A Thrifty Mom

We got this thrifty tip from one of our readers:
I thought you might find this interesting, out of curiosity when I was refilling my color ink cartridge a few weeks ago I wondered if you could using food coloring instead.  Way cheaper.  So today when I ran out again I googled it and apparently people are doing it.  I just tried it this evening on mine (HP60 the color one) and it works.  I wouldn’t use it for printing photos on photo paper, but if someone was just printing homework, coupons or just regular stuff on regular paper it is worth taking a look.
Click here to watch video
Sincerely, Lora H.

I just wanted to share a thrifty tip that has saved me a lot of money over the years. It’s so simple but I would have never thought of it. I read in a magazine when I was a teen to use conditioner in place of shaving cream. Granted, with coupons a person can usually get shaving cream pretty cheap but, conditioner works great and lasts a lot longer.

Just wanted to share!

Your reader,
Sarah C.

At Bj’s wholesale club the pizza crust ( 3 rolls in a box) Pillsbury are 2.99( regularly 5.99 but they have an instant rebate of 3.00 until 1/17/10) then at the customer service desk they have booklets with gifts on the front and coupons in the center. One of the coupons are for save 4.00 on any 2 Pillsbury dough products. So for less than 2.00 you can get 6 pizza crusts.

Thanks Harmony for this Thrifty Find

HOT Deal on Kitchen Aid Professional Mixer Online at Kohl’s!

We got a Kitchen Aid mixer from Kohl’s, but we had to pay more then this

Reg price is $499 on the Kitchen Aid Professional Mixer.

After sale, coupon, rebate and Kohl’s cash the final price will be $240! WOW

The mixer is on sale for $399, then use the Kohl’s coupon below for another 15% off.

Kohl’s Coupon for 15% off

Click here to get an addition 4% back on your purchase through Ebates to learn more about what Ebate’s is, click here

Use coupon code: SAVE15NOW (good 12/15 to 12/24)

On the Professional Mixer page you will see a link for a $50 rebate (must purchase by 12/31).

The you will also get $10 in Kohl’s cash for every $50 you spend = $50 in Kohls cash.

FINAL Price after everything is $239.15!

If you have one of the Kohl’s codes for being a credit card holder the deal could even be better!

Thanks Coupon Dad

One of our readers sent this email to us yesterday and it highlights one reason why we run this blog. We really want to open everyone to the idea that couponing can help others as well as your own family.

Jean wrote:

I want you to know that I truly appreciate the information you share and all of your tips for how to find good deals. I live in Colorado so some of your deals don’t apply here. I am a grandmother and don’t even have any infants in my life, nor do I have people in my life who need items like Triaminic or Thera Flu. BUT, I go get these “free” items at Walgreens and donate them to a small church in our town. The church seems to have a congregation of young families–all of whom are extremely grateful for the Triaminic and other health care products. I do the same with free (or very inexpensive) make up and other personal care items.

I also bought a total of 30 boxes of Nabisco crackers (and sent off for 3 rebates)–after rebates, I think my out of pocket cost was probably about $3.00–and I donated all of those to a local non-profit pre-school and to the public school classrooms where two of my grandchildren attend.

We feed 7 people at my house (4 adults, 3 kids) and my grocery bill is always around $450 each month……….that includes any item I purchase at the grocery store (including dish soap, laundry soap, personal care items, paper goods, etc). It sounds like a huge budget, but we eat all of our meals at home (or pack a lunch) and we eat well. I serve rib-eye steak at least every 10 days, we always have plenty of fresh produce, and I never make 1-dish meals (my family turns their noses up at casseroles–which I love). Also included in that food budget is prepared-frozen food (Marie Callendars, Birdseye meals, etc) for my elderly in-laws and supplemental food for my daughter and her husband. (I cook and bake from scratch but my kitchen-challenged daughter loves the Betty Crocker cookie mixes, etc so this works well for us )

If I didn’t get the great deals that you and other bloggers share, I’d have to spend $1600 each month on these items.. (I actually keep a spreadsheet and spent $464 in November at grocery stores–which included a steak, crab leg, and shrimp dinner on Thanksgiving eve for 14 people and then a thanksgiving meal for 20 people!………if I’d have paid full price and not used coupons and deals, my total would have been $1630.

