I always recommend looking for “extras”- look for that item with a trial size attached.  Look for the item giving you something extra. Here’s a great one I found today:

Lowe’s Foods has soft soap on sale for $1.  The ad shows the 7.5 oz as the one on sale.

I was happy with that price considering I had a $0.50 off two Softsoap Liquid Hand  printable making each one 50¢ at Lowe’s Foods.

As is my habit, I looked to the left, right, up and down.  And I found this over the to the right:
A BONUS bottle!   I got 50% MORE for the SAME price!  My coupons were for 7.5 oz+ so I was still able to use them on the bonus bottle.  Instead of paying the 7¢ an ounce I was going to happily pay I paid just 4¢ an ounce!

Always look for “bonuses” when you are shopping.  It may be a 50% bonus for free, it may be a trial size or mail in rebate offer…but always look!

Each year my family takes a trip to a lake house.  This year is no exception and every year I am in charge of feeding 13 people 3 meals a day on a TIGHT budget.  And we like to EAT- a LOT!  While I’d love to eat out for every meal- that’s just not financially possible- plus it’s a VERY small town we go to and restaurant choices are limited.

Here is our plan to feed everyone for under $200 for the week!

-I start planning EARLY- about February.  I come up with a menu and for each meal list each and every ingredient that will be needed to make it.

-I start stockpiling in February. As things come on sale and I have extra coupons (my personal stock pile comes first) I get them.

-As I buy things I write the price next to the item on my list.  It helps keep me on budget (I use excel for this process)

 

Since we have 7 days – there are  6 lunches, 6 dinners and 6 breakfasts.  Each major meal has it’s own “bag”.  There is  a bag for snacks. a bag for condiments, etc.

For example- we are having BBQ pork one night.  I plan to cook it in a crock pot (hint: Use a crock pot liner for NO clean up!).  Everything for this meal (except the meat) is kept in a grocery bag (or sack).  This bag includes the ingredients for Mac & Cheese, the BBQ sauce and spices, the croutons for salad, the mixes for cole slaw & more!  When it’s time to make the BBQ- i can grab 1 single bag and voila- everything is there!  I bought the boston butt for SUPER cheap several months ago. I seasoned it, wrapped it in plastic wrap REALLY thick and labled it “BBQ- LAKE” so my family wouldn’t accidentally use it!

We also use most disposable baking pans (You can get these really cheap at the Dollar Store- I picked up several Chinet varieties for $1.50 during a sale at Lowe’s Foods!) this eliminates most of the clean up.  I know it’s not very environmentally friendly or “green” but honestly none of us wants to stand at the sink scrubbing the dishes for 13 people!  We want to have fun.

A few other tips that have worked well for us for years:

-Use an empty beer 6 pk container to hold napkins, plastic ware.  We can tote this to the back porch very easily and back inside.

-Plan easy to cook meals, or ones you can prep at home and transport easily.   We do a LOT of crock pot meals & grilling out.

-Cook extra for dinner to use for lunches- we always have left over BBQ or tacos or burgers to use for lunches.

 

Do you have any Vacation Cooking tips?

 

One of the biggest money wasters on vacation is buying things we have at home that we forgot to pack!  On a trip to NY we didn’t bring umbrellas even though the forecast was calling for wet snow!  We ended up paying $5 EACH for a cheap (i.e. lasted about 20 minutes) umbrellas!

My biggest issue  with printable packing lists is they often include items that do not pertain to us or I make my own and forget to list something- so here is a basic customizable packing list!  Simply Check the items you want to include and then print!  As you pack each item check it off.  Then when you leave – have a blank copy in the suitcase to check off the items coming home!

Did I miss something important?  Leave a comment and I can add it!

Electronics

Cell Phone

Cell Phone Charger

Camera

Batteries for Camera

MP3 player

Medical

Band-aids

Prescription Meds

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

_______________________________________

Sunscreen

Pain Relief

Personal Care

Toothpaste

Blow dryer and/or hair irons

Hairbrush

Makeup

Contact Lens Case

Tweezers

Lip balm

Shampoo

Conditioner

Body wash/Soap

Deodorant

Shave Gel/Cream

Razor

Face Wash/Creams

Nail clippers

Small Scissors

Nail Files

Q-tips

Extra Contact Lenses

Contact Solution

Toothbrush

Mouthwash

Floss

Eye drops

Benadryl

Clothing

Bathing Suit

#___ Pants

# ___ Tops

# ___ Pairs Socks

# ___ Underwear

# ___ Bras

# ____ Pairs shoes

# ___ Belts

Pajamas

Documents

Hat

Car Insurance Card

Cash

Pre-paid credit card

Credit Card

Passport

Photo ID

Traveler's Checks

Credit Card

Other:

Misc.

