Saying goodbye to a year that in some ways wasn't

Depending on how tomorrow goes, this could very well be my last post of 2009.

I just checked our savings account statements. On Dec. 31, 2008, we had "x" in the bank. This was nearly a month after my husband's layoff. Today, despite everything we have been through, and including the purchase of a new car, and major home repair work, our savings account balance is "x+$1,279." Not bad. The high water mark was on May 30 (two weeks after my layoff) when we had "x+11,714."

We started the year with zero credit card debt. Until yesterday this was the case as well. But the holidays and other expenses (weddings, flights, other unplanned repairs) added up. We could easily pay the Discover off, but I decided the peace of mind I have from seeing a balance that would pay for a real emergency, should one arise, was worth the $30 I would pay (yes, I called to find out exactly how much it would be) to carry the balance. Not happy about it, but you do what you have to. I don't expect to carry it long.

Many of the things we did this year seem like common sense to me. We do not eat out that much, and our gifts to one another for birthdays or holidays have centered more around thought than extravagance or price. I have grown to love my crockpot, and making spaghetti sauce is a favorite. Freecyle has become one of my favorite things to do (both in the giving and getting departments).

This will sound odd, but in many ways I am glad we experienced what we did. It has certainly taught me to appreciate our many blessings (and that's exactly what they are) far more than I think I did before. We have a beautiful son and our health. No matter how much I complain about our 800 sf of love, at the end of the day, we have a roof over our heads and a perfect night for me really is sitting on the couch watching tv or playing a game with my husband. I am even content for him to play his mindless video games (which I will never understand) if I can read a book or the newspaper. I look at many people who have much more of material value and wonder if they are truly as content?

Looking forward to 2010, we are going to have to do some serious soul-searching and planning as to what we want (now that the needs are taken care of). I want to get our savings back up. While we have about a three-month emergency fund in place, I would like to make this six. I would also like to have money for a down payment (one day!) for a larger home. A girl can dream. Regardless of whether we buy or rent, I hope and pray Santa visits us in a larger place than we are in now. Our living room looks like Santa's toybag EXPLODED everywhere, and up until this morning when the trash went out, our kitchen was overflowing with boxes.

I would like my husband to be able to contribute more to his 401k. While his new job pays a fair amount more than my last job did, we are actually making less because his health insurance benefits are atrocious compared to what I received. I had known my old benefits were good, I had no idea they were that good!

We would like at some point for our son to be a big brother. I don't dare look into what the cost of raising a child is according to the experts. But in this same vein we need to begin working on his college 529, something that took a back seat in May.

As many of you know I like to read the newspaper, old habits die hard what can I say. I'll admit reading this article in Sunday's Wash Post Business section (which has become one of my favorite sections -- even if I don't get to read until Tuesday night), made me jealous. These kids have no idea how lucky they are, I can only dream to have the savings they do. And we will be paying off my student loans until our son starts college -- no that is not an exaggeration.

But then I read this article, also from Sunday Biz section, and I saw a lot of us in the couples they profiled. We have shopped around and I did threaten to leave Comcast if they didn't reduce our rates. They did. And our rate is now cheaper. Next up on the chopping block in the new year, car insurance and cell phone plans. I'll keep you posted.

My sister-in-law said me to once they did not get worried about us (too much, that is) last summer because we did not seem worried or upset. I really did have faith, and I still do. Whatever is meant to happen, as long as I have my husband, my son and our health, we will be ok.

I am human though, I don't understand paying $200 to watch a football for teams you don't care about. And I will never get the need to have the newest shoes, makeup or purses (Vera Bradley and Clinique make nothing off of me). But as 2009 chugs on out into the history books, I know now more then ever that we as a family unit are richer in many of the ways that matter most: our strong family and friends, and each other. For that, I am and always will be eternally grateful!

Happy 2010! See you on the flip side...

I'll be ready for Cathy's cookie party next year...

The good people at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board sent me my cookie recipe notecards today. I mentioned the deal in an earlier post. The eight color notecards are detachable and will fit nicely in my cook book. And while it probably tells me to use salted butter, I will stick with my unsalted variety...but the recipes look yummy!!!

More prep work for 2010

I caught the tail end of this segment on the Today show this morning. I have often thought about doing this, and I think now that I have seen it and am writing about it here, I WILL!

I have found that in the areas where I have been able to sucessfully organize things, right now that's the kitchen, I have be grateful and consistent. While I do balance my checkbook and religiously review online statements, every little bit helps.

Not Eggo, but...

Harris Teeter will end its Long Term deal on its own version of frozen waffles tomorrow night. The price for a 10 pack is $1.37! Honestly I can't tell the difference. And since Eggo is having serious problems this winter at its facilities which have resulted in their not having Eggos to ship, now might be the time to ween your child off the brand name, when they have no choice.

(If you really must have Eggo though, the HT in Shirlington, Va has a whole freezer full!)

...And we are back

Just a note to say hello and apologize for the long down time. Tried blogging from my husband's blackberry but that didn't work, and my computer access was limited this past week. I hope you all had a great Christmas and aren't dreading your January credit card statements too much.

I will be posting this week, when The Monkey allows it (our home looks like a box convention right now) and promise to back up and in full swing in 2010.

Thanks for reading!

Coupons on the rise in 2009..and my new fav store

I know, file that under, "tell me something I don't already know." But this article was in the Baltimore Sun today and I thought appropriate.

I have found in the last three days some retailers have different takes on coupons that are not physically present at the time of purchase. The Old Navy store refused to offer my 30% coupon on Friday, despite having the code, because they said they need it "for their records." We are headed to visit the inlaws today, and need to get oil changed before the 9 hour journey. Our dealership Landmark Honda, has a promotion online and I called in advance. They said they would honor it, despite the fact we are unable to print out coupon.

Moral: Call and ask in advance, and you are likely to have better luck with smaller independent shops who want your business as opposed to big box chains.

Speaking of Big Box chains, I am adding REI to my list of favorite stores for customer service. They are top notch! As the "light dusting" we experienced this weekend was approaching on Friday, I went to five stores seeking toddler boots for our 18 mo son. I knew REI would be nauseatingly expensive, but I had no choice. Sure enough, when I got there, the boots were $40 and they WERE THE LAST PAIR! I didn't have The Monkey with me, so had to guess.

When I asked about their return policy, fearing they would say once you take them out of the store, tough cookies, the sales associate told me they had a 100% guarantee.

"Let him run around in the snow, if they don't fit or he hates them, you can return them," he said.

This was a tremendous load of my shoulders. Prior to the emergency black shoes I needed for the wedding last month, I can't tell you the last time I spent $40 on an item of clothing (including shoes) for me. I was willing to pay for them, IF THEY WORKED, but was sick that they would be too small, too big, or just downright uncomfortable and we would be on the hook.

Fast forward: We get a blizzard, and shoes are too small for The Monkey. He was miserable in them. I returned them yesterday to REI and they did not blink an eye. Boots returned. Money back. All is good in the world.

REI has made me a shopper for life, so thanks!

Sound advice

I am going to write sometime in the next 11 days about our New Years resolutions as they relate money. But this article today in the Washington Post is a good starter.

$10 off $20 purchase at Buca di Beppo

Click here for coupon. It's good until after the new year!

Thanks Kansas City Penny Pinchin' Mama, who has more info on another deal from BdB here.

The Limited 40% off EVERYTHING

Enter code 475 at checkout. This is good for online only, expires today (12/20).

Restaurant.com 80% off

Offer expires Monday, Dec. 21. Enter code SANTA. This means gift certificates valued at $25, cost $3!

Lands End -- Final Day before Christmas

25% off everything ends TODAY (12/20). Free Shipping, No minimum to order, must have order placed by 11 pm CST on Monday, 12/21.

Red Envelope By Christmas FREE

Ends tomorrow (12/21) at 3 pm EST. With $50 spent, free shipping guaranteed. Use code SHOP50

Magazine deals -- final sale before Christmas

Amazon has cut the prices of a few more magazines just in time for last minute shoppers who were either procrastinating or were snowed in. Prices good from now through Dec. 26.

$5/year subscriptions:
Southern Living
Golf Magazine
Coastal Living
Essence
Health
This Old House
Sunset

$10/year subscriptions:
InStyle
Entertainment Weekly

Click here for full details.

Zhu Zhu pets...

Toys R Us just sent out an email guaranteeing at least 100 of the most wanted Christmas toys this year at *each* TRU location beginning tomorrow (Fri) at 6 am!

Click here for the entire ad and other TRU deals this weekend.

FREE lip balm from Bath & Body Works

Click here for printable coupon.

FREE recipes, Wisconsin Style

I know some of my favorite ladies will appreciate this offer.

(Thanks Kansas City Penny Pinchin' Mama!)

FREE Crock Pot cookbook

I have the first edition of this recipe collection in hard copy. This is the 2nd edition in Kindle format. Not a Kindle user, neither am I. But Amazon lets you download the software for FREE to your computer and then you download free book. I just did it, and it took less than 5 minutes. I am not sure this is a great gift, but its definitely a good resource for you to have. I *LOVE* my crockpot!

Click here

World Market Coupon

$10 off purchases of $30 or more. Click here.

(Thanks BeCentsable!)

