Home Sweet Frugal Home

Gift Card Deals at Vons

2011-11-22T10:36:00.001-08:00

So here's how I got my entire Thanksgiving feast for $30. We celebrated our Thanksgiving and did our whole feast on Sunday since we're going out of town visiting family on Thanksgiving. In addition to making a ton of food for my family (with lots of leftovers!), I was able to bring over 3 side dishes and dessert to a family member's house. I also stocked up on lots of Thanksgiving staples to add to my stockpile. And I only paid $30 out of pocket. Here's how. Right now, Vons is having a gift card promo. Buy a $100 gift card, and they give you a $15 credit on your shopping trip. So, we're currently renovating our house. We know we will be making lots of trips to Lowe's. So we bought $300 worth of gift cards to Lowe's (That we will be spending regardless). Then we were able to get a $45 discount on our groceries. I also shopped with sales and coupons. I ended up paying only $30 out of pocket. This sale promo ends today, then 11/24-11/26 it goes down to only a $10 credit on your order. So try to get to Vons today! You can buy gift cards for yourself that you know you will use anyway, or buy some as Christmas gifts! And by the way, Vons has Turkeys starting at only $7.

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Are you a fan of Home Sweet Frugal Home on Facebook yet? Become a fan to be the first to see deal alerts, blog posts, money saving advice and you'll also receive exclusive Facebook Only deal alerts. Click Here to find us on Facebook. Make sure to hit Like at the top of the page!

Save Money By Being Your Man's Hair Stylist

2011-11-20T00:46:00.001-08:00

Today was a big day for me... my hubby finally gave in and let me cut his hair. He was crazy enough and brave enough to trust me... And believe it or not, I made his hair look great! It looked just like it does when he gets it done professionally. I was very nervous at first and I purposely cut it longer than I thought at first to get the hang of it. Once I was comfortable, I cut at the correct length and it came out perfect. So be brave, tell your honey to be brave and give it a shot!

Here's a video that shows just how simple it is.

And here's a Clipper Kit that's just like the one I got.

Wahl 79524-1001 Deluxe Chrome Pro with Multi-Cut Clipper & Trimmer, 27 Pieces

It's actually on an awesome sale right now. Normal Price $62.95. Sale Price $29.97 and free shipping... what a deal! Not sure when t expires, so I would suggest getting it now!

But the biggest money saving of all is never paying for a hair cut ever again. My hubby gets his hair cut about once a month for $20 on average. That's a savings of $20/month and $240/year. Just think of all the ways he could use that money to pay you back for all your hard work... :) haha... just kidding. In all honesty, any way we can free up an extra monthly fee is a huge help to our finances. I hope this quick tip helps you out! You can learn to cut your kid's hair too to save even more!

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Secrets from a Black Friday Master

2011-11-19T10:46:00.001-08:00

I must admit that Black Friday is my all time favorite holiday. Nothing says "holiday spirit" better than hundreds of strangers camped in a line that wraps around the back of Walmart in the cold at 3 am waiting for the best deals on a Kitchenaid Mixer. The doors finally open and the stampede swarms in and fills the store within 3.7 seconds. Then the true chaos starts with hundreds of people running as fast as they can towards the $200 52" flat screen TV, sometimes trampling the poor employees. Everyone is yelling, shoving people out of their way, and sometimes just flat out grabbing something out of a strangers shopping cart when they turn their back (true shoppers know not to use a cart anyway!) Nothing beats the feeling of running out to the car with the item you actually came there for in your arms at 70% off! It truly is a rush! Not that I've done any of those selfish and rude things... Ok maybe some.

Black Friday has become a tradition in my family. It's something that we look forward to starting as soon as when last year's Black Friday ended. My husband and I are very frugal. We have always lived on a tight budget. We're the type who shop with coupons, bought a house at 23 years old, rarely go out to eat, and try to never pay full price for anything. We're not cheap, we're just wise with our money. This is one reason we love Black Friday- it's the one day each year that we get to have fun and go on a crazy shopping spree. We usually will put off any big purchases for ourselves until then and get most of our Christmas shopping done that day. I'm pretty much a pro by now so I'm going to teach you everything I've learned over the years.

