$10 off $50 at Target

The Target gift card coupon is back again! Get a $10 gift card when you spend $50 before coupons in store.
This is from 12/7-12/10 only!

Subway $2 Sandwiches

If you haven't heard this is a great time to meet a friend for lunch at Subway. The Meatball and Cold Cut trio sandwiches are $2 per sub.

Also if you just got the Sunday paper yesterday they have a buy one get one free sandwich with the purchase of a drink if you don't like the $2 subs.

This is for the whole month of December!!!

Kohls.com: KitchenAid Classic Plus 4.5-qt. Stand Mixer for $88 (after Kohl’s cash + rebate!)

Courtesy MoneySavingmom.com

Here’s a hot deal! You can get a KitchenAid Classic Plus 4.5-qt. Stand Mixer for just $88 plus tax. Here’s how

::Add the KitchenAid Classic Plus 4.5-qt. Stand Mixer to your cart.
::It should automatically go down to $179.99 when you add it to your cart.
::Use coupon code GOBBLE15 to get another 15% off.
::Shipping is free because your order is over $50.
::Pay $152.99 plus tax out of pocket.
::Get $45 in Kohl’s cash ($15 for every $50 you spend).
::Plus, send in this $20 rebate to get another $20 back.

After the discounts, Kohl’s cash, and rebate, that makes this just $88 plus tax out of pocket!

Money Saving Mom Book

MoneySavingMom.com is one of my favorite blogs. She just finished writing a book that is coming out in January. I am not a big reader but I am looking forward to this one. Even Dave Ramsey referenced the book.

Check it out on Amazon.

Starbucks B1G1 Holiday Drinks - Treat a friend!!!!!

Starbucks is getting in the holiday spirit by offering B1G1 Starbucks Holiday Drinks November 17-20, 2011 from 2-5PM. The free drink must be of equal or lesser value. This promo is running in participating Starbucks locations only, while supplies last.

It's Black Friday Time - Check out the Ads Now!!!!

Here is the site to see the Black Friday Ads - Walmart, Target, Best Buy and most of the main stores are on there now.

http://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/

I am not seeing impressive deals this year and many stores are opening up at 12 midnight this year.

When is it best to buy a car – brand new, one, two, four years?

When is it best to buy a car – brand new, one, two, four years?  What are the numbers from Edmunds.com?

When deciding to buy a car, when is the best year to buy a car?  How much a does a car really lose in value in the first four years? 

These numbers are based on average mileage driven for the models. Cars lose the majority of their value within four years (no matter the model, whether it is a Mercedes, Toyota, or Chevrolet). 

One of the biggest reasons for buying a new car is the warranty but based on these numbers you are paying for that warranty. Check it Out!

Car Repairs - Be Cautious - Today Show Exclusive

The Today Show did a great story on Car Repairs. Please be very cautious when it come to repairing your car. We had a similar experience recently with our cars where they were trying to charge us about a $1000 for each car for repairs that were not needed. 

 Are chain car repair stores overcharging?

NBC TODAY Show: Are Car Dealers Charging for Unnecessary Car Repairs?

Cheap Flowers

I love flowers but if you are like me don't like wasting your money for them to die a few weeks later. No green thumb here!!! My trick on getting good deals is to go to the clearance section at Lowe's. Most the time it is in the back of the garden section but each store is different.

I just got some pansies for. 75/each and mums for .35/each. Normal retail is probably around $3-$5

I bought some mums a few years ago for. 25/each and planted them around the mailbox. Now they are huge and come back every year. I love flowers that do this.

Deals Monday - Free Lunch Friday and Cheap Diapers

Hi Friends,

I wanted to share some deals I have come across today.