THURSDAY is free shipping day at 700+ stores

Click here for more info. Some stores require a minimum purchase, while others do not.

The cost of Christmas

Suze drives me nuts, you know the money helper that seems to be EVERYWHERE on tv. I usually turn her off when I see her or change channel. This morning I couldn't though because I didn't have time to find the remote.

In this clip from the Today show when she is on with the even more annoying Kathie Lee Gifford, Suze makes some good points that are worth sharing.

1) Return gifts you hate for the money.

2) Don't go in to a store today and buy something because you feel you have to. The stores are going to begin marking up prices to make back some of the money they lost these last few weeks. They know you are coming and will pay the extra money on an impulse buy. Resist the urge.

3) Give a gift of the heart. Ask yourself about the gifts you received last year. What did you get? She says, and I find this to be true. The gifts that had the most time/thought put in them mean the most -- the ones that cost the most, not so much. Example, last year right when my hubby was first laid off, we decided to seriously cut back on gifts. He gave me a crock pot cookbook, and thats it. I LOVE to cook, and I cherish this $15 book.

Just some food for thought.

What everyman needs

A tool kit with a flashlight on eBay today, for only $9.99! Click here.

Bath & Body Works FREE items

On their website today, you can get free gifts when you order from a specific list. It does not appear these are dopey trial sizes either, but real honest to goodness gifts. Shipping isn't free, but it is $3 flat fee (with code SHIP3 and $50 in purchases). They are also guaranteeing delivery by Christmas.

New York & Co -- up to 75%

They are guaranteeing delivery by Christmas. Check their website here for codes and deals, including buy one get one 75% off!

Lands End -- WEDNESDAY

FREE SHIPPING today only with guaranteed delivery by Christmas. Also, 50% off all outerwear ends today, enter code SHOP.

Barnes & Noble

These coupons are good only in store, and not at college campus stores...but still a good deal if this is where you are headed! Click here

Gymboree Sale!

Everything is 30% off now and free shipping! Take an additional 15% off with Code 111F3V9UV080247 Good in store or online! Thanks Kansas City Penny Pinchin' Mama!

Disney savings

Disney online has a bunch of buy one get one deals in sleepwear and plush toys. Code SWEETDREAMS. Click here

Penny wine

Ok, it costs more than one cent, but today Wine.com is offering shipping for only one cent, enter code 1cent49, when you spend more than $49. Many 90 point wines are on sale too!

Old Navy coupons

Printable Old Navy Coupon here. Thanks to Kansas City Penny Pinchin’ Mama.

Or if you want to shop online today (since the above coupon is only good in-store) you can save 20% with the code ONSAVE 20 Thanks MoneywiseMoms.

Magazine deals

Many great deals on magazines, including ESPN! Click here, thanks to Nichole's Nickels.

Sears $10 off

Spend $75 or more online and enter code EXCLUSIVE to get $10 off your bill.

Restaurant.com 70% off

Enter code SNOW

Red Envelope 10% or 20% off today

Depending on how much you spend. Enter code 4HER on orders up to $100 and 20% off on orders greater than $100.

Stop for a second

The holidays are about a week away. It seems all my friends updates on Facebook are some version of "need to get christmas cards out," "need to get photocards done," "need to finish shopping," or my favorite "so much to do, how will it ever get done, oy vey!"

Whether you are religous or not, Christmas was never meant to be as materialistic as it has become. And its not just the materialism that's the problem, but its the chaos and everything else associated with the holiday that drive everyone nuts...no wonder the stores have all their Christmas decorations down by Jan. 2, we are so over the holidays because of the angst that we can't appreciate them.

So stop. Take a second and breathe.

The world is not going to come to an end if the cookies aren't perfect or the cards aren't mailed by Dec. 20. Like I said last week, there is absolutely no rule that says you a) must send a family greeting at this time of year and b) that you cannot send said greeting at any other point of the year. The food will get made. The presents will be wrapped. Your great Uncle Merle will get hammered on egg nog and be a scrooge. These are sure things.

Will your 5 year old believe in Santa next year? Hopefully, but who knows so be sure to enjoy it this year.

Will your 87 year old grandmother be with you on her next birthday? Again, hopefully, but just in case spend more time talking to her and less worrying about the French Onion bean dip.

Is anyone going to notice if there are five napkins with bells and three with wreaths? No, and if they do, they are not in the Christmas spirit.

The point is, this holiday has always been about family. Even from the beginning of time, when this was purely a religious holiday, it was about the celebration of the BIRTH of a child. Whoever your family is, whether its your blood relatives or the friends you choose as your family, take this time to appreciate them and let them know you care. But do not allow yourself to get so stressed out in the preparation of this that you wind up making yourselves and those around you sick.

EPT for Free

Before I post the deal, want to make clear, this is NOT FOR ME (at least not right now)! But I know some of my readers are hoping to expand their families soon so wanted to share.

Coupons for the ever expensive EPT can be found here. (thanks Thrifty & Chic Mom!)

Get paid to shop

ShopAtHome is having a major promotion this week. They offer FREE shipping and as much as 20% cash back, depending on which store you shop (and they have tons). I admit I don't know how this works, but will say several of the money saving bloggers that I regularly follow swear by it. ShopAtHome wrote me last week to give me a heads up and they seemed responsive to my questions about how it works.

I am putting a link to the site with all the relevant information here. I also adding a link here to a blogger who recommends, so you can read about it from someone who knows what its about. Finally if you have ever done this, please let us know...I would love to know your take -- good or bad.

"O" for $5

Amazon is selling O magazine, by Oprah, for $5.

Click here for info.

credit card advice

This tip comes via Kristen in RI. Both she and her husband updated FB today on the topic and its definitely relevant for here.

Make sure to check your credit card statements when they come in the mail, or be vigilant online. It seems some thugs in NC went into a Wal-Mart I believe and used their card. Their credit card company was suspicious and called them immediately. But what if your company isn't as aware?

When the statement comes in, go line by line. Ask your spouse about his/her purchases. If there is ANY question, call the credit card company. The holidays are expensive enough, you do not want to be paying for some thief 1,000 miles away.

Even more coupons and codes

No Rhyme or Reason to this line-up, but hope it offers you lots of savings!

Amazon has several “Scene It” games, including The Simpsons, 80s Edition and Twilight for $7.99 Click here for a complete list of their ‘Scene It’ games, others are also reduced.

Vistaprint freebies, including address labels, coffee mugs, calendars and more. Click here for more info

While we are on the topic of pictures and photos, Snapfish has some amazing photo offers going on, including a FREE 4x6 flipbook. Click here. And thanks to MoneywiseMoms for the tip!

Restaurant.com has 80% off gift certificates now through Monday. Code: SHARE
Click here for site.

QVC has this Olympus 12 MP Digital Camera for $99.96, and shipping only costs $2.22! That’s a steal!

Pottery Barn Kids is offering FREE SHIPPING on a bunch of their toys. For a complete list click here.

Sports Authority, 25% off a single item. Enter code CABINFF Offer expires Monday. They are also having a slew of other deals, click here to enter site.

Victoria’s Secret is offering $10 off orders greater than $100 with the code: 10VS This deal ends Sunday. Click here to enter the site.

FinishLine has NCAA hoodies (although not my beloved Providence College…ugh!) 2 for $40. Click here for the link. If you decide to spend more than $45, BradsDeals has a few codes you can use. BRAD545 will get you $5 off $45 or you can get $10 off $60 via code BRADSDEALS613. Shipping is free on all orders greater than $25

Kohl’s…well, what’s not to love. First, for every $50 spent, you get a $10 gift card (or what they call Kohl’s cash). This promotion is good through tomorrow, 12/12. If you enter code EXTRA15OFF at check out you will get 15% off entire order. If your order is greater than $100, use the code BUYSAVE20 and you will get 20% off.

Some of my favorite deals from them include this farm rug, for only $15.75 (regularly $34.95) and these ear muffs, regularly $30 for $15. I have the Syracuse one here (next best thing to Providence) but they have a ton of others.
These hand warmers are also a good deal at $10, half off.

Gap will give you 20% off your purchase with the code GAP20. This expires on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Click here to visit the store.

SHIPPING TIP

Remember as the holiday gets closer the greater the crunch time. Consider having your items shipped to your location where you are celebrating if you are traveling, will make things easier. Marie, if you are reading this, your son recommended we do this weeks ago, so things will be arriving in Charleston sometime soon…no peeking! :)

Codes expiring TONIGHT

Will be back later with more deals and printables for your weekend shopping, but wanted to get these in asap since today was a bit hectic!

EXPIRES TONIGHT (12/11) White House/Black Market 20% off entire online order, enter code: 8044. Click here to visit site.

There must be at least 100 other stores that have coupons and codes expiring tonight, so am posting a link to the entire list on Coupon Cabin here.

Free Dunkin Donuts' coffee sample

Fill out the form here. Although who knows when you will get it. Apparently I signed up for it before and don't remember, but I also know I have yet to receive a free sample...yet!

