Jan 28, 2011

Effective Tool: Little Helpers

Effective Tools are items that I cannot live without. They make my life easier and save me money. The Effective Tool itself my not have been a steal, but there are somethings I am willing to pay for...or put on my Christmas list.


Here are my little cherubs helping with the dishes. They enjoy this job. My son throws a fit when he cannot do this job! I know my little ones will age and lose the desire to help and I see it as my job to take full advantage while it lasts. No! My job is to cultivate their desire to help.
After putting my son down for nap yesterday my daughter saw me bringing the laundry up. I was not in the mood to fold laundry my goal for those few minutes was to put the laundry down and go read the paper. My daughter jumped up and said, "Can I help you fold laundry?" She was so excited and willing to help, so we spent the next half hour folding laundry. Admittedly, a 4 year old is not a great laundry folder, but she can sort and she's happy to take socks and put them away. She is also getting better at righting in-side out clothing--this skill takes a LOT of patience on my part and her part, but she's getting it! I loved spending time with her folding the laundry .

Jan 18, 2011

$20 Amazon gift card for $10 (or $5 for new members)

Now this is a great deal to get excited about!


New to LivingSocial? $5 credit--$5 for $20 Amazon gift card. Excuse me while I go shout this from the rooftops!

disclosure: yes, this post contains my referral link to Living Social!

Jan 17, 2011

Less Junk in the Trunk

This is a mess and it doesn't help that the trunk leaks. I'm switching over to Flip & Tumble. Currently a $29 voucher is available for $12 and if you have the $5 survey credit from last week, that's $7! What can you get with a $29 voucher at Flip & Tumble? I find the shopper bag most useful. For $5 a piece, you can get 5 shopper bags and a large carrying pouch. Or spend the extra $1 and get 6 shopper bags. Shipping on orders under $49 is $5. It's a steal and look at my trunk now.

Shopper bag information:
bag size = 17" x 23" = large enough for 3 half gallons of milk and then some I carry two gallon jugs in my bags
ball size = 3" in diameter = the size of a peach they fit in my coat pocket and I keep two in my purse
compacting system = standard non-stretch stuff sack
weight capacity = 25 lbs. = strong enough for a bowling ball or two
material = polyester
double layer fabric handle = comfortable carrying
washing instructions = machine wash cold, drip dry
plastic bags spared = 1,000+
More Flip & Tumble products located here


I keep a couple large bags for buying a lot of boxed items. The white bag is the large carrying pouch which had 5 bags in it at the time of this picture.What I really love about these little bags is the ability to keep them in the passenger seat so they don't get soaked in the trunk (one day I hope to post on the frugal way my husband fixes the trunk--so far he has replaced the weather stripped and that didn't help).

Tired of bringing home plastic bags with handles that break? Go to jasmere to get in on this deal by 8:59 am Monday!

Jan 14, 2011

Adventures in jasmere: Flashbags

I love to shop on-line and get great deals. Since I share these deals, I will also share reviews. Disclaimer: deals I review are not currently available, nor are they endorsed by jasmere or the company in the review.

One of the first jasmere vouchers I bought was for Flashbags: Large tote worth $56 for $24. I was intrigued and thought these would be great for my sisters and mother for Christmas and shipping was only $7.95 shipping for the whole order. Many things were learned during this process. First of all, my picture files were too small, so I had some learning and playing around with my camera’s settings to figure out. Secondly, Laura, the owner of Flashbags, assured me I had plenty of time as of November 30 when I sent in the small picture files and helped me figure out how large the picture file size needed to be. Since I am a procrastinator, being told I had time was not to my benefit. In addition, my beautiful, delightful children will not pose with each other and the other big obstacle was the fact my son was not interested in wearing clothes. Three weeks came and went. I took many, many pictures, but none were worthy of being put on a tote bag. Finally, I acquired three pictures for my Flashbags and sent them in January 2. The turn around time was amazing! The bags arrived 1/12! Now I have three beautiful totes waiting for birthdays so they can be sent to their rightful owners (even though I want to keep them ALL!).
sides of bag


I would order from Flashbags again—especially through jasmere or with a discount code (speaking of which, through 1/15—not a lot of time SORRY since it’s today for most of you! Enter AGIFTFORYOU for 50% off).

Interested in jasmere's curent voucher? Go HERE.

disclosure: my jasmere affiliate link is given above--using it will enable me to buy more stuff with pictures of my kids

Hot Topic Clearance Sale

Hot Topic Clearance Sale 
*FYI--it says an extra 50% off, but they have already figured that in and prices are as marked.

 All sorts of Hot Topic items included.
I'm partial to these ear plugs, among the many they had, it's a nice change from the standard circles.








If you were in the market for Lipstick Red Skinny Jeans I am sorry to inform you that they are out of stock.










If there is a must have, or many must have items at Hot Topic, go through Ebates for 4% cash back and you can use HTAJAN10 to save $10 off $50.


disclosure: this post has my ebates referral link--using it allows me to buy clearance jeans that I don't have to paint on

Junk in the Trunk: my love of reusable bags

I have been using resuable bags for eons. When I first opened a checking account I began supporting charities that would send a free tote bag as a "thank you." To say I wasted a lot of money on tote bags would be an understatement, but I still have many of them. Over the years my collection has grown and grown. This picture was taken AFTER giving away a bunch of bags. I use my bags everywhere--grocery stores, craft stores, drug stores, department stores, big box stores--if I am buying something, I have a bag!
Even when the bags are piled neatly in the trunk, they still take up room and we have the added issue of the trunk leaking which resulted in a few moldy bags last year.

green bag is holding 10 boxes of Fruit by the Foot
Last October jasmere first offered Flip & Tumble reusable bags and I love them! I stuff them and they can carry two gallon milk jugs! For Christmas I ordered more Flip & Tumble bags with no coupons!









I even ordered the mini shopper for the small panda and her brother since they were taking mine.

mini shopper

mini shopper tumbled


Currently you can get $29 worth of Flip & Tumble bags for $13 (55% off and it may go lower--everyone is charged the same LOW price after the sale ends). sign up for jasmere HERE


I already placed an order for today's jasmere voucher.
~Vouchers will be delivered via email shortly after noon Eastern on Monday; please allow an additional 24 hours for your code to be activated in the merchant's system
~This is a single-use voucher and leftover value (if any) will not be retained by user
~Limited supply item - may sell out; max 1 per customer, please
~Vouchers may not be used for shipping, tax or gift certificates, and cannot be combined with other offers
~This voucher will expire on May 17, 2011.
~Flip & Tumble is a proud parner of carbonfund.org
~Shipping for orders under $49 is $5

disclosure: this post contains my affiliate link to jasmere--signing up helps me buy more reusable bags!

Fiber Plus deal at Rite Aid just gets better!

On the 9th, I posted on Facebook, but I will repost now since there is still time to get this deal at Rite Aid. If RA is out of Kellogg's Fiber Plus--get a raincheck!

Post from January 9:
Free Fiber Plus at Rite Aid (actually make money!). Fiber Plus is BOGO free ($4.79), you can use two 70¢ coupons from kelloggs.com pay $3.39, get back 2 $1 +UP rewards, then send in for the rebate (up to $4.49).

Save even more money with THIS coupon for $1/1. You will also get a chance to register, if you haven't already with Kellogg's. From there it says you can take a survey and after the survey you will get a $2/2 Fiber Plus coupon.

Why am I excited by this? Buy 2 Fiber Plus for $4.79, use 2 $1/1 coupons or 1 $2/2 coupon. Pay $2.79 and receive 2 $1+UPs to use on your next purchase--or have a jug of milk ready to go as your next purchase and use the 2 $1+UPs and pay 59¢ for milk bringing your total to $3.38 for 2 boxes of fairly healthy cereal and milk. Submit for the Mail In Rebate Offer: limit request per flavor of specially marked product per name, address or household. The question is then how many flavors does RA carry?? I have only seen cinnamon, but that store was wiped out!

Please keep in mind that the $1+UP per box will also print next week--do not ask the RA employees about it because they do not know. I am telling you Kellogg's cereal is part of a month long food promotion.

Thanks for the info on the $2/2 scrimpy!

Jan 13, 2011

Soup for you!

You know who you are....

Campbells condensed soup is on sale at just about every grocery store this week.

Safeway: Chicken Noodle or Tomato 2/$1

QFC: Chicken Noodle or Tomato 2/$1 (SpaghettiOs are also 2/$1)
Campbell's Condensed Soup Healthy Kids and possibly other varieties 1/$1
Select Harvest Soup 3/$5 printable coupon $1/2 Select Harvest


Albertsons: Chicken Noodle or Tomato 39¢ each; limit 6

Jan 11, 2011

A change

I have not liked the hosting site I was using for Saving in the Rain. I even took an html coding class--I learned a lot. The biggest lesson: I will not be writing my own code! The other thing I realized along the way: Saving in the Rain is not going to be a big site and I'm okay with that. My goal when I started was to help people and make some money. I made $40 in Amazon gift cards last year and while being truly honest with myself, I would continue posting if I made nothing. That will not stop me from posting referral links--a girl can try, right?