Electrical Converters

#___ Books

Sweater/Blanket

Tissues and/or roll of toilet paper

Headphones (airplane)

Chewing Gum (ear pain in airplane)

Umbrella

Language Dictionary

Business Cards

Travel Guides

Vouchers (daily deal sites)

Select All | Un-Select All

Have you ever seen those news “investigations” into different industries where they use hidden cameras to see how repairs are handled?  I watched one the other day on car repairs (pretty sure it was a repeat) and the shops were making up repairs that were not necessary.

As someone who knows NOTHING about cars- this worries me when I take my car into the shop.  We usually drop our car off and a few hours later we get a call that generally goes something like this, “When we were getting ready to do XYZ to your car we noticed that ABC was bad too.  Do you want us to replace it?”

Of course, I then ask, “How much is that going to cost?”  But I always worry, “Does this NEED to be done or am I being taken?”

So here is my thrifty tip: Tell the shop to keep the replaced part (belt, air filter, etc) so you can actually SEE the “bad” part.  This does a few things:

1. It lets the shop know that you are paying attention.
2. It teaches you : Ask them to show you exactly what is wrong with the part and how to tell- Knowledge is power
3. It reduces the risk that you will be charged for something not even replaced.

Share your saving at the repair shop with us!

In my area we’ve been hitting 100 degrees for several days so honestly I have had NO motivation to cook.  Why heat up the house even more with a 350 degree oven.  Grilling?  I’m not going to stand in front of a flame in this weather!

My go-to cooking method in the heat?   The slow cooker!  It’s like a mini oven that doesn’t add ten degrees to the temperature of my house!

A few items you may not thought of cooking in the slow cooker:

Baked Potatoes. Wrap in foil and place in crockpot- cook until soft.

Ribs:  place ribs on top of sliced onions cook 7-9 hours.  Cover with sauce

Roasts: Cook the same as in the oven!

Roasted chicken: Cook the same as in the oven!

 

There are a ton of recipe sites all over with crock pot recipes!

Crock-Pot recipes

Slow and Simple

 

If you have a favorite Slow Cooker recipe- leave it below!

I recently had an email from an MSM friend asking for advice,

“I got busy (or lazy!) and haven’t been couponing for about three months.  My stockpile has dwindled and I have been going to the store every week without a single coupon!  I’ve been paying $4 a box for cereal and don’t even pay attention to the sales anymore.  I can’t afford to keep going on this way.  Any tips for getting back on the Coupon Wagon?”

Just like any lifestyle- if you fall off the wagon- jump back on.

If you have the “coupon skills” you’re already a good part of the way there.  So you need to jump back on.  Hopefully you’ve been getting your Sunday coupons even if you haven’t been using them.  If so- jump back in. Look at the matchups for the current week and start back in.

Now- remember not to go overboard.  It’s almost like you are a “newbie” couponer- don’t chase the savings.  Seeking that high percentage of savings can be euphoric but will cost you in the long run.  Seek to reduce your SPENDING not increase your SAVINGS.

If you have not keep collecting your coupon inserts, start on Sunday!  Don’t allow another week to pass you buy.

A few steps can help you get back on the wagon to spending less:

1. Go through your pantry– what are you out of or almost out of?  These are the items you need to get at a discount NOW.  Spending less on them today will give you that boost to get back on the wagon.  It may not be a SUPER deal- but at least saving 50% on that box of cereal this week is better than paying $4 for it.
2. Make a list of all those items you have been buying at full price. These are the items you will want to look for deals on. Use our sale search to look for current deals on those items.
3. Look at your past couponing: What caused you to fall off the wagon? Were you  burnt out? Had you been spending  2 hours a day and it was just too much?  Or were you just not seeing the savings you wanted?  Finding out what caused you to stop may help resolve that issue so you don’t experience it again.
4. Get a Boost: Find an item that is free this week (that you will USE) and get it.  This may give you the boost you need to see how far you can reduce your spending.
5. Realize it’s ok: Strategic Couponing is not for everyone. Some people won’t use a single coupon and others will use them sporadically.  And that’s ok.  Not everyone wants to or likes to.

Your stockpile will not replenish over night (it didn’t dwindle overnight either).  Find that one or two items that will boost your coupon fun and you may find yourself driving that wagon!

