Thursday, November 3, 2011
Don't Have the Right Tool???
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Christmas Traditions...What Are Yours??
Good morning and happy November 2nd!! Today happens to be my sister's birthday, so I love this day already...then I woke up here in Phoenix to cold wind and thought....IT'S ABOUT TIME!! However, this lovely influx of cool air, after weeks of 100 degree temps, brings Christmas to the foreground of my mind. I know, I know, I should have already been thinking about this...but when you are still wearing shorts and flip flops and have to have the A/C on, you kind of forget how close it is really getting.
I will certainly start looking for great deals and ways to make this Christmas season special for my kids without spending tons of money, but I am curious, what are some of your Christmas traditions that keep the focus on Christ and family? What are some things you do with your family that don't require money?? This seems to be my challenge every year and I would love to hear what my amazing readers do. I will be posting ideas I find as well as great deals this month and next, but I need your help! Leave a comment and help all of us!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Free Photos November 1, 2011 Only!
Hello everyone! Did you take lots of cute Halloween pictures this weekend? Well get on www.walgreens.com today only, upload 40 of your favorite and have them printed for free. As long as you have 40 uploaded and you choose to pick them up and pay in store, you can use the coupon code, DRUGSTORE40 and get them for free! What a great deal!! I just picked mine up and they are perfect!
Monday, October 10, 2011
Fun This Weekend!
My three kids are very excited for this Friday...If you have kids at home, you know Phineas and Ferb! Everyone’s favorite thrill seeking, adventure chasing stepbrothers are coming to Phoenix, live in an all new stage production, Disney Live!: Phineas and Ferb On Tour! The show is coming to Phoenix this weekend and my kids and I were given the opportunity go attend the show. I was also sent this great discount information for the show on Friday, October 14th to share with all of you! US Airways Center
October 14-15, 2011
Get 4 tickets for only $44! Use code MOM at ticketmaster.com, by calling 1-800-745-3000, or redeem this flyer at the US Airways Center Box Office.
Discount offer good only for the Friday, October 14th 4pm show. Valid only on the $20 price level. A minimum of 4 tickets is required. Additional tickets can be purchased at $11 each. No double discounts. Service charges, handling and facility fees may apply. www.phineasandferblive.com
I am a Feld Family Ambassador, and in exchange for my time and efforts in attending shows and reporting my opinion within this blog, as well as keeping you advised of the latest discount offers, Feld Entertainment has provided with complimentary tickets to Feld shows and opportunities to attend private Feld pre-Show events.
Even though I receive these benefits, I always give an opinion that is 100% mine.
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Saving Dimes With Dish Soap
As you know, I am always looking for little ways to save money. I firmly believe that finding all the little ways we can save are what really make a difference. I have said it before, we know money leaks out of our budget on little things, so the concept must work in reverse. A foaming dish soap pump, will do just that...put a little bit of money back in your wallet.
I bought mine on a really great sale (with coupons of course) about two years ago. I bought the Dawn Direct Foam pump and I just keep refilling it. It does not matter which dish soap I use in it, I fill the bottle with 1/3 dish soap and the rest with warm water. I usually only need to refill it once every two weeks and the big bottle of dish soap under my sink lasts a few months. I find that it works great and I never feel like I need more soap. The only thing I use the regular bottle on is when I am filling up the sink to wash dishes by hand.
With the cost of dish soap at around $3 a bottle and average usage is one bottle per month, I figure I am saving $2 a month. Well, I usually get my dish soap for $1 for the big bottle or free per small bottle using coupons and watching sales. So that means I am only paying $.33 or $0 a month for dish soap...I love saving money on necessities! So, all in all, I could be saving $2-$3 per month on dish soap...that could be $36 per year! Not bad for something as small as dish soap!
I bought mine on a really great sale (with coupons of course) about two years ago. I bought the Dawn Direct Foam pump and I just keep refilling it. It does not matter which dish soap I use in it, I fill the bottle with 1/3 dish soap and the rest with warm water. I usually only need to refill it once every two weeks and the big bottle of dish soap under my sink lasts a few months. I find that it works great and I never feel like I need more soap. The only thing I use the regular bottle on is when I am filling up the sink to wash dishes by hand.
With the cost of dish soap at around $3 a bottle and average usage is one bottle per month, I figure I am saving $2 a month. Well, I usually get my dish soap for $1 for the big bottle or free per small bottle using coupons and watching sales. So that means I am only paying $.33 or $0 a month for dish soap...I love saving money on necessities! So, all in all, I could be saving $2-$3 per month on dish soap...that could be $36 per year! Not bad for something as small as dish soap!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Surviving No More!
Wow, I have certainly been a horrible blogger as of lately! I apologize and hope you will all continue to join me as I promise to be better. I have to share with you what a crazy couple of months I have had and all that has been happening in my heart. I guess I will start with August, three things were set in motion that have, once again, changed the entire direction of my life. Or, now that I think about it, things that put me in the right direction.
In the month of August, I really started thinking about homeschooling our three kids...yes, I know, sounds a bit crazy. However, I could not shake the thoughts and I began talking to Mike about them and praying and trying to figure out how I was going to teach a gifted 5th grader, an antsy first grader and two preschoolers (I babysit my cousin's son). After about three weeks of talking and praying, Mike and I decided homeschooling was the right choice for us at this time, life change #1. Within a week, we found out that my amazing brother received a great job offer and he and his family would be moving out of state for a little while. My brother offered to let us rent his house (which we had rented a few years ago). This was a hard decision, we would be adding about $250 a month in expenses but the house was twice the size. So, we decided to go for it, marking life change number 2!
