Stretching the Budget

My wife and I have been thinking of different ways that we could save money each month.  The first thing I did was call my cable company and had them lower the speed of my internet which saved me $10.  They have three tiers of speed and honestly, you cannot tell the difference between them.  (We are even considering getting rid of our cable altogether, but we are still thinking about that).  I then called my insurance company and had them raise my deductibles which saved us another $16 a month.  Lastly, we decided to start using more coupons when we dine out.  We found that some restaurants offer surveys that can save you a few bucks the next time you dine there.  We really do not mind going to the same places to eat a couple times a month, especially those places that offer us discounts.

Overall we are saving about $50 each month.  We learned that there are always ways to stretch the budget, it just takes a little sacrifice and creativity. How have you saved money in your budget?

–Frugal Husband

CVS 11/16 to 11/22

I did a very simple transaction this week at CVS. I was planning on getting the Glade Glass Scents (I have B1G1 Free Coupons) but my CVS did not carry them. I still managed to stock up on wonderful smelling Glade candles.

My Transaction:
4 Glade Candles - $2.50 each
1 Zantrex energy shot - $4.99

Coupons used:
2 - $1.50 off 2 Glade Candles
$11.59 in Extra Care Bucks

TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $0.68
TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $17.75
EXTRA BUCKS EARNED: $9.99

There are a lot of other great deals going on at CVS this week if you have the right coupons. Check out www.iheartcvs.com for all the Extra Care Bucks deals this week.

–Frugal Wife

Some BIG samples!!!

I always enjoy going to check the mailbox and receiving free samples in the mail.  Today was a an exceptional sample day. I came home and there was a big box waiting at my door. I knew I had not bought anything so I was not sure what it was.  When I opened it, out came some huge samples from Post-It. I had thought that I was going to receive a couple small sticky pads, but to my surprise they sent me a wall size post it pad and small half page post its!  I love post its so this made me very happy.  I wish I could remember where I signed up for this so I could share the link.  I sign up for soo many samples at different sites and sometimes I never receive anything.  We also received some samples from P&G, some shampoo/conditioner and detergent.

–Frugal Husband

Black Friday coming soon…

I don’t know about you, but I’m getting excited for Black Friday!  Last year we started our first Black Friday tradition.  I made my wife get up at 3:45 a.m. so we could drive to Circuit City. I bought a router and got a free printer (which I later sold on E-Bay).  It was soo much fun to be standing in line with hundreds of other shoppers with the anticipation of getting in the store.  My wife was not as excited as I was but we enjoyed the day.  This year we hope to find some good Black Friday deals, especially with the down economy.  You can check out some initial deals here.

Do you have a Black Friday story to share?

–Frugal Husband

CVS 11/09 to 11/15

This is an exciting week at CVS. As sometimes is the case, they did not have everything that I needed to execute my plan perfectly. However, I was able to spontaneously come up with a new plan and still managed to walk out with a good transaction.

My Transaction:

2 Palmolive dish soaps - $1.49 each
1 Garnier Fructis hair mousse - $2.99
1 Listerine agent code blue- $3.99
1 Smart Water - $1.59
2 St. Ives mineral body wash - $3.99 each
1 Arm and Hammer cleaner -$2.99
1 Crest pro-health- $3.89 (not the monthly deal one)

Coupons used:

1 - $5.00 off $25.00 any purchase – emailed to me this week
1 - $0.25 off Palmolive
1 - $1.00 off Garnier styling product
1 - $1.00 off Listerine agent code blue
1 - $1.00 off Crest pro health
1 - $2.00 off St. Ives
$13.49 in Extra Care Bucks

TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $3.29
TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $27.81
EXTRA BUCKS EARNED: $14.59
REBATE: $2.99 from Arm and Hammer

As I mentioned, they did not have some things I was planning on getting, like the Crest monthly deal. However, my husband spotted a “free after rebate” coupon for the Arm and Hammer cleaner. Since I needed to get my total over $25.00 to use my CVS coupon, we bought the cleaner and will be sending off for a full rebate of $2.99

Overall, I paid $3.29 out of pocket, will be receiving a $2.99 rebate, and grew my Extra Care Bucks from $13.49 to $14.59! I’m a happy camper!

