Need Ideas

I have tons of packs of tuna, I've gotten for free. I was hoping some of you could help me. You see I need some recipes to use it up. So any ideas would be welcomed.

More Home Projects

Frugal Chick and I have put hardwood floors in our house, installed tile in three rooms, painted several rooms, refurbrished and repainted outdoor funiture and taken on many other projects. We have talked for some time about putting up a wooden fence in our backyard. We watched videos on it and listened to advice from people that had done it themselves. In the end we went with a professional. Our yard is on a fairly steep slop and we were unsure how uniform we could have made the fence. We both believe in doing it ourselves and saving money, however, neither of us believe in sacrificing quality just to save a few bucks. If you can do it yourself it is the right and responsible thing to do. Another responcible and adult thing is knowing when a job exceeds your limitations.

Just a little shopping

This is what I got at Publix this week for $48.00.

The items I got at CVS. I know I made money on this weeks order.

Tip on Tuesday

Dawn is an amazing product. Not only does it do a wonderful job cleaning dishes - it also removes grease from clothing.
Sunday, I got grease all over a brand new pair of short and Dawn took it right out. Next time you think you have ruined a piece of clothing with grease - try a little Dawn on it.

I haven't forgotten you

Sorry about the lack of deals posted lately. Accounting Dude and I have been busy working in the yard. It took us several nights to put together this tent. Then we have planted a few shrubs and other items. After we come in I'm just to tired to post anything. I hope to get better at posting again next week.

Mothers' Day and Menu Monday

Monday: Grilled Salmon, Green Beans, and Baked Potato

Tuesday: Fish Sticks and Mac & Cheese (Didn't get to eat this last week.)

Wednesday: Breakfast

Thursday: Pork Stir Fry (Didn't get to eat this last week.)

Friday: Sunday School Social

Saturday: I have know clue.

The picture below is what I got my mom for mother's day. She loved it. I think it is pretty cool and my have to go get myself one sort of like it.

Menu

Monday - Tuna Helper

Tuesday - Turkey for 2 and mashed sweet potatoes

Wednesday - Fish Sticks and Mac & Cheese

Thursday - Pork Stir Fry

Friday - Eat Out

This isn't a very exciting week of dinners, but they are all easy and in the freezer which is even more important.

Outdoor Gazebo

After spending 2.5 hours putting together our new gazebo, which I used my birthday money to pay for, a very important piece broke. The small center hub which holds the canopy. At first we got frustrated then we thought about it. Our first solution was take the part back to the Home Depot and see if they could exchange it for a new one. That didn't happen...they were sold out of our model in the district.
Before our last resort which was take down the entire thing and take it back to the Home Depot we called the manufacture and they are sending us a replacement part. The bad part is it will take 7-10 days for the replacement to get to our house.

In the mean time we have a half put together gazebo in our backyard. Sometimes - time is more valuable than money. I'm so glad we don't have to take this down and put a new one back up again.

Have you ever had a time when something like this happened to you? Was the item made right?

Tax Exemptions

If you are geting substantial money back from the IRS every year it means you are giving the Federal Government an interest free loan. I assure you they will not return the favor. The solution is to go to your employer and revise your W-4 form. This form can be downloaded from the IRS's website and by their standards is fairly easy to understand. There are several ways you can estimate the number of exemptions you should claim on your W-4 depending on charitable giving, mortgage interest, state taxes and income bracket. If you come up with a number you are not totally comfortable with simply back it down one expemtion. It is always an option to revisit your exemption status after the following tax year.

Earth Day Tips

Since it is Earth Day Frugal Chick and I decided to go over the things we do that save money and are also Earth friendly. I am by no means the most green person out there (just last week Frugal Chick and I argued over the use of Sevin Dust in our garden) but, I do consider myself a conservationist. Here are some of the things we do to save money and the Earth's resources.

We try to use energy efficient bulbs in our house and try to turn off unused lights and appliances. Frugal Chick makes our own detergent which does not have any harsh chemicals and is is much cheaper than store bought detergents. We installed a programable thermostat which really saves us energy late at night and during the day. Most programable thermostats have 8 hour cycles and weekend settings. Plants around your house provides oxygen to the air, looks good and cools your house. We have installed ceiling fans and have a space heater which helps cool and heat the house without using the energy drain that is the heat pump.

