At Vons- When you spend $25 in one transaction on frozen food, you will receive $10 off your next purchase.
Keep your eyes peeled for other sales and specials throughout March at markets and shops that sell frozen food.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Hooray- Big Winners!
Our first Place winner is Brooke, who will receive a $10 CVS gift card and our second place winner is Yvonne, who will receive an awesome box of goodies!
The prizes will be mailed out this week!
Thanks to everyone who played!
The prizes will be mailed out this week!
Thanks to everyone who played!
Friday, February 26, 2010
$5 magazine.com gift cards
I have 5 $5 magazine.com gift cards.
Does anyone want one? THey are limit 1 per household and they are limited to new customers of magazines.com only.
I get All You magazine (my awesome frugal living/couponing magazine which is FULL of coupons) from them, for $19.97/year, which is 33% off the cover price.
If anyone is interested, please let me know and I can email you a code.
Does anyone want one? THey are limit 1 per household and they are limited to new customers of magazines.com only.
I get All You magazine (my awesome frugal living/couponing magazine which is FULL of coupons) from them, for $19.97/year, which is 33% off the cover price.
If anyone is interested, please let me know and I can email you a code.
Answers to the question: What steps have you taken toward your savings goals for 2010?
For those playing along at home: We are having a contest and to enter, you must post your answer to this question:
What steps have you taken toward your savings goals for 2010?
Yvonne, says, "We shut off our home phone (only cells), shop in bulk, clip coupons (yay!), buy more generic items, eat out much less, and carpool as much as we can! We are currently pricing switching to satelite tv rather than cable, but not sure if it will be cheaper yet or not because of the Internet..."
Leilani says," I took a small paycut ($70/mo) to save 800 a month in child care. We buy canned fruits to avoid throwing fresh fruit away. Eric makes us both lunch (healthier too!). Correction, I turned down the position because I just found out they wanted to cut my pay by more than I'd save in child care!!!"
PJ says, "I try to only buy items that are on sale or that I have a coupon for. I quit smoking. I go to the Target pharmacy to take advantage of their $4 prescriptions (they are $10 with my insurance anywhere else). No home phone, only cell. I try to buy only things I need. I trade my video games in when I want a new one. Upped my deductible to $500 from $100 to save on car insurance. Dye my hair at home. Buy books from used books stores. I only bring my lunch to work."
Brooke says, "I have found out at Verizon when I renewed my contract that the company I work for offers a discount. I had to show my paystub but scored an extra 10% off my bill each month. I of course coupon (whoop whoop). I also called Cox and negotiated $25 off my monthly bundle bill by taking advantage of television advertised specials or slightly cutting back on services like a little slower internet (we didn't notice the difference). Also, in an effort to declutter and cleanse for 2010 I place a small box in the living room out of the way and anytime I come across something I don't want, don't need or me or the kids have outgrown I toss it in the box. When it fills up I write "garage sale" and set it aside and start filling another. It's amazing how much junk you can live without and I'm planning a trip to the swapmeet in the spring to get rid of everything and use our earnings for extra fun at Disneyland."
Keep your responses coming in!
I'm picking 2 winners next Friday, the 26th! Post your responses either on my facebook or LJ (wherever you read the blog!).
What steps have you taken toward your savings goals for 2010?
Yvonne, says, "We shut off our home phone (only cells), shop in bulk, clip coupons (yay!), buy more generic items, eat out much less, and carpool as much as we can! We are currently pricing switching to satelite tv rather than cable, but not sure if it will be cheaper yet or not because of the Internet..."
Leilani says," I took a small paycut ($70/mo) to save 800 a month in child care. We buy canned fruits to avoid throwing fresh fruit away. Eric makes us both lunch (healthier too!). Correction, I turned down the position because I just found out they wanted to cut my pay by more than I'd save in child care!!!"
PJ says, "I try to only buy items that are on sale or that I have a coupon for. I quit smoking. I go to the Target pharmacy to take advantage of their $4 prescriptions (they are $10 with my insurance anywhere else). No home phone, only cell. I try to buy only things I need. I trade my video games in when I want a new one. Upped my deductible to $500 from $100 to save on car insurance. Dye my hair at home. Buy books from used books stores. I only bring my lunch to work."
