One of my cost saving secrets is that I try to grow some of my own fruits and veggies during the summer.  Last year, I only grew a few things in containers.  This year, I have a full fledged garden as well as a few containers!  I’m really excited to see how well it all turns out.  I warn you though, I am certainly not an expert gardener, so you may be witness to many gardening mistakes along the way.  I encourage all of our readers to speak up any gardening advice that you may have.  I will certainly appreciate it!  Or, if you have any questions, feel free to ask and we’ll see if we can answer them for you!

First are my containers of basil.  Some of them are looking like a squirrel has been noshing on them a bit.  They also aren’t growing very fast.  I hope they sprout up pretty quicky; I really need my basil!

Next is my container of cilantro.  This one is looking very sad.  I’ve never grown cilantro before so I may need to do a little research on how to make this little guy look/grow a little more healthy!

Here is one of my containers of tomatoes.  All together, I have two strong and healthy tomato plants in containers that I bought from a greenhouse.  I also have one little guy that I have grown from seeds.  All of my containers of tomato plants are the cherry variety.

Here is one of the things that I’m really excited about - blueberries!!  I’m so hoping that this plant bears fruit this year.  I’ve heard that blueberry bushes won’t bear fruit the first year so I’m hoping that isn’t true and we’ll have some delicious berries to snack on this summer!

This one is a little funny. . .you may be wondering why there are newspapers surrounding these plants.  Well, my garden has been overtaken with weeds. . .seriously, I can’t pull them out fast enough!  Unfortunately, there is clover ALL OVER my backyard and it spreads like wildflower.  A friend of mine told me that if you laid wet newspaper around your veggies, it would keep the weeds away.  I’m at the point of desperation now, so I was willing to try it.  However, I quickly found out that wet newspaper dries out, and then blows all over the backyard.  So, the newspaper will be going away soon and I will be back to pulling weeds like a mad woman.  Anyways, these are my iceberg lettuce plants.  We’re not big salad people in my house, but it looks like we’d better quickly learn what to do with a surplus of lettuce if these plants end up doing well!

Now, we’re on to my yellow squash.  I am astounded at how quickly this stuff has taken off!  It has gotten HUGE!  No fruits yet, but I expect they’ll start peeking out pretty soon.

These are my ground tomato plants.  These little devils have taken off like CRAZY!  Word to the wise, tomato plants grow really, really fast!  I haven’t seen any little baby tomatoes yet, but I do see several of the little yellow flowers that seem to bud before the baby ‘maters pop out.  All three of these plants are “Big Boy” variety.

These are my cucumber plants.  I had tried growing some cukes from seeds and didn’t see them sprouting up as quickly as I thought they should so I went and actually bought some plants that had already started.  Little did I know, my cucumber seeds were just about ready to sprout up and now I have lots of cucumbers growing in the garden!  Oops, luckily my family and I LOVE cucumbers!

I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what this is.  It’s either green beans or peas.  I planted a couple of things and forgot to mark what it was (learning lesson #1: mark EVERYTHING!  DO NOT rely on your memory.) and now I don’t know it is.  It’s just kind of a surprise for me to see what ends up growing on these plants!

The little star shaped leaves (the teeny tiny ones) are actually carrots that I am growing from seed.  It should be interesting to see if these grow!  I’ve heard that carrots are pretty easy to grow so hopefully, I’ll get a little crop of my own this year!

The long thing in the middle of the picture that looks like green string is either red or white onions.  I planted roughly 20 seeds and have about 3 plants that are still growing strong.  I just transplanted those into the ground so we’ll see how well they do.

Now, this is something that I inherited from the previous owners of the house.  This is a mess of strawberry plants that I’m not sure I’m all that thrilled about.  First of all, they are overtaking EVERYTHING, including the yard!  My fiance found several little itty bitty (but very red) strawberries growing in the grass last weekend when he was cutting the grass.  The main plant is just out of control.  Not sure what I should do about it, so if anyone has any ideas, please feel free to share them!  I may just rip it out next year and re-plant some strawberries so that I can get a little more control over it.  Again, if anyone has any ideas, please share!!

However, it’s not all that bad, because it is growing strawberries already!  They don’t look all that appealing, though!

Hope everyone enjoyed this edition of “How Aryn’s Garden Grows”!  Next month’s edition should be just as fun!

But mostly I just wanted to post a picture of my cute daughter on the computer with me. LOL

If you are like me, you look forward to the warmer months because it is the time of year to enjoy yummy produce: strawberries, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, blueberries — let’s not forget the summertime favorite: WATERMELON! Mmm. . .

The best ways to get a head start on your summer spending are:

• shop smartly for summer produce
• stockpile for your summer menu
• have some “go to” summer recipes ready (and stockpiled!)

