Richmond Savings

Enter XCom Global's End of Summer Giveaway!

2012-09-17T10:56:00.000-04:00

Where would you travel with $5,000? Enter XCom Global's End of Summer Giveaway! http://www.xcomglobal.com Rent and Avoid High Roaming Fees in 175 countries for a Low Flat Rate

I've used XCom Global twice when I've vacationed in Canada, and the service was outstanding!

George

Solar Power Experiment - Results

2011-01-27T04:34:00.000-05:00

OK, it's been two weeks now with my Solar 12V Battery Maintainer and I have to say, I really think it is working. While I'm not at the point yet were I am supremely confident in the starting power of the battery, it's started consistently and reliably since I installed the device. And by install, I mean sitting loosely on my dashboard when parked or in the seat next to me while driving. They provide suction cups to mount the device, but my dash is textured and uneven and my windshield is small enough already I don't think I should block any of it.

My only complaint is that there is no indicator on the device that it is "doing" anything. When not plugged into the lighter socket, there is an LED that indicates 1) insufficient light - dark, 2) sufficient light - flashing, 3) abundance of light - solid. Once you plug it in, however, the LED is meaningless. The instructions state that it could be in any of the three states, but that it means nothing. I'd like to know that it was sending a trickle charge to the battery, but I guess I have to trust that it is every time the car starts.

BTW, I'm not sure I'd recommend this solution to anyone else, but for now it is working for me.

George

Free La Choy Creations at Food Lion

2011-01-26T17:26:00.001-05:00

Wednesday is stir-fry night at our house and I was picking up some veggies at Food Lion. I scanned my MVP card as I entered and was surprised to find a coupon print for a free package of La Choy Creations. We've never tried them before, but I thought it was worth a shot. The container comes with rice and a can of seasoning, all you do is add the meat. We decided to go with the Teriyaki Chicken (I wanted Sweet Sesame but my 6yr old made the final call). I won't be following the instructions completely -- I plan on stir-frying the meat (beef instead of chicken) and will probably throw in broccoli as well.

I'll let you know how it compares to our normal fare.

UPDATE: Well, it was a hit. Usually we have leftovers from our stir-fry, but tonight every last bit was enjoyed at the table. I suspect we'll have this meal again...

George

New Year, New Blog Direction

2011-01-11T04:14:00.000-05:00

This blog started as a weekly e-mail comparing the specials at Kroger and Martins. Martins had recently come to town and my family was temporarily living with my sister-in-laws family. We were feeding eight of us at the time, trying to be frugal and this was a small step to take.

Up until that point, I hadn't really paid attention to trying to save money at the grocery store. Once I started comparing prices and realizing how much more I'd been spending than I really needed to I was a little ashamed at the waste. This led me to start investigating other resources designed to save money and to start sharing my findings via this blog.

So now I get hundreds of emails and tweets each week relating to saving money and I've been sharing them as I have time and find them interesting. It didn't take long to realize that I am just one of many voices in a very large crowd saying largely the same thing. It's fascinating to watch deals propagate through twitter. While I believe each of the different sites I follow has unique and interesting content (otherwise I wouldn't follow them) the core of what most of them are saying is similar.

Going forward, instead of posting so many "me too" posts, I will be pointing out the excellent resources available from these original sources. I'll also write about my personal shopping / saving experiences in an effort to entertain as much as educate.

Happy (belated) New Year!
George

Solar Power Experiment

2011-01-11T03:51:00.002-05:00

About a year ago I foolishly ran the battery down in my car. It's not been a big deal until this winter. I don't drive much and it seems that the battery isn't holding the charge as well as it once did. There have been a few times when it took more than one try to get the engine to turn over and the poor starter sounded like The Little Engine That Could approaching the top of the hill.

