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Money Saving Tips Here are some tips to help you and your family save some money. We hope you enjoy them! If you would like to submit your money saving tip or article please email us!
We've lived on a tight budget for years
because I made the choice to stay at home with my kids years ago
when I was pregnant with my first baby. I'm always looking for
ways to save some money!
Gifts can be so expensive! I love to make the people I care about something special from the heart. I also don't like to clutter up people's houses with unwanted homemade 'crafts' that I come up with! I have been making chocolate candy and truffles for a few years and I have been really enjoying it. Molded candies are fun for kids, they can even help make them! All you need is a good quality chocolate (quality counts BIG in chocolate, it does matter! I use Guittard Melt N Mold - its specifically for making molded candies) a microwave and some chocolate molds. You wouldn't believe the number of chocolate molds in different themes there are out there! Back to school, Mother's Day, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, just for fun, you name it! You can melt chocolate in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between. Poor the chocolate into the molds filling near to the top. Tap the molds to ensure there are no bubbles. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes then pop them out! Some of the molds come with places to put special sucker sticks in them to make them even more fun to eat. Truffles are easier than they look! To make 45 Truffles you need: 1 1/2 lbs. (2 bags) Guittard dark chocolate 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1 1/2 teaspoons Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract
In a microwave safe bowl,
melt the chocolate. Add half of the room temperature whipping
cream. Stir thoroughly. Add the rest of whipping cream. Stir,
and cover. Allow ganache to harden at room temperature (about 2
hours). Using Truffle Scoop, scoop out ganache and hand roll
into 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls.
Outer Coating 1 lb. (1 and 1/4 bags) dark chocolate
In a microwave safe bowl,
melt the chocolate. Working quickly, drop ganache center into
melted chocolate. Cover entire truffle center. Lift out using a
Dipping Tool. Pace it on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
Put truffles in the refrigerator for a shiny outer coating.
After they are dry fill 2 oz. Squeeze Bottle with the white
melted chocolate. Drizzle over truffles in a crossing pattern.
Once dried, place truffles in Truffle Cups.
_____________________________________________________________
Cheryl Sandberg
* Step by Step
Instructions for Making Chocolate Truffles and Other Great
Candies
* Everything You
Need to Make Beautiful Chocolate Gifts
http://www.Chocolate-Candy-Recipe.com - Chocolate
Recipe Blog
If you like to read magazines, check out
your local library instead of buying a subscription. Same goes
for newspapers and books. You’ll save a lot of money and won’t
have to pay to get rid of a pile of paper AND you get to take
the children there for some reading time or library activities!!
The library is also a good place to look for CDs, DVDs and
movies. Check them out, enjoy them, and then return them all for
free.
If you live in or near town, try walking or
riding a bicycle. Both are good for you and you will save
gasoline, oil, and wear and tear on your car. Not to mention its
GREAT for your health!
If you stop at the convenient store each
morning for a dollar cup of coffee, try brewing it at home and
using the insulated cups. A dollar a day is $365.00 a year. AND
even more if you go to Starbucks!!
When you run water, unless you need hot
water, always turn on the cold. Just the little bit you run from
the hot water heater can cause the water heater to turn on.
Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable
in the winter and resist the temptation to turn it up and down.
Set it as high as is comfortable in the summer. I ask my kids to
throw on a sweatshirt in the winter if it gets to uncomfortable
for them. And in the summer its a great excuse to get them out
and run thru the sprinkler a bit to cool off! During the summer
months, close curtains on the south and west facing windows
during the day to keep out heat. If you have an older house and
the windows aren't the best--When I was a single Mom and lived
in an old Apt building I purchased those plastic window
coverings that you use a hair dryer to seal the window so the
cold air stays out--thus I didn't have to turn up the heat a
lot. AND To make your bed warmer, put a thick layer of newspaper
under the mattress, on top of the box springs. Newspaper is
excellent insulation.
Use white vinegar diluted with water in
place of fabric softener. If you want the pleasant smell the
fabric softener or softener sheets provide, cut a sheet in
quarters to throw into the dryer.
Don’t leave the water running while brushing
your teeth.
Save your plastic grocery bags and use them
as garbage bags.
Did you know old newspapers clean glass much
better than paper towels?
Plan your weekly menu around your grocery
store flyer. This way you can take advantage of the sale items
that week.
Consider going to a beauty school when
having your hair done. They are always looking for people for
their students to practice on and they cost less than going to a
stylist. Also, you shouldn’t have to worry about how they will
do since an instructor is supervising them. I used to do this
when I had one near my home and they NEVER screwed my hair
up--if anything they were WAY more careful! And it cost about
$30 LESS than the regular salon!
Submitted by: Wendy of www.CourtneysKorner.com
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