I have published 270 posts since I started on March 6, 2010. I moved 59 of them over--the ones I really like. I lost all links and most pictures--clearly, there is no budget here for web help! I will continue posting my favorite deals, but will not do match-ups since they are time consuming and you can get them from many, many, many blogs. The focus of Saving in the Rain is on helping others to become debt free. This means more of my own debt stories, posting useful advice, and sharing my lowest financial moments. It's easy to say that at 1am when the kids are asleep!

Speaking of my little ones, I must not let blogging and couponing over take me. It's easy to do, but my true job title is not blogger, it's Hug Giver-Food Preparer-Household CEO-Referee-Owy Kisser-Household Tidy Upper-Sassy Wife-Noise Reducer-Knitter-Believer-Household CFO-Friend-Photographer-Sister-Cake Decorator-Bath Giver-Cat Feeder-Mom-Daughter-Energy Saver-Driver-Degu & Fish Feeder-Lovey Finder-Jungle Gym-Kid Carrier-Money Saver. I reserve the right to edit my title at anytime!

If you stumbled across my site, WELCOME! If you've been with me for a while THANK YOU!

Effective Tool: Chest Freezer

Originally posted August 12, 2010

Effective Tools are items that I cannot live without. They make my life easier and save me money. The Effective Tool itself my not have been a steal, but there are somethings I am willing to pay for...or put on my Christmas list.



Thinking back to a time before we owned the chest freezer is painful! While we lived in the apartment, we had a sub par refrigerator. It was hard to keep two gallons of milk and there was no cheese or meat drawer, so we put in a small plastic 3-drawer unit to hold cheese and lunch meat. The freezer on that thing was sad. I think we lived in the apartment for one year and asked Professor's parents for a chest freezer for Christmas. It was a gift that keeps on giving! Now when butter, cheese, lunch meat, etc gets to my stock up price point I can! Plus there is plenty of room for 4+ loaves of bread that I buy in the clearance section every other week. Of course there is room for other items as well--I do love clearance meat and who doesn't like free Mission Tortillas?

This freezer came to us 3 years ago and has been invaluable. I love it so much we bought it a friend two weeks ago!

SwagBucks 2010 Review

Originally posted January 6, 2011

I have been a Swag Bucks member since around October 2009. Between October and 12/30/09, I earned 4 $5 Amazon gift cards, which I used on clearance toys and magazine subscriptions.

In 2010 I earned 31 $5 Amazon gift cards. $155 to spend on Amazon! I wish I could say that paid for Christmas and everything was wonderful, but it ended up getting spent on some much other needed items.

Cloth diaper liners $20
Growing Vegetables book and sippy cups $16
Rubbermaid Easy Find Lid 24-Piece Food Storage Container Set—2 sets $22
Rigid rechargeable drill battery $51
1-Gallon Lawn and Garden Sprayer $11
Laminator $31 (not sure why I purchased this—one of those late night impulse buys!)

$151 spent on items that I would have bought anyway—except the laminator.
I did have $30 in Amazon gift cards to use for gifts from a survey site, so some of Christmas was paid for in Amazon gift cards!

I do have 12 referrals, of which 5 have 0 Swag Bucks, 3 maxed out at 1,000 Swag Bucks and the rest fall in between. I earn Swag Bucks for referrals who win for searching, up to 1,000 Swag Bucks. From my referrals last year, I earned 8 $5 Amazon gift cards, which is nothing to sneeze at. I want to be completely honest--$40 came from referrals who won from searches and I earned $115 from searches, Swagcodes, Daily Polls, logging into the Toolbar, NOSO, and Trusted Surveys. Will I be using Swagbucks in 2011? Of course!

If you haven't tried Swag Bucks--go check it out. You get Swag Bucks for searches, among other things and you can easily average 450 every two weeks, which is how often prizes are issued. Have fun!
Disclosure: This post contains my referral link.

$10 in credits! Takes less than 7 minutes for both deals

Originally posted January 6, 2011

Get a $5 credit to a new deal site: DealPulp
It looks like tomorrow's deal might be kids' books!

jasmere is offering a $5 credit to members who take a brief survey. Log in or sign up with jasmere and then take the survey.

Save your credits to make a deal you love less expensive! I can vouch that the jasmere credits work beautifully, as there have been surveys in the past and the $5 credit comes off your next order.

Disclosure: This post contains my referral link.

I'm still here...and teaching a couponing class next week

Originally posted January 5, 2011

For the most part you can find me on Facebook--Saving in the Rain http://www.facebook.com/pages/Saving-in-the-Rain/108621922498330

As usual, this site is having issues--I cannot link the Facebook page correctly. I am in the process of moving my site--no matter where I am, I can be found at savingintherain.com.

I have lots of things written out on a yellow tablet that I would love to share, but time is a real issue, as is wasting the little time I have!

The next Effective Couponing Class is Wednesday, January 12 6:30 pm

Real Life Church 2202 SE Bella Vista Road Vancouver, WA 98683

The focus will be on how to come up with a budget, use store sales and coupons to stay within that budget, and use drug store sales to get toiletries for free. Budgeting, store coupon policies, rewards programs, and mail in rebates will be discussed. Get ready for a jammed packed evening full of money saving tips!

*$5 for two people—bring a friend! Childcare provided.

$40 worth of shoes for $20 and Free Shipping

Originally posted December 16, 2010

New members of Mamapedia get a $5 credit. You can use it right away and get $40 worth of goods at ShoeMall for $15 with free shipping! I have enough winter shoes, so I will save my voucher for spring/summer and get some new shoes!

Highlights
* Just in time for Christmas, an amazing deal on shoes, bags, and accessories
* Choose from top brands including Reebok, Adidas, Crocs, Steve Madden, Fossil, Stride Rite, Sam and Libby, Skechers, & much more
* Buy one for yourself and delight a few girlfriends with their own vouchers as gifts

Details
* Redeem voucher code online
* FREE Shipping included
* Taxes not included
* Limit (1) voucher code per transaction
* Expires June 19, 2011
* No refunds or exchanges on expired or unused vouchers
* Cannot be combined with other discounts.
Voucher NOT valid on: Geox, Minnetonka, ECCO, Columbia, Camper, Naot, Sorel, Bogs and Harley Davidson.

Mamapedia's Stree-Free Promise:
Happy Moms is what we’re all about here at Mamapedia.All our Sweet Deals are chosen to delight you and your family.

Yet we know that as a mom, you can't always make spur of the moment dinner plans, or splurge on an impulse, or research the heck out a purchase... the way you did before.

So if you buy a deal and realize it doesn't work for your family – for any reason – we’ll give you a credit or your money back, no questions asked.

Isn't that a Sweet Deal?

Visit Mamapedia to get started.
Disclosure: Of course this post contains my affiliate link!

My Love of ReUsable Bags..and a great deal from Swirl

Originally posted December 16, 2010

Eons ago I wrote about Flip & Tumble reusable bags offered by jasmere. It was an insanely great deal on bags made from ripstop nylon. The shopping bags scrunch up into their own pouch and I love them. LOVE them. I love them so much that I ordered a bunch last night...with NO coupons! Shhhh! 6 Shopper bags, 2 Minis (the kids also like my bags), and 1 carrying pouch with shipping for $53.00. That was no deal (but I love these bags!!).

Imagine my excitement while reading my favorite deal sites, when I saw The Coupon Project talking about reusable shopping bags! Swirl is offering NEW customers a $20 credit when you purchase $20 or more with coupon code WELCOME1. Back in August, I mentioned Swirl Sample Sales by Daily Candy, but never ordered since I never found anything I liked and shipping is high. You cannot use the credit for shipping or taxes. Since I already had an account my husband signed up and bought me some reusable shopping bags for Christmas! You can find the Baggu shopping bags under Holiday Shop and then click Stocking Stuffers. I did not just jump into this deal blindly--I googled Baggu and found there price is $22 for 3 bags plus $5 shipping.

Eco-Friendly Baggu x3 are $22 - $20 (WELCOME1) = $2 + $9.49 (shipping) = $11.49 for 3 reusable bags made from ripstop nylon. Shipping is the cost of buying from some of these sample sites. I'm thrilled to get 3 more light-weight reusable bags for 50% off! The purple I ordered has already sold out!


If you are not madly in love with reusable shopping bags like I am, Swirl has many other sales going on--so check it out. Shipping is $9.49 if you order light weight bags or boots. Many of Swirl's items are very limited in quantity, so if you see something you like--jump on it!

Happy Saving!
Disclosure: This post does contain affiliate links!

Groupon: $10 for $20 Worth of Plants, Pots, and More at The Plant Peddler

Originally posted November 29, 2010


For $10, Portland's Groupon side deal gets you $20 worth of plants, pots, and services at The Plant Peddler, which has been helping to furnish indoor gardens with an ever-changing selection of greenery for more than 20 years.

