What’s In My Inbox?

Good Morning!! Monday is o-v-e-r. It’s raining here in the Midwest and Parker’s Gigi and Papa are sick so P is going to hang with Auntie today. We have to go visit Frosty at the plant and make a stop at the post office (I’m still workin’ the New Year’s resolutions).

{Update}: It’s now the afternoon. Parker and I had a fantastic morning together! Visit my Twitter home page for pictures.

As for the Inbox, this segment will no longer be exclusive to Tuesday’s. I’m opening it up to whichever day is the most exciting to share with YOU! Sound good?

Yesterday I started reading the March issue of Real Simple while standing in Hobby Lobby waiting for Kiks and couldn’t leave the store without it. A few fun take-aways:

Question to Readers: How do you save money on everyday essentials? Here is what some readers said…  don’t carry cash, co-op with neighbors and buy in bulk at warehouse clubs, simply use self-control, non-brand-name products, grocery shop online to avoid last-minute purchases and last but not least… simply consume less (of anything and everything).

I believe this to be VERY true. Not buying a pair of shoes will save you money BUT buying generic vs. brand-name on things you buy weekly/bi-weekly will save you BIG BUCKS. You should buy generic branded items for things like toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, soap, toothbrushes [etc]… most likely they come from the same factory, it’s up to you to take advantage of the savings!! For example: Toothbrush. Double-pack of Oral B dual action something-or-other was $5+. Literally the exact same product (double-pack as well) by Equate was $2.

Let’s say I use one toothbrush per 4 weeks, therefore a double-pack will last me 8 weeks. With approx. 52 weeks per year, I buy toothbrushes 6.5x per year. Brand-name would cost me $32.50/year vs. Generic-brand will cost me $13 = $19.50 savings.

Check out Page 27 for the full article.

I get SO excited over the “Simple Solutions” section…

Just as I reported on Twitter yesterday, my Canon SD750 will fit perfectly in a hard soap case.

Who’s job is it to sit around and come up with these things? If you are reading, I want your job!

*RealSimple.com - SIGN UP TODAY. You can get all of the following right in your Reader by subscribing to their RSS feed: Recipe, Thought, Tip, Find and Today on Real Simple.

This is also a $ saving tip: Get the goods online instead of at the magazine stands.

In the moneywise section they report, March is the best time to buy a television. Wal-Mart is the place to save $ on DVDs, if you are going to buy. Check out Page 99 to read the full article.

Between home and moneywise… Triscuit gives us Extra Ways to Save as You Entertain. My favorite {I am going to do this at my next party}:

Say Goodnight in Style. Thank Guests at the end of the evening by sending them away with hot, fresh-brewed tea, such as Tazo. Write a note telling them how much fun it was to see them on their to-go cup.

In one section they discussed the best lip balms…

The Best Splurge: La Mer The Lip Balm at $45.

Have you tried this? Is it worth the $45? If you work for La Mer… I’m available to try and review!

The March issue is PACKED FULL of great stuff. I find something new every time I open it up!! The newsstand price {$4.99} is an investment and will save you big money in the long run because it’s loaded with recession-friendly tips and tidbits!

And, I received an email this morning that @Real_Simple is following me on Twitter… oh yeah. Maybe Ellen will start following me soon {fingers crossed}.

More Inbox…
The Land of Nod’s weekly email had everything from Educational Toys to great products for Meal Time. I loved these Rhyming Flash Cards [on a handy ring to keep them together]. So cute!

You can Register at The Land of Nod too… lots of Free Shipping offers!

Like Free Shipping on Bugaboo Cameleon Stroller

Thought I would throw out some Link Love to some of  favorite blogger-friends for their sweet e-mail messages today! Abbie at A Glimpse of the Girl Next Door; My nearest and dearest Blue-Eyed Bride and Mojito Maven {I’m ridiculously sad that I’m not joining them in SC this weekend}; my new friend Franki from Life in a Venti Cup; and The Prep-E Girl herself. Thanks for sending me some virtual love!!

Target Tuesday coming your way… Stay tuned!