Eating Out on a Budget {Saving Money at Moe’s!}

October 18, 2013 by Aliesha

We don’t eat out a lot, but one of our family’s favorite places to eat out is Moe’s.

Here’s why!

– it’s fast (your food is made to your specifications while you watch)
– it’s kid-friendly (our girls love it)
– it’s healthy-ish (grass-fed beef, antibiotic-free chicken, whole wheat tortillas, in-house made sour cream and salsa, fresh ingredients, etc.)
– they have unlimited chips and salsa (sooo good!)
– our whole family (2 adults and 2 toddlers) can eat there for $8.53 (!)

The burritos are enormous, so Tad and I usually split the Joey Bag of Donuts Chicken Burrito ($6.49)*, and the girls split a Moo Moo Chicken Burrito (a la carte, without the drink and cookie, $1.50). We all drink water, and with the unlimited tortilla chips and salsa, we are all satisfied! With tax, our total (for 4!) is just $8.53!

*On a certain day of the week (varies by store), the Joey is only $5.55 and includes a drink!

Moe’s also has a birthday club which sends you (via email) a free burrito on your birthday! Last year on Tad’s birthday, we ate for under $2 since we just paid for the girls’ meal!

What is your family’s favorite cheap restaurant?

**I was not paid or perked in any way to share this post. We just love eating at Moe’s!

Still Swaggin’

May 8, 2012 by Aliesha

The last time I posted about Swagbucks was almost a year ago, but I am still actively “swagging”!

Swagbucks is a painless way to earn cash for doing something you already do… searching the internet! Just by searching the web, taking the daily poll, using the Swagbucks toolbar, and referring a few friends, I have racked up over 16,000 Swagbucks since I first started earning almost two years ago.

This has translated into Amazon.com gift cards (there are other prizes you can redeem, but these are my favorite)… $180 worth to be exact. You can use the Amazon gift cards to buy anything from Amazon (they also apply to shipping costs… woohooo!), which is pretty much anything. Seriously, what can’t you buy on Amazon? 🙂 I was actually able to purchase Christmas gifts and birthday gifts for my husband on Amazon last year using those gift cards. I also bought other gifts for people throughout the year.

This post I wrote last year details some of the different ways you can earn Swagbucks.

It’s really easy to start using Swagbucks! If you have any questions about how it works, let me know! But I can assure you of three things: 1) it’s easy, 2) it’s legit, and 3) you WILL get rewarded!

Paperback Swap

January 8, 2012 by Aliesha

I just realized I’ve never blogged about one of my favorite ways to get cheap/nearly free books! I’ve been using Paperback Swap since my sweet sister-in-law introduced me to it.

Here’s how it works. Sign up for a new account, then post ten books (paperback or hardback; it doesn’t matter) you wouldn’t mind clearing off your shelves. You’ll receive two credits (which you can immediately redeem for two free books) as soon as you list those first ten books. After that, to earn more credits, people will need to order your books. Once someone orders one of your books, you are responsible to mail the book to them (you pay the shipping cost… usually $2-$3). When they receive the book, then you’ll get another credit. You can also purchase more credits if you really want a book, but I have only done that once. I have a pretty long wish list on PBS of books I’d like to order if/when they become available. It’s easy to search for books and add them to your list!

Here are some of the books I’ve gotten through PBS: The Peacemaker by Ken Sande; The Path of Loneliness by Elisabeth Elliot; Teaching Montessori in the Home by Elizabeth Hainstock; Peace Like a River (for Tad) by Leif Enger; Why Government Doesn’t Work (for Tad) by Harry Browne; Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White; Let Me Be a Woman by Elisabeth Elliot; How to Teach Your Baby to Read by Glenn Doman; Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron; Things We Wish We’d Known ed. by Diana Waring; The Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian; Apples of Gold by Betty Huizenga; The Power of a Praying Woman by Stormie Omartian. (I have been a member for about a year.)