Because You Need More Razors

Okay, if you're not already up to your eyeballs in razors from past deals, here are a few new opportunities for you:

Be one of the first 70,000 iVillage members to enter the Countdown to Wedding Bliss giveaway, and get a free Schick Intuition razor.

Get a free sample of the Schick Quattro Titanium razor or trimmer here. (Thanks to Rachel at Common"cents"ical for the tip. I've had good luck with these free sample requests... I recently received a Schick Quattro Titanium trimmer in my mailbox.

Also, I noticed that Walgreens has a deal on the Gillette Fusion razor. Buy the Gillette Fusion for $8.99, use the $4 off coupon from this Sunday's paper, and get a $4 register reward (good on your next purchase). So essentially, it's like paying 99 cents for the Fusion.

Happy Shaving!

Get a Free Fruit Roll-Up Sample

When I was in school, the lunch service used to call it "fruit leather." But the kids liked it!

Anyway, if you sign up for the Box Tops in Education newsletter, you'll not only learn how saving box tops can benefit your school, you'll also get a free sample of the new personalized "My Fruit Roll-ups."

Get $10 in Coupons from Betty Crocker

Sign-up for Betty Crocker's Dinner Made Easy e-newsletter and you'll get a booklet with $10 worth of coupons. You'll also get some quick and easy recipes. Hurry, this won't last long!

Back on Track Again

Well, it has been 6 years and three babies since I last did Weight Watchers.

I've decided my five snack-a-day stay-at-home mom habit thing needs to come to an end. My pants are getting tight, and I do NOT want to spend money on new pants.

So, on Sept. 15, I joined Weight Watchers Online. The first time I did Weight Watchers, I faithfully attended meetings, lost 23 pounds, and became a life time member. With three little ones, going to meetings is not an option. I've got about 20 pounds to lose.

Why would someone who is so frugal spend $16.95 a month on a diet program?

Because it is worth it!

I know that prior to signing up, my food consumption was probably exceeding the cost of membership every month.... I tend to stress eat - on expensive snacks like ice cream, chocolate, peanuts... and I have issues with portion sizes.

So although I am spending money on Weight Watchers, I'm actually saving money by not splurging on unhealthy snacks.

My grocery bill is also helped by the fact that the Weight Watchers diet relies heavily on fruits and vegetables.(Isn't that what the food eats?). When you buy in season, you can save a lot of money over pre-packaged, over-processed food.

It is also pushing me to be active. I'm finding that exercise is a good frugal way to pass the time.

In the long run, I know it will be better for my health. I've already lost 4.5 pounds, and I feel better knowing that I'm taking control of my diet once again.

Any other WW members out there? Got any tips for me? I'm a little rusty since last time!

Catching Up on Some Reading

I've been a little remiss when it comes to keeping up with all the news going on in the frugal living blogosphere.

Now that I'm getting caught up, I thought I'd share with you some great reads:

Before spending that money, Karen at MSN Money asks the question: $300 for pants instead of $50: Are they worth it?

Get Rich Slowly has a great post that will help you decide which Personal Finance Magazine is Best.

The Simple Dollar has me rethinking how I spend my time with his post on alternative incomes.

There's a reason Jennifer's blog is called Simply Thrifty. Read the simple, but true advice of how to save money all the time.

I can't help it. I like gadgets. So I enjoyed Wise Bread's 4-sort-of-small gadgets that equal big savings.

So this isn't a gadget, but I still really like it. Although, I can just imagine what the kids would do with it! Still, if you're "short" on space, read about the staircase bookshelf at Unclutterer.

Kacie at Sense to Save has some great tips for how to work expensive ingredients into your grocery budget.

Happy Reading!

What if you HAD to stockpile?

If you've been reading my blog this week, you know I've given some thought to my obsession with stockpiling and figuring out how to curb my stockpiling addiction.

But what if you HAD to stockpile?

My friends AnnMarie and C.O. live in bush Alaska. There is no Target, no Walmart, no anything that isn't a plane ride(!) away.

AnnMarie recently shared a glimpse into how she shops. I found it fascinating. You would have to be extremely forward thinking and well organized to pull this off. Of course, AnnMarie is exactly that kind of person!

Anyway, the post really got me thinking. I would imagine that the longer you went between shopping trips, the more resourceful you would become. That wouldn't be a bad thing at all. Could save a little money, too!

Get $5 off a $20 Purchase at Walgreens

It's the end of the month at Walgreens, which means there are a ton of deals to be found.

So nice that they put out this coupon for $5 off a purchase of $20 or more! Just remember that your total must be $20 after discounts and before tax. There are lots of good items in the free-after-rebate list, so it should be easy to do. This coupon is only good through Saturday, Sept. 27.

Money Saving Mom has a great list of the Walgreens deals for this week. Then stop over to Common Sense with Money and read more here and here about how to double dip on the Easy Saver deals.

Happy Saving!

Guest Post at Today's Housewife

Sandra graciously invited me to blog about digital scrapbooking at her blog Today's Housewife.

Be sure to stop by Today's Housewife to say "hi." The blog is written by four women doing their best to live a simple, happy life.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Pondering the Price of Milk

We are milk guzzlers in our family. The three young boys, my husband, me... we all love milk.

It is rare when we go to town and don't buy milk. I'm estimating that we spend about $55 a month just on milk!

That dollar figure freaks me out... especially when I know that these three little boys will grow to be big, strapping young men, and I'll have to take a second mortgage out just to feed them!

So I've been doing a lot of thinking about what we could do to save on our milk budget;

Drink less milk. This is a no-brainer - especially for me and my husband. We could easily cut out one glass of milk a day. That would save a couple of cups a day, or 14 cups in a week. I wouldn't want to reduce the amount the little guys drink because they need it.