What is Black Friday?

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. It is the biggest shopping day of the year because it officially marks the first day of Christmas shopping. All the stores compete for your business by having their steepest discounts. And people (like me) usually go crazy for them! The whole weekend is full of great deals, but the best ones are the "Early Bird Specials" and "Doorbusters" on Friday morning.

Make a Plan

The biggest mistake you can make is to expect to casually walk in and be able to take your time shopping and comparing items like you would any other day. The key is to move through the store as quickly as possible in order to get to the next store so you don't miss out on any deals. The best way to move quickly is if you know what exactly you want from each store. I start by making a list of all the products we want. Think Christmas presents, items for your home, large purchases that you have been saving up for, clothing, birthday gifts for the future, holiday decorations, and anything else. Then start looking through all the ads. The official ads are in the newspaper usually on thanksgiving but that only gives you one day notice. I usually start checking websites the month before (my favorite is www.blackfriday2011.com). Most stores put out their BF ads online early. Now is when the planning begins. Look through every single store ad for stores that are on your area. Even look at ads for stores you don't usually shop at. You may be surprised that you can suddenly afford to shop at Macy's. Make note of which items you plan on purchasing. And compare prices for the same items at different stores.

Get a Head Start

Go to each store you plan at shopping a few days before. This will give you the opportunity to leisurely find the location of each item in the store and try on clothes, look at details on the product's boxes, etc at your own pace. Keep in mind that they may move some popular items to a large display in the store's aisles or endcaps, but at least you will have a general idea of where each department is in the store.

Timing is Everything

The "Early Bird Specials" and "Doorbusters" will have the best deals. The stores will change the prices of the items throughout the day. For example, Kohl's may have a luggage set at 70% off at 4am, 60% off at 9am, and only 50% off the rest of the weekend. While 50% off is great, why not work a little harder and get the same item at 70% off? So decide if you want to even bother going to sleep the night before. The big Thanksgiving meal makes most people pretty tired. If you must sleep, make sure to wake up on time! This is one day that you absolutely cannot sleep in. Now, because you will be a BF pro, and you have made your shopping list early, you will need to plan out in what order you plan on going to each store. It's really simple. Just start in the order of which stores open earliest. If you're going to camp out in front of a store, plan on getting there a minimum of 2 hours early. Then move as quickly through the store as possible to move on to the next store.

Your Black Friday Survival Kit

Plan on bringing your significant other or a friend with you. It's important that you work as a team to get what you want.
Bring only the basics with you. Don't carry a purse. You will need your arms free to carry everything through the store since you won't be using a shopping cart. So make sure your pants have good pockets for your debit card, ID, cell phone, shopping list, any coupons, and folded up store ad. (Notice I say debit card- NOT credit card. BF shopping has amazing deals, but only if you can afford it)
Bring food in the car to snack on as you drive from store to store. ( A leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwich is a great snack!) Don't waste time stopping to go out to eat. Also bring whatever drink wakes you up- coffee or an energy drink. Just don't drink too much, because only amateurs take bathroom breaks! ;)
Wear clothes that are comfortable. Dress in layers. You'll be freezing when you're camped outside of Best Buy at 4am, but you'll soon be sweating as you run around a few stores. And this is not the day to show off your beautiful 4" heels. You're going to be on your feet for hours- possibly getting your feet stepped on. So wear comfortable walking shoes.

The Shopping Strategy

My husband and I have a great system we've been using. The second the stampede swarms into the store, we split up. One of us immediately gets in line to hold a spot at the checkout while the other person runs around the store grabbing all the items we plan on buying. Don't bother using a shopping cart. There are so many people in the store that you will just get caught in a shopping cart traffic jam. And people try to steal things out of other carts anyway. If you are not completely decided on purchasing an item, now is not the time to sit and think about it. Just go ahead and buy it. But save your receipt in case you want to return it. If you don't buy it now, you will end up paying more for it down the road. It is almost a guarantee that the Black Friday price is the best all year.