I love rebates!  Companies will offer rebates on specific items (i.e. Buy Product X get a $3 mail in rebate) or a certain dollar amount (Buy $30 of Brand X, Get $10 back) or even generic rebates- mostly from beer companies (Buy meat, get $5 back).

In my state, NC, beer companies cannot put rebates or coupons on alcohol- so instead they put rebates out on meat, produce and other items.  No beer purchase is required in NC, but in other states a beer purchase is required.

Here are my top tips for rebating:

Finding rebates:

-Look in the beer aisle and on beer displays

-Check the websites of companies

-Look for peelies or tags on the products themselves.

-Generally rebates are limited 1 per household so taking 10 forms is not necessary.  Take 1 for you and 1 for Mom (or whomever).

Sending in rebates:

– Keep copies of EVERYTHING.  Put a date on the copy.  Either scan into your computer or keep a paper copy.  Keep a record of when you should be expecting the rebate.  This form may help you keep track.  After 2 weeks past the expected date- contact the company and inquire as to the status.

– Follow directions to a “t”.  If it says circle the price- circle the price.This is not the place to skip steps.

-Be sure to check the mail by date.  Don’t miss out on a $10 rebate by a single day.

A few other tips:

-Look in the cart. People are notorious for tossing their receipts into the carts (litter bugs) but sometimes I am grateful.  I had a rebate form for $4 wyb fried chicken from the deli. Voila- found a receipt in the cart for $15 in fried chicken from the deli= FREE money for me.

-Don’t be fooled.  If you see a rebate offer attached to a product- check the date before deciding to buy or not.  Recently I have seen at least 3 items with “try me free offers” that expired at least 6 months previously.  Glad I checked in the store rather than getting home to find out my “free” item wasn’t so free.

-Don’t base a purchase SOLELY on a rebate.  There is always the chance the rebate may not be returned.  Buying a $200 item to get a $150 rebate may be a waste of $200.

 

What rebate tips do you have?

Many times at the end of dinner there is one spoonful of corn or beans left over.  Facebook friend Patti P. has a great way to avoid wasting these leftovers:

“Here’s a tip…when you have leftover veggies, rice, etc. dump them all in a ziploc bag and put in freezer and keep adding to it. It makes a great vegetable soup and it’s always different depending on what leftovers you have in the bag”

 

I love this idea!  I do it with veggie scraps and use the bags of frozen vegetable pieces to make vegetable or meat stock.  Thanks for the awesome tip Patti!

I know the kids JUST got out of school but this is a GREAT time to start planning for school lunches!  In the last week we’ve seen several items that are great for home packed lunches on sale:
Drink Boxes
Sandwich bags
Crackers

Since the goal is to pay the rock bottom price for items we use a lot this is the week to start planning school lunches.  My children are creatures of habit and like the same items day after day.  This is what I have begun to do:

1. Make room in the pantry for school lunch items.  Keep this dedicated space so you don’t find your self rummaging around on a Wednesday morning trying to find something for Junior’s lunch and then find yourself buying a $3 lunchable at the grocery store after he misses the bus.

2. Make a list.  Yes, I am a list lover!  Have your kids (if old enough) write down some of the items they’d like for lunch next year.  If they want PB&J- add peanut butter, jelly, bread, etc.  Include sandwich bags and napkins, plastic cutlery, etc.  Don’t forget the drink!

3. Start looking for deals.  If a weekend special comes around on Juice Boxes- snatch it up.  A deal on peanut butter? Stock up.

4. Think about making life easier.  I recently talked about DIY uncrustables.  We did this last year and it worked so well so we will be doing this again.  We make a month’s worth in one night- saves SO much time!

5. Think about making lunches cheaper.  Sometimes we can get amazing deals on individually packaged items but many times buying full size packages and dividing them up ourselves can be the more economical way.

I know it’s hard to think about school when we’re lounging by the pool and playing on the beach- but a little bit of work now can save you a lot of money later!

Rainchecks are a written offer by the store to honor the current sale price at a later date when an item has sold out.  Check with your store on their rainchcheck policies.

Sometimes I want a raincheck for an item NOT advertised in the sales flyer but is out of stock.  I’ve found an easy way to keep track of those items so when I am done shopping and go to customer service for my raincheck I have all the pertinent info on hand.  This avoids delays when the store tries to find the price or size or quantity of the item.

 

Use your camera phone to snap a picture of the sales tag! On my phone you can zoom in so at the desk I zoom into each picture which shows the sales price, item and quantity!  It makes getting rainchecks SO easy!  I try to take the image showing the empty shelf so the cashier knows I’m not making things up!