CVS
Huggies Slip On Diapers

Buy 1 package of Huggies Slip On Diapers for $8.99
Clip $2/1 SavingStar coupon to get $2 back into your SavingStar account
Use $3/1 Huggies Slip Ons 9/11 SS insert
Spend $5.99 plus tax out of pocket, Get a $1 ECB + get $2 back into your SavingStar account
$2.99 per package after coupon, ECB, plus SavingStar refund

Also if you printed out the $2 off ECB that CVS was giving out last week you can get these for $1.

I also got a good deal on M&M's and a bag of halloween candy too. The CVS I went to in Lyman today has 500 napkins for $1.50 as they were in the summer clearance section. Check out other deals here - http://www.southernsavers.com/2011/09/cvs-ad-coupons-102-108/

Free Lunch on Friday
Wow!! If you are a fan of Macaroni Grill, you are gonna love this new promo! Just head on over to their Facebook page, “like” them, then click on “The Dish” tab (left side) to access a *HOT* coupon valid for a FREE “Choose 2″ Lunch Combination, good on Friday, October 7th from 11am to 4pm only! *One coupon per table. I would print now as I am not sure how long this will be available on their Facebook page.

Free Stuff

Free Music at Amazon with code - FALLMP3S - $2 value

Free 12oz cup of coffee at Krispy Kreme on Thursday, Sept 29

http://www.cvs.com/moneytrashers/ Free $2 CVS extracare bucks

Need some shoes??????????

They have select sizes but if you are in need of shoes it might be worth a look.


Sierra Trading Post has several Men's & Women's Asics Athletic Shoes on sale. Save an additional 35% off with code EB091311B . Shipping is free on orders $100 or more, otherwise it starts at $7.95 and increases slightly thereafter.

Prices after discount, but before shipping
Men's

• Asics Gel Kanbarra 5 Running Shoes $28
• Asics Gel Phoenix 2 Running Shoes (size 7) $34
• Asics Gel Enduro 6 Trail Running Shoes $29
• Asics Gel Equation 4 Running Shoes $32.50
• Asics Gel Finite Running Shoes $34.50
• Asics Gel SD Lyte Running Shoes (size 6.5) $34.50
• Asics Gel Blackheath Field Sport Shoes $34.50
• Asics Gel Antares 2 Running Shoes $34.50

Women's

• Asics Gel Equation 4 Running Shoes $32.50
• Asics Gel Blackheath Field Sport Shoes $34.50
• Asics Gel Finite Running Shoes $34.50
• Asics Gel Kanbarra 5 Running Shoes $28
• Asics Gel 160TR Cross Training Shoes (size 6) $29
• Asics Gel Enduro 6 Trail Running Shoes $29
  
  
   Trisports.com has many of their Running Shoes marked down significantly. Shipping starts at $8 or is free if you spend $50 or more and enter code catcom-w at checkout
• Men's Running Shoes from $35
• Women's Running Shoes from $35

Greenville NC Consignment Sales

This is Greenville, North Carolina so don't get confused my SC friends!!!

Kids Exchange
Friday 9/9: Public Sale 9am – 6pm
Saturday 9/10: Public Sale 9am – 4pm
Sunday 9/11: Public Sale ~ HALF PRICE DAY 10am – 5pm

Nearly New Fish
Thursday, October 13th 10am-7pm
Friday, October 14th 10am-7pm
Saturday, October 15th 10am-7pm
Sunday, October 16th Noon-6pm (Half price on many items!)

Free Breakfast at Chick-fil-a

Free Breakfast at Chick-fil-a from Sept 6-10. Don't forget to sign up and meet a friend!!!


Sign Up Now!

Local SC friends - Great Deals on Greeting Cards

My friend Kathy let me know that the Rite Aid on S. Batesville across from Publix @ Thornblade is closing this Friday, and they have all their greeting cards 90% off and their make-up products @ 75% off. 

If you are in the area it is a great time to get some needed Birthday Cards!!!

Local SC Consignment Sales

Click on the links below for more information!!!

