Thrifty Ways and Ideas

Ways I Saved/Earned Money This Week

2012-01-26T19:53:00.000-05:00

- I read all of my Inbox Dollars emails for my account and my husband's daily to add money to our accounts.

- I read all of my MyPoints emails daily for my account and my husband's to add points to receive FREE gift cards.

- Cleaned out my coupon binder and filed new coupons for future shopping trips.

- Continued to use my FREE samples this week including - lip balm, dish detergent (full size bottle), dryer sheets, and lotion. Received more lotion samples in the mail this week.

- Payton had a Keebler Fudge Jumbo Stick cookie sample that I received in the mail for her snack one day.

- We did NOT eat out at all last week except for Saturday. We used a gift card we received for Christmas plus I had a 25% off our total. I really enjoyed dinner out.

- Went shopping on Wednesday to take advantage of some great deals.

- Only used my dishwasher once this week.

- Received 2 FREE CFLs from my power company.

- DH built a small barn for Payton's pony with FREE lumber from our very nice neighbor. Can't beat that. I definitely owe him a favor.

- With the 60 degree weather we are having, I took the kids to the park one afternoon while we were out running errands = FREE Entertainment.

- Shopped CVS for some great deals that I need and to add to my stockpile.

- Shopped Save a Lot for some great deals.

- Wrote a sponsored post and earn 8000 points that I can exchange for Amazon gift cards.

- My Comment Saturday discussion was about filing a complaint with Ruby Tuesday for the service and food I received last week. I got a $40 coupon for bad experience.

- Printed coupons for future shopping trips.

- Recevied 3 FREE magazines in the mail that I enjoyed reading.

- Received a full size bottle of Purex Crystals and Jockey Sports Bra to review and giveaway.

- Shopped Lowes Foods for some great deals and a couple of things I had to have.

FREE 28-Day Diabetic Meal Plan

2012-01-26T11:54:00.000-05:00

Are you or someone in your family a diabetic? This could come in handy for you or someone in your family. Sign up and receive a FREE 28-Day Diabetic Meal Plan.

My Shopping Trip to Lowes Foods

2012-01-26T09:00:00.002-05:00

I was excited to see the sale ad Lowes Foods this week. Several items on sale that I had on my list.

Here is what I purchased.

4 - Sargento Shredded Cheese - $2, Used (2) .40/2 coupons = $1.60 each = $6.40
4 - Hulluva Block Cheese - $2.50, Used (4) .50/1 coupons = $1.50 each = $6
2 - Velveeta Skillet Meals - $1.50, Used (2) .50/1 coupons = .50 each = $1
4 - Zesta Crackers $2.00 each, Used (2) $1/2 coupons = $1.50 each = $6
2 - French Breads - .99 with in-ad coupon = $1.98
1 - Grapes - omg at the price - $6.06
1 - Gallon of Milk - $4.09

Total - $33.60

Cheese is used often in my house and my stockpile had ran out. Velveeta meals were very cheap so I purchased 2 to try. Great to have on hand for a quick meal. Zesta crackers is a favorite of dh's. The French bread can be used for meals and sandwiches. I always try to keep some kind of fresh fruit and this week my children wanted grapes. I totally looked at the price of the grapes wrong....OMG! My little man goes through a gallon of milk every couple of days and I was getting low. The price of milk is outrageous.

Recyclebank - Earn points to redeem for Coupons and Gift Cards

2012-01-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

Earn Points

Take everyday green actions like recycling household goods and cutting back on your energy use.

Get Rewards

Redeem your points for discounts and merchandise at places you like to shop.

Live Green

Learn how you and your family can tread more lightly upon the world.

Click here to join Recyclebank!

After joining, make sure you check out the offers:

Hellmann's - Earn 25 points

Pantene - Earn 10 points

Ziploc - Earn 20 points

Disclosure: This post may contain an affiliate link.

Thought of the Day

2012-01-26T08:00:00.002-05:00

"The best way to cheer yourself is to cheer somebody else up."

Mark Twain

Five Mom Inspired Driving Tips

2012-01-25T13:49:00.000-05:00

Driving is something that should be taken very seriously no matter who you are. Since becoming a mom of two small kids, I think my driving habits have changed. Not only am I responsible for myself while driving but I am responsible for my children too. Here is 5 tips that I follow when driving to keep everyone safe.

1) Buckle Up - Always, Always, Always buckle up. First thing I do is make sure my children are fastened safely into their car seats. Not only do I check buckles but I make sure belts are tight, straightened and adjusted properly. Having a twisted strap can cause a child to complain or cry and you will not have a very enjoyable ride with upset kids. After the kids are buckled in, I then buckle myself up.