Brooke says, "I have found out at Verizon when I renewed my contract that the company I work for offers a discount. I had to show my paystub but scored an extra 10% off my bill each month. I of course coupon (whoop whoop). I also called Cox and negotiated $25 off my monthly bundle bill by taking advantage of television advertised specials or slightly cutting back on services like a little slower internet (we didn't notice the difference). Also, in an effort to declutter and cleanse for 2010 I place a small box in the living room out of the way and anytime I come across something I don't want, don't need or me or the kids have outgrown I toss it in the box. When it fills up I write "garage sale" and set it aside and start filling another. It's amazing how much junk you can live without and I'm planning a trip to the swapmeet in the spring to get rid of everything and use our earnings for extra fun at Disneyland."
Keep your responses coming in!
I'm picking 2 winners next Friday, the 26th! Post your responses either on my facebook or LJ (wherever you read the blog!).
Today is the day! I'm picking a 2 winners!
Get in your answers!
What steps have you taken toward your savings goals for 2010?
Post your answer by midnight tonight!
I'm picking the winner before I shuffle off to bed tonight, and I'll have the prizes ready to go out Monday morning.
1st prize is a Bright and shiny $10 gift card to CVS!!
2nd prize is a box packed with awesome fro my stockpile.
Everyone who enters will receive a potluck envelope of coupons!
What steps have you taken toward your savings goals for 2010?
Post your answer by midnight tonight!
I'm picking the winner before I shuffle off to bed tonight, and I'll have the prizes ready to go out Monday morning.
1st prize is a Bright and shiny $10 gift card to CVS!!
2nd prize is a box packed with awesome fro my stockpile.
Everyone who enters will receive a potluck envelope of coupons!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
upcoming coupon train?
I have had a few more requests for another train.
Currently, we have an active train about halfway done, chugging it's way across the country (It's on it's way to Indiana right now!)
If you are interested in the next train, drop me an email or a message and let me know. If you are new to trains, here is how it works:
-I take all of the names and put them on a list that gets put into an envelope with the coupons. I mail it to person A, who takes what they want out, they add their unwanted coupons, then they mail the envelope to the next person on the list, and so on and so on.
-These trains are HUGE and long, there are usually 6-12 people participating, so it may take 2-3 weeks for you to get the envelope.
-There are usually between 50-100 coupons in the envelope, so postage will be $1.50-$2.00. The envelope may wear out, so you may have to replace it. I will try to include a couple extras in the original package, but by the time it gets to you, they may have been used.
-There will be duplicate coupons in the envelope. If you can use one, take one, but please don't take all of one kind.
-Coupon trains are like the take a penny, leave a penny tray at 7-11. If you take 3 coupons out, you need to put 3 coupons in. You can always add extras if you want.
-When you get the envelope, I ask that you remove the expired coupons before you pass it on to the next person. Don't include expired coupons with the coupons that you put into the envelope. The expireds you remove aren't part of the number of coupons that you add. Think of it as "cleaning house".
-Don't include junky coupons. No one wants joint juice, fish oil caplets, Depends or denture adhesive coupons. Really.
-Please don't keep the envelope longer than 4 days. There are others waiting.
-If you don't find anything you want in the envelope (it's pretty slim chances), pass it on to the next person on the list. Email me and let me know. I will try and find you some coupons that you can use. (I do get 4 sets of inserts per week!)
So, if you are interested, please let me know. I am collecting names and addresses now, and I am filling up an envelope with coupons!
Currently, we have an active train about halfway done, chugging it's way across the country (It's on it's way to Indiana right now!)
If you are interested in the next train, drop me an email or a message and let me know. If you are new to trains, here is how it works:
-I take all of the names and put them on a list that gets put into an envelope with the coupons. I mail it to person A, who takes what they want out, they add their unwanted coupons, then they mail the envelope to the next person on the list, and so on and so on.
-These trains are HUGE and long, there are usually 6-12 people participating, so it may take 2-3 weeks for you to get the envelope.
-There are usually between 50-100 coupons in the envelope, so postage will be $1.50-$2.00. The envelope may wear out, so you may have to replace it. I will try to include a couple extras in the original package, but by the time it gets to you, they may have been used.
-There will be duplicate coupons in the envelope. If you can use one, take one, but please don't take all of one kind.
-Coupon trains are like the take a penny, leave a penny tray at 7-11. If you take 3 coupons out, you need to put 3 coupons in. You can always add extras if you want.