–Frugal Wife

Freebies Roundup

It’s that time again for some free samples.  Here you go:

• Pedigree dog treats
• GLAD food storage bags
• Bear Naked Fruit & Nut granola
• Kotex
• Always Infinity
• Tena
• Kirkland Signature supreme diapers
• Mr. Clean mini Magic Eraser

Enjoy!

–Frugal Husband

A frugal idea: Store openings and store closings

I want to thank our friend Jenn for the following idea.

I keep an eye out for store openings. They can range from office supply stores to toy stores to food shops. These openings offer great deals if you attend their store during that day (sometimes the entire week). The most recent experience was the new office max opening in
Northridge. They offered many items for $1. My husband and I went together but paid separately so we could each get a set of the items. We each got 3 boxes of hanging file folders, 3 packets of post its, 3 3packs of clear tape, 3 8packs of sharpies, and 3 1inch binders for a total of $16 dollars (with tax). Without this deal we would have spent around $60. We came out with a lot of great stuff that we both use often. Just an idea!

I thought this was a great idea.  Along with store openings, a lot of stores have recently announced they are closing.  There are usually good deals if you wait till the final days of the closing.  Lately Mervyn’s and Circuit City announced that they will be closing many stores.  The last store closing I went to was Linen and Things and in the final 3 days I picked up some toothbrush refills for my electronic toothbrush for 80% off. The product usually sold for about $22 and I got it for $4!

–Frugal Husband

And the winner is….

The winner of our $5 Starbucks gift card goes to…Tiffany!  Congratulations!

Thank you all for leaving comments and entering our drawing.  We had 156 entries and hope to do more giveaways again sometime soon.

–Frugal Husband and Frugal Wife

CVS 11/02 to 11/08

If you need to stock up on gum, this is definitely the week to go to CVS.

My Transaction:

• 10 Ice Breakers packs of gum
• 1 Crest Pro health toothpaste
• 1 Dawn dish soap

Coupons used:

• 4 - $1.00 off any two packs of Ice Breakers
• 1 - $1.00 off Crest Toothpaste
• 1 - $0.25 off Dawn dish soap
• $9.00 in Extra Care Bucks

TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $0.23
TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $17.35
EXTRA BUCKS EARNED: $8.49

Hope you all had a great week at CVS as well. I know there are no great $/$$ CVS coupons out there right now but that doesn’t mean we have to lose out on great deals.

–Frugal Wife

Some Random Frugal Ideas

My wife and I are always looking for new ways to save.  Whether it is online or in a store, we always look for ways to save money. Lately we have found some interesting ways to save some extra money.  The list contains some of our ideas on how to save some money.

1. It pays to ask. My wife wanted to buy a pair of pants at a store in the mall. She told the sales associate that the pants were too expensive, so the lady offered us a 15% discount off the entire bill. Since my wife already was buying a clearance shirt (60% off which became 75% off).  Since the economy is so bad right now and stores and desperate to sell, just ask and you may find a deal. Usually stores have coupons that they can use to give you a deal.

2. It pays to ask for what you like. My wife and I love the Pumpkin Ice Blended that is only offered this time of year at Coffee Bean.  We usually buy a large one and share.  Recently we told the barista that since we are sharing it, we would like them to put it in two separate cups (Some things in life are hard to share). They usually fill up two regular size cups pretty full.  That way we can pay $5 for a large, instead of $7 for two regulars, saving us $2.  We have never had a problem doing this and we have done it the last three times.

3. Look for coupons, everywhere. Coupons are a frugal families best friends.  If you are observant, you can find coupons everywhere.  Sometimes when you receive samples in the mail, they will send a coupon with it.  Also when you are in the grocery store, they always have those little machines that give out coupons.  Also, sometimes people just leave coupons they do not want to use. This happened to us last time when we were in the freezer isle. I was looking for frozen pizza and someone left a $1 coupon right in the freezer. We bought the pizza and it was really yummy.