Lastly, in August, I began reading "Thinking For a Change" by John Maxwell. It is crazy to me that you can read hundreds of pages of a book and one little passage was really all you needed. The book is great. It is all about how we need to do intentional thinking of all different sorts. Sounds silly, but it was very insightful and I learned a great deal. However, one statement John Maxwell said jumped off the page to me...hello life change #3. Mr. Maxwell said, "Unsuccessful people think about survival, average people think about maintenance, successful people think about progress." OH MY HEAVENS!! In one instance, I realized I had spent the two years since Mike was laid off focused on survival! Aaaaahhh.....I even named my blog...SURVIVING This Arizona Economy. It was like being hit with a 2x4. I could see every decision we made over the last two years and how if we had been thinking about progress, things would have been different. It was horrible and wonderful all at once.
To be honest, I have had a bit of a mental block about writing on this blog...I know, silly, but I felt like writing here was conceding towards survival instead of working on progress. So, I am back to say, life is moving again. Things seem to be turning around...maybe it is just our attitudes, but either way, thinking about progress is working. We have posted John Maxwell's quote around the house and are asking each other if we are thinking about survival, maintenance or progress as we are making decisions and it is working.
We know without a doubt, that God has taken care of us throughout all our financial troubles. Bills have been paid, we have had all we need at all times and even when I can not see how things will work out, God has come through. We have not had any raises, but we are in a bigger house, we have everything we need and are finding extra as we go. So I say, thank you Lord for John Maxwell's wisdom and Your sovereign provision! I am now considering a name change for the blog...stay tuned!
In the month of August, I really started thinking about homeschooling our three kids...yes, I know, sounds a bit crazy. However, I could not shake the thoughts and I began talking to Mike about them and praying and trying to figure out how I was going to teach a gifted 5th grader, an antsy first grader and two preschoolers (I babysit my cousin's son). After about three weeks of talking and praying, Mike and I decided homeschooling was the right choice for us at this time, life change #1. Within a week, we found out that my amazing brother received a great job offer and he and his family would be moving out of state for a little while. My brother offered to let us rent his house (which we had rented a few years ago). This was a hard decision, we would be adding about $250 a month in expenses but the house was twice the size. So, we decided to go for it, marking life change number 2!
Lastly, in August, I began reading "Thinking For a Change" by John Maxwell. It is crazy to me that you can read hundreds of pages of a book and one little passage was really all you needed. The book is great. It is all about how we need to do intentional thinking of all different sorts. Sounds silly, but it was very insightful and I learned a great deal. However, one statement John Maxwell said jumped off the page to me...hello life change #3. Mr. Maxwell said, "Unsuccessful people think about survival, average people think about maintenance, successful people think about progress." OH MY HEAVENS!! In one instance, I realized I had spent the two years since Mike was laid off focused on survival! Aaaaahhh.....I even named my blog...SURVIVING This Arizona Economy. It was like being hit with a 2x4. I could see every decision we made over the last two years and how if we had been thinking about progress, things would have been different. It was horrible and wonderful all at once.
To be honest, I have had a bit of a mental block about writing on this blog...I know, silly, but I felt like writing here was conceding towards survival instead of working on progress. So, I am back to say, life is moving again. Things seem to be turning around...maybe it is just our attitudes, but either way, thinking about progress is working. We have posted John Maxwell's quote around the house and are asking each other if we are thinking about survival, maintenance or progress as we are making decisions and it is working.
We know without a doubt, that God has taken care of us throughout all our financial troubles. Bills have been paid, we have had all we need at all times and even when I can not see how things will work out, God has come through. We have not had any raises, but we are in a bigger house, we have everything we need and are finding extra as we go. So I say, thank you Lord for John Maxwell's wisdom and Your sovereign provision! I am now considering a name change for the blog...stay tuned!
Monday, September 5, 2011
Get Started Couponing
Wowie, it has been a long time since I posted anything! What a terrible blogger I have been. A lot has gone on since the last time I posted and I will bring you up to speed this week, but today I want to put a great offer out there!
Many of you still have not started the coupon game, but would really like to. I have told you that I love the site called Coupon$ense. It saves me tons of money and time! Well, from now until September 15th, you can get your first month free! If you go to www.couponsense.com and click "Sign Up" and use the promo code SURVIVE, you will get your trial month free. You can cancel at any time with no hassle if you are not satisfied.
Many of you still have not started the coupon game, but would really like to. I have told you that I love the site called Coupon$ense. It saves me tons of money and time! Well, from now until September 15th, you can get your first month free! If you go to www.couponsense.com and click "Sign Up" and use the promo code SURVIVE, you will get your trial month free. You can cancel at any time with no hassle if you are not satisfied.
You can read my review of Coupon$ense and how it helps me save time and money here: Coupon Sense
Don't wait! Coupons save me thousands on toiletries and household products alone!
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Goodbye Cable TV
Did we really say goodbye to cable tv for good??? I think so. The one thing I have worked hard at not getting rid of throughout all this job loss, was cable tv. There were times throughout the last two years when we had to give the lovely HD, DVR box back, but a good portion of the time, I found ways to cut in other areas so I could keep my DVR. With three young children at home, the only time I could really enjoy any television was at night after they were in bed. With DVR, I could watch anytime and I LOVED IT!
About a year ago, I read an article somewhere about young couples giving up cable tv and watching the shows they love online. Mike and I had often hooked our laptop up to our tv when we forgot to record something on the DVR and it worked fine for the most part. So I started bringing the idea up to Mike, we talked for about six months about the tv shows we watched, looked all over the internet to see what we could find and the results were pretty impressive. There are only two shows we watch regularly that are not available online. American Idol being the biggest of the two, but heck, was I really willing to pay $100 a month to watch American Idol???