A few years ago our hot water heater died we purchased an energy efficient hot water heater. If you have the opportunity I would suggest (if price feasable) a solar powered water heater, a friend of mine had one in his old house and just raved about it. Another way to conserve water is by using low flow shower heads. We have used these for several years and there really is no dicernable differance. Our biggest energy and dollar conserver is carpooling (we work a couple of blocks apart and have the same work schedule), if you can possibly find someone to carpool with it will save both gas and cash.

As I stated at the begining I am not the greenest person out there, but I am a conservationist and there is another kind of green that I always like to save.

Block The Sun

When Accounting Dude and I first meet he already had a house and I lived in an apartment. So it made sense that I would move into his house. Well, lets just say that it was a man's house, and it was decorated by a man in his late 20s-early 30s. Meaning - big TV and white wall, not much more.So I had to make some changes. I started with the inside, but eventually moved to the outside.

You see this brick wall behind the azaleas gets nothing but afternoon sun beating down on it. For the longest time it had nothing in front of it until I realized that it would help our cooling cost if we planted something along that wall to help cool it. Azaleas are some of my favorite plants so that is what I choose. I know they don't look that big now, but in a few years I hope that they cover most of this wall and help with our cooling cost. So is there somewhere around your house that a few plants could help reduce your cooling cost?

Tip on Tuesday

To days Tip - Don't toss out pantyhose or knee highs that have a run in them re-use them to help your plants stand up straighter.

This strong, soft, and stretch material works great as a support without cutting into the plant.

Earth Week

This week won't be a normal week of saving and spending. This week we will be talking about different ways that Accounting Dude and I try to be green and save money while doing it. I'll let you know right off the bat we aren't the most green people out there, but we do try!
Up first this week;
The new trees we planted this weekend. We planted two pear trees. Actually, we got them at a really good deal. I'm a member of the Home Depot garden club. You should join if you aren't already a member because they send out some great coupons.
This club sent me a coupon to buy one tree get one free. Well, Home Depot didn't have pear trees and that is what I really wanted to plant. Like most cities Home Depot is right next to Lowes, so Accounting Dude and I drove to Lowes went in to customer service and asked them if they would match the coupon. The manager read the coupon several times and then said sure. So for $18.96 AC and I got two pear trees. Let me tell you we picked the two tallest and strongest looking trees they had.
We were prepaired for the manger to say no about the coupon, but we were pleasantly surprised when he said yes.
Now, we just hope that the trees will live and that in a few years we will have some fruit.

Tip on Tuesday

I had this wonderful tip I thought about sometime last week. Accounting Dude and I even talked about it, and now we both have forgotten what it was.

So moving on to our money saving tip that we can remember.

Yes, it involves The Home Depot. The other day we went there and purchased several things for our garden. Well, we ended up not using them. So we wanted to take them back, but we couldn't find our receipt. We had decided that is Home Depot would only give us a store credit we would be okay with that, but since we paid for them with our debit card Home Depot was able to look up our purchase price and give us the correct amount back in cash. Accounting Dude and I were so excited.

Money Saving Tip - When purchasing something a The Home Depot that you are not sure you want to keep and you are bad a keeping up with receipt pay with your debit card instead of cash.

Menu Monday

Our week is packed with activities so we, meaning Accounting Dude, decided to grill as much as possible for the week last night. So if there is a theme it is grilled meat. I wish the sides were that easy.

Sunday - Grilled chili cheese dogs and mac and cheese

Monday - Grilled Hamburgers not a clue about the side but I'm sure I can find something

Tuesday- Grilled Chicken with corn and green beans

Wednesday - Left over Chili cheese dogs and mac and cheese.

Thursday - Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup

Friday - Pizza and a Movie

Saturday - not sure it is up in the air because I may have a new niece.

Sunday - not sure about when my new niece will come.

CVS

I got all of this plus 3 cases of Diet Sunkist for around $12.00 plus I have $3.00 ECB to send next week.

Vegetable Garden

Frugal Chick and I love to garden, over the last four years we have planted cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes, squash, eggplants, peppers and various spices. Some of the things we have planted provided us with good fresh produce and some of the things we tried to grow did not pan out. We live in the South and some crops just can not take our heat. Growing fruits and vegetables are not always cheap. Seed, feed, fertilizer and when necessary herbicides have to be purchased. If you plant in the ground then you will need something to break and till the soil and if you use pots and hanging baskets those items will have to be purchased.