At checkout, make sure to use any coupons from the ads or that you printed online. Make sure they ring everything up at the correct price. As long as you have the store ad in your pocket, you can correct any mistakes.

Cyber Monday

For those of you who don't want to brave the crowds, you won't lose out on all the deals. The Biggest Online Shopping Day of Year is Cyber Monday. Look out for deals with huge discounts and free shipping deals. To make the most of your deals there are websites that offer cash back rebates on your online shopping by clicking through the store website links on their websites. Sign up for free with Shop At Home and also sign up with Ebates. By clicking directly through my links, you will get a $5 free credit on Shop At Home, and from Ebates you will get your choice of a free $10 gift card from Home Depot, Target, or Barnes & Noble. You're welcome :)

Once you sign up for any of these websites, you will get cash back in the form of a check from every online purchase you make from almost any website. These websites also give you coupon codes for free shipping and discounts on your orders.

Why do we put ourselves through this madness?

Because we love it! It really has become a holiday tradition in our home. We save our money all year and we get one day to go on a shopping spree. We have so much fun running around each of the stores finding things like a treasure hunt. And we take our fun very seriously. :) I hope you got some good tips to help you save some money this year!

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If you are local to Ventura County, I will be teaching a class on How to Save Money During the Holidays on Dec 3rd at 4pm. Black Friday is just the beginning of my money saving secrets. I am passionate about finding ways to save and sharing my secrets with you. Click here to sign up for my holiday class. Happy early Black Friday!

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Free Sandisk 4 GB USB Drive

2011-10-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

You can get up to 3 SanDisk 4 GB USB Flash drives for free. Here's how it works:

$17.99 - $11 Instant Savings = $6.99

You pay $6.99. You get $6.99 back in Staples rewards.

1. Print this coupon and bring it into Staples with you between now and Oct 8th.

2. Give them the coupon and show your rewards card at check out. If you're not a member yet, ask them to set you up with one.

3. You will receive your credit to Staples in the mail in a few weeks.

Expires Oct 8, 2011

By the way, that link has a ton of other great Staples coupons that can be matched with manufacture coupons.

Thanks Mojo Savings!!

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$6 Jeans at Target

2011-10-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

Target.com has their Mossimo Juniors Jeans on an awesome deal today for only $6 each with free shipping plus 3% Cash Back!

Here's how to get this deal:

1. Click through Target's link on Shop At Home's website to get your 3% cash back. Use this link to open your free account. Then search for Target. It will bring you to Target's website, but you get paid by check for your cash back! If this is your first order through Shop At Home, you will get an extra $5 cash back. That makes this deal even better!

2. Do a search on Target's website for "Mossimo Supply Boot Cut Jeans" in Medium Tint for $16.

3. Add 4 pairs to your cart and it will come to $24 with free shipping. You can add more than that but I believe they need to be in even numbers. I purchased 8 to have a bunch to give for gifts! I have heard that these jeans run small so make sure to order a size up.

4. Check out and put big smile on your face :)

This deal probably won't last long, so get them while they last!

Thanks Money Saving Mom!

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Free Blockbuster Express Codes

2011-09-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

There is a new list of FREE Blockbuster Express codes!

These expire at midnight TONIGHT (9/30):

92DWTM3
87RMAQ9
67JMMF5
65MMKC7
43CHAH5
36AGSF2

These expire on Monday (10/3):

79ABDP2
97MAYB9
56JMMF4
57MMKC8
4250BW5
39DWTM4
29KRFT2

These expire on Saturday (10/8):

N4FUNV
K8XY0P
7RZPIV
LAL4OR

Movies are due by 9 PM the next day to avoid the $1 nightly fee. A little trick my hubby and I use is to use the same code twice by using both of our debit cards. The codes can be used once per card and per email. Freebie Codes are released a few times a month from both Blockbuster Kiosks and Redbox. So to save money, we don't pay for movie tickets or rentals anymore. We always use free codes and get to watch free movies at home!