Well, just about a month ago, we finally decided to make the big decision. We had found many options for television enjoyment that was much cheaper than cable tv. First, we subscribed to Streaming Netflix for $8 a month. The number of television shows you can watch on Netflix is crazy. There are shows I was never able to watch and all the seasons are there at the touch of a button. We also hooked an old laptop up to the television so we could watch shows online at the network sites or on Hulu. We also decided to try Hulu Plus for $8 per month as well. There was a special offer for college students to get the first month free. We were able to watch Netflix and Hulu Plus through Mike's Sony Playstation (an XBOX will work as well), so for $16 a month, we have an unlimited selection of television shows and movies at all times.
Two weeks ago, I was talking to my brother about our decision and he introduced us to a magical little box called a Roku. It is a nifty little box that will stream Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Pandora, MLB, games such as Angry Birds and Connect 4, and a variety of other "channels" with shows to watch. When you receive the box, you go online and register it and then begin selecting the channels you want to watch. Then, there are tons of codes on the internet where very computer minded people (or "geeks around the world" as my brother calls them) are streaming other shows of their choice. It really is amazing all the channels there are to watch.
Honestly, I do not totally understand all of it, but I know that our house is full of entertainment options and we spent $100 on the Roku (there are less expensive models) and $8 on a connecting cable for the old laptop and will pay $16 per month for Netflix and Hulu Plus (we are not sure we are going to keep Hulu Plus, we have not found much we want to watch there). The $192 per year is a huge difference from the $1200 per year we were spending on our Cable subscription! Goodness, that is a Disneyland trip! Check out the Roku today and start saving some money! Send me an email to erathier@yahoo.com f you have any questions on what we have done!
About a year ago, I read an article somewhere about young couples giving up cable tv and watching the shows they love online. Mike and I had often hooked our laptop up to our tv when we forgot to record something on the DVR and it worked fine for the most part. So I started bringing the idea up to Mike, we talked for about six months about the tv shows we watched, looked all over the internet to see what we could find and the results were pretty impressive. There are only two shows we watch regularly that are not available online. American Idol being the biggest of the two, but heck, was I really willing to pay $100 a month to watch American Idol???
Well, just about a month ago, we finally decided to make the big decision. We had found many options for television enjoyment that was much cheaper than cable tv. First, we subscribed to Streaming Netflix for $8 a month. The number of television shows you can watch on Netflix is crazy. There are shows I was never able to watch and all the seasons are there at the touch of a button. We also hooked an old laptop up to the television so we could watch shows online at the network sites or on Hulu. We also decided to try Hulu Plus for $8 per month as well. There was a special offer for college students to get the first month free. We were able to watch Netflix and Hulu Plus through Mike's Sony Playstation (an XBOX will work as well), so for $16 a month, we have an unlimited selection of television shows and movies at all times.
Two weeks ago, I was talking to my brother about our decision and he introduced us to a magical little box called a Roku. It is a nifty little box that will stream Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, Pandora, MLB, games such as Angry Birds and Connect 4, and a variety of other "channels" with shows to watch. When you receive the box, you go online and register it and then begin selecting the channels you want to watch. Then, there are tons of codes on the internet where very computer minded people (or "geeks around the world" as my brother calls them) are streaming other shows of their choice. It really is amazing all the channels there are to watch.
Honestly, I do not totally understand all of it, but I know that our house is full of entertainment options and we spent $100 on the Roku (there are less expensive models) and $8 on a connecting cable for the old laptop and will pay $16 per month for Netflix and Hulu Plus (we are not sure we are going to keep Hulu Plus, we have not found much we want to watch there). The $192 per year is a huge difference from the $1200 per year we were spending on our Cable subscription! Goodness, that is a Disneyland trip! Check out the Roku today and start saving some money! Send me an email to erathier@yahoo.com f you have any questions on what we have done!
Friday, July 29, 2011
New Page
Hey everyone, don't miss the newest page on my blog, Printable Grocery Coupons. Anytime you enter my blog, you can search for and print some great grocery coupons! Check it out today!
Save On College Textbooks
Along with July ending, it is time to gear up for college classes again! One of the most irritating expenses of college are those textbooks. I hated College Algebra and it there was nothing worse than paying $135 for the lovely little book that gave me all that homework. Luckily, college students today have some options. My new favorite option was introduced to me by my sister, E, a few semesters ago.
There is a company called CHEGG that rents textbooks for one third of the cost. Mike has been in school the last couple of years and we have been pleased to find most of his books for between $20 and $40 per book. We just go online, look up his books, make the payment and they mail us the books. They come in a nice, little, bright, orange box with a return mailing label. We keep the books until the end of the semester and then send them back. No more waiting in line to sell them back and getting mad because they are giving us $.10 for the book they are going to sell for $80. If you are in school or have a child in college, check out Chegg today! Just one more way to Survive This Economy!
There is a company called CHEGG that rents textbooks for one third of the cost. Mike has been in school the last couple of years and we have been pleased to find most of his books for between $20 and $40 per book. We just go online, look up his books, make the payment and they mail us the books. They come in a nice, little, bright, orange box with a return mailing label. We keep the books until the end of the semester and then send them back. No more waiting in line to sell them back and getting mad because they are giving us $.10 for the book they are going to sell for $80. If you are in school or have a child in college, check out Chegg today! Just one more way to Survive This Economy!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Saveology!
