FREE Sample of Dunkin Donuts Coffee!

Awesome, Cheapaholic Approved Homemade Gifts

With busy malls, crazy shoppers, and irritable sales people, why torture yourself this holiday season? Why not make (yes, make –bust out the hot glue gun, metal tins, and ribbon!) great gifts this year for your friends and family? After all, they probably have more useless objects lying around from last Christmas than they need.

Here are just a few really great gifts for everyone on your list.

1. Etched Glass Gifts

Just about every craft store sells glass etching cream. It is a small investment at first but it can turn many everyday items into gorgeous and most importantly, useful homemade gifts.

Ornaments
Drinking glasses
Pitchers
Votive holders
Or any glass object you want to have fun with

2. Knitted Gifts

If you know how to knit this is right up your alley! Time to pull out the needles and the yarn, or go buy a few skeins of soft yarn.

Scarves
Gloves
Hats
Sweaters
Blankets – great for those with new babies!

3. Concrete Gifts

Believe it or not you can make great gifts for the gardener in your life or really just about anyone. You could buy the expensive one time use kits from the craft stores or you could hit up your local home and garden center and grocery store for a Cheapaholic Approved gift. For inside use, buy a plate holder or wooden picture frame stand for the recipient to display their handmade gift

Garden Stepping Stones
Hand, Foot, or even Paw print keepsake


4. No-Sew Monogrammed Hand Towels

Monogrammed towels are always a great hostess gift. Plus, you can use any color you want to!


Here are a few How-to's -

Etched Glass Gifts

Materials:

Glass cleaner
Glass etching cream
Contact paper, painter’s tape or masking tape
Ruler or other straight edge
Stencils
Gloves
Paint brush
Anything glass that you want to personalize

Directions:

TIP: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!!

Clean and dry glass

Decide on the design you want and create a template from the contact paper or tape.

Cover your work area very well as the cream will ruin anything it touches (now would be a good time to use the left over newspaper you do not need after clipping all of your coupons).

Apply sticky medium of your choice (tape or paper) to the glass. Make sure there is not a chance for the cream to run under the template!!

Apply a heavy layer the cream with the paint brush and wait about 5 or so minutes

Rinse with warm water



Concrete Gifts

Materials:

Drop cloth
Wood paint stir stick
Mold(s) – disposable aluminum pie tins work great
Bag of concrete – decide how many gifts you are making before buying a bag
Old bucket that you will never use again or a buy a bucket that you strictly use for concrete
Rocks or broken glass – you can buy bags of broken glass from craft stores
Dowel rods for writing in the concrete
Gloves
Sandwich bags - if you want to make an imprint of your child’s hands

Directions:

Find a work area that can handle spilled concrete and cover with drop cloth

Mix according to bag directions

Pour concrete into mold(s)

Pick up the mold and drop to get rid of any possible air bubbles

Create your design: Press rocks, glass, handprints, etc into the concrete

Allow to dry and remove from mold(s).


Monogrammed Hand Towels

Materials:

Hand Towels
Washable Fabric Paint
Stencils
Paint Brushes

Directions:

Lay hand towel on a piece of cardboard or paper

Place stencil on the towel

Holding the stencil firmly, apply two to three coats of paint

Remove stencil and allow paint to dry

Looking for Cheap(aholic of course!) Airfaire??

As the Miracles once said “My mama told me, you better shop around.”

• Look at more than one website, there are plenty of deals to be had if you are willing to take the time and do your research. Besides looking at the airline sites directly make sure you visit sites such as: Expedia, Travelocity, Kayak, Travelzoo, Priceline, and Cheapseats.

• Check airfares by searching for just one ticket, even if you want to buy multiple tickets. Any given plane will have a multitude of different prices for their seats. You will find that sometimes buying multiple seats all at once is not always the cheapest. If you buy them separately, you might be able to buy more than one seat at a lower cost as opposed to buying them all together and getting one price.

• Flexible? Travel flexibility has its rewards. Sometimes changing just one date can make a world of difference in price. Be sure to check out websites that allow you to search within a range of days (Airfare Watch Dog, Travelocity, Kayak, and Fare Compare to name a few).

• Is your destination somewhere within a day’s drive? Compare airfares vs. the cost of driving. Savings by car can be considerable if you have a large group traveling. Check out AAA Fuel Cost Calculator to get a good estimate as to what the drive would cost.
  