You can find a Blockbuster Kiosk near you here. You can even reserve your movie online.

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$4 Board Games!

2011-09-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

Now is the time to stock up on all your favorite board games for Christmas and birthday presents. Right now Wal Mart & Toys R Us have deals to get games for only $4! A great way to save money for the holidays is to purchase great deals when you find them throughout the year instead of waiting and buying everything all at once.

Walmart - Candy Land, Chutes & Ladders, Cootie, Memory

Regular Price $7

Use the Save $3 Hasbro coupons from the SS 9/11 or printable coupons found here

Final Price $4 each!

Toys R Us- Monopoly, Sorry, Life, Scrabble

Regular Price $12.99-$18.99

Sale Price $7.99

Use the Save $4 Hasbro coupons from the SS 9/11 or printable coupons found here

Final Price $3.99 each!

These coupons expire Oct 9th. The Toys R Us Sale ends Oct 1st. Click here for the Toys R Us ad. Remember, the printable coupons can be printed twice per computer :)

Thanks Southern Savers!

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1000 Free Rollover Minutes from AT&T

2011-09-09T16:20:00.000-07:00

I just ran out of rollover minutes so I was VERY excited to hear that AT&T is offering another freebie code for 1,000 FREE rollover minutes for your cell phone!!! Just text Yes to 11113020. I did it and got a confirmation of the credit within seconds. My husband and I both did it so we were able to get 2,000 free minutes. I'm not sure when it expires, so do it now and tell your friends!

Thanks Freebies 4 Mom!

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Sierra's Sweet Savings: $604.07 Worth of Groceries for $212.70

2011-06-28T13:49:00.000-07:00

Today was a very long day full of shopping. Luckily I had my hubby with me to help me out with this big haul. We hit 3 grocery stores and saved crazy amounts of money! I spent more out of pocket than I typically spend in a typical week, but I was able to stock up on lots of staples like cereal, juice, deodorant, body wash, and more. The pics I took are from all 3 stores combined.

All Stores Combined - June 27, 2011

Original Total $604.07

I Actually Paid $212.70

Total Saved $391.37

Savings 64%

Vons Shopping Trip - June 27, 2011

Original Total $88.82

I Actually Paid $26.51

Total Saved $62.31

Savings 59%

My Best Deals at Vons:

Ocean Spray Juice $.88

12 Free Old Spice Body Wash

BOGO Jenny O Ground Turkey Meat

Kraft Salad Dressing $1

Johnsonville Chicken Sausage $1.99

Opti-Free Contact Solution $6.49 (Normally 13.99!)

Rancher's Reserve Steaks for $2.49/lb. I got a Value Pack of about $10 Steaks for $10.

Fresh Express Salad $.99

Nabisco Cookies- BOGO and used 2 coupons to save $1 on Milk when you get cookies.

I got most of the produce there and used my Save $1 on any produce coupon.

3 Free Movies from the Blockbuster Express Kiosk

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Ralphs Shopping Trip - June 27, 2011

Original Total $88.82

I Actually Paid $26.51

Total Saved $62.31

Savings 70%

My Best Deals at Ralphs:

Wheat thins for $.99

5 Free Goldfish!

Raisin Bran and Frosted Mini Wheats for $1.49

Peaches for $.88/lb.

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Albertson's Shopping Trip - June 27, 2011

Original Total $200.63

I Actually Paid $56.16

Total Saved $144.47

Savings 72%

Plus got Catalina for 5 free gallons of milk

My Best Deals at Albertsons:

Trop 50 Orange Juice $2.50

A bunch of General Mills Cereal and Nature Valley granola thins for $1.49 or less- Plus got 5 FREE Catalinas for free gallons of milk!