Yankee Candle $10 off $20 purchase

Print this coupon here or use the coupon code XF912A2. Good through 12/13

(Thanks to Kansas City Penny Pinchin' Momma)

Chocolate Code

Get $25 off purchases of more than $30 at Fannie May! No expiration date posted, but quantites appear limited. CODE: 21105

(This is from another site I like thanks to Paula in NJ, Bradsdeals.com)

Lots of coupons and codes

Getting these out while my son naps. Will post more later

Disney Store, 20% off if you spend more than $85 OR 10% off if you spend $55. CODE: DISNEYDEC
Disney Store, Free shipping on purchases more than $89. CODE: SHIP89 Expire 12/13
Click here for info

Aeropostale, $10 off in store coupon, click here and print Expire 12/16

Old Navy, 20% off online orders. CODE: ONSAVE20 Expire 12/15 Also, click here for a slew of printable coupons (Sorry some have expired, but most are still good)

Lord & Taylor, 25% off online orders. CODE: FRIENDS Expire 12/15 More info can be found here

JCPenny, $10 off purchases of $10 or more. CODE: NICE4U Expire 12/24

Lane Bryant printable coupons, click here. Note that two expire TODAY, the other one on 12/13

Sports Authority printable coupons, click here. They expire 12/12

Kohl's, 15% off ANY purchase. CODE: EXTRA15OFF 20% off ANYTHING when total is more than $100 BUYSAVE20 You can also print here for in-store use. Expire 12/12

(Found all these coupons on one of my favorite new sites, couponcabin.com)

Kid "blanket" for under $12

On FB the other day I posted about a deal on a Snuggie. This is a similar product, but for your favorite kid, with their favorite football team. The price, $11.95.

Click here.

Discover correction

In an earlier post today I talked about the bonus you could receive by using Discover over the holidays. I misread the dates, and the good people at Discover contacted me (you never know WHO is reading your blog!). I have cut and pasted the correct dates, as well as some additional information here. Turns out the promotion doesn't end on Friday like I thought (at least not the cash back promotion).

1. ShopDiscover Sweepstakes*—Discover is giving away one hundred, $100 Discover gift cards every day from November 27 to December 11 to ShopDiscover shoppers. Details and rules are online at ShopDiscover.com

2. ShopDiscover Holiday Promotion— Cardmembers can earn even more Cashback Bonus® when they shop through ShopDiscover from November 12, 2009 – January 7, 2010. That’s because 35 ShopDiscover retail merchant partners are increasing their Cashback Bonus amounts. Please note, however, that offers are subject to change.

ShopDiscover Merchant Standard Cashback Bonus Holiday Cashback Bonus
Athleta 5% 10%
Avon 5% 10%
Banana Republic 5% 10%
Bass Pro Shop 5% 10%
Best Buy** 5% 10%
Bluefly 5% 10%
Chefs Catalog 5% 10%
Clinique 5% 10%
Dell** 5% 10%
Dicks Sporting Goods 5% 10%
Dunhams Sports 5% 10%
Fannie May Candies 10% 15%
Gap 5% 10%
Ice.com 15% 20%
Kohls 5% 10%
Land of Nod 5% 10%
Lids 10% 15%
Lucky Brand Jeans 10% 15%
Macys 5% 10%
Microsoft Store 5% 10%
New York and Company 10% 15%
Old Navy 5% 10%
Omaha Steaks 10% 15%
Origins 5% 10%
Piperline 5% 10%
Red Envelope 10% 15%
Restaurant.com 20% 25%
Sephora 5% 10%
Shutterfly 10% 15%
Sierra Trading Post 5% 10%
The North Face 10% 15%
Things Remembered 10% 15%
Under Armour 10% 15%
Vera Bradley 5% 10%
Vista Print 20% 25%

*No Purchase Necessary. Open to legal residents of the 50 US and DC who are 18 or over and & Discover Card members in good standing. Void where prohibited. Ends 12/11/09. See Official Rules at ShopDiscover.com.
**Best Buy and Dell will increase their Cashback Bonus amount from Nov. 12—Dec. 3, 2009 only.

Disney sleepers

What a great deal! Toddler sleepers with all thier favorite characters for only $6. Click here!

Discover card

This is what happens when the mail gets buried and I don't get to look at until my "Life Admin" days where my son is at daycare and I have the home to myself. It's not a break mind you, nothing glamourous about doing laundry, dishes and cleaning floors.

Anyway, buried in our mail was a brochure from Discover which says from Nov 27 (oops!) until Dec. 11 they are giving anywhere from 5% to 20% cash back on certain online purchases. If you have Discover card this has the potentional to be a great deal. Some of my readers I know swear by Discover cash back (I am still trying to determine if this is a good deal for us or not).

The list for 5% and 10% off is pretty long, so not going to retype, but here are the 15% back and 20% back stores. The catch is you have to shop through Discover's online site, ShopDiscover.com.

Happy savings!

15% Back
Fannie May
Footsmart
GNC
Lids.com
HP Snapfish
Lucky Brand Jeans
Magellens
NY&Co
Omaha Steaks.com
Onlineshoes.com
PETCO
Red Envelope
Shoes.com
Shutterfly
The North Face
Things Remembered
Under Armour
Vision Direct
Wine Enthusiast

20% Back
1-800 Flowers
FTD.com
Ice.com
Magazines.com, Inc.
MusicSpace.com
Proflowers.com
Restaurant.com
Teleflora
Vistaprint

Toys R Us Wednesday 12/9

Toys R Us has a new sale every day it seems. Most of the time I have been ignoring because they haven't seemed that great. But the sale tomorrow (Wed) appears to have a fair amount of savings. The ad says you need to go to the store, so no online deals. But it could be worth your while with 50% off and a big selection.

Click here for the ad, although warning you will have to re-enter your zip code...unless you live in the Arlington, VA area.

clarification on photocards

Photocards are great! I sincerely love them, seeing pictures of my friends' children, cousins we rarely see and just about anyone that we care about. I am grateful we are on so many Christmas lists and for all the friends and family that care enough to send us a card.

What I don't like is the people we NEVER hear from sending them with no notation on our card deferentiating it from what they would send their dry cleaners. Even if you are a "friend" on facebook who I am repeatedly told to "poke" since its been forever since we communicated, chances are we at least both know something about each others' lives. We have people who send us cards every year. They do not sign the name, its already written. We do not hear from them AT ALL during the year. No birthday cards, anniversary cards, phone calls or even an email. Nothing. Its these people that bug me. I am sorry if there was confusion. Bottom line, those people don't even know about this blog, so if you are reading this, it doesn't apply to you :)

I wish we could send photocards, or any Christmas cards. But I have never been one to half-ass it. And I just don't see how we do it this year. Remember though, cards don't have to be sent JUST at Christmas time. Perhaps I will send a St. Patricks Day greeting or a July 4 Greeting. Who knows. What I do know is that sending them now would hurt our budget, as small a price as that may seem, and the reason we have savings is because we made sacrifices, and this just happens to be the sacrifice we are making this year.

But please, if you were planning on sending us a Christmas card, PLEASE send it! Our fridge is cleared from last year (just threw out last week all the old cards) and I can't wait to see all those happy faces!

Freezer advice

I meant to post this last week when it first came out. But thats life with a toddler!

I love freezing food and saving it for later, especially if I get a good deal on meats and fish, or I make a large batch of pasta sauce. What better way to save money than to save cheap food!

The FOOD section of the Washington Post last week was filled with loads of useful information on how to save, freeze, how long to freeze, what to (and not to) freeze. I have attached it here. I have saved the entire section, and for you non-locals, the pull out PDF graphic is defintely worth a print, you can store with your favorite recipes.

Enjoy!

photocards and sacrifice

Last week I told my husband we really had to cut back. We were not going to be able to go all out at Christmas this year, we were just barely getting on our feet as it was. Furthermore, even though my birthday is this month, the only thing I want -- really want -- is for him to make me breakfast. Any money he would spend on a gift can go toward us having a bigger home, something I want so bad I can nearly taste it, in 2010.

The first thing I have decided to cut is photocards. He didn't believe me at first. Why on earth would I, the one who loves to show the world our adorable, happy, funny little guy, why would I decide against photocards? (It should be noted that my husband detests them, but has come around to them for us to send since the birth of our son). Simple, we can't afford them.

I am not going to send just 10. And even though some of the sites have been offering deals on picture cards, it still All Adds Up. After postage it's just too much. So, if you are reading this, and you are on our usual Christmas card list, I am sorry we won't be sending one of the Monkey this year.

In fact, sadly, in all probability, you won't be receiving any Christmas cards from us. The thing is, I hate the cards that come with just a signature. Did you not know you were sending to us? Whats the point? If I am getting a card, I want to know something. And since I want this in the cards I receive, I certainly demand it in the cards I send.

I toyed with the idea of just taking a picture of our son and putting it in a regular Christmas card and writing on that one. This would save us a pretty penny, especially if I could hit those xx prints for free sales that the online sites have on occasion. But I decided against this too because it would not be fair and I would not be able to write all I wanted to on each of the cards, not to mention that by now, Dec. 7, getting all these out in a timely manner was not going to happen.

Part of sacrifice is accepting and recognizing your limits. Its "OK" that we are not sending Christmas cards this year. And its "OK" that people we care about are not going to see the latest picture of our favorite little Monkey. Our true friends and family understand and will be all that more grateful for the picture card next year.

I am sure this will not be our only sacrifice, but it's the first step.

Save an extra 25% on Martha Stewart at Macy's ENDS TONIGHT!