Hello, hello! Just yesterday, my dear friend introduced me to another money saving website! Saveology is pretty similar to deal offering website we have talked about. They offer a deal each day using the power of group purchasing. My friend was able to buy AMC Movie Tickets for $2 each, unfortunately, I was too late! I signed up right away so I would not miss another great deal, you should too!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Breyer's Coupon
There is a great Breyer's Coupon on coupons.com. If you stack this with the frozen novelites coupon in the Safeway ad this week, for $2.49, you will get Breyer's Ice Cream for $1.49! That is a great deal. You can even take both coupons to Fry's and get the same deal, because they are still taking competitor coupons!
I have three kids birthdays coming up in the next three months, I think I will stock up for their parties!
I have three kids birthdays coming up in the next three months, I think I will stock up for their parties!
Kids Eat Free At Chili's Today - July 18th
Chili’s has released a FREE Kids Meal Coupon for today. It is good for 2 FREE kids meals per adult entree purchased. Go here to print your coupon.
Plus don’t forget to sign up for the Chili’s eClub to get FREE Chips and Queso!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
3rd Place Neighborhood Grill
Have you been to a restaurant with a 3 year old and 5 year old lately? It is pretty much torture! Every once in awhile, Mike and I get the crazy idea to go to a "real" restaurant for lunch or dinner. The kids get excited, we all get ready to go, we sit in some lobby for about 30 minutes, finally get to a table and then have a miserable time trying to order, wait for food and eat a delicious dinner with our two youngest children. They get up and down, crawl under the table, whine and complain, we are constantly telling them to "sit down, be quiet". It does not matter what we bring for them to do, books, crayons, small toys, it is always the same. Then we get the bill and I am sick. I always look at Mike and say, "We just spent $50 for an hour of misery. Why don't we learn?"
Well, I saw something on a news clip that is going to revolutionize my dining experiences. There is a new restaurant called 3rd Place Grill on 83rd and Bell that offers free childcare! Wait...what?! Yes, I said it, free childcare while I eat my dinner!!! Wowie! I cannot tell you how many times a waiter or waitress has come to my table after we have our food and asks, "Can I get you anything else?" And I honestly say, "a babysitter." I have told Mike a number of times how I wish there was a "real" restaurant with a playground or playplace, like McDonald's. Low and behold, someone finally thought of it and I am soooo happy!
3rd Place Grill offers two rooms for childcare, one for 0-5 year olds and one for elementary age kids. You sign your kids in and they get to go in and play with all sorts of toys and games, while you enjoy a great menu. The coolest thing about the Kids Place is that from your table, you can order your kids' meals and they are delivered to your kids and the workers in the Kids Place will help them eat if needed. I know my 5 year old boy, J, would much rather play video games with other kids than sit at a table with us. On our income, we certainly do not get to eat at restaurants very often, usually just once a month, but you can bet this month, we will be at 3rd Place Grill. We will actually enjoy our dinner and will not have to pay for a babysitter! Money saver for sure!
Check out this video to see how it all works!
Well, I saw something on a news clip that is going to revolutionize my dining experiences. There is a new restaurant called 3rd Place Grill on 83rd and Bell that offers free childcare! Wait...what?! Yes, I said it, free childcare while I eat my dinner!!! Wowie! I cannot tell you how many times a waiter or waitress has come to my table after we have our food and asks, "Can I get you anything else?" And I honestly say, "a babysitter." I have told Mike a number of times how I wish there was a "real" restaurant with a playground or playplace, like McDonald's. Low and behold, someone finally thought of it and I am soooo happy!
3rd Place Grill offers two rooms for childcare, one for 0-5 year olds and one for elementary age kids. You sign your kids in and they get to go in and play with all sorts of toys and games, while you enjoy a great menu. The coolest thing about the Kids Place is that from your table, you can order your kids' meals and they are delivered to your kids and the workers in the Kids Place will help them eat if needed. I know my 5 year old boy, J, would much rather play video games with other kids than sit at a table with us. On our income, we certainly do not get to eat at restaurants very often, usually just once a month, but you can bet this month, we will be at 3rd Place Grill. We will actually enjoy our dinner and will not have to pay for a babysitter! Money saver for sure!
Check out this video to see how it all works!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Coupon Chief
Good morning! I thought this morning we would explore another piece of the couponing puzzle before my last post on clearance. I rarely shop for anything, anywhere, without a coupon. I buy our clothes, household goods, etc with coupons. Just yesterday we were at a store and my five year old wanted something and said in a irritated tone, "Oh, I know, we don't have a coupon." He rolled his eyes as well and cracked me up! He is right however, before we leave to go shopping, I always get online and look for coupons, either for items or stores.
This is also true for online shopping. Starting now, I begin watching online deals for Christmas and the crazy amount of birthdays we have coming up, but I certainly will not settle just for a sale, I search exhaustively for coupon codes to be used on those online purchases as well. Recently, I was introduced to a new site that makes that searching much easier. The site is www.couponchief.com. Coupon Chief is a great, FREE site that lists over 50 thousand coupons for over 1500 stores! Anytime I find something online or in my email that I may want to purchase online, instead of going to Google and searching for coupon codes, I can now go to Coupon Chief and do a quick search of the store. I really love this site because it is incredibly user friendly. I am able to use the database to search for an item, such as "shoes" and see all the coupon codes available, or I can search for a store, such as "Amazon".
After I enter my search item, I am shown a whole list of coupon codes I can use for my shopping adventure! Anything from dollars off to free shipping...at anywhere from Old Navy to Auto Parts Warehouse.
