Money Saving at the Local Grocery Store: Penny-pinching Diva

Penny-pinching Diva Strikes Again!

I know you know by now that I love to save money. I love coupons. I love sales. I love deals. So, when I found some today, I was ecstatic and decided to share the fun. So, here goes.

I went to my local grocery store, Pilgrim’s Food liner~which can be quite expensive~and found some great deals. I found bananas that were on clearance. These bananas were turning brown and about to ruin. So, why would I buy them? Simple. They were an awesome deal. I took the bananas and turned them into 2 great breakfast meals. They became banana nut bread, which I like to eat with my morning cappuccino, and they will become banana pancakes. Here is a great tip. Instead of using pecans in my banana nut bread. I used walnuts. They are cheaper, and once they are chopped up and added to the mix, they taste the same.

Since the holidays are over, I want to try to eat healthier. I found carrots on sale along with collard greens, Dole salad, and spinach. I love all of these, and they are healthy. So, win…win. I also got to receive a Box top for education. (This is an awesome program. Be sure to see if your school participates or to find a school that you can donate them to at http://www.boxtops4education.com/ )The coupon is located on the carrots. This will be collected and given to my local school. See. I am saving money and helping the local school.

(The bread smelt so good. I couldn't wait to eat it. So, I cut off a piece and had a bite.)

I didn’t use any coupons on this trip. Wow! My grocery does double couponing on Wednesdays. I love this, and I usually wait until Wednesdays to make most of my purchases, but today, I was just on a quick grocery run.

Well, my banana nut bread is ready. And, I will be digging in!

How the Holidays Can Ruin Your Sex Life

The Holidays Can Ruin Your Relationship

The holidays are here and you are so excited. You get extra time off from work to spend with your family and that special someone. Just think about it. Extra time to spend with your man. Things couldn’t be better, right? Wrong! The holiday can wreak havoc on your relationship.

Too Much Company

Too much of anything can be bad. And, having too much company can be deadly to your relationship. The holidays are when piles and piles of well-meaning relatives tend to show up. These guests~whether invited or not invited~can put a damper on your love life. For instance, you and your “Boo” want to spend some time together. But, how can you when your sister and all of her kids are running around the house. And, for some reason, these relatives don’t seem to find it necessary to excuse themselves when you and your special someone are trying to have a conversation or be romantic.

No Privacy

Okay, this one is any extension of the last one. During the holiday, it is almost impossible to have some private time. Whether at home or at work, people are everywhere. For some reason, the holidays and all of that sugar seem to dull people’s common sense. Friends and family seem to find it necessary to spend as much time with you as possible. So, they invite themselves along on “trips to the store” a.k.a. “bootie calls”. They bang on locked doors because they want to tell you something cute that your crazy uncle did. They eavesdrop on phone conversations. They snicker when you are kissing your significant other under the mistletoe or on New Year’s Eve.

Fatigue

The next romance killer of the holidays is fatigue. Let’s be honest. The holidays are exhausting. All that shopping, cooking, and pretending to be happy are enough to wear even the Duracell Bunny out. So, who has the energy for “romantic time”? Sure, your mind may be saying “yes”. You may even be in the mood. But, the need for sleep will trump the need for sex any day.

Packed Schedule

The holiday are fun. The holiday are exciting, and we all want to get it all in…the parties, the celebrations, the trips to see the extend family. Well, all of this fun can prevent you and your lover from having any fun. By trying to squeeze in everything, you can sometimes forget to leave time for just you and your spouse.

So, what can you do? Simple. Keep it simple. Don’t overschedule your time off. Say “no” to some of those party invitations. And, if the house is full of noisy, nosy relatives, dish out the money and head to a hotel for a few hours of alone time with your partner.