Have you ever made Sun Tea? It's my favourite way to enjoy iced tea in the summer! The taste of real brewed tea and endless flavour options is what gets me really excited about brewing a batch.
Sun Tea is a method of brewing tea slowly by using the heat of the sun to steep tea bags. I find it fascinating to watch the water in the glass jar slowly change colour as the sun works its magic on the tea bags. 🙂
Sun Tea is really easy to make and is very adaptable to your own personal flavour preferences.
Place in the direct sun for 3 - 5 hours, or until desired strength is reached. Remove tea bags.
Place in the fridge.
To serve: add sliced lemons, fresh mint, sweetener (honey, simple syrup, agave...etc.) if desired.
For the batch I brewed pictured below, I used 2 Ginger Peach tea bags and 6 Orange Pekoe tea bags. I added some of the Simple Syrup I featured the other day until I was happy with the sweetness. I think it tastes pretty darn good, but if I had some lemons on hand I would have added a few slices to make it perfect!
Looking for another valuable use for that KitchenAid stand mixer? How about an easy way to shred meat? It works so well to shred some cooked chicken breasts, boneless pork butt, or beef roast.
If you have ever tried to "pull" a pork shoulder with forks, you know this can take a bit of time. With the stand mixer and the normal beater attachment, you can shred a pound of cooked chicken breast straight from the slow cooker in under 30 seconds! (Tip: You can also use a hand mixer!) Take a look at this handy kitchen hack:
Here's the Easy Way to Shred Meat:
1. Take your meat straight from cooking and toss it in the mixing bowl.
2. Make sure the beater attachment is in place.
3. Raise the bowl and hit a low power setting for about 30 seconds.
4. Enjoy your shredded meat!
So you no longer need to hesitate to make recipes like chicken enchiladas, pulled pork, or beef barbecue because of this tedious job again. If you don't have a KitchenAid Mixer, here is another great reason why you might just want to take the plunge!
Are you ready for another round of Splurge vs. Save? Like last time, I’ll feature two similar products but one is the ‘splurge’ version and the other is the ‘save’ version.
If you're into aromatherapy, you'll love this week's feature! As I was googling for this week, I discovered that diffusers can vary greatly in price!
On that note, this week, I'm featuring two ceramic diffusers that look nearly identical but vary in price. Before reading further, can you guess which one is the splurge and which one is the save?
If you guessed that the ‘save’ version is on the left and the ‘splurge’ version is on the right, then you are correct!
4 Ways to save money with online shopping in Canada
It seems as though there's always something to shop for. Upcoming birthdays, new clothes for the kids, work clothes...the list can go on! Whenever I have something to purchase I tend to always look online first.
In most cases I find it easier then hauling a kid around that will most likely put up a fuss at some point during our outing. 😉 I also enjoy reading the reviews that other buyers have left if I'm contemplating a product that I'm not really familiar with.
Now, if you have your list in hand, budget in mind and are ready to begin shopping, here are 4 ways to save money with online shopping in Canada:
A simple tip, but learn to look for coupon codes! If you’re going to purchase something online, start by doing a simple search online for a coupon code that could save you money. To find a coupon code, simply do a Google search for the store you would like to make your purchase at!
Or, my favourite right now is Honey! Honey finds and applies coupon codes at online checkouts for you so you can get back to the more important things in your life quickly. Basically, it's amazing because Honey finds the deals on the things you need without any effort on your part.
Shop through a Cash Back Site
Why not get a percentage of your money back for making an online purchase through a cash back site? Cash back sites work together with online stores to offer you a percentage back as a rebate. Usually somewhere between 3-6%. It’s nice to get some cash back on something you were going to purchase anyway!
I highly recommend Rakuten.ca. Rakuten is an awesome site that pays you Cash Back when you shop online. With over 750 stores, including Well.ca, Indigo.ca, Old Navy, and Sephora, get paid to shop for things you’re already buying.
Bonus, join today and spend $40 within 90 days of your sign up day, and you'll receive a $40 bonus!
Don’t pay for shipping
I really don’t like paying for shipping. Quite often the cost of shipping can be a deal breaker for me. Especially when the shipping costs more than the product I’m buying! For this reason, I like buying from Amazon.ca, Well.ca and Indigo.ca for example, since you only have to spend $30 or $35 to get free regular shipping.