Don’t Blow the Budget on Summer Produce
One of the secrets of buying summertime produce is to shop at farmers markets or local fruit & veggie stands. Benefits to this are: you know your produce is fresh, you are supporting local growers; and, more often than not, it is cheaper to buy fresh produce this way.

Look for local farmer’s markets, berry farms or produce stands in your area and do a little comparison shopping. You’ll find that your local growers are often cheaper than the grocery store. This is the best time of the year to get fresh produce and it’s the best time to start stockpiling that produce for use throughout the upcoming year. How? FREEZE that produce for use later! Check out this link from about.com to get a feel for all the great things you can freeze.

Many of the hearty soups and stews that I make for my family throughout the year use veggies that I had purchased during the previous summer and froze for later use. Many of our smoothies include strawberries that I buy at rock bottom prices during the summer or even pick myself at a local berry farm and freeze.

Stockpile for Your Summer Meals
Grilled chicken seems to be a staple of summer cookouts. With the amount of summer grilling I do, I stock up on chicken when it is priced to sell (I NEVER pay more than $1.99/lb for boneless skinless chicken breasts).

Buy less popular cuts of chicken for grilling out - they are always cheaper and will save you some money. Chicken legs (a.k.a “drumsticks) don’t make for a very good chicken casserole, but they are simply delish when cooked on the grill. Try to buy the cheaper types of chicken to cook on the grill when boneless skinless chicken breasts are not on sale/stockpiled. Evaluate the types of grilled foods your family likes and make it a goal to watch for those items to go on sale. Here is a sampling of items that I usually stockpile for use during the summer months:

• Chicken Breasts
• Penne Pasta
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Lemon Juice
• Aluminum Foil
• Flour/Sugar
• BBQ Sauce
• Mozzarella Cheese
• Balsalmic Vinegar
• Feta Cheese
• Italian Dressing

These are all items that I use often in my summertime recipes. I try to stockpile them throughout the year so that I have them on hand when summer starts and do not have to pay full price for them.

Seasonal Dishes for Events
There are quite a few dishes that my family and I enjoy only during the times which I can get fresh produce: homemade pasta salad (recipe below), sauteed squash & onions, tomato & cucumber salad, homemade salsa, the list goes on!

Not only are there seasonal dishes, but summer is the busiest time of year for attending barbecues or picnics. Rather than run to the grocery store and purchase an overpriced container of potato salad, choose a few favorite recipes so you can be sure you always have those ingredients on hand. Having the ingredients on hand for a few dishes will eliminate the need to run to the store at the last minute and pay full price for the items that you need. Plus, it saves you tons of time and stress when you get invited for a last minute get together with friends!

For me, it’s my homemade pasta salad. My family loves it and most times that I take it to a social event, others ask me for the recipe. Because of this, it is my “go-to” item for any event that I must bring a dish to share.

Aryn’s Pasta Salad

• 1 box of penne pasta
• 1 small container of grape tomatoes, halved (or quartered, depending on preference)
• 1 cucumber, sliced and quartered
• 1 8 oz block of mozzarella cheese, cut into small cubes
• 1 small container of crumbled feta cheese
• 1 bell pepper (red, green, orange, or yellow), seeded and chopped into small pieces
• Fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 cup Italian dressing
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• splash of balsalmic vinegar

Cook entire package of pasta according to package directions. In a very large bowl or Tupperware container (it should be pretty big) combine cooked (and cooled) pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, mozzarella, bell pepper, basil, Italian dressing, olive oil, and balsalmic vinegar until well mixed. Add more dressing, olive oil, or balsalmic vinegar to taste. Add salt, if needed. Cover and refrigerate for several hours. Just before serving, sprinkle feta cheese over the top. Serve and enjoy!

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Most people understand the general concept of mail-in rebates: manufacturers offer a cash-back incentive for purchasing their product if you mail in certain proof of purchase documentation within an allotted time frame. This lowers the end cost of the product and makes it more attractive to consumers. Many people will purchase the product with every intention of redeeming their rebate but never follow through. Manufacturers count on this low take-rate percentage.

Rebates are not limited to large ticket items such as electronics and appliances. Everything from a toothbrush, to grocery food items, to beer, to electronics can have a rebate if the manufacturer decides to offer the discount.

So if manufacturers are offering items at a deep discount - or even for free - when the mail-in rebate is used, how do they make money? Wikipedia offers some perspective:

Customers tend to notice price increases and react negatively. Rebates offer retailers the benefit of giving customers a temporary discount on an item, to stimulate sales, while allowing it to maintain its current price point. This method avoids the negative backlash that could be perceived with a price being lowered and then raised later.

Rebates also allow companies to “price protect” certain product lines by being selective in which models or brands to be discounted. This allows retailers and manufacturers to move some product at lower cost while maintaining prices of successful models. A straight price reduction on some models would have a domino effect on all products in a line.