This is also true for online shopping. Starting now, I begin watching online deals for Christmas and the crazy amount of birthdays we have coming up, but I certainly will not settle just for a sale, I search exhaustively for coupon codes to be used on those online purchases as well. Recently, I was introduced to a new site that makes that searching much easier. The site is www.couponchief.com. Coupon Chief is a great, FREE site that lists over 50 thousand coupons for over 1500 stores! Anytime I find something online or in my email that I may want to purchase online, instead of going to Google and searching for coupon codes, I can now go to Coupon Chief and do a quick search of the store. I really love this site because it is incredibly user friendly. I am able to use the database to search for an item, such as "shoes" and see all the coupon codes available, or I can search for a store, such as "Amazon".
One great feature of Coupon Chief is the Pays-2-Share feature. All members can enter coupon codes they have found and when people use those codes to make purchases, the members will earn 2% of the sales up to $25 per month, per participating store. Another cool feature is when you sign up (which is free), you can set up a profile with your favorite stores and Coupon Chief will send you an email when your stores have new coupon codes listed. That is incredible, I will not miss one more coupon for Old Navy!
The last thing I think is really impressive, is the Coupons-4-Causes aspect of Coupon Chief. Just use of Coupon Chief's coupons for your online purchases, and they will donate up to20% of the purchase to your favorite charity. You can search for charities by name or location. The only thing I wish Coupon Chief had is links to printable store coupons. I tend to do more shopping in person than online, but I will definitely be using Coupon Chief on a regular basis. Click one of my links and check it out! It sure makes online coupon finding much, much easier...and time saved always equals money saved!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Clothing the Kids on a Budget - Making the Most of Clearance Series Part Two
I really think clearance is probably my favorite word. I know that is sad, but honestly, one of the only ways (besides their Mimi and Aunt Emily) my kids have stayed clothed over the last two years is clearance. Since our financial situation drastically changed 2 1/2 years ago, keeping my three kids clothed and in shoes has been a challenge. One thing I have gotten really serious about is getting clothes and shoes during end of season sales. Every store I am in, I am looking for smashing clearance deals, especially clothes and shoes for kids.
So far this year, I have purchased four pair of jeans for my three year old, E, for $2.50 each at Target and tennis shoes for $5. For my 5 year old son, J, three pair of jeans for $3, $6, $6, three long sleeved shirts for $1 each and a fleece ASU jackets for $3, as well as, three pair of flats for my 9 year old M for $4.75 each. Last January, I bought sandals and flip flops for all the kids for $2-$4 each and put them up in the closet to wait for summer.
I can not even tell you how nice it is to just go in the closet and get down a pair of shoes when one of the kids outgrows their current ones, and not have to rush out and spend $30 I do not have. I am not picky about season, I just pick things up in the size I believe they will be wearing when the time comes. I try to pick up things that are not too trendy or stylized because I never know what will be popular next year and so far this has worked out great! I spend very little money on clothes, but everyone continues to look well dressed! Today, the challenge is to write down everyone's sizes (clothes and shoes) for winter and next summer, even the adults...you need a list when you start noticing those big clearance racks in the coming weeks.
So far this year, I have purchased four pair of jeans for my three year old, E, for $2.50 each at Target and tennis shoes for $5. For my 5 year old son, J, three pair of jeans for $3, $6, $6, three long sleeved shirts for $1 each and a fleece ASU jackets for $3, as well as, three pair of flats for my 9 year old M for $4.75 each. Last January, I bought sandals and flip flops for all the kids for $2-$4 each and put them up in the closet to wait for summer. I can not even tell you how nice it is to just go in the closet and get down a pair of shoes when one of the kids outgrows their current ones, and not have to rush out and spend $30 I do not have. I am not picky about season, I just pick things up in the size I believe they will be wearing when the time comes. I try to pick up things that are not too trendy or stylized because I never know what will be popular next year and so far this has worked out great! I spend very little money on clothes, but everyone continues to look well dressed! Today, the challenge is to write down everyone's sizes (clothes and shoes) for winter and next summer, even the adults...you need a list when you start noticing those big clearance racks in the coming weeks.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Free Sea World for Members of the Military!
Wow, I just found this incredible deal! For all my military friends and my friends who have military friends, let's spread the word!
FREE Tickets for Military
Through 12/31/11, members of the military (active duty military, active reservists, National Guard, Coast Guard) and as many as three direct dependents may enter Anheuser-Busch's SeaWorld, Busch Gardens or Sesame Place parks with complimentary admission. You must register in advance at www.herosalute.com and complete a form, which you take with you to the theme park along with valid ID.
Christmas Is Coming - Making the Most of Clearance Series Part One
Last year, I bought all the Christmas presents and 4 birthday presents for the 4 children in my life for about $140 and no, they did not each get a lollipop! They received toys and clothes and fun stuff! These end of season clearance sales make this season of gift giving in my life a whole lot less stressful! Now listen, I do not pick up junky, little meaningless things, I try to look for things I know each of my family members will like, or things that make me think of them. Gift giving on a budget should still be thoughtful and loving, but can be done on a budget any size! I truly dislike presents that are not thought about, I feel like when you give someone a present it is a way to honor them and if you do not think about them and what they like or need, why bother! So take a minute today and make your list, won't it feel good to get some of those presents out of the way...and with big savings?!
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Another Level of Couponing
Happy Sunday! I hope you are all doing well and saving money, I sure am! This week, I decided to add another piece to this marvelous game called Couponing. One of my Coupon Sense members recently posted on her Facebook page about a shopping trip to Target and all the savings she was getting there. I was quite envious. I had some time this week and got online to explore my coupon options at Target.