Minute Maid juice for $1

Dreyer's Ice cream and frozen fruit bars $2.83 each, plus got a $5 Catalina.

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Are you a fan of Home Sweet Frugal Home on Facebook yet? Become a fan to be the first to see deal alerts, blog posts, money saving advice and you'll also receive exclusive Facebook Only deal alerts. Click Here to find us on Facebook. Make sure to hit Like at the top of the page!

FREE Bowling For Kids all Summer in Simi Valley, CA

2011-06-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

Kids bowl free all summer long at Harley's Simi Bowl. Kids 18 and under can get 1 free game each day and 1 pair of shoes rental. Good until August 31st.

Here's the link to get your Summer Pass.

FREE Hammermill Paper at Office Depot

2011-05-29T16:45:00.000-07:00

I just came across another freebie paper deal! I love these since I print so many coupons from the internet! Office Depot has a deal on 500 sheets of Hammermill Paper for $6.79 through June 4th. Limit 2 per household.

Use this printable coupon to Save 20% through June 4th.

Then there is a $5.79 Mail In Rebate. (You may be able to process it online)

You actually make $0.36.

I love when stores pay me to take their paper so I can print coupons that will save me even more money!

Thanks Frugal Coupon Living!

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Carter's Memorial Day Sale!

2011-05-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

Another great Baby store deal! Carter's is having a great sale- many item's 60% off

Plus an extra 40% off clearance items!

Plus click here for an additional 20% off coupon!

Plus, bring along a friend or family member to show their military discount and you'll get an additional 10% off!

Who's going this weekend? I know I am!

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Osh Kosh B-gosh Super Sale!

2011-05-27T12:16:00.000-07:00

Osh Kosh B-gosh is having a HUGE Memorial Day Sale this weekend! Every single thing is 50% off between now and May 31st.

Plus there is a printable coupon for an ADDITIONAL 20% off your purchase of $40 or more! Click here for the coupon.

In addition to all those great discounts, if you can manage to bring in someone with a military ID, you will get an additional 10% percent off your purchase!

You can't get much better than that! That adds up to about 80% off! I have an outlet store by me and a friend in the military... See you this weekend Osh Kosh :)

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Sierra's Sweet Savings!

2011-05-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

So I realized that there's a ton of pictures of my grocery trips that I never posted! Let's get caught up...

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Ralphs Shopping Trip - May 4, 2011

Original Total $211.38

I Actually Paid $5.37

Total Saved $206.01

Savings 97%

Best Deals- FREE PASTA!

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Ralphs Shopping Trip - May 4, 2011 (Wood Ranch - Store Closing)

Original Total $216.98

I Actually Paid $68.11

Total Saved $148.87

Savings 69%

Store was closing... last day before they closed their doors. BEST DEALS- Nestlie Chocolate Chips $.50 each, Baby food jars around $.30 each, Boxes of Claratin & Alavert allergy medicine $1, Hot dog buns $.59/package, Windex Wipes $.75, and a great deal on Diapers and Wipes.

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Ralphs Shopping Trip - Feb 28, 2011

Original Total $56.76

I Actually Paid -$10.64 Yes, that's a Minus... THEY PAID ME!

Total Saved $67.10

Savings 118%

THEY PAID ME MONEY! I got paid $10.64 for taking waffles, milk, and orange juice out of their store. That was a fun shopping trip. The manager was called over because the cashier was astonished.

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Walgreens Shopping Trip - January 27, 2011

Original Total $68.57

I Actually Paid $2.13

Total Saved $66.44

Savings 97%

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FREE PASTA at Ralphs!

2011-05-07T20:58:00.000-07:00

I majorly stocked up on FREE PASTA this week at Ralphs. I had enough coupons to get 42 boxes of Free pasta this week! Feel free in invite yourself over for Italian anytime! :) It doesn't expire for a very long time. Now hopefully there will be another freebie pasta sauce deal coming up soon!

