(Updated 2/14/21) ShopSmart Magazine ceased publication July 2020. I am an avid reader of magazines. My love of magazines dates back to my preteen years when I was obsessed with tv, movies, and girl issues. Now I am a mom, wife, and teacher, and I look for magazines not only to entertain me, but to inform me.... Continue Reading →
Gas prices got you pumped… down?
Stopping for gas is not a pleasurable experience these days. I groan when I see the price rapidly climbing when I have only gotten a small amount of gas. And if you have a larger family and need a larger vehicle, your price per fill-up is even higher. So how do you save on gas?... Continue Reading →
Revamp and wear again!
(updated 4/22/17) Don’t you hate when you have a favorite piece of clothing that gets worn out, doesn’t fit anymore, or gets a stain you can’t get out? There are ways to salvage that piece and still wear it. Why not take something old and make it new again? For example: ∞ Add a belt, scarf... Continue Reading →
Don’t go broke, teachers!
Being a teacher can be costly, because you often spend your own money to get things for your classroom. Here are a few tips I have used over the years as well as some from Scholastic.com: BOOKS FOR YOUR CLASSROOM: - Swap books on http://www.paperbackswap.com (see my previous post on “My favorite find – swapping... Continue Reading →
Cash back for protecting Mother Earth
(updated 4/16/17) The government has been trying to promote energy efficiency by sponsoring federal and state tax credit and rebate programs. These programs provide an incentive for you to get rid of your used appliances or to make energy efficient improvements to your home. If you already are looking for a new appliance or making... Continue Reading →
To cover or not to cover?
Since we moved into our home about seven years ago, we have always used plastic tablecovers to cover our tablecloths for Shabbat meals. We did try out the non-disposable kind that you can buy at fabric stores. I hated having one more thing to throw out each week. However, they never seemed to get clean.... Continue Reading →
Perpetual address book
Over the years I have had many different address books. Every few years the scratch marks and strike-throughs would get to me and I would buy another one. I would then have to go through the work of rewriting all of my addresses into the new book. Well, I figured out something better. I now... Continue Reading →
Shelf life of your food
One of the biggest money wasters is food that goes bad. It pains me when I have to throw away things we didn't get to eat or didn't finish! So it really pays to know how long things last and what things can be frozen for later use. Some foods do better than others after... Continue Reading →
Make your checkbook digital!
One of the basics to saving money is knowing how you already spend it. This means having a system to record your income and expenses. When I was in college I used the accounting pads with the green columns to record my receipts and tabulate how much I spent in each area. It was very... Continue Reading →
Brighter savings
(updated 4/23/17) One fairly simple way to save money (and energy) in your home is to switch to more energy-efficient light bulbs. In the last few years, LED bulbs have been introduced, which are even more efficient than compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs, which had replaced incandescent bulbs). Both CFLs and LEDs have a higher cost in... Continue Reading →
Surviving on a tight budget 