Harris Teeter Super Doubles Shopping Trip

I am really, really excited about this morning's Harris Teeter Super Doubles shopping trip!  It seems like the last few Super Doubles weeks have been only so-so, but there were some terrific deals today!  This is what I got for $36:

I was most excited about the General Mills promotions - Buy 4 selected cereals get $2 off instantly and Buy 4 Fiber One bars get $2 off instantly.  We have been very low on cereal around here for a while, since I avoid buying it when I can't get it for $1.00/box or less.  Today, after the promotion, manufacturer's coupons, and e-Vic coupons, all the cereals I got today were less than $1.00 each.   My husband and kids will be very, very happy to see this!

I was reminded again today of the importance of checking your receipt before you leave the store, since the instant $2.00 did not come off automatically for either promotion.  My Harris Teeter has great customer service, though, so they refunded me the money when I went to the customer service desk.  I'm just glad that I checked before I strapped the kids back into the car!

I was also very happy to find all that marked down produce.  My Harris Teeter is the only store in my area that has a discount produce rack, and I always check it when I got.  All this produce was $.50/lb. - half of the least that I normally pay.  A lot of it is in good enough condition to last for at least a few days, and anything that is deteriorating fast we will eat or freeze today.

As usual, I used Jenny's detailed lists for my coupon matchups.

I usually get my deals in just one trip during Super Doubles week, but since you can only do the cereal promotion once per order, I will be going back.  Time to stock up on cereal!

Did any of you go to Harris Teeter today or get any other great grocery deals?

Northern Virginia Consignment Sale This Weekend

There are a lot of consignment sales in my area each spring and fall, and, knowing my love of bargain shopping, friends often ask if I am attending them.  Actually, though, I usually only shop one sale: Catholic Consignments in Ashburn, VA.

For me, it is simplest to have on sale where I consign, volunteer, and shop, and Catholic Consignments is one of the biggest sales in the area.  Since I volunteer, I get to shop early and get a great selection on the items on my list.  Depending on which shift I work, I often shop again at the half-price sale or the Dollar Dash, where I get to pick up extra fun things for next to nothing.  Thus I am able to accomplish the vast majority of my kids' shopping in one long but fun day, and I am done until next season.

I always say that consignment sales are a win-win type of event.  Consignors benefit from selling their items; shoppers benefit from the great deals; and the organization putting on the sale makes a cut as well.  However, Catholic Consignments is the only sale I know that has another winner: needy people in the community.  All the money raised from the sale goes to Divine Mercy Outreach.  I just looked over their newsletter for the first time and was amazed at all the services this volunteer organization provides - everything from rent to utilities to beds to clothes and food for the needy.

So now I know you can't wait to shop at Catholic Consignments this weekend, so here is the info:

Location: 

St. Theresa Catholic School

21370 St. Theresa Lane

Ashburn, VA  20147 

Hours:
Consignor Drop-off:  5-8 pm Friday
Volunteer Pre-Sale:  7 am
Public Sale:  8 - 11:30 am
Half-Price Sale:  noon - 1:30 pm 
Consignor pick-up of unsold items:  2:30 - 3:00 pm
Dollar Dash:  3:30 - 4:30 pm


Be sure to visit the website: www.catholicconsignments.org to get additional info and shopping tips.

Maybe I'll see some of you there!

Frugal Success and Failure

It's been a week of both success and failure in the frugal life - don't so many weeks seem that way?

On Monday, I was pleased to actually accomplish an afternoon of "freezer cooking."  I baked calzones (and the kids made mini pizzas) and chocolate beet/carrot bread (tastes a lot better than it sounds), and I also cooked up big pots of black beans and rice.

It was very satisfying to get a bunch of cooking accomplished in one afternoon, even if very little of this will even make it to the freezer.  These days I can't seem to set aside a whole day for once a month freezer cooking - due mostly to the amount of time and energy it takes every day to care for and entertain three preschool kids!   Instead, I am trying to accomplish a couple of hours of cooking at the beginning of each week, because it takes so much stress out of the week to have some of the more extensive cooking done.

Unfortunately, the frugal success of pre-preparing several homemade items was tempered by a real bargain-shopping failure on Tuesday!

As another part of my attempts at better organization, on Sunday I had prepped my coupons for Bloom's super double coupons day this week.  We go to the farm on Tuesday mornings, and I had decided to try to stop at Bloom on the way home.  This was a risk, since we are all pretty tired after a hot morning in the outdoors, but I nevertheless gave it try.  Well, the kids were well-behaved; Bloom had all the items in stock; I found a couple of extra deals - I happily sailed into the checkout line.  And those of you who are up local couponing bargains will already have figured out my error - the super double coupons day was on Monday.

I admit - I was too embarrassed to take items off my order, since practically my whole order was double coupon items.  I purchased the whole order and was just grateful that it was relatively small.  In the end, most of the items were still an okay deal with the undoubled coupon, though I definitely would not have purchased a couple of them if I had not thought they were a more outstanding bargain.

