Why don’t you start a garden this weekend and save money on produce all summer long! Master gardener and author Stephanie Suesan Smith shares step by step instructions on planting a small container garden.

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Gardening can feed your family cheaper than buying produce at the supermarket. A few squash plants can feed an army, and so can a few tomato plants. However, the array of products pushed at would be gardeners is truly bewildering. It doesn’t have to be that way.
 
 
Photo courtesy of Free Web Photos
 
Essentials for Container Gardening

• Container – get one that measures one foot by one foot by two feet deep. That is a good size because it is big enough to keep the soil temperature relatively constant, give the plants room, especially for their roots, and you can still move it. You can put it on one of those stands with wheels if necessary to keep it mobile.
• Soil
• Fertilizer
• Water
• Plants or Seeds
• Sunlight – The sun exposure is not negotiable, vegetables do not product well with any less than six hours of sun a day.

 
Now that you have this big container, what do you put in it?
A mixture of 50/50 potting soil and compost works well. This keeps the soil loose and fertile. Be sure and wear a dust mask when pouring in the potting soil and compost into the pot — some people are susceptible to an airborne fungus sometimes found in such things.

Fertilizer
Fertilizers are not as complicated as they seem at first glance. All plants need nitrogen to grow. They also need phosphorus and potassium and a host of trace elements. Fertilizers replace what the plant takes out of the soil so it is there for the next plant. They also add nutrients to soil that doesn’t have what the plant needs. The needs of different plants differ. Tomatoes use one fertilizer, other plants use other ones. Just make sure that you read the label and only use a fertilizer if the vegetables you are growing are on it. Then follow the label directions and it will work.

Water
All plants need water, too. You want to keep the soil moist but not squishy.

Seeds
Seeds can come from many different places. The seeds at the supermarket or big box store are adequate for someone who just wants some fresh vegetables for their family. Nurseries and places such as Seed Savers Exchange have better quality seed, but it is somewhat more expensive. Buying seeds on sale at the end of one season to save for the next usually disappoints, however, as the germination rate is pretty low.

What can you grow in a square foot pot?
Square foot garden spacing:

• Large plants such as a tomato, squash or cucumber can grow one to a container. Trellis the vines up to save space.
• Medium plants such as lettuce can grow four to a container.
• Small plants such as beets and spinach can grow nine to a square.
• Very small plants such as onions and carrots can grow 16 to a square.

 
The founder of square foot gardening, Mel Bartholomew, claims a four by eight can feed a family of four for a year. I would not go that far, but it can significantly reduce your food costs after the initial purchase of supplies. In addition, SNAP (food stamps) can be used to purchase vegetable seeds and plants to grow food for your family. Studies have shown that children are more willing to eat vegetables they have grown, so this is also a way to develop good eating habits for your family.

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Stephanie Suesan Smith, Ph.D. is a master gardener, writer, photographer, and woodworker. You can find more gardening information at her blog, http://stephaniesuesansmith.com, or in her book, Preparing a Vegetable Garden From the Ground Up.

T.J. Maxx is located right next door to my daughter’s dance studio, so I often spend an hour browsing the T.J. Maxx bargains!

Let me tell you, if walk up and down every aisle at T.J. Maxx, you just might be amazed that the deals exist far beyond the clothing racks! Stores like T.J. Maxx are the secret to living the good life on a budget!

20 Great Things You Can Find at T.J. Maxx and probably never thought of!

1. Chi Hair Products (not the flat irons, just the shampoos and conditioners!)
2. Pet Beds
3. Skincare Products – yes, you can afford high end skincare at T.J. Maxx!
4. Fitness Balls, Yoga Mats and Weights
5. Workout Outfits
6. Undergarments to help you suck it in like Spanx at a reasonable price!
7. Skechers Shape-Ups toning shoes
8. Purses
9. Calphalon Pots and Pans
10. Dishes
11. Glasses
12. Gourmet Food Items like pasta, pasta sauce, soup mixes, coffee and salsa.
13. Scrapbook Paper and Kits
14. Notecards and Stationery
15. Accessories – an inexpensive way to add a decorative touch to your home! Don’t miss their seasonal decor!
16. Furniture – especially chairs and small tables
17. Artwork
18. Mirrors
19. Throw Pillows – a quick and inexpensive pick me up for a tired sofa!
20. Sheets – yes, you can afford Egyptian cotton!
21. Towels
22. Children’s Toys and Books
23. Baby Gifts
24. DVD’s
25. i-homes and other accessories for i-pods (my daughter told me to add this one!)

 
Please click on the title of this article to share your T.J. Maxx bargains!

Buying new appliances can seem overwhelming and costly, but there are ways to ease the mental and wallet stress.

