Oct. 24, 2007
... SALE!! Supermarket Savings 101 eBook - $8.97 for 48 hours! ...
(click above to buy Crystal’s wonderful eBook program! $8.97 for 48 hours!)
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October 24, 2007
If you'd like to see the savings that I am now getting by using the methods in Crystal's eBook, click here. This month alone, I have brought home over $350 worth of product and made $10 in the process! Yep, over $350 of FREE stuff for my family ... you can't beat that!
Crystal has just posted this on her blog - I bought this eBook and it was a very good deal even for me!
“As a token of our gratitude, my husband and I decided we wanted to bless you all by offering our wildly popular Supermarket Savings 101 eCourse at half price for two days!
This online course contains step-by-step information on how to get started on a lifelong journey of drastically reducing your grocery bill.
If you’ve liked what you’ve read here, but didn’t really know where to start, you’ll love this eCourse.
If you just need an extra shot in the arm to continue pressing on with living within your means and sticking to a budget, you’ll also find this eCourse very helpful.
If you do pretty well with grocery savings but just enjoy getting extra hints and tips from another bargain shopper, you, too, will find this eCourse beneficial.
And at the incredible price of $8.97, this comprehensive course is a steal-of-a-deal!
Plus, when you order, you’ll receive six free money-saving ebooks, too!
Click here for more information and remember, this offer is only good for the next 48 hours!
This is a great price … take advantage of it while you can!
... Kris ...
Sep. 3, 2007
... !! $5.97 Supermarket Savings 101 Special - today ONLY !! ...
You have to get in on this offer …. TODAY !!!! The price is going up beginning tomorrow!
:: Click here to order yours TODAY!! ::
This course expands a great deal upon Crystal Paine’s ebook, Secrets to Supermarket Savings, giving more in-depth and step-by-step help for you to reduce your grocery bill. In addition to the large course handbook, this course package includes six audio lessons, six bonus money-saving ebooks worth almost $30, and access to a private members-only message forum.
Since I know all of you want to get good deals and stretch your hard-earned money as far as possible, my husband and I decided to offer a very special deal for this week only.
The retail price of this package is going to be $17.97, but we are starting it out at the rock-bottom price of $5.97 today, Monday, September 3, 2007. Every 24 hours until Friday, September 8, 2007, we will raise the price by $3.00 until it is up to retail price.
:: Click here to order yours TODAY!! ::
... Kris ...
Jan. 23, 2007
... INCREDIBLE $.99 Sale at Staples.com! ...
My wonderful and frugal friend, Tamara, alerted me to this awesome $.99 sale at Staples.com. I took advantage of this and saved 75%! If I had paid regular retail for everything I ordered (I did NOT order all of the items below though), I could only have purchased one of each of my chosen items. Now, all of my desks have tape dispensers and pencil holders and I have lots of little memo pads for writing out my to-do and grocery lists - LOL!
Here is what she emailed me:
"Staples has a new round of $0.99 items available. You must use "Order
By item number" link on top of their page and enter item number to get the price. If you go to the product and order direct it will give you the regular price.
Shipping is FREE for Staples Rewards members (free to join). I signed up for the Teacher one and nothing was required other than the normal info. (You will get an immediate number issued and then you can go shopping with the item numbers).
Note, you are limited to 4 of the same items per order, otherwise price goes to regular levels."
