Frugal Ideas

Saving with Coupons Update 2/13/12

It's time to update you on my savings with coupons from last week.  I just started in February but I found some of my January receipts so I can add that to the total.  This week we did some food shopping at Walmart and used a few coupons and then I went to Walgreens but didn't use any and CVS I had one coupon.   That's all.  Not too much to pick up this week, we've been trying to eat what we have in the house. I shopped at Walmart and used  5 coupons - all manufacturer coupons for a total savings of $4.50. I shopped at CVS and used 1 coupon - $3.00 MY total saved last week with coupons was $7.50 January 2012 Coupon Savings -$21.60 - there may still be more as I'm looking for my receipts....

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Do you get Paid to Bring your own Bags to the Store??

Some  stores will give you money for bringing your own bags.  Did you know this?  IF you didn't you should find out if your grocery store offers this.  It's a great way to save a few pennies and add it to your coupon savings jar!  Even if it's $.05 it adds up over time.  Especially if you do big shopping trips each time you shop.   I almost always bring my bags with me, my husband on the other hand doesn't.  We are working on that. You don't even have to buy the bags there.  You can use any bags you want, they don't care!  But if you do purchase a couple, believe me they do pay for themselves over and over again! I know there are lots of stores that offer this, I just don't know what they...

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Saving with Coupons Update 2/7/12

Last week I told you that I was going to start tracking my coupon savings each week and report back to show you how much you can save over time using coupons.  I didn't do very much shopping last week as we didn't need much, and what we did need I either didn't have coupons for or my husband went shopping and didn't take coupons with him. I shopped at Walgreens and used 3 coupons - 1 store coupon and 2 manufacturer coupons for a total savings of $3.50. I shopped at Walmart and used 6 coupons - all manufacturer coupons for a total savings of $7.00. February 2012 Coupon Savings - $10.50 I really wish I had kept all my receipts for January but I'm trying to locate as many as I can to see what...

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The Best Things To Buy In January – Linens, Towels, Carpets, Office Furniture, Digital Picture Frames and more!

There is a good time of the year to buy things whether it's because they are in season or out of season.  If you want to save money then catching something at it's best price - is the way to go. Max Levitte of Cheapism.com compiled a timeline depicting the best times of the year to purchase certain household items and each month I will be sharing with you the items he suggests looking for deals on. If you are in the market to buy.... linens towels contract work carpet, flooring houses office furniture digital cameras digital picture frames ...then January is a month where you are more likely to find deals on them, according to Max Levitte.... "The holidays are over and in much of the...

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Saving Money Online with Rebates through Cash Back Websites

Shopping Online is the way to go, especially around the holidays.  Who wants to stand in line for every purchase they make?  I sure don't!  It's just so much easier to shop online and you can do it whenever you have free time. Most stores offer great discounts when you even online, but did you know you can even earn money on top of that?  You sure can if you shop through a cash back site!! Basically how it works is, you sign up with the cash back site (see below) and when your shopping online you can earn cash back if you shop through their site.  The cash back is usually a percentage of  your purchase but sometimes it may be a flat dollar amount.  It's so simple to do. I suggest you sign...

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Frugal & Kid Friendly Chicken Dinners: From Chicken Fingers to Leftover Quesadillas!

Guest Post by Jennifer Leal from Savoring The Thyme. Let’s face it, chicken is a budget friendly protein and staple in most American homes but can get dang boring. We all need ways to make it more interesting, stretch our dollars yet not compromise on it being a healthy recipe that the whole family will enjoy. Below I present some of my healthy favorites and trust me; all of these darlings are so yummy, that your neighbors will be jealous and the kids (and hubster) will be begging for more. Plus, you probably have all the ingredients in your fridge and pantry. Whether you call them Chicken Fingers or Chicken Tenders, these babies will satisfy kids and grown-ups alike! Two of my favorite...

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Upcoming FREE Kids Workshops at Lowes and The Home Depot

Lowe's Build and Grow Clinics are an awesome free activity for your children! Each participant receives a free apron, goggles, a project themed patch, and a certification of merit upon completion of their project.Visit Lowe's Build and Grow to find out more about these free clinics or to get registered. Upcoming workshops include: Police Car, 9/10/11 at 10am Fire Truck with Siren, 9/24/11 at 10am You can also participate in the  Home Depot's Kid's Workshops for FREE! Each child receives the project kit, a child-sized orange apron, and an achievement pin. No registration is required for the Home Depot Kids Workshops. Upcoming workshops include: ESPN College Game Day Board, 9/3/11, 9am -...

