How To Find The Perfect New Or Used Vehicle

Today's conversation is sponsored and all opinions are mine.

Looking for a new or used car can often times be one of those dreaded tasks, but is a must for most of us. It’s even harder when you are doing it for the first time. Narrowing down what style, make, model, and specific features you are looking for is the first step. There is a ton of research involved to ensure you get the perfect vehicle to fit your needs. 

The nice thing about living in this time is that nifty thing we call the internet. You can hop on to Cars.com and browse any type of car/truck/SUV whether new or used, and find what is available right in your area. If you already have car you would like to use as a trade, you can use their online estimator to see what your car is valued at. It took me about 3 minutes to fill out the short form and the results were instant. 

I was looking at used SUVs in a 40 mile range from my location and was really impressed with how many dealers came up in my area. I was able to set the price that worked for my budget as well as the distance I was willing to travel if I was interested in that particular one. It's nice to be able to see the specifics of each vehicle to help make narrowing down my choices easier. 

Some vehicles have many photos to show interior, trunk, backseat, front/rear end, and more. If you get your choices down, you can plan your visits to visit the dealer lot or showroom for a closer look and test drive. It's like a search engine just for automobiles. You can even save your searches and read reviews from other customers. We will be purchasing a family vehicle in the Fall and will utilize Cars.com as a resource to point us in the right direction.

Whether you are looking for a standard car, minivan, truck, SUV, or even a swanky sports car, Cars.com is a great starting place. You can browse the huge selection on their website and make sure you stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Money-saving tip for buying butter in bulk #HouseWifeLife

I have a new love and he goes by the name of Sam, Sam's Club to be exact! I have become such a fan of buying in bulk. One thing that I have contemplated on buying for months was butter. It comes in 4 one-pound solid blocks. I spend a small fortune (about $3.50-$4) in the grocery store on butter in sticks, so getting 4 pounds for $8 is a bargain! 

I finally broke down and bought it this weekend and came up with a great solution. Why not make my own sticks? All I did was set out one block of butter on the counter for no more than 30 minutes. Next, I took a knife and sliced straight down the middle and then did the same with each half. I wrapped each quarter in wax paper. I put them in a zipper storage bag and placed the remaining 3 solid blocks in the freezer. The savings is worth the extra effort!

See how Smooth Fitness is saving my family money! #SmoothBlogger

My family is on a very strict budget. If we don't have the extra cash for things, we just don't buy them. We have been members at our local health club for a few years on were on a special that was offered for a limited time. Of course, that limited time ended and the new price would have skyrocketed to $90 a month! With super high gas and food prices, we need an extra $90 each month. Also, with the kids' and husband's busy schedules, the gym membership was not being used like it should. We were throwing our money away because nobody had the time to go. 

Our Smooth Fitness treadmill came in right on time! We received it last week and  we were all eager to test it out.  My first impression when I saw it being hauled in by the delivery guys was, "WOW!" It was a lot bigger than what I was expecting.

My husband and I have been looking at treadmills for a while and most of what we have seen in the local stores were on the cheap side. They looked like even I could break it because of how lightweight they were. Our Smooth 5.65 Treadmill looks and feels like what you would see in a gym. We love that it can handle up to 300 pounds. It was important for us to have a high-quality machine since there will be 4 of us using it on a daily basis. Each family member has their own set of goals they want to achieve. Right now we are all in the process of starting off slowly to get our bodies conditioned for the goals we have planned for ourselves.

I love the very simple, user-friendly display. My husband experimented with one of the pre-programmed routines on the treadmill and he had to surrender after 15 minutes! He realized he needs to work up to that stage. His biggest goal is both weight loss and cardio strengthening. I plan to purchase a new bathroom scale so we can track his weight each week. Having this treadmill in our home is going to help him so much since work, college classes, being a dad and a husband often gets in the way of getting proper exercise. I want to see my husband around for a very long time! I will say this, so far one of the great side-effects of working out for my husband has been better sleep. He struggles with falling asleep at night and after only 3 days, he has been crashing hard! Of course we all know that the sleep is so important to be able to function properly each day.