121715-RQ Plastic Clipboard, reg. $4.98
516098-RQ 10-pack Magnetic Pushpins, reg $3.28
607069-RQ Dry Erase Markers, reg. $3.28
458240-RQ Liquid Glue Pens, reg. $1.78
412783-RQ Hype Pen Style Highlighters, reg $2.98
130674-RQ Desktop Tape Dispenser, reg $2.68
199984-RQ Staples 3x5" Memo Books, reg $4.68
224147-T3 100-pack Push Pins (Colored) $0.85 (reg. $1.18)
504613-T3 Scotch Magic Tape 12.5 Yards, reg $1.39
412775-JJ Pen-style Highlighters
831610-JJ Metal Binder clips
121715-JJ Plastic Clipboard
906380-JJ Poly Transparent String Envelopes
607101-JJ Dry Erase Markers
486106-JJ CD/DVD sleeves
218420-JJ Incline Desktop File Rack
533539-JJ Poly Transparent Top-tab File folders
385752-JJ Black Wire Mesh Jumbo Pencil Holder
606117-JJ Comfort Stic Ballpoint Stick Pens
835819-JJ Economy Grade Masking Tape
199992-JJ Steno and Memo Books
906370-JJ Poly Transparent String Envelopes
462739-JJ Big Tab Write-on Dividers
634770-JJ Standard Page Flags
395197-JJ Premium 1 Hole Punch
130674-JJ Desktop Tape Dispencer
237610-JJ Unpadded Memo Slips
... Kris ...
Jun. 30, 2006
... It's Frugal Friday! Save money on car insurance and more! ...
Not many savings to share this week because I didn't go anywhere ... was a major homebody ... but I do have a few notes for the week. First off, since we paid off my husband's car a few weeks ago, I am rolling that car payment over onto my car payment so that we can get it paid off earlier. I was spending that money each month anyway, so by rolling it over, I won't even miss it! When I called the bank to ask how to make sure the extra gets applied to the principal, they offered me a chance to see if they could beat my current car insurance rates and so I had them give us a quote. It was a good move as it ended up saving us $200/year! Now, in a few years, we'll have to add a child onto our policy so whatever we can save now will be nice down the line. We get new quotes for our car insurance every 2-3 years and we are always able to find something cheaper. Take the time to get a few quotes - you might be surprised!
I read this message on my local co-op's message board and thought I'd pass it on in case it can help someone:
For those of you who have teens who are getting ready to drive, you understand that you should be sitting down when they give you the quote to add your "new" driver. It is astounding!!
You may also know that insurance companies offer discounts to "new" drivers. Our co. offers 3 such discounts.
1. Good grades- For homeschoolers, this means a current standardized test. Mom's grades don't count. However, it is worth having your child tested. If you are registered with an umbrella school they will probably be willing to send a letter or grades for you to qualify for a "Good student discount."
2. 30 trip log- The "new" driver drives 30 thirty minute drives and you keep a log book.(No difference for homeschool vs. public school)
3. Driver's Ed.- This class can be taught at home!! We have done some research and found that Sonlight offers Driver's Ed in a Box. The cost is around $200 but it is going to save us $80 every six months for 10 years ($1600)!!! Your child must complete the course and receive the certificate from the driving school to qualify.
These three discounts combined are going to save us about $300-$350 every six months.
Another way we are going to save money is getting rid of our cell phones. Our contract is finally up in July and we are not renewing. We are looking into the
Tracfone's because there is no contract and the minutes will roll over if you meet certain qualifications. If anyone has used these, I'd love your opinion! I looked up the info online, but always like to hear personal experience.
Shopping on Sunday has proven to be a great move as I didn't have to venture back this week at all! I know that saved us money because everytime I go in there, I always buy more than I should. So, looks like Sunday shopping is going to become a regular thing. I'm going back to using cash this month because I spend less that way.
My yogurt maker came yesterday! I can't wait to start using it as I know that we'll spend less than we are now making our own plus it'll be healthier to boot. JeninNB left a comment wondering why I had bought a yogurt maker and she has directions on her blog for
making yogurt using a stove light. I did a lot of research on the various methods and decided that spending the money on the maker was worth it because it will eliminate the variances of oven temperature. My oven doesn't seem to get very hot when the light is on. I'm just not a trial-and-error type of gal so opted for a bit of convenience! I'll be making my first batch this weekend sometime and will let you know how it comes out.