This tip comes courtesy of BradsDeals.com, which I learned about from reader PS!

Take an ADDITIONAL 25% off Martha Stewart items at Macys with the code MACYSFRIEND. To get an idea of the savings, her mixing bowls, pictured here, are only $5 with the code!

Snuggie sale

You know you want it! Now its only $17. Click here.

Twas the Night Before Christmas....

...and all through the House....

Want to share the rest of this classic with a little one you love. Click here, it's $5!

Non holiday related deals

Safeway has some deals that I keep forgetting to post...

A pack of butter, 16 oz, for $1.99!
Bananas are .39/lb
Dial anti-bacterial hand wash is $1.

Also, Harris Teeter has my son's beloved blueberries (he would eat his weight in them if we would let him!) on sale for 2/1. They are out of season and expensive
($5) so any and all savings is a good thing!

A note of caution...

It's easy to get carried away with all the deals. Buy one, get one. Save 40%. Buy this, get that free.

I found myself weighing this yesterday. If I paid even as little as $1, I would get a FREE 27 piece makeup kit. Seeing as the last time I bought makeup was my wedding, nearly 5 years ago, I thought maybe this would be a good deal. I looked through the website, and found body wash and nailpolish. Total bill was $5, and then with shipping, bill was $11.95. So for $11.95 I would get an obscene amount of makeup, body wash and nail polish. Was this really worth it?

I ultimately decided no. The only thing on this list that I really use is bath wash, and I can just as easily get twice as much for $4 at Target. It would be nice to have the other stuff, although heaven knows where I would put it in our 800 sf of love, so I said no.

So, before you hit the "submit" button on any of these deals, think about it. Come January are you really going to want that 27 piece set of makeup?

Lands End Dress Shirts for $10

This deal find comes courtesy of Coupon Cabin. My husband needs these no iron shirts, so I will definitely buy after posting. Some deals ends TODAY, Sun. Dec. 6!

With free shipping via promotion code "STOCKING" and PIN "1421", that's up to 75% off the original price

Highlights:
Lands' End Women's Long Sleeve Pattern Broadcloth Blouse for $9.99
Lands' End Men's Long Sleeve Straight Collar Pattern Broadcloth Shirt for $9.99
Lands' End Men's Long Sleeve Buttondown Solid No-Iron Oxford Shirt for $20
Lands' End Women's Original 3/4-Sleeve No-Iron Pinpoint Split-Neck Shirt for $24.99

Amazon Magazine deals...

Just listed for $5/year! So for the cost of one and MAYBE a diet coke or coffee to read with that ONE, you get a year! Offer good through Dec. 12!

- Cosmo
- Good Housekeeping (this is one of my favs, always filled with money saving tips and ideas)
- House Beautiful
- Smart Money
- Popular Mechanics
- Country Living
- Veranda
- Marie Claire
- Seventeen
- Redbook
- Bazaar
- Esquire
- Town & Country

Other magazine deals for $10 or less, check Amazon for details.

- Popular Science
- Wired
- Parenting
- Maxim
- Rolling Stone
- Glamour
- Men's Journal
- Money
- Parents
- Field & Stream
- Inc.
- Los Angeles
- Nylon
- Spin
- Details
- Boston
- Time Out NY: KIDS
- Wyoming Wildlife

Red Envelope rebate issues

Hi all,
I just got off the phone with Donna, a very nice sales associate at Red Envelope. It appears they are being inundated with orders because of the Restaurant.com offer.

I had trouble when first prompted to enter my code. Donna walked me through it, but instead of offering the code at the first prompt, you enter it when you should enter credit card (there is a separate box for gift code on this page as well). At that point the discount is applied, and you are THEN prompted to enter credit card info.

Red Envelope has pricey shipping (I guess everything now other than FREE since it seems everyone is offering FREE shipping is bad). Once you order I was given the opportunity to join their "members only" shipping club, which will give me free shipping on the order I just placed, plus on a bunch of other places as well in the future. After my month trial, I will be charged $11.95/month.

So....I signed up for the deal, but will cancel my subscription after I am done my Christmas shopping, well before the month is over. This will be tricky, but it's worth the money I am saving.

Mixer for under $50!

It's not the beloved Kitchenaid version, but this is still a good deal! Wolfgang Puck standing/hand mixer in various colors from HSN (Home Shopping Network), is $49.99 plus shipping. All the details here.

Children's Place 15% off

Coupon code is valid online only and through Sunday, Dec. 6
Code: CABINB9

The Children's Place

Restaurant.com and Red Envelope

My MIL (Mother in law) Marie, as well as several close friends have vouched for Restaurant.com, so I am confident in the recommendation. The deal today through Monday is 70% off when you enter the code SAVE at checkout. I just paid $9 for a $75gift certificate for a nice seafood restaurant here....

...and when I checked my email with purchase confirmation, I had a $15 gift certificate for Red Envelope, my all time favorite catalog!

This is beyond win-win!

Happy shopping!

Steve Madden

Take 25% off entire purchase and free shipping on all orders more than $59.99! Offer good until Dec. 7. Enter HOLIDAY25 at checkout to receive discount. (Thanks ALA!)

Shoe sale!

Nine West, Easy Spirit, Bandalino, Jones New York and ShoeWoo -- take 30% off entire purchase! Offer good until Monday, Dec. 7. Email me mary.bluepatches(at)gmail.com and I will send you the coupon. (Thanks JSP!)

Lands Ends 25% off

Take 25% off your purchase, good through Monday, Dec. 7. Enter the Promotion Code DEC7 and the PIN 00001043 in the space provided. (Thanks MLFJ)

Dunkin Deal

The best coffee on the planet is on sale for $5/lb! That is not as cheap as my staple Target brand, but its a huge savings off of the regular Dunkin' Donuts price. Deal is good through the holidays. Click here.

Eternity by Calvin Klein (Women)

One day only, $30.79. Overstock is offering free shipping too!
Click here.

C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E

Need I say more! Click here.
(I should say I have never tried them or heard of them, BUT....a few years ago my husband got a package from a similar type place as his Christmas gift from his then-employer. It was fantastic! Unbelievable! No guarantees this will be the same, but figured what the heck, right?)
If you get this, make sure to report back!

Lord & Taylor couponS (with an S!)

Click here for 20% off each purchase between now and 12/9/09. There are some exclusions, so make sure to read fine print.

And click here for a free gift when you spend $35 in the babies department.

25% off coupon from World Market

It's one of my favorite stores! Click here.
This coupon expires Saturday, Dec. 5.

Free gift from Bath & Body Works

Click here for coupon

Babies R Us

This ad caught my eye today. I am reluctant to get any other diapers besides Pampers because we have had leak issues, but if you are willing to try them, BRU diapers are crazy cheap with this coupon. They also have a coupon on here for Pampers as well (not sure its a better deal than my beloved Diapers.com, but perhaps it would work for you).

They have other items of note through Saturday, but the diapers were the ones that caught my eye.

Hannah Montana & High School Musical

Toys R Us has half off all your tweens favorites Wednesday only.
Click here for coupon.

Flashbacks

This will definitely be a random musing post....

Its been more than 2 years since I was a reporter, being paid to find the news and hopefully scoop others. Some days I did, some days I didn't. I loved my job, all aspects of it, and this was just one of the many ways I would fill my days.

Writing this blog in many ways is similar, especially since I have found other similar blogs. I readily acknowledge I get some tips from them. I have and will post links giving them credit. So its understandable that today, when I saw another blog that I had forwarded my scoop to (in hopes they would give me credit like I have done with them) tell the news on Facebook and not give me credit, that I would be a little bit mad. Ok, a lot mad. Luckily for you, I made this discovery about 6 hours ago, so the anger has subsided and I don't have the energy to vent as I would have this afternoon if I were not running after an 18 month old.

Something else, that is of a more pertinent nature for you, the reader, is this. As I have said before, I am not here to be paid by others to direct you to certain websites. If Amazon wants to give me money, great, but if their deals are in the terlit, I am going to say so. I stumbled across a blog today that was pushing amazon, and then at the bottom she had a disclaimer. Kudos for having the disclaimer in the first place, but since when is saving money and encouraging others to do so, incompatible with being honest?

Thats my two cents. Hope you had success on Cyber Monday, I didn't buy a thing. And thanks to everyone who has joined the FB group. I appreciate your reading and sharing the news about money saving ideas.

Cyber Monday

In a little more than 3 hours the computer "savings" are likely to appear. I know I am already signed up on Facebook for at least one savings event come midnight, and I am sure many other sites and stores will start offering great "deals" just for you as you sit at desk at work, possibly trying to stay awake after a hellish drive home from where-ever you were for Turkey.

Be careful though, make sure you are really getting a sale, or else your "savings" are not real. Like everything else, you have to know what you are looking for and read the fine print.

I was reading a blog yesterday where a buyer wondered why a particular site seemed to be changing the List Price, making it higher, so it appeared to be offering greater savings when the "NEW" price was introduced. I have often wondered this myself but could never prove it -- unless I knew what I was looking for and specifically how much it cost.