If It Ain’t Broke, You May Want to Think About Fixing It
One of the best recommendations is to not wait until your current appliance is broken. It is better to be able to do your shopping leisurely, performing research, looking for the best bargain, and learning what is available on the market and how much items usually cost. Nothing adds madness to mayhem like feeling desperate when making a big purchase.

The Right Day Could Pay Off
The best time of year to find an appliance priced at a bargain is around holidays. Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, and Labor Day are typical holidays when retailers offer appliances on sale. Check newspaper circulars, especially during the days leading up to the holiday. Many stores advertise on the holiday to drive traffic. Sunday circulars are always the best day since newspapers attract the widest audience with their Sunday edition.

Shop Around
Buying from a big box, discount retailer or shopping club guarantees a new appliance covered by a warranty. Prices will almost always be lower at a discount retailer like HHGregg or Costco, rather than at a specialty appliance shop like your local mom and pop shop. The specialty retailers should not be neglected, though. Many mom and pop shops can offer deep discounts on floor models. These are sometimes referred to “Scratch and Dent” models. They usually have some cosmetic defects such as scratches or dings, but they are in perfect working condition. Sometimes, the potential savings outweigh these minor detractors.

Haggle It
Big ticket items like appliances are open to haggling in most cases. If you feel the appliance is overpriced or if your budget is limited, there is never any harm in asking for a discount. If a salesperson is working on commission, he or she may be willing to forego some of that commission to make the sale. This is often an effective tactic at smaller shops. An added haggling technique for the seller is to offer to pay cash rather than finance the purchase. This puts money in their pocket immediately rather than risk stopped payments on your part. Cash versus a credit card also removes a finance charge for the transaction from the seller. Retailers that accept major credit cards are contractually forbidden to offer cash discounts.

Expand Your Horizons
Established retailers are not the only place to find discounted appliance deals. Ebay offers online retailing of new appliances for sellers who choose not to maintain a showroom or sales staff. The classified ads in the newspaper are full of offers for used appliances, as are online sites like craigslist. Wherever people offer goods for sale will be a good place to investigate the opportunities.

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written by: Sally Mellinger

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of BedBathStore.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

The sun is shining, my backyard is blooming – spring is here!

Now just a few springtime spruce-ups, and I’ll be ready to enjoy my backyard. Thankfully, I’ve discovered BedBathStore.com, so I can beautify my porch without breaking the bank.

Here’s my wish list:

1. Outdoor Chair Pads - it’s way past time to replace the ones that my son spilled olive oil on, but I’ll just have to decide between florals, stripes or solids! Just $29.99 for a set of 2!
2. Marquee Berries Indoor Outdoor Curtain Panels – I’ve always visualized curtains blowing in the breeze on my back porch, and thankfully, BedBathStore.com makes them affordable at $19.99 per panel.
3. Party Food & Beverage Machines – Once my backyard is beautiful, I might as well have a party! Wouldn’t a backyard carnival be fun…complete with an old-fashioned red movietime popcorn maker ($39.99) and a retro slushee machine ($89.99)?

 
If you’re ready to spruce up for spring, check out BedBathStore.com – better deals, better decor!

Ever since the invention of co-ops and wholesale purchasing, consumers have been using the power of group buying to get great discounts on products they use everyday. Now that we’ve entered the internet age, finding ways for consumers to group together to create buying power has gotten even easier with sites like Groupon. Groupon is a site that offers daily deals on products and services in your area. If enough people agree to use the discount, everyone gets the deal. Sounds easy, right? Here’s how it works.

1) Sign up
It should come as no surprise that the first thing you need to do is sign up. Subscribe to Groupon’s Daily Deals. You’ll need to provide your location and a few other details, like your email address. Filling out as much of your account as possible will ensure that you are getting deals that are personalized and tailored to your needs.

2) Get Daily Deals
Once you’ve signed up, you’ll start receiving daily emails about businesses in your area who are giving away deals to people who opt-in. These discounts are usually at least 50% off, and can be up to 90% off, the regular price. The catch is that a certain number of people have to opt-in to the deal in order to get the discount. Once the minimum number of people opt-in to the deal, the deal is good for 24 hours or until the item or service is sold out.

3) Get Your Voucher
After you’ve opted in to a deal and the group number has been met, you’ll get an email with instructions on how to redeem your product or service. Usually, it comes in the form of a printable voucher, but it can also be a phone number or other means of contacting the seller.

4) Gifting
One of the great things about Groupon is that you don’t have to buy items for yourself. Groupon has an easy “buy it for a friend” button you can use to buy the item then send the voucher, product, or service to someone else. This can be great for birthdays, Christmas, special occasions, or just for fun, but you have to be on top of the deals in order to take advantage of them.

In this economy, we could all use discounts on great products and services. If you want to get those discounts, sign up for Groupon today and start saving money.

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About the author: Diane Johnson primarily writes about online education, pell grants, and anything else that interests her. She enjoys traveling, reading, sledding, and shopping.