Guess that's all for this week ... I'm looking forward to a cheaper month - gotta pay for my son's birthday party tomorrow and then we are sorta homefree for this month. The curriculum is bought, no vacations, nothing on the needs list at this time. I hope July is a good month financially!
... Kris ...
Jun. 23, 2006
... It's frugal Friday & time for the week in review! ...
Time again to share some money-saving tips. I think the best tip I have is to watch for great ways to combine sales and coupons. Most of us already know this, but it does take effort and a little time to work the sales to our advantage. Just this week, Ortega taco seasoning mix went on sale - 2/.76 and I had a coupon for $1 off 2 Ortega items, so the store actually PAID me to bring these items into my home. I had 3 coupons so I brought home 6 packets and an additional .72! Here are my totals for the week by combining sales and coupons:
Store #1: Spent $39.71, saved $33.10
Store #2: Spent $26.07, saved $21.81
These are typical of my savings each and every week. I hardly ever buy items that are not on sale!
I also found a new way to save some cas$h ... can't believe that I haven't done this until now. I buy my foundation in the squeeze tubes - it's just the only way the ones I like are produced. I could no longer squeeze the foundation out, but could tell that there was still plenty in the tube. So I cut it in half with a steak knife and WOW!! There is TONS of foundation left! I'm using Q-tips to get it out and put on my face - I figure I have at least two weeks worth still in the tube! Never again will I throw a tube away without first cutting it open to get out what's left.
I saved money by staying home again this week and only going out when absolutely necessary. During the summer when we are on break, I am often tempted to just "go shopping." However, my new focus on needs vs. wants has prevented me from wasting the gas to just go look around at stuff. I honestly don't NEED anything right now and am not going to waste my time and money just window shopping. My new focus on managing my time better has been GREAT and I've actually found the time to work on things dear to my heart, like My Cozy Little Cottage website!
I have felt good exercising daily this week and am getting excited about trying out some of the classes at the Fitness Center. I can see a little difference in my belly area - there is less fat there now and a little definition starting to form. My clothes aren't fitting any differently, but it's not going to happen overnight. I have decided to work out daily M-F and not worry about the weekends. If my husband and I squeeze a park run or a neighborhood walk in on Sunday, GREAT! If not, no problem as I'll be heading back to the gym on Monday anyway.
I've also spent a lot of time re-thinking what I need to do to eat healthier. Last year, I made a point of including those "superfoods" that are so good for us in my daily meals. Here is the list:
Beans -- reduce obesity
Blueberries -- lower risk for cardiovascular disease
Broccoli -- lowers the incidence of cataracts and fights birth defects
Oats -- reduce the risk of type II diabetes
Oranges -- prevent strokes
Pumpkin -- lowers the risk of various cancers
Wild salmon -- lowers the risk of heart disease
Soy -- lowers cholesterol
Spinach -- decreases the chance of cardiovascular disease and age-related macular degeneration
Tea -- helps prevent osteoporosis
Tomatoes -- raise the skin's sun protection factor
Turkey -- helps build a strong immune system
Walnuts -- reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer
I've also made it a point to include flax seed, yogurt, kefir and olive oil in my diet. Here are some examples of how I worked this in. For breakfast, I'd have a bowl of slow-cooking oats and add in frozen blueberries, 1 tbl. ground flax seed, walnuts and vanilla soy milk. YUM! For lunch, I'd have a salad made with spinach and tomatoes, among other veggies and add in an orange for dessert. I drink green tea several times daily. We ate sweet potatoes, salmon and broccoli often for dinner - we also eat a lot of chicken and limit the beef and pork. I want to buy a yogurt/kefir maker so that I can control the amount of sugar added. I also then want to make yogurt cheese to use in place of cream cheese. Finally, my treats each day are 1 oz. of dark chocolate and a 12 oz. diet soda. I am very excited to get back to this way of eating. It helped me lose 10 lbs. last spring/summer and I felt better, too! I recommend the book Superfoods Rx - it was extremely useful in helping me focus on foods that I should be eating.