Switcharoos (Spartanburg) - http://www.switcharoosconsignment.com - August 26-28
Treasured Again - http://www.treasuredagain.net/  September 8-10
My Child's Closet - http://www.mychildsclosetinc.com/index.html - Sept 14-17
Trunk Treasures - http://www.trunktreasures.com/file/165772352mailerfall20111.jpg
    Infants to Juniors Clothing - Sept 9-13 and Sept 16-18
    Men and Women's Clothing, Book, Toys and Baby - Oct 5 - 9
WeeCycled Wear - www.weecycledwear.com Sept 16-18
John Knox - https://jkkindergarten.org/Fundraisers.php - Sept 22-24

Great Deals from Land's End

Lands' End is offering 30% Off Clearance Items. Shipping is free with code ENSEMBLE + Pin 1436.

• Women's from $2.78
• Men's from $2.79
• Boys from $0.70
• Girls from $0.70

Built-In Tall Tub Dishwasher in White at The Home Depot

Built-In Tall Tub Dishwasher -GLD2800TBB at The Home Depot

Got this in white for $200 instead of $300. Frugarita Strikes again.

Remember you don't have to pay retail!!!!!!

Faucet problems in your house?????

Did you know you can get Delta and Price Pfister parts for free?

Here's where it began. We installed some new faucets in our old house in Greenville, NC and had problems with the finish so I called Delta. They sent us brand new faucets which was nice.

Here in the house in SC we have had the rings in the sink break into pieces in two out of the three sinks. With a simple phone call they mailed me the new pieces I needed for free. Pretty great customer service.

We also bought and put in a Price Pfister faucet in our kitchen and the handle would always drop down so with a little research I found out it was a common problem. I called the company and they sent a new part. It was easy to install and now I don't have to manually hold it up while trying to run the water.

So if you have a problem with your faucets you might want to make a simple phone call and get them fixed. Free except if you can't do the labor but most faucets are fairly simple to fix. I would think the other companies do it as well

Great Cell Phone Service for $30/mth - More Features, Less Money and Same Service

If you have been following my blog you noticed that I was testing out cell phone providers.

I finally make the switch and chose StraightTalk. I highly recommend this company as I now have 1000 minutes, 1000 texts and web access on my phone. I just have a basic phone but may upgrade in the future as they have nicer phones too. All that is important to me is that I can use the phone.  Lots of people are texting now so I can join them. Before I was paying .20 cents a text which was starting to make my bill go up more and more every month.

The service uses Verizon and only costs me $32.31/mth for 30 days of service which is around $20/mth cheaper than what I was paying before with Verizon. With the 1000 minutes you get 30 days to use it and even if I needed to buy a new card or two for more minutes it still is a huge savings from about $50/mth.

Also they have unlimited for $45/mth too!!!

Straight Talk Yearly -  $32=$384 (1000 minutes, 1000 texts, web access)
Verizon - $50=$600 (750 minutes, no texts, and no web access)
Savings = $216/yr

In Summary, More Features, Less Money and Same Service

Drive a Porsche instead of a Mustang?

Special Post from FrugaChris

One of the things that Dave Ramsey claims is that you cannot afford to buy a new car unless you have one million dollars net worth.  Yes, that is right, one million big ones in the bank account!  Is this just over the top or is there validity to this claim!?


To give you a little background, I bought my brand new 2000 Honda Accord for $21,500 after I accepted my first job out of college and before my first paycheck.  And if you are wondering, Yes, it was before I married FrugaRita!!  Eleven years later my Honda is still kicking but only worth $4,500 (a $17,000 loss not including interest payments).


I honestly believe that the car purchase is one of the most critical decisions that a middle class family or single makes with their money.  This dramatically affects your future and ability to give and save.


Here is a section of the Consumer Reports article in the link below: "According to the used car savings analysis, buying a 2005 Toyota Camry with a V6 engine, for example, could save you about $13,000 over five years compared with buying a new 2008 version. At $4 per gallon, you could pay for all of your gas during that period (based on driving 12,000 miles a year) and still be almost $2,500 ahead."