In defense of my own mental state - Bloom ran several weeks of super doubles days on Tuesdays recently, so I guess my mind was stuck in that mode.  You better believe I'll be double and triple checking the dates of particular promotions in the future.

I was a little frustrated and disappointed leaving the store, especially as I had put the time and energy into prepping and carrying out the shopping trip.  But I try to chalk these errors up to a learning experience and let them go.  Frugal living always involves a certain amount of experimentation, and everyone makes mistakes.

I am grateful that the loss of a few dollars in doubled coupons won't make or break our budget right now  On to the next bargain!

Frugality and "Stuff"

Since I've been cleaning out our home and trying to simplify, one of the issues with which I've been struggling is how to cut down on what I bring into the house.  Because of course it's no good to clear stuff out only to replace it the next week.  Then it becomes an exhausting, never-ending cycle of shopping and purging.

I'm certainly not a shopoholic; I obviously consider myself pretty to be pretty frugal!  I'm pretty good about sticking to our budget, and I am not tempted by the typical "sale."

However, it would be prideful not to admit that I too am tempted by "stuff."  My weakness is definitely ultra cheap stuff - the yard sale, thrift store, and 75% or 90% off clearance.  While to a certain extent there is nothing wrong with my enjoying a little "retail therapy" in those ways, there is a downside as well.

First of all, it is shocking how quickly even ultra-cheap prices add up.  I have honestly been in the position of filling my cart with 90% off merchandise, because, "How could I pass this up for $.37?"  Then I've gotten to the checkout counter and I'm spending $20 on stuff that I would never have purchased except that it was such a great deal.

And that's just it, there can be a fine line between buying ahead in order to save money and buying just because something is a great deal - or, on the other hand, buying only what you need and buying without regard to cost.

Several of the frugal methods used by myself and others involve keeping some extra stuff around - for instance, stocking up on groceries when they're on sale or keeping a stash of gifts bought on clearance to pull out for birthdays and baby showers.  There are also the little luxuries - seasonal decorations, new toys, kitchen items - that I enjoy finding as bargains, because they would not be the budget otherwise.

Yet all these great deals have the potential to just bury us in stuff, which clutters the house, gets lost, creates stress, gets dusty, etc.  Our family of five lives in a small townhouse, and items that might not be out of place in a larger home we simply cannot store.

So I struggle . . . what is the right amount of stuff in my life right now?   How do I regulate how stuff enters and exits our home?

How do I control the stuff and keep it from controlling me?

Reminder: Local Consignment Sale Tomorrow!

Just a reminder for my fellow Northern Virginians, that Catholic Consignments in Loudoun County takes place tomorrow: Saturday, March 19.  Read my whole post about this great sale here.

Maybe I'll see some of you there!

Loudoun County Children's Consignment Sale

As anyone who's been reading here for a while knows, every spring and fall I look forward to volunteering and shopping at a local children's consignment sale.  Today I get to share with you the specifics of that sale where I have gotten so many great bargains!

Catholic Consignments is holding their bi-annual sale on Saturday March 19th at 8am at St. Theresa's School in Ashburn VA. The sale is focused on children's items with gently used clothing (infant through young teen), toys, layette, strollers, large equipment, furniture, books, videos and maternity items. With so many things there its best to arrive early (or to buy one of the early entrance passes) - or, to come later and pick things up at the half price sale at noon. To see pictures of the sale, or find out more information about consigning, shopping or volunteering, please see their site at http://www.catholicconsignments.org/.

This really is a great sale; it's the largest in Loudoun County, certainly.  I always find so much at this one that I've rarely even try to shop other area sales.  To list just a few of the great bargains I've gotten over the past 4 years . . . Step 2 toddler roller coaster for $7; ballet and tap shoes for under $5/pair, an Eddie Bauer rocking bassinet for $30, a Joovy Caboose stroller for about $50 (retail $149), tons of name brand and even boutique clothing for pennies on the dollar (brands like Gymbo, Janie and Jack, Hanna Andersson, Laura Ashley, etc.) . . . the list goes on.  Basically, I am able to find 85% of what my children need for each season by shopping one day at this sale.

One of the things I love about consignment sales is that they're a win for everyone - consigners make a little extra money from cleaning out their homes, shoppers snag great bargains, and the organization putting on the sale makes money as well.  In the case of Catholic Consignments, all the money made goes to helping the less fortunate in the local community.

In terms of helping the community, Catholic Consignments has raised over $45,000 from their last three sales to fund St. Theresa's Divine Mercy Outreach program. All of these funds help our neighbors, identified by social services, right in our community and are used to help them get a fresh start. As an example, the funds have been used to provide beds; furniture for 23 families, help cover utilities for 25 families, and make rent payments for 27 families.

