$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?

Costco freebie

what is not to LOVE about Costco?

aside from the fact your home better have lots of storage because you just get 6 rolls of toilet paper, you get somewhere closer to 100 ... ok, maybe more like 30.

- AND -

if you have to REALLY like granola bars, because when you buy those, you'll have one everyday for a year and still not get rid of them.

luckily, I have 2 boys & 1 husband that LOVE to eat.

and eat.  and eat.

and then eat some more.

you could say Costco works for us!

my point to this post ...

Costco is giving away Smart Cooking: The Costco Way for FREE all weekend long ... or as supplies last.  its a cookbook with recipes using ingredients from Costco + some easy stuff you probably already have on hand ... that's what the foreward says anyway.

go get it, and then tell me what you make from it.

I don't know where to begin; ALL the pictures look delicious!

bon appetit!

9 of 30

I paid $4.75 for a gallon of milk tonight. $4.75!! and that was the SALE price.

now granted, that was at the smaller grocery store down the street. I had to run in for just a few things. normally we shop at Costco, where you can get a gallon of milk for $3.79. I can't remember how much I used to pay for milk, but I do know it was less than that.

at this store, I bought -

creamer, bananas, ice cream, milk, and some tea ... my total was just under $25.

ps. the ice cream and the tea is for our sore throats. not to be taken at the same time of course. we all have a little something of a cold happening.

yes, Hawaii is a tad pricey.

but I am thankful that I can buy that milk. no I'm not loaded with money. I will not be buying that regularly because that would make me insane.

but some people do have to always buy that milk. they can't get to Costco for the cheaper prices. some people really struggle to live here.

we haven't had any work yet come through since we've been here. seriously!

our needs are met somehow ... I say somehow like I don't know how.

its another sign that God is really there, controlling things.

thank you.

read more thank you's here. enjoy.

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!!

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!

dance dance dance

here is another major score I found at the goodwill the other day. Veggie Tales Dance Dance Dance. it's just like Dance Revolution, only it's Veggie Tales.

I think every arcade-type place has that game. I've seen some people that are REALLY good at it. it's fun to watch them go!

this has got easy, medium, hard, and expert. Sam's getting it; definitely needs practice. it's fun. he even made me try. I can do medium and I'm so-so on hard. I'm your typical white girl ... basically, I can't dance for anything!

it had the original price tag on it of $49.99. like I would ever pay that! I got it for $3.99, and it's in brand new condition. I wonder why whoever had it didn't try to put it on ebay or craigslist; it's so easy to do. their trash, my treasure!

I'm telling ya, go check out your local thrift stores. you never know what you will find!

I love Target

they have great selections on everything.
the clothes and accessories are cute; stuff you'd actually wear. it's not just for children and teenagers, I swear.
good prices.
my Target is a Super Target (jealous?) so it's one-stop shopping.
I can bribe Sam to go with me by taking him to the toy section to play. other than that, he's learned that shopping with mama is pretty boring.

but the real reason I wanted to post a blurb about Target is their current sale. no, not a sale, a clearance!
I don't know if a new version of everything is coming out, or they over-stocked everything for Christmas and are clearing out. but who cares?! every department has those lovely orange stickers, and you can get some great deals!
I stocked up on clothes for Sam. I try to buy clothes ahead of time, so this time bought 5t everything. I got 8 or so shirts for him for $2 each, one was even a sweatshirt hoodie.
Elliott got a couple things too, but for the most part this kid will have all hand-me-downs. is that how it works for kid #2? no new clothes? poor guy. but I don't keep the stained, ripped, or the ones I'm sooooo sick of looking at because Sam like to wear it everyday.
anyway, go check out Target!

I should buy stocks or something; I spend all my money there.

by the way, for you bargain shoppers, their Christmas stuff is totally gone. seems to soon doesn't it?

thrity

I have a new love ... thrift stores!!
I haven't been in awhile, mostly because I have kids. you need patience and time to dig. having one child with me is very doable, and seeing how Elliott and I are still attached at the hip (actually the breast!) we go together, and then Sam gets to hang out with Papa for big boy stuff.

I'm somewhat of a cheapskate, but not stingy.
think about this - getting a something you want &/or need on sale, it always makes you feel good. and when you get something you love on clearance, it makes you feel even better, right? so for me, going to a thrift store and finding steal after steal is just AWESOME!

many times it's better than your average garage sale. when people are trying to sell their own stuff, it's suddenly worth a bit more than it should. at Goodwill or Salvation Army someone has already "thrown it away," so instead of it piling up our landfills even more, it's sold for dirt cheap.

today at Goodwill I got -
2 4t shirts .99 each
"newer" Evenflo high chair $15 ... not a steal, but definitely a good deal because it's still in great condition
3 Xmas tins .79 each
2 new & in the box scented drawer liners .79 each
2 hand towels for my bathroom .79 each
10 new aluminum pie pans for .89
2 games for Sam - Green Eggs and Ham (I had no idea that was a board game!) and Boggle for preschoolers 2.99 each

keep in mind that there are still items new in their original box there. more than you think. early Christmas shopping maybe? go check out your local thrift store, because you never know what you'll find!

want pictures? maybe next time I'll show you my treasures, as I will be heading back again soon!

love craigslilst?

look what I've found - kijiji.com

I check craigslist.com often.  I've gotten some great deals from there and some free stuff too.  if you're into bargain shopping like I am, you ought to check it out.  enjoy!