Tip of the Week

This week's money saving tip is to check and double-check your mail-in refunds and rebates BEFORE the deadline!! This can prevent costly errors.

Case in point... the March Walgreens EasySaver catalog. I was expecting to send in for a $44.76 rebate, even had the form filled out and receipts circled and labeled. However, when I double-checked everything two days AFTER the deadline for purchases, I realized I was $2 short for one of the refunds...which cost me $5!

Five dollars certainly doesn't seem like a big deal, unless it is on a Walgreens gift card that can be stretched, and combined with coupons, and used to purchase items for NEXT month's rebates. So, lesson learned :) Triple check the math!!

Restaurant.com

Dining out while on a budget is, at least for our family, almost non-existent. We do budget for occasional take-out from Subway or McDonald's, but a sit-down dinner is a rarity.

While chatting with some online friends yesterday I discovered Restaurant.com. For $10 you can purchase $25 gift certificates to a variety of local restaurants. Restaurant.com helps restaurant owners promote the new and unique aspects of their restaurants while providing diners with great value in a fun, new and cost effective way.

Just visit the Restaurant.com website and plug in your zip code to see the available restaurants. We found one of our favorites in the Kansas City area...Waldo Pizza.

To make the deal even sweeter, if you purchase the gift certificate before March 31 and use the coupon code GENIUS you receive that same $25 gift certificate for only $4!!!!!

Some restrictions do apply so check out the terms for your particular restaurant of choice. Waldo Pizza requires a $40 minimum purchase which is no problem for a family of 5, and it is valid on dine-in service only.

I purchased our gift certificate this morning and the process couldn't have been easier. Just enter your name and address, choose a password, and pay via credit, debit or Paypal. You'll be able to instantly print out your gift certificate which is good for a whole year.

What a fantastically frugal way to "budget" in a little splurge!!

Walgreens 4 Day Sale

Stock up on super cheap batteries, scotch tape and coffee (among other things) at Walgreens, 3/26 through 3/29! Click here for printable store coupons.

Happy Easter!

This year we had a happy and FREE Easter, thanks to Walgreen's Register Rewards and CVS Extra Care Bucks. Smart shopping is so much fun!

Frugal Menus for the Week of 3/23-3/30

In an effort to save money and enjoy fresh produce this summer, I am planning a Square Foot Garden. For the time being any surplus grocery money will help to finance building the garden boxes, special potting soil, seeds and a new garden hose! Total spent on groceries for this week : $79.80 (which included stockpiling $.48 sour cream, $.67 eggs, $.27 frozen veggies, and $.26 evaporated milk).

Breakfasts:
Oatmeal
Frozen Waffles
Pop-Tarts
Eggs with Bacon
Cereal
...plus apples, yogurt, milk, juice

Lunches:
Peanut butter & jelly
Bologna & cheese sandwiches
Tuna fish
Fried rice
Leftovers
...plus carrots, grapes cookies, yogurt, milk, etc.

Dinners:
Monday: Chicken Noodle Soup, Crackers, pineapple parfaits

Tuesday: Leftover roast beef (from Easter), Napa Cabbage Salad, frozen dinner rolls

Wednesday: Spaghetti with meat sauce, green beans, salad

Thursday: Hamburgers with cheese, tomato, lettuce., homemade french fries, dip

Friday: Homemade pizza, salad

Saturday: Chicken patty sandwich with lettuce, tomato, mayo, carrots and dip, fruit

Sunday: Grilled Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, sliced apples

Snacks:
Pretzels
Carrots and dip
Grapes
Homemade yogurt
Popcorn
Peanut butter balls

Not-so-Frugal Easter Menu

We were planning to eat out for Easter and budgeted $100 to do so. We rarely dine out anymore so this is a bit of a splurge.

However, I came across a fantastic recipe by Giada at the Food Network. So now I've decided we'll stay home and feast on homemade gourmet food. Even though we will have a fairly expensisve dinner, we'll still save at least $50... which can go into our "gardening" fund. Oh, and we will get to enjoy leftovers too!

Easter Menu

Stracoto Beef with Porcini Mushrooms

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Asian Sugar Snap Peas

Fresh Blackberry Cobbler with Whipped Cream

Total Cost: $41.03

Freebies

Get a free sample of new Dove Go Fresh Deodorant and hair care samples. Just fill out a quick survey ... http://www.dovegofresh.com/

Love yogurt? Get a coupon for a free package of Yoplait Kids Yogurt. I got mine in the mail yesterday! http://www.yoplait.com/products_yoplaitkids.aspx

Frugal Flops

Despite the best laid plans, carefully-crafted spreadsheets, alphabetized coupons and shopping strategies, sometimes our deals, well, flop.