Those with surgically implanted green thumbs can find common houseplants (starting at $4.25 for 4" plants) alongside exotic tropical plant species, water-retaining succulent plants, and various cactus varieties. The shop also stocks decorative pottery (starting at $9.99), which includes the work of local and international artists, and baskets for displaying arrangements. The Plant Peddler provides a number of services including design assistance, product delivery, and home visits. Knowledgeable staffers can help transform stark indoor spaces with lush greenery that is beneficial to health and is said to be a natural mood-booster. They also can counsel clients in artful arrangement and plant maintenance in the home or office. And for less long-term commitments, rental plants are available to temporarily enhance the atmosphere for special occasions.
The Fine Print

* Expires Jun 2, 2011
* Limit 1 per person, may buy 2 additional as gifts. Must use in 1 visit, no cash back. Not valid with other offers.
* See the rules that apply to all deals.

Highlights

* Diverse selection
* Handmade pottery options
* Home delivery available

This Groupon can be found in Portland's Side Deal. I already bought one for myself and I think my husband might need one or two!
Disclosure: This post contains my affiliate link.

Living Social: SHOEBACCA.com $50 to Spend on Shoes for $25

Originally posted November 23, 2010


Latey Groupon, Living Social, and other social coupon sites have left Portland in the dust. If EVER there was a deal for the Portland area--it's Living Social's deal in Columbus.


If your feet hurt after a fun day outdoors or at the gym, it's time to get to the heart and sole of the matter: Not having the right shoes can really get things off on the wrong foot. Today's deal puts your paws on a path of enlightenment. Pay just $25 and you'll have $50 to spend on all athletic and outdoor shoes, gear, and apparel at SHOEBACCA.com. This online shop features more than 16,000 products from more than 150 brands like Nike, adidas, Keen, and Salomon. Gear up for the winter wonderland or kick-start your holiday shopping and try today's deal on for size; SHOEBACCA.com will even include free UPS ground shipping. Don't wait for the other shoe to drop; click "buy now" and you'll have the happiest feet around.
Kick an additional $1 off this deal when you "like" SHOEBACCA.com on Facebook.

FREE SHIPPING - FREE EXCHANGES - FREE RETURN SHIPPING

It's easy-when you are checking out, "like" Shoebacca--there's a box to do so right there and get your deal for $24!
I am loving the rain boots and the details of this deal. If you didn't know--I love boots, but my rain boots, although cute, are not what I want to wear often. My kids love theirs and they drag mine out too.
the fine print

• Includes Free UPS Ground Shipping
• Valid on ALL items including Sale
• Limit 1 per person
• Limit 1 voucher to redeem only
• Entire value of voucher ($50) must be used on one order by same customer; cannot be shared
• Additional restrictions may apply
• No cash value/cash back
• Entire value must be used in one visit
• Cannot be combined with any other offer or promotion
• LivingSocial Terms and Conditions - livingsocial.com/terms
• Promotional value expires on 05/24/11

FREE SHIPPING - FREE EXCHANGES - FREE RETURN SHIPPING

sold me on the deal. Now I just need to decide which ones I like best! Boot prices start at $39.99. Ready to order? Go to Living Social and check out Columbus' deal!
Disclosure: This post contains my referral link. Using it helps the site!

Effective Tool: Tools you use

Originally posted September 26, 2010

Effective Tools are items that I cannot live without. They make my life easier and save me money. The Effective Tool itself my not have been a steal, but there are somethings I am willing to pay for…or put on my Christmas list.


This effective tool is not so much about having an abundance of spatulas, measuring cups, measuring spoons, or cookie dough scoops, but having the tools you need when you need them.

I bake--a lot. Any chance I get I am baking. When I took the Wilton cake classes, I realized I needed more spatulas--especially when I made lots of frosting colors. Before that it was just of matter of having 3-4 spatulas for scraping batter out of bowls and not wanting to wash them in between bowls, pans, etc. The measuring spoons have been with me for years. When there is baking going on, I use one set for dry ingredients and one set for wet ingredients.

These tools were not bought in one day, it was a slow accumulation. I have always loved to cook. Some of these tools were gifts, some bought on sale and clearance, and some bought with coupons. Admittedly, it is hard to find kitchen items on clearance, but sales are abundant and when paired with a bonus coupon one can get a good deal. I brought spatulas, measuring cups and spoons with me to NY to make my sister's wedding cake (thank goodness I did!).

Here is some eye-candy for you to enjoy!

jasmere: reusable bags you won't want to leave in the car!

Originally posted October 4, 2010


I don't know about you, but the back of my car is filled with reusable bags--they're a mess! I will be getting some flip & tumble bags using the jasmere voucher!
Shipping & other details

* Vouchers will be delivered via email shortly after noon Eastern on Tuesday; please allow an additional 24 hours for your code to be activated in the merchant's system
* This is a single-use voucher and leftover value (if any) will not be retained by user
* Limited supply item; max 1 per customer, please.
* Vouchers may not be used for shipping, tax or gift certificates, and cannot be combined with other offers
* This voucher will expire on February 5, 2011.
* Flip & Tumble is a proud partner of carbonfund.org

When you use the full value of the jasmere voucher ($35), shipping is $5.



This could be the most useful jasmere item I have seen! Remember--EVERYONE gets the same LOW price once the sale is over tomorrow at 9am PDT.

Get paid to print and redeem coupons--10¢ each!

Originally posted October 1, 2010

I have been waiting to confirm this; I knew it worked, but I wasn't going to pass it on until I saw the money in my account. You will get paid 10¢ per coupon printed and redeemed through InboxDollars.


The e-mails contained 20¢, 10¢, 90¢, and 10¢.


Nothing I like more than being paid to save!




What is this banner missing? GET PAID TO PRINT AND REDEEM COUPONS!

I have been using InboxDollars for a long time. I used them while I was in college and then let my account close while I was in Canada. I opened a new account last year and I do click the e-mails, but I will not waste my time doing the surveys. $1 for 20 minutes of my time is not worth it. Maybe for others who are in the right demographics and are being offered product testing, then the initial offering of $1 is worth it.
You can cash out at $30 or higher. Granted, this does take a long time if you are not shopping through InboxDollars, but InboxDollars has been around a long time, so I don't mind letting my earnings accrue slowly.
I will be reminding people to print their coupons through InboxDollars from here on out! Just keep in mind it will take 3 months or more to see the coupons credited to your account.

Disclosure: The link to InboxDollars is my affliiate link and clicking on it supports this site. Thanks!

Sunday Select from The Columbian

Originally posted September 30, 2010

A long while ago I had an advertisement from The Colombian for Sunday Select--a free delivery of ads and coupon inserts. Call The Columbian's subscription department and ask for Sunday Select 360. 694. 2312. When I called a few weeks ago I was told the program started on October 2, which is a Saturday. We'll see what happens this weekend!

Couponing to Christmas: Groupon Deals

Originally posted September 26, 2010

I was checking out Groupon deals on the east coast since they already started. Go to Groupon and click on Visit More Cities to select a city. All the deals I am highlighting are available online and good through 9pm Tuesday.

Atlanta: $10 for $20 Worth of Everyday Essentials from Soap.com -- includes shipping.

Pittsburgh: $10 for $25 Worth of Teas and More from Talbott Teas -- includes shipping.

North Jersey: $20 for Four Movie Tickets from Weekly Cinema ($56 Value) Tickets must be redeemed via Fandango or MovieTickets.com within 90 days of Groupon redemption. From what I can tell this is a great deal--normally this price is available only through a subscription and you can get this price without a monthly subscription!

Think about relocating for these unique deals!
Hartford, CT Groupon has a great tandem skydiving deal
Rochester, NY Groupon has a deal on a Pole-Dancing Workshop

Disclosure: this is my affiliate link--using it supports the site :)

Couponing to Christmas: deals ending tonight and tomorrow!

Originally posted September 26, 2010

As I have said before, I am a better deal hunter than sharer--sorry for the last second deals!



When you go to Groupon, click on Visit More Cities and select Pittsburgh. This deal expires at 9pm TONIGHT!



When you go to Groupon, click on Visit More Cities and select San Diego. This deal expires at 12am TONIGHT! This Groupon is valid toward shipping costs. For $10 you could get Yorkii Bag - Black Hole $14.99, Wrist Band $4.99 (great for wiping sweat, putting around your drink, or your coffee), and shipping!

Thanks couponsdealsandmore!



jasmere is offering creative and super-classy cards for any card-giving occasion.

A Tasty Cake

Originally posted September 24, 2010

This is what I do when I'm not couponing. My little sister got married last weekend and she asked me to make the cake. Of course! I should not have been so quick to jump in. The wedding was 3,000 miles away from where I live and she does not cook very much. I packed what I thought I would need and figured I would borrow the rest. Right. I was able to borrow some cooking racks since my sister had two 8" round cooling racks, but when you are dealing with a 16" base I was left using cutting boards to cool that part of the cake. I am so spoiled when it comes to baking at home with a Professional Kitchen Aid mixer. It did not occur to me that I would not be able to make double batches of batter or frosting. It turned out nicely, but there was a structural flaw and I made her and the groom cut the cake early so we could take it apart. The cake was chocolate with chocolate filling and coconut frosting with coconut shavings.

What post about a wedding would be complete without a picture of the happy couple (and a frugal tip)?