For example, if tomorrow I see a 5 Q Kitchen Aid Mixer in Red for $100, I will buy in a heartbeat. I know this particular item is at least $250, and usually closer to $350. I will own this one day, but that day is not likely tomorrow or anytime soon...unless it goes on crazy sale. Now, if I see Madden NFL 10 as $39.99 and its advertised as a sale, close to half off...check out first. Regular price for this game on PS2 is $39.99, so if you are buying for a PS2, no savings. But if it actually for a PS3 or Xbox, there could be some serious saving!

Happy shopping and savings!

Restaurant savings

Last night I saw a deal from Restaurant.com that gives me a $25 gift certificate and I wound up paying $2 for it. I'll admit right away I am skeptical. BUT...several of my friends from all across the country have said they had positive experiences, so I am trusting them.

First the deal. If you go to Restaurant.com and enter the passcode SAVE when you check out, you save 80%!

The fine print is important, a bunch of places have restrictions on when you can use or how much you need to purchase for credit to count. One friend said he knew his card wasn't good for when he was coming in, so he called ahead and spoke to manager. Said he wouldn't come with his group of 8 UNLESS they honored card. In this economy it was a no brainer for manager and his card was accepted.

I'll let you know how our deal plays out when we use it (it was for Ted's Montana Grill, one of my hubby's favorites).

Safe travels to all those on the road today.

Free photocards from Vista Prints

Go to Vistaprint.com Look to tab on left under holiday & family, and click Free items. Then follow to free photocards. You design it the same way you do at other sites. You get 10 free, and then after that they charge you. If you get the 10 free you still pay shipping, which varies depending on how soon you want them.

UPDATE>>> From reader JCM: Check out this blog which is offering readers a great deal from SeeHere (Fuji Film site) on photocards. Not free anymore, but 50 is better than 10 and the shipping is not that bad.

Free 11 oz photo coffee mug from Snapfish

Buy one get one free. Offer expires Dec. 4, 2009
Enter code DEC3 at checkout to get rebate.

Free photobook from Shutterfly

Offer good thru Sunday. Spend $50 on pix, photocards or whatever, and get a free photobook. We made our son a photobook from them a few months ago so he would know his family, especially those he doesn't see all the time, and were very impressed with Shutterfly's quality.

Just enter PASSALONG a checkout to get rebate.

Toys R Us Saturday 11/28

According to the ad in my email, these are all in-store sales. Click here for printable coupon.

- Buy one, get one 50% off lego sets
- $50 gift card when you buy any Band Hero Super Bundle or or Wii DJ Hero Bundle
- 20% off all guitars
- FREE Toy Story Backpack, CARS Backpack or Bakugan “Become a Master Brawler” DVD with ANY purchase of $25 or more

Washington Post sales alerts

Click here for a bunch of updates and coupons!

More $5 magazine deals

Sitting here stuffed from a wonderful dinner at my brother's.

Amazon is having a crazy sale on magazines from now through Dec. 1, 2009. These magazines are $5/year:

Real Simple
Sports Illustrated Kids
People -- Style Watch
Popular Science
Travel + Leisure
Food & Wine
House Beautiful
Southern Living

Click here for all the details.

Wednesday night deals

It's Wednesday night. The cranberry sauce for tomorrow night is chilling in the fridge (my husband thinks it hilarious that I make sauce when you can buy out of a can), and the new dessert I found in a cookbook courtesy of my SIL is in the oven.

Here are some deals for you…

NY&Co (they were Lerner when I was growing up) has everything online 50% off from now until Sunday. This is the same sale they will have in their stores on Friday.


Great deals on restaurant gift cards here! Rules and restrictions apply, and if you have used this, would love your thoughts. Having said that, definitely worth a try. Click here.
Use the coupon code THANKS and couponcabin.com says it gets you 70% off.

Red Envelope is one of my favorite online stores. I can always find things there I like, but sometimes the prices are a bit much. They are having a huge sale between now and Sunday on a slew of items. I can say from experience the quality is top notch. The best deal I found was this ornament that’s half price, or if you get engraved it’s essentially full price with free engraving.


Lands End is doing a sale a day between now and St. Nick’s Day (Dec 6). Today’s deal is 40% off no iron men and women’s shirts. More info here.


Sears is also doing a deal a day. Today, ending at midnight, they have $50 off a Kenmore Bobbin Drop-in Sewing machine. Regularly $250. Click here. Also, if you sign up to receive their emails, they will send you $10 toward instore/online purchases.

Pottery Barn is doing free shipping and monogramming through Monday.

On Thursday I will likely have computer on and if I see any great deals will be sure to post here. I admit though, since this is a blog about my own personal finance, I think its unlikely I am going to do much shopping in the next few days. We will have a budget, yet to be determined, and will need to make sure we stick to it. Of all the deals I have found, I think the one I mentioned yesterday about LL Bean was the best.

Finally, a note from one of our readers, my old roommate JPF. Her take on a local trip to Old Navy. Definitely worth checking out!

I wanted to let you know that the Old Navy by us (in Annapolis) is having a half off their clearance price sale (I was there on Sunday - not sure how long it will be going on for). I was able to pick up t-shirts for (7 yo son) for next spring for $1.99 a piece. I got (2 yo daughter) a red velvet jumper for this Christmas for $3.49. Such good bargains! I even got her a little black velvet purse to use for $3.49 - she loves it! It was mostly summer stuff on clearance, but our store had a lot in both the kids and adult sections as well.

Tonight's list of deals and bargains...

This is my 100th post...thanks as always for reading!

More deals. Like yesterday, all over the place….

Overstock has Wii for $199.99, click here. They offer free shipping on your first order.


QVC has a deal on sunglasses that are also a video recorder. An odd gift for sure, but hey someone’s gotta buy it. Regularly $192, tonight its $72. Click here.


A friend from high school has started her own business. She does accessories for girls. Check out her store, and her latest offer. It’s easier to direct you to the specific sale, than explain it all. Be sure to check out her main site for other info. It is here

Victoria’s Secret is offering 20% off any single item. It expires on Wednesday, so act fast.


Shutterfly has some good deals going now. The one that caught my eye gives you a free calendar with the purchase of $50 (enter the promocode PASSALONG at check out.) www.shutterfly.com

Today (Tues) Toys R Us had a $25 off coupon for an iPod. Tomorrow (Wed.) its 33% off already reduced Nerf products. To get that coupon or to see what others they have this week, click here


LLBean is offering a $10 gift card for orders greater than $25. That sounds like they are basically paying you to shop!

Safe travels to all those on the road this week!

Price war between Wal-Mart and Amazon

Have seen anecdotal evidence of this this week as I compared prices online. I need to be better about looking at Wal-Mart's website. We don't have one here (I know shocker) so I never think to look at them.

An interesting article about their battles is here

Today holiday spending tips

The show had some good ideas from viewers this morning. The areas I completely agree with:
1) Set a budget, say $250 (random number, make sure it suits your family needs)
2) With the budget above, outline. Meaning, delegate $40 for mom, $40 for Dad, $25 for brother, $30 for best friend, etc. Now take this outline with you shopping. If you find a sweater that you love for mom that costs $45, than someone on the list has to lose $5 from their allotment. The show went so far as to say bring this money in cash with you and actually take the money from dad's envelope and put into Mom's before buying.

There were a few areas I disagreed with, but its too late now in the year to debate them or use them, so look for those in January.

Click here to watch the video, its about 5 minutes.

$25 off iPod Nano at TRU

This is only good on Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009. Click here for coupon.

Thanksgiving week deals -- #1

Everything from soup to nuts! This is to get you started. I am posting tonight, Monday, because it seems there are so many out there and a fair amount expire earlier in the week.

Full disclaimer here, it’s the reporter in me. I found a lot of these deals by searching other blogs. I give you the link to those blogs embedded here with the specific deal. Some of the deals I found myself.

Come back for more deals later this week!

$3 off Tums: you might need this after Thursday!

BeCentsable Thanksgiving Tips & Coupons: Huge list of food items including – ham, turkey and desserts

Dicks Sporting Goods has either free shipping on orders more than $49 (which should not be too hard) or 15% off your entire order

Old Navy, Gap, etc have the same free shipping on orders more than $49, but they also have 15% off entire order (note this one expires on Tuesday).

Another good site that has a slew of coupons for department stores is MomsView.com. Check out their listing here.

Ultimate coupons also has a ton by store. This one is for Kohls, free shipping on orders more than $50

This site, which also has a FB page that I became a fan of, has a slew of circulars posted for their sales coming this week, including Wal-Mart, JC Penny and countless others.

Amazon apparently likes to sell magazines cheap. Last week it was Cooking Light for $5/year. This week its ESPN for $5. Having had both, its no contest which one is better…but maybe that’s because I am like to cook. Besides ESPN though, they have a bunch of other magazine offers this week.

Toys R Us and Babies R Us are having diaper and wipes deals. Not sure about the diapers (I guess that’s why I am loyal to a fault to Diapers.com) but, the wipes deal sounds great. More info here.

Outback Steakhouse will give you $20 in gift cards when you purchase $100.

JCrew is offering free shipping on all orders, it does not appear to have a limit, but also doesn’t have an expiration date either.

Another good site for coupons, or so it appears is bestonlinecoupons.com I have attached the link for their Target coupons here, but they also list a ton of other stores.

Yankee Candle: But 2 get 2 free

Gap: 20% off your entire purchase

CouponCabin.com has some great deals, either by department store online printable coupons and many many more!