I was about to bite the bullet and purchase a new battery when I had to stop by Home Depot for something or other. They had a display at the front of the store for a Solar 12V Battery Maintainer by SunForce Products. I have always found solar power fascinating and hope to one day supplement my daily electrical power needs through solar or wind power. (No, I don't have altruistic reasons, I just think it's cool technology and I like the idea of potentially getting a check someday from a utility company...) Anyhow, the device helps maintain the battery charge when the car is not in use. It may not work, but if it does, it will hopefully extend the life of my tired battery.

George

Sale on HP Ink, Buy One Get One 40% off through 1/15

2011-01-10T12:09:00.000-05:00

HP is advertising a Buy One Get One 40% off sale on HP ink along with free next day delivery from their website. The code to enter at checkout is INKSAVE40. Doing some quick math and an Internet search, the 40% discount puts the ink I use on par with the re-manufactured cartridges. Might be worth a look if you have an HP printer.

George

BLOCKBUSTER By Mail Special Offer - 3 Months for $9.99

2010-12-16T08:38:00.001-05:00

BLOCKBUSTER is selling gift cards in stores for $9.99 that are good for a 3-month subscription to their BLOCKBUSTER by Mail service. If you aren't familiar with their new service, it is similar to Netflix, but also includes video games like GameFly. Once the three month trial is up, the normal price is $11.99 a month.

I picked up one two days ago and expect to get my first game tomorrow. This is a great deal for gaming enthusiasts. The only downside is that many of the gaming titles aren't available until three months after their release. I assume this is because the in-store rentals of the newer games is very lucrative and they don't want to hurt their stores.

For more details on BLOCKBUSTER By Mail, head over here.

George

Amazon Daily Deal (12/16/2010) - "Seinfeld - The Complete Series"

2010-12-16T04:03:00.000-05:00

Amazon is offering Seinfeld - The Complete Series on DVD for $84.49. This set includes:

Features 32 DVDs with all 180 episodes
More than 104 hours of amazing extras
The Official Coffee Table Book: a 226-page bound anthology filled with photos, quotes, and trivia from every episode
Bonus disc featuring the reunion of the cast plus Larry David on the ninth anniversary of the series finale
Packaged in a handy collector's case that will look great on your shelf
Documentaries for all nine seasons
Inside looks
Not That There's Anything Wrong With That (bloopers)
In the vault (deleted scenes)
Yada Yada Yada (commentaries)
"Sein-Imation"
Notes about nothing

This is an incredible collection for the Seinfeld fan. Pick one up and have your own marathon over the Holiday break.

George

Amazon Daily Deal (12/14/2010) - "24: The Complete Series"

2010-12-14T05:25:00.000-05:00

Amazon is offering "24: The Complete Series" for only $139.99. This is a 56 disk set that includes all 8 seasons, the feature length "24: Redemption" and a bonus DVD. Get your 8 Days of Jack Bauer today.

George

Kroger v. Martins, Week of 12/12/2010

2010-12-13T04:36:00.000-05:00

Not much to inspire this week, but I will head to Kroger to pick up some more chicken. The $1.79 chicken from Martins from a couple of weeks ago had a lot of hidden "stuff you'll want to cut off" on the underside of the breasts, so it wasn't that great of a deal after all.

Chicken:

Kroger
Boneless/Skinless Breasts @ 1.99/lb
Whole Roaster @1.19/lb

Martins
Boneless/Skinless Breasts @ 2.44/lb

Beef:

Martins
Value pack @2.49/lb (probably 75-80% lean)

If I run across anything good when I am in the stores I will update the post.

George

Redbox / Groupon Deal - 3 Movie rentals for $1 - EXTENDED

2010-12-13T03:07:00.000-05:00

They've sold over 280,000 groupons for Redbox and have decided to extend the deadline to buy until midnight tomorrow. So, if you haven't purchased your groupon yet, hop over to my original post and check it out.

George

Starbucks 12 Days of Sharing - Day 12 - 12 Oz Boxed Mug $6.99

2010-12-12T00:39:00.001-05:00

Starbucks' 12th (and last) Day of Sharing features a 12 oz Christmas Mug for $6.99. Swing by your local Starbucks and pick one up. I hope you were able to enjoy some of the savings Starbucks had to offer this season.