The wonderful thing about coupon shopping at Target is coupon stacking. What this means is, Target will take one of their own coupons (off their website or one of their mailers) and a manufacturer's coupon (out of the paper or coupon websites), off ONE item. Also, Target posts many coupons for non Grocery items and those are good on Clearance items. For example, my Coupon Sense member found a coupon on the Target website for $10 off bedding, she then found a sheet set on clearance for $13.48, therefore, got an entire sheet set for $348. Now I call that a good savings!
This week, I got on the website and printed any coupons I thought I might use. Now, I do not usually print many coupons because of the cost of ink, but this week that I wanted to see how this could work. So, I printed alot! I then sat with my awesome website, Coupon Sense and looked up each coupon to see if there was a manufacturer coupon to match it and found there were manufacturer coupons for over half of them. I also checked Coupon Sense for any sales that were advertised and I pulled all the coupons, matched them up and put them in various envelopes and headed for Target. I walked around the store and began putting items in my basket when I found a good deal. I was a little nervous about it because I forgot my notebook and was not keeping track of my spending...and that is not something I usually do on our budget.
I finally found all the deals I thought were good and here is the result:
The wonderful thing about coupon shopping at Target is coupon stacking. What this means is, Target will take one of their own coupons (off their website or one of their mailers) and a manufacturer's coupon (out of the paper or coupon websites), off ONE item. Also, Target posts many coupons for non Grocery items and those are good on Clearance items. For example, my Coupon Sense member found a coupon on the Target website for $10 off bedding, she then found a sheet set on clearance for $13.48, therefore, got an entire sheet set for $348. Now I call that a good savings!
This week, I got on the website and printed any coupons I thought I might use. Now, I do not usually print many coupons because of the cost of ink, but this week that I wanted to see how this could work. So, I printed alot! I then sat with my awesome website, Coupon Sense and looked up each coupon to see if there was a manufacturer coupon to match it and found there were manufacturer coupons for over half of them. I also checked Coupon Sense for any sales that were advertised and I pulled all the coupons, matched them up and put them in various envelopes and headed for Target. I walked around the store and began putting items in my basket when I found a good deal. I was a little nervous about it because I forgot my notebook and was not keeping track of my spending...and that is not something I usually do on our budget.
I finally found all the deals I thought were good and here is the result:
- 1 KC Masterpiece BBQ sauce - Free
- Nivea Body Lotion - $1.00
- 1 Colgate toothpaste and toothbrush - $.69
- 1 Tresseme Shampoo - $.59
- 2 small dog food - free
- 3 Benedryl Itch Stick - $.29 each
- 2 Nexcare Bandaids - $.37 each
- 1 lb Beef Stew Meat - $2.18
- 2 Quaker Chewey Granola Bars - $1.28 each
- 2 Kraft Deli Cheese - $1.74 each
- 2 Boxes of Lipton Iced Tea Family Bags - $1.23 each
- 3 Kraft Salad Dressing - $1.06 each
- 3 Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh Lunch Meat - $1.33 each
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Free Bowling!!
What are you doing this weekend?? It is going to be a hot 4th of July! Lucky for us, brunswick is offering a free game of bowling to every American to celebrate Independence Day! Here in Phoenix, that sounds like a great activity for July 4th weekend, but you can get this great offer anywhere in the US.
For more information, check out the website at: http://coupons.bowlbrunswick.com/usa/.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Saving Money on Gas
Hello friends!! I have not been in the mood to save money the last couple of weeks...I know, sounds crazy. But, it is true and it is hard to write blog about saving money when you do not want to save. This morning, however, I woke up ready to get back to work for my family and you. First thing I want to tell you about this week is for all my Arizona readers.
Have you gotten as excited as me driving down the road and seeing those signs at the gas stations with lower numbers?? It is such an amazing thing to know that my $35 a week will now get me a little over 10 gallons of gas for the week instead of a little under! I read something great by a woman who posted on the Coupon Sense message boards. There was a discussion about the discount Fry's is offering right now, where you can use your fuel points to get up to $1.00 off per gallon at Fry's and Circle K gas stations. This woman said that her and her husband drive to the gas station together, start their gas, fill up one car using the Fry's discount. When that car is full, they do not hang the handle up, they move the first car and pull up the second car and continue the transaction by filling the second car up as well. After both cars are full, they hang up the handle and finish the transaction. Brilliant!! Why couldn't I think of that?!
For those of you who did not follow all of that, let me break it down. You can only use your fuel points on one transaction, so if you hang the handle up and finish the transaction after just the first car, you only get the discount on that gas. So let's say you have a $.50 discount per gallon and your car takes 20 gallons, you save $10. However, if you fill up two cars in one transaction and they both take 20 gallons, you have just saved $20! Woo Hoo! Mike and I did this very thing this weekend. Our savings were not so impressive, we just had a $.10 discount and only purchased 10 gallons each, but hey...that is still $2 savings. I firmly believe surviving this economy is all about the little things and have have you seen what I can do at the grocery store with $2?
If some of you have no idea what I am talking about in regards to the Fry's fuel discount, go to http://www.frysfood.com/in_store/fuel/Pages/default.aspx to read all about the fuel discount! Happy Saving!!