• Frequent Flyer Miles/Rewards Points. Don’t overlook these resources if you know the flight is going to be costly. If you have a lot of miles or points saved up, don’t forget to calculate the value of your frequent flyer seat to get the most for the points you'll spend. If it’s a short, cheap flight, you might want to save these points for a later date.

Keeping in the song theme..."I get by with a little help from my friends!"

Thanks Celeste!

Gray

You want me to pay WHAT?!?!?!

I was really excited about trying something new. I love smoothies. I will replace a few meals with them occasionally – not a fan of high calorie ones though...

Yoplait has come out with smoothie mixes in the freezer section. Grabbed a few Sunday papers and clipped the Yoplait smoothie coupons - I really wanted to try it; that is, until I saw the price and what they were selling. A bag of frozen, over priced fruit. WHAT? $3 and change for a small bag of fruit? Insane. I can add my own fruit to a cup of milk and call it a smoothie.

My take: DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY

Remedy: Walk over to the produce section and buy real fruit. Search the circulars to see who is selling bananas, blueberries, etc cheap and freeze it yourself.

I bought a couple of pounds of bananas, chopped them up, divided them into equal parts, and they are sitting in my freezer begging to be a part of my next smoothie.

You could do this with any fruit your heart desires.

Enjoy and please do not over pay for frozen fruit!!!


Gray

SIGN UP FOR CHEAPAHOLIC LIVING'S MONTHLY NEWSLETTER!!

The December edition is in the works and it's not too late to sign up for November's.

For your copy, email gray@cheapaholicliving .com with "Newsletter Request" in the subject line

OR

Go to www.cheapaholicliving.com and fill out the "Contact Us" form to have one sent.

Become a Fan of Cheapaholic Living on Facebook!

Click this link or search "Cheapaholic Living" in Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Cheapaholic-Living/167823754940?ref=nf

Save Money Lose the Waist!

Are you buying the foods because you have a coupon or are you using your coupons wisely? A lot of the coupons found today are for processed foods. Believe it or not, there are coupons available for milk, meats, and fresh fruits and vegetables. The processed foods add pounds to your waistline. So, how do you get the coupons for the healthy stuff? Sign up for special offers and programs with your local grocery stores. Publix has a great baby and toddler program. I have received many coupons for produce and dairy products through it. I just signed up with Kroger on their site and you will receive coupons for the fresh products from there as well. I have collected many coupons from the Sara Lee displays that if you buy milk you get a loaf of bread for free (up to a certain dollar amount). I just used a coupon that I received in the mail from Target, buy 1.5 lbs of deli meat and get ½ pound of cheese for free.

Also, tuna coupons are always available. Tuna is the key to many diets and plans for healthy living. Tyson, Purdue, and Springer Mountain Farms chicken coupons are available as well. Do not buy junk just because it is cheap. Always compare prices of meat and fish at every store prior to buying it. Do not discard Trader Joe’s! Trader Joes may not sell major brands but their prices are great on frozen fish.

For example, this week at Publix there are TONS of healthy foods to choose from, such as:

Publix salad blends 2 for $4

Cheerios BOGO (save up to $4.99)

Snow crab clusters $4.99 lb!! (A favorite at my house!) Instead of butter, try dipping it into extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs

Purdue Boneless Chicken Breasts $2.99 lb (all though…I have seen them cheaper in the past)
Yellow Squash, Zucchini, or Green Beans $.99 lbs

There are many great deals on super healthy foods every week! While not everything that’s on Atkins or the South Beach Diet is not on sale, why follow one of those diets? They are COSTLY!! Instead, stop buying the JUNK.

If you really want to lose weight and you are serious about it, stop buying the cookies, cake mixes, potato chips, and especially PASTA (unless you are burning 800 calories an hour during your workouts you do not need the carbohydrates!!) IF the pasta is on sale plus you have a coupon, buy it – but not for you. Donate it to a food bank (see ThanksGIVING blog post). Yes, I love my pasta. But I treat it as a side dish and it’s rare that we eat it at home (exception to the crazy kid that loves macaroni and cheese – which is made with REAL cheese, not a lab created, orange, cheese-like substance and it’s from Trader Joe’s). I do cave at times and buy the Scooby Doo or Spiderman Kraft Mac and Cheese...

Keep in mind, "A Happy Cheapaholic, is a Healthy Cheapaholic"

Gray

ThanksGIVING...