There is some trial and error to gardening and as I mentioned earlier there can be considerable start up cost, but once your garden takes off you will not have any additional cost except for watering. When you grow your own food there is also a sense of accomplishment that a supermarket does not provide. You will know exactly what chemical products were used on your vegetables when you grow them yourself.

It is very enjoyable to get outside and work in a garden, it helps to go outside and get away from our daily grind. I am not sure if we have saved much money by gardening, but I doubt we have lost much either. What we have gained is the knowledge of how to grow our own food, as well as, the peace of mind of knowing what is in it. I would highly recommend giving a garden a try for anyone who enjoys being outside or who enjoys their fresh fruits and vegetables.

Menu Monday

Sunday - Easter with Family

Monday - Rotel

Tuesday - Pineapple, Shrimp, and Bacon Pizza

Wednesday - Tacos - This has been on my menu for several weeks because I have purchased all the ingredients, but they keep getting bumped.

Thursday - Southwestern Spaghetti Pie

Friday - Eat Out

Saturday - Father in Laws Birthday

Tuesday Tip

Money Saving Tip - Enjoy some down time.
I know what you are thinking, How can downtime help you save money?

Well I'll tell you it will help you stay focused. I know that when we have down time we are more likely to eat at home and stick to our menu. We are also less likely to just want to go shopping.

Just remember down time also pays.

Weekly Shopping

Some how most of my receipts went missing this week. I don't know why, but this week I just don't have it together. So this is as best as I can remember.
CVS - Oral B Toothbrushes - $2.99 with $2.00 ECB
Used BO GO Coupon and $0.75 Oral -B Coupon
Puffs $.97
CVS Shampoo and Conditioner Free - $0.99 x4 - $1.00 x4 coupons
The coupon machine keeps spitting -$1.00 coupons out at me.
Used $2.00 in ECB and paid $1.81 OOP
Got Back $2.00 in ECB

Target - Pillow - $2.57
Revlon Nail clipper - $1.57
Minus Target Pillow Coupon - $
Revlon Target Coupon - $1.00
I know my total was less than $3.00 but I don't know exact amount.

Walgreen's - First Order - Dentex - $2.00 -$1.00 Coupon = $1.00 plus tax
Second Order - Dove Conditioner - $4.00 - $1.50
Runts $1.00 (need for Bunko loser gift)
Used $2.00 RR from first Order
Paid $1.50 plus tax and got another $4.00 back.

Publix - Still not getting along with them, but I still like them better than any other store in my area.
My total was $54.64 (A Little High for Me)
Savings Summary -
Vendor Coupon - $21.98
Store Coupon - $2.00
Special Price Savings - $26.97

Tips on Tuesday

Today's tip isn't that ground breaking, but I think it maybe something people don't think about a lot.

Buy One Get One Free Items - Yes I know we all like BOGOs, but my tip is when you don't need both items split it the cost with someone and split the items.

Example - This past weekend Toys R Us had a sale on movies BOGO Free. Well, I have been wanting to see the Princes and the Frog and my mother wanted a copy of the same movie for at her house for my nephew and soon to be born niece to watch. Well, I had been looking for a really good deal on it and hadn't come across one that was good for both of us. But this Toys R Us sale worked out great.

Two Movies for $19.99 plus I had a $5.00 off coupon made the movies $14.99. Then my mom and I split the cost making them $7.50 plus tax each. You really can't beat that price for Disney DVD. Plus I'll end up doing the mail in rebates so in the end we will each pay $2.50 for the movie.

So next time you see a Buy One Get One Free or Buy One Get One Half Off and you don't need the second one think about someone you could use the other item and split the cost.

Menu Monday

Monday - Jambalaya

Tuesday - Chili Dogs and Tator Tots

Wednesday - Tacos - on the menu last week, but we didn't eat

Thursday - Sloppy Joe's and Tator Tots

Friday - Anniversary Dinner

Saturday - Easter Celebration

Sunday - Easter Celebration

Target Deals

Target price matches items. So I took my Toys R Us Advertisement with me and they price matched it. So each movie were $16.99 each then target gave me another $10.00 off. So my total for all of these items were $10.38 with $2.76 of that being tax. So I really don't think I did that bad.

Car Payments

Frugal Chick and I drive an Eleven year old Altima and a Ten year old Mountaineer respectively. These cars obviously will not last forever. It is our plan to save up and buy one newish car by December. To this end we have been saving money every month to make this purchase.