Most of the time, retailers offer free shipping when you spend a certain amount. Occasionally, they offer a coupon code for free shipping. However, I think it’s best if you shop when a store is offering free shipping without a coupon code. This way, you can also use a coupon code to save on the cost of the product, since many stores don’t let you combine coupon codes.
It pays to be patient so you can score free shipping when retailers offer it.
Go in with a friend
You can also save on shipping by chipping in! Ask your sister-in-law, ask a friend, ask a neighbour, or ask a co-worker. If you all shop online regularly, check with each other before placing an order. Splitting the shipping can be an effective cost saving measure, especially when done time and time again!
By combining coupon codes, rebates and free shipping, you should be able to get a great deal on all your online purchases! Do you prefer shopping online or in store? Do you have any other ways to save money with online shopping in Canada?
Are you ready for another round of Splurge vs. Save? Like last time, I’ll feature two similar products but one is the ‘splurge’ version and the other is the ‘save’ version.
This week I'll be featuring a genuine Free People crewneck and an alternative. As we all know, the Free People brand is very trendy right now, but also quite costly! If the genuine brand isn't in your budget right now, I think I've found a pretty darn good alternative!
On that note, this week, I'm featuring two striped crewneck sweaters. Before reading further, can you guess which one is the splurge and which one is the save?
If you guessed that the ‘save’ version is on the right and the ‘splurge’ version is on the left, then you are correct!
Planning a family vacation this year? Meals, snacks and drinks can really add up during those days away from home. While food is one of the most expensive areas of a vacation budget, I have some tips and ideas to help keep those costs down.
Plan ahead
Will you be eating out? Preparing your meals in the hotel? By having an idea of what you intend to do about the meals on your vacation, you have to opportunity to plan ahead by researching restaurants, grocery stores within walking distance, and even compile a meal plan if you're cooking in!
Use those daily deal sites
Sign up for the email list for your vacation destination on daily deal sites like WagJag, Groupon and Living Social. Keep an eye open for deals featuring restaurants you may enjoy eating at. Might as well get a deal if you'll be eating out anyways!
Be a local
By simply asking locals where the best place to grab an affordable meal is, they'll most likely point you in the direction of a fantastic, hole in the wall restaurant that will give you more bang for your buck. Stay away from those tourist traps!
Entertainment coupon books
Sign up for the Entertainment coupon membership! Not only are there tons of coupons for discounted meals, you'll find coupons for local attractions and shopping. 🙂 It's only $34 per year or $4.99 per month.
Search out restaurants where Kids eat free
I have a list available on Simply Frugal where Kids Eat Free in Canada that might be worth checking out. Or visit Family Money School for a huge list of restaurants in the United States!
Stop in at the local tourist bureau
Stop in at the local tourist bureau and peruse the brochures they have available because you might find some great coupons inside! Most likely, the staff on hand will gladly point you in the direction of money saving coupons and even help you find affordable eating options.
Stay at a hotel that offers free breakfast
My husband and I love staying at hotels that offer free breakfast. It's so nice to walk down, grab from the variety they have available, then get on with our day! When we're on vacation, we like to eat a big breakfast so that we can skip lunch, which helps to keep our food budget lower.
Pack a cooler full of food
If you're road tripping, bring along a cooler full of food. Buns, meat, fruit, vegetables and snacks are all great things to have readily available in case you come across the perfect picnic location. Consider freezing some milk to use as an ice pack. You can then use it the next day for cereal!
Hit up the local grocery store
Once you've arrived at your destination, hit up a local grocery store to stock up on snacks, drinks and simple meals. Even if you intend on eating out at restaurants, by incorporating a few grocery store meals, you'll be saving a bundle.
Bring a slow cooker or air fryer
If you can, consider bringing along a slow cooker or air fryer. Put something together in the morning, head out sight seeing for the day, then arrive back at the hotel with dinner already made! Or whip up something quickly in the air fryer!
Meal plan
If your intention is to not eat out at restaurants while you're vacationing, create a meal plan before you leave home that will help take the stress out of deciding what to eat. Keep it simple and allow for some leftovers.
Buy pre-made meals
Once again, if you have access to a kitchen, consider purchasing pre-made meals. While this is more expensive then cooking from scratch, you'll still save quite a bit of money if you take this route.
Now it's your turn, how do you save money on food while you're on vacation?