2) Organize - I have come to realize it is necessary for me to have certain things out and handy to pass to my children. This keeps me from having to find a certain item while driving or from having to pull over somewhere to find something. For my 18 month old, I make sure I have his towel, pacifier and cup are within reach. These things keep him happy while riding and no one wants a crying baby.

3) Check Gas Tank - As a mom, I NEVER want to be stranded on the road alone or with my children. I make sure I have plenty of gas before heading out. I also have certain gas stations that I use that are in a safe neighborhood and have a competitive price on gas. This keeps me and family safe and also helps me save money.

4) Maintenance - I keep a close check on my vehicles service schedule. I try to do everything possible to keep my vehicle in great working condition. This also helps to keep me and my family from having vehicles problems and from becoming stranded. Another great way to save money in preventing problems from occurring.

5) Cell Phone Safety - Absolutely no texting while driving. There is no way possible that I can drive a vehicle and text . I don't understand how or why people do this. When texting you are just asking for an accident to happen. I do talk on the phone but I make sure I am in an area where there is not a lot of congestion. I try to keep my calls short and make only necessary calls. They too can be very distracting.

As a mom, safety is one of the most important things you can do for your family. Moms constantly try to prevent their children from getting hurt. Driving is no exception. To me nothing would be worse than have a wreck while driving and it be my fault. Before I get behind the wheel, I try to do everything possible to keep everyone safe.

About Esurance With a wealth of easy-to-use online tools as well as 24/7 expert service, Esurance is making car insurance smarter from quote to claim. Everything we do is done with the goal of saving you time, hassle, hair-tearing-out, and oh yes, money too. Use the Esurance Coverage Counselor® to help you figure out the exact coverage limits you need. File a claim (and send pics of the accident) from your mobile phone. Call anytime — and by that we mean anytime — to talk to a friendly expert about discounts. Do what you need to do, when you need to do it. And do it with ease. That's what Esurance is all about.

More info on Esurance: blog.esurance.com

Esurance on Facebook

Follow @esurance on Twitter

Disclosure: “I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here."

My Favorite Deals at Lowes Foods This Week - 1/25-1/31

2012-01-25T12:24:00.002-05:00

Lowes Foods doubles coupons up to .99. You can use 20 coupons per transaction.

Lot of great deals this week!

Whole Fryers - .79/lb.

Russett Potatoes - 1.97 for 5lbs.

French Bread - .99 after in-ad coupon

Sargento Shredded Cheese - $2
Buy 2 and Use .55/2 coupon 1/22 SS
Final Price - $1.45 each

Heluva Good Chunk Cheese - $2.50
Use .50/1 printable coupon
Final Price - $1.50 each

Minute Rice - $1.79
Use .50/1 coupon - Feb. All You magazine
Final Price - .79

Velveeta Cheesy Skillets - $1.50
Use .50/1 printable coupon
Final Price - .50

Barilla Pasta - $1.25
Buy 2 Whole Grain Pastas and Use $1/2 printable coupon
Final Price - .75 each after coupons

Beech-Nut Baby Food - .50
Use $1/3 printable coupon
Final Price -.50 for 3

Beech-Nut Cereal - $1.89
Use $1/1 printable coupon
Final Price - .39 after coupon

Zesta Saltines - $2
Buy 2 and Use $1/2 coupon 12/11 RP
Final Price - $1.50

Pulling my coupons for a trip to Lowes Foods now!

Today's Favorite Coupon = Savings on Coffee

2012-01-25T12:12:00.000-05:00

Click here to print your coupon for $1.50 off Seattle's Best Coffee. With the ever increasing prices on coffee this may come in handy.

My Shopping Trip to CVS

2012-01-25T11:30:00.000-05:00

CVS had exactly what I needed on sale this week. I was excited to go shopping.

Here is what I purchased.

4 - Coke 2 Liters - 4/$5
1 - Palmolive - .88, Used .40/1 coupon = .48
2 - Pantene Shampoo - 3.33 each = 6.66, Used $3/2 coupon = $3.66
1 - Charmin Ultra Toilet Tissue - $9.99, Used .25/1 coupon = $9.74
2- Bounty Paper Towels - $5.99 = $11.98 (my CVS did have Bounty Basics so they substituted regular bounty) - , Used (2) .25/1 coupons = $11.48

Total - $30.36
Used $1 ECB

Total OOP - $29.36

Received $10 Cash Card

Since I am stockpiling mode again, I really need to stock up on charmin and bounty. Pantene is one of my favorites and I couldn't resist the deal. I had a .40/1 Palmolive coupon from the mfr so I took advantage of this deal. Coke is a favorite for us so I was excited when it was included in the $30 deal. It has been a while since I have been to CVS so I didn't have alot of ECBs to roll. Now, I hope not to spend as much on my next trip.

My Beautiful Babies!

