If you don’t have a cow costume then you can download a free starter kit from Chick-Fil-A. 

Yummy, yummy! 

image from chick-fil-a

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

We all have habits. Some of our habits include spending more on some items over others. I bring this up because sometimes I think about the thrifty books I read, or blog posts, and it seems I could be doing more to save money. Some of those authors of thrifty books come off as if they NEVER spend a dime more than they have to. This makes me wonder about the rest of us. Do we all hold back or do some of us splurge once in a while?

I do splurge, not often, but I do. I do however look for sales on the items below, but if I can’t find one, I’ll still hand over the cash for them. Here’s what I won’t compromise on…

• Coffee: I’ve tried to buy cheaper coffee, I really have. But the coffee snob in me hates me for doing it, and I may as well not drink coffee at all. NOT an option.
• Organic fruits and veggies: You see conventional for really good deals, and many I will buy conventionally, but if a fruit or veggie is on the dirty dozen list, it’s very rare that I won’t buy the organic version.
• Organic milk: Milk is already expensive. Organic milk is a lot more. But dairy rates high on the list of conventional food baddies, so I always buy the more expensive organic.
• Lip gloss: I hate cheap kid lip gloss. I splurge (sadly) on my faves instead.
• Lotion: I usually buy organic or natural lotions (when I don’t make homemade) and it costs more than say, a store brand, but I like that they work better and don’t come chock full of chemicals.
• Recycled toothbrushes: These really cost more than store brand toothbrushes, and work just the same, but the greenie in me makes me need to spend more in order to lower my footprint some.

I’ve known folks who only buy the best meat but would never dream of shelling out cash for a book they can get at the library. I know others who splurge on shoes but clip coupons and search for sales all day long for groceries. I suppose my splurges are mainly affected by my eco-issues, but all of our splurges are slanted by something.

What do you splurge on and why? OR do you think you should try to save money 100% of the time - no compromise?

[image via free pixels]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

• boys’ Maui Island flip flops $4.99
• boys’ Sketchers rubber sandals (croc type) $6.49
• boys’ leather Hush Puppies sandals $12.49
• girls’ Sugar Foot rubber sandals $3.49
• girls’ leather Timberland sandals (brown and pink) $7.49
• boys’ Sketchers flip flops $4.99
• boys’ Croc sandals (brown and orange) $9.99

The regular price of all of these shoes (the Shoe Dept price) was $168.93.  My pretax amount was only $49.93.  This is a savings of about 70%!  Woohoo!

Some of these shoes will fit my children this year and some of these we’ll save for next year. When you get buy shoes and clothing for such incredibly low prices, it saves a lot of money to shop ahead.

Happy saving!

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Help pool bound hair. Club soda has the power to help neutralize all that chlorine, or at least minimize the damage it does to your locks. Rinse with a couple cups of the fizzy stuff after each dip in the pool.

To make a drink - duh right. BUT really consider it. You can make healthier and lower calories fizzy beverages with club soda and lemon, or juice, or some tea that cost less than other fizzy drinks. You can also make a cool soda pop version of a more expensive float for the kids with club soda. Mix a little powdered kool-aid, some sugar, a scoop or two of ice cream, and club soda together for a colorful and bubbly float-like drink.

At the beach house, use club soda to open shelled fish - clams, oysters that are tough to open. You’ll need to soak the shells in club soda for about 15 mins or so and they should open easier.

On the big camp out, whip up a batch of flapjacks with club soda instead of water or milk (you can half it even) for fluffier cakes. You’ll impress everyone - double points if you manage over an open fire.

Make sparkle jello for the kids. If you add club soda instead of plain water (during the cold water step of making jello) it’ll create a sparkle effect. It’s summer - why have dull jello?

And your bonus use - which is not summery at all, but super funny… (via here)

“Make a poor man’s lava lamp. Fill a glass with Canada Dry Club Soda and drop in two raisins. The carbonation will cause the raisins to repeatedly bob to the surface and they sink again.”

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

At the JAMband website go to the page for Rock Your Socks Off, click “add to cart”, enter the code SiSiJAMS at the checkout, recalculate, and then checkout.  After your purchase is complete, you will receive an email from Charity Kahn and the subject will be “Rock Your Socks Off Purchase”. Click on the email and follow the instructions to receive your download. 

