Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate or referral links. I may earn a commission or receive products, services, discounts, or other compensation when you purchase or take action through certain links. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

It’s time for the very first Candy Foote 5! 🎉

If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I’m always looking for ways to stretch a dollar, make life a little easier, support good people, and find things that are actually useful.

So at the end of each month, I’m going to share five things worth knowing about—one from each of my favorite categories:

Local Business • Strategic Shopping Idea • Kitchen Find • Free Resource • Way to Give Back

These aren’t necessarily the five biggest things happening on the site. They’re five things I think are worth putting in front of you before we turn the calendar to a new month.

So let’s start with September!

1. Local Business: 5 B’s Photography

I love being able to introduce you to small businesses in our area, and this month I want to introduce you to 5 B’s Photography, owned by Jaimie Besaw.

Jaimie is a Northern New York photographer who works with families, seniors, babies, maternity sessions, engagements, weddings, and more.

There are so many moments in life that we think we’ll remember forever—and then suddenly the kids are grown, the babies aren’t babies anymore, and those everyday moments have become memories.

That’s why I love supporting local photographers and other small businesses that help families hold onto those moments.

If you have a family session, senior pictures, wedding, or another special occasion coming up, take a look at what Jaimie offers.

Read more about 5 B’s Photography →

2. Strategic Shopping Idea: Look for Ways to Get What You Need Without Paying Full Price

One of my favorite parts of strategic shopping is realizing that sometimes the best savings strategy isn’t finding a coupon.

Sometimes it’s finding a completely different way to get the thing you need.

That’s exactly what I talked about this month in How to Earn Free Pampered Chef Products by Hosting a Party.

I love useful kitchen tools, but I don’t love paying full price for everything I want.

Over the years, I’ve learned to look for opportunities to use rewards, promotions, sales, and other programs to stretch our money further.

And yes—sometimes that means earning the product instead of buying the product.

That’s strategic shopping.

Before you pull out your wallet, ask yourself:

“Is there another way I can get this?”

You might be surprised at what you find.

Read the full strategic shopping idea →

3. Kitchen Find: The Salad & Berry Spinner

You know I love a kitchen tool that actually earns its place in my kitchen.

This month, I’m highlighting the Pampered Chef Salad & Berry Spinner.

This isn’t one of those gadgets that sounds great when you see it and then gets shoved into the back of a cabinet.

I use a spinner for things like garden produce, berries, salads, and herbs—and if you’re growing your own food or buying produce in larger quantities, having a good way to wash and dry it can make a big difference.

Pampered Chef brought this one back, and I wrote about it earlier this year because it’s the kind of practical kitchen tool I’m talking about when I say I want things that work for my family.

And that’s really my test for a kitchen find:

Will I actually use it?

If the answer is yes, then I’m interested.

See why I put the Salad & Berry Spinner on my kitchen-find list →

4. Free Resource: My Free Savings Guide

If you haven’t grabbed my Free Savings Guide yet, this is your reminder.

It’s completely free, and I created it to help you start looking at your grocery spending a little differently.

You don’t have to completely overhaul the way you shop.

You don’t have to become an extreme couponer.

And you definitely don’t have to spend hours every week chasing every deal.

Strategic shopping is about learning how to make better decisions with the money you already have.

If you’re trying to make your grocery budget stretch a little farther, start here.

Grab your FREE Savings Guide →

5. Way to Give Back: Help Feed a Neighbor

This one is especially close to my heart.

Right now, I’m working on a bread pantry drive with a goal of helping provide bread to families who could use a little extra help.

The goal is simple:

100 loaves for 100 families.

I love this kind of giving because it isn’t about doing something huge.

It’s about looking around, seeing a need, and asking:

“What can I do to help?”

Maybe you can donate a loaf.

Maybe you can help provide several.

Maybe you know someone who could use the food.

Or maybe you can simply share the word.

Every little bit matters when we’re taking care of our neighbors.

And that’s something I hope we keep doing here at the Candy Foote Club—not just talking about saving money, but finding ways to use what we have to help other people, too.

Want to help with the bread pantry drive? Get in touch with me.

That’s My September Candy Foote 5

Five different things.

Five different ways to shop, save, cook, learn, and give back.

And that’s exactly what I want The Candy Foote 5 to be every month.

Not a list of random things.

Not five things you need to buy.

Just five things I think are worth knowing about.

Because when you’re feeding a family, watching your budget, running a household, and trying to make every dollar count, sometimes one little idea can make a bigger difference than you expect.

I’ll see you back here at the end of October for the next Candy Foote 5! 💚

More in Your Cart. More in Your Wallet. More for Your Family.

Keep Exploring the Candy Foote Club
Find more ways to save money, shop strategically, make the most of what you have, and support the people and businesses around you.

Explore the Candy Foote Club →