Christmas Surprises

So Santa has been taking lessons from Lady Frugality! He brought me a nice, new, cozy bedspread for Christmas, having gotten a great deal on it. Then to top it off, he even gave me some Kohl's cash that he got with it! :) Way to go, and thank you, Santa!!!

Check Prices

With the holidays quickly approaching, now is the time that you can find some incredible sales...IF you're willing to fight the crowds and traffic, that is. You can find great prices and if you take time to check them, you might even get a bigger surprise.
I found a couple items that I liked which did not have sale tags. But I decided to take a chance and check them anyway. They were ALL marked WAY down! For instance, one pair of jeans was marked down from $34.99 to 90% off...so they were only $3.49!!
I had two coupons, one for $10 free money and one for 30% off my total purchase. So my husband and I ended up getting THREE PAIRS OF JEANS, ONE EXERCISE SHIRT AND A PRINTED T-SHIRT, ALL for ONLY $12.38! Crazy savings! So it truly is worth the time it takes to check prices.

Happy Thanksgiving

As much as I love to shop, it makes me terribly sad that stores everywhere have begun offering Black Friday deals on Thanksgiving. I remember when holidays were actually days of celebration and rest. Now things are actually worse and even more frenzied than other days of the year. 
But one good thing is that many stores are offering most of their deals online now too, beginning Thanksgiving evening if not before. So there's really no need to exhaust yourself going out shopping and having to fight the crowds. The traffic is better too, since more people are shopping from home.
It's great to save money, but unless there is an item you must have at an extraordinary discount, is it really worth leaving your family and friends to go out on Thanksgiving to shop?
I am so thankful for all my blessings and am thrilled to be able to say that I don't need a thing. Often better deals are found online for Cyber Monday anyway if there is really something specific you want.

Steals May Take Work

As you know, I love to shop anyway. There's nothing more fun than finding a real bargain. But sometimes, you have to look for these things. If you're in a hurry or you don't enjoy shopping, you might as well forget it. You may still find deals, but it won't be as satisfying as getting something for practically nothing.
A great example is this blouse I found. Yes, it was my size! It was on clearance already, stuffed in with a lot of other items. But you can see it was originally $48, marked down by 90% to only $4.80! I also had a coupon which took another 20% off, so the total with tax was ONLY $4.70!!! 

Thrift Store Surprise

We had eaten at a restaurant the other day by one of my favorite thrift stores. When we were finished, the store was going to close in just five minutes. But I told my husband I just wanted to "peek" while I was there, knowing I only had an extremely short window of time to shop. I went in and went straight to my favorite part of the store to see if anything would catch my eye. But as I passed the shoes, I noticed a pair of men's boots on the floor. 
The clerk began announcing that they were closing at that point, but I asked my husband if he had seen those boots. He went over to look at them, and (amazingly) they were his size. He tried them on and they fit well. So he bought them!
They are steel toe, Gortex and leather boots, in excellent condition and appear to have been barely worn at all. They normally sell for about $200. But my happy husband got them for only $35!!! YAY!

Movie Discounts

It's always so much fun to go to the movies. But it can get pretty expensive, especially if you have a family. So there are a couple ways to save some money.
Unless it's a special event, most theaters have cheaper ticket prices on the morning movies. A perk of going before noon is also that the theater isn't generally crowded. 
Another way to save is to find out if your local theaters have specific discount days. One of our local theaters has their day on Tuesdays, so no matter what time of day you go on that day, it's even cheaper than a morning movie. That can be nice if you work and can only go in the evening.
Most theaters now have their own reward cards too. So no matter what you pay for the tickets, you get points for every dollar spent on both tickets and refreshments. So you do receive perks back for all you spend, such as free popcorn, free drinks and the occasional free movie ticket.

Depending on where you live, there may even be theaters which show older movies and are highly discounted. We have one such theater several miles away, but the highest price for a ticket is only $2.25, so it's worth the drive and the wait if we missed the first run of a movie.
So you can save if you make plans to go to the movies, as opposed to just going spontaneously. I also recommend eating before you go to a theater, because they really make their money on the food they sell. Once in a while, a bag of popcorn to share is okay. But if you go on a full stomach, you can save even more money.

Express Yourself

Just a quick word about customer service expectations. Rarely are things perfect, but if something is advertised, it is reasonable to expect to receive it. So if things aren't as expected, you shouldn't hesitate to voice your concerns or disappointments...in a tactful way, of course.

For instance, a particular hotel chain advertises that many of their participating hotels offer free wifi. If you travel a lot, you know that wifi isn't always the best, depending on the area and especially when it's free. But if it is advertised, it should be available.

I recently stayed at a location twice in one month. To make a long story short, the wifi wasn't working either time. So I discussed it with the clerks who were working. But I also wrote a review on their website.

I also went even further and wrote a letter to the company, because I truly believe that if you don't say something, there's no way they'll know what is going on. And guess what? They arranged for me to receive a FREE night because of my disappointment with my previous visits.