-When you get the envelope, I ask that you remove the expired coupons before you pass it on to the next person. Don't include expired coupons with the coupons that you put into the envelope. The expireds you remove aren't part of the number of coupons that you add. Think of it as "cleaning house".
-Don't include junky coupons. No one wants joint juice, fish oil caplets, Depends or denture adhesive coupons. Really.
-Please don't keep the envelope longer than 4 days. There are others waiting.
-If you don't find anything you want in the envelope (it's pretty slim chances), pass it on to the next person on the list. Email me and let me know. I will try and find you some coupons that you can use. (I do get 4 sets of inserts per week!)
So, if you are interested, please let me know. I am collecting names and addresses now, and I am filling up an envelope with coupons!
Mint.com!
I just created a complete household budget using mint.com, and it was super easy. Mint.com uploads info from all of your bank account info (safely and securely- it's encrypted and all sorts of safe stuff- I double checked with our credit union) your credit card info, and even your car payment info (except if you have a Nissan auto loan :( ).
You can create a budget and see where all your money goes- in graph or chart form. Mint can also help you shop for a better deal on your credit card, money market, and bank accounts to save you more money if you are interested.
So we'll see how this goes- on paper it looks pretty do-able!
You can create a budget and see where all your money goes- in graph or chart form. Mint can also help you shop for a better deal on your credit card, money market, and bank accounts to save you more money if you are interested.
So we'll see how this goes- on paper it looks pretty do-able!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Mail call!!
WOO HOO!
A sample of Kashi Heart to Heart Warm Cinnamon Oat Cereal (which I just ate and boy was it freaking GOOD!!). It came with a coupon for a free box of cereal or crackers & 3 Save $1.50 off any one box of Kashi Heart to Heart Cereals or Crackers- expires 5*31*10.
I also received a sample of Best Food Mayonaise and a $1.00 off coupon that expires 2/28/10.
I received my P.F. Chang's Warrior Card today too!
Hooray!
A sample of Kashi Heart to Heart Warm Cinnamon Oat Cereal (which I just ate and boy was it freaking GOOD!!). It came with a coupon for a free box of cereal or crackers & 3 Save $1.50 off any one box of Kashi Heart to Heart Cereals or Crackers- expires 5*31*10.
I also received a sample of Best Food Mayonaise and a $1.00 off coupon that expires 2/28/10.
I received my P.F. Chang's Warrior Card today too!
Hooray!
Friday, February 19, 2010
Food waste- a big money waster!
Last week, when I was getting my monthly pedicure (my one splurge!), I was reading an article that stated the average American family of four throws away $25.00 in food a WEEK!
Wasted food equals wasted money.
Here are a few ways you can curtail food waste.
Eat your leftovers: this seems like a no brainer. When you divvy out your portions for dinner, make yourself your lunch for the next day. If you won't eat it right away, pop it into the freezer- label it, so you don't forget what it is.
When it looks like your fruit is about to go south, freeze it. This includes bananas! You can use defrosted bananas in banana bread or frozen bananas are great in smoothies. Other frozen fruit can also be used in smoothies.
Citrus fruits can be juiced and frozen or the juice can be consumed for breakfast or put in smoothies. I just juiced a dozen oranges tonight! Apples can be peeled cooked into applesauce or made into apple butter.
When I buy fresh tomatoes and they get just a little too ripe- I freeze them whole, then I bake them with chicken breasts and herbs and top with fresh parm- Yummy!
Buy less. I know it seems like a strange concept, especially with all of the really great deals you will be finding, but, the one proven way to waste less is to bring less home to waste.
Wasted food equals wasted money.
Here are a few ways you can curtail food waste.
Eat your leftovers: this seems like a no brainer. When you divvy out your portions for dinner, make yourself your lunch for the next day. If you won't eat it right away, pop it into the freezer- label it, so you don't forget what it is.
When it looks like your fruit is about to go south, freeze it. This includes bananas! You can use defrosted bananas in banana bread or frozen bananas are great in smoothies. Other frozen fruit can also be used in smoothies.
Citrus fruits can be juiced and frozen or the juice can be consumed for breakfast or put in smoothies. I just juiced a dozen oranges tonight! Apples can be peeled cooked into applesauce or made into apple butter.
When I buy fresh tomatoes and they get just a little too ripe- I freeze them whole, then I bake them with chicken breasts and herbs and top with fresh parm- Yummy!
Buy less. I know it seems like a strange concept, especially with all of the really great deals you will be finding, but, the one proven way to waste less is to bring less home to waste.