Shopathome.com has a list of stores that will give you cash back (not sure how that works) on Black Friday shopping, as well as some plans and ideas for Cyber Monday deals.

Finally it appears Amazon is having what it is calling lightening sales. Good prices on a variety of items for a limited amount of time. In the next hour or so they will have diamond stud earrings for $40. I doubt they are Tiffany quality, but it’s a deal none the less. (*Note, the list price is $69.99, my guess is they won’t have the link say $39.99 until they are ready).

Coming attraction

Barring the unforeseen, Tuesday will mark the first annual Blue Patched Couch Mega Coupon and Sales extravaganza...likely to be posted Tuesday night.

I have been saving specials and coupons and sales tips and will post just in time for the best holiday of the year AND the best shopping day of the year.

In the meantime, be sure to send me any tips you find. I will include.

Ties v. Velcro

I know velcro is easier for parents. Much easier. But is it really $7 easier? I decided no.

My son needed new shoes. He is growing like a weed and will no doubt be too big for these new shoes in two months tops. So I was resigned to get him Transformers Velcro shoes at Target for $16.99. But then I saw regular white tie tennis shoes for $9.99. To me this is a no brainer.

While boys are not as bad as girls for demanding brand names, they are still somewhat materially conscious. I will have the rest of his life to fight over Transformers v boring white. All his other shoes are tie, they are hand me downs, so for me the tie was no big deal.

I think if the shoes were $2 or maybe $3 more I may have considered it. But $7 more for pair of shoes that will be obsolete before winter is over. That is just not worth it to me.

$194 a year

That's the amount that I am now saving because of my 15 minute phone call to the good people at Comcast. This is a follow up from my Facebook posting earlier in the day.

We have a DVR. They gave us a 'deal' on it earlier this year and it expired today. I called to find out what they could do for us. I said we would either cancel the DVR outright (which I would do) or worse for them, jump to DirectTV or Satelite (which I likely wouldn't do, but they don't know that).

The woman was very nice. She asked about my Thanksgiving plans. I asked about hers. She is on the panhandle of Florida. I am 3 miles south of the Pentagon. It was a nice talk.

She then told me she found me a "new" promotion. A free DVR for a year! She asked if I was interested. I asked what the catch was. She said nothing. Sign me up!!

My monthly bill just went from 100.19 to 83.17! When you factor that in monthly, that's big savings. That will go a long way toward my never ending student loan payment or our condo fees. This was by far the best news I heard all day.

Watch the register

I love Target, but sometimes it seems their scanners are wrong. Today it paid off to be observant.

Target cereal bars were on substitute special for $1.75 because whatever was supposed to be on sale was not available. We are running out of cereal bars, and this is a fair price. Its about what I pay at TJs and Harris Teeter.

I remembered the price reduction and when the salesclerk rang up, it came up as the regular price of $2.19. I told her immediately it was a sale and gave her the price. She just overrode the price and gave me the reduced rate.

So, you are thinking...wow Mary, you saved a whopping 44 cents. Big deal. You are right, its not a big deal in today's universe, but in the grand scheme of things, these 44 cents add up. The point being, watch when your salesclerk rings up items and don't be afraid to speak up. It can save you money!

Just remember to always be polite and don't take the malfunction out on the clerk.

Coming later this week: suggest sites from a reader in Georgia and another in PA.

Keep the change...

Stealing a line from a bank that has a program touting its "savings" plans, I thought I would recall what happened yesterday when we went thru the Dunkin' Donuts drive-thru.

Warning: this story is not the slightest bit exciting or sexy, but it is an example of how I save.

I got a small coffee and donut for me, and for my son, I got what has to be one of his very favorite foods in the whole world: Cinn-Raisin bagel. The bill was $3.48. I handed the lady $4.

When she handed me my change, the quarters fell to the ground. There was really no debate. I opened the door, got out on the ground and picked up my 50 cents, plus the misc change from other drivers who had done the same thing. When I got back in the car I had more than $1 in change!

This money went into a small compartment in the car. That's where I keep my change. So that whenever the mood strikes me for coffee or for a milkshake for my son, I never worry about not having money. This "change" bin is always full. I put all the leftover change from various purchases, of whatever I find at the bottom of my purse, in there.

A closing note: things have been pretty hectic around here lately, and I haven't been able to write as much as I want. Hoping that they are calming down now and I can do more of my daily posts. Thanks for reading.

Cooking and cleaning....

Cooking Light is one of my favorite (if not my very favorite) magazines. My MIL 'Marie' gives it to me every year and it's the best gift because it gets used often, is very much appreciated and never ever goes out of style.

So when I saw on one of the blogs I follow (they are on the right side of the homepage of this blog) that Cooking Light was now $5 for a FULL YEAR I had to repost and find out more. Sure enough, Amazon is running the deal. Click the above link for more details.

I can honestly say that even if I didn't get this as a gift, it would remain, no matter what our financial straights the one magazine we kept. I get so many ideas from it, and just love sitting on the couch and sifting through the recipes. And they are timeless. My husband knows not to dare pitch the 2000 issue with post-it notes plastered on the inside from my days at 1616.

Happy Eating!!!

As for cleaning, my anger at Shoppers has subsided. One silver lining is the fact they double-bag all their plastic bags. This came in handy this week since bag our son's diapers in them before placing in trash can.

In addition to double bagging we put left over dryer sheets in the trash can too, so the smell is completely eliminated. Even if you don't have diaper issues, the left over dryer sheets would also work well in a linen closet and in clothes drawers.

Reader reports...

First up, from my college friend JL.

This AP story contains a lot of useful advice! I always follow a list and also write down on a piece of paper what coupons I have so I don't waste time flipping through flimpsy pieces of paper in the meal aisle wondering if I have to buy 2 or 3 Hamburger Helpers to get the 75 cents off.

Second, reader MTS (we went to hs together, she'll always be MT, just like I am likely always to be MS) sent this comment in:

I used coupons at the grocery store for the
first time in my life. I went on shopathome.com printed the coupons and
saved $14. Not bad for the first time, but I want to be one of those crazy
people that can get $150 in groceries for $50 or less!

I had never heard of shopathome.com before her email. But I checked it out, and not bad! Our printer is not hooked up so I didn't get the chance to use the coupons before I went out last night. I think someone at Shoppers had gone there though since I saw (and used, thanks anonymous donor) a printed coupon in the stock aisle.

I look forward to using that site, so thanks MTS!!!

Still stewing

A day later I am still really miffed about paying $3 more for a TGIF meal on Shoppers than I would have at Harris Teeter. The big BIG lesson learned: before shopping with coupons, especially coupons for fun items that I normally wouldnt buy (and a nearly $9 TGIF meal that will barely feed my husband certainly qualifies), check the circulars. Had I spent less than 5 minutes I would have seen that HT had it on sale...ugh!

Also, more on my dislike for Shoppers, their selzer is not as good as HT or Giant.

The bright spot of the day was our dinner. The recipe is courtesy of my friend Cathy. I will have to check if I have blogged this before, but to feed both of us a full and very filling meal cost about $9! That's $4.50 per person. What was this meal???

Crock pot pulled pork!!!

Ingredients:
Pork shoulder/butt (on sale a few weeks back, I paid $6.32)
Hamburger buns (we have so many from our hamburger nights, but they are about $1 pack at Target I think)
Bottle of BBQ (your choice, we used Trader Joe's)
Bottle of beer (bought last night, 6 pack was $5.99, so bottle was less $1)

I am sitting here stuffed. I didn't even eat dessert, something I never pass up!!!
Crock pots really are the greatest invention ever!

Triple coupons -- they paid off

A friend recommended Shoppers Food Warehouse, and since they along with Harris Teeter were having a triple-coupon special this week, I decided to give it a try. I went there first. I had gone to Shoppers in the past when we lived elsewhere but was never all that impressed.

I am sorry to report that my impressions from four years ago remained the same.

The prices were not THAT much cheaper, and infact they were were more expensive in some regards (milk for $3.69!) Campbells Chix noodle was more expensive ($1) than HT (.89), and butter was too (Shoppers $2.59, HT $2.49). They had some good promotions, such as Campbells Gravy 2/$1 (vs. HT $1.59/bogo), and Rice-a-roni for $1 always, but nothing in the store that will get me to come back without the triple coupons and even with them if another store has the same deal.

Bottom line at Shoppers, spent $63.93 for:
2 boxes of generic cereal (Oats&Almonds and Raisan Bran)
Generic cranberry sauce
3 boxes of ricearoni
2 boxes Hamburger Helper
Soft Scrub
2 patches of Ortega Taco Seasoning
3 bottles of generic seltzer
2 cartons of Progressive Chicken Broth
3 cans of Campbells Chix Noodle
4 cans of Campbells Gravy
1 jar of Paprika
1 package of Smithfield Bacon
1 package of Blueberry Waffles
2 packages of Totinos Frozen Pizza
1 package of TGIF Complete meals
1 package of Dole Frozen Fruits
1 package of Shredded Cheese
1 package of Unsalted Butter
1 package of generic Parmesan cheese
1 package of Nestle Choc Chip Cookie Dough
1 bottle of Suave

Total: $63.93
Total coupon savings: $18.65

According to the receipt I saved 23% of my bill with my coupons.