2012-01-25T11:12:00.000-05:00

I am so blessed!

Thought of the Day

2012-01-25T11:09:00.000-05:00

"Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness."

Frank Tyger

FREE Beech-Nut Stage 4 Toddler Kit Sample

2012-01-24T13:40:00.000-05:00

Click here to register for the Beech Nut newsletter and receieve a FREE Stage 4 Toddler Kit.

FREE 1 Year Subscription to Martha Stewart Living Magazine

2012-01-24T13:13:00.000-05:00

Click here to request your FREE 1 year subscription to Martha Stewart magazine.

Purex Crystals and Jockey Sports Bra Review, Giveaway and Coupon

2012-01-24T11:53:00.000-05:00

As a Purex Insider, I recently received a bottle of Purex Crystals and a Jockey Sports Bra to review and give away. The winner will receive the same thing I received, a Jockey Tech Terry Performance Sports Bra and a bottle of Purex Crystals.

I enjoy wearing sports bras. I think they are very comfortable and give me the support I need. I wore them often while I was pregnant and for several weeks after I gave birth. The Jockey Tech Terry Performance Sports Bra was great. I requested the same size that I normally wear but I do wish that I had went up a size. I am not sure if they run small but you may consider going up a size when purchasing one for yourself. Here is the stats for the Jockey Sports Bra.

Jockey is offering a 20% coupon for your purchase of a sports bra. The top 20 bloggers who drive the most readers to the coupon will win $100 gift card. Enjoy and thanks!

Liquid fabric softeners contain softening oils, which prevent moisture wicking fabrics from working. Purex Crystals is an innovative freshening product that doesn't use oil for softening, so it can be used on all types of laundry.

- Athletic Wear

- Towels

- Children's sleepwear

- and everything else - including your Jockey sports bra.

My favorite thing about Purex Crystals is that you can add them to the beginning of the wash. There is no going back at the right time to add the fabric softener. I have tried all of the Purex Crystals and I love all the scents. Purex Crystals are 92% natural crystals that infuse your laundry with long lasting freshness - weeks not days.

How to enter: (5 entries per person)

Required:

- Leave me a comment and let know if you have tried Purex Crystals.

4 Extra Entries:

- Follow/Subscribe to my blog (1 extra entry) and leave me a comment telling me you did.

- Follow me on twitter - and leave me a comment telling me you did.

- Tweet about this giveaway (@mariathriftyWAI) and leave me a comment telling me you did.

- "Like" me on Facebook and leave me a comment telling me you did.

This giveaway will close on Sunday, January 29 at 9pm (EST). The winner will emailed and announced on Monday morning . You will have 48 hours to respond or a

new winner will be chosen.

Disclosure: Jockey and Purex provided free samples of their products so I could review them. However, all of the opinions expressed here are my own.

Today's Favorite Coupon = $1.10/3 Pillsbury...

2012-01-24T11:52:00.000-05:00

Click here to print your coupon for $1.10/3 of any size/variety Refrigerated Pillsbury Grands biscuits, Crescent Dinner Rolls, Ready To Bake! Cookies, Sweet Rolls or Grands Sweet Rolls.

Disclosure: I received this information and coupon offer from Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark. No other compensation was received.

Thought of the Day

2012-01-24T11:45:00.001-05:00

"Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life."

Omar Khayyam

My Favorite Drugstore Deals This Week - 1/22-1/28

2012-01-23T11:42:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of my favorite deals at CVS this week:

Estroven Maximum Strength (28ct.) $9.99
Receive $9.99 ECB
Final Price - FREE

Blistex Deep Renewal, Fruit Smoothie, Silk & Shine, Medicated Ointment or Revive & Restore - $2.87
Receive $2 ECB
Use .35/1 coupon 1/22 SS
Final Price - .32 after coupon and ECB
Limit 1

Palmolive Dish Detergent - .88 each

Pantene Shampoo and Conditioner - 3/$9.99
Buy 2 and Use $3/2 coupon 1/1 P&G
Final Price - $1.83 each

Spend $30, Earn $10 Gift Card
(This is great for me, since I am almost out of paper towels and toilet tissue.)