My tips for shopping this sale?  If you're shopping the regular sale (opens at 8:00), get there before 7:00 to get a number.  Then you can go get breakfast and come back.  Otherwise, wait until about 9:30, to avoid the long line.  There's also the half price sale and the Dollar Dash - less selection, but even better bargains.  And there's usually a good amount left for the half price sales, especially clothing.

I'm volunteering for two shifts this year, so I get to shop at 6:30 - whoo hoo!  (I always feel a little crazy going out to shop when it's still dark, until I get there and meet up with all the other ladies.;-)  Let me know if you'll be at Catholic Consignments next Saturday, and I just might see you there!

Note: I wrote this post as part of my volunteer commitment to Catholic Consignments, which allows me to shop early.  I was not compensated in any other way, and the opinions are my own.

Maximize Consignment Sale Shopping

Okay, Moms, it's almost March, and that means that spring consignment sale season is about to be in full swing! 

I've written pretty extensively in the past about shopping and selling at consignment sales, so today I thought I'd link to all my past posts.  That way, you'll have all the ideas in one place.

First of all, here's my intro to Shopping Consignment Sales.  If you need more tips, I have Consignment Sale Shopping for the Serious Bargain Hunter.

I also published some tips on Preparing for Upcoming Consignment Sales and, recently, Preparing for Spring Shopping.

Another article you may find helpful is a post on one of the reasons I shop consignment sales: Buying Name Brand Children's Clothing.

If you're interested in making a little money at consignnment sales, check out my post on Selling at consignment sales the Easy Way.

I hope you find some of this information helpful, whether you're checking out a sale for the first time or even if you're a consignment sale pro. 

Even if you don't have one of these sales in your area, don't despair!  Next week, look for my post on ideas for saving money on children's clothes even if you don't have access to consignment shopping.

See more money saving tips at Frugal Fridays.

Preparing for Spring Shopping

The weather has been warm this week, so it's the perfect time to start thinking about spring wardrobes for you and your kids.  You've probably already noticed the spring merchandise in the stores. Sundresses! Bathing suits! Warm-weather clothing is out in full force, and soon enough there will even be sales on the earliest arrivals. Also, spring consignment sales in my area will be starting shortly - some as early as this month!

Especially at consignment sales, where everything is great prices, it's easy to get carried away with great deals, only to perhaps find out that your daughter actually has plenty of dresses but no t-shirts. That is why before every season, I prepare for shopping with a few simple steps, so that I spend money wisely on what my children (and even I and my husband) really need.

Here's what I do:

Catalogue what we have - I look through items from last year that may still fit, hand-me-downs, and clearance bargains that I picked up in larger sizes.

Try it on - I may not try every item on my squirmy toddlers, but I do try on some. That way I make sure not only of their size, but if particular items run true to size, fit their body type, etc.

Get feet measured - Every season I take my girls to the Stride Rite Outlet to get their feet measured. (The outlet is nice because the employees are trained to measure feet, but it is self-serve so there is no pressure to buy.) I think that well-fitting shoes are important, so I don't rely on simply trying on shoes to figure out what size they need. After they're measured I know exactly what size to look for if I buy any of their shoes without them.

Check the family calendar - It is important each season to take into consideration what types of clothing the kids will need, so I take into account what they will be doing. This could include any types of events and activities - weddings and other special occasions, vacations, sports, lessons, camps, etc. If we're going to the beach, I know they'll need a couple of swimsuits; if to a wedding a very dressy dress, etc.

Shopping for seasonal wardrobes for three growing kids is much less overwhelming when I'm confident that I know exactly what they need!

Check out more great frugal tips at Frugal Fridays.

Photo by jnnfrmarie.

Harris Teeter General Mills Scenario

As you may know, Harris Teeter Super Double coupons started today, and boy are the deals rockin!

I'll share more details about my trip later (and a lesson on the importance of checking your receipt), but right now I wanted to go ahead and share a scenario for the General Mills promotion that is running.  I couldn't find a specific scenario on any other blogs, so I had to create my own.

The offer is this: Buy any 20 participating General Mills products using your VIC card, save $6 instantly.  This doesn't sound so great up front, but all the items are on good sales.  The sale prices combined with the super double coupons make for some great deals.

This scenario I obviously made up for my needs, and it is not necessarily the least money out of pocket.  However, it also does not require endless multiples of coupon inserts; only one or two per item.

Here's what I planned:

2 Cinnamon Burst Cheerios @ $2.00 each
2 Golden Grahams @ $2.00 each
1 Multigrain Cheerios @ $2.50
3 Yo-Plus yogurts @ $1.50 each
4 Progresso soup @ $1.39 each
8 Green Giant frozen vegetables @ $1.00 each
Total price: $28.56
Use the following coupons:
(2) $75/1 Cinnamon Burst Cheerios printables
(2) $.75/1 Golden Grahams printables
(1) $.75/1 Multigrain Cheerios printable
(3) $.50/1 Yo-Plus yogurt from recent GM inserts
(1) $1.00/4 Progresso soup from 2/13 GM insert
(2) $.50/1 GG vegetables printable
(2) $.60/3 GG vegetables from 2/13 GM insert
Total after coupons: $11.66
PLUS extra $6 off
= $5.66 OOP for 20 items!