I know most people are not looking for one of these, but it gets the point across, "Our analysis also highlights another appealing option of buying used: the ability to get a more upscale model with more features for the same owner cost as a less expensive new car. Buying a new $28,000 Ford Mustang V6 convertible, for example, would cost you about $42,500 over five years. For about the same five-year cost, you could buy a three-year-old Porsche Boxster roadster, which is priced at almost $50,000 when new and is a more highly rated, fun-to-drive sports car."
 
The article does a great job of explaining the new versus used cost comparison.   Only a millionaire can afford a 34% loss over the first five years without being affected financially.  This is the reason that Dave Ramsey teaches to buy used.

Read the Consumer Reports Article for more details:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/used-cars/buying-advice/used-car-savings/overview/used-cars-ov.htm

School Supplies - Know what a good price is!!!!!

Our local church - Grace Church collects supplies for local schools every year. I am a big researcher and want to know what the normal price is for an item before I buy it.

I wanted to share the deals I found on the school supplies I bought this year.

Target
Bottle Hand Sanitizer - $2.19
Kleenex - $.99
Post it Notes (Cube) - $2 (Had Coupon for $1 Off)
Lined Index Cards - $.64
Kid Safety Scissors - $.74
2 Glue Sticks - $.40
Black Expos Markers (2pk) - $1.50
10ct Magic Markers - $.99
Black Marbled Composition Book - $.40
Ziplock Bags (Snack - 50ct) - $1.25 - I only had One Target Coupon or Ziplock Bags Sandwich $1.50 (120ct at some stores) (Target Coupon $1 off 2, Man. Coupon $1 off 2) You can use both coupons together.
24 no. 2 pencils - $.94

Office Depot
3 packs of Wide Ruled Paper - .25/each
Copy Paper - $1

I bought all the items for around $15!!!!

Good post about saving money!

Here is a good post from one of my favorite blogs, MoneySavingMom.com, about your time and money!!! -

Check it Out!

http://moneysavingmom.com/2010/09/why-i-dont-make-homemade-tortillas.html

I love Target

Target has great deals when they clearance which happens very often throughout the season. Last year, I got Emily a Summer Hat and Swim diaper for around $3/a piece which would typically cost $24 so big savings for example. I also get other things such as dish detergent, laundry detergent for good deals off of their clearance sections.

Basically you have to look down the end of the aisles for most of the clearance items but they can be found in the aisles too. Be sure to look around. I drive Chris crazy walking the aisles :) but there are good deals to be found and for good prices for not a lot of work.

Here is some more info about clearance shopping found here.

9 Baby Food Jars for a Total of $0.10. Awesome!

 

I am not a huge couponer, but there are good savings to use them. I use coupons on big items such as diapers, wipes, and toiletry items.  One common misconception that we hear is that coupons are only for junk food.  The key is to save the coupons each week and learn how to combine the sales with coupons for items your family uses (websites like SouthernSavers.com and MoneySavingmom.com are fantastic resources).  

These sites combine store and manufacturer coupons for huge savings.  I would strongly suggest spending the $10 to take lesson when the Southern Savers lady visits your area.  She will give you tips on how to organize, save time, and save your family money.

For my SC friends and Publix shoppers. Here is an awesome deal on baby food. You probably won't be able to do as good as me if you don't have a Publix Baby food coupon from the Publix baby club (but it is still a good deal without it).

I bought 9 jars which are on sale for  $0.40 a jar this week and used the following coupons:

$1.50 off 8 jars of Beech Nut Baby Food coupon (from Publix baby club - Sign up via a card in the store)
2 - $1 off 3 jars of Beech Nut Baby Food coupons- printable

Final bill after coupons = $0.10 for all 9 jars!!!!!! 

Cheap Eyeglasses

Ok, here's the scoop. I am slow to impulse buying but have been wanting some prescription sunglasses for a long time and have never got them because of the expense. I ordered some today for around $44.

