Category Archives: Saving $/Coupons

How to Shop at Dirt Cheap

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My daughter, Christi (aka the Frugal Novice), and I went to Dirt Cheap this week.  Honestly, I had been there before by myself, and I walked through quickly and thought what a junky store.  I didn’t find anything I wanted.

Christi and hubby have found some really great bargains there on quality merchandise, so I went again with her and she showed me how to shop.  We started on one side of the store and walked up and down every aisle.  We glanced quickly but thoroughly on every shelf, and I found several bargains this week.  I was excited!

See the dimmable LED lantern above?  Christi and Brian have two of these that they bought at Target a year ago, and I thought they were cool.  Well, I found one just exactly like it for $5 this week.

There was a stubborn area of sticker residue that was hard to get off.  Simple solution!  Put a blob of peanut butter and let it set for several hours.  Works great!  So, word of warning.  Their price stickers are hard to get off.

The lantern was a good deal but not as good as the next two fantastic bargains I found.  I use a Vicks Warm Mist Vaporizer in my bedroom during the winter season when mountain cedar is going crazy.  It keeps any congestion from allergies loose and helps me avoid a sinus infection.  I just bought one this week for $15 but after finding two at Dirt Cheap for $1.70 each, I’m definitely returning the $15 one. (It hasn’t been opened and I still have the receipt.)  And yes, you read that correctly.  They were $1.70 each!  The boxes were damaged, but we checked and the vaporizers are in perfect condition.

The last absolutely unbelievable bargain was finding Old Navy puffer jackets for $5 each.  Christi looked them up on her phone and they were originally $60.  I bought two to donate to people who need a coat.

Thanks to Christi showing me how to shop there, I think we might be going on a regular basis to hunt for bargains.  I forgot to mention that Christi found a cute Gap vest for $5!  I realize we won’t always find deals like we did this week, but hey.  It’s worth going a few times to find such amazing bargains!

Free Printable Holiday Gifts Shopping Planner

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If you’re like our daughter and me, we are big list makers.  Lists are wonderful to help us stay organized!  Well, a few minutes ago, I was online and happened to come across this free printable Holiday Shopping Planner which is designed specifically for Black Friday but could used all month long.

The planner has a place to list people, gift ideas, location where the gift is being sold, the  price, and (this is  great) the time the store opens.  It also has a place for Cyber Monday.

This free list is from Sonic which is also advertising 1/2 price breakfast burritos all day on Black Friday.  I wouldn’t be surprised if we stop by and take advantage of this!

Shoe Repair

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With the economy the way it is (and it doesn’t seem to be getting better here where we live – my opinion and the opinion of several random people I’ve been in conversation with during the past month), more and more people are looking for ways to save money and cut costs such as using a shoe repair shop.  You can have your nice, leather shoes repaired and maybe even dyed to take away scuff marks.  A good pair of leather shoes can last for years if well taken care of and sent to a reputable shoe repair shop for cosmetic purposes and repairs.  That’s a great way to save money!

Slow Cooker Meals & Tips

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Who doesn’t like to come home from work or from a busy day running errands and have dinner waiting in a slow cooker. Just walking in the door and smelling the aroma of a delicious home-cooked meal is so inviting. Well, Food Network has eleven tips for slow cooker meals that are definitely worth checking out. I already see one tip I need to remember, the one that talks about how it’s better to fill a slow cooker halfway to two thirds full.  Also, here are eight simple slow cooker recipes from Food Network that sound so good!

With the holidays coming up, a lot of us will be taking desserts, dips, snacks and appetizers to parties. What better way to keep them warm than in a slow cooker. If any of you have eaten at Qdoba’s and love their queso, here’s a recipe for a lower-fat version of Qdoba’s 3-Cheese Queso.

Don’t have a slow cooker?  Check out these from Amazon.  I’ve started ordering from Amazon more and more the past couple of years after realizing how easy and convenient it is.  And I nearly always find the best price on something at Amazon plus a lot of items qualify for free shipping which saves money! A lot of you probably figured this out a long time ago..
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Black Friday Sales

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I wonder how many of you are planning on going to the Black Friday sales early this coming Friday morning, and I do mean early! We are planning on getting up before dawn and going to several stores to get some really good deals.  What makes Black Friday so fun?  I guess it’s being with family and/or friends, shopping at a crazy time during the middle of the night, and being on a quest to find the best bargains out there.

Product Review: Family Dollar Holiday Entertaining & Gift Items

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I was excited when a large box arrived on my doorstep, and when I opened it…this is what I found!  I knew that Family Dollar was sending me something, but I had no idea it would be this big!

Inside this beautifully wrapped package were all sorts of goodies. There were things for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas!