If you have any random frugal ideas, please feel free to comment and share with us.

–Frugal Husband

October 2008 Total Savings

This month my Frugal Wife broke her CVS record with $76.67 in Extra Care Bucks, up about $31.72 from last month!!

We had an average month on surveys, receiving $33.00. I finally received my check from Buzzback which took a few months to receive.  The exciting part of this month was my wife starting Rite Aid-ing!  She bought $26 worth of stuff and we are going to get rebates for $26.76.  So, we actually made $0.76 and got a bunch of items!

As always, God is faithful and provides no matter what the situation is!  We are simply money managers and our duty is to be the best at that as we can.  Each month we look for better ways to do this.

–Frugal Husband

100th post Giveaway!!!

I cannot believe that we have reached out 100th post!  Blogging has become a fun hobby for both my wife and I.  We enjoy sharing our ideas with everyone and hope that they are beneficial to you.  As a thank you to all our readers and to celebrate, we are having a giveaway for a FREE $5 Starbucks gift card!

To enter the giveaway, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post.  The comment can be anything you like, but please make sure you leave your valid e-mail so I can contact the winner.  The deadline to enter is Wednesday November 5th. The winner will be announced on Thursday November 6th.

-Frugal Husband and Frugal Wife

CVS 10/26-11/01

This was a GREAT week for CVS-ing! Although I lost a few Extra Care Bucks, I was able to get items we need and use regularly. This week was a good example of buying what works for you at CVS. I could have kept all my Extra Care Bucks and gotten things I would not use but I prefer to buy what I know my husband and I will use. I did two separate transactions this week.

My First Transaction:

2 BIC Comfort 3 Razor 4-packs -$5.99 each ($4.99 each in other parts of the country, $5.99 in SoCal)
2 Maybelline Colossial mascaras - $5.99 each

Coupons used:

2 - $2.00 off BIC Razors
2 - $1.00 off Mayelline mascara
$17.25 in Extra Care Bucks

TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $1.26
TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $25.85
EXTRA BUCKS EARNED: $13.00

My Second Transaction:

2 BIC Comfort 2 Razor 4-packs - $5.99 each
1 Nestle Crunch Fun Size Bag - $1.50

Coupons used:

2 - $2.00 off BIC Razors
1 - $1.00 off Nestle Candy
$8.00 in Extra Care Bucks (earned from first transaction)

TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $0.81
TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $15.09
EXTRA BUCKS EARNED: $8.00

Overall, I spent $2.07 out of pocket and got all the above pictured. I used $17.25 in Extra Care Bucks from previous weeks and got back $13.00 in Extra Care Bucks. I’m very happy with my deals as I know I got much needed and used items.

–Frugal Wife

Bath and Body Works Deal

There is a great deal going on right now at Bath and Body Works! What woman does not love shopping there?!?! The coupon is for a FREE Wallflower or Scentport fragrance diffuser with any purchase. There is no minimum purchase required to receive the free item. If you do not need anything from Bath and Body Works, I recommend you buy a nail file that costs $1.50. You will pay $1.50 and get a $12.99 diffuser. That is a great deal!

Here is the link to the coupon:

-Frugal Wife

An Opportunity to join PineCone Research!

If you have read my online survey reviews, you will know that PineCone Research is my favorite online survey company! I have been a member for a very long time and still think this is the best company.  I received an e-mail from them providing me a referral link for new members to join. This is a great opportunity since these links are rare.  They do not have a referral program and I do not receive anything for referring new members, but I highly recommend this company if you like doing online surveys. Currently they are paying $3.00 cash a survey.

If you are interested in joining, please leave a comment and I will e-mail you a link.  Act fast, I’m not sure how long my referral link will last!