Ronzoni Healthy Harvest and Smart Taste Pasta is on sale for Buy 10, get $5 off promotion:

Ronzoni Pasta (includes Heathly Harvest) on sale for $.49 (when you buy 10)

Use $1/2 Ronzoni Healthy Harvest printable

Use $1/2 Various printables

= FREE!

Time to stock up! Remember, you can print 2 copies per computer! Just hit the back button or refresh after it prints the first copy. And remember, if your store is out, you can always ask for a rain check!

Thanks Southern Cali Saver!

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Pay $15 for Mother's Day Flowers

2011-05-03T07:34:00.000-07:00

Living Social has a deal today for flowers for Mother's Day. Spend $15 for $35 credit on Mother's Day Flowers & Gifts or Spend $12 for $30 credit on Post-Mother's Day Flowers & Gifts. Click here for this deal.

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New Local Frugal Living Group and Coupon Classes!

2011-05-02T11:21:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone, I'm very excited to announce that I will be teaching local coupon classes! That's why I haven't been posting as many deals recently. I've been preparing and working on a new idea I have. I'll still be posting deals and money saving advice here. But in addition, I have started a local group on Meetup.com called Simi Valley Frugal Living. This is meant for people local to me to join.

This group is all about saving money. I teach you how to save your family's hard earned money by stretching each dollar you spend even further. You will learn Couponing Secrets, Tools and Websites you can use to save you even more, How to Save by Shopping Online, DIY Projects, and more. You will learn how to create a happy home while being penny-wise.

So a few ideas I have for this group are:

I will teach Coupon Classes - for everyone from beginners to "Extreme Couponers"
Coupon Swaps - where we can trade coupons
Getting together to discuss and trade money saving tips.
Our Online Discussion Board is a great resource for trading money saving tips, deal alerts, and much more.
Learn how to get out of debt.
Local fun get togethers for free or cheap.
Garden Swaps- getting together to trade veggies, fruits, and fresh herbs grown in our gardens. We can save money by not buying produce from the market!
Clothing Swaps- one person's old clothes are another person's new clothes.

If you are interested in joining the group, please check out the group's website Simi Valley Frugal Living.

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Are you a fan of Home Sweet Frugal Home on Facebook yet? Become a fan to be the first to see deal alerts, blog posts, money saving advice and you'll also receive exclusive Facebook Only deal alerts. Click Here to find us on Facebook. Make sure to hit Like at the top of the page!

Blockbuster Express Freebie Rental Code

2011-05-02T10:18:00.000-07:00

There is a new FREE Blockbuster Express rental code available Today Only: HELLOMONDAY

Movies are due by 9 PM the next day to avoid the $1 nightly fee. A little trick my hubby and I use is to use the same code twice by using both of our debit cards. The codes can be used once per card. Freebie Codes are released a few times a month from both Blockbuster Kiosks and Redbox. Usually at least 1 a month from Redbox and at least 1 freebie every Monday from Blockbuster Express. So to save money, we don't pay for movie tickets or rentals anymore. We always use free codes and get to watch free movies at home!

You can find a Blockbuster Kiosk near you here. You can even reserve your movie online.

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$50 EcoMom Voucher for $20 (Includes Shipping!)

2011-04-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

There is a deal today on Gilt Group's Website for a $50 voucher for only $25 to EcoMom.com. Ecomom is a great website for everything from organic baby food like Plum brand, to clothes, lotions, bath supplies, pregnancy items, toys, cleaning supplies, gifts, cloth diapers and about a bajillion more things keeping natural and good for the earth in mind.

If you sign up with my link (and this is your first time buying from this site), you will get an extra 20% off, bring your total to only $20 for a $50 voucher! Plus a $50 purchase will get you free shipping!

Here's the link: http://www.giltcity.com/invite/theuniqueone

Make sure to click San Francisco and you'll find the deal on that page.

Thanks, The Budget Mommy!