Coke 2 Liters 4/$5

Coke 12 packs - 4/$10

Charmin - 16 pack - $9.99
Use .25/1 coupon 1/1 P&G
Final Price - $9.74

Bounty Basic Paper Towels - $5.99
Use .25/1 coupon 1/1 P&G
Final Price - $5.74

Here is a list of my favorite deals at Walgreens this week:

Ultimate Flurry Protein Bar - $1.99
Receive $1.99 RR
Final Price - FREE after RR

Renew Life Flush & Be Fit 14 Day Kit - $20
Receive $20 Mail in Rebate
Use $5/1 coupon from Walgreens Store Coupon Book
Final Price - FREE + $5 moneymaker

Theraflu - $4.99
Receive $1 RR
Receive $5 Retail Gift Card from Theraflu Printable
Final Price - FREE + $1.01 moneymaker

Walgreens TRUEresult Blood Glucose Monitor - $12.99
Receive $12.99 Mail In Rebate
Final Price - FREE after rebate

Here is a list of my favorite deals at Rite Aid this week:

Palmer's Valentines Candy - 2/$1.98
Buy 2, Get $1 +UP Reward
Final Price - .98 for 2 after +UP Reward
Limit 2

CFL Light Bulbs 1 pk - $3.99
Buy 1, Receive $3 +UP Reward
Final Price- .99 after +UP Reward
Limit 2

Menu Planning Monday - 1/22

2012-01-23T11:05:00.001-05:00

Here is my menu plan for this week. You will notice a couple of repeats from last week, since my menu got changed several times. Hopefully, this week we can stay on schedule.

Monday - Baked Potato and Salad with Grilled Vegetables

Tuesday - Tacos with Spanish Rice

Wednesday - Chicken Parmesan, Salad, and Bread

Thursday - Hot Dogs with Homemade Slaw, Oven Fries

Friday - Grilled Chicken, Quartered Potatoes, Carrots

Saturday - Not sure yet, pending plans

Sunday - I always leave Sunday open because my dh likes to plan our menu and do most of the cooking.

You can find other great weekly menus at Menu Planning Monday at Organized Junkie!

AC Moore Coupons

2012-01-23T10:55:00.000-05:00

More great coupons this week.

50% off any one Regular Priced Item
60% off any Framing order plus take an additional $10 off

Also, there is a coupon for Double Points on your AC Moore Rewards Card when you spend $25 in one transaction.

Click here to print!

My Shopping Trip to Save a Lot

2012-01-23T10:54:00.000-05:00

I am in stockpiling mode. There are lots of things that I have ran out of and a few items that I needed immediately. Here is a list of what I purchased. (Sorry no picture, my dear hubby put everything away before I could take a picture.)

1 - 18 ct. Eggs - $1.99
4 - Pizza and Ham Lunchmakers - .99 each
1 - 4 pack of Pudding - .89
1 - Cabbage - .39/lb = $1.14
2 - Shredded Cheese - $2 each
1 - Cereal - $1
1 - Chips - $1.29
1 - 12 pack of Pop Tarts - $1.99
2 - Muffin Mixes - .89 each

Total OOP - $19.48

I was down to my last egg and the 18 ct was a better deal. Payton loves the lunchmakers and they are great for lunch or snacks. Payton requested the pudding so I gave in. The cabbage will be used to make slaw and I also love to saute it with a little olive oil. I was also completely out of cheese. My stockpile of cheese is gone. I hope to find a great deal soon. I was also running low on cereal. Chips will be eaten with sandwiches. The muffin mixes will come in handy for breakfast.

Thought of the Day

2012-01-23T10:51:00.001-05:00

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier."

Mother Teresa

Comment Saturday

2012-01-21T11:23:00.000-05:00

Today is Comment Saturday!!

For every comment left, I will return the favor by responding to your comment and by visiting your blog and leaving a comment.

I love to hear from my readers and I encourage you to leave comments on any blog you visit.

Today's question.....Have you ever complained to a company or manufacturer about their product or service when you had a bad experience? If so, what was the outcome?

I am getting ready to write one in the next few minutes. We received a gift card along with a 25% off coupon to Ruby Tuesday. I was so looking forward to going out to dinner but I was not satisfied with our service or with my daughters dinner. I will say that Ruby Tuesday is a favorite of ours but last nights experience was not a pleasurable one. Looking forward to their response.

Today's Favorite Coupon - NEW Garnier Coupons

2012-01-21T10:05:00.000-05:00

I love Garnier shampoo and conditioner. Drugstores often have great deals on these and these coupons will insure a great deal. Print them now!

$1 off any one (1) Garnier Fructis Shampoo or Conditioner

$1 off any one (1) Garnier Fructis Style Product.

NEW FREE SAMPLES

2012-01-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

FREE Lettuce Wraps from PF Changs with newsletter sign up. - Click here!

FREE Sample of Firecracker Chicken Breast from Panda Express on January 23rd - Click here!

FREE Sample of Stayfree Ultra Thin Regular Pads - Click here!

FREE James Allen Plastic Ring Sizer - Click here!

FREE Sample of Downy Unstopables - Limited amount given out daily. - Click here!

Sunday Coupon Preview

2012-01-21T10:02:00.000-05:00

There will be 2 coupon inserts in Sundays paper - 1 Smartsource and 1 RedPlum. Click here to preview which coupons will be available.