be grumpy) and overworked cashiers and stockers.  There will be grabbing, pushing, toe stepping and possibly some name calling.  Hey, it happens - but you can be prepared.  Eat a good breakfast, take a warm drink with you if you're waiting out in the cold, maybe even carry a snack in your purse if you think you might need it.  :)

- Enjoy Yourself!!  So many times, we can get wrapped up in what we're doing, we forget to simply enjoy ourselves and savor the moment.  Try it - you might not mind someone stepping on your toe (lightly of course), or taking the last box of what you were wanting to get.  And remember, smiling is contagious...do it and see!

- Last and definitely not least - be safe!  This is a time where people are in such a hurry that they misplace their money, or they think they put it up, but it accidently drops out of their hands without them noticing.  It's also a time where people will pick pocket and take your bags if you set them down.  Make sure that your phone is charged, and be aware of your surroundings - and the sales.

Here are some websites that have black friday ads listed on line for you to look at...also, go to the store websites, they might have other coupons and/or deals that aren't listed on the sites below.

http://www.blackfriday.info/
http://www.blackfridayads.com/
http://bfads.net/
http://www.black-friday.net/
http://www.theblackfriday.com/
http://www.retailmenot.com/offers/blackfriday

Wishing you happy shopping, great finds and an awesome day!

The Young Couple

Turkey, Dressing and Christmas Presents?!?! Oh My!!!!

Of course we know that it is too early to really start in on the Christmas spirit of things, after all...Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet!  However, we do think that it's never really too early to shop for your loved ones.  We don't always know exactly who all we have to buy for - but we usually have a pretty good idea.  Every year, for his side of the family, we all get together sometime around Halloween and draw names, so we don't have to buy everyone a gift.  We also keep the limit to $25 per gift.  For my side of the family, we buy for everyone - which means 4 people and 1 dog.  Then of course, we also buy for ourselves and our own pups.  But, even with the few people we have to buy for, we get stressed trying to find the "perfect" gift!

My mother used to have what she called a "Pandora's Box".  It was a box that held a wide array of gifts, that could be used for any occasion.  So when someone's birthday came around that we accidently forgot - or an anniversary - or a housewarming party...we'd be prepared without having to go out in a  mad dash to find something.  She would also go into the box for the holiday parties where there was going to be "White Elephant" games.  (that's where everyone draws a number, and when it's your turn - you can either pick from the pile of wrapped gifts or take someone else's gift - it's usually kind of fun...but there are times where people can be very serious about "stealing" a particular item!)

As much as we would like to be that organized and on top of things - we aren't.  At this time of year, we usually go to http://www.gifts.com/ and look at their gift suggestions...that way we can see what they have - and sometimes we find it (or something similar) cheaper in a store in town - but it also throws ideas at us that we would never have thought of on our own. 

This year, judging by the amount of parties we're going to be attending - we might just have to start a "pandora's box".  So here are some ideas of what to keep in there:

candles
gift certificates
all occasion cards (you can buy a 40 card pack, or just keep nice blank cards)
a couple of bottles of wine
kitchen items (towels, aprons, cute timers, coffee cups, etc.)
nice picture frames
crystal (glasses, frames, serving dishes, vases - we can usually find them pretty cheap at places like Ross or TJ Maxx)
Cookbooks
Coasters

We also thought about how many times we've been to different fairs, exhibits and even yard sales and flea markets and thought "oh that's cute, but what would I do with it?" - well, now we're kicking ourselves!  We could've been collecting for times such as these!

The point is - don't fret because it's the holidays - enjoy this time.  Live and Learn.  That's what we're doing - we've realized now that if we see something nice/cute and/or a good deal - buy it, stockpile it for any occasion.  And realize, that it's not the cost of the item you get - it's about the thought behind what you give.  Besides, I tend to use Thanksgiving as my way to sort of get info from the people I have to buy for.  Listen to the conversations, look around you - you're bound to come across something, someway that they want and/or need.

Hope this helps a little bit,

The Young Couple