Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
I have so many new ideas to improve BargainBabe.com it’s ridiculous. Thank you to the 219 readers who commented with a suggestion, thereby entering themselves to win the 10-pound swag bag I lugged home from BlogHer (winner named below). I am taking each idea to heart and have already implemented many of your suggestions.
You wanted custom subject lines in your daily email - you got it! Yesterday I found a way to modify the subject line.
You wanted more coupons and deals – you got it! I am going to post drugstore deals (CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid) on Monday and grocery deals (Ralphs and Safeway) on Wednesday. If you want to see links to additional stores, let me know by commenting on this post.
You wanted a better site design and navigation tabs – it’s in the works! I’ve contacted a web designer/tech geek about making the site easier to use and easier to look at. Realistically, a major change to the site will take at least (more…)
I’ve made a lot of videos for WalletPop, but this one is my favorite. Check out my spin at the end! Hehehe. Joking aside, this video shows super basic tips to turn $20 Target jeans into designer. The tips also work to spruce up worn out denim.
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
A roundup of coupons from Savings.com and my blog on WalletPop.
Vista Print - Get a ton of free back to school supplies through Vista Print. You pay for shipping only.
Swagbucks - Join Swagbucks by Sunday, August 15, 2010 and get a total of 70 swagbucks (30 for signing up plus 40 as a bonus)
Restaurant.com – Their latest restaurant discount is for 80% off!
Shoesteal.com - Get 15% off your entire purchase at Shoesteal.com. Expires January 31, 2011.
Winn-Dixie - If you live in the South, check out this awesome Winn-Dixie coupon on Tide and household cleaners.
Sally Beauty – Get 20% off your entire order at Sally Beauty Supply. Expires August 31, 2010.
Barneys NY – Get 20% off all full-priced denim at Barney’s New York. Expires August 28, 2010.
LinenSource – Get 10% off your purchase at LinenSource. Expires August 28, 2010.
Home Depot - Join Home Depot’s garden club and you’ll get gardening coupons and tips.
Think clipping coupons is silly? Jen at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam will prove you wrong with her post on stockpiling sale items. She does admit, however, that using coupons is only worthwhile 8% of the time. Yikes!
Ever wonder if you are using coupons the correct way? Jennie at Bargain Blessings has guidelines for ethical coupon use. Her post dovetails with my earlier one on how to spot a fake coupon.
If you are looking for cheap or free date ideas, Nikki at Coupon Cookin shared eight dates, including one that involves frolf. Um, what?
Make your cheap cut of steak taste divine with this two-minute video from Kacy at Valuing Today. You wouldn’t believe how much salt she puts on her meat!
stevendepolo/Flickr
This is a guest blog post by Stella Louise, editor of the personal finance blog at Savings.com. She is very grateful she only had to suffer through one year of geometry.
I recently researched back to school supplies and was astounded at how much is required to properly equip a child for the new school semester. At the risk of sounding like my parents, when I was a kid back to school shopping mainly consisted of a brand new pair of shoes and some updates to the wardrobe plus a couple of notebooks and some pencils.
But as school budgets cuts have increased with the ailing economy, more and more of the slashed funding has been offloaded to external sources. This explains not only the increase of school fundraisers, such as the adorable third grader from down the street panhandling $5 chocolate bars door-to-door, but also the increasingly gargantuan back to school supply lists.
When I was a kid (and granted, this was EONS ago…), I recall having an art independent study class where I painted for the entire semester. Canvas after canvas using the entire spectrum of acrylic paints and brushes of varying width and thickness to create my “masterpieces.” I ended up being voted (more…)
Gudlyf/Flickr
I was thrilled to recently meet Stephanie of KeeperoftheHome because she is an expert in a topic I want to know about: eating organic on a budget. From comments, it seems readers want to know her secrets, too! Here is how Stephanie, who is based in British Columbia, keeps five bellies full of organic food for $450 a month.
Is it really possible to eat organic food cheaply? It really is. We eat about 80-90% certificated organic or non-certificated organic or natural foods. We do that on a pretty low budget for a family of five.
How much is your monthly grocery bill? $450 CAD [$430USD], including all our household and cleaning supplies. At the beginning of the month I start by listing all the firm parts of the budget. I always get $30 of eggs from an organic farmer and I always pay $40 for my organic raw milk and I always pay about $140 for my co-op purchases. From there I start to say well I’m probably going to need about $70 of produce and I’m going to need to go to Costco to stock up on butter and fish. When it’s gone it’s gone. We start eating beans and rice. I’m kidding, but we would do that if we had too.