George

Redbox / Groupon Deal - 3 Movie rentals for $1

2010-12-10T14:27:00.000-05:00

Hopefully you've heard of both Redbox and Groupon by now. Normally Redbox movies are $1 a night, which makes this a great bargain. Buy one for yourself or as a gift (stocking stuffer?). Head on over to Groupon to sign up and then click here to get to the Redbox offer. Hurry, quantities are limited.

George

Coinstar Promo - Cash in $40 and get $50 UPDATE

2010-12-09T06:23:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned a few days ago, today is the day that Amazon.com has been added to the $40 gets you $50 promotion. Here are the specific details:

Exchange $40 worth of change at a participating Coinstar location between 12/9/2010 and 12/22/2010 for an Amazon.com giftcard, and you will get a bonus $10 gift card for use on Toys and Games at Amazon.com/Toys. Full details are here.

George

Starbucks 12 Days of Sharing - Day 9 - Free $5 Gift Card with VIA purchase

2010-12-09T03:22:00.001-05:00

Today's deal at Starbucks is a $5 gift card with the purchase of a 12-pack of VIA coffee. If you drink VIA already, this seems well worth the swing by Starbucks on the way to work. And let's face it, if you are an avid Starbucks fan, you were probably going to stop on the way to work anyhow!

George

Save 80% on Restaurant.com $25 Gift Certificates through 12/12/2010

2010-12-08T18:56:00.001-05:00

Save 80% off Restaurant.com $25 Gift Certificates! Use code JOY at checkout now through 12/12/10.

In case you've never used them before, for many of the restaurants that participate, you can pick up a $25 gift certificate for $10. The restaurants often have a minimum requirement on the amount you purchase when you use the certificate, typically $35 for the $25 certificate. With this discount, you can get a $25 gift certificate for $2, so in essence, you are getting $35 of food for $12. Not too shabby.

We have a certificate for Melitos that we plan to use soon, and I may pick up a couple more.

George

Starbucks 12 Days of Sharing - Day 8 - Discounted Tumbler and Mug

2010-12-08T05:59:00.002-05:00

Today Starbucks is featuring their Red Cup Tumbler for $6.99 (reg. $10.95) and their Red Cup Mug for $3.99 (reg. $7.95). As always, quantities are limited, so get there early.

George

No-Knead Bread - Finally

2010-12-07T03:06:00.001-05:00

I know I am a little late on the No-Knead bread craze, but I finally gave it a shot. I followed the recipe from SteamyKitchen.com (No Knead Bread: so easy a 4-yr old can make it!) with just a few changes.

The dough seemed firm enough after folding it with a spatula so I actually did pick it up and worked the dough in my hands for a bit, stretching the top and tucking it under to get a nice smooth surface. I then placed it on parchment paper and set it back into the bowl for the last 2 hours.

While I have a sufficiently large dutch oven, I have my doubts about the handle on the lid standing up to the temperature in the oven. Instead, I placed the dough on a pre-heated pizza stone (hence the parchment paper above) and poured a cup of water into a pan in the bottom of the oven to create steam.

The result? The best bread I've had in a long time. I could have left it in for a bit longer, and will next time, but the crust was looking so good I didn't want to mess it up!

George

Starbucks free VIA coffee with purchase of tumbler. Today only.

2010-12-07T01:15:00.001-05:00

It's Day 7 in Starbucks' 12 Days of Sharing and today they are giving away a pack of VIA when you buy a tumbler. Check it out here.

George

Coinstar Promo - Cash in $40 and get $50

2010-12-06T06:59:00.000-05:00

Coinstar is running a promotion until the end of the year: convert $40 dollars in change to a gift certificate to one of several stores and get a bonus $10 gift card. Currently, the following stores are participating: iTunes, Lowes, Borders, Regal Entertainment, and Rixty. Starting December 9th, Amazon.com will also be participating. There are no other fees associated with converting your change to these giftcards.

The $40 gets you $50 promotion ends December 31.