Just because you have a coupon for something and its on sale, you don’t have to buy it. Instead, become a coupon fairy and pass those along to those that will benefit from it. For example, you have 8 coupons for spaghetti and it just happens to be BOGO. Do you buy 8 boxes and eat nothing but pasta everyday? If that’s the case, you will put weight on (I will post more on this at a later date). You have to eat a balanced diet. Pasta on a regular basis is not balanced. It’s carbs - straight carbs. The other day, I have 2 Barilla pasta coupons, 50 cents each; they doubled and became $1 each. The pasta was 2 for $1.39. I was PAID to buy it. Do I need it? No. Did I buy it? Yes, because you were paid to do so. Donate the pasta to a local shelter that will benefit from it more than you will.

Remember:

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Luke 6:38

Same with the Betty Crocker potatoes that are BOGO free at Publix right now through Wednesday(11/11); all you have to pay is tax. There are coupons online that are for 40 cents off one package. Print off as many coupons as the sites allow. I grabbed a few from www.coupons.com. If you miss this round, I am sure they will go on sale again soon.

While November and December seem like the only time to give, you can and should give year round. People that are in need do not show up around the holidays, they are always there. Look around your house, are there any coats, scarves, hats, etc that you do not wear anymore? What about your kids’ clothes? Grab those as well to donate. Do not forget about baby supplies (strollers, car seats, etc) and toys that are in like new condition.

Happy Giving!

Gray

www.CheapaholicLiving.com

The new site is up and running!! Don't worry - the original blog will still be up and running. Of course, as with all things electronic, there's a minor glitch. The forum didn't make it. It will be back up soon though. Just a minor technical error. Oops.

Cheapies will be able to unite soon! I promise...

'Til then -

Coupon Kisses and Trader Joe's Two-Buck Chuck Dreams!

Gray

Tips and Thanks...

I would like to thank everyone that is helping me with the new site in preparation for tomorrow’s launch. I hope everyone enjoys the site and will have their own ideas, tips, and tricks to contribute; whether it is posted on the forum or submitted thru the “Contact Us” page it is all greatly appreciated.

The AJC Sunday edition is released tomorrow, and in some places, by noon. Pick up multiple copies to save even more on your grocery bill!

Here are a few tips to remember:

Just because you get the coupon today, doesn’t mean you have to use it today. Wait until the item is on sale, and then go crazy.

Be mindful of those that cannot afford groceries. Use the multiple coupons plus the store coupons to buy a lot of non-perishable items. Many shelters ask for pasta, pasta sauce, rice, baby food, and oatmeal.

Plan for tomorrow and not for today. By doing so, you will save a lot of money. What if you are planning a chicken dish? Don’t buy when you need it! Chances are, it will not be on sale. Buy when it’s on sale and freeze it for later.

Contact your local homeless shelter and see what they are in need of. Right now, at Kroger, they have “buy 10 get $5 off.” Included in that is Colgate toothpaste. You may have a coupon for $1.00 off Colgate. If not, scour the internet for a few. Toiletries are always on homeless shelter’s list of items needed. There are a few tubes that are on sale for $1. You will be getting those for free. The shelter that I donate to is Marietta’s MUST Ministries. http://www.mustministries.org/

Happy Shopping!

Gray

CheapaholicLiving.com needs your help!

If you know of a great Cheapaholic friendly vacation spot please email gray@cheapaholicliving.com. All states/countries are welcome!

Freebies at Wally World!

Here's the link to free samples from Walmart.com

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-Free-Samples-And-Tools.aspx

For Liz, My “Green Goddess”

Hardly the earthy-crunchy, nauseating “save the world” chants, swaddled in hemp thread, Birkenstock donning, typical tree-hugger, Liz cares about our planet without annoying Mother Earth and her peeps. While digging through my friends’ brains in search of my next topic, she suggested that I do a piece on recycling. While I do not know much on the subject, I do recycle; mainly because it cuts down on my trash and there are useful items that people love to throw out. Not I; I like to keep what others call “junk.” No, no, I do not have piles of garbage lying around, that’s just nasty. And no, I do not rummage through others’ trash. What kind of person do you think I am? :)

