One of my great friends and his wife are closing on a house next week, and happened to mention that they are in the market for new appliances. I mentioned to them that a great place to get appliances is a "scratch and dent" store.
We have a beautiful stainless steel refrigerator that came from the Sears Scratch and Dent in Nashville, but there are stores like this all over. You are probably picturing huge scratches and big dents, but it's really completely the opposite. Our dent is on the back. Really ... the part facing the wall! And, it was $750 cheaper than if we had bought it "dentless"!
Are you using the right bank for you? When was the last time that you really looked around for what new products and services are out there.
I use two banks: Wachovia and ING. I'm completely happy with both.
Wachovia has the best customer service I've ever dealt with. If they don't know the answer or if there is a problem, you will not leave the phone call or lobby without it resolved. Also, they have free ATM withdrawals. This is a biggy for my husband. He travels a lot and no matter where he is, he can get cash for free. (You are accessed the fee from the ATM, and then at the end of your statement cycle - the money is refunded to you!) I'm new to their "Way 2 Save" program, but so far LOVE it. Every time I use my ATM card or pay a bill online, they deduct $1 from my account into a savings plan drawing over 5%. Five-percent!!!!
ING is the easiest bank ever and has the greatest flexibility I've ever encountered. It is so easy to pass money back and forth between accounts, and set up new accounts for special things like saving for vacations, etc. And, every account there is interest-bearing, regardless of your balance. And, the online interface is incredible. I love the way it looks and how you navigate. It's so easy!
These banks may not be right for you, but I'm sure that one out there is. It very well may be where you are right now, but it never hurts to look and see what the competition is doing!
What are your Valentine plans? Remember with a little thinking and googling - you can do it very economically.
My IDEAL Valentine's Day would be at The Melting Pot, a new release movie (not Disney), and a hot bath where no one under the age of 6 stood by the side of the tub asking questions! But, that's not where I am this year. My husband has had some medical issues and co-pays are draining our life - so we need to be frugal this holiday.
Here are some thoughts:
Flowers - Who doesn't love flowers? And, really, there isn't a better day to get them. I was in HEB (a TX grocery store) this morning and bought a dozen long-stemmed red roses for my daughters teacher. They were gorgeous!!! And, even more beautiful was the price $14.99. Have you checked out your local Kroger, Wal-Mart, or Sams for great flowers? (All the flowers in my wedding came from Sam's. 10 Bridesmaids, 10 Groomsmen, 1 flower girl, and 1 bride later ... we only paid $300.)
Dinner - I suggest that you visit the websites of some of your favorite restaurants today. Many are probably offering specials of some sort. If it's not mentioned on their site, call and ask. I found this one from Texas Roadhouse ... an appetizer (Baby Blossom or Cheese Fries), Choice of 12 oz Prime Rib or Ribeye, or BBQ Chicken & Ribs, and 2 sides for $29.99. AND, there is call ahead seating, so no long wait!
Gift - We're opting out of gifts this year. I know that's not for everyone, but it works for us. If you NEED to buy a gift, a great place to look for things (for women) is Hobby Lobby and Michaels. They have cool accessory stuff, jewelery boxes, pictures frames, etc. Don't run to the mall ... it's all the same ole' stuff there.
Be original, be sweet, and be thrifty. You don't have to spend a fortune to show someone you love them.
Are you visiting the sites of the things that you love most in life?
I love: Diet Coke CVS Pop-Tarts Skinny Cow Ice Cream Proctor & Gamble Products Kroger (just to name a few)
Because of this, these are websites that I visit often. I am on their mailing lists and when they introduce products or services that I REALLY love, I make sure to comment with their customer service.
I get a lot of samples, coupons, and "reward" items because of this. It's worth the few seconds that I spend on their sites to find out what's new and of any special offers that they might have!
One word of caution if you get a little over-excited about this: Set up a google email address that you use for this type of thing. Some companies will send you stuff everyday and it's much easier to filter and make use of if it's not in your everyday inbox.
Welcome back, shoppers!!! I've done a lot of work on the development end of this blog and can't wait to help you save loads and money and find the best deals around.
The best way that I know to get you started is with "The Grocery Game". I've been gaming for 18 months and it's the best money saving thing I've ever come across. I truly believe in it.
There are a couple of things that you need to know before I tell you all about it ... (1) my Kroger doubles/triples coupons. You can still save a lot of money if your store doesn't, but when you hear me say that I've saved THOUSANDS, realize that the doubling/tripling had a lot to do with it.
(2) it takes 12 weeks before you are in a full rotation with coupons. Coupons come in quarterly cycles (each cycle is 12 weeks). If you'll commit to sticking it out that long, you'll see a big savings. I started seeing noticeable savings at about 7 weeks in.
(3) understand how to stockpile. That means, things that you like and will use a lot, buy when they are at their lowest price point. As of about two months ago, we had over 100 rolls of toilet paper. It's the good stuff (Charmin) and I got the 20 roll packs for about $2.50 per bundle. It won't get cheaper than that and toliet paper doesn't spoil, so we're all set!!!
(4) we buy 2 newspapers per Sunday. On the weekends that the Proctor and Gamble inserts are included, we buy 3 newspapers. Most PG products are expensive (laundry detergent, razors, etc.), so we get extra coupons for the deals that we can get with them.
Here are a few tidbits from the Grocery Game website!
What is The Grocery Game? The Grocery Game is a website that can save you hundreds of dollars on your grocery bill each month. Log in, spend a few minutes with a pair of scissors, and you're off to win The Grocery Game!
When you play, you'll get a weekly list (called Teri's List) of the lowest-priced products at your supermarket matched with manufacturers' coupons and weekly specials -- advertised and unadvertised. The Grocery Game does all the hard work and research, and presents it to you in a straightforward format.
What do the colors on Teri's List mean? Teri's List is color-coded. Black items are a good price. Buy these if you need the item now. Blue items are for stockpiling. We do not expect this item to go lower so stock up while the price is at rock bottom. Green items are free. These are not "Buy one get one free" but are actually free after sale and coupon. All you pay is sales tax! Why can't I just do this on my own? Coupon pros spend hours preparing to shop. They research ads and match their coupons to sales, only to discover twice as many un-advertised sales once they get to the store. More hours are spent standing in the aisles sifting through their files for coupons to match those sales. They save a lot of money, but most of us don't have the time for this type of shopping.
Members of The Grocery Game eliminate those time-consuming hours and usually save even more than the coupon pros. For example, just because an item is on sale doesn't mean its time to play your coupon. Our databases track the sales history on nearly every item in the supermarket, waiting to use a coupon on rock-bottom sales. Now, the best possible savings are quickly accessible to busy professionals, overworked moms, single adults or anyone who wants to cut their grocery bill by 50% or even more. How do I play The Grocery Game? Gather your coupons and Teri's List and you will have everything you need to play. Teri's List matches sales to coupons from weeks past, along with new coupons from this week's Sunday paper.
You can get started with our $1 TRIAL. This will give you four weeks of playing The Grocery Game. Go to Teri's List each week, check off the items you want to buy, print your customized list, pull the corresponding coupons and you're off to win!
I'm a wife and mother of two that works outside of the home full time. If you have any questions about this wonderful beverage, email me at stephanie@stephanieclick.com