(Hat tip to Southern Savers for some of the initial matchups.  I always use her extensive lists as a starting point for Harris Teeter.)

Of course, if you have more copies of certain coupons, you could make this deal even better.  The best deals here are the Green Giant vegetables with the printable coupons (FREE), the Yo-Plus ($.50) and the Cinnamon Burst Cheerios and Golden Grahams ($.50).  Of course, also take extra coupons in case you have to make substitutions for out-of-stock items.

Hope that's helpful!  I'll share more details of my Harris Teeter trip later.  I have a feeling I will be making several trips this week!

Shopping at Walgreens - My Experiences So Far

(This is a continuation to my post on how I am taking a break from shopping at CVS.)

When I was shopping CVS every week, every so often a great Walgreens deals would catch my eye and I would be jealous of the Wags shoppers. However, as I mentioned, I did go there for a couple of deals and proceeded to accidentally let my Register Rewards expire. I just don't have the time to keep up with the deals and rewards for both stores.

However, it started to seem like Walgreens was starting to have the better deals. I felt like more and more of the free deals at CVS were for things like over-the-counter medicines, which we rarely use, while the Walgreens deals were for more useful items, like wrapping paper and tape and Christmas and the always useful chocolate!

Walgreens' "Register Rewards" work pretty much like CVS's "Extra Care Bucks (ECBs)." However, from what I understand there are a few more restrictions on the Register Rewards; for instance, you can't roll rewards from the same deal. Walgreens also has coupons in their Sunday ad, which you can combine with manufacturer's coupons for great deals, so not all of their deals involve Register Rewards.  I'm still learning all the technical aspects of Walgreens deals.

I've only be shopping at Walgreens for about a month now, but so far I am happy. I have gotten very cheap deals on taco shells, Jello, feminine products, chocolate, and tissues. My store had all Christmas candy marked down to $.25 or less last week, so I picked some up for baking and treats.

One thing that I am enjoying about Walgreens so far is finding most of the deals in stock. That had become a huge frustration at CVS; no matter when I shopped (and I had tried many different days and times) I never could find a consistent time when products were likely to be in stock. With Walgreens so far, I have found 80% of the deals I am looking for. I still don't know whether this has to do with when I have been shopping (usually Saturday morning) or if Walgreens is just better about stocking items. One factor that may help this issue is that the store where I shop is a newer store, and it does not seem as busy as the CVS.

Overall, I am pleased so far, but I think I will need several months of Walgreens shopping to accurately compare the experience to shopping CVS.  So look for continuing updates!
 
How do you feel about shopping at Walgreens?

Switching from CVS to Walgreens

I have been "CVSing" for 2-1/2 years, since shortly after I discovered Money Saving Mom and the world of frugal blogging. (If you're not familiar with CVSing and other drugstore bargain shopping, you can read my post here.) In that time I switched from monthly or so $50-$100 trips to Walmart for hygiene and cleaning products to paying under $20/month total for all the products we could use plus many extras to share with family and friends and donate.

I still remember when I rolled over my first ECBs and purchased products for free. What a thrill! At first I would purchase pretty much anything that was on sale if it would be free or free with overage. I would also make multiple trips per week to CVS if they were out of a sale product, or even visit multiple stores. (How did I do that when we only had one car?!)

After a while, however, some of this started to get a bit old. For the past year or so, I have cut down a lot on how much I shop at CVS, skipping a week or two per month. The deals have seemed less spectacular, and they rarely offer coupons off your entire order, as they used to. I also became much more choosy about what items I would purchase. If my family could not use it or I had a definite person or place in mind with which I could share it, I did not buy it, even if it was free.

I was still getting most of the shampoo, toothpaste, and other hygiene items that we needed for free or close to it, but my excitement had faded. Making it to CVS before my ECBs expired had become a chore.

So starting at the beginning of the year I decided to try something new: Walgreens! They built a new Walgreens close to my house about a year ago, so it is just as convenient as CVS. I know from one or two attempts to start "Wags" shopping in the past that I can't possibly keep up with rolling the rewards dollars for more than one store, so in order to do Walgreens I decided to quit CVS for now. I figure that I can always go back if Walgreens doesn't work out.

Tomorrow . . my experience so far with Walgreens . . .

WFMW: Shopping at Night

When do you grocery shop?