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American Express Prepaid Card: A Great Budgeting Tool

You may recall that last week I told you about the New American Express Prepaid card which is perfect for traveling, especially if you are on a budget! You may also remember that I was in  San Diego for the BlogHer conference and I used the prepaid card all week and I shared with you how easy it was to use. Now I'm back home and have been for a week and I wanted to share with you a little bit more about the American Express Prepaid card.  Like I mentioned last week, I used it while at BlogHer for various expenses, big and small, and each time it was a breeze.  It works exactly as the American Express card works only you won't receive a bill in the mail since it's already paid for! I can...

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American Express Prepaid Card is So Easy To Use!

You may recall that last week I told you about the New American Express Prepaid card which is perfect for traveling, especially if you are on a budget! You may also remember that I've been in  San Diego the past 5 days for the BlogHer conference and I've been using the prepaid card all week and I'm excited to now share with you how easy it is to use. Honestly I can't think of a simpler way of saying it other than it's really easy to use!  It's accepted where ever American Express is accepted, which is almost anywhere and since it has my name on it, there is no hesitation when I've used it.   Everyone that I've spoken with about the card loves the idea of not having to pay any fees and...

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American Express Prepaid Card – Great for Travel!

I'm very excited to tell you about the New American Express Prepaid card that is perfect for traveling, especially if you are on a budget! I'm also excited to use it while I'm in San Diego this week for the BlogHer conference. You see, American Express has sponsored myself ( along with a group of other blogger's) so I can use the prepaid card on my trip and then share my experience with my readers. I haven't actually used it yet but I'm ready too! This prepaid card isn't like the other on the market because there are no fees involved in getting or using the card. Which is always a plus in my book. It's also a great budgeting tool because what you put on the card is all you can spend! You...

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FREE Trial Size Items with Coupons: Check the Fine Print for Restrictions

You can get a lot of Trial Size or Travel Size items for FREE with coupons.  Just look at the fine print.  If it doesn't say "not good on trial size" then you can't use it on the trial size.  But if there are no restrictions then you can!  There are so many items you can get for FREE when using the coupon on the trial size.  Manufacturers put restrictions on the coupons so if it's not there then it's perfectly legit! Target and Walmart both have a huge trial size section along with most drug stores.  If the coupon is for $1.00 off any size (or no restrictions) and the trial size is $.98 then you can still use the coupon.  It will beep at the register and the cashier will have to override...

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Make It Yourself and Save: Caramel Macchiato

I love drinking coffee and it's something I don't deny myself very often.  I will admit I spend a lot on coffee sometimes and I really need to cut back on that spending.  It's the only thing I splurge on on a regular basis but sometimes you have to, right? (that's what I tell myself to justify it! LOL). The thing that can get very expensive at coffee shops is the gourmet drinks like the Expresso's & Latte's.   My favorite is the Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks.  I don't have them too often mostly because I don't have a local Starbucks but when I do go there I always get one!   At $3.80 a pop for a grande (medium 16oz) they get very expensive pretty fast! I purchased the Maxwell House...

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Save Money for the Upcoming Holidays Tip #5

The holidays are slowly approaching us and that means many of you will be dishing out money for presents.  When it became all about the presents I have no idea but with the way the economy is finding that money isn't going to be easy. Billshrink.com has a few tips to help us find more money for the holidays... or really for anything.  Here is another tip... Tip #5 Quit Smoking = $347 savings over next few months The cost of smoking is not getting any cheaper with an average pack costing between $4-6. If you smoke four packs a week, you’ll pay over $1000 a year. Since quitting smoking is easier said than done, it may be worth it use some of those savings on nicotine patches or gum to help...

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Save Money for the Upcoming Holidays Tip #4

The holidays are slowly approaching us and that means many of you will be dishing out money for presents.  When it became all about the presents I have no idea but with the way the economy is finding that money isn't going to be easy. Billshrink.com has a few tips to help us find more money for the holidays... or really for anything.  Here is another tip... Tip #4 Ease Up on Eating Out = $520 savings over the next few months Eating at home is not only healthier, but it is also much cheaper. When you eat out, you are paying a mark-up for not only your meal and drinks, but also for the service that comes with it. Try staying in two nights a week and save about $30 a person. If you continue...

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Save Money for the Upcoming Holidays Tip #3

The holidays are slowly approaching us and that means many of you will be dishing out money for presents.  When it became all about the presents I have no idea but with the way the economy is finding that money isn't going to be easy. Billshrink.com has a few tips to help us find more money for the holidays... or really for anything.  Here is another tip... Tip #3 Gas = $87 savings over the next few months BillShrink.com found that gas prices vary as much $.50 per gallon in the same neighborhood. This means that by simply driving to a nearby gas station, you can save $260 a year. Use BillShrink’s gas comparison tool to find the cheapest gas on your commute for the next 4 months and you...

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