Try powdered milk. I scoped out prices at my grocery store yesterday. I could get a box of powdered (instant) milk for $12.99 that makes 20 quarts. This works out to about $2.60 a gallon, which is a big difference from the $3.89-$4.19 we've been paying lately. BUT... there's the taste factor, and then you have to remember to make it (I've heard the colder it is, the better it tastes).

Get our calcium from other sources. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, there are lots of foods out there that contain calcium: cheese, yogurt, calcium fortified juices, cereals, breads, soy beverages, or rice beverages, Canned fish, soybeans and other soy products, some kinds of dried beans, and some leafy greens (collard and turnip greens, kale, bok choy).

Look for alternative places to buy milk. Sometimes you can find milk at other stores a lot cheaper than conventional grocery stores. For example, my Walgreens and Holiday Station Stores frequently sell milk for under $3 a gallon.

Remember it doesn't have to be all or nothing. I think our best strategy would be to use a combination of all of the above ideas. We can cut back on the amount we drink, shop around, use powdered milk in our cooking (where we'd never notice it!), and learn to get calcium from other foods - like those frugal beans!

What are your thoughts? Have you noticed milk taking a bigger share of your grocery budget? What are you doing about it?

50 Free Prints & Free Shipping at Shutterfly

There's a new deal out there for folks who have never tried Shutterfly before.

Get 50 FREE Prints and FREE shipping on your first order when you sign up at Shutterfly.

I love these types of deals. I use them to test out various photo printing companies, and I can definitely say that Shutterfly is one of my favorites!

Anyway, this offer replaces one of the photo deals I wrote about here.

Happy Saving!

Download Free Copy of New Book

Melanie Lynne Hauser, author of Confessions of Super Mom and Super Mom Saves the World is giving away a FREE downloadable copy of her upcoming release, Jumble Pie.

Hauser writes:

"IN THE BEGINNING, there was the pie. The pie was without form and texture (and any manner of identifiable filling), and darkness was upon the face of the Home Ec Teacher…"

So begins the story of two girls, a friendship, and a pie. JUMBLE PIE, to be exact. A Home Ec project gone very wrong, except for the fact that it brings together two very different young girls and helps them form a friendship that lasts through bad haircuts, unrequited love, endless incarnations of Madonna, and their own evolving dreams... Until New Year's Eve, 1999, when another pie comes along, resulting in a pre-party blow-up that sets Juliet and Emily, women now, to remembering how it all got started."

I'm looking forward to reading this book, and I'm planning to check out her other books, too. My friend Heidi Holtan of KAXE and Real Good Words, recently interviewed Hauser and recomended I check her out. Heidi's never lead me astray, yet!

Happy Reading!

Free Guide to Controlling Diabetes

Do you or someone you know have diabetes?

Sign up for a free guide to controlling your diabetes from Click On Health. You'll also get access to health care savings and other healthy living tips.

Win Free Diapers & Wipes

Christy at Shake the Salt is giving two lucky winners coupons for 3 FREE jumbo packs of Huggies and two coupons for FREE wipes!

Hurry and enter: this contest ends at midnight! To enter simply, go to her post, and leave a comment sharing a funny story about when a child’s pee got a little out of control – or when you needed a diaper that excelled in leakage protection.

If you've changed as many diapers as I have, it's pretty easy! Be sure to read my story in the comments!

Good luck!

Start Thinking Photo Gifts

Christmas is just around the corner, and one of the most popular gifts I've given have been photo gifts. From photo books, to calendars, to framed photo collages, there are many options for personalized gifts.

Shutterfly currently has a deal for new members get 50 free prints and a free collage poster . They also offer free photo sharing and unlimited photo storage. If you're already a member, you can get free Shipping on orders of $25 or more. Use coupon code: AF64-SP08. This offer expires Oct. 7. Shutterfly keeps adding some gorgeous photo books designed by the folks from Creating Keepsakes, so take a look.

Wink Flash has a sale: 40 percent off photo collage posters . Use the code POSTERFUN4 before Sept. 30.

Snapfish also has some deals, too, such as 25 percent off duplicates of the same photo gift. This is good if you want to give everyone the same photo book.

And don't forget to watch Walgreens. They've been known to offer some great photo deals occasionally.

Curbing Your Addiction to Deals

Note: This is a guest post I wrote for Coupon Cravings. Coupon Cravings is an excellent resource for the latest coupons, freebies and deals. Be sure to visit the site!

I can still remember the first thing I got for free using a coupon. It was a little bottle of Purell hand sanitizer I got for free after using a coupon for $2 off any size Purell product.

It wasn't something spectacular, but using that coupon opened up a whole world for me. If I was willing to rethink how I shopped, I could get things for free or nearly free. The possibilities were exciting.

Soon, I was addicted. I had 15 boxes of free Honey Bunches of Oats in my pantry. My linen closet was bursting with cheap razors, shampoo, and toilet paper. My bargain hunting was getting out of control.

Fortunately, I know I'm not alone. I've also come up with a list of things we can do to curb our addiction to deals.


Create an inventory.  Go through your cupboards, pantry, and closets and make a list of everything you have.  It's usually quite an eye opener to do this exercise.

Commit to using your inventory.  That's right: Stop hoarding and start using those great finds you've gotten. Consider a moratorium on shopping until your stockpile has gotten back to normal levels.

Learn to pass up a good deal. This is probably the hardest thing a bargain hunter can do. Ask yourself if you need it, if you will use it before it expires, and if you have room to store it. If you answer "yes" to all three questions, then consider buying it. Otherwise, just ignore it. There will always be more deals.