Shelly passed along this deal to us:

I purchased a leapfrog toy today and on the package was a peelie.  It says, Get a free Leapfrog Tag junior ABC Animal Orchestra board book, when you sign up for the leapfrog learning path at leapfrog.com/freebook.  Limit one per household.  Offer valid 5/15/09 through 3/1/10 or while supplies last. I signed up today, and it said it will take 2-3 weeks.  Possibly, a Christmas gift! 

Do not forget to check and see what thrifty $5 deals you can find today!

Thanks to Karisse who let me know about this Thrifty Halloween deal.  At buycostumes.com, they have 5 different costumes each day for$5.00 or LESS!  Some of them retail for over $200, making this a really good deal.  They have a limited supply of the $5 costumes and once they are gone they are gone for good.  Also I am not sure what shipping is do you might want to check that out too. CLICK the Blue box below for a link, check it daily to see what new thrifty deals they have!

One of our readers, Suprina, sent us this nice email about how A Thrifty Mom has helped her family and one of her shopping trips she is proud of. We are so happy she is able to save her family money while her husband is working so hard and going to school! Keep up the good work! She writes:

I just wanted to send you a HUGE thank you! And share you with you some pictures of my great deals.
First off, I have been following your blog for 3 months.  I started using coupons March 16th of this year.  But it wasn’t until I found your blog that I really started searching for deals and saving money.
My family is a family of 6.  My husband retired 3 years ago after serving 22 years in The Army.  I am a stay at home mom of 4.  Daniel is 12, Aimee is 11, Zachary is 8 and David is 5.  My husband is also a disabled veteran.  After retiring he went back to college.  He graduates May of 2010. He has held down 2 jobs at the college while going to school full time and also caring for his family.

We were in need of saving money…so I decided to give coupons a try.  And with the amazing help from you, your blog, and your readers, I have found some amazing deals and starting to get the flow of using coupons.  It does TAKE time.

I live in Tennessee.  I shop at Walgreens, Walmart, and Sometimes Kroger.  However, I do most of my grocery shopping at the Commissary.

I got all of those items pictured for free.
-here are the items listed…
*8 Country Time Pink Lemonades (They were a $1.00 each)
*4-24 ounce Hunt’s Ketchup bottles (They were $.49 each)
*20-packages of Bumble Tuna ($.75 each Free and a Quarter overage each! We get to keep our overage at the commissary!!)
*1-Taco Seasoning( $.50 with $.50 overage)
*15-Marcal Small step Toilet paper rolls ($.69 each)
*Marie Calendars Fish sticks ($2.50 received $.50 overage)
*Marie Fish fillets ($2.50 received $.50 overage)
*6-Glade 2 oz. Candles ($2.39 each)
*Fancy Feast Kitty Food ($.89)
*1- Beef Stroganoff seasoning mix ($.50 received $.50 overage!)
*6-Chinet plates 36 count ($1.79, received $.21 overage on each one)

I purchased both of those Glade 10 oz soy candles for $.38 each!

I purchased all 8 boxes of brownie mix for $.50 each!  The fruit chiller was also $.50!

is what I saved!  Had I not used coupons my total would have been $244.97.  Without the surcharge it was under $100.  Plus, I bought all the qualifying items to send off for the Kellogg’s Fuel For School Rebate.

Thank you SO very much for helping me along!  I really appreciate it from the bottom of my heart and so does my family.

Take Care,
Suprina

Here is my breakdown for today:
Albertsons $10.55
(check out my CASE of Post Selects Blueberry Morning cereal!! I got 16 boxes!)
Smiths $19.95
(i got some misc sale stuff i hadn’t planned on buying there)
Walgreens $6.83

Total $37.33

Keri’s parents have a HUGE garden and sell produce to some of the markets and fruit stands here in the Boise area, and right now they have a plethora of tomatoes. Her mother is offering tomatoes at the same price she sells them to the markets for, which would be $.65 per pound. She can be best reached by email at thejenkinsclan@q.com, and for orders over 100 lbs she can drop the price to $.60 `per pound. These are great prices, especially for canning and salsa making. She will also be at the Nampa Farmer´s Market tomorrow.