But, because I am rather certain they over charged me for one item (that if it was closer I would go back and complain) AND I paid full price for the TGIF meal when it was $3 off at HT, I do not feel like I saved that much. Ugh.

Then after coming home, having hubby unload car I went to HT.

Aside from the aforementioned TGIF meal savings (which I didn't buy since I already had used coupon), they had some good sales. They organize the coupon differently, so this is what I bought:

1 Reynolds Crock Pot Liner
1 can of Lysol Spray
1 package of Tostitos Lime Chips
1 jar of Franks Hot Sauce
1 box of Raisan Bran
1 bottle of V8 Fusion
1 box of HT cereal bars
1 box of Wolfgang Puck Stock
1 box of Wolfgang Puck Broth
1 bottle of Karo Syrup
1 6-pack of beer
1 gallon HT ice cream
1 carton of Welch's Grape Juice
1 roll of HT cinn breakfast rolls
1 package of Hormel Pepperoni

I spent a total of $34.05
I received $20.32 in coupon savings and an additional $8.93 in VIC promotions. So based on their prices and my coupons I saved nearly half the price of my bill...sweet.

I found that HT has better sales, as in the items are reduced by a greater amount when they are on sale. This is one reason I will remain loyal to HT.

Also, going over the list, you'll notice a lot of gravy and stock. My husband was confused and couldn't figure out why I got so much. The reason is because of the triple coupons and the sale price for these items because its the holidays they became super super cheap, especially the Wolfgang Puck which I would never otherwise buy. So now we are stocked up, no pun intended.

Triple coupons and more!!

Wow! Shoppers and Harris Teeter are doing Triple Coupons this week! And it appears Giant and Safeway are doing some pretty decent sales as well.

So, instead of going line by line am going to try to attach the respective fliers here.

These are likely to bring about serious savings....happy shopping! I plan on going out Monday and Tuesday nights! (yeah, I know the sad, exciting life of a suburban mom)

Shoppers (must enter zip code or pick store to see specifics)

Harris Teeter (only 20 coupons a day per household)

Safeway (made me enter a specific store, but you can change location. Highlight is coupon for free eggs!)

Giant (again had to enter a location, but you can change)

A carseat from Bridget for Bridget

I have been slammed of late, lots going on. I hope this dies down next week or so. We'll see.

Tonight's post is brief, but I am super excited. Last month I visited my old roommate in Connecticut and we lamented how great it would be for her to take the train to DC with her daughter (Bridget) and we could hang out down here like we did in Connecticut. But what about a carseat, she asked?

Ugh, hadn't thought that far ahead. She is pregnant and Amtrak is notorious about not being that helpful. I love Amtrak mind you, have taken it cross country and numerous other places...but customer service is sadly not their strong suit.

Then tonight, while procrastinating on a project, the top listing on Freecycle for my area was a 2008 car seat. Never been in an accident. I checked reviews, its safe. So we now have an extra car seat which is likely a good thing anyway, and hopefully that means Bridget can come visit next month and we can take her and my son to see the Christmas lights in DC.

Yippee!

A good shopping day...

Wow, I am sorry. I started this post Friday night and no idea where the time has gone. I know I have been slammed recently and the next week is not likely to be any better, but hope once this insanity dies down, I can get back to regular posts.

So FRIDAY was a good shopping day. First, I learned that Bed, Bath & Beyond lets you double dip coupons. Meaning, if you have one from them for $5 off and another thats 20% off, as long as you have two items (or more) you can use both coupons. Before when I tried this they always told me either or.

I did some serious (well as much serious as you can with a toddler) shopping at Target. I saved receipt to do some comparison pricing with the other generic brands. I was disappointed though, their cereal bars are about 50 cents more than Trader Joes. Yes, you get two more, but not worth it to me...at least not yet.

I also returned my aluminum foil. For whatever reason they sell 50 sf of foil for the same price as 75 sf. So exchanged my 50 for 75. They were fine about it, since I had receipt. Another example of how it is important to always save receipts.

Costco came in super handy as well. Was able to buy Word 2007 for a project I am beginning in the next few weeks, and it was about $30 less than what I would pay at Staples or Office Depot.

Finally, on Sunday, Nov. 1, I made a resolution. This time next year we will be living someplace else. I am going to scrimp and save as much as I can to make that possible because our 800sf of love is just too small for an active toddler. And its not fair to him.

Hope you all had a nice Halloween.

It was always the little stuff...

The first time I was laid off, it was the parking that galled me. The second time I was laid off it was the fancy dinner only a few weeks earlier.

One of the best lessons I had in my journey toward ultimate penny-pincher, was being laid off. It was very easy for me to think of ways my bosses could have saved money instead of giving me and my colleagues the ax. With this foundation I have looked at every expense we incur in the same vein. The (not-so) recent poll I posted is case and point.

It's my time to "upgrade" my phone. Verizon keeps calling ad nausea um to have me do it automatically and recommit for another two years. Since I have been with Verizon for 10 years -- that fact scares me -- the likelihood of me switching carriers is slim. Still, I don't want another long contract, unless I have to. I considered getting a BlackBerry since Verizon has a super sweet promotion right now, buy one at $49.99 and get the second free. How life would be sweet if I could gchat and update Facebook while at the playground or sitting on couch watching "Yo Gabba Gabba."

But to upgrade my service would cost an extra $30/month on top of the already $70/month we pay for our cell phones. That works out to an extra $360 (plus taxes) a year. I'd rather have that money for a car payment or to go toward my (never ending) student loan.

When I asked in the poll who paid, it was to get a sense of how many people pay for this service themselves. It's one thing if work wants you to be constantly available, but to pay the extra money yourself, why? This is an EASY thing to eliminate if you are looking for ways to cut back.

But Mary, I can't live without email????

Try texting. And guess what, your friends can "email" you there instead. I know with Verizon my number @vtext.com arrives as a text. And this was Twitter before Twitter, since it only allows 160 characters. And when you text, you can always email as well, just manually add the address. Unlimited texting varies by plans, but I know I pay $10/month. Before you go calling me pot, I *could* live without it..believe me, it was definitely on the top of the list had my husband not been hired when he was.

People told me my ideas for cost cutting with my previous employers* would never work, it would save too little. I disagree. Perhaps these tips would not have saved the jobs that were lost in the end, but I think they would have ensured shared sacrifice and an awareness of the gravity of our economic situation. When you are aware of the situation -- really aware -- you work to save.

As you are looking for ways to save, especially since the holidays are approaching and we will all have extra expenses that add up, think about your cell phone. Do you need to email all day? Do you need to have unlimited minutes? Have your family and friends call you at HOME first, and if its not an emergency, just leave a message.

***It needs to be noted that my most recent former employer did a fair share to keep me on. While I was ultimately let go, I do not fault them and hold no bitterness. After all, they hired me 7.5 months pregnant AND gave me maternity leave. The same cannot be said about my initial layoff. Two years later, I still have a draft email to the head of the company in my email. It will never be sent, but I will likely never delete it either. Their absolute lack of appreciation for reality is what has driven their stock prices down 85 percent from the date I was initially hired in 2003 until today. It is a perfect example of why the economy -- both in broad terms and individual finance -- is in the shape it is.

Freecycle.org

Ok, I heard about it for awhile, but never checked out. This past weekend I signed up and wow!

They have everything listed from nearly-new shampoo to clothes to furniture. You can sign up by region so you get a very specific and targeted area of postings. Rules apply, but what a great resource!

I get an email about 2-3 times a day and just scan. I plan to use a lot once I get a handle on all our clutter. I decided after visiting my friend, while our home will never be Martha Stewart clean and stylish, it *must* be organized. I tackled the kitchen (with help from the husband) over the course of a few days...so it can be done.

If you have used freecycle let me know your experiences.

Costco vs...Round 1

In the baby category, at least diapers and wipes (and NOT the aforemnetioned clothes), Costco loses big.

Target sells 704 wipes for about $11. Costco sells 900 wipes for $18.

Costco diapers are under $40, but since they are like Huggies -- so says a very trusted reader -- they won't work for us, because Huggies leaks (I still love their new commercial though with the running Dad) we will stick with Diapers.com.

*** Target adendum

Yesterday I talked about saving my TJs receipt, or I should say not saving it. For the last week or so I have been saving a Target receipt because I *knew* I was overcharged for aluminum foil.

As I was shopping during my trip in peace, I calculated in my head how much everything was going to cost in the end. I read that 50 feet of Target foil was $1.79 (or so). But when I got home, I noticed I had been charged $2.69. Today I went back and checked. Turns out the 75 feet foil is $2.69. I must have the 75 feet option? When I got home I checked. Nope, its 50 feet.

I'll let you know how that return trip goes. And since I ran out of foil tonight, chances are that trip will be sooner rather than later.

Pumpkin Bread

Trader Joe's has the best pumpkin bread! It seems everyone else agrees with me because they have been out of it almost since they got it in early October. I usually buy two or three boxes at once just so we have on hand and the mood strikes me to make it (total price is $2.99 and its super super easy!)

I bought two boxes the second week of October and when I opened the box, it was clear it had already been opened on the inside. Doh! And I hadn't saved receipt. Ugh. So I waited. And waited. And waited some more. Finally last night my husband was going to go shopping in the strip mall with TJs and I asked him to buy me a box. He did.