Teach someone your shopping tricks.  Inspire a friend or family member to learn how to stretch their dollars using coupons and freebies. You'll be able to experience the thrill of the hunt through someone else's eyes.

Donate your deals.  If you simply MUST shop, then start donating your excess freebies and cheapies. There are many local food shelves, churches, and shelters who would be thrilled to get your excess food and toiletries. 

Make Your Own Memory Game

My Mom picked up a like-new "Original Memory Game" for the kids at a garage sale last week.

Some of you may remember this kids' game for 3-6 year-olds: Find the most pairs of matching picture cards to win.

My mom got the game for a bargain price of 25 cents. New versions of this game run around the $9; I've seen them on Black Friday for $4. She got a great deal!

But the more I looked at this game, it really struck me how easy it would be to make your very own "Memory Game" with some clip art and some heavy cardstock. If you are a scrapbooker and have access to things like a square punch, this would be an even easier project.

Basically, you need to find 36 pairs of small pictures. You could download free clip art from Microsoft, or you could be really creative and take photos of things your child is familiar with. You could also have your children design the pairs of pictures or you could kick up the game a notch and use numbers and letters to help your child learn even more while playing! Examples of pictures include apples, flowers, dogs, cats, kids, and balloons, to name a few.

Once you have your pictures, adhere them to a heavy weight cardstock using a thin layer of glue, and you could Mod Podge them to seal them. Cut the cardstock into 2" squares - with one picture on each square.

Or, if you really want to play the game without all the work, you could also just use 2 decks of playing cards. Not quite as many pairs to match or very interesting pictures, but quick and simple.

Then print out the instructions and get ready to play! This would be a great project for the kids to help with!

Cheap Food: The Power of Cooperative Purchasing

The following is a guest post from Bekah at Motherhood Moment. Her blog is full of great tips for saving both time and money, so be sure to check it out!

Have you ever seen a statement from a foodshelf that says something to the effect that they appreciate donations of goods, but donations of dollars even more, since they can stretch the dollar with bulk purchasing? Well, there are several programs available that can help give you the power of bulk purchasing.

Most frugal shoppers can easily save 20% or more by coupon and sale shopping on many products. However, where these programs really come in handy are in the areas of the grocery store where these kinds of savings aren’t possible: meat and produce.

Angel Food Ministries is a non-profit, non-denominational food sharing organization. According to their website, when they comparison shop their packages, they save 42-78% over retail. They are not available in every state, but their goal is to become available country-wide. They also donate money to the host sites. Sample menus can be found at this link and to search for a site near you go here. (Not available in Arizona, Nevada; some states have limited availability.)

Fare for All is a program of the Emergency Foodshelf Network in Minnesota. They have distribution sites all around the state for the monthly pickups. They also have a few metro-area sites that don’t require advance purchase, called Fare for All Express. Typical package contents can be found at this link and distribution sites are found here.

Neither program has eligibility requirements. I have participated in FFA for several months now, and I can definitely say that they don’t exaggerate the savings. My packages come full of food, and even though I’m a frugal shopper, it definitely saves me money. I ordered a Grill Pack in July, and it worked out to about $1.40 per pound for various types of meat, including hot dogs, brats, hamburger patties, chicken, and more. The food is sometimes “off-brand” (no Minute Rice or other major brands) but it is always good-quality food and fresh produce.

If you can participate in one or the other, I strongly encourage it! The more people that participate in programs like this, the more the power of bulk purchasing grows.

Note from Christina for my local readers in Northern Minnesota: A quick check of both websites didn't show any locations on the Iron Range. But I think there is a similar program to these ones in Hibbing. Anyone know the details?

Free Language Resources

The following is a guest post from Bekah at Motherhood Moment. Her blog is full of great tips for saving both time and money, so be sure to check it out! Please stop back here tomorrow for a great post by Bekah on how you can use purchasing power to save on your grocery bill!

No one will deny the fact that learning a foreign language can be useful and beneficial. But if you aren’t in school, and can’t afford community education or college classes, what resources are there?

There are actually a wide variety of good online language learning resources for free. I have checked out several of these sites, both as a licensed language teacher (German) and as a language learner (Norwegian and Swedish). Not all of the sites listed below have all languages, but for the more common languages, you will have many options.

First of all, check to see if your local library has access to Rosetta Stone. This is a very powerful and well-known language program. It does have drawbacks, as any programs will, but is great for vocabulary and useful words. Ask at your local library branch to find out if they have a subscription. For example, I can access Minneapolis Public Library’s version from home, as long as I sign in with my library card.

For Spanish only, check out Study Spanish. It has many basic free vocabulary and grammar resources, as well as the option for a premium subscription for more access.

BBC Languages offers language lessons tailored to travel vocabulary (introductions, directions, eating out, etc) in French, German, Italian, Spanish, and more. The activities are intuitive, but the amount of language isn’t very deep. It will, however, be enough for a trip to the target country.

Mango Languages also offers both free and subscription services. It presents learning in the context of native speakers, and also offers an online translator. Handy tools include vocabulary review and a phrasebook review.

Finally, Livemocha is a unique language-learning platform that combines lessons with chat and community features. Not only can you learn a language, but you can practice with other real people. You can also strengthen your own English skills by helping correct other users who are learning English.

There are many more good services out there, and also many that aren’t very complete or intuitive. These are the ones that I have found most helpful to me as both a language learner and tutor.

~ Bekah @ Motherhood Moment

Heading Out of Town? Shut off the Hot Water Heater

Note: The following is a guest post from my frugal friend Susan B. She's written some other great posts for Northern Cheapskate, too, including this one on saving money on gas. Don't you think she should start a blog?