Tell her A Thrifty Mom sent you!

We would really appreciate if you could post this, as one of her accounts cancelled for the week and she has over 600 lbs of tomatoes that need to go, and more to pick on Monday! They are fresh, local and delicious!

Free Wii 5 in 1 Pro Grand Slam Sports Kit (just pay shipping!)

Free Wii Sports Kit

1 Sale a Day has another great free deal!

TODAY ONLY! So hurry and these will probably go quick.

Just pay shipping which looks like $5.99.

Thanks Couon Dad

This deal uses coupons from the P&G 8/2, Home Simple mailer, and a charmin coupon from an unknown source, maybe a sample? and is only good through tomorrow, 8/8. 

Numbers won’t necessarily be exact because I accidentally used 2 pringles coupons and didn’t catch it until I got home, so I’m not exactly replicating the receipt and I still haven’t figured out how coupons affect the tax because it’s never exactly what I figured out from the pre-coupon subtotal if I use catalinas!  But…here’s a close approximation:

 Buy 2 Pringles @ 2/$3 use $1/2 P&G 8/2

Buy 1 Charmin Ultra Strong 12 big rolls $6.99 use $1/1 (probably from mailer or sample)

Buy 2 Tide To Go @ $2.99, use (2) $1/1 tide or tide to go P&G 8/2

Buy 1 Dawn direct foam @ $2.29, use $1.50/1 from Home Simple mailer

Buy 1 Dawn plus hand renewal @ $2.29, use $1/1 from Home Simple mailer

Subtotal before coupons $20.55

Subtotal after coupons $15.05 + $1.24 tax = $16.29 OOP

Plus you get a $5 catalina!  (essentially 24.33% discount)

Breakdown:

Pringles  $0.64 ea

Charmin $4.29

Tide to go $1.26 ea

Dawn direct foam $0.23

Dawn hand renewal $0.73

Sweet!

I also had a $1/1 Bounty from I think a mailer or sample, so if you don’t have the Charmin MC you could use the $9.99 Bounty 8 big rolls with the $1/1 and adjust the other quantities to get just above $20 pre coupons. 

Fabulessly Frugal has just given us the inside scoop on some upcoming ON DEALS!

Mark Your Calanders!

Saturday August 15th
Ribbed Tanks will be ONLY $2.

Saturday August 22nd

All Basic Tees and V-Neck Tees will be ONLY$3.

anks to Trina for passing along these thrifty deals,

First off, if anyone still has $1.00 off White Cloud TP coupons left, they expire soon (I think 8/9) and at Walmart the 4 double roll packs are still $2.00.  So you can get 4 double rolls = 8 single rolls for $1 which is 12.5 cents per roll!

Second, if you look at the front cover of the Staples ad this week, the 5 ream HP office paper is B1G1.  This is also a 19.99 rebate when you buy two, and you can use the coupon on the cover to get a $10 gift card for a future purchase.  So here’s the math.  Get 2 cases: pay 39.98, use the coupon to get a $10 gift card, and submit for 19.99 rebate.  Factoring in gift card and rebate, you end up paying $9.99 for 5000 sheets of paper, or $1 for 500 sheets.  This is an awesome deal for all of use thrifty moms who use a lot of paper printing coupons.  NOTE: Yesterday when I went the to Nampa store, they were all out of stock, but the super friendly manager helped me order it online and then pay at the cash register.  I was still able to use the coupon and the great part is they had it shipped right to my house for free and I got it this morning, one day later!

Third, I wanted to remind anyone who is a Honey Bunches of Oats lover to go to Fred Meyer this week and get some cheap cereal.  There is a store coupon for Post Cereals 3/$5 and when you buy 4 boxes, a $3 catalina prints out.  Use 2 $1/2 coupons for Honey Bunches of Oats or any Post Cereal, and the total after catalina, coupons, and tax comes to $2.07 for 4 boxes!!!  These are regular price at Fred Meyer for $3.09 for one box.  I just went yesterday and got 28 boxes and there is still a lot left.  I’m not sure if the catalina is printing on all Post cereals or just on Honey Bunches of Oats.