I had two such experiences this weekend which caused me to reflect on "frugal failures." Neither were earth-shattering failures, but they were disappointments. At one store I paid $2 more than I expected; at a second store I was left with a whopping $11 OOP! Rather than wallow in self-pity, I decided to treat these flops as learning experiences.

If you learn something from every deal then there is no failure. What are some of those lessons?

1. You can't control every outcome. Despite our best efforts we cannot control beeping coupons, items ringing up at the wrong price, surly cashiers or ECB's not spitting out when they're supposed to.
2. Always have a "plan b." I've learned this from playing the CVS game. I can work out a scenario to the penny and then have one or more items be out of stock. The unexpected always throws me in a tizzy! Since I am mathematically challenged I am sure to tuck a calculator and pen in my purse in case I need to do some last-minute calculations on my shopping list. Or, better yet, figure multiple scenarios without even leaving home.
3. Always bring extra coupons for the items you are purchasing...just in case!
4. If you don't carry all your coupons in the store, make sure to bring your coupon box or binder and leave it in the car. I personally am guilty of "forgetting" this one. I can't even count the number of times I've been in Walgreens and found a great clearance deal but couldn't take advantage because my coupons were at home.
5. Treat your frugal shopping be a game, rather than as a chore. It really is OK to skip a deal or even to avoid the stores for a time. As with any game, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. There WILL be times things don't go as planned. Take this into account and "budget" for failures like that higher-than-expected OOP. Then when things go as well (or better) than expected you can celebrate!

Living on a budget necessarily means more time and effort spent in planning and shopping, but it should not become a dreaded chore. And a deal that goes awry or a high out-of-pocket is not cause for beating yourself up. Look at your frugal flops for what they are... learning experiences and not failures. Think of all the times your smart shopping has benefited your family! Remember of all the times your stockpile has allowed you to donate to food pantries or a favorite charity. Be happy each time you pull out a bag of almost-free chocolate to give to a teacher or friend on a whim. Concentrate on the positives.

Viva Viactiv!

No, Viactiv is not a performance enhancement drug, LOL. Viactiv manufacturers vitamins and supplements geared toward women, like delicious chocolate and caramel flavored calcium chews and their "Glides" which are multi-vitamin pills with a berry-flavored coating.

Unfortunately this is not a current deal, but last week Walgreens had the 50-60 count Viactiv Glides on clearance for $3.49. They also had a 7-day ad coupon for $3 off of Viactiv products, AND an Easy Saver coupon for $2 off Viactiv Glides. You can use both coupons at Walgreens.

What this meant was that for each clearance bottle of Viactiv purchased, you received the Viactiv free PLUS $1.51 overage!! I only found the clearance bottles at two Walgreens stores, but as you can see from the photo I didn't hesitate to clear the shelves.

Total "take home" was 34 bottles Viactiv Glides, six boxes of chews -- all free -- plus $51.34 of free merchandise, mainly grocery items and products for the Walgreens rebates. This was my all time favorite deal!

Hummus Recipe

Hummus is a delicious, nutritious snack, but it can be very pricey purchased at the grocery store. Once you have the ingredients on hand, hummus can be very quickly made in the food processor or blender. Serve with pita bread, veggies, crackers, tortilla chips or toast.

Hummus

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained -- save liquid

4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon kosher salt (if using regular salt, reduce to 1/2 teaspoon)

1/4 cup tahini (ground sesame paste)

1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh is best)

6 tablespoons liquid from chickpeas

few dashes hot sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil

Place all ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and process until the hummus is a smooth paste. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Frugal Menus for the Week 3/16-3/22

We're trying to pare down the grocery budget even further, so most of my meals this week will be using items from the pantry and freezer. Affectionately known as "pantry pillage" and "freezer forage"! Total spent on groceries for this week : $58.01 (this included the $.67 Heath bar impulse purchase for the shopper)!

Breakfasts:

Oatmeal
Frozen Waffles
Pop-Tarts
Eggs with Bacon
Cereal
...plus apples, bananas, yogurt, milk, juice


Lunches:
Peanut butter & jelly
Chicken fingers & dip
Macaroni & cheese
...plus carrots, bananas, grapes cookies, yogurt, milk, etc.


