Here’s my Mom, Alice, with a tip about saving money on greeting cards and long distance calls:

“As you know, Darcy, Mom (my Grandma) is in a Rehabilitation Center for three weeks. She has been on my mind. I was going to call her for a short visit on the telephone but then I remembered that I got rid of my long distance plan because I was really cutting back due to my retirement income. Then I thought of “Rubbing Nickels” and a great idea came to mind.

Isn’t it disgusting how expensive greeting cards are (unless you get them at the dollar store)? I have recently discovered that writing a note in longhand means more to the person than the most expensive Hallmark card. I sent my sister a handwritten note for her birthday. She liked it so much, she called me to thank me and exclaim, “no one ever takes time to write a letter anymore”. You too, can save about 80 nickels, plus postage, by sending a hand written note.”

Words of wisdom!

Darcy Ratner and my Mom, Alice
Rubbingnickels.com

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If you keep the right ingredients on hand, grilled cheese sandwiches are the perfect solution to the “what’s for dinner” dilemma. I recently purchased a Panini press from William Sonoma (yes, big splurge for Mrs. Cheap). It has turned out to be a GREAT investment and has paid for itself many times over by decreasing the number of times we order out for dinner and I go out for lunch at my favorite sandwich shop. In my mind, nothing tastes better and a grilled, melty sandwich and I’ve found some great recipes on the internet for you yo use to expand your grilled cheese repertoire.

To start, our Co-founder, Julie, sent me this link because she knows I love grilled cheese. It’s called the Grilled Cheese Academy and is sponsored by the Wisconsin Cheese Board. Their sandwich called The Pilgrim is pictured in this article. It is a slice of heaven and health with cranberry sauce, dijon mustard, sage, turkey and spinach on wheat bread.

Next, I found that the Tillamook website also has some great takes on the grilled sandwich. Their traditional recipe called Centennial Grilled Cheese is the perfect “plain” grilled cheese while their Gourmet Grilled Cheese, sounds satisfying and yummy with olive tapenade, basil, roasted red peppers and bacon.

I’m not normally a huge fan of Kraft cheese (especially those plastic wrapped little slices of heart disease) but Kraft has a terrific looking recipe for a Grilled Mozzarella Sandwich on their site. They also have a rib-sticking good ham and cheese recipe with spicy pepperjack that you should try.

Enjoy our recipes and remember that every time you cook at home you increase your chances of decreasing the bottom-line on your family food budget.

Darcy Ratner and Julie Arnheim
Rubbingnickels.com

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I LOVE new bedding. It brightens my day when I make my bed and it looks fresh and comfy. My favorite bedding sources have always been Ralph Lauren, Laura Ashley (OK, in the 90s) and Garnet Hill. But you can spend a mint on a new comforter, bed skirt and shams if you’re not careful. I have some resources for you if you only have a little cash to spend. Here’s what I found that is new for Spring online and includes all the pieces you need for a bed makeover. Don’t forget to always Google the name of the site with the words “coupon codes” before you buy anything on the internet. It is one of the best ways to save money.

Walmart – Better Homes and Gardens Citrus Blossoms Damask Comforter Set – This set comes with a comforter, shams and a bed-skirt and costs only $85.00 for a King set. It is also reversible so you get two beds in one. See picture at the top of this article. So Springy and bright! Bonus: they give you free shipping to the store if you have a Walmart that’s convenient to you.

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At Rubbingnickels.com, we’re always talking about the fact that cooking and preparing food in your home saves money and is healthier than eating out. For those of us who work for a living, it is quite tempting to head out of the office at lunch and join our colleagues at the local watering hole for a $20 lunch or skip down to the deli for an $8.00 sandwich. These actions will sabotage your efforts to save money and should be avoided at all costs. Instead, get in the groove of packing your lunch at home. We have some ideas to make it more interesting that your usual PB&J or turkey sandwich. And if you put it in a vintage Charlie’s Angels lunchbox, how can you go wrong?

Veggie Chinese Chicken Salad – Microwave veggie chicken patties and toss them with romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, mandarin oranges and Soy-Vay Sesame Dressing from Trader Joes.

Goat Cheese Pancakes – Microwave frozen whole wheat or buttermilk pancakes. Spread with plain goat cheese and top with strawberries or blueberries. Roll and spear with a toothpick.

Middle Eastern Sandwich – Take a pita and cut it in half. Fill both sides with ready-made hummus, cucumbers, sliced carrots and sunflower seeds. A vegetarian’s delight.

Pizza Roll-up – Take a sandwich wrap and spread it with plain cream cheese. Top with mozzarella, spinach and pepperoni.

Enjoy these recipes and put $5 to $15 dollars in your Wish Jar every time you pack your lunch!

Julie Arnheim and Darcy Ratner
Founders, Rubbingnickels.com

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Most of us have, in the past, bought too much stuff: too many clothes, too much bedding and too many knick-knacks and holiday items that all need places to live. My Mom still collects those scary-looking Snow Babies which she “promises” that I’ll get when she dies (I’d rather try to get her Nativity sets past my Jewish husband). If you, like me, have too much stuff and are in need of some frugal home storage solutions, we have some ideas for you.

Under-bed boxes – If you have a bed that has a standard-size bed frame, under-bed storage is a great option for you. You can get boxes with rollers (more expensive) or simply large, flat boxes that slide under your bed. I keep wrapping paper, seasonal clothing and extra bedding under the bed in these handy boxes.

Over the door hangers – I use these in both of my bathrooms. They come in the version that has five hooks so that you can hang up all the stray towels, your robe and the clothes that you need for the next day… all on the door to the bathroom. There is zero installation. Just hang it over the top of the door!

Book Cases – When was the last time you purged your bookcases of the books you’ve read that you don’t need to keep? Send them along to your favorite charity and open up your bookcases for other items. Grab some decorative photo storage boxes (Michael’s always has them on sale) and stash whatever you need to stash.

Double Closet Bars – If you have an older home and have a single bar in your closet, you MUST invest in a hanging double-bar. It immediately doubles the amount of things that you can hang in your closet and installs just by hanging the hook over your existing closet bar. You can get them for as little as $9.99.

Just remember, you don’t have to do an extreme home makeover to get more mileage out of your space!

Happy Storage!

Darcy Ratner
Rubbingnickels.com

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Imagine if you could get your family dinners for the week cooked on Sunday afternoon and share the shopping, prep time and clean-up with your girlfriends. Our Book Club Moms did it, and it has made for a number of relaxing nights this week in our kitchens!

Getting Ready

After discussing food allergies and preferences, we each selected one of our family favorite recipes and purchased the ingredients for all six participants. We also communicated what kids of pans were needed to transport/cook the meals (e.g. my Turkey Meatloaf required a loaf pan). The hostess provided vegetable oil, olive oil, dried spices, and cooking utensils. Not knowing how long it would take, we gave ourselves 3 hours. Our respective husbands were thrilled to be left home to watch football, while our kids played and wandered in the kitchen to help/snack.

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