See the arch behind them? They bought the arch and grew the flowers themselves to decorate their friend's backyard! The arch comes apart in the middle and there were long flower pots at the base of each side--hidden by the other potted plants.

jasmere: Bonbon Charms & $5 credit for taking survey!

Originally posted September 7, 2010
Once again I am smitten with today's jasmere offer!

First the savings! Get the $5 credit for taking the 2 minute survey HERE to make this (or a future deal through Sept 20) even better. If you have not signed up for jasmere, sign up HERE.

Now, the deal!



Couponing to Christmas! jasmere: Live a charmed life with modern, hand-made, personalized silver jewelery from Bonbon Charms. Charm jewelry is a time-honored way to carry loved ones or cherished memories close to your heart. Bonbon Charms combines classic elegance with a modern twist - creating glass & silver charms with letters, words, dates - even pictures - full of sentimental value. Use today's $40 voucher and treat yourself to a necklace or bracelet you'll immediately treasure, and someday make an heirloom. If you haven't noticed--I LOVE personalized items.

The $40 voucher is currently selling for $18 (55% off) and could go lower. Your card is not charged until the deal ends and everyone pays the lowest price!

About jasmere

Jasmere seeks out lesser-known specialty retailers that deserve national attention. Jasmere's team of New York, Los Angeles and Washington, DC- based shopaholics personally tests every product featured, using jasmere's negotiating power to offer you an exclusive discount. But don't let the low prices fool you. Every merchant featured on jasmere meets the highest standards of quality. You may not have heard of these websites, but you can be sure their products and services are the best around. They guarantee it. How jasmere works.

Shipping & other details
* Vouchers will be delivered via email shortly after noon Eastern on Wednesday; please allow an additional 24 hours for your code to be activated in the merchant's system
* This is a single-use voucher and leftover value (if any) will not be retained by user
* Up to 5 vouchers may be purchased, but only one may be used per transaction on the partner site.
* Vouchers may not be used for shipping, tax or gift certificates, and cannot be combined with other offers
* A wonderful holiday gift, please note that bonbon jewelry is handmade to your order and may take 2-3 weeks for delivery. This voucher will expire on January 8, 2011.
* Shipping is to the continental US only and typically costs $7

Disclosure: This post contains my affiliate link.

jasmere: personalized handbags or tote bags, custom wallets or placemats

Originally posted September 3, 2010

Couponing to Christmas! Jasmere has a great deal and this gift is versatile! I love custom items; they are items you can give when you have run out of other ideas (but how many ornaments or T-shirts does one person need?)! These items are useful and can fill many needs/wants. This gift can be given to someone you would normally spend $50-$100 on. My sisters, SIL, and mother can be crossed off my Christmas list. I don't mind that they know where their gift is coming from--at Christmas, they will be beyond thrilled to have a useful gift with the kids' pictures!

Show off your favorite photo in a head-turning, eco-fashionable way, with a custom tote from Flashbags. They'll turn your snapshot into a 15" x 11.5" x 5" reusable bag - made with reinforced, recycled materials and given a durable, glossy finish. Currently $26--56% off and could go lower by Tuesday at 9am PDT.

There is a Bonus Feature too, if a large tote is not your thing. Currently $40 vouchers are $17--58% off and could go lower by Tuesday at 9am PDT. These vouchers are can be used together!

You Need To Know:

* Stackable vouchers means you will receive a single code regardless of how many vouchers you order (up to 5 vouchers per person). Order one voucher and get a code worth $40, two vouchers for a code worth $80, etc.

* Vouchers will be delivered via email on Tuesday; they will be activated by noon on Wednesday.

* These are single-use vouchers and leftover value (if any) will not be retained by user

* Vouchers may not be used for shipping, tax or gift certificates, and cannot be combined with other offers.

* Flashbags typically offers flat rate shipping of $10, but will lower that to $7.95 for jasmere voucher holders who place their order by September 15, 2010.

* This voucher will expire on January 7, 2011.

Start crossing people off your Christmas list!
Disclosure: The link to jasmere is my affiliate link.

Effective Tool: Sock Box

Originally posted September 1, 2010
Effective Tools are items that I cannot live without. They make my life easier and save me money. The Effective Tool itself my not have been a steal, but there are somethings I am willing to pay for…or put on my Christmas list.


We started using a sock box almost two years ago. I don't bother putting socks in the kids' rooms--all socks get matched and placed in a box near the shoes in the closet. The time and frustration savings have been amazing. The sock box works for the kids right now since Bear doesn't care what color socks he wears and, although their shoe size is different, the socks fit them both pretty much the same. I always know where the socks are and there is no running up to their rooms at the last minute!
The sock box itself cost $1. Shoe box sized storage can either be found at the Dollar Tree or Big Lots for $1, or wait for a sale. I have seen shoe box storage boxes at both Target and Fred Meyers on sale for $1 or less--no coupon needed!

jasmere: Kidlandia

Originally posted September 1, 2010
Couponing for Christmas, or just thinking ahead, I was really excited to see jasmere's latest offer. Currently a $70 voucher is on sale for $29 (59% off) and it could go lower. I have looked at all the customizable items you can get and have decided I can get two gifts out of one $70 voucher. I am really thrilled with the personal puzzles.


Names, animals, kreechers, buildings, transport, plants, and other stuff are all customizable! I wanted to see what it looked like so I entered Scrappy's name and put in a rainbow. Then I made the ship that is below "Scrappy's World" bigger. I can see that making this puzzle will take a while, but I can't wait until she gets it at Christmas! She loves puzzles! Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob, and Veggie Tales are also available!


I also checked out the USA Map Fine Art Print. I put in where we live and Grandma's House. I can definitely see this as a great gift with places of family named. ALL names can be clicked on and changed or moved. Since we have family all over the US, this could be a great gift. The puzzle is $39 and the Print is $29, which would work with the $70 voucher.
Shipping & other details

* New to jasmere? What we mean by "voucher".
* Vouchers will be delivered via email shortly after noon Eastern on Thursday; they will be ready to go as soon as you receive them!
* This is a single-use voucher and leftover value (if any) will not be retained by user
* Up to 3 vouchers may be purchased, but only one may be used per transaction on the partner site (why?).
* Vouchers may not be used for shipping, tax or gift certificates, and cannot be combined with other offers
* Shipping to continental US only; shipping costs typically range from $7.95-$11.95 and vary based on weight and distance shipped (rolled maps come in sturdy, protective packaging).
* This voucher will expire on January 2, 2011.

Remember jasmere bills your credit card AFTER the sale ends. At 9 am tomorrow, the sale will be over and everyone will be charged the lowest price!

Disclosure: This post does contain an affiliate link.

Effective Giving: Box Tops For Education

Originally posted September 1, 2010
I always pull the Box Tops For Education from all goods donated. Since my little ones are not in school, I give the BTFE to a school teacher at church or one of my friends' kids. The BTFEs accumulate quickly and more products have been added. Aside from cereals, check Ziploc boxes, Kotex, Pillsbury, baked goods, and various snacks from General Mills. Each BTFE is worth 10¢ to a participating school.

Until 9/22/10 Safeway is having a BTFE promotion. Looking for a "sweet" way to earn cash for your school? Buy any 4 participating Betty Crocker® Baking products at your local Safeway and you will get 15 Bonus Box Tops (Value to participating school: $1.50)! Purchases must be made in a single shopping visit and the Bonus Box Tops will print out instantly at checkout. I will let you know of any great sale match-ups!

Effective Giving: August Donation

Originally posted August 31, 2010

This includes items from July and August. Basically this donation cost me time: all grocery items were free (some cost a little and some gave overage) and all the drug store items were either money makers after rebate or I simply paid sales tax.
.:. 1 18-ct ob
.:. 1 72-ct wipes
.:. 2 Visine
.:. 5 Dulcolax 8.3 oz
.:. 1 Dulcolax 4.1 oz
.:. 11 Mac & Cheeese 7.25 oz
.:. 1 Chocolate Cheerios 11.25oz
.:. 20 Nature Valley Nut Clusters 5 oz
.:. 3 Ester-C 90-ct
.:. 3 chef Boyardee
.:. 4 BC Mashed Potatoes 6.6 oz
.:. 3 BC cake mix 18.25 oz
.:. 3 BC frosting 16 oz
.:. 3 Frosted Mini Wheat 15.8 oz
.:. 1 12-ct pads
.:. 3 16-ct pads
.:. 2 32-ct pads
.:. 3 22-ct liner pads
.:. 2 toothpaste 82 oz
.:. 5 razors
.:. 2 4-ct crafts
.:. 2 Pantene trial size
.:. 5 bag Rold Gold pretzels
.:. 2 pickles 24 oz
.:. 9 Gold n Soft margarine 15 oz
.:. 8 hotdogs
.:. 5 shredded cheese 2-cup
.:. 4 Land O’ Lakes butter and olive oil spread 7 oz
.:. 2 frozen veggies
.:. 2 cranberries
.:. 9 Kellogg’s Cinnabon cereal 10 oz
.:. 9 8-ct Poptarts
.:. 1 Fruit Loops 12.2 oz
.:. 2 52-ct Bounty paper towels
.:. 4 refried beans 16 oz
.:. 6 20-ct Motrin PM
Not everything is listed (somewhere in the garage is the rest of my list) and somethings are not shown. Once I took the picture and turned around there was more cereal and a few other things! Hopefully this all fits in the Civic with the kids!