At this season of my life, with a 4 year old, 2 year old, and 4 month old, I have switched do doing the majority of my grocery shopping at night.  Maybe I'm a wimp, but I just find it too difficult to take all three children and concentrate on shopping at the same time.  If my 4 year old is not asking for things, my 2 year old is running down the aisle or the baby is crying!

I think the only other option right now would be to drastically reduce my bargain shopping and hit only one store a week; I could probably manage that with the kids.  However, I could not in any way keep up our approximately $300/month grocery/household budget if I stopped hitting different stores for deals.

The solution right now has been that one night a week, usually on Monday nights, I head out around 8:00PM, after we've finished dinner.  I can hit three stores in two hours by myself.  I had been taking the baby, but since he's gotten a little older and it's been so cold, I've left by poor husband with him as well!  (Hubby does a great job, even if they all get in bed a little late. ;-)

As a confirmed "morning person," I actually hate going out at that hour, although it is peaceful once I'm shopping alone.  However, for now I'm willing to make the sacrifice to keep both our budget and my sanity intact!

Losing Weight on a Budget

Like many other people, I'm starting the new year with a new resolve to eat healthy and lose a little weight.  I guess I'm a little satiated with all the holiday sweets, and I also still have about 15 pounds of baby weight that I'd like to see go. ;-)

I'm not planning any kind of intense diet (I'm still breastfeeding full time!).  Instead, I'm trying to make a few small changes that I hope will have a big impact.  Here are the things I'm focusing on:

- Eating more fresh fruits and vegetables - My kids always eat fruit like it's going out of style, but I find that I sometimes forget to eat it myself!  Either I don't take the time to prep it, or I subconsciously leave it for the kids.  That's no good; my kids need a healthy mommmy!  This week I even broke down and bought some prewashed spinach at Wegmans.  It was a little more expensive than a head of lettuce, but not having to wash it will encourage me to eat it!  The cost of fresh fruits and vegetables can add up, but I know they don't have to break my budget.

- Not buying unhealthy items - This is a simple way to both be healthier and save money - not buying things!  With the holidays over, I'm trying not to spend money on many desserts.  I'm also planning to make some new healthy homemade snacks as opposed to more expensive and less healthy store bought cracker and chip-type items.

- Avoiding eating after dinner - I admit it, I fall into this common trap.  My husband and I often watch a little TV in the evenings after the kids are in bad, and we usually have tea and dessert or even sometimes - gasp - chips and salsa!  I really enjoy relaxing with my husband, but my new resolve is to serve a small dessert right after dinner and to stick with a cup of tea later in the evening.

Well, these are my plans, anyway!  I'll let you know how I'm doing!  I definitely am not perfect when it comes to the healthy eating department, but I do always maintain that eating a very healthy diet on a budget is an attainable and realistic goal!

Check out the tips at Works for Me Wednesday.

Photo by 1876.

Christmas and Winter Clearance Tips

I love this clearanc-y time of year!

Of course, you can find clearance deals year-round, especially after holidays, but there seems to be the most this time of year.  Maybe it's because stores are shedding all the bulky winter merchandise for the light spring items, or maybe it's that they stock so much Christmas merchandise that there is still much to unload after the holidays.

Today I wanted to share a few tips for winter clearance shopping, both for finding deals and for maximizing the deals you find.

- Wait - Some people run out the day after Christmas to start their shopping, but that has pretty much zero appeal for me.  Not only do I like to spend the day after Christmas relaxing, playing, and eating, but really, the deals the day after are usually not so great.  Often many Christmas items are discounted somewhat the week before Christmas, and the day after the holiday they will not yet be marked down further.  Instead, I start my clearance shopping now, about two weeks after Christmas, when most items have moved to around 75% off.  (The only time I would shop right after Christmas is to look for very specific items.)

- Think beyond next Christmas - Yes, now is a great time to stock up on wrapping supplies, decorations, holiday clothing, and stocking stuffers for next holiday season, but there are also clearance items that can be used all year.  Think wrapping for birthday presents, toys for year-round gifts, stocking stuffers as Easter basket stuffers - the list goes on.  This is also the cheapest time to buy winter clothing, even with at least three months of cold weather left.  If your child has grown lately and needs clothes, you're in luck!  Since my kids have the clothes they need right now, I am buying one size up for next year.

- Look everywhere for sales - Even stores that don't seem to carry many seasonal items offer sales this time of year to make room for new merchandise.  So if you're planning a purchase from a certain store, check now for clearance sales.  Also look for markdowns on unexpected items - wintery foods, holiday scents of toiletries, etc.  Check back corners and aisles of stores to find racks of the last remaining Christmas items once the Valentine's displays are up.

- Don't get carried away - Yes, I probably bought a number of items we didn't need at 90% off.  Paper decorations at $.29 each?  Sure!  But in general, I do try to make sure I have a legitimate use for the clearance items.  Even if the adorable porcelain Santa was $29.99 and is now $4.99, if it's just another Christmas knick-knack that the kids might break, maybe I should save the $4.99 for something else!

