Thrift Thursday: Mastering Coupons

Since this time last year, I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to master the coupon game. At first, I tried to do it all--I tracked deals at CVS, Walgreens, Publix, and Winn Dixie, as well as several online deals. After several months, it became overwhelming. To solve the problem, I started focusing on one store at a time. I mastered that store's policies and developed a general strategy for getting the best deals. Then, I added another one. I have found this is much easier! So, my advice to you today if you are new to couponing is to begin with one store and add on others as you become more proficient. Below are links to a couple of sites that will help you get started with CVS.

Couponing 101 - CVS
iheartcvs.com - CVS for Newbies

Thrifty Thursday: Inexpensive and Easy Window Treatments

I saw this idea posted and wanted to scream with delight! I've been looking for an easy way to dress the girls' bedroom window. I think this will do nicely!

Thrifty Thursday - Make-A-Note

Have you heard of Make-A-Note? It's a great little newsletter that you can subscribe to by sending an email to subscribe-make-a-note@hub.thedollarstretcher.com. While the website doesn't appear up-to-date (when I clicked Current Issue it actually displayed a very old issue), the newsletters are distributed faithfully (once or twice a month) and are chock full of tips: money saving tips, time saving tips, recipes, etc...it's a good mix. This week, however, the one snippet that caught my eye included a link to this article: 10 Cool and Creamy Desserts Under 300 Calories, posted at MyRecipes.com. YUM, YUM!

Thrifty Thursday - MagicJack

Is anyone using MagicJack? I heard about it from my sister. It is a USB plug-in device that eliminates the traditional monthly land-line phone bill. For around $40, you receive the device and phone service that enables you to make and receive all of the long distance and local calls you want for one year. Thereafter, it is only $20 per year. Sounds pretty good to me! But, I'd love to hear if anyone is using it and their experience with the service.

BTW, that little diddy on the site that says the Free Trial expires on today's date has been changed each day for the last three days. I believe it is coded to display the current day's date. I don't much care for this marketing tactic.

Thrifty Thursday: When to Shop and Smell the Roses

I often find myself missing out on deals because I wait too long to act. It can be the Achilles' heel of frugal shoppers. I was happy to see that Lisa over at homeschoolingandfrugal.com posted a few guidelines on clothing sales that will help me decide when to shop and smell the roses!

Thrifty Thursday Will Return Next Week...

I haven't had much interest in thriftiness this week, what with my catching a nasty bug the kids had several days ago. Luckily I did the research for tomorrow's post last week, so tune in tomorrow for another great Freebie Friday!

Thrifty Thursday - RefundPlease.com

I first read about RefundPlease.com while searching the archives of Money Saving Mom for something totally unrelated. Since I recently purchased a few items from Amazon.com, the timing could not have been better. The site is pretty self-explanatory--you enter information pertaining to your purchases at Amazon, and you are notified if the price drops during the 30-day period following your transaction. The great thing is that not only are you notified, but the email notification contains a link to the place on the site where you can claim a credit for the difference between the price you paid and the new, lower price! While Amazon is the only retailer for which this service is being provided, they are looking to add more soon. To date, the largest credit found and claimed was for $3,860!

Thrifty Thursday - How I $aved 48% on Automobile Insurance

I was reading a post recently at Clever Dude that triggered my own curiosity about how much I could save on my auto insurance. A few years ago I called around and got quotes that were the same or worst than our rates. This time, however, I secured a rate that is around 48% less than our (then) current policy! In fact, by switching we went from a company with one of the worst customer service reputations to one of the best in the business.

Since Clever Dude's insurance company isn't quoting rates in my area, I contacted three companies based on the following: our credit union's recommendation, a company I read about at Clark Howard's website, and the company who carries our homeowner's insurance. With each phone call, I became a little more giddy with excitement--the rates got better and better! Finally, we settled on Amica. The agent was so helpful and knowledgeable, I can not begin to describe what a pleasurable experience this was. Honestly, I sometimes shrink at the thought of making major changes, but Vivian's expertise really put me at ease. I only wish she were able to quote me a price for homeowner's insurance! I'll tackle that monster next. Living in Florida, it's a bit more difficult to make the switch since it has been hard to even find a company that is writing policies in our state. So, if you are interested in receiving a quote from Amica, I'm including the contact information for the representative who assisted me below. She just asked that I let everyone know that Amica is a "preferred risk company and [the] rates are based on a clear driving record." You can request an online quote here, or reach the wonderful lady who helped me:

Vivian Heidel
Amica Insurance
1 888 887 9313, Ext. 37537

Thrifty Thursday - Hot Dog Booklet

Finally! Another use for all of the unnecessary paper that comes into the house. I love this hot dog book because you can use a piece of paper with writing on one side already. My kids shudder when I make them use both sides of a piece of paper before getting a new one, but I think they will love this project! Thanks to The Crafty Crow whose blog took me to the World Preschool Mom whose blog took me to the hot dog book at Making Books With Children. Whew. Lucky find!

Thrifty Thursday - OrganicGroceryDeals.com

Consuming organic food seems to be all the rage these days, so I thought I'd pass along a link to OrganicGroceryDeals.com on this Thrifty Thursday, which I learned about from an amazing shopper who is feeding her family of four on an annual food budget of $800. Yes, you read right...that is an ANNUAL budget.

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Seems like most of my stories about the kids lately have centered around our three soon-to-be-four yr old, known on this blog as "Delta." I'm a little ashamed of the bias that seems to be developing, but she says the funniest things...I think it's the age. Anyway, she climbed up next to me on the couch while I was working on the computer a couple of evenings back; I told her I loved her and gave her a little kiss. That's when she started talking about marriage. It went something like this:

Me: "I love you!" [kiss]

Delta: "Is that how you get married? You lean this way and the other person leans that way. And you kiss. Is that gross? Yuck! We are NOT doing that."

Thrifty Thursday - Spend $20, Receive $25!

To find out how to receive $25 back (in a Home Depot gift card) after spending $20 on groceries at Publix, see this post at Fiddledeedee. (You can also spend $10 and receive a $10 gift card).

Also, tomorrow only (6/13), spend $20 at Walgreens and receive $5 off with this coupon. If you haven't bought your free-after-rebate items yet, now would be a good time! (Though I don't see many on the list that we can really use.)

There's also this deal at Sears. Spend $100 on men's Dockers apparel and receive a $75 Shell gift card! If you're still hunting for a last-minute Father's Day gift, this might be a good route to take.