–Frugal Husband

NEW Survey Review - Lightspeed Consumer Panel

Lightspeed Consumer Panel

• Frugal Husband’s Rating:
• Website: http://us.lightspeedpanel.com/index.html
• How to join: Not available at this time
• Potential Earnings: 50-300 points

Review:

I joined Lightspeed Panel about two months ago. I was very disappointed with this survey site and resigned my membership last night. Initially when you join, you will receive 150 points. They send out many invitations for surveys but I never seemed to qualify.  Also it is a point based system and the survey lengths do not seem to be worth it.  I prefer to receive cash as I know I am getting a return on my time instead of trying to accumulate enough points for something.  Maybe you have had a better experience with this online survey company but I am not at all impressed.  Recently they stopped taking new members and the only way to join is by finding a referral banner.

–Frugal Husband

CVS 10/19-10/26

Not too thrilling of a week at CVS this week, but I was able to roll my Extra Bucks and do a pretty good transaction.

My Transaction:

4 GUM Twin Pack Toothbrushes - $3.99 each

1 Bag of Candy Corn - $1.29

Coupons used:

2 - $1 off any GUM Toothbrush

$15.16 in Extra Care Bucks

TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $0.16

TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $17.16

EXTRA BUCKS EARNED: $17.25

My Extra Bucks grew by $2.09 and I was able to stock up on toothbrushes. Happy CVS-ing!

–Frugal Wife

Freebies Roundup

Walmart updated their website with a lot of new samples.  Here’s a list of some free samples:

• Orville Redenbacher’s 100 Calorie Popcorn
• Priolosec OTC (for heartburn)
• Stayfree/Carefree
• Playtex Sport
• Nitrioiniste Ultra-Lift (deep wrinkle treatment)
• Foldgers Classic Roast

Enjoy!

–Frugal Husband

Store coupons in the mail

I often get coupons in the mail from various retailers in my area.  More often then not, they will be for a specific amount off a much larger amount.  For example, $10 off purchase of $50.  While these coupons are good if you were already planning on buying something from that store that cost at least $50, the coupon is harmful if you had no intention to spend money at that store and end up shopping there just to use your coupon.  Once in a blue moon, I will get a coupon in the mail that requires no minimum purchase.  Just last week I got a coupon from DSW for $10 off any purchase.  While I know that their intention in mailing out these coupons is to get me in the store to spend a lot of money, my goal is to spend as close to $10 and see what I can get for free.

I scored big this week when I went to DSW with my $10 coupon.  I found a small section of clearance socks marked down 80%.  I picked out 5 packs of socks that were normally around $10 each but marked down for around $2.00 each!  Using my $10 coupon, I got 5 packs (some with 2 pairs per pack) of socks for a whopping total of $0.05!!! My receipt says I saved $48.95!!  I’m very excited about my deal.

Have you spotted a high value store coupon with no minimum purchase lately?

–Frugal Wife

FREE Coffee or Tea at Barnes & Noble

I found this deal on slickdeals and thought it was a pretty good deal.  Click here and you can print out a coupon for a free tall-size cafe latte, cappuccino, espresso, freshly brewed coffee, or hot tea at Barnes & Noble (no purchase necessary)! They built a new three story Barnes & Noble by my work so I am going to walk over there and grab a free drink and read a book.  The deal expires October 31st so you have plenty of time.

–Frugal Husband

CVS deals 10/12 to 10/18

Here in Southern California the CVS deals sometimes vary from what is offered nationwide. This week, LA scored in a big way at CVS. I was very happy with my transaction this week

My Transaction:
1 Swiffer Sweeper Started Kit - $7.99
1 Swiffer Duster Extendable Handle Started Kit - $6.99
1 Ben Gay Moist Heat Therapy - $5.99
1 Chloraseptic Cough Drops - $4.17

Coupons used:

1 - $4 off $20 purchase at CVS
1 - $2.00 off any BenGay Product
1 – Free Swiffer Duster Kit when you buy a Swiffer Sweeper (-$6.99)
$12.00 in Extra Care Bucks

TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $0.90!!!
TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $32.81
EXTRA BUCKS EARNED: $15.16
(note: The Swiffer deal was the same as the nationwide deal. However, the BenGay and Chloraseptic were both free after Extra Bucks here in LA).