Because I am a teacher, I get the summers “off." However, since my parents own a fruit farm, I do more work from June to August than most folks do in 6 months. Because we start picking every early in the morning and because my mom does laundry when I am there, I stay with my folks on the farm. That means my apartment, an hour away from their house, sits empty.

I always make sure my lights are off but this past June I tried something different. I unplugged my TV and VCR, unplugged my microwave, and turned off my hot water heater. When I got my electricity bill I was shocked! I used 98 Kwh of power. The previous year, I used 170. HOLY MACKEREL! I have since read that the hot water heater is the third highest user of power in a home.

Since this experience, I now turn off my water heater by flipping the switch in the breaker box if I am going to be gone for more than 24 hours. My parents have used a timer on their hot water heater for years so it only heats 2 times a day instead of all day and they swear by it. They had to have it installed by an electrician but it has easily paid for itself.

Not having unlimited hot water takes a little bit of planning, but in these days when all power costs are going up up up I sure think it’s worth the effort!

~ Susan

Confession Time: Stockpile is Getting Crazy

Okay, so perhaps I've gotten a bit of my family's obsessive compulsive genes.

Last week I got tired of things attacking me from my linen closet. (Note: There are hardly any linens in there, it's mostly my stash of toiletries and cleaning supplies). So I went to Walmart and got a set of little drawers to help organize things, and then I dug around and found some empty wire baskets and started working on cleaning out the closet.

Okay. This is hard to admit... but we have more than 60 razors, 10 tubes of toothpaste, 6 body washes, 8 shampoos, 4 bottles of cough syrup, 9 deodorants, and a whole lot of other various personal care items. And this is the inventory AFTER I emptied out a bunch of stuff which will be donated to a local charity.

My stockpile is out of control.

When I finished getting the closet all organized how I wanted it, I felt a mixture of pride and shame. I was proud because most of the things I have in that closet were purchased for next to nothing or were completely free. I'm a little ashamed for not keeping better track of my inventory.

It's just hard to pass by a good deal.

So, I'm committing to living off my stockpile for awhile. This will allow me to spend my time and money elsewhere. I now have a better sense of what I have, so I know where there are a couple of gaps (almost out of shaving cream!).

I also know that I need to do the same inventory process with my pantry and chest freezer.

Being frugal is good, but even frugality can come with a price tag: storage space!

Crib Recall Changed Course of Day

If you would have told me this morning that the crib my son slept in last night would not be the same one he slept in tonight, I would have laughed.

But, his crib got recalled today, which totally changed the days plans (procrastinate on cleaning the house, actually clean the house, but mostly watch TV).

Instead, I had to tear apart the old crib, drive it into Walmart, return it, and pick out another one, bring it home, and assemble it, AND clean my house, etc.

Long day.

My mom heard about the recall on Good Morning America, and I confirmed it at the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.

Basically, the drop-side on the crib could detach and result in infant entanglement or suffocation. Yikes! Not a risk I was willing to take. The CPSC said to return the crib to where you purchased it.

So I brought it in, and after much waiting for them to figure out the UPC for a crib I bought over a year ago, they gave me $148 to replace the crib. (I got the crib for a gift, so I don't know what they paid, but I'm guessing that it is about right).

Unfortunately, the only crib I could have purchased in that price range was out of stock. I ended up getting a crib for $170 (with sales tax) and this one converts to a full size bed after the toddler bed stage (something the old crib didn't do).

I realize that I made the replacement purchase with a lot less thought than I made the original purchase. I guess when you are a more seasoned parent of twins, you're just focused on making sure they sleep well. I also was grateful that I had the extra cash to purchase a crib right then. There aren't very many options for buying cribs locally, and I wanted to get one before the stores were out of stock.

I also wondered how many parents of two-year-olds would just return the recalled crib and pocket the money.... it would be almost like a crib rental situation. I'm sure someone has thought of that.

Anyway, I'm glad that the crib situation is taken care of and that I can sleep soundly while my boy sleeps safely in his crib. This incident is a good reminder to sign-up for e-mail alerts from the Consumer Products Safety Commission - especially if you have kids. There are so many recalls the media doesn't cover and it is good to be informed!

Creative Recycling: Baking Sheets

I'm the type of person who saves worn out things because I just know I should be able to do something with it. The problem is that I'm not very creative and so the stuff just clutters up the house.

But that shouldn't be a problem anymore, now that I've found Katie's blog! Each week she publishes a post called Creative Recycling. It's all about reusing things you normally would throw away and/or items that many recycling centers don't accept, to create a fun craft or something useful.

My favorite part is that she gives you not one, but THREE different ways to re-purpose things. Then she picks one of those and gives detailed instructions with pictures!

Her goal is keep trash out of the landfills, make something to solve a problem and do it for free (or very cheaply!)

Enjoy!

The following is a guest post from Katie at Bring on The Lloyds.

Creative Recyling: Baking Sheets
by Katie Lloyd from Bring on the Lloyds

1. Magnetic Bulletin Board (with button magnets!)

Here's Mine:


Step 1. Sand off the rust from your old rusty baking sheet and then clean it with soap and water. Allow to dry thoroughly.


Step 2. Spray the sheet in any color you want! (I used what I had for this project, so I chose black...it's actually a freebie from Ace!) I decided to line my sheet with scrapbook paper, but you could certainly stick with paint only...and if you do, you're done...no more steps!


Step 3. Measure and cut your paper to fit inside the sheet.


Step 4. Glue paper to baking sheet. (I like to use a spray adhesive.)