During the turnaround time, the company can earn interest on the money.

If the turnaround time crosses into the next fiscal year or quarter, a rebate offer can inflate sales in the current period, and not have to be accounted for until the next period and then it could be attributed as a cost reducing sales or expense for the next period giving companies an accounting advantage with their Wall Street projections.

Once the UPC has been removed from the box, retailers can refuse to accept a return of the item.

Check out the full Wikipedia article for more info and additional resources.

How does this apply to your stockpiling and grocery budget? If you are a savvy shopper, you already know that Rite-Aid offers a large number of mail-in rebates each month. Pair that with coupons and sale prices and you’ll find that you’re “buying” items for free or making money on them. Walgreens also offers monthly mail-in rebates. Over the course of the month, I’ll be posting detailed information on how to work the Rite-Aid and Walgreens rebate systems, explaining how they work and offering you some tips on how to maximize your return.

To put it in the most basic terms, here’s how you work your rebates:

• Find the rebates! Usually products are listed as “free after rebate” or “$xx after rebate” because the manufacturer wants to catch your eye and lure you into making that purchase. These are easy rebates. But sometimes there are hidden rebates and you have to do some research to find the rebate details.
• Purchase the product within the rebate time frame. You qualify for the rebate only if it’s purchased during specific dates. If you want to maximize your savings, you’ll need to stalk the sale papers and wait for the item to go on sale during that time period - unless the rebate has fine print that gives a minimum purchase amount.
• Use a coupon! If there’s a coupon available and the rebate fine print doesn’t disallow using one, use it!
• Immediately mail out your proof of purchase documentation when you get home. This is where most people trip up. It’s too easy to do it later and eventually you have waited too long. Mail-in rebates have an end date and must be postmarked by that date. Don’t lose out on your money because you forgot to mail your documentation in a timely manner. Always make a copy of your documentation before you mail it out. The rebate clearing houses aren’t perfect and it’s possible for documentation to get lost.

Rebate forms aren’t always sitting in front of the product on the shelf. Sometimes you have to go digging for them. Aside from the store shelf, were do you find your rebate forms? What are your favorite rebate websites?

Stay tuned — I’ll be posting more about rebates all month.

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1. FreeStuff4Free.com - for all your freebies and free samples 2. Perfectly Provident 3. Coupon Lady Online 4. Coupon Journey 5. MaximizingMoney.com 6. Barbara 7. Thrifty Living Mom 8. Mrs.Not the Jet Set 9. Mama's Money Saving Tips

10. crunchycute 11. Coupon Dad Exposed 12. Wicked Cool Deals 13. Free Samples 14. Bargain Finder 15. Free Stuff 16. High Class Living on a Middle Class Budget 17. Steph 18. Houston on the Cheap

19. http://www.StretchThatDollar.com 20. Thrifty & Chic Mom 21. MomsWhoSave.com 22. The Coupon Monkey 23. Fort Worth on the Cheap 24. Jen 25. Swap Savers (frugal social network) 26. Shannon (couponmommyof2) 27. You're next!

I’m excited to do another guest blogger month in the future. If you’re interested in participating, please send me an email.

A big, big thanks to all the guest bloggers! You all were terrific and I was honored that you’d share your knowledge, skills and strategies with me and the CheckoutChicks audience. Thank you again.

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I love getting stuff free. I’m sure half of America does. Lots of people cut coupons, but don’t usually use them. And that’s just flushing your money and time down the toilet (or, more literally, throwing it out when you toss the old coupons you spent the time clipping and forgot/didn’t remember you had/couldn’t have been bothered to pull them out when you were shopping and actually brought them!). So, how do you become a bit more organized and actually use those coupons? Well, it make take a bit of time, but isn’t your time worth it? Not to mention your bank account?

I’ve heard of people playing the CVS game, and I was curious. Like I said, “free” is a favorite word of mine. So I started paying attention. Within a few trips, I think I’ve done very well for myself. My biggest trip was Boxing Day (the day after Christmas). Had my mother not been with me, not that she thinks I’m a liar, but she wouldn’t have believed me. I’m not a big exaggerator (well, most times anyways) but she couldn’t wrap her mind around how I got so much for so little.

After sitting at the kitchen table chatting and drinking my pot of coffee (you do need a LITTLE bit of stamina to save money sometimes), I figured out how to buy $190 worth of stuff for $7.80 out of pocket. Can’t beat THAT with a stick, eh? It took me about one hour to figure out what CVS was giving out for free, which coupons I had and in which order I needed to buy things (I had three separate transactions) in order to maximize my ECBs (Extra Care Bucks). I’d tell you exactly what I bought, but I didn’t keep my receipts.