Today I went back to TJs and returned the box along with the receipt from yesterday. I know not the most honest thing, but $3 is $3 and its not like I could buy TJs Pumpkin Bread at Giant. Turns out though, the guy didn't even look at receipt! Just told me to go switch it out.

It took me less than five minutes.

The moral here is 1) Save Receipts -- I know I need to get better about that, and 2) take the time to return things and not just "waste" them.

Back from Connecticut

Had *the best* time with my old roommates. We all had our children within two months of each other so it's a blast to see the kidlets grow and play!

Sorry to have been away so long, that was not the plan. Here are some observations from the last week.

Costco is cheaper than Babies R Us, and likely other clothing stores as well. EXACT same pajamas with footies (green with monkeys) is $7 at Costco, SALE price at BRU was $10. I was stunned. Will likely buy more clothes from them in the future.

I have turned into my mother :) In this case, that's a good thing! Growing up, we always packed sandwiches for car trips. ALWAYS. And last week I did the same. Packed a lunch for my son and myself. I was not about to spend $15 at some rest area for food that he may not eat, not to mention would not be very nutritious. So instead he got a 1/4 ham (that I just broke apart and fed him, some applesauce and raisins. Total cost, under $4. As for me, I took leftover bagels from a Sunday brunch, got my own turkey deli meat, and had a great sandwich which would have easily cost $8 had I bought at the store...and which never would have been available at the stop on the NJ Turnpike.

Magruder's coupons keep coming! This week I got one for a free Hot Chocolate. There were others too, but since I was offline for a week, the emails added up, so didn't go through as religiously as I would otherwise.

Happy Monday, it's good to be back home.

Frugality, yesterday's news?

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a nice weekend. Here in NoVa we were pretty much drowned rats.

Short post tonight.

First, saw this article today in Washington Post. Ironically I was just talking about this very issue with a girlfriend yesterday. I sincerely hope this is not the case.

On Saturday I had a rare trip to Target where I was not rushing around and did not have my son with me. Unfortunately it was 9:30 at night and not only was I exhausted from a long day of cabin fever inside our 800 sf of love with a sick hubby and a rambunctious monkey, the store was just about to close at 10, so I didn't have that much time. What I noticed though really surprised me.

For example, Yoplait yogurt is regularly .52, this is significantly cheaper than all the grocery stores I have shopped in. Some will have this as a sale price, but not a regular price.

Target brand tomatoes, the ones I would use make pasta, are less than $1!

There were others too, but I can't remember. There were also much more expensive items as well.

Bottom line, I have decided I need to plan a trip to Target sans son and not up against a time clock, so that I can really examine their prices more closely. I might have to make it one of my must stops.

Following up on last week's Magruder post, I did receive my coupon today for $1 gallon of milk. Also in the same post, I talked about reusing my green peppers from a Chinese delivery order for pasta sauce and Shepard's pie. The verdict: can't tell the difference. I washed off all the kung pao sauce and both items turned out great.

Finally, I off tomorrow to visit my old roommates for a few days. They are doing super loud construction here and not only can my son not nap, but I can't think. I will have sporadic Internet access. I am going to try to post while away, but if not, that's the reason.

Saturday mish-mash

It’s gross outside, so this posting will sort of reflect that since it’s going to be all over the place.

First up Trader Joes. Yesterday we went for one of our numerous trips. I am saddened to report their cost of eggs is now $1.29/dozen. As such I am removing them from the master list.

Next it’s Wegmans. I hauled out there yesterday because of the weather and also because I was hoping they might have blueberries. My son loves them! It’s a 30 mile r/t excursion, but I figured it would be worth the gas since its such a magical place AND they would surely have blueberries.

They had blueberries (yeah!) for $3.49/4oz. This galls me since two months ago they were $1 packet. But I was time constrained then and didn’t learn how to preserve for the fall and winter. Oh well, lesson learned for next year.

I did compare some of their other prices, some good (very good) and some not so much. Their milk is on sale this week for $2.35, which is better than Costco. They have flour on sale for .99. They also had Smart Ones entrees for $1.99/each, which is a great money saver for workday lunches. I can’t remember the specifics for the not-so-good deals, but needless to say, I won’t be going back unless we have a repeat of really bad weather and my son’s need for healthy food overcomes me with a desire for more blueberries.

Reposting from the Facebook page (and if you are not a fan, you should be!) is this deal I found in a Washington Post ad.

As I mentioned earlier one of the first things we did away with magazines. I think my Good Housekeeping must have been paid in full for a while because it still keeps coming, but no bill. I have checked the stamp on front, but each issue lately has been a ‘special’ with a bag, so no date. At this point though, we are likely to renew when the time comes, especially when you consider the money savers included and the coupons they offer (lots!). November is case and point. Many money savings tips: including kitchen odor elimination (pg 42), emergency switch-outs (pg. 44), and grocery shopping tips (pg.123). (* I would post direct links but I can't find on their website, www.goodhousekeeping.com)

Finally, this has nothing to do with money saving. Nothing. But I read it yesterday and it gave me such peace of mind that I had to include it. Since most readers are women, and a fair amount have kids, I thought appropriate.

Stay dry and have a great weekend!

NoVa consignment sale SEVERAL DAYS next week

Just got this tip from reader Kristen. Many thanks!

CLASSY KIDS CONSIGNMENT
One of Prince William Counties best organized resales of gently used children's clothing, toys, books, videos, furniture, maternity items, etc ..... at BARGAIN prices!

OPEN 5 DAYS! Shop early for best selection.
Wednesday, Oct. 21, 12 NOON-8PM
Thursday, Oct. 22, 2PM-7PM
Friday, Oct. 23, 10AM-3PM
Saturday, Oct. 24, 8AM-1PM (50% OFF SALE)
Sunday, Oct. 25, 10AM-1PM (DOLLAR DASH)

Prince William County Fairgrounds
10624 Dumfries Rd.
Manassas, VA 20112

For more information browse www.ClassyKidsConsignment.com

Cash preferred. Checks, MC, and Visa okay with proper id.
***No strollers with baskets are allowed at the sale

Magruders update

As mentioned in yesterday's post, Magruders said they would send me ecoupons if I was on their mailing list. While I did not get the one promised (yet), I did have three waiting for me when I logged on, including one for free donuts. Might be worth your while, for my VA/DC/MD readers to sign up, you never know what coupons they are offering, and as I have noted before, their prices are fairly competitive.

Turn the lights out...

Ok, not really, but that got your attention, right :)

For the second night in a row, the television has pretty much been OFF since 6. I am rather certain I myself could live without it. Sure, I enjoy the Food Network and TLC (minus a certain PA couple of course), as much as the next person, but I don't *NEED* these things.

We pay just under $100/month for cable and Internet. We do need Internet and to get it without the cable attachment would be ridiculously expensive. So we get cable. I called last year to cancel and they threw in a free DVR to keep us, as well as lowered our rates, so until next month at least we can DVR our favorite shows...not that we ever have time to watch them.

The point of this being, we don't have to use the power for our cable and to light up our living room every night. By "we" I mean not just us but anyone. Instead, try turning off the tv one night and read a book (we all have tons in our personal libraries we never read) or a newspaper, that is of course if your town still has one.

Our local power company has been running radio ads lately about turning off our power strips when the multiple appliances aren't in use, so I have started doing that as well when we go to bed.

I am not naive. I don't think these things in and of themselves are so huge that our bills will go down, especially not when you consider I had to turn the heat on today since the temps never got out of the 40s...its October 15, not January 15, right? But I do think every little bit helps. And if we can keep our bills low and steady we can budget accordingly.

Random savings and an idea I am going to try..

Giant has tomato sauce (you know the kind you need to make your own spaghetti/pizza sauce as described here) on sale again this week, $1 can. That is not better than the big jar at Costco, but it is a great price and if we didn't have the membership (and I hadn't just bought the big jar) we would get some.

I will need to make some more sauce soon. Made it this weekend for meatballs for my Dad's 87th bday and it was a huge hit. I will admit I now like my own sauce better than the jar kind, and it is not entirely because of the price...it just tastes better.

Tonight I ordered Chinese food since my husband is at the US Soccer game in the pouring rain. My Kung Pao Shrimp was mostly red and green peppers. I have decided I am saving the bulk of them for a day or two, rinsing and then making with my sauce. I am not going to waste these veggies, especially since there are so many of them! I will let you know how it turns out.

This week's circulars were disappointing, but Magruders seems to have some good things on sale (for my Virginia readers) beginning today and going through next Tuesday, including an offer to sign up for their email alerts and get a coupon for next week for $1 (total price) for a gallon of milk. I am going to sign up now, will let you know, or feel free to sign up yourself. Just email circular@magruders.com and put 'subscribe' in the subject line.

Also, they have the Pepperidge Farm layer cakes which my husband loves for $2 (regularly $4.19 elsewhere) and .79 Duncan Hines Brownie Mix...yum!

Finally, getting back to Giant, they have their frozen waffles on sale for $1 box...that's a great deal! I know my son goes through them like crazy.

Stay dry, warm, cold, out of the snow, rain, wind, etc....depending on where you are.