Money Saving Grocery Store Hacks: Cereal Edition

Have you noticed how crazy expensive cereal is?! Captain Crunch alone has gone up by over 40% in the past couple of years ? To give you a quick idea of how bad it’s gotten, I decided to compare Americas top selling cereal, Cheerios:

When you factor in the shrinkflation AND the price increase over the past 2 years, you’re paying 16% for 7% less cereal = which is equivalent to a 25% price increase! ?
That means we’re loosing 22.5 bowls a year! Over 3 weeks worth of breakfasts! And that’s just for 1 person!

✳️Here’s how and where to save

Coming in first is Costco and Sam’s Club. If you’re lucky to have a membership at either of these stores, they have the best deals.

Coming in second is Walmart. Walmart has the best selection of all of the stores. Your best buy here is their 2 pound bags! In general, the more you buy the more you are going to save. Buying in bulk is key! The smaller box almost always cost more in the long run.

The best deals might not even be at the grocery store. Surprisingly, drugstores have really good deals on cereal. Especially if you coupon stack, you can have up to 40% off!

✳️ How to store

Here’s the rundown: you’ve got 3 months to eat opened cereal and up to a year if you store your unopened bags. Store your bulk bags in a cool, dark spot to make it last.

✳️ How to revive stale cereal

If your cereal is past its prime time, here’s a hack to revive it! Spread your stale cereal on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 5-10 minutes. Good as new!

✳️ My FAVORITE SECRET CEREAL HACK of all time…just don’t tell the kids this one ?

A great hack to save some money is to mix name brand with the generic. Your family is never going to know, and you’ll save around 25%! Generic cereal brands cost 20-25% less.

Always HERE FOR YOU, sister! ? Stick around for more daily tips + tricks ?

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LORAfied On-the-Go Grocery Store Hacks: Low Carb Costco Food Court Hack

Have you ever struggled to find a “healthier” option at a food court? With kids usually by my side begging for the ice cream and chicken cheese bake it’s hard to always make the best decision when that new Costco cookie is starting at you from the checkout line ? If you’re a carb counter like I am, you’re going to love this! Honestly, it’s so much food you could split it! And it makes the perfect on-the-go lunch! Finally, a way to enjoy the food court once in a while without feeling guilty ❤️

You guys will never believe this, but I made a low carb chicken parmesan at the Costco food court. It’s one of my favorite LORAfied creations- here’s how to make it!

I picked up 1 chicken Caesar salad and 1 slice of their cheese pizza. For the chicken parm base, we are going to use the chicken from the salad. Separate it and place it on a separate plate. And get this, the chicken adds 0 carbs!

Here’s where things get a little crazy. Scrape the cheese and sauce off of the pizza and top the chicken with it. I also topped mine with the shredded cheese from the salad! This entire plate comes out to 8g of carbs, and it’s absolutely delicious.

Now i’s time to hack the salad. First, we are gonna toss the croutons and dressing. Instead we are going to order the free side of onions. They come out at 2-4g carbs and make a great topping. Another free add on is the mustard and adds 0g carbs. It makes a delicious dressing, trust me!

Finally, a way to enjoy the Costco food court once in a while without feeling guilty! Stick around for more easy tips.

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Huge Money Saving Candy Hacks

? 2 HOLIDAYS = $20 ? Have you noticed how crazy expensive candy is?! Even small bags of kisses are almost $7 ? I know this might seem a little early, but if you BUY NOW for both Valentine’s ? AND St. Patrick’s Day ? you can save at least 75%!! ?? Plus, I have a super CUTE AND EASY treat you can make in minutes with your bargain bonbons ?

So get this sister. While Valentine’s candy is full price, if we run around the corner, Christmas candy is 75% off ! You might be wondering… what are we going to do with Christmas candy now? You can use the red candy for Valentine’s Day, and save the green for St. Patty’s Day. No one’s going to know ? After all, it’s the same candy, just different packaging and pricing!

After separating the reds from the greens, we are going to bag ’em up. I found these cute Valentine’s Day baggies for the red candy and stored the green ones in zip lock baggies to save for March. My ziplock baggie stand is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets and worked perfectly for this hack.

Next up, I’m sharing my favorite candy hack. Don’t forget to grab some candy canes at the store! We are gonna turn these guys into hearts. Place them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake at 300F for 3 minutes.

