Remember when I blogged about Ebates last week? Well, they offered to do a giveaway on Trading Up Downtown for a $100 cash prize! That’s right: cold, hard cash! Yay! I love giveaways that just involve MONEY!
If you missed my previous post about Ebates, you can read it here. Basically, I said that Ebates is awesome. It’s my favorite tool for online shopping, and I always find great coupons, promo codes, and discounts on their site. But, the best part about Ebates is that you get cash back with their online rebates. It might sound too good to be true, but it’s totally legit. [Disclosure: the Ebates link is a referral link, so I get points if you sign up-- just do you know!]
To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is sign up for Ebates and leave a comment on this post saying that you’re a new member. If you’re already an Ebates member, just leave a comment saying so. I’ll randomly pick a winner on Wednesday morning and verify with Ebates that the winner is a member. Ebates will then send the winner a check for $100 (or send it through PayPal, if you prefer). Simple as that.
It’s okay to be lazy with dinner, right? We all get busy during the week, so it’s not surprising that dinner is sometimes an afterthought or totally thrown together. It actually happens quite a lot in our house!
AllYou.com has come up with 5 delicious, no-effort dinner recipes (and one simple weeknight dessert) that are perfect for any day of your busy week. Best yet, they’re all under $3 a serving and they’ve already created your shopping list.
The “take-it-easy” weeknight menu:
What’s on your menu this week? Which of these “take-it-easy” recipes look best to you?
Doesn’t it seem like the grocery items that you use the most are often the ones that cost the most too? Why does that happen!?! Just imagine how much money you’d save if those pricey items lasted longer!
Here’s how I outsmart those high prices with these simple suggestions from AllYou.com!
- BEEF: Beef can be costly, but that doesn’t mean you need to take burgers off the menu. You can stretch ground beef with fillers such as beans and vegetables. Reserve steak for special occasions.
- PORK: Instead of using pork as a meal’s main event, add bits of ham or bacon to soups, stews and egg dishes to give them oomph. Or put your slow cooker to work on a pork shoulder or another tasty, inexpensive cut.
- FATS & OILS: Use just a little oil in a nonstick pan to brown meat and vegetables, then toss in a splash of broth to keep food from sticking. Buying a mister to spray your cooking oil also can help you cut down on waste.
- DAIRY: Add just a sprinkling of a bolder cheese, like sharp Cheddar, instead of piling on a milder variety. Shred your own to save a lot. Milk is one of the least costly ways to get your dairy servings, so drink up!
How do you make pricey items last longer?
Developed by an independent panel of nutrition and medical experts, the 
