We have a couple of bakery outlet in our town. I prefer the Orowheat/Entenmanns Outlet. I rarely buy bread anywhere else. Between their heavily discounted prices, my punchcard, monthly store coupons and free item incentives, I get bread for CHEAP. Many items are well below 50% of grocery store prices. With a ridiculously low minimum purchase ($6 I think) they start handing out free stuff. Late in December when I visited last they gave me a calendar with 2 coupons per month.
Today I got:
2 loaves Orowheat HeathFUL
1 loaf Cinnabon Raisin Bread
1 loaf Milton's Healthy Whole Grain
1 loaf Orowheat 7-Grain
1 package Thomas' English Muffins
1 large whole wheat Boboli crust
1 24-pack Orowheat Sandwich Thins
2 pkgs. Taco Seasoning (.59 ea)
My total for everything was $10.24. Deal, yes?
Do you have a bakery outlet in your area? It's worth the trip. Just make sure you have room in your freezer before you go!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
How I Organize My Coupons
I've had some requests for pictures showing how I keep my coupons organized. Well, here in my first video post, I'll show you! I made it with my iPhone, so sorry it's a little wobbly and narrow, but the info is there!
Dropbox
I don't just like saving money, I like saving time, too!
I take a lot of pictures with my iPhone. I like to share them on Twitter, Facebook, my blogs and my digital scrapbooks. I found a way to get those pics off my phone and into my laptop and my PC without a USB cord, thumb drive or disc!
I downloaded a FREE program called Dropbox. There is also a Dropbox app for my iPhone. Basically, from my phone I just open the app, click "photo" and choose a picture to "drop" in the "box." Later, using either one of my computers, I just click on the Dropbox icon and a folder opens that contains everything in my box.
I can share files between computers very easily! I can even drag a file from the box to my Twitter client or Picasa on the web!
I have found other uses as well. I keep many recipes in my computer. I sometimes find a good one in a magazine, and after trying it out on the family I type it into my laptop. I used to have to copy the document to a thumb drive and carry it upstairs to my PC and copy it to my recipe folder there, but now I just drop it in my box and voila! I have all of my hundreds of recipes on both computers! I can start writing a blog post offline, and continue it on my other computer later.
There are zillions of uses for this FREE program that I can think of, and I'm not even in the business world! You can even share files with other people using Dropbox. Just click the link to get your own Dropbox.
I take a lot of pictures with my iPhone. I like to share them on Twitter, Facebook, my blogs and my digital scrapbooks. I found a way to get those pics off my phone and into my laptop and my PC without a USB cord, thumb drive or disc!
I downloaded a FREE program called Dropbox. There is also a Dropbox app for my iPhone. Basically, from my phone I just open the app, click "photo" and choose a picture to "drop" in the "box." Later, using either one of my computers, I just click on the Dropbox icon and a folder opens that contains everything in my box.
I can share files between computers very easily! I can even drag a file from the box to my Twitter client or Picasa on the web!
I have found other uses as well. I keep many recipes in my computer. I sometimes find a good one in a magazine, and after trying it out on the family I type it into my laptop. I used to have to copy the document to a thumb drive and carry it upstairs to my PC and copy it to my recipe folder there, but now I just drop it in my box and voila! I have all of my hundreds of recipes on both computers! I can start writing a blog post offline, and continue it on my other computer later.
There are zillions of uses for this FREE program that I can think of, and I'm not even in the business world! You can even share files with other people using Dropbox. Just click the link to get your own Dropbox.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Daily Deals Sites
I use Groupon quite a bit, and Living Social once in a while to get great deals on dining, entertainment, recreation, and more. Now Google is developing a similar service. Details here.
Recently I've scored a $20 Amazon.com gift card for $10 on Living Social, and half price deals on wine tasting, spa services, Children's Museum admission and dining. If you don't get Groupon's Daily Deals, sign up here.
Recently I've scored a $20 Amazon.com gift card for $10 on Living Social, and half price deals on wine tasting, spa services, Children's Museum admission and dining. If you don't get Groupon's Daily Deals, sign up here.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
New Year, Same Resolution
Now that my schedule is back to normal, I am refocusing on my homemaking and shopping skills. My resolution last year was to never pay full price for anything if I could help it. I'm sticking with that again.
Thankfully, during the last quarter of 2010 when my life was insanely busy and stressful, I didn't have to worry about running out of any basics, because I was so well stocked from shopping the deals over the summer. Household expenses stayed in budget, but we did go overboard on eating out, and I splurged a bit on Christmas gifts. Despite all that, we remain debt-free, except for our mortgage, and have savings in the bank.
Now that my stockpile is shrinking it's time to spend some quality time with my Google Reader. The frugal bloggers I follow do most of the work for me, and all I really do is pick and choose from deal scenarios that they post and click coupon and freebie links that they provide. I do like to browse the sale flyers on my own, just because I like to, and sometimes pick up items with my savings that aren't listed on the blogs.
The end of the year brought some freebies to my mailbox. I got two kinds of coffee, dog food, lotion, dental care, and rebate certificates. Not pictured, a free sample of guinea pig food.and $105 in Amazon.com rewards!
Now that we're into the second week in January, I am ready to begin my search for a new big screen TV and BluRay player. January and February are good months for sales on TVs. I am hiring a friend's husband to help me choose, and to install our new home entertainment system. I'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, I'm saving my electronics sales flyers.
I have done very well at CVS so far, except that those ECB deal items fly off their shelves. I was unable to work one deal last week because four different CVS stores were out of stock on Wisk. I'm in no danger of running out of laundry detergent this month, so I'll just keep watching the sales.
