$1 store

I have a new love for the $1 store.  When I was in Hawaii last year, there were no $1 stores!!  what is a cheap frugal mom to do?!

The one in my neighborhood is a bigger one.  love that.

here are my usuals - 

1 gal of Crystal Geyser water ... now I have seen this for .88 @ SaveMart BUT its very rare.

SUN powder detergent ... I have seriously gotten 10 loads from 1 box.

Soft Soap ... the individuals, not the refill bottles.  I normally buy this soap at whatever store I'm shopping at; it works the best for my drying hands.

Suave kids shampoo/body wash 2 in 1

raspberry popsicles ... 8 in a box.  yum.

sweet potatoes fries ... I have attempted to make these from scratch and they NEVER turn out right, so I have decided just to buy them from now on!

individual raisins boxes ... perfect for school lunches.

they had great school supplies there too ... notebooks, rulers, pencils, erasers, folders, pens, and lots more. 

a broom!  ... only bought one so far

did you know the $1 store has a CLEARANCE section?!

most of it is returned merchandise without the original packaging.  everything is .25 - .75 in there!!

what do you buy from the $1 store?

15 & 16 of 30

I'm losing it ... I've missed another day. no excuse. lazy, perhaps? probably.

I am thankful for the online groups, the tweets, and the blogs I have that give me coupons, deals, and freebies.

that's worth 2 days, right?

I sign up for freebies all the time. it takes awhile to get to me in Hawaii, but still, well worth it. I honestly don't do it to try new products, I do it because they're FREE!! I have a cheap side and so I absolutely LOVE when I get these in the mail. there are too many to keep track of, so I simply sign up for all of them whenever I see them, and they get here when they get here.

coupons take awhile to sort through & organize. in fact, I still don't really have a system. (any help there would be appreciated) but I go through and print what I know I'll use right away; again, I'm not organized enough to print and save them for when those items go on sale ... see, I need to develop my cheap side even more. still, it helps. every little bit helps.

A quick shout out to these awesome ladies (& gents?) who make a difference for lazy moms like me ...

• The Savalots
• Penny Pinching in Paradise
• Free Snatcher
• Hey It's Free!
• Free Sample Freak
• All You

often they all post the same thing, but sometimes they don't to.

I tell ya, I get more products for that time-of-the-month than anything else ... but I'm ok with that. and of course, when you get a sample in the mail, a coupon is bound to be there too!

when you do this, MAKE SURE you don't put your regular email address on their forms. you will get TONS of useless junk ... unless of course you want to feel special by receiving 100+ emails everyday ... but I don't think you do.

if you have other sites that help save you time & money, let me know.

THANK YOU!

read more thank you's here ...

mom to mom

moms are always looking out for other moms with advice & referrals, and apparently even if your kids are grown, you don't lose that ... I thought I'd share what my mom found for me. please pass it on to the other moms you know.

* do you live closer to the mall than the library? guess who has a story time?

* and while you're at the mall check out Sears ... you shop Sears? if not, here is a good reason to start.

ps. thanks mom!

around the world, literally

you love to travel?
you enjoy working and/or volunteering?
like meeting new people?
do you know other languages? or want to learn?

in college, I loved the idea of all the internships that were offered. to go wherever and live in another culture, but you had to make it a part of your major somehow, and usually you could.
coming to this point in my college career where I could begin to take the necessary steps to do this, Matt and I were surprised with becoming pregnant, which pretty much burst that bubble. God had a different adventure in mind for us. :)

so what I found is similar to what colleges do, but for anyone willing. all you have to pay for is getting there, then you work for your room and board. they say 5 hours of work a day will pay for your room and board for the day.
there are ALL kinds of work available; there is babysitting, housework, ranching/farming, special projects ... all kinds of stuff. AND this is worldwide!! check it out!

I saw this and instantly thought how cool to do this for a vacation instead of paying a bazillion dollars at Disneyland or wherever ... and I say that probably because I've been to Disneyland a hundred times, but what I mean going somewhere touristy. in my opinion, what a great way to show the world to your family, give back, learn & live in other cultures, and have experiences you'd never forget. right?!
it says there is no age minimum or maximum, but it does want you to register as an individual or as a team of 2, friends or husband & wife.
not that I really thought Elliott would get much work done! but definitely when my boys are older and can do some actual work, I will be signing us up. I'm already excited!

thrift or retail?

I am to a point in my bargain hunting that paying retail is for suckers. really. you can buy just about everything you need at thrift stores. and yes, you can find stuff in good, and even great, condition. clothes, toys, books, home decor of all kinds, and then there is a bunch of stuff you don't need or want

it's truly amazing what you will find. sometimes it's SO ugly you can't believe someone actually wore it, or displayed it in their home. then other times it's amazing people just get rid of something so perfect ... and that's where I like to come in.

now on the other hand, there are some things you just have to go buy and pay retail. a few years ago, I paid $20 for a can opener. a can opener! ridiculous, I know.

