Yard Sale Finds

One of the ways our family saves money is by shopping at yard sales.  Many of our family and friends know that we are big fans of yard sales so I was happy to get a phone call from a good friend letting me know about a great yard sale she had stumbled upon.  I quickly finished getting the kids ready and headed over--I just wish I was able to get there earlier!  Here is what I got:

For my daughter:

• 1 pair of jeans
• 1 pair of capris
• 1 pair of Danskin shorts
• 1 skot
• 2 shirts

For my son:

• 3 hats
• 1 pair of jeans
• 2 onesies
• 2 like-new zip front sweaters
• 1 sweater
• 1 button-down

Plus, I also picked up 6 children's books for my daughter.

And my grand total?  You'll never guess....

$4.95!

Can't beat that!  What money-saving strategies do you have to share?



Where I Find the Best Deals

I have always been pretty frugal.  Even in college, I had a budget that I stuck to no matter what.  I love a good deal and I've been known to get very upset if a deal doesn't work out the way I would have liked.  Just last night I lost out on a REALLY good deal because the cashier did not know about a change in Wal-mart's coupon policy and refused to honor some of my coupons. 

Because of my frugal ways, I have quickly learned where I can find the best deals on certain products.  I am not one to shop at 10 different stores each week.  I like to minimize my errands as much as possible in order to maximize my time, so I seek the best deals possible at the places where I shop.  Here is my list of where I've learned I can find the best deals on particular products over the years:

Grocery stores--I almost always buy my meat at grocery stores.  Some people keep a price book where they keep track of regular and best sale prices for certain items.  Ground beef and chicken are the two meat items I purchase the most.  I know that $1.99/lb is a good deal on boneless chicken breasts or thighs, $.99/lb is my good deal price for drumsticks and $.79/lb is the best deal for whole chickens in my area.  I also know that anything under $1.99/lb is a good price for ground beef.  I used to purchase meat at warehouse clubs but realized that I could get a better deal on sale prices at grocery stores.  When I find meat on sale for these prices, I stock up and fill my freezer.  I've also been known to break out my calculator to find out how much I would be paying per pound on discounted meat that is about to expire.  Sometimes the discount meat is a great deal--the other day I got chicken for $1.79/lb!  But oftentimes the discounted price ends up not being a great deal. 

I also purchase cereal, condiments and snack items at the grocery store using coupons.  Since my grocery store doubles coupons up to $1 on Wednesdays, I often get these items for cheap or very inexpensive.

Warehouse Clubs--We shop at BJ's in our area, but many locations also have Sam's or Costco to choose from.  I will occasionally buy meat from BJ's if my grocery store does not have what I need on sale.  We stock up on cheese, milk, large bags of chicken nuggets/marinated chicken and large containers of seasoning at BJ's.  I buy big containers of garlic salt, Montreal steak seasoning and Ranch seasoning in bulk because I use a LOT of these seasonings.  Large cans of tomatoes for homemade pasta sauce are also a great deal at warehouse clubs.

Drugstores--I purchase nearly all of my toiletries from drugstores and spend very little money.  I have 12-15 tubes of toothpaste in my cabinet and I have spent no more than $.50 for each tube--many have been free.  I also have 5-10 bottles of shampoo and conditioner and a number of feminine hygeine products.  I play the drugstore game by combining coupons, rebates and Extra Care Bucks (CVS) or +UP rewards (Rite Aid).  I often purchase toilet paper and paper towels using these deals.  You can find more information on Rite Aid's program by visiting Centsable Momma and CVS's program at My Frugal Adventures.

Amazon--Unless I find a great deal on diapers through drugstore deals, I almost alway buy diapers on amazon.  If you register for Amazon Mom, you will receive a 15% discount on diapers and wipes.  If you also choose the subscribe and save option, you will save a total of 30% (you can always cancel your subscribe and save account later--read more at my How to Save Money Using Amazon post).  Plus, they are delivered directly to your door in just a day or two.  Awesome deal!

Where do you find the best deals?

Free Chick-Fil-A Breakfast

Chick-Fil-A is offering free breakfast entrees of your choice next week.  Simply visit http://chick-fil-aforbreakfast.com/, choose your local restaurant and select a date and time.  You will be able to pick from a variety of breakfast entrees, including the chicken biscuit and chicken minis.  Yummy!

Skippy Peanut Butter $1.81

We go through a lot of peanut butter around here so I will definitely be taking advantage of this deal!  Amazon has Skippy creamy peanut butter for  $12.74 a 6 pack.  Choose Subscribe and Save and the price drops to $10.83!  That is only $1.81 a jar!  If your family likes chunky peanut butter, you can get an even better deal.  Skippy Super Chunk is only $9.94 for 6 jars!

How to Save Money Using Amazon

Last year I began using Amazon.com to purchase Christmas presents without having to leave my home.  I quickly learned that using Amazon has a lot of other benefits, as well.  There are several ways you can use Amazon to save money.

• Sign up for an Amazon Mom account (dads and other caregivers can sign up, as well).  This membership gives you 3 free months of shipping--plus you can earn more with qualifying purchases.  You will also save 15% on diapers.
• Choose the Subscribe and Save option to save 15%.  You can use this option for diapers, wipes and many household products.  You are under no obligation to continue your subscription.  I always buy products when they are at their best price, choose every 6 months for my subscription and cancel my subscription once my product arrives.  Shipping is always free with Subscribe and Save.  Combining Amazon Mom and Subscribe and Save means you will save 30% off the original price on diapers! 
• Clip coupons.  Each time you purchase diapers, wipes or household products, log into your account and scroll to the bottom of the page.  There are often coupons at the bottom of the page that you can virtually clip.  The coupon will be deducted at checkout.

An Example:
Cascade ActionPacs 60-count are currently $12.97.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page to clip at $1 coupon.  Choose Subscribe and Save.  The Subscribe and Save option brings the total to $11.02.  The coupon comes off at checkout for a grand total of $10.02.  You have saved $2.95 by using the coupon and Subscribe and Save.  Plus, this is a pretty good deal on ActionPacs.

100 Prints for $1

Through today, Snapfish has a great deal on prints.  You can order 100 prints for a little over $1 shipped (my total was $1.05).

Here's how:

• log in to http://snapfish/ or register for a new account (new accounts will receive 20 free prints--these must be used first)
• upload photos and add to your cart
• at checkpoint, enter code WEDPRINT
• your total should drop to $1!