In my gift basket for “Halloween Happiness,” there were Spooky Lollipop Rings and Halloween Suckers plus a Halloween pumpkin. (Family Dollar has good prices on their candy for trick or treaters! Note the Lollipop Rings are just $2.) For Thanksgiving, there were several things: an apron (a bib apron with two large pockets AND with DuPont Teflon fabric protector to protect from stains), two holiday dessert recipes from the Family Dollar Holiday Recipe and Coupon Booklet, and a fall leaves bowl.

By the way, you might want to get the Family Dollar Holiday Recipe and Coupon Booklet to help with your entertaining needs and your budget.

The “Christmas Corner” included a Family Dollar Christmas Toy Book which has 24 pages of value packed Christmas toys, affordable for every family.  Our daughter (Christi from Frugal Novice) was visiting when I opened my Family Dollar “Fall Entertaining Toolkit” basket of goodies.  When she saw the toys they sent me, which are in the Family Dollar Toy Book, she was impressed and said that she would definitely be going to Family Dollar to purchase some toys for gifts.

They have $5 toys for kids of every age, and they feature popular name brands like Hot Wheels, Disney, and Bakugan.  In fact, they sent me a Bakugan toy.  I have to admit that I had no idea what that was, but our daughter was very familiar with Bakugan toys.  When I gave it to our grandson (Christi & Brian’s three year old), he was fascinated with it.  In the picture, you can see our grandson, dressed in his red pajamas, playing very intently with his new toy. He liked it so much that he slept with it that night, and even went to sleep with it clutched in his little hand.  It was definitely a hit!

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Family Dollar has everything from kids’ favorites like full-function Radio Control Kid Cruisers to $5 board games to Kidget clothing for newborns-toddlers to hot-priced electronics.  They have play huts for $10 such as the Disney’s Tinker Bell and Disney’s Princess.  They have something for everyone!  What is really impressive is their great selection of $5 toys and gifts.  Also available are wrapping paper and seasonal home decor accents at great prices. No wonder they’re one of the fastest-growing discount chains in the United States and also a Fortune 500 company.

If you visit Family Dollar.com, you can enter the Family Dollar Holiday Dream Dash Contest for a chance to win a 90 seconds holiday shopping spree in one of their stores.  You can enter now through November 19, 2020.  Be sure to go back and vote the week of November 22nd.

Note:  Family Dollar offers a 10% discount on bulk toy purchases of $100 or more, perfect for the charitable gift-giver!

Central Market FREEBIES through October 5, 2010

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This is a ready-made meal and would make a whole meal for us, but if you wanted to then you could get some frozen veggies and cook them in no time at all.  Here are the freebies for this week:

Buy this:

  • Central Market Rotisserie Chicken

Get these free:

  • Family Size Caesar Salad
  • French Baguette

That saves you $7.68, and you can feed your whole family for the price of the chicken and maybe a veggie.

Remember: Dress Up Like a Cow this Friday!

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If you don’t know about this, you’re probably thinking, “She’s crazy!”  And I must admit it does sound crazy!  But hey, I’ll dress up partly like a cow for a free Chick-Fil-A entree on July 9th.  Everyone who comes dressed up partially like a cow gets a free entree, and for those who come completely dressed up like a cow get the whole meal free.  You can RSVP on Facebook if you want to, but you don’t have to.

Here’s more info about where to download free printable cow ears, spots, etc.

If you can’t tell already, I’m a huge fan of Chick-Fil-A…our whole family is.  And would you like to know why? (By the way, this is not a paid post.   It’s strictly my opinion)  Well, let me tell you anyway:

  • We really like their food!
  • Chick-Fil-A’s food is top quality!
  • They have awesome waffle fries.
  • Their new spicy chicken sandwich is so good!
  • They have a super fast drive-through (One time during the lunch rush, the line wrapped completely around the building and I was at the end of the line.  I timed it and it only took me 5 minutes to get up to the window to get my food.  They’ve always been consistently fast.)
  • They’re closed on Sundays for faith and family.
  • They give out an enormous amount of money every year in scholarships.

“Cow Appreciation Day” at Chick-Fil-A / FREE food on 7-9-10

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Yes, there is free food at Chick-Fil-A this FRIDAY but there is a stipulation.  You have to dress like a cow…I’m not kidding!  Their website explains all the Cow Appreciation Day details. If you dress partly like a cow (and they even have a link to download their starter kit so you can print off cow ears, cow tail, cow spots, etc) then you will get a free entree.  However, if you dress completely like a cow from head to toe (cow PJ’s are acceptable) then you get a free meal.  We’re not doing the free meal thing, but we will put on cow’s ears and spots for a free entree.   Kids can even enter a contest.  Sounds like fun!

FREE Breakfast @ Whataburger Tomorrow!

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When you’re out and about between 7-10 am tomorrow morning, you can get a free “Breakfast on a Bun” from Whataburger.  And if you like things really spicy, you can get jalapenos and picante added for free!
I may get mine with bacon instead of sausage, I haven’t decided yet.  We rarely have either because of the fat & cholesterol factor, so it’s a treat when we have either one.