If you wear contacts this could be a great way to get a pair of glasses. I am thinking about going to Walmart and Sears and trying out frames. Then I plan to see if the site has them and order a new pair of glasses for a great deal. I am in need of a new pair as these are several years old. Will keep you posted!!!


Coastal Contacts is hosting a Great American Glasses Giveaway and is giving away 100,000 pairs of prescription glasses. They will be giving away 2,000 coupon codes for a free pair on their Facebook Page every day beginning at 9 a.m. EST for the next 50 days.
Here’s how to get your free pair of glasses:

::Go to the Coastal Contacts Facebook Page and click on the ‘Free Glasses!’ tab on the left side of the page.
::Click on the “Like” button on the Coastal Contacts Facebook Page (if you haven’t already) and this will reveal your coupon code.
::Visit the Coastal Contacts website and select a pair of glasses.
::Place your order using the Facebook coupon code and you’ll just pay shipping (around $10-$15) for a pair of glasses.

Coastal Contacts will be giving away 2,000 pairs each day for the next 50 days.

Walmart Offers 10-Cents-a-Gallon Gas Savings at Participating Stations Nationwide

 

The discount applies to gas purchases made when using a reloadable Walmart gift card, reloadable Walmart MoneyCard® or Walmart credit card from June 29 through September 30, 2011.

Check out more below!

 http://walmartstores.com/AboutUs/10629.aspx?sourceid=gasrollback&ref=&loc=interstitialskip

Free Mp3 Music on Amazon!!

Amazon.com: Free $2 MP3 credit

Head over to this page on Amazon.com and enter coupon code CLOUDMP3 to get your free $2 MP3 credit from Amazon.com. This credit is valid through June 30, 2011.

If you have multiple accounts you can get $2 on another account too. Songs are typically .99 cents so you can get 2 free songs.

Freebies for your Birthday!!!

I love free things and Chris' Birthday is this Thursday so I am checking out all the freebies you can get.

Here are some of my favorites - (most you just need to sign up for the email club unless noted below)
Bojangles - Free Biscuit - Cajun Filet, and others
Longhorn - Free Dessert with Adult Entree Purchase
Firehouse Subs- Show your id on your birthday for a Free Sub
Moes - Free Entree
Rita's - Free Ice
Bruster's - Free Waffle Cone when you buy one
Red Robin - Sign up for eclub and they are supposed to mail a card for a free burger
Coldstone Creamery - Buy one get one free (used to be a free one)
Ruby Tuesday - Free Burger - You can get it to go too. (still waiting on this one but think they still do it)
Starbucks - Free Drink with any gift cards registered on their site
Panera Bread- Free surprise on your MyPanera card (not sure what this is yet)
Sonic - Free Creamslush or medium tator tots

What others do you know of???? Now I just have to sign Emily up for her Birthday next year!!!

Can one razor blade last over six months?! Here’s your tip for big Post Father’s Day savings!

Clark Howard is often advertising the fact that you can use one razor for months at a time.  We’ve had a couple friends (Drew and Scott) who have tried it and can attest.  Drew was able to use his Gillette two-blade razor for one full year!  Chris is now in the process of using his cheapie razor to see how long it lasts.  

What Clark Howard says is that the razor doesn’t dull because of shaving.  It actually dulls because of moisture corrosion from being wet and having water on the blade.  The way to combat this is to dry the blade when you are done shaving and to leave the razor blade outside of the shower (away from moisture).   Chris is actually patting it dry and then using a hair dryer for a couple seconds to blow the moisture from the blade. 

If you have been using expensive blades, this is big savings per year.  A six pack of razors might last you three years!

Here is an article with more details from Clark’s site.  Check out the comments below the article for more people who attest.

http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/clarks-bargains/clark-reaches-12-month-mark-using-single-disposabl/ncxf/

Soups, they are a wonderful meal!!