For the button magnets, simply choose a few buttons that match your new board and hot glue pieces of magnet to the backs! You can even reuse those old magnets from your junk drawer...just cut them up!

(Note: If you have a baking sheet with a hole in one of the 'handles' like I do here, you can hang it on the wall. If you have one without a hole, you can drill one or you can glue some heavy duty magnets to the back and use on your fridge.)

2. Craft Tray - Use a baking sheet with an edge as a craft tray for a child or adult! It works great for keeping messes to a minimum and it allows you to transport your craft. And if you need to set your project aside, all your supplies are together when you come back to it!

3. Flower Pot "Saucer" - If you have a grouping of plants, you can use a baking sheet with an edge underneath them rather than having individual saucers. Plus, if you move your plants outside during the day, it's a lot easier to carry them all out at once with the tray!

4. Travel Magnetic Game Board

~ Katie @ Bring On the Lloyds

Free Coffee for Teachers at Starbucks

I wish I'd seen this offer earlier in the month for all my teacher friends. Or that I was a teacher so I could take advantage of it....

Anyway, here's the deal:

Teachers can get a FREE 12 oz "Pike Place Roast" coffee at Starbucks every Monday from now until Sept. 28.

In order to receive your complimentary cup of Pike Place Roast, you have to show proof of current teacher status (a teachers' federation card or school district badge).

You can read all the details about "Great Start for Great Teachers" here.

Now I wonder if community college instructors qualify... have to have my husband try it!

Saving Money & Energy: My New Clothesline

Yes, I know it is September. In northern Minnesota.

But I figured it was better late than never when it came to putting up an umbrella clothesline.

I'm pretty excited about my new clothesline. We've lived without one for three years and I've really missed it. This one was on sale at a hardware store that was going out of business.... three years ago! Glad to be able to cross "putting up the clothesline" off my list of things to do!

Clotheslines provide an excellent way to save energy and money. If you estimate that it costs 75 cents to dry a load of laundry in the dryer, I could save as much as $12 a month by using the clothesline. It also saves the wear and tear on your clothing (where do you think dryer lint comes from?)

Now, I must admit, I won't be using the new clothesline year-round. I like air-dryed clothing, but not frozen clothing! (And I don't like freezing to death while hanging clothes!) But I do plan on using the clothesline in the early fall, late spring and summer months.

In the winter, I will use my dryer for some things, and others I will use a retractable clothesline and a drying rack I have in my laundry room.

I'm also learning the best away to hang my clothes on the line. Frugal Upstate has a great vlog entry about how to properly hang your clothes to dry. Her tips save time, money, and help prevent wrinkles and set-in stains. Gotta love that!

Guest Posting at Freebies 4 Mom

I've heard of stretching a buck, but this is the first time I've stretched a blog!

This week is a little busy! I'm blog-sitting for Heather at Freebies 4 Mom, who has survived the wrath of Hurricane Ike, but now has no electricity (or access to her blog!)

So if the writing seems a bit harried and sparse around here, it's because I've also been posting over at Freebies 4 Mom.

I'm so glad I could help out Heather. Not only does she have a fabulous blog, but she has been a great help in making Northern Cheapskate what it is today. This is just one small way I can repay her for her kindness. This is what I love about blogging...Sometimes you make friends in unexpected ways!

Anyway... if you're looking for some freebies and other goodies, please head on over to Freebies 4 Mom and take a look.

Review: Vinegar, Duct Tape, Milk Jugs & More

When it comes to personal finance, I've always been much more interested in how to save 20 cents on a gallon of milk than in finding the hottest investing tip.

I tend to think more about the everyday ways we can save money.

So when my mom picked up a copy of Yankee Magazine's Vinegar, Duct Tape, Milk Jugs & More by Early Proulx and the Editors of Yankee Magazine at a garage sale, I was anxious to borrow it.

This book has been out for awhile, but it has a lot of timeless ideas. From homemade cleaners to all the different uses for mayonnaise... this book has a lot of great information. The subtitle says it all: "1,001 Ingenious Ways to Use Common Household Items to Repair, Restore, Revive, or Replace Just about Everything in Your Life."

Scattered throughout this tips-laden book are great folksy snippets about resourceful people who invented some common household products (like S.O.S pads).

Vinegar, Duct Tape, Milk Jugs & More was a quick read, and I really enjoyed it. If you like books like The Complete Tightwad Gazette, or reading tips from Everyday Cheapskate Mary Hunt, you'll enjoy this book.

Mmmm.. Free Cookie!

Doing a little freebie hunting today for Heather at Freebies4Mom, and thought I'd share with you!

Head on over to Kashi and play the Steal A Cookie game to get a free Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Cookie. If you don't want to play the game, you can go directly to your free cookie here.

There's a limit of one sample per household, while supplies last, so get yours now!

A bit of warning: these cookies may contain tree nuts, so make sure to check them out if you have allergies.

September is National Coupon Month

Note: This is a guest post I wrote for Freebies 4 Mom. I'm blog-sitting for Heather as she and her family brave the wrath of Hurricane Ike. Please send prayers & positive thoughts for everyone in the hurricane's path!

September has always been one of my favorite months of the year. I love the fall air, the changing colors, and brand new crayons.

And now, there's one more reason for me to love it: September is National Coupon Month.

I'm a coupon junkie, so I read the statistics from the Coupon Council's website with great interest. What really struck me was that manufacturers pump out $360 BILLION worth of coupons each year. And shoppers only redeem $2.6 billion of those. That's a lot of savings that people are missing!

The website also says that for 20 minutes of clipping, you can shave about 20 percent off your grocery bill, something I can personally testify is accurate.