That may not always happen, and it did take a lot for me to write that letter. But that's what I love about being able to leave reviews online. They give you the chance to let establishments know if things aren't right. In the same vein, I think it's just as important to leave positive reviews if things were especially good. You never know what kind of an impact you might have on making a difference. So take time to express yourself.

Rewards Card

It may seem like a waste of time to apply for a rewards card at your favorite store, but it really can pay off. You generally are notified first of sales and you can make purchases with the rewards points or dollars which accumulate. You're spending money anyway, so you might as well get something back.
I had some Kohl's cash ($20) from a previous purchase, AND I received bonus dollars from my Kohl's Reward account ($20). So I went shopping.
I, of course, looked for items on sale that I might need. I also had a 20% discount card in my mailbox. 
So here's what I bought: I got TWO pairs of sandals, THREE shirts, AND a new door mat. Using my Kohl's cash, my rewards cash and my discount, all that merchandise cost me only $5.76! Total savings was $201.64! Not a bad day.

Hotel Savings

There are many ways to save on hotel stays. Even big chains offer discounts depending on the days you stay and the time of year. But if you're frugal like I am, rarely do we splurge and pay for a big, fancy hotel unless that is our only option.
Most all chains offer discounts for people in the military or if you are members of AAA or AARP. So be sure to ask for your discount if you qualify, and maybe they even have something else available that isn't listed. It never hurts to ask.
Many chains also have a rewards program, where you can earn points for each stay and then use them for future dates. Some people don't like to sign up for those for whatever reason. But as long as you're staying there anyway, you might as well get something back for the money you're spending.
You usually get the best rates when you book online, so do check the rates and all that's available. Be sure to notice also, that many places are offering specials. In more than one chain, you can stay two nights and get a free gift card or a free night. So there are several ways to get the most for your money.
Happy traveling!

Coupons and Deals

One place I look for deals is online at RetailMeNot.com. They offer a lot of coupons and different deals to save you money. There is an app that you can download to go there directly, and they send emails to remind you what is current.
You will want to mark your favorite stores, and the only drawback can be that it does take time to look through the offers and the emails can be annoying if you're not looking to shop. But I have used it to find some really good deals. So it's just a suggestion. You can decide for yourself if you like it or want to use it. But the one deal I took advantage of saved me hundreds of dollars. So I suppose it just depends on what you need. But it did help make me a happy shopper.

Buy Groceries in Bulk Too

I used to never buy items in bulk until recently. But now I have become a real fan!
Those big bins are easier to find now at various grocery stores, such as Sprouts and Winco. Prices are sometimes nearly equivalent to boxed items, but often buying in bulk is cheaper and you can buy the amount of product that you need.
For instance, I rarely use baking powder, but I needed some the other day. I hated to purchase an entire can, which I knew I would use once and then throw away two years from now. So I checked to see if it was sold in bulk, and sure enough, at about 80 cents per pound, it cost next to nothing to buy just a few spoons worth.
I was surprised that so many items we often use are available in bulk. There are dried noodles, various dried grains and rice. There are nuts and candies, and even spices. This picture is of some sesame seeds I just bought. One whole aisle is even for dog food and treats.
So again, I have to say, why pay more? Especially when you only need a small quantity of something, there's no need to waste money. Try it!

Take Time to Check

So I was shopping today and checking out the clearance rack. I found a few nice items, but nothing I really needed. I did find a nice women's Champion sport tote with a lifetime warranty, although I didn't especially need that either. 
I don't know what the original price was, but it was marked down to $10.48. I thought that was a good deal, but decided to put it back since I didn't need to spend the money. But then I thought about how I could use the bag, and took just a couple extra minutes to go check the price. I found it had been marked down again and it scanned for only $4.48!

Most people don't want to be bothered, but often times when things are on clearance, they turn out to be even less than what the tag says. So it really can be worth your time to check prices. You never know what you might be missing.

Chipotle Rewards

If you love Chipotle like I do, right now they have a Buy one, Get one coupon available if you go to their website and play their "Friend or Faux" game. Not only was I happy to play the game, but it was very enlightening. It educates on the number of faux ingredients there are in many fast food items as well as how little there are in Chipotle's. Good info to know.

The game is at www.chipotle.com, and coupons are available until 8/31/15.

Savings Add Up

You probably shop at Target sometimes. If you do, I hope you take advantage of all the savings because they can really add up. 
The company occasionally sends out coupons, at least to people who have their store (Red) card. They also have their own app, Cartwheel, for other discounts ranging from 5-10% off items. It takes a little time to go through the list every time you plan a visit to the store, but it is well worth it. Then if you use their Red card for purchases, you get an additional 5% off.
So if you buy items on sale in the first place like I do, and then add the savings from the app and the charge card, you can save quite a bit.

Happy Hours

There are so many restaurants that offer nice happy hours. If you like to eat out, you can often find discounted appetizers and drinks and can enjoy yourself while saving money.
One local place we like to visit is El Pueblo Grille in Indio. They have a regular afternoon happy hour, and also offer a late happy hour in the evening. Most of their appetizers are available for $5, and they have drink specials as well. But be warned, they do get crowded since many locals (like us) have also found them. But the food is good and it is a cool spot to relax, so it's worth it if you have to wait for a table.
Wherever you enjoy a happy hour, why pay more?