If your car is paid for that is $400 plus dollars a month that can be used to pay down a mortgage or to invest in an IRA or to do something fun. Frugal Chick has not had a car payment since 2006 and I have not had one since 2004. Neither one of us could ever imagine going back to having to make a monthly car payment. If you see a car as an A to B mobile then believe me you do not want a car payment. I love not having to make car payments and look forward to the day when I can purchase my next vehicle with cash.

CVS 03-24-10

Well, it is that time again when allergies are in full bloom. So I was so glad that Zyrtec was on sale. This took three transactions.

First Order: Zyrtec - $18.99
- $3.00 Coupon
- $4.00 ECB
- $4.00 ECB
Total $9.89 plus I got back $7.00 in ECB

Second Order: Olay BodyWash 2/$12.00
-$1.00 Coupon
- $1.00 Coupon
- $ 7.00 ECB
Total $4.20 plus $5.00 back in ECB

Third Order: Glide Floss Picks $3.99
Colgate Toothpaste $3.99
- $0.75 coupon
- $1.00 coupon
- $5.00 ECB
Total - $2.03 plus $5.99 back in ECB

Some of you may be wondering how much I have left on the $100.00 gift card I purchased at the begining of the year. Well, it's $8.65. I haven't done as good as I would have liked but I'm still spending way less this year than last year. So I'm improving and that is all that counts. Right???

Publix 03-21-10

Tried a new Publix this week. It was a much better shopping trip. I didn't see much in the advertisment that I wanted so I ended up with mostly produce. I only used 3 coupons, and my total came to $40.10.

Menu Monday

I have been out with surgery since Thursday. So while I laid on the couch recovering I decided to look for new recipes and this is what I came up with...

Sunday - Pepperoni & Ravioli Supper, garlic bread and salad

Monday - Blue Cheese Turkey Burgers, baked beans, and corn

Tuesday - Chili-Lime Chicken, baked potatoes, and salad

Wednesday - Impossibly Easy Chicken & Broccoli Pie

Thursday - Left Overs

Friday - Eat Out

Saturday - Luau Tacos with Mexican Rice

Tuesday Tips

This tip really isn't a tip to save money, but more like a tip to save you time. Sometimes I have a hard time deciding what I need to do next. So it was suggested to me to write down things I want to get done both fun and work related and pick one out each night and do that activity. I think that this will be a great way for me to do more than the regular activities each night. This way I become more productive which allows me more time to go looking for deals.

Menu Monday

Monday - Spaghetti

Tuesday - Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes, Corn

Wednesday - Popcorn Shrimp and Teriyaki Noodles

Thursday - Jambalaya

Friday - Dinner out

I will be taking a few days off. Maw, my grandmother, has passed away. I hope to be posting again sometime next week.

CVS and Rite Aid

Rite Aid - Satin Care Shave gel - $1.99 - .55 coupon out of P&G from 2/07
Total out of pocket $1.44
Single Check Rebate - $1.00
Final Total $0.44

CVS -
First Order -Power Bar Energy Packs $1.50. I couldn't find the coupon that some people have.
Softsoap $4.99 -$1.00 Coupon from All You Magazine
Used $5.00 in ECB
Total $1.14

Got Back ECB $4.00 & $1.50

Second Order - Schick Quattro 4ct Refill - $8.99
Used $4.00 off Coupon
Used $4.00 ECB
Total $1.89

How To use up Bread

Sorry for such a bad picture, but I was hungry and I had just warmed up my Pigs in a Blanket. And I was ready to eat! As you can tell I also burnt the cheese on one of the hot dogs.

Okay, when I was a kid we didn't eat that much bread at our house. I don't know why we just didn't. Now that I'm married we don't eat that much bread at my house. It seems to be a cycle.

So I learned from my mom, who would use up the bread by making pigs in a blankets. Most people use cresant rolls, but we used bread because it would use up what we already had. As you can see it is pretty simple. She would take a hot dog, a piece of cheese and lay them on the bread diagnoly. Then she would use toothpicks to keep the bread wrapped around the hot dog. She would heat them in the oven for about 20 min at 350. I loved this for supper!! It went great with Mac and Cheese. You should have seen it the first night I told Accounting Dude that we were going to have Pigs in a Blanket and I pulled out a half a loaf of bread so it didn't go to waste. He was a little skeptical, but now he loves them.

So my frugal tip would be - Don't let the bread go to waste. To borrow a line from Taco Bell think out side of the bun or crescent roll as the case may be.

