Conscientious Consumers

Ask the Audience: Vacuum Recommendations

Dear Home Ec 101, I am in the market for a new vacuum, and would love feedback on what everyone has and likes. I know you have a Dyson and love it, but not sure if my budget is Dyson or not. I read Consumer Reports, and they seemed to favor the Hoovers. Mine just …

Giveaway Time: The Taste of Home Cookbook, Cooks who Care Edition

Heather says: Once in a while when someone blogs about food, menus, saving money and all that fun stuff that happens here on Home-Ec 101, you get noticed. A few weeks ago I was contacted by the folks running PR for Taste of Home. They have just launched a new cook book, The Taste of …

On the Merits of Being a Part-Time Vegetarian

*Note from Heather* The links to the suggested cookbooks are affiliate links, if you’d like you can learn about Amazon’s affiliate program here. After learning the final cost for the consumer was the same, I allowed their inclusion in this post. Guest posting is a new feature here at the Home-Ec 101 community and I hope …

Deal Alert: Hoover FloorMate SpinScrub -promotion is over-

Heather says: *Edit 8/16/09 The promotion is now over.* Welcome to a rare moment at Home-Ec 101. I don’t track deals or announce coupons as I don’t have the time or interest in most of the products. Today, August 15, 2009 Woot.com is offering a refurbished Hoover FloorMate Spinscrub for $59.99 + $5 shipping. Refurbished …

Stop Guzzling Down Dollars

Heather says: One of the simplest ways to tighten up an out of control grocery budget is to learn to love water. I don’t mean the 20oz bottles of the stuff, either. The second? Get to know serving sizes. Drink all the water you can handle, but when it comes to OJ and other fruit …

Budget Menus: Short Term Strategies

Heather says: How about something a little different for Menu Monday. Sometimes things happen and some of us run out of paycheck a week or two before we run out of month. It happened to me a lot in my single days, but there were always ways and means to make a few dollars stretch …

Warehouse Shopping: When It’s Worth It, When It’s Not

Ivy says: Sam’s Club. Costco. You know you love ’em. Anywhere where you can buy a thingy of toilet paper that is nearly as big as my whole car and will last us 6 months is a fabulous place, if you ask me. But is the $50 membership worth it? Let’s take a look. Like …

The Joy Of Great Customer Service

Ivy says: Watch out, world! Ivy’s back! I’m sure you’ve been wondering where I’ve been. Well, between dealing with several family emergency-type things, trying to pull myself out of the very serious depression I’d been in for over a year and a half, and starting a new project, I was completely harried and needed some …

Peanut Butter Recall Info

Ivy says: From our good friend Rachel at Women’s Health News, here’s a comprehensive list of the recalls from the FDA. Note how many pet products are on there. Scary! In other news, there’s a tutorial coming either tonight, tomorrow, or Sunday (nothing like being specific, ha) on how to use knitting looms. Keep an …

Ivy Takes The Mr. Clean Challenge

Ivy says:

Awhile back, the people from Mr. Clean sent me a box that told me to take the Mr. Clean challenge. “Interesting,” I thought, and I put the box aside to deal with a bit later. I was cleaning house recently and came back across the box and decided to open it up. It was an interesting challenge- they provided a bottle of the “leading cleanser”- I can’t tell you the brand, but I can tell you it’s one of those “with bleach” kinda deals- and a package of 2 Mr. Clean Magic Erasers with foaming action and the fresh scent of Febreze, haha. Nifty.