Articles | BargainBriana

Staycation: Enjoy Clearwater Beach on a Budget

by Briana Carter on May 21, 2013

If you are on a budget, there are still plenty of fun and inexpensive or free things to do if you live near Clearwater Beach, Florida. Unfortunately, I don’t live in Florida but we do try to vacation there often as you will probably be able to tell from the wide range of pictures I have below. The sand is some of the most brilliant, white, and soft sand you will find., which is one of the many reasons we love to visit Clearwater Beach.

The Pier

Photo Credit: Aunt Beth

One of our favorite things to do during the day or during the evening while in Clearwater is to visit the Pier. There is a playground for the children or take a walk down the Pier and watch the boats come in or see what the fishermen are catching. There is oftentimes free entertainment in the evenings as well as vendors set up along the Pier and surrounding sidewalks. Check out Sunsets at Pier 60 to see the latest information.

When we were here on Spring Break this year, they had some blow up water attractions near the Pier that were inexpensive for the kids to enjoy! It was around a $1 a turn, which I thought was decent when you compare the cost of a water park. Enjoyment without spending your entire day gone from the beautiful beach.

There are many artisans along the Pier and will vary from time to time including musicians, street performers, and artisans. The kids – even the big one – had some balloon animals created by a nice man, who was only asking for donations. This year we were able to watch part of a man-eating fire show before the rain started. There is always a variety of entertainment!

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Save 25% when you buy your tickets online for the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. General admission includes entry to the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and the Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure along with a FREE Jolly Trolley ride to and from! In case in you didn’t know, Winter is the dolphin that inspired the movie Dolphin Tale!

The Beach

The beach is FREE, just find yourself a place to park and you can have an entire day of enjoyment in some of the most beautiful sand you will find in the world. Sand toys are inexpensive and cups and bowls always work too! I will admit that when we go to the beach, I sort of become a bum. I would personally be happy to stay on the beach the entire day just enjoying the sand, the fresh air, and relaxing with a good book.

Find a seashell or two. Hey it’s free entertainment. The best kind, right?

Photo Credit: Aunt Beth

Plus, you will find these fun spots to take photos with your kids! They are all over the beach for your photo enjoyment.

Parks

It seems like no matter which area we stay at in Clearwater Beach, Florida, there is always a nice park nearby with play equipment for the kids. If you know my family, you will know these are super old photos as the kids are still so little.

Our typical day is usually hitting the beach, grabbing a bite to eat, and enjoying a walk around the Pier area and down the main drag. Let me know your favorite things to do in Clearwater Beach!

Come back tomorrow to see links for staycation ideas for over 80 cities!

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{#ShakleeBlogger} Vlog: Getting Back on Track

by Briana Carter on May 3, 2013

I’m back on the wagon! I’m taking it one day at a time. So far, I’m 5 days in a row for staying within my calories and on the program! I’ve also exercised 3x in these 5 days so this is progress. I am laughing that YouTube automatically set this as “Comedy” category. Ha ha. I wasn’t trying to be funny and I don’t really think I was!

Read more about my fitness and weight loss journey as well as specific posts with the Shaklee-180 program.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post as part of the Shaklee Corporation blogger program. I have received free products, online support and incentives for participating. My opinions are my own. People following the weight-loss portion of the Shaklee 180™ Program can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week. This Post was written by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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{#ShakleeBlogger} Getting Back on Track…..

by Briana Carter on April 29, 2013

So, it’s time to come clean. I fell off the wagon. I was doing great for the first 3 weeks on the program with sticking to my healthy eating plan, exercising, and getting my water in. Then vacation happened.

You know the whole I’m out of my routine and I’m going to try to be so good attitude. It lasted for about 3 days. Then vacation mentality started. I mean, my FitBit was logging me at over 10,000 steps per day so I deserved to eat whatever I wanted all day long, right? Um, no.

The last three weeks I’ve done horrible. I have many excuses. We’ve been busy with sporting events, practices, and the like. It’s been rainy out. I’m stressed out. I left all of my meal plans and snack bars in our condo on vacation so I don’t have my convenience go to foods. (I did do this but it’s not an excuse since I still had my smoothee mix!) “So many others are having success and now I feel like a failure” type of mentality. I could go on and on about my excuses for not getting back with the program.

I’m honestly afraid to step on the scales at this point. I don’t want to know if I’ve gained back the 5 lbs I lost at the beginning of the program. I’m guessing yes based on the way my ring fits!

I’m sure many of you have been there and done this circle of shame. Actually for the last week, I’ve done decent until about 5 p.m. every day. Then it all goes downhill. There is something about my complete lack of control as soon as I pick up my kids. It is so easy to stick to my plan when I’m at the office where I bring my snacks and lunch and don’t have unlimited access to the refrigerator and pantry and I don’t have kids screaming and fighting with each other, which makes me want to reach for the comfort of my Reese’s cups.