Do you have any clearance shopping tips?

Target Christmas Clearance

Get thee to a Target!

Last night I was finally feeling well enough get out to try to score a few deals on the after Christmas sales, and boy did I go at the right time!  Tuesday, when my husband picked up my prescription, he said that the Christmas section at our Target was at 75% off.  However, when I went last night, it had gone to 90% off!!!

It's always a surprise what you find at 90% off - some stuff they can hardly give away and some stuff that you're surprised didn't sell earlier.  This year I found a lot of decor items.  I got fun hanging paper decorations for next year, a tree topper for our tree (which we've never had), tinsel, and ornament hooks.  I also found several little Christmas cookie and candy kits which will be fun to whip up with the kids in the next few days, since we still have a couple of holiday parties to attend.

I was a little disappointed not to find more stocking stuffers and wrapping items, as I have in past years, but that's how it goes!  I still will be combing other stores in the next few weeks for Christmas items at rock-bottom prices.

But Christmas decor is not your only reason to get to Target.  I seriously saw clearance tags all over the store!  Glade candles in holiday scents were 50% off; baby holiday wear was 75% off.  I got a box of Christmas Captain Crunch for a fun breakfast for $1.25 (would be even better with a coupon).  One big clearance section I am watching is toys.  My store had multiple aisles of toys for 30% off, which is a great deal if you have upcoming birthdays.  However, I am watching for 70% off, which should happen in the next couple of weeks.  I have scored some terrific toy deals at 70% off, but you have to come at the right time.

Have you been to Target lately?  Have you scored any other great Christmas clearance deals?

Saving Money at Christmas

This weekend, I was asked to give a little presentation to my church moms' group about saving money at Christmas.  Of  course, it's getting to the point when most people are finishing their shopping, but I did think of a few tips that still seemed useful. 

Here are the six tips I shared:

- Stick to a budget - Obviously, everyone's budget for gifts will be different and your own budget might be different for different recipients.  However, the important thing is to set aside a certain amount of money for each gift and to stick as closely as you can to that amount.  Also, that amount may be lower than you think.  To get really specific - for gifts for people not in my immediate family, my budget is often $15.  I find that with savvy shopping, you can get surprisingly nice gifts for that amount.  You can almost always find a book, CD, DVD, clothing item, or toy for $15 or under.  Let go of the pressure to spend a certain amount; the important thing is that you're thinking of the recipient.

- Track prices for items you plan to buy - Around the holidays, practically everything is on sale or has some kind of promotion.  However, "regular prices" are sometimes artificially marked up, and it's hard to know if you're really getting a good deal.  Also, sometimes it's hard to know whether to jump on a sale or wait for a better one (although this close to Christmas you should probably just jump on it!).  So try to get an idea of the base price of items (especially larger ones) for which you're in the market.  A great site that I just became aware of is CamelCamelCamel.  This site tracks prices for specific items on Amazon over the past weeks or months, so that you can get an idea of for how low it has sold.  You can also sign up for alerts for when a specific item reaches your target price.  Amazon generally has competitive prices for most items, so looking at their prices will give you an idea of what to expect at other retailers as well.

- Try not to pay for shipping/look for coupon codes - When buying online, my goal is to never pay for shipping.  I don't always succeed, but around Christmas you can probably avoid paying shipping at least 4 out of 5 times.  Here are 5 ways to avoid paying for shipping:
1) First of all, always look for online coupon codes at sites like RetailMeNot and MyCoupons.  Even if you don't find a free shipping code, you might find a 10% or 15% off that is roughly equivalent to free shipping. 
2) Choose retailers like Amazon that have free shipping options every day.  (Sign up for Amazon Mom if you haven't already to get a free temporary membership in Amazon Prime.) 
3) Sign up for the email newsletter of companies from which you plan to purchase.  You'll be alerted to promotions and sales, such as free shipping days. 
4) Combine orders to reach minimum order for free shipping - combine your orders into one or combine with a friend.
5) Time your orders to certain days - Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Free Shipping Day (Dec. 17)

- Shop online through cashback sites - When shopping online, you're missing out free money if you don't shop through cashback sites like Ebates and ShopatHome.  These sites, which are paid for by advertising, give you a small percentage of cash back if you click through their sites to get to the online retailer that you're using.  You receive a check from the sites once your reach a certain amount of cash back.  You can get cash back from most major online stores, including Target, Walmart, many clothing stores, and photo sites like Snapfish and Shutterfly.  Since you don't get the cash right away, I don't think of the cash back as a discount on my purchase; instead it's a like a teeny bit of free extra money that I get periodically.  Starbucks money!