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Great Deal for Ventura Harbor Comedy Club

2011-04-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

I sure do love a cheap date night! Groupon is having a great deal today and tomorrow for the Ventura Harbor Comedy Club. Tickets are normally $15 per person. But here's the deal:

$15 for Two Tickets to a Friday or Saturday Show

$15 for Four Tickets to a Wednesday, Thursday, or Sunday Show

I just bought a couple for me and my hubby. I also thought this would also be a cool thing to do either as a double date night or a group of friends going out for laughs. If people split the 4 person deal, it would be only $3.75 per person or only $7.50 per couple. You can use the tickets between now and October. I love a cheap date night!

Here's the direct link to the deal: http://www.groupon.com/r/uu23057286

If it doesn't automatically show up, just click the link to Ventura County Deals.

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Free Blockbuster Kiosk Movie Today Only

2011-04-11T09:45:00.000-07:00

There is a new FREE Blockbuster Express rental code available Today Only: MONDAYCOMP

Movies are due by 9 PM the next day to avoid the $1 nightly fee. A little trick my hubby and I use is to use the same code twice by using both of our debit cards. The codes can be used once per card. Freebie Codes are released a few times a month from both Blockbuster Kiosks and Redbox. So to save money, we don't pay for movie tickets or rentals anymore. We always use free codes and get to watch free movies at home!

You can find a Blockbuster Kiosk near you here. You can even reserve your movie online.

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Where to Find Coupons

2011-04-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

There are various places to find coupons. The key to be successful in couponing into have lots and lots of coupons. Here's some of the best places I look to find coupons.

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Newspaper Inserts: You can get a subscription to your local newspaper. I actually receive 3 copies every Sunday. I was able to find a great deal at only $.19 per issue of the LA Times. You can buy a one time copy at a newspaper stand. But be careful, because sometimes they don't include coupon inserts in those ones. You can also ask your friends and family to save their inserts for you.

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Online: There are ton of websites and blogs with links to printable coupons. They also sometimes have coupons directly on the company website of products you use. You can use the Coupon Database at the top of the page on our website. Most of the online printable coupons have a print limit of 2 prints- some more, some less.

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Coupon Clipping Services: You can also purchase coupons large amounts of coupons online from coupon clipping services for certain items that you know your family uses or things you know are going to be a deal for. You just tell them how many you want and they mail them to you. A good company to use for this is The Coupon Clippers.

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Giving Companies Feedback: Another way to get high value coupons for your favorite products is to call or email companies and give them feedback about their products- either positive or negative. I have done this for diapers and received 3 coupons for a free jumbo box of Pampers diapers. I have also done it for a hair color product, and received a coupon for up to $15 worth of free products by their company. (Check out The 39 Dollar Experiment and Apple A Day by Penny Pinchin Mom.)

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Store Weekly Ads: Some stores have Store coupons printed in their weekly ads or on their website. In most cases, you can stack this on top of a standard manufacture coupon for extra savings.

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Trading Coupons: Every person's situation is different. Maybe I have a dog and a baby, and you eat only organic and like to color your hair. I could save you hair color coupons and organic coupons. And you can dave me diaper, baby food, and dog food coupons. This way, we each get more coupons of the things we need most instead of them being thrown away.

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Look for them in the store: I always keep my eyes out for coupons when I'm shopping. I usually find peelable coupons attached to products, tear pads, blinkies, or other types of coupons near items I purchase. Sometimes I grab a few extras in case I can find a great deal on it soon.

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Are you a fan of Home Sweet Frugal Home on Facebook yet? Become a fan to be the first to see deal alerts and you'll also receive exclusive Facebook Only deal alerts. Click Here to find us on Facebook. Make sure to hit Like at the top of the page!

Extreme Couponing on TLC in on Tonight!

2011-04-06T10:23:00.000-07:00

Have you guys seen the show Extreme Couponing on TLC? It has aired only it's pilot episode so far, but they have decided to make it a recurring show. And it starts tonight! This season will have at least 12 episodes all about extreme couponing.