Over the last year or so, “Going Green” has been the campaign for many corporations, politicians, and earthy crunchy do-gooders. Well, what does it mean to go green? What I have learned so far is that you do not save any green initially. There is always a price tag to go along with being a part of the army of do-gooders. For example, light bulbs, florescent bulbs are huge right now. I bet if you tried to buy an incandescent bulb you would be stoned to death in lane 7. Do they save you money? Not at first. Every bulb I have in my apartment is florescent. I hate changing light bulbs. The incandescent bulbs burn out so incredibly fast, I was buying them every time I went to the store (I have a lot of lamps and ceiling lights). During one of my trips to my Mother Ship, IKEA, I picked up a few florescent bulbs to give it a shot. Besides, the regular price for the bulbs at IKEA is that the same price as a package of incandescent bulbs at most stores. It has been one year since I replaced all of my lights. I saw a difference on my power bill. Not a lot, maybe $10.00?
When I owned my home in Cobb Co, my power bill was always above $300 regardless of the season. Our power bill crept down to just under $200 a month. We just recently moved into a more energy efficient apartment and my power bill went down to $180. Still not satisfied - I have all of these florescent bulbs (btw – IKEA bulbs have a natural glow and not a typical blue evil office glow), so why is my bill over $180?? Brandsmart (www.brandsmart.com) had a great sale on the Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer. We bought it, not to save on our power bill, but to get rid of the stupid agitator that destroys everything in its path. **Do not go out and buy a new washer and dryer just to save money, doesn’t make sense, or cents.** After one month of owning my precious Whirlpool Duet washer and dryer, my power bill went from $180 to $110. Um, what? I checked the bill to see if I had opened someone else’s mail. Nope, it was mine. $110 power bill; I haven’t see that since I lived in my tiny one bedroom apartment that barely scraped in at 700 sq ft. While it will take quite some time to recoup the money spent on the washer and dryer, I say it was a great investment. Plus, Whirlpool is a great company with quality products and the one of the highest consumer satisfaction ratings. My old GE washer and dryer, well, yeah. The dryer went out just before the warranty did and ALL GE washers require a few parts to be replaced around the five year mark. The parts were going to cost more than the stupid thing was worth. My old washer almost caught my house on fire as well. I know what brand I will never buy again.

New Blog Link

Of course this blog will not be 100% inactive; however, the new blog will feature straight deals, steals, freebies, and more!

This one will be turned into my outlet to post my saving escapades :)

Here is the new link:

http://blog.cheapaholicliving.com/

Do not forget to check out the forum as well. You can reach it through the new blog.


Nighty Night Coupons Clippers!


Gray

Don't Forget!!

http://www.cheapaholicliving.com/ will be launched 11/7!!!

Airwick Rewards

Membership is FREE and as a member you can earn codes that can be redeemed for rewards like sweepstake entries and coupons, valued at $10,000.

http://www.airwick.us/fragranthomesclub/

Weekly Grocery Deals

Publix Weekly Deals
Thursday 10/29 – Wednesday 11/4
http://publix.shoplocal.com/publix/default.aspx?action=entryflash&

Just a few of the great deals this week:

Hershey’s Kisses or Miniatures buy 1/get 1 free (save up to $9.99)
Wonka Candies (assorted varieties, save up to 8.99)

Small Lobster Tails $4.99 ea (save $2.00)
New York Strip Steak $5.99 lb (save $2.00)
Publix Whole Chicken $.99 lb
Purdue Chicken Breast Nuggets buy 1/get 1 free (save up to $4.39)
Hebrew National Franks buy 1/get 1 free (save up to $4.99)

Fresh Express Salad Blends buy 1/get 1 free (save up to $3.99)
Georgia Grown Sweet Corn $2.00 for 8 ears
Green Giant Frozen Vegetables buy 1/get 1 free (save up to $3.49)

Publix Deli Tea $.99 (save $.50)
Select Coke Products buy 1/get 1 free (save up to $1.79)

Mueller’s Pasta buy 1/get 1 free (save up to $1.39)
Barilla Pasta Sauce 2 for $4.00
Cheez-it Crackers buy 1/get 1 free (assorted varieties, save up to $3.29)
Arnold Bread buy 1/get 1 free (save up to $3.69)
Dannon Yogurt 20 for $10.00 (save $4.00)
Breyer’s Ice Cream buy 1/get 1 free (save up to $4.99)
Nestle Drumsticks buy 1/get 1 free (save up to $6.99)



Coupon inside ad:
Save $4.00 for 4 General Mills or Nature Valley products

Weekly Freebies and Coupons!