Please come back in a couple weeks when I discuss through video, more about how the Smooth Fitness treadmill works. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave a comment or shoot me an email.

Stay connected with Smooth fitness on the web, Facebook and Twitter.

I am participating in a campaign as a Smooth Fitness Ambassador and will be reviewing a treadmill from Smooth Fitness in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts/opinions expressed are always my own.

How I maximize my coffee budget and still have the perfect cup each day

I love a really good, rich cup of coffee. I only require one cup a day and I get tired of the same old brand sometimes. I am a coffee snob and stay away from the low-end bargain brands. They lack the strength and flavor I require.  The whole 'use a tablespoon per 6 ounces of water' is a joke. I am more of a use 1/2 cup per 6 ounces (no lie!) As much as I love the premium brands, I can't always justify the cost. I finally found a way to get around that and not sacrifice the quality or taste. Lately I have been shopping for premium, traditional ground coffee that is on sale and try to match it up with coupons. I also purchase an espresso ground coffee that I always find on sale at Publix. They tend to always have a brand for under $3. I usually buy Cafe Bustelo, Pilon or La Llave.

What I do is mix both varieties in my regular drip coffee maker. The fact that The espresso grind is more concentrated and rich, makes me have to use less of my more expensive premium coffee.

The result is a dark, strong and rich cup of coffee every time. I have been doing this for months and even my husband noticed how good our coffee is. We are so spoiled that we have to bring coffee from home when we travel. I totally recommend this method of coffee making for those who crave the richness of Starbucks but have Walmart pockets.

Kroger Buy 5 – Save $5 Event! #MyBlogSpark $25 gift GC Giveaway

Attention Kroger Shoppers! Get ready for the Kroger Buy 5- Save $5 Event from October 14th-24th. Purchase 5 participating General Mills products, and receive a coupon for $5 off your next shopping order* (coupon printed at checkout)!

Look for some of your favorite participating General Mills products like Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Pillsbury Toaster Strudel, Betty Crocker Cake and Brownie Mixes, Hamburger Helper, Totino’s Party Pizza, Yoplait** and many more! With the baking season in full swing, I plan on stocking up on some Betty Crocker cake and brownie mixes!

Promotion varies in different locations so please be sure to check your local Kroger Co. Family of Stores*** for specific deals and offers which include: Kroger, Ralphs, King Scoopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith’s, Fry’s, QFC, Baker’s, Owen’s, Jay C Food Stores, Hilander, Gerbes, Fred Meyer, Pay Less Supermarkets and Scott’s Food & Pharmacy 

* Products must be purchased during one shopping visit. To view a list of participating products see your store for details. The $5 coupon offer off your next shopping trip offer expires 1 week from the print date, with the coupon prints ending October 24th. Any offers printed on October 24th will expire on October 31st. **Yoplait items vary by state ***Excludes Food 4 Less

One Momfiles reader will win a $25 Kroger gift card to help stock up and save during the Kroger Buy 5- Save $5 Event. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on October 11, 2012. One winner will be chosen at random and will be contacted via email. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. Good luck!

Disclosure: The gift card, information, and additional sample have been provided by Kroger and General Mills through MyBlogSpark

Dirt Devil® Extreme™ Cyclonic Quick Vac Giveaway

**Contest Closed** 
Winner is Latasha, congratulations and thanks to everyone who participated

Hey guys! I wanted to introduce you to this super cute vacuum from Dirt Devil called the Extreme Cyclonic Quick Vac. This vacuum has a compact design but offers full size features. It only weighs 9 pounds which is great news if you have stairs. A lot of vacuums are so heavy that you end up hurting your back lugging it up and down all those steps. This bagless vacuum  has cyclonic action, HEPA filtration, on board tools, telescoping handle, a 20 foot cord and more.