I am trying to make the most of this summer break which, unfortunately, is coming to an end soon. My focus is on fitness, healthy, schedules and making the most of my time. So far, so good!
... Kris ...
Jun. 16, 2006
... It's Frugal Friday! ...
Time once again to share some savings ideas ... if you wish to share yours for the week, please leave a comment!
- paid off the 1st car ... Yea! That payment is now going to go towards our 401k plan. We were going to roll it over to the next car, but we aren't paying but a smidge of interest on that car and so we decided to invest in our future instead of the present.
- took advantage of the rebate programs at Walgreens and Rite Aid this month. This is a very painless way of saving some money. Of course, I have to spend the money up front, but once I make that initial investment, the rebates are then used again the next month to pay for those purchases. So, usually, I'm spending the same $30 or so each month! This means that I'm getting $30 worth of FREE stuff each month after that first month.
- tried to take advantage of the Rite Aid "get a $20 gift card for a transferred prescription" coupon, but was unable to do so. Their pharmacy couldn't fill my prescriptions for the 90 days needed, so it was actually cheaper for me to go to my usual pharmacy where I only pay for 60 days worth of meds. (Our insurance has a 'buy 2 months, get the 3rd month free policy').
- stayed under budget for the week on groceries and bought lots of fresh fruit, too!
Guess that's all for this week. Nothing out of the ordinary, really. I still have not started my price book. It's such a daunting task! Here is an email that I received today - thought I'd share!
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 Hi there,
Lots of sun, long days -- I love summer. I have more time to putter in my garden, try new outdoor cooking techniques and recipes on the grill. Speaking of grilling have I told you about my new mother-of-all grills? It's a honey and getting quite a workout these days. If you’re looking for some great grilling recipes, be sure to check out the archives at www.debtproofliving.com. Try using the advanced search feature. It’s quite easy to use. I have a feeling once you get the hang of it you'll be using it over and over again.
While you are at the website, be sure to try the Free Calculator of the Month ... Mortgage Payoff Goal Calculator, to see how long it will take you to be rid of your mortgage forever. Wow, doesn't THAT sound great? This is a great tool that will help you see your big picture more clearly. I'm quite sure you’ll be glad you gave it a try.
I would love to get your feedback on the Ezine. The way you can share your feelings is to participate in the poll. Go there now and let me know what you think. Your input is very important as we create content and resources that are helpful to our readers.
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 Lawn Care
Try this on your lawn every three weeks during the summer: Mix together 1 can of beer, 1 cup baby shampoo, and household ammonia. Pour the beer and shampoo into a 20-gallon hose-end sprayer jar. Fill the jar with ammonia and apply according to the hose-end sprayer instructions. Every third snack, add ½ cup clear corn syrup or molasses to the mixture. You’re going to have very happy grass. |
 Summer Stock
Summer’s the time to take stock of your gift drawer or closet and take inventory. Write it all down - what you can use for the holiday season and start thinking about what you’ll need to make or buy. And, while you’re at it, summer is a great time to clean out space in your home, garage or attic for your Santa Storage. By doing this in the summer the kids won’t be suspicious. |
| For more tips click here | |
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Summer Vacation Tips
Planning to hit the road for some fun family times this summer? Make sure you pack these tips to help save time, money and maybe even a few frazzled nerves.
Photocopies just in case. Before you leave, make two photocopies of everything in your wallet both front and back (credit card, driver’s license, medical insurance card, etc.). Put one copy inside your luggage and leave the other at home. If you should lose your wallet you’ll have all the information you need to quickly report and replace.
Click here for the rest of the article.
Please do not reply to this message. Write to support@debtproofliving.com. | |
... Kris ...
Jun. 12, 2006
... The price book - what is it? ...
The following comment was left on my blog yesterday and I'm going to respond in a post instead of the comments!