Another Coupon

You don't have to use every coupon you receive in the mail, but it sure is smart to use them if you're going to shop. You can get them in the paper, you can get them online and you can even find them in your mailbox. I can't imagine buying much of anything anymore without some kind of discount, whether it be by using a coupon or simply price checking for the lowest price.  Stores have sales every week on different items, so it only takes a little planning to find low prices.  This week, I got a 30% off coupon for Kohl's, which is good on holiday sale items as well as merchandise already on sale. The only catch is that I use my store charge card to make my purchase. Seems fair. So it's worth going to the store and/or looking online because an extra 30% off can mean saving big money.

(Almost free) Bracelet

Was shopping today because I got another $10 off coupon in the mail.  I found the cutest little $22 bracelet on sale for $10.99.  So using my free money, I got a nice, almost free bracelet for a whopping $1.07!!! I LOVE it!!!

Just My Size

Here is an example of a sale too good to pass up. I found these jeans

at JCP while simply browsing around. There was only one pair. But you never know what you'll find, so it's definitely worth the time it takes. Woohooo!!!

What's On Sale?

This week Kohl's is having a sale, and they have started something new...low prices on certain items, with no coupons needed. I had $15 Rewards cash to use by the end of the month, so I went to see what all I could get with that credit.
I got TWO new shirts and TWO new pillows which were all on sale, and with the credit I had to use, I paid $1.04!!!
Total savings $51.02! Not bad!!

A Good Read

I wanted this book since the day it came out. But I wouldn't pay $46+ for the hardcover, nor did I even want to spend $20 for the paperback. So I waited and have read several other good books. But today we stopped at a thrift store to see what it was like since we hadn't been there before. And just look what I found for only 99 cents! YAY!!! It will be quite a feat to read the whole thing, but I'm sure there's a lot I can learn from reading about this incredible leader.

The Perfect Storm

  What do you get when you have a FREE $10 coupon and find a fabulous sale on cute boots? FREE BOOTS, of course!


 $99.99 boots at 90% off.
So $9.99 - $10 coupon = FREE!!!

It doesn't get better than that!

Coffee, Anyone?

If you're a coffee lover like me, you may be familiar with the newer type of coffee makers which use individual coffee pods. So each cup is instantly and freshly brewed.  Delicious, right!? But those pods turn out to be pretty expensive...of course, not as expensive as a daily dose of your favorite neighborhood coffee shop perhaps, but still expensive.
So I highly suggest investing in a single serve filter, which does the same job, but that will save you a lot of money over the long term. A 12-pack box of pods can cost between $5-9, which is approximately 4-5 ounces of coffee. But a pound of coffee only costs about $9-12! It lasts a LOT longer and you get the kind of coffee you like and can adjust it to your own taste.
Although buying a filter may seem expensive and just not worth it, it only takes a few cups to get your money's worth. And you know me...if you can find it ON SALE, even better!!

New Suit

So, the hubby wasn't necessarily planning on getting a new suit. But 80% off is just too good to pass up!
He got a $360 suit, for 80% off, making it $72. But he also got another 20% off that total, PLUS a $10 coupon (from the website) making it only $50!!
Oh, and he got a $10 FREE money coupon to send me back next week to spend! YAY!

Good buys

Had a little shopping therapy over the weekend, and you know it was at one of my favorite stores, Kohl's. I only went (really!) because I had a free $10 coupon I had to either use or lose.  So I couldn't pass up another opportunity to see what all I could get for as little as possible.
I found a designer pair of trousers (that actually fit), two big soup mugs (which I had been looking for), a hand towel AND a cute pair of earrings...all for ONLY $9.64!!! Total saved: $81.04!  SO MUCH FUN!!!

Thrift Store Finds

If you've never shopped at a thrift store before, you really must try it. It's amazing what bargains you can find.  A lot of people love to shop for clothes, since they have anything from shorts to suits to evening wear, and often items are barely worn. They also have electronics, books, toys and furniture.The only thing to know is that the merchandise can vary greatly since stores get donations in all the time and once an item is sold, you may never see another one like it.
I went to an opening of a new store today, and didn't need a thing. But I wanted to support them so I looked around and hoped to buy something. I found the cutest, most unusual little bank, and I love banks...why, I don't know. This one looks like a little carousel with painted animals on it, and was only $3. But they also had a 50% off sale going on for the store opening. So I bought it for $1.50!!!  I got it home and took the price tag off of it, only to notice the stamp on the bottom said that it is LENOX!!! If you don't know what that is, Lenox is one of the best and most popular makers of expensive bone china items! So I am thrilled! You just never know what you might find if you take the time to look.

A Cute Little Sweater

I received a $10 reward certificate from JCP, so I went shopping to see what I could find. It has been cold outside lately, so I found a nice $45 Liz Claiborne sweater on sale. It was marked down to only $14.99. So with the sale and the certificate, it was ONLY $4.99! Total with tax, ONLY $5.39!!! A savings of $40.01!!!