After taking them out of the open, pinch the little ends together to make sure the heart stays in tact. Next, melt down some of your Christmas candy in the microwave and use it to fill the middle of the hearts. I added some extra sprinkles for fun. Aren’t they just darling?! They are so easy to make and SO cute.

Stick around for more money saving hacks!

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Kitchen Hacks: Free + Easy Game Changers

Do you have a dishwasher? If yes, then how often do you find a flipped over item full of water in the top rack? My answer used to be ALL THE TIME! It’s so annoying, right? We’re going to fix that once a for all! And if you’re a fan of having fewer dust collectors taking up valuable cabinet space, you’ll love what happens with a cookie sheet and some scotch tape ? Oh, and I toss in one you don’t need to waste your time on ???

Let’s start with the hack we can all use… the dry dish hack! Are you tired of finding water in your clean dishes? Here’s an easy hack to fix that.

Take your baking rack and place it on top of your dishes. This guy will weigh your dishes down so they don’t flip around and fill with water.

This next hack is my personal favorite. We are making a DIY cupcake holder. And the only things you need? A cookie sheet and some scotch tape. With kids still at home, I find myself still needing a way to transport them from time to time, but honestly, not enough to store an oversized cupcake holder. This is a great alternative.

We are going to make a grid on the cookie sheet with your scotch tape. By the way, the tape won’t hurt your cookie sheet. Making a grid will create a square for each cupcake to sit inside of. The best part? This hack saves you from the hassle of buying and storing those store-bought cupcake holders.

And now… for my fail. I was SO excited about this threat the needle hack using a toothbrush. The bottom line? Skip out on this one. The only good news was that the toothbrush was clean.

2 out of 3 successful kitchen hacks is a win for me! Stay turned for more easy and helpful hacks.

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As Seen on the Today Show: Rotisserie Chicken Hacks to Debone FAST

Have you ever struggled to get all the meat off a rotisserie chicken? Raise your hand if you’ve thrown some of it away because you just couldn’t get it off the bone after it had set in the fridge?‍♀️ Good news, sister, those days are over! Here’s one of the fastest hacks out there that will have you saying “Winner, winner, chicken dinner!” ??

Tip #1: Go through the chickens and compare the weight. Some guys will be a lot heavier than others! The heavier chickens stay more moist under those heat lamps and will be the juiciest. Head home and get ready for a hack that’s going to blow your mind! Fastest way to debone a chicken EVER.

All you need is an extra-large baggie. Stick your warm chicken inside, zip up the bag, and just start squishing. That’s right! That chicken will slide right off, with none going to waste.

Then, remove the bones into a pot. Divide the chicken into containers and refrigerate for the easiest meal prep ever.

See below for how to use those bones to make bone broth!

Easy Bone Broth
Bones from 1 chicken
12 cups of water
4-6 celery stocks
Large handful of carrots
Bunch of parsley (either flat or curly works)
1 onion (just remove the skin, you can leave it whole)
10-15 garlic cloves
Salt (to taste)
1 Tbsp Peppercorns

Put everything in a large pot, bring to a boil then simmer for 1-2 hours, until it reduces down by about 1/3 or so. Strain before storing in the fridge ?

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Target vs Walmart: Which is BEST FOR YOU?

Where do you tend to shop more, Target or Walmart? I used to think they were pretty interchangeable and would just stop at the one closest to when out running errands. Turns out, depending on where you are in life, one may be a much better fit. If you’re still deep in diapers or stocking up to feed a family every week, one is the clear winner! Same with fashion and beauty, one is far superior! For me, I need both of these stores ?

Target vs Walmart⭐️?

I headed to the cosmetics section first. At Target, they are going to accept cosmetic returns, even the opened products! Although you can’t return open cosmetics at Walmart, this is the spot for great prices on personal products like shampoo and body wash.

If you’ve got kids, Walmart is the place to score better deals on quality diapers.

I found that the Walmart food section is also superior. They have a bigger selection of groceries for much better deals!

Overall, Walmart is cheaper, more convenient, and has more quantities.

On the other hand, Target has fewer items that are a little fancier with those designer collaborations. Home goods aren’t just cuter at Target, but they are also more durable.

While Walmart’s clothing selection has come a long way, Target is the place to go for cute and affordable fashion finds.

Something silly I noticed is that Target’s shopping experience was just superior! They have bigger isles, better lighting, and the store is overall just more aesthetically pleasing.

The Bottom Line?

Walmart is great for the things you need. It has better deals on the essential items, with more quantities available.