The HEPA media filter is washable so you don't have to replace it as often and can prolong the life of the filter. This compact machine is the perfect size for any home. Hmm, I think the fact that it is lightweight and compact might be wonderful to get your younger kids involved in cleaning up! Gotta teach 'em young, right? This vacuum retails for $59.99. You can purchase them In-stores now at retailers nationwide, or visit DirtDevil.com I will be trying this baby out for myself soon so be sure to check back for my review.  For complete details on this machine, check out the website.

Now here comes the fun part: one lucky Momfiles reader will be able to win a Dirt Devil Extreme Cyclonic Quick Vac!

Entering is easy. 
*Mandatory: Let us know what your favorite features are on the Dirt Devil® Extreme™ Cyclonic Quick Vac.

Want additional entries?

~ "like" Momfiles on Facebook and let us know you entered this giveaway
~ Share this giveaway on Facebook and leave a link to your post (Do this by clicking on the time it was posted)
~ Follow Momfiles on Pinterest and Re-Pin this giveaway. Leave your Pinterest link so we can follow back. 
~ Follow Momfiles on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway (once a day) Leave a link to your Tweet:

Win a #DirtDevil Extreme Cyclonic Quick Vac for your home from @momfiles http://tinyurl.com/7hmochu [ends 7/16] #cleaning 

This giveaway is open to US Residents only and will end on July 16, 2012 at 9:00 AM EST. One winner will be selected via Random.org and contacted by email to claim prize. Please be sure to leave your email address in your comment if you do not have a Blogger Profile. Momfiles is not responsible for any lost or stolen prizes. You must complete the mandatory entry to qualify for extra entries. Failure to follow rules will disqualify your entries. Thanks for entering and good luck!

Disclosure: The vacuum prize is part of a promotional program with The Mommy Factor and DirtDevil. I will also receive a vacuum for review purposes. No other compensation was received. Views expressed are always 100% my own.

The Poor Man's Keurig

For 3 years now I have bugged  nicely asked my husband for a Keurig coffee brewer. Being the frugal man he is, he reminds me of my old school Black & Decker Cup-at-a-Time coffee maker. He's like why spend $80-$100 when you already have the original version? You know what? He is so right. I bought this gadget about 12 years ago for about $15 at Walmart. I have even purchased additional ones as gifts.

Strangely enough it has hung in there after numerous uses, and even traveling on road trips, being used in the office at work and of course at home. It still makes a steaming hot cup of strong coffee. I can use any ground coffee I want and don't have to purchase the little pods and I can brew to my desired strength. I don't think one little K-cup would work for a gal like me. I am used to drinking coffee as strong as motor oil!  I guess it really makes sense after all to stick with my old school machine. I haven't seen these brewers around in some time but if I do, I might need to purchase it as back-up! 

Lemon tree update and a bargain

Remember my post about planting a Dwarf Meyer lemon tree in a pot? Well check out how big it has gotten in the past 7 weeks!

Before:

After 7 weeks:

Of course I will not see any lemons until maybe next year if I am lucky, but I am thrilled with the fact that it is actually growing! I was worried since I paid so little for it but so far so good.

Here is my bargain of the week- Every year I buy a Mandevilla so that I can have flowers blooming throughout the summer. Normally I would have purchased it by the first of May. This year I decided I did not want to pay $20 for a plant. I am glad I did not get it at that time. Last night Dwayne and I were doing some work in the front yard and we had to make a quick run to our local home improvement store for a couple items. We both noticed that there was an abundance of plants on clearance. The garden center lady informed us that all clearance plants were an additional 50% for that day only. I found my plant that was originally $22.48 marked down to $11 and with the extra 50% off it ended up being $5.50! I was so happy! It is really big and all that was wrong with it was one little branch was broken. I pulled that sucker off and voila, new pretty pink mandevilla :-)

Your children are really watching you

This morning I took the kids out to a few stores so that they could buy some health and beauty products. They both had their own money and the oldest one has a job so she had her fresh, new debit card. Chardie was so proud to feel like a grown-up using her own debit card and ever more so that it was her own money that she earned. Before we left for the stores Chardie asked me if I had any coupons for some of the things she needed on her list. We looked through the coupons and she selected the ones she needed. Both girls shopped very carefully by checking prices and comparing brands. If they were unsure they would go and scan the item at the kiosk. The words I kept hearing as they shopped was "this is not a necessity" or "that is way too expensive". Those words sounded very familiar to me.