Hurry!  This offer is only good until 10 am PST tomorrow, July 7.

Charity also offers a monthly free song download. Visit the Song of the Month archive to get them all for free.

Enjoy the free toe-tapping music.

image from charity & the jamband

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Each month, ChristianAudio has a free audio download.  In July, you can download Crazy Love by using the code JUL2009.  When you visit ChristianAudio.com/free, you will notice that there are a dozen or so other downloads that you can get for free.

Enjoy!  

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Starbucks is giving away 20,000 of the free coupons each day, but only 800 per hour.  There is also a limit of one per household.  Hopefully, you won’t have any troubles getting one of the coupons.  I’ve tried about three times today to get one of the coupons, but that hour had reached it’s limit.  I will continue to try.

Good luck!

Thanks, Common Sense with Money. Image from facebook.

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Alligator Girl’s birthday is July 4th and here’s a look at the cool stuff she got, thanks to her Thrifty Mommy! 

• MagNext magnet set - This was a last minute request from her.  Her older brother got a set for his birthday and she wanted a set so that they could play together.  Good thing I had bought an extra set when Target had them 50% off.  Now that she has a set, Cuddlebug has asked for his own set too for his birthday later this month.  We went to Target this weekend and they still had more of them on clearance.  I think we paid $11.98 instead of $23.99.
• WoofTown dog and accessories - All of these were 50-75% off.  The dog was $1.98 instead of $8, the large box of clothing and accessories was $3.24 rather than $12.98, the t-shirt was 75% off for $1.24, but the dog carrier bag was only 50% off.  It was $3.98 rather than $8.  This is one of her most favorite birthday presents.  Even her brothers like this toy.
• Silver star fanny pack - I saw this at Target last week.  I can see this coming in handy in the next few years.  It was $2.48 rather than $9.99.
• Hannah Montana necklace and bracelet set - On sale at Dollar General for $1, regularly $5.
• Precious Places dvd - A freebie from Fisher Price.  I received this just in time.  I hope the other dvd arrives before Cuddlebug’s birthday.
• Animal Jokes dvd and book - I actually got these in a 4-pack at Food Lion.  The entire set was $6, but I opened the package and just gave her one from the set.  This made her gift $1.25.  She is really into jokes lately so she was excited to get this.  She can listen to the cd while reading along in the book.

All of these gifts would have cost about $80. I never would have paid that.  I got it all for less than $30. 

Do you shop the clearance sales for birthday and Christmas presents?

image (c) Karen Weideman

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Check for a receipt. Some people get that not everyone shares their love of heart shaped dishes, and will thus, include a gift receipt in the gift box. If you don’t see a receipt try to figure out where the person got the gift, with a well placed, “Wow, where the heck did you find this!”

Don’t mess around with the gift. Either you want it or you don’t. If you open it up, untape the box, or install batteries, it can make it harder to return.

Return it asap. Waiting around means you might only get an exchange price that’s current, i.e. lower. Once I waited so long to return something the store had quit carrying it. Doh!

Ask for uppers. If a clerk gives you grief about a return, ask to talk to someone higher on the store food chain. If you keep on being persistent, you’ll get an exchange.

If all else fails - it’s re-gift city time. You won’t get a gift, but you will save cash the next time you need one to give. Check out Karen’s top re-gifting ideas for the thrifty.

[image via stock.xchng]

Post from: Thrifty Mommy

Of course, there are a few rules to this coupon sale:

• You must purchase $25 or more of merchandise in order to get your coupons doubled.
• There is a limit of 10 doubled coupons per trip.
• Coupons of up to $2 will be doubled.  No overage will be given.
• Limit 4 like items per trip.
• Internet coupons will be accepted.
• Kmart store coupons do not apply to this offer.

Since there is a limit of 10 coupons per trip, this may not be worth your while.  The value of this deal will depend upon your time and gas involved.  If you live or work near Kmart, you could make several small trips and have a lot of savings.

Good luck!

Post from: Thrifty Mommy