Target is better for the things you want. It has a great return policy, and the clothing and home selections are superior.

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Holiday Hacks on Today With Hoda & Jenna

Click ➡️ HERE ⬅️ to watch the episode!

WOW, sister, just WOW! To say it was an honor to share some of my favorite Holiday Hacks on @hodaandjenna with @hodakotb & @jennabhager wouldn’t begin to cover how I feel. My heart is especially full and let’s just say Scooter has finally stopped calling my full-time job a hobby ?

Have you ever put your dream on hold to raise your kids? Support your spouse? Care for a loved one? Or maybe you couldn’t take a chance on it because you had to keep food on the table and dreams are risky and certainly don’t pay the bills right away. I GET YOU! My career highway has been dotted with ?? road signs, telling me to slow down, pull over, even suggesting I just simply ✋!

Some of my speed bumps include: Having Kid 1 when I was 22 and married to the wrong guy for me. Being a single mom for a decade never saying no to a news live shot because being a divorced parent is expensive. Then finally getting a break at the network when I meet Scooter. While I really tried to continue working after Kid 2 came along, it became clear both Scoot and I couldn’t be on the road at the same time, so I hung up my cleats to be at home with Kids 2 & 3.

But I’m going to be honest, and anyone who knows me knows this, I missed my career, I missed the gathering of information, the research, the sharing what I had uncovered.

3 years ago, during a routine yearly checkup, my doctor told me I had to figure something out…meaning he could tell my normal peppy spark was dimming…it’s because I had been suppressing my goals, thinking they’d just go away, it was that obvious ? And here’s the kicker: I was 50 years old at the time (now 53!) What in the world could I possibly start?

For the love of LORAfied, sister THIS IS YOUR SIGN ?

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Low Carb Starbucks Drink Dupes

Have you ever looked up the carbs in your favorite Starbucks drink? We all know they’re loaded with sugar, but who knew it was this bad?! Here’s how to order a coffee on the run that tastes great but isn’t liquid sugar ? Get ready to write these down, I’ve got some goodies in this one ☕️?

If you like their top seller, this low-carb caramel macchiato dupe is incredible. The regular version comes in at 42 carbs, but with this recipe, we brought it down to just 6 carbs!

Introducing the zero carb vanilla frappucino. Can you believe it?! The regular comes in at a whopping 56 grams of carbs. This dupe is the way to go, sister!

Low-carb iced matcha latte. The original guy comes in at 45 carbs, but if you order it this way, it comes down to just 8 carbs.

Finally, we have the classic iced vanilla latte. If you make it this way, you bring this drink from 22 carbs to zero carbs! A big tip here: order 3 parts water to 1 part heavy cream. That’s going to make it feel like you’re drinking milk.

NOTE: Because sugar comes in most of their drinks, make sure to request sugar free.

Now, it’s time to make your own low carb drink! I made a little cheat sheet to make the ordering process quick and easy.

Make Your Own: Iced or Hot

*Request no sugar*

Coffee

Americano

Espresso

Heavy Cream
Half & Half
Almond Milk

SF Vanilla Syrup
Light Drizzle of Mocha or Caramel

When you are thinking about all the carbs you aren’t drinking, these drinks taste a lot better!

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How to Make my Starbucks Lemon Loaf Copycat Recipe

Here is the Starbucks copycat you have all requested- the Iced Lemon Loaf! This Starbucks copycat recipe is easy, affordable, and tastes just like the real deal. I’m pretty sure I nailed it!

LORAfied Iced Lemon Loaf??

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups flour

Small box instant lemon pudding (3.4oz)1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 Tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup avocado oil (any kind will work)

3/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt

1 Tbsp. lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium bowl add flour, dry pudding mix, baking powder, baking soda & salt, whisk to combine. Then, in a separate large bowl, mix sugar and lemon zest together, then add eggs, butter, vanilla, lemon juice, oil and sour cream.

Preheat oven to 350F. Blend the wet mix well with mixer. Then, slowly add the dry mixture to the wet until smooth. Pour in prepared pan, making sure to leave 1 1/4” space between the batter and the top. Bake for 55 mins.

Cool 10 minutes, remove from pan and continue cooling on rack.

NOTE: I used a 9X5 loaf pan and had a little extra batter left over, I made a mini loaf with that, which was done in about 35-40 mins.

Frosting:
3 Tbsp softened butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp lemon juice

Using mixer on low to medium setting, mix until creamy smooth.
Pour over cooled loaf, and cut into even slices.