I absolutely love cooking soups. They are easy, cheap and make a lot. I got into this before Emily was born as I wanted to freeze a lot of food so we would have meals ready.

Here are some of my favorites - (Just remember think about what is on sale and you don't always have to use as much meat as they call for either to save money) -

Vegetable Beef Stew
I actually don't use the flour part of the recipe and normally use about a pound of beef stew. I also added celery last time too.

Lentil and Sausage Soup


Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1 small onion
1 cup shredded (cut up) carrots
5 cups water
1 pkg. fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice (Uncle Bens)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1-( 8 oz.) loaf of Velveeta (I actually used shredded cheese or a block of cheddar and broke it up )
1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

Saute' onion and carrots over medium heat about 5 minutes. Add 5 cups of water, seasoning packet from rice and chicken.

Bring to a boil, stir in rice, reduce heat, cover, and cook 5 minutes. Add cheese (cut into cubes) and soup; cook, stirring constantly 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Makes about 19 cups.

Baked Potato Soup
4 Large Potatoes(bake 350/400 for 1 1/2 hrs, Mash away the lumps and peel off the skin)

1lb Bacon - Fry it or Bake it
Green Onions(cut up)
2/3 cup butter melt in pan slowly
2/3 cup flour (whisk it)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Add 5 cups of milk, little at time
Heat slowly medium slow heat. Whisk away lumps and add potatoes.

Ham Bone Soup
Cook Ham Bone - fill pot with water and boil for two hrs
Take meat off of bone (most should fall off and take the bone out of the water)
Add the following ingredients
Squirt of Mustard
8oz Tomato paste
2 Cans of Crushed Tomatoes
2 cubes of Chicken bouillon
1/2 tsp Rosemary
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Coriander or Basil
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
2 Cups of Mixed Vegetables (Green Beans, Carrots, Celery)

Something everybody needs - Cheap Paper Towels

Staples: 6 rolls of Bounty for $1.99 after coupon

There is $3 off ANY Staples purchase coupon. They have 6 roll Bounty paper towels on sale for $4.99. They will be just $1.99 after the coupon! This breaks down to around .33/roll.

If you haven’t printed yours yet, you can print it out here. It is good through June 11th.

Free Doughnuts!!!!!

It's National Doughnut Day - June 3rd!!! A great day of the Year!!!

Free Doughnut at Krispy Kreme

Free Doughnut at Dunkin Donuts but you have to purchase a beverage to get it.

Which one is your favorite? Mine of course is Krispy Kreme.

252 Pampers Swaddlers for $29.74 Shipped

252 Pampers Swaddlers for $29.74 Shipped: "on Spoofee.com"

Here are diapers for around .12/diaper if you need size 1-2.

Old Navy Fans!!! $20 of goods for only $10

Here is $20 worth of Old Navy for $10. It expires July 30, 2011. Save some money if you are already planning on shopping there.

If you haven't heard of groupon then here's your chance. They offer great deals every day for typically half price.


http://www.groupon.com/deals/old-navy-national?utm_campaign=UserReferral&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=uu3874501

Diapers and Wipes - What is a good price????

Ok, followers. I started collecting diapers before Emily was born to get good prices. It gave me time to study up on the prices of diapers and wipes and learn when to buy. There were some awesome deals as Amazon was premiering their Amazon Mom program at the time. (Learn more about Amazon Mom here)

I am using size 3 diapers since this is the size they seem to stay in the longest. The best place I have found to get diapers is at the drug stores so I will be posting deals as I see them. I get free packs sometimes or as low as $3 to $4/pack using coupons.

Here is what I learned:

Diapers (Size 3 - Diapers)

If you just go into a store (Target, Walmart, or Grocery store) you will pay $8.99 typically for a pack of diapers (Pampers and Huggies) The break down for each diaper is .25/diaper. Wow that is a lot!!!!

Here are comparisons from Sams Club and Amazon (Using size 3 diapers)
Just remember Price/# of diapers to get the price per diaper.