Posted by anewcreation
hi! you mentioned your "price book" in one post I read...could you explain what this is? your "summer camp" has inspired me to hopefully do great things this summer!!! thanks so much!!!
The price book is a tool that will help you save money when purchasing food and personal items. By keeping track of the best prices for each item and when they typically go on sale, one can "bulk" purchase items at the cheapest price each time they go on sale.
A fellow blogger, Christa, left this comment on my blog and I thought it DEFINITELY worth bringing to the forefront for other bloggers!
I was reading your goals, and noticed that you are wanting to make a price book, I tried - but wasn't very succsessful, but I did find a program that I downloaded to my computer and I love it. It helps me keep track of prices and helps me with a shopping list. Just wanted to share with you...http://www.homeplansoftware.com/shoplist.htm!
Here are some more links with more detailed information:
http://www.stretcher.com/stories/971013b.cfm
http://www.cheapcooking.com/pricebook.htm
http://www.grocerycouponguide.com/price_book.html
http://ncnblog.blogspot.com/2006/01/grocery-price-book.html
How to create a price book:
http://frugalliving.about.com/c/ht/00/07/How_Create_Grocery_Price0962933255.htm
http://www.creativehomemaking.com/articles/071803b.shtml
More tips for frugal grocery shopping (including info on the price book):
http://www.fabulousfoods.com/school/cstips/cutgrocerybill.html
Hope that gets you started!
... Kris ...
Jun. 9, 2006
... My Frugal Friday savings! ...
I love it when I save a bunch of money in ONE store in ONE trip! I had looked over the Rite-Aid sale circular for the week and they had a ton of things in there that I had coupons for. So I sat down and made up my list. I also had a coupon that said "Spend $25 and get $5 off!" so I had to get to that mark. Once I came home with the receipt, I sat down and totalled how much it all would have cost me and it totalled $68 .... I only spent $28 and I still have a $5 rebate to turn in so my savings was almost 70%! I love it when I do that.
What was one way that you saved money this week?
... Kris ...
Jun. 2, 2006
... Some books I bought today ... ...
I did a little shopping at CBD.com this morning - their prices were even better than Amazon's WITH shipping! These books have been mentioned over and over again by some co-op friends of mine and I decided that I wanted them here. Yes, they are geared towards a younger age level than my kids, but the sentiments are what I want to get across in a fun way! The "Life Lessons" books are for ages 6-12 and my kids are 11 and 12, so I think this will make the picture books a bit more appropo for them.
The Princess and the Kiss/ The Squire and the Scroll
By: Jennie Bishop
Description: Whimsically illustrated in classic fairy-tale style, Bishop's storybooks offer "his and hers" lessons on the timeless virtues of purity and courage. In her newest, The Squire and the Scroll, a brave young lad fearlessly defends "the lantern of purest light" against all enemies---including a fire-breathing dragon! Approx. 32 pages each, two hardcovers from Warner.
Life Lessons from the Princess & the Kiss
By: Jennie Bishop, Susan Henson
Description: Picking up where the storybook left off, this easy-to-use devotional covers biblical teaching on purity, relationships and God's plans for marriage (or singleness) with your child in a non-threatening and age-appropriate way. These life lessons are packed with wisdom from God's Word, truths that all young girls need to know as they guard their purity, whether they're six or sixteen. You and your daughter can build a godly heritage with these short, practical, life-changing studies and activities that can be personalized for any age. An optional "Princess Purity Ceremony" is also included as an exciting and memorable way to formally celebrate your daughter's growth. This book helps parents teach their daughters:
- God loves you
- Be careful about your feelings
- Beware of someone who tries to buy your love
- Inner beauty is more important than outer beauty
- Don't sacrifice the future for the present
- God gave you a very special gift--your purity
- Obedience to God makes you free
- God wants you to pass on a godly heritage
Royal moms and dads take heart! God is faithful, and you are not at the mercy of our culture. You can begin today, planting seeds and planning to harvest a future of purity for you precious princess!