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How to Make Cookie Cutter Whipped Cream Toppers

Are you looking for a fun (and tasty) way to get into the holiday spirit? Then this hack is for you! Introducing cookie cutter frozen whipped cream toppers…to compliment any hot drink from hot coco to coffee, or even tea. They’re cute, festive, and melt into your drink!

☕️? Holiday Hack: Frozen Whipped Cream Toppers ??

What you’ll need: you can use any whipped cream, even Cool Whip works! Basically any topping you can freeze. You could even do little dollops out of a can onto parchment paper and freeze those.

What to do: top with candies for extra fun… Anything that’s going to melt in a hot drink. Think M&Ms, red hots, chocolate chips… And, of course, sprinkles, any kind of sprinkles! We’re going to decorate these guys like cookies, and then stick them in the freezer.

Once they’re frozen, pull them out and let them sit out for a minute or two, then use cookie cutters to cut them out. Once your shapes are cut out, any unused shapes can go back in the freezer!

What’s your favorite cozy winter drink? Comment and LMK!?

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Cake Hack: 6 Ingredient Holiday Bundt

EASY + 6 INGREDIENT = SHOWSTOPPER ? Plus this beauty is AFFORDABLE…it only LOOKS EXPENSIVE!

If you were Santa, would you welcome a slice of cake or another cookie? ??? Although I’m a HUGE fan of frosted sugar cookies, especially the soft ones cold, straight out of the freezer, this cake is a STUNNER and it’s DELICIOUS! And you can make this any color for any celebration ?

?? CAKE HACK: HOLIDAY BUNDT ❤️?

Ingredients:

1 white cake mix (15.25 oz) I used Duncan Hines 1/2 packet instant vanilla pudding (3.9 oz) 1 cup sour cream 4 egg whites 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup oil, I use avocado oil , but any will work

✳️ DO NOT PREHEAT the oven ✳️

Pour all ingredients in a large bowl and mix until well combined. Divide batter in half, setting one half to the side. Take the other half and divide in half again, leaving you with 3 bowls of batter: 1 bowl will have 1/2 of the mix, the other 2 will have a 1/4 of the batter each.

Bowl 1: Leave the larger bowl with half of the batter white.

Bowl 2: add 1 1/2 tsp. red food coloring and mix.

Bowl 3: 1 tsp. green food coloring, whisk until combined.

Layer into prepared pan in this order:

1.) 1/2 white batter 2.) All of red batter 3.) All of green batter 4.) Remaining 1/2 of white batter

Don’t mix the layers, if needed you can gently spread them, making sure not to combine with the layer below.

Place on a cookie sheet (this helps keep the bottom from burning) place in a cold oven, then turn the heat to 350F and bake for 55-60.

Cool completely before decorating. HINT: place baggie in a glass for easy frosting filling (just snip off the ends!)

Frosting: Miss Jones Bakes and Duncan Hines

Food coloring: McCormick Spice

Bakeware: QVC

What color combo would you make? Comment and LMK! I’m thinking hot pink and green would be gorgeous!

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Starbucks Copycat White Mocha Latte Recipe

When’s the last time you picked up a speciality latte at Starbucks? I was shocked by the price! Almost $6 before a tip ? Here’s my EASY + AFFORDABLE hack to make a week’s worth of this holiday treat for a fraction?

☕️❤️ STARBUCKS COPYCAT WHITE MOCHA LATTE RECIPE ⭐️?‍♀️

White Mocha Sauce Ingredients: 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14oz) 1 can evaporated milk (12oz) 1 tsp instant coffee (regular or decaf) 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup sugar 1 cup white chocolate chips

Starbucks Copycat White Mocha Latte Recipe

Combine everything in a sauce pan, except the white chocolate chips, whisk until heated and sugar has dissolved. Turn off the heat, add chips, stir until melted. Immediately pour into jar, over heating can cause too much thickening. Store in fridge.

Layer in this order: 2-4 Tbsp of white mocha sauce 2 shots of espresso (or *instant coffee) 1 cup steamed milk of choice Top with whipped cream if desired (Recipe below)

*NOTE: You can use instant coffee in place of espresso by mixing 1 tablespoon instant coffee and 1/4 cup hot water.

Whipped Cream ingredients: 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 1 Tbsp vanilla syrup (I used Torani) Hand whisk heavy cream and syrup together until creamy or use a frothing wand.