Sams Club

Sams Club Brand(200) - .16/ diaper

Pampers Baby Dry(222) - . 19/diaper

Pampers Cruisers(186) - .23/diaper

Huggies(228) - .19/diaper

Luvs(204) - .14/diaper

Amazon (with Amazon Mom - Subscribe and Save program - save 30% off)
*Prices vary from week to week* They also have coupons too that can lower the price.

Pampers Baby Dry(222) - .14/diaper

Huggies Snug & Dry(156) - .17/diaper

Luvs(234) - .11/diaper

So be sure when you are using coupons you beat the Amazon deals or it is just better to buy from them.

Wipes
Here are the best prices I found.

If you buy the small packs of 72 they are .027/wipe if you pay $2 for them.

Sams Club (720 ct)

Huggies - .021/wipe

Member's Mark - .018/wipe

Amazon - (720 ct)

Pampers - .024/wipe

Walmart (504 ct)

Huggies - .027/wipe

Target (currently has 15% off if you buy 2 or more plus free shipping for over $50 orders)

up & up Baby Wipes Unscented Refill Pack - 792 Count - .017/wipe

It's Summer Time - Need Swim Diapers? Get a pack for $3

Walgreens has Swim Diapers on sale for $6.99.

Here are two more coupons which you can use together and get them for $3:

$2 off Huggies Little Swimmers diapers (Walgreens coupon), 10-12 pk, May Walgreens coupon booklet (exp 05/29)

-$2 off Huggies Little Swimmers, SS 5/15

Ingles Shoppers - Baby Food - Earth's Best .27/each for 4 oz jars and Free Napkins

Check out Ingles this week for Earth's Best Organic Baby food for .$26/each for 4oz jars.

Here is a printable coupon to get the deal - http://www.earthsbest.com/node/311

Also free napkins

Chinet Napkins - $.99 - 90 Count

Find $1.00 off printable coupon here which makes them free.
http://www.mychinet.com/club

Need a Laptop???

Get a great laptop deal at BestBuy.com when you buy this 15.6" Toshiba Satellite Laptop for Only $299.99! Save money on shipping by using the free in-store pickup option.

If you're looking for a cheap laptop computer, it is really hard to find anything cheaper than this in a brand new notebook. Unless you go with a small netbook or a refurbished computer, it just is really hard to get anything for less than this Toshiba Satellite notebook. Yet while it isn't configured to play the latest 3D games, this laptop has plenty of memory, storage space, wireless-n networking, and the other features that most people need.

Why spend more when this Toshiba Satellite Laptop computer features:

• 15.6" TFT-LCD high-definition widescreen display
• 2.3GHz Intel Celeron processor 925
• 3GB DDR2 memory
• 250GB SATA hard drive
• Multiformat DVD±RW/CD-RW drive with double-layer support
• Media reader
• Built-in Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n)
• Measures just 1.5" thin and weighs 5.5 lbs
• 6-cell lithium-ion battery
• Up to 4 hours and 23 minutes long battery life

Coffee Deal from Amazon

Amazon has great deal on 3-pack 12-oz Community Coffee in various flavors from as low as $8.03 when you checkout with Subscribe & Save + available $3 coupon & $3 coupons. Shipping is free.
Note, you may cancel your subscribe & save subscription any time after your order ships.

1. Sign into your amazon acct
2. Click here for coupon page
3. Click on "Save $3 off on any 12oz. Community Coffee three pack" (may need to refresh a few times)
4. Click here for the list of qualifying coffee packs
5. Examples: (after coupon discounts)
   • Community Coffee Whole Bean Coffee, Cafe Special Decaffeinated $5.75
   • Community Coffee Whole Bean Coffee, Dark Roast $8.03
     
   • Community Coffee Whole Bean Coffee, Breakfast Blend $8.04
     
   • Community Coffee Ground Coffee, French Vanilla $7.39
   • Community Coffee Ground Coffee, Hazelnut $7.42
   • Community Coffee Ground Coffee, Cafe Special $7.80
   • Many more
6. On the product page, click on the button to clip "Save $3.00 with this Coupon"
7. Select "subscribe now" (right side of page)
8. Checkout, total should be from as low as $5.75 with free shipping.