Who doesn’t want something for free? Get it now before someone decides to tax us for free stuff!!

Pillsbury Coupons
Save Up to $24.45 off
https://www.pillsbury.com/coupons-promotions/CouponsPromotionsLanding.htm

Betty Crocker Coupons
Save Up to $20.25
http://www.bettycrocker.com/coupons-promotions/coupons/default.aspx?WT.ac=homepage_05-01-2008

Nature Valley Free Sample
http://freesample.naturevalley.com/NatureValley/Default.aspx

Special K Free Sample
http://www.blueboxgift.com/specialkpromo.asp

Nestle Free Sample
http://www.nestle-abuelita.com/EN/Granulado/

Splenda Free Sample
https://www.splendidlife.com/ancillary/samplingprogram.do

Aveeno Haircare Free Sample
https://secure.startsampling.com/sm/100630/quickQuestion.iphtml?item=100630&source=aveeno.com

Lacoste Fragrance Free Sample
http://www.murad.com/acne-complex-treatments/sample-request/sampleRequest.jsp?segment=12511&roiid=MRDC360&bc=1246907406084

Carmex Free Sample
http://www.mycarmex.com/request-a-sample/default.aspx

Juicy Juice Free Cup
http://www.juicyjuice.com/Login/Register.aspx

Arm & Hammer
Save Up to $14.50
http://www.armandhammer.com/?utm_source=Newsletter10_09&utm_medium=email&utm_content=coupon_image&utm_campaign=Newsletter10_09

New Website to be Launched November 7, 2009!!

A Cheapaholic's Way of Life will be moving to http://www.cheapaholicliving.com/ on Saturday, November 7, 2009 at 12:01 a.m. EST.

Postings will still be made to this website until then.

Freebies & Cheapies In & Around (Atlanta of course!)

Bored? Perhaps feeling a bit out of whack? Need something to do?

I have lived in and around Atlanta my entire life so I know this place can be boring as hell. In fact, I believe it is hell at times - or it gets just as hot. Over the years I have had to get creative with smashing the boredom and most of the time I have little or no moolah. Here is a list of relatively inexpensive things to do and places to go.

1. Discover Art (no silly, not in the isles of Wal-Mart!)

The High Museum of Art Atlanta
1280 Peachtree Street, N.E., Atlanta, GA 30309

Are you a Fulton County resident?

Despite what many people think, Fulton County is a GREAT place to live. If you are a Fulton County resident there are many perks.

Currently, Fulton County residents get FREE admission on the first Saturday of each month. Also, through what's left of the month of October, college students with a valid college I.D. get in for $5.00 (regular price for college students is $15.00).

http://www.high.org/main.taf?p=1,1


2. Get Back in Shape (or start trying to get in shape)

Delgado Boxing at the Gym of Buckhead
4920 Roswell Road Ste 48, Atlanta, GA 30342

Visit http://www.delgadoboxing.net/Delgado_Boxing/Home.html to print off a coupon for free workouts. It is located below The Gym of Buckhead in the Fountain Oaks shopping plaza off of Roswell Road. If you are spending money to run on someone else's treadmill then you are just throwing your money away. Go run on pavement. Delgado Boxing offers a workout that you cannot get at your average run of the mill meathead filled gym.

Get in the best shape of your life and burn more calories than you ever thought possible at Delgado Boxing.

3. Look But Don't Feed the Alligators!!

Zoo Atlanta
800 Cherokee Ave, Atlanta, GA 30315

Atlantans take the Zoo for granted, I for one, am one of them. I haven't been in ten years, but I plan on going more often now.

The zoo hosts many events all year long. Right now, they are struggling to keep the pandas in the zoo.

Ten years ago, Zoo Atlanta welcomed two baby pandas to their family. This year, their five year lease with China will be up and the pandas will have to go back to China; unless, we can help them raise $500,000!!

Learn more about ways to give to Zoo Atlanta to Save the Pandas at:

http://www.givesotheystay.org/



Recycle the ol' phone (cell, that is) to save a gorilla

http://www.zooatlanta.org/home/green_stuff/cell_recycling

According to Zoo Atlanta, "Cell phones also have had a direct effect on wild populations of gorillas. A critical component of cell phones and other small electronics is a substance called coltan. One of the few places in the world where coltan is found is the forests of the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo—right in the middle of gorilla habitat. As a result of mining for coltan, critical habitat has been destroyed and gorillas have been displaced or even killed by poachers."