Effective Giving: School Supplies

Originally posted August 31, 2010

Although my kids are not in school, I have been purchasing school supplies since early July. Now that I have a nice supply, we will head over to Share House and drop them off. As with any deals, I always keep my eyes open—whether it be school supplies or items to put away for birthday or Christmas gifts.

.:. 14 6-ct highlighters
.:. 1 10-ct Crayola markers
.:. 10 24-ct Crayola crayons
.:. 1 pencil case
.:. 21 10-ct pens
.:. 8 highlighters
.:. 6 pencil sharpeners
.:. 6 rulers
.:. 3 glue combo packs
.:. 6 blunt scissors
.:. 1 15-ct cap erasers
.:. 3 2-ct G2 pens
.:. 6 1-subject notebooks
.:. 3 20-ct Crayola washable markers
.:. 15 10-ct pencils
.:. 3 12-ct pencils

I did not keep track of the total cost, but no item cost more than 20¢. Most items were 5¢ or less, some items I only paid sales tax, and a few items were worked into deals that resulted in overage or money back from a mail in rebate.

ReStore Finds

Originally posted August 28, 2010

I do love the Habitat for Humanity ReStore--wish it was closer! The whole family went today--we were looking for door knobs and paint primer. The first thing I saw was two blue chairs. I have been looking for little chairs for the kids to go outside and it's too late in the season to get plastic chairs. These chairs are perfect--stackable and sturdy. Lots of doorknobs to be seen, but not what I wanted--maybe next time. Onto the paint! The two gallon cans are the same light pink color, which I plan to mix with a deep rose miss-mixed, or "oops", paint from Home Depot for the spare bedroom/office. I don't need to be in love with the color, I just need a brighter color--it's currently a flat, dull brown. I found a large container of gray primer, but I wanted a gallon or two of white primer. I also found some stacking bins for the garage for $1 each! Professor looked around at windows and cabinets and a rain barrel. He took measurements on a garden window for the kitchen and some cabinets. As he was measuring the window, I saw a 5 gallon bucket of white primer! This is more than I need, but for $15, you cannot beat the price! And who knows, I may use it all by the time I'm done!

After getting home and measuring the window and cabinet area, we realized we would have to wait on those items. I'm a little sad the cabinet will not fit the space, but there will be more cabinets. A quick check on-line at making rain barrels and where to get materials made me glad we did not jump on the rain barrel that was at the ReStore.

ReStore will be closed Saturday Sept 4 in observance of Labor Day.

Portland Metro ReStore
66 SE Morrison St
Portland OR 97214
503.283.6247 Map

Clark County Habitat ReStore
5000 E 4th Plain Blvd
Vancouver, WA 98661
360.213.1313 Map

Hours
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday thru Saturday
donations until 4:30 p.m.

Walgreens Coupon Policy!

Originally posted August 26, 2010
As a customer-focused retailer, Walgreens encourages the use of coupons by our customers in our retail stores, in accordance with the following guidelines.
Guidelines:
General

* All valid coupons should be presented to the cashier at the time of checkout.
* Walgreens does not accept expired coupons.
* Coupons and their face value cannot be exchanged for cash or gift cards.
* Competitor coupons are not accepted at Walgreens.
* Walgreens cannot accept coupons for items not carried in our stores.
* The number of manufacturer coupons, including Register RewardsTM manufacturer coupons, may not exceed the number of items in the transaction. The total value of the coupons may not exceed the value of the transaction. Sales tax must be paid, if required by state law.
* Any coupon offer not covered in these guidelines will be accepted at the discretion of Walgreens management.

Sale Items

* Walgreens will accept manufacturer coupons for an item that is on sale.
* In the event that any item's selling price is less than the value of the coupon, Walgreens will only accept the coupon in exchange for the selling price of the item. Coupon redemption can never exceed the selling price of an item and no cash back is ever provided in exchange for any coupons.

Multiple Coupons

* When purchasing a single item, Walgreens accepts one manufacturer coupon and applicable Walgreens coupon(s) for the purchase of a single item, unless prohibited by either coupon offer.
* The coupon amount must be reduced if it exceeds the value of the item after other discounts or coupons are applied. (For example, a $5.00 coupon for a $4.99 item will result in a $4.99 coupon value).
* When purchasing multiple items, Walgreens accepts multiple identical coupons for multiple qualifying items as long as there is sufficient stock to satisfy other customers, unless a limit is specified. Management reserves the right to limit the quantity of items purchased.

Buy One, Get One Free Coupons

* When items are featured in a Buy One, Get One Free promotion, up to two coupons can be used against the items being purchased, as long as the net price does not go below zero for the items being purchased.
* Sales tax must be paid for any Buy One, Get One Free coupon offers, if required by applicable state laws.

Internet/Print at Home Coupons

* Walgreens accepts valid internet/print at home coupons.

Register RewardsTM coupons

Earning Register RewardsTM

* Register RewardsTM will only print for in-stock merchandise during the promotional period.
* Register RewardsTM can only be earned for eligible items. No substitutions.
* There is a limit of one Register RewardsTM (RR) printed per offer per customer per transaction.
* Customers redeeming a Register RewardsTM against the same offer may not receive another RR.

Redeeming Register RewardsTM

* Customers redeeming a Register RewardsTM against the same offer may not receive another RR.
* Refer to Register RewardsTM coupon for expiration date.
* The RR coupon value cannot exceed the total purchase amount. No cash back and no cash value for RR coupon.
* The number of manufacturer coupons, including RR manufacturer coupons, must not exceed the number of items in the transaction.
* Register RewardsTM must be forfeited if the qualifying merchandise is returned.
* Register RewardsTM cannot be used toward the purchase of gift cards and pre-paid cards.
* Register RewardsTM can be redeemed for eligible items only. Ineligible items include but are not limited to:
*
o Prescriptions
o Tobacco products
o Alcoholic beverages
o Dairy products
o Lottery tickets
o Money orders/transfers
o Transportation passes
o Special event/entertainment tickets or passes
o Postage stamps
o Gift cards/phone cards/prepaid/Green DotTM cards
o Prescription Savings Club" memberships
o Health care services, including immunizations
o Any items prohibited by law

Print HERE

It's all about the savings!

Originally posted August 25, 2010
Ann at CouponsDealsandMore posted It's Not About the Money in which she discusses being frugal, and using coupons. Her post got me thinking that's it's all about the money for us.

We are a frugal family. I may not reuse a Ziploc bag--more likely, I will NOT use a Ziploc bag unless necessary. I prefer to use reusable Rubbermaid containers. We own wonder plastic food wrap from CostCo, which seals better than anything else I have used, but I will transfer the food to a Rubbermaid before sealing a serving bowl. When looking for a house we did not want an HOA. I will be hanging my clothes outside as long as the sun is out--the rest of the year, clothes are hung inside. While in the apartment, the only room for the clothes rack was in the dining area. We ate most meals right next to the hanging laundry--and there was always laundry with two little ones in cloth diapers. A large part of this is frugality and part environmentally conscious .

Clothes and household shopping is done on the clearance racks WITH at least a stackable 15% off coupon at Kohl's. Sometimes I shop JCPenny, but Kohl's is closer. Anything I buy is usually 70% off plus the extra 15%--the only charge card I have is for Kohl's to get the extra discounts. I have always made room for stockpiling childrens' clothes and I buy seasonal close-outs for the next year. For the most part that works out great, except last year, I gave up the battle and bought size 10s and 12s. Last November I lost some weight and am back in size 8s and smaller running 10s. Oops! My felling about buying at large discounts that if it does not fit the following year, the tags are still on and I can consign or yard sale them for about what I spent. Supposedly at Kohl's, as long as you have your original receipt, you can return an item, but I have not done a 9 month return.

24 pounds of blueberries!

Originally posted August 21, 2010

We were back at Gary's Place picking blueberries--over 24 lbs! I am still not a big fan of eating them, but they were so easy to pick. Row upon row of beautiful berry bushes! Here are my picking helpers taking a break.


As of this second, 2/3 of the harvest is in the second freezer and the rest are in the fridge to be frozen tomorrow. I used all the sheet pans and all my large cake pans. I need suggestions as to what to do with all those beautiful berries!

Gary's Place: U-Pick Blueberries 60¢/lb

Originally posted August 29, 2010
I don't care for blueberries, but I had fun picking berries with a friend and our kids at Gary's Place yesterday. I'm not a big fan of doing things I had never done before (yes, I currently lead a sheltered life), so going to a berry farm was out of my norm. I had passed Gary's last year and noticed the blueberry bushes right along the road and took mental note and then forgot. Thanks to Frugal Living and Heather for reminding me!

We will be going back today since my daughter wants to see more farms and I need more berries for jam. The blueberry bushes are over 30 years old and they are wonderful--easy to pick from! If you are interested in a nice outing that is completing kid friendly and will not break the bank head out to Brush Prairie and spend time in the blueberry bushes!