Diapers and Wipes - Amazon Mom

Save with Amazon Mom Members get FREE Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime benefits and 30% off diapers and wipes with Subscribe & Save delivery.

This program is great as they offer deals from time to time that are better than going to the store or if you don't have a coupon. Another bonus is they ship to your house. All you have to do is cancel the subscribe and save after your item ships if you don't want to regularly get the items.

Here is a current deal and info -

Amazon has a $.50 coupon on Pampers ThickCare Wipes, Scented, 504-count Box priced at $13.99.

Head to the page and put a check in the box next to the $.50 coupon.

Add them to the cart via Subscribe and Save for an additional 30% off. You can cancel subscribe and save if you do not want to keep it after your item ships. This brings your total down to $9.79 or $9.29 after the coupon.

This equates to $.018 per wipe – Less than $.02! This is an excellent price.

Note: Make sure to get this offer you join Amazon Mom HERE.

Phone Service - Reducing my costs for Phone Service

We all need phone service but what are the options out there.

I am going to test out Straight Talk this month and see how it works. These prepaid phones and plans are sold at Walmart. It is $30/mth for 1000 minutes, 1000 texts and 30 Mb of Internet Access. They also have a $45/mth plan that is unlimited.

I currently have Verizon and pay around $50/mth but it just doesn't work at my house so I need something else. I will let you know how it goes. I am thinking if it works then I can do the $30/mth plan and use my Skype phone for my home service to reduce the minutes I need. I currently use Skype at home through my normal phone and an adapter. It has to be connected to a computer but I only pay about $70/year for a phone number and unlimited phone service.

If I can save around $20/mth I will be very excited plus get a phone that works even better!

Free CFL Light Bulbs - Local Duke Energy Customers

Go to the Duke Energy Site and order up to 12 free bulbs for your home. They don't cost you anything and they ship them to your house directly.

We did it.!!!

Alright I have been looking for a Weber grill for Chris for a little while and was determined to get a deal. We just didn't want to pay the prices that they are in the store so I have been watching Craigslist. I would see deals but they would get taken so fast. Well Saturday night I finally saw a really good deal: a $60 Weber Genesis Grill (these are valued around $650 new). Ok I know what you are thinking it must be bad but all our research said that Weber grills hold up so on Mother's Day we went to look at it.

It does need the flavorized bars replaced but they are only $35 from Amazon so we decided to get those and some new grates which were $40. So for a total of $135 we got a Weber grill and they are suppose to last for decades.

About Me

Growing up in the small town of Louisburg, NC and from a family without a lot of money, I learned the value of hard work and to enjoy the simpler life. While many kids’ parents were buying them a car for their 16^th birthday, my parents handed down the 1978 Mercury Cougar to me (not-so affectionately known as the yacht at my high school).

When I moved off to college, I had to do it on my own without my parents’ financial assistance. There were many hard days, but working 35 hours a week at Golden Corral put me through East Carolina University without taking out a student loan. Many people laugh at the Golden Corral but working there was a huge blessing. They even later gave me some tuition money and donated towards a summer college mission trip. It provided many of my meals to eat during those four a half years! Even with school and work, I was on leadership with Campus Crusade and had fun like the “normal” college students but without all the debt. I am very thankful for this and the lessons I learned at the GC!

I am now married and mother of one and love to spend time searching for deals and helping people with their finances by leading Financial Peace University classes. We love seeing families and lives changed in a positive way, and I love helping people save money and to be wise stewards of their resources!

My goal with the blog is to help people find real deals where they can save money, go out on date nights, make their budgeted money go farther, and to be a blessing to others.