- Stock up for the rest of the year - The holidays bring the best discounts on pretty much everything - from toys to appliances to electronics.  So if you have a big non-Christmas purchase that you were planning to make, now is a great time to do it. (Of course, that can be hard with all the holiday expenses, so it does take some planning ahead.)  Also, there may be smaller items that are on great discounts this time of year that you can stock up on.  For instance, most grocery stores have their best deals on baking items this time of year ($.99 flour at Wegmans), so I try to stock up for at least the next six months.  I also got a great deal on Black Friday on some expensive cloth diapers.

- Plan ahead for after Christmas clearance - Some of the items that I stock up on during after Christmas clearance sales are wrapping paper and supplies, Christmas decor items, stocking stuffers, winter clothing and accessories, birthday and next Christmas gifts, toys.  In my opinion, shopping the day after Christmas is overrated; I prefer to relax anyway.  Instead, I wait until clearance is at least 75% off, unless I am looking for something very specific.  There is so much Christmas merchandise out there that there is usually a pretty good selection, at least of fairly generic items, at 75% off.

What are your best tips for saving on Christmas shopping?

Holiday Photo Cards from Shutterfly

I love sending and receiving holiday photo cards.  I know that some people dispense with Christmas cards these days, but it is a tradition that is important to me to keep up.  Sure, I'm in contact with a lot of friends on Facebook and through email, but it's nice at Christmastime to send them a physical card letting them know I am thinking of them and wishing them blessings.  Also, we have a lot of older relatives that don't use the Internet very much, so photo cards are a chance for them to see pictures of our kids.  And I know that I love getting a cute updated picture of my friends' kids as well!

In the past, I've dressed my kids in holiday outfits early in December and tried to pose a festive shot for Christmas cards.  However, that is easier said than done, and I didn't even attempt it this year with three little ones!  Instead, I am using a great tip I picked up last year from the example of a friend's card.  Instead of trying to get all three of her kids to look good together, she took individual photos of them from earlier in the year, cropped them to head shots, and turned them black and white.  Then she added them to a card design with three identical photo slots.

I loved this idea because the card still looked more festive than using, say, a beach picture, but no stressful photo session was involved!  I'm definitely using that idea this year!

After hearing lots of good things about the company, I've just started using Shutterfly for some of my photo needs. I recently ordered a photo book of our summer vacation, and I was very pleased with how it turned out.  They certainly have plenty of choice of designs for Christmas Photo Cards - 803, to be exact!

Here's another cute one for three kids:

I like this religious design, too:

Right now all the cards on Shutterfly's site are 30% off, and you can get free standard shipping with orders over $50 with code SHIP50.  Holiday cards start as low as $.32 each. 

Photo cards are something for which I make room in my Christmas budget each year, and I am never sorry that I made the effort.  Not only are they a way of sharing our lives and staying in contact with family and friends near and far, but the extras make nice keepsakes to bring out each year.

Do you send holiday photo cards?  Do you enjoy receiving them?

Disclaimer: In return for writing a post about their cards and linking to their site, Shutterfly gave me 50 free photo cards.  However, all opinions are honest and my own.

Holiday Gift Guide: Our Favorite Toys

As Christmas shopping time is now in full swing, today I wanted to share some of our favorite toys.

Unlike some moms I know, I actually love toys.  I don't love cheap, overly-loud electronic, and ugly toys; but I love high-quality toys that inspire so much fun and creativity in my children.  I like to give these kinds of toys as well, but some high-quality toys can be very pricey. 

Luckily, there is still plenty of good stuff to choose from that works with my very moderate (around $15) gift budget.  Take a look at my top picks:

 - Legos - Legos are not cheap, but in my opinion, they are practically the best toy out there.  Nothing will keep my four year old occupied as long or quietly as building with her Duplos.  And you can actually get a decent Legos set for $15 or under, such as this perfect starter set for a younger child or this neat police helicopter for a more experienced builder.

 - Fisher Price Dog Pull Toy - So simple, yet so beloved.  My girls each have one of these, and I gave one to my cousin in the past.  They are so cute, and they inspire endless fun.  And they're a real bargain at easily under $10!

 - Little People - Okay, they're not quite as cool as the old smaller Little People that we played with as hand-me-downs from my uncles, but I still think the modern chunky plastic Little People are a great toy for 1-4 year olds. All kids of this age seem to enjoy roll playing with a make-believe town.  There are tons of cute sets, from a car wash to a farm to a Nativity set!  Compare prices in different places for different sets, but note that right now fisherprice.com has free shipping until Dec. 10!

-  Melissa and Doug Puzzles - Everyone I know loves Melissa and Doug!  Their wooden toys are high quality yet moderately priced.  We have a number of their puzzles for different age levels, and they're the best.  My four year old especially has loved these four puzzles in a box (there are various different sets) and this ballerina puzzle.