Have you gotten as excited as me driving down the road and seeing those signs at the gas stations with lower numbers?? It is such an amazing thing to know that my $35 a week will now get me a little over 10 gallons of gas for the week instead of a little under! I read something great by a woman who posted on the Coupon Sense message boards. There was a discussion about the discount Fry's is offering right now, where you can use your fuel points to get up to $1.00 off per gallon at Fry's and Circle K gas stations. This woman said that her and her husband drive to the gas station together, start their gas, fill up one car using the Fry's discount. When that car is full, they do not hang the handle up, they move the first car and pull up the second car and continue the transaction by filling the second car up as well. After both cars are full, they hang up the handle and finish the transaction. Brilliant!! Why couldn't I think of that?!For those of you who did not follow all of that, let me break it down. You can only use your fuel points on one transaction, so if you hang the handle up and finish the transaction after just the first car, you only get the discount on that gas. So let's say you have a $.50 discount per gallon and your car takes 20 gallons, you save $10. However, if you fill up two cars in one transaction and they both take 20 gallons, you have just saved $20! Woo Hoo! Mike and I did this very thing this weekend. Our savings were not so impressive, we just had a $.10 discount and only purchased 10 gallons each, but hey...that is still $2 savings. I firmly believe surviving this economy is all about the little things and have have you seen what I can do at the grocery store with $2?
If some of you have no idea what I am talking about in regards to the Fry's fuel discount, go to http://www.frysfood.com/in_store/fuel/Pages/default.aspx to read all about the fuel discount! Happy Saving!!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Defiants Giveaway!
Well, I had four entries for my Defiants giveaway, two on my blog and two on Facebook who had trouble commenting on my blog...not sure why, but working on it! Anyway, I am happy to announce that Cheryl B. won the drawing! Congratulations Cheryl, you will receive a Flex Terrain Track and Trucks! Thank you to all of you for following my blog!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Keeping My Color Beautiful
One of the things I do to save money is color my own hair. I know many of you will think this is crazy, but I have had a patch of grey hair right behind my bangs since I was 16. Every year, there are more and more grey hairs and with my dark hair, they are not easily hidden. I have gone to the salon and had my hair colored, but with job loss and all that goes with it, I had to quit doing that...unfortunately, the grey hair did not get the financial memo and keeps popping up, just about every four weeks. Every month I go to Sally's Beauty Supply and pick up my bottle of Wella in Dark Golden Brown. Luckily, I do like my hair one color, no highlights, so that makes this sacrifice a bit easier. However, coloring my own hair only costs about $8.00 each time...that is a great deal cheaper than the salon.
When I can afford it, I use an expensive color care shampoo from the Salon. This usually costs about $13 per small bottle. Recently, I was sent Tresemme Color Revitalize Shampoo and Conditioner to try and have been extremely pleased and quite surprised. As a Bzz Agent, I received this great product as part of a Bzz Campaign to share my thoughts and coupons with you!
It has been almost five weeks since I colored my hair and I can honestly say this is the first time I have not had any fading. I only realized this because I have started to see a little grey at my roots where my regrowth is coming up, but the rest of my head still has a rich, full color. Normally at this time, I am seeing roots and the rest of my head is fading drastically. I can only credit the difference with Tresemme Color Revitalize. I found the large bottles of this shampoo for $3.33 at Fry's and I had $1 off coupons, making each bottle $2.33. Compare this with $20 for a big bottle of my salon shampoo and I would say that makes a great savings! Tresemme Color Revitalize will now become a staple in my shower!! If you would like to try it, I would be happy to send you a couple of coupons! I highly recommend it to maintain your color.
When I can afford it, I use an expensive color care shampoo from the Salon. This usually costs about $13 per small bottle. Recently, I was sent Tresemme Color Revitalize Shampoo and Conditioner to try and have been extremely pleased and quite surprised. As a Bzz Agent, I received this great product as part of a Bzz Campaign to share my thoughts and coupons with you!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey is coming to Phoenix! Get 4 tickets for only $44!
Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Presents FULLY CHARGEDSM, the all-new, 141st electrifying edition of The Greatest Show On Earth®!
Ringling Bros.® powers up audiences with acts from all over the globe featuring breathtaking dare-devilry, superhuman stunts and never-seen-before performances that spark the imaginations of Children of All Ages! Clowns from the world-famous clown alley charge the audiences’ funny bones, while megawatts of thrills explode out of the ring including The Human Fuse who rockets across the circus skies igniting the power of the people. And of course, amazing animals that spark the audience’s awe and wonder. Experience the current of excitement at Ringling Bros. FULLY CHARGED!
Ringling Bros.® powers up audiences with acts from all over the globe featuring breathtaking dare-devilry, superhuman stunts and never-seen-before performances that spark the imaginations of Children of All Ages! Clowns from the world-famous clown alley charge the audiences’ funny bones, while megawatts of thrills explode out of the ring including The Human Fuse who rockets across the circus skies igniting the power of the people. And of course, amazing animals that spark the audience’s awe and wonder. Experience the current of excitement at Ringling Bros. FULLY CHARGED!
Playing June 22 – 27 at the US Airways Center! Get your tickets today!
Buy 4 tickets for only $44 when you use code ELEPHANT online, over the phone or show a flyer at the US Airways Center Box Office, all Ticketmaster Outlets, www.ticketmaster.com, or call 1-800-745-3000
Good for any performance except Opening Night. Discount is not valid on VIP, Front Row, or Circus Celebrity seats. A minimum of 4 tickets is required; additional ticket can be purchased at $11 each. No double discounts, service charges and handling fees may apply.
We were fortunate enough to see this Circus last year and the kids absolutely loved it!! Much better than a movie for the same cost!! Get your tickets today!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
FyrFlyz Winner!!
Congratulations to Jessica, you are my FyrFlyz winner...you were the only one who commented by the date! Your FyrFlyz will be in the mail this week, I will send you a message to get your mailing address! Thank you for being such a great blog Follower!