Menu Monday

I totally forgot that it was Monday. So I forgot to have my plan ready. I can't believe it is March 1st already. I'm hoping that the cold weather will go away soon and that we will be able to do more grilling and having lighter food. You know summer food. Food to me goes in cycles, and I am almost at the end of this winter cycle. I can't wait to have fresh herbs and vegtables. I can just taste the tomatoes and peppers that we grow.

Monday - Guy's Night Out/Frugal Chick is on her own

Tuesday - Catfish Nuggets - we have some left and I would like to get them out of the freezer. I think we will have a Knorr side with them. I have a few to many since they were on sale.

Wednesday - BBQ Pulled Pork Baked Potatoes. I know that this was on the menu last week, but we didn't get around to eating it. So it was moved to this week.

Thursday - Girl's Night Out/ Accounting Dude is on his own

Friday - Eat Out and hopefully go see Alice in Wonderland

Saturday - Eat Out

Sunday - Slow Cooker Lasagna

Publix

This is what I got at Publix tonight. My Total with tax was $37.44. Plus I have my Jennie O Rebate to send in.

Saving Summary

Vendor Coupons $20.29
Store Coupons $6.35
Special Price Savings $35.65

Your Savings at Publix $62.27

I had a good savings at Publix, but I had one of the worse cashiers. I will call her Coupon Questioner Carol. Every coupon I had she questioned and numerous times she made me pull items out of my bag and show her before she would scan my coupon. This was a total pain. I mean didn't she just scan the item. But she really got me when I gave her a free item coupon for some Oreo Cakesters. It had a value of $3.29 and Publix was selling them for $3.39. She said to me "The coupon is only for $3.29 and we charge $3.39" I said, "Okay, just give me the $3.29" She said, "But they won't be free" After I was totally frustrated, "I said I'll just pay the 10 cents." She shrugged and finally a gave me the coupon.
After the dealing with all of this I handed her $29.00 in cash and told her I would pay the rest with my debt. After I handed it to her she just stood there looking at it. Finally, She said "this is only $29.00" I said, "I know I want to pay for the rest with my debt." It took her a moments to figure out how two do a transaction with two types of payment.
Needless to say I was so ready to leave Publix. I usually love my trips to Publix, but tonight I felt like I was being questioned as a cheat and not respected as a customer. This was some of the worst customer service I have every had a Publix. My husband and I figure we spend about $4,000 a year there, and we would like to be treated as if we are good regular customers. I know that if this was my first trip to Publix it would definitely be my last.

White Bean Chicken Chili

I got this recipie from http://www.fairhopefoodie.com/. And it was easy and excellent.
We used:
2 chicken breast
4 cans of white beans
2 cups shredded cheese
1 large jar of salsa

Put in the crockpot and cook all day.

This is excellent and I will definately have it again.

Contessa Jambalya

On Fat Tuesday Accounting Dude and I decided to eat something with a New Orleans flair. We had a bag of Contessa Jambalaya in the freezer which became our dinner. This was our first time trying this and it was wonderful. Accounting Dude said he could definitely have it again. It was super easy to make which is always a bonus in my book. I love to cook there are just some night that if I can get the meal on the table in less than a half hour I'm doing great. We both had one complaint there wasn't enough meat, but this is something that is probably better for us. It is something the bagged meals are always short on. Overall it was a good meal and something I would buy again. I'll just have to watch for coupons and BOGO at Publix.
Note - I was in no way compensated for this post.

Christmas Club Account

I love Christmas it is truly my favorite time of the year. I love giving and receiving gifts. I enjoy the four Sundays of Advent and the Candlelight Service on Christmas Eve. I like Christmas Trees and decorations in other words I really like Christmas. I also like to stay out of debt and that is why Frugal Chick and I plan for Christmas.

We plan our Christmas in such a way that credit card companies do not leave something extra special under the tree for us in January. First we list all of the people we buy gifts for and using past experience we estimate the amount we expect to spend on them for Christmas. We also try to estimate purchases of Christmas Cards, decorations, wrapping paper, lights and miscellaneous items we expect to buy for the coming Christmas Season. We add all of these items together and divide by 11. Do not try to set money aside in December, if you are like us it just does not work. This is the monthly amount we save for Christmas expenditures. Make sure this monthly set aside works within your monthly budget.