Life Lessons from the Squire and the Scroll
By: Jennie Bishop
Description: This devotional for boys and parents or mentors will keep you and you "knight-in-training" on a path of learning and discussion as he grows and becomes a young man. Picking up where the storybook left off, Life Lessons from the Squire and the Scroll is an easy-to-use devotional that covers biblical teaching on purity, integrity, and God's plan for relationships with your child in a non-threatening and age-appropriate way. These life lessons are packed with wisdom from God's Word, truths that young men need to know as they navigate the paths that lead to an adult life of integrity and honor. You and your son can build a godly heritage with these short, practical, life-changing studies and activities that can be personalized for any age. An option Squires of the Lanterns Ceremony is also included as an exciting and memorable way to formally celebrates your son's growth. Recommended for ages 6 to 12.
Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends
By: Grace Mally
Description: Can brothers and sisters really be best friends? Yes. Co-written by real-life siblings Sarah, Stephen and Grace (ages 22, 16, 12) and illustrated by their cartoonist dad, this lighthearted volume offers perceptive insights and practical tips on how kids in the same family can forge lifelong supportive relationships as God intended.
** I got to meet the parents of the 3 kids who wrote this book at FPEA. This book was reviewed by TOS and the review is online at the following URL - http://www.theoldhomeschoolhouse.com/Homeschool_Reviews/reviews.php?rid=120. My friend Angie is also reading it right now and says it is really good! **
I also splurged and go the kids 3-2-1 Penguins videos for the summer. Ian loves to watch cartoons and I'd rather him watch these than the junk that is on TV. They had a bargain price of $5.99 for the first 4 tapes! I love the Veggie Tales videos and we don't own them anymore. I was tempted to pick a few of them up for old time's sake!! I also picked up the David Copperfield movie for $2.99. We tried to read the book, but got kinda lost. This one is the original and stars Laurence Olivier!
CBD.com has some really good bargains right now ... you ought to check them out! (I am not an affiliate - just a happy customer!)
... Kris ...
Jun. 2, 2006
... Offer from Debt-Proof Living ...
One of my goals for June is to get back on track with our finances as we aim to be debt-free (except for our house) by the end of the year. We are on our way with our credit card paid off this month and are now working on paying off the cars. I received the following offer in my email and thought I'd share!
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 From the desk of Mary Hunt
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BONUS OFFER
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Imagine if you and I had met when you were 18—just graduating from high school. What would your financial situation be today? Perhaps a bit different because you wouldn’t have gone into debt with credit cards or student loans. And you would have started saving and investing at an earlier age.
Now imagine if the high school and college graduates that you know can meet me. And those couples that are soon-to-be married, too. You can be a positive, gentle presence in their lives by helping them avoid lots of money problems and prevent financial pain. You can equip the people you love with a gift that will prepare them for life! May I suggest a copy of one of my books such as Debt-Proof Living, Live Your Life for Half the Price, or Debt-Proof Your Marriage. Or a subscription -- 24/7 -- to Debt-Proof Living Online.
Don’t spend another moment trying to think of the right gift that will have meaning and a long-lasting impact. I am pretty sure this kind of a gift would have made all the difference in my life at the tender age of 18, 22 or when I was about-to-be married!
So here’s what I’m going to do for all of my readers over the next couple of weeks: With any purchase in the Debt-Proof Living Bookstore starting now through June 30, 2006, I will enclose a copy of my book, Tiptionary: 2300 Dollar-Stretching, Time-Saving Tips, absolutely FREE. I’ll even cover shipping and handling on the book. I’ve been told that it makes a fine gift.
NOTE: As soon as you place one item in your shopping cart, you can add your copy of Tiptionary for no additional charge. This bestselling favorite will soon be your favorite book, too!.
Enjoy!
Mary
To phone in your order call (800) 550-3502 | | | | |
... Kris ...
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