Here are the deals I've run so far:
Last week:
TARGET Quaker Quick Oats $1.92 MQ $1, TQ $1 FREE
Kraft shredded cheese (8 oz) $2 MQ $1 $1 ($2/lb)
Simply Juice (32 oz) 2/$3
WAGS Sensodyne, Extra Gum, sugarfree candy, & mushrooms. With coupons and sale prices I
paid $13.77 OOP with a 47% savings. Not my best trip to Wags, but the hubby needed
his special toothpaste and it was B1G150% and I had coupons.
JC PENNEY Katie needed black pants for school. She found 2 pairs on sale and I picked up a
turtleneck shirt for myself. With sale prices and a text coupon code we saved 58.22%.
VONS I bought only sale items, and had coupons for most. Highlight was Honey Nut Cheerios
and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereals for the girls for ..79 per box. My savings were 48%.
I also submitted a MIR for $5 from Naked Juice.
CVS Awesome ECB deals which I rolled to this week:
3 Frosted Mini Wheats 3/$10
1 Excedrin PM (20 ct) $4.99 MQ 3.50
1 Excedrin Extra Strength (20 ct) $5.39 MQ for FREE bottle
1 Excedrin Back and Body (100 ct) $9.79 MQ $1
Used $5/$30 CVS Q and $5 ECBs (quarterly reward)
Paid $10.86 OOP and got $14 ECBs back! I made $3.14. Before ECBs my savings were 69%
TODAY: CVS
Scott paper towels 10 pack $10 MQ $1
Cottonelle Toilet Paper 24 dbl rolls $10 MQ .50
Cottonelle Wipes 42 ct $2 MQ .50
Kleenex 110 ct 3-pack bundle $3 MQ $1
2 bottles Diet Coke 20 oz $1.59 ea CVS Q BOGO
Used $14 ECBs (wishing i had a $5/25)
Paid $12.16 OOP and got $10 ECBs back. Savings before ECBs was 71%
So far, I have spent $23.02 OOP at CVS, but I still have $10 ECBs which don't don't expire until 2/9. There are some other good deals there now, but nothing I need. I'm going to be looking for laundry soap deals. I have a hard time finding deals that work for HE detergent, and when I do the stores always seem to sell out before I get there.
Thankfully, during the last quarter of 2010 when my life was insanely busy and stressful, I didn't have to worry about running out of any basics, because I was so well stocked from shopping the deals over the summer. Household expenses stayed in budget, but we did go overboard on eating out, and I splurged a bit on Christmas gifts. Despite all that, we remain debt-free, except for our mortgage, and have savings in the bank.
Now that my stockpile is shrinking it's time to spend some quality time with my Google Reader. The frugal bloggers I follow do most of the work for me, and all I really do is pick and choose from deal scenarios that they post and click coupon and freebie links that they provide. I do like to browse the sale flyers on my own, just because I like to, and sometimes pick up items with my savings that aren't listed on the blogs.
The end of the year brought some freebies to my mailbox. I got two kinds of coffee, dog food, lotion, dental care, and rebate certificates. Not pictured, a free sample of guinea pig food.and $105 in Amazon.com rewards!
Now that we're into the second week in January, I am ready to begin my search for a new big screen TV and BluRay player. January and February are good months for sales on TVs. I am hiring a friend's husband to help me choose, and to install our new home entertainment system. I'll keep you posted, but in the meantime, I'm saving my electronics sales flyers.
I have done very well at CVS so far, except that those ECB deal items fly off their shelves. I was unable to work one deal last week because four different CVS stores were out of stock on Wisk. I'm in no danger of running out of laundry detergent this month, so I'll just keep watching the sales.
Here are the deals I've run so far:
Last week:
TARGET Quaker Quick Oats $1.92 MQ $1, TQ $1 FREE
Kraft shredded cheese (8 oz) $2 MQ $1 $1 ($2/lb)
Simply Juice (32 oz) 2/$3
WAGS Sensodyne, Extra Gum, sugarfree candy, & mushrooms. With coupons and sale prices I
paid $13.77 OOP with a 47% savings. Not my best trip to Wags, but the hubby needed
his special toothpaste and it was B1G150% and I had coupons.
JC PENNEY Katie needed black pants for school. She found 2 pairs on sale and I picked up a
turtleneck shirt for myself. With sale prices and a text coupon code we saved 58.22%.
VONS I bought only sale items, and had coupons for most. Highlight was Honey Nut Cheerios
and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereals for the girls for ..79 per box. My savings were 48%.
I also submitted a MIR for $5 from Naked Juice.
CVS Awesome ECB deals which I rolled to this week:
3 Frosted Mini Wheats 3/$10
1 Excedrin PM (20 ct) $4.99 MQ 3.50
1 Excedrin Extra Strength (20 ct) $5.39 MQ for FREE bottle
1 Excedrin Back and Body (100 ct) $9.79 MQ $1
Used $5/$30 CVS Q and $5 ECBs (quarterly reward)
Paid $10.86 OOP and got $14 ECBs back! I made $3.14. Before ECBs my savings were 69%
TODAY: CVS
Scott paper towels 10 pack $10 MQ $1
Cottonelle Toilet Paper 24 dbl rolls $10 MQ .50
Cottonelle Wipes 42 ct $2 MQ .50
Kleenex 110 ct 3-pack bundle $3 MQ $1
2 bottles Diet Coke 20 oz $1.59 ea CVS Q BOGO
Used $14 ECBs (wishing i had a $5/25)
Paid $12.16 OOP and got $10 ECBs back. Savings before ECBs was 71%
So far, I have spent $23.02 OOP at CVS, but I still have $10 ECBs which don't don't expire until 2/9. There are some other good deals there now, but nothing I need. I'm going to be looking for laundry soap deals. I have a hard time finding deals that work for HE detergent, and when I do the stores always seem to sell out before I get there.
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