I would suggest watching it so you can see the incredible savings possible with using coupons. But I'd like to make sure you understand that this show does NOT show you what a normal couponer does. This show focuses on the extreme side- the people who make couponing a full time job and have stockpiles that take over their whole house. I do not promote hoarding by any means.

So when you watch the show, please don't judge all couponers and think that it overtakes our lives like on the show. Many of us use coupons because it's the only way we can afford to put food on the table for our families. For some of us, it's how we manage to afford to stay home while our husbands work. With the economy in turmoil, more people are struggling to make ends meet today than ever before. And using sales, coupons, and stockpile is a great way to stretch your money further. Since I've been keeping track of my savings, I usually save an average of 65% on my groceries. A beginner can expect to save 40-60% on average.

WHat is your opinion about the show? Has it inspired you to get started using coupons?

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Using Your Stockpile

2011-04-05T00:08:00.000-07:00

Photo Courtesy of Construct101.com

We did 2 shopping trips during the entire month of March (except 2 quick $10 mini-trips to get fresh items like milk and fresh produce). It was really nice to just use the things in our stockpile- especially since money is really tight for us right now. We spent $264.50 OOP during the month of March. That averages $66/week and $8.84/day. Our home feeds me, my husband, my 6 month old baby, the guy that rents a room from us, a few times a week my father in law come over for dinner. I'm pretty happy with that daily average! And I don't know if I've mentioned this, but we rarely eat out. I never do, unless may once every couple months my hubby and I will go out for an "expensive" $20-$30 dinner date. My husband packs a lunch to bring with him to work every day. We are always so surprised when we go out to eat anywhere and a meal costs $15 per person. We keep thinking about how that much money could feed our entire family for 2 full days!

Anyway, getting off subject...lol. The point I set out to make is that it's great to stockpile when you find amazing deals on stuff. There are so many benefits to it. But you don't have to do it constantly. You don't have to stockpile every single great deal out there. It's nice to take a couple weeks off and just eat through some of the things you have. You can save even more money by not shopping at all!

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Sierra's Sweet Savings- Got $151.19 worth of Groceries for $65.90!

2011-04-04T23:35:00.000-07:00

I did my shopping at Albertsons today and I got $151.19 worth of Groceries for $65.90! I saved $85.29! That's a savings of 56%. In addition to the savings on this order, I had some amazing Catalinas (the coupons that print out with your receipt for your next purchase. I got 6 Catalinas for 6 FREE GALLONS OF MILK up to $3.99 value! I got a cat for 1 FREE pound of bananas, and a cat for a free liter of Arrowhead water.

Here's some of my favorite deals from this transaction:

Most of the cereal, I got for $1.16. They were on sale for $1.66 and I had a bunch of coupons for Save $1 on 2. Then I made sure to get the certain Kellogs cereals and pop tarts that qualified me for free milk. I bought 14 boxes of cereal, and 6 boxes of Pop Tarts, and got 6 gallons of milk free on a future purchase. That will come in handy for all our cereal.
Then I found 2 coupons floating around in the store for save $1 on milk with the purchase of 2 Mother's cookies. So I got 4 cookies, and saved $1 each on my 2 gallons of milk for this trip.
Strawberries- BOGO Free
I got 4 Healthy Choice frozen meals that ended up costing me $.75 each.
Albertson's brand shredded cheese was on sale for $1.88. No coupon, but they were on a great deal.
Fresh Express Salad kits were on sale for $2.99.
Also, not pictured since we forgot them in the bag, we got 2 bags of clearance bakery items. We found a huge bag of bagels for $1.99 and a bag of soft dinner rolls for $.99.

Here's my previous post on all the Albertson's deals this week until Tuesday. I also use The Grocery Game to help me prepare my shopping list and coupons. (If you sign up, please give them my email theuniqueone@mac.com for who referred you)

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