Gary's Place: 17509 NE 182nd Ave, Brush Prairie, WA 98606 Ph: 360.254.6126
As you are heading north, you will come to a 3-way stop in Hockinson--Gary's Place is about a mile north on the right. BTW~lots of yard sale signs up yesterday for sales today.

Planning Ahead: Pet Care

Originally posted August 13
Pet care has been budgeted at $45 a month: $5 a month goes in an envelope for every other month nail trims (long-ish story for another time), $25 for pet food and litter, and $15 stays in savings to be taken out at the vet via debit card when needed. Spending money on the cats is a sore issue with me and has been for some time. I used to be Menagerie on every forum I joined. At the height of our love for animals we had 3 cats, 2 birds, 2 degus, 2 gerbils, and 13 tanks of fish and crustaceans. That was BEFORE children. Between two moves, the fish took care of themselves, the gerbils lived a great gerbil life and passed away a few years ago, we said goodbye to my beloved cat, Spice, months before our daughter was born, one bird passed away five years ago and left her partner in serious need for companionship, so we found an incredible new home for him—outside sanctuary which is heated in the winter! That leaves us with 2 tanks of fish, 2 degus, and 2 cats.

Both Josie and Squirrel are seniors and on $40 cat food and when I have switched, I have been greeted by rash issues or a urinary tract problem and that added up to over $150 in vets bills quickly. I will not take them off this food and hope they do not need veterinarian specialty food as they get older, because they will need to get a job.

The cats have been indoors for half their lives. I do not like having outside kitties—too much can and does go wrong. As a child I lost a cat to a neighbor who did not care for cats and I spent a couple years as a veterinarian technician while an undergraduate and saw too much! When I met Professor, his kitty, Josie, loved being outdoors and was quite a hunter. We acquired Squirrel with our first apartment and she has been with us ever since. I will admit that there is no great emotional attachment to either of these cats since I was Spice’s human and then my daughter came along.

Josie has always been a sneaky and outright bold escaper and will go through legs, put up with getting caught in the door as it’s being closed, and will confidently walk up to the door and meow when company comes over. The last tactic has worked on my dad many times and out she goes. When we moved into the house with a lovely fenced yard, I did not have it in me to fight and let the cats outside.

When I came down stairs yesterday, I was greeted by a note instructing me to call the vet and make an appointment for Josie. I had not seen Josie, but the note indicated she had a swollen area on her face. Then I saw Josie. *sigh*


When Professor brought her back from the vet and I got over the $111.59 vet bill (plus she needs to go back next week), he said Josie is lucky to be alive. It is possible that she was bit by a possum or raccoon, which are known to live in an over grown weed and brush filled space that runs between our fence line and the neighbor behind us for at least three houses. This is the end of the great outdoors for the kitties and probably a twisted ankle for me. The cats are both trying to get out every time I go near a door. They may have to live in the garage until they settle down! We will be building a cat run that they can access from the garage and I’m hoping to have it built this weekend since Professor has taken some time off to work around the house. Believe me, there will be pictures and sad kitties!

Save Money: Christmas Shop Early

Originally posted August 9, 2010
One way I love to save money these days is by using social coupons. I told you about Groupon the other day, and today I am telling you about jasmere. Until 9 am Tuesday, you can buy a $50 voucher to Maple Landmark Woodcraft for $19 and the cost could go down! Once the deadline passes all the people who signed up for the deal are billed at the lowest price. (When I signed up for the $50 voucher, the price was $21.) How am I going to spend my $50 voucher to Maple Landmark Woodcraft that I am getting for 62% off? I picked out three toys my kids will love and are made in America, using American materials. Shipping will be a flat $5 when I redeem my voucher, which expires Dec 9! Go here to learn more about jasmere!




Information on Maple Landmark Woodcraft:

American Made, Naturally

America does make things! We pride ourselves in being one example, right here in Middlebury, Vermont. Maple Landmark is local, with local materials, not something that happens 10,000 miles away. We craft a wide range of toys and gifts which follow American standards of product safety, employee safety, and environmental protection. No shortcuts. There is still a need for children to learn basic manipulation and construction so we believe in time-tested toys for hands-on learning and exploration.

Effective Tool: Showtime Rotisserie

Originally posted August 5, 2010
Effective Tools are items that I cannot live without. They make my life easier and save me money. The Effective Tool itself my not have been a steal, but there are somethings I am willing to pay for...or put on my Christmas list.

I love my rotisserie--LOVE IT! We use it once a week, if not more. Both at the apartment and here at the house, the rotisserie lives outside and we use it all year long. I often make a whole chicken using BBQ sauce or whatever seasoning was free. This cooking method is too easy. The chicken takes about 15-20 minutes per pound, or about 1 1/2 hours for a 5 lb bird. I have noticed the outside temp may play apart in cooking time, or I started buying larger chickens at the time I noticed the increased cooking time. I always start the rotisserie at 1 1/2 hours and temp the chicken to see if it needs to cook longer. The rotisserie is also great for roasts, chicken thighs, chicken breasts, kabobs, and veggies. It is also an excellent way to cook many meats that I buy in the clearance section and have no idea what to do with--they can't all be made into pot roast or stew and who wants to have the oven on for hours in the summer?

We acquired this rotisserie as a wedding present six years ago. I am ashamed to say it sat and sat. We moved with it multiple times, always saying there was not enough counter space to use the rotisserie. I forget who said let's put it outside, but it has been such a blessing!

Getting 20 Swag Bucks a day is easy

Originally posted August 4, 2010
The kids and I played at the playground, went to Kohl's and Walgreens, had a late lunch, and then I cleared out part of the garage before making dinner. Not a lot of time to be on the computer! It's easy to get to 20 Swag Bucks. I earned 16 Swag Bucks searching today (10 and 6) and 3 for logging into the toolbar, checking out the surveys, and answering the daily poll. I also picked up 9 Swag Bucks from a code in the toolbar. I hit my goal of 20+ Swag Bucks--Good night!

Disclosure: The link to Swagbucks is my referral link–I get nothing if you sign up, but I do earn matching bucks when you get bucks searching, up to 1,000 per referral.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore

Originally posted July 23, 2010

Since moving into the house we have been shopping at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. This is an excellent resource for those who are flexible and looking to save money. I have been buying full gallons of paint (Behr, Miller, etc) for $5. Every once in awhile you will find more than one can of the same color, or be patient and find colors that complement each other. My daughter's room has a nice dark purple and cotton candy walls. For the trim, I found a can of semi-gloss purple. These may not be a designer's dream, but she is thrilled with her room and I saved a ton on paint. We have also bought a wheel barrow, ceiling fan, door knobs, and door hinges. Some items are new and some are used. You never know what you will find! I love going and looking. They also have some furniture, tile, doors, windows, sinks--anything you can think of for a house. Go in with an open mind and who knows what you will find! The other great thing is the discounts. Find out which color tags are 25% or 50% off, which change (monthly?). Happy Saving!

Portland Metro ReStore
66 SE Morrison St
Portland OR 97214
503.283.6247 Map

Clark County Habitat ReStore
5000 E 4th Plain Blvd
Vancouver, WA 98661
360.213.1313 Map

Hours
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday thru Saturday
donations until 4:30 p.m.

Jan 10, 2011

Gardening on the cheap--good and bad

Originally posted July 28, 2010
Now that summer is in full swing, gardening is on my mind. The house took a few months to get into, so I started tomatoes and cucumbers in Topsy Turvies at the apartment. The tomatoes made it, but the cucumbers did not and the squirrel that sat in the cucumber Topsy Turvy did not make the move with us--I wish he had!

The Sweet 100s are taking off and I am looking forward to red beautiful tomatoes! I don't love tomatoes, but Professor loves to eat them off the plant like candy. Putting tomatoes in salad and cooking with them are my favorite ways to eat them. For those with Topsy Turvies, or those contemplating using them, read the directions for best results. You really need to water daily, or even twice a day and fertilize weekly or every other week when the plant is in full growth and production mood. Watering can be a real chore. At the apartment we did not have access to an outdoor spigot and all the watering had to be done with a can. When you took into account the three TT and all the flowers in containers that was a lot of watering. I bought a big plastic watering can, which was great until I left it on the rotisserie and it melted. I bought a new plastic watering can and was very careful about checking what was on and around the rotisserie, until the kids turned it on and melted the second watering can. That's when I decided to invest in a good watering can. While at CostCo last spring, there was the watering can I was looking for price at $19.99! Yikes! I'm glad I bought it, as it will be around for years, provided we don't drive over it.

Now that we're at the house, watering has become more of a chore and one watering can will not suffice. Before the move, we had a hose that works great and we set it up in the front of the house to water the flowers and strawberries. The grass is a beautiful shade of light brown--I refuse to water it, but my plants look great! Anyway, we needed another hose for the back to water the tomatoes and other things we want to live. We go to the hardware store a lot, and the last time we were there, the light duty hose was 54% off. Great! A hose for under $5. I should have just put that $5 in my mouth and ate it. Never buy a light duty hose unless you never have to move it, or turn it on. It kinks and there is no rubber gasket, so the hose sprays water everywhere. I priced other hoses and had to pick my jaw up off the floor--$20 for a hose! ACK! My plan is to get by with the cheap hose until next spring when gardening items can be found on great sales and with rebates.