Realize most banks have done away with Christmas Club Accounts; however, our recent recession has caused a few of them to revisit this policy. If your bank has a Christmas Club account utilize it, if they do not simply open a new savings account (one with no fees) and use it for all of your Christmas transactions. If the bank limits the transactions in this account simply move the money from savings to checking once every two weeks during the Christmas Season. Or you could open a separate checking account and only use that debt card for Christmas purchases. The trick is you have to keep it out of sight and out of mind so as not to be tempted to use it during the year. In other words REMOVE it from your wallet except for November and December.

We have found that planning for Christmas purchases makes it a much less stressful time of the year. It allows us to enjoy making purchases for those we love without worrying about how to pay for them. Our Christmas financial plan also allows us to give money during the Holidays to those who are in need and to perform random acts of kindness. Next year during November and December have a merry and frugal Christmas.

Begging at Restaurants

No, I may be cheap, but I don’t beg outside of a restaurant. I was wondering how you handle it when people come up to you asking for money or for food. Do you give it to them or do you keep on walking? I’m asking this because yesterday Accounting Dude and I went to Arby’s for lunch.

There was a man walking in the parking lot going from car to car asking for money to buy food. I felt lucky because he didn’t ask me on our way in the restaurant, but he was right there when we came out. At first I just kept on walking, but his repeating how hungry he was over and over again got to me. No, I didn’t give him money, I offered to by him food.

Our conversation went something like this…
Begging Man – Can I please have some money I’m Hungry (grabbed his stomach for affect)?
Frugal Chick – No, I won’t give you money, but I will buy you a meal.
Begging Man – But I’m hungry. I need money.
Frugal Chick – I am more than willing to buy you anything on the menu. We will go inside and I will buy you whatever you want, but I won’t give you money.
Begging Man- (thinks about it, even walks towards Arby’s.) then says to me that’s okay thanks.
Frugal Chick – That’s okay, but I’m willing to buy you food.

Begging Man turns around and starts asking the people in the drive thru for money. I am sure the guy was hungry. I’m also sure whatever he wanted the money for he wanted more than food.

After we got in the car Accounting Dude said that I had a good answer for him. I didn’t think of it as just a good answer I really did want to buy him food. I was willing to go into Arby’s and buy him whatever he wanted on the menu, but he didn’t take me up on my offer.

So that leads me back to my question – What do you do?

CVS (02-21-10)

Slow week at CVS.
I got these 3 toothbrushes for $3.99 each for a total of $11.97.
I had 2 - $1.00 coupons and 1 - $0.75 coupon.
Also had $5.00 CVS Bucks.
Making my total $5.42.
I also got $5.00 ECB back

Tips on Tuesday - Free Plants

My tip for today is - Don't buy plants when you can transplant them.

My friend/co-worker came into work yesterday saying she dug up a bunch of bulbs that had pretty much taken over her backyard. As we talked I asked her what she was going to do with them. Her answer was trash them. I had wanted to do a flower bed and these would work perfect, mostly because they were free. After eating dinner Accounting Dude and I headed over to her house and selected the bulbs we wanted. It will be this weekend before we plant them, but we were both so excited about getting them before they went in the trash.

This is half the pile of plants that were dug up.

These were a few of the ones we took. Next time you see your friend or neighbor digging up there plants ask if you can have a few. You may want to offer to help them dig up the plants in exchange.

Menue Monday

Sunday - Lunch - Firecracker Shrimp Quesadillas with Corn
Dinner - Leftovers
Monday - Pigs in a Blankets with Mac & Cheese
Tuesday - Breakfast - Eggs, Toast, Bacon, & Hash browns
Wednesday - Tuna Helper
Thursday - Left Overs
Friday - Eat Out
Saturday -?

New Ties

JC Penney's has some great clearance items. I would have probably got more, but Accounting Dude was along and he hates to shop. I did get these two ties for him. They were both $2.97 a piece. A great deal for men's ties. Accounting Dude has a bad habit of wiping his glasses on his ties and snagging them. So I try not to pay more than $5.00 for a tie. At $2.97 I really wish they would have more that we liked.

Food For Thought Friday

Okay I know that this is not exactly food, but since I have never eaten this candy before I thought I would share my opinion on it. My opinion is that it isn't very good. If you like Sour Patch Kids you won't like these. They really didn't have much taste, and what taste they did have wasn't sour. They tasted like bland gummies with a texture. I love Wonka candy - Just don't like these. I'm so glad that I had a coupon making them free because I would be mad if I had spent any money on them. If you have tried them let me know what you think of them?
This is what they look like.

