School Supply "Sales" - BEWARE!

There are lots of “sales” at various stores this week, but beware! Walgreen’s has a “sale” on their 8-pack of washable markers for $2.99, though Walmart’s everyday low price is only $2.50. Likewise, CVS is having a “buy one, get one 50% sale” on their 24-count box of crayons. It sounds great, but at $2.49 a box, it makes much more sense to go to Walmart and get them for just 30 cents!

I’ve been doing lots of price comparison shopping for my boys (going into 1st and 3rd grades) and these are the best deals I’ve found for this week on the items they need:

Walmart
24-count Crayola crayons – 30 cents
8-count washable Crayola markers – $2.50
Fisker scissors – $1.50
1-subject spiral notebooks – 25 cents
24 pencils – 84 cents
Notebook paper – 50 cents

CVS – sales good only through Tuesday of this week
Pencils – you can buy one set of 12 for $1.99 and then receive Extra Bucks at checkout for $1.99 (limit 2 per Extra Care card)
Notebook paper – you can buy one package for $1.99 and then receive Extra Bucks at checkout for $1.99 (limit 2 per Extra Care card)

Walgreen’s
Pencil top erasers – 15 for only 29 cents

Office Depot
2-pocket folders – 5 cents (limit 5 per transaction)

Kmart
Composition notebook – 50 cents

T.G.I. Friday's

If you like T.G.I. Friday's, here is a free program with great perks that you might be interested in signing up for!

http://www.fridays.com/gmms/GiveMeMoreStripes.aspx

Another freebie - RightatHome.com

I subscribe to a newsleter from S.C. Johnson who sells things that we are all familiar with like Ziploc, Glade, Windex, Pledge, Shout, etc. The following link will take you to a website that will allow you to receive a free Ziploc pack-and-go gift pack and you can also sign up for their newsletter so that you can receive future offers that are similiar in nature, as well as occasional coupons and just good general information.

http://www.rightathome.com/offers/0907RAHgift-freeziploc/?sid=email&cid=rah200907offer&rid=117944892

Walmart freebies

Did you know that Walmart offers freebies on a regular basis? Click below to get in on it!

http://instoresnow.walmart.com/In-Stores-Now-free-samples.aspx

Take it slow

I went by Books-a-Million today and found the other book that I've been wanting to read: Amy Dacyczyn's The Complete Tightwad Gazette. The book is HUGE - nearly 1000 pages with tiny font similar to a newspaper; hence the term "gazette" in it's title, I suppose. I've only made it to page 113 so far, but I've gotten a good mixture of interesting tidbits on how to be more frugal, as well as some pretty extreme examples of how to be a tightwad such as how to get cheap return address labels by cutting out the mailing labels from your junk mail and gluing it to your reused envelopes. Okey dokey, then...

Today's tip comes from the preface - "Choose one new idea a week. One new skill per month." That's a great way to not become overwhelmed by trying to become more frugal. If you usually stop by Blockbuster's a time or two a week and rent an armload of movies (that, if you're anything like our family, you don't take the time to watch before they are due back), then try out the Redbox machine that I talked about in the previous post instead. That's a 33-50% savings for a movie rental right there (if you take it back within 24 hours). If you eat out regularly, cut your eating out to a couple of times a week. You'll see an immediate difference in the money that's left in your pocket, I promise.

Find the fun in being frugal!

Redbox

Looking for something to do that is frugal, yet entertaining? Have you tried a "redbox" yet?

This is a neat way to get a movie rental for $1 per night. It is similar in nature to the old books-on-tape that Cracker Barrel carries (yes, Mom, I know...those aren't old to everyone). Basically what you do is pick a movie, insert your debit card (notice I said debit), and you are charged only $1 per every 24 hours that you have the movie. If you like it enough to hold on to it for 25 days, it's yours! You can return the movie to any Redbox rather than returning it to the one that you purchased it at, so that makes it extra convenient!

Go to www.redbox.com and click on "Find a Redbox" to find one near you. Also be sure to look on the gray bar just under the heading for "Get a Free Rental" so you can get one for free! Pretty frugal, huh?