Be free to live the life you choose.
Becky strikes again. Yesterday she came home from Rite Aid with another money-back purchase. If you have kiddos and live near a Rite Aid, you might want to check this out.
End of summer sale: 50 cents a box for popsicles. Rebate is $1 a box. So these popsicles are a money maker. Paid $4. And will get $8 in return.
This week’s example goes beyond frugal. Imagine being paid to take merchandise out of the store. That’s what I watched happen this week. My wife, Becky–as I’ve mentioned before–is an amazing bargain shopper.
Wednesday I walked into a local pharmacy with her. She pulled out her coupons and went straight to the items that were on sale at the store and that she had coupons for.
A $7.99 bottle of Listerine mouthwash.
A $9.99 battery-powered Oral B toothbrush.
Two minutes later we were at the checkout counter with her items and coupons. After store discounts and manufacturers coupons were deducted the total came to $2.07. She handed the cashier two one-dollar bills, a nickel and two pennies… And he handed her back the receipt with three store bucks good on any future purchase from that store.
So the grand total spent for the mouthwash and battery-powered toothbrush… -$.93
Talk about frugal! Free stuff AND enough money for something else free next trip.
Do you have a tip for us? Please share in the comments below.
This morning someone in our town put their Christmas tree out at the end of their driveway with a Free sign on it. Tonight it’s in our living room! =) Guess this week is Freebie Friday. Nice grab, Bec!
Last week I attended a two-day conference in Connecticut. Since it was less than a half day drive, my family rode along. They enjoyed the sights in Connecticut while I was in meetings.
On the way home we stopped by Staten Island and rode the ferry over to Manhattan. The ferry traveled right by the Statue of Liberty–something our first grader has been wanting to see.
I had also driven through Times Square, NYC on our way up to Connecticut the first night. So they got to see all the city lights.
Total cost of our NYC sights…$2.50 parking at the free ferry plus several meals (couldn’t go past IHOP without getting pancakes!)
Thank you to Bec’s Facebook friends for the frugal tips to see NYC on a dime.
Becky’s latest rummage sale find… $1 Anne Klein wool pea coat. It’s a classic. In good shape, just missing a couple buttons. Bec spiced it up with eight new fun buttons for $6.
Now she’s ready for cold weather in a $200 coat that she spent $7 on.
Proof that you can update your wardrobe and look great without pulling out the credit card.
Where do you find the best deals on clothes?
Becky hits the $.50 bread sale once a month. It’s day-old bread, but we freeze it and use it all month. The eight packages in this picture cost less than one loaf in the grocery store.
This is just one way to save on your grocery bill. But it adds up fast if you buy the good stuff…like multi-grain bread.
What kind of food sales do you have in your area?
An easy way to save on fruits and vegetables is to buy what’s in season. We find ours at a local fruit shed for rock bottom prices.
Here’s a picture of a box of 50 peaches for $10. At the grocery store we pay $5.99 for 5 peaches! Buy in season locally!!
For extra savings, buy in large quantities and split the price with another family. Or if you like, chop and freeze them for smoothies throughout the year.
Today I’m sharing an example of living frugally. My wife, Becky, is an amazing bargain shopper.
Which is not to say she doesn’t shop. We have everything we need and live very comfortably. It’s just that we rarely pay anywhere close to full-price for anything.
Here’s an example from this week…
Bec had a $35 coupon from Bon-Ton. Off she went to the mall to see what she could round up for cheap. She found a pair of athletic shoes she liked. They were on sale for 40% off. As you can see from the picture of the receipt, after the sale price and coupon were deducted, Becky brought home $62.99 shoes for $2.79.
Living a frugal lifestyle becomes a game when you start watching for opportunities like this.
Becky finds deals like this all the time. I’ll start sharing little stories like this each Friday to give you some ideas…Frugal Friday has a ring to it, right?
What bargain stories do you have? Or what frugal tips work for you? Leave a comment below.