For more information, check out their website or find a Coinstar location.

George

Starbucks 12 Days of Sharing - Day 5

2010-12-05T05:57:00.001-05:00

Today, Starbucks is offering their Frosted Starbucks Tumbler for $6.99 (regularly $10.95). Pick one of these up for your office gift exchange. Check it out here.

George

Kroger v. Martins, Week of 12/05/2010

2010-12-05T05:38:00.001-05:00

Chicken:

Kroger
Boneless/Skinless Breasts @ 2.49/lb
Split Chicken Breasts @.99/lb

Martins
Whole Roaster @.99/lb

I put the Split Chicken Breast price there because I plan on going old school this week and picking up a pack of them to see what it takes to remove the skin and bones. The costs of the Boneless/Skinless is 2.5 times the cost of the Split, so I'm certain the price per pound of meat is better. I'll be checking that as well, weighing everything once I am done. Hopefully I won't have to factor in the cost of getting stitches.... Of course, I'll have to do it when Erin and the kids are out of the house, or they might never eat chicken again.

Beef:

Both have ground chuck for 1.99/lb

Pork:

Kroger
Pork Loin Filet @ 1.99/lb
Pork Loin Chops @3.99/lb

Martins
Hatfield Pork Loin Filet BOGO (not sure of price/lb)
GIANT Pork Loin Whole @2.49/lb
Center Cut Chops (boneless) @3.49/lb
Center Cut Chops (bone-in) @1.99/lb
GIANT Bacon (Oscar Meyer too) @2.99/package

Some interesting choices this week. For example, at Kroger wouldn't the pork loin chops simply be cut (or maybe chopped) versions of the Filet? Why would it cost twice as much, and can't you get the butcher to cut it for you for free so that the Filet becomes chops? At Martins, we have the BOGO on the Filet, which is likely a good deal. The GIANT loin is marked down 1.50/lb. For the GIANT Pork Loin, they specifically say the butcher would be happy to cut it for you.

Dairy:

Kroger
Egglands Best Eggs, 18ct, BOGO

Martins
Egglands Best Eggs, 18ct, @2.89

Produce:

Kroger
Fuji Apples & others (local grown) @0.99/lb

Martins
Bananas @0.39/lb

Baking:

Martins had a lot of baking items on sale, trying to take advantage of the season I guess. Kroger has some of the same, but the most appealing deal was Gold Medal flour @2/3.00. It only shows the bleached all-purpose, but I suspect other varieties are on sale too.

Cereal:

Kroger
Kellogg's Cereal, Nutri Grain bars @50% off (Sunday - Wednesday only)

Martins
General Mills Cereals - Buy 4 select cereals and get 4.50 off your next milk purchase

Misc:

Kroger
Pepsi 2 liter bottles @0.79 (part of the buy 10 items sale)
Ocean Spray Cranberry Drinks @1.98

Martins
A&W, Sunkist, Canada Dry, 7-up @0.79

Starbucks 12 Days of Sharing - Day 3

2010-12-03T00:13:00.002-05:00

Starbucks is having another BOGO offer today, December 3rd. If you buy one 12-pack of VIA Instant Coffee, you get another for free. I haven't tried VIA yet, has anyone else? For more details, head on over here.

George

Starbucks 12 Days of Sharing BOGO Offer

2010-12-02T12:40:00.003-05:00

Starbucks is celebrating the 12 days of Christmas by offering a new special each day for the first 12 days of December. Today's offer is a BOGO (Buy one get one) on a pound of their Christmas Blend. Pick up one and get one for free to share (or not!).

Check it out here.

George

$10 off $10+ Purchase at JCPenny

2010-12-02T01:49:00.001-05:00

I just purchased a shirt from JCPenney that was originally $45.00 and is currently discounted to $11.99 for a measly $2.00. Just use the code GIVEJOY at checkout and you can save $10.00. Select in-store pickup and you won't have to worry about shipping costs either.

Thanks to MoneySavingMom.com for pointing this out.

George