I truly believe in the power of coupons. I started tracking my coupon use in April because I wanted to know if the time and effort of couponing was worth it. Well, since April I have saved $1,099.29 using coupons!

I've gotten hundreds of dollars worth of free food, personal care items, and paper goods using coupons. I've gotten steals on things like diapers, razors, and cough syrup. Because I only use coupons to buy things I know my family will use, the time invested is totally worth it.

To me, EVERY month is Coupon Month.

If you are just starting to clip coupons, please check out some of my past articles:


A Few Couponing Tips
A Few More Couponing Tips
Coupon Organization Revisited
How I Shop: A Tutorial for Saving on the Basics

And be sure to read Heather's great coupon tips, too!

Happy Saving!

Search the Internet and Earn Free Stuff

As a stay-at-home mom with three little ones at home, I'm always looking for new ways to bring in what my husband affectionately refers to as "foldin' money."

I've already done quite a simple few things to make money online.

And now I've started using a new resource: SwagBucks. SwagBucks is a website that pays you "digital dollars" every time you search the internet using their search engine. You can cash in your digital dollars for everything from Amazon and Target gift cards to merchandise like Nintendo games.

I wasn't going to sign up for SwagBucks, because I really don't have any free time in my day... but then I thought about all the internet searches I do over the course of a week, and thought that at least my surfing could have some benefits to it.  And SwagBucks is free and easy to use.

I was also inspired after reading Chief Family Officer's review of SwagBucks, and I've been reading My Good Cents' success with SwagBucks, too.

If you're interested in trying it out, sign up here. I'm enjoying it so far. Hopefully I'll be on my way to my first Amazon gift certificate soon!

Save $10 off $40 Purchase at Walgreens

Another week, another coupon from Walgreens!

Print this coupon for $10 off a purchase of $40 at Walgreens or more and use it to take advantage of some of the super great deals and a big money-maker deal.

The coupon is only good this Friday, Sept. 12 and Saturday, Sept. 13, only. This could also be a good time to stock up on this month's free after rebate items.

Free Starz Channels on DirecTV

DirecTV is having a free Starz Preview this weekend, starting Thursday Sept. 11 and running through Sunday, Sept. 14.

There are a total of 12 movie channels that will be FREE this weekend on DirecTV, including 4 Starz, 2 Encore and 6 Encore theme channels.

I took a quick peek at my guide and I see a few movies we're interested in watching: No Country for Old Men, Dan in Real Life, and Super Bad. I haven't looked at all the Encore listings yet to see what's there.  I'll also be looking for shows we can watch with the kids.

Whenever we get a free movie preview weekend on DirecTV, I like to record as many movies as possible on our DVR, so that we don't have to pay to rent movies during the cold winter months. It's one of several ways we save money with our DVR.

How to Raise a Materialistic Kid

Take one 3-year-old boy (the first grandchild on either side of the family).

Add a doting extended family.

Add stubborness and difficulty adapting to change.

Add parents desperate to potty train the boy.

And now you've gotten the situation we're in right now.

Our potty training efforts actually started many months ago... many months before he turned three. Our H-man was extremely stubborn, and would not even SIT on the potty. There were so many screaming fits, we backed off.

We tried putting him in cloth training pants, but the fight continued. We tried to let him go naked. We tried to bribe him with cookies, candy, chips... still, the tantrums continued. We started using Pull-ups, which were just like glorified diapers to him.

And one day, we tried giving him a "potty prize." If he peed on the potty, we would give him a Matchbox car.

And it worked! He would RUN to the potty and pee instantly! It was GREAT.

Until he started getting picky.

"I want two cars."

"I don't want that car."

We started to resort to wrapping up the potty prizes. He liked the element of surprise, but he would still sometimes reject a potty prize because he wanted a smaller or larger one! (Not only is he stubborn, but he's smart, too!)

And as he got better at this little manipulation of Mom and Dad, he also got Grandma and Grandpa hooked in too. Soon his collection of cars and trucks was huge.

And our wallets were getting rather thin. The kid was still having accidents in his Pull-ups, still refusing to poop in the potty, and now we were spending $150 to $200 a month to just get him to pee in the potty. And the H-man had figured out the system!

Ugh.

So we knew we were going to have to wean him off the potty prizes. I created a cute little potty training chart featuring Blue from Blues Clues in one corner and a present in the other. H-man would have to earn five "clues" (or pawprints made with a rubber stamp) to get a prize. To earn a pawprint, he would have to stay dry AND use the potty.

This worked beautifully! He had one day last week with only ONE accident and actually stopped playing at the Burger King play place and yelled "Mama, I need to get a pawprint!"

Aha!

And then we had a rough day with lots of accidents. And then Grandma and Grandpa took him to town with them and bought him a present just for using the potty.  They didn't even attempt the Blues Clues system!!

And then the materialism returned! You see, that little move made the H-man feel entitled to potty prizes every time he went. For the next three days, we had to FIGHT to even change him, let alone get him to go to the bathroom.

It has been a slow path back to the pawprint system, and H-man is starting to get back on track. I'm also learning that rewards don't have to be material things... they can be experiences like playing with a special toy, watching a video, or staying up a bit later.

I know he'll catch on to this potty training thing eventually, but I must admit, the frustration is getting to me.

You see, I have two other boys in diapers, too. I need H-man to get out of diapers.

But what I've realized from all this is that being a parent means making some expensive mistakes... sometimes financially (by buying Pull-ups and an insane amount of potty prizes), and also emotionally, too. I realize that if we're not careful, we will raise our son to be a materialistic kid who feels a misguided sense of entitlement.