All You Magazine- Tips for saving money!
I love All You Magazine! It is available for sale at Wal*Mart. You can also purchase subscriptions at magazines.com.
Here are a few links to some helpful, money saving articles from All You.com
Six ways to make couponing easy
Six expert couponing tips
Find High Value Coupons online
Here are a few links to some helpful, money saving articles from All You.com
Six ways to make couponing easy
Six expert couponing tips
Find High Value Coupons online
Printable coupons from All You Magazine
Here area some great printable coupons from All You magazine!
Freebie Friday
You can get your FREE sample of their Highlander Grogg blend
It is a blend of caramel, butterscotch, and hazelnut. Select link that says "click here to receive a catalog and your free sample". Enter promo code: 21RR
Free bottle of Excedrin: Do not Select Excedrin as one of your choices.
Print coupon good for a free Banfield Pet Exam at PetSmart
Free Sample of Aveeno Shampoo and Conditioner
Crest White Strips
It is a blend of caramel, butterscotch, and hazelnut. Select link that says "click here to receive a catalog and your free sample". Enter promo code: 21RR
Free bottle of Excedrin: Do not Select Excedrin as one of your choices.
Print coupon good for a free Banfield Pet Exam at PetSmart
Free Sample of Aveeno Shampoo and Conditioner
Crest White Strips
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Contest- $10 CVS card!!
Everyone loves a good contest!
1st prize is a $10 CVS card, 2nd prize is a mystery HBA Box, packed full of goodies from my stash!
To enter, post a comment on my live journal (if you read the blog on LJ) or on facebook (if you read the blog on FB).
What I want to know is: What steps have you taken toward your savings goals for 2010?
It can be as simple as:
"I take my lunch to work 3 times a week" to "We cancelled our cable and wash all of our clothes in cold water and make our own laundry soap and grown our own veggies!"
I'll pick 2 winners next Friday, the 26th. In the meantime, In will be showcasing the responses.
1st prize is a $10 CVS card, 2nd prize is a mystery HBA Box, packed full of goodies from my stash!
To enter, post a comment on my live journal (if you read the blog on LJ) or on facebook (if you read the blog on FB).
What I want to know is: What steps have you taken toward your savings goals for 2010?
It can be as simple as:
"I take my lunch to work 3 times a week" to "We cancelled our cable and wash all of our clothes in cold water and make our own laundry soap and grown our own veggies!"
I'll pick 2 winners next Friday, the 26th. In the meantime, In will be showcasing the responses.
use it up, wear it up, do without- Lessons in using the stockpile
In my effort to use up what we have at home, I decided to make jam the other night.
Steph came over, and we made strawberry/blackberry jam, or as we called it "$6.00 Jam", since that was the grand total cost of the ingredients.
Sure Jell Pectin - I bought the liquid kind in pouches. 2 pouches in a box for 99 cents at 99 Cents Only. 1 pouch makes a batch of jam. .50 for Pectin.
5 cups crushed berries. 2 bags blackberries/strawberries mixed from 99 Cents only, and 3 baskets of blackberries from 99 Cents only, they were 3 for 99 cents. Total for Fruit: $2.97
Sugar: I have a huge bag of sugar, we estimated it cost about $2.50 for the sugar. 7 cups of sugar.
Basically, you follow the directions of the package, which are: Heat the fruit and sugar together until they boil so hard that you cannot stir the boil down, add the pectin while stiring. stir frantically for a minute. Remove from heat and ladle into clean, hot jars. wipe the mouth of the jar off and screw on, clean, hot lids-TIGHTLY. Immediately turn the jars upside down and set them on a clean, dry level counter overnight. The canning jars will vacuum seal. If you are cooking a high acid food (tomatoes) you will need to process them in a hot water bath- read the directions on your recipe!!!
We got about 8 quarts of jam out of the batch.
If anyone would like to get together and make jam or preserves in the spring, it is a great activity to do with friends. It's fun, it's in expensive, and everyone leaves with fun memories and something YUMMY!!
Steph came over, and we made strawberry/blackberry jam, or as we called it "$6.00 Jam", since that was the grand total cost of the ingredients.
Sure Jell Pectin - I bought the liquid kind in pouches. 2 pouches in a box for 99 cents at 99 Cents Only. 1 pouch makes a batch of jam. .50 for Pectin.