My favorite resale store for kids

Originally posted July 26, 2010
I'm not a complete pushover when it comes to my kids, but I REALLY wanted this wagon! The kids love it already (yes, it's HOT out and they wanted hoodies on). I found it while checking out Ready Set Grow on facebook. I know the owner, Heather, from church and have consigned with her in the past. I call Heather when I need something. When she doesn't have what I am looking for she looks for it. Heather has more children items, maternity, and baby equipment than she has room for in her shop, which recently doubled in size--and she's only been in business for two years! My kids love checking out the play kitchens and outdoor toys. When I needed a double jogger, I went to Ready Set Grow. I know I could check craigslist and garage sales, but I don't have the time or a car (most days). I stopped bringing my kids' clothing and toys to other consignment shops because Heather has the best cash or trade terms around with instant gratification. She buys or trades the spot--no credit to worry about and no check to wait for. Ready Set Grow: 10325 S.E. Mill Plain Blvd across from Walmart near 205 ready.set.grow @ hotmail.com (take out the spaces).

Remember when I said Heather will look for something she does not currently have in stock? In the photo, my daughter is holding an Elmo toy and my son is holding Oscar the Grouch socks from Ready Set Grow. My son loves Elm0 (my daughter loves to take his things) and Heather knows that.


These are 100% my opinions and I am not getting compensated for this post.

Holy Crap--I'm back!

Originally posted July 22, 2010
Aside from moving, I have simply been unable to access my site. This problem started a week or so before the move and was finally resolved yesterday. Yes, it is time to find a new host. So much I need to learn about computers and yet the children keep getting all my attention!

In the meantime it's time to think about back to school. But not too much! Keep your eyes open for BTS teapads of coupons and now IS the time to grab cheap BTS needs. Walgreens has some cheap items and Staples is going to be a great place for backpacks starting on 7/25. I will elaborate later.

Slow goings

Originally posted June 8, 2010
With buying a house comes many, many new issues for me. At first I thought the house was move-in ready, but then I started thinking. I haven't stopped thinking, which is unfortunate for Professor. I decided to paint every room in the house. We know the main living areas were recently poorly painted with colors I would have NEVER chosen and the trim/molding has not been repainted or cleaned in a l o n g time. Then I decided I wanted the carpet removed and solid flooring put down. Allergies are on my mind a lot lately and I would like a house that was not carpeted. Well, aside from can we even afford this, we probably do not have enough time to get flooring down before we move.

On the bright side, the refrigerator was delivered yesterday and now the kids can have cold apple juice while I'm painting.

Asking for what you want; then Waiting

Originally posted June 4, 2010
Professor and I are very limited between the space the fridge can go into and our budget, that only one fridge was available. I was ready to remodel the kitchen, but we have enough things going on. I know I did not get a screaming deal on the fridge--it was 10% off and there was a $40 mail in rebate (MIR) for this brand of fridge. The only problem with the MIR, was the date had expired two days before we bought the fridge, yet there were 3 signs up promoting the MIR. I pointed them out and was given the $40 discount on the spot. I liked that, plus it lessened sales tax! The fridge is listed for $629 and we bought it for $501.10.

I sat around waiting for this beauty to be delivered yesterday and finally called only to be told it was scheduled for June 10. WHAT?!? What a waste of time--I had already taken off all the outlet covers and removed as many nails from the walls as I could. So, I loaded up the kids and headed to my new favorite store.

Off My Game

Originally posted June 2, 2010
I spent more time at Home Depot and Lowes last week than I did at grocery stores and drug stores combined and it shows! There is about 3 oz of milk and NO bread in my apartment. It's raining AGAIN, so I will not walk to Fred Meyer. On top of all that, I let $12 in catalinas expire! It's really hard not having a car everyday. I cannot go out every night, or I never see Professor and I really like being around to put the kids to bed. Doing errands with the kids is becoming harder and harder. I hate to pay for a babysitter so I can go save money at the grocery and drug stores. :sigh: I'm full of complaints this morning. The kids ate peanut butter on a spoon and they each had a banana for breakfast. I'm kicking myself about the $12 in catalinas since I could have EASILY gotten fruit and bread for $12!!!

Saving for Christmas

Originally posted May 25, 2010
This picture does not fully represent my childhood Christmases--you can still see the base of the tree, but it does show off my beloved Spice. Anyway, Christmas at my house was BIG; there were 5 girls, plus mom, and my step dad. When I was in first grade the teacher told us there was no Santa. Of course I went home to confirm with my sister who was not even in school yet--my mom was mad at that teacher! I said it could not be true because mom would never spend that much on toys!

As we got older, Mom would buy things we had been eyeing for awhile, or surprise us with a piece of jewelry, or give us something we didn't know we needed (one year we were all gifted with a tape dispenser since mom was tired of us taking hers--I still have mine). Mom continues to do Christmas BIG and the family is growing! Mom never went into debt for Christmas. For her, it was shopping the sales, shopping the sales, and shopping more sales.

I want to have big, eye-popping Christmases for my kids; on the other hand, my husband had a very different experience and BIG was not part of his Christmas. When we took Financial Peace University last fall, with Christmas fast approaching, the class was left with the question--how much to spend on Christmas? Dave Ramsey gives guidelines (percentages) for every other category, but not gifts. A classmate was watching a morning news show and their financial adviser suggested 1.5% of your income for Christmas. Well, we did not and do not have $600 for Christmas. We took the 1.5% for a gift budget and applied it to yearly gift giving. $50 a month, which has been accumulating. This year, aside from birthdays,various holidays, and our anniversary, we have two weddings to attend. Well, I'm still not sure what gift professor will give his friends; for my sister, I will be making her wedding cake (and traveling 3,000 miles with the kids--that's gift enough!).

Back to saving for Christmas (and other gift giving occasions), I use Swagbucks. My goal is a minimum of 20 Swag Bucks a day. After every 450 Swag Bucks, I redeem for a $5 Amazon gift card. What can you do with $5? Build them up. Amazon allows many gift card codes to be entered; unlike Target, which limits you to 4. Last Christmas I spent the few gift cards I had, plus money from the gift giving budget, and always bought $25 to receive free shipping. I even bought a couple things right after Christmas and put them away for Easter!

If you start today with Swagbucks and earn 20 bucks a day, you will have 3,600 bucks by Christmas. That's 8 $5 gift cards for searching. I search for "yahoo mail" every morning and I am surprised how often that earns some bucks. Also, when I am searching, I go to the other pages--you can get bucks for looking at the other pages, or comparison shopping, or images, etc. You will not get swagbucks for every search, but use it as you normally use a search engine and you WILL see the bucks accumulate! I currently have 8 $5 Amazon gift cards ready to go. I did use some last month, and money from the kids' allowance budget, buying diaper liners and books for the kids. You need to know gift cards are posted around the 1st and 17th each month after you request them.

Disclosure: The link to Swagbucks is my referral link--I get nothing if you sign up, but I do earn matching bucks when you get bucks searching, up to 1,000 per referral.

Evolving Budget

Originally posted May 24, 2010
After 6 months of being on a budget, some things changed. My couponing/saving skills improved, I wanted to give more to charity, gas prices went up, our co-pay doubled, and my students loans were paid off (in part due to a gift from family and, thinking we were no where near ready to buy a house, we emptied our house savings fund). After we paid ourselves back, we took the money we would have spent on my student loans and applied them to Professor’s student loans, which are currently due to be paid off in April 2013.

As of this past April, our budget is as follows.
Giving
8.5% Charity 40.00
Church 260.00
Savings
19.8% House down payment 600.00
Retirement
Housing
26.6% Rent 985.00
Renter's insurance 13.00
Repairs, maintenance 40.00
Utilities
6.9% Electricity 88.00
Water 41.00
Phone 81.00
Trash 20.00
Cable 15.00
Food
8.1% Groceries, toiletries 200.00
Stockpile for groceries eliminated
Restaurants, take-out 60.00
Pet food, litter 25.00
Transportation
4.9% Gas 58.00
Maintenance, repairs, tires 50.00
Insurance 52.00
License 13.00
Car replacement
Clothing
1.3% Children 16.00
Adult 30.00
Medical
3.9% Doctor office visits 60.00
Portland Parking 4.80
Dentist
Optometrist
Prescriptions 45.00
OTC medications 10.00
Veterinarian 20.00
Personal
4.0% Life insurance 37.70
Baby sitter
Gifts 50.00
Professor's allowance 10.00
my allowance 10.00
Kid's allowance 10.00
Haircuts 25.00
Recreation
3.1% Entertainment--family 10.00
Vacation 100.00
Debt
12.8% Professor's Student Loans 450.00
my Student Loans eliminated
Spent Pay Period Total 3600.50
Income Actual Pay 3763.61

We are still not able to fund certain categories. Our rent has gone up because we went to month-to-month rent when we realized we could be serious about buying a house. Professor no longer gets any overtime, which has lessened extras at the end of the month. We still need to adjust for higher gas costs and the fact that I drive a lot more on the days I have the car; whereas last year, my little man was taking two naps a day and we rarely left the house.