So today, Monday, April 29, 2013 I resolve to stick with the plan. This means:

No more fancy coffees. (I started back up on this habit. I’m now 4 days without caffeine so I think I can stick with this one!)
No more soda/pop. Yeah, I started back up on this one again too. Something about the ballpark makes feel like I have to have a fountain drink.
Get back to walking/jogging 3-5x per week. I feel better when I do this so it will help me stick with the plan!

This month is about motivation. I’m going to motivate myself right back into this program…..

Read more about my fitness and weight loss journey as well as specific posts with the Shaklee-180 program.

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How To Soften Towels

by Briana Carter on April 23, 2013

After time, towels can lose their absorbency and become stiff. I’ve read that the main reason for this is the build up of fabric softeners. Once they start to get stiff, it’s harder to clean your towels and you may notice a musty type of smell no matter how often you clean your towels. The reason is this build up and there is an easy fix for it instead of going out and buying all new towels!

The fix?

Our friend vinegar which is around $0.80 at ALDI or you can buy in bigger bulk at the discount warehouse stores. Just add around 1 cup during the rinse cycle or put in your fabric softener slot in your washing machine.

If you are worried about your towels smelling like vinegar, you shouldn’t worry as I’ve been adding vinegar to my laundry for awhile now and the clothes come out smelling fresh and nothing like vinegar.

Find more DIY Household Cleaners and Spring Cleaning and Organizing posts.

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5 Meal Planning Tips for Busy Families

by Briana Carter on April 16, 2013

Spring is here and the need to freshen up your weekly dinner recipes may be part of your “spring cleaning“. The “what are we having for dinner” moment can be a source of dread and frustration for many people. As a mom of four kids who are extremely active in everything, I feel your pain.

Here’ are some of my favorite meal planning tips to help you save both time and money:

Gather 15-20 family favorite meals

Sit down with your family and ask them what their favorite meals are. You may be surprised by some of the meals they love or some that just don’t appeal to their taste buds. The last thing you want to do is waste time and money by preparing meals that your family doesn’t enjoy. Organize your recipes with a notebook, spreadsheet, or use bookmarking sites like SpringPad.com, Ziplist, or Pinterest.

Once you have the family’s preferences on meals, inventory your pantry and freezer to see if there are ingredients on hand you can utilize for your plan. Be sure to check to see what items you could possibly substitute in your recipes, such as rotini for macaroni. Oftentimes, you can make adjustments based on what you already have on hand to fit the recipe.

Create your menu

Write your menu on a blank calendar or simply on a piece of notebook paper. Write out each day of the week with slots for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. If you are a beginning meal planner, consider starting with just dinner to keep things simple.

Consult your family calendar and make any notes of specific activities for certain days. This helps to have written out when deciding which meal is best suited for a particular night. Do you have a baseball game? Is there a school program? Take these into account when planning your menu as you want to make it as easy as possible on busy nights.

Create a shopping list

Create your shopping list by consulting weekly circular for your favorite grocery store or use free coupon match-up site. There are also list creating sites such as Ziplist.com, which will help you create a shopping list online and will even create your list based on the recipes you choose.

Fast 5 meals

Fast 5 meals are meals that you can quickly make at home and get on your table in less time than it takes to order take-0ut. Tape a list of your fast five meals on your refrigerator or pantry door. You will save time and money because you won’t be tempted to stop for fast food as you know you have these items in your pantry. Meals that are good for this list are quesadillas, spaghetti, pizza croissants, tacos, and a new household favorite pepperoni pizza balls. These will be things you know your family likes and things you normally have stocked in your pantry.

Freezer meals

Make a double batch of your family’s favorite meals each time you cook to quickly create a freezer full of home-cooked meals. I love to make a double batch of lasagna, enchiladas, chili to name a few. You can save so much money by preparing your own freezer meals that also do not contain all the preservatives of store purchased freezer meals.

Bulk cook and freeze meal components. I often do this with ground beef or chicken breasts. I will cook a double, triple, or quadruple batch and freeze to use on another day. Doing this makes it easy for beef tacos to be on our fast five meal list. See if there is a Zaycon meat delivery in your area for $1.79/lb chicken!

While these tips may seem simple, the savings in dollars and time can be significant. Before you know it, you could cut your grocery bill in half while ensuring you are providing your family with healthy and delicious meals every night of the week.

How do you plan for busy evenings?

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What to Buy in April

by Briana Carter on April 9, 2013

Photo Credit: ewan traveler

What to buy in April?

You will find quite a few great deals in April. Stock up or purchase these items that you need now.

Produce:

Broccoli, Strawberries, Arthicokes, Asparagus, Cauliflower, Lettuce, Spring Peas, Rhubard

Grocery Items:

Eggs, Ham, Frozen Pies, Cake Mix, Pie Crust
Will start to see sales on grillin’ items
Cleaning supplies

Household Items:

After Easter Candy Clearance
Digital Cameras
Vacuum
“Green” products
Grills

What other items are you finding a good deal on in April?