What are your tips for saving on organic food? It comes down to being really eclectic with how you do your shopping. If I shopped at one store or just used coupons it wouldn’t be enough. I actually shop at five (more…)
iLoveButter/Flickr
If you are interested in eating organic on a budget, finding a nearby grocery store can be a challenge. Stephanie of KeeperoftheHome.org recommended AzureStandard, which is an online organic food catalog and delivery service. AzureStandard delivers to much of the Western states (see below) and can ship orders to other parts of the country, including Alaska and Hawaii. I’m considering eating organic for an entire month as an experiment and may well use AzureStandard! Here’s how it works.
Register on the site to access their sales flyer (free), delivery schedule (free), and product catalog ($.45). Charging for the product catalog strikes me as odd, because you’d think free access would entice potential customers, but perhaps it means only people who are truly interested (more…)
HoskingIndustries/Flickr
Tagging along with my post about eating organic on a budget, here is a list of blogs and sites to find organic coupons and coupons for natural products.
The Thrifty Mama- http://www.thethriftymama.com/
Organic Deals and Coupons- http://organicdeals.blogspot.com/
Organic on a Dime- http://organiconadime.blogspot.com/
Your Green Helper- http://yourgreenhelper.blogspot.com/
Saving Naturally -
http://savingnaturally.com/
Also consider Stephanie’s regular Friday morning guest blog post on Money Saving Mom that shares the best organic deals and coupons of the week. Here is last week’s post on organic grocery deals.
Another option is to order organic groceries and products through the online delivery service AzureStandard.
Illustration by OConnorCartoons.com
I’m responding to reader comments as part of the $249 swag giveaway contest that posting only the weekly Ralphs deals is not enough. Many readers said they wanted links to more grocery and drugstore deals because they do not live near a Ralphs. So I’m expanding this weekly post to include links to deals and freebies at Safeway, Walgreens, CVS, and Target.
What other stores would you like me to link to? Comment and I will do my best to link to them as well.
Ralphs – Cathy at Chief Family Officer shared five great Ralphs grocery deals valid 8/11-8/18. Highlights include Kleenex tissue for as little as $.69, SoBe lifewater or Juice two for $.49, Quaker Quakes Rice Snacks for $.49 each when you buy two, and Powerade for $.39.
Safeway – Here is a list of the grocery deals at Safeway courtesy of Saving Cents with Sense. They are valid 8/11-8/18. Highlights include canteloupe for $.99 each, corn for $.20 each, and Cheerios for as little as $.49 a box.
CVS – I post each weeks CVS deals on Monday. They are good through 8/14.
Walgreens – Here are this week’s Walgreens deals. I’m going to post them with Monday’s CVS going forward.
Rite Aid – Here are the deals for Rite Aid this week, which will also join the Monday post with CVS and Walgreens deals going forward.
Target – This list has all the new Target coupons available this week, though no match ups with sale prices so your savings will vary.
Going forward, I’ll link to drugstore deals on Monday and grocery deals on Wednesday.This way the posts are timed with the beginning of the sales.
New to coupons? Check out my post on coupon clipping basics. If you want to take advantage of these deals, make sure to save the coupon inserts you receive in the mail or with your Sunday newspaper. Here’s a great suggestion for how to handle coupon organization.
Make sure to comment on the original post about the $249 swag giveaway contest by tonight, Thursday, August 12, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST to be eligible to win. The above link has a long list of every item in the hefty swag bag, which weighs 10 pounds!
By Bobbi Burger Brunoehler of Bobbisbargains.
pupismyname/Flickr
I am against paying retail. Hence my motto, “Friends don’t let friends pay retail.”
However, sometimes even I have to go to a store and purchase something new. Hey, it happens to the best of us.
Let me assure you that when I do this deed I also ENSURE that I know the store return policy and keep my receipt, packaging and tags. If I am not 100% satisfied with my purchase, I return it.
I am amazed how many times I see items at yard sales, thrift shops and swaps that are brand new with their tags still attached. I always wonder about the economic condition of the seller. Are they wildly wealthy? Did they lose the receipt and figured they couldn’t get their money back? Or did they think it wasn’t worth the trouble?
I doubt anyone that is wildly wealthy is reading my blog (but if you are and want to make a donation to me, I am a willing recipient.) As far as returning items without a receipt; many stores will give you (more…)
domib34/flickr
This is a post by BargainBabe.com writer Yazmin Cruz.
I’ve written about ways to save money by gardening but here’s the real dirt on how to cut household costs by using herbs and produce that grow in your garden instead of spending money on store bought products.
