The pinnacle of awards season, the 84th Academy Awards, are finally airing this Sunday, February 26. Whether you are an avid moviegoer, a casual viewer or live for the fashion, your day is finally here! Since most of us aren’t invited to attend the actual ceremony, we’re planning on throwing the best Oscar-themed party on a budget. This article from Epicurious inspired us to create party food and drinks based on our favorite Oscar picks.

French Martini, inspired by “Midnight in Paris”

You need just three ingredients – vodka, pineapple juice and Chambord – for the perfect party cocktail.

Southern Pulled Pork, inspired by “The Help”

After a few minutes of prep work, just throw it in the Crock Pot for six hours and you’ll have moist and delicious pulled pork. Don’t forget the sweet tea!

Dragon Roll, inspired by “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Get in touch with your inner dragon, sans tattoo! This spicy roll is the perfect way to celebrate this edgy flick.

New York City Hot Dog Cart, inspired by “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”

Stock this cart with hot dogs, buns and all the condiments and fixings you can think of to commemorate the city that never sleeps. 41% off original price of $689.00. FINAL SALE PRICE: $403.99 at Overstock.com.

Hawaiian Cake, inspired by “The Descendants”

Cap off your evening with a delicious pineapple cake that brings a taste of Hawaii to your home.

We’ve put together some great deals on party items to make your Oscar party a rousing success.

Even though we can’t afford the high-fashion runway trends (well, we would never pay that much for clothing even if we could afford it), we still love fashion!

We pore over magazines like Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar every month to get our dose of fashion inspiration, then we take what we’ve learned and scour the web for cheaper versions! Smart, huh?

Many runway styles only last one season so we don’t want to buy an entirely new wardrobe each season. Adding just a few key pieces to your wardrobe every few months will keep you looking on-trend and keep your bank account healthy!

In the past few weeks, we’ve been reading up on the latest trend reports and wanted to pass along what we learned about what’s hot and fresh for Spring 2012, starting with accessories.

These articles from Vogue magazine and Harper’s Bazaar highlight the top runway trends for Spring 2012. We pulled a few of our favorites below, along with some affordable pieces that will enable you to be fashionable without breaking the bank. (more…)

If you’re anything like us, we tend to hibernate every winter. In addition to watching television, eating carbs and sleeping in, we like to take care of home improvement projects like clearing out our closets, rearranging bedroom furniture and deep cleaning every room.

Do you want to go above and beyond these yearly chores? Then give a room in your home a makeover with some easy redecorating tips from the savings experts at CouponCabin.com.

1. Don’t go overboard. Don’t try to redo your whole house in one season. Pick a room, decide exactly what you want to change and what you want to keep and make a plan. Make a budget for each project and stick to it!

2. Skip the trends. Find your decorating style but aim to stick with classic colors, fabrics and finishes. You don’t want to be sick of your home by the time next winter rolls around!  (more…)

I pack 40 school lunches each and every week. That’s a lot of lunches, I must admit!

With eight kids, the option to buy 40 school lunches weekly at roughly $5 per lunch from the school cafeteria is not at all feasible for us. That would total $200 per week and $800 per month. Oh my goodness, that’s crazy!

I’ve managed to develop a very orderly and organized system to purchase, make and pack school lunches so that it takes me roughly 20 minutes per day to prepare and pack.

First of all, I require a main course which is any of the following: a sandwich, a green salad, chicken salad, egg salad or tuna salad, hummus and pita or chips and guacamole.

I also require a fruit, a vegetable, a “crunchy” (any type of chips or pretzels), a dairy, a dessert and a drink. I also pack a daily bus snack to eat during the 45-minute bus ride to school and a school snack as required for during the school day.

To save money, I purchase only large size bags of crunchies and repackage them into individual sizes in Ziploc bags. (more…)

So you’re in your warm bed, snuggled under your cozy duvet. It’s still dark out but you have the sneaking suspicion that someone is watching you. You cautiously open one eye and you come face to face with the culprit: your sweet dog, needing to be taken outside. Sure, dragging yourself out of bed to let him out is hard but think of all the slobbery kisses, sweet snuggles and unconditional love your pet provides. It’s time to show some love in return!