Download the complete list of When To Find the Best Deals for the entire year.

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Save Money | 5 Tips for Travel Snacks

by Briana Carter on April 5, 2013

We are headed on a road trip! Trips inside the convenience stores can add up and take a toll on your vacation budget especially when you are traveling with 4+ kids. This is why I prefer to load the car up with own own snacks and drinks to save as much as possible.

Here’s a Few Snack Travel Tips:

Plan accordingly. Don’t pack food that will spoil before you can get to your destination and know food preferences of the people who are riding along.
Healthy Snacks. Just because you are traveling, doesn’t mean you have to skip healthy fruits and vegetables. I like to pack apples, bananas, and grapes because these are easy to transport and don’t make a big mess. Cucumbers and carrots are also good veggies to transport. If you have something like the Pack-It, you could add small portion containers of veggie dip.
Fun Snacks. Make a batch of your family’s favorite cookies or muffins before your trip. CVS also has a wonderful selection snacks within their Gold Emblem product line that make it easy to travel such as Dark Chocolate Covered Cashews (yum!), Chocolate Chip Cookies, Whole Raw Almonds (great for protein!), and throw in some fun Gold Emblem Gummy Worms. By purchasing these snacks before you get your trip started, you will save money on expensive convenience store goodies as well as having those foods handy when your cravings strike.
Beverages. I like to pack several bottled waters (the smaller ones) and bring flavor packets if we want something a little different. We might also throw in a few cans of pop in there too! Bring along a few reusable water containers too if we need to split drinks. The reusable bottles are also nice for the hotel!
Trash Collection. Be sure to keep a few plastic bags in your car for trash collection during your trip. This makes it easy when you stop to refuel to empty out one bag. Plus, you won’t get those crumblies on your floor.

Save money by buying the CVS/pharmacy Gold Emblem brand of snacks. CVS/pharmacy has a rigorous taste-testing process that includes in-house tasting panel and an independent third-party panel of professional taste testers. Compared to the national competitors you will save a bundle without noticing a difference in quality!

Products were provided by CVS in order to facilitate this review. Post was written 100% by me and was not edited by the sponsor. Read more on my Disclosure Policy.

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Stretching Your Dollar at ALDI with the Savings Nation App

by Briana Carter on April 5, 2013

I’m taping a segment for Fox 59 this morning and I wanted to share a few tips that I will be discussing! This will be a sticky post today so scroll down the latest deals!

The average family spends at the minimum $150 a week on groceries. With a few savvy shopping tips, you can cut your budget by 50% or more. I’m going to share a few simple tips to get you started without using ANY coupons. Yep, I said it. No coupons required but it does still require a shopping plan!

When I shop at grocery stores, I usually whip out my couponizer. When I’m in a time crunch, I love to shop at ALDI for everyday value without sacrificing quality. Otherwise, if I shop at a store that accepts coupons, I just feel guilty that I didn’t have time to clip my coupons for the week.

Use your smart phone: If coupon clipping sounds overwhelming, start by downloading a mobile savings app like the Grocery Nation app from Savings.com, which is available for Android phones in the local market. Money saving experts like myself have hand selected some of the best local deals and coupon match-ups each week to help you save as much money as possible. You can also find these same deals here at BargainBriana.com/stores and can pull it up on your mobile device’s web browser! Make your weekly shopping list, print it out or email it to yourself and get shopping!

Here’s what a list from ALDI looks like on the Savings Nation app:

I like to plan my meal plan around what I already have in the pantry and what is on sale for the week as well! For this shopping trip, I’m sticking to a simple meal plan for dinner for 7 nights and breakfast. If I don’t have a plan, it is too easy to grab take-out or eat out . When making your plan, consider the activities you have going on for that particular evening as well. For this upcoming week, we have a high school basketball semi-state game to go too, middle school awards, father-daughter dance, and multiple practices and tryouts for different kids. It gets CRAZY here in the spring!

Stock up on Pantry Items: Save on pantry staples like sugar, flour, pasta, tortillas, pasta sauce, and more with ALDI every day low prices. Also, they do have weekly sales so take full advantage of any additional mark downs.

Save by Buying Private Store Brands: ALDI exclusive brand products meet or exceed the quality and taste of than the national brand. As you may remember, I have participated in the past in the ALDI Switch & Save taste tests and most of the items I couldn’t tell the difference or thought the ALDI brand was better.

ALDI offers 1,400 of the most commonly used grocery and household items. I find that we can find most of the items we shop for on a regular basis at ALDI. If I’m trying out a new recipe, I may need to head to a store with a larger selection to find exactly what I’m looking for. Otherwise, by sticking to ALDI that doesn’t have several brands to choose from I can save time as opposed to a mega store. I also save money because I’m not adding extra items to our cart that we don’t need!

Check out my Top 10 Reasons I Love ALDI shopping for additional tips and tricks on ALDI shopping! Just remember your quarter for cart rental, your own reusable bags, and cash or debit card!