This is what the bag looks like.

Wonka had nothing to do with this post.

Frugal Travel Tips

Frugal Chick and I love to travel. If you have the love of travel and the love of saving here are a few tips we have found helpful.

1. Plan your trip in advance there are substantial discounts for airlines, hotels and cruise lines for booking well in advance. Part of planning in advance includes looking online for deals to your favorite destinations, sign up for newsletters etc… to reputable sites. Disney, SmartVegas, and Carnival send us updates on deals all the time.

2. When time and distance permit travel by car, the cost is substantially less than flying. When traveling by car you do not have to deal with the TSA, baggage cost are not an issue, limits on toiletries are not an issue and your luggage does not go missing or get destroyed.

3. Save money for your trip, set aside a few dollars every month until you have enough to take your trip. All the change we collect during the year goes into our travel fund. This is not enough to pay for a major trip, but it certainly helps with gas and food. Also, as we stated in a previous post if a second job can be used to fund a trip that always helps.

4. Always assume that there will be hidden cost when traveling. A vacation is much like tile or hardwood flooring if your house needs 400 square feet of tile you would probably buy 450 square feet of tile. We have been to Disney World, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Maui, Hilton Head, New Orleans and on a Caribbean Cruise. The only time our budget was even close was on the Cruise. When traveling you will eat more extravagantly than you expect to, you will buy more trinkets than you intend to, you will go to shows and events not on your schedule and you will upgrade despite knowing better. I feel that adding twenty percent to your expected budget is not at all over doing it for a big trip. Travel should only be done after you have established an emergency fund and paid of all major debt excluding your home. Travel with the confidence that when the trip is over the fun memories and enjoyment will come home with you instead of the bill.

Bahamas

Hawaii

Tips on Tuesday

I know what you are thinking - What do pillows have to do with saving money?

Well, in my town we have a decorator fabric store and they have a bargain basement. Not a store you would expect to have a bargain basement. It has a bind of $1.00 sample squares. So for $8.00 in fabric I made 4 pillows.
Do they match? No, but sometimes I get lucky and they have two matching squares.
Is the material way more expense than I could have bought at full price? Yes Some of the fabric I used was a round $20.00 a yard.
Do I worry about them getting ruined? Not really because as my taste changes I can go back and get something else or if they get stained I don't have that much in the material.
Actually, one of the ladies at the store questioned me about what I was going to do with all of my squares. When I told her I was going to make pillows, she replied with that is a good idea.

So my tip is - Even if the store looks to expensive to go into. Go any way because you don't know if they have a bargain basement filled with wonderful gems.

Menu Monday

Monday - Crock pot ribs ( Kraft BBQ Sauce, 1 Packet McCormick's Chili Sauce, and Some Pineapple Juice to thin the BBQ Sauce) Mashed Potatoes and Corn

Tuesday - Jambalaya

Wednesday- Steaks, baked potato and salad (this was on the menu last week, but we didn't get to make them)

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday- Eat Out

Saturday - Lunch - Chicken Nuggets
Dinner - BBQ Pork Sandwiches & Fries

Sunday - Lunch - Out
Dinner - Soup and Sandwich

Happy Valentine's Day

I wanted to show you an inexpensive Valentine's Day decoration. I made this out of felt which is reasonably priced even when not on sale. I just cut out hearts and then sewed them together. Just made my living room a little more festive.

Accounting Dude and I had a nice Valentine's Day today. We even went "Cheap" this year. I had a coupon and gift cards for Red Lobster. So we went there for lunch. All we had to pay for there was our tip. Then we went and saw Valentine's Day which was an okay movie. We only had to pay for one ticket because I had a coupon for one free ticket. Then we saved even more by going to the Matinee and we didn't purchase any popcorn or drinks. I know it didn't cost that much, but I really enjoyed my Valentine's Day with my Valentine.

Food For Thought

Let me start out by saying today has been unusual because I had a SNOW DAY. Lets just say we don't get many of those in Alabama.

I did want to share with you a new product I just tried this week. Sunday we went to a SuperBowl part and we were asked to bring something. Well, Heluva Good dip was on sale at Publix and I had a two coupons making them free. I got two tubs of French Onion dip and we ate a lot of it at the party and what we didn't eat that night Accounting Dude and I ate the rest until we ran out of chips. I loved how creamy it was. The flavoring was just right, and it has a cool name. I will definately get this again.

I have in no way been paid for this post.