Rosemary – Not only can you use rosemary to season your Thanksgiving turkey but you can also use it on your locks. Rosemary is known to stimulate hair growth, naturally darken it and battle dandruff. Simply pour one cup of boiling water over dried rosemary and steep overnight. Strain the tea and use it in the shower as a final rinse. Rosemary along with other fragrant herbs like lavender and thyme makes natural potpourris or sachets.
Parsley and Mint – Next time you’ve got garlic breath don’t reach for a mint candy, but instead chew on parsley or fresh mint. These herbs are great bad breath fighters.
Apples – If for some reason you do not have your toothbrush and toothpaste handy, chew on an apple or any food that requires a lot of chewing like celery and carrots. These can help keep teeth clean and whiten teeth naturally.
Tomatoes – They’re delicious in salads and sandwiches and combat bad sunburns. Sliced tomato can be directly placed on (more…)
Bryce Canyon by Alaskan Dude/Flickr
A lot of people asked for more suggestions for free, fun things to do as part of my reader contest to win $249 worth of swag. Here is one idea: this weekend, August 14-15, 2010 entrance to more than 100 National Parks is free. Click on the above link for a listing of participating parks by state or name.
The list includes Grand Canyon National Park, Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park, Everglades National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Acadia National Park, Glacier National Park, Big Bend National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, and Zion National Park. Many of these are on my list of places to visit!
The freebie covers entrance fees, commercial tour fees, and transportation entrance fees. You still have to pay other fees, like for reservations, camping, tours, concession and fees collected by third parties. I’m guessing this last part includes things like maps at the ranger station or firewood. At six of the parks, concessioners selling food, transportation, lodging and tours are offering discounts and coupons.
If you want to camp for free, there are tons of places where you can pitch a tent for no charge across the country, including BLM land, Wilderness Areas, and National Forests. I’m going camping in October and can’t wait!
Upcoming admission-free days at our National Parks:
- September 25, 2010
(Public Lands Day) - November 11, 2010
(Veterans Day)
If you are looking for fun things to do closer to home, check out this post on free and very cheap dates. If you live in Los Angeles or are visiting, make sure to get free tickets to the taping of a television show. Get behind the scenes and gape at your favorite stars. Lastly, check out these five ways to get free or cheap tickets to the theater.
Contents of the prize swag bag!
Don’t forget to enter the latest BargainBabe.com reader giveaway to win my BlogHer swag bag, filled with beauty supplies, coupons, and treats worth $249. Everything in the bag, which weighs 10 pounds, is pictured here. The blurry picture (thanks, iPhone) makes it hard to tell what each item is, but the link below has a detailed listing of everything in the bag and it’s approximate value.
Click to enter the contest by Thursday August 12 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
jetalone/Flickr
Cereal prices are going to be dramatically effected by droughts in Russia and small crops in Canada and Australia, according to SF Gate. So what’s a cereal loving person to do? Stock up now.
Strategy 1: Pay whatever price your favorite cereal is selling for during your next grocery trip. I am a firm believer in having a pantry and/or stashing food wherever you have space. Stocking up when prices are low is a great way to save. (If you keep food in unorthodox places, like under the bed, list your hiding places on the fridge so you don’t forget.)
Strategy 2: Buy whatever is on sale, regardless of whether it is one of your favorites. This is risky as you may well convince yourself not to eat it. Doubly risky if you have never tried the cereal before.
Strategy 3: Buy coupons from TheCouponMaster.com – you’ll pay about $.10 for a $1 off coupon – and use them before prices rise too much. Note the coupon’s expiration date while checking out. If your strategy is to hold the coupons until the cereal goes on sale, you may need a few weeks leeway.
Strategy 4: Read blogs that publish coupon matches for your local grocery and drugstore. A coupon match is when you use a coupon for an item that is on sale, maximizing your savings. For coupon matches check CommonSenseWithMoney, CouponCravings, and BargainBriana. You can also Google “Publix coupon matches” or whatever the store name is plus coupon matches. Coupon matching requires you to save each week’s coupon inserts and file them by name and date, such as Red Plum 8/7/10.
Strategy 5: Make your own cereal or granola, which takes a little time but often tastes better and has less sugar. Plus, you can get exactly the mixture of fruit and nuts that you want.
Strategy 6: Have eggs and fruit instead!
If you are a hard core couponer, paying more than $.50 per box of cereal is embarrassing. I met one frugal blogger who refused to pay more than $.25 per box! If you are a casual couponer, aim to pay less than $2 per box, or a little more for high-end brands like Kashi. Once you start tracking the prices of your favorite cereals, you will have a good idea when something is at a good price or not.
Thanks, Lynda!
