Just in time for Easter, Michael’s has sent out printable bonus coupons.  Now you can get all your spring pretties at a reasonable price.  Michael’s also has a lot of great sales on spring flowers, Easter decor, picture frames, and more.  Click here to get your bonus coupons.  Enjoy!

image from michael’s

In case you don’t know, we have a new addition in our family.  We had only a few days to prepare for J and we needed a dresser for his things.  I’m a bit too thrifty and cheap to go out and spend hundreds of dollars on a dresser.

We stopped by our local thrift store to see what they had to offer.  We found this dresser for only $30!  A pretty good buy, I think.  It was a bit dirty and needed a little TLC, but I think it’s perfect for our new family member.

I’m curious to know . . . do you furnish your home with new or used furniture?

image is mine

Earlier this week, I looked at the pile of items I got very cheaply at CVS and realized one key to saving on groceries: Have a stockpile of necessities.

I’ve always read that buying staples in bulk is a way to save money. Corollary to this idea is buying needed items ahead of time, and only when they’re on sale. When I browse through the blogs of successful coupon shoppers, I often see photos of their stash of toilet paper, toilet paper, toothpaste, diapers and so on. All of these wise shoppers get their supplies when they’re on sale so they never have to pay for anything at full price. Whenever they need anything, they simply go shopping at their stockpile. Another benefit of shopping this way is that they never run out of toilet paper.

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Everything is more expensive these days. It is harder and harder to stretch a budget and still check off every item on the grocery list. There are ways to cut down on food bills, and still have healthy food for the family.

Today’s food editor Phil Lempert has listed ideas to “fill your grocery cart without busting your budget”. He has suggestions that can be applied to just about anything from the grocery. In addition, he also talks about 10 staple items that you can save money on. These items are milk, eggs, pasta, bread, cereal, rice, produce, fish, meat and beans. I specially like his tip for saving on pasta sauce by making your own from canned crushed tomatoes, herbs and olive oil.

These 10 items are really all you need for good nutrition and you can save money on them by following Phil’s tips. You can find his suggestions at MSNBC.

Creative Commons image by ralphbijker on Flickr

According to Consumer Reports, it is possible to predict when certain items go on sale. There are general trends over the year for when you can save on major purchases.

The editors at Consumer Reports looked at industry surveys and publications to put together a calendar of deals. For June, you can expect to save some money on the following:

* Indoor furniture

* Small consumer electronics

* Summer sports gear

* Swimwear

While weekly store circulars are still a valuable source of information on where the deals are, this calendar could be something to keep in mind if you’re planning a large purchase in the next few months.