Potential Money Saver?

The Electric Company announced that they will be opening up a new billing plan for residential customers, and I am trying to decipher it and figure out if it is worthwhile.

First of all, there is a monthly fee to join - 15.80 NIS monthly for the special meter.
Then there will be a different rate for peak and off-peak times. Peak and off-peak times vary throughout the year. It looks like this:

 Month         Peak Hours     Rate Increase for Peak Usage   Discount - Off-Peak

January          4-10 PM                126% of regular rate            25% discount    
February        4-10 PM                126% of regular rate            25% discount
March            8AM-10PM           base rate + 2.1 %                 29.3% discount
April               8AM-10PM           base rate + 2.1 %                 29.3% discount
May               8AM-10PM           base rate + 2.1 %                 29.3% discount
June               8AM-10PM           base rate + 2.1 %                 29.3% discount
July                10AM-5PM           149% of regular rate            24% discount
August           10AM-5PM           149% of regular rate            24% discount
September     8AM-10PM           base rate + 2.1 %                 29.3% discount
October          8AM-10PM           base rate + 2.1 %                 29.3% discount
November      8AM-10PM           base rate + 2.1 %                 29.3% discount
December       4-10 PM                126% of regular rate            25% discount 

Right now, I am trying to figure out how worthwhile it would be to sign up for a plan like this. What do you think?

I'd love to hear your ideas about this. If this could actually save me money, I'm in!

Printable Coupon!

I love it when there's a coupon for a really great product! This is one that I actually use:
Frozen sliced mushrooms. They are so amazingly convenient for busy days. The mushrooms for your favorite 'shroom recipe (think, mushroom barley stew in the crock pot, mushroom quiche, etc) are already prepped and ready to go!

click here to get your printable coupon today!

Good thru Nov. 19th

Money Saving Tip

I rarely see red peppers for less than 5 NIS/kg, but right now Mega has them for 2 NIS/kg! (Note - min. purchase to get the sale price is 75 NIS - again, not hard to get to. Just buy some milk, butter, and a few other staples...)

Mega has been having produce specials Tues - Thurs, where they have a few types of produce discounted to a great price! (usually 2 NIS/kg) This week, the cabbage and the carrots are really not such a great deal, I can usually find those elsewhere for 2NIS/kg, but the peppers are a steal, and since Mega is just a short walk away...

See you at Mega!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Still cold out, and it's supposed to rain. Not just rain, maybe even a thunderstorm. THAT makes me want to crawl back under my covers! So, here's a menu for warming us all up:

Creamy tomato soup - saute onion (in butter) with salt and allspice, till onion is translucent and fragrant. sprinkle in 2 T. flour and cook 5 min more, while stirring. Add chopped tomatoes (canned or fresh - with fresh, you'll have to cook it longer, but it gives it a really great flavor if you have great tomatoes) and 1/4 t. baking soda. mix the pot and allow to simmer for about 30 min. (but watch it and stir it occasionally) Add water as needed, honey, black pepper if desired. Add a bay leaf to the pot.  Continue to simmer (about another 10 min.). Remove the bay leaf before you add 1 cup of milk or half and half (add it slowly). Don't bring to a boil after adding the milk, just gently reheat and serve (with croutons!)

Grilled cheese sandwiches


Steamed or roasted vegetables (depends what I find in my fridge!)

Printable Coupon!

Don't forget to check your favorite store's Facebook Page or website and see what printable coupons they have to offer.
(And if you find some good ones, please link to them in the comments section!)

New-Pharm has a couple of coupons for Facebook Fans:

https://www.facebook.com/NewPharm?sk=app_209601355772114

These coupons are for fleece blankets and razors, if you're on the lookout for those items!

Happy saving!

Monday, November 14, 2011

I am so burnt-out on so many levels. There has just been a lot going on around here lately, and the to-do list keeps growing, and the to-stress-about list never shrinks! I just wish someone would wave a magic wand and arrange for a TOTAL break from real life, even if just for a day. I guess I mean to say, I NEED to recharge my batteries!
But since that's not happening, and there is a full day of homeschooling 4 kids ahead of me, and tons of laundry to fold, cleaning to do, sorting through I-don't-know-what-all-that-stuff-is that is sitting in piles in various rooms of the house (mostly in the kids' rooms, the master bedroom,and  the newly renamed "activity room" - formerly known as the "playroom"), I will have to have a supper plan early in the day.

So here it is:


Garlic Bread & Minestrone Soup

(Can you tell I'm experiencing cooking burn-out, too?)

If anyone is hungry after that, well, they will just have to find SOMETHING on their own!

Money Saving Tip

Printable Coupon!

This coupon is good at most pharmacies.

Click here for a coupon for 15% of "Rikuzit" or "Rikuzit H" - herbal treatments to assist with focus and attention

Coupon good thru 12.31.2011

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Tonight's menu:

I was really not in the mood to cook, so here's a quick, boring menu:

Vegetable Soup (leftover from Shabbat)

Pizza Baguettes

French fries

Fruit

What's on your Sunday night menu?

Money Saving Tip

I'm back with a money saving tip!
Today through Thursday, you can make free international calls from your home phone line. Yes, you read that right, but there is some fine print:

Make sure the country you want to call is on this list:

US, Britain & Northern Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, Holland, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Andorra, San Marino, Monaco, Malta, Luxemberg, Liechtenstein

Just use the Bezeq Int'l prefix (014) and make sure your call starts after 4 pm and ends by 5 pm, and it's free!

Thanks to No Fryers for publicizing this!

Menu Help

Ok, everybody, let's put on our thinking caps and help out a friend.
Here's the request:

Looking for ideas/recipes for main dishes with cooked vegetables that don't contain any oil/carbs at all. Can contain protein (chicken, fish etc).

 Please link up your favorite recipes, blog posts, etc in the comments to help out my friend! Or just comment with your best recipes that will help out!

Thanks so much!