I'm glad I'm learning from this experience.  Hopefully the next two will be a piece of cake to potty train!

Timing Counts When It Comes To Money

Often when we think of frugal living or saving pennies, we think of how to cut expenses. But sometimes it helps to take a good look at the timing of those expenses. It may not save you any money, but it can alleviate some of the stress of making ends meet.

First, start by getting yourself a calendar. Write the days you get paid on the month. Now, write down when monthly bills are due. Include your mortgage, car payments, student loan payments, credit card and utility bills. Don't forget to write down bigger, less frequent bills like car, home, and life insurance.

Take a good look at your calendar. If you see quite a few things all due at the same time, that could definitely contribute to some financial stress.

There's a way to fix this: simply call the company and ask to change your billing date. For example, you may find that it would be easier to pay your credit card bill in the middle of the month, rather than the beginning when your mortgage is due. Many companies are willing to make this change in order to better serve their customers. The worst they can say is, "no."

Pay attention to timing in other areas of your life, too. For example, my auto dealership has a deal where after you've paid for three oil changes, the fourth is free. We always schedule a tire rotation or other maintenance projects at the same time as the free oil change. That way the car maintenance expense is spread out a bit.


Stockpiling groceries and personal care items is also another example of a place where timing counts. You will save a lot of money if you can stock up on a sale so that you can make it to the next sale.

Great Deals at Walgreens

I had a really great shopping trip at Walgreens Sunday.

Here's what I got:

3   bottles of Robitussin DM Cough Syrup
2   24-ct bottles of Tylenol PM
1   Jumbo Pack of Pampers
3   boxes of 120-ct Kleenex
4   8.5 oz packages of Chex Mix
4   Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubber Starter Kits

Total out of Pocket after register rewards: $11.19

I saved $61.84!!!

I put together these deals with manufacturer coupons from the Sunday papers, Walgreens Coupons, Register Rewards, and printable coupons.  I'll also be turning sending in a mail-in-rebate for one of the Scrubbing Bubbles Action Scrubbers (form was in the Sunday paper a few weeks ago), so I'll get another $3.79 back.  So after that rebate, I will have only spent $7.40.  I LOVE these kind of shopping trips!

I followed the deals outlined on Money Saving Mom. There are also a lot of great FREE after mail-in-rebate items this month at Walgreens. You can check out this month's Easy Saver Catalog here.

Common Sense With Money also reported that she found the Magic Bullet on Clearance for $15, but I didn't see it at my Walgreens. Still, it's worth looking for - Christmas is coming!

Have you been to Walgreens yet? Get any great deals? Please brag!

Monthly Budget Review

August wasn't a great month for us budget-wise. We spent more of our "discretionary" income than we should have.

We did get a new chest freezer, which will help us stockpile and save on our energy costs. I'd also been desperately trying to finish my twins' first year scrapbooks, and ended up having to buy THREE rounds of ink cartridges this month to print out all the pages (yes, I was that behind). I love my printer, but man, is it an ink hog!

On a more positive note, we did eat out a lot less in August than we had been.  I attribute this to two things: being broke, and the fact that my husband went back to his teaching gig, so we haven't had as much time.  

I'm proudest of the fact that I didn't spend very much money on household items or personal care items this month... only about 1/3 of what I spent the month before.  I have a pretty big stockpile of stuff right now, and plan to make that last awhile.

My total coupon savings for the month was $182.44. Not too shabby.  Thanks to the great coupons in the All You magazine from Walmart, I was able to get a quite a few things for free.

I was also able to sell a few things via eBay, and we got a few rebate checks from previous purchases.

This month will mark the first full month my husband is back at work, so my goals are to work on cooking more and eating out less, and to better organize my stockpile so that I can keep track of what I have. I also plan to list a few baby Halloween costumes and winter clothing.  I am also going to try taking some of the kids clothing to a consignment shop to see if I like that better than eBay.

How was your August?  What kinds of goals have you set for September?

Winners of Scrubbing Bubbles Contest

Wow. You guys must really hate cleaning your toilets! I had 350 people vying for a chance to win a box of Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel.

I used Random.org to randomly select two winners.... and they are....

Melissa        
and
Sarah

I have e-mailed the two winners.  The winners have 48 hours to get back to me and claim their prize... otherwise it goes to someone else! 

Thanks to all who entered!

You can still get a coupon for $1 off Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel here.

And of course, you can always use a more frugal alternative, like Make It Yourself: Toilet Bowl Cleaner from Michelle at Leaving Excess.

Free eBook: What to Buy at Thrift Stores to Sell on Ebay for Profit

I know that as a stay-at-home mom, so many of us are looking for ways to simplify our lives and make a little spending money.

So you may want to download your free copy of the 11-page ebook What to Buy at Thrift Stores to Sell on Ebay for Profit, written by Suzanne Wells of eshopowner and eBay Selling Coach.

Her e-book outlines easy-to-follow strategies for finding the best quality products in thrift stores that can be resold. Even if you're not at all interested in eBay, this free e-book has some great thrift-store shopping techniques for anyone interested in saving money.

Happy Reading!

Get Free Goodies from SC Johnson

Sign up for the Right@Home e-newsletter from SC Johnson and get access to FREE money-saving tips, coupons, recipes, free samples, contests and more. 

This used to be called the Clean Home Journal, so if you've already subscribed, you know it's a great resource for all kinds of goodies. 

Reminder: Giveaway Ends Tonight

Just wanted to remind you that there's still time to enter for a chance to win one of two boxes of Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel.

Be sure to read the original post with the rules and fill out the form here to enter!