Your pet might have a furry coat but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get cold when you take him outside! He doesn’t have the luxury of UGG boots or a cozy warm jacket from The North Face. Below we’ve put together a great list of snacks and presents you can give to your pup to make him know how much you appreciate him. Don’t forget to treat your cat, too!

If you’re one of the lucky few who is heading to a warm climate during the cold winter months, first of all, we’re incredibly jealous. Second of all, we want to help you make sure your packing is space-efficient and cost-effective.

Avoid the stress of packing – and those hefty bag check fees – with the easy travel tips from our experts here at CouponCabin.com.

Plan ahead. Figure out what activities you’ll be doing each day and what type of restaurants you’ll be eating your meals. Make a list of specific outfits to suit each occasion and stick to it when you’re packing!

Stick to the basics. You can repurpose the same basic pieces in different outfits each day so your suitcase won’t be as full. Think jeans, solid color tops and tanks. Throw in one pair of dressy shoes and a few pairs of versatile comfortable shoes. (more…)

Whether it’s a hot date, a family outing or a way to spend a rainy Saturday, going to the movies has long been an American tradition. Add salty, buttery popcorn and a giant soda and you’ve got the full moviegoing experience. With the Oscars coming up, we got to wondering – how has the recession changed people’s movie going habits?

According to a recent CouponCabin survey, more than half (55 percent) of moviegoers  report they go out to the movies less now than they did before the recession. Further, six-in-ten rarely or never go out to the movies.

High costs and a tough economy have made affording a night out to the movies challenging for some. According to the National Association of Theater Owners, the average movie ticket price rose to an annual record of $7.93 in 2011, making a night out at the cinema for a family of four nearly $32; and that’s not including tax or snacks. In fact, of moviegoers, households with children (61 percent) were significantly more likely than those without children (52 percent) to report they go to the movies less now than they did before the recession. (more…)

As I sit here drinking my morning coffee, I realize just how much I rely on this morning “jolt.” Some days, coffee – the smell, taste and caffeine boost it provides – is the reason I get out of bed!

No matter what, I always have 8 hungry mouths to feed, but I purposefully get up a bit early so I can brew my first cup or pot of coffee and drink a cup before I have to begin feeding the masses! It makes me a happier morning mommy! Because I drink so much coffee (about 4-5 cups per day minimum) I have to replenish my supply often, even though I am the only coffee drinker in my house, obviously! It is an expensive “hobby”!

I recently tweeted at length about my love of coffee, my broken coffee machine, and Keurig. The company’s wonderful customer service department replaced my machine (and according to your tweets back to me, many of your overused machines)! Regardless, coffee is quite an expense, albeit a necessary one, when you’re a mom. As a mom of 8, I need all the energy my caffienated coffee will dole out to me… and more! (more…)

Whether you’re a new couple, heading out with a group of single friends or have been married for years, it’s always nice to get out and show how you feel on Valentine’s Day. Instead of spending $200 on a stuffy, formal date, the CouponCabin team came up with a few tips to make your Valentine’s Day date fun and affordable.

- Celebrate on another night. You won’t be forced to spend $100 per person on a prix fixe menu and you can skip the heart balloons and pressure to have the perfect date! - Samm M.

- Take turns each year planning a cute date at home. One year it could be board games and beer, the next year it could be movies and mostaccioli, the next it could be cuddling and candy. You get the idea. - Jackie W. (more…)

Ahhh, it’s one of the most exciting times of the year…awards season! Grammys, Golden Globes and Oscars, oh my!

Here at CouponCabin, we love the awards part as much as the next guy but the real excitement is the award show fashion. Celebrities get showered with free designer dresses, incredible shoes and handbags but unfortunately, we aren’t that lucky. And certainly no one has ever offered to lend us millions of dollars of diamonds.

If you’re hitting some parties this awards season and don’t know what to wear, we put together some tips to help you dress like a celebrity without spending like one.

• Step up your makeup game. Need inspiration? Head to YouTube and Pinterest, where you’ll find video tutorials for all kinds of makeup looks and hairstyles. Follow the CouponCabin Hair & Beauty board for tons of tips and tricks. (more…)