The “Restaurants, take-out category” is also the budget that date nights come from. Once in a blue moon get take out an instead aim for two $30 meals or less per month, and free babysitting from a wonderful friend.

I would love to get the Pet food, litter category down, but the cats have nasty reactions to many, many foods, including Iams. They are not on a diet I need to buy at the vet--yet.

Being Comfortable

Originally posted May 23, 2010
Probably the worst thing about being comfortable is knowing it won’t last. I was up at 4:20 this morning. I tried to fall back asleep, but finally got out of bed at 5:40. The kids are not up. They might sleep in today since I am already up. For me, sleep goes out the window when change is coming. Big change is coming! We will sign for our house on Monday (tomorrow!). This means it will be time to redo our budget. We took Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University last fall and hammered out the following budget November 2009.
Giving
Church 260.00
Savings
House down payment 700.00
Retirement
Housing
Rent 885.00
Renter's insurance 13.00
Repairs, maintenance 25.00
Utilities
Electricity 88.00
Water 41.00
Phone 81.00
Trash 20.00
Cable 15.00
Food
Groceries, toiletries 300.00
Stockpile for groceries 20.00
Restaurants, take-out 60.00
Pet food, litter 20.00
Transportation
Gas 58.00
Maintenance, repairs, tires 50.00
Insurance 52.00
License 13.00
Car replacement
Clothing
Children 16.00
Adult 30.00
Medical
Doctor office visits 30.00
Portland Parking 4.80
Dentist
Optometrist
Prescriptions 45.00
OTC medications 10.00
Veterinarian 20.00
Personal
Life insurance 37.70
Baby sitter
Gifts 50.00
Professor's allowance 10.00
my allowance 10.00
Kid's allowance 10.00
Haircuts 25.00
Recreation
Entertainment--family 10.00
Vacation 100.00
Debt
Professor's Student Loans 150.00
my Student Loans 300.00

Spent Pay Period Total 3,559.50
Income Actual Pay 3,815.33

Not too bad; things in green are currently unfunded. We had some extra at the end of every month. I wish I could say it was put into savings, but I only have a vague idea where it went: going to the dentist ate up some and when our co-pay doubled in January, the extra was spent on that too. Also gas prices have gone up.

This budget is monthly and is meant to accumulate in most categories. When the insurance is due to car or rent, we pay all of it. Vacation is a bit high, but there are two out of town weddings coming up, and we all fly to NY every other Christmas. When this budget was written, we were credit card debt free and had doubled payments to my student loans. For those looking VERY closely, we only get $10 a month each for allowance and I had to insist that the kid's get 'allowance' money too, because I knew my money would be spent on them.

Look what was in the mail!

Originally posted May 18, 2010
Yesterday's mail was filled with two 2 TWO checks--Ebates and Opinion Outpost and samples.

I do not do every freebie that comes along, but some I can really use, or donate. Yesterday I received $13 from Ebates and $20 from Opinion Outpost. I also received free samples from Kraft, which came with some coupons and rebate form! In addition, some trial size Pantene for curly hair from VocalPoint.

I no longer buy a ton of things on-line, but when I need to get toner for the printer, I use Ebates. I have mentioned Opinion Outpost in the past; I do not spend hours doing surveys, but as the kids are watching Dinosaur Train, I knock out a few surveys. All money I make from rebates and surveys currently goes in a separate savings account to be used for storage at our new house. I found having a separate account is useful to keep that money from being spent on bills. Plus, it's AMAZING how quickly that account has grown!

Disclosure: links to Ebates and Opinion Outpost are referral links.

Time for ME

Originally posted May 10, 2010
My Mother’s Day gift to myself was a day of couponing by MYSELF. Professor was home with the kids and I finally got out of the house at 2 pm; my goal was no later than 11 am. I decided to go into the far away tax-free land and not fight traffic trying to get home, so the Prof and kids were on their own for dinner. This is the second time I have missed dinner—ever. I have been late a few times, but missing dinner is a big deal here. Clearly the mommy guilt is getting to me as I type this….
So, where did I go with all my free time?!?
1 Fred Meyer, 1 Target, 3 different Safeways, 2 Rite Aid (only bought at one--would have done more, but forgot some coupons and items I had rainchecks for are still not available!), and 1 Walgreens.
So, what did I get with all my free time (and coupons and catalinas)?!?


The break down in no particular order and not by store:
5 loaves bread
14 bottles Multi Surface Windex
8 Scrubbing Bubbles that look like aliens
2 refills for said aliens
3 Schick Hydro razors
4 Motrin PM
4 Dove Ultimate deodorant
1 EOS shave cream
2 Old Spice Odor Blocker
4 Tresemmé Fresh Start
2 18 count eggs
2 bags gummi bears (one did not make it into the picture since I ate them)
1 canola oil
1 Foster Grant kids sunglasses
2 Nexcare comfort bandages
2 Soft Scrub
2 Kotex U
4 Purex 3-in-1
1 Lipton to go
2 Welches 100% juice
2 Capri Sun
3 Wacky Mac
2 lbs strawberries
3.36 lb asparagus
Most of this will not stay in my home. I don’t know who will get it, but it cannot live here. The best part for me was coming home this evening in time to read stories and sing Snuggle Puppy to the kids and then having the apartment QUIET. I took all my purchases out and tallied up the totals.
So, what did I spend during all my free time?!?
Target: used $5.96 on a gift card and received a $5 gift card
Rite Aid: spent $4.56. I am still kicking myself because I forgot to hand over 2 $1 Kotex coupons!!! I will receive $5 in single check rebates.
Walgreens: used $3 Register Reward, spent 76¢, and received $5 RR
Safeway: used $36 in catalinas, spent $1.02, received $48 in catalinas (gave $3 to the lady behind me after my last transaction when I used the $10 off $50 coupon on a large order)
Fred Meyer: spent $2.70 on 5 loaves of bread and hung out at the coupon exchange basket for awhile
In cash I spent $9.04—technically, I spent $10 if you count the 96¢ difference in gift cards at Target. I will get back $5 from Rite Aid and I sill have catalinas to spend at Walgreens and Safeway.

Digging into Debt III: Oh Canada!

Originally posted May 10, 2010
Professor found a job and we were living well. We were delusional, but we were living well. We made it to Calgary with two fish tanks (complete with fish), two birds, and three cats. We had a nice two bedroom upper level of a house within walking distance to my research lab. Professor found a job in another research lab within a few months. We were back to a two income household with one new car (complete with car payments). We were starting to accrue credit card debt, but it was minimal and I paid more than the minimum. At the time, credit cards did not require much for the minimum and continued to send great balance transfer offers, which I used.
There were a few things we never accounted for such as registering the car in Alberta, opening bank accounts, but not being able to get a credit card (we used our American cards—DUMB! Hello transaction fees….). We had also lived in Idaho so long that we had not had to have credit checks for telephone service or cable in a long time. Since we had no credit history in Canada, we had to put down deposits for everything.
Digging into Debt
Digging into Debt II

My Budget for Effective Giving

Originally posted May 8, 2010

I do not know how much this cost me out of pocket, but sale prices before coupons for 35 Benadryl products, 5 Stayfree, and 5 Carefreewould was $189.55. If someone had told me last year that I would be able to give this much, and more, quality items away EVERY MONTH, I would not have believed them.
I like to give. I like big Christmases, big birthdays, big baby showers, etc. My giving has gotten me into trouble. Back when I didn’t have a budget and I would find great deals, I would buy them to give away. That did not work. Of course, back then I was not effectively couponing and spending around $400 a month on groceries.
Now that we are budgeted and Professor saw what I could do with coupons and sales last Christmas (to give away), we have a charity budget. Each month I go to the bank and withdraw cash and divide it into various envelopes. The grocery envelope gets $200 and the charity envelope gets $40; the only two envelopes I carry with me. Other envelopes for clothing, household, pet care, etc. are left at home, unless we are going out for those items. There are few impulse buys with this system.
I can get a lot for $40 a month and I pay more in Washington state sales tax than I do for the items I buy to give away. Tax is on the sale price—precoupon. OTC medicines are taxed and this is where the majority of my charity money goes. Food is not taxed, and food is a favorite item to give away.
Not all my giving is completely altruistic. I work on Single Check Rebates and accumulating purchases towards various rebates using items I buyto give away. Money from SCR and rebates go into a separate savings account and is not recycled back into the charity envelope. When I get catalinas worth money off my next purchase when buying items for charity, the catalinas are split; some buy food for my family and some go back to get more items for charity. My cereal crazyness last Tuesday required a little money up front: $3 for 4 boxes of cereal. Then I received $3 and $4 catalinas. After that, depending on what coupons I had, I would pay nothing or $1 for 4 boxes of cereal and I continued accumulating catalinas. I have not tallied all my Albertsons receipts from Tuesday, but I know there is still $5 in my charity envelope, which will get refilled on the 10th (Monday).
If you want to give, start with a budget. You can start with $5 a week, or month and see how far it goes. After some practice, you will find most of your charity money might go to pay sales tax too!