I'll be picking 2 winners in a random drawing after 8 p.m. (CST) tonight!

Free Issues of Hunting and Fishing Magazines

Editor's Note: Sorry folks... this deal is no longer available.

Know a hunter or fisherman in your life? Well you can get free issues of North American Hunter and North American Fisherman.

Try a 30-day FREE trial of North American Fisherman and get a free issue of North American Fisherman magazine, an opportunity to test and keep FREE fishing products,
full access to the Club website, access to giveaways, tips and techniques from other members, club e-newsletters, books, videos and more.

Once the trial is over, you can continue it for just $1/month or you can cancel and keep the issues you've already received.

The 30-day FREE trial of North American Hunter is similar. You get a free issue of North American Hunter magazine, a chance to test and keep hunting products, access to the Club website, opportunities for giveaways, club e-newsletters and more.

You can continue your subscription after the 30-day trial is up for $1/month, or you can cancel it.

Get a Coupon For Yo-Plus Yogurt

I must admit, I'm not a huge yogurt fan... but anytime I'm on an antibiotic, I have to eat it to get back to normal. (Sorry for too much information!)

Anyway, my yogurt of choice is the cranberry-raspberry flavor of Yo-Plus. It tastes pretty good and has the right combination of probiotic cultures and a natural fiber. Yo-Plus is also a good source of calcium, fiber, Vitamin A and Vitamin D.

You can get a coupon for $1 off a four-pack of Yo-Plus Yogurt here. I can usually find these for about $2.20 at Walmart, so the coupon makes it a great deal!  Be sure to print it twice!

Free Sample Pledge Multi-Surface Wipes

NOTE:  Sorry, Folks!... This offer is no longer available!

Okay, I am super excited about this free sample of Pledge Multi-Surface Wipes... I LOVE Pledge Multi-Surface! So much so that I actually called SC Johnson and told them I loved it. (I'm a nerd that way!)

This stuff is great for getting crusted food off my dining room table, and yet it can also be used to wipe fingerprints off of mirrors. Brilliant!

Get your free sample here! In addition to the sample, you'll also get a coupon for $1 off any Pledge Mult-Surface product.

Caribou Coupons Keep on Coming

There were so many Caribou Coffee Coupons recently, that I thought it would be awhile before we saw any new ones.

But I was wrong! Here is a coupon for $1 off any large beverage at Caribou Coffee and a coupon for $2 off a one-pound bag of coffee beans. These offers are good in-store only and expire Sept. 14.

There is also a coupon for $1 off any size new Fall beverage (includes Pumpkin Cooler and Wild Pumpking).  This coupon expires Sept. 7.

Reflecting on a Year of Budget Billing

I've just completed my first full year of being on my electric company's budget billing plan.

Here's how it works. When you sign up, the utility takes the total amount you paid them for the year and divides it by 12. They then use this number as an estimate for your monthly bill. The perk to this program is that your power bill is exactly the same every month, no matter how much electricity you've used.

Every August, looks at what the actual readings versus what you have been paying each month. Depending on your useage, the utility may owe you a refund or you may owe the utility a sum of money.

This August we ended up with a bill of $362 after a whole year of paying $180 a month.

I have two good explanations for why we ended up short with the electric company. The first explanation has to do with how they estimate your usage. My electric company based its figures on 2006 numbers... before we added 2 more babies to our hosuehold. We are using a lot more electricity: doing laundry, running the dishwasher, up at night (rarely) and because I'm now a stay-at-home mom, I'm also using more power during the day than we used to.

The second explanation is that utility rates have gone up, and their estimates did not account for the increase.

I'm not really all that upset by having a large bill due. We've put away money in our savings expecting this bill. Essentially the power company gave me an interest-free loan all these months. I've actually made money by choosing budget billing because I'm earning interest on my money as it sits there.

Overall, I've been pleased with the peace of mind that budget billing brings. I know exactly what my power bill will be each month. It's much more convenient.

Have you used budget billing? What do you think of it?

Free Digitial Scrapbook Kit for Fall

One of my dearest college friends, Michelle, has just entered the world of digital scrapbook design with her new blog Shel Belle Scraps.

Check out her free kit, called Cornucopia of Colors, along with links to 50 other designers who collaborated with her on the project.

This is a beautiful collection of fall papers and elements. And they're FREE. Can't beat that!

Giveaway: Win a Box of Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel

Want a try the new Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel?

Well, now you'll have a chance to win a box!

I recently had a chance to try the Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel, and I thought it worked really well. It's pretty easy to use. After you clean your toilet, you install the gel disc under the toilet rim (don't worry there's an applicator!), and it keeps your toilet clean and smelling fresh for 7 days. (Actually, in my test, it was about 9 days, but the box claims 7). I'm pretty lazy about cleaning, so I like the idea of something that involves minimal work!

To win a box of Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel, simply enter your name and e-mail address in the form below to enter. Your e-mail is for notification purposes only. I promise I won't spam you!

Each box has 6 discs to help you keep your toilet fresh for weeks!

This contest will end at Friday, Sept. 5 at 8 p.m. (CST). I'll randomly choose two winners and notify you by e-mail if you've won. Please only enter once. Duplicate entries will be deleted.

You can also get a coupon for $1 off Scrubbing Bubbles Toilet Cleaning Gel here.

Good luck!

Happy Labor Day

I'm taking the day off from the blog to enjoy Labor Day with my family!

I'll be back tomorrow with more posts on all things frugal.

In the meantime, be sure to check out my freebies, coupons, and frugal living tips. If you've read all my stuff (you would be my hero, by the way!), then please check out some of the great resources I enjoy reading.

Have a safe and frugal Labor Day!