You can even mail them in if you cannot drop off your pile of old phones to the address contained in the link above.

4. Hang Out in the Cellar

Cellar 56
56 East Andrews Drive, Atlanta, GA 30305

The best food in Atlanta by far. Chef Paul Agnelli created a menu that Atlantans have never had the pleasure of savoring until now. I have had half the menu and I have yet to be disappointed. It is a bistro and wine bar that specializes in tapas and 90+ wines.

Prices range from:

Wine
$3 half and $6 full glass

Tapas
$4 to $6 per plate

Sign up with them online and get a coupon for 3 FREE plates

http://www.cellar56.com/index.php?page=about

Shiny, Blinding, Pearly Whites

I was flipping thru all of my coupons last night looking for a coupon for an at home whitening kit. All I had was a $3.00 of coupon for a certain toothpaste brand's at home whitening kit. That was still putting it over $25.00. Not good enough for me. I have used just about every tooth whitening product on the market at some point in my life and have never been truly satisfied with the results. I discussed professional whitening with my dentist and he said that the cost would outweigh the benefits.



My mom used to be into all of the herbal stuff (legal stuff, echinacea, alfalfa, and such) back in the day. So I figured that there has to be some kind of home remedy for white teeth. I've heard of rubbing strawberries and orange peels on your teeth but I didn't have either of those in my kitchen. There was a blog online about people trying different things to whiten their teeth. Someone had mentioned rubbing olive oil on your teeth and it works immediately. Yeah right. Ok kooks.



This morning I had nothing better to do than to whip out the olive oil and give it a shot. I poured some olive oil a bowl and grabbed a white (apparently it must be white for some reason). Five minutes later, my teeth are the whitest they have ever been!!



This is what you need:



Small bowl

White washcloth

One tablespoon of olive oil (I used extra virgin)

Five minutes



Brush your teeth first with toothpaste. Pour the olive oil into the bowl and dip your finger wrapped in the washcloth in it. Scrub your teeth with the olive oil coated washcloth for five minutes. Reapply as needed.

In the 2nd picture, the lighting is off. But this avid tea drinker's streaks are no longer there.

This is my mouth. I am obsessed with black cherry soda. Can't tell now!

Cheap Thrills at Ross

Am I all about grocery shopping? Not at all. I really do love having a food supply that will last 2-3 months. That’s not so bad. Shopping in general has always been one of my favorite hobbies. A few years ago – I would not be caught dead in a Ross, Marshall’s, or the like. Now, Ross is one of my favorite places to go. I practically grew up in Neiman Marcus; that was my mom’s favorite place to shop and I loved it too. Their toy selection was to die for and the majority of my dresses came from there. So, it was only natural for me to continue shopping there. I continued when I was pregnant with my son because I had a pram and I wanted my son to have the Ferrari of strollers (sorry Cadillac, you didn’t make the cut) with the damn stroller that was more than my car payment and half of my house payment. BTW – their Christmas Wish Book is out now if you want to drool…drooling is OK. Caving is not. Ok, back on track ladies and gentlemen, really “earth to Emme!!” I am no longer in that position to shop like that anymore. My son got the best when I could financially give it to him and I had the time for him b/c I was a stay-at-home-mom, not all it’s cracked up to be, really a boring life for me, personally.

I was in Ross a few weeks back scouring the racks of tops when I came across this little piece of heaven (ok, really it was a cart-full of heaven an hour later). It was a Michael Kors puffy sleeved black crossover knit top for TWENTY SIX DOLLARS! My jaw dropped. $26.00 for MICHAEL KORS?!?! Was this a mistake? Nope, and I wasn’t dreaming either. That was an $80.00 shirt. Um, Neiman Marcus who? Then, I stumbled on a pair of $78.00 Kenneth Cole pants for $24.00. It was amazing; I felt like Julie Andrews in the Sound of Music and Dorothy seeing the Emerald City all rolled into one giant ball of happiness. I just wish I could find shoes there.
Target, another wonderful place. Isaac Mizrahi – need I say more? I loved him. I loved everything he designed, I wanted all of it. But I was 16, 17 yrs old; things were different then, couldn’t afford it. Thanks to Target, Isaac’s designs are affordable and they are quality pieces. I have a few pieces from there and I must say, thread is thread at the end of the day and this is clearly ISAAC.