3 years ago, I wasn't quite into my thrift stores as I am now, but I am glad I did it. it is THE BEST can opener ever. and after 3 years, I guess I got my money's worth already.

today I went to Bed Bath & Beyond. what an awesome store. but as I'm walking around, and noticing these prices, my jaw drops. it seems insane to pay these prices, all the time, for this kind of stuff. I suppose for someone where money isn't an issue, then who cares. we aren't as broke as last year, but I will not give up my thrift stores no matter how much we make. seriously. it's my therapy, I guess.

but I did buy a veggie steamer for $10 at Bed Bath & Beyond. I had one of those cheap metal ones; it broke, multiple times. I broke down and bought a silicone one. LOVE IT. another item worth every penny.

try your local thrift store first. let me encourage you with my latest discoveries -

I'm finding out that kitchen gadgets are expensive brand new, but thrift stores don't seem to know what they have, or just don't care. I bought a zester, a pastry blender and a pair of tongs, all for .50 each. easily $20+ at any retail store.

books are another great thing to shop for there. they're usually in great condition. kids books on the other hand, usually beat up. but most books are .50 - $1 each.

seasonal items are also a good find. in retail stores, you don't get 50% off until days after the holiday. at thrift stores, it's already 90% off and you will also find a lot of it in it's original box.

also know that you are not only saving tons of money, but you're recycling too. a great lesson for yourself and your kids!

in conclusion, I'm only a sucker when I have to be. :)

vista print

do you need business cards? return address stickers?

personalized stamps? mouse pads?

vista print is a great resource ... and cheap, let's not forget cheap!

I just had business cards made and received a coupon for my next order. just go to www.vistaprint.com/rals and you will automatically get 25% off your order at checkout. yay!

ps. if you opt for the slow shipment (I think it says up to 21 days) it will get to you in less than 2 weeks. mine did anyway.

just wanted to pass on some savings!!

anyone like me?

for anyone who loves to save a buck

and

for anyone who hates clipping coupons because you always forget to use them

and

for anyone who eats ... yes you!

along the lines of TJ Maxx and Ross, there are grocery stores that do that too.  they buy in bulk items discontinued, or items about to expire, or can with dents ... they buy imperfections with perfectly good food inside!

check out his link and find a store near you!

I went to one near me and saw cake mixes for 50 cents, salad dressing (full, normal sized bottles) for 60 cents, bottled water was 6 for 1 dollar, lots of spices, candy and snacky things, but I also found toys, diapers, and paper goods.

now these are stores you do not go to with a list.  you have to go and shop for the good deals.  their stock changes constantly, so you have to take it while you can get it.  it's a great way to save on your grocery bills!

I scream, You scream

for ice cream of course!

you've probably heard this already ... but just in case you've been under a rock or something, let me give you some yummy news!

Baskin Robbins is having their 31 cent scoop night this Wednesday, 04/29.  click here to find a location near you.

whoo hoo, I'm there!

sweet tooth

specials for 4/21

who loves iced coffee?  

check out Dunkin' Donuts, iced coffee for 50 cents!

10% of every sale goes to supporting our troops.

who loves ice cream?

go to Ben & Jerry's  for a FREE scoop!

enjoy!

save your money

we all need to save money, especially now during these crazy economic times. I use a few websites for freebies all the time, and have gotten some good stuff.
the problem is if you're looking for something specific, you most likely will not find it. you have to take stuff when it becomes available, not necessarily when you want to have it. bascially it's like shopping at a thrift store, but online.

craigslist.com
there is one for every major city. once you find the listings for your area, check the FREE catergory daily. many people will try yard sales or even the classifieds to sell their stuff, but often times everything doesn't sell before having to move, so into the FREE catergory it goes! if you're on the other end and need to get rid of stuff, use this site. seems like everyone is a fan of craigslist!

freecycle.com
again, there is one for every major city. start at yahoo.com, click groups, then search for your city + freecycle. this site you need to check often because things go very quickly here. again if you need to get rid of stuff, list it here.

cheapcheapcheap.com
this site lets you in on good sales, gives you coupons, and has a FREEBIES catergory listed on the right side.

check your local thrift stores
I live in an area that has many thrift stores, along with military families that come and go frequently. sometimes there just isn't time for a yard sale, so it gets donated. for me that means good stuff is available almost every visit

again I say, you never know what you'll find!
and if you know of any freebies, please pass them my way!