Dinners:
Monday: Hamburgers with cheese, tomato, etc., homemade french fries, dip

Tuesday: Chinese Chicken, cabbage salad, sliced apples

Wednesday: Parmesan Tilipia, couscous, frozen veggies

Thursday: Out... Buffalo Wild Wings to celebrate birthdays!


Good Friday: Hot Cross Buns, rice and beans with corn tortillas

Saturday: Chicken patty sandwich with lettuce, tomato, mayo, carrots and dip, fruit


Easter Sunday: Out...restaurant to be determined!


Snacks:
Pretzels
Homemade hummus (see recipe)
Carrots and dip
Grapes
Homemade yogurt

CVS Freebies...Week of 3/16

Don't ya love freebies! CVS has several for the week March 16-22. There are manufacturer's coupons available for a few of the items to turn them into money-makers!

Listerine Smart Rinse For Kids...$2.99 minus this $1 printable coupon for OOP of $1.99. Earn $2.99 ECB's back to make a buck! (There is also a manufacturer's rebate for this item...check stores for the mail-in form.)

Maybelline Superstay Lipcolor or Gloss... Sale price $8.99; earn $8.99 ECB's.

Hershey's Pot of Gold Premium or Nut Assortment 7.7-12oz ... Sale price $4.99; earn $4.99 ECB's. This deal can be done twice.

Confectionary Lane Jelly Beans 9oz ... Sale price $.99; earn $.99 ECB's. This deal can be done twice.

Plastic Eggs Large 12ct or Extra Large 6ct ... Sale price $.99; earn $.99 ECB's. This deal can be done twice.

Oral B Cross Action Pro-Health or Vitalizer Toothbrush ... Sale price $4.99 minus $1 coupon (2/10 Procter & Gamble insert) for OOP of $3.99. Earn $4.99 ECB's to make a buck. This deal can be done twice.

Happy shopping!

Good Deal Alert...BeFine at CVS

One of CVS's March monthly deals from their Extra Value Book is "purchase any BeFine Skin Care Product get $3 Extra Care Bucks (ECB's)." These are skin care products made from fruits and vegetables and have yummy-sounding names like "Exfoliating Cleanserwith Brown Sugar, Sweet Almond & Oats." Most of the full-size products retail for about $15.99.

However, if you purchase the trial size packets at $1.99 you will still receive the $3 ECB's! Some stores even have the trial size packets on clearance and those are reported to be generating the ECB's as well. The limit is five ECB's per card.

Walgreens Haul...Part 1

Walgreens had one of the best RR deal ever the week of March 2. Purchase two packs of Olay soap (at $2 each) and receive $4 in Register Rewards (RR's). Free soap sounds like a good deal, right? But the kicker is that there were $2 Olay soap coupons to make the soap totally free. So you paid nothing and received $4 RR's and two packs of soap... sweet!

I did the deal multiple times and ended up with over $120 in RR's. The only drawback is that the RR's can be spent only one at a time, which means I have been hitting Walgreens multiple times a day to spend my RR's. I've tried to concentrate spending the RR's for staples like milk, butter and eggs, items for Easter, and products that will earn rebates.

An easy (and delicious) way to spend the RR's was to purchase Oscar Mayer Ready-to-Serve Bacon which was on sale 2/$4. I think I ended up with 10 packs and paid only tax for each set of two. Yummy since I enjoy eggs and bacon almost every morning!

Pop-Tart Pyramid

This certainly isn't one of my best deals, but the kids certainly think it is one of the tastiest! Target has a $.50 coupon on Pop-Tarts which I combined with the Kellogg's manufacturer's coupon. Each box ended up costing only $.52 cents.

Total 14 boxes Pop-Tarts..... OOP = $7.28

My First Post

Wow! My teenage son will be so proud that mom has a blog! Not that I expect anyone but family to read this, but I am starting a blog partly to satisfy my need to scrapbook important areas of my life. I've made albums for years but it's been tough to keep up lately. The immediate reward of posting words and a picture or two might be easier to do online rather than in a paper album. We'll see!

I expect that most of my posts will be regarding saving money, coupon deals, cheapo recipes and frugality! Our family has gone through Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and are working toward becoming debt free. Although I have couponed and sent for rebates off and on in the past, I really have become quite obsessed with getting great deals and freebies since July 2007. Every little bit we can chip off the grocery budget allows more money to be paid toward our debt snowball. Hence the title of my blog!

So if anyone other than myself is reading this....welcome!!