Do not be afraid to scour the racks at Ross or other discount retailers. It may take a while, so start your day with a strong cup of black java.

Hugs, Kisses, and Deep Discount Designer Dreams!!

Emme

Coupon Websites and Doubling - a Village Idiot's Guide

I was once a Village Idiot. I actually used to pay FULL PRICE!!! Ugh! The horror! The shame!!


There are tons of coupon websites to choose from; but are you choosing the correct sites? Did you know that the majority of the sites will only let you print one coupon?? Sites that I frequent are:

www.couponmom.com
www.shortcuts.com
www.upromise.com
www.couponbug.com

Many sites you will have to register with them and download a coupon printer tool. I suggest opening another email account for this. Gmail is the easiest to operate with mass emails. You will get a lot of emails about coupons and other offers.

With ShortCuts.com, you can load coupons onto your Kroger Plus Card. So, if you have a Pillsbury coupon for $0.35 off one crescent roll package, a coupon on your Kroger card $0.35 off one pkg, and Kroger happens to have Pillsbury crescent rolls on sale 3 for $5 – you are getting crescent rolls for $0.62. You see, manufacturer’s coupons are doubled in most grocery stores. The coupons from Shortcuts are never doubled. The good thing about those is that no one has to know that you are doubling up on your coupons to save even more.

You must know that coupons are only doubled up to $0.50. If you have one coupon for $0.40 off and another coupon for $0.55 off, which is the better deal? The $0.40 one of course (except at Wal-Mart and Target – they do not double!!!); with the $0.40 coupon, you are really saving $0.80! Better than $0.55, huh?

Hello my little frugalicious friends :)

So, I have had quite a few requests from people wanting me to share my secrets. Well, I really do not have any secrets to saving. All I do is plan ahead. Grocery shopping is one of my favorite things to do. I save a lot because I plan a lot. For a regular shopping trip, I usually spend about an hour or two planning my attack. So how do I do it??

Saturday 12 noon: the Sunday paper (ajc) arrives @ the gas station near my place. I grab it and maybe a scratch off ticket for my own amusement.

I immediately pull out all of the sale ads and begin separating the crap from the coupons (I rummage thru the crap later). I clip just about every coupon I see b/c you never know if it will be on sale in the future.

A few years ago when I did not experience any glitch in my income whatsoever (ok, my husband's income, I used to work for our "free" money...those were the days), I would toss out the coupons or just clip a few if I saw something I liked; but I never used what I clipped. God forbid if one of the "ALTA" moms saw me use a coupon in the damn suburbs...

Now, things are much different, I clip EVERYTHING. Ok, maybe not everything - I forgo the meow mix and the depends - everything else is fair game. My coupon "organizer" is exploding. I close it with a rubber band from my trusty Sunday paper.

Once the coupons are clipped and well organized, I scour the sale ads for deals. Publix, Target, and Kroger. I steer clear of Wally World (Walmart) - I get freaked out there, plus they are weird about coupons and the employees hate their job and take it out on you. Publix has buy one get one free deals that are awesome and if you have coupons - even better.

When you are going thru the sale ads, do not only look for "today," look for the future. Are canned goods on sale? Toilet paper (NOT something you want to ever run out of!!), your favorite air fresheners? When things like olive oil, canola oil, pasta, pasta sauce, frozen veggies are on sale, I stock up - big time. I have food for probably 2 months.

So, go through the sale ads, find what you need now and what you will need later. You have to learn to give up the wants. Those are ok occasionally, but you will also go broke. Put each store's list on a different page (you may find yourself editing a bit). Pull out your coupons for the items that are on your list. It may take weeks to build a supply of coupons that will really make a shopping trip worthwhile. Compare sale ads, does Kroger have their cheese 2 for $5 or does Publix have Kraft (or whatever) on sale 2 for $5? I would go with Publix. Why? Chances are, you have a coupon for Kraft cheese, or you can find one online and print multiple copies.

Make a final copy of your lists. Ones that are all jacked up get confusing. Separate your coupons by store.

Also, the little coupon machines they have in the aisles...snag the coupons!! Who cares what it is, if you can't use it someone else will. Which reminds me, if I come across baby formula coupons that I do not need and I do not know anyone that uses that particular brand of formula, I'll go down the baby aisle and give it to someone that is picking up a can.

Alrighty...that should get you started. I will post at least once a week if not more with great coupon sites, deals, and steals.

Until then, clip coupons!!

Emme