Defiants
We were so excited to be chosen for another toy launch and I am even more excited to share it with you! Last week we received a big box from FedEx and everyone was excited to find miniature four wheel drive trucks and a big track for them to roam on! Defiants are small, relentless 4 x 4's with unstoppable, motorized power and the kids love them. We pulled everything out of the box and started playing. You can see all the action here:
Defiants debuted right here in Phoenix, Arizona and are selling fast. They are definately a hot new toy for summer! You can pick yours up at Toys R Us and Walmart here in the Valley.
I have the opportunity to give a Defiants prize pack away to one of my lucky followers. Anyone who comments on this post by Friday, June 17th will be placed in a drawing for the prize pack. You must be one of my followers to enter! Good luck! I will announce the winner on Monday, June 20th! Don't miss out on this one, it would make a great present!
Defiants debuted right here in Phoenix, Arizona and are selling fast. They are definately a hot new toy for summer! You can pick yours up at Toys R Us and Walmart here in the Valley.
I have the opportunity to give a Defiants prize pack away to one of my lucky followers. Anyone who comments on this post by Friday, June 17th will be placed in a drawing for the prize pack. You must be one of my followers to enter! Good luck! I will announce the winner on Monday, June 20th! Don't miss out on this one, it would make a great present!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Mozzarella Mayhem!
Time vs. money, that is the age old question when saving money. I sit here on Wednesday nights and watch Extreme Couponing and get the strong urge to have a shopping trip that totals over one thousand dollars and only costs me $0.35, however, when I sit down with my coupons, I realize that I have no desire to spend the amount of time it will take to do that. I have three kids at home, 9, 5 and 3 and babysit another 3 year old, so I am always looking to save money, while making the most of my time. There are, however, some things that take a small amount of time, but really save money!
One staple in my household is cheese, any kind of cheese, sandwich cheese, taco cheese, string cheese, you get the picture. However, cheese is pretty expensive, on a good deal we can get it for around $2 a pound, on a great deal, we can get it for $1.50 a pound, but not very often. When it comes to string cheese, something my kids love and I like them to snack on, the price is outrageous. Most of the time it is around $4 for a 12oz bag, not even a whole pound!!! Thankfully, I have found a solution that requires me to spend a small amount of time, but I can have string cheese for $1.50 per pound anytime I want.
I shop at Costco, but only for a very few things. This is because almost everything else I can get cheaper with coupons. One thing I have found is a 6 pound block of mozzarella. Sounds disgusting, I know. However, it is only $9, making it $1.50 per pound, and with all these kids and hubby who loves string cheese, I decided it would be worth a try to slice my own cheese sticks and shred some of the cheese to use for salads, pasta dishes, wraps and pizzas. Well, my first attempt was a little comical. A block of softer cheese that large is hard to cut up. I also did not know really what shape we would use it all before it got moldy.
So, for my cheese loving family of five (and 1 sweet one I babysit), this is what I do. I cut a third into one inch sticks (not exact but getting better), I slice a small amount for sandwiches and I grate the rest. Grated cheese does really well when you freeze it, so I put one bag in the fridge and 3 in the freezer. This time I am trying to freeze a small bag of the cheese sticks and will see how well they do once thawed. I know all of you may not have a big enough family to buy 6 lbs of cheese at one time, but can you split it with someone? Could you freeze more?
All the cutting takes me about 30 minutes and it saves me $6-$9 on average, that is $216 per year! I firmly believe that the key to surviving this economy is not about saving hundreds on one thing (some of us have cut all there is to cut), but finding all the little things...they add up fast. Just take a look at your checking account for the last month and add up all those coffees on the way to work!
One staple in my household is cheese, any kind of cheese, sandwich cheese, taco cheese, string cheese, you get the picture. However, cheese is pretty expensive, on a good deal we can get it for around $2 a pound, on a great deal, we can get it for $1.50 a pound, but not very often. When it comes to string cheese, something my kids love and I like them to snack on, the price is outrageous. Most of the time it is around $4 for a 12oz bag, not even a whole pound!!! Thankfully, I have found a solution that requires me to spend a small amount of time, but I can have string cheese for $1.50 per pound anytime I want.
I shop at Costco, but only for a very few things. This is because almost everything else I can get cheaper with coupons. One thing I have found is a 6 pound block of mozzarella. Sounds disgusting, I know. However, it is only $9, making it $1.50 per pound, and with all these kids and hubby who loves string cheese, I decided it would be worth a try to slice my own cheese sticks and shred some of the cheese to use for salads, pasta dishes, wraps and pizzas. Well, my first attempt was a little comical. A block of softer cheese that large is hard to cut up. I also did not know really what shape we would use it all before it got moldy.
So, for my cheese loving family of five (and 1 sweet one I babysit), this is what I do. I cut a third into one inch sticks (not exact but getting better), I slice a small amount for sandwiches and I grate the rest. Grated cheese does really well when you freeze it, so I put one bag in the fridge and 3 in the freezer. This time I am trying to freeze a small bag of the cheese sticks and will see how well they do once thawed. I know all of you may not have a big enough family to buy 6 lbs of cheese at one time, but can you split it with someone? Could you freeze more?
All the cutting takes me about 30 minutes and it saves me $6-$9 on average, that is $216 per year! I firmly believe that the key to surviving this economy is not about saving hundreds on one thing (some of us have cut all there is to cut), but finding all the little things...they add up fast. Just take a look at your checking account for the last month and add up all those coffees on the way to work!
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