- Play Kitchens - This is one of the most long-lasting toys for children; they will spend many years wanting to imitate their parents.  My girls are always heading over to theirs throughout the day to "make tea" or to "feed" me.  Although you can get some very expensive play kitchens, did you know that Amazon has 843 items in the "under $25" section for the search "play kitchen"?  Some of these are dish sets, but there are actually some kitchens at this price.  This one is cute for $24.99 is cute and I love this Alex Toys tabletop stove.  Or if you wanted to stick with just $15 or under, get the Melissa & Doug Cutting Food or Slice and Bake Cookie Set.  They are the best!

 - Playdough - The classic!  Playdough is a great gift to give for a birthday party or for any time you need a generic, inexpensive kid gift.  For one thing, you can get a really cool set for very little money, such as this Play-Doh Magic Swirl Ice Cream Shoppe or this Fun Factory Set.  Also, even if the kid already has playdough, it always dries up after a while and you can always have more.  My girls can spend a glorious afternoon doing playdough anytime I'm willing to put up with the mess!

Note: most of my toys picks are for preschoolers and under, since that is what I have.  I'd love your suggestions in the comments for great toys for older children, as well as your favorite toys for this age group.

Check out Works for Me Wednesday for other great tips.

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Gearing Up for Christmas Shopping

I shared how I've been preparing for the holiday season here, and as I start to accomplish some of the items on that list I've been moving into more specific shopping preparation.  Making gift lists and scoping out deals are now a daily task for me, as I try to stretch my Christmas budget as far as it will go.

So I thought that today I'd share a few specific early shopping strategies that will help you prepare to hit the mall (or cyberspace) with confidence and to make the most of your gifting money.

So here are 5 strategies to gear up for your holiday shopping:

Making your list and checking it twice - It can't be stated enough - preparation, preparation, preparation!  Once you have your list of gift recipients and have set your budget, start jotting down ideas for what to get each person.  Then start narrowing down your choices as soon as possible.  The more specifically you know what items you want, the easier it is to find a good deal.

Comparing prices - Once you know certain items for which you are in the market, start doing a little research.  Find out the suggested retail price, and then find out if it often/ever sells for less.  If it is an item sold on Amazon, you can use CamelCamelCamel to get an idea of it's pricing history.  You can also use comparative shopping sites like Nextag or Pricegrabber to compare current prices, although I have found that these sites are not comprehensive.  Or simply check the price at a few large merchants online or in a few local stores.  Once you know the going price for an item, you'll know a great deal when you find it.

Signing up for store email lists - In the past few days I have been signing up for the email newsletter for every store that I think I might patronize for Christmas shopping.  You never know what kind of discounts and deals they may offer by email, and these emails also often include sale and clearance alerts.  I have a separate email address for coupons and newsletters, so I'm not worried about clogging up my inbox.

Taking advantage of early offers - I was so proud of my mom the other night when she told me she had already knocked out gifts for six relatives!  It was late one night last week when she checked her email and found that a food gift company that she likes had sent her an offer for free shipping that day only.  Even though it was late, she realized that this deal would be a huge savings when she was planning to send food gifts to a number of different relatives.  It turned out that you did not have to have the items shipped right away, so she picked out gifts, scheduled them for Christmas delivery, got free shipping, and saved over $50!  Lesson learned: if you find an offer now that you know is an excellent deal, there's no use procrastinating in the hope that something better might come along. 

Waiting a little while, then buying - That being said, I am waiting to start most of my actual shopping until after Black Friday/Cyber Monday.  Even if I don't make it to the store next weekend, there will be so many online deals that I want to wait and check them out.  (You can check out the Black Friday ad scans here, and you can see my Black Friday shopping tips here.) However, after Cyber Monday I am not hesitating further.  I'm not the gambling type, and even if there is an amazing last-minute deal the week before Christmas, I don't mind paying a little more for peace of mind!

What other tips to you have to make the most of your Christmas shopping?

Check out more frugal tips at Frugal Fridays.

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Start Redeeming Your Swagbucks for Christmas Now!

I just wanted to mention today that if, like me, you're planning to redeem your Swagbucks for Amazon gift cards for Christmas shopping, you might want to get started now.  Gift cards actually take 10-14 days to post to your account, plus you can only redeem bucks for up to two rewards per today.  Since I am redeeming all of mine for $5 Amazon gift cards (which is one of the best point to rewards ratios), it is going to take me several days just to order all of my rewards. 

I just wanted to give a heads up, since I wish I had known this last year.  This year, I'm ordering all my gift cards now; that way I'm ready to shop early and won't miss out on any great deals.

Also, don't forget that since today is Friday it's Mega Swagbucks Day.  You can earn larger denominations of Swagbucks today, up to 10,000 for one search!

If you don't know what I'm talking about in this post . . . try signing up for Swagbucks!  It's a free search engine which rewards you with points (Swagbucks), which you can redeem for gift cards and other prizes.  You can earn extra points for recruiting your friends and with bonus codes, and anyone has the potential to earn at least a few gift cards per year.

Note: This post contains an affiliate link, which helps support this site.