After the first store we headed to the next destination. The first place the girls went to was the clearance racks. You would not believe the excitement a $3 top could stir up in a teenage girl. We took our time and looked around and they picked out a couple items each. We were taking one last look in the Junior's department and Chardie told me that she was feeling bad about spending money. She said that all of her friends that have jobs spend every dime of their paychecks and end up with an empty bank account. Chardie said she was really glad that she does not ever want to drain her account and then she tells me, "I am just like you Bawbi". That really made me very proud. My kids are smart and responsible when it comes to money. This is so important for them to learn before they get out into the real world. This goes to show that even when you think they are not paying attention to what you are doing~ they really are studying your every move.

The sting of food prices

Lately I have been feeling like I go to the grocery store and get some great deals yet I come home with nothing. I am a coupon user and a sale watcher but yet I feel like I am still not coming out on top. I did a little research and it turns out that the average family of 4 (although we are 5) spends about $500-$1,000 per month on groceries. The $500 side is for the thrifty families who use coupons and shop sales. This is all so crazy. I am sure most of you feel the same way. If you want to eat healthier you really have a lot of work to do. I love to have salad with meals but have you seen the cost of produce lately?? A bag of lettuce costs about $4 and you get mostly air! I have learned that my local grocery store marks down that kind of stuff according to expiration date. If I make a salad that day I often can get the same bag of lettuce for about $1-$1.50. I sat down yesterday for about 30 minutes clipping coupons according to a sales paper and once I did my shopping trip I got $110 of food items for about $70. Sadly I still feel like I got very little and I will still end up going to the store by Saturday. I almost wonder if ordering out a few days a week would work out to the same cost. Hmm. What about you, are you feeling the sting from the cost of food?

Why I love to vacuum

About 3 months ago I was on the hunt for a vacuum cleaner that was going to perform well but not drain my bank account. I took about a month to research as well as get some input from other moms on what they recommended. Of course most people said the Dyson was the must-have and was worth every penny. I am so happy I did not go the Dyson route. Don't get me wrong, if I felt like spending $400-$500 I would have so gotten one. Instead I went with the Eureka AirSpeed. A couple of my blog moms friends helped me out since they actually got to try out both the Eureka and Dyson. I went up to Walmart and paid about $119. I noticed that they are on sale for $98.96 right now. I tell you what, this is the best vacuum I have ever used and it has exceeded my expectations in every way. The suction power is amazing and I really love the hand tools. It makes stair cleaning so much easier and the nozzle is longer than any vacuum I previously owned. I really love the super long power cord. Not having to stop every 2 minutes to plug up into another outlet is a big plus for me! It works really well on bare floors (hardwood, tile etc.) I really like the bottom release dust cup. It seems cleaner to me. I remember the first time I used my AirSpeed and I thought I would faint with all of the junk that collected in the dust cup. This vacuum is a great value and I am completely happy with this purchase. Apparently so happy I did this review on my own with no compensation at all. Dwayne is going to get me for this one!

If you are shopping around for a new vacuum I would recommend this one hands down!

I'm on a hunt!

I am working hard at saving as much money as I can for our family. I am taking my couponing very seriously and intend on stocking up as much as I can for back-to-school. I have scored so many free items like Cereal, granola bars, air fresheners, body wash, shampoo & conditioner and more! It's become a part-time job and a source of income in a way for me. The best part is that I enjoy doing it :)

Deals of the week!

I just had to share some astonishingly good deals I got this week....
First up I got 3 bottles of Sweet Baby Ray's Barbecue Sauce. Regular price $2.29 each and sale price was $1 and I had 3 $1 off coupons) Final price was FREE!
Next up, 5 packages of Oscar Mayer hot dogs regular price $3.29 each. Sale price 4 for $5 (if you buy 4 packs get the 5th pack for free) bringing it to 5 for $5. Then I had two $1 off coupons for a final price of $3 for all 5 packs!!