Frugal Novice: $25 Gift Card for Groceries Giveaway!

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This is a great giveaway at The Frugal Novice because it’s a $25 gift card for groceries, and you get to choose where you want to buy your groceries!   All you have to do is sign up for a free trial at “Food on the Table,” but you are not committed in any way nor do you give any credit card info.  So it’s totally risk free!

The cool thing is that you have 30 days of using “Food on the Table” for free.  That’s one whole month free!

It’s so easy!  Here’s what you do:

  • Enter your zip code
  • Enter your favorite local grocery store
  • Answer a few questions about food, “What are you in the mood for this week?”

Then, “Food on the Table” suggests recipes.  You choose which ones.  They tell you what ingredients are on sale at the grocery store you chose.  And they even tell you how much money you will save by buying the sale items!  Then they organize your shopping list by categories.  Wow!  It sounds like a lot of fun!  Remember, it’s free for one month, and you get to be in the drawing for a $25 gift card to the grocery store of your choosing.

This giveaway ends at The Frugal Novice midnight on 6/17/2010.

Family Dollar $50 Gift Card Giveaway

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GIVEAWAY OVER:  Winner is Stephanie Grant (by Random.org)

Before I tell you about this awesome $50 gift card giveaway here at Healthy Home Blog, let me tell you this.  Now that I’m “grandma” and have two precious little grandsons, I find myself looking at baby’s and little boy’s clothes if I happen to be passing by them in a store.  The younger grandson is nearly 14 months and the older one is two (nearly three), so I look in the baby’s section and the toddler boy’s section.  I love looking at clothes for them!

Speaking of children’s clothing, have you seen the new line of adorable and affordable kid’s clothes called “Kidgets” at Family Dollar?   I hadn’t seen them until recently when I was given the opportunity to review one of their Kidgets outfits for my grandson as seen below.

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I must say that I’m impressed with how stylish the three-piece outfit is.  It is really cute!  And the saying on the T-shirt is perfect for a two year old.  (If you’ve ever been shopping with a two year old who is having a “terrible twos” experience in the store, you know exactly what that means!)

Family Dollar’s “The Affordable Turns Adorable” Kidgets line of clothing for newborns through toddlers is perfect for this economy.  Many people have a tight budget but yet they still want to have cute clothes for their kids.  Look at what all Family Dollar’s Kidgets offers:

  • Three-piece outfits for $8 and under
  • Trendy seasonal accessories such as beach sandals (priced $4 & $5)
  • Children’s sunglasses (priced $3)
  • Foldable totes (priced $4)
  • Hats (priced $4)

If you visit Family Dollar’s website, you can even print a coupon for $1 Off a Kidgets set of clothes for a boy or girl.  I use coupons whenever I can, so I think this is great!  And Family Dollar has a money back guarantee, promising a full refund to anyone who is not satisfied with items in the new Kidgets line.  This is a win/win situation!  Maybe that’s why it’s said that Family Dollar is one of the fastest-growing discount retail chains in the US.

Also, Family Dollar is hosting the Cute as a Kidget Photo Contest with a $5,000 cash grand prize and other great prizes.  Families can upload their cutest “Kidget” photos.  Family and friends will then have a chance to vote, and the winner will be announced on July 16, 2010.  Family Dollar is also hosting a “Cute as a Kidget Sweepstakes” for more fun prizes, and they’re having daily drawings for gift card giveaways.

Now, on to the $50 Gift Card Giveway.

WIN IT:

This giveaway is open to all US readers.
Family Dollar has provided one $50 gift card for giveaway.  Entries for this giveaway will be accepted until midnight CST on Sunday, June 27, 2010. The winner will be selected using random.org and announced the following day in a post.

HOW TO WIN IT:

Mandatory entry: Visit Family Dollar’s site and then leave me a comment below letting me know what you would get with the gift card if you win it.  In your comment info where you leave your name and URL, be sure to leave your email address (which will be private).   I must have a way to contact the winner by email.   The winner will be announced here on June 28th and notified by email.

BONUS ENTRIES:

(Mandatory entry must be completed first!)

Please leave a separate comment for each entry:

  • Blog about this giveaway and link it back here (4 extra entries)
  • Subscribe (2 extra entries)
  • Follow me on Google Friend Connect (2 extra entries)
  • Follow me on Twitter (1 extra entry)
  • Tweet about this giveaway (1 extra entry per tweet; up to 2 tweets spaced out during the day)
  • Put my button on your blog (2 extra entries)  (download it from my sidebar)
  • Follow Family Dollar on Twitter (1 extra entry)

Note: This was not a paid post, and my honest opinions were provided. Family Dollar provided the Kidgets outfit for review and is providing the gift card for the giveaway, but I was not paid monetarily.