I used $12.00 Extra Care Bucks, spent $0.90 and earned back $15.16 in Extra Bucks! That’s an overall profit of $2.26. I’m excited about the Swiffer products because I seem to love every product of theirs that I have tried so far.

I hope this will encourage someone out there who has never attempted to get in the Extra Care Bucks program to jump in with both feet. Check out “Money Saving Moms CVS 101” to learn more about it.

–Frugal Wife

Frugality taken too far?

A friend of mine (thanks John!) sent the following e-mail forward to me (source unknown).  I had a good laugh with it and thought I would share it with you all!

As everyone know it’s time to get ready for that all important
cooking technique  - outdoor grilling.  I have found several stores
where you can get a FREE BBQ grill!!  No joke - you can get a free
grill from anyone of the following stores:

Albertons
Costco
Fry’s
Kroger
Fred Meyer
Lowes
Safeway
Sam’s Club
Target
Vons
Walgreens
Wal-Mart

I especially like the higher rack which can be used for keeping
things warm!

Just make sure you get a metal one… the plastic ones don’t do so
well.  Here’s a picture:

So is this frugality gone too far?

–Frugal Husband

Updated Stockpile

The word “stockpile” had very little meaning to my wife and I about a year ago. As my wife started using “double coupons” (unfortunately no longer) and CVS, “stockpiling” began taking on a totally new meaning!  Now I understand it as my wife bringing home a bag of goods for $0.50 that we can use up or give away.  The following is a picture of our current stockpile:

Our stockpile probably cost about $10.  In the old days of double coupons at Ralphs/Vons, we were able to stock up quickly. Lately though, my wife has got the hang of CVS’ing so we are starting to build up again.  We found that we can really bless others by giving stuff away. I mean, what’s a guy to do with fifteen tubes of toothpaste!!!

–Frugal Husband

WaMu/Chase lowers interest rates

I have been a big fan of Washington Mutual for a long time.  Even though they were recently taken over by JPMorgan Chase, I decided to stay with them to see how long my 4% interest savings account would last. I figured that it would not last too long. It looks like they have lowered the savings rate to 3% (as of 10-07-08). WaMu had a great run having the highest interest rates with no fees/no minimum accounts.  Unfortunately with Chase taking them over, it looks like that is gone but many banks are offering 3% or higher (Citibank’s Ultimate Savings is offering 3.5% now).  It was good while it lasted but it looks like I will be moving on too.  I confess, I’m a rate chaser and will change banks to get a better return on my money.  Currently I’m thinking of switching over to my Citibank Ultimate Savings account that is offering 3.5%.

–Frugal Husband

CVS deals 10/5 to 10/12

Have I mentioned how thankful I am for CVS and their Extra Bucks Program?? Well, I am VERY thankful for it and all the great deals that they offer every week.

This week I did two separate transactions to use my Extra Bucks from the first deal for the second deal.

My First Transaction:

• 1 BIC Soleil Razor Refills - $5.99
• 1 Vitamin Water - $2.29
• 1 Always Infiniti - $4.98
• 2 Colgate MaxFresh - $2.99 each

Coupons used:

• 1 - $3 off $15 purchase at CVS
• 2 - $1.00 off any Colgate MaxFresh
• 1 - $2.00 off BIC Soleil
• $11.99 in Extra Care Bucks

TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $0.43
TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $21.60
EXTRA BUCKS EARNED: $15.27

My Second Transaction:

• 2 BIC Soleil Razor Refills - $5.99 each
• 1 Gillette Conditioner $4.99

Coupons used:

• 1 - $3 off $15 purchase at CVS
• 1 - $2.00 off any Gillette shampoo
• $11.27 in Extra Bucks (part of what I earned in the first transaction)

TOTAL OUT OF POCKET: $0.92
TOTAL SAVED THIS TRANSACTION: $19.27
EXTRA BUCKS EARNED: $9.00

I started the day with $11.99 in Extra Care Bucks. I spent a total of $1.35 out of pocket and earned back $13.00 in Extra Care Bucks! Thanks CVS!