Last deal was a few varieties of seasoning were regular price $2.39 on sale for $1.25 each. I had four $1 off coupons resulting in a final cost of $1 for all 4 bottles of seasoning all together!


Most of you ask how I obtain the coupons in multiples. It's simple, not only do I purchase the Sunday paper but my neighbors do too. They give me their paper and I take the coupons out of it. If the savings are extra amazing, I will run to the store and buy 2 more papers. My newspaper subscriptions pays for itself off in as little as one shopping trip! I also use e-coupons as well as printable coupons. I also strictly buy things we will actually use and if I get things for free that we don't then I donate it to our local food bank.

Wordless Wednesday

My 15 year old. She is such an intelligent and compassionate girl. She is far from the typical teen.

A great way to save some money

I was looking over my cable and Internet bill the other day and realized I was paying WAY too much. It was absolutely ridiculous and was to the point that I almost felt like canceling the service! I decided to give them a call so they could break down my charges to the penny. I was paying almost eighty dollars for digital cable service. I only have one receiver and the other 2 TV's have basic cable. I about lost it on the phone. I then told them that my husband has been wanting to go back to satellite for some time and the rep immediately told me that she would transfer me to their 'Retention Dept' and I could take advantage of any promotions they are offering. Hmm, interesting. I spoke with the sales person whose job function is to save customers. I already knew in the back of my mind that if I did go back with satellite that my bill would run anywhere from $55-$65. Well at the end of the discussion my bill came down and I am now saving $26 per month for the next 12 months. You know I will be calling back in 12 months to see what promotion they are offering! There is way too much competition out there to risk losing a long time customer.

Winter must-haves!

There are two items that my family simply can't live without during the winter weather months. First is the Carmex lip balm. This is a year around item that lives in my make-up kit at home, my make-up bag in my purse and one in the car. I LOVE this stuff! I am on their email list and they offered some 50 cents off printable coupons. I was able to print a few and used them at Kroger (since they double coupons up to 50 cents) so that gave me $1 off!!


The second item is the Aveeno lotion. Funny thing is it is all I have been using on William and Dwayne asked to borrow some the other day. He instantly blurted out all kinds of jabber to the effect of how great it feels to use something that makes your skin feel truly moisturized. He says he has been missing out on using real lotion all these years! Right now coupons.com is offering a $2.00 off coupon. That is a great savings.

*I did not receive any compensation from this post of any type. These are just my opinions and views on products I purchase regularly.

Let's talk diapers

I have been encountering a big problem with William's diapers during the overnight hours. Leaks. Not nice at all. This requires me to wash sheets, blankets and mattress covers daily and it is getting old. I have tried all of the most expensive and premium diapers including Huggies, Pampers and Luvs. They all failed me. Even the ones made for overnight protection just would not cut it. I have even refrained from giving the boy any liquids past 6:30 to see if that would help and nope, same thing.

I knew I had to figure something out. I decided to give the Kroger brand of diapers a try and I had nothing to lose at this point. Would you believe that a store brand diaper actually held up overnight? Seriously, it costs me an average of $3 less per convenience sized pack and it does the trick. I am thrilled and I really hope it lasts! I just thought I would share this information with you and please don't tell Dwayne, I did not receive any compensation for this post. Y'all know how Mr. Cheapie is about his endorsement dollars!! I would recommend these diapers to even the pickiest of moms :)

I went a little nuts

I know Dwayne is going to want to have a little chat with me about this post regarding his endorsement check. Sorry Dwayne, not this time. I went to the grocery store the other day and found one of my favorite beverage mixes on sale plus I had several coupons for them as well. I got ten containers all for FREE!!! All I do is add a pack to a little less water than it calls for and there you go, 60 jugs of low calorie drinks for the Summer! The Brita pitcher I won recently has come in very handy :) I think Dwayne should feel like I did some good for saving our family some money~!