5 cups crushed berries. 2 bags blackberries/strawberries mixed from 99 Cents only, and 3 baskets of blackberries from 99 Cents only, they were 3 for 99 cents. Total for Fruit: $2.97
Sugar: I have a huge bag of sugar, we estimated it cost about $2.50 for the sugar. 7 cups of sugar.
Basically, you follow the directions of the package, which are: Heat the fruit and sugar together until they boil so hard that you cannot stir the boil down, add the pectin while stiring. stir frantically for a minute. Remove from heat and ladle into clean, hot jars. wipe the mouth of the jar off and screw on, clean, hot lids-TIGHTLY. Immediately turn the jars upside down and set them on a clean, dry level counter overnight. The canning jars will vacuum seal. If you are cooking a high acid food (tomatoes) you will need to process them in a hot water bath- read the directions on your recipe!!!
We got about 8 quarts of jam out of the batch.
If anyone would like to get together and make jam or preserves in the spring, it is a great activity to do with friends. It's fun, it's in expensive, and everyone leaves with fun memories and something YUMMY!!
Do something good with couponing!
Many time you will see match up scenarios for food items that have a ZERO OOP, but it isn't food you would eat.
If you have the coupons and the extra space in your cart, pick up a few free items, and consider donating them to your locate food bank or pantry.
The San Diego Food Bank has teamed up with Pat and Oscar's, and they are collecting non-perishable food at San Diego Pat and Oscar's Locations. For those who donate, there are great incentives, such as free food. Check out their Facebook page for more info.
I picked up a few free cans last week, and I will be dropping them off at the Mission Valley P&O's over the weekend.
If you don't have any food in your cupboard, but still want to help out: Pat and Oscar's is going to donate 10% of a day's proceeds from its ten restaurants to the San Diego Food Bank on March 1st. Check that out!
If you have the coupons and the extra space in your cart, pick up a few free items, and consider donating them to your locate food bank or pantry.
The San Diego Food Bank has teamed up with Pat and Oscar's, and they are collecting non-perishable food at San Diego Pat and Oscar's Locations. For those who donate, there are great incentives, such as free food. Check out their Facebook page for more info.
I picked up a few free cans last week, and I will be dropping them off at the Mission Valley P&O's over the weekend.
If you don't have any food in your cupboard, but still want to help out: Pat and Oscar's is going to donate 10% of a day's proceeds from its ten restaurants to the San Diego Food Bank on March 1st. Check that out!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Here's an awesome Blog!
Check out Maria's blog at: http://maria-esmeralda.blogspot.com/
She's an San Diego, CA local too.
She has a lot of great match-ups (especially for Rite-Aid, which I don't follow, but they have some pretty good deals and the single rebate check).
She's an San Diego, CA local too.
She has a lot of great match-ups (especially for Rite-Aid, which I don't follow, but they have some pretty good deals and the single rebate check).
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Mail Call!
In the mail in the past couple days, I have received:
From Vive Mejor: A Free sample of Caress exfoliating shower gel and a coupon for $1.00 off exp. 2/28/10
A coupon for a free Yo Crunch Yogurt. There was a promo at Halloween, mail in 3 candy wrappers (from trick or treating) and you can receive a coupon for a free yogurt.
And the new All You Magazine arrived today. Over $75 in coupons, including an entire page of Pedigree dog food coupons- I'm clipping them just for you Brooke!!
From Vive Mejor: A Free sample of Caress exfoliating shower gel and a coupon for $1.00 off exp. 2/28/10
A coupon for a free Yo Crunch Yogurt. There was a promo at Halloween, mail in 3 candy wrappers (from trick or treating) and you can receive a coupon for a free yogurt.
And the new All You Magazine arrived today. Over $75 in coupons, including an entire page of Pedigree dog food coupons- I'm clipping them just for you Brooke!!
No coupons tomorrow
Just a reminder! This weekend (for most) is a 3 day weekend and a holiday and there are no coupon inserts on the holiday weekend. A little Birdy told me that there will be a Red Plum Insert!
If you live in San Diego/So Cal., remember Red Plum doesn't come in the paper. It will come with your "Bulk Mail" (junk mail) on Tuesday.
No Mail Monday- The Post office is Closed!
If you live in San Diego/So Cal., remember Red Plum doesn't come in the paper. It will come with your "Bulk Mail" (junk mail) on Tuesday.
No Mail Monday- The Post office is Closed!
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