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.