But here’s a quick example of another great trip where I was PAID to shop there. I bought a Schick Intuition Razor (8.99), Crest Pro Health toothpaste (3.49), the new Colgate Wisp toothbrush thingies (1.99), the new L’Oreal Everpure shampoo and conditioner (6.99 each) and a L’Oreal hair dye kit (7.49). The total was $37.74 including tax. But, thanks to my manufacturer’s coupons, a $5 off $30 CVS coupon that I printed out from the scanner at CVS (some of the newer or revamped CVS stores have a little scanner where you can scan your card and it’ll print out coupons — here’s a tip: keep scanning the card until it says that no more coupons are available. Sometimes it’ll only be once, sometimes up to three times) and using my Extra Care Buck coupons (referred as ECB’s), my grand total was $5.74. HOWEVER, I also EARNED $11.49 in ECB’s. So, technically, I was PAID $5.75 to shop there and walked away with $38 in products!

Oh, and I didn’t really pay $5.74 out of MY pocket. I also had some prescriptions that I had to transfer to CVS and I found some $25 coupons in the Rite-Aid flyer where they’d give you $25 for transferring a prescription to them. Well, CVS honors those coupons, too. So, that $5.74 came off of the gift card I had for transferring a prescription there. PLUS, for every 2 prescriptions you fill at CVS, you earn $1.00 ECB which prints out 4 times a year. Plus, you earn a small percentage on everything you spend there. I just earned $11 this last quarter…though most of that was due to prescriptions being filled.

I just went to CVS again today and bought $47.72 worth of products (Garnier Shampoo, Schick razor, Zyrtec, Charmin toilet paper and medicated Bandaids). After my coupons and using $17.39 in old ECBs, I spent $6.19 OOP and earned $18 in ECB - and again, that $6.19 was actually NOT out of MY pocket as I still have money left on one of my $25 gift cards.

I’m getting good with my coupons at Kroger, too. Not that I’m walking out with $500 in groceries for $5 like you see some people do on the news, but I’m saving a minimum of 30% upwards of 70% on my grocery bill just by paying attention to what’s on sale and matching up my coupons. On one of my smaller shopping trips, I bought $76.33 worth of groceries for $36.65. That was a savings of 53%. And had I not bought the frozen Tiramisu that I wanted to try as a treat to myself and the $3.99 Lactaid milk that we were trying my daughter out on, my savings would have been closer to 69%!!! And that was simply by matching my coupons to what was on sale that week. A more recent trip saw me paying only $83.91 for $157.17 worth of groceries which was a 47% savings. I don’t always have a coupon for everything I buy, but I do try to find one. And spending just an hour matching my coupons to sales earns me about $30-$70 an hour. And I don’t have to pay taxes on that! ?

There are a ton of coupon sites out there. Not only do I cut out coupons every Sunday morning from what comes in the paper, I also print them online from www.coupons.com and use shortcuts.com to electronically download coupons right to my Kroger value member card (which is a card that has to be scanned to get my sale prices).

So there it is! It’s not very hard to get paid to shop, or at least pay as little out of pocket as possible. Just spend a bit of your time to save!

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I have been a frugal shopper for just over two years. In that time, I have learned that the key to successful shopping is preparation and organization. There is nothing more frustrating than getting to a store and realizing that I don’t have my coupons. . . or getting home from shopping and realizing that I have forgotten about a great deal. After much trial and error, I have finally found a method that works for me. Since it saves me time. . . . and frustration, I thought I would share it with you.

First, I do not cut out every coupon. I tried the binder method, but I was just not disciplined enough to cut out the coupons and file them.

Second, I have found a wealth of information from other bloggers. I can find the deals quickly and easily by browsing a wide selection of blogs. These awesome women have done the work for me by locating the deals, the coupons that match the deals - they even let me know what my out of pocket will be. So, check out those blogs. Then either add them to your favorites - or better yet - subscribe to them by email or RSS feed.

To see which hot drug store deals I want to take advantage of, I check out my favorite savings sites on Saturday night. (Your favorite blogger probably has the highlights of Sunday’s drug store deals up on Saturday). On Wednesday evenings, I check for the grocery store deals. To ensure that I do not forget the deals that I am interested in, I copy and paste the deals onto a Word document. I color code the deals as FREE, MONEYMAKER and good deals. Then I cut out the coupons I will need.

Third, the best way that I have found to make sure I do not forget a deal or coupons is to make up a small binder that I carry to the store. It is a 1 1/2″ binder that will hold dividers for each store. The dividers that I have chosen have a flap that I can stick my flier and list in and also has an index card pocket where I store my coupons. This method enables me to have everything I need at my fingertips when I enter the store.

By preparing for my shopping